Free Essays on Effects of Television Violence on Children

The Effects of Television Violence on Children What is wrong with our world these days? It seems like everywhere someone looks, violence tend to exist. We see it in streets, alleys, schools and even at home. The one that exist at home is the major source of violence. In many people’s homes there is an instrument for violence that often goes unnoticed. It is the television, and children who view it are often dragged into a world filled with bloodshed. Television violence causes children to be violent and the affects can be life long. Research shows that television is definitely a major source of violent behavior in children. Some are fighting this problem, others are just ignoring it and hoping it will go away. Violent television viewing does affect children; and this information can’t be ignored. There are many number of cases to prove the effects of television violence destroying children’s minds. Not only does television violence affect the child’s youth, but it also affects his/her future. Many believe that exposure to these sort of violence might unnaturally sped up the child’s impact of the adult world. This can force the child into a premature maturity. The effects of television violence can be long lasting. Television violence can disrupt a child’s learning and thinking ability, which will cause long lasting problems. If a child cannot do well in school because of television, his/her whole future will be in jeopardy. Why do children like the violence that they see on television? I believe it is because the violence on television is more exciting and thrilling than the ones we encounter in real life. The television violence can cause actual violence in number of ways. One way would be; after viewing television violence the real world becomes weak and boring in comparison. Therefore the child will create violence to keep him/herself satisfied. The other reason why the enjoy television violence is that they f... Free Essays on Effects of Television Violence on Children Free Essays on Effects of Television Violence on Children The Effects of Television Violence on Children What is wrong with our world these days? It seems like everywhere someone looks, violence tend to exist. We see it in streets, alleys, schools and even at home. The one that exist at home is the major source of violence. In many people’s homes there is an instrument for violence that often goes unnoticed. It is the television, and children who view it are often dragged into a world filled with bloodshed. Television violence causes children to be violent and the affects can be life long. Research shows that television is definitely a major source of violent behavior in children. Some are fighting this problem, others are just ignoring it and hoping it will go away. Violent television viewing does affect children; and this information can’t be ignored. There are many number of cases to prove the effects of television violence destroying children’s minds. Not only does television violence affect the child’s youth, but it also affects his/her future. Many believe that exposure to these sort of violence might unnaturally sped up the child’s impact of the adult world. This can force the child into a premature maturity. The effects of television violence can be long lasting. Television violence can disrupt a child’s learning and thinking ability, which will cause long lasting problems. If a child cannot do well in school because of television, his/her whole future will be in jeopardy. Why do children like the violence that they see on television? I believe it is because the violence on television is more exciting and thrilling than the ones we encounter in real life. The television violence can cause actual violence in number of ways. One way would be; after viewing television violence the real world becomes weak and boring in comparison. Therefore the child will create violence to keep him/herself satisfied. The other reason why the enjoy television violence is that they f...

The Broken Record

The Broken Record Hate to sound like a broken record, but when I saw this quote, I hopped back up on that bandwagon I call diligence. Eighty percent of success is showing up.†Ã‚  - Woody Allen People are awfully sweet in complimenting me about my business savvy and ability to promote. Behind the scenes my husband shakes his head at my income. (You deserve to be paid more than you get for the time you invest.) Writers incomes are decreasing because of the huge number of writers in the mix, the ridiculous cost of ebooks which floods the market with free reading material, and the SEO writers around the world still willing to work for a penny a word. However, I cannot imagine not showing up to work each day. I love reading, writing, creating, and rubbing elbows with people who feel the same. So daily I rise and hit the keyboard. My duties include: 1) Researching material for FundsforWriters 2) Setting up appearances 3) Prepping material for online and in-person appearances 4) Tending social media and email 5) Writing on a novel 6) Seeking methods of promotion 7) Freelancing as the opportunities arise 8) Making notes about future books/articles To me they are all intermingled. One feeds the other, and frankly I love getting up and changing my mind as to what Ill do that day. But the bottom line is I show up every day. I write every day. During Thanksgiving, one of my sons asked, What have you done lately with your writing, because I know youve accomplished something new. You always do. Some days, however, I think its all for naught. Especially when I see others succeeding more than  me, or I hear nothing but negative on a given day; or worse, theres this big void of no response at all. But then a day dawns beautifully when I realize my work made it into another magazine, a book was chosen for an event/review/feature, my website landed me a public appearance. Some days I receive no reviews for my books, then other days I receive ten. This job is a yo-yo of the highest order. However, we never appreciate those grand days if we arent showing up for ALL days. Writing is a game of diligence, and while some days it feels like you are headed nowhere, in actuality, you are wearing down the resistance. The day will come when you realize all those thankless days of nothing were piling up and becoming days of worthiness.

Introduction to Financial Accounting Assignment

Introduction to Financial Accounting - Assignment Example Investors adopt this trading strategy because they would want to make big profits in as less time as possible, particularly when they perceive stocks as being overpriced. To short sell, an investor must have a margin account with the broker, for which the investor has to meet the initial margin requirement which is a proportion of the total investment that has to be paid in cash. For e.g., if an initial margin requirement is 50% on the total investment of  £10, 000 then an investor has to pay  £5000 in cash which is initial margin deposit and can borrow the rest of the amount. 1(f) Margin trading is purchasing stocks by borrowing money from the broker. For margin trading, an investor would need a margin account which has a specific initial and maintenance margin requirement (Reilly and Brown, 2003, p. 128). Investors opt for margin trading because it provides them with financial leverage or in other words, increases their buying power. If the margin in the account falls below the maintenance margin, the broker calls the investor to put in more cash in the account so that the margin can be maintained. This is known as a margin call (Reilly and Brown, 2003, p. 128) Therefore the range of maintenance margin values within which I will not get a margin call is values lesser than  £184652.9 and equal to or greater than  £163052.75 during the entire investment period. 2 (d) In order to find out if diversification would reduce the risk of the portfolio, the correlation of assets must be studied (Reilly and Brown, 2003, p. 245). The greater the number of negatively correlated assets in a portfolio, the lesser will be the risk. RSS and BLT correlation coefficient is 0.3637 which shows that the two stocks are moderately correlated, that might not help much in diversifying the risk of the portfolio.

Moral Intelligence Development Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Moral Intelligence Development Paper - Essay Example Some might argue that we already have an idea of our strengths and weaknesses, identifying our core values, yet we sometimes insist on believing in what we think is right or wrong. To help us identify these uncertainties, Lennick and Kiel created a Moral Competency Inventory (MCI). This is a worksheet with a set of values that will help us identify our strengths and point out our weaknesses to measure our moral competency alignment to give us a better understanding how we behave everyday and reexamine the values that needs improvement. In considering the Moral Competency Inventory in the context of my own there are a number of notable findings. The results indicate my strength is â€Å"admitting mistakes and failures.† This shows that I have the quality of being responsible; this is an important part of a morally intelligent person. According to Lennick and Kiel, â€Å"only a person willing to take responsibility for her actions-and consequences of those actions- will be able to ensure that her actions conform to universal human principles.† I used to be an individual that took life for granted and just road wherever the boat took me. During my teenage years, I ended up in considerable trouble: disregarded the law, dropped school, served time in jail, etc. But when I turned to my early twenties, a wonderful thing happened to my life – my first child was born. Although it took me a year to realize the importance of responsibility, I was able to overcome a lot of obstacles to be where I am right now. I’m currently a full-time student, working, and a single father of a six year old boy. Admitting my mistakes and failures was one of the hardest decisions I made in my life, but it was also one of the most rewarding aspects of my life – maybe that’s why my strength from MCI is â€Å"admitting mistakes and failures.† I was not completely aware of my strengths, but I do believe that I’m capable of

Basic Control Mechanisms of Thermoregulatory Process in Livestock Essay Example for Free

Basic Control Mechanisms of Thermoregulatory Process in Livestock Essay Introduction Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different (Wikipedia, 2012). Thermoregulation could also be referred to as the mechanisms and control systems used by the body to balance thermal inputs and thermal losses so as to maintain its core temperature nearly constant (Monique, 2002). This process is one aspect of homeostasis: a dynamic state of stability between an animals internal environment and its external environment (the study of such processes in zoology has been called ecophysiology or physiological ecology) (Wikipedia, 2012). If the body is unable to maintain a normal temperature and it increases significantly above normal, a condition known as hyperthermia occurs and any prolonged exposure (longer than a few hours) at this temperature without control mechanisms to bring it back to normal is tantamount to death of the animal. The opposite condition, when body temperature decreases below normal levels, is known as hypothermia. Most body heat is generated in the deep organs, especially the liver, brain, and heart, and in contraction of skeletal muscles (Guyton and Hall, 2006). Animals and humans have been able to adapt to a great diversity of climates, including hot humid and hot arid. High temperatures pose serious stresses for the animal body, placing it in great danger of injury or even death. For animals, adaptation to varying climatic conditions includes both physiological mechanisms as a byproduct of evolution, and the conscious development of cultural adaptations (Harrison et al., 1988; Weiss and Mann, 1985). There are four avenues of heat loss: convection, conduction, radiation, and evaporation (Wikipedia, 2012). If skin temperature is greater than that of the surroundings, the body can lose heat by radiation and conduction. But if the temperature of the surroundings is greater than that of the skin, the body actually gains heat by radiation and conduction. In such conditions, the only means by which the body can rid itself of heat is by evaporation. So when the surrounding temperature is higher than the skin temperature, anything that prevents adequate evaporation will cause the internal body temperature to rise (Guyton, 2006). During sports activities, evaporation becomes the main avenue of heat loss (Wilmore et al., 1999). Humidity affects thermoregulation by limiting sweat evaporation and thus heat loss (Guyton and Arthur, 1976). The skin assists in homeostasis (keeping different aspects of the body constant e.g. temperature). It does this by reacting differently to hot and cold conditions so that the inner body temperature remains more or less constant. Vasodilation and sweating are the primary modes by which humans attempt to lose excess body heat. The brain creates much heat through the countless reactions which occur. Even the process of thought creates heat. The head has a complex system of blood vessels, which keeps the brain from overheating by bringing blood to the thin skin on the head, allowing heat to escape. The effectiveness of these methods is influenced by the character of the climate and the degree to which the individual is acclimatized. Classification of Animals by Thermal Characteristics Based on thermal characteristics, animals could be classified into four broad groups: †¢ Endotherms: These are animals that create most of their heat via metabolic processes, and are colloquially referred to as warm-blooded. Most mammals and humans belong to this group. †¢ Ectotherms: These are animals that use external sources of temperature to regulate their body temperatures. They are colloquially referred to as coldblooded despite the fact that body temperatures often stay within the same temperature ranges as warm-blooded animals. Examples of animals that belong to this group are fish, amphibians and reptiles. †¢ Homeotherms: These are animals or organisms with stable body temperature which is independent of the temperature of the surrounding environment. Most endothermic organisms are homeothermic, like mammals. Although, fish are ectotherms because all of their heat comes from the surrounding water. However, most are homeotherms because their temperature is very stable. †¢ Poikiotherms: These are animals or organisms with variable body temperature. The body temperature varies according to the temperature of the surrounding environment. Animals with facultative endothermy are often poikilothermic, meaning their temperature can vary considerably. Examples of poikilotherms include amphibians, reptiles and fish. The Hypothalamus as a Thermoregulatory Centre Thermoregulation in both ectotherms and endotherms is controlled mainly by the preoptic area of the anterior hypothalamus (Romanovsky, 2007). In general, the posterior hypothalamus controls responses to cold, and the anterior hypothalamus controls responses to heat (Martha, 2010), hence, both serving as thermoregulatory centres. This area receives input from temperature receptors in the skin and mucous membranes (peripheral thermoreceptors) and from internal structures (central thermoreceptors), which include the hypothalamus itself (Dominika, 1998). The temperature sensory signals from the preoptic area and those from the periphery are combined in the posterior hypothalamus to control the heat producing and conserving reactions of the body. The hypothalamic thermostat works in conjunction with other hypothalamic, autonomic and higher nervous thermoregulatory centers to keep the core temperature constant. Some of these thermoregulatory responses are involuntary, mediated by the autonomic nervous system, some are neurohormonal and others are semi-voluntary or voluntary behavioral responses (Dominika, 1998). The brain receives signals regarding body temperature from the nerves in the skin and the blood. These signals go to the hypothalamus, which coordinates thermoregulation in the body. Both sets of information are needed so that the body can make appropriate adjustments. The thermoregulatory centre sends impulses to several different effectors to adjust body temperature. The signals from the hypothalamus control the sympathetic nervous system, which affects vasoconstriction, metabolism, shivering, sweating, and hormonal controls over temperature to bring the increased or decreased temperature back to normal (Wikipedia,2012) Figure 1: Schematic representation of the thermoregulatory centre role in thermoregulation (IHW, 2006) Feedback Control Mechanism for Thermoregulation in Hot Condition When the surroundings are hot or when the animal body is vigorously exercising, the following could be described as the summary of the feedback control system responsible for regulating the temperature back to normal: †¢ As the body core temperature starts to rise, the increase in temperature is detected by heat receptors in the body. †¢ †¢ These receptors send signals to the hypothermic thermostat. The thermostat inhibits the adrenergic activity of the sympathetic nervous system and stimulates the vasomotor system to dilate the capillaries underlying the skin. †¢ Arteriolar vasodilation occurs. The smooth muscle walls of the arterioles relax allowing increased blood flow through the artery. This redirects blood into the superficial capillaries in the skin increasing heat loss by convection, conduction and radiation. †¢ If the heat is sufficiently intense, the cholinergic sympathetic fibers, wh ich innervate sweat glands release ACh, stimulating sweat. †¢ The eccrine sweat glands under the skin secrete sweat (a fluid containing mostly water with some dissolved ions) which travels up the sweat duct, through the sweat pore and onto the surface of the skin. This causes heat loss via evaporative cooling; however, a lot of essential water is lost (Wikipedia, 2012). †¢ The hairs on the skin lay flat, preventing heat from being trapped by the layer of still air between the hairs. This is caused by tiny muscles under the surface of the skin called arrector pili muscles relaxing so that their attached hair follicles are not erect. These flat hairs increase the flow of air next to the skin increasing heat loss by convection. †¢ Behavioral responses to heat, such as lethargy, resting, lying down with limbs spread out or wallowing in pool of water or mud, decreases heat production and increases heat loss †¢ As the animal body gets cooler, the hypothalamic receptors detect this and diminish the heat loss prevention responses . †¢ The body core temperature returns to normal. It should be noted that most animals cant sweat efficiently. Cats and dogs have sweat glands only on the pads of their feet. Horses and humans are two of the few animals capable of sweating. Many animals pant rather than sweat because the lungs have a large surface area and are highly vascularised. Air is inhaled, cooling the surface of the lungs and is then exhaled losing heat and some water vapour. Figure 2: Schematic representation of thermoregulatory process in the body of an animal (IHW, 2006) Feedback Control Mechanism for Thermoregulation in Cold Condition When the surroundings are cold or when the animal body is resting, the following could be described as the summary of the feedback control system responsible for regulating the temperature back to normal: †¢ As the body core temperature starts to drop, this is detected by cold receptors in the body. †¢ These receptors send signals to both the hypothalamic thermostat and higher cortical centres in the CNS. †¢ The activation of the sympathetic centre results in several response which slow down the activity of the sweat glands. †¢ This lowers the production of sweat and it decreases the evaporation of sweat, which reduces heat loss by evaporation. †¢ The muscles under the surface of the skin called arrector pili muscles (attached to an individual hair follicle) contract (piloerection), lifting the hair follicle upright. This makes the hairs stand on end which acts as an insulating layer, trapping heat. †¢ The hypothalamus also signals the vasomotor system to constrict the capillaries underlying the skin. †¢ Arterioles carrying blood to superficial capillaries under the surface of the skin can shrink (constrict), thereby rerouting blood away from the skin and towards the warmer core of the body. This prevents blood from losing heat to the surroundings and also prevents the core temperature dropping further. This process is called vasoconstriction. It is impossible to prevent all heat loss from the blood, only to reduce it. In extremely cold conditions excessive vasoconstriction leads to numbness and pale skin. Frostbite only occurs when water within the cells begins to freeze, this destroys the cell causing damage (Wikipedia, 2012). This reduces heat loss by conduction, radiation, and convection. †¢ A Shivering Center in the hypothalamus is also activated which activates the brainstem motor centers to initiate involuntary contraction of skeletal muscles causing shivering. This increases heat production as respiration is an exothermic reaction in muscle cells. Shivering is more effective than exercise at producing heat because the animal remains still. This means that less heat is lost to the environment via convection. There are two types of shivering: low intensity and high intensity. During low intensity shivering animals shiver constantly at a low level for months during cold conditions. During high intensity shivering animals shiver violently for a relatively short time. Both processes consume energy although high intensity shivering uses glucose as a fuel source and low intensity tends to use fats. This is a primary reason why animals store up food in the winter (Wikipedia, 2012). †¢ There is also epinephrine secretion from adrenal medulla that increases thermogenesis.

Psychology Studies Essay -- essays research papers

Worobey, J., & Worobey, H. (1999) . The Impactg of a Two-Year School Breakfast Program for Preschool-Aged Children on Their Nutrient Intake and Pre-Academic Performance. Child Study Journal, 29, 113-131. This study contains information dealing with the relationship between nutrition and academic performance. The A variable consists of eating a well-balanced breakfast with a School Breakfast Program (SBP), while the B variable consists of pre-academic performance. The procedure these researchers used to study a nutritional breakfast was to provide preschoolers with a SBP. Every morning that the children attended school, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the preschoolers who participated would arrive at school at 8:15 A.M. and would eat breakfast in the dining hall until 9:00 A.M. when class would begin. The students were offered a breakfast that consisted of a serving of milk, a serving or fruit or vegetable or full-strength juice, and two servings of bread or meat or bread or meat-alternatives. The children could eat what they wished of the possible choices and every child ate breakfast on all the days it was available. The parents of the first randomly assigned group were asked to main tain breakfast log to keep a record of the breakfasts that the child ate on the days they did not attend school. The same routine was administered to the next randomly assigned group that was evaluated. Next each child in the experiment was tested for about 20 to 30 minutes each. These tests all took place before the daily snack was served. The pre-academic performance was observed through a series of tests that did not test General Intelligence. Instead they tested cognitive performance through memory games and mazes. These test included: Mazes, The Preschool Embedded Figures Test, Verbal Memory, Numerical Memory, Pattern Match, and Same of Different. Another study was constructed that only differed in the fact that a control group of student was used to compare to the group having the SBP. These students were given breakfast at home, keeping a log of what they ate. The tests administered were the same as in the first study.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The sample in the first study consisted of twelve pre-school aged children, five girls and seven boys ranging from the age of 3 years, 10 months to 5 years, 2 months. The sample in the second study consisted of 19 children... ...st year college GPAs and eating breakfast. However, the relationship between not eating breakfast and higher GPAs could have been a collinear relation to sleeping-habit factors, since those who woke up earlier have a better chance of eating breakfast. After controlling the effects of weekend and weekday wake up time, the study demonstrated that eating breakfast did not significantly affect the GPA. However, eating breakfast did prove to improve real and spatial memory among the students. No other nutritional-related variable had a significant effect on student GPA.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This was for the most part, a â€Å"good study† to test the relationship between health related factors and GPAs. The students were randomly assigned and the tests given to measure any correlation were valid tests that were reviewed by professionals in the areas. The part that was bad was the fact that the survey consisted of students that were available to respond. They were all at the same university. I think a wider sample that included student at different universities may have given a better representation of college students and the effects of nutrition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (DD)

Influence on the General Motors Corporation Essay

This report analyzes the primary internal and external influence on the General Motors Corporation and the influence of changing political environment on policy making and response of the corporation. Then the report discusses the changing political environment in and its influence. The influences of political environment on policies and decision making to the corporation are analyzed. The corporation response to the political environment changing is critically evaluated. At last, some improvement suggestion for the corporation in the response of the changing political environment is demonstrated. IntroductionGeneral Motors Corporation is the largest automobile manufactures in the world. The corporation, which is located in Detroit, employs more than 260 millions people and sells cars and trucks in about 35 countries. The corporation has a dominant influence in automobile market in the United States and other developed market such as the United Kingdom, Canada and so on. The corporation also enjoys a large market share in the rapid growing market of developing countries such as China and Brazil. However, the corporation is in face of changing internal and external environment. Discussion and AnalysisIn the first part of the report, the primary internal and external influence is analyzed following the SWOT Matrix, which is a modern tool for analysis of internal and external environment. In the SWOT Matrix, the S stands for strengths, W for weaknesses, O for opportunities, and T for threats. The strengths and weaknesses are the analysis of internal influence while the opportunities and threats stand for the influence of external environments. In the following part of the report, the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats that have influence of the organization is discussed one by one. Internal influence: Strengths This section analyzes the internal strengths of the corporation. The General Motors are rich in brands and product lines. The General Motors Corporation acquired and mergers many brands and auto companies in the early stage of its history. The General Motors Corporation acquired Buick and Oldsmobile after it is founded. Then it brought Cadillac, Elmore and Oakland and so on. As a result, the corporation owns many brands  which are fit for different segmented markets. Comparing to Ford’s only providing black Model T cars in the early years the General Motors Corporation provides various models, colors and brands for different markets. For example, the practical and economical Chevrolet are designed for entry level consumers, the Buick are make for middle class buyer and luxury Cadillac for high end consumers. (Warell, 2008) The advantage of multi brands strategy is to satisfy the needs and wants of different group of consumers to enter more segmented markets. The multi brands make GM a giant automaker and enjoys large market share. The General Motors Corporation has the strength that it governs the advance technology and has an influencing power in the distribution channel. The General Motors Corporation has developed for a century since it is founded in 1908. During the time, the technology and channel influence is accumulating and increasing. The technology is of great importance in the motor industry, but the technology accumulating needs a long period. The General Motors Corporation now governs the advanced technology that it can make more sophisticated automobiles which are more durable, more safety, and have a rapider speed. On the other hand, the General Motors Corporation has a dominant power in the distribution channel. The General Motors Corporation has been the top automobile manufacturer for a long time accordingly it has a strong bargaining power in the distribution channel. The corporation can distribute it product in the United States and all around the world. The technology and distribution chan nel can be a great assistant in the further development of the organization. Internal influence: Weaknesses This section analyzes the internal weaknesses of the corporation. One of the most significant weaknesses is that the cost of production is too high. The Japanese automakers such as Toyota are dangerous competitors for the General Motors Corporation and the have scrambled for quite a large part of market shares if the GM in America and the global markets. The Japanese competitors cut down the cost tremendously by lean production. However, the production cost is still high in the General Motors Corporation. And the inefficiency of production cause the high price of its automobiles and the market share shrinks accordingly.  (Coffey, 2005) Especially in face of the financial crisis, the General Motors Corporation has much to learn form lean production to cut down its production prices. The bureaucratic culture is another weakness in the corporation. The General Motors Corporation employs more than 260 millions staff, which composes a huge and complex organization. The General Motors Corporation had taken the lead in organization. For example, the corporation had injected into matrix organization that combined the functional and project patterns of department in the same corporation in early years. The General Motors Corporation also organized with strategic business unit that classified products and product lines in the same independent business department in ahead of other corporations. The decentralization makes each department a profit centre. However, after ages of development the departments and business units concerns more on their own benefits and become bureaucratic. The well defined division of departments and united became deficiency and resistance to change. Formal and informal networks formed in the corporation. The bureaucratic culture is accumulating and hander the further development of the corporation. External influence: Opportunities This section analyzes the external opportunities of the corporation. The emerging markets of developing countries provide a great opportunity for the General Motors Corporation. The market of developed countries is fully covered and closed to saturation in the modern days. For example, in the United States there are two cars in a family in average so the market can not keep a rapid growing rate. On the country, market in developing countries shows their potential. The sales volume in China and Brazil is second only to the market of the United States. Many international automaker groups are scrambling for these markets. The large and potential markets of developing countries will provide opportunities for the corporation. The achievement in technology is a great opportunities for the General Motors Corporation. The technology makes breakthrough achievement in fields of information, manufacturing, fuel and so on. The advance of information  technology and implementation of management information system make it possible to collect and analysis accurate data and information all around the huge organization. The computers and instant communication tool help the corporation to organize and manage the supply chain. The new methods in manufacturing, such as lean production, can increase the efficiency of production while cutting down the cost. The leading edge achievement on fuel and new energy engine can promote the upgrade of automobiles. The General Motors Corporation is huge enough to afford the cost of R&D center and the implement of new technology, which in turn can raise the competency of the corporation. (Sengi et al, 2004) External influence: Threats This section analyzes the external threats of the corporation. The increasingly growing price of petroleum is a threat to the General Motors Corporation. On the one hand, consumers turn to other transport tools when they can not afford the high petro price. On the other hand, they want to purchase energy saving automobiles. Many products of the General Motors Corporation are large in size and heavy in weight and they are high fuel consumption motors. The fluctuation of oil price has a negative effect on the sales volume of the automobile of the General Motors Corporation. Some political affaires such as wars and conflictions in the Middle East, the â€Å"oil shock† caused by OPEC with economic and political purpose, the environment protection organizations anti-automobile movement and so on, enhance the threats of oil price turbulence. The competition, both in the United States and the global market, is a vital threat to the General Motors Corporation. There are three automaker giants in the United States. They are the General Motors, Ford, and Daimler Chrysler. They compete fierce in the United States and in global market. In the Europe, there are strong competitors such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Peugeot etc. In the 1970s, with the raising of oil price, some Japanese automakers gradually seized the automobile market shares. The low cost and energy saving cars, such as Toyota, Honda and so on became world famous brands. More and more automobile brands enter into the United States and they also scramble the global automobile market. (Loomis, 2006) They compete and try to meet consumers’ different needs and wants with lower production cost. The competition in and abroad America is fierce and threats the  survival of the General Motors Corporation. The following is the second part of the report. This section of the report discusses the changing environment in and aboard the United States. First, the influences of political environment on policies and decision making to the General Motors Corporation will be analyzed. Second, the corporation response to the political environment changing will be critically evaluated. At last, some improvement suggestion for the corporation in the response of the changing political environment will be demonstrated. Influence on policies and decision makingThis section analyzes the influence of political environment change on the policies and decision making of the corporation. The political environment has great influence on the operation of the General Motors Corporation. One of the key political influences of the General Motors Corporation and automobile industry is the increased protectionism for fear of the decline of employment in the industry. The major automakers employ so many employees that the decline of automobile sales volume will cause the significant increase of unemployment in a country. As a result, many governments tend to support the automobile industry, no matter in the form of fund assistant, protective tariff or quota. The government of the United States has a tradition of protecting its automobile industry. For example, the America government used high protective tariff to protect the automakers from the competitors from Europe and Japan in the last century. The government also gave financial assistant to the automaker that is at the verge of bankruptcy such as Chrysler. In the modern time, the automakers fall into trap again and the financial crisis enhance the tendency. The America government aims to give a large quantity of money to the automakers and use other protection methods to protect the automobile industry. It can be seem that the changing of political environment has significant influence on the policy and decision making of the General Motors Corporation. (Bowler et al, 1996) However, different presents and its government in the United States may have different attitudes on the protectionism of the Automobile industry. The General Motors Corporation should take serious consideration on the change of political environment and make full use of it. The Country Alliances and Economic Blocs and other regional cooperation organizations are another main tendency of the political environment. The competition extends form national to blocs, even global. (Cho, 1998) The North American Free Trade Agreement, which including the United States, Canada, and Mexico, formed in 1994 with the purpose of freeing the trade, eliminating tax barriers and promoting fair trade in the North America. The NAFTA also extended to Free Trade Area of the Americas, which including country in the North America, Latin America and Caribbean countries. Many European countries ally with each other to form the European Union. After years of development, the union own 27 membership countries and creates a common economic area, in which people move and trade freely. There are many other Country Alliances and Economic Blocs such as Association of Southeast Asian and so on. The political tendency of regional cooperation requires the top managers of the General Motors Corporation to consider and resolve the benefit conflicts between one power countries blogs and another when making decisions and policies. The Country Alliances and Economic Blocs and other regional cooperation organizations provide opportunities for the automobile manufacturers but the organizations in other area also became threat to the United States. The decisions and policies makers of the General Motors Corporation have to make strategy to cope with the tariff and nontariff barriers within and between the Country Alliances and Economic Blocs. The corporation should rethink its strategy. (Tay, 2007) The structure of the corporation according to different regional cooperation organizations should be considered when making decisions and policies. (Sastry, 1997) The new staffing and leading methods to deal with culture diversity also influence the policy and decision making of the Genera l Motors Corporation. The labor union, environmental organization and other political groups are gaining more and more power. The United Auto Workers is a key labor union in the automobile manufacturing industry. The union fights for the benefits of workers such as less working hours, more salaries, health insurance and pensions and so on. The labor union cause the high cost of the General Motors Corporation. The total expense on employees is almost twice as much as the workers in other industry in the United States, and much more than  the employees in competitors’ factories, such as Honda and Toyota. (Benders and Morita, 2004) The union is blamed as the reason of the uncompetitive of the General Motors Corporation and the crisis of the automobile industry. However, the methods to deal with the strong political power are the problem to the policies and decisions makers of the General Motors Corporation. In 2007, the United Auto Workers went on a strike against the General Motors Corporation, which causes tremendously negative effects on the General Motors Corporation. So the policies and decisions of the corporation should balance the interest of the employees. The environmental organizations are gaining more and more power. With the increasingly dangerous environment problems, many green groups, which become independent and influencing political power, claim for the protection of the earth. Motor vehicle exhaust is considered as the main effects of the greenhouse effect. Some green groups are against the using of automobiles, which cause the decline of the automobile sales volume. As the increasing of environment protection power and the widely acceptance of the green opinion, the managers should make new policies and decisions such as designing alternative fuels vehicles. Evaluation of GM’s responseThis section critically evaluates the corporation’s response to the changing political environment. In face of the dynamic changing political environment, the General Motors Corporation makes some responses accordingly. The General Motors Corporation makes full use of the protectionism policies and financial assistance of the government to maximize its benefits. In order to be more influence in political, the General Motors Corporation spends a lot of money on political contributions. Statistics shows that the General Motors Corporation spent quite a lot of money as the political contribution for both the Democrats and the Republicans. The spending on lobbying the members of parliament is also quite large. Besides the political contributions, the General Motors Corporation also spends plenty of money on charities. For example, the General Motors Corporation is the exclusive financial source of â€Å"Safe Kids Buckle Up† program, which p rotect the children through education and inspection. The political and charitable contributions are positive and active response to the changing political environment. On the one hand, the General Motors Corporation strengthens its influence and enhances the  connection with the government. On the other hand, the corporation undertaken its social responsibility, which wins the corporation positive reputation so the General Motors Corporation can easily get the support when in crisis and consumers tend to purchase automobiles of the corporation. In the behavior of giving political and charitable contribution, the General Motors Corporation well response to the political change and gain more political influence, which helps the corporation get protection from the government. The Country Alliances and Economic Blocs and other regional cooperation organizations are a main political change these decades. In order to minimize the hindrance and the conflict between different Economic Blocs, the General Motors Corporation makes trade strategy, ally with other automaker group, and establish joint venture in some countries. For example, the United States and China have different ideologies and economic situations and they belong to different Country Alliances and Economic Blocs. The Chinese government forbids the wholly foreign owned subsidiary in the automobile industry. The China customs also charge tariff on the automobiles. In order to enter the market of other Country Alliances and Economic Blocs, the General Motors Corporation establishes joint venture with Chinese company. The Shanghai GM joint venture is created by the General Motors Corporation and a Chinese company, in which the automobiles of China’s market were manufactured. The General Motors Corporation brings advance technology, operation experience to the venture. The joint venture employs local workers whose salaries are quite low comparing with the workers of the United Auto Union. The joint venture brings profits for both sides and the General Motors Corporation avoids the high tariff and nontariff protection between different countries and different Economic Blocs. The General Motors Corporation makes an effective response to cover the gap between the Country Alliances and Economic Blocs. The labor union and environmental organization become increasingly influencing political powers. The General Motors Corporation tries hard to response properly to the increasingly strong power of the labor union. The United Auto Union is blame as the cause of uncompetitive of the General Motors Corporation for the members’ salaries in the union are much higher than its foreign competitors. The General Motors Corporation tries to cut down costs of the workforces in face of the financial crisis and problem of the automobile industry. The General Motors Corporation makes a policy of eliminating the lifetime health benefits of the white collar retirees. It is a hard decision after negotiation to response the political environment change and the automobile industry crisis. The General Motors Corporation has a long way to go, but it has taken a constructive step to response to the changing of political environment. In response to the political force of green groups, the General Motors Corporation designs energy saving vehicles which implement alternative fuels and electric. The corporation researches and designs some alternative technology vehicles and some flex fuel burning vehicles. The General Motors Corporation also builds an automotive battery laboratory to research on battery for the electric vehicles. The hybrid electric vehicles are a more practicable automobile in the future. The General Motors Corporation introduced the hybrid concept vehicle in 2005. Up to now, the corporation owes several hybrid electric automobile models and even all electric vehicles. The General Motors Corporation does a good job in developing alternative fuels and electric vehicles in response to the environment protection political power. Areas for improvementThis section demonstrates some areas for improvement of the corporation. The General Motors Corporation does well in response to the challenge of changing political environment. However, there are still some areas for improvement for the corporation. The most important improvement area is to raise the manufacturing efficiency. The average cost of manufacturing in the General Motors Corporation is high comparing with its main competitors such as Toyota. The Toyota is scrambling the market share of the GM little by little in the United States and all around the world. The competitiveness of Toyota come form the low cost caused from lean production. The core spirit of lean product is more value with less work. The purpose of production is to provide value to the final consumers. The expense for other goals is considered as a waste, by which the waste of resource is eliminated and the manufacturing efficiency promoted. It can introduce advance assembly line and reorg anize the logistic department,  through which the supply chain is organized. (Kochan, 2003) The lean production and be combined with six sigma quality and total quality management to maximize the efficiency and cut down the cost. (Dahlgaard and Dahlgaard-Park, 2006)The General Motors Corporation can make a reform on culture. It can build a harmonious culture as in Japanese automobile manufacturing factories to coordinate the relationship and benefits between managers and workers. On the one hand, the harm of the Union Auto Workers can be minimized and the cost of manufacture can be cut down. On the other hand, the harmonious culture can promote the efficiency of manufacturing. The General Motors Corporation also needs to fight against the bureaucratic culture. The organization structure can be reformed and reconstructed break out the barriers between different departments and stimulate the cooperation of different profit centers. Different methods can also be implemented to motivate confidence, communicate and collaborate between staff in different level. ConclusionThis report analyzes the internal and external environment of the General Motors Corporation in the first paragraph and then discusses the changing political environment of the corporation. In analysis, the strengths of branding strategy and advantage in technology and channel, the weaknesses of high production cost and bureaucratic culture, the opportunities of emerging markets and achievement of technology, and the threats of petroleum price fluctuation and strong competitors are analyzed with the SWOT model. In the second part of the report, the influence of political environment change is discussed in three perspectives. They are the protectionism from government, the tendency of Country Alliances and Economic Blocs, and the growing in strength of labor union, green groups and other political groups. Their influence on policies and decision making and the response of the corporation are analyzed and critically evaluated. Then some suggestions are given on several areas for improvement of the corporation. Recommendations As is analyzed in above, the General Motors Corporation can improve in two ways. First, the corporation can introduce new manufacturing methods, such as the lean production, the six sigma quality and total  quality management and so on. By implementing advanced manufacture methods, the corporation can promote its efficiency in manufacturing while reducing the cost. Second, the corporation can build a harmonious culture and fight against the bureaucratic culture, through which the barriers between different departments are broken while the staff in the corporation is motivated. Reference: Benders, J. and Morita, M. (2004), ‘Changes in Toyota Motors’ operations management’, International Journal of Production Research, 42(3), pp: 433-45. Bowler, S. et al. (1996), ‘The growth of the political marketing industry and the California initiative proces’ European Journal of Marketing, 30(10/11), pp: 166-78. Cho, D.S. (1998), ‘From national competitiveness to bloc and global competitiveness’ Competitiveness Review, 8(1), pp: 11-23. Coffey, D. (2005), ‘Delineating comparative flexibility in car assembly: the problem of wide selection’ International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 5(1), pp: 18-31. Dahlgaard, J.J. and Dahlgaard-Park, S.M. (2006), ‘Lean production, six sigma quality, TQM and company culture’ The TQM Magazine, 18(3), pp: 263-81. Kochan, A. (2003), ‘GM creates flexible assembly line at its Ellesmere Port plant in the UK’ Assembly Automation, 23(1), pp: 32-5. Loomis, C.J. (2006), ‘The tragedy of General Motors’, Fortune, 153 (3), pp: 31-45. Sastry, M.A. (1997), ‘Problems and paradoxes in a model of punctuated organizational change’, Administrative Science Quarterly, 42(2), pp: 237-75. Sengir, G.H. et al (2004), ‘Modeling relationship dynamics in GM’s research-institution partnerships’, Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 15(7), pp: 541-59. Tay, H.K. (2007), ‘Rethinking competition in the world auto market: cultural determinants, strategic’ Strategy & Leadership, 35(4), pp: 31-7. Warell, A. (2008), ‘Multi-modal visual experience of brand-specific automobile design’ The TQM Journal, 20(4), pp: 356-71.

Review of “the Propaganda of the Saints in the Middle Ages.”

The â€Å"Propoganda of Saints in the Middle Ages† article, written by Esther Cohen, goes over many of the methods the Catholic Church employed to gain power over the people in Europe. Cohen goes through the middle ages by describing how the Catholic Church was spreading its faith; mainly through the use of propaganda. An Age of Faith took place between the fall of the Roman Empire and the discovery of America. Cohen describes how the in the early years of the church, martyred Christians rapidly assumed a high position in the churches hierarchy of faith. These saints where given to have special powers and gradually became central to the Catholic Church; as opposed to God. Cohen describes a clear attempt from the Church to portray a consistent propaganda campaign aimed at raising the level of sainthood in the public eye. This was not difficult to do as the church had three things with it that gave it absolute power. First thing the church had, was that its message it brought with it that could not be questioned in any way. The information they brought with them could not be voluntarily accepted or rejected, and the church had an obligation to spread that message. Secondly, the churches message was absolute and its authority was unquestionable. The church had no competition in that there was no one who could match the propaganda they brought. Lastly, the church had a centrally organized, universal message, which meant that it could be easily tailored for the masses. Pilgrimages became common; this cemented the church even further as they build grand churches filled with â€Å"holy relics† of the saints. These relics were given to have special powers when yielded by the saints of the church. Many of the pilgrims believed this message and probably never questioned it. Many of them were filled with awe when they saw the grand magnificence of the church and the stained glass windows within them (peasants would never see such sights if it hadn’t been for the church). The fact is that all of the church’s teachings came from a central point, making the message more or less universal and uniform. The central church was able to put together its message, and then pass it along to other churches that administered it to the masses. The message was hammered in generation to generation. The Catholic Church was a big influence in the lives of people in Europe. This essay by Cohen illustrates just how big an influence it actually was. From the very beginning, it brought a centralized message which was labelled indisputable. The reason it was followed was that since no one could actually challenge their message; they destroyed everything in their way to ensure it. Cohen really describes the transgression well as he describes it progress thru the ages and develop into what amounts to an international conglomerate. They opened up many different franchises, preaching the same message. Of course the message had its deviations; much of the church’s beliefs stemmed from the local saints. As saints were given more and more power; this was another good way of getting the locals to support their cause. It is remarkable at the amount of effective propaganda that came from the church in the earlier period of history; as there is not too much in the way of intelligent, centralized, effective messages before that time period. The church truly did stand the test of time even until today. It has and had tremendous effects over people’s lives as they try to come to terms with the world around them. The reason it’s so important is that even though Gods message has always been around over time, no one was more able to use it to their advantage other than the Catholic Church. The message became centralized and faith was transferred from God to local Saints, which also took away from any truth that the church might have brought with it. Their reason for doing it may be obvious, in that they ended up controlling massive amounts of territory and even holding sway over Kings and Nobles; the ultimate aphrodisiac happens to be power. The church had no boundaries so it could cross vast amounts of areas relatively untouched. Cohen s article really is a shocking look at some of the practises of the Clergy creating magnificent churches and housing â€Å"Holy Relics† in them to prove their point. This is the precursor to what we knew as propaganda as it seems the Catholic Church must have had people working for them who knew how to get the masses attention. Their organization stood the test of time; and possibly did everything they possibly could to maintain it. Towards the end of the Church’s iron grip over Europe, the organization was so engrained in the people’s hearts and minds that it, even hundreds of years later, still holds tremendous sway over what kinds of decisions people make in their lives. Even if there are not as many people who follow the Catholic Church as much as they would have done in the past, the Pope is regarded as an important symbol for peace the world over (even though the words peaceful and the Roman Catholic Church can hardly be used in the same sentence). It appears that the Church values its image very highly, and tend to move with the times according to the general feeling what it would consider its subjects. In the past, the church would not hesitate to use force to establish themselves in a certain area; but in this politically charged world, they have given themselves more of a cleaner image by not physically attacking their opposition. It is shocking to read about how they Church went as far as to make fake relics filled with tears, etc. Going to the lengths they went to, it is clear how they could have held so much power. The Catholic Church was known to be ruthless in their all encompassing network. They went to great lengths to preserve this power. This is evident from the very beginning of the church as its entire history is drenched with warfare and power grabbing. One of the tools church had at its disposal was the power of knowledge, which it did its best to hoard. Knowledge is power, and keeping the masses ignorant helped it keep its power structure. The Catholic Church confiscated or destroyed everything that it considered against the church. This led to many works that may have criticised the power structure labelled as heresy; resulting in the torture and death of the writer or anyone associated with it. The article delves into some important details about the manipulation of materials to grab people’s attention. The strategies and tactics the church used were remarkable in that they built magnificent cathedrals just so they could bring in pilgrims to show them holy relics, which they were told had special powers. Having the knowledge and expertise to build such churches at such a time shows a very large concerted effort to push an agenda forward. The Catholic Church has truly stood the test of time in many ways; they were able to successfully push their message across and labelled it undisputable, at the same time making an effort to expand and keep the people eating from their hands. Even today, there are very few in politics who would dare cross the line to admonish the church, as it would mean suicide in the world of politicians. They would rather have the church as an ally, which does tend to give them a better image in the public’s view. In the past and even now, top elected officials have to appear to be faithful, or otherwise the mentality of the voting public would hardly chose them. In â€Å"Critical Theory and TechnoCulture: Habermas and Baudrillard,† Karl Marx’s theories are reviewed by two big contributors to communication theory: Jurgen Habermas and Jean Baudrillard. Mark Poster writes about how these two theorist dove into the areas where Marx was ambiguous and tried to explain the situation in more detail. Although they weren’t completely successful in their quest to explain the behaviour of mankind, Habermas and Baudrillard did make a big leap forward in their respective contributions. One of the problems with Karl Marx’s theories is that he tends to overlook or downplay the parts that are uncertain. Habermas and Baudrillard talked about how Marx failed to acknowledge basic communication theory, and the fact that he ignored technology as one of the biggest drivers of human civilization. Marx’s only aim seemed to be was the wage labourer to free himself from the greedy capitalist. Mark Poster attempts to ask about the theories of Karl Marx is that: did Marx give enough reasoning behind the relationships between technology and culture, labour and symbolism in work, and whether he really understood human consciousness? His argument is that Marx’s vision was too easy, and that he did not pay attention anything that was too complicated to explain or did not fit as part of his predictions. Poster understands that Marx knew his history, and was very knowledgeable about his topics, but there were still gaps in his writings that needed further explanation: The critique of political economy explores every turn of the capitalist structure; the critique of cultural politics is general, vague, and undeveloped. †[1] Poster explains that when Marx was doing his analysis, he did not theorize enough about the nature of social communication and how technology becomes signified objects. Technology is peculiar as it seems to have a two pronged approach; one where it levels the playing field for general society, or one where it extends the gap between the haves and have not’s. Language is termed as one of the central tools of social interaction and that needed more explanation before the theory could be complete. Without this missing piece, Marx was way off in his predictions of what would happen to capitalism and the role of workers. The spread of bureaucracy also solidified the way language was used. Technology and the change it brought also included change in language structure. The essay goes on to explain the extensions that Jurgen Habermas and Jean Baudrillard make to the critical theory. One of Habermas’s arguments is that Marx was unable to distinguish between emancipation and science. Habermas came from a school of thought which was worried about the fact that the scientific movement became the reason for domination, instead of it being used as a tool for freedom. He believes that Marx had left out the communication and language aspect of individuals which is a major part of our behaviour. For Habermas, speech has an important aspect as it can be used to distort the truth and can be a means of domination. His argument is that any time a speech situation fails; it can be down to the class struggle which Marx talked about. Of course, in practise, it is very difficult to find an ideal speech situation; making it difficult to analyse the truth. Jean Baudrillard criticizes Marxism’s analysis Marx analysis of the mode of production as the driving force of society. Commodities become social signifiers rather than something useful. One of the problems Baudrillard sees with Marxist ideology is that he ignores culture. The problem with Marx is that he never saw the symbolic nature of products and production. Baudrillard maintains that products become symbols whether by intention or not. The word â€Å"hyper-reality† is used to describe the fact that products began to contain their own reality; that is, nothing becomes more than ownership of the product itself. There is much missing from Baudrillards theories. He fails to describe what he meant by the â€Å"code,† which is how he described the relationship between consumers and consumed. At some points, he failed to realize the real positive potential that the media brought with it. But what Baudrillard brought to critical theory was remarkable. The insights provided by him went beyond convention to explain these theories in more detail. Mark Posters article brings a lot of interesting points about the missing pieces in Marx’s theories. There were many missing pieces of Marx and some of them are pointed out from the writings of Baudrillard and Habermas. One feels that Marx did leave out many details of his work, because people do not necessarily think about working for the state in the way it was described. Marx did not realize the importance of technology and its place in society. But in his world, there would not be much room available for research and development. When we put technology as a big part of human evolution, good things happen as the quality of life has improved. The idea behind everyone in society being equal sounds nice; but in practise, is rarely possible. The elements of language and technology where important to the framework of human interaction, this is one of the reasons why Marx’s predictions didn’t go to plan. He did not envision the fact that politicians would use bureaucracy to further establish their control over society. This use of language was not present in earlier periods, which may be why it may have been overlooked. New technology also changed the way language was used to further complicate the communication process. Technology also brought with it further divisions between those who have it and those who don’t. New products or technology has a materialistic nature to it that is still unexplained with the critical theory of Marx. One of the reasons Marx may have failed to have predicted violent revolt from the masses is that they do not want violent rebellion. Marx failed to foresee the fact that people would try to work together by creating unions and similar institutions to protect themselves from undue distress from their work. Marx was half right in that the powerful capitalists at the time were exploiting their workers for mostly the owner’s benefit. The other half that Marx did not envision was that most people would not choose violence; given the circumstances force became the last possible option. Technology also helped the regular working class to live comfortably by at home. Habermas picks up where Marx left in the explanation of critical theory. There were many missing pieces that Marx did not talk about; some of these were about technology and communication theories. Technology changes over time and can be very beneficial to us; failing to see its advantages and disadvantages is ignoring a big aspect of human behaviour and actions. As technology improves, our lives improve as well and modes of production change as well. Of course the other aspect of technology is that it can be used to dominate. Marx should have explored this topic further and he would have understood the consequences better. Ignoring these ideas shows that Marx probably had his own agenda in place as he wrote his theories. He may have deliberately left these things out in his argument to make it seem simpler than it first appeared. Maybe if he mentioned technology, it would have opened up a new world to mention and explain. The same can be said when it came to the communication aspect of Marx. Habermas also mentions how class struggle is bourne out of a failure in communication. This statement has a lot of fact because it is ultimately the class we identify with as the class we understand. The aspirations and lives of those who are poor are different than those of the middle class or ultra-rich, and those 3 groups barely understand one another. But these divisions will always exist – there will always be people who are well off and those who are not, even in a ideal communist society. Mark Poster also writes about how Habermas tries to fill in the gaps of communication theories left unexplained by Marx. Would the masses really want a violent revolution? People do not have a thirst for warfare; it is usually forced upon them by their leaders. Having endless war to bring about easier lives does not seem too economical; so they would prefer resistance by nonviolent means as it is understood that they are the drivers of the system. Without their input, machinery could not move, so the â€Å"greedy capitalist† was somewhat marginalized by labour unions and laws. Marx failed to see this, even though the powder keg was definitely in place. Habermas’s theories about the ideal speech situations are interesting. There would be very few times indeed that it would be true. It seems possibly one of the societies that come to mind that bear a place for the ideal speech would be the oral Greek tradition. A man who knows how to use speech could possibly get away with murder if he knows how to sway the audience. Again, the ideal speech situation might not garner good things; it may present powerful people with bad intentions using it to dominate their society. Baudrillards arguments about Marx have also have also showed gaps about critical theory. He feels that it can be dangerous for a society to be solely reliant on commodities for the states benefit. Every society has some sort of culture that it brings. Marx, in Baudrillards view, ignores culture as one of the major driving forces of society. Culture is ultimately what decides the direction society takes and the ideas it chooses to adopt. An idea from one culture might not be acceptable in other cultures, so it becomes difficult to transmit ideas across nations. Marx does not mention these facts and pretty much ignores them. It is difficult to understand how Marx, who was well aware of history and its nuances, could ignore such an important factor. Baudrillards analysis of products is an interesting one. It is remarkable that he could see that commodities become status symbols. This is exactly what happens to products; they become more for show than for the function they are supposed to carry. This is evident is the advertising that is presented in the mass media. These status symbols can become part of who we are as people, and this has always been the case throughout history; whether it is gold and other precious metals and stones in the past, or Bentlys and Valentino suits today. These things cannot change under any kind of rule, so ignoring these facts means ignoring our general makeup. In missing this analysis, Marx ignores the true nature of products and production; to keep the masses quite and consumed. One of the pieces missing from Baudrillard is the proper explanation of what he meant by his â€Å"code. The reader gets a sense of what he meant by reading and analysing his work, but a good definition would go a long way in explaining just what he was talking about here. It is unclear whether he is talking about the materialistic nature of things or the guidelines by which they are advertised. It is remarkable that Baudrillard understood these facts; he would have witnessed firsthand, the world of advertising taking its current form. This new form stopped advertising things with simple functional messages, and started advertising them with relation to fantasies that play against our minds to capture our attention. Early psychologists understood this and used their knowledge to help advertisers come up with these new messages. Mark Poster tries to explain the missing parts of Marx critical theory. The missing gaps were quite gapping and Jean Baudrillard and Jurgen Habermas exposed many of them. The essay delves into these gaps and tries to explain the missing pieces, as told by well known communication theorists. It seems that Marx, rather than a genuine interest in the freedom for man, has an agenda behind his writings. There as so many important gaps that he just completely ignored, so this scenario seems likely to be true. Technology and culture are important to us, without them, we can become aimless and self destructive. Poster brought it together very well by indicating that there are many parts still to be explored, indicating the work on the complete analysis for critical theory is still incomplete. Bibliography Cohen, Esther. â€Å"The Propaganda of the Saints in the Middle Ages. † Journal of Communication, 1981. Poster, Mark. â€Å"Critical Theory and TechnoCulture: Habermas and Baudrillard. † In The Second Media Age. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1992. ———————– [1] Poster, Mark â€Å"Critical Theory and Technoculture† pg. 97

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn essays

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn essays A Tree Grows in BrooklynReflections One of the major theme that occur in the novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is education. This is seen through Johnny and Katie Nolan and Mary Rommely in which they all agree that education is the way out for the Nolan children. For instance, Mary does not know when she moved to America that education is free, in fact she doesnt even know the word education, but rejoices over and over that her daughters can read and write. Whereas Katie, she has an epiphany part way through the book when she looks at her children who believe that their life is good-who are happy with a Christmas tree and vulgar neighbors and a humble life. She knows that education will save them. The Nolan do think lessons in life are important, schooling will change their quality of life and its their way out of poverty. I think education is very important because it definitely shapes up your future. My family value their education and would want me to continue on to university because they find it important for me n ot only to learn more but to have a certain status in life. Obviously, my family comes from a insufficient background and they taught to me value what I have and not to take things for granted. This helped shape me up the way I am, I learn more and I re-evaluate the world around me and take time to see things. Although education is important to me, I want to be able to pass my knowledge down to my future generation hoping they will learn to appreciate education and not give it up because of some homework assignment. Class and poverty played a major role in this novel, author Betty Smith show being poor mean that the characters constantly must think of being poor-how they will buy the next loaf of bread, or what ones house or neighborhood looks like compared to another. Smith shows taht poverty does not only imply the absence of food, heat or comfort. Poverty results in ...

Whats the Standard High School Curriculum You Should Take

What's the Standard High School Curriculum You Should Take SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you wondering what a typical high school curriculum looks like? Do you want to know what classes you’ll be taking as a high school student? Read this guide to learn about the standard high school curriculum, high school graduation requirements, and what classes colleges expect you to have taken. How to Find Your School's Curriculum This is a general guide to high school curricula. It was created by researching national education standards, as well as the curricula of high schools across the country. While the information below applies to many students, not all high schools teach the same courses, follow the same course sequence, or have the same curriculum requirements. Use this information as a guideline to research your own high school’s curriculum more in-depth. To find your own school's curriculum, talk to your academic adviser. You can also look on your school's website, searching for "graduation requirements", "course sequence" or something similar. Your high school's course catalog will also usually contain this information. Which Subjects Should You Take More Rigorous Courses In? In addition to explaining typical graduation requirements, each core subject in this guide includes ways to exceed basic requirements and strengthen your transcript. However, trying to go the extra mile in every subject can be exhausting and lead to you getting burned out. Because colleges appreciate depth more than breadth, concentrate on putting extra effort in the area(s) you plan to continue studying in college. For example, if you plan on majoring in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) field, try to follow our guidelines for exceeding expectations in your math and science classes, and worry less about taking advanced courses in English and history (although still work to get solid grades in those courses). Similarly, if you plan on majoring in something like journalism, concentrate most of your effort on taking advanced English classes and additional English electives. Also, if you are looking at attending a highly competitive college, know that most expect applicants to have taken honors or advanced classes if their school offers them, and most also require or highly recommend completing four years in each core subject (math, science, English, and social studies). Want to get better grades and test scores? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. Standard High School Curriculum Below is information on the typical classes a high school student will be expected to take, organized by subject. Each subject includes classes that are required to graduate high school, classes colleges expect students to have taken, and suggestions for ways to impress by going beyond these expectations. English Requirements: Four years of English are required to graduate high school. Freshman and Sophomore years: Classes during these years will be primarily focused on developing writing and critical reading skills. Junior year: This year will focus on American literature, as well as continued development of writing skills. Senior Year: Electives Possible electives include British literature, creative writing, and world literature. Colleges will expect all high school graduates to have completed four years of English. To Exceed Expectations: Take honors or AP classes when possible. There are two AP English classes: English Language and Composition (usually taken junior year), and English Literature and Composition (usually taken senior year). There are three IB literature classes: Language A: Literature, Language A: Language and Literature, and Literature and Performance. Also consider taking additional English electives in areas that you’re interested in, such as literature or writing. Math Requirements: At least three years of math, including algebra and geometry, is required to graduate high school. The typical course order is: Algebra 1 Geometry Algebra 2/Trigonometry Pre-Calculus Calculus (Not all students start with algebra 1, and not all students complete all the above courses or follow the above order exactly) Most colleges require three-four years of math for non-STEM majors, including algebra 1 and 2 and geometry. For STEM majors, most colleges require four years of math, sometimes including pre-calculus and calculus. To Exceed Expectations: Take four years of math. Take math at the highest level offered by your school, such as at an honors or AP level. There are three AP Math classes: Calculus AB, Calculus BC, and Statistics. There are four IB Math classes that cover roughly the same material but vary in difficulty and speed. Take pre-calculus and calculus, if possible. Take additional math-related electives such as statistics and computer math. Science Requirements Two to three years of science, including biology and chemistry, is required to graduate high school. Freshman year: Biology Sophomore year: Chemistry Junior year: Physics or Earth Science Students who are more confident in their math and science skills typically take physics, while those who are not take earth science instead. Senior year: optional electives Potential electives include astronomy, environmental science, and human biology. Most colleges require two-three years of science for non-STEM majors. For STEM majors, most colleges require four years of science, including physics. To Exceed Expectations: Take four years of science. Take honors or accelerated classes your first three years. Take physics instead of earth science your junior year. Take an AP science class your senior year. AP science classes include: Biology, Chemistry, Physics (1,2, and C versions), and Environmental Science There are seven IB science classes: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Design Technology, Environmental Systems and Societies, Sports, Education and Health Science You can also take more career-focused classes if your school offers them, such as job shadowing at a hospital. Social Studies Requirements: Three years of social studies, including US history, is often required to graduate high school. Freshman year: Introductory course This can be a human geography course or another introductory social studies class. Sophomore year: World history Junior year: US History Senior year: Optional electives Possible electives include psychology, US government, and anthropology. Most colleges require completing at least two years of social studies, often including US history and World or European history classes. For students planning on majoring in a related field, such as political science or history, most colleges require they have completed four years of social studies. To Exceed Expectations: Take four years of social studies. Take AP classes when possible during your first three years. AP options during these three years include Human Geography, World History, European History, and US History During your senior year, take an AP social studies elective, if possible. AP electives include Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Psychology, US Government and Politics, and Comparative Government and Politics. IB classes for social studies are offered under the group entitled â€Å"Individuals and Societies†. Ten classes are offered on varying subjects. Foreign Language Requirements: Foreign language requirements can vary greatly by school. Most high schools require students to complete one-two years of foreign language. Most colleges require one-two years of a foreign language, and highly competitive schools may require or recommend up to four years. Most high schools and colleges require that these credits all come from the same foreign language. For example, if your high school requires two years of foreign language, taking Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 will meet that requirement, but taking Spanish 1 and then switching to Italian 1 often won’t. To Exceed Expectations: Take one foreign language all four years of high school, including AP level if possible. You may also want to consider taking a second foreign language. Other Classes These are classes that are not part of the core curriculum, but may still be a part of graduation requirements. Electives Most high schools require students to complete a certain number of credits in order to graduate. Core requirements (such as those listed above) usually do not fill all these credits, so extra space in your schedule can be used to take electives. Electives can be regular, honors, or AP level. They can relate to a core subject, such as statistics, creative writing, and zoology, or not, such as choir, drawing, and woodworking. Physical Education Many high schools require students to complete one-four years of physical education. This may be waived if you participate in a school sport. How to Use This Information Now that you know what the typical high school curriculum looks like, you can use this information to make more informed decisions about your own high school classes. Some actions to take include: Think about your course sequence early, ideally starting freshman year if possible. Reflect on your course choices each quarter or semester. Are you on track to graduate on time? Are you taking the classes you need to get into the colleges you want and the major you want? Talk to your academic adviser if you're not sure. Think about the subject areas where you want to exceed expectations and choose your classes accordingly. However, don't be afraid to drop to a lower level if you're having a lot of trouble with a particular class. What's Next? Wondering if you're taking enough challenging classes? Check out our guide to learn what a rigorous high school course load looks like. Do you know what colleges look for on your transcript? Learn what a high school transcript is and why it's so important to colleges. Want to get more detailed information about the classes you should take? Check out our guides to choosing classes for English, Math, Science, History, and Foreign Languages! 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Lebanon's Confessional System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lebanon's Confessional System - Essay Example To bring together Lebanon's diverse religious and political groups into an organized political system that could equally distribute power as well as harmonize with the system of the neighboring Arab countries is definitely a pain. The forces pulling Lebanon apart seemed to be stronger than those of holding it together. Initially, the objective of the French commander, General Henri Gouraud in proclaiming the creation of Greater Lebanon is to safeguard the Maronite community. These are Christians that has the largest religious community in the state. The self-proclaimed protector of the Christian communities in Lebanon wanted to make sure these Maronites won't be absorbed into a Syrian Muslim state. And to ensure they will be dependent of France, several predominantly Muslim areas were added to this new state. Hence, the Maronites do not compose the majority of the population. Political power was based on sectarian affiliations. The Maronites, dependent on French backing to keep their political dominance, assumed political and economic supremacy in their homeland and accepted the Franco-Mediterranean cultural orientation in consequence turned their back to the Arab world. On the contrary, the Sunni Muslims wanted unity with Syria and looked upon the Arabs for their source of cultural identity. The conflict appeared to be endless. Lebanon, dependent of France, does not have good relationship with the Arabs.