Issues in Film History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Issues in Film History - Essay Example Issues in Film History Filmography, just as any other art of entertainment, depended on the existing models to sustain the production processes with the aim of producing high quality and relevant films as well as motion pictures. The development of the Edison motion picture and its database reveals just how the progress was. The achievements in the film industry have undergone through a series of sophisticated transformations (Johnson, 2002). This period was characterized by the production of low budget films which were characterized by poor quality. These productions were mainly showcased in theatres for entertainment without any pedagogical purposes. From the analysis of early film producers such as Edwin S porter, it becomes evident that the use of motion pictures as a means of entertainment had previously been existent prior to the nineteenth century. Various films have showcased the progress that has been made in the film industry (Cook, 1991). Back then, producers used magic lanterns and other projec tion devices to relay their pictures on the walls for their audiences. The absence of the modern day camera and editing computer software forced most of the producers to rely on brief single shots of their scenes. In fact, they relied entirely on the sequencing of the films to tell their stories through pictures. This production technique was tiring and discouraged the participation of numerous producers thus resulted in a less appealing industry unlike the modern day’s film industry. ... Porter understood that besides the entertaining aspects of the films, they also communicated ideas to their audience. For his movie to gain relevance among the target audience, therefore, he wrote a simple storyline which addressed familiar themes. Despite the progressive development of the motion picture as a means of entertainment, this aspect of the art has not changed. Works of art communicate to their audience. Consequently, artists are compelled to make productions that are of relevance to their target audience. Porter’s film followed a simple story line in which highway robbers hijacked a train wagon to steal from the passengers. To this day, the twelve minute film is considered the greatest production of the time and a milestone in production. Back then, the only known means of transport was the train; it linked towns and states. The train was the only means of transport that guaranteed the reliability of the modern day planes. However, instances of hijackings and othe r on voyage robberies were rampant. Porter’s film is motivated by the rampant robberies and other uncertainties associated with the journey. As the industry develops through time, other producers of film retain the desire to stay relevant to their audience’s expectations and the only way of achieving this is by developing films that follow familiar themes. However, others stretch the imagination of their audiences but they always provide a connection between the current societies to the imagined setting in their films (Geuens, 2000). A number of factors which include the complexity of the story line and the available means of production influences the timing of films. The Great Train Robbery lasted twelve

Post Conflict Reconstruction and the Resurgence of Supposedly Resolved Territorial Conflicts Essay Example for Free

Post Conflict Reconstruction and the Resurgence of Supposedly Resolved Territorial Conflicts Essay Beyond the rhetoric of traditional causes of conflicts which intermittently are also at the root cause of African territorial civil conflicts, this paper examines the question as to why conflict resurges in states where conflict has previously been resolved. From the perspective of two major theoretical frameworks in International Relations: Liberalism and Realism, this paper argues that mechanisms for conflict resolution are often short-termed and often not home-groomed to accommodate the needs of citizens emanating from a civil war. Liberals argue that this is primarily a failure of cooperation between external and internal actors or stakeholders in the peace process. To them, this lack of cooperation generates economic problems and inhibits mistrust which is the embryo for conflict resurgence. In contrast conflict resolution fails primarily as a result of factors emphasized by Realism. The conflict may not have been ripe for resolution because the practical meaning of recognition revealed large gaps between the ways that the parties defined their core interests. Against this background and given the depth of antagonism between the DRC government and MONUC on the one hand and rebel movements on the other, economic wealth of the Congo has failed to generate support for the peace process. Instead, it increased friction and placed additional political obstacles in the way of compromise. The paper also examines the potency of peacekeeping as a vehicle for conflict resolution. It argues that the design and conceptualization of peacekeeping albeit structural challenges like inadequate resources, ill-equipped personnel and lack of a clearly defined and sustainable vision are at the bedrock of cyclical conflicts. In examining the role of MONUC and other interveners in the Congolese peace process, the paper engages a conceptual thesis which seeks to clarify the difference between peacekeeping as a mediator, meddler and interventionist in African civil conflicts. This clarification will inform conceptual thinking on the potency of peacekeeping as a vehicle for the resolution of civil conflicts. The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one demonstration of the fragile nature of post conflict reconstruction and speaks to the need to step-up conflict prevention strategies to meet current challenges which have given rise to new trajectories to territorial conflicts in Africa. Despite deploying a Peace Mission to the Congo (ONUC)[1] in the 1960s, and despite currently harboring the largest and highest funded United Nations Peace Operation (MONUC);[2] the United Nations (UN) is still finding it difficult to bring an end to the territorial conflict in what is regarded as the site for the world’s worst humanitarian conflict. The conflict, therefore, seems to protract with each renewed effort to resolve it. Following field visits, extensive reading on the Congo and interviews with conflict analysts and residents of the DRC, this paper assesses the viability of peacekeeping as a measure for preventing the resurgence of new territorial conflict. While most interviewed are of the view that the challenges of the DRC peace process are enormous and complex, this paper interrogates the role of MONUC as a conflict prevention mechanism, and its effectiveness in sustainable peacebuilding in the Great Lakes region. The paper enriches conceptual thinking with the view that peacekeeping as a form of external intervention has the capacity to support fragile states in their peace building process, and to check prospective territorial conflicts if certain requirements are met. Preliminary investigations indicate that, contrary to previous research which posited political, natural resource and cultural underpinnings as causes of the current DRC conflict, the lack of a clearly defined plan to stop hostilities in the East can largely be accountable for the cyclical violence. Contrary to expectation that following the 2006 DRC election, the fragile Congolese state had attained sovereign maturity to govern itself with limited external support, this paper posits the need for dedicated and timely funding to a new mediator who will engage a five-phased peacebuilding process which will re-orientate existent theoretical and pragmatic processes of conflict prevention, and define succinctly, through policy recommendations, a new direction for the prevention of territorial conflicts. Following this introduction, the next section will explore the causes of territorial conflicts in Africa and elsewhere. This section engages a brief differentiation between causes of conflicts and causes of conflict resurgence with the view of demonstrating that if one cannot prima facie understand the causes of conflict, its resolution attempts will be flawed and such attempts will serve as the corner stone on which prospective conflicts will be erected. Section two will engage a theoretical overview of causes of conflict resurgence. This section will examine causes of conflict resurgence as propounded by two main schools of thought of International Relations: Realism and Liberalism. Following this, tools of conflict resolution will reviewed with principal focus on peacekeeping. The Section will trickle down to a case specific analysis of whether peacekeeping as a tool for conflict resolution is a byproduct of intervention or mediation, and whether in the exercise of their craft, peacekeepers qualify to be called mediators or would be considered meddlers. This section argues that, between 1999 to 2006 when the first democratic election in the Congo was organized, MONUC could well be considered as a mediator, but following that period, MONUC till date (July 2006 to 2010) she is a meddler in the peace process which is largely driven by the rapprochement that was reached between the DRC and Uganda on the one hand, and the DRC and Rwanda on the other. Causes of territorial Conflicts in Africa There are contending theories as to the causes of territorial conflicts. Conflicts seem to have a litany of literature compared to other subsidiary topics of International Affairs and African studies. Scholars have thus far not been able to see the divide between causes of territorial conflicts and conflicts which ensue from the impotency of mechanisms tailored to resolve them. As a result, there is no dearth of literature on the causes of conflicts but one hardly finds any one who has contended that an ineffective resolution strategy could spark new trajectories to conflict. Existing literature on causes of conflict is sometimes limited in scope to address on causes in particular. Adekeye Adebajo has articulated political and cultural underpinnings to be responsible for conflicts. 3] This could hold true for the Sierra Leone conflict but in the face of global adversities, his speculations stand to be criticized because other conflicts like the Rwandan genocide emanate from imbalances in the distribution of economic, political and social resources. Moreover, the ongoing Sudanese conflicts have religious/and or ethnic undertones with no element of cultural or political formulations which equally go along way to excavate the lacunae in Adekeye’s speculations. Paul Collier holds the view that conflicts are fuelled by economic considerations. He posits that most rebel organizations cling onto the idea of grievances in order to elicit more public support for their cause. In his hypothesis, he contemplates that a state with superfluous resources, increasing working-age population, and high unemployment rate is most likely to harbor conflict. His hypothesis, though true for many conflicts that have plagued Africa does not explain other cases in Africa. For instance, former British trusteeship of Cameroon fondly known as Anglophone Cameroon has been wailing for a fair share of economic, political, social and natural resources of the country. Despite this, discontentment has not resulted to war or any from of concrete violence as has occurred in other countries. This phenomenon consequently makes Collier’s assertions fluid. Summarily, Collier, Eboe Hutchful and Kwesi Aning argue that there are countries that have experienced conflict where natural resources were not articulated as the source of the conflict. They cited the examples of Chad and Ethiopia. [5] They acknowledged that some conflicts have been fueled by purely non-resource driven motives resulted. This is true with the cases of Angola, Afghanistan and Sudan. They, however, conceded to the fact that in the conflicts in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) resources were one of the stimulants among other elements. They tried to strike a balance by postulating that the end of the Cold War culminated in the proliferation of arms, and ineffective post conflict demilitarization, demobilization, and reintegration of ex-combatants which culminated in an outburst of wary and distressed combatants resulting several coup detat putsch attempts. While one may agree with the grievance theory, the million dollar question is what are people aggrieved about as to resort to conflicts, destruction of property, murder and assassinations? Is it about Governance? Is it distribution of resources? The answer is definitely far from the propositions of the aforementioned scholars. Because some countries have resource crisis and mismanagement, repressive regimes, and poor governance, but know no conflict. This therefore suggests that there is yet an unknown cause of conflict, and this cause is probably one that cuts across all conflicts. The present paper contemplates that inefficacies in the mechanisms for resolving these conflicts could be the brain-child behind the cyclical resurgence of conflicts in states previously hit by territorial civil wars. William Reno on his part contends that internal warfare is motivated by economic considerations especially with regard to the intensification of transitional commerce. He argues that there is a relationship between corruption and politics. According to Reno, conflict is bound to rise where a ruler makes life uncomfortable for his citizens by encouraging the search of his espionage as a means of escaping from squalid conditions. Reno in his postulations contemplates that the absence of good governance engenders politics as a cause of conflict. [8] William Zartman on his part contemplates that the increase in conflict is orchestrated by the collapse of state structure. [9] While one may agree with the collapse of state theory, the lotto question is: What drives the leaders to run the state aground? Keith Somerville, in his view tries to locate the source of conflict within the geopolitical map of Africa, which was bequeathed to it by the colonial powers. He contends that the colonial boundaries and state lines have led to the potpourri of people who hitherto had never before mixed as a group. [10] This articulation is paradoxical. While it means that even if the boundaries that existed in the pre-colonial time were maintained, there could still exist though at different levels, and with different target. [11] The diverse schools of thought examined above have attempted an investigation into the causes of conflict. They have posited economic underpinnings, lack of good governance, and disintegration of state institutions, religious and ethnic differences, corruption and colonial imprints. The opinions are not quite erroneous but fail to see ultimately that conflicts emanate because the global village appears to be in consonance with the fact that peacekeeping is the first port of resort for conflict resolution. Moreover, the fact that the problems postulated by the above authors have engendered conflicts in some areas and not in some despite the presence of similar factors suggest that there is more to conflict than has been articulated by contemporary research on the subject matter. The present paper contemplates that inefficacies in the dispute resolution machinery incubate further conflicts. This paper contemplates that if peacekeeping tools are tailored to empower stakeholders to a peace process, conflicts will be resolved before they escalate. On the contrast between causes of conflicts and causes of conflict resurgence, it should be noted that if conflicts are not prima facie mastered, it will be difficult to seamstress right solutions to them. As a result conflicts tend to hatch new and probably even more complicated dimensions to it.

Kyoto Essay -- essays research papers

Is the Kyoto Protocol the Wrong Approach? Climate change is a relevant issue today that should be on the minds of people. In 1972, scientists discovered that CFC’s (chlorofluorocarbons) might destroy the ozone layer. In 1985, scientists discovered that the destruction of the ozone layer was occurring quite rapidly and recommended that country leaders should take action as soon as possible to decrease CFC levels. In 1987, in Montreal, representatives from all over the world, came together to ban CFC’s. This was the first successful collective action taken against global warming. But now the problem is larger than just banning the gas from refrigerators. The world continues to warm fast enough to alarm geologists, meteorologists, and others who study climate change. International initiatives to offset global warming began on 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit, organized by the United Nations. However, the result was a weak non-bonding agreement aimed to reduce atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. Five years later, in Kyoto, Japan, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change or UNFCCC came up with a treaty call the Kyoto Protocol (UNFCCC). The Kyoto Protocol is based on the idea that 38 nations needed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 5.2 percent below 1990 emissions levels. However, this is not the solution to global warming. The main reason being that only industrialized countries are committing to reduce their emissions, and developing countries have been left out of the treaty. In addition, large emitters of carbon dioxide such as the US and Australia didn’t choose to ratify the agreement. The Kyoto Protocol will have a low impact in the reduction of greenhouse gases, but it will create a significant economical and social benefit, generating jobs and economic growth in Canada. The Kyoto Protocol is the wrong approach to reduce greenhouse gases below 1990 emissions levels. As Tennesen suggests, the Kyoto Protocol will be in progress during 2008 to 2012. During these years, developed countries will have to reduce their carbon dioxide levels by 5.2 percent below 1990 emission levels. Countries such as the United States, Japan and the European Union have to reduce their emissions levels, he suggests, whereas The Russian Federation, Ukraine and New Zealand need to increase their emissions (215). Tennesen also states, ... ...of climate change. Like a permit policy, it can easily be adjusted to achieve a variety of distributional effects. As a result, it is far more realistic than either of the alternatives. Because it does not require signatories to commit achieving a specific emissions target regardless of the cost, it is more likely to be ratified than the Kyoto Protocol. Because its distributional effects would be much more acceptable, its political prospects are much better than those of the carbon tax. Overall, a hybrid policy is an efficient and practical approach to climate change†. (101) In conclusion, the Kyoto Protocol would do nothing to reduce the emissions of greenhouse. Although it would make a good contribution to the social an economic aspect of the Canadian economy, the Kyoto Protocol is flawed due to its targets and timetables, which are only in force during a four years period, 2008-2012. The Hybrid Policy is the best next alternative after the Kyoto Protocol. With its market-based instruments, emissions taxes and tradable permits, the Hybrid Policy is a more attractive climate policy for countries and firms to ratify, and it is a more realistic approach to offset global warming.

Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition

Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition There are three main reasons why we have or need our Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. First, the 1st Amendment gives us our independence. Second, it also gives us the right to express ourselves. Last but not least, it allows people to express themselves without constraint by the government. The 1st Amendment is a very essential freedom that everyone should be entitled to. Our independence is the most important essential need of humans. It lets us be and act how we are and want to be. The reason why the Europeans immigrated to America was to find their freedom of religion. After the colonists worked their hardest to find what they were looking for they finally achieved it. I think today some people over estimate what they did for us. We have our independence for the suffering of many men. We eventually gained our freedom of religion, which allows us to express our Independence. When we got our freedom of religion we also got the freedom of speech, press, assembly, and petition. All of those just come together, not separate. I say again, our independence is the most important thing we need because it lets us be and act how we are and want to be. Another really important aspect in life is being about to express ourselves. Every human needs to express themselves. If we didn't have that freedom we would be all walking zombies controlled by the government! We can choose which party we want to be with republic or democratic. We can write anything we please. (That would be a big bummer for authors if we didn't have this right.) Hamilton: "What ... ...tution. It allows us simple and yet vital rights. They allow us to have freedom of religion, speech, the press, the freedom to assemble, and to petition the government. Not to mention it gives us our independence. It says in the book American History: "The First Amendment is probably the best known and most cherished part of the Bill of Rights. It protects five basic freedoms that are essential to the American way of life: freedom of religion, speech, the press, assembly, and to petition the government." It is very important to have the 1st amendment because it lets us first; have our independence, second, the right to express ourselves, and last the government lets people express themselves without constraint. I just hope that you remember that the 1st Amendment is what we should be very grateful for in our lives.

Moral Dilemas: Antigone Essay

One of the most difficult trials I face in my life are ethical and moral dilemmas. I believe one purpose for this life is to learn to act for ourselves and learn to see a situation correctly and act righteously. Everyday I’m faced with decisions of right and wrong, most of which are easily and correctly dealt with. Sometimes however, decisions need to be made that are not easy or perfectly clear. In this paper I wish to discuss a presented moral dilemma and explain what I would do in the same situation. One of the biggest conflicts in the play â€Å"Antigone† by Sophocles is the value of human law vs. divine law. In this tragic play a newly appointed king Creon declares to his people that treason was committed during battle, and one of the two brothers (Polyneices) killed shall not be buried. This dilemma is felt by many, especially Antigone (sister of Polyneices). The struggle between human law and divine law is a moral dilemma Antigone feels as she decides to go against the laws of the king. The moral dilemma being presented is from the perspective of a pharmacist. The pharmacist has a young sick niece who has a terrible ear infection and cannot get an appointment with the doctor until the next day. The pharmacist knows that she doesn’t have a prescription, but knows what type of antibiotic she probably needs. Does the pharmacist give the medicine to the niece? If I were in the position of the pharmacist, I would refuse to give the medicine to my niece. I wouldn’t give the medicine to my niece because of the consequences that I would be dealt if I were too. My position on the dilemma is similar to Ismine’s (Antigone’s sister) when trying to convince Antigone not to bury her brother. If the pharmacist helps then he/she will get fired, go to jail, and probably never work as a pharmacist again. This turns a short term problem into a long term problem which will influence the rest of your life. Is an ear infection worth going to jail and possibly ruining your life?

20 5-Paragraph Essay Topics on American Culture

20 5-Paragraph Essay Topics on American Culture If you need to write about American Culture for your 5-paragraph essay, consider the 20 essay topics below: What Are the Reasons of Culture Changes? Why Didn’t the â€Å"Great American Melting Pot† Boil Culture Down into a Single Homogenous Entity? The Changes That Were Reflected in American Art, Music, Literature â€Å"Uncle Tom’s Cabin† as a Reflection of Slavery How Influential Literary Works Massively Impact Society and Culture What Forces or Tensions Exert Pressure on American Culture to Change? What Particular Features of the Past Precedents Show the Changes in American Culture? American Culture: Shaped by Many â€Å"Tensions† of â€Å"Foreign† Ideals, Massive Amounts of Immigration and â€Å"Native† Originality How Is Counterculture Distinguished by Its Emphasis on Social Change and Experimentation and by Its General Rejection of the Ideals Upheld by Post-World War II Generation? How the Beat Generation Played a Part in Other Social and Cultural Movements Multiple History Effects on Art, Music, and Literature and Vice Versa â€Å"Kinder and Gentler† America Reflection in the Music of Tin Pan Alley Rock and Roll as a Result of Changes in Society How Many Cultural Events Are Directly Related to Historical Happenings? Is It Impossible for a Cultural Event to Transpire without the Shift in Social Norms and Ideals? Rock and Roll Music: the Combination of Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Gospel, Country and Western Jazz Music: a Harmony of â€Å"Socially Elite† Piano and â€Å"Poor† Brass Instruments Who Do Some Works of Art Can Easily Fall Under Several Genres? The Evolution of Film Genres in the U.S.A The Reflection of the Beat Generation in Literature, Art and Music Sample Essay:  Kinder and Gentler America Reflection in the Music of Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley is an actual neighborhood in New York City (generally seen as 28th Street between 5th Avenue and Broadway) that served as the first home of the music publishing industry beginning in the 1880s and remaining well established into the 1920s and 30s. Tin Pan Alley was the direct result of the Reconstruction period following the end of the American Civil War. It is estimated that between the end of the war in 1865 and the year 1887, more than half a million new pianos were installed in parlors and homes across America. With the huge number of burgeoning musicians came the need for sheet music, and this instigated the development of an all new publishing industry, and a new musical form. With this opportunity for massive profits in sheet music sales came a strange combination of gifted composers and corporate investment. Musicians were hired by publishing houses, and gave up all rights to their works. Market research dictated the â€Å"themes† for the compositions they were to write, and soon the music of Tin Pan Alley was more industry than art. The vaudeville era was just beginning at the dawn of Tin Pan Alley as well, and this only helped to spread the tunes and songs being written in the city. Within twenty years publishers could easily sell the sheet music for a single song in the millions of copies! The lyrics to the most popular of the songs imply that the United States was happy and prosperous†¦but was it? With all the market research and clinical work done during the composition process is it accurate to say that the 1890s were as carefree as the songs indicate? We know that this was the period of time when the American â€Å"frontier† was officially declared as â€Å"closed†; when it was understood that there was no longer any unexplored areas of the country. We know too that child labor laws, particularly in the cities, had yet to put an end to abuse and poverty. The â€Å"gay 90s†, it seems, appear to exist only in the songs. Today, we understand that the widespread need for sheet music triggered a booming industry that aimed to sell people what they wanted a happier view of the United States. We know that this was partially inspired by the need to escape the devastation and conflict that remained from the Civil War era, and we know that this helped to shift the country into a new mindset. It also created a huge impact on business and the law because it initiated several copyright bills and created the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) to protect those writing the music. Clearly this indicates that there were positive and negative effects from the cultural phenomenon of Tin Pan Alley and the musical form that it created. It also laid the groundwork for a smoother transition into a newly emerging musical form – Ragtime – and this would quickly transition into one of America’s most distinctive musical genres – Jazz. References: Feldman, Gene, and Max Gartenberg.  The beat generation and the angry young men. Books for Libraries, 1971. Furia, Philip.  The poets of Tin Pan Alley: a history of Americas great lyricists. Oxford University Press, 1990. Gair, Christopher.  The American Counterculture. Edinburgh University Press, 2007. Holmes, John Clellon. This is the beat generation.  New York Times Magazine16 (1952): 109-15. Huggins, Nathan Irvin.  Harlem renaissance. Oxford University Press, 2007. Wintz, Cary D.  Black culture and the Harlem Renaissance. Texas A M University Press, 1988. Wise, T. E. Tin pan alley. (2011).

Definition and Examples of Vagueness in Language

Definition and Examples of Vagueness in Language In speech or writing, vagueness is the imprecise or unclear use of language. Contrast this term with clarity and specificity. As an adjective, the word becomes vague. Although vagueness often occurs unintentionally, it may also be employed as a deliberate rhetorical strategy to avoid dealing with an issue or responding directly to a question. Macagno and Walton note that vagueness can also be introduced for the purpose of allowing the speaker to redefine the concept he wishes to use (Emotive Language in Argumentation, 2014). In  Vagueness as a Political Strategy (2013),  Giuseppina Scotto di Carlo observes that vagueness is a pervasive phenomenon in natural language, as it seems to be expressed through nearly all linguistic categories. In short, as philosopher Ludwig  Wittgenstein said, Vagueness is an  essential feature of the language.   Etymology From the Latin, wandering Examples and Observations Use details. Dont be vague. -Adrienne Dowhan et al., Essays That Will Get You into College, 3rd ed. Barrons, 2009 Vague Words and Phrases Vagueness arises from the use of terms that are inherently vague. The cabinet minister who says, My officials are monitoring this situation very closely, and I can promise that we shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the situation is resolved in a way that is fair to all the parties involved. should be challenged on grounds of vagueness. Despite the appearance of having promised to do something specific, the minster has not really promised to do anything at all. What are appropriate measures? They could be anything or nothing. What does fair to all the parties mean? We have no clear idea. Such phrases are inherently vague and can mean almost anything. People who use them should be challenged to say more precisely what they mean. -Willam Hughes and Jonathan Lavery, Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, 5th ed. Broadview Press, 2008 Vagueness Versus Specificity Vague or abstract words can create wrong or confusing meanings in your receivers mind. They state a general idea but leave the precise meaning to the receivers interpretation...The following examples show vague or abstract words and ways to make them specific and precise: many - 1,000 or 500 to 1,000early - 5 a.m.hot - 100 degrees Fahrenheitmost - 89.9 percentothers - business administration studentspoor student - has a 1.6 grade point average (4.0 A)very rich - a millionairesoon - 7 p.m., Tuesdayfurniture - an oak desk Notice in the preceding examples how adding a few words makes the meaning precise. Varieties of Vagueness One characteristic of vagueness...is that it is related to the degree of formality, or rather informality, of the situation; the less formal the situation the more vagueness there will be... Vagueness in Oratory [T]he need in oratory of the specific example, either in place of or immediately following the general statement, cannot be too strongly urged. Generalizations alone have no persuasive value. And yet this truth is constantly overlooked by public speakers. How often do we hear the common criticism of the typically weak, impressionless address: Platitudes and glittering generalities. In one of George Ades Forty Modern Fables a man has certain stock phrases which he uniformly uses in all discussions pertaining to art, literature, and music; and the moral is, For parlor use, the vague generality is a life-saver. But for the public speaker, generalizations are useless for either imparting or impressing his thought; a single concrete example has far more convincing and persuasive force. Vagueness in Survey Questions Vague words are very common on surveys. A word is vague when it is not obvious to a respondent what referents (e.g., instances, cases, examples) fall under the umbrella of the words intended meaning...For example, consider the question, How many members of your household work? This question has several vague words, most of which would be missed by the vast majority of respondents. It could be argued that members, household, and work are all vague words. Who counts as being a member of the household?...What falls under the category of household?... What counts as someone working?...Vagueness is ubiquitous in most survey questions. Ambiguity Versus Vagueness The difference between ambiguity and vagueness is a matter of whether two or more meanings associated with a given phonological form are distinct (ambiguous), or united as non-distinguished subcases of a single, more general meaning (vague). A standard example of ambiguity is bank financial institution vs. bank land at rivers edge, where the meanings are intuitively quite separate; in aunt fathers sister vs. aunt mothers sister, however, the meanings are intuitively united into one, parents sister. Thus ambiguity corresponds to separation, and vagueness to unity, of different meanings. Vagueness in Sentences and Words The primary application of vague is to sentences, not to words. But the vagueness of a sentence does not imply that vagueness of every constituent word. One vague word is enough. It may be essentially doubtful whether this is a red shape because it is essentially doubtful whether this is red, although beyond doubt that it is a shape. The vagueness of This is a red shape does not imply the vagueness of This is a shape. Sources A. C. Krizan, Patricia Merrier, Joyce Logan, and Karen Williams,  Business Communication, 8th ed. South-Western, Cengage Learning, 2011(Anna-Brita Stenstrà ¶m, Gisle Andersen, and Ingrid Kristine Hasund,  Trends in Teenage Talk: Corpus Compilation, Analysis, and Findings. John Benjamins, 2002)Edwin Du Bois Shurter,  The Rhetoric of Oratory. Macmillan, 1911Arthur C. Graesser, Question Interpretation.  Polling America: An Encyclopedia of Public Opinion, ed. by Samuel J. Best and Benjamin Radcliff. Greenwood Press, 2005David Tuggy, Ambiguity, Polysemy, and Vagueness.  Cognitive Linguistics: Basic Readings, ed. by Dirk Geeraerts. Mouton de Gruyter, 2006Timothy Williamson,  Vagueness. Routledge, 1994