Saturday, August 31, 2019

Adversity Bringing the Best or Worst in People

Adversity Bringing Out The Best or Good? Recently a tragedy has occurred in New York and many other states being known as â€Å"Hurricane Sandy† leaving a mark on our lives. Sometimes in life when natural disasters occur or in general when unfortunate cases occur adversity can truly bring out the real person whether for good or bad. I personally believe adversity brings out the best because in most cases you see people helping by any means and actually some have sacrificed their lives just for the safety of others.I mean if this doesn’t bring out the best, what does it bring out? It can be officers, firefighters, public and many more trying to help out and make a difference showing that they care. The Hurricane had hit us pretty bad causing schools, public transportation and many other services come to a temporary suspension. Fire fighters, officers and ambulate drivers were all over NYC helping and people who were off duty left their homes and came to help as well. Tha t’s true dedication and people should definitely recognize and appreciate them more often.There were shortages of food and clothing for many people because unfortunately in some cases people have lost their homes and are currently living in shelters. Its so generous for Collages to provide their gym for the people who have lost their homes and have no place to go to com and temporarily stay at the collage where they provide everything for them their. Speaking of generosity people have came to the colleges and provided any assistances they could. This show how much people care. They took time out of their own lives and were there to help society.Unfortunately Officer Artur Kasprzak was one of the few people who died because of Hurricane Sandy. He was trying to help his family get out of the mess in the house and quickly brought them to the attic. Once he brought them to the attic he went downstairs for something and unfortunately never made it back to the attic. This shows he cared for his family and put them first. Also, companies, corporations and celebrities have donated to the American Red Cross in the amount of millions to the Hurricane Sandy relief.People are donating money and clothes and really whatever is necessary and are in their limits of what they could do. Our very own MTA service had announced free transportation from them. I mean that’s shocking because it’s the MTA and all they want is money from the passengers. In this case them helping out in their way really shows support and generosity which had helped many people get around because of shortages of gas. In Conclusion, society really helps and cares in situations like these and don’t suddenly become selfish, worrying about themselves.Of course there are is a percentage of selfish people out there but that cant and shouldn’t provoke us from showing who we really are. I salute all the people that have helped and are currently helping in any way because even s omething very little means a lot to someone else. At the end of the day it all comes down to does adversity bring the best or worst in people? I believe best because in situations like these many people open up their hearts and really just help out any way possible. Hurricane Sandy has left a permanent mark in history and won’t be forgotten.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Relationships in Little Women and Cats in the Cradle

Relationships in Little Women and Cats in the Cradle Relationships can be positive or negative. Varied perceptions define the nature of relationships as positive or negative. The effects of positive and negative relationships have lasting consequences on individuals; having both a positive and negative aspect in each relationship assists humankind but negative relationships is the build up of decisions and actions that have negative impacts. Loyalty is one of the fundamental traits that are present in a positive relationship.However, little loyalty can lead to deterioration in a person’s quality of life, happiness and connection with the people involved in that relationship. The relationships in ‘Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott and ‘Cats in the Cradle’ by Harry Chapin shows many different views of positive and negative relationships. Positive and negative relationships are defined by varied perceptions of the characters. Having both a positive and negative aspect in each relationship assists humankind to develop, learn, be happy and survive.Positive relationships are evident in ‘Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott as well as negative relationships throughout the March family – this shows that they are not a perfect family and even though Little Women is set in the 1860’s, families today can relate to the relationship shown between the March family, especially the relationship Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth have with each other. They fight, love, care and help each other and through tough times, they always forgive each other.Here is a quote from ‘Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott, â€Å"My dear, don’t let the sun go down upon your anger; forgive each other, help each other, and begin again to-morrow. † – Marmee to Jo, Chapter 8, Page 76. This quote shows endearment, â€Å"My dear,† demonstrates the positive relationship that Mrs March has with Jo and the love that the y share for each other. This quote simply implies that we should not let our fury or hatred live on even during our slumber.As much as possible, we must resolve our problems and reconcile. We should build each other in trust rather than destroy each other to strengthen bonds whether it may be in filial, romantic, or friendly relationships. Positive and negative relationships are defined by varied perceptions of the characters. Relationships can be negative at times and if these negative relationships are not resolved, it can impact all individuals involved for a long period of time.Negative relationships do not necessarily occur because of one poor influential mistake – it is the build up of decisions and actions that can have a negative impact and create a negative relationship between the interactions of two people. An example of a negative relationship is evident in ‘Cats in the Cradle’ by Harry Chapin between the father and his son. Here is a quote from †˜Cats in the Cradle’ by Harry Chapin, â€Å"And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me, he’d grown up just like me, my boy was just like me. † This quote shows irony.It is ironic that the son becomes like his father, in a different way than expected. It was expected that the son would want to be like the father in a career sense and this demonstrates the negative relationship that the father has with his son – not in a sense that they despise each other but putting off seeing and talking to each other creates a negative impacts throughout their relationship. Positive and negative relationships are defined by varied perceptions of the characters. Loyalty is one of the fundamental traits that are present in a positive relationship.Without loyalty doubts of trust and lack of respect begin to come to the fore and relationships begin to crumble. Within the relationship of Mr and Mrs March, loyalty is the most important factor of the relationship. Here is a quote from ‘Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott, â€Å"That is the secret of our home happiness. He does not let business wean him from the little cares and duties that affect us all, and I try not to let domestic worries destroy my interest in his pursuits. Each do our part alone in many things, but at home we work together, always. – Marmee to Meg, Chapter 38, Page 392. This quote shows a back-story of Mr and Mrs March’s life – that they were not always like this and had the same problems that Meg has starting out married life, especially with children. This adds meaning to their current circumstances and if they did not find a way to work together and be together as much as possible, problems would have occurred but because of the above quote, Mr and Mrs March show loyalty to each other and create a positive relationships not only for themselves but also for others around them.Mrs. March suggests that the domestic sphere is a joint effort  œ husband and wife work together to create a home, instead of every aspect of it being the wife's responsibility. Positive and negative relationships are defined by varied perceptions of the characters. Within every relationship some form of loyalty will be present that contributes to the positive relationship. However, little loyalty can lead to deterioration in a person’s quality of life, happiness and connection with the people involved in that relationship. Cats in the Cradle’ introduces the subject matter indicating the troublesome relationship shared between father and son, â€Å"My child arrived just the other day, he came to the world in the usual way. † The quote is a metaphor for the birth of his son. It is an emotionless way to describe the birth of his son. This metaphor gives an initial indication of an absent relationship between the father and son. It is clear that although the father provides the necessities for the child, his career driven lifes tyle restrains him from spending quality time with his son.Positive and negative relationships are defined by varied perceptions of the characters. To sum up, varied perceptions define the nature of relationships as positive or negative. Mention topic sentences. The relationships in ‘Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott and ‘Cats in the Cradle’ by Harry Chapin shows many different views of positive and negative relationships. The statement, relationships can be positive or negative, is true but positive and negative relationships coexist.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Changes in the Business Environment of Shell and Subsequent Strategy

Changes in the Business Environment of Shell and Subsequent Strategy The main objective of this assignment deals with business environmental changes of â€Å"Shell Company† (Petroleum Company) from last 5 years. PESTEL analysis was applied in the following assignment, in order to present Shell Company’s present status in all aspects and the changes that have taken place in the company. Moreover, the various types of strategies formulated were outlined and discussed. Introduction An organization is an entity that provides goods and services to consumers who need or want them and it does not function in isolation. Therefore, it is imperative to identify and understand all the factors within its environment that could potentially affect it. The environment of a business is normally divided into two categories, the micro environment and the macro environment. Below we shall discuss in details what each category means. Micro-environment: Internal factors like suppliers, competitors and employees are volatile and influence transformation of a business process and often it leads to undermining the current balance within the system. Suppliers: A supply chain is a system of organizations, people, technology, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer. www.overstockuniverse.com http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/A_company%27s_supply_chain_%28en%29.png/300px-A_company%27s_supply_chain_%28en%29.png Company should have a social responsibility towards their suppliers, as they transform the natural resources and raw materials into finished goods which are delivered to the end consumers. They also play a vital role during product shortage. They are the combination of all types of business practice and ethics. www.overstockuniverse.com Customers: A  Client, buyer or purchaser, is usually used to refer to a current or potential buyer or user of the  products  of an individual or  organization, called the  supplier,  seller, or  vendor. Slogans for the Customer: â€Å"the customer is king† or â€Å"the customer is god† or â€Å"the customer is always right. www.rajputbrotherhood.com Competitors: Competition  is a  contest  between individuals, groups, nations, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. Competition arises whenever two or more parties strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Humans compete for  wealth, prestige, and  fame so that they met deep rivalries often arises over the pursuit of. Business is often associated with competition as most companies are in competition with at least one other firm over the same group of customers. Macro-environment: Decision making by managers are influenced by many factors that constitutes the macro environment in a business. The examples for the macro environment are Tax changes, trade barriers, demographic change and government policy changes. http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_12.htm The fo llowing factors are: Political factors: Political environment is an unpredictable element which effect specific organizations badly due to instability in government and rules passed by the political parties. Factors like political stability in the country, party in power, ideology of government and foreign policy greatly influence the business in political environment of the country. Example: Indian Government restricted coca-cola sales during late seventies following policy of restricting the growth of multinationals in Indian markets. But coco-cola was allowed after some years under the New Industrial policy of 1991. Under this new policy, government liberalized licensing, imports and exports, inflow of foreign capital and technology on more liberal terms.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

United States Green Building Council Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

United States Green Building Council - Essay Example The researcher aims to provide an analysis on the topic of green building aspects, that can be traced back to the 19th century. Various architects are seen to have used variuos methods to decrease the impact of structure on the environment. Such systems and methods include ventilators and underground air-cooling chambers in order to regulate air temperature. In the 20th century buildings like New York times and Flatron Building used deep-set windows in controlling interior temperatures, these were effective and lessened the impact of the building on the environment. The USGBC, that is a main focus of this analysis was co-founded in 1993 by Mike Italiano, David Gottfried and Rick Fedrizzi in order to promote the design and construction of buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work in. the goals of USBC are well articulated in its mission statement. The researcher also aims to describe Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (L EED), that can be described as a system for designing, constructing and certifying green buildings, homes and neighborhoods. It has a classification system that rate buildings depending on the number of points that a building scores on this scale. The researcher then concluds that today, LEED is used by a number of people including professionals such as architects, real estate professionals, property managers, interior designers, Landscape architects, construction managers, lenders and government officials.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Organizational Development in HRD Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizational Development in HRD - Assignment Example Kindred is assigned the task by the president though she felt inadequate after meeting the gas company’s management and understanding their issues. However, despite her excuse to Larry not to be assigned the task, Larry fails to listen and she has no alternative than to do the work. Though challenging, she manages to provide successful long-term intervention to the client as intended through thorough preparation as well as with help from consulting ‘shadow’ friends after which she resigns from Larry’s organization. i. Kindred faces strategic dilemmas in the course of her placement with Larry are consulting organization. The interaction between Kindred and Larry when she feels insufficient to tackle the assignment leaves her in a position of either doing the assignment or quitting the job. The dilemma of coercion is depicted by the fact that Larry is not ready to have Kindred decide by herself on undertaking the assignment and she is left with no option but to do the assignment and fail or otherwise succeed. Technical ineptness dilemma occurs in this excerpt by having kindred, an OD practitioner present long-range intervention solution for a problem she has no skills in. This in fact forces her to invest higher in research as well as hire the expertise of a shadow practitioner in the intervention. Moreover, she faced the dilemma of value and goal conflict in that though the client (the gas company) thought that CQI was the ultimate effective tool to be employed for finding the long-range soluti on to the cost problems the company faced, Kindred was not conversant with the tool. It therefore emerged that Larry had ‘sold’ her out to the client as an expert in the use of the tool. Besides, Kindred actually ponders over a number of issues in regard to her suitability for the client and she actually quotes her dilemmas as being the dilemma of self, the dilemma of confidence as well as

Monday, August 26, 2019

Prevention of Hypertension in Adult Population of America Essay

Prevention of Hypertension in Adult Population of America - Essay Example The measurement of blood pressure is a complex topic, and there is also no exact differentiation between individuals 'at risk' from blood pressure-associated morbidity and mortality, and rest of the population. Adequate treatment of High Blood Pressure (HBP) with strict adherence to regimen, better prescribing and compliance, and regular follow-up is expected to reduce the risk of stroke and cardiovascular episodes. However, literature reviews suggest that healthcare outcomes and patient compliance are not up to the expected level due to several barriers to the successful diagnosis, treatment, and control of hypertension encountered by healthcare providers and lack of compliance by patients with hypertension. Research findings also suggest that there is disagreement among physicians regarding definitions of hypertension, and confusion over medications for BP control. As such, it is essential to maintain uniformity in research standards and clinical approaches to improve the quality o f care for controlling patient's blood pressure and introduce nurse-led blood pressure management initiative, to attain the goals of Healthy People as envisaged. Hypertension is prevalent in "28% of the US population and 35% of the African American population. However, only 1 in 4 patients with hypertension are controlled to a blood pressure of less than 140/90 mm Hg." (Wright et al, 2002, p.1636-1643). Cross-sectional analysis of national representative data by Wang & Wang (2004), conforming to new classification of blood pressure levels by Joint National Committee (JNC) on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure report (JNC 7 Report published in 2003), found that "elevated blood pressure is a serious problem in the United States. Approximately 60% of American adults have pre-hypertension or hypertension, and some population groups, such as African Americans, older people, low-socioeconomic-status groups, and overweight groups, are disproportionately affected." (Wang & Wang, 2004, p.2126-2134). African Americans develop hypertension at a young age and it is more prevalent than whites. The low control of hyper tension rates in the United States is attributed to "inappropriate or inadequate treatment, non-adherence with medical regimen, intake of exogenous substances that interfere with the antihypertensive regimen, biologic factors associated with resistance, and secondary forms of hypertension." (Wright et al, 2002, p.1636-1643). Analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) for 1999-2002 by CDC found that "proportion with controlled BP was similar among non-Hispanic blacks (29.8%) and non-Hispanic whites (29.8%), but substantially lower among Mexican Americans (17.3%)," which demonstrate continuing racial and ethnic disparities in the prevalence of hypertension and in the percentage of those with HBP who are aware of, are being treated for, and are in control of their condition. (Racial/Ethnic disparities in prevalence, treatment, and control of hypertension-United States, 1999-2002, 2005, P.923-925). Since High Blood Pressure (HBP) usually has no signs or symptoms the National Heal

A common Misunderstanding of systems in airplanes Essay

A common Misunderstanding of systems in airplanes - Essay Example Nevertheless, the flight data recorders have been designed to withstand substantial hardships, high temperatures, and even violence such as one that occurs on impact of a plane crash. At most times, the boxes can withstand this and still be useful with regard to providing essential data to investigators. In spite of this, people should understand that at extreme temperatures that may be caused by aviation fuel fires, the boxes could be destroyed. In most instances, this damage is viewed from the point of recoverable data. The fires may destroy the data inside the data recorders making it unreadable. At such an instance, the black box was destroyed. Such a misunderstanding can be avoided in the future by educating people. If the people have prior information concerning the characteristics and behavior of a black box at certain circumstances, they would stop expecting too much out of the black box. There are usually two black boxes on commercial airplanes and their color is

Sunday, August 25, 2019

What does Adam Smith mean of invisible hand Research Paper - 1

What does Adam Smith mean of invisible hand - Research Paper Example Adam Smith originally meant that the mechanism of the invisible hand is a result of the market settling the distribution of goods and the prices between what the producers want to produce and what the consumers chooses freely what to consume. As a result, producers will have to create goods that are cheaper to produce undermining competition and gain market share. This competition will ultimately benefit the individual consumer and hence, the greater community as a whole. To paraphrase Adam Smith in his book â€Å"An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations† By preferring the support of domestic to that of foreign industry, he intends only his own security; and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an  invisible hand  to promote an end which was no part of his intention. Nor is it always the worse for the society that it was not part of it. By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it. I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good. It is an affectation, indeed, not very common among merchants, and very few words need be employed in dissuading them from it (Smith, 1776). Recent interpretation of Smith’s invisible hand elaborated that â€Å"Adam Smith argued in The Wealth of Nations, 1776, that, under the mechanism of a free market, the pursuit of profit leads each participant to act to the material advantage of society as a whole, as though ‘led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention†. (2007). And though most modern scholars interpret Smith’s invisible hand with regard to investment as preferential to the domestic economy, this was

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Sheri Tepper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sheri Tepper - Essay Example The author describes the totally utopian world, over which Damocles' sword of threat hangs, since men's rule would destroy the universe completely with their nuclear weapon. To ensure the survival of all humanity, women and a few selected men have to cooperate and make constructive decisions. Women's Country a collection of villages and towns, consists mostly of women, while men life far away in warrior garrisons, which resemble Spartan encampments where life is composed of the 'meaningless' demonstrations of 'honor', or, as Tepper implies, aggression and might. The author, showing her scorn to militarism, depicts another category of men - 'the servitors' , who decide to leave the garrison and join Women's country, and whose main function is impregnating women and thus continuing the life chain on the Earth. Women's Country is the source of strict order in this post-apocalypse world, since it shows some kind of organization and even bureaucracy. Whereas the men are demonstrating their ridiculous honor and decorating their garrison with ribbons, banners (and having no access to novel technologies of the women) , the women are reorganizing civilization, discovering again everything which was lost during the war. On the other hand, life is not exactly perfect in Women's Cou ntry, but its inhabitants are living their long range plan for civilizing existence and the species, and finding a refreshing attitude towards the life.That is to say, Tepper in her book is really interested in binary oppositions, such as 'war -peace' , 'man- woman', 'desctructivism - constructivism'. For instance, she casually narrates how Women's Country has got rid of homosexuality, since it was "caused by aberrant hormone levels during pregnancy" (Tepper, 1988, p.81). Tepper illustrates men and women on the opposing sides of barricade, since gender is a most strict binary in the world. Tepper makes an effort to cover over a number of controversies by calling the controlling women's assembly the Damned Few (ibid, p.11). To my view, this 'label' has its explanation - these women are 'damned' since they attempt to rebel against their social roles (and, presumably, against their femininity), which have been existing for ages and destroy the inner world order.As for me, Tepper in her book illustrates the evil of war, using, among other tools, a powerful device of 'a ply within the narrative', dealing with Trojan War in the play 'Iphigenia at Ilium'. The author clearly shows the status of woman at the times of Ancient Greece: Iphigenia is sacrificed for the sake of good sailing weather, Polyxena dies at the tomb of Achilles, Hector's little son is killed only because he is the son of the defeated political leader. Thus, the play is the reflection Tepper's personal attitudes towards war and cruelty., which are hard to explain in depth because of the complexity of human nature. On the other hand, 'Iphigenia at Ilium' can be seen as a representation of the values attributed to women of the Women's Country as well as to men of the encampments. As the plot of the novel develops, one might see changing structure of the society, values and emotions, which are parallelized to those from 'Iphigenia at Ili

Friday, August 23, 2019

Essay on Franncisco de Goya Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Essay on Franncisco de Goya - Research Paper Example The first war painting that he created was Los Desastres de la Guerra -The disaster of wars (Castro). Goya produced some of the most disturbing paintings during his last five years. Goya had an ambitious personality (Castro). He was known to be proud and arrogant person. He was a genius artist and over the years the progress in his art can be seen in his works (Castro). By studying Goya work in a chronological order, it is very noticeable, that over the years his worked not only improved but also got stranger. It is said that in the beginning, Goya drew very pessimistic paintings which showed youth and happiness. Goya showed optimism in his initial works. For example, in his paintings ‘The Flower Girls’ and ‘The Little Giants’ he portrays youth and uses a broad color schemes that gives the paintings a certain bliss. These early paintings use bright colors that give an aura of joy to them. However, in 1972, Goya suffered from a serious illness and the age of 47 he had a medical condition due to which he experienced loss of balance, had difficulty in walking with partial blindness and deafness (Emery). Some say that this was caused by a viral disease called Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada syndrome (Emery). Over the years though he recovered from this disease but he became permanently deaf (Emery). This traumatic illness greatly affected the work he produced in later years of his life. The works after this illness shows great pessimism. For example, his painting ‘The Execution on the Third of May’ shows darkness. He has used warm colors like brown, red and yellow and has a very bleak illustration. His work began to show the visions of his minds, visions that were contained the fantastic and ironic images of the world around him. During the period of 1803 – 1805 he painted his two majas ; La maja vestida La and maja desnuda (Castro). The former one shows a clothed women and the later one has the same women but nude. This was another addition to the collection of his peculiar paintings that even got him banned by the Catholic Church and made him face an inquisition (Castro). In1808, when Spain got invaded by Napoleon, Goya became the French court artist (Castro). In 1814 Goya painted his two of his most well known paintings; â€Å"The second of May in 1808† and â€Å"The Third of May in 1808†. These paintings showed the horror of war through which Spain went at the time when Napoleon invaded it. The Spanish civil were dragged and killed due to this invasion and the same has been shown in the paintings. In a way we can say that Goya portrayed reality in his war paintings. These paintings give a strong and brave image of the artist. These paintings also mark the start of the â€Å"19th century realism† (Duthel). The last five years of his life, Goya lived in isolation and during that period he created the most bizarre work of his life called Las Pinturas Negras -the dark paint ings. These are fourteen paintings that he painted on the wall of his house (Castro). According to the critics these painting were so shocking that they were â€Å"only meant for his eyes† (Castro). Out of these fourteen paintings the most disturbing and most famous one was Saturn devouring His Child. In this painting Goya has shown Saturn eating one of his son. Many say that Goya painted these paintings on his house’s wall because he did not want the world to see them. When the Spanish government failed to restore, Goya went on a voluntary exile in France

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Entrepreneurship Education as the Emerging Trend in Pakistan Essay Example for Free

Entrepreneurship Education as the Emerging Trend in Pakistan Essay For the developing world, the emerging trend is entrepreneurship education in itself. It is significant and considered a powerful tool for propelling economic growth, as significant as venture capital and incubators. The youth today is exposed to a world of information and rapid change. He is prone to be the captain of his ship more than ever before. Hence the objective is to create awareness of trends and issues being faced in Entrepreneurship Education programs and see how Pakistan can gain from the experience of the developed world. It is also the objective to see how programs have to be designed for teaching and learning by the new generation of the future. The research methodology has been to examine relevant literature of other regions and compare this to the work done in Pakistan. Its been observed that it has acquired its own field of research methodology and finally is a standalone discipline, with ample work to show its breath and depth. Our finding is that it’s going to be a different world, calling for planning for a world unknown? Our conclusion is that it is significantly important to make the youth of today gainfully employed after imparting education to them. And Pedagogy is one of the issues that deserve attention in the Entrepreneurship Education. It is a question of evolving knowledge and evolving pedagogy to impart knowledge. Local experience and theory has to be evolved building the subject. Developing countries will have a host of issues far different from the developed countries. Education policy will play very significant role to resolve these issues. The authors conclude with suggestions that there is now a need to develop theory of entrepreneurship education based on the education theory and not on the theory of management and economics. There should be all out effort to build the ‘entrepreneurship capital’ and to give it central place in the education place. Keywords:Entrepreneurship Education, Entrepreneurial Generation, Pedagogy, Entrepreneurship Capital Entrepreneurship Education as the Emerging Trend in Pakistan: Confronting the Issues I. Introduction: a. Background: The field of entrepreneurship education is in the process of growing and gaining legitimacy and being recognized in the developing countries. In Pakistan it has been an up-hill task and despite efforts it is still an unknown academic field. But it is somewhat different in USA and in Europe and Japan. There it has recognition and there it has immense recognition as an important factor to keep pace with the economic growth and change required for economic efficiency. It is nurtured to impact the economies of the ‘technological tripod’ of economic growth. No doubt USA leads the way but European Council through the Lisbon Proclamation 2000 had launched itself in pursuit of economic growth through Entrepreneurship. The then President of EC committed the European Union to become the Entrepreneurship Leader as it was acknowledged that new economic growth, and productivity is generated by entrepreneurial activity (as cited by Audretch 2008). The statement is proclamation of the significance and importance of Entrepreneurship for economic development. In pursuit of entrepreneurship what is required is Entrepreneurship Education and the observation is that the trail it leaves behind is host of the emerging trends and issues which need to be examined and evaluated and worked out. Entrepreneurship Education is the path and road to developing an enterprising environment, building ‘social capital’ and ‘Entrepreneurship Capital’. â€Å"This refers to institutions, culture, and historical context that is conducive to the creation of new firms. This involves a number of aspects such as social acceptance of entrepreneurial behavior the activity of bankers, venture capital agents â€Å"(Audretsch 2008). The rationale of this paper evolve around the spirit of these terms and the process of evolving this capital is entrepreneurship education. The purpose of this paper is to explain the importance of entrepreneurship education in the light of compelling evidence surrounding us that it produces an enterprising society or ‘The Entrepreneurial Society’ and economic development. There is significant evidence about the impact of entrepreneurship on economic development (Wennekers et al 2005, Verheul Thurik 2003, Caree et al 2002, Audretsch et al 2006). â€Å"The way entrepreneurial activity has an effect on economy is that it is reflected in the macro-economic growth, value addition, employment generation, export growth, industrialization and poverty reduction†. (Wagha 2010) Entrepreneurship in the last two decades has achieved a central place in all recent discourse and debate and policymaking on education. There is a need for appropriate educational program at all academic institutions, universities, business schools and secondary schools. â€Å"So significant is the role of Entrepreneurship Education that it is considered a powerful tool for propelling economic growth as significant as venture capital and incubators†. A look at policy on education recently framed in different countries around the world reveal that there is emerging need to focus on entrepreneurship education and research. (Lee Wong 2005, Khan 2006) We realized through this research that there is a need to look at Entrepreneurship Education from the teaching and learning perspective. And of importance is how Entrepreneurship Education should be taught and the paradigm of research should be education and not merely economic and management. Bechard Gregoire (2002). It was also observed through empirical research and interviews that there is also the need to focus on the faculty of Entrepreneurship Education. There is an acute shortage of such teachers who are well versed in the pedagogy of Entrepreneurship Education. And according to Dr. Hasan Sohaib Murad, Rector, University of Management and Technology Pakistan (while addressing the audience at a Junior World Entrepreneurship Forum Pakistan (July 2011) : â€Å"The problem is our faculty, those who are teaching in business school today. They are teaching in business schools because they were not entrepreneurs. The other factor that has to be taken in consideration is the role of entrepreneurship in economic development. According to Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) entrepreneurship and economic development are exclusively mutual â€Å"GEM is based on the following premise. An economy’s prosperity is highly dependent on a dynamic entrepreneurship sector. This is true across all stages of development. Yet the nature of this activity can vary in character and impact. Necessity-driven entrepreneurship, particularly in less developed regions or those experiencing job losses, can help an economy benefit from self-employment initiatives when there are fewer work options available. More developed economies, on the other hand, can leverage their wealth and innovation capacity, yet they also offer more employment options to attract those that might otherwise become entrepreneurs†. (GEM 2010) It goes onto explain that the capacity of an economy is dependent upon highly competent individuals and positive societal perception about entrepreneurs. â€Å"An economy’s entrepreneurial capacity requires individuals with the ability and motivation to start businesses, and requires positive societal perceptions about entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship should include participation from all groups in society, including women, a range of groups and education levels and disadvantaged populations. Finally, high-growth entrepreneurship is a key contributor to new employment in an economy, and national competitiveness depends on innovative and cross-border entrepreneurial ventures†. (GEM 2010) b. Objectives of the Study: So significant is the role of entrepreneurship that the developed countries are perusing it by adopting new educational policies and by introducing strategies to create an ‘Entrepreneurship Capital’. For the developing world that has lagged behind, this is a wakeup call. Therefore the Objective is: to be aware of the issues and see how Pakistan can gain from the experiences of the developed world and evolve a suitable strategy for implementing entrepreneurship education effectively. It is assumed that, some of the best practices if disseminated will have an impact. c. Justification: As can be seen that it is essential for all developing countries and Pakistan in particular to undertake various studies pertaining to entrepreneurship, simply because this era of entrepreneurship is as potent as the era of Industrial Revolution. It has the potential for developing countries to catch-up with Developed Countries if the national economic agendas are prudently organized. d. Statement of the Problem: However some issues surrounding Entrepreneurship Education are: How should entrepreneurship education courses be designed, what should be the structure of courses? What should be the balance between activity based and text based teaching? What should be the ethical domain, and what disciplines would fall in the entrepreneurial ambit of subject? What pedagogy would be considered appropriate to teach entrepreneurship? In the midst of this expansion of courses, these emerge as a challenge how to make teaching entrepreneurship effective. Years of research and considerable debates has dispelled earlier doubts that entrepreneurship cannot be taught, and it was Drucker (1985) who said, â€Å"like other disciplines it can be taught†. But the emerging trend of Entrepreneurship Education is compounded by such factors as IT revolution and globalization. The youth today is exposed to a world of information and rapid change. He is prone to be the captain of his ship as he sees opportunities far beyond his imagination. He can evaluate the advantage of going for his own venture. He can see that Entrepreneurship is about change and competition, changing in its wake markets and ushering in technologies that entrepreneurship binds as the ‘social glue’ high-tech and ‘main street’ activities (SBA 1998). e. Research Question: Therefore the research question that we will attempt to find answer to is: 1. What issues and trends are being faced by Pakistan in Entrepreneurship Education and what adoption is required to benefit from this trend? II (a)Research Methodology: My goal is to determine the current status of the subject, by looking at the theory based on the published articles of other regions by leading authorities such as Bechard, Audretch Fayolle, Dana, Plaschka, Hindle Kuratko. This will help guide future research, but beyond literature review, I also recorded empirical findings and interviews and survey of literature to see the emerging trends in Entrepreneurship Education in Pakistan. The literature reviewed has been some grey literature and some conference papers as these were very current and contemporary thinking on emerging issues and trends. Furthermore the research has been enhanced by visiting foreign conferences for gathering data at doctoral seminars in Europe and America on Entrepreneurship Education. In that sense this is rather epistemological analysis of educational theories and reports on Entrepreneurship Education Trends and Issues. But the problem encountered was that there is not much data a vailable on this subject in Pakistan. This paper therefore undertakes the qualitative approach based on survey, interviews and literature review of this region and of the academic body that has taught the subject and also of others who have written papers on the status of Entrepreneurship Education in Pakistan. â€Å"Primary data include such facts collected from observation, surveys, and even interviews. When secondary data are unavailable and our research questions are unanswered, we have to collect data from primary sources. This proves useful because they are collected specifically for the particular study† (Ghauri Gronhaug 2002). This is obvious in the case of Pakistan where there is no secondary data on this subject. The investigation attempts to determine differences between the developed and developing countries, describing conditions that already exist, (Say in Pakistan) and why conditions in European and America are different from it. The collection of data is ongoing and eventually synthesized and conclusions are drawn. II (b)Limitation: The fundamental limitation is that hardly any journals are available in Pakistan on Entrepreneurship Education. No doubt that recent support provided by HEC for library data bases and resource centres has been greatly useful. The other fundamental handicap that the Pakistani researchers or students seeking to adopt this as their subject of specialization would face is lack of faculty. Currently there is no known or accessible faculty available in Pakistan having a PhD Degree in Entrepreneurship Education. Hence there are no doctorates of Entrepreneurship Education available to supervise or act as advisers to students desiring to do a PhD in Entrepreneurship. III. Literature Review: Discussing the Definition of Entrepreneurship Education as Emerging Trend: The subject of entrepreneurship education begins with the entrepreneur. The study of the Entrepreneur goes beyond the study of the characteristic and the traits of the entrepreneur which is the psychological profile. The entrepreneur is part of the complex process of new venture creation (Gartner 1988). And new venture creation is new economic growth which brings the importance of entrepreneurship and the education process for developing entrepreneurs. Say (1816) defined the entrepreneur as the economic agent. Hence the entrepreneur is one of the dimensions of economic growth. If we were to examine the quotation by Cole (1946) we realize that this unleashes a host of issues and trends associated with entrepreneurship and the promotion of Entrepreneurship Education. Cole (1946, p.3) states that Entrepreneur is one who â€Å"Unites all means of production – the labor of the one, t he capital or the land of the others – and who finds in the value of the products which results from their employment the reconstitution of the entire capital that he utilizes, and the value of the wages, the interest, and the rent which he pays, as well as the profits belonging to himself†. This statement explains the process of new venture creation which the entrepreneur is prone to do. It is a complete picture of the role which an entrepreneur performs as an economic player in an economy. Whereas the behavioral view of entrepreneur defines the entrepreneur as a very special person but calling for investigation to understand and define Entrepreneur and Entrepreneurship. They even cropped up when Gartner (1988) examined in what way do we define the Entrepreneur. According to him since the entrepreneur causes entrepreneurship you could explain Phenomenon of Entrepreneurship through traits approach or explain Phenomenon of Entrepreneurship through Behavioral approach. Subsequently this leads to disseminating the knowledge of entrepreneurship education. We are once again confronted with trends to adopt in Entrepreneurship Education and issues to deal with to establish the infrastructure of Entrepreneurship Education e.g. there is no evidence to support successful or unsucc essful leaders. The new trend is to focus on behavior of the leader. What they do as a leader, and not on what they are, and this aptly applies to research on entrepreneurship and hence the definition which explains and determines for us what influences behavior and performance which define entrepreneurship. (Van de Ven 1980 p.86) We have been amply warned that we should study the behaviors and activities of entrepreneurs. This brings us to the performance of an entrepreneur, the dynamism by which he proceeds as an entrepreneur and hence we call it entrepreneurship. We have come to realize that entrepreneurship can be enhanced by entrepreneurship education. Hence our question is what is entrepreneurship education. According to Bechchard Toulouse (1998) the definition of Entrepreneurship Education is â€Å"A collection of formulized teaching that informs trains and educates anyone interested in participating in social economic development through a project to promote entrepreneurship awareness, business creation or small business development†. Jones English (2004) define Entrepreneurial Education as: â€Å"Entrepreneurial Education can be viewed broadly in terms of the skills that can be taught and the characteristics that can be engendered in individuals that will enable them to develop new and innovative plans†. The creation of a discipline confronts trends and issues: Therefore the emerging trends and issues are related to multi-dimensional aspect of entrepreneurship education. The gathering of information and knowledge of this aspect is the fundamental activity of research and education to understand the behavioral phenomenon of entrepreneurship (Gartner 1988).Following the line of reasoning if personality traits could define entrepreneurs, the question of education, training and development would seem irrelevant and the foregone conclusion would be that those who possess the requisite traits should be successful entrepreneurs. As that is not the case we seek constantly ways of educating the entrepreneur to behave in a particular way to become successful. The contemplation of this fact has created a series of issues and trends required for the development of entrepreneurship education programs. In our quest for this answer we get a response from Gartner (1988) that we should follow Mintzbe rgs advice. Issues that confront entrepreneurs should be resolved to develop a profound entrepreneurship program along with its multiplicity of dimensions. Each question throws up a new philosophy and search for truth that could be developed into an answer to the issues confronting entrepreneurship education. What roles does the entrepreneur perform in moving information, in making decisions, in dealing with the people? How and why do individuals enter a new venture? The other emerging issue from this kind of reasoning is to what extent is entrepreneurship a science? To what extent is the entrepreneurs work programmable? All such questions resolve the issue of designing new branches of education in the domain of entrepreneurship. These would have to be dealt in accordance to the trends in development, competitiveness, economic growth and resource allocation.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Role of Media on African Americans Essay Example for Free

Role of Media on African Americans Essay Among many of the ethnic groups that experienced a combination of segregation, racism, and prejudice; African Americans is one of the few that is still faced with one or more forms of discrimination today. The majority of African Americans came to the United States from Africa to be slaves, while others are citizens or residents of the United States from partial ancestry a form of the native population. In 1619, the first recorded Africans were recorded in British North America in Jamestown, Virginia, and the numbers began to increase as more English settlers died from harsh conditions and the Africans were brought to work as laborers. In the late 1700s the American Revolution occurred, which landed approximately 3 million Africans in slavery in the United States by the mid-1800s, (Centerwall, Brandon, 1984). In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln declared that all slaves in the United States from a Union were free. Meanwhile the declaration of Africans being free from slavery was joyful event, it was also the beginning of a growing battle that lead to a different approach of discrimination including; segregation, prejudice, and racism. By the 1900s, the African American population increased, which majority of the population lived in the Southern states of the United States. The Southern states enforced the Jim Crow laws, which mandated racial segregation in all public facilities giving white Americans advantages over black Americans in public schools, public transportation, restrooms, restaurants and drinking fountains. In order to eliminate the control that white Americans had over African Americans, African Americans began to build their own schools, churches, and communities. Although, African Americans building their own communities was the intention of avoiding the humiliation of the Jim Crow laws, it still didn’t prevent the African Americans from becoming victims of racially motivated violence. African Americans experienced countless acts of violence incidents that lead blacks battered, beaten and even dead in some cases. White Americans begin to form organizations that promoted white power, leading the organizations to practice out violence and destroy African Americans property. A popular white power organization called themselves the Ku Klux Klan and performed acts against blacks that included; lynching cross burnings, physical violence, and house burnings towards African Americans. Although, the Ku Klux Klan was formed in 1867, it has been rumors that there are people that are still secretly members today. African Americans experienced a wider range of discrimination, segregation, and racism more so in the later days but still arise in society today. In a perfect world, no one would be judged by the color of their skin and society would focus on a person’s individual true character. Often times African Americans miss out on opportunities because they are being judged by the color of their skin, rather than their abilities. The United States has tried to provide Americans the rights to equal opportunity, by creating the Affirmative action. The affirmative action eliminates people being granted opportunities based on their race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin and ensures that minority groups within a society receive equal opportunities. Although, the affirmative action was intended to diminish situations which cause people to participate in different forms of discrimination, but unless it could be fully proven that African Americans were being passed up for jobs, education, income and other forms of advancements there will never be a way to fully prohibit this form of discrimination. Today, there is still unequal opportunities and discriminatory treatment that occurs in the United States especially with African Americans. African Americans were affected by many forms of discrimination that decreased advancement to equal other races in society. They were faced with dual labor market, forcing blacks to work in lower labor market areas. Redlining was enforced by keeping businesses from helping African Americans simply because of the area they lived in. Many African Americans wanted to better themselves by furthering their education, but suffered from institutional discrimination and given less information and aid for education. Knowing the history of the African American struggles on; prejudice, discrimination, and segregation allows me to understand my roots and accomplishments of my ethnic group. Personally the history of African Americans affects me greatly, because it is the combination of struggles that has played a huge role to my advancements and opportunities performed daily. The African American ancestors fought daily through all counts of discrimination helps that allows all groups of different minority groups the same equal rights for advancement opportunities. Although, the majority of the world views of African Americans has changed there are still people that choose to discriminate against African Americans by choosing not to change with the ways of the world and maintain prejudice. Acts of discrimination is performed but not as greatly as many years ago. African American culture has had a rough past journey, but in the long run the majority of the United States has made it possible for all African Americans equal rights and opportunities in life.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Effect of the Thirty Years War on Europe

Effect of the Thirty Years War on Europe A number of Europe’s leading powers were involved in the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), including France, Denmark, Sweden, and Spain. Most of the fighting took place in Germany and it suffered the most awful effects of the war. This war was undoubtedly the most destructive war in history of Germany before the 20th century. Up to 1/3rd of the urban population and 2/5th of the rural population might have been killed during the war. (Carter, 2011) The end of the Thirty Years War caused a number of dramatic changes and transformed Western Europe in remarkable religious, social and political ways. The post-war period caused the ending of the Holy Roman Empire and the succeeding collapse of the Hapsburg powers. The further divisions made Europe much like it is now with Catholic areas in south and the Lutherans beyond north and more significantly, it took the principal power from the Catholic Church. (the social and economical consequencs of thirty year war) It also worked to suppress some of the religious fights with the ultimate Peace of Westphalia. The war also had a great influence on society as it reduced a large percentage of the German population, damaged crops, assisted in the spread of disease and abolished the German economy from the large to small scale. The mediocre people living in Europe during that time were the most affected by the war. In order to fund huge armies, taxes were raised by the state. Increasing demands of the government, planted the seed of rage toward government that later emerged throughout the future rebellions. Though it was not easy but resolution of the â€Å"Peace of Westphalia† was signed in 1648 and as a consequence, Western Europe was politically changed. (Thirty Years War (1618-1648)) A number of significant geographical changes occurred as a result of the war, Germany was shattered, the Swiss Confederation and the Netherlands were stated as independent nations, and most significantly, the Holy Roman Empire lost supremacy and started to decline from the formal acceptance of the Peace until modernism. Another important development that occurred during the Peace of Westphalia was that Sweden and France arose as a lead of European commerce, pushed Spain out and changed the path of European history until that point .The Spanish Hapsburgs were not the primary power and were ultimately enforced to announce Dutch and Swiss independence. The political flows transformed when the Holy Roman Empire was no more the focus of Europe as other countries arose to take over. This became even more significant later with the growth of secularism as a consequence of the Enlightenment. (THIRTY YEARS’ WAR) Other than the geographical and political changes, other modifications occurred through Europe like a new way of engage in warfare. All parties that were involved in the war went almost broken because of the extent of their corresponding armies and this successively had a devastating influence on the economies altogether. Other than this, new bureaucracies were required to meet up the increasing demands of state and those changes still exist today in European politics. The fact is of great importance that to fund those vast armies the states were compelled to gather greater amount of taxes. That unfair taxation during the Thirty Years War had an influence on the budget and also the farmers. Internal political conflicts soon followed based on the outer conflicts that initiated before the Thirty Years War. (The Thirty Years War 1621 to 1626) While discussing the last years of this War it is almost easy to overlook that it all started because of religious differences other than geography and politics. One result of the termination of the war was that the Catholic Hapsburgs and the Holy Roman Empire were no longer dictating the spiritual beliefs of a large percentage of Europeans. Instead of this, after an ending of the war, princes of Germany were permitted to announce their own affiliations, Western Europe was changed exceptionally. Another significant aspect of the ceasefire of Westphalia on overall European history and its religious conflicts is that after it was signed, all the princes in Germany had the right to announce their provinces Catholic, Calvinist or Lutheran. This permission created partitions throughout Europe stand on religious relationship with the Lutherans in central Germany, the Catholics in southern part of Europe and the Calvinists in the north of Europe. Although this is not to mention that the termination of the war restored relations amongst those of dissimilar faiths, this separation was made so that it was the last religious war fought. Socially, the Thirty Years War created noteworthy problems, especially for the farmers and working people. There was great number of revolutions throughout Europe, specifically in France. During the time of the Thirty Years War agricultural production deteriorated considerably. As a consequence, people were having difficulty feeding their families. These difficulties were all combined and a long duration of disease and overall famine swept across Europe and was predominantly bad where the armies passed by. At times anxious peasants attacked and revolted nearby monasteries and castles. War and recurrent outbreaks of plague charged some German towns’ 1/3rd or more of their inhabitants. In general, the Thirty Years War initiated because of religious clash. Whereas this was one of the main initiators for the subsequent military action, it is also notable that there was already huge instability throughout Europe, mainly because of the split nature of the individual states and their mixed unions. With the collapse of the Roman Empire and the Hapsburgs, Western Europe transformed dramatically as the power moved from Rome and faith to a more secularly-based set of states that were more concerned with economics, trade, and non-religious affairs. One of the most noteworthy consequences of the Thirty Years War is that that this religious war, end all wars. After this period, religious differences were no more of primary significance, especially as there was a progressively unbalanced sprea ding of wealth among countries. Countries like Sweden and Denmark that had upheld them strong through the first years of the War were find themselves in the shelter of richer nations like France. (Thirty Years’ War ) Another more general outcome of the War was that it permitted, for the first time in history of European, that a country can obtain prominence on basis of economics, trade, politics other that the reason that it was center of religious hierarchy. So, without the actions and resolutions of the Thirty Years War in Europe the equilibrium of wealth and rule would be exceptionally different. (smith, 2011) Bibliography Carter, J. (2011, june 6). The Social and Economic Impact of the Thirty Years War. Retrieved from humanities 360: http://www.humanities360.com/index.php/the-social-and-economic-impact-of-the-thirty-years-war-12901/ smith, n. (2011, december 7). The Consequences and Effects of the Thirty Years War. Retrieved from articlemyriad: http://www.articlemyriad.com/consequences-effects-thirty-years-war/ the social and economical consequencs of thirty year war. (n.d.). Retrieved from jstor home: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/649855?uid=3738832uid=2uid=4sid=21105451982173 The Thirty Years War 1621 to 1626. (n.d.). Retrieved from history learning site: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/30YW_1621-1626.htm Thirty Years War (1618-1648). (n.d.). Retrieved from Geni: http://www.geni.com/projects/Thirty-Years-War-1618-1648/11799 THIRTY YEARS’ WAR. (n.d.). Retrieved from history: http://www.history.com/topics/thirty-years-war Thirty Years’ War . (n.d.). Retrieved from britannica: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/592619/Thirty-Years-War

Monday, August 19, 2019

Fair Division :: Essays Papers

Fair Division The problem of how resources can be fairly distributed has remained at the forefront of political, academic, and social life for centuries. According to political scientist Steven J. Brams (1996) and mathematician Alan D. Taylor (1996), the issue of fair division can be traced back to the Hebrew Bible, with King Solomon’s proposal to divide a baby in two in order to appease the claims of two mothers. Within the last century, questions regarding the fair division and allocation of property have arisen throughout various spheres—divorce claims, estate settlements, assessments of taxes—and attempts to solve these dilemmas have increased as well (Brams & Taylor 1996). It is my intention with this essay to better understand this issue of fair division by looking at two permutations of the fair division problem. I would like to look at two existing methods—Divider-Chooser and the Method of Sealed Bids—and criteria—cooperation, rationality , privacy, symmetry—in order to examine the ways in which people have used mathematical devices to guarantee a fair share. However, it is also my intention with this essay to a introduce a new criteria—manipulation—to see how it coexists with the existing criteria, and how well it works in accordance with the two methods. One historical problem concerning a fair share has been the selection of a new king from a list of several candidates, such that each candidate receives a fair share at the chance to become king. According to Theodore P. Hill (2000), there exist many legends explaining attempts to solve this problem—Darius became king when his horse was the first to neigh at the city walls, and O’Neill became king under the rule that â€Å"he who first touches Irish soil will be monarch,† by chopping off his left hand and tossing it ashore ahead of his competitors. The problem with these methods was that they lacked a central organizing premise, such that each participant would be satisfied that they received a fair shot. Imagine that little Hank and little Johnny have just mowed the backyard for their parents. As a reward for their efforts, Hank and Johnny’s parents give them a box of pastries from the local bakery. There are muffins, à ©clairs, cookies, and even a few Russian teacakes. Fair Division :: Essays Papers Fair Division The problem of how resources can be fairly distributed has remained at the forefront of political, academic, and social life for centuries. According to political scientist Steven J. Brams (1996) and mathematician Alan D. Taylor (1996), the issue of fair division can be traced back to the Hebrew Bible, with King Solomon’s proposal to divide a baby in two in order to appease the claims of two mothers. Within the last century, questions regarding the fair division and allocation of property have arisen throughout various spheres—divorce claims, estate settlements, assessments of taxes—and attempts to solve these dilemmas have increased as well (Brams & Taylor 1996). It is my intention with this essay to better understand this issue of fair division by looking at two permutations of the fair division problem. I would like to look at two existing methods—Divider-Chooser and the Method of Sealed Bids—and criteria—cooperation, rationality , privacy, symmetry—in order to examine the ways in which people have used mathematical devices to guarantee a fair share. However, it is also my intention with this essay to a introduce a new criteria—manipulation—to see how it coexists with the existing criteria, and how well it works in accordance with the two methods. One historical problem concerning a fair share has been the selection of a new king from a list of several candidates, such that each candidate receives a fair share at the chance to become king. According to Theodore P. Hill (2000), there exist many legends explaining attempts to solve this problem—Darius became king when his horse was the first to neigh at the city walls, and O’Neill became king under the rule that â€Å"he who first touches Irish soil will be monarch,† by chopping off his left hand and tossing it ashore ahead of his competitors. The problem with these methods was that they lacked a central organizing premise, such that each participant would be satisfied that they received a fair shot. Imagine that little Hank and little Johnny have just mowed the backyard for their parents. As a reward for their efforts, Hank and Johnny’s parents give them a box of pastries from the local bakery. There are muffins, à ©clairs, cookies, and even a few Russian teacakes.

Impact of Travel on Culture and the Environment Essay -- Exploratory E

Impact of Travel on Culture and the Environment Travel and mobility play indispensable roles in our lives as modern Americans. Their largest impacts are seen within cultural realms: airplanes, automobiles, trains, and, to a lesser extent, boats allow fast and easy transportation to virtually all parts of the world. Such easy access to the inhabited portions of the planet has facilitated face to face meetings with family, friends, and colleagues living in distant parts of the world; the ability to move quickly and efficiently from home to work or school; and the ability to visit exotic locations for brief, recreational purposes. Usually, these cultural aspects of travel are the most salient when the subject is suggested. Yet, the environment is also a significant factor that deserves consideration during a discussion of travel. For instance, the environment may be the predominant factor when making a decision to travel: one might escape to the beaches of Florida during a snowy winter in Boston, or one might choose to visit the beau tiful mountains of Colorado or an exotic South American rainforest in order to flee the less than thrilling flatlands of the American Midwest. The environment also brings to bear considerable influence during the process of travel. For instance, a flight may be canceled because of a summer storm, or local roads may become impassable during a blizzard. Finally, the process of travel itself greatly impacts the environment. Airplanes and automobiles produce large amounts of harmful air pollutants each time they make a single trip, and the gases they emit have played a significant role in expanding the hole in the ozone layer and increasing global warming. The air pollution has also negatively impacted ... ... they promoted. Works Cited Crystal Cruise Lines story, from cnn.com on March 6, 2003: http://www.cnn.com/2003/TRAVEL/03/06/cruise.ban.ap/index.html Exxon Valdez information, from the EPA website: http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/exxon.htm Diamond, Jared, "Ch. 11: Lethal gift of livestock," in "Guns, Germs, and Steel" W.W. Norton & Co, 1997, ISBN 0-393-03891-2, pp. 195-214 Meyers, Barbara. "Textiles and the Reformation," http://online.sksm.edu/1/papers/p-meyers~textilesreformation Ponting, Clive. Ch.11 from "A Green History of the World," St. Martins Press, NYC, 1991, pp. 224-239. Schneider, Jane. Rumpelstilskin's Bargain: Folklore and the Merchant Capitalist Intensification of Linen Manufacture in Early Modern Europe. In Cloth and Human Experience, edited by Annette B. Weiner and Jane Schneider. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press 1993. pp. 177-213.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

History Of Cable Television :: Television TV

The History Of Cable Television The 1940's and 1950s Cable Television originated in 1948 as a service to households in mountainous or geographically remote areas where reception of over the air television signals was poor. Antennas were erected on mountaintops or other high points, and homes were wired and connected to these towers to receive the broadcast signals. By 1950, 70 cable systems served 14,000 subscribers nationwide. In late 1950s, when cable operators began to take advantage of their ability to pick up broadcast signals from hundreds of miles access to these "distant signals" changed the focus of cable's role from one of transmitting local broadcast signals to one of providing new programming choices. The 1960s by 1962, almost 800 cable systems serving 850,000 subscribers were in business. Not surprisingly, the growth of cable through the importation of distant signals was viewed as competition by local television stations. In response to broadcast industry concerns, the FCC expanded its jurisdiction and placed restrictions on the ability of cable system to import distant television signals. This action had the effect of freezing the development of cable systems in major markets. In the early 1970s, the FCC continued it's restrictive policies by enacting regulations that limited the ability of cable operators to offer movies, sporting events, and syndicated programming. The freeze on cable's development lasted until 1972, when a policy of gradual cable deregulation led to, among other things, modified restrictions on the importation of distant signals. Throughout the 1970s, concerted industry efforts at the federal, state and local levels resulted in continued lessening of cable restrictions. These changes, couples with cables pioneering to satellite communications technology, led to a pronounced growth of services to consumers and a substantial increase in cable subscribers. In 1972, Charles Dolan and Gerald Levin of Sterling Manhattan Cable launched the nation's first pay-TV network, Home Box Office (HBO). This venture led to the creation of a national satellite distribution system that used a newly approved domestic satellite transmission. Satellites changed the business dramatically, paving the way for the explosive growth of program networks. The second service to use the satellite was a local television station in Atlanta that broadcast primarily sports and classic movies. The station, owned by R.E Turner, substituted its existing microwave distribution with satellite distribution, and soon became known as the first "super station" WTBS.By the end of the decade, nearly 15 million households were cable subscribers. The 1980s while the delivery of programming via satellite was evolving, the 1984 Cable Act effectively deregulated the industry, stimulating investment in cable plant and programming on an unprecedented level.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Justice is a theme of all great literature Essay

Justice comes from actions and decisions being balanced, in that when someone does a good thing, they are rewarded, and when they do something bad, they are punished. It is the gods’ primary role to hand out justice and make sure everybody is treated fairly. This theme appears immediately in the Odyssey, as Zeus is considering the story of Aegisthus, who courted Agamemnon’s wife and then killed Agamemnon. Aegisthus was killed for this treacherous act. This story of justice shows us instantly that the Odyssey will be strongly structured around it. â€Å"May all who act as he did share his fate! † says Athene. This shows how openly the gods in the Odyssey despised the works of those who went against the will of the gods. Both Nestor and Menelaus repeat this story of Aegisthus, and as god fearing men, they know how important it is to stay on their right side because they know what happens as a result of an imbalance in terms of justice. The Aeneid opens however and we’re told that the poem is based on the founding of Rome and the main string of ‘justice’ seems to be coming from one scorned goddess, who simply doesn’t want her favourite city to be destroyed. The balance she tries to restore is simply an act of revenge rather than actual justice, and rather than convincing the other gods it’s the right thing to do, she simply bribes Aeolus. Justice is however looked upon a little while later as Venus goes to Jupiter and asks why the Trojans are being made to suffer after doing nothing wrong. Jupiter tells her not to fear as justice will be done and Rome will be founded. Such behaviour seems to recur constantly throughout the Aeneid. For example, in book 8 we learn of the betrayal that a Tuscan tribe suffered at the hands of Mezentius, and in book 9 he continues his evil ways killing Trojans. The Gods have decided to stay out of the battle and so the following events have nothing to do with the justice that is familiar in epic poems. Both Mezentius and his son Lausus are killed, by Aeneid. I see these deaths as acts of revenge rather than justice, although Lausus’ death is more deserving. The death of his son is Mezentius’ true punishment. I see these deaths as acts of revenge because Mezentius tried to kill Aeneid, as well as all the other innocent people and the treachery he brought upon the aforementioned Tuscan tribe, and so Aeneas kills them. The fact that the innocent Lausus dies shows that the ‘justice’ portrayed in the Aeneid is much more malicious, and it doesn’t just affect the culprit. There’s also the case of the unfortunate people in the underworld that must wait 100 years to cross the river, through no fault of their own. Justice really does seem obscure in the Aeneid. Another instance of this is when the people of Carthage feel Dido’s death was just, simply because she fell in love with the wrong man, and through no fault of her own. I believe Turnus’ death to be the best example of the incomprehensible justice served in the Aeneid. His justice only prevails once they see fit, once it fits in with their plans. In the end, it becomes obvious that while justice is a powerful motivator and regulator in the lives of mortals, it is the will of the immortals that truly controls their lives, and their disfigured system of justice On the other hand, there are moments when actual justice is served. Examples include the groups beyond the river in the underworld and the story of Hercules and the giant for example. He goes to extreme lengths to kill the giant for all the robbery and murder he’s committed, and it’s just that Hercules puts a stop to it, even though it’s brought about by someone who isn’t quite immortal, and so possibly not what the gods perceive as justice. Although we’ve already established that the gods’ perspective is fairly warped in the Aeneid. The other case of actual justice involves king Minos, who spends eternity hearing the cases of people, unjustly executed, and finally getting the plea their cases. They are finally being treated fairly, even if it is beyond life. In the Odyssey however, deaths and misfortunes seem to come about through the idea of justice, and nothing else- no malicious or unfair punishments seem to prevail i. e. there seems to be a point behind them, rather than them just being malicious acts of immortals. For example, Zeus becomes angered at Odysseus because his men eat the sun god’s cattle, despite being warned not to; however he doesn’t let Odysseus die, because the sun god only asks that the crew be punished, because after all, Odysseus did warn them. However he does unavoidably get caught in the cross fire and this is how he winds up on Calypso’s island in the first place. Another example is Poseidon. He makes Odysseus’ aqua adventures a nightmare because he impairs Poseidon’s son Polyphemus’ vision, which goes against the rules of Xenia really. It is of course, Odysseus’ own fault because he becomes arrogant about what he did to Polyphemus, by telling him his name, after he’s left. Therefore it’s just and fair to punish him. Even though he’s such a great hero, he does a wrong act and is punished as any other man would be. Then of course, there is the case of the suitors; the epic conclusion to the Odyssey. Odysseus finally returns to find all the suitors and some of the maids running riot in his home, having raunchy sex, eating all the food, and drinking away his wealth. Odysseus is of course a bit bothered by this, so he decides, and Athene, who borrows Mentor’s image again, agrees that he, Telemachus and a couple of close friends will pick up their weapons and launch them through any part of the suitors they see fit. The fact that Athene helps proves that the act is just. Rarely do gods help out in a way that we can perceive as just in the Aeneid, because most of the time, the punishments are just vicious or over-exaggerated. So anyway, Telemachus sees to it that the ill-mannered maids are hung until they stop twitching, and Odysseus destroys all the suitors so that he and Penelope can live happily ever after, as they justly deserve. By the end of homer’s poem, everyone has been served the justice they’ve earned, both good and bad. I think it’s fair to say that justice is very important in both plays, but as a modern day reader, it’s easier to understand the justice in the Odyssey because at times, the events in the Aeneid seem so obscure.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Musical Analysis on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest was directed by Gore Verbinski and the music was composed by Hans Zimmer. Hans Zimmer is one of the most sought after film composers. He does an amazing job creating the score for this swashbuckling adventure. The movie begins with the interrupted marriage of William Turner and Elizabeth Swann. The music’s first role in this movie is to reflect emotion. In the opening scene, Elizabeth is kneeling at the altar where her wedding should have taken place. Rain is falling all around her and she is alone. Violins are playing a sad, slow melody. The viewer realizes that something awful has happened. Deeper strings start to play a fast marching beat and a male choir begins to sing. This signifies that the Royal Navy is approaching to arrest Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. Lord Cutler Beckett had ordered the couple to be arrested and sentenced to death for aiding in Captain Jack Sparrow’s escape in the previous movie. Lord Cutler Beckett will only lift the charges in exchange for Jack Sparrow’s compass. William Turner is sent off to find Jack Sparrow. He is reluctant to leave his future bride behind in prison, but it is his only chance to free her. Jack Sparrow is a cursed pirate. He has made a deal with Davy Jones, the captain of the Flying Dutchmen. If Davy Jones would raise the Black Pearl from the bottom of the ocean, Jack Sparrow had thirteen years to captain it. After thirteen years, Jack Sparrow must give Davy Jones his soul. It has been thirteen years, and Davy Jones wants to collect. Davy Jones can only go on land once every ten years, so Jack Sparrow knows that land is the place where he will be safest. He sails his ship to the nearest island. Jack Sparrow has a very comedic leitmotif. He is constantly drunk and his theme is a drunken theme. The music sways and staggers like someone who is intoxicated, and the music has a count of three. The music really adds to the comedy that Jack Sparrow brings to the movie. Strings and a cello are used for this score, and they mimic his actions. This is also referred to as mickey-mousing. A perfect example of mickey-mousing is when Jack Sparrow walks down a flight of stairs and the music goes down the musical scale as he descends. Will needs to find Jack so that he can save Elizabeth and himself from the death sentence. He investigates and follows clues to Jack’s whereabouts until he finally finds Jack Sparrow’s ship uninhabited on an island. Further investigation into the island leads to William being captured by a tribe of cannibals. The good news is that he has found Jack Sparrow. Jack Sparrow is serving as the leader of the cannibals. The bad news is that the cannibals are going to eventually sacrifice Jack Sparrow. After a few escape scenes involving a lot of running, William and Jack Sparrow manage to return to the Black Pearl. The scenes involving the cannibals has music that creates the atmosphere of a cannibal island. Drums are very prominent throughout these scenes, along with humans yelling tribal chants. One scene that does not fit into this trend is a scene where William and the other crew members are trying to escape from a cage that is suspended in the air. The music plays against the action by playing a song one would expect to hear at a carnival during the escape. The music plays against the action, creating comedy for a normally unpleasant situation. After escaping from the cannibals, Jack Sparrow convinces Will Turner to climb aboard the Flying Dutchmen to try and receive the key that he has been searching for. If Will can find the key, Jack will give him the compass. William does not know about the deal that Jack has with Davy, and he does not know what he is getting himself into by boarding the ship. Davy Jones has a crew filled with undead crewmen, and Will is captured. The good thing about Will Turner being captured is the fact that he meets his long lost father, Bill Turner. Bill just happens to be a member of the crew. The music on the Flying Dutchmen is very sinister. The pipe organ is prominent throughout the scenes that involve the ship. A male choir also sings frequently. The beat gives three counts, and it gives the viewer a very uneasy feeling. Random sustained notes are also played with the cello to create a sense of suspense and nervousness. The pipe organ is also sometimes source music while on the ship. Davy Jones frequently plays a menacing looking pipe organ while his crew is slaving on deck. Elizabeth is not the type of girl that will sit around and wait for William to come and save her. Her father breaks her out of prison, and Elizabeth begins searching for Jack Sparrow and his compass. Elizabeth Swann finds her way to a bar in Tortuga, where she meets up with Jack Sparrow. This scene involves implied source music. Although the source of the music being heard on the screen is not seen, the viewer realizes that the music is being played in the bar. The tune is a fast, crazy tune that is played with an accordion and a fiddle. Accordions and fiddles are typical instruments that one would see in this type of saloon. Elizabeth also runs into an old friend at the bar, Commodore Norrington. Norrington wants to kill Jack Sparrow for making him lose his job. This leads to a bar fight. The source music gets louder and crazier during the fight. The fight is very wild and a lot of things are going on at one time. The music helps to add to the outrageous chaos. The special thing about Jack Sparrow’s compass is that it points to the thing that the person holding it wants the most. Jack Sparrow uses it to find the chest that he needs the key to open, even though he does not have the key yet. He arrives on the island where the chest is located and digs it up. Most of the music in this scene involves a fast paced melody played with strings and then short bursts of music from the cello and drums. It is an exciting time in the movie because Jack Sparrow has found the chest, and the music plays off of the excitement. Will Turner shows up at the island with the key that he has stolen from Davy Jones. Inside the chest is Davy Jones’s heart. The pirate legend is that Davy Jones was once in love with a woman. She betrayed him, and he could not tolerate the pain. He cut out his heart and put it in a chest. The only way to kill Davy Jones is to find his heart and stab it. Davy Jones has his own leitmotif. The theme is first introduced when it is being played on a music box that Davy Jones is holding. It continues to play in other scenes where Davy Jones is present. The melody is wishful and sad. A pipe organ is used for the melody. There are three people standing around the chest with three different motives. Jack Sparrow wants to use the chest to bargain with Davy Jones. He will return the chest to Davy, if Davy will release Jack from his debt. William Turner wants the chest so that he can kill Davy Jones, thereby freeing his father from serving on the Flying Dutchmen. Norrington wants to steal the chest and take it back to Lord Cutler Beckett. Lord Cutler Beckett would then grant Norrington full clemency. The three begin sword fighting over the chest, and Davy Jones’s crew arrives to steal the chest for Davy Jones. Elizabeth, Jack Sparrow, and Commodore Norrington are forced to work together to fight off Davy Jones’s men. Elizabeth joins in the fight as well. There is a lot of mickey-mousing in these scenes. The music starts when Jack pulls out his sword and points it at Will. It then quiets down and plays faintly in the background. When Will pulls out Elizabeth’s sword on Jack, the music suddenly gets louder. A note is then held out as it fades. When Norrington pulls his sword out, the music suddenly gets louder again. Then all three of the guys have their swords pointed at each other. The music flows underneath the dialogue and adds to the suspense. When the pirates start their sword fight, the music picks up and gets louder. It has a very adventurous feel to it. There is a continuous melody with short bursts of music also playing. The instruments used are a full orchestra and drums. Elizabeth is angry that the three men are acting so childish and fighting each other. There is a short pause in the music when Will tells Elizabeth to guard the chest. This creates an unspoken thought for Elizabeth. She pauses because she is shocked and angry that the guys are acting so juvenile. The music quickly starts up again as Elizabeth starts her rant. The music plays off of her angry outburst. As she yells at the guys there are short bursts of music that go up the scale as she gets more and more frustrated. There is also a continuous melody playing with strings. Elizabeth is not getting the men’s attention by yelling at them. She decides to try a different approach by pretending to faint. When Elizabeth fakes passing out from the heat, the music mickey-mouses her falling. A note is held out and then runs down the musical scale as she falls, completely stopping when she hits the ground. After falling, she notices two other pirates running off with the chest. There is sudden note played with strings that helps convey what she is feeling. It is a sudden burst of realization that they are stealing the chest. She gets up off of the sand and runs after the two thieves. Commodore Norrington has stolen the chest, and everyone else is back on the Black Pearl. Davy Jones has just sent a giant octopus, known as the Kraken, after Jack Sparrow. The Kraken is going to take down the whole ship, and everyone in it, until he gets Jack Sparrow. While everyone is abandoning ship, Elizabeth Swann tricks Jack Sparrow into staying on the ship by kissing him and then handcuffing him to the ship. As he is being handcuffed, a cello plays a deep melody. The melody gives off the feeling of betrayal. A full orchestra then joins the cello and continues the melody as Elizabeth abandons Jack Sparrow. As Jack Sparrow wiggles out of the handcuffs, the Kraken appears behind him. The Kraken has his own leitmotif. Hans Zimmer uses pipe organs and heavy bass lines to give a shadowy, underwater feel. Jack Sparrow turns around and the two are now face to face. Jack Sparrow bravely faces the Kraken with his sword ready, but he is no match for the beast. Jack Sparrow is swallowed up into the mouth of the terrible monster. As Jack Sparrow is swallowed up, an orchestra plays and a male choir sings solemnly. The movie ends with Commodore Norrington making his deal with Lord Beckett. Elizabeth is filled with guilt for sending Jack Sparrow to his death. Elizabeth, Will, and the rest of the crew are ready to sail to the end of the world to find Jack Sparrow. This may be how the movie ends, but not the story. The story continues on in the third movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

World Literature Assignment

Suggestions for World Literature Assignment #2 Following is a list of possible topics for your paper; you are not limited to these, but please get approval of a different or variant topic. Assignment 2 A: Comparative Study This assignment consists of a comparative study based on one world literature work studied in Part 1, Part 3 or Part 4 of the course, and one language A1 work chosen from any part of the course. Unlike assignment 1, this assignment MUST NOT BE BASED ON TWO WL works. The world literature work chosen for this assignment must not be one previously used for assignment 1. Assignment 2B:Imaginative or Creative Assignment This assignment consists of an imaginative or creative piece of writing. It may be based on a study of one world literature work, or on a combination of a world literature work and a language A1 work chosen from any part of the course. The world literature work chosen can be a work studied in Part 1, Part 3 or Part 4 of the syllabus but must not be one previously used for assignment 1. This assignment must be preceded by a statement of intent that will be included in the total number of words. The statement of intent is an essential part of this type of assignment and allows candidates to make explicit their perception of an author’s imagination, values and techniques. Here are some suggestions: ?Comparison of critical approaches (such as Freudian and feminine) ? Interior monologue of a key character ?Monologue ?Add or insert a scene in the play. ?Focus on a minor character ?Compare minor characters in two works ?Comparison of attitudes in two works, such as acceptance of one’s approaching death ? Recurring motifs in a work ?Commentary on author’s choice of title(s) ?Social criticism ?A further passage in the style of the author Letter from a character to author, protesting some aspect of the character/play ? An editorial defending the work to a censorship committee This assignment allows candidates to: ?demonstrate the skills of imaginative or creative writing ? focus on a particular literary aspect of interest and explore this imaginatively and in a variety of ways ? show an appreciation of the cultural elements relevant to the selected aspect ? demonstrate both explicit (in the statement of intent) and implicit (in the creative piece) awareness of the imagination, techniques and values of the author(s) on whose works the assignments is based. Assignment 2C: Detailed Study Assignment 2C consists of a detailed study based on an aspect of ONE WORLD LITERATURE work studied in Part 1, Part 3 or Part 4 of the syllabus. However, this must not be a work previously used for assignment 1. The assignment could take the form of a formal essay or a commentary or analysis of a key passage. This assignment allows candidates to: ?demonstrate the skills of close reading and detailed analytical writing ? show an appreciation of the cultural elements relevant to the analysis

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Family as portrayed in mass media Essay

Through the years, the role played by media generated socially relevant and noteworthy impacts to society. Because of exposes and investigative reports, several high-profiled and ranking individuals or personalities were forced to exit the limelight. The scandals and controversies that they went through were simply too much to bear. Whether such situations were intentional or unintentional, still it cannot be denied that media’s appeal and effects cannot be easily dismissed. On the other hand, media channels are also responsible for providing much needed information to the public. Every single day, it has been a habit for many to enjoy their favorite news programs. Others, who do not have the luxury of time, rely on newspapers and online news sites to keep on track and remain aware of the important issues of their respective communities. In recent years, being informed is a necessity rather than a mere caprice of one’s intellectual vanity. As information channels, there is no doubt that mass media has also assume the role of educating and indoctrinating many. However, if there is one thing wherein media is readily recognized—it is its capacity to bring pleasure and entertainment right in the very portals or domain’s of one’s house. While this may sound too superficial or critical about media’s function and importance, providing momentary relaxation and enjoyment is one of the fundamental reasons behind the continuous survival of different media institutions. Mass media are not created out of a vacuum. Aside from man’s desire to communicate and express himself, mass media also serve as the bread and butter of various business tycoons. Yes, it cannot be denied the fact that media are also business establishments or organizations that are aiming towards corporate-related goals and attributions, rather than maintaining its role as the public’s herald and opinion platforms. This also best explains why different media establishments use mass appeal as one of the most important factors to consider in producing various kinds of media content. As a result, various kinds of media-related products are often characterized by their mediocrity and artificiality. There are instances wherein media representations of reality are way to exaggerated or romanticized. The situations and events that are presented seem be too imaginary and does not really articulate the happenings of the real world. Like plain pictures, reality, as shown in mass media channels, such as the newspapers, radio and most especially in films and television programs are often sanitized. The situations and events that are actually happening in the real world are readily modified to capture the public’s attention and therefore garner high ratings and a pool of advertisers. On one hand, this aspect is something that commonly occurs. One should not be surprised with this system. However, since mass media are pretty influential, somehow it also affects the views and behaviors of their respective audiences. If the media is expected to become harbingers of knowledge and information, then clearly, this scenario defeats such purpose. Reality’s portrayal and depiction in mass media is yet one of the most important issues and areas of concern that should be attended and carefully addressed. This stems from the fact that media is the so-called â€Å"fourth estate† which means that these organizations are influential. It can shape and mould the opinions and views of many, which in return, are essential in creating necessary public decisions. In a sense, their notion of reality as portrayed by media can affect the manner wherein an individual generates action and responses towards his or her environment. One of the most popular themes that are often shown in the media, to be more specific in television shows and programs, revolve around family matters. Basically, there are some reasons that can explain the proliferation and promotion of such media content. First of all, filial concerns are generic and encompassing. It is generic since every human being belongs to a family. Regardless of whether a person grew up in a â€Å"foster family,† still the notion of belonging to a highly reliable and trusted group is still apparent. Perhaps the only difference is that, in such a scenario, the biological connections are absent. But then again, in terms of having a primary foundation for one’s identity and members who are always there throughout the time are evident. The kind of â€Å"togetherness† and â€Å"identification† that other groups cannot possibly provide can be seen in the family. Tackling topics and themes regarding the family provides a common ground for many viewers. The problems and experiences that are shown in family oriented shows are reflective of the daily undertakings of an individual. It is easier for the audience to relate and connect to such themes. Understanding the concepts that are being shown does not generate much difficulty compared to other television programs. Despite of the fact that there are episodes which may dwell on heavy themes, the complexity may not be as intense as those of highly-customized shows such as documentaries for example or even in television programs that specifically deals with scientific-related issues and concerns. Given this aspect at hand, family oriented shows can capture the attention and interest of the viewer’s majority in a household. Within a family of five, there is a big chance for a family-oriented program to control these audiences. One can just imagine how many viewers a family oriented show can accumulate in just a single episode. This of course does not include patrons who are outside of the United States. Lastly, it can be also argued that family television programs or shows have less possibilities of being subject to censorship by media regulation boards and groups. Family alone as a concept means that children are involved. Therefore, the producers of these shows should be wary about the language that they use. This is already given regardless of whether minor audiences are really involved or not. Being tactful is strictly observed. What does this mean? This means that the show can somehow avoid the pitfalls and repercussions of being suspended and paying large amounts or sums of fines. The operations are maintained and somehow the program is able to enjoy a considerably high rating and at the same time retain its most loyal viewers or audiences. There is indeed a market for family-oriented shows and programs. However, the more pressing issues and concerns that should be given focus in here is the manner wherein mass media portrays and depict the overall picture of family life. One of the most immediate matters that should be addressed is whether the actual reality of what is happening within the lives of many families is â€Å"truly† shown in television shows and sitcoms. More often than not, while it is true that mass media seeks for objectivity and unbiased representation of reality, it is still affected by the politics, culture and orientation that surrounds it. These forces cannot be really excluded in the whole discussion since these have effects and impacts when it comes to media content. Yet, one should be wary of the fact that focusing on how family life is being shown in mass media channels covers a wide scope. Therefore, in order to make the study more specific and maintain clarity, the explanations and arguments presented in this paper shall provide emphasis on how gender roles are being contextualized in family-oriented programs or shows. In lieu to this, power relations and class struggles shall be touched and analyzed in the whole discussion. The whole concept and meaning of the term â€Å"family† connotes and convey â€Å"oneness, togetherness and belongingness. † However, the divisions that are brought upon by gender and sexual orientations somehow affect the three notions. At the same time, this also have an impact on how the overall picture of being family is being created right in front of the public’s eyes. If mass media has the power to reflect the multi-faceted aspects of reality, then the shows and programs that are shown by these institutions is expected to bring reality—as close as possible to its specific set of audience and viewers. The overall system that dictates society is still patriarchal. The governing rule that is practiced and adhered to is still male-oriented. But then again, it can be seen that the so-called â€Å"girl empowerment† is now making its presence felt. Women are no longer seen as the weaker sex. However, many have been familiar with the â€Å"male system—† that totally asserting women’s voices and opinions becomes a complicated task. In this context, whether equality and justice is already achieved, shall be answered in the succeeding parts of the discussion.