Government cut-backs

High youth unemployment and cutbacks in government funding for post-secondary education are the new realities confronting students. The implications for most working and middle class students are either to abandon education altogether and to accept a future of McJobs and unemployment, or to be saddled with a lifetime of debt. Since the end of WW II, science and technology have been playing a dramatically increased role in the process of capitalist production in Canada. As a result, there has been an increase in the demand for a more highly educated labour force. For example, between 1971 and 1986, jobs primarily concerned with the creation and utilization of data and technical knowledge have represented two-thirds of net job growth. This has led to a rapid expansion in school enrolment. Between 1951 and 1993, the number of full-time post-secondary students has increased over tenfold, growing from 91,000 to almost 1 million. However, accompanying the scientific and technological revolution, is a tremendous growth in productivity that has led to higher levels of unemployment. Between 1980 and 1993, youth unemployment increased from 12% to 17.5, leaving many with no other alternative but to remain in or return to school. Since 1984-85, tuition fees have more than doubled across Canada, pushing more students into the labour market in search of income. While in 1980, 31% of full-time students, aged 15-24, held jobs during the school year; by 1989, this number had reached 41%. This worsening economic situation has also seriously interfered with the studies of college and university full-time students, as almost a third of them were forced to work 20 or more hours per week during the school year. Another reflection of the economic hardship of students is their growing debt burden. In 1984, 114,000 Ontario students received around $4000 million in student aid, by 1993-94, as tuition continued to increase, about 180,000 students (representing almost half of full-time students) took out over $1 billion in loans. The average value of loans in 1994-95 was around $6800. By 1998, the federal government is scheduled to eliminate a total of $7 billion in transfer payments to the provinces for medicare, social assistance, and post-secondary education. The expected effect on Ontario university students is a doubling of their tuition. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. Ontario's education minister, John Snobelen, has already made clear his government's intention to move toward a â€Å"market-based tuition fee†. If both levels of government abandon their financial support for Ontario universities, tuition will reach minimum levels of $7500-$8000. To counter the danger of a dramatic growth in defaults as it increases tuition fees, the federal government has transferred liability for student loans to the private banks. While increasing the role of the private banks in the short term, these changes set the pace for the full privatization of the student loan system. Another plan, currently under discussion, proposes collecting the loan repayments through the taxation system, i.e., Revenue Canada, through an Income Contingent Loan Repayment Plan (ICLRP). If the direction of government â€Å"reforms† is not reversed, it is only a matter of time before students who are at a high risk of unemployment (disproportionately women) or who are expected to have a low income after graduation (again disproportionately women) are refused access to loans, while most of the rest are burdened with a lifetime of debt. But the class nature of the privatization process has already become apparent. For 1995-96, the demand for first-year places is down by 5% in Ontario–20% in some faculties–leading many schools to turn toward recruiting drives and to lowering their admission requirements. Evidently, higher tuition is an obstacle for better qualified, poorer students, while offering an opening to less qualified, richer students. Cut the deficit by taxing the big corporations By focusing attention on expenditure reduction, the big corporations and the right-wing aim to deflect attention from the cause of the national debt: the decreasing tax revenues from corporations, which have declined from 20% of total federal revenues to only 7% in the last 20 years. Canada continues to have one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the industrialized world. Even the same level of corporate taxation as in the U.S. would provide an additional $9 billion a year–more than enough to cover all the cuts in social spending scheduled by the federal government. The ongoing cutbacks to education follow more than a decade of political and financial pressures promoted by federal and provincial governments in relation to social spending in general. Indeed, the education crisis cannot be separated from the overall crisis of the capitalist economy in Canada. The critical challenge before us today is to bring together all the social elements that are hurt by the implementation of the big corporate agenda: to build wide coalitions of youth and students, workers, women, seniors, environmentalists, peace groups, farmers, aboriginal people, immigrants, and many others–in support of a genuine â€Å"People's Alternative† program. This program would provide for decent wages, stronger public health and child cares systems, job creation programs, while restoring and increasing public funding for education. Reversing the current cut-backs and building the people's alternative depend on escalating the student protests. As a first step, we must build strong grassroots organizations on campuses which can ensure wide student involvement in the mobilizations. Students and working people have fought a long battle to win the right to higher education, health care, UI, and other social programs. Today, we have to build the fightback against those who are bent on destroying our social programs and our right to a quality, accessible education.

Discuss the social problems that result from the widespread availability of cheap alcohol Essay

The drinking of alcohol is completely acceptable in many if not most parts of society and, in the UK, it is legal to be bought by anyone over the age of 181. This is a well-known fact but a lesser known one is that in the UK, alcohol can be legally drunk on private premises by anyone over the age of 52 and youths aged 16 and over may drink alcohol3 in restaurants from the age of 16 if with an adult4. Apart from religious reasons, most people do not see a problem with a temperance attitude towards the consumption of alcohol, indeed research suggests that the occasional and moderate consumption of alcohol may have benefits to health. The problems arise when a culture adopts a heavy or binge drinking culture. Such a culture is encouraged and, in a lot of cases, made possible by the availability of cheap alcohol. Just looking at the website for Tesco today5 shows advertisements for discounted beer, for example 12 x 440ml cans of Fosters for ? 9 or a saving of ? 3 for 24 cans at only ? 15. That is beer at only 62p each for a large can, something which would cost a person approx. ?3 – 3. 50 each in a public house. It is not just supermarkets which offer cheap deals on alcohol, in my city tonight there will be countless bars offering ‘2 for 1’ deals and half price drinks during their ‘happy hours’ which normally last from 6pm until 9pm. This short time period when drinks are 50% cheaper leads to people being tempted to drink a lot of alcohol during the ‘happy hour’ period to take advantage of cheap drinks when they are available. Happy hours have become so popular that there are ‘Happy Hour Guides’ online so people know where to go for cheap alcohol6 . Although it may appear, on the surface, that the availability of cheap alcohol is harmless, unfortunately, a number of social problems have arisen as a result of it. These problems have reached such a crisis that for the past 3 years, the government has been attempting to address the availability of cheap alcohol from both shops and licensed premises and the length of opening hours in those licensed premises. The social problems that have arisen are widely publicised by the media by showing town and city centres on a Friday or Saturday night, awash with drunken teenagers and those in their 20s having partied on ‘cheap’ alcohol. This invariably leads to public order offences in the centres, a higher rate of sexual offences and, at the bottom end of the scale, centres left at the end of the night covered in broken bottles and kebab wrappers. Another lesser known fact is the binge drinkers are 14 times more likely to drive while impaired compared to people who drink sensible amounts†7. Slightly further behind the scenes, but also quite well publicised are the results seen at the A&E departments following binge drinking at a weekend when such departments are run off their feet trying to deal with genuine serious cases whilst, at the same time having to attend to a steady stream of drunk with alcohol related injuries. Such problems are quite well publicised and the public at large are well aware of these results of freely available cheap alcohol being abused. There are, however, more problems below the surface. In 2010, Sir John Stoddart, Chief Constable of Durham Constabulary spoke to Channel 4 about the affects cheap alcohol was having within his jurisdiction. He claimed that the problem is far larger than binge-fuelled bad behaviour and that his men and women on the beat saw a range of alcohol-related crime and social breakdown. In 2009, his constabulary and two neighbouring forces tackled nearly 6,500 incidents of domestic violence where alcohol played a part. The Chief Constable was quoted as saying that he was in no doubt that it was the cut prices and easy availability of alcohol that were to blame. 8 Other social problems that arise from freely available cheap alcohol include a general rise in crime, in fact, almost half of all victims of violence report that perpetrators were under the influence9. Also, the general health of those who abuse alcohol declines and it often leads to an early death. One reason for bad health from alcohol is chronic liver disease. From 1970 – 2000, deaths in the UK from cirrhosis increased by 900%. The primary cause of cirrhosis is drinking too much alcohol. In conclusion, there are numerous social problems which result from freely available cheap alcohol. These problems include health issues, domestic problems, a rise in crime and a general degradation of our town and city centres. II. Expand on the other issues that have made alcohol a significant social problem In the answer above, as well as the main, obvious social issues I did touch on the problem of health and crime resulting from the consumption (or rather, over consumption) of alcohol. I will now expand on these issues in more detail. During a time of austerity institutions such as the NHS are extremely hard pressed to provide an adequate service to the population. The NHS in England currently has to make ? 20bn of efficiency savings (between 2011 and 2015). These savings of 4% a year are needed if the NHS is to meet rising demands and maintain quality, with funding effectively frozen in real terms during the current spending review period. The last thing it needs is for a social issue to increase the number of patients that it has. In 2010, the NHS published a report on the cost of binge drinking, ‘Too much of the hard stuff: what alcohol costs the NHS’. It cited that consumption of alcohol in the UK had increased by 19 per cent over the previous three decades and that reports indicated that 10. 5 million adults in England drink alcohol above sensible limits and around 1. 1 million have a level of alcohol addiction. It also confirmed that alcohol was the third leading cause of disease burden in developed countries and, as a result, the cost of providing alcohol-related services was escalating. It emphasised that over a quarter of the population in England was drinking at hazardous levels and that treating alcohol-related conditions cost the NHS approximately ? 2. 7 billion in 2006/07, almost double the 2001 cost. Furthermore, the pressure to react to drinkers’ urgent and increasing health needs made it difficult for preventative measures to keep pace. Alcohol has always been an issue in relation to reported crime. According to the Home Office, the incidence of crimes committed under the influence of alcohol is rising steadily. During 2011, in England, almost half of all violent crimes were thought to have involved alcohol. Additionally, just under 40% of all domestic violence was attributed to drunkenness. Additionally, research by the British Medical Association suggests that between 60 – 70% of all murders were committed by those under the influence of alcohol. The abuse of alcohol has always been linked to crime levels and the reason for this is the fact that alcohol is classed as a ‘disinhibitor’. A disinhibitor is a drug that tends to remove a person’s inhibitions. In essence, alcohol can literally give people the â€Å"courage† to do things they might not otherwise do. So what makes people drink to excess? There are many factors attributed to heavy drinking of alcohol, these include the fact that those from families with a history of drinking are more likely to drink to excess, as are people with a history of abuse. Also cited as a blame for heavy drinking is peer pressure. Another factor, all the more relevant in a time of high unemployment and austerity is the fact that stress both at home and at work and unemployment are known factors to increase the consumption of alcohol. As with the NHS above, during these times of austerity, policing the population is strained almost to breaking point. Recent cuts on the budget for forces have led to a 17% cut in police staff with 13,500 fewer police officers and nearly 3,000 fewer PCSOs. During the period 2011 – 2015, UK police forces have to make a saving of ? 2. 7bn. In 2012, Her Majesties Inspector of Constabularies confirmed that as many as three different forces within in the UK were failing due to spending cuts and that others may fail in the near future. With such facts and figures, then with an increase of alcohol abuse, then there is likely to be an increase in reported crime. In such a climate, the last thing that UK forces need are high levels of alcohol related reported crimes. III. Why is cocaine considered the main drug of choice for the wealthy? The history of cocaine goes back many hundreds of years. Indeed, over 1000 years ago, indigenous South American people used to chew the leaves of cocoa plants for its nutrients. It has been known to the Western world since the mid-16th Century, since which it was been used as a drug of leisure and as a medicinal compound. For the majority of this time, the use of cocaine was legal, indeed during the early 20th-century, cocaine was being sold in US drugstores, costing 5c – 10c for a small boxful. It was commonly used by ‘stevedores’ along the Mississippi River, who used the drug as a stimulant. During the same period, again in the US, white employers encouraged its use by black labourers in order to increase their work rate. Even as recently as 1916, Harrods were selling a kit described as â€Å"A Welcome Present for Friends at the Front† containing cocaine, morphine, syringes and needles. However, later that year cocaine was made illegal following reports of ‘drug crazed soldiers’. It is currently a class A controlled drug listed on Schedule II of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. During modern times, traditionally, cocaine was always the drug of the rich. This was purely due to its price being relatively high in comparison to other controlled drugs. Indeed, during the 1990s when I was working undercover in the drug scene, cocaine was rarely encountered on the street due to its high prices. Other, cheaper drugs such as LSD, Ecstasy and Amphetamine Sulphate (speed) were far more easily available and much cheaper. More recently, due to a higher supply of the drug, in accordance with the age old adage of ‘supply and demand’, the price of cocaine has dropped drastically. To illustrate this, in 1999 a gram of cocaine would cost in the region of ? 70. By the mid-2000s, that same gram would only cost about ? 35. It suddenly became affordable and therefore its usage increased. In 2007, the UN claimed that 2. 4% of adults in England and Wales use cocaine10. IV. What are the attractions of readily available recreational drugs? Recreational drugs are used by people to either create or improve a recreational situation rather than for medical or spiritual purposes. Recreational drugs include alcohol, nicotine and caffeine, together with a number of commonly used controlled drugs and, lately, a ‘group’ of what have been referred to as ‘legal highs’. The attractions of alcohol, nicotine and caffeine, together with legal highs11, such as ‘gocaine’, ‘ching’ and ‘AMT’ to name but a few include the fact that they are legal, easily obtained, relatively cheap, all are quite sociable drugs and, to differing degrees, all of them ‘lift’ a person’s spirits. Controlled (illegal) drugs are also regularly used recreationally. The most common types of recreational drug includes cannabis, amphetamines, ecstasy and cocaine. As above, the main attractions of recreational drugs are that they are relatively cheap, especially if compared to the price of alcohol, in particular if one wants a similar level of effect. They are a sociable pastime with very few recreational drug users using them in isolation and the majority (with the exception of cannabis) are designed to lift a person’s spirits and energy levels. Cannabis on the other hand has the opposite effect allowing a person to relax and it is often used by recreational drug users to help them ‘come down’ after an episode of using an ‘upper’. The fact that such drugs are illegal and even the mere possession of them could lead to a person receiving a criminal record is very little deterrent to those who wish to use recreational drugs. V. Explore the range of options for resolving the problem of frequent use of recreational drugs The options for resolving recreational drug use vary depending upon the drug in question. There is no control over the use of a drug such as caffeine, a child of any age can walk into any shop in the UK and purchase a jar of coffee, caffeine laced sweets or can of coke. This is because of the perception that caffeine is harmless and it is socially acceptable to be consumed, normally in a drink such as coffee or coke. Despite the public perception of it, however, caffeine is not quite as harmless as people believe. For example, just today it was reported that a 40 year old man died of an overdose of caffeine after eating too many mints with caffeine in them12. Having said that, in the majority of cases, caffeine does not cause any major adverse reaction to its consumption and it is not considered to be a recreational drug which requires resolving. Nicotine on the other hand has slipped out of popularity due to its most popular form of consumption being by smoking tobacco. Smoking was once popular and acceptable in the majority of places and situations, however, in the UK this has changed as a result of the health issues associated to it. The method used to resolve the recreational use of nicotine in the form of smoking tobacco has been to heavily tax it in order to make it unaffordable to the majority and to ban its use in public places. Alcohol is another recreational drug which has recently fallen foul of those in authority and its use is currently seen as something which requires resolving. This has resulted from an increase in ill health of drinkers, huge media interest in what they describe as ‘binge drinking’ and statistics which show that the UK is very high on international statistics as far as alcohol related crime is concerned. This is being done by good education programs regarding the ill effects of alcohol, overt advertising on the ill effects of alcohol use, heavy taxation and overt, strong policing of areas when alcohol is used recreationally. In addition, the government is exploring licensing hours with a view to reducing them in order to make alcohol less accessible and to introduce a minimum price per unit for alcohol in order to make it less affordable. The recreational use of legal highs are slightly harder to resolve. Although such drugs have been available for some time, it is only recently that their use, and indeed the sometimes fatal consequences of such use, has been advertised widely. Such drugs are frequently used by young people who either do not want to break the law and purchase illegal drugs, or by those who cannot afford controlled drugs (which invariably are more expensive). It is very difficult to resolve the use of recreational drugs that are freely available via hundreds of internet sites and shops around the UK. Most of the legal highs are basically vitamin pills laced with high levels of caffeine or herbs containing the (legal) chemical ephedrine. With their popularity, designers have started to produce a new generation of legal highs, many with effects more closely associated with stronger drugs like cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine, some even contain the amphetamine-like drug BZP, an artificial chemical originally used as worming tablet for cows. It is very hard to control such sales as, in a similar manner to designer drugs such as those originating from the original MDMA, as soon as a drug is made illegal, the designers just change its chemical make-up so it remains legal. Although this is easier to control with the UK drug laws than in countries such as the USA, it is still very difficult which is why in the UK, specific legal highs are not made illegal much sooner. The way to resolve the frequent use of such legal ‘drugs’ is to publicise the ill effect of using them, to investigate their make up and ban those containing dangerous or illegal ingredients. Education beginning early in life is another way to attempt to curg the use of such recreational drugs. I have left to last the ways to resolve the frequent use of controlled recreational drugs. My reason for this is because I do not think that there is a method which will be successful. Firstly, we made the drugs illegal so that no-one would use them. This did not work. We have had a no tolerance policy on drug offenders which also did not work. We have had extensive multi-media drug education programs made in an attempt to show people the ill effects of such drugs but this has not worked. Some employers have introduced compulsory drug testing in order to identify drug users to make the workplace a safer place. People are still caught regularly which again shows that this does not work. We spend literally ? billions around the world, destroying crops of illegal drugs, funding international drug enforcement initiatives and strengthening our borders but still, the demand is so high that such drugs still manage to make their way into our country. As I said above, I do not think we can prevent such drug use, however, the methods described above will hopefully at least control the use of illegal recreational drugs, if not eradicate it.

The title of the painting: Adoration of the Shepherds

The work is about the joyous celebration of the shepherds upon seeing Jesus, the hailed messiah. It was finished in 1672 by the Italian painter Baciccio. Italians are famous for their passion for painting, and for living their art.This painting of his is approximately 10 11/16 x 8 3/8 inches in size. It is drawn using pen and brown ink, black chalk, washed with brown, and with white bodycolor. (www.getty.edu)Baciccio, whose real name is Giovanni Battista Gaulli and is also called Il Baciccio and Baciccia, was born in Genoa, Italy on the 8th of May 1639. After his parents died of a plague, he became an apprentice of Luciano Borzone and Gianlorenzo Bernini, two renowned painters of his time.Baciccio also saw Correggio’s works, which influenced his illusionism and the gentleness of his pictures. He afterwards became very known for his vault wall painting in the Gesu church of Rome. (wikipedia.com)The Adoration of the Shepherds can be considered a relief sculpture because it bears and combines essential symbols, and it depends on its surface. Here, Baciccio made very much use of the power of lighting and shadowing effects. In the drawing, the only source of light is exuding from the baby, illuminating the faces of the crowd around him and casting dark shadows of the shepherds.This technique of creating pictures wherein light pierces darkness is dubbed as the Art of Nocturnal Light. In this art, the source of the light is something divine, artificial, natural, or has held figurative relations beyond its common role. The nocturnal light – which can be candlelight to add intimacy, fire to symbolize power, or moonlight for landscapes – is intended to enhance the drama of the spiritual sight. (www.getty.edu)Baciccio also used free lines to give the picture a vibrant look, and to exalt the religious subject matter. It attracts viewers to witness the story of the appearance of angels to the shepherds to proclamation the good news of Christ’s bi rth to them, and the shepherds’ journey to Bethlehem to see the infant lying in a manger. (Luke 2:8-20, NKJV) In the scene, the shepherds look at Jesus at his birthplace in Bethlehem.The birthplace is often in the form of a barn or manger. The angels are praising and saying, â€Å"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, goodwill to men!† This speech became the first lines of the Gloria, the doxology that is traditionally sang in Christian masses.I would not prefer to include this work in my personal collection. The arrangement of the elements is somewhat in a mess. Looking at it, I did not know where to look at first. Some may have also experienced the same difficulty. Hence, peace and comfort is not extended to the viewer, and the viewer is not drawn into the picture.Moreover, the scene is supposed to be joyous, but the picture depicts not one indicator of delight. Its lack of appeal and colorfulness does not invite spectators. One might see it, look at it shortly, and then continue on walking. Because of its monochrome, it might not even be noticed. If I were to put a work in my personal collection, I prefer something catchy, or colorful enough so as to be catchy.

Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management BEM2004 Essay - 1

Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management BEM2004 - Essay Example It includes a discussion of concepts relating to the meaning of work, globalization and the enterprise culture, which are significant factors that influence the existence of paid employment. Paid employment refers to work whereby the serving holds clear or understood employment agreements that offer them fundamental remuneration that is independent of the income gained by the section or department that the person works. The employer may be a business organization, government, non-profit organization or a family unit. The method of payment differs depending on the agreement. It might be in form of wages that can be paid hourly, weekly or per unit of output. Salaries are equal amounts that are paid regularly to the worker upon expiry of the agreed period; while others such as salesmen are paid by commission depending on the amount they sell (Baruch, 2006). The industrial revolution brought major changes in people’s lifestyles at the turn of the 20th century. The global society that was used to the traditional work such as small scale farming, herding, hunting and gathering was transformed in to a modern society that worked in the emerging manufacturing industries and construction and mining companies. The new industries employed millions of people in the early 20th century. Even though employment opportunities were created in the new industries, the wages that the average workers were paid were insufficient. People worked for long hours and were exposed to injuries (Norberg, 2003). During this early period of industrialization, work was structured in a scientific way whereby people were considered as essential components of the machine. They were taught simple skills that helped them perform special functions in the process of production under close supervision by owners. Under such circumstances, workers were dehumanized by the scientific management that was mainly focused on the results rather than the process of production. Performance based pay made

The Family of Average Socio-Class Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Family of Average Socio-Class - Assignment Example He is not the only child and has one sister and two brothers.   He goes to a school within the metropolis where he neither has sufficient friends nor performs substantially in class. His colleagues cannot easily understand him; he leaves the school immediately after the children are let free and do not entertain any friendship. Brian keeps to himself, this illustrates that he is a depressed child contrary to his upbringing. The only person who interests him is Sophia. She is a humble girl, just as Brian. Two men dressed in black immediately jump out of the car that has its engine running and they gang his mother. They shove her ruthlessly into the trunk of the van; the street is full of people. Brian believes that at least anybody could have seen what had just taken place; unfortunately, no one comes for help. He is left alone and proceeds home in anticipation of telling his father what had just happened only to arrive and find no one there. After a few days, they are able to have their mother back with the help of the FBI. Brian and Sophia grow up together. Their friendship ends up being loved and people make fun of their childhood love. However, they are hardly intimidated by such talks. They end up joining the same college. Brian and Sophia planned for months about their wedding. Although they have been high school sweethearts and had been together for years, their excitement about their relationship never faded. All classmates knew that their love was genuine. Sophia’s parents were well up than those of Brian; they bought her a vehicle as a birthday present. Every morning, she would go picking the love of his life as they head to school. Weekends were their best moments; they went out for ice cream and have time to nurture their love and marriage. It seemed like a dream if not a joke, as the classmates’ gossiped saying that this was stupid of you.  

Research method information system security management Essay

Research method information system security management - Essay Example Thus, the hypothesis made by Galton was positive, logical, and even refutable, but not strictly scientifically testable. 2. a. The hypothesis can be tested with the help of tomography, scanning the active parts of the brain, when individuals look at various colors. It is also known that colors have more than hundred of shadows. Males and females may be asked to sort cards of different shadows of colors. The experiments afford an objective and public demonstration. c. The hypothesis may be tested with the help of correlational method, and it can be refuted by another scientist. However, the statistics won’t show the real picture in this case, while there is a great amount of variables. So in fact, the hypothesis cannot be called really testable. 3. a. The best way is empirical, simply to see the instructor. Authority – I was told that the instructor is male; his personal documents show that he is male. Rational – the name Jason Daniels points to the fact that the instructor should be male. c. Empirical method is to ask the student about his/her age. You can also consult the papers or ask the teacher – authority. The first method is quicker; the second one can turn out to be more reliable. e. If you do not believe the authorities, who have informed you that Tommy won’t be permitted to ride the roller coaster, the empirical experience (the failure to do it) will certainly convince you of the truth of this statement. f. First we use rational method and count. If you cannot count yet, you may ask the seller or somebody, who can count, thus turning to the authority. Then you may check it empirically and try to by 4 CD’s, thus you will get the best demonstration. 6. The fact that buttered bread always lands butter side down is well known. However, it can be checked empirically. For the purity of the experiment it is preferable to take several slices of

Injustice in Iran Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Injustice in Iran - Research Paper Example An interesting and unique case of this phenomenon is Iran. Today it is public knowledge that the American CIA helped to overthrow in 1953 the democratically-elected government of Mohammed Mossadegh in order to establish a regime more sympathetic to Western oil interests. The fact that the US has played such a significant role in modern Iranian history is hardly something worth boasting about. One word that would well describe the history of events in Iran of the last 50-60 years would be tragedy. A despotic government, through the insidious intervention of a foreign power, was installed and which went on to commit many crimes against the people of Iran. The reaction to that regime, the regime of Shah Pahlavi, helped to fuel to the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Today the similarities between the oppression and abuse of power by the Shah’s regime and that of the current Islamist one are quite alarming. It was Karl Marx who famously said that â€Å"History repeats itself, first as tr agedy, second as farce† (Marx 2010). His comments can be applied to Iran where a revolution took place which wanted to overthrow what was seen as a tyrannical and unjust government so as to implement a traditionally Islamist and â€Å"uncorrupt† government. Sadly, the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has shown itself to be just as unjust and oppressive as that of its predecessor. The Iranian Shah, after seizing full autocratic power in Iran following the overthrow of the Mossadegh government, instituted a repressive government in order to take and maintain power. A key part of this power structure was the â€Å"Sazeman-I Ettela-at Va Amniyat-I Kishvar† or as it was commonly known, SAVAK, the Iranian National and Intelligence Organization. Founded in 1957, SAVAK kept eyes on domestic opponents of the Shah’s regime and â€Å"staged several operations to influence political events†¦[for] the late 1950’s were a time of great political

The Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Body Ritual Among the Nacirema - Essay Example In such cases, though certain traits of any ritual differ from class to class and communal segment to another segment, performing this ritual often are based on a common metanarrative. Factually, the symbolism as well as the roles of the participants is determined by individual interests and communal interests in the ritual. One such American (or Nacirema ritual, in Horace Miner’s term) ritual is the eating ritual. Indeed Miner’s hoax anthropological article â€Å"Body Ritual among the Nacirema† deals with the question whether the American obsession with the cleanliness of human is justifiable or irrational. While parodying the American body ritual from an ethnocentric perspective, Miner clarifies his side by quoting Malinowski â€Å"Looking from far and above, from our high places of safety in the developed civilization, it is easy to see all the crudity and irrelevance of magic† (Miner, ). Meanwhile Miner explores deep into the fact whether modern anthro pologists are aware of the dichotomy between scientific knowledge of a ritual practiced by a community and the ethnocentric bias of research. When he uses the term â€Å"configuration† or â€Å"style†, he essentially criticizes the modern trends of perceiving a culture from a Eurocentric perspective.... Indeed the sense of individuality is greatly contributed to by a member’s corporeal or bodily existence in the society, that is, to a great extent can be considered as â€Å"one body, one individual† (existentialism). This attitude to one’s self highly determines their habit of eating in groups. Also this sense of individuality has a great role in the segregation of the society into the smallest functional groups that are mostly similar to modern family. The â€Å"one body, one individual† motive also shapes their taste in food. Sense of Individuality and Body in Shaping the Rituals The underlying grand principle of individuality is to sustain the body, therefore, to sustain the individual through rituals and ceremonies. Each of the functional segments like modern family has commonly one or two shrines where the members participate in the rituals. Often members of a number of families gather together in domestic and commercial shrines to take part in the b elly-ritual or eating ritual. Generally the laymen of the Nacirema do not have any specific shrine, whereas there are commercial shrines for people. Symbolism of the Eating Ritual While performing the eating ritual, the Nacirema perform some other rituals i.e. hand-washing as a process of purifying the evil, offering-vases washing, etc. Generally the Naciremans take two types of liquids: holy liquids and normal liquid. They take the normal liquid as a part of their livings. But they occasionally take the holy liquids in order to get temporal relief from the adversaries of reality. Reportedly a number of the Naciremans are found to depend excessively on the holy liquids. One of the mentionable eating rituals of Nacirema is to have granular and solid meals. The Naciremans show a tendency to classify

Computer Hardware, Systems Software & Networking Essay

Computer Hardware, Systems Software & Networking - Essay Example U) and its associated registers that hold the data that is being operated upon and a memory area referred to as Random access memory (RAM) in which any memory location can be read or written upon. The CPU is capable of differentiating the type of content that is stored in memory i.e. whether they are instructions or data. Schematic presentation of the sequential architecture can be exhibited by the figure on the left. A raster graphic is created by combining many small points of information. An easy way to think of a raster graphic is to picture an image in a comic book that is made up of many small dots of color. Depending on the number of dots, the quality of the picture is determined. The raster graphic arrangement can also be referred to as an arrangement of an array of pixels that combine to display an image. A vector graphic is also a picture but the information is communicated in another way. To use another childish example, a vector graphic is like a dot-to-dot. It uses geometrical primitives such points, lines, curves and shapes or polygons which are all based on mathematical equations to represent images. Thus, it has important points that determine what the picture will look like. In Flash, we create vector graphics when we turn pictures into symbols. Since the computer only has to store the information about the key points in the graphic, the size of these images is much smaller than that of a raster graphic which stores information about each individual point. For conversion to Hexa decimal we have to make groups of 4 digits. For integer portion the orientation is right to left with padded zeros on the left most sides. For fractional portion the orientation of grouping is reversed ie from right to left considering point (.) as origin. The chart is given as reference. 6. Reduced instruction set computers provide a large number of general-purpose registers and very few memory access instructions. Most instructions use registers instead of

Adopting a simple profit-maximising perspective ..... can have Essay

Adopting a simple profit-maximising perspective ..... can have positive impacts for a firm ..... Discuss - Essay Example Business owners or the management are deemed to focus on maximizing profit in the short-run. Adopting simple profit optimization perspective can have positive results on a firm. This study will explore this assertion with a view to examine the positive impacts of profit optimization. Consideration will also be given to other views that suggest other perspectives that managerial decisions should consider. In today’s market, optimization of profits has gained a wider approach encompassing the consideration of uncertainty of time and value of money. This has added to the initial approach of firm theory arguing that the long-term goal of a firm is to maximize its value. Value of a firm is deemed as the present value, which is given by the expected cash flows. For simplicity, the expected cash flows are equated to profit and the present value is thus given as the value of all the profits or the cash flows, which is discounted at the selected interest rate (Keown, 2003, p. 5). Discounting is done to incorporate the uncertainty of time and value of money in the future. This study will explore the profit optimization perspective and its positive impacts, constraints faced by managerial decisions in their pursuit to optimize profits as well as the best perspective that managers should hold in the management of a firm. Profit optimization is a short-run process that involves determining of price and output levels that gives the highest returns in form of profit. As mentioned by Hirschey (2008, p. 38), the level of activity that maximizes profit in a firm is given at the point where marginal revenue (MR) and the marginal cost (MC) are equal such that any further generation of revenue results offsets cost. A simple focus on profit maximization implies that a firm is simply focused on making profits and the resources are utilized with the sole aim of getting the highest level of profits

Throughout his novel Essay Example for Free

Throughout his novel Essay Reread the begging of section one of the novel. Write about the ways the writer uses details in this passage to make the reader think about the changes, events and ideas in the novel; in the way the writer uses detail in his passage to prepare the reader for the ending. Throughout his novel, Of mice and Men John Steinbeck presents many ideas about the bias system that prevents working class people from amounting to anything, and how the fates of ranch hands and particularly the character of Lennie are inevitable. His use of language and literary techniques in order to develop his character and setting are used to prompt the reader to consider these ideas. The vocabulary that Steinbeck choices to describe the brush in both sections one and six of the novel mirror each other. Steinbeck has Lennie repeating the actions from section one to make us think back to the beginning of the novella, and consider the characters that he has created. Steinbecks meticulous use of detail throughout the novel makes it more memorable to the reader and so when in section 6 Lennie appear[s] out of the brush they are instantly reminded of the opening, as though the novel has come full circle. Steinbeck chose to set the ending to Of Mice and Men in the same setting as he chose to set the first to show the monotony and routine of the ranch hands and despite the dreams they may have, the reality of the situation makes hopes impossible. We, as the readers are aware from the start that the text is likely to end where it began as Steinbeck has the character, Lennie repeating what George said about the brush so [he doesnt] forget it, consequently the repetition also had the phrase stick in the minds of the novels audience. So when Lennie remembers his instructions from George in section Six, so do the audience. Steinbeck sets section six of the novel after the sun had left the valley which mirrors the first section which was also set in the evening. However the night also serves another purpose of suggesting that at the end of the day also comes the end of Lennies life, making the reader consider what has happened in the novel between sections one and six to lead to this moment and the comments Steinbeck was trying to communicate. The language choices Steinbeck makes to describe Lennie are throughout often quite animalistic. Although to demonstrate his size when Lennie is described as a bear, these terms serve a secondary purpose of making Lennie seem more animal than human. The very end of the novel and Lennies death are foreshadowed by the events in section 3 when Candys dog is led away to be shot. Later on Candy reveals that he feels that he should have shot him myself, which is what George does in the way Carlson describes in the bunkhouse. These similarities make Lennie seem like an animal however the metaphor goes further, suggesting that people at the time were all treated badly or like animals as Lennie is in this novel. In conclusion, the details that Steinbeck presents the final section of the novel Of Mice and Men make the reader think about other sections of the novel, particularly the begging as much of the imagery used in the final section is either the same or similar.

The impact of the fast food movement Essay Example for Free

The impact of the fast food movement Essay Everything today is fast. People think fast, speak fast, walk fast, write fast and eat fast. Fast food has become such an integral part of the busy American lifestyle that there are more than 300,000 restaurants offering it throughout the United States today (Dorfman, 2001). Since everything is becoming fast in the world, the slow food movement if gradually being taken over by the fast food movement and significant factors of the slow food movement are changing because of this. Major supermarket chains and restaurants are replacing the many local stores people always shopped at, changing the prices of food, quality of service and products, as well as availability of food. The prices of foods show a significant difference between the local market prices and major supermarket chains. As Allison states, At a local market in my town, I bought a half -gallon of grape juice for $5.00 that would normally cost $2.50 at a supermarket (2002). Supermarkets and restaurants have chains so they can afford to lower their prices due to global popularity. Sales often happen at supermarkets and fast food chains as another way to keep their businesses popular and well known. These sales keep customers in their establishments and promotes the buying of other products that may not be on sale. Acquiring products in mass quantities aids in keeping prices down on the products that consumers buy. Also, with more variability in supermarkets compared to local markets, customers can choose from a variety of items, which attracts them to the bigger and well known stores. Sometimes restaurants will have promotions to attract people into their establishments such as the current win ning game at Mcdonalds. Ensuring customers keep coming back to their restaurants, ensures stability and allows food prices to stay low. The quality of service of employees and the products in a grocery store or restaurant are changing due to the increased awareness of the fast food movement. At fast food restaurants for instance, everything is quick paced and so informal that the employees think very little about taking the extra step in being polite. Dorfman states, Their involvement is at a minimum,  especially since their salaries are, but manners should be a part of everyones daily routine, no matter how little they are being paid. These workers seem to be looking for something lost on the floor whenever I place my order (2001). However, the complete opposite occurs at sit-down and very formal restaurants, including the McDonalds in Beijing. Even though McDonalds is a fast food chain, the one in Beijing is a very elegant and formal place where customers go and stay for hours. The hostesses here and at other formal restaurants are very polite and well manned. The quality of service seems to increase as salaries increase (Dorfman 2001). However, local markets tend to always be nice and friendly because they know the customers and are both producing and selling the products they have. Also, local markets tend to have less chemicals in their food compared to those at supermarkets. Everything is made fresh at our farm. No preservatives are added to our pies or breads, and our produce is thoroughly washed before it sets the stand(Allison 2002). Although less chemicals seem to be added to local markets, supermarkets have a variety of items and a lot of availability when it comes to getting certain kinds of foods. At a local market, you can pick from a couple different kinds of the same item, or you can pick from several different kinds of foods, as well as getting fruit or vegetables that may be out of season at a supermarket. Also, many major supermarkets and fast food chains are open over 12 hours a day compared to local markets that usually sell their products for 8 hours.

Gender Differences In Mobile Phone Use Media Essay

Gender Differences In Mobile Phone Use Media Essay The study aims at exploring the gender differences in mobile phone usage by the male and female. Two main dimensions of mobile phone use are voice call and texting. Following Rubin et al (1988)s six interpersonal motives, the study collects data from a cluster of graduate and undergraduate students to assess what communication motives do they feel gratified while using mobile phones in both the dimensions. Contemporarily, we are passing through a transformation phase where communication technologies are shaping the destinies of new world. Old fashion capital and labour-intensive technologies are being replaced by the innovative technologies which include robotics, cellular communications, miniature motors, super computers, software production and high performance materials. Contemporary technological advancement and improvement like internet and computer mediated communication indicate that the communication technology revolution is still young. Significant aspects of this revolution include speed, integrity, sophistication, and cost. Interestingly, the high cost of telecommunication has been reduced drastically as compared to what it was in the last decade: almost negligible. Similarly, superconductivity and data compression and integration techniques have made it possible to produce mobisodes short episodes for mobile viewers, and webisodes minidramas to view on net and in advertis ements (Vivian, 2007, p.197). The technological boom in the recent times has introduced new facets of media in the cultural settings of every society. Internet and cyber-spacing are stretching the commercial organizations to the boundaries of imagination. Paperless business transactions through e-mails and internet have altered the ways of doing business and changed culture in economic institution. National frontiers do not seem to exist anymore as business alliances have expanded beyond physical boundaries. Logical lines distinguish the businesss nature and extent, while complex transnational commercial alliances are taking place where the manufacturers do not know for whom they are producing and ordering agencies do not know where the products will be marketed and used. Competition has expanded worldwide and capital is flowing through satellites. Such business environment is absolutely unprecedented that has affected the cultural spheres with the same speed and spirit. Other face of technological development is the value of information. Information has become a commodity which affects economics immensely. Contemporary advanced technology has not only made economics to smooth and faster through rapid flow of data and information, but it has also created a culture conducive to economic growth. Similarly, unlike old indicators and predictors of economic growth, communication technology has set new standards and parameters to gauge development of a society. For instance, those who have access to modern technologies and benefit from them and those who dont have access are two main social classes with different cultural identities. Poverty and affluence are two binary features of every society, and they have ramifications on the construction and development of culture of a social system. Technological progress has also affected the primitive social stratification regimes which has bases in economic wealth. New social categories have been created by the technologies. These categories are less economic based rather rely on the degree of diffusion of innovative technologies in a society. The four distinguished features are: high-speed, knowledge intensive, transnational and highly disciplinarian. The old disparities between rich and poor have been overwhelmed by new differences: fast and slow, learning and static, plugged-in and unplugged and localized or globalized. Apparently, the difference between poor and rich is visible from their acquisition of education and institution of enrolment. This distinction is quickly vanishing as poorly staffed educational institutions are being upgraded almost overnight through virtual links with premier universities of the world. Virtual educational environment is developing on strong footings effecting cost and quality parameters of education. Now, due to technological enhancement, it is possible for people to learn anything, anytime, anywhere. Marshal McLuhan prophecies are proving true in present day media dominated societies. He, in early 1960s, focused on a different aspect of technological developments called media determinism. The epistemological assumption of media determinism explains that the society changes its ways of communication with the change of information medium. McLuhan says that new technologies alter the culture for better understanding of the technology and ways to use it. This indicates a constant change process of culture and societal ways of doing things due to fast growing information technologies and emerging media. Medium is the message is the title of McLuhans best selling book where he explains his ultimate position on media determinism. He believes that we shape our tools (media) and they (media) in turn shape us (Griffin, 2003, p.344). For him, it has less significant that what is said, rather how it is delivered matters. Besides global village and medium is the message, McLuhans phrase techn ology as extensions of the human body also attracted media theorist and generated a great debate. Similarly, he used tetrad  [1]  to explain the effects of technology on culture and society. Marshal McLuhan visualised the effects of mass media on society and culture in early 1960s when technological development had not hit media spheres as immensely as it seems now. Due to his prophetic approach in understanding the effects of technology on culture of a society, he gained the status of a cult hero and high priest of pop-culture  [2]  . Literature review The studies on mobile phone use draw on the telephone research based on uses and gratifications perspective. They attempt to explain the reasons people make use of (mobile) phone and what kinds of expectations or gratifications people like to have in (mobile) phone. According to telephone studies, generally two categories of motives are found: instrumental or task-oriented and intrinsic or social motives (e.g., Dimmick et al., 1994b; Fischer, 1988; Keller, 1977; Noble, 1987; OKeefe et al., 1995; Springer, 1981).  Intrinsic use means that people communicate with others through telephone for the purpose of companionship or reassurance, while instrumental use refers to use of telephone for utility, for example, information seeking or making appointments. But the reasons people use mobile phones are a bit different from the reasons they use telephones. Leung Wei (2000) found not only social and instrumental motives of mobile phone use but mobility, immediacy, and fashion/status motives as well. In a similar way, Bae (2001) shows that the Korean peoples satisfactions sought from mobile phone are entertainment, sociability, transaction, Immediacy and privacy. In his study, immediacy and privacy reflect the characteristics of mobile phone communication. Besides, Lee (2001) suggests a variety of motives of Korean college students, like; time management, face and conformity, and showing off. Why do people communicate and what interpersonal motives they essentially gratify from mobile use are interesting aspects addressed in this paper. We understand that mobile phone is primarily a medium of interpersonal communication, of which motives assess ones functional preferences for communication (Rubin et al., 1988). Moreover, these motives affect who people talk to, how they talk, and what they talk about (Barbato et al., 2003, p.126). Interpersonal communication motives refer to basic reasons people communicate with others. Schutz (1966) suggests that interpersonal needs are fulfilled on both behavioral and emotional levels. Behaviorally, inclusion is the need to perform satisfactory interactions and associations with others. Emotionally, it is the need to maintain mutual interests and acknowledge others. Behaviorally, control is the need to initiate or preserve power and influence over others. Emotionally, it is the call for achievement or the need to maintain mutual respect for the capability of others. Behaviorally, affection is the need to initiate or keep relationships based on love, respect, and care. Emotionally, it is the need to achieve or maintain mutual support and connection with others (Schutz, 1966). In Rubin et al.s (1988) seminal study, six motives were identified: pleasure, affection, inclusion, escape, relaxation, and control. Those provoked to communicate for pleasure do so for leisure, stimulation, and entertainment. The people, who were motivated to communicate for affection, do so to show appreciation and concerned for others. Those motivated to communicate for inclusion do so to avoid being lonely. Those motivated to communicate for escape do so to avoid other activities and pass time. Those motivated to communicate for relaxation do so to chill out and rest. Finally, those motivated to communicate for control do so to gain compliance or obedience from others. Robin (1988) divided motives into further two categories: relationally oriented motives (affection, inclusion, pleasure, and relaxation) and personal influence motives (control and escape). Studies have examined motives for communicating in general and motives in specific interpersonal relationships, ranging from n on-intimate to intimate (Bailey et al., 2003). Graham et al (1993) argues that communicating for affective motives is common not just in family relationships but in other intimate dyads such as lovers and close friends. Bailey et al. (2003) adds more that although co-workers are motivated to communicate with one another for relaxation, they are not motivated to communicate with one another for inclusion. The motives to communicate with others of similar relationship type can be different; for instance, the motives to communicate with sons and daughters vary even if both are in parent-child relationships. With this background, we will pay attention to the relationships between six interpersonal motives and mobile phone use. Research is different from other uses and gratifications researches because social and interpersonal aspects of mobile phone use are the focal point; this study addresses how people meet their interpersonal needs through mobile phone. The basic function of mobile phone is to mediate two persons. We generally use a mobile phone to contact others. Especially for young generation, text messaging is one of the most favorite interpersonal channels (Grinter Eldridge, 2001; Kasesniemi et al., 2002). Text messaging seems equal, and in case of youth rather superior, to voice call. Obviously voice call and text messaging are separate and independent media although both are contained in one device. Voice call has higher level of social presence and is richer medium than text messaging. Social presence means the feeling that other actors are jointly involved in communicative interaction (Short et al., 1976, p.65). Likewise media richness refers to the ability of the medium to transmit multiple cues, immediacy of feedback, language variety and personal focus of the medium (Daft Lengel, 1986). Perse Courtright (1993) suggests that text-based interactions (e.g., e-mail, SMS, IMS) have been found to have less social presence or media richness than voice-based interactions (telephone or voice mail) as they lack nonverbal cues compared with other media. Therefore, it is clear that text messaging in a mobile device provides lower level of richness and social presence than mobile phone call does. We, therefore, consider voice and text channels included in a mobile phone as equal alternatives to be selected when people want to communicate with others apart. In gender difference theory, it is generally considered that women differ from men and vice versa. The difference has been typically referred as expressive and instrumental (Parsons Bales, 1955), or as communal and agentic (Bakan, 1966). Parsons Bales (1955) differentiate masculine and feminine quality as instrumental and expressive, respectively. Criterion of such division is situative motivation. So, instrumentality refers orientation of the person to achievement of the purpose outside the situation interpersonal interaction characterized by tolerance to emotional reactions of other persons. Expressivity considers a fulfillment of interests of the person directly on a situation of interpersonal interaction according to emotional reactions of other persons (Parsons Bales, 1955). Similarly, Bakan (1966) notes that gender differences can be divided into communal and agentic dimensions. Communal dimension involves concern for others, whereas agentic behaviors signify a focus on inde pendence. Wajcman (1991) contends that women have been excluded from the connection between men and technology, and that the production and use of technology are shaped by male power and interests. To show the technologys masculinity, he illustrates various social processes interrelated make new technology; for example, computer into an unfamiliar culture for women. In this culture, people cannot help but think women as inferior to men in cognition and performance relating to technology (Ibid). Accordingly, in this study we examine the gender differences in motivations and uses of mobile media. Such exclusive qualities as relation-oriented vs. task-oriented have been identified in different researches. According to Deaux and Lewis (1984), stereotypical man is instrumental, assertive, competitive, dynamic, and task-competent; the stereotypical woman is kind, nurturing, sensitive, relationally oriented, and expressive. In a metaanalysis, Mazzella et al. (1994) concludes that gender differences in personality are generally even across ages, educational levels, and nations. Moreover, popular press propagates gender stereotypes. Masculinity presented by press is strong, ambitious, successful, rational, and non emotional while femininity is attractive, deferential, unaggressive, emotional, nurturing, and concerned with people and relationships (Wood, 1996). Perceptions about new technology are issue to gender analysis, and when observing communication habits, it is important to be aware of the different ways in which male and females view the telephone in general. Men are stereotypically expected to possess technological competence and know how, skills and interest (Lohan, 1997). In contrast to the task-orientated usage that characterizes the male use of the telephone, Lohan (1997) describes female style as person-oriented. Gossip is often a word used to describe what women do on the telephone. Such gender differences are also found in patterns of media behaviors. For a telephone, women use it more than men (Claisse Rowe, 1987; Fischer, 1992) and their motive for using it is primarily intrinsic or social one (Claisse Rowe, 1987; Dimmick, Sikand, Patterson, 1994a; Moyal, 1992; Rakow, 1988). They keep close personal relationship and set up their relationship with others who are at a distance. As for a mobile phone, the gender difference in conventional telephone use seems to have extended. In a research by Leung Wei (2000), men tend to use mobile phone as an instrument to do business while women tend to make social calls, and men make use of it more than women do. In addition women have more attachment to their mobile phones than man do, especially to text massaging (Sun, 2004). Ling et al. (2005), a Norwegian researcher found difference in texting behavior between sexes despite the fact that men were quicker in adopting mobile phone and women became the more enthusiastic texters. On the basis of his deep observations, Linger suggested that women are more adroit and more literary texters. Negating the statement that gender use of mobile phone is becoming similar, study among young Finns (16-20 years) identifies that males tend to ward trendy use (focus on design and technology functions) while females tended toward addictive use (focus on the use value) (Wilska 2003). In Europe, where mobile text messaging is more popular, a recent study shows that female users in the age group of 12 to 25 are apparently more enthusiastic about using SMS as a means of communication than male users (Peters et al, 2003). Samarajiva (2008), in a survey of low-income telephone users in India, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, found little gender differences in calls per month and call duration. Neilsen Mobiles recent data on texting in the U.S. shows a huge bulge in texting for ages 13-17, but the data are not broken down by sex. Theoretical Framework For this study, it has been found that Uses and Gratification approach propounded by Blumer and Katz is the most suitable theory to base the research and its finding. Media users have a free will to decide how they will use the media and how it will affect them. It is an optimistic view of the media according to uses and gratification approach. Blumler and Katzs uses and gratification theory suggests that media users play an active role in choosing and using the media.   Users take an active part in the communication process and are goal oriented in their media use. It is audience-centered approach that a media user seeks out a media source that best fulfills the needs of the user.  The actual needs satisfied by media are called media gratifications. Katz, Gurevitch and Haas (1973) developed 35 needs taken from the social and psychological functions of the mass media and put them into five categories  [3]  : cognitive needs, affective needs, personal integrative needs, social integrative needs, and tension release needs. With respect to modern technology such as mobile phone, this theory still applies. The mobile phone has multiple functions; communication device (voice calls, text messaging), entertainment device (music, games), information source i.e. mobile internet (Google-ing, online news, etc). For this study, mobile phone will serve the communication function of media and will investigate male and female interpersonal motives and the channel (voice call/ text messaging) they prefer most to satisfy their interpersonal needs. Out of above mentioned needs, only six interpersonal needs; inclusion, control, affection, pleasure, escape, and relaxation will be taken in the perspective of both voice calls and text messaging. Blumler Katz wraps up the model that different people can use the same communication message for very different purpose. Single media content may gratify different needs for different individuals and there is not only one way that people use media, there are as many reasons for using the media as there are media users. In interpersonal motive context, one may satisfy his inclusion need through sending a text message but the other may feel it pleasure to send a text message. In the same way it may be an act of escape for a person to make a voice call but the other person may feel relax while making a call. Even a voice call/ text message may possibly satisfy more than one interpersonal needs of the sender/receiver. Research questions Following are the main research questions addressed in this research: RQ1: Are there differences between men and women in frequencies of using voice calls and text messaging. RQ2: Are there differences in men and women in interpersonal motives for using voice call and text messaging? In order to collect data on our main variable, we replicated Rubin et al.s interpersonal motives; inclusion, control, affection, pleasure, escape, and relaxation in context of both voice calls and text messaging. Methodology This is research is quantitative in nature, and data was collected in a survey using a close-ended questionnaire. The instrument was developed to measure the differences between men and women in the interpersonal motives for using voice call and text messaging. Respondents were also asked to report their frequency of mobile phone use, overall number of calls and text messages sent and received in a day. Like most of this kind of researches, we used ordinal level of measurement wherein attributes were rank ordered. Likert scale was used to measure the interpersonal motives.   The population under investigation is mobile phone users from all the universities of Islamabad the capital of Pakistan. Since these mobile phone users are diverse and discrete, it is not easy to investigate the entire population. The researcher adopted cluster sampling technique to collect a sample of 200 students all the six public sector universities, including 100 from each gender. Both genders have been divided in five faculties by randomly selecting forty students from each faculty. For this study, the variables that were conceptualized and operationalized include young adults, text messaging and interpersonal motives.   Young adult are those attaining age between late teens and early twenties. For data collection on this key variable, we selected a group of male and female ages between 18 and 26 as our target population.   According to PC magazine, sending short messages to a smart phone, pager, PDA or other handheld device is called text messaging  [4]  . For this study text message is conceptualized as Short Messaging Service (SMS) through mobile phone, which supports messages of up to 160 characters.   An emotion, desire, physiological need, or similar impulse that acts as an incitement to action is called motive  [5]  . The data have been collected on Rubin et al.s interpersonal motives; inclusion, control, affection, pleasure, escape, and relaxation. The six interpersonal motives have been conceptualized and operationalized in the following manner: Please: The gratification of the senses or mind or agreeable sensations or emotions is called pleasure  [6]  . For the purpose of research pleasure is operationalized as an act that a person do for entertainment, fun and enjoyment. Affection: Affection is a tender feeling toward another  [7]  and was operationalized for this study affection as an act of showing appreciation and care for others. Inclusion: The act of including or the state of being included is called inclusion  [8]  . We have conceptualized inclusion as the desire to be with someone. To avoid being lonely. Escape: Escape means to break loose from confinement or get free  [9]  . For data collection on this motive, we have operationalized escape as to pass the time or avoid other activities. Relaxation: Relaxation is generally taken as rest or freedom from activity/work/strain or responsibility and it is operationalized as an activity to chill out. Control: Controllability is to exercise authoritative or dominating influence over someone or to direct someone  [10]  . For the purpose of data collection on this variable we have operationaized it to gain compliance or obedience from others. Results Of the respondents, our sample was equally represented by both male and female. 24% of the respondents were between the ages of 18-20, 52% were 21-24 years, and 18% were in 24-26 years age bracket, while the remaining 7% were in over 26 years age group. Age distribution of the respondents dont show an even representation of all age groups as the research emphasis was on even gender representation. However in the income distribution, 33% of the respondents fell in the 20-30 (thousand) category, while 28% fell in 31-40 (thousand) category. Only 17% 21% fell in 41-50(thousand) and above 50 thousand categories respectively. In Pakistan, income below Rs.30,000 is considered below average, and average between Rs.30,000 and Rs.40,000, while people with income over Rs.40,000 is considered good. However, it greatly depends on the area one lives in besides the size of family. Gender difference in communication motives was calculated on the basis of six interpersonal motives (inclusion, control, affection, pleasure, escape, and relaxation) in context of voice call and text messaging and use of mobile phone was calculated on the basis of calls and text messages sent or received in a day. Results indicate that 36% of the respondents use mobile phone very often, 52% often, while 11% of the respondents use their cell seldom and only 1% reported that they dont use mobile phone daily. In the context of voice call and text messaging, inclusion and affection motives are closely related to each other as 68%, 56% agree, and 16%, 32% strongly agree to the statement respectively that they make a voice call / text messaging to show affection and care to their dear ones. While 50%, 49% agree and 14%, 30% strongly agree to the statement respectively that they make a voice call / send text message to be with someone or avoid being loneliness. RQ1: Are there differences between men and women in frequencies of using voice calls and text messaging. Descriptive statistics indicate no significance difference in mobile phone use among male and female users. Almost equal percentage (male: 92% female: 84%) of our population used mobile. Hence, the results do not indicate any significant difference in mobile phone by both the genders. Five bands with options 0-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40 and over 40 calls in a day were employed to observe the differences in call making in both the genders. The sample was described in three categories, viz; casual, moderate and excessive users of mobile for calls and text messaging. Our results indicate that female casual and excessive users make more phone calls than male casual and excessive users, while there is hardly any significant difference in mobile call making between the moderate users of both the genders. On the other hand, the results indicate that males are more profound texters than females in almost all the categories of users. RQ2: Are there differences in men and women in interpersonal motives for using voice call and text messaging? The study collected data on six interpersonal motives as defined earlier, namely; pleasure, inclusion, control, affection, escape, and relaxation in the context of both voice calls and text messaging. Our data predict that male segment strongly disagrees (54%) with this notion that when they are interested to seek pleasure they opt for call making as compared to a relatively smaller proportion (31%) who opt for making a call when seeking for pleasure. Females are also not found to be very different from males in this context. The prime reason seems to be the call rates which are though not very high, but most of our population is not earning hands rather students, for them cost for pleasure seeking matters. On text messaging for pleasure, the results indicate that most of our population (65%) agrees to that they opt for SMS use. However, males have been found to be heavy users of text messages for pleasure seeking motive as compared to females. For the interpersonal motive of inclusion, our results show that majority (65%) of both males and females opt for making a call to their friends. But, 28% of both the genders could not to judge their opinion on this. In gender difference perspective, the male segment of our population has been found to be making more voice calls than females in order to talk to or be with someone. On the other hand for text messaging, the results point out that majority (75%) opts for text messaging to gratify their interpersonal motive of inclusion. Furthermore, as compared to females (60%), male (99%) send more text messages when they need to talk to someone. For interpersonal motive of relaxation, considerably large number (45%) of our population has been found to be using voice call option. For reasons to be explored, it has also been found that about 23% of our population did not opt for either agreement or disagreement rather was suffering from ambivalence. And both the genders were equal in size on ambivalence state. Nevertheless, female segment has been found to be using voice calls slightly more (45%) than males (38%) to satisfy their interpersonal motive of relaxation. On text messaging pretext, data collected indicates that a good number of respondents (65%) opt for SMS to chill out. We could not find out any significant difference between the genders on the use of text messaging to relax. Interestingly, about 60% of both the genders have been found to be uncertain in their feelings whether they do opt for voice call to gratify their interpersonal motive of control which was operationalized as to gain compliance or obedience from friends and people around when they ask them anything to do. Only 33% of the respondents have agreed that they opt for voice call to gain obedience or compliance from their friends, of which males (46%) are greater in size than females (21%). The picture has not been very different in text messaging as about 53% of the sample was confused about their action. We could not observe any significant difference in gender usage of text messaging for this interpersonal motive. When affection motive is investigated for gender difference in context of both voice call and text messaging, it is revealed that females (91%) prefer text message to show affection while males (77%) like to make a voice call to show love and care to their dear ones. Though males have not been lesser in size (80%) who wish to convey affection to their friends and family through text, however, conveying their affection through voice calls is their preferred mode of communication. With regard to escape as interpersonal motive, we have found a confused response as a handful number of the respondents (30%) opted for dont know option. For voice call, we have found clear divide among the respondents, of almost same size, opting for a voice call and not agreeing to making a voice call to gratify their interpersonal need of escape. There is no significant difference of gender variable on this variable. Same response has been found in text messaging in both the genders. An ambivalent response to whether they opt for text messaging to gratify their interpersonal motive of escape, and same almost equal divide in their responses as we observed voice call option. Besides above variables, the study attempted to know the quantum of calls made, received and text sent and received on average in a day by the both the genders. For all the categories, three classes have been constructed: causal, moderate

Essay examples --

Merced Home Products-Accounting Ethics Case Wayne A Shaker OMGT 308-001.2014,SP, Financial and Managerial Accounting Instructor: Paul H. Robinson, JD, CPA â€Æ' Most profit making companies understand conducting business within an ethical reporting framework is the proper way to report quarterly results. Often accounting managers are given opportunities to exercise judgment in financial reporting, using their knowledge about the business to improve the effectiveness of financial statements. However, accounting professionals need to perform their job tasks in accordance with laws, regulations, and technical standards while supplying information that is accurate, clear, concise, and timely. At the same time, managers need to be free from pecuniary anxieties, and disclose all relevant information that could influence an intended recipients understanding of the analyses or reports. However, when managers have incentives to produce positive results, profit management can occur while misleading those who review the company’s financial statements. In the case of Merced Home Products Inc., recently hired controller Stacy Cummins has stumbled upon an accounting procedure causing her great concern. Being a new controller, Stacy reviewed the financial statements of the Home Security division discovering profits improved each quarter until a year end climax with outstanding performance. According to the assistant controller, the standard costs had been modified by Vice President, Preston Lansing to reflect positive earnings as the fiscal year progressed. Upon further investigation, Ms. Cummins discovered the president of the Merced Home Products was aware of the reporting using questionable standards and had chosen not to bother Pres... ...ose developed by the Institute of Management Accountants ("Ima," n.d.). The guidelines for ethical behavior cover professional competence, confidentiality, personal integrity, for individuals disclosing financial information. Of course, ethical behavior in reporting is critical to establish creditability to any company to infuluence growth and outside investment. In the end, ethical conduct of the individuals reporting results is essential for maintaining a solid reputation and support continued success. References Brewer, P. C., & Garrison, R. H. (2013). Introduction to managerial accounting (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Federal Securities Laws. (2002). Retrieved April 29, 2014, from https://www.sec.gov/about/laws.shtml#sox2002 Ima. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://www.imanet.org/resources_and_publications/EthicsCenter.aspx

Cadburys Communication Campaign :: Business Management Studies

Cadburys Communication Campaign Section B- Communications campaign The product I have chosen for this communications campaign is Cadburys. Cadburys is an existing product which consists of many different types of chocolates. The company is aimed at all ages but mostly young adults and children. Cadburys are sponsored by much company but one of their main sponsors is Coronation Street. â€Å"Coronation Street is the most watched programme on UK Television; it has a 35 year pedigree and reaches more than 15 million households, although a number of possible suitors were mentioned it was Cadbury who came forward with a  £10 million package to create a sponsorship which has set the benchmark for broadcast sponsorship in the UK.† quote taken from the Cadbury website. As you can see Cadbury have one of the biggest sponsorship deals and with this it allows the company to enhance their name and reputation. One campaign which Cadbury have already used was a poster campaign the posters they used looked like this: Poster Campaigns Here are three posters you will have seen out and about this summer. Image of Happiness Comes from Within poster Image of Let Your Happiness Bubble Over posterImage of The path to Happiness is paved with Mint Chips poster As you can see from the posters, with this Campaign Cadbury tried to advertise their different varieties of dairy milk instead of just the original dairy milk. When preparing a communications campaign, the business needs to set objectives which may include: Informing  · For Cadburys to inform the public about this product, they have to tell the public what the public is and what it contains. Persuading  · When people hear about this product they might not take any notice so one of the businesses objectives is to persuade the public to buy this. This can be done by putting making the chocolates stand out against the others in the market. Reminding  · As there are so many other business out there in the world people might forget that your product exist, so sometimes the public need

Toward a Definition of Modernism Essay -- Modernism Opera Literature E

Toward a Definition of Modernism Lawrence B. Gamache’s article â€Å"Toward a Definition of Modernism† encapsulates in its title the challenges critics meet in their attempts to formulate a coherent theoretical modernist model, though the quintessential modernist works –even at the time of this 1987 article – are over sixty years old. Indeed, the sheer number of scholarly books and articles that discuss or contribute to the debate surrounding the definition of modernism indicates the extent to which modernism is a term whose only non-contentious consensus is that it its meaning is fraught with ambiguity. Susan Stanford Friedman’s contribution to the debate summarizes the theoretical crises thus: As terms in an evolving scholarly discourse, modern, modernity, and modernism constitute a critical Tower of Babel, a cacophony of categories that become increasingly useless the more inconsistently they are used. We can regard them as a parody of critical discourse in which everyone keeps talking at the same time in a language without common meanings. When terms mean radically different or contradictory things to people, then their use appears to threaten the project of scholarship/teaching altogether. (497) â€Å"Cacophony† aside, because there are some artists, though disparate in style and genre, who persistently make it into the debate, and who are universally regarded as modernist, such as T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, Picasso, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, or Frank Lloyd Wright, there must be a unifying or underlying principle that is essentially modernist. Notably, however, the sister arts drama and opera are absent from the genres represented by the â€Å"quintessential modernist works† of the artists above. (Although Picasso designed opera ... ... Tradition 2nd Ed. Ed. David Richter. Boston: Bedford, 1998. 1127-1141. Mathey, Francois. The Impressionists. Trans. Jean Steinberg. New York: Praeger, 1961. Puchner, Martin. â€Å"Modernism and Anti-theatricality: An Afterward.† Modern Drama 44.3 (2001): 355-361. Schonberg, Harold C. The Lives of the Great Composers. 1970. London: Futura, 1982. Stolba, K Marie. The Development of Western Music: A History 2nd Ed. Wisconsin: Brown and Benchmark, 1994. Trammell Skaggs, Carmen. â€Å"Modernity’s Revision of the Dancing Daughter: The Salome Narrative of Wilde and Strauss.† College Literature 29.3 (2002): 124-139. Yeats, William Butler. â€Å"My First Meeting with Oscar Wilde.† The Trembling of the Veil, in Autobiography. New York: Macmillan, 1916. 79-85. Rpt. in Oscar Wilde A Collection of Critical Essays. Ed. Richard Ellman. New Jersey: Prentice, 1969. 9-15.

Structural Functionalist

A society is a complex unit, made up of interrelated parts. All these parts form the structure of the society and each sub unit has to perform its given task. Social structures are stressed and placed at the center of analysis and social functions are deduced from these structures. This perspective looks at how the various parts of the society come together and perform their individual tasks interdependently and interrelated to promote social stability and order and in turn the smooth functioning of the society. Structural functionalism is a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. This approach looks at society through a macro-level orientation, which is a broad focus on the social structures that shape society as a whole, and believes that society has evolved like organisms. This approach looks at both social structure and social functions. Functionalism addresses society as a whole in terms of the function of its constituent elements; namely norms, customs, traditions, and institutions. As a structural theory, Functionalism sees social structure or the organisation of society as more important than individual. Functionalism is a top down theory. Individuals are born into society and become products of all the social influences around them as they are socialised by various institutions such as the family, education, media and religion. Functionalism sees society as a system; a set of interconnected parts which together form a whole. There is a relationship between all these parts and agents of socialisation and together they all contribute to the maintenance of society as a whole. Structural functionalism concentrates on the positive and negative functions of social structures. Societal functionalism is a particular type of structural functionalism that aims to explain the role of social structures and institutions in society, the relationship between these structures, and the manner in which these structures constrain the actions of individuals. According to structural functionalists, individuals have little to no control over the ways in which particular structures operate. Indeed, structural functionalists understand individuals in terms of social positions. It is not individuals who are ranked, but positions that are ranked according to the degree to which they contribute to the survival of society. High-ranking positions offer high rewards that make them worth an individual’s time and effort to occupy. The structural functionalist perspective also takes into account the concept of value consensus. Functionalists believe that society is held together by this consensus, or cohesion, in which members of the society agree upon, and work together to achieve, what is best for society as a whole. They share the same ideas, beliefs and morals which bind them together. Functionalists believe that without such collective shared values and beliefs, achieving social order is impossible and social order is crucial for the well-being of society. They believe that value consensus forms the basic integrating principle in society. And if members of society have shared values they therefore also have similar identities, this helps cooperation and avoids conflict. Value consensus also ensures that people have shared: – Goals, Roles and Norms. Any social system has four basic functional prerequisites: * adaptation * goal attainment * integration and * Pattern maintenance. The function of any part of the social system is understood as its contribution to meeting the functional prerequisites. Adaptation refers to the relationship between the system and its environment. In order to survive, social systems must have some degree of control over their environment. Food and shelter must be provided to meet the physical needs of members. The economy is the institution primarily concerned with this function. Goal attainment refers to the need for all societies to set goals towards which social activity is directed. Procedures for establishing goals and deciding on priorities between goals are institutionalized in the form of political systems. Governments not only set goals but also allocate resources to achieve them. Even in a so-called free enterprise system, the economy is regulated and directed by laws passed by governments. Integration refers primarily to the ‘adjustment of conflict’. It is concerned with the coordination and mutual adjustment of the parts of the social ystem. Legal norms define and standardize relations between individuals and between institutions, and so reduce the potential for conflict. When conflict does arise, it is settled by the judicial system and does not therefore lead to the disintegration of the social system. Pattern maintenance refers to the ‘maintenance of the basic pattern of values, institutionalized in the society’. Insti tutions that perform this function include the family, the educational system and religion. No theory has been there without any criticism. The structural functionalist perspective also has been criticized on the grounds that it neglects the negative functions of an event such as divorce. The perspective justifies the status quo and complacency on the part of society's members. Functionalism does not encourage people to take an active role in changing their social environment, even when such change may benefit them. Functionalism sees active social change as undesirable because the various parts of society will compensate naturally for any problems that may arise.

Case Study on Early Childhood Essay

This study will provide an understanding of a child’s physical, cognitive, and social development. Early childhood is a time of remarkable physical, cognitive, social, as well as emotional development. Infants enter the world with a limited range of skills and abilities. Watching a child develop new motor, cognitive, language and social skills is a source of wonders for parents and caregivers. The study of human development is a rich and varied subject. We all have personal experience with development, but it is sometimes difficult to understand exactly how and why people grow, learn, and change. What happens or doesn’t happen to children in the earliest years of their lives is of critical importance, both to their immediate well-being and to their future. If you received the best start in your earliest years of life, you are more likely to have grown healthy, developed language and learning capacities, or gone to school and led a productive, rewarding life. Let’s take a closer look at early childhood development including the well-being of potential influences around the child. Five year old Madison, a cheerful and clever girl, is one of the most active children I have ever met. She is a member of gymnastics, dancing, and little league softball team. Weighing about thirty five pounds and very lean, she has the energy times three of one child. To determine Madison’s maturity of her motor skill development, I created a test for both her gross motor skills and fine motor skills. To test her development of her gross motor skills, I told her to run up and down the driveway of her yard, which was about 9 feet in length, until she was tired. Madison only ran this length four times before giving up. I determined that her gross motor skills were above average because of her speed, pace, and length of running. To test her fine motor skills, I gave her one sheet of wide ruled paper and told her to copy each sentence: â€Å"My name is Madison. I am five years old. I like to play ball. † Madison showed that she could write these sentences neatly and accurately. I tested her again on her fine motor skills by testing her strength. I rolled a soccer ball to her five times and she kicked it back to me three of those five times. She showed that her strength was average as well. I also asked her parent a series of questions about her physical development: What was Madison’s appetite on a daily basis? What is her energy level before and after school? What is the pattern of her physical growth? Her parent stated that her appetite was normal and that she ate three full meals a day including snacks in between these meals. She then stated that before school her energy level is low being that most children do not like to be woken early in the morning. After school her energy level is fair because she has been active for more than seven hours and attends practice after school. Her parent also explained that Madison’s weight gain is steady but she has gotten taller by two inches. I determined that Madison’s physical development is excellent and well above average of children her age. Not only a period of amazing physical development, early childhood is also a time of extraordinary mental development. Cognitive development combined with memory and thinking continues to emerge throughout childhood. It would be impossible to avoid mentioning the work of Piaget when it comes to childhood cognitive development. According to Piaget’s theory, Madison is automatically in the preoperational stage. During this stage, children do not yet understand concrete logic, cannot mentally manipulate information, and are unable to take the point of view of other people. I asked Madison does she like to read and she answered â€Å"yes. † I also asked her does she like to learn and she said â€Å"yes. † To test her cognitive skills, I tested her by giving her a paper with a picture of three balls on it. I told her to circle the biggest one, put a square around the smallest one, and underline the medium size one. She correctly circled the biggest one which was in the middle, followed by the smallest one on the right and the medium one on the left. I gave the same test but with different pictures and in a different order. She missed this question because she assumed that the biggest bear was in the middle because of the first test she took. She failed to understand the perception of size because she focused on what she saw before not noticing the change of appearance. This showed that she used static reasoning believing that the world is unchanging. I asked Madison how many fingers she had and she counted ten. I then raised only four of my fingers on one hand and three on the other. I asked her how many did I have on my and and she stated seven but then told me I was hiding more. As you can see I could not pull a trick on Madison with this test. In children, there is perhaps nothing more amazing than the emergence of language. Early childhood is a sensitive period for language learning. I asked her parent does Madison easily learn words. She stated that Madison learns words everyday and often repeat words that she might have said to other people and to her as well. To test Madison on her social development, I sat a phone, a bottle of water, and a book on a table. I asked her what was the first object and why do we use it. She correctly answered the question saying that the phone was used to call people. Second, she could not tell me what the container was (bottle) but she did say it was water. Last, she correctly stated that the book was used to read about things. I asked her does she play with other kids and she said yes. I then asked her did she have friends and she named two friends. Her parent also stated that Madison talks about her friend all the time and has gotten into trouble for talking too much at school. It shows that Madison is a very sociable child and she will more than likely be successful in anything that she does.

Stereotypes Exist Because They Are Grounded in Truth

Stereotypes Exist Because They Are Grounded In Truth Has anyone ever said that ‘unicorns exist in real life and that they have seen them’? Or that they ‘felt hot while it was snowing’? Or that ‘cats can bark like dogs’? Clearly there is no truth to these statements. This is simply because unicorns do not exist in real life, you cannot feel hot if it is snowing, and that cats simply cannot bark like dogs. Life cannot exist without water, what goes up must come down, and similarly any statement which is accepted by thousands of other people must have some hint of truth to it.As Kanazawa says â€Å"Many stereotypes are empirical generalizations with a statistical basis and thus on average tends to be true. If they are not true, they would not be stereotypes† (â€Å"The Scientific Fundamentalist†). Although some people argue that stereotypes are just over generalizations, and that people use them to perceive the stereotyped groups†™ characteristics, most stereotypes are true as what is generally accepted in society must be somehow grounded in reality. Moreover, many stereotypes have been proven by science, and conducted psychological studies such as stereotype threat.People who believe that stereotypes are false, argue that stereotypes are just over generalizations. They argue that stereotypes represent just a small minority of the group being stereotyped against. They give the example of the stereotype that â€Å"all blondes are dumb. † And state that while some blondes may be dumb, not all of them are, in fact many are quite smart. They say that one's hair color has no effect on ones intellectual capability. While this may be true for some of the stereotypes, many of the stereotypes actually represent the majority of the group being stereotyped.For example the stereotype that ‘college educated people have bigger incomes than those who have only completed high school’ is a valid assessm ent. Yes, this might be true in some cases. But as proven by the â€Å"The College Payoff† a report published by the Georgetown University, while there might be a small handful of people who are only high school educated and who earn more than many of the college educated people, still most of the college educated people have a higher salary then high school educated people (Carnevale, Rose, and cheah â€Å"the college payoff†).So although there may be some stereotypes that are false or depict over generalization, most of the stereotypes in fact are based on assessments and actions of the majority of the group being stereotyped. Furthermore, people who argue that stereotypes are false state that people continue to cling on to stereotypes because it is quick and comfortable. It allows people to think they are gathering information about other people, without having to stop and actually spend time understanding the person or groups true personality. They claim that becau se of this many of the people or groups are misunderstood.However, what these people do not realize is that many of these stereotypes quite rightly show some of the traits of the group or individual being stereotyped. An example is the stereotype, ‘Jews are adept money handlers'. The fact is that this stereotype is true to quite a great extent. According to ‘The Weakonomics’, â€Å"you see an overwhelming representation of Jewish people within industries that revolve around the exchange of money†¦ Not only have they dominated finance†¦ † (â€Å"Why Do We Associate Jews with Money? †). While some of the Jews are either lawyers or doctors, most of them are in a field related to finance such as banking.In fact most of the people in top positions related to finance are Jews like the treasurer of the United States, and the Secretary of the Treasury. In fact most of the people running the American Treasury happen to be Jewish. Another example is the stereotype that Asians are smart and studious. Some people say Asians are smart because they are taught differently in their home country, others claim that Asians are smart because they are very studious, and still others say that Asians are studious because they feel academically at a loss when they come to foreign places to study and to compensate study harder.Whatever may be the reason, the truth remains that Asians are smarter and more studious than most of people. Thus, while some stereotypes might contain some discrepancies, most of the stereotypes show the truth about the group being stereotyped. Stereotypes do not just come out of thin air; they were based on actual observations of people or their actions. An event must have occurred to have that formed these stereotypes.For example according to Meltzoff, Cvencek and Greenwald, the stereotype that boys are better in math then girls forms almost as early as second grade when boys start to associate with math and start do ing better than girls in the subject (766-799). In fact all of the stereotypes have evolved from an origin. The stereotype that ‘blacks are good at sports’ came about because in almost every sport there is a black athlete who dominates the others. As sports sociologist Ben Carrington points out, at the beginning of the 20th century, whites were considered to be superior to blacks intellectually, aesthetically and even physically.However by the 1930s, this logic began to change as blacks started to be viewed as physically superior to whites in matters related to sports (Interview of Carrington, University of Texas). Another example is the stereotype that ‘Italian men are very romantic’. This stereotype exists because of the Italians' constant flirting with girls and their traditions which involve kissing a girl on her hand as a greeting. As Megalio says, Italian men â€Å"tell you that you're beautiful and really mean it, feed you to show their affection, c ry rarely but genuinely and work hard in honor of the woman they love† (â€Å"Why Women Can't Get Enough of Them†).Another example is the stereotype that ‘Italian men have an unhealthy obsession with their mothers. ‘ According to Pike and Allen; married or not, one in three Italian men sees his mother every day (The Guardian). Thus, stereotypes are formed based on history and statistics, but in order to survive they must be regularly reinforced. While there might be some stereotypes that do not apply to the majority of the group being stereotyped against, or are exaggerated truths, many of the stereotypes have in fact been proven by science.For example, according to Susan, quite a lot of gender stereotypes have been proven to be true by science (â€Å"Gender Stereotypes That Science Says Are True†). These stereotypes include ‘Women Love to Talk’ and ‘men are comparatively color blind’. As per the stereotype women love to talk , Susan talks about how the areas of the brain responsible for language are larger in women than men, and how the female brain processes language in both hemispheres of the brain (â€Å"Gender Stereotypes That Science Says Are True†).Moreover, regarding the stereotype ‘men are comparatively color blind', Susan talks about how the gene for seeing red is carried by the X-chromosome, and men have one X-chromosome while women have two, which puts men at a disadvantage at seeing the color spectrum (â€Å"Gender Stereotypes That Science Says Are True†). Another example is the stereotype that black people can't swim. In the first of its kind survey by USA swimming, it found that nearly 60% of black children have not been given aquatic training. (Quoted. in msnbc).Therefore, as we can see from the examples given, many stereotypes have actually been proven by science to be true and are hence more than just exaggerated truths. Lastly, another way in which stereotypes are t rue is the fact that they actually reinforce stereotypical behavior. This phenomenon is known as stereotype threat, whereby an individual is constantly exposed to negative images of his/her racial or ethnic group, this person starts to accept the same social and personal characteristics of these images as self characteristic.In fact psychologists, Steve and Aronson, conducted several experiments in which they proved that the phenomenon of stereotype threat does exist. When female participants were primed before a test of not being as smart as their male counterparts, their scores were significantly lower as compared to when the women were led to believe the tests did not reflect these stereotypes(â€Å"A threat in the air† 613-629). The same experiment was run again using African-Americans and Americans with the same results (â€Å"Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance† 797-811). Thus proving that the person acts like the way he/she was stereotyped to be.Stereotypes might be flattering or insulting. They might have positive effects or negative ones. But at the end of the day the fact remains that most of the stereotypes are true because they are grounded in actual observations of people, they have been proven by science, and because of the concept of stereotype threat. As David Cronenberg says â€Å"All stereotypes turn out to be true. This is a horrifying thing about life. All those things you fought against as a youth: you begin to realize they're stereotypes because they're true. † Therefore, just as smoke cannot exist without fire, stereotypes cannot exist without truth.Works Cited Kanazawa, Satoshi. â€Å"The Scientific Fundamentalist. † Psychology Today. 24 April 2008. Web. 12th March 2012 ;http://www. psychologytoday. com/blog/the-scientific-fundamentalist/200804/all-stereotypes-are-true-except-i-what-are-stereotypes;. Carnevale, Anthony P.. Rose, Stephen J.. Cheah, Ban. â€Å"The College Payoff†. Geo rgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce. 5th August 2011. Print. ; http://cew. georgetown. edu/collegepayoff/; â€Å"Why Do We Associate Jews With Money? † The Weakonomics. 27th July 2009. Web. 12th march 2012 ; http://weakonomics. om/2009/07/27/why-do-we-associate-jews-with-money/ ; Cvencek, D. , Meltzoff, A. N. and Greenwald, A. G. (2011), â€Å"Math–Gender Stereotypes in Elementary School Children Child Development†, 82: 766–779. ;http://onlinelibrary. wiley. com/doi/10. 1111/j. 1467-8624. 2010. 01529. x/abstract; Blacks, Sports and Lingering Racial Stereotypes: A Q;A with Sports Sociologist Ben Carrington. Interview by University of Texas. 25th August 2010. Web. 12th march 2012. ;http://www. utexas. edu/opa/blogs/shelflife/2010/08/25/blacks-sports-and-lingering-racial-stereotypes-a-qa-with-sports-sociologist-ben-carrington/;Meglio, Francesca Di, â€Å"Italian Men: Why Women Can't Get Enough of Them†?. Our Paesani. Web. 12th ma rch 2012. Pike, Rebecca; Allen, Carmel. â€Å"Mamma mia†. The Guardian. 14th May 2002. Web. 12th March 2012. < http://www. guardian. co. uk/world/2002/may/14/gender. uk> H. Susan. â€Å"6 Absurd Gender Stereotypes (That Science Says Are True)†. 10th May 2010. Web. 12th March 2012. â€Å"Nearly 60 percent of black children can't swim†.Associated Press. Msnbc. 5th January 2008. Web. March 12th 2012. ;http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/24411271/ns/health-childrens_health/t/nearly-percent-black-children-cant-swim/#. T2CsyBHxrNl; Steele, C. M. â€Å"A threat in the air: How stereotypes shape intellectual identity and performance†. American Psychologist. 1997. Print. 52, 613-629. Steele, C. M. , and Aronson, J. â€Å"Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African-Americans†. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1995. Print. 69, 797-811. Cronenberg, David. Brainy Quote. Web.