Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) Research Paper

Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) - Research Paper Example In order to ensure security of information over the Internet various security technologies have been proposed that usually work on the higher layers of the OSI model and provide security in terms of authentication, confidentiality, integrity and availability. IPSec is one such security technology that operates on the IP layer and provides confidentiality, integrity and authentication. As it operates at the IP layer, its implementation provides security in the higher layers as well. And its implementation is such that the existing setup of Internet does not have to be changed in order to implement it. This report presents an overview of the IPSec technology. It discusses the general architecture of the technology, briefly covering its technical details and its operation modes. Furthermore the report discusses how IPSec can be integrated into the existing Internet setup. 1. Introduction The security of information is defined by four attributes; confidentiality, integrity, privacy and a vailability (Adeyinka, 2008). In the past, when computers were not that common a commodity let alone the Internet, virtual private networks were formed through installation of dedicated leased lines between the hosts e.g. networking of remote offices (Liska, 2003). Figure 1 Dedicated Leased Lines VPN Since these lease lines were private the information sent or retrieved remained within the related parties and so the communication was fast and secure. Thus private networks were formed. But the setup was costly and very few companies could afford it. Later on, in order to accommodate the mobile users, the companies installed dedicated remote dial-in servers (Remote Access Servers) that had modem(s) each connected to a separate dedicated phone line (Liska, 2003). Figure 2 Dial-up VPN Although the networking was achieved, yet the effort was not that useful as the speed of these networks was very slow. With the advent of the Internet and its global web servers that provided larger and ea sier access worldwide, the use of leased lines became an expensive burden and remained limited to very few resourceful companies. In view to the easy access to worldwide communication granted by the Internet, the element of security somewhat lost its significance and every other school, office, company and business sought out to be connected through the Internet. The instances of some serious cyber crimes (â€Å"Cyber Crime Stories†) led to the realization that the Internet is not at all secure. Being a public medium, the information sent across the Internet in the form of data packets passes through various networks until they reach their intended destination. Since the Internet protocol (IP) offers no built-in security, this plain text data in the IP datagram cannot be prevented from unauthorized access from the public network. Any third party can easily inspect, even modify or generate false data and compromise system security. For instance the passwords that are sent can be tracked and looked into (packet-sniffing), IP packets

The Mid Autumn Moon Festival Theology Religion Essay

The Mid Autumn Moon Festival Theology Religion Essay China is among the well known countries in the world for a variety of desirable tradition of folk art and traditional festivals (Morrissey Lee, 2006). The culture of the country is filled with unique symbols which are widely enjoyed by Chinese people and people in other countries who had cultural exchange with China. According to Morrissey and Lee (2006), the festivals are not only celebrated by Chinese people but also celebrated by people in other countries such as in Asia who share Chinese culture. This paper seeks to identify and discuss some of important festivals which are important to Chinese tradition. The second part of the study will compare the Chinese festivals with Indonesian festivals. Chinese Festivals As acknowledged in the introduction, China enjoys a variety of festivals; each of the festival has a unique meaning to the Chinese people and people who share Chinese culture. One of the widely celebrated festivals in China is Mid-Autumn Moon Festival known as Zhongqiu Jie in Chinese language (Morrissey Lee, 2006). This festival is used to mark the appearance of new moon in every mid-September. That is the same time when Chinese people celebrate good harvests of that year. During this time moon appears near the horizon which makes it appear bigger and round than usual. People spare their time and join their families and loved ones to watch the new moon (Morrissey Lee, 2006). The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in other words the Moon Festival is a special event in China observed to honor female goddess of the moon called the Chang E (Morrissey Lee, 2006). The festival honors the female goddess of the moon, the females or the women in the families are the ones supposed to prepare for the celebrations. Morrissey and Lee (2006) points out that, the women hung moon papers on doors which are posters made of bamboo. The posters are called Yueguang maer in Chinese local language. The bamboo posters are split into three parts including a picture of Chang E at the top, moon goddess at the center of the poster and a picture of Jade Rabbit believed to live in the moon (Pan Tang, 2004). During the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival Chinese people and those who share Chinese culture buy rabbit sculptures and statutes for their families and loved ones at home (Morrissey Lee, 2006). As a sign of gratitude and sharing of joy, many kinds of offerings and special foods are prepared to mark the Moon-Autumn festival. During that festival celebration, women prepare Yue Bing which is a round moon-cake (Morrissey Lee, 2006). The cake is decorated with different sweet filings including walnuts pastes, dates pastes, and mashed beans to make the cake as sweet as possible for the people. According to Morrissey and Lee (2006), the moon cakes are very popular especially in the southern China. Other ingredients such as coconut, lotus seed paste and egg Yolk are put at the center of the cake to symbolize the moon. The cakes are usually eaten the same night when the moon appears in the horizon as people celebrate (Pan Tang, 2004). The other equally significant Chinese festival is the Dragon Boat Festival called Duanwu Jie in Chinese local language. This festival started approximately two centuries ago in southern China. It is used to honor the dragon god believed to control rivers and rainfall in China. During this festival, people pray through Dragon god for the rain to feed their rice plants (Morrissey Lee, 2006). The Dragon Boat Festival in China has not been forgotten to date; the festival is currently an exiting event across the country and is used to celebrate the beginning of summer in the country. To mark this festival, people parade in rivers with their boats where they organize boat contests or race to entertain people (Morrissey Lee, 2006). During that day people also prepare different special meals. The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on every fifth day of the fifth moon which mostly happens on the 21st day of June every year (Morrissey and Lee, 2006). This festival is also used in remembrance of QuYuan who was a very famous Chinese patriotic poet. The boats used in the competition in the lakes and rivers are usually made taking the shape of a dragon. The capacity of the boats is approximately 80 people (rowers) (Morrissey and Lee, 2006). The rowers paddle as drums are played to make the event as entertaining as possible. According to Chinese customs, the dragon day or the fifth day of the fifth moon is a very dangerous time. The day is associated with evil. The dragon races are therefore meant to protect people from such evil. At the end of the competition, those who were participating in the race are supposed to throw offerings into the river and lakes. That is believed to drown all the evils thus making people secure (Chambers, 2004). Before people live for the celebration, they tie different crops such as sweet-flag, garlic and mugwort on their front doors to protect their loved ones from evil. During the dragon boat festival people also carry xiang bao which are sachets with sweet-smelling flowers and herbs to guard themselves from the evil. Another very important festival in China is the Clear Brightness known s as Qing ming Jie in Chinese local language. That day which is also called the Tomb Sweeping Day is used to mark the beginning of spring and the end of winter. The festival mostly occurs on the 4th, 5th, or 6th day of April each year (Chambers, 2004). To mark this day, Chinese people and those who share Chinese custom take time to remember their common ancestors and loved ones who passed away in the previous year. They usually visit the tombs or graves where those people were buried. When visiting the graves, people are very happy making the occasion very cheerful, they usually prepare foods for the ancestors and go to clean and weed the tombs (Chambers, 2004). According to Chinese customs, the dead people are not separated from the living, the living and the dead are usually connected in many ways. The dead or the ancestors are supposed to be very much respected and not forgotten lest they harm the living. During the Clear Festival, people and relatives clean family graves, take beautiful flowers to the graves and burn paper money to please the spirit of the dead. Wine and foods are also taken to the graves as a symbol of love and concern for the ancestors and their late loved ones. Most important to note is the point that, people do not just move to gravesites together, different groups go to different sites (Pan Tang, 2004). Grandparents, aunts, uncles an cousins have their rseparate grave sites where they go during that festival. The coffins are not buried underground but left outside the tombs placed on mounds of earth commonly called the burial mounds, this Chinese traditional practice begun 1,500 years ago. Moreover, the ancestor worship in Chinese culture is a sign of respect for the dead. During such worshiping event, the ancestors are treated like living beings (Pan and Tang, 2004). The ancestors are worshiped to please them so that they do not harm the living. However, the ancestors are not believed to be as powerful as gods and therefore they cannot punish the relatives but gods can do. During the Clear Brightness Festival, the ancestors are supposed to try their best to help the living if they are requested to do so (Pan Tang, 2004). If the ancestors fail to help the living people up on request during that festival, the living abandons or ignore them implying that they no longer offer fruits, paper money or other foods to them (ancestors) (Pan Tang, 2004). In any case if the ancestors are ignored, they become external ghosts and they start loafing around in search of food. Chinese also celebrate dengjie or the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of every first month of the year. The festival is used to mark the end of a year and the beginning of a new year. The lanterns are carried in the streets during the last night of the New Year holiday (Pan Tang, 2004). Thousand of people celebrate all over the streets being hopeful of the New Year fortunes and end of the may been hardships of the just ended year. This festival began 1400 years ago in the history of China (Sievert, 2006). People carry lanterns made from all materials some made of papers, glass other of wood and in different sizes and shapes. Often such festival is mostly celebrated in the city of Harbin located far north of China. The lanterns used in the city for this festival are made of ice taken from rivers. As pointed out by Sievert (2006), the lanterns are usually painted with different Chinese symbols, historical scenes or characters while other lanterns are made in shapes of important anima ls in Chinese traditions such as dragons and crabs. The lanterns are made during the year in preparations of the festival. The lion dance also called the shi wu in Chinese local language and long wu (dragon dance) are performed to mark the Lantern Festival (Chambers, 2004). On this special day, men put on colorful lion heads to disguise themselves. The dragon to serve in this festival is made of bamboo rods with colorful cloth, 20 to 30 feet long (Chambers, 2004). The manmade dragon is then held up on poles to make it firm thus possible to be moved along the streets as people celebrate. The culture of dragon dance is not only practiced in China but also in San Francisco. Another remarkable Chinese festival is the Lunar New Year Festival locally called the Xinnian. This is celebrated each year in the history if China (Wei, 2011). It is a very cheerful day longed by many people both Chinese and who share Chinese culture. It is celebrated during the first day of first new moon. According to Chambers (2004), the event lasts for two weeks during which people share their joy with their families and friends. The 1st day of January marks the beginning of a new year in China. However, the New Year Festive follows the lunar calendar. The festive begins on the night preceding the lunar month and continuous until the 15th day of the Lantern Festival (Wei, 2011). To mark this festival, people worship different gods and spirits. People take their time during the celebration to clean their homes (Flanagan, Zhurkina Labbo, 2004). During this the New Year Festive people also clear their outstanding debts to ensure they start the New Year without debts. The elders al so distribute lucky money (Hong bao) in closed red envelops to children to make the New Year a year full of opportunities (Flanagan, Zhurkina Labbo, 2004). The young person visits their friends and businesses are closed for days to celebrate the New Year. The markets are not left out during the New Year festival, every corner of the market is filled with special foods and different decorations. As argued by Flanagan, Zhurkina and Labbo (2004), the fireworks are used to electrify that New Year holiday. Lively music, lion and dragon dances are used to entertain people during the New Year Festival. According to Wei (2011), families also decorate their doors with beautiful pictures of lucky symbols and gods. People come together to wish for the new year to be full of happiness, riches and good fortunes for their families and loved ones (Flanagan, Zhurkina Labbo, 2004). Comparison between Chinese festivals and Indonesian festivals Festival celebrations in Indonesia are mostly religion-based. The country consists of many ethnic groups including Hindu, Christians and Muslims and has varied local traditions. Nearly every month in Indonesia there is a certain festival event (Ver, 2010). Just like in China, some of the celebrations are used to mark the end of a year and a beginning of a new. The following are popular festive seasons celebrated in Indonesia in close comparison to Chinese festivals. The people of Indonesia just like does the Chinese celebrate the New Years Day. The festive day is called the Tahun Baru in Indonesian local language and it is the 1st public holiday in every year in the country (Backshall, 2003). This event is what the Chinese refer to as Xinnian. Just like in China where people welcome the New Year by celebrating in streets, in Indonesia the New Year is celebrated with fireworks, street celebrations and other kinds of celebrations (Ver, 2010). Just like Chinese people visit relatives in New Festival celebrations. People Indonesia and mostly Christians visit each other on the wake of New Year and also go to churches to wish good fortunes for the New Year. Just like Chinese celebrate QuYuan; a popular and patriotic poet on the 21st day of June, in Indonesia people mark the end of March and beginning of April by celebrating Garebeg Maulad which is a festive meant to remember the birth day of Prophet Muhammad (Vaisutis, 2007). On that day, Muslims move in big towns reciting Koran (Backshall, 2003). This celebration begins seven days before the actual event and lasts for one month. Just like people in China go to nearby lakes and rivers during the Dragon Boat Festival where they give offerings and the evils are believed to drown in the water, in Indonesia, a public holiday called Nyepi or the solar New Year is held at the spring equinox (Backshall, 2003). During that day, every business in the island and people remain silent. That was meant to prevent thwarts by evil annoyed by the previous nights activities (Lexus, 1997). It is believed that the spirit would assume there were no people in that island and will leave the island causing no harm to the people. The day before the Nyepi Festival, special people carry offerings and sacred objects and go to lakes and rivers to give offerings wishing for blessings for their people (Backshall, 2003). As discussed in the Chinese customs, any person could go to rivers and lakes, watch the dragon boat race and from there the contesters just like special people in Indonesia were supposed to give offerings believed to help in drowning evil spirit thus preventing them from harming the people (Backshall, 2003). Unlike in Chinese traditions where people are free to move up and down during Dragon Boat Festival, in Indonesia during the Nyepi Festival people have to observe some rules (Zuehlke, 2006). For instance, visitors are not allowed to move for twenty hours during that festival. They should remain in their visiting restaurants, or choose not to visit the island during Nyepi Festival celebration (Rasmussen, 2010). Just like the Chinese people celebrate Clear Brightness also known as Qing Ming Jie to remember their dead loved ones and common ancestors, in Indonesia, every fifth month of the year (May) people celebrate Waisak Day. That festival marks the birth and death of Buddha at Candi Mendut in Yogyakarta (Zuehlke, 2006). In the same way Chinese people move to graves carrying flowers and foods to remember their dead relatives and common ancestors, in Indonesia people carry flowers, candles and images of Buddha. That is meant to commemorate the Ascension of Buddha (Rasmussen, 2010). In Indonesia ancestors or the dead are connected with the living. The same traditions are present in Chinese traditions where ancestors are believed to influence the lives of the living people. The only differences are the names where in Chinese traditions the common dead people are ancestors while in Indonesia are referred to as prophets (Backshall, 2003). For instance, in Indonesia, Prophet Mohammad is believed to speak with God and return to earth with important instructions for the people (Zuehlke, 2006). The prophet thus influences the lives of the living in many ways just like ancestors in Chinese traditions are believed to influence the daily activities of the people. During Maulud Festival in which people celebrates the birth day of Prophet Mohammad, people also visit the tombs of famous religious leaders just like Chinese people would visit tombs of common ancestors. Zuehlke (2006) points out that, in Indonesia the foods prepared are not taken to graves like done in Chinese traditions, the special foods prepared during the Maulud Festival are given to people who attends the celebrations either in Mosques or in streets (Zuehlke, 2006). Rice decorated with cakes and burns are the common types of foods prepared for that festival. In the same manner the Chinese traditions observe the appearance of the new moon or Moon Festival also called the Zhongqiu Jie, Indonesian people celebrate Wesak on the day of new moon in the spring (Zuehlke, 2006). The day marks the birthday of Buddha as well as the day he passed away. People go to temples to celebrate together marking that important festival. Gongs and drums are played just like drums are played in Chinese traditions during Dragon Boat Festival. The event also involves dancing while keeping a distant from the statute of Buddha. During this event, the rich people give free food not to ancestors but to the poor people who pass by (Backshall, 2003). Conclusion A close look in the Chinese festival and the Indonesian festival shows that, while Chinese festival concentrated much on traditions and mostly on ancestral believes, the Indonesian festivals are mostly based on religions. In Indonesia most of festivals are meant to commemorate prophets inform of birthday celebrations. On the other hand the Chinese festivals are linked with marking end and beginning of seasons such new years where people meet to wish for fortunes and protections from evil. However, in the two countries, the festival celebrations use similar symbols like cakes, fireworks, and moon during the festival. The differences are possibly due to ethnic compositions of the people in the two countries where Indonesia is multi-ethnic country with Christians, Hindu and Islam who are the majority. China on the other hand comprises of majority Chinese people with widely common traditions.

Gender Roles and Socialization in Adolescence Essay -- Reviving Opheli

A Review of Mary Pipher†s â€Å"Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls†, Laura E. Berk's â€Å"Infants and Children: Prenatal Through Middle Childhood†, and Lina A. Ricciardelli's â€Å"Self-esteem and Negative Affect as Moderators of Sociocultural Influences on Body Dissatisfaction, Strategies to Decrease Weight, and Strategies to Increase Muscles Among Adolescent Boys and Girls† Adolescence is one of the most difficult times for development. This difficulty is experienced very differently for boys and girls. This paper will examine how gender role socialization effects girls more specifically, the emergence of eating disorders and depression in adolescent girls. Mary Pipher, Ph.D. in her book â€Å"Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls†, discusses extensively the varied and difficult road that adolescent girls travel to adulthood. This book is a collection of Pipher’s experiences with clients, her daughter, and her own adolescence as well as a thought provoking social examination. The title refers to William Shakesphere’s character Ophelia, the young girl who drowned herself in a river after being shunned by Hamlet. Ophelia is the epitome of lost female youth. The transition that happens from girl to woman is quite difficult for most. Pipher examines the loss of self that most girls experience in their adolescence. She brings up the fact that preadolescent girls have the ability to be androgynous, as well as an interest in nearly everything. Gender roles are not limiting at this age, it is their time away from the female gender role. The onset of puberty changes most girls into very confused and ever changing creatures. They go from being carefree to careful of what their every move is. Most adolescent girls are hyper aware of themselves, over analytical of the reactions they receive from others, are critical of their bodies, and they â€Å"crash and burn in a social and developmental Bermuda Triangle†. The central question Pipher asks is â€Å"why are American adolescent girls falling prey to depression, eating disorders, and suicide attempts at an alarming rate?† There is no easy answer to Pipher’s question. Is the problem girls face a product of our culture? Or, is the problem that adolescent girls face a natural part of becoming an adult? Piphers answer is that the problem girls face is both culturally ... ... to behave in the same manner that their parents behave in within all situations? Girls are highly aware of the behavior of their parents, as well as the expectations of who they should become. Women are everywhere in advertisements, selling toothpaste, beer, auto insurance, and coffee. The concept of a ideal woman is one who is passive and yet strong, a caregiver who sacrifices all to provide for everybody else. That role is so terrifying to many that it is either rejected, mixed up, or deeply internalized. Anorexics may just be the reality of this perfect woman. Thin, in control, passive, and concerned with what others want of them physically the anorexic seems to embody all the qualities we attribute to perfection. Is that truly what one should aspire to become? The role of a woman is ever changing. Perhaps one day it will adapt to be more androgynous. Women and men should both strive to become more then just masculine and feminine counterparts. They should be free to rise above masculinity and femininity, to a more equal and blended place. Sources Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls. Pipher, Mary P.h. D. Ballentine Books: Random House 1994.

Aristotle and Metaphysics Essay

Introduction The study of metaphysics is a broad spectrum of comprehensive ideas that ultimately serve to discover the generalities of human thought. Without Aristotle, the concept of metaphysics would cease to exist. Taking this into consideration, it is evident that Aristotle plays a major part in the study of metaphysics and how we know it today. Therefore, he formulated the basic entities of metaphysics and constructed its foundation through his own philosophies. Also, after reviewing material presented by Socrates and Plato, Aristotle is able to develop an understanding of causes and substance and how it relates to metaphysics. Furthermore, actuality and potentiality are philosophical ideas that Aristotle discusses throughout his evolutionary thought-provoking beliefs. Through these instances, it is clear that Aristotle has an undoubtedly significant impact on the study of metaphysics and how it first originated. Aristotle and Metaphysics Since Aristotle founded the main ideas of metaphysics, we can assume that his affiliation with it is indisputably notable. By using the ideas he established, he is able to review the opinions previously held by other philosophers and challenge them. When other philosophers are told that they are wrong, they will go into grave detail to explain their opinion or idea. This ultimately delivers a substantial amount of depth in discussion and enhances the study of metaphysics as a whole. In addition to reviewing other philosophers’ ideas, Aristotle analyzes the causes and principles behind certain decision-making and the options they have to consider. He attempts to reason with why people make the choices they do and also touches upon subjects such as free will, determinism, and topics of that nature (â€Å"Aristotle’s Metaphysics†). Essentially, Aristotle is an undeniably brilliant mind who challenges others’ thoughts in order to better themselves as critical thinkers and improve the study of metaphysics. Furthermore, without a doubt, Aristotle abetted the development of metaphysics through the use of his own personal philosophies. For instance, in book Alpha, Aristotle proclaims a famous sentence that reads â€Å"All men by nature desire  to know. † He claims that we are all constantly in the pursuit of gaining intricate knowledge and applying it to our lives. Since this proclamation is originated by Aristotle himself, he decides that he is going to become very critical of other ideas. He brings out the strong and weak points within each idea in an effort to assist others with developing their own understanding of metaphysics. The purpose of Aristotle leading others to formulate their own ideas is to push them, and the rest of civilization, towards the ultimate achievement: wisdom (CITATION NEEDED). By guiding others to the best of his ability, Aristotle is considered to be a benefactor for the study of metaphysics and how it has progressed overtime. Causes and Substance Long ago, Aristotle developed an engaging idea that has been expanding for two millennia. It is the idea that true knowledge is the knowledge of ultimate causes. Since this idea confronts the common wonder of why things happen, it will ultimately benefit the study of metaphysics. Moreover, in an effort to fully understand how to attain true knowledge, Aristotle takes the liberty of organizing the types of causes into four simple kinds. The formal cause is when a decision is made because someone is abiding by a particular plan. Additionally, the final cause is when a reaction sprouts an action is done with a purpose. The material cause is when a decision is made based on the altercating components that are affecting the potential solution. Also, the efficient cause is when a decision is made in an effort to initiate change in a respective situation (CITATION NEEDED). Through these theoretical causes established by Aristotle, the idea of true knowledge is sufficiently easier to grasp. Therefore, we are greatly aided with the enduring quest of understanding metaphysics in its entirety. Actuality and Potentiality In book Theta, Aristotle discusses the difference between actuality and potentiality and relates it back to the study of how we interpret thoughts and ideas throughout metaphysics. Potentiality is considered to be the numerous amounts of options that we may or may not pursue throughout our lives. On the other hand, actuality is not our options, but rather our final outcomes. To put it into perspective, a person is born with the potential to be a professional quarterback, a chemical engineer, or anything else for that matter. However, it is not until they have become the quarterback or the engineer that they have reached actuality. (â€Å"Aristotle’s Metaphysics†). Given that the basic ideas of actuality and potentiality are considered to be lofty contributions to the general understanding of thought, it can be assumed that Aristotle’s involvement with metaphysics is undeniably momentous. Conclusion. The fundamental ideas of metaphysics were brought into the world by Aristotle himself. Also, without his basic philosophies, much of the understanding we have on metaphysics may not have been discovered. He plays a critical part in the early stages of discussion when he attempts to challenge the minds of other philosophers in an effort to further advance the study of metaphysics. Additionally, Aristotle expands on the understanding of true knowledge through the causes and substance we endure throughout our lives. Considering that actuality and potentiality are both important topics of discussion in regards to metaphysics, Aristotle portrays an immense amount of importance that is irrefutably unparalleled. All in all, Aristotle’s involvement with the origination and the forever-expanding details of metaphysics is commodiously prevalent and will forever be an influential part of our society as a whole. Works Cited â€Å"Aristotle’s Metaphysics. † Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University, 08 Oct. 2000. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.

Philippine Noon Time Shows Essay

For over a decade now, noontime TV shows have captivated the Filipino public, colloquially known asâ€Å"the masa†. These shows run for 2 hours a day, 6 days a week, usually from around 2 to 4 o clock pm. Their immense popularity is shown by the long lines of people that wait outside the studio hours before the program starts. All of them, hoping to get a chance to participate in the festivities which include playing games, singing, and dancing. Millions more watch through their television. All this translates into high TV ratings, eventually generating billions in revenue for the producers and executives. The host himself earns around 1 to 2 million pesos everyday. The audience mostly consists of people from the D and E demographics. Butch Stuart in his article â€Å"Mr Willie† describes them as â€Å"those who come from near or far away, many with borrowed transportation money, coming from all walks of masa life. Some of the groups that he mentioned were featured in these shows include: farmers, fishermen, GROs, bus drivers, people with missing teeth, people with special talents, single mothers, gay, graduates who failed their licensing exams, girls who can dance, boys who can sing, bibingka vendors, and, even, young girls with great looking legs.† Overseas Filipino Workers are also given special mention in the show. Those present in the audience see it as a welcome home celebration, or a way to re-immerse themselves in the Filipino culture. A euphoric upbeat atmosphere underpins the event. Mr Stuart describes it as â€Å"120 minutes of mindless choreographed entertainment – games, dancing, singing and laughter with ample opportunities for ogling†. These events don’t require any complex thinking from the participants. They were designed to be visceral and to conjure a response of raw emotion. Girls in scantily clad outfits are the ones who facilitate the celebration. They serve two purposes in the event. Firstly to captivate and attract through their revealing outfits. But they also carry out logistical tasks like accompanying audience members to the stage and dancing the tunes for everyone to mimic. The host ensures that all elements of the show are put together. To keep everything lively, his dialogue must always be fast paced. At times he gives off the impression of a cheerleader – always rousing the audience into states of excitement. He will always crack jokes left and right, and will never miss any opportunity even it means making fun of himself. For the show to be successful, the host must understand the sensibilities of the majority lower class audience. The interactive environment can only exist if he can connect with the â€Å"masa’s† humor. In Philippine society, no one has been more successful in doing this than Willie Revillame. A household name in television, he has amassed a massive amount of wealth from his noon time shows Wowowee in ABS CBN and later on, Willing willie on TV 5. Noon time shows rely on the D and E classes as their target audience. When criticism is mounted against these shows, producers are quick to respond that these journalists do not understand the plight of the poor. Some argue that these shows give the poor false hope. They line up for months waiting to be called on stage. Waiting to tell their life story. Waiting to play for a million pesos with house and lot. But the reality is that most of those who line up for the show never even make it to the studio. RESEARCH QUESTION: We would like to find out why Filipinos from the class D end E brackets are captivated with these noon time shows. It is the poor’s endorsement that sustains them. Companies who want to reach out to this consumer market donate lump sums of money for their products to be advertised on air. They know that the millions of impoverished families watching these shows will see their products. But the poor do more than just endorse. Often they peg their aspirations and dreams to the show itself. Watch any full show and you are sure to come across someone sobbing on air, talking about how his dream was to meet Willie in person. To answer the question of why the poor are so captivated, we will need to address more specific inquiries. Media for instance, is never a neutral medium. It has the capacity to shape public perception through its different portrayals of reality. After acknowledging that the poor are interested in these shows, we will look into what techniques and strategies these shows use to sustain that interest. It is easy to understand that someone who stumbles across ABSCBN may be mesmerized by the glitz and glamour of the wowowee show girls. But how do the producers maintain that interest for long periods of time when the programs in these shows tend to be repetitive? Further inquiries may also be raised concerning how we perceive and understand poverty as a social ill. Subconsciously or not, these shows frame this issue in a biased way. Critics are quick to pounce on Willie Revillame for taking advantage of the poor. In return, he retaliates by calling them apathetic and claiming that he truly empathizes with them. Both assertions are possibly right. These shows may be both half empty and full. But perhaps a better way to resolve this conflict is to look into the assumptions about poverty that these shows espouse. Even more questions can be raised regarding the link between poverty and gender in Philippine society. We question how structures of patriarchy are reinforced and reflected in the arrangments of these shows. Willie Revillame is notorious for using blatantly sexist language. In one account by Butch Stuart, Willie comments on the obesity of a middle aged woman who came up to hug him by saying, â€Å"Mas masarap yapusin ang mga dalaga†. But the epitome of this sexism is seen in the dancing girls that liven the show. Mr Butch Stuart describes them as if they were tools to tingle one’s sensations: â€Å"Tall, Pretty, Scantily Clad,Jiggling their cleavage breasts, bending, grinding and humping their loins, the tassels and trimmings of their skimpy covers swaying with their dancing, as they blow kisses, seamlessly sequing from program segments to ads, teasing men to the edge of one particular cardinal sin†. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: The group will use Marxist analysis to understand the dynamics that exist between the audience and the TV producers in these noon time shows. The paper on Marxism and method talks about the central scientific goals of Marxist analysis. The first of these is to provide a well founded and logically derived description of the central institutional feature of a market based economic system. The second goal is to historicize and to determine how these features came to exist. The last is to determine the social implications of these arrangments. We like this kind of theoretical framework for its rigid empiricism. Many frameworks start from the universal towards the particular. That is to say they start with an established principle and then go on trying to rationalize the real world to try to fit that picture. In contrast, Marxist analysis begins from the ground up. It first takes a look at what is observable like the relationships of people across the social strata, the relationships of people to capital, or the relationships of people to instiutions which did not exist apriori, but instead have a historical basis to them. After making repeated observations, Marxist analysis will then see if recurring patterns, outcomes, and courses of action exist. Only then will a theory be produced to account for these similarities. The Marxist approach is a scientific one. As Daniel little writes that Marxist analysis explain real world phenomena in terms of underlying causal conditions rather than crude associations among observable va riables. This process of analysis is significant in our research in that it requires us to look at the tangible motivations of those watching these noon time TV shows. It is no mere coincidence or stroke of luck that these shows continue to remain prominent. There are financial incentives that make thousands of people skip their work just to watch them live. There are also practical ways to explain why the poor would rather sing and dance away their problems to the tune of â€Å"boom tarat tarat†. Finally, it is an undeniable fact that the elites- namely the business tycoons, the tv executives, the celebrity personalities and everyone else on the upper echelons of the media industry, continue to benefit from a capitalist system that produces massive amounts of inequality. The mode of production, in this instance the noon time tv shows that generate the income, will cease to exist if there were no poor people to delude. We will also use the Gramscian concept of hegemony to describe the process in which the poor are made to passively accept their positions of status. Hegemony, is the process with which the dominant class projects and reinforces its ideologies through the use of cultural institutions. Chandler states that this represents not only political and economic control, but also the ability of the dominant class to project its own way of seeing the world so that those who are subordinated by it accept it as ‘common sense’ and ‘natural’. Gramsci would find the institution of the family to be repressive. By belonging into the family unit, we are socialized into aspiring for specific life goals. One of this is to be productive citizens ing specialized skill sets that can be used to earn profit. We see this as obvious. However, the fulfillment of this goal ensures the preservation of our inequitable social structure. The family and educational system ensures that when one profit minded factory owner dies, another one takes its place. DEFINITION OF TERMS: Marxism Marxism is defined as the political, economic, and social principles and policies advocated by Marx; especially : a theory and practice of socialism including the labor theory of value, dialectical materialism, the class struggle, and dictatorship of the proletariat until the establishment of a classless society. A body of doctrine developed by Karl Marx and, to a lesser extent, by Friedrich Engels in the mid-19th century. It originally consisted of three related ideas: a philosophical anthropology, a theory of history, and an economic and political program. Rational Choice Theory Rational choice theory is defined as An economic principle that assumes that individuals always make prudent and logical decisions that provide them with the greatest benefit or satisfaction and that are in their highest self-interest. Noon Time Variety Show Variety shows are defined as Theatrical entertainment consisting of successive unrelated acts, such as songs, dances, and comedy skits. In the context of this paper they are performed using the medium of the television. SCOPE AND LIMITATION: Our study will focus solely on Noon time TV programs in the Philippines. Other countries have their own formats for variety shows. These will not be covered by this paper. Our goal is to understand poverty particularly in the Filipino context. Therefore our analysis will focus more on the cultural nuances of Filipino society reflected in local variety shows. We will also not consider other reality TV shows that do not fall under the category of a variety show. That is, an event consisting of successive acts of singing, dancing and, games. The reason for this is that differences in show arrangements will make it difficult to conduct a consistent analytical approach for all reality tv across the board. For instance, Marxists themes of class inequality to an extent are less evident in weight lost shows such as the biggest loser than they are in wowowee. The selection of participants for both these shows are also markedly different making it difficult to conduct a unified analysis of the demographics. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: METHOD AND METHO http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marxism http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/367344/Marxism http://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/rational-choice-theory.asp#axzz2JCDDzjcx

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