Abstract This paper examines the book, "CityLights: Urban-Suburban Life in the Global Society" by E. Barbara Phillips. It looks at how the first two chapters deal primarily with ways of understanding urban studies and how how Chapters Four and Five seem to deal primarily with the nature of cities and the various typologies by which they are understood. Chapters Six and Seven deal with the way citizens seek the connection and community that is often absent from urban life. It also discusses how, while still focusing almost exclusively on American culture, Chapters Eight and Nine deal more extensively with the multicultural aspects of this culture and the way in which global identity and culture interacts with the city dynamic. It also shows how Chapters Eleven and Twelve seem to deal with social life and theory as a sort of complex gaming system by which individuals are stratified into economic and social classes and how Chapters Twelve and Thirteen deal with the question: "Who runs this town"?, an extensive overview of the different sorts of governments that may be in charge of a city and their relationship to national governance.
From the Paper "One of the more interesting points that Phillips makes in the progress of explaining why no single discipline can entirely explain urban phenomena is that of the existence of ?cognitive maps.? In this section, she describes the way in which individuals will consistently leave out whole sections of their city or town when asked to draw maps or describe it. This is because of the natural myopic vision of individuals when it comes to defining their worlds. Those things that are out of mind are out of sight. Apparently the same is true with those studying urban issues from the myopic viewpoint of a single discipline. This idea raises a lot of interesting questions regarding the feasibility of urban studies in general, and also about the nature of the institutions built on single disciplines."
Tags: national, governance, urban, phenomena, social, class
Abstract The first part of the paper deals with Charlie Chaplin, focusing on his movie, "CityLights", and his persona of "The Little Tramp". The second part compares Chaplin and Jim Carrey, and argues that Carrey does not have the comic genius of Chaplin.
From the Paper "Film critic Roger Ebert characterized Charlie Chaplin'sc haracter the Little Tramp as the most famous image on earth in the early ..."
Tags: Film, Charlie Chaplin, Jim Carrey, Comedy, CityLights
Abstract This paper is a comparison between a film and a chapter out of a sociology book. They both focus on the perspectives of poor minorities in inner cities. "Light It Up" is a movie about inner city youths and their fight to improve their public schools. "Race And Fate", a chapter from the book, "Inner Lives And Our Social Worlds," looks at residents of a poor black neighborhood and provides various looks at history. Many topics are covered in this paper, including the conditions in which these people live and work, the curse that seems to make misconceptions about minorities worse, the cause of the suffering that is endured every day by the social underclass, and how the depressing atmosphere of the film helped to illustrate the sadness and frustration that these students feel everyday.
From the Paper "The movie "Light It Up", written and directed by Craig Bolotin, provides a very powerful perspective on how conditions in a Queens, NY high school led to a student uprising which eventually escalated to a hostage situation that would make national headlines. Incensed and disillusioned by budget cuts, a negative perception of the students, and the firing of a well-venerated teacher, six students went to great lengths to have their voices heard. What began as a voicing of their displeasure leads eventually to a standoff with the police, a wounded police officer, and the battle of a lifetime."
Abstract This paper examines the way that Chaplin was treated by U.S. officials and the American public as a result of his political views, focusing on his work in 'CityLights", "Modern Times", and "The Great Dictator".
From the Paper "Chaplin was an essential element in the life of the early 20th-century cinema. The earliest films shown in the United States (where so many of all early films were shown) were meant to be seen and laughed at by audiences made up of immigrants speaking a dozen different languages and with as many different cultural traditions of what was funny and what was sacrosanct. Chaplin at least initially created a comfortable place for himself in this world by using the universal language of slapstick to communicate with his audiences. As Chaplin (as well as other early comic actors in the then-new medium of film) used it, slapstick provided a common visual vocabulary of humor for these immigrant American audiences. It reminded them of their common humanity and in doing so both gave them something to laugh at and reminded them that, after all, they were not so very different from each other. Politics serves to divide different groups of people from each other, and this was not the intent of the early silent movies. The content of these early films was essentially apolitical, meant to appeal to as wide an audience as possible and meant more as an exploration of the medium of film than anything else."
Tags: modern, times, great, dictator, city, lights
Examines the risk and hazard factors of bright blue light in the workplace and compares the use of green light in the work place and examines the safety issues relating to green light use.
Abstract This research paper examines the hazards and risks associated with the use of blue light in the work place. In addition, the paper examines the use of green light in the workplace and the safety issues relating to the use of green light. Also examined is the fact that blue light marketers inform the public that lamps with 'enhanced' UV will ensure better health.
From the Paper "Photometric quantities such as luminance (brightness in cd/cm2 as perceived by a human "standard observer") and illuminance in lux (the "light" falling on a surface) indicate light levels spectrally weighted by the standard photometric visibility curve which peaks at 550 nm for the human eye. To quantify a photochemical effect it is not sufficient to specify the number of photons-per-square-centimeter (photon flux) or the irradiance (W/cm2) since the efficiency of the effect will be highly dependent on wavelength."
Abstract This paper discusses Phenix City in Russell County, Alabama, otherwise known as "Sin City, USA." The paper discusses the history of illegal activity in Phenix City and how the city became a haven for criminals. The paper then goes on to describe the efforts to clean up Phenix City and how its image has begun to evolve over time. The paper concludes by discussing the name of the city, "Phenix."
Table of Contents:
I. A.K.A.
"Once Known as "Sin City"
II. Commonplace Sins
A Haven for Hellish Activities?
Cleaning Up Phenix City III. The name, "Phenix"
Excuses and Reasons
From the Paper "Hugh Bentley, a layman, decided to try to fire the churches into action against the sin and criminal activity in 1946. Bentley stressed that Phenix City's problem was a moral one and that until the moral breakdown was changed, things would not improve. January 9, 1951, Bentley's house was blown up with thirty-six sticks of dynamite, however, neither he nor any of his family was seriously injured."
"In 1954, Albert Patterson, a sixty-year-old Phenix City lawyer, adopted his campaign crusade to be cleaning Phenix City's gambling machine. At this time, Phenix City was described by Life Magazine as the "wickedest city in the United States, . . . everything from gambling to murder to arson to fraud." (Ibid.) June 1, 1954, Patterson won the Democratic primary."
Abstract This paper illustrates the issues of large urban port cities as seen in Dublin and New York City. The paper provides an in-depth history of each city and compares the social issues of the urban environment, ethnic diversity, poverty and crime.
From the Paper "New York City is generally considered the doorway to America. It is the largest city in the nation, seven million strong, and a main hub of financial activity. This is probably the most racially and ethnically diverse of the large American cities, the epitome of the melting pot. A third of the population is of African descent, fifteen percent are Jewish, twelve percent Hispanic. Other ethnic populations have a vocal presence, including the Irish, Italian, Chinese, Korean, Indian, and other Asians. If one city has represent urban America over the last 200 years, it would be the harbor city of New York, New York.
" Across the Atlantic ocean lies another city, a little farther from the ocean, though not much. It is the "fair city" of Dublin, that capitol of the Republic of Ireland. This is a fairly heterogeneous city, for it is the center of 4,000 year old struggle for cultural sanctity and independence. The vast majority of the citizens are Irish or British nationals, Christian and white. Most are Roman Catholic, and the largest "minority" are the British Protestants. One fourth of the citizens of Ireland, approximately 900,000 souls all told, now live in Dublin and its suburbs, and its name is becoming synonymous with Irish culture and tradition."
Tags: dublin, new, york, city, urban, city, cities, port, social, issue, environemnt, ethnic, diversity, poverty, crime
Abstract The paper discusses how the private security industry as a whole tends to benefit in times of social unrest and tension, such as during periods of concern about crime, or when other fears spur the public to seek ways to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim.This paper further discusses security lighting, emphasizing that one of the best approaches to security is to illuminate the vicinity in order to increase one's sense of security, drive away intruders, reduce the likelihood of accidents, and at the same time create a more pleasing look for a building, a yard, or a parking lot. Lighting is required for many types of security system. For some, the lights themselves are a deterrent and constitute the primary security element. In other cases, lighting serves a secondary purpose as well.
Abstract This paper explores the nature of the City of the Angels looking at a very mixed bag of primary sources about the nature of commerce and the city. The paper also looks at how the city has been defined by the nature of 20th century and now 21st century capitalism. It also looks at the way the suburb has been defined by capitalism and the ways in which Los Angeles as a city that cannot exist or be understood in isolation, has also been defined by the economics of suburbs and by the ways in which the bright promise of a city on the edge of the continent becomes so easily tarnished.
From the Paper "We may borrow an opening line of a famous Russian novel and bend it to our own purposes, we might say that while every city is unhappy in its own ways, every suburb is unhappy in precisely the same way. This aphorism that we have just coined may help us to understand the history of the city of Los Angeles ? although the history of this great American city is in fact one of the most difficult of all urban histories to write. It is difficult to talk about the nature of this city because it is not exactly a city ? if one's model of a city is a place like New York City that is. But it is also a difficult city to define and to describe if one is attempting to describe it as a suburb. For while in the popular imagination Los Angeles may be nothing more than a suburb (although one imagines that its reputation for being a suburb is one based, again, in East Coast sensibilities), it is not in fact a classic bedroom community. Los Angeles is both suburb and city, both Dream Factory and home, a city of significant and fascinating contradictions."
Tags: ethnic, struggle, natural, disaster, capitalism, city, american, image
Abstract A look at the discovery of Panama and the beginnings of Panama City. The paper discusses how the city was strategically placed and how, with the canal, it has developed into an important metropolitan city of South America. History of the city since the 1500's is surveyed. The paper deals with the series of foreign rulers and explorers who controlled the city.
From the Paper "In 1501, Spanish explorer Rodrigo de Bastidas discovered Panama in South America, which soon became a major point of dispersal for Spanish conquest and settlement in the New World (Preston 47). But of much greater value to the colonizers at the time was the City of Panama, then the capital of Castilla del Oro (later renamed into the Isthmus of Panama), and discovered in 1519 by Pedro Arias de Avila. The Isthmus served as a passage of advantage to Spanish ships between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and between continents (Preston 46) in their sea exploration and conquest activities. Panama City's importance derived exclusively from its control of that passage or route (Blouet 726) ? from the City, expeditions set out for the conquest of the Pacific side of Central America up to Nicaragua and that of the entire South American west coast up to Chile (Blouet 729)."
Abstract This six page undergraduate paper examines the impact of technology on cities. The author notes that the impact of computer technology on cities has been significant, especially over the last ten years, for the tremendous expansion of e-commerce is transforming the retail shopping habits of millions of city residents. The writer points out that instead of shopping in the retail districts or suburban shopping malls of cities, many people are staying at home and shopping by computer. Further the writer notes that this is driving many metropolitan area stores out of business, which is producing a series of cause-and-effect developments which are altering cities in numerous ways.
From the Paper "The impact of computer technology on cities has been significant, especially over the last ten years, for the tremendous expansion of Internet e-commerce is transforming the retail shopping habits of millions of city residents. Instead of shopping in the retail districts or suburban shopping malls of cities, many people are staying at home and shopping by computer. This is driving many metropolitan area stores out of business, which is producing a series of cause-and-effect developments which are altering cities in numerous ways. For example, when "brick and mortar" stores go out of business, cities lose important sales tax revenue because people are not spending money in local stores."
Abstract This paper discusses the role of public administration in five different American cities. The cities examined include Columbia, Missouri; Bozeman, Montana; Denver, Colorado; Fargo, North Dakota; and Yuma, Arizona. Different aspects of each city are discussed, including an examination of city organization and governmental structure.
From the Paper "Public administration within the context of any city can take on a variety of forms. A number of organizational structures and functions are relatively common, such as fire and police protection. However, some cities have specialized needs and must develop organizational systems capable of meeting those needs and providing for the citizens of the city. These special needs often are developed outside the standard organizational structure of the city's administration functions. This is evident when we consider the Storm Water Task Force, developed as a special committee in the city of Columbia, MO. In 2001, the city council of Columbia authorized the Public Works department in the city to create a new task force that would deal specifically with storm water issues and agendas (Willett)."
Abstract This paper examines two distinct inventions: light bulbs and solar energy. First it discusses the incandescent light bulb and its inventor, Thomas Alva Edison, and explore the differences between incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs. Then the long history and increasing importance of solar power and its modern applications are discussed.
From the Paper "On December 31st, 1879, after years of work and many experiments, Thomas Alva Edison gave the first demonstration of the incandescent light bulb at his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. He was assisted in his invention by Francis Upton, a Princeton Graduate who supplied the mathematical and theoretical expertise that Edison lacked. This invention established Edison's reputation as the world's greatest inventor. Before his invention, electric arc lighting was used to produce light. In this lighting system, lights were connected in a series circuit, so if one failed, the rest of the bulbs on the circuit also failed. (First Public Demonstration?)
Edison was able to spend so much time and money on the invention of the light bulb because of his reputation as an inventor. He had the support of financiers such as J.P. Morgan and the Vanderbilts. They established the Edison Light Company and loaned Edison $30,000 for research and development. (First Public Demonstration?)"
Abstract A thorough history of the city of Fez, Morocco. The author examines the religions present in the city, and their influences upon each other as well the architectural designs of the city. Includes a timeline of the major events of the city.
From the Paper "The city of Fez is located in north-central Morocco, east of the capital city, Rabat. It is roughly 150 miles south of the Mediterranean and 150 miles inland from the Atlantic coast. Sited in a valley of the Middle Atlas Mountains and fed by the Wadi Fez River, the city has an excellent environment to prosper in. The lack of adverse natural conditions has caused the city to become a cultural, religious and commercial center in Morocco. Its location at the intersection of several important trade routes has kept the city one of the most technologically advanced in Africa. What has kept this city in such high regard by the millions of Muslims who visit it every year and the 570000 people who reside there? (www.i-cias.com) The answer lies in the rich history of Fez. "
Tags: africa, architecture, city, europe, history, islam, jew, madrasa, mosque, muslim
Abstract The following discussion will focus on city hall design in the last half of the twentieth century. The focus will be on the city halls of Kitchener, Mississauga, Ottawa and Toronto. Initially, a brief history of Canadian city hall architecture and an outline of the International style will be presented. Subsequently, the four projects will be briefly described and analyzed. A concluding section will offer some qualitative comments and assess the broader meaning of these projects.
