Case Study on Chilli Processing Plant Essay Example for Free

Case Study on Chilli Processing Plant Essay In Nimad area there is a place Bedia which comes in Khargaun district, there is an SHG which runs by the Mr. Jain. They runs a chilly processing plant where they purchase the red dry chilly from market and sometimes direct from farmer and produce red chilly powder. They sell this powder to Vindhya Valley Company (semi government body) and sometimes in local markets. When we talked to Mr. jain about the processing plant that we have some SHG groups of horticulture, where we includes chilly crop in our project and wanted to set up a chilly processing plant, Then he told us about to the all the parameters of chilly processing plants. Main requirements: (1) Pulverizer machine: This is the main machine of plant which is use for crushing of red dry chilly. Basically this machine is a combination of two different size and shape of pulverizer, where at first in first pulverizer we put down our raw material (red dry chilly) then it breaks into small pieces and these small pieces automatically goes into second pulverizer where second pulverizer crush that small pieces into powder. (2) Filter machine: This machine is basically used for raw material, where atfirst we put raw material on machine then it separates the unwanted particles of raw materials. (3) Mixer machine: It is basically used for mixing the oil in raw material, here we generally use food oil for mixing. Where we put down the fix quantity of oil and raw material in machine and it will mix automatically both items correctly. (4) Infrastructure: We needs at least 500 sq/meter of single hall for this whole set up where we can establish these all three machines at ideal difference. (5) Manpower: For this plant we needs at least 10 to 12 man who can operate the machines. (6) Electricity connection: Since pulverizer machine has two deferent’s power motor one motor of 12.50 horse powers and second motor of 15 horse powers. And also filter and mixing machine has individual motor. Here this is the pictures of cone pulverizer and macro pulverizer. Main cost parameters: At first we talk about the machinery cost where main machine pulverizer’s cost would be 225,000/-rs for (400kg / per day capacity), and the whole machinery set up would be around 5 to 6 lacks rupees and also sometimes it will be vary from company to company. Electricity bill would be around 8 to 10 thousand rupees. Manpower cost would be 36000/- to 43200/- rupees on monthly basis, where we will give their 120/-rs at daily basis. Manpower cost can vary from no. of working days or if we appoint man at monthly basis. Raw material or input parameters: As we know that pulverizer machine has 400kg / per day capacity,so we have to plan for sufficient raw material on capacity basis. Generally we purchases raw materials from local markets or mandi, but it will be costly comparably purchasing of direct farmer because farmer at first sell his chilly in local market or mandi then we purchases from there so here they will give this material in high rates to us because they added their cost on this material. So it would be better for us if we direct purchase from farmers. Since raw material cost will direct affect our production cost, so we have to focus on our backward linkages. Sometimes because of lack of raw material plant can be in shut down condition while on other side we are paying regularly our expenses like electricity bill, labor payment etc. If we talk about the payment mechanism at this stage it can be either cash basis or credit basis. Where if we are purchasing direct from farmers generally we have to pay him at a time or after some days, while if we are purchasing from markets or mandi. Then payment period extension can be possible for days or months. Final product marketing or output parameters: This is the important part of processing plant which will be directly affect our profit factor. Here at first we should have plan to direct marketing because it will ensure us that this particular quantity of our final product will have to sell, according to that we can decrease our risk factor otherwise we can’t depend on retail market. Here other important factor is transporting cost. It also affects our selling price, so we should have already plan to our direct marketing on distance basis. Sometimes big company wants more products in that condition it would be negotiable. Sometimes company does agreements of final product purchasing where agreements can be on quantity basis or timely basis (like different quantity on different month), so it will be also profitable for us that for particular period we are ensure that this much our final product will sell, according to that we can manage our production cost. There are two different options for final product marketing. (1) First one is that if you have good relation in local markets and ensure about personal sufficient selling of final product through local market or dealers, which can be a good deal for you here you can manage your selling price in terms of transportation cost. (2) Second one is that if you have good agreements from big company on quantity basis or timely basis at suitable price, then here you can compromise with your transportation cost because here also you are ensure that this much our final product will definitely sell at good price. Here this is the picture of red chilly processing plant. Reference: -Vardhaman SHG group Place– Bedia, dist. Khargaun (Nimad area)

Maximilian’s Letter Essay Example for Free

Maximilian’s Letter Essay In Maximilians letter to Minister Siliceo, he expressed a deep desire to improve the educational system in Mexico, such that he wanted Mexicos literacy level to be at par with those of the developed countries. His goal was to make education free for everyone, at least on the elementary level. In writing this, he made it clear that literacy should be a top priority and thinking otherwise would be detrimental to Mexico. From general instructions, like free elementary education for all and a secondary school designed to become a basis for specialized studies, he went on to specify that ancient and modern languages, as well natural sciences be taught in school for the purpose of achieving significant mental exercise for the young minds or the students of Mexico. Maximilian was emphatic about educating the students with modern languages because according to him, modern languages is nowadays absolutely essential for a Nation that intends to participate in world affairs (page 24). He further stressed that knowledge of modern languages is instrumental to maintaining and preserving Mexicos relations with other nations. In essence, Maximilian was implying the importance of standing on ones own feel while being inter-dependent with others, too. This is an excellent point of view because Maximilian did not want Mexico to be great yet isolated; rather, he wanted Mexico to become a self-sustaining nation that could interact competently with other nations as well. Interestingly, even physical education was not far from Maximilians concerns. In fact, Maximilian asked Minister Siliceo to pay as much attention to the physical well-being and activities, as to the intellectual development of the students. The longer his letter to Minister Siliceo becomes, the clearer it manifests that he had carefully planned the educational system of Mexico in his mind in such a way that it would never be left behind by the modern and advanced countries of the world. In the same manner that Maximilian wanted a balanced attention to physical education and intellectual development, he also stressed the importance of balanced attention to the sciences and the arts in higher and professional studies. Maximilian became extra emphatic when he discussed the science that was still not widely appreciated in Mexico at the time philosophy. He described philosophy as the science that strengthens the intellect, teaches man to know himself, and as a result of this self-knowledge, to comprehend the moral order of human society. In this point of the letter, it is very clear that Maximilian was not a conservative thinker. For one, he did not choose to stick to what has been the educational paradigm in Mexico; instead, he called for the introduction and promotion of philosophy among students. He was completely liberal in his flow of thought, such that he implied a hasty call for change so that the students become competent in philosophy, so that their intellect be strengthened, so that self-knowledge becomes a reality, and subsequently the students would see the moral order of human society from the perspective of an independent logical thinker. Maximilian also gave Minister Siliceo a piece of his mind regarding the Roman Catholic Church, which was the dominant church in Mexico at the time (and up to now). Religion, according to Maximilian, â€Å"is a matter of an individual’s conscience. † Here, he meant to say that choice of religion should not be shoved down the young minds of the student in a strict manner because ultimately, it is the human conscience that would decide what to choose. Maximilan further noted, â€Å"The less the State interferes with religious questions, the truer to its mission it will remain. † By this, Maximilian meant to emphasize that the State and the Church should be independent from each other. However, the issue of religious education is the responsibility of the State, and not the Church. Education, in all its level and facets, should be administered and operated by the State, according to Maximilian. This is the only way that the State can be faithful in its responsibility to educate the young minds of Mexico. In his letter, Maximilian told Minister Siliceo, â€Å"your drafts and proposals will emphasize the principle that local parishes give religious instruction in lower and middle schools on the basis of books approved by the Government. Essentially, everyone can choose their religion. In fact, everyone can learn about religion. However, if anyone wishes to learn more about religion than what the State approves of, then s/he would have to find an appropriate venue, other than the educational institutions operated by the State. Maximilian made it clear that the clergy would be educated in the way of the Church, but the rest of the students would learn according to the educational design of the Government. Ultimately, Maximilian wanted to preserve the independence and separation of the Church and the Government, and leave religion and religious beliefs to the human conscience. In Maximilian’s words, â€Å"We have freed the Church and science. † Therefore, as far as Maximilian was concerned, young minds will learn not the ways of the clergy but the ways of science. Finally, Maximilian instructed Minister Siliceo to train the best educators and provide good books for the total improvement and maintenance of the educational system in Mexico.

The medias impact on politics, government and elections.

The medias impact on politics, government and elections. The Medias Impact on Politics, Government and Elections. The Media is a complicated part of the American Government knotted with the practice of democracy. Like anywhere in the world, in America too, media is the primary source for any news or happenings. This primary source, even though it is so important, has a vast influence on what the public thinks about certain things, about politics, and public opinion. In addition, the media gives the public an idea of what is important and who is important. the media decides what is imperative in terms of setting the national agenda and what to do to affect the public opinion about candidates. A major way the media manipulates the public opinion is by making the public aware of certain facts in regard to government choices and information. Everyday the press releases exclusive information about the government to the public which influences public opinion. People all over the nation get influenced by what the media tells them. if the media would not do what it does, it would take forever for the entire nation to get educated on whats happening in the country and about political events. Nowadays, it is very easy to get instant updates on governmental processes because of the internet, radio, television and other communication technology. The media influences the public opinion by agenda setting also. Since there are a lot of rising concerns in America, the media has to chose which ones they will go over. The public believes that the issues that the media goes through the most are the most important. For instance, if the media lays emphasis on health care or gun control, that is what the public is going to believe is most important. Once the public considers a certain topic to be of major concern, it is then initiated into the legislature quickly. The media has the power to make an impression that particular issues are of more importance as compared to others. These issues are moslt related to strategy, scandal and personal lifes of politicians. These issues capture the less interesting stories because the audience is not as interested in them and media agencies do not make as much money. The most peculiar way the media manipulates the public opinion is by portraying the characteristics of the candidates via TV and radio. The media has set forth certain expectations from candidates like good looks, good speaking skills to large groups of people. Public might not acknowledge the fact that they too look for those certain things in candidates but they do, even if it is unintentional because that is what the media has literally taught the media to do so. Even if one candidate had better policies that the other who could only speak better, the public would chose the one who has the better speaking skills rather than the one who has better policies. The media also manipulates public opinions by their capability to express their views in a certain tone to their viewers. Most of the times, a news agencys personal opinions are expressed in their reviews and articles. When the public reads and listens to their views, they believe that what they say holds true for everyones opinions. The media also conveys certain issues in certain ways that change the impression of the governmental agencies, politicians and politics. Adversely, most people hold a pessimistic view of governmental agencies, politicians and politics because of the media. This also caused the participation of the public in voting to go down on a national level. A major part of America has a negative, doubtful and cynical view of the government. The news agencies also change voting opinions because the media persistently attacks the public with negative connotations of the candidates and campaign agencies. The most obvious consequence is a major decline in voting rates at the ballot. The way the media portrays candidates and their campaigns decreases voter attendance because of the tactics applied by candidates and their campaigning parties. â€Å"voter attendance has drastically gone down from 75%-85% during the 19th century to lower than 55% in modern day elections.† (Lewis) This outcome of a reduced elector attendance discloses very pessimistic opinions towards the government from the citizens of America. â€Å"Electronic forecasting on or a day before the election has become the most commonly used method by the media for predicting election results.† (Bishop) This method discourages the citizens to vote for the candidate who they planned on voting for because the media shows them that the opposing candidate has more power and say among voters and electors in the nation. Electronic forecasting or exit polling has also become a method for news agencies and researchers to conduct mass surveys. â€Å"Another connotation to electronic forecasting is that the public assumes that a certain candidate is going to win because of what the media predicted and do not even bother electing for their choice since they are aware of who has the better change of winning.†(Bishop) The citizens insight if a particular prejudice and constructive media also becomes a factor for the decline in electors. â€Å"Recent research and data shows that the American citizens view the media and government as gradually lesser dependable.† (Rouner) Sponsorships and memberships to news groups are also seen as effecting the voting rates because they news group of agency may support a particular candidate which make all of its readers and reviewers to hold the same view. The media will constantly notify the public and to determine which issues are of prime concern. The citizens of America have a lot of reliance on the media to form their own opinions about issues. The media changes the publics opinions in both good and bad ways but if the media was to remain unbiased it would not change voting rates and behaviors drastically they way it has in the past few years. Works Cited Barrett, Laurence I. Getting down and dirty (presidential Campaign). Time March 1992: 28-30 Bishop, George F. Secret ballots and self-reports in an exit poll experiment. Public Opinion Quarterly 59.4 (Winter 1995): 568-569. Lewis, Peirce. Politics: who cares? (voter turnout for 1992 Presidential elections) (cover story). American Demographics 16.10 (Oct. 1994): 20-27 Rouner, Donna. How perceptions of news bias in news sources Relate to beliefs about media bias. Newspaper Research Journal 20.2 (Spring 1999): 41-50

Differences Between Management and Leadership Essay -- Business Manage

Differences Between Management and Leadership Management and leadership are often used in the same context, yet they do not mean the same thing. Managers think incrementally, while leaders think radically. The difference in the perspectives is that leaders tend to lead with emotion and concern for their subordinates. Managers tend to follow guidelines and company policies. Managers also use management functions to achieve their desired goals. Loyalty is important amongst leaders. Team members tend to be more loyal to their leaders than their managers. This is due in part to leaders accepting the blame for when things go wrong, celebrating team/group achievements and giving credit when it is due. Managers do not interact with their subordinates as much as leaders do. A manager is someone who must be obeyed and a leader is someone who people choose to follow. The fact that teams can operate without a leader defines leaders as an asset and not essential to team success. Managers and leaders may often clash due to difference of opinions and views. Although a team is knowledgeable on who the manager is, a subordinate may often appear to be an informal leader. At this point a manager may feel that his or her authority may be in question. Managers must be able to accept ideas and views from their subordinates. Although, they (managers) may have the formal education for their position, it is experience and common knowledge that sets leaders apart from managers. Management usually consists of people who are experienced in their field, and who have worked their way up the company. A manager knows how each layer of the system works and may also possess a good technical knowledge. A leader can be a new arrival to a company who has bold, fresh, new ideas but might not have experience or wisdom The role of a leader is to ensure that the desired tasks and guidelines are implemented throughout the team. Managers can not be everywhere at once, which is why leaders are often put into place to echo management’s requirements. Leaders are the link between the team and management. Therefore leaders should show more compassion and understanding of the team. Since they interact with the team more frequently, they can speak on the team’s behalf for the positive and negative. L... ... be able to do. I feel comfortable as a leader, and strong within my convictions. In conclusion, managing and leading are two different ways to organize people. Although many leaders have a charismatic style to some extent, this does not require a loud personality. They are always good with people, and quiet styles that give credit to others (and takes blame on themselves) are very effective at creating the loyalty that great leaders engender. Although leaders are good with people, this does not mean they are friendly with them. In order to keep the mystique of leadership, they often retain a degree of separation and aloofness. This does not mean that leaders do not pay attention to tasks - in fact they are often very achievement-focused. What they do realize, however, is the importance of enthusing others to work towards their vision. References Pascale, Richard (1990), ‘ Managing on the Edge’, Penguin Book, pp 65. Fenton, John ( 1990), ‘ 101 Ways to Boost Your Business Performance’, Mandarin Business, pp 113, 1990 http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/articles/manager_leader.htm Retrieved 28 August 2005 Differences Between Management and Leadership Essay -- Business Manage Differences Between Management and Leadership Management and leadership are often used in the same context, yet they do not mean the same thing. Managers think incrementally, while leaders think radically. The difference in the perspectives is that leaders tend to lead with emotion and concern for their subordinates. Managers tend to follow guidelines and company policies. Managers also use management functions to achieve their desired goals. Loyalty is important amongst leaders. Team members tend to be more loyal to their leaders than their managers. This is due in part to leaders accepting the blame for when things go wrong, celebrating team/group achievements and giving credit when it is due. Managers do not interact with their subordinates as much as leaders do. A manager is someone who must be obeyed and a leader is someone who people choose to follow. The fact that teams can operate without a leader defines leaders as an asset and not essential to team success. Managers and leaders may often clash due to difference of opinions and views. Although a team is knowledgeable on who the manager is, a subordinate may often appear to be an informal leader. At this point a manager may feel that his or her authority may be in question. Managers must be able to accept ideas and views from their subordinates. Although, they (managers) may have the formal education for their position, it is experience and common knowledge that sets leaders apart from managers. Management usually consists of people who are experienced in their field, and who have worked their way up the company. A manager knows how each layer of the system works and may also possess a good technical knowledge. A leader can be a new arrival to a company who has bold, fresh, new ideas but might not have experience or wisdom The role of a leader is to ensure that the desired tasks and guidelines are implemented throughout the team. Managers can not be everywhere at once, which is why leaders are often put into place to echo management’s requirements. Leaders are the link between the team and management. Therefore leaders should show more compassion and understanding of the team. Since they interact with the team more frequently, they can speak on the team’s behalf for the positive and negative. L... ... be able to do. I feel comfortable as a leader, and strong within my convictions. In conclusion, managing and leading are two different ways to organize people. Although many leaders have a charismatic style to some extent, this does not require a loud personality. They are always good with people, and quiet styles that give credit to others (and takes blame on themselves) are very effective at creating the loyalty that great leaders engender. Although leaders are good with people, this does not mean they are friendly with them. In order to keep the mystique of leadership, they often retain a degree of separation and aloofness. This does not mean that leaders do not pay attention to tasks - in fact they are often very achievement-focused. What they do realize, however, is the importance of enthusing others to work towards their vision. References Pascale, Richard (1990), ‘ Managing on the Edge’, Penguin Book, pp 65. Fenton, John ( 1990), ‘ 101 Ways to Boost Your Business Performance’, Mandarin Business, pp 113, 1990 http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/articles/manager_leader.htm Retrieved 28 August 2005

Coming to the United States Essay -- Personal Experience

Sometime in 1978, my mother brings my sister and me to escape Viet Nam to Songkhla, Thailand. We arrived in San Antonio, Texas nine months later in July, 1979. It is here where I began my â€Å"American† education. It is this education system, and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) through the medium called â€Å"television†, which shred lights on me as I become conscious of what happened to my home country was not the fault of my own people. Regrettably, growing up in â€Å"America† as a foreign kid, barely speaking English, moving from town to town, and changing school annually is not straightforward. In a flash, the realization of what happen to my country vanished as it comes down to a mean of survival. I am on my own in this strange country and society, and I must do what I do to get through at the age of twelve. The recollections of my beautiful country, home, schools, and friends, appeared in the back of my mind from time to time, nevertheless I di d not have time to reflect upon them. The questions of why we left our country and came to such a distance place called the â€Å"United State of America†, never get a â€Å"real† answer. Until now, July 9, 2011, I am attending history 21, conducts by Professor Toshio Whelchel. Thirty-two years later, I am asked to compose an essay for my midterm title: â€Å"Modern American History: From the Overthrow of Hawaii to the Philippines War†. The anxiety in my stomach agitates and my eyes begin to tears, not because it is the â€Å"midterm† paper, not because I forget how to write, not because lettering is my weakness†¦but the memories. April 30, 1975, the reverberation of bullets piercing through the night, the gloomy stench of smoldering dead bodies, as bombs rained down upon us, and guns fired upon innocent ci... ... Horrendously for Philippines and Hawaii, their resources and people are the target of western imperialism, capitalism, racism, industrialization, and military power in the name of ‘democracy’. Against their will, these people must endure imposed western ideology, and sacrifice their life in the fights for self-government. On the other hand, those who came armed with intentions would use any means possible to get what they came for. For some conniving characters seeking self-fortunes, and protecting their own interest, they walk a fine line of morality. Where they can not apply forces, propaganda is their powerful allied. This is an endless cycle of how empire rises and falls. What goes down in history for future generation is the doctrines of the why and the how to go about obtaining the resources that enable one nation to rise or fall.

Mental Health within the Criminal Justice System Essay -- Criminal Ju

This essay intends to address the role that state agencies, both within the Criminal Justice System (CJS) and more broadly the institutions of education, employment and health, play in supporting and implementing diversionary programs for offenders with mental health problems. Mental health is clearly one of the most critical issues facing the Australian and New South Wales (NSW) CJS with research indicating that offenders with mental health problems constitute the majority of those within the prison system. The current strategies for diversion will be critically evaluated in order to determine their effectiveness with regard to the delivery and production of justice, cultural sensitivity for Indigenous Australians will also be considered. The social construction of mental illness and the associated process of stigmatisation of this particular group will be explored in conjunction to explain why society still fails to prevent the mass entry of people with mental health issues into th e traditional CJS. Critical to understanding the extent of the problem is a clear definition of mentally ill, â€Å"a person suffering from mental illness and, owing to that illness, there are reasonable grounds for believing that care, treatment or control of the person is necessary for the person’s own protection from serious harm, or for the protection of others from serious harm† [Mental Health Act 2007 (NSW)]. Noting that the statute specifies the ‘control’ of this group which adds to the notion that people with mental health problems are inherently more dangerous members of our society. Furthermore mental health problems within the prison system (inmate population) are estimated to be three to four times higher than in the general Australian popula... ...‘Opportunities in public policy to support infant and early childhood mental health’, American Psychologist, vol. 66, no. 2, pp. 129-139. New South Wales Police Force, 2011, Mental health intervention team news, brochure, NSW Police Force, New South Wales Richardson, E. & McSherry, B., 2010, ‘Diversion down under – Programs for offenders with mental illnesses in Australia’, International Journal of Law Psychiatry, vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 249-257. Seltzer, T., 2005, ‘Mental health courts – A misguided attempt to address the criminal justice system’s unfair treatment of people with mental illnesses’, Psychology, Public Policy and Law, vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 570-586. Wolff, N. & Pogorzelski, W., 2005, ‘Measuring the effectiveness of mental health courts – Challenges and recommendations’, Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 539-569.

Christopher Pawling Popular Fiction Ideology or Utopia

Introduction: Popular Fition: Ideology or Utopia? Christopher Pawling Popular Fiction and Literary criticism Despite the growth of interest in popular fiction, it has been difficult to introduce courses on them in college and university syllabi because it is still not considered as mainstream literature, just a minor or peripheral genre. The self-definition of English literature depends heavily on what is absent from its field- its significant other- popular literature or paraliterature whose absence from the syllabus enables us to define the dominant literary culture.Paraliterature is a sort of ‘taboo’ against which the ‘self’ of literature proper is fashioned. Darko Suvin says that a discipline which does not take into account 90% of its domain seems to have a distorted vision in the small zone it focuses on. i. e. high literature. In the last few years, there has been an attempt to initiate interdisciplinary courses. The prejudice against popular literature has gone down because it garners the widest readership. It is also more inextricably linked to ‘other’ aesthetic modes of communication like film and TV. Pop fic has been included in the curriculum since the 1960s.This is not a ‘soft option’ but has generated a serious corpus of criticism predicated on theory. So reading pop fic is not as much of a peripheral preoccupation as was assumed earlier. Much of the secondary work on pop lit has been untheorised and eclectic. The prospective student has been faced with a) production, marketing and consumption of popular fiction which elude meanings embodied in the text themselves and b) Analyses using the tools of lit criticism to give an ‘internal’ account of the themes embodied within the text or genre, but are unable to make connexions between the literary artefact and the social context.In such situations, the socio-historical context is seen as something external. Sociologists have dealt with texts of popular culture as direct bearers of ideology. Popular fiction reflects social meanings/ mores and intervene in the life of society by organising and interpreting experiences which have previously only been subject to partial reflection. Pop fic, like all other cultural creations, interprets human experience. Genre Analysis Popular novels are not simple repositories of sociological data. They generate norms/ expectations on which the reader’s acceptance/ rejection of the text depends. See quotation from James: â€Å"Genres are essentially†¦ contracts. † The narrative of the thriller offers a form of pleasure (uncertainty between security and adventure) that is different from that of women’s romance. The ‘relative autonomy’ of the narrative helps to define boundaries of different genres. These genres do not exist in a vacuum but they circulate in specific social, cultural and historical contexts. We must acknowledge that our popular genres differ from those of other societies so they cannot be seen within umbrella terms like universal ‘archetypal structures. ’ Narrative and Ideology: Macherey and Goldman A breakthrough in cultural readings has been that the mediations between text and society are present in the text itself. Levi Strauss- Ideology is present in both the form and content of the myth as text and the narrative itself provides the crucial link between the ‘external’ reality of social experience and the ‘internal’ meaning which is derived therefrom. Frederic Jameson- narrative is a form of reasoning about experience and society. Pierre Macherey starts with an analysis of the internal logic or problematic of the text before going on to reconstruct the ideological field which lies behind the narrative.The author tests out certain ideological propositions which form the basis of the literary discourse. The narrative may thus reveal any contradictions inherent in those assumptions and then suppresses them through magical resolutions. The narrative may get flawed if the author refuses this escape route and pursues the contradiction till they destabilize the text. Jules Verne’s story, The Mysterious Island begins with a supposedly straightforward celebration of ‘bourgeois’ science.It is subverted by Captain Nemo who epitomizes a scientific spirit of enquiry untainted by social relations. This ‘ideal’ image of science is finally rejected by Verne and Nemo rejected as an anachronistic figure whose illusions destroy him and his island. It helps to undermine the effect of an all-conquering science. Verne’s story does not offer a conscious interrogation of the bourgeois image of science. Macherey’s reading reveals a flaw in the narrative which allows us to gain access to the repressed meanings of ‘political unconscious’ (Frederic Jameson) of the narrative. Martin Jordin’s analysis of 1950s novel Wolfbane shows that the narrative of Wolfbane just does not re produce given ideological assumptions about the role of science in society but that it also puts that ideology to work ‘ testing, defining and reconstructing it in the process of interpreting the changing content of†¦ historical experience. ’ Wolfbane reverses the science fiction formula by implying that science must first be liberated from its service to an irrational social order before it can become an instrument of human progress or produce a more free and equal society.During this period, the readership of SF (the scientific middle class) had to be subordinated to the needs of the corporate economy. The text became a site of ideological struggle and not just a reflection of external social processes. The narrative ‘constructs’ rather than reflects an ideological position. Jordin’s analysis of Wolfbane emphasizes the disillusionment with science as part of a creative interrogation of ideology within the text. Mellor concentrates on the way i n which science fiction expresses the ‘world vision’ of its readership, on its relative autonomy, rather than treating it as a relatively independent entity.The flight from science reflects a process of fragmentation which is already detectable outside the text, in the developing ‘world vision’ of the ‘educated middle class. ’ Mellor constructs an overall picture of SF as a genre, whereas Jordin concentrates on the narrative mechanics of one moment of change and therefore is bound to privilege the more ‘autonomous’ features of the text. But the authors share the same philosophy. The Popular/ Elite Dichotomy: Lowenthal and Cawelti Macherey breaks with’ established’ literary criticism in his refusal to divide the sphere of literature between ‘elite’ literature (an autonomous realm which is somehow free from ideology), and ‘popular’ or ‘mass’ literature (supposedly a direct reflecti on of ideology and therefore not amenable to the sophisticated analysis given to ‘canonic’ texts). Macherey says a text is literary because it is recognized as such, at a certain moment, under certain conditions. It may not have been recognized as such before or after. Macherey’s highlights the relativity of literary value and he need to problematize categories such as ‘popular’ and ‘high’ literature. Verne has been added to the curriculum since Macherey, so we can conclude that the ‘canon’ is a historical construct, rather than a fixed entity, and that is open to revision. He challenged that a science fiction work by a minor author is not a literary text and has been proved right in a subsequent era. There are no separate mode of analysis for the study of popular fiction and real literature. This dichotomy leads to a reductionist approach.According to Tony Bennett, â€Å"non-canonized texts are necessarily collapsed back i nto the conditions of production from which they derive. † Popular fiction is often limited to an account of marketing strategies employed in promoting bestsellers. Or ‘mass’ fiction is studied as a component of ‘the culture industry. ’ Leo Lowenthal’s book Literature, Popular Culture and Society says that since the division of literature into ‘art’ and ‘commodity’ in the eighteenth century, the popular literary products can make no claim to insight and truth.The emergence of a market economy has profound implications for the relationship between author and reader. Yet even ‘high’ art or ‘serious’ literature is not so impervious to markets, consumption patterns and economic profit as to warrant assessment only in terms of what Pierre Bordieux calls ‘symbolic profit. ’ (See Randal Johnson’s discussion of Bordieux’s argument about economic vs. symbolic profit in Ã¢â‚¬Ë œPierre Bourdieux on Art, Literature and Culture’- Editor’s Introduction to Pierre Bourdieux, The Field of Cultural Production: Essays on Art and Literature. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1993, p. 15. ) John Cawelti’s Adventure, Mystery and Romance argues that popular fiction is intrinsically more ideological than its ‘elite’ counterpart. For Cawelti, ‘formulaic’ fiction has the function of reproducing cultural consensus, in contrast to ‘mimetic’ (elite) fiction which confronts us with the problematic and contrasting reality of the world. Mimetic literature represents life as we know it while the formulaic reflects the construction of an ideal world without the disorder, ambiguity, uncertainty and limitations of the world of our experience. Formulaic literature is an ‘artistry of escape’ which makes it popular. The tensions, ambiguities and frustrations†¦. mystery† (p. 9) This model attempts to defend pop ular fiction by assigning it to the realms of escape and distraction. There is no place in Cawelti’s scheme for ‘a literature of genuine innovation, or for one of informal ‘underground’ education. That is confined to the domain of mimetic literature. If popular fiction is ‘conventional’ in an artistically conservative sense, all literature is concerned with the manipulation of narrative expectations in some way, and even the most sophisticated literary subversion inevitably sets up generic patterns after a while.Even an arch modernist such as Theodore Adorno has recognised that formulae (which he terms as ‘stereotypes’) are an essential element in the organisation and anticipation of experience. It would be wiser to ask under what conditions specific literary genres become rigid and lose their creative potential while acknowledging that this is a question which applies to both popular and elite fiction. Cawelti privileges the conse nsual role of popular culture. Formulaic lit, he says, assimilates new interests into ‘conventional imaginative structures. The black-oriented action stories of the early 70s use a traditional formula- the ‘hard boiled thriller- but fill it with new content. The conventional forms of fantasy they use are not very different from the adventure stories that have been enjoyed by American audiences for several decades. Cawelti’s ‘functionalist’ theory has its origins in mainstream American sociology. American culture, he believes, embodies a set of ‘core’ values which gradually spread outwards to the periphery of society and eventually embrace ‘marginal’ groups such as the black minorities.But this model takes certain values for granted and assumes that culture is a homogenous entity rather than seeing it as a site of struggle which is marked by contradictions. But while the black action stories tend to make the black man an initi ator of action , they also glorify a ‘machismo’ image with the result that the cultural ‘integration’ of the male section of the community takes place at the cost of the woman, who experiences a double subordination. While Lowenthal condemns pop fic as a purveyor of ‘false consciousness, Cawelti tends to extol this function in a rather uncritical a manner. Cawelti highlights the harmonising, normative function of formulaic narrative whereas when we look at the ideological conflict within each text, it becomes clear that it is also potentially subversive of that consensus. Popular Fiction and ‘Common Sense’: the Influence of Gramsci Even the most banal narratives illuminate the material reality which lies behind the ostensibly unified, conflict-free world of ideology.Rosalind Brunt’s chapter on Barbara Cartland’s romance stories highlights a contradiction in the narrative, between the intended message which focuses on the rol e of woman as a transcendent, spiritual being, and the actual process of narration which concentrates on the more mundane reality of ‘love and marriage’- historical necessities lead women to pursue men and to turn love into an ‘economically rational career. ’ Therefore virginity is seen a s a commodity which secures the heroine an economic place in the world through a ‘good’ marriage.Cartland’s novels show women’s involvement in a patriarchal commodity market that is incongruous with her romantic idealism. The ‘spiritual union’ of marriage is always celebrated at the end of the novel but the impulse of the narrative is towards a materialist account of gender relations. Brunt focuses on the contradictions in the text. Her feminist reading shows that the author’s intentions are partially subverted at an unconscious level by a material reality that cannot be wished away by the ‘magical resolutions’ at the end of the text.Cartland’s novels can be interpreted in a way that renders them potentially subversive of the author’s own intentions, They do not generate an ‘alternative view of female identity. In fact, they endorse values opposite to those of the women’s movement and Cartland undoubtedly opposes any move towards greater social and cultural equality for her sex. Gramsci terms the Cartlandian approach to her readers as ‘common sense’ (the space between hegemonic ideology and material reality).Women are naturally subordinate to men and they know it. They have to operate in a different manner if they are to succeed as women. Women, therefore, are socialised into existing gender relations. Everything is enclosed within a circular narrative. The heroine has to decide between marrying for love or money. The choice has to be based on common sense, and there is no suggestion that there is a third choice- that of not marrying at all. Her depend ence on marriage as a route to economic security is acknowledged unquestionably. There are contradictions in the world of ‘lived ideology’- stone age elements combine with principles of a more advanced science, prejudices from all past phases of history and intuitions of a future philosophy. ’ Here Gramsci highlights the dialectic between ideology and utopia which is so crucial in the making of popular fiction. A Stone Age element in Cartland’s fiction is, for example, is the fascination with the aristocracy. The intuitions of a utopian future are free from contradictions. Most formulaic fiction in normal times, says Gramsci, have a predominance of Stone Age elements.At times of intensified political and cultural struggle, common sense adopts a more utopian outlook. At those times, there is an active popular demand for literature which embodies alternative values. Popular Fiction: Ideology or Utopia? What is the relationship between popular fiction and cul tural politics at certain key moments in the post-war period? The seesawing dialectics between ideology and utopia has to be seen in this context. In the late 50s, British society was moving towards ‘the morality of affluence. The fear was that an old world of authentic value, associated with the pre-war working class, was on the verge of extinction. In Stuart Laing’s Room at the Top, the vision of a romantic haven based on an ‘alternative reality’- the relationship between the hero and the heroine- amidst the ‘rat race’ collapses with the heroine’s death. At the end, there is a cynical acceptance of the present and the inevitable values of affluence. In the 60s, there was a counter-culture which highlighted the need to reframe relationships within the frame of the perquisites of political change. Middle class pressure groups at the time attempted to make society live up to its stated ideals, rather than movements with a concrete vision of the ‘just society. ’ The counter culture was hardly a mass movement in the classic sense of the word because it was largely confined to the middle class. But it did have a populist outlook, rejecting cultural divisions and celebrating popular art as an arena of cultural struggle. Chapter by David Glover- concentrates on that ‘moment’ in the 1960s when certain writers of fantasy- Tolkein, Peake, Burroughs and Moorecock, acquired a cult status among the counter-culture.Each of these authors reached maximum exposure and circulation through the medium of mass market paperbacks. Fantasy gave expression to the search for utopian alternatives. The taste for anti-realist texts among the among the counter-culture can be seen as a kind of literary equiavlent to the alteration of consciousness’, suggesting new ways of perceiving one’s relationship with others, society in general and the natural world. The content of these utopian tales offered the vis ion of a ‘human’ proportions, an organic society based on the small collective and the needs of the individual.Glover concludes that the ‘enclosed world’ of utopia/ fantasy ‘provided a touchstone for a critique of existing social structures and the construction of alternatives, social models prefigured in the achievements of literary technique. ’ ‘Counter culture’ was a spent force by the early 70s. Popular fantasy developed instead in a cult of the sword and sorcery. The world vision of the counter culture had been inspired by the past, a need to recover a world which had disappeared with industrialism. There was a strong plea for traditional political values, not a mere revival of pastoralism.Adams’ novel signalled that return to tried and tested conservative values. That was to prove an important component of political rhetoric in the 1970s. This book does not offer a comprehensive introduction to the study of popular fic tion. There is an emphasis in Pawling’s book on studies which concentrate on the meanings which form around texts, genres or authors, rather than analyses which might examine the way in which those meanings have been understood by particular groups of readers. The concentration on the point of production rather than consumption is the outcome of a moment in cultural studies.The process of ‘reception’ has been highlighted in determining the meaning generated by individual texts. Texts can have different meanings for different groups of readers. A work cannot merely be collapsed into its various moments of reception. It is necessary to focus on the text as a source of meaning creation. This allows the student to test his/ her reading of popular fiction against the various approaches on offer here. The function of a book like this should be to encourage others to embark on their own analyses.