The Complications Associated With Diabetes Mellitus ( Dm )

Abstract This paper explores the complications associated with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) including altered tissue perfusion. Altered tissue perfusion occurs as a result of DM and can cause many complications such as diabetic foot ulcers. Although altered tissue perfusion is not the only cause of ulcers, it contributes to the acceleration and degeneration of tissue once an ulcer forms. This paper also covers nursing diagnoses, individualized nursing interventions, patient and treatment goals as well as evaluation of outcomes, associated with an actual patient. I was able to treat a patient with hyperglycemia within my critical care clinical experience. It also covers the psychosocial concepts that influence teaching readiness, growth and†¦show more content†¦Small arteries in diabetic patients experience changes due to increased atherosclerosis. Tissue perfusion depends upon fasting plasma glucose and fasting insulin levels which are also dependent upon how sensitive the patien t is to the insulin. Increased permeability to large molecules such as albumin is increased in diabetes, which can be associated with hyperglycemia (Levy, et al., 2008). Studies have shown patients with type 2 diabetes experience decreased coronary flow which is related to hemoglobin A1C and fasting plasma glucose levels (Marketou, et al., 2008). Mild insulin resistance can also be associated with a decrease in coronary flow. In addition, a decrease in myocardial perfusion in diabetic patients is related to decreased blood flow. An impairment in peripheral circulation leads to ischemia, which is associated with pain in the lower legs called intermittent claudication, which may result in lacerations of the feet (Levy, et al., 2008). Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) can cause thrombosis of the arteries causing tissue death. Gangrene from Diabetes Mellitus (DM) can lead to amputations beginning in the toes and moving into the foot (Lemone, Burke, Bauldoff, 2011). Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic disease that has become an epidemic as it effects more and more the population each year. DM is a group of metabolic diseases, stemmed from the Endocrine systems, characterized by hyperglycemia

Essay on Case Study-Whole Foods - 1284 Words

1. Whole Foods creates a narrow market niche by catering to the special needs and tastes of the consumer, thus, creating a differentiation-based advantage over competitors. By taking actions to acquire Wild Oats, Whole Foods has gained the competitive edge in the marketplace. 2. Recent developments and conditions in the natural and organic food industry can put a strain on the vision and strategy that John Mackey first set out to accomplish. However, part of a good business strategy is to be able to adjust and change with development or restrictions by government standards. 3. John Mackey does have a good strategic vision for Whole Foods. He has the ability to grow the business with such profitability and foresee what†¦show more content†¦This coupled with satisfied employees give way to everyone becoming loyal to Whole Foods. The company’s website has numerous videos of consumers boasting about the stores and remaining loyal to Whole Foods despite protesters for any given reason. There are also videos of employees explaining how good the company has been to them and therefore they remain loyal in the face of adversity. John Mackey also plays on the importance of giving back to the community and helping those less fortunate than his loyal customers, helping the agriculture industry, maintaining good environmental practices, and giving respect to his trade partners. The combination of these core values contribute to the company’s success. 5. Whole Foods, according to Exhibit 9 and 10, obviously is performing well from a financial perspective. The real numbers that tell the story lie in the years that follow from 2008 to the present. The stock prices in 2007 were $48.96. It took a drastic dip in 2008, at the start of the recession, were stock was $20.03 per share at the end of the fiscal year. It jumped a bit in 2009 to $30.49. The stock currently is $38.60 a share, still not where it was 3 years ago. 6. .From a strategic perspective Whole Foods is performing very well. Management has clearly defined the goals to grow the business making their vision a reality. They have created loyal customers by educating them on the healthier ways of eating,Show MoreRelatedWhole Foods Case Study1568 Words   |  7 PagesNick Zawisa Strategic Management September 23, 2010 Case Study: Whole Foods Market Since 1980, Whole Foods Markets has grown from a small local store in Austin, Texas, to the largest retail chain of natural and organic foods in the United States. Whole Foods has been leading the natural and organic foods movement across the United States, working to gain acceptance among the growing number of consumers interested in eating healthier foods. The company has built a reputation for being selectiveRead MoreCase Study Whole Foods1155 Words   |  5 PagesCase Study assignment 1. What are the chief elements of the strategy that Whole Foods Market is pursuing? Fresh natural and organic foods and products with no preservatives or artificial ingredients. Promote healthier eating/lifestyle and increasing consumer knowledge/education of food safety, environment and how pesticides affect the land as well as the human body. 2. Is the strategy well matched to recent developments and conditions in the natural and organic foods segment of the food retailingRead MoreCase Study(Whole Foods)1481 Words   |  6 Pages1.) The Whole Foods strategy seeks to provide products of the best quality to its customers by maintaining high standards that the farmers, organic growers must match. The strategy also involves providing best tasting food and foods that are fresh, wholesome and safe to eat. It also involves promoting organically grown foods to exercise their influence on the people and the industry. Customers are the most important stakeholders responsible for the growth of Whole Foods Market, thus satisfying theirRead MoreWhole Foods Case Study2408 Words   |  10 PagesCase Analysis Whole Foods Market in 2010: Vision, Core Values, and Strategy By: Katie Hollar Baker College Online Case Analysis Whole Foods Market in 2010: Vision, Core Values, and Strategy Overview Whole Foods Market was established in Austin, Texas in 1980 as a natural and health food supermarket, and it has since become the world’s largest supermarket chain in organic and natural foods. Whole Foods Market had 289 stores located in Canada, Great Britain, and predominantly in theRead MoreWhole foods case study Essay870 Words   |  4 PagesNovember 27, 2013 HRM 598 Case Study Introduction Whole Foods Market, Inc. is the largest chain of natural foods supermarkets operating in the United States. Whole Foods has six core values that drive its company and they include; selling the highest quality natural and organic products, satisfying and delighting customers, supporting their Team Members (Whole Food Employees) happiness and growth, creating wealth through profits and growth, caring about the communities and our environment, creatingRead MoreWhole Foods Inc Case Study1200 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Industry Overview The Whole Foods Inc was founded in 1980 by john Mackey, from a local supermarket store on safe grocery. Since then, it has grown into the world’s largest retail store all kinds of organic and natural foods. As of 2004, the annual sales were recorded as $8 billion. It has approximately 264 stores in the USA, 6 in Canada and 5 in the United Kingdom (Thomson, 2010). The headquarters are located on an 80,000 square feet flagship store in Austin, Texas. Over the yearsRead MoreCase Study : Whole Foods Market1370 Words   |  6 Pages Performance Mangement-4013 Assignment Title: Whole Foods Market Report by: Kiranpal Mann Student #: c0645417 Date: 1st March 2016 Table of contentsRead MoreWhole Foods Case Study Essay1324 Words   |  6 PagesWhole Foods Markets is a retailer of natural and organic foods. The company was founded by current CEO John Mackey who partnered with Craig Weller and Mark Skiles to merge their two natural food stores, Saferway and Clarkville Natural Grocery, resulting in the opening of the original Whole Foods Market on September 20, 1980. They had a 12,500 square foot store manned by 19 staff members. With a passion this industry, Mackey devised great visions, values, and strategies to take Whole Foods MarketsRead MoreWhole Foods Market Inc. Case Study Essay1200 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to the Whole Foods Market Inc. case, study shows that Whole Foods Market is an American supermarket chain exclusively featuring foods without artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, and hydrogenated fats. It is the United States first certified organic grocer, which mean s it ensures, to National Organic Program standards, organic integrity of the heterogeneous products from the time they reach stores until they are placed in a shopping cart. Whole Foods Market Inc. openedRead MoreWhole Foods Operations Management Case Study1794 Words   |  8 PagesWhole Foods Operations Management Case Study Assignment With the launch of the 365 brand, Whole Foods is hoping to target and bring in a younger, more hipster demographic of customers. Their hopes are that these younger, more price sensitive shoppers will grow with the brand, become accustomed to the organic, GMO-free selection, and will transition into customers of the regular, more expensive, Whole Foods stores as they grow in their careers and begin making more money. The most important challenge

History B Assignment free essay sample

Share Click the blue box in the upper right corner. Click Change and select Anyone with the link can edit Click Save, then Done. 4. Us bomb Copy the link and submit assignment to Gradation. Examine this prompt, then type your response below: Americans have often had to balance the need for national security with the need to protect peoples rights and freedoms. In times of crisis, rights are sometimes limited. Beginning in the late sass, the Cold War dominated American life.For a number of years, the nation was in the grip of a new Red Scare. Although the hunt for communists did catch some spies, it also disrupted the lives of thousands of innocent Americans. The following list displays the actions taken by the Truman administration to address the public concern about domestic communism: President Truman created a Federal Employee Loyalty Program in March 1 94 7. The order permitted the FBI and other government security agencies to screen fee real employees for signs Of political disloyalty. We will write a custom essay sample on History B Assignment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Truman administration also used the 1 940 Smith Act to cripple the Com insist Party in the United States. This act made it unlawful to teach or advocate the violent overthrow of the U. S. Government. Congress joined in the search for communists. In 1938, the House of Repress natives had created the House Americana Activities Committee (HUGH) to investigate pop Seibel subversive activities by fascists, Nazis, or communists.

Virtual Teams as Teamwork Efforts

Virtual teams refers to teamwork efforts that are facilitated through information technology medium where individuals get to work together without having to meet physically (Maznevski, 2006). Basically the term virtual team refers to a group of persons that primarily interact through internet connectivity or other electronic media and occasionally get to meet physically in order to achieve certain work objectives.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Virtual Teams as Teamwork Efforts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There are three characteristics that defines a virtual team; members must be separated by geographical features, they must be linked together virtually through a form of an electronic media and they must be engaged in achieving a common objective that is mostly work related (Maznevski, 2006). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the elements of virtual teams as well as evaluation tool of measuring its e fficiency for human resource personnel in an organization. Generally virtual teams can be categorized into four groups; tasks groups, command groups, interest groups and friendship groups (Kruse, 2003). In an organization setting there are several reasons that necessitate the use and set up of virtual teams. In this case the main reasons include low cost of business operations, convenience, outsourcing of scarce human resource and the need to gain a competitive edge (Duarte, 2005). Regardless of the type of virtual group, a virtual team requires six elements that must be enhanced in order for it to be effective, they include effective communication skills, conflicts management, leadership skills, building of ideal relationship, team empowerment and rhythm building (Gould, 2006). These are the essential elements of a highly efficient virtual team. One of the articles in the field of virtual team that attempts to comprehensively assess the efficiency of virtual teams in an organizatio nal setting is written by Tricia Steege, the CEO of transformation strategies. In this article the maturity and efficiency of virtual team is measured by a Virtual Team Operation Survey tool that assesses the indicators of virtual team performance (Steege, 2003). The survey tool developed for assessing the effectiveness of virtual teams in organization focuses on a total of five indicators that include; trust, leadership, communication, technology and learning that are rated based on four criteria’s (Steege, 2003). The possible cumulative scores when using this survey tool is 100 points that are disaggregated by 20 marks in each category. Based on the points obtained during the evaluation of the team efficiency, a human resource specialist can identify areas of weaknesses and strengths of the virtual team under evaluation.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The interpret ation of the survey tool scorecard is pretty straight forward since the indicators that have the lowest points are the weakest links that are used to identify areas of weaknesses while areas that score highly indicate areas of strengths. The specific interpretation and analysis of the Virtual Team Operation Survey tool score is indicated in the following table. Table 1: Virtual Team Operation Survey Tool Analysis Score Range Overall Rating 90-100 Highly effective. The work capability of the virtual team is highly mature and highly functioning. 80-90 Generally effective. The work capability of the virtual team is generally mature and functioning quite well. 70-80 Moderately effective. The capability of the virtual team is somewhat mature with several dimensions of virtual work processes needing to be improved. 70 and Below Below effective. The capability of the virtual team is immature with many areas of virtual work needing to be improved. Source: (Steege, 2003). How M ature Are Your Virtual Team Work Processes? References Duarte, K. (2005). How to tell Virtual Team Effectiveness. Web. Gould, David. (2006). Fifth Generation Work-Virtual Organization. Web. Kruse, Kevin. (2003). Creating Conditions for Virtual Team Effectiveness. Web. Maznevski, Martha. (2006). Creating Effective Virtual Teams. Web.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Virtual Teams as Teamwork Efforts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Steege, Tricia. (2003). How Mature are your Virtual Team Work Processes. Web. This essay on Virtual Teams as Teamwork Efforts was written and submitted by user Rumiko Fujikawa to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Painted Portraits free essay sample

This paper discusses the work of American painters Cecilia Beaux and John Singer Sargent. This paper explores the works and styles employed by Cecilia Beaux and one of her teachers, John Singer Sargent. It gives a brief personal history of each painter and their early influences. It further explores their unique styles, for Beaux, it was based on French impressionism and color, and Sargents ability to portray essence. Finally this paper attempts to show why portraits remained popular during a time in which photography was widely used. One of the reasons that Beaux and Sargent were popular painters even in an era in which portraiture was becoming more and more the domain of the photographer was that while portraits have always been made to serve as keepsakes and visual memoirs, they have also always served other functions as well, perhaps the primary of these being to mark the social status of the subject. We will write a custom essay sample on Painted Portraits or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Portraits by their very nature never be mass-produced but must also be commissioned. This means that they are expensive, requiring someone to be able to pay an artist to devote all of her or his skills and time to the subject alone. Thus portraits have always served as a proxy, a marker of high status.

The Birth Of Venus Essays

The Birth Of Venus Essays The Birth Of Venus Paper The Birth Of Venus Paper The Birth of Venus is a painting familiar especially to those who know about mythology. Sandra Bottling wanted to show the birth of Venus one of the Greek gods In his own point of view. He demonstrates this by how he painted Venus and whom he painted in the drawing with Venus. He also shows it by the type of media he used and what he painted it on. For this painting, he had used tempera on canvas. HIS Inspiration for painting Venus came about during the Renaissance era. It Is one of the first non-biblical female nudes In Italian art (Birth of Venus). Bottling was Influenced to paint Venus from reading Homers Scripts. In particular, one of homers scripts was about how Crocus had clashed with his father Uranus. During the clash, Crocus emasculates Uranus and because he had done Venus Is born. In this work, he shows Venus coming of a shell nude covering her body In a modest way. It would signify not only her birth to a new world but also show humanism. The background of the painting shows the ocean which Is how she was able to be born In the first place (Botulisms Birth of Venus). Also, he Includes Zephyrs, the god of the wind and he Is shown holding on to a nymph named Colorist. The wind signifies a guidance so it would make sense to why Zephyrs is in the painting since he leading Venus. Furthermore, he also includes Pomona the goddess of the spring she awaits Venus with a mantle which is blowing in the wind from Zephyrs. It shows how Pomona is welcoming the new goddess. Moreover, he painted Venus in such a beautiful way that it shows that he had studied the subject of the painting. It demonstrates that Bottling had thoroughly thought over about how he would want to present Venus. Thus, Bottling had shown many symbols in his painting that corresponds to Homers work.

Criminal law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Criminal law - Essay Example However, if the child victim is older than 13 but younger than 16 a suspect can raise the defence that the child consented to the sexual activity and he or she reasonably believed that said child was at least 16 years of age.1 Critics of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 argue that the Act goes too far by criminalizing legitimate sexual activities of children closer to age 16 and is far too strict on those who are mistaken about the child’s age. This paper examines the reality of this position by dissecting the manner in which the criminal justice system approaches cases in which offences relating to children are interpreted and disposed of. The offences contained in Section 9-12 include sexual assault, inciting children to engage in any form of sexual activity or forcing a child to watch sexual activities. Alarmingly, sexual activity with a child is defined by Section 9 as the intentional touching of ‘another person’ and that other person is under the age of 16 and the person does not reasonably believe the other person to be over the age of 16.3 The act of touching might conceivably be interpreted as sexual in nature and is a matter of fact for a jury to decide.4 In an article published in BBC’s online magazine, Giles Wilson questioned the propriety of the laws role in the age of modern sexual activity among teens. By and large, Wilson argues, the Sexual Offences Act 2003 criminalizes teen age kissing.5 Angela Phillips refers to the Sexual Offences Act 2003 as ‘the child trap’ adding that it is: When the House of Commons debated the Sexual Offences Bill a number of Representatives took issue with Section 13 as it stood, fearing that it had the impact of criminalizing what could only be described as normal activities between adolescents. In fact, Member of Parliament and Liberal Democrat Women’s Issues Spokesperson, Sandra Gidley said: Although I welcome the approach to

Strategic management, British Airways Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic management, British Airways - Essay Example External market costs, such as supply chain, are also impacting profit negatively at BA. This report takes an in-depth view of the market environment in which British Airways must operate as well as a strategic analysis about how the company has positioned itself for strategic success. British Airways operates in a very difficult environment currently, with profit continuously declining both in consumer travel and in the cargo division of the business. It is currently the economic downturn being felt globally which is contributing to these profit declines. Done (2009) offers that the recession has given the business more than two years of losses, with loss expectations until at least March 2010. Much of this decline, according to the author, is due to difficult financial market trading conditions which significantly impacts the budget capability at BA. In fact, this economic recession has caused British Airways to lose a total of 17.7 percent of its passenger traffic profit just in April of 2009 (Done). Additionally, BA is also losing money due to the slip of value in the British pound. Done (2009) offers that its total operating loss was 150 million pounds, which will serve as the firm’s first operating loss in over five years. These losses have given the company a very poor credit rating which impacts the firm’s ability to procure enough working capital to make strategic changes which can have positive long-term impact, such as new construction at various international airport terminals. There is also a great deal of competition in British Airways’ passenger traffic division of the business, including Lufthansa, Ryanair, Air France, Martinair and Iberia (plus many more European airlines). Competition is one external force which appears to be consistently trying to outperform BA by offering different consumer options on board, such as

Critical Perspectives on Management and Organisations Essay - 2

Critical Perspectives on Management and Organisations - Essay Example It is also common that older people happen to be steadfast in their habits and have consistency in many things because of their firm beliefs and ideas. They are usually not flexible, and their temperaments are not adaptable for the changing situations and in most of the cases they are not creative (Merriam Webster, 2015). Financial burden on people is increasing continuously and women have to work with their male counterparts to earn a living. If women are not given their due share of jobs that are available in the market, if they are not given promotions in their organizations or if they are expelled on the basis of their gender; this sexism can give rise to a number of social and economic issues. The financial situation of country has much to do with the other fields and areas of the country. The whole social, cultural, industrial, technological, even religious and spiritual prospects of the collective community and personal lives of people get affected (Nauert, 2010). When females do not get jobs because they are women, they face many psychological issues. These issues may get aggravated with the passage of time alongwith the perceptions of women regarding the prevailing gender equality in society change. This may create a kind of psyche in which they consider themselves victimized and in turn they start feeling alienated and they start taking themselves in society whose self-esteem is not considered important and their sense of insecurity is developed. They may experience anxiety and undue pressure because of the society which regards males to be professionally strong in comparison to females. A male-dominant environment can get evolved which can have a profound impact on the society. The problems raised by such issues have exerted a profound impact on the society and feminist movements are a reflection of this fact.

University Peer Selection and Influences of Social Support

University Peer Selection and Influences of Social Support Phase 1 – Peer selection and influence of perceived social support of university students: do connections matter? Background Perceived social support has been shown to be an important predictor of psychological disturbance where individuals are exposed to distressing stimuli such as earthquakes (Xu et al, 2013) and war (Besser Neira, 2012). Additionally, perceived social support has also been shown to an important predictor in school environments for academic achievement (Song et al, 2014), and other problematic behaviour indicators such as low self-esteem, adaptive skills and teacher reported social skills (Demaray Maleki, 2002) which are linked to educational advancement. Other studies have observed the origins of perceived social support for particular populations being an important factor. Chavajay (2013) found that international students felt great levels of social support came from fellow international students, and Zagenczyk et al (2010) found perceived organisational support (POS) of employees would be more like the nearest person they found to be influential. perceived social support is complex in nature, its links with human growth and prevention of psychological disturbance, but also how and where the sense of perceived social support transcends to and from can depend on the similarities of the people around them. Social network analysis considers the human in relation to others within the network, and it is shows the nature of their relationships that give rise to social phenomena found within the analysis of networks. This could be via structural effects such as reciprocity, centrality in the network and popularity, or it could be actor driven such as the tendency to behave in a certain manner, such as the case for friendships being linked to smoking behaviour (Mercken et al. 2012) or it could be levels of psychological phenomena (which are also characterised as behaviour) (Snjiders et al, 2010), or more commonly aspects of the self such as cultural indicators such as nationality, gender, race, sexuality and so on. Psychological research could develop into a new branch of social network analysis, the longitudinal actor-driven stochastic models (actor-driven stochastic model) as developed by Snijders et al. (2010) which can be used to validate social network phenomena variance with psychologi cal phenomena, such as perceived social support, by observing it longitudinally and use that information to model expectations on actor and network development while utilising Markov chain process to model the networks evolving structure. Rationale The rationale for exploring perceived social support with actor-driven stochastic model metholology can be found via a synthesis of some recent research in perceived social support. Besser Neira (2010), made inferences based on means that can no understand the individual in relation to their situation within a network. They discounted medium effect size change of attachment style across the length of their study, perhaps as a result of an inability to look at socialising factors, such as covariates of reciprocity and the tendencyofhomophily between dyads. When consideringZagenczyk et al. (2010) in conjunction with Besser Neira, they show that peer influence on perceived support options in an environment might be important, and therefore it is plausible to hypothesise that similar phenomena could change attachment style behaviours that Besser Neira observed. Zagenczyk and colleagues work was cross-sectional and used social network measures in a 2 step multivariate analysis, and the refore is unable to infer causality (a common criticism of social network analysis (Borgatti and colleagues)), although it shows that social network phenomena correlated with beliefs it does not show how these beliefs became over the life-cycle. When considering the origins of perceived social support within the university context Chavajay (2013) focused his attention on international students, in essence he focused his attention on a population with situational similarities and found that higher levels of perceived social support were reciprocated between these similar groups. Chavajay suggested that this may have been a result from a greater need to experience social support when entering a new culture, and this collective need amongst international students engenders greater levels of the perceived social support phenomena, but these inferences are subjective and have not been clarified with a qualitative investigation. Chavajays research describes the tendency for homophily wher e by similar populations naturally evolve denser and become more homogenous networks (Steglich et al. 2010) while Zagenczyk and colleagues research suggests structural factors such as centrality (as inferred by the importance advice ties which have a strong relationship with friendship ties and ties of structural equivalence) of certain individuals within proximate networks in organisations is indicative POS as POS emanate from advice ties of structural equivalence. If perceived social support or POS can be related to self-ordering phenomena as well as hierarchical network effects then research into this field can describe behavioural change via two distinct psycho-social roots. Psychology can utilise the actor-driven stochastic model to discover the relationships of perceived social support within categorical groups as well as through common mechanisms of friendship formation lime, reciprocity, homophily and transitive closure, i.e. researchers can combine agency and structure while modelling behaviour (perceived social support). The psychologist can analyse multiple data sets and generate a wide variety or multivariate and bivariate statistics, and to a degree infer time sequentiality when seeking causality. Research can combine active theory development through generating and comparing findings, and then control for alternative explanations while assessing uncertainties in inference Snijders et al. (2010). However, the model is assumption-intensive – the actor-driven stochastic model uses two functions to predict network evolution via microsteps. Firstly, rate function which depends on observation period, actor cocariates and network position, which combine to consider the speed and opportunity for change within the network, and secondly, the objective function which evaluates the actor decision to change a tie based on short-term goals following preferences, opportunities and constraints. These functions require network and behaviour parameter estimates to be used in order for the model to estimate network evolution, therefore good data and awareness of group context is important when carefully developing theory (Steglich et al. 2010). Investigations of human psychology, can benefit from interpersonal methodology such as the actor-driven stochastic model as the individual can be noticed within the context of their immediate relationships. Although, limitations to the model include traditional problems associated with effects that are distil in nature (Bronfenbrenner, 2005) – it can not explain the disappearance of a tie as a result of exo-system decisions in the wider environment, however as is traditional in the empirical method mechanisms are in place to resolve sample problems. However, since the researcher requires high levels of contextual understanding when using actor-driven stochastic model to understand phenomena, descriptive phenomenological investigation would be welcomed to help identify spurious relationships in quantitative data. In cases such as small pilot studies, when sample sizes are inadequate and where the aim is the learning of a new methodology Trafimow (2014) may argue that this links with the goals of qualitative inquiry. A researcher considering human intelligence of an alien culture is less likely to make valid measurements of intelligence if he basis them on personal experience. So when embarking on an exploratory phase of a research project Trafimow (2014) recommends using qualitative methods to find out the variables that matter and then to use empirical methods to quantify how much they matter. Another point to consider before implementing actor-driven stochastic model is its complexity. Not only must the researcher understand its core concepts and assumptions of the stochastic social network analysis, they also have to aquire the skills and knowledge to produce social-network panel data that fits the stochastic model. Additionally, the researcher must then be able to navigate and use RSiena, the program which runs inferential statistics and generates predicted network models in accordance with the statistics related to the actor-driven stochastic model (Snijders et al, 2010). With the level of complexity within such a psychological methodology, correctly measuring and validating perceived social support within the group context while correctly estimating parameters for ongoing theory development and model validation requires a 2 phase approach. Aims Phase 1 (MSc) To understand contemporary issues surrounding perceived social support Understand the ways social networks are analysed Understand perceived social support within the group context Develop valid panel data gathering forms for pilot study To understand practical psychological applications of actor-driven stochastic model To understand the relationship of peer selection and perceived social support Objectives Systematic Review of Literature: perceived social support perceived social support Measures Social Network Analysis actor-driven stochastic model Design Focus Group with Open Ended Questions on perceived social support Survey Focus Group on how they understand perceived social support Analyse and Evaluate Findings From Focus Group Compare Focus Group Findings with validated perceived social support questionnaires Build Panel Data Gathering Form Conduct Pilot Study using actor-driven stochastic model using RSiena Method This study is exploratory in nature and will be divided up into two parts. The first part will be qualitative and the second quantitative. Part 1: Participants For an exploratory qualitative exercise 8 – 15 will suffice to inform the evaluation of perceived social support. The group will be taken from a selected population university students that take part in a society and see each other on a regular basis. Prodecure Participants will be informed that they their information will be kept in strict confidentiality and that the session will be recorded for analysis. Participants will then be asked to complete a consent form before the focus group will begin. Focus group with open-ended questions The focus group will be structured around open-ended questions regarding the nature of perceived social support and how they understand it. An example could be â€Å"I wonder what comes to mind when you consider the support around you?† this would illicit the participants perceptions toward support and what kind of resources they see as available. Analysis This information will then be analysed using a content analysis method proposed by Berg (2007) and then used to validate existing self-report questionnaires such as Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, Farley, 1988) or the The 18-item Index of Sojourner Social Support Scale (Ong Ward, 2005), both of which were used on populations of university students. The validated survey questions will then be used as part of the panel data gathering form used in the quantitative analysis. Part 2: Participants The specification for the participants is that they will be in a reasonably dense network structure and therefore see each other on a regular basis and reciprocate within the group. Although the minimum amount of participants for the method for reliable results is n > 25 (Snijders et al, 2010) 8 – 15 participants will suffice to form the basis of a RSiena pilot study. Prodecure Participants will be informed that they their information will be kept in strict confidentiality and that the session will be recorded for analysis. Participants will then be asked to complete a consent form before the focus group will begin. Measures For the study to produce meaningful parameter estimates for modelling the data will be captured in 3 waves of fortnightly assessments. The participants will complete a self-report questionnaires providing panel data Friendship network. Students will be asked to identify up to 5 close friends within the group. Only friendships in which nominations are shown to reciprocate will be retained for analysis. Homophily. Students will be asked four indicators of homophily on socio-demographic characteristics: gender, race, university year and age. Perceived Social Support. Students will be asked a chosen number of indicators which reflect their perceived social support and make up a scale where internal consistency will be tested. The scores will then be divided up into meaningful ranges where by the participants can be catergorised. Analysis The analysis of the data will be consistent with the longigtudinal actor-based stochastic method as described by Snijders et al (2010). The analyses will be implemented with the Simulation Investigation for Empirical Network Analysis software program (Snijders et al. 2007). All changes in friendship ties and perceived social support scores observed between the final 2 measurements are modelled as the most probabilistic sequence of events that explain the total amount of observed changes. In this scenario there are two dependent variables, one describes perceived social support and one describes changes in friendship ties, and are modelled simultaneously with each other as dependent variables with each other. Within subjects effects can be measured with ANOVA where appropriate and parameter estimates for the actor-based model deemed to be statistically significant with a t-ratio obtained by dividing the unstandardised estimate by the standard error.  ­

History of the Magna Carta :: essays research papers

The Magna Carta is often thought of as the cornerstone of liberty and a defense against unjust rule in England. The Magna Carta is also a type of constitution. Just like the English have the Magna Carta, the Americans have the Constitution. To better describe the Magna Carta I’m going to tell you some more about the line of events that led up to this famous document. First there was the landing of the pilgrims in 1620 at the Plymoth Rock â€Å"for the glory of god and the advancement of the Christian faith†. Prior to this happening, another course of events unfolded in England. In 500 (?)A.D., the Anglo-Saxons conquered England bringing Roman Catholicism with them. Only the new Latin Bible was available to the people and the pagan rulers had that in mind so the people couldn’t read it. Two important men, John Wycliffe and William Tyndale tried to translate this new Bible. The church didn’t like this and burned the translated Bibles and killed Tyndale. The idea of a limited government came from the Anglo-Saxons. Before-hand, the King’s counselors were called Witan, but when the Norman conquered they changed the name to Parliament. This is how the Parliament came to be. Another event that connects the colonist and the English together is the event of a hated King in England trying to take away freedom and go back to the old ways. The idea of how much power the King had struck Parliament. After that, the Parliament and the people made the King sign the Magna Carta, which limits the amount of power the King has. The Magna Carta also affected the rights of the American colonies. It practically took away all relationships between the King and the colonies. After the relationship was broken, America broke off from England. All of this happened because of the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta introduced the idea of placing the King under the law of the land.

Reaction Paper on SONA 2014 Essay

There were many highlights on the recent SONA President Benigno S. Aquino stated last July 28, 2014 and these are the 3 things that intrigued me the most: Under the controversial DAP, PNoy said that around P1.6 billion fund was given to Training-for-Work Scholarship Program of TESDA. A total of 223,615 beneficiaries have graduated with an equivalent of 146,731 graduates currently working. I would say I really applauded him for his insights on education. True, Education is very important in every country. A country consists of people, now if those people are mostly illiterate what do you think would the country become of? And yes, after spending a couple of pesos to those students through scholarships, how much do you think those students would pay for their taxes when the will graduate and have their own jobs? see more:sona 2017 reaction paper The ugly side of this though is the reaction of COA and politics involvement. Did you know that according to COA these amounts were not fully utilized by the agency, casting doubt on Aquino’s figures. COA said that out of the P1.1 billion funds from DAP obtained by TESDA in 2011 for TWSP, only 92.47% was utilized. Now how about that?! People and even projects are not perfect. When will they accept that?! I am still thankful though because at least he is showing positive numbers and facts. President Benigno S. Aquino III, during his 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, cited attainments in the country’s aviation industry as having contributed to the country’s steady economic growth the past year. First on the list of citations was when the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) last March 2013 lifted the significant safety concerns it had previously issued for the Philippines.In the same year, the European Union lifted its ban on Philippine Airlines, allowing it to fly once again to Europe. But with the improved aviation system, President Aquino said, Filipinos can now fly directly from Manila to London. President Aquino also welcomed the FAA’s decision to upgrade the Philippines’ aviation status back to Category 1. He said that because of this upgrade, it is likely that there  will also be an increase in routes going to the United States â€Å"The increase in flights of our local airlines to the United States and participating countries in the EU is a big help to both tourism and business,† the President said in his speech. I am also thankful for this one. Philippines being an accessible country worldwide is a Go Go ! what I meant is its a definite plus for us if we don’t spend too much on connecting flights just for us to get to our destination. I not sure if ever you experienced connecting flights before and I really hope youd never do . Because, Oh my! it is such a hassle with time and money. Imagine you being excited but you need stopovers, sleeping in the airport just catch the earliest flight to your destination and pray to GOD the weather will cooperate or else you’re stuck! Meanwhile, President Aquino also pointed out how the country’s hosting of the World Economic Forum on East Asia this year was a huge success, showing the world the country’s capacity in business.â€Å"†¦With the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit the Philippines will be hosting next year, we will be able to inform even more people of our progress, and the opportunities that this has opened up for all,† he said. This is my biggest concern of them all. I hope he will exert more effort on this one. As a regular consumer I don’t see myself having a positive sides on this one. Yes I know we are eventually experiencing Mother Nature’s reminders on how we should take care of the resources she has given. But by God! even the spices that is very common and needed in every household (ex: GARLIC – my favourite spice with chicken) costs too much. Including our staple food which is rice. This one needs to be alleviated! Remember County c onsists of People, People needs Education but most of all it needs to FOOD in order to survive!

Cultural Theory Essay Australian Tourism Essay Example

Cultural Theory Essay Australian Tourism Essay Example Cultural Theory Essay Australian Tourism Essay Cultural Theory Essay Australian Tourism Essay The Australian tourism advertisement that was released earlier this year, complete with the tagline â€Å"So where the bloody hell are you? † was one of the most controversial government-funded ads in recent memory. The advertisement was created and funded by Tourism Australia and screened on domestic television in dozens of countries around the world. The release of the ad prompted considerable worldwide discussion: it was initially banned from British television by the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre, due to the ad’s use of the word ‘bloody’ and its perceived connotation as a profanity (â€Å"Brits ban ‘bloody hell’ TV ad†). I have chosen to analyse this advertisement because it is a recent, controversial text filled with many complex images that portray what it means to be Australian. The advertisement portrays the following Australian locales: outback pub; secluded beach; ocean-side saltwater pool; kangaroo-inhabited golf course; open patio house; remote offshore tropical island; Uluru, Australia’s center; Sydney Harbour; barren desert (refer to appendix for a full description). The implied negative consequence of ignoring the advertisement is that potential tourists will be unable to visit and experience the beauty of the Australian landscape. Australia is portrayed in multiple ways by this text. As it is a tourism advertisement, its purpose is to convince foreigners to visit our country. According to the representations of Australian culture that are put forth by this text, we Australians value alcohol (primarily beer); engage in physical activity, no matter the age; frequent our many beaches; appreciate our native fauna; value family life; respect our indigenous citizens, and are generally sociable people. Each of these depictions of what Australians represent and value are tied to the process of ideology. The term ‘ideology’ is rooted in the work of Marx. He argued that the dominant ideas and viewpoints in society were that of the ruling class (â€Å"Questions of Culture and Ideology†). Althusser submits that there are two sides to ideology: one that consists of the actual living conditions of people’s lives, which is not false; and a set of meanings which misrepresent class and power within society, which is thus false. As many of the scenes and situations depicted in the focus text are irregular and stereotypical, the advertisement is ideologically constructed to depict Australian culture in a particular light. Ideology can be thought of as a sophisticated filter, through which our worldview is perceived (â€Å"Ideology†). Personal ideologies and societal ideologies may differ: whereas a society, by and large, may subscribe to ideologies of peace, democracy and justice, an individual may hold opposing viewpoints and thus, opposing ideologies. Within our focus text, Australian ideological values such as equality, respect and the importance of family are prevalent. The Australian tourism ad is one that is rife with complex imagery, whose purpose is to represent Australia. Semiotics, the study of signs, refers to the way in which particular images, text or objects can be used to create messages, which are often a part of a larger system of signs. For example, a green light is generally interpreted as a sign to ‘go’, within the larger context of a traffic light-controlled motor vehicle intersection. Once isolated and taken out of that context, the green light makes little sense. Consider an example from the text; the casual manner of the man who tells us â€Å"Bill’s on his way down to open the front gate† ironically suggests that this is a petty task, until the shot of a vehicle driving across a vast landscape conveys the message that such a seemingly simple task is, in fact, quite an ordeal. When discussing semiotics, ‘myth’ refers to a sign or series of signs that depicts one term within a system as indicative of all other terms. Furthermore, the simplification of signs known as ‘indifferentiation’– the refusal of difference (Thwaites 68) – perpetuates myths by silencing all non-dominant terms or voices. For example, within the focus text, the producers are guilty of mythic indifferentiation by suggesting that the only place that Aboriginals have within Australian culture is as an entertainment source for non-Aboriginals. Though it is unfair to write the advertisement off as largely mythic in its semiotic construction and thus not indicative of wider Australian culture, I have, for the purpose of this essay, ntertained the thought. A ‘metonym’ refers to the association between terms, either in part or whole. Thus, the scene in the bar metonymically suggests that all Australian men work hard and enjoy a cold beer – served by a woman, no less – at the end of a day’s work. The choice of an attractive young woman in a bikini to represent beach culture m etonymically invokes sex. The purpose of this sign is to physically attract foreigners to Australia through the use of a sexually attractive woman. Whether or not this specific sign is aimed at a particular sex is irrelevant: the woman in the bikini nonetheless represents happiness, health and virility. These traits are exhibited by a majority of the Australians in the ad, and are thus metonymically indicative of the rest of the Australian society. The very idea that all Australians are happy and healthy is, of course, ridiculous. For example, it is estimated that half of Australia’s population is overweight (â€Å"About Overweight and Obesity†) and approximately one in twenty Australians is currently living with depression (â€Å"Understanding Depression†). Imagine if you were a European and saw an ad on television that portrayed Australians as they are in reality: for example, if the beautiful blonde bikini girl was replaced with an overweight man with a disgusting smoker’s cough. While this may more closely mirror reality, it would be an extremely poor marketing decision. The signs that appear in this text are all carefully chosen for the purpose of appearing attractive to an overseas market. The producers’ attempt at political correctness in regard to the Aboriginal people largely misses the mark. While their native musical instruments of rhythm sticks and didgeridoo, and the spiritual icon of Uluru are well-represented and tasteful, the final scene featuring Aboriginal people dancing and the quoted line, â€Å"And we’ve been practicing for over forty thousand years† invokes a connotation that effectively reduces the entire Aboriginal people to little more than a tourist attraction, assumedly for the rich, white Europeans that the advertisement is largely aimed at. While it is highly unlikely that the producers of the text intended for this to be the denotation (or ‘preferred reading’, Thwaites 62) of the scene, the fact that it can be easily read in this manner, as derogatory toward the Aboriginal people, is demonstrative of the many different ways in which signs can be read. The Australians that speak in the advertisement use short, simple sentences to convey their messages. The language is constructed in this manner for two reasons: firstly, because it was broadcast in countries where English might not be prevalent, and thus the producers wanted to simplify the language as much as possible; in addition, they attempted to capture the manner in which an ordinary Australian speaks, which is something that they achieved well. Furthermore, the one word that caused quite a stir, â€Å"bloody†, is not even worth batting an eyelid at, as an Australian living in Australia. Tourism Australia’s Manager of Strategic Insights, Lawrence Franklin, suggests that the use of the word â€Å"tapped into real perceptions of the irreverent, self effacing nature of Australians† (â€Å"Bloody hell, does research work? †). While the word was apparently politically incorrect enough within other cultures for them to attempt to ban the advertisement, the colloquialism is so institutionalised within our society that the so-called â€Å"great Australian adjective† is well and truly a part of our vernacular, endorsed far and wide, from the average citizen right up to our Prime Minister (â€Å"Australia’s Bonzer†). The inclusion of golf as the choice of sport to portray Australian-ness is a strange one. The creators of this text clearly wished to send out a particular image of Australian sport; instead of showing scenes from a popular team sport for which Australia is well known, such as rugby league or cricket, the producers chose to show the financially exclusive sport of golf. This sign attempts to convey a message of sophistication. I suppose that golf is more of an internationally recognised sport than the other two mentioned, and the producers decided to make a safe bet on a commonly played game, rather than alienate their audience by displaying an unfamiliar sport. Tourism Australia’s â€Å"So where the bloody hell are you? † television advertisement is an undoubtedly well-produced, well-researched product that adequately represents a majority of Australia’s culture, people and values. When analysed using semiotics, ideology and ordinariness, it is exposed to be a rich text that provides many points of discussion. While it is next to impossible to coherently convey everything that it means to be an Australian within a one-minute audio-visual presentation, the ad was, overall, fair in its depiction of the Australian way of life. References and Works Consulted â€Å"About Overweight and Obesity. † Australian Government Department of Health and Aging. 30 September 2002. 1 June 2006. health. gov. au/internet/wcms/publishing. nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-hlthwt-obesity. htm â€Å"Australias bonzer. So why the bloody hell arent you guys here? † Times Online. 4 February 2006. 31 May 2006. timesonline. co. uk/article/0,,3-2055531,00. html â€Å"Bloody hell, does research work? † Australian Market Social Research Society. April 2006. 29 May 2006. mrsa. com. au/index. cfm? a=detailid=2095eid=121 â€Å"Brits ban ‘bloody hell’ TV ad. † Sydney Morning Herald Online. 9 March 2006. 30 May 2006. smh. com. au/news/national/brits-ban-bloody-hell-tv-ad/2006/03/ 09/1141701625132. html Barker, Chris. â€Å"Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice. † Questions of Culture and Ideology. Ch. 3 pp. 57-87. Ideology. † Elana Starr. 31 May 2006. http://www89. homepage. villanova. edu/elana. starr/pages/ideology-cinema. htm Thwaites, Tony, Lloyd Davis and Warwick Mules. â€Å"Introducing cultural and media studies: a semiotic approach. † Interaction of Signs. Ch. 3 pp. 48-74. Altheide, David L. â€Å"Media Hegemony: A Failure of Perspective. † Public Opinion Quarterly 48. 2 (1984). â€Å"Understanding Depression. † BeyondBlue: The National Depression Initiative. 24 November 2005. 31 May 2006. beyondblue. org. au/index. aspx? link_id=7. 246tmp=FileStreamfid=263

Write Daily or Not

Write Daily or Not Stephen King (On Writing) and Julia Cameron (The Artists Way) believe strongly in writing daily. A few others, however, argue that writing daily isnt necessary. So whats a new or struggling writer to decide is the best for them? My take on writing daily is this: DO IT EVERY DAY. Until you find a voice, until you know your direction, until you are a hard-core writer and not a hob Unfortunately when you stop writing for a period, or skip weeks between poems or chapters, you lose ground. You backslide. Its like building a house for a week then letting the weather erode it for a couple months, then you go back to it and have to spend several days fixing whats deteriorated due to neglect. And thinking about writing doesnt work. It doesnt count. While it feels good, and you might consider new ideas to write about, its not writing. Nothing is a substitute for putting words down for a conclusion. Now there may come a day when you have so much on your plate, that you feel discombobulated. Too many deadlines, too confused where to take a scene, uncertain whether a character is needed. At that point, take a day off. Maybe even a weekend but only after youve been writing so steadily that you are honed to scribble each day. My light day is Saturday after a busy Friday putting out newsletters, when Im most likely to have family drop in. There have been times when Ive been at conferences and missed three days, but Im itching to get back to business Youll build your writing in layers. Your talent doesnt embed itself into your brain unless its repeated on a steady basis. If you put weeks and months between your chapters, be prepared to have to do a lot of starting over. Like going to college, taking Spanish 1 this year, and Spanish 2 three years from now a lot is going to be lost in the interim. Yes, you might have been writing for years. But how many years would it really be if you tallied only those days you actually wrote? Write daily. Youll be flabbergasted at your rate of improvement.

Children VS Television Programs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Children VS Television Programs - Essay Example topic is debatable as there are pros and cons of watching television, but by watching adult programs, children are liable to commit sexually inapt activities or violence. Such programs do not hold any intrinsic worth. However, prohibiting children from watching such programs generate curiosity and revulsion thereby making children delinquent. Convincingly, parental judgment is required to inculcate wisdom for decision making outlook. Such attitude provides significant social benefit. Observing acts of violence or sex hampers the cognitive psychological development in so doing, children become desensitized for such actions. Watching TV for hours together everyday diverts interest of children, they keep pondering about the acts they saw on the television, consequently they are likely to be less active, perform less physical work, read only a few books or hardly they manage to finish their homework or study schedule, likely to be overweight and have poor grades in school. In the modern society violence, race, sexuality, gender, alcohol and drug abuse, attitudes and overwhelming behaviors are prevailing, similar situations are displayed in the television programs to a greater scope and magnitude which are perceived as "safe and acceptable" by the children. Parents should keep a check on children while they are watching television programs, they should encourage discussions with children and should mention positive behavior encompassing friendship, co-operation and concern. Parents should discuss personal and family values that relate to the television program including the consequences of violence being d isplayed. Parents must discuss the impact of advertisements and purchasing, and should encourage children to involve in hobbies and sports

Freedom of press Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Freedom of press - Assignment Example However, internet journalism suffers from a lack of structure that often results in ethical breaches and creation of content that is not informative or reliable. While the potential for internet as a tool for mass information is great; its biggest advantage is also its greatest weakness. With so many players in the information sector and a emphasis on being the first one to break a news; there is no check on the quality of the material is produced and distributed, no benchmarks in place and no enforcement of journalistic standards. â€Å"It is clear that digital journalism can allow for greater commitment to editorial standards. From better linking to primary sources of information, to greater commitment to transparency, there has never been an age more able to incorporate open, high-quality journalism† (Riordan). The problem is that online with so much free content available, websites are in a desperate race to get the most viewers and increase ad revenues. There is a significant occurrence of â€Å"Click-bait† in internet media outlets, where readers are enticed by sensational, often exaggerated headlines into going to a website link for a news article which may be unrelated to the exact heading. The practice is done to increase the number of users for a certain website and it compromises the integrity of the news. The worse scenarios are in which the news itself is falsified to create reader interest, one innocent example of this phenomena are related to the launch of the iphone 6 which was soon accompanied by news stories about the phone bending under slight pressure or people falling to pranks about charging the phone. These news stories were debunked within a few days but created a significant interest among fans and critics of the phone alike. More seriously, in the Gaza-Isreal conflict a lot of the news that was passed around on social media was

Mainstream Conceptions of Gender and Development Term Paper

Mainstream Conceptions of Gender and Development - Term Paper Example However, this is not the case as gender approaches and issues cover both men and women and the relationships between men and women. The emergence of gender and developed has taken shape over the past decades and it has evolved from issues of women to encompass both gender. To understand better the conception and development of gender and development, it is important to trace the history of gender and the emergence of gender and development as a concept. This paper critically examines the mainstream conceptions of gender and development by exploring the evolution of gender and development from feminist development approaches and the integration frameworks that led to its uptake. Conceptions of Gender and Development The emergence and conception of gender and development is pegged on the issue of gender and the relationships between men and women. Gender can be viewed on two aspects, namely, the social construction perspective and the relationship between sexes. As a socially construct ed aspect, gender refers to the social design of a biological sex that is determined and influenced by the tasks, functions and roles that are attributed to women and men in society (Council of Europe, 2004). Gender also refers the social construction of the relationship between the sexes and it often revolves around unequal power relationship where male dominate while female act in subordination. Gender therefore refers to the range of socially constructed roles of males and females and the relationships between them. According to UNESCO, gender refers to the roles and responsibilities of men and women that are created in our families, societies, and cultures and it entails the expectations held on characteristics, aptitudes and likely behaviours of femininity and masculinity (Jimenez & World Bank, 2007). Due to prior pre-defined gender roles, men and women usually undertake various productive and reproductive roles in development. Gender and development evolved as a sequence of we stern feminism theories and ideologies. Indeed, the history of gender and development issues requires thorough and comprehensive understanding of development and feminists theoretical frameworks and concepts. The evolution of gender and development can be attributed to the intensified global awareness of women and gender issues. During the pre-war days, women and gender issues were marginalized from development issues and processes. This period was characterized by a development phase where women were conspicuously absent and invisible and their experiences were ignored. However, there were little progress that was made in relation to the recognition and acknowledgement of experiences of prominent women in the society. This phase recognized the experience and contribution of prominent and unusual women but their activities were judged majorly from male perspectives (Parpart & Barriteau, 2000). The phase was also dominated by the societal emphasis on the differences between sexes and there roles in the roles. During the pre-world war period, development approaches and initiatives ignored women. The post world war period re-oriented the world perspective on gender issues as it gave rise to feminist approaches that underscored the experiences of women in the society. The initial feminist approach to gender aspect were women centered as they often neglected

Explore the significance of the witches and the supernatural in the play Macbeth Essay Example for Free

Explore the significance of the witches and the supernatural in the play Macbeth Essay King James I strongly believed in witchcraft, and Shakespeare used this idea to appeal to him. Shakespeare used the ideas of witchcraft, kingship, and the moral order to develop the play, as these themes were greatly admired in the Jacobean ere. The opening of the play contains many subtle links to the supernatural. The three witches open the scene in an open place with thunder and lightning, which was believed in superstitious times that fierce storms released forces of evil, and were omens of unrest in individual people and whole countries. I will be investigating the significance of the witches and I will be looking at the supernatural effects they have on the play Macbeth. Nowadays Macbeth is referred to by many people as The Scottish Play and within the theatres it would be considered bad luck to mention the name of The Scottish Play whilst there are plays taking place on stage. So this goes to show that the supernatural aspect of the play has been carried forward to this very day. Shakespeares tragedy is about Macbeths bloody rise to power, including the murder of the Scottish king, Duncan, and the guilt-ridden path of evil deeds generating still more evil deeds. As an integral part of this thematic web is the plays most memorable character, Lady Macbeth. Like her husband, Lady Macbeths ambition for power leads her into insomnia and madness. But while Macbeth responds to the prophecies of the plays famous trio of witches, Lady Macbeth goes even further by figuratively transforming herself into an unnatural, desexualized evil spirit. The witches themselves are a major part of supernatural, and the play, as they can be seen as starting it all off. In the first scene, we see them establishing a link with the supernatural. Their words also link them to Macbeth, and show that right from the start, he has an influence from them. Fair is foul, and foul is fair The witches say this in a chant like way, and you can tell it is a mischievous way of saying it. It shows things will be confused, and moral order will be changed. It also shows that the witches believe that evil is good, and good they find repulsive. This shows their attitude to life, but it could also be a warning to the audience that things to follow are not what they may have seemed, and will be confused. This could also associate them with the disruption of both the natural and social order, as later when Macbeth kills Duncan, many things are affected, and the witches could be blamed for this. The witches in the play of Macbeth are the most powerful characters in the play. All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter (Act 1 Scene 3) The witches start off the play by hailing Macbeth and I believe that if the witches didnt start off by saying this, then the play wouldnt have gone ahead. These quotes set out the storyline of the play and give structure of events. The play wouldnt have been interesting if they hadnt hailed Macbeth. The appearance of the witches is very much supernatural and something to be feared. So withered and so wild in their attire (Act 1 Scene 3) Banquo in the play refers to the witches as withered, wild and attire; I think this is because in the Jacobean times people who were ugly or didnt have a husband were labelled as witches. People feared witches in those times possibly because mixing with these witches could have possibly resulted in your death. As many witches in those days were either beheaded or thrown from cliffs to see they could fly. Are ye fantastical, or that indeed (Act 1 Scene 3) This is referring to the supernatural element of the witches in the play, which is again said by Banquo. The main word in the quote that is referring to the supernatural element of the witches is fantastical. In those fantastical didnt mean fantastic as it does today, but instead it meant ludicrously odd and lots of imaginary around them.

Breast-Feeding: Just Do It! :: Breast-Feeding Essays

Breast-Feeding: Just Do It! Who is to say that breast-feeding is the best for your baby. For years, breast-feeding tactics have been used as the best way to feed your infant. There was never any debate as to how you should feed your child, until a few years ago when artificial baby formulas were made. Now, researches have set out to figure out which way is the best for your baby. Studies upon studies have been done in search of the answer. Finally it was proven that breast-feeding, the natural way, was superior over artificial formulas. Breast-feeding is the all-natural process in which young infants get the nutritional intake that they need to survive, grow, and develop. Researchers have established that breast milk is perfectly suited to nourish infants and protect them from illness. Breast fed infants have lower rates of hospital admissions, ear infections, diarrhea, rashes, allergies, and other medical problems than bottle-fed babies (Williams). Human mothers produce many nutrients that cannot be found in formulas. The female body was made by Mother Nature to ensure the survival of mankind. "There are 4,000 species of mammals, and they all make different milk. Human milk is made for human infants and it meets all their specific nutrient needs," said Ruth Lawrence, M.D.,professor of pediatrics and obstetrics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, N.Y., and spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics(Williams,p.1). Breast milk is one of the few substances that is completely sterile. It is made from inside the body and no environmental factors play a role in this process(Correa,1999). From the beginning of nursing, the infant receives and important body element called colostrum(Maher,1998). The word colostrum was derived from the bacteria know as Colostridium difficile. This microbe produces a toxin that bind to walls of the body causing diarrhea or swelling of the colon. Immunoglobulins, found in colostrum, coat the exterior walls and resist the binding of the microbes(Travis,322). Colostrum also stimulates substances in the body to promote gut maturation, facilitate digestion, and stimulate passage of meconium. Colostrum is extremely concentrated with the proteins that make up immunoglobulins and secretory IgA. IgA is the maternal-specific immunogobulins that are needed for protection against environmental antigens. These substances produced by the human breast can easily be absorbed by the human infant. Complete development of the brain and nerve tissue rely on these substances(Maher,1998).

Inspector calls

A number of techniques are used throughout the play in order to portray this negative Image to the audience. For instance, her naivety Is repeatedly mentioned and her class conscious attitude is prominent In the play. From the outset, Priestley uses Mrs.. Brisling's persona to create an unlikable character, a woman who Is described as ‘cold' In the stage directions, displaying the attitudes she will show In the opening scene.Her attitude to class is shown by her cynical comment – ‘a girl of hat class' – a comment which implies her awareness of her social superiority. This shows the way in which she looks down upon the character of Eva Smith. Similarly, her dismissive attitude towards lower class people is demonstrated by her careful concern for social etiquette and manners. She shows disgust at Sheila's use of colloquial language, for instance, when Sheila refers to Eric as ‘spiffy, Mrs.. Birding is seemingly outraged. This suggests that she would not want to be associated with the dialect used by those of a lower social status.Her character Is shown to feel a need to impress Gerald due to his upper class heritage and parenting. This could be represented by her embarrassment when Mr.. Birding congratulates the cook and tells him off for discussing business. This Indicates that she doesn't want Gerald to get the impression that she or her family would act In such a way. Her regard to social status is further demonstrated by her involvement with the Brimley Women's Charity Organization. She uses her position as chairperson to gain authority and importance Just so that she can herself highly and above other people.It is evident that she doesn't do charity work purely out of altruism. She has a great desire to be high in social status. This all contributes to portraying the image of negativity and creating dislike by highlighting her superiority complex. She is very aware of class distinctions, resenting Eva Smith's ‘gross impe rtinence' in calling herself Mrs.. Birding, and refuses to believe In her moral Integrity: ‘She was claiming fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd In a girl in that position.At the end of the play, like her husband, she refuses to believe that she did anything wrong and refuses to accept responsibility for her part In Eve's death. Instead, Mrs.. Billing seems to want to put so much blame on the father, because she thinks that it will put her out of the spotlight. There is dramatic irony in the way she is trapped. The audience will discover before her that the ‘drunken young idler' is Eric. There is also situational irony which creates further dislike: the audience knows that she would not apply the same standards to re own family, yet Eric is condemned by her words.She is also forceful in shifting blame onto Birding: â€Å"It wasn't I who turned her out of employment. † The generation gap is emphasized at this point in the play, as further dislike is created for Mrs.. Birding by the way Sheila and Eric begin to see their parents in a new unfavorable light. This dislike is reinforced to the audience when Shells gets angry at her mother in Act Three for trying to ‘pretend that nothing much has happened'. Shells says ‘It frightens me the way you talk. She cannot understand how Mrs.. Birding has not learnt from the evening In the same way she has.This creates dwells for the character of Mrs.. Birding as the audience realism that she has not learnt anything from the blood and anguish' in the first world war. Her character is used to show Priestley attitude towards and critique of Capitalism. She is shown t be part of the capitalist society that will sleepwalk into disaster because they fail to recognizes what is going on in the world around them. This has a particularly significant impact as the sass's audience are aware of the downfall they will face.Furthermore, dislike for the character of Mrs.. Birding is created thro ugh the portrayal of her sexual repression. She is shown to have the belief that women of her class should be protected from things that are what Gerald refers to as ‘unpleasant and disturbing. She is reluctant to understand the reality of society and wants to know nothing about Garage's ‘disgusting affair'. Priestley is effective in portraying her character in this way as the audience in 1946 will have a much broader view of the way in which people behave, ND will develop a dislike for her as a result of the differing attitudes.This is interlinked with the way in which Mrs.. Brings naivety is used to create dislike. Not only does she choose not to understand some aspects of society, there are many other things that her character is show to be sheltered from due to her upper class way of life. For instance, she does not know anything about the hard drinking habits of her son Eric, thinking that ‘it isn't true'. She also does not realism that even supposedly respect able men of a high social status like Alderman Meagerly would sit the Palace Bar and behave in such a way that he did.She does not share the same level of awareness of what goes on in society that the younger generations have. Sheila's comment that ‘she only escaped with a torn blouse' demonstrates how she is show to have a far greater understanding of the realities of society than her mother. Ultimately, Priestley uses various techniques throughout the play to create dislike for the character of Mrs.. Birding. He does this through using the themes of responsibility, class, generations and gender.

Consumer Ethics Essay

In this paper I will express my opinion on the thought that some marketers say that targeting any group of consumers who are willing and able to purchase a product is simply good marketing. I will discuss why I believe that this is a good marketing technique. I will also discuss whether or not I think it is important for college students to study the topic of consumer ethics. Good Marketing? I believe that it is a smart marketing technique to target any group of consumers who are willing and able to purchase a product even if it is fatty foods and soft drinks being marketed towards children. The reason that I believe this is because it is the marketer’s job for a company to get consumers to purchase the product that they are advertising. Although it may be morally wrong to target children for products like candy, they are most likely the group who will either be purchasing this product or influencing their parents to purchase it. This is why I believe it is a smart strategy for marketers, although it may be slightly questionable. Consumer Ethics I believe that it is important for college students to study consumer ethics. The reason that I believe this is because in order for us to fully mature as adults I think that we need to learn how to be completely ethical in all aspects of life, including being a consumer. Consumer ethics can teach us about software piracy, which I believe is a huge problem with many college students who illegally download music and films. I believe that this can help us in our lives so it is important for college students to learn about consumer ethics. This is why I think college students should study consumer ethics. Conclusion In this paper I discussed my feelings on two different topics. The first topic was about questionable marketing tactics, which I believe can be effective and is a good way to market. The second topic I expressed my views on was consumer ethics, and whether or not college students should study it. The main reason that I said college students should study consumer ethics is because of music piracy and how popular it is among college students. These are my feelings on these two important subjects. Bibliography Schiffman, Leon G., Leslie Lazar Kanuk, and Joseph Wisenblit. Consumer Behavior. Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall, 2010.

Word Choice Espresso vs. Expresso

Word Choice Espresso vs. Expresso Word Choice: Espresso vs. Expresso Like many proofreaders, we are powered by coffee. And there is nothing quite like a powerful hit of caffeine in the morning before you set about correcting grammar. But do we want an â€Å"espresso† or an â€Å"expresso†? You might have seen both of these terms used in coffee shops. But is there a difference? And if not, which of these terms is correct? Let’s find out! Espresso (Concentrated Coffee) â€Å"Espresso† is a loanword from Italian. You’ll already know what it means if you’re a coffee fan, but we’ll offer a quick explanation in case we have any tea drinkers among our readers. Mmmmm coffee. In short, â€Å"espresso† comes from caffà ¨ espresso, which is Italian for â€Å"pressed out coffee.† This refers to how an espresso is made, with pressurized water used to make thick, strong coffee. And as well as being a drink in its own right, espresso is also used as a base for other coffee drinks. Expresso (No Longer a Typo) Time for the big reveal! â€Å"Expresso† means†¦ exactly the same as â€Å"espresso.† It is simply a variant spelling. This makes it a bit like â€Å"doughnut† and â€Å"donut† or â€Å"whiskey† and â€Å"whisky.† The main difference is that â€Å"expresso† started out as a common misspelling of â€Å"espresso.† This error may have caught on because we have more â€Å"ex-† words than â€Å"es-† words in English. Or it may just be because â€Å"espresso† looks a bit like â€Å"express† written down. Or it could even be a French influence since expresso has always been the correct spelling of this term over there. Whatever its origins, though, â€Å"expresso† is now so common that many dictionaries list it as a variant of â€Å"espresso.† Espresso or Expresso? As explained above, these terms are essentially interchangeable. â€Å"Expresso† started out as an error, but it has now been accepted as a variant spelling of â€Å"espresso† in English. Nevertheless, â€Å"espresso† is still far more common (especially in American English) and many people consider â€Å"expresso† incorrect. So to be certain your writing is error free and/or to avoid upsetting pedantic baristas, we recommend sticking to the old â€Å"espresso† spelling!

The Steel Industry They Will Survive

The Steel Industry They Will Survive Steel has been part of the greatest achievements in history. It was the "iron horse" and steel rails that helped carve a nation out of the frontier. Steel is the backbone of bridges, the skeleton of skyscrapers and the framework of automobiles. Now in the 21st century, it is still revolutionizing the way we live. It is high strength frames for eyeglasses; it is a strong durable frame in housing and it's precise surgical instruments used in hospital operating rooms around the world.Iron has been a vital material in technology for well over 3,000 years. But until the Industrial Revolution, its mining, smelting, and working were largely done by individuals and small groups. Known since ancient times, steel is made by alloying iron with carbon to produce a harder stronger metal.Steel was very expensive to manufacture by the primitive methods available and was used largely for specialty items such as swords and precision instruments.Bethlehem Steel works, "Watercolor in sepia brown,..."St eel making (in the 18th century) was a laborious and time-consuming process." (1) Manufacturing of steel improved during the 19th century with Henry Bessemer's invention of using a blast furnace method for making steel.During the 20th century, a basic oxygen-furnace process and the electric arc furnace produced steel. The electric arc method is the least costly method of making steel. This uses scrap metal as its base. Steel scrap from many sources such as old bridges, refrigerators and automobiles and other sources are placed in an electric arc furnace, where the intense heat produced by carbon electrodes melts the scrap, converting it into molten steel. Establishments that use this method of producing steel are called electric arc furnace (EAF) mills or minimills.The small initial capital investment required to start and operate an EAF mill has helped drive the growth of the production...

Why its Important to Write Right in the Legal Profession †And 5 Common Writing Pitfalls to Avoid

Why its Important to Write Right in the Legal Profession – And 5 Common Writing Pitfalls to Avoid The following article, by Brenda Bernstein, was first published on MyLegal.com. In a well-publicized case, a federal judge in Florida denied a lawyer’s motion (without prejudice, so he can re-file the motion) stating that it was â€Å"riddled with unprofessional grammatical and typographical errors that nearly render the entire motion incomprehensible.† Read the full article here: Judge Labels Lawyers Motion Nearly Incomprehensible, Marks Up Errors ABA Journal The judge highlighted the following problems, among others: Incorrect use of apostrophes. Typographical errors (using the word â€Å"this† instead of â€Å"thus† and the word â€Å"full† instead of â€Å"for†). Incorrect placement of periods and commas outside of quotation marks. Wrong word use (using the phrase the plaintiff â€Å"had attended on filing† this action, instead of saying the plaintiff had â€Å"intended† to file an action). One very long sentence. Don’t let this happen to you! If you write legal documents in any way, shape or form, it is absolutely essential to use correct spelling and grammar. In a famous case in England, a traffic ticket was thrown out because it was issued for illegal â€Å"stoping† instead of â€Å"stopping†; the alleged perpetrator had conducted no mining activities (â€Å"stoping† is a mining term) and so was found not guilty. I bet that police officer never issued another â€Å"stoping† ticket. Past or Present? One extremely common error I see amongst law students is using the word â€Å"lead† to mean the past tense of â€Å"lead.† This mistake could get you in trouble, since the past tense of â€Å"lead† is â€Å"led† (with no a). You could be writing in the wrong tense! Example or Complete List? Another place you can easily convey the wrong meaning is with â€Å"i.e.† and â€Å"e.g.† When you use â€Å"i.e.† it means â€Å"that is† or â€Å"in other words.† The proper way to follow â€Å"i.e.† is with a definition or complete list. For example: The defendant was charged with illegal stoping, i.e., mining activity. â€Å"E.g.† means â€Å"for example.† The proper way to follow â€Å"e.g.† is with a partial list of possibilities. For example: The motion was denied for bad grammar, e.g., typographical errors and wrong word use. If â€Å"i.e.† were used here, we would need to provide a complete list of the examples of bad grammar. (For a more thorough explanation of i.e. and e.g., read my post Common Grammatical Errors: Should You Use i.e. or e.g.?) Law or Liberty? Do you know the difference between a statute and a statue? Statutes are laws. Statues are sculptures. We have statutes of limitations and a Statue of Liberty. Don’t get these confused. You might want to remember the extra â€Å"t† for â€Å"time† when it’s a statute of limitations, or for â€Å"text† when it’s any written law. And you might think of following those statutes to a â€Å"T† (or 3)! Proper Punctuation: Periods and Commas Inside Quotation Marks To touch on one of the Florida judge’s beefs, periods and commas, in the United States, always go inside quotation marks, even when they are not part of the quotation, e.g., The defendant was arrested for â€Å"illegal stoping.† Although there are rare exceptions to this rule, they will probably not appear in legal writing (they are more likely to show up in technical writing). For a detailed discussion of this issue, see my blog post The Quandary of Quotation Marks ( ). Proper Punctuation: Apostrophes Many people incorrectly use apostrophes to make plural words. Don’t do it! Did you notice that the plural of apostrophe is NOT â€Å"apostrophe’s†? It is â€Å"apostrophes†! The plural words lawyers, judges, laws, statutes, DUIs and the 1990s do NOT take apostrophes. Use an apostrophe and then an â€Å"s† to make a singular possessive. The lawyer’s brief was riddled with errors. The judge’s ruling was final. Use an â€Å"s† and then an apostrophe to make a plural possessive. The five lawyers’ arguments diverged widely. All the county judges’ courtrooms contain the latest in audio-visual equipment. Put your apostrophes in the right place – and avoid annoying the judge. So Many Chances to Err! There are multiple ways to make writing errors in legal documents, and I have only covered a few. My most important advice is to proofread and proofread again! Get a second pair of eyes to check your work. If you have grammar questions you want answered, I will answer them to the best of my ability in the comments section of this blog. I look forward to hearing from you†¦ Happy writing!

Why the triangle fire gave future workers and unions the idea to Research Paper

Why the triangle fire gave future workers and unions the idea to strike for better working condintions - Research Paper Example The fire in the factory took lives of 146 men and women, most of them in their teens.2 The incident triggered whole nation as it was not only failure of management who couldn’t provide better working conditions but also failure of the government in its ability to monitor the safety and well being of the people working in these factories. Industrial revolution was on a song during the period when more and more factories were built to produce garments and more women, mostly immigrants, were employed in these factories who silently worked in hazardous and dangerous working conditions. Most of the industries relied more and more on machinery which required human assistance to run and business owners depended on workers to stand in assembly lines, to throw switches and to turn gears so as to produce more output at low cost.3 The unsanitary conditions in the factory forced to workers to form a group and call a strike in 1909 of which 80 percent were women, demanding higher wages, fe w working hours and formation of union, an organization that would work towards improving the working conditions of employees. ... ed a committee to investigate about worker health, safety, well being, physical conditions of work, wages, hours, child labor, and even issues such as mandatory education, cleanliness, and toilet facilities. The loss of life by the fire incident gave rise to a movement to reform the safety rights of workers. The tragedy created outrage among worker community forcing the government to address workplace safety and create a Fire Department Prevention Division so as to eliminate the risk of fire hazards in cities sweatshops.7 The fire triggered sense among the people who looked upon the labor unions for protection and workplace safety resulting in dramatic rise in the membership of unions. The idea of providing better working conditions triggered state wide protests with union leaders carrying strikes for better pay, reduced number of hours, hygienic conditions and safety measures. Women organizations also formed which followed the incident and worked towards additional safety procedures and working conditions for women workers. The new law enacted which is called ‘Wagner Labor Act’ provided new and enforced laws like mandated sprinkler systems, fire escapes, education and prevention, no unlocking of door during working hours, etc along with protecting working in the unions and reduced the working hours to 54 hours for women and children apart from other safety regulations8. The labor act provided workers with information about their rights which became a motivation factor for most of the strikes carried out later on in the city. Women grew stronger and braver fighting for the cause of their rights which was evident during Philadelphia shirtwaist strike where women’s were more involved in the struggle to determine their goals, even in defiance of their union leaders

Microsoft and Corporate Social Responsibility Coursework

Microsoft and Corporate Social Responsibility - Coursework Example From the study, it was identified that Microsoft’s corporate social responsibility is restricted to the United States and the developed world. Hence, it is recommended that Microsoft must focus on the developing world and create a global CSR and transpose it to local units within which it operates. It is recommended that Microsoft must institute a proactive system of monitoring the civil society to identify what is most needed in a given locale so they can change their structures to provide the best and optimal level of support to people who are in need. It is also recommended that Microsoft must set up a system of creating software for evaluating and reviewing the needs of companies in relation to keeping their carbon emissions low so that their clients will institute and integrate environmental responsiveness into their operations.As the paper declares the fundamental purpose of this paper is to assess the component of corporate social responsibility in Microsoft in order to deduce a model for the conduct of structured CSR in Microsoft. This paper will examine the current features of Microsoft’s strategic plans and how it links up to the different components of the organisation include the economic, political, civil society and environment. From there, the research will recommend a plan for the attainment of CSR standards and targets for the firm.  Microsoft’s mission is to enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential.

Teaching Learning Approaches - Multimedia Essay

Teaching Learning Approaches - Multimedia - Essay Example type II diabetes, the humanist theory will be suitable since it considers that real learning is something that the patient discovers for him/herself, basing on the fundamental principle that learning must always be grounded on learner-centered objective identified by the learner him/herself (Aujoulat, 2007). Moreover, the paper will incorporate two multimedia materials that will be used in training the patients. The multimedia to be used will use interactive health websites and virtual communities since the patients to be educated are adults who are well exposed with the digital world of IT. The humanistic theory will incorporate both Maslow hierarchy of needs by Abraham Maslow and humanistic approach o psychology by Carl Rogers. Developed by Abraham Maslow, humanistic theory is based on the concept that experience is the key phenomenon in the study of human learning and behavior as well. Maslow based his emphasis on creativity, choice, values, all distinctively human qualities, self-actualization, and believed that subjectivity and meaningfulness were always important than objectivity. Maslow believed that full development of human potential, worth and dignity are the ultimate concerns. According to Maslow (1968), human motivation is based on a hierarchy of needs: physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem and self-actualization. Tentatively, Maslow tried to prove that the drive to learn is intrinsic thus; the main purpose of learning is to bring about the highest level of the hierarchy of needs, which is self-actualization. In this regard, the objective and process of the educator should include this process (Frick, 1987). Maslow argued that learning contributes to the psychological health of the learne r and came up with learning goals: discovery of one’s vocation or destiny, realization of life as precious, sense of accomplishment, developing choice, satisfaction of physiological needs, grappling with the critical existential problems of life and impulse

Individual Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Individual Analysis Paper - Essay Example ‘emotional stability’, I can deal with difficult situations, and accordingly with the help of ‘conscientiousness’ and ‘openness-to-experience’, I will be able to gain more knowledge and become more competent as well as productive for my organization. Thus, these personality traits possessed by me will certainly have a positive impact on my job performance/satisfaction as my interpersonal skills are unrivalled in my current organization. I scored 64 units in terms of my job satisfaction which depicts that I am not highly satisfied with my present job role. As a competent professional, I wish to face more challenging job roles that would be adequate in utilizing my personal skills as well as the knowledge gained through experiences in my work. Notably, I have learnt the work process on my own and find myself to deserve a better and more challenging work to improve my overall job satisfaction. However, in the current position, I feel to be overqualified, which is the main reason for my lower job satisfaction score. I scored 19 in disciplining others which is not sufficient but also not quite low to be ignored. The reason for scoring low is certainly my lack of involvement in disciplining positions for a long period that hampered my skills largely due to non-performance. To improve my disciplining skills, I require practicing them regularly in my professional and in my personal life as

The advantages and disadvantages of the concentration of ownership Essay

The advantages and disadvantages of the concentration of ownership - Essay Example The advantages and disadvantages of the concentration of ownership With the advent of globalization, the seemingly uncontrollable force of capitalism, and the rapid development in technology, the media has become a commodity that can be sold and acquired like any goods or services in the market. By 1980s, the United States gradually deregulated the American media industries, paving the way for the open trading of media ownership. As a result, media ownership becomes increasingly concentrated as many companies and individuals see the benefits and power that come with controlling an effective tool in shaping public opinion and influencing all policy networks. Currently, six media conglomerates operate the majority of mass media platforms not just in the US but worldwide – News Corporation, Bertelsmann, Vivendi, AOL-Time Warner, Disney and Viacom; while only three news agencies lord over the reportage and syndication of news and journalistic materials. This paper will summarize the advantages and disadvantages of the concentration of mass media ownership. Advantages The main advantage allowing media consolidation is primarily in the economic front. Concentrating several smaller or individual outfits under one owner means better management, better access to funding and other resources. Biagi (2006) underscored that a large company can afford to train employees better, pay them higher wages and provide for better working conditions. (14). In addition to this, large companies who gobble up smaller media outfits are in a better position to manage the organization effectively. According to Wilkins and Christian (2008), the consolidation of ownership allows media practitioners to benefit from standardization and centralization of production (333). All in all, the benefits-arguments boil down to economic efficiencies. This fact is supposedly important in order for media outfits to survive in an increasingly competitive environment. Disadvantages Critics argue that the concentration of media ownership hurts the public interest most. The main position is that because large media owners want maximum financial returns and always susceptible to increased commercial pressures, it would go at great lengths in producing contents that would deliver the most profit, and in the process increase advertiser and sponsor influence, compromising the integrity of the news, often becoming unethical, and so forth. The consolidation works roughly the same the monopoly wherein the owner exercise a higher degree of control and power not just over a media organization but, more importantly, to the content that the organization produces. The disadvantage is greatly felt in an environment wherein the mass media finally evolved into humungous organization wielding enormous political power. Today, the largest media conglomerates were responsible for a large number of media statutes and regulations that are biased towards the interest of their corporations instead of the interest and welfare of the general public. According to Gupta (2006), for instance, th ere is now â€Å"little substantive coverage of the spectacular media deals in terms of the perceived effects of these deals,† and that â€Å"in most cases, journalists are directly affected but they do not report their own concerns† because of internal pressure (289). Finally, the concentration of power that results as a consequence of the consolidation of media outfits supposedly limits the diversity of opinion and the quality of ideas available to the public and greatly diminishes the so-called message pluralism (Biagi 14). Diversity and message pluralism is important because they reinforce the concepts of individualism and freedom. According to Perreira (2007), this is done by ensuring balanced