Muslim Uighurs under Religious Discrimination in China Essay

Muslim Uighurs under Religious Discrimination in China - Essay Example According to the report findings  alongside clear efforts to improve indoctrination of religious leader and clerics, since 2001, Chinese’s authorities have stepped up the suspicion and inspection of many of mosques to the extent of sending people to supervise Uighurs’ mosques. Moreover, in 2001, the government inspected around 23,000 mosques in Xinjiang whereby, it ruled forty-one mosques as non-conforming to regulations of Xinjiang. That led to clashes between Muslims and Chinese police who destroyed mosques intentionally. The Chinese authorities were careful not to appear as targeting Muslims specifically by closing down their mosques. Since late 2001, authorities in Xinjiang imposed even more restrictions on mosques; for example, they banned any new construction work on mosques in Xinjiang. According to media reports, an official of Hetian Nationalities and Religious Affairs Bureau declared that about five people had opposed the conversion of a mosque into a carpet factory by appealing to Beijing authorities when the project begun.  As the paper declares  Muslims around the world fast during month of Ramadan until sunset. The harassment of Muslims in China often occurs during Ramadan month. The communist party members have discouraged Muslims from fastning during Ramadan, as they posit that it results in adverse health concerns for those who engage in the practice. A regional spokesperson Hou Hanmin, said that the authorities encouraged people to â€Å"eat properly for study and work†; however, she admitted they did not force them to eat.

Case Study Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case Study - Coursework Example So clearly this matter needed participation from stakeholders like the public, the Mayor’s office and the PUC (Case Study, p 2). 2. Make a point- by- point case, pro or con, on a situation in which people who own shares in a company nonetheless have a voice in its destiny. Justify your position with comparative examples in other areas of public policy. Each of the stated parties- CFLC and Edison- adopted strategies and took out messages that looked at the case from their own point of view. The objective was to gain sympathy in the right quarters and among the most effective parties so that the decision would be in their favor. While Edison came out with very general statements, they were also hiding some truths. The merger and downsizing would result in loss of employment and the economic viability of San Diego would also be threatened, the SDG&E case coming up soon after the loss of South Pacific Airlines Corporation. CFLCs strategy was more effective since it appealed to the PUC and used the Mayor and the media to present its case more effectively. It was thus able to garner enough support to triumph over Edison’s bid for the merger. Obviously the PUC committee was also against the merger as it would not serve the larger public interest. Common sense prevailed eventually and after a 3 year battle, the decision was awarded in favor of CFLC and the citizens of San Diego- to do away with the merger. CFLC was in fact against the movement of business from San Diego and welcomed ENOVAs merger with Pacific Enterprises in 1996 to form Sempra Energy, which is still located in San Diego. The public needs job opportunities as well as affordable electricity and SDG& E would provide them with both. Thus the decision not to allow the merger was in the public interest (Case Study, p3). Unfortunately the business world is full of corporate raiders waiting to make a bid for a company they deem attractive in terms of its business

The social and bio medical model

The social and bio medical model The bio-medical and social models of health offer different views of health and disease. Outline the main characteristics of each model and assess their strengths and weakness in explaining health and disease. Health can be viewed as the state of being fit and well, as well as a state of mental sanity (WHO 2005). According to Blaxter (2004), if a person can perform daily functions such as going to work, taking care of the household, etc he/she is healthy. Many studies have found that lay people define health as the absence of illness (Williams 1983, Calnan 1987, Hughner Kleine 2004). However being healthy means different things to different people as much have been said and written about peoples varying concepts of health. Some lay perceptions are based on pragmatism where health is regarded as a relative phenomenon, experienced and evaluated according to what an individual finds reasonable to expect, given their age, medical condition and social status. For them being healthy, may just mean not having a health problem, which interferes with their everyday lives (Bury 2005). Some taxonomies have evolved in attempt to define health. In this work, health has been considered from the perspective of biomedical and social models. According to Baggott (2004) the biomedical model of health looks at individual physical functioning and describes bad health as the presence of disease and illness symptoms as a result of physical cause such as injury or infections and attempts to ignore social and psychological factors. Baggott (2004) states that the features of biomedical model rest mainly on biomedical changes, which can be defined, measured and isolated. In effect this is directed towards the dysfunction of the organs and tissues of the body rather than the overall condition of the patient. Biomedical treatments often involve the removal of the cause, for instance the virus or bacteria. The biomedical model is based on the belief that there is always a cure and the idea that illness is temporary, episodic and a physical condition. The basic values of the biomedical model of health consist of the theory called doctrine of specific aetiology, which is the idea that all disease is caused by theoretically identifiable agents such as germs, bacteria or parasites (Naidoo Wills 2004). The advantage of biomedical model shows disease as representing a major public health problem facing our society. This model sees disease state as an issue that needs to be treated, and that disease can be readily diagnosed and quantified (Ewles Simnett 2003 2010). This approach appears narrow, negative and reductionist. In an extreme case, it implies that people with disabilities are unhealthy and that health is only about the absence of morbidity. Further, this model is limited in its approach by its omission of a time dimension. Modern biomedicine rests upon two major developments, both of which remain influential to this day. It is first important to consider the Cartesian revolution after the seventh century French philosophy Rene Descarts. The Cartesian revolution encouraged the idea that the body and mind are independent or not closely related (NRC 1985). In this mechanistic view, the body is perceived to function like a machine with its various parts individually treatable, and those that treat them considered engineers (Naidoo Wills 2004). Biomedical also concentrates on the individual unlike the social model. Biological model adopts a negative perspective on health as it views health more in terms of the absence of disease than the possession of healthy attributes (Baggott 2004). This model stresses the importance of advancing technology both in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, an approach that has undoubtedly improved both the knowledge and understanding of numerous diseases. Biomedical model has led to the improvements in the treatment of patients, which has favoured gains both in the length and quality of life of people. Despite the aforementioned feats, the biomedical model has received considerable criticism, as many writers have argued that it was inappropriate to modern, complex health problems (Inglis 1981). The medical model, in terms of specific health risks, does not encompass all of what health means to an individual. For instance, a physician speculating on what, based on current knowledge at the time, would be the composite picture of an individual with a low risk of developing coronary artery disease. Further criticisms of this theory focused principally on the suggestion that it over simplified biological processes now known to be very intricate. For many diseases there are multiple and interacting causes. Moreover, such a theory looks only to the agent of disease, and ignores the host, and the possibilities of biological adaptation. The theory is much more easily applicable to acute conditions than to chronic ill-health and is difficult to apply to mental disorders. The second theory of the biomedical model is called the assumption of generic disease. This is when each disease has its own distinguishing features that are universal, at least within the human species. These will be the same in different cultures and at different times, unless the disease-producing agent itself changes. Criticisms of this focus on the rather obvious point that diseases are differently defined in different cultures and that medical definitions of disease have clearly changed over time. Each new advance in knowledge of physiology and each new wave of technology have added new definitions of ill health to the accepted canon. Despite the doctrine of specific aetiology many conditions, which are still only symptoms or syndromes, are recognized within medicine as diseases. Generally, it can be seen that what is viewed as illness in any particular society and at any historical time depends on cultural norms and social values (Naidoo Wills 2004). Thus new diagnoses such as alcohol, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic fatigue syndromes are born through an interaction of new knowledge about both their possible causes and how they might possibly be helped. As a definition of disease what doctors treat has obvious problems, however, it implies that no one can be ill until recognised as such and leaves the concept at the mercy of idiosyncratic individual medical decisions. The third theory is the scientific biomedicine, which accepts the model of all ill-health as deviation from the normal especially the normal range of measurable biological variables. There is an association with the definition of health as equilibrium and disease as a disturbance of the bodys function, with the purpose of medical technology the restoration to equilibrium. The immune or endocrine, or neuropsychological systems attempt to restore the normal and the purpose of medicine is to instigate or assist this process. But medical science now realizes that the human organism has no set pattern for structure and function, and it is often unclear where normal variation ends and abnormality begins. The fourth theory of medical model is based on the principles of scientific neutrality. Medicine adopts not only the rational method of science but also its values objectivity and neutrality on the part of the observer, and the view of the human organism as simply the product of biological processes over which the individuals themselves have little control. The reply to this is that the practice of medicine, whatever its theory, is always deeply embedded in the larger society. It cannot be neutral, for there are wider social, political and cultural forces dictating how it does its work and how the unhealthy are dealt with. Biomedicine now admits multiple and interactive causes, and that the whole may be more than simply the sum of the parts. Social and psychological causes of ill health- stress, unhappiness, life events- are admitted as agents of disease or contributing factors, but they are not themselves defined as ill health. Modern medicine has moved on, to incorporate elaborate ideas about the various and interrelated causes of ill health. Studies of the way in which doctors make diagnoses demonstrate this, while at the same time lip service is paid to the importance of the social. Moreover, even when social and psychological influences are admitted this is still a very negatively oriented approach to health. The social model came about in mid twentieth century when there was increasing dissatisfaction with the dominant model of health offered by biomedicine. The preoccupation with disease and illness made it less able to deal with any positive concept of health. The ideology, which viewed the individual in mechanistic ways justified ever-increasing use of medical technologies, precluding the exercise of other therapies and diminishing the importance attached to positive health or preventive medicine. Since the last decade medical professional practice has become a major threat to health. Depression, infection, disability and other specific estrogenic disease now cause more suffering than all accidents from traffic or industry by transforming pain, illness and death from a personal challenge into a technical problem, medical practice expropriates the potential of people to deal with their human condition in an autonomous way and becomes the sources of a new kind of un-health. The emphasis on health as simply the absence of disease encouraged thinking about only two categories the health and the disease. As we are meant to believe that science can produce a utopia of disease free and lengthy life meaning scientists only look for their magic bullet. There is a feeling that the most angry critiques of the biomedical model was wilfully ignoring the contributions of modern science to human welfare. But claims to the unique truth of biomedicine were weakened by some loss of faith in sci entific objectivity and a distrust of a Frankenstein technology that could run out of control, and this was part of the modern movement towards a new model usually called social health. Social model of health imbibes social constructs and relativity in its approach to health. It tends to define and redefine health in a continuous manner, and views health differently between individuals, groups, times and cultures. Some supporters of Social model have written extensively about sickness having a role to play in various societies (Parsons 1951) as this helps to determine the structure of and functionality of the society. The concept of social health incorporates many differences of emphasis though it has to be noted that it is more than simply the recognition that social factors such as poverty have to be included in a model of the causes of ill health. The social model is a different construction, locating biological processes within their social contexts and considering the person as a whole rather than a series of distinct bodily systems. The social model is organic and holistic rather than reductionist mechanical method. A mechanical system acts according to its programming, its instructions, or natural laws. The social model allows for mental as well as physical health and wider sphere of taking part in active life. This model also allows for more subtle discrimination of individuals who succeed in leading productive lives in spite of a physical impairment. Another disadvantage of this model is that the conception runs the risk of excessive breadth and of incorporating all of life. Thus they do not distinguish clearly between the state of being healthy the consequences of being healthy nor do they distinguish between health and the determinants of health (Ewles Simnett 2010). The medical profession is a social institution, which cannot be separated from the values, pressures and influences of the society in which it practices. As health has been defined in various ways, most part rests on the ideas of the normal and of seeing health as opposed to disease or illness. In practice, the definition of health has always been the territory of those who define its opposite: healers, or practitioners of medicine as a science or a body of practical knowledge. Since medicine is one of societys major systems, it is obvious that it is these definitions which will be institutionalised and embodied in law and administration, though the extent to which lay models adds to or diverge from this body of ideas is significant to the individual in respect of their perception of health. Whilst the medical model built on the Cartesian theory of the body as a machine disorders can be corrected by repairing or replacing parts of the organism, holism describes the view that the whole cannot be explained simply by the sum of the parts, just as healthiness cannot be explained by a list of risk factors. Every disturbance in a system involves the whole system. Human beings are living networks formed by cognitive processes, values, and purposive intentions, not simply interacting components (Blaxter 2004). The development of this social model has been accompanied among the public, by a growing enthusiasm for alternative therapies, which tend to rest on holistic theories. Gradually, these too have been integrated to some extent into the mainstream model. In order to have a comprehensive understanding of health, one has to look at the phenomenon from various premise of health definition, as just one aspect may not provide complete answer to the enquiry about our health at a particular given time. It is therefore important to consider the various aspects of health when making judgement and decision about the health status of an individual. In summary, the biomedical model of health is obviously most easily defined by the absence of disease, though the model is also compatible with more positive definitions in terms of equilibrium of normal functioning. In the social model health is a positive state of wholeness and well being associated with but not entirely explained by the absence of disease, illness or physical and mental impairment. The concepts of health and ill-health are unbalanced. The absence of disease may be part of health but health is more than the absence of disease.

Revolutionary War Essay -- essays research papers

How the Revolutionary War Begun Following the French and Indian War, or otherwise known as The Seven Years War, Britain was in major debt as with many countries after war. On the other hand the Colonies were thriving from trade and agriculture. At the end of the war the parliament in England had no organized plan to reduce the enormous debt they had bestowed upon themselves. Financing the French and Indian War had almost doubled the national debt. The parliament had stumbled into the beginning of the Revolutionary War without even knowing it. They were looking in an entirely different direction when the colonies exploded with a rage that eventually turned into the American Revolution. The Seven Years War 's outcome also affected the impacted the Revolution by giving soldiers experience that would later help them lead armies and make decisions to win the Revolution. Among these men were the prestigious names of Paul Revere, Ethan Allen, Horatio Gates, Charles Lee, Daniel Morgan and the man who is known as our founding father George Washington. During the French and Indian War Washington was assigned a mission which was a success and he was considered a hero which later helped his success in the revolution and the presidency later on . The King's minister were trying to find a way to finance the King's military policy. During the French and Indian Wars England had paid for the defense of the Colonies as well as providing most of the troops and leadership in the war. But, rather than demobilize at the end of the war, King George III decided to keep the army at 3/4 strength. Eighty five regiments were kept on alert in case of renewed hostilities between the British and French. There was still the problem of paying for the regiments though. They could not tax the countryside any more because of current taxes that were already too great. The solution, however, was to station most of the army in Ireland and the Colonies requiring locals to house and feed the soldiers. They also made up the Sugar Act, Stamp Act and the Towshend Duties to cover the Å“359,000 needed yearly to sustain the regiments in the Colonies. The first of all the taxes or Acts was the American Revenue Act of 1784, or called the Sugar Act. It wasn't even a new tax even. It was a change of an old customs duty. In order to stop trade from the West Indies to the Colonies Parliament in 1733 had passed... ...on the outside, that it was for change it was mostly to keep things the way they were. Without having to pay new taxes or having to change to be ruled by England. A leading historian once said, "A salient feature of our Revolution was that its animating purpose was deeply conservative. The colonials revolted against British rule in order to keeps things the way they were, not to initiate a new era." We agree with this completely. Instead of accepting change as it came. Every bit of change from Britain was challenged in America by revolutionists and even Loyalists. All the new taxes no matter if they were good or bad were hated. Then again there is always the taxation without representation saying. That is true but they still did not want to be represented that was the last thing they wanted. They wanted local government and taxation like it was before the Seven Years War. The driving force behind the war was the continuing effort to keep thin! gs that same and not different. But after the war they were not prepared for the drastic changes that would come about. But we still got out independence from England and now have the most powerful, successful country in the world.

Romeo & Juliet Theme Essay

Romeo and Juliet is a classic play by William Shakespeare about a pair of star-crossed lovers whose passion eventually drives them to their unfortunate deaths. Since the theme in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is Love as a Cause of Violence, it is easy to see why Shakespeare uses that thematic focus to show how Romeo and Juliet’s love for one another affected the outcome of their relationship. Most of the time, being in love makes people very over dramatic. When they lose someone they love, certain people tend to think that their lives are over and they can’t go on. This happens a lot in Romeo and Juliet.For example, when Romeo is exiled from Verona, he overreacts completely and goes to complain to the Friar. He says that being banished is just saying death by another name. He whines and utters that he would rather die than be away from his dear Juliet. Also, after Romeo is rejected by his first love Rosaline, he thinks that there is no one else in the world that can e ver compare to her, even though he falls in love with Juliet shortly after. Another example of this over dramatic behavior was when Juliet heard news of Romeo’s banishment. She considered Romeo’s banishment even worse than her own cousin’s death!Over dramatic behavior is just one of the things that makes love turn into violence. This play also demonstrates the effect love can have on decision making. Love can be very blinding especially in Romeo and Juliet’s case. They both made many rash and dangerous choices because their love clouded their ability to think wisely. An example of one of these rash, terrible decisions was when Romeo bought the poison from a pharmacist/apothecary. He should have considered all of his options before immediately jumping to the conclusion that he had to kill himself.This theme also came up when Juliet stated, â€Å"I long to die if what thou speak’st speak not of remedy. † (Shakespeare, Act IIII Scene I) She sai d this to Friar Lawrence complaining that if he can’t find her a way out of marrying Paris, she will kill herself. This is significant because it shows how her love for Romeo made her think violently, even though she didn’t follow through with what she said she would do. Lastly, Juliet stabbing herself with Romeo’s dagger at the end of the play showed how being without Romeo was unthinkable for her.Finally, the reoccurring theme of Love as a Cause of Violence is mainly in this play because without it, the audience underestimates the true power of Romeo and Juliet’s love for one another. The theme is what caused the dramatic, tragic ending to the play Romeo and Juliet. The double suicide was what ended the conflict between the two feuding families and showed how love is the source of all or most of the violence that occurs in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet aren’t the only ones who died because of love either.Lady Montague died of grieving for her banished son whom she loved exceedingly, and Tybalt died because Romeo killed him out of rage from losing his beloved best friend Mercutio. As you can see, the main theme of Love as a Cause of Violence is prevalent throughout the entire play of Romeo and Juliet. The power that love contains works in many different ways. In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, love causes overly dramatic behavior, lack of quality judgment, and most of all, particularly violent actions and thoughts by the main and minor characters. Romeo & Juliet Theme Essay Romeo and Juliet is a classic play by William Shakespeare about a pair of star-crossed lovers whose passion eventually drives them to their unfortunate deaths. Since the theme in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is Love as a Cause of Violence, it is easy to see why Shakespeare uses that thematic focus to show how Romeo and Juliet’s love for one another affected the outcome of their relationship. Most of the time, being in love makes people very over dramatic. When they lose someone they love, certain people tend to think that their lives are over and they can’t go on. This happens a lot in Romeo and Juliet.For example, when Romeo is exiled from Verona, he overreacts completely and goes to complain to the Friar. He says that being banished is just saying death by another name. He whines and utters that he would rather die than be away from his dear Juliet. Also, after Romeo is rejected by his first love Rosaline, he thinks that there is no one else in the world that can e ver compare to her, even though he falls in love with Juliet shortly after. Another example of this over dramatic behavior was when Juliet heard news of Romeo’s banishment. She considered Romeo’s banishment even worse than her own cousin’s death!Over dramatic behavior is just one of the things that makes love turn into violence. This play also demonstrates the effect love can have on decision making. Love can be very blinding especially in Romeo and Juliet’s case. They both made many rash and dangerous choices because their love clouded their ability to think wisely. An example of one of these rash, terrible decisions was when Romeo bought the poison from a pharmacist/apothecary. He should have considered all of his options before immediately jumping to the conclusion that he had to kill himself.This theme also came up when Juliet stated, â€Å"I long to die if what thou speak’st speak not of remedy. † (Shakespeare, Act IIII Scene I) She sai d this to Friar Lawrence complaining that if he can’t find her a way out of marrying Paris, she will kill herself. This is significant because it shows how her love for Romeo made her think violently, even though she didn’t follow through with what she said she would do. Lastly, Juliet stabbing herself with Romeo’s dagger at the end of the play showed how being without Romeo was unthinkable for her.Finally, the reoccurring theme of Love as a Cause of Violence is mainly in this play because without it, the audience underestimates the true power of Romeo and Juliet’s love for one another. The theme is what caused the dramatic, tragic ending to the play Romeo and Juliet. The double suicide was what ended the conflict between the two feuding families and showed how love is the source of all or most of the violence that occurs in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet aren’t the only ones who died because of love either.Lady Montague died of grieving for her banished son whom she loved exceedingly, and Tybalt died because Romeo killed him out of rage from losing his beloved best friend Mercutio. As you can see, the main theme of Love as a Cause of Violence is prevalent throughout the entire play of Romeo and Juliet. The power that love contains works in many different ways. In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, love causes overly dramatic behavior, lack of quality judgment, and most of all, particularly violent actions and thoughts by the main and minor characters.

Moral panic

The public has always used the Mass Media as the primary source of information about most topics especially crime. The Mass Media has the power to convey messages and ideas to a large audience but how truthful or factual these messages are has long been a debate of sociologist, due to news broadcast being so criminogenic for example, Ericson et al (1987). â€Å"Study of news-making in Toronto found that a remarkably high proportion of news was about deviance and control.Ranging from 45. % in newspaper to 71. 5% on radio stations. ( Maguire,Morgan and Reiner 2012, p. 248) Therefore this use of Media may create fear amongst the public which in turn causes â€Å"Moral panic† and â€Å"Folk Devils†. Therefore I will outline and Illustrate the term â€Å"Moral Panic† and the effect it has on the public, also aiming to show the role the Media plays in creating panic. â€Å"Moral panic†is a term used to describe groups or subculture as a threat to the way of lif e for society's, norms and values.There are several organisations who claims a oral breakdown such as the â€Å"Mass Media, Politicians and churches†(Tim Newburn 2013, p. 96). Stanley Cohen's research into the Mods and Rockers gave a clear view of the media classifying these subcultures as deviant and creating panic amongst the public. Cohen's had three main ideas to illustrate how â€Å"Moral Panic† was created during the 1960s. Firstly Exaggeration and Distortion. â€Å"The exaggeration of seriousness†¦. the proportion engaged in violence†. Secondly Prediction. † Media coverage regularly assumed events would be even worse†.Lastly Symbolisation † Mods and Rockers appearance became associated with delinquency and deviant behaviour. (Tim Newburn 2013, p. 97). This indicates that the Media's use of emotive language used in broadcast and newspapers created â€Å"Folk Devils† of these subcultures and wide scale panic in Britain and subs equently creating stigma towards Mods and Rockers. However there has been criticism of the â€Å"Moral Panic† Theory. Jewkes (2004) states that the audience may not be as receptive to the â€Å"Moral Panic† as Cohen mentioned. Tim Newburn 2013, p. 101).This indicates that the public are more aware of issues in society and are able to think rationally without becoming fearful of news reports. Secondly â€Å"an occasional over-reading of the extent of â€Å"panickyness† in media representations†. This demonstrates that Cohen had no real evidence to prove that â€Å"moral panics† created panic amongst society, as it would be difficult to measure the level of concern throughout communities. To conclude â€Å"Moral Panic† may sometimes be created by the Mass-Media through the se of emotive and sensationalised heading to make a story more entertaining or appealing to its audience.Through this process they create fear amongst the public and stigmat ize subcultures which in turn may cause these social groups to be the truth out for themselves and come to their own conclusion without relying on the media as a primary source of information.

Effects of Waste Disposal Essay Example

Effects of Waste Disposal Essay Example Effects of Waste Disposal Essay Effects of Waste Disposal Essay Waste disposal falls into three general categories: non-hazardous, hazardous and nuclear waste disposal. Non-hazardous waste includes household or office waste such as food, product containers, and waste that can be recycled. Hazardous waste includes industrial and residential chemicals, petroleum products and heavy metals. Nuclear waste may include spent fuel rods from a nuclear reactor, medical nuclear waste or equipment used to handle radioactive materials. Improper disposal of waste can have serious effects. Non-hazardous Waste 1. The term non-hazardous waste is something of a misnomerit simply means that the waste does not meet certain measures of hazard. Non-hazardous waste can still have negative impacts on human health and the environment since it nevertheless decays, harboring significant amounts of bacteria and posing serious health risks to humans. Decomposing food waste can alter ecosystems by altering the eating patterns of local animals and polluting water and soil. Hazardous Waste . Hazardous waste is inherently dangerous to living creatures, damaging soil and water and killing local wildlife and fish; it can also affect crop growth and whether the produce can still be safely eaten. Heavy metal waste can have serious neurological effects if consumed or absorbed through the skin, and can contribute to the development of cancer, respiratory problems, neurological and developmental disorders and birth defects. Radioactive Waste 3. Radioactive waste represents what is, to many, the most frightening type of toxic waste. The negative effects of exposure to higher levels of radiation are well known, with cancer and death being the most obvious. In the case of improper disposal or storage of high level nuclear waste, the environmental risks are severe. Radioactivity cannot be purged; rather, it must dissipate over time, with high levels often taking thousands of years. Radiation can also alter cellular structure and enter the food chain. Fortunately, regulation and control of nuclear waste is extraordinarily trict and nuclear contamination extremely uncommon. Air Pollution 4. Air pollution is a problem without one specific source. Created by emissions from industrial plants, homes, cars, and businesses such as dry cleaners and printers, smog is the most obvious type of air pollution, simply because it is visible. Air pollution is also responsible for acid rain, greenhouse gases, and ozone depletion, and may also play a role in respiratory problems by exacerbating asthma, inflaming lung tissue, and redu cing lung function.

Inspirational Sales Quotes

Inspirational Sales Quotes Are you looking for inspirational quotes on selling? Sometimes you have to look past the numbers to find the philosophy behind making the sale. Is your sales staff motivated enough, or could they use a wake-up call?   Who better to inspire salespeople than those who have achieved  success in their fields? Whether its entertainment, sports, or life in general, the wisdom of others who have triumphed over adversity is always a source of inspiration. Here is a collection of quotes to help motivate you to think about sales in different ways. Remember, closing the deal is about more than just the bottom line or the end result. Sometimes its about the journey to get there. Quotes From Oprah Winfrey About Success Its worth putting Oprah in her own category because any woman who is known the world over only by her first name is definitely doing something right. The talk show host and award-winning actress became a media empire unto herself through sheer grit and determination. Her success came after overcoming a difficult childhood and struggling with her health and her weight under intense public scrutiny. And Oprah has had plenty to say about success. Here are some of her most memorable quotes.   Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobodys going to know whether you did it or not.The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but on significance. Then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning. Quotes From Others to Inspire Sales Closing the deal is intimidating, but it doesnt have to be overwhelming. Get your game face on and take inspiration from some of these quotes about winning attitudes. Remember, you only have to succeed the last time. -Brian Tracy, writer and inspirational speakerSeek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, This is the real me, and when you have found that attitude, follow it. -William James, doctor and philosopherThere are two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group. There is less competition there. -Indira Gandhi, the first female prime minister of IndiaSetting an example is not the main means of influencing others; it is the only means. -Albert Einstein, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics who developed the theory of relativityShow class, have pride, and display character. If you do, winning takes care of itself. -Paul William Bear Bryant, record-setting college football coachShow me someone who has done something worthwhile, and Ill show you someone who has overcome adversity. -Lou Holtz , college football coach and broadcaster It always seems impossible until its done. -Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid activist who became president of South Africa

How to Make Real Snow at Home

How to Make Real Snow at Home If you want to see or play in snow, but Mother Nature wont cooperate, you can take matters into your own hands and make snow yourself. This is the homemade version of real water ice snow, just like the snow that falls from the sky. What You Need You need the same things found in nature: water and cold temperature. You turn the water into snow by dispersing it into particles small enough to freeze in the cold air. WaterPressure nozzle There is a handy snowmaking weather tool that will tell you whether you have the proper conditions for making snow. In some climates, the only way youll be able to make snow is if you chill a room indoors (or you can make fake snow), but much of the world can make real snow at least a few days out of the year. Pressure Nozzle You have several options: Pressure washer (own or rent, use a fine mist nozzle or use a nozzle specially designed for producing snow)Snow cannon (not affordable to buy, but can be rented)Garden hose with a snow attachment (makes less snow per hour than the pressure washer or snow cannon, but still fun) Note: Simply using a mister attached to a garden hose isnt likely to work unless the temperature is very cold. The mist particles may not be small enough or far enough apart to turn water into ice. Fine Mist All you need to do is spray a fine mist of water into the air so it cools down enough to freeze into water ice or snow. Theres a technique to this. Spray at Angle   Youll get much better results if you point your water spray upward at a 45-degree angle rather than straight up. The amount of air you get mixed in with the water makes a difference, so you want to maximize this. Water Cold as Possible You also want the water to be as cold as possible, so water from a cold stream will work better than, say, heated water from your home. Impurities Are Good The water from a stream or river also has the advantage of containing impurities which can act as nucleation sites to provide a surface on which snow crystals can grow. Add a Nucleating Agent Its also possible to add what is called a nucleating agent to your water which will accomplish the same purpose, essentially allowing you to produce snow at slightly warmer temperatures. The nucleating agent typically is a non-toxic polymer. Snow machines for ski resorts can use this effect to make snow even if the temperature is above freezing. If your water supply naturally contains a bit of sand, this can help you make snow at slightly warmer temperatures than if you were using pure water. You need only a few hours of cold to make a lot of snow. The snow will last longer if the temperature stays cold, but it will take a while to melt even if it warms up. Use Boiling Water If the temperature outdoors is extremely cold, its actually easier to make snow using boiling hot water than cold water. This technique works reliably only if the temperature is at least 25 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (below -32  °C). To do this, throw a pan of freshly boiled water into the air. Easy and Spectacular It seems counter-intuitive that boiling water would readily turn to snow. How does it work? Boiling water has a high vapor pressure. The water is very close to making the transition between a liquid and a gas. Throwing the boiling water into the air offers the molecules a lot of surface area exposed to freezing temperatures. The transition is easy and spectacular. Protect Hands and Face While its likely anyone performing this process would be bundled up against the extreme cold, take care to protect your hands and face from the boiling water. Sloshing a pan of boiling water onto skin by accident can cause a burn. The cold weather numbs skin, so theres an increased risk of getting a burn and not noticing it right away. Similarly, at such a cold temperature, there is a significant risk of frostbite to exposed skin.

Case Study Of Nokia Production Relocation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case Study Of Nokia Production Relocation - Essay Example The decision produced a real shock in Germany, both in the unions’ and the politicians’ circles, who both called for boycotting the Nokia products. Nokia is trying to sell another line of business in Bochum, involving personalized cell mobile solutions for cars, to Sasken Technologies, with the help of the private investment fund Equity Partners GmbH and the former manager of Nokia's automotive mobile division, Razban Olosu. At that time, Romania seemed to be a better choice, as it would have fulfilled Nokia’s policy for cost-effectiveness and feasibility. The level of payments for the employees definitely was one of the main reasons, as well as the costs implied by the establishment of the factory. The official opening of the first production line in Romania has an echo also in Austria, where Der Standard wrote that â€Å"while the employees in Bochum still try to save themselves, Nokia is opening a new factory in Romania†. Romania is described in the sam e article as being â€Å"a country with cheap labor force†. Since the inauguration, the Finish in Nokia did not give any time period for their operation in Romania. In 2010, the Sr. Vice President of Nokia, Juha Putkiranta said that â€Å"We do not know how long we will be in Romania, but we hope to be a long term investment, especially that Romania is very close to the markets we wish to serve through this factory†. According to the National Statistics Institute in Romania, in the first three months of 2010, the mobile phones produced at Jucu placed second in the total export. Hence, the mobile phones recorded a 50% increase compared with 2009, reaching a total export of Eur 300 million. The over 3,000 employees in the Nokia factory at Jucu have been called for a meeting, and the Nokia management team for Europe announced that the factory in Cluj will be closed by the end of 2010. The Romanian Senator Marius Nicoara, former President of the Cluj County Council is the man who negotiated the opening of Nokia at Cluj and he declared that the Finish representatives have some complaints. The Senator claimed not to be aware of Nokia intention to close the factory in Cluj, but he knew just that the Finish asked for a new air lane of 3,500 meters and a cargo terminal at Cluj Airport. The two requirements have not been accomplished. Nokia wanted to have the possibility to accommodate big planes for inter-continental transport at Cluj Airport. The cargo terminal has been abandoned, and the air lane is in progress, but still too small to satisfy the initial requirements and specifications. Despite the initial advantages offered by Romania, Nokia did not consider enough the political and foreign investment background existent in the country. The apparently lower costs blurred the bureaucracy existent in Romania, the corruption at all levels and the impediments of the existent infrastructure. After 2 years of operation in Romania, Nokia came to the decision that the investment is not profitable anymore for long term. Even if the sales recorded increase, the economic collapse which affected most of the European countries could not be ignored, and Romania was never in the position to be economically stable. After a year or two, people lose interest in a product, even if it is good or feasible; Romania is a

Marketing Communications Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Communications Plan - Essay Example Within a period of four years, Innocent became a food and drink company with fastest growth in the U.K resulting in growth in turnover from ?0 to ?10.6 million over the same period (Trott, 2008). In 2003 it obtained a market share of 30% in U.K and an intense distribution with 4,500 outlets across the U.K (DATAMONITOR, 2004). In 2004, its turnover stood at ? 15 million with an investment of just ?280,000 (DATAMONITOR, 2004). The company has introduced several new flavors of smoothies and drinks since its inception which is one of its critical success factors (DATAMONITOR, 2004) . The report shall now delve into developing an Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign for Innocent Drinks in an attempt to sustain its competitive edge and make it stand out from its rivals. The SOSTAC framework shall be used along with a feasibility analysis and shall conclude with recommendations of existing and new products. Context Analysis The SWOT and PEST model for Innocent Drinks is as follows: SWOT Analysis Strengths: Innocent Drinks has become one of the top smoothie brands in U.K in a period of just four years from its inception. Its turnover has increased from ?0 to ?10.6 million over the same period (Trott, 2008). The company has emerged as a market leader in U.K smoothies market by managing to capture a tremendous 30% share (Jones, 2008). The company has managed to obtain 50% brand awareness and press coverage significantly higher than that of its major rival, PJ (Appendix 1) ((DATAMONITOR, 2004). It enjoys excellent relationship with its distributors, the retailers, including U.K’s leading stores such as Sainsbury’s and Boots (Lincoln & Thomassen, 2007). It launched a first of its kind birthday party in 2003 which was attended by all its major retailers (Thomas, 2009). Weaknesses: The company suffered a temporary decline in its sales in 2008 due to recession. Its sales fell by 29% in the period 2007-2009 (MarketWatch:Drinks, 2008). However, the fact th at its major rivals racked up profits worth 25%-30% in the same period was a cause of concern (MarketWatch:Drinks, 2008). The recession revealed several flaws in the company’s strategies which include targeting the wrong customers (young professionals), faulty international strategy, no differentiating factor, no benefits-based ad campaign, targeting a niche product to the mass market, no innovation in packaging and failure to introduce new products in recent years (Mellentin, 2010). Another area of concern is the fact that while its rivals have managed to obtain a 60% mark-up on every bottle, Innocent manages to make only 3p-4p worth of profit on each bottle (Mellentin, 2010). Opportunities: The market for smoothies has been growing unlike the market for juices which has occasionally seen a downward trend. There is enormous potential in the ?70 million British smoothie market which has seen double-digit growth over the years (Mellentin, 2010). The rate of annual growth is es timated at 30% (Mellentin, 2010). The company has enormous potential ever since Coca Cola’s purchase of stake in the company (Mellentin, 2010). Furthermore, 75% of the European market still remains untapped by Innocent Drinks (Mellentin, 2010

TQM (total quality management) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

TQM (total quality management) - Essay Example These concerns, alongside various others, gave rise to the breed of management called Total Quality Management.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management system that aims to achieve the ultimate customer experience, whether meeting the expectation of the customers or going beyond what they anticipated (Dale, 1999). Dale (1999) expresses that in order achieve the goal of TQM, strong cooperation and involvement from the entirety of the company is needed. Thus, TQM requires active participation and synergy of all employees and focusing that synergy towards meeting the customers expectations and improving overall business processes. To attain improvement in the company, various researchers said that the key to improvement is constant upgrading and development (Goetsch & Davis, 1994). Management should not stop upgrading because all processes can still be improve and be better. Once they stop improving, they could be left behind by their competitors. Based on this discussion, TQM seems to be a management concept only. However, TQM also has a quantitative and more defin ed facet (Priporas and Psychogios, 2007). Priporas and Psychogios (2007) identified some of the quantitative aspect or measure of TQM, which includes Statistical Process Control, ISO 9000 standards, Pareto Analysis, Histograms, among others. On the other hand, the qualitative ideas that constitute TQM are overall workers’ participation; uninterrupted upgrading; incessant coaching; cooperative relation among employees; self-motivated employees; full dedication and support from high-tiered officers; independent and autonomous administration approach; consumer happiness; and business surrounding alterations (Priporas and Psychogios, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main purpose of TQM is already well-known to everyone—customer satisfaction. However, to achieve this employee satisfaction should be fulfilled. Once the employee is satisfied and happy, it will be his innate response and goal to

Business Challenges in the 20th Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Challenges in the 20th Century - Essay Example Companies are often channel their efforts in taking overcoming the threats while taking advantage of the opportunities present in their environment. Thus, the proper and thorough assessment of the challenges faced by business entities should start with an adequate audit on their environment. This paper will look at three major challenges faced by business organization. It will accomplish this t ask by making a general assessment of the current business landscape. The paragraph that follows will be a glance at the business arena. This will be followed by the specific issues and challenges revealed and how they can be properly addressed. According to Philip Kotler (2005), one of the "megatrends" which is needed to be considered by business organizations is a major economic force called hypercompetition, which is characterized as "a period where the rate of change in the competitive rules of the game are in such flux that only the most adaptive, fleet, and nimble organizations survive (D'Aveni 1994)." It is irrefutable that this trend is one of the most important factor affecting the performance and strategies of business entities. As they operate in a hypercompetitive environment, they need to cope with its various features such as more intense rivalry, higher buyer leverage, and integration of international market. These three major challenges are further examined in the following sections. Challenge 1. More Intense Rivalry As more and more players recognize that potential markets with high profit gains and acquire technologies for an efficient operation, they intensify their efforts to conquer their target markets. It is apparent how business organizations are currently battling head on for higher market shares. More efficient technology in firms' value chains enable them to drive down prices. Aside from price wars, companies also compete on the quality and features of their specific products. As the world is becoming a global village, this situation is even exacerbated by the threat of competition from foreign firms. More in tense rivalry is becoming a major concern among competing industry players. Higher competition forces firms to develop a more efficient business model and strategy. Sometimes, these may even lead to the failure and bankruptcy of a firm. Higher competition tends to shake off inefficient players leaving only those with sustainable competitive strategies. In the face of more intense rivalry, industry players need to focus on crafting a strategy which will mitigate competition with other companies. It is also important that a firm embark on a stronger effort of defining and enhancing its position in the particular market. For example, a hotel company can further realign its strategy with its goal by looking at what it wants to achieve. The company can pursue a differentiation strategy to differentiate itself from its rivals. It is irrefutable that even though two companies offer the same product, customers often perceive huge differences in the way the companies craft their marketing mix. A hotel company can either focus on offering low priced and convenient accommodation or may opt to adopt a strategy of charging prices justified by excellent customer service. It should also be noted that warding

Online E-Petition System Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Online E-Petition System - Literature review Example As such, in the midst of various possibilities of providing formal online participations platforms for citizens, e-petition systems have been considered as being official and fully operational online democracy activity for parliaments and governments, as well as for non-governmental institutions across the globe. The first of its kind was done in 2000 by the Scottish government; it was apparently the first online petition or e-petition system to be established anywhere in the world by an elected parliament (Susha and Gronlund, 2012; Medaglia, 2012). This was followed in 2002 by the Parliament of Queensland, which also designed and developed its own e-petition system. The Bundestag, German’s Federal Parliament also followed suit and has been, since 2005, operating an e-petition system that is more similar to the one established by the Scottish parliament. Not only parliaments followed this path, governments and other non-governmental institutions also followed this path; for in stance, the office of the British Prime Minister in 2006 launched an e-petition system dubbed the British Prime Minister’s e-petition system (Ralf Lindner and Ulrich Riehm, 2009; Beddie et al., 2001). In comparison to other forms of formal, codified, and institutionalized online political participation, which are albeit less advanced, e-petitions which have a quite impressive uptake by a number of public institutions still remains more an experimental concept; limited to very specific purposes (Taylor-Smith and Buckner, 2009). For instance, online voting, a form of online participation in referenda and general elections has been introduced in various jurisdictions across the globe; however, most governments eventually have refrained from these online political participation systems because of unresolved legal, technical, and political challenges (Kriplean et al., 2009; BÃ ¶hle and Ulrich Riehm, 2013). In the US, as well as in many jurisdictions throughout

Sustainable Development Through Green Growth Research Paper

Sustainable Development Through Green Growth - Research Paper Example This study discusses that lack of environmental sustainability could .consequence into water scarcity, air pollution, restricted access to the availability of limited natural resources, and even the danger of more regular severe climate conditions and remarkable climatic modifications. Such environmental impacts will put economic development and sustainability at danger of an unduly high share of the burden on the humanity. Insufficient environmental sustainability will mostly affect the poor economies which still have not been able to develop in many parts of the world. Â  From this paper it is clear that the research should start with finding relevant sources of information and previous studies on topics of environmental sustainability. Other foundation activities must include the identification of possible global organizations and contributors who has helped or is presently helping the act of sustainability through rigorous efforts. Such stakeholders may include the list of infor mation users, labor representatives, business associations, civil society organizations, and experts. Keeping in mind that a balance needs to be established between different stakeholder groups and regions covered under the study. If the study focuses on a particular region in USA, then other developing economies like Africa and its environmental sustainability aspects might get ignored. Hence, following the background of the research and the literature review.

Online E-Petition System Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Online E-Petition System - Literature review Example As such, in the midst of various possibilities of providing formal online participations platforms for citizens, e-petition systems have been considered as being official and fully operational online democracy activity for parliaments and governments, as well as for non-governmental institutions across the globe. The first of its kind was done in 2000 by the Scottish government; it was apparently the first online petition or e-petition system to be established anywhere in the world by an elected parliament (Susha and Gronlund, 2012; Medaglia, 2012). This was followed in 2002 by the Parliament of Queensland, which also designed and developed its own e-petition system. The Bundestag, German’s Federal Parliament also followed suit and has been, since 2005, operating an e-petition system that is more similar to the one established by the Scottish parliament. Not only parliaments followed this path, governments and other non-governmental institutions also followed this path; for in stance, the office of the British Prime Minister in 2006 launched an e-petition system dubbed the British Prime Minister’s e-petition system (Ralf Lindner and Ulrich Riehm, 2009; Beddie et al., 2001). In comparison to other forms of formal, codified, and institutionalized online political participation, which are albeit less advanced, e-petitions which have a quite impressive uptake by a number of public institutions still remains more an experimental concept; limited to very specific purposes (Taylor-Smith and Buckner, 2009). For instance, online voting, a form of online participation in referenda and general elections has been introduced in various jurisdictions across the globe; however, most governments eventually have refrained from these online political participation systems because of unresolved legal, technical, and political challenges (Kriplean et al., 2009; BÃ ¶hle and Ulrich Riehm, 2013). In the US, as well as in many jurisdictions throughout

Bolsheviks and Revolution Essay Example for Free

Bolsheviks and Revolution Essay It is time to take action. Let go of the old ways and embrace a new one that promises betterment for yourselves, and especially a brighter future for your children. Let us abandon centuries of being poor, illiterate, and subjects to the select few. Our ancestors have quietly, and perhaps, gladly accepted the Tsar and the so-called nobilitys orders, demands, and humiliations. Perhaps they were glad, and perhaps they were not. They may have secretly wanted something different for us, their children. But without anyone leading them, they kept their secrets in their hearts. Now is the time to realize our forebears dream of a free people in a free nation. A nation where the masses needs are heard and taken cared of. We are all tired from the promises of liberation that some groups have postulated but never made true. To take up force is regrettably necessary to dislodge the wealthy, fat and richly-dressed nobility. They have an over-abundance of land that provides them with large incomes. They have excess food on their table that they never knew what being hungry means. They have armies and soldiers that fight for them during war. Their children will grow up with no fear of the future for their wealth and their status would speak wonders for them. Did you not wonder how its like to have even a portion of what they have? Wouldnt you like to prepare even the simplest food to calm your childrens hunger so that they may sleep the night full, instead of choosing to sleep in order to forget hunger? Our children deserve to eat and be clothed with warm clothes during the bitter winter months. We all deserve better than what the royals and the autocrats deem to bestow on us depending on what they think our worth. We are people like they are. They shouldnt have more of whats their due while we get little of whats rightfully ours. 2 Wouldnt you want to till your own land and enjoy your own produce instead of tilling a land and giving the produce to your rulers? The peasants sweat and work each day to make the lands productive. And what do you get in exchange? You pay outrageous rents to people who never had their nails dirtied. These landlords never knew the kind of labor that each one of you has to go through everyday in order to feed your families. Yet when harvest comes, they get the lions share of the income, while youre left with barely enough to last you till the next harvest. Many of our youths wont even have the chance to become farmers. Theyd be forced t wander and become laborers in somebody elses land. Are we to continue catering to the very few who are in power? I say no. Let us be one and take control of our future. Wouldnt you want to stop this war with the Germans in order for us to get on with our lives without fear of getting attacked? Let us stop fighting useless wars that cause famine in our lands. Let us call our soldiers home to help us attain a new government a government that is for the people. A government where each one of us share equally in the bounty of our lands. The government should be for us, common people. The nobles and the royals are but a few in this vast nation. It is us who make this nation function. We toil, we labor, we die so that a few elite could continue with their dinners and banquets and extravagance. I say, we must put a stop to this folly. For it is folly to submit and choose a greatly flawed system. It is folly to continue in this dismal state when there is a way to improve our lot. Let us make Russia a land of the people. Let us all be called Bolsheviks, for the name would be remembered in a distant future as the people who brought change in a country that has the potential to become great. We must change; and change requires no other way but to take up arms and fight. Fight, if we must. Fight the dictators of the land and drive them away from their throne. We have to unite and act. Food, land and peace. These, my friends, are our rightful due.

Vygotskys Work on the Zone of Proximal Development

Vygotskys Work on the Zone of Proximal Development Critically evaluate the contribution of Vygotskys work on the Zone of Proximal Development Vygotskys original ideas on the relationship between child development and learning, leading to his concept of the ‘zone of proximal development, have become hugely influential in education and teaching practice, spawning much research in this field in recent years.   It is important firstly, to situate  Vygotskys work alongside that of Piaget, whose theories have underpinned much of educational thinking and practice for many decades.   The concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD) has opened up many new ideas, not only about the nature of child development itself, but also about how children may be helped to learn more effectively within the classroom context.   Researchers have studied work within the ZPD from a variety of perspectives and there are clearly contrasting views, emanating from Vygotskys work, about the nature of childrens learning and how it might best be enhanced through the interrelationships between children and adults and children and their p eers.   Vygotsky, a Russian psychologist writing in the 1920s and early 1930s, presented a view of child development and learning which was radically different from that of his contemporary, Piaget. Piagets work achieved recognition and subsequently became highly influential in the realm of education and teaching practice. However, as highlighted by Schaffer (1996) and Faulkner and Woodhead (1999), Vygotsky died in 1934 and his ideas became recognised only more recently, having been translated, during the 1960s and 1970s, into English from Russian.  Vygotsky criticised Piagets basic notion that the developmental process begins in infancy with the child progressing through a period of relative egocentricity, eventually reaching a condition in which his or her thinking and behaviour become socialised.   He suggests that this approach â€Å"precludes the notion that learning may play a role in the course of development or maturation of those functions activated in the course of learningâ⠂¬  (Vygotsky, 1978, p.79).   Whilst Piaget, then, essentially saw the child as initially egocentric, only gradually becoming a social being, Vygotsky turned this view completely around, suggesting that even the youngest infant is profoundly social.   In contrast to Piaget, Vygotsky believed that development moves from the social to the individual, the child progressively achieving self-awareness and a capacity for reflection through his or her interaction with others. Vygotsky, then, argued that interaction with others is crucial for the childs achievement of mental maturity and individuality.   He suggested further that this achievement depends upon interactions with those people, within the childs environment, who are more capable and advanced than the child.   Processes of interaction, through discussion and argument between the child and these others, become the basis for processes which take place within the child at an individual level (Faulkner and Woodhead, 1999).   These notions form the basis of what Vygotsky has termed the ‘zone of proximal development (ZPD).   Vygotsky (1978) points out that it has been commonly understood that learning, and instruction, should be matched in some way to the childs developmental level.   The teaching of reading, writing and arithmetic, for example, has been traditionally initiated at a specific age level.  However, according to Vygotsky, we should not â€Å"limit ourselves merely to d etermining developmental levels if we wish to discover the actual relations of the developmental process to learning capabilities† (Faulkner and Woodhead, 1999a, p.11).   Instead, he suggests that we must take account of at least two developmental levels. Vygotsky acknowledged the existence of the actual developmental level which is the summation of a childs mental functions, as determined through the childs performance on a battery of tests or tasks at varying degrees of difficulty.   He argues, however, that, through testing in this way, we tend to judge the level of the childs mental abilities according to those things that children can do on their own.   If the child is offered leading questions or is helped towards a solution in collaboration with other children, thereby perhaps just missing an independent solution to the problem, this is not regarded as evidence for his or her mental development (Vygotsky,1978).   We have failed, then, according to Vygotsky, to recognise that what children can do with the assistance of others could be even more indicative of their mental development than what they can do on their own. The zone of proximal development, then, constitutes those mental functions which are currently in an embryonic state but in the process of maturation.   Vygotsky summarises this idea thus â€Å"the actual developmental level characterises mental development retrospectively, while the zone of proximal development characterises mental development prospectively† (Faulkner and Woodhead, 1999a, p.12).   Vygotsky suggested, then, that if we were to seek to discover the maturing functions of a young child, his or her capabilities as shown in collaboration with others, we will be able to obtain an accurate picture of that childs future actual developmental level.   In terms of classroom practice, instruction which aims for a new stage in the developmental process, rather than oriented towards learning which has already been mastered, is seen as ultimately more effective for the learning process.   Vygotsky essentially argued that the relationship between learning and developme nt is not straightforward with development following school learning in a linear way.   Rather, the two processes tend to interact with each other continually in highly complex and dynamic ways (Vygotsky, 1978). The Vygotskian concept of the zone of proximal development, along with others, such as scaffolding and guided participation, is central to the socio-cultural approach to development.   Guided participation, for example, as outlined by Rogoff (1990), is rooted in the idea that cognitive, linguistic and social competencies are developed through childrens active participation in a variety of adult-guided activities.   Meadows (1994) describes how the more expert person, whether adult or peer, provides a context or â€Å"scaffolding† within which the child may act as though he or she were able to solve the problem posed and, ultimately, indeed master the problem.   The adult, for example, gradually leaves more for the child to do as he or she becomes more familiar with the task and is able to accomplish the whole task successfully and independently.   Once the task, together with its associated cognitive competency, is achieved, the child is then able to develop and pass o n these skills to peers.   Commentators such as Faulkner et al (1998) and King and ODonnell(1999) have highlighted that Vygotskys concept of ZPD has been commonly understood to imply that neither the task difficulty nor the guidance given to children should be too far in advance of their current level of ability.   The research evidence, particularly that presented by Tudge et al (1996) and Tharp and Gallimore (1998), for example, seems to be generally supportive of this observation.  Schaffer (1996) expands on Vygotskys emphasis on the importance of the ‘knowledgeable other for childrens learning and development.   He highlights the distinction between vertical and horizontal (also known as asymmetrical and symmetrical) relationships, and the unique contribution that each kind of relationship makes to childrens development.   Vertical relationships are those in which partners have unequal power and knowledge, such as that between adult and child or achild and older sibling.   The equal status between peers in horizontalrelationships, as Schaffer points out, allows children the opportunityto acquire skills, such as those involving co-operation andcompetition, turn-taking, sharing and leadership qualities moreeffectively than might be possible through, say family relationshipswhich are not egalitarian in terms of knowledge and power. Many researchers focus on play as an important medium through whichyounger children develop skills in negotiating shared understandingswith each other.   Pretend play, in particular, was seen by Vygotsky asproviding opportunities for children to explore role relationships andacquire social skills, perspectives and cultural roles that are far inadvance of their ‘actual developmental level.   Pretend play, thus,constitutes a good example of learning within the ZPD since childrenare constructing for themselves many possibilities for learning.   Whenwe consider peer collaboration in general, whether inside or outsidethe classroom, the concept of prolepsis, first articulated byRommetveit (1979), cited in Goncu (1998), has been identified as animportant mechanism through which children construct and communicateunderstandings with each other.   Stone (1993), for example, describesprolepsis as a communicative device whereby children take for grantedthat their partners share the ir knowledge and, therefore, will leaveimplicit some of the meaning embedded in that knowledge (cited inFaulkner and Woodhead, 1999).   This, in turn, is said to motivatepartners to test out assumptions about each others meanings andunderstandings, creating a climate for intersubjectivity to develop.   Schaffer (1996), however, points out that simply providing childrenwith appropriate experiences, whether in play or structured group workwithin the classroom, is insufficient for effective new learning totake place.   In keeping with the concept of ZPD, Schaffer defineseffective tuition as teaching which elicits from the child performanceat a developmentally advanced level.   Like Meadows (1994) mentionedearlier, Wood (1988) and Schaffer (1996) also argue that effectiveteaching involves the gradual transfer of responsibility for masteringthe task in hand from adult to child, as the child is able to masterincreasingly complex aspects of that task.   Although these lattertheorists focus upon adult-child tuition, these ideas could applyequally well to the transfer of skills and knowledge between childrenand their peers (Vygotsky, 1978). Vygotsky saw the ZPD as an essential feature of learning,maintaining that â€Å"learning awakens a variety of internal developmentalprocesses that are able to operate only when the child is interactingwith people in his environment and in co-operation with his peers†(1978, p.90).   However, as Faulkner and Woodhead (1999) point out,children do not necessarily acquire communicative and social skillsfrom each other.   Neither can it be assumed that effective learning isachieved by the strategies teachers use through discussion.   It seemsclear that, for example, in group situations the social dynamicsdictate that individuals tend to take on different roles.   Someindividuals emerge as dominant or natural leaders; some take on therole of mediator or critic or perhaps adopt a very passive stance.   Itcannot be assumed, therefore, that even the most skilled tutor canensure that group discussion and interaction will create an effectivelearning space for each participant (F aulkner and Woodhead, 1999). Researchers such as Wood (1988) and Mercer (1995) have noted thatformal teaching and learning contexts are ‘contrived encounters in thesense that, in contrast to informal, spontaneous gatherings, peoplehave to acquire specific ways of talking and behaving according toparticular ground rules.   Edwards and Mercer (1987) have presented adetailed analysis of one common teaching strategy, defined as theinitiation-response-feedback (IRF) mode of exchange.   In the IRF mode,the teacher initiates by posing a particular question or problemassociated with the topic of the lesson and pupils respond and aregiven feedback in terms of the rightness or wrongness of theiranswers.   However, it is argued that this reduces learning into asomewhat sophisticated guessing game which renders children as passiverespondents, merely trying to search for the answers required of them,rather than as active participants, through perhaps posing questions oftheir own, in the learning process (Wood, 19 88).   Mercer (1995) explores this theme further in his analysis of classroomdiscourse and its role in knowledge creation.   He describes how jointunderstandings and shared frames of reference between pupils andteachers are established in effective classroom discourse.   The aims ofskilled teachers are seen as firstly, to orientate students learningactivities to the formal curriculum, secondly, to co-construct with thestudents a shared understanding of educational knowledge and thirdly,to help students commit their learning to memory (Mercer, 1995).   Inhis socio-cultural analysis of the teaching/learning process, Mercerhighlights the many ways in which teachers sustain classroom discourseby â€Å"confirming, reformulating, repeating, elaborating, rejecting orignoring the contributions learners make to classroom discussions†(Faulkner and Woodhead, 1999, p.84).   Through his extensive experienceof classroom research across different societies, Mercer concludes thatsuch guidanc e strategies, although commonly used in schooled societies,are underpinned by certain ‘common-sense assumptions about teachingand learning and may, therefore, be questioned and challenged. Mercer and Fisher (1998) argue that scaffolding, as a concept, isuseful for analysing how teachers may actively organise and supportchildrens learning when they in pairs or small groups.   However, theymaintain that a focus upon learning within the ZPD is too narrowlyrestricted to the dyadic interactions between adults and children andis therefore less useful within the classroom context.   They suggestthat in terms of analysing the quality of teaching and learning inclassrooms, the ZPD seems to have limited applicability becauseâ€Å"practical circumstances force most teachers to plan activities on thescale of classes or groups, not individuals.   The notion of any groupof learners having a common ZPD seems untenable!†(Mercer and Fisher,1998, p.127).   Other researchers, however, such as Moll and Whitmore (1998), haveargued that the ZPD concept can be useful in classroom contexts.   Theysuggest that traditional conceptions of ZPD based on dyadicinteractions are, indeed, too narrow and do not account for thesocio-cultural dimensions of the classroom as a context for learning.  Moll and Whitmore (1998) use examples of childrens written work todemonstrate how one particular class teacher provided a series of‘authentic social contexts within which her bilingual students wereable to explore the myriad of oral and written conventions of theirlanguages.   Moll and Whitmore (1998), thus, suggest that it isunnecessary to view ZPD simply in terms of the characteristic of eachindividual child but that classrooms can accommodate ‘collectiveZPDs.   They redefine the ZPD as â€Å"a zone where children can beencouraged to participate in collaborative activity within specificsocial (discourse) environments† (Moll and Whi tmore, 1998, p. 132).  They conclude that classrooms should be viewed as socio-cultural systems where, over time, teachers and students build up a history of shared understandings and generate new knowledge. The idea of creating shared meanings and joint understandings, whilst central to the socio-cultural approach to teaching and learning, has been queried in other circles.   Stone (1998), for example, has been concerned to elaborate more precisely the mechanisms involved in the process of intersubjectivity.   He argues that the quality of the interpersonal relationship between teacher and learner is crucial for the quality of learning that takes place within the classroom.   Stone emphasises the importance of shared understanding between teacher and learner and observes that adults may not always be sensitive enough to the lack of understanding, particularly in younger children, of the pragmatic conventions apparent for effective communication and dialogue.   He is particularly concerned to point out that shared understandings and commonly understood frames of reference between teacher and pupils do not occur instantly but take time to develop.  The argument for longitudinal studies, such as the research by Moll and Whitmore (1998) mentioned earlier, is therefore a strong one since these provide a richer description over time of teacher/learner relationships than ‘snapshot studies of isolated teaching and learning exchanges which can often produce a skewed and negative view of teachers competence. King and ODonnell (1999) point out that although Vygotsky himself focused more on the benefits of adult-child interactions rather than those of peer collaborations, his theory has â€Å"tremendous implications for our understanding of peer collaboration† (p.40). Many researchers have explored the ways in which peer interaction impacts upon childrens learning, problem solving and cognitive development.   Forman and Cazdan, for example, investigated how â€Å"the reasoning strategies of collaborative problem solvers differ from those of solitary problem solvers† (1998, p.192).   They compared the performance of three pairs of 9 year old children working on a series of scientific reasoning tasks with the performance of three pairs of 9 year old children working alone on identical problems.   They found that, when a Vygotskian perspective is adopted, children gained more valuable social and linguistic experiences through working collaboratively on the tasks than throu gh working alone on the same tasks. King and ODonnell (1999), along with Light and Littleton (1998),provide evidence that, in some circumstances, peer interaction does not promote individual cognitive progress.   Not all children work well together, and not all tasks are conducive to joint problem solving.  King and ODonnell (1999), for example, argue that applying Vygotskys theory to collaborative problem-solving involves more than simply pairing a child with a more competent other and focusing on the interactions between them.   They suggest that relying on the ZPD in terms of the interpersonal aspects of interaction is insufficient.  What is required instead, according to King and ODonnell, is anâ€Å" interweaving of different aspects of development, involving the individual and the cultural-historical as well as the interpersonal†(1999, p.40).   They cite evidence which demonstrates that not all social interaction has beneficial effects and, under some conditions, collaboration can, in fact, have detrimental outcomes.   Factors such as age, gender and ability level of the child and partner(s) and childrens motivation to collaborate can all affect the quality of learning outcome.   The extent to which children are exposed to more sophisticated reasoning by a partner together with willingness to accept and use that reasoning can also play a key role.   King and ODonnell, thus, note that â€Å"individual and contextual factors interact and mutually affect each other† (1999, p.46). King and ODonnell (1999) cite other research by Ellis and Rogoff(1982; 1986) and Gauvin and Rogoff (1989) which provides support for the idea that a ZPD can be constructed with either an adult or a peer.  However, they also point out that this research â€Å"indicates that pairing with an adult has different consequences (often more beneficial) for childrens learning† (King and ODonnell, 1999, p.50).   Many researchers have explored the ways in which teachers can guide knowledge construction through promoting effective group work in the classroom.   As mentioned earlier, children are likely to need adult input if they are to work on collaborative tasks productively.   Tharp and Gallimore (1998), for example, use the concept of scaffolding to support their argument that individual self-determined competence in any area may be generated only after successful performance has been achieved by assisted learning in the childs ZPD.   They characterise the ZPD not as a disti nct, discrete growing point for an individual child but rather as a complex array of growing edges involving all areas of developing competence.   They describe in some detail how the adult assistance provided between parent and child is not a linear, step-like procedure but an ongoing process involving a myriad of reciprocal interactions which reflect, monitor and adjust to the childs learning needs at any given time.   Tharp and Gallimore argue that â€Å"attempts by assisting adults to assess a childs readiness for greater responsibility (in the mastery of a task) often are subtle and embedded in the ongoing interaction† (1998, p.105). One example of teaching as assisted performance through the ZPD, as delineated by Tharp and Gallimore (1998), is the study by Baker-Sennett et al (1998) which explored the relationship between group collaborative processes and the nature of childrens creativity.   This study includes a fascinating account of the ways in which the ideas, planning and organisation of a play based on a fairy tale by one group of six girls, aged between seven and nine, changed over a period of one month.   The role of the class teacher in structuring the task for her pupils was also discussed.   The ways in which this teacher encourages the girls to reflect upon and address the interpersonal dilemmas they encounter are also illuminated in the research report.   Baker-Sennett et al (1998) draw out the evidence in the study for the girls movement, collectively, through parallel interpersonal zones as well as literary, creative zones.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tharp and Gallimore (1998) suggest, however, that the kind of assisted performance commonly evident, and successful, in the interactions of parents and children is rarely found in teacher/student relationships within the classroom.   The assistor, if he or she is to work effectively within the ZPD, must remain in close touch with the learners relationship to the task.   In short, it seems that commonly in the classroom, there are too many children for each teacher and not enough time available for working closely enough with the ZPD.   As Tharp and Gallimore observe, â€Å"public education is not likely to reorganise into classrooms of seven pupils each† (1998, p.107).   They do remain optimistic, however, suggesting that small group collaborative working, promoted through innovative instructional practices, together with the increasing use of new materials and technology could create the conditions for assisted performance to flourish in the future. In conclusion, then, Vygotskys work on the zone of proximal development, and its associated concepts of scaffolding and guided participation, has stimulated thinking and research about the nature of child development itself, its relationship to childrens learning and the implications for classroom practice.   It seems clear that there are contrasting views on the ways in which children relate to the ‘knowledgeable other, the nature and value of peer collaboration, the nature and extent of adult-assisted learning and the implications of all this for the quality of learning achievable.   As Tharp and Gallimore (1998), King and ODonnell (1999) and others argue, it seems that working effectively with the ZPD must take account of not only individual factors and immediate interpersonal interactions between children, adults and peers, but also the myriad of cultural-historical influences upon children and adults.   This undoubtedly presents a challenge in terms of current constr aints on classroom size and organisation in public education.   Some research studies, for example the account by Baker-Sennett et al (1998), have shown that through sensitive and creative classroom practice the conditions for optimal learning through working with the ZPD can be created.  Ã‚  Ã‚   References Baker-Sennett, J, Matusov, E, Rogoff, B (1998) ‘Sociocultural processesof creative planning in childrens playcrafting, in Faulkner, D,Littleton, K, Woodhead, M, Learning Relationships in the Classroom,Routledge, London, pp. 237-257 Edwards, D, Mercer, N (1987) Common Knowledge: the development of understanding in the classroom, Methuen, London Faulkner, D, Woodhead, M (1999) Child Development in Families,Schools and Society Study Guide, The Open University, Milton Keynes Faulkner, D, Woodhead, M (1999a) Child Development in Families,Schools and Society Offprints, The Open University Press, MiltonKeynes Forman, E, Cazdan, C (1998) ‘Exploring Vygotskian perspectives ineducation: the cognitive value of peer interaction, in Faulkner, D,Littleton, K, Woodhead, M, Learning Relationships in the Classroom,Routledge, London, pp. 189-206 Goncu, A (1998) ‘Development of intersubjectivity in social pretendplay, in Woodhead, M, Faulkner, D, Littleton, K, Cultural Worlds ofEarly Childhood, Routledge, London, pp. 117-132 King, A, ODonnell, A.M (1999) Cognitive Perspectives on Peer Learning, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, London Light, P, Littleton, K (1998) ‘Cognitive approaches to group work,in Faulkner, D, Littleton, K, Woodhead, M, Learning Relationships inthe Classroom, Routledge, London, pp. 171-188 Meadows, S (1994) ‘Cognitive development, in Bryant, P, Coleman, A (Eds) Developmental Psychology, Longman, Harlow Mercer, N (1995) The Guided Construction of Knowledge, Multilingual Matters Ltd, Clevedon Mercer, N, Fisher, E (1998) ‘How do teachers help children tolearn?   An analysis of teachers interventions in computer-basedactivities, in Faulkner, D, Littleton, K, Woodhead, M, LearningRelationships in the Classroom, Routledge, London, pp. 111-130 Moll, L.C., Whitmore, K.F (1998) ‘Vygotsky in classroom practice:moving from individual transmission to social transaction, inFaulkner, D, Littleton, K, Woodhead, Learning Relationships in theClassroom, Routledge, London, pp. 131-155 Rogoff, B (1990) Apprenticeship in Thinking: cognitive development in social context, Oxford University Press, Oxford Schaffer, R (1996) Social Development, Blackwell, Oxford Stone, C (1998) ‘What is missing in the metaphor of scaffolding?,in Faulkner, D, Littleton, K, Woodhead, M, Learning Relationships inthe Classroom, Routledge, London, pp.156-167 Tharp, R, Gallimore, R (1998) ‘A theory of teaching as assistedperformance, in Faulkner, D, Littleton, K, Woodhead, M, LearningRelationships in the Classroom, Routledge, London, pp. 93-110 Tudge, J, Winterhoff, R.A., Hogan, D.M (1996) ‘The cognitiveconsequences of collaboration and feedback, in Child Development, Vol.67, pp. 2892-2909 Vygotsky, L.S (1978) Mind in Society: the development of higher psychological processes, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA Wood, D (1988) How Children Think and Learn, Blackwell, Oxford

Double and Triple Taxation Must be Eliminated :: Expository Exemplification Essays

Double and Triple Taxation Must be Eliminated President George Bush states that "it's unfair to tax money twice." This statement is actually an example of normative economics and only describes an opinion. It cannot be proven because the term "unfair" is relative to different people; however, not many people would dare to disagree. Especially if the double tax was not aimed only at the large corporations or the richest 10% of the nation but at every hardworking American who brings home a paycheck. Even worse, many of these Americans do not even realize the "double tax," and sometimes even "triple tax," that is imposed on them. Currently, large corporations are required to be taxed a certain percentage of all of their profits. This includes the money from which dividends are derived. When stock holders obtain the dividends from these corporations, the government counts this as individual income and is taxed once again. Six percent of the population would benefit from abolishment of this "double tax." However, the largest part of the income that is taxed twice is the income from the worker's paycheck. Opposed to the 6 percent of dividend holders, this affects every working American. The income is first taxed as a whole and then Social Security and Medicare tax is also deducted. The money that was for Medicare and Social Security is never seen but is counted as if the individual had an opportunity to spend it. What is worse is much of the Social Security money is received from retirees who are again taxed on the income, creating a "triple tax." For Social Security recipients, there is a fixed amount of income allowed to go untaxed but is taxed once exceeded. However, these base amounts do not change with inflation which creates more and more people who are "unfairly" taxed. Also, this "triple tax" is paid all by the same person whereas the dividend tax is shared by both corporations and stockholders. This double tax is imposed on far more people who make much less money than the di vidend holders. The Social Security tax on a worker's paycheck can only be implemented on a certain amount of income, creating a maximum base amount. This base amount does rise with inflation. Therefore, as income increases, the Social Security tax actually decreases. Those who make less money pay a larger percentage of their income to the government through the Social Security tax than the wealthy class does.

Shirley Jacksons The Lottery and Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour Es

Shirley Jackson's The Lottery and Kate Chopin's The Story of an Hour "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, and "The Story of the Hour" by Kate Chopin, both have similarities and differences when it comes to the elements of literature.   Particularly, when the authors use foreshadowing to manipulate the moods of the stories and add irony to cleverly deceive the reader. Both of these stories possess similarities and differences when it comes to their components of the story, specifically the authors' usage of elements of mood and the tone of irony.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery,' irony is a major theme. This story is about a town full of elitist snobs that are stuck on their tradition of a lottery, even though it is a grim ritual and rather detrimental to the people in the town. The characters are honoring a tradition that is handed down to them from former generations. The reader is led through the outwardly normal and charming little village, and is taken on a ride of ironic horror as they slowly grasp the annual fate of one the village?s inhabitants. The title ?The Lottery? implies a contest with a winner of some kind, like a sweepstakes. When in reality the winner is actually the loser or person that will die by stoning. At the beginning of this story, the main character, Mrs. Hutchinson, is in favor of the lottery. The atmosphere of the town is casual yet anxious. Mrs. Hutchinson arrives late because she ?clean forgot? what day it is. This seems quite impossible to any reader that anyone would forge t a day like lottery day. Her procrastination is reasonable but her excuse is lame. Mrs. Hutchinson complains that her husband, Bill, ?didn?t have enough time to choose.? And that the results of the drawing were not fair. In these statements, she is implying that the other villagers had more time to choose, and in fact given an advantage over the Hutchinson family. In reality, time had little to do with the drawing of the ?slips of paper.? As soon as they hold the second drawing, Mrs. Hutchinson is chosen. This is the climax of irony of this story. Mrs. Hutchinson is chosen for the lottery. She is shocked and astounded, having believed that she couldn?t possibly be chosen for the lottery. She begs or mercy, but the townspeople are strict with keeping to their traditions and her pleas of mercy fall on deaf ears and she is stoned to death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ?... ...the mention of her health. However, in ?The Lottery? the reader knows that something bad will eventually happen, but the reader has no idea who the ill-fated winner is going to be.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I feel that ?The Story of an Hour? is a better example of the elements of irony and foreshadowing than ?The Lottery.? In ?The Story of an Hour? the author uses a writing style that is easy to follow and simple to understand. The plot is orderly and follows a sequential order of events. The imagery is vivid, but is it easy to understand and doesn?t confuse the reader. ?The Lottery? was not an adequate story. The foreshadowing was presented in an irksome fashion, and the language confused and baffled me. ?The Lottery? was difficult to follow, and I was unable to understand anything about it until I had completed the story. In closing, I feel that Kate Chopin did a superb job with ?The Story of an Hour? in reaching her audience on a level that made it simple to understand her story and to have a sense of perceptive knowledge of how the story would end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited: Jackson, Shirley. "The Lottery." The Harper Anthology of Fiction. Ed Sylvan Barnet. New York: HarperCollins, 1986. 862-868

Understanding the Media

Since the media has now become the centre of today`s life controlling every aspect of it, it is therefore very important to understand and to critically observe how the media operates . It is however questionable to understand how the media balances between meeting its goals and targets as a business and fulfilling its role of acting as the peoples voice as expected by the society it serves without compromising on each of the two. BODY It is only through the understanding of the media that the people get to know that the media plays an important role in educating the society.Francois Nell notes that `the media contribute to social development`. (Writing For The Media In Southern Africa:3rd Edition). Through the media, education has moved from indirect teaching to direct teaching whereby the minors and students get to learn through different T. V programs like the Tekalani Sesami(SABC 3) and Matrics Uploaded(SABC 2). Though this development in Media production learning has become so c onvenient thus contributing to the educational growth of the community. It is also vital to understand the media production so as to know when and when not to blame the media when scandals take place .Stony Brooke notes that, `the effects of media seem necessary to depend on the patterns of audience use. ` It is however unfair to blame the media on the abuse of the media forms by the public it tend to benefit. It is therefore important to take note of the fact that the audience has a major role to play as far as media content is pertained. Understanding media production is vital too so as to know the truth behind some nasty news said of the media by the public. a good understanding of the media enables us to know how to relate and deal with some of these accusations.Gilmore p37 notes that `news is more of a conversation and the lines have blurred between producers and consumers. The once passive audience has become an active participant in the creation and dissemination of news, and the flow of information is no longer controlled by journalists Haddow & Kim S. Haddow) . It is therefore important to note that the media is not solely to blame for some scandals in media content but also the audience has a role to play for media abuse. It is only through media literacy that he audience know how to utilise different forms of media and to know when to draw the line as far as their engagement with the media is concerned. Although the media development `encourages individual change and mobility`(Francois Nel ),it is however important for one to know how for example the internet operates so as to protect oneself from cannibals that has flooded this media form, many peoples` lives. Through this awareness one is able to know when to draw the line as far as his/her engagement with different characters on this blog is concerned.However it is also important to critically observe how the media conveys its messages to the people so that one will not fall a victim to some of t he media content that tend to `induce political apathy, alienation, cynicism and a loss of social capital`( Kenneth Newton) thus brainwashing the public into making wrong political choices. Peter Phillips argues that `democracy does not work within last minute sound bites, taking the place of important public debate and compromising the bulk information that could be available to the people`(Censored 2007).This however shows that in their bid to meet targets, the media tend to compromise on their expectations from the society and also on their role of informing the public. Through a critical engagement with the media, one is made to observe that the media has a `mass effect on societal behaviour`( Jatto et tal). During the Family Planning Campaign in Tanzania, the media had an incremental effect on contraceptive use. The more media sources a woman was exposed to, the more she was to adopt a contraception (Jatto et tal, 1999:65-67). The media campaign in the Philippines had clearly p ositive effects .Nancy Morris notes that `the mass media information campaign was largely responsible for the improvement in vaccination coverage`(McDivitt, Zimicki and Hornik, 1997:111). This clearly shows that the media has the power to control peoples` behaviour so a critic understanding of it is vital to prevent possible brainwash. Since the media has become the `backbone of the marketing , advertising and public relations industries`(Peter J Jourie) notes that `a sound knowledge of how the media work, think and disseminate meaning is fundamental to these industries`.It is however important to critically engage with the media so as to know how to relate with the information given by the media so as to know how to act on their `education` as far as their information about these industries is pertained since they will be advertising. It is very important to note that the media is only after sensational stories so that the people will know that behind the information dished out by the media, lies more helpful and important information.This will enable the audience to be on the lookout of more helpful stories that do not make it into the newspapers that might be of great importance to their livelihood. It can be concluded that although the media is there to serve the people and to meet their expectations, the media itself ends up on a very compromising position with only one way out, that is to do anything possible to meet its goals as a business even though it means compromising on their role within the society .This means that the public should be well informed as on how to utilise useful media content and at the same time on how to screen some of the media content in order to protect themselves from the harm that comes with it. The complication only now lies on how the public can get informed when the only means to inform the public is only through the media.