Monday, September 30, 2019

Communications Character Conflict Essay Essay

â€Å"I can’t believe you, all your gifts, all your powers, and you.. you squander them for your own personal gain. (Hal Stewart) ‘Yes! (Megamind) ‘No! I’m the villain! † this is the main conflict between characters’ Megamind and Hal Stewart in the hit motion picture Megamind. Megamind defeats the cities beloved super hero â€Å"Metro Man†, they had been enemies since grade school and Megamind has always been the bad guy causing trouble and Metro Man was always saving the day and the people from the evils of Megeminds treachery. But soon after this deafeat Megamind realizes he misses the way things used to be, there was no more excitement and rush of being the villain in an epic good vs. evil battle. So, Megamind has devised a way that he can give any normal human being all the gifts and powers that Metro Man himself possessed. He settles on a young man named Hal Stewart, a cameraman for a news station, which he filmed the news girl who he claimed to be in love with, but everyone thought she was with Metro Man because he was always saving her. So Megamind gives Hal all the super powers, and gives him a new identity of â€Å"Titan†. However, to Megminds Dismay, Hal starts abusing his powers and begins stealing from banks, and using his powers to get equipment, video games etc.. This is a great example of unproductive conflict. Instead of creating a new evil versus good scenario with Hal or â€Å"Titan†, Hal just commandeers the whole city and puts them all at his mercy. It has many negative impacts the two characters, their relationship, and the situation. The aggression between them and the situation in general becomes increases greatly and turns even hostile because of the flaws in their communication. Megamind has certain qualities about the way he communicates that it often gets him into trouble. In fact pretty much every idea he comes up with in the process, he always seems to get either seriously injured, or suffers in some other way, all because of his communicational handicap. Some of the functions of communication Megamind uses, is he begins a relationship with a character named Hal Stewart to achieve a specific goal premeditated so he could accomplish what he wished to have done. What he wanted done was to turn Hal into a super hero and give him all the powers that the late Metro Man possessed, so that he could resume his role as the villain once again, since he defeated the last super hero he longed for the epic battle of â€Å"Good vs. Evil. † First of all, Hal isn’t the brightest pick to turn someone into a super hero, but Megamind is determined he is the perfect pick after a misunderstood first impression of Hal. Megaminds best friend even shows in many ways, he does not approve of Hal as being the one who has the traits of being a good super hero, most of the ways non verbal. Megamind even changes his own identity as Hal’s â€Å"Space Dad†, for the purpose of guiding Hal into fulfilling his destiny as the city’s new found super hero â€Å"Titan†. So Megamind actually is affecting the situation and their relationship as two different important character’s in Hal’s life and will play play big parts in his decisions. Hal Stewart, aka â€Å"Titan† aka â€Å"Cameraman†, is a very interesting character because of how he expresses his own communicational traits, it is entertaining. His perception of what a â€Å"super hero† means, and what sort of privileges or advantages he believes comes with being â€Å"Titan† are affected by the culture he lives in. Some of his expectations, the most important towards the story and the one that makes the most dramatic influence is; the super hero always gets the girl. This thinking of Hal’s is a mindlessness perception and also selective perception of how he sees a super hero. Obviously he does not get the girl he claims he’s in love with, because the thing he is mindlessness about is that just because you can fly and have huge muscles doesn’t mean you will always get girl, its about what’s underneath, not on the surface, which I believe is the lesson â€Å"Life† is trying to teach him. Another misperception he has is what should be accomplished with the incredible new â€Å"gifts† that he has recently required. Instead of catching bad guys, and making sure justice stands within the city and her people, Hal actually robs banks, and other equipment, video games etc.. nd is determined that the powers mean â€Å"get rich, and get rich quick†. These are all things that Megamind does not anticipate before hand and turns into being the exact opposite of what he wanted, all because Hal’s misunderstanding, and the communicational barriers of Megamind. Although, there isn’t a whole lot of competent communicati on going on with Megamind and Hal, in the end he still gets an incredibly large amount accomplished. The things that were bigger then even his beloved epic good vs. evil battles. He grew in more important ways, he grew as a specimen, and became a happier person, which ultimately should be eternal goal of communication and the functions and steps that are not only necessary and basically impossible to accomplish anything without them, competent or incompetent, things still move forward and things get done. In the end Megamind finds his true purpose and a higher purpose, along the way falling in love and discovering a more meaningful life all thanks to communication, and the culture which helps him perceive and judge.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Belonging in As You Like It Essay

The need to belong can cause us to develop comforting relationships, powerful social groups, productive workplace teams, and inspiring religious and national bonds. But it can also be responsible for hurtful and damaging behaviour when those who are unable or unwilling to adapt are forced to conform or are completely excluded. These two aspects of belonging are evident in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, and Kevin Costner’s film Dances with Wolves and W. H. Auden’s satiric poem ‘The Unknown Citizen’. Shakespeare makes us aware of the contrasting qualities of the natural harmonious forest (where everyone seems contented and loving) and the corrupt, pompous court, controlled by the usurper Duke Frederick with his use of symbolic juxtaposition and allusion to. His fury over his daughter’s close relationship with Rosalind (the daughter of the displaced Duke Senior) reinforces their close bond. Celia describes the two of them with a harmonious image from the natural world: â€Å"coupled and inseparable.. like Juno’s swans†. Dramatically, Shakespeare emphasises their closeness by including their good-hearted banter, and having them adopt disguises before entering the forest. Their supportive relationship gives them strength, so that instead of feeling grief as a result of their expulsion from court, they focus on the positive. Celia’s comments help us to see court and forest as binary opposites when she declares â€Å"now go we in content to liberty and not to banishment. † Shakespeare shows us how belonging in a close relationships can bring strength, but how this exclusivity may also be seen as a threat by others. Another text which shows a surprising response to exile is Kevin Costner’s Academy award-winning film â€Å"Dances with Wolves†. In it the main character, John Dunbar voluntarily exiles himself, leaving both his own white American culture, and also the senseless Civil War that he had been fighting in, determined to see the west â€Å"before it has gone†. Even though he had been compelled by tradition, expectation and a sense of duty to serve loyally, he finds himself drawn to establish stronger links with the Dakota Sioux Indians, who were commonly viewed as â€Å"thieves and beggars†. Like Celia in As You Like It, he does not view his exile as banishment, but as an opportunity to escape a restrictive and corrupt society in order to gain a sense of freedom and find spiritually renewal. In addition to Dunbar’s first person narration, the film uses a number of mis-en-scene elements, such as costuming, dialogue and symbolic motifs to show the way John Dunbar is gradually accepted into the Sioux culture. Early in his exile, we see him dressed in full uniform, and hear him using military jargon as he describes â€Å"burying excess ordinance† and trying to â€Å"mount an adequate defence†. After his initial encounters with the Lakota Indians his new-found sense of belonging is evident as he begins to speak their language, and is greeted courteously. A change of identity is indicated by his altered appearance, as he becomes clean-shaven, begins wearing a red shirt and trades his army hat for a knife. The film shows a montage of incidents in which Dunbar adopts Sioux customs, such as eating raw buffalo heart. Dean Semler, the cinematograph-er, uses a red filter and passionate music to depict Dunbar’s sorrow when he is separated from his new friends. Finally, Dunbar’s assimilation into the Lakota culture is evident when he becomes able to speak fluently in Lakota, and falls in love with Stands With a Fist. â€Å"I’d never known who John Dunbar was. But as I heard my Sioux name (â€Å"Dances with Wolves†) called out again and again, I knew who I really was†. Costner’s film shows us that humans have a need for relationships, but that we can belong within many different relationships, groups and cultures. Just as Celia and Rosalind establish new relationships in exile and are not troubled by their exclusion from court, Dunbar is restored and fulfilled by his acceptance into a more meaningful and supportive Lakota culture. In contrast to Dunbar’s experiences of belonging, the character of Jaques in â€Å"As You Like It’ shows us that belonging can be impossible for people who are very independent and highly individual. Although he goes into exile willingly he does not accept Duke Senior’s analogy that adversity, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head†. For Jaques, unlike Dunbar, living in exile does not bring rewards and happiness. He insists that he loves to be miserable and to ‘suck melancholy from a song as a weasel sucks eggs†. Shakespeare’s use of such images from nature is very effective in suggesting that, unlike most people, Jaques does not find the experience of being in exile with others either comfortable or necessary. This is evident from his use of highly emotive words to express his dislike of the world around him and his wish to â€Å"Cleanse the foul body of the infected world†. Inevitably his critical, judgmental character makes him an outcast ridiculed for his tears for a wounded stag. Jaques’ depressive nature makes it difficult for him to view life positively as he reveals in his speech on the seven Ages of Man, which finishes with the tragically negative repetition of ‘sans’ (meaning ‘without’) to emphasise the desperate plight of the elderly â€Å"Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything†. When the opportunity arises to return to court, with Duke Senior reinstated, Jaques rejects the idea as he prefers to remain in the ‘abandoned cave’ rather than returning with the others to the trivial pomp of the court. His sense of moral superiority, his inflexibility and his preference for being sombre prevent him from valuing the notion of belonging. Whereas characters like Jaques and Dunbar have the option of choosing whether to belong or not, the ‘unknown citizen’ in W. H. Auden’s satiric poem has been forced to fit in to a tightly run capitalist bureaucracy. The poem takes the form of a eulogy written on the tombstone of this ‘perfect’ member of society, who is only known by his serial number, JS/07 M 378. Auden adopts a formal, prosaic tone to praise the man’s achievements: â€Å"when there was peace, he was for peace When there was war, he went. † The tone of congratulation is clear as the monument praises JS’s life and praises him for being quite ‘normal’. In appearing to praise this ‘saint’ Auden is actually mocking the way those around him in the 1930s blindly relinquished their individuality to the ‘Greater Community’ and he condemns the consumer society which exerts so much control over its citizens. Auden’s oem is laced with irony as the monument extols the virtues of JS who â€Å"had everything necessary to the Modern Man A phonograph, a radio, a car and a Frigidaire. † In this capitalistic conservative society, people are valued for conformist behaviour. The ultimate irony is conveyed in the patronising final lines: â€Å"Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd: Had anything been wrong, we sh ould certainly have heard. † To belong in such a society, Auden suggests, requires people to abandon any search for freedom and happiness as these are, in the authorities’ view, insignificant and irrelevant. Whereas Shakespeare provides Jaques with the opportunity of maintaining his individuality by not belonging, Auden’s speculative vision of the world allows very little opportunity for those who choose not to belong. In contrast to the magical transformative qualities of the forest of Arden in which marriages and reunions abound, Auden’s sterile society depicts the negative behaviour of mindless conformity where individual names are lost, and people are only valued if they can conform to the government’s expectations. The need to belong can force us to adopt conformist behaviour, and can even force humans to live a life of deceit and pretence, as Jaques commented: ‘All the world’s a stage and we are merely players’. Belonging can, on the other hand, provide us with comfort, security, affection and self-worth. The need to belong is certainly both a gift and a curse.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Critical thinking exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Critical thinking exercise - Essay Example In a sense Carey uses some of the ideas of the Enlightenment in reverse: thus the argument that systematic, scientific thinking could provide truths and laws about even the most complex of human relationships is reversed by Carey. He suggests that tracing the influence of the invention of a communication device must rely upon more than a seeking for the objective truth. But the method that Carey uses for convincing his readers actually borrows a lot from the scientific method. He argues that the telegraph shifted the nature of human culture because it freed communication from transportation. Until this point, messages between individuals (or between countries) needed to be transported physically from place to place, either by foot, horse or latterly, the railroad. The telegraph allowed messages to move independently of other forms of transportation. Thus Carey looks at something which was fairly obvious in a new manner: - just as a scientist will explore phenomena that are seen by human beings every day in a new manner in order to explain them. The scientific method continues as the telegraphy is seen as a driver for a number of actions and reactions within society. It led to the eventual disappearance of certain kinds of writing, and even changed the manner in which human beings saw time. ... Now people could communicate instantly with others who were living in a different time zone. His discussion of language turns more to the precepts of Modernism - as he both uses some of its ideas and also explains some of the changes that occurred through the invention of the telegraph. The telegraph enabled news to travel 'instantly' from one side of the country to another, but due to the cost involved, the words used to describe events was constantly cut. Carey terms this as "the lowest common denominator" and thus language was reduced to its basic components. Colloquial English that could only be understood within a particular locality could not be used in nationwide news reporting. Short, simple descriptive sentences took over from the more long-winded, flowery language of before. It is this new type of language that comes to dominate, and even spreads into the work of "great writers" such as Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway was known for using short, simple sentences that could be understood by anyone with even a basic education. While the ideas behind the words might be only accessible to the few, a whole mass of the population could now read, understand and even enjoy elite literature. The telegraph thus led to a democratization of both language and literature within Modernism. Modernism itself was characterized by the tendency to reject the old dichotomies between "high" and "low" art; it also rejected the idea of dividing knowledge into that which was 'objective' and that which was 'subjective'. All human behavior and knowledge was questioned and problematized within the Modernist perspective, as shown by Carey's own argument. Along with a

Friday, September 27, 2019

Dollar versus Yen -The Road Ahead Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dollar versus Yen -The Road Ahead - Essay Example Interest-rate futures demonstrate that the traders are certain the Fed will increase its benchmark to 4.75 percent on March 28, and predict about a 65 percent chance of another increase to 5 percent at the May meeting. However the outlook was not the same say in October 2005 when Fed was expected to go in for graduated dosages of increase in interest rate in keeping with the trend began since June 2004. The dollar had then risen 2.3 percent against the yen since the end of June 2005. The dollar ran its third straight quarterly gain, reported in October 2005, against the yen, the longest winning streak since 2001, as the Federal Reserve stuck to its policy of ''measured" increases in interest rates. The markets had then expected the dollar to rally to about 115 yens. The yield advantage of 10-year US Treasury notes with Japan had averaged 2.87 percentage points in 2005 year and reached as much as 3.27 percentage points on March 28 2005. As a result of these Japanese investors were buy ing the dollar to purchase overseas assets, such as Treasuries strengthening interest in dollar.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Aristotelian rhetorical analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Aristotelian rhetorical analysis - Essay Example Therefore, since political ads are always one sided; which implies that whoever the media favors gets the right posts, the paper will not take sides, but instead it will analyze the facts surrounding this ad. So, why would the president state the 2013 budget if he was aware of the effect it would have on his popularity? The ad appeals to the readers emotionally by including their needs and even considering their worries. This is how President Obamas 2013 budget of $ 1.5 trillion in tax increases would make it impossible to create job opportunities in Lowa. Further scrutiny reveals the use of the second person singular to make voters feel the desire not to vote in favor of Obama. Note, for ‘you, it would mean higher taxes, increased job losses and continued difficulties in the recovering economy. This move appeals strongly to those voters who are not critical, as they attempt to prevent their lives from becoming more complicated. At this point, let us be critical with the above ad. First, increases in taxes of $1.5 trillion are enormous and fitting in its purpose. This claim would call for research because it is obvious that whoever made the calculations might have included things that only affect a particular group of the society. The pressing question becomes, who will be hardest hit by the tax raises? The source of this information should be credible for the voters to consider the authenticity of the claim. Secondly, "tougher to create jobs in Lowa", is a claim that does not state who the victims are. The attack on Obama’s break of his promise and raising taxes should also not be made exceptional because every potential candidate makes promises, but it is not possible for them to oversee the future of the country’s social and economic status. Thirdly, the use of the second person singular (for you, it could mean higher taxes and more job loss), is always somewhat risky because it is difficult to prove that it applies to the

An analysis on the foreign women's fashion magazines in China, and Literature review

An analysis on the foreign women's fashion magazines in China, and compare how do Chinese people appreciate Western magazines - Literature review Example Consumer Culture in China Davis (2005) conducted a qualitative study in which two groups of Chinese consumers in Shanghai were interviewed. The first group consisting of 51 men and women were interviewed in 1987 and the second group comprised of different Chinese consumers consisted for 46 men and women. The consumers were between the ages of 40 and 50. The interviews were open-ended and involved questions relative to consumption expectations in the future. The results of the study found that since the late 1980s, Chinese consumer culture, at least in relation to Shanghai has undergone a revolution of sorts (Davis, 2005). Chinese consumers have experienced significant changes in terms of increased income, improved standards of living, increased spending power, a greater variety of consumption choices and have embraced â€Å"globally branded foodstuffs, pop-music videos and fashion† (Davis, 2005, p. 692). ... Zhou, Arnold, Pereira and Yu (2010) offer some insight into Chinese consumer culture in China’s inland and coastal regions. According to Zhou, et. al.(2010), China is one of the world’s most important consumer markets although there is very little known about the different drivers of Chinese consumption trends and habits in China’s different regions. Using a cultural materialism approach, Zhou, et. al. (2010) analysed consumer decisions approaches among inland and coastal consumers in China. The study found that there were no material differences between coastal and inland consumers in terms of their style of shopping although their pleasure/hedonic shopping styles are different (Zhou, et. al., 2010). These differences are only important for marketers in determining what marketing approach to take for appealing to the pleasure of consumers in different regions in China. Xiao and Kim (2009) conducted a study to determine the extent to which the â€Å"changing val ue systems of modern China† impacted the consumption habits of Chinese consumers (p. 610). Using a multivariate analysis approach, the study found that functional, emotional and social values were linked in a positive way to foreign goods. Individualism and collectivism were identified as having positive links to foreign goods and life satisfaction. Individualists’ consumers were not as satisfied with their lives as collectivists were, but they were more amenable to foreign goods (Xiao & Kim, 2009). Dickson, Lennon, Montalto, Shen and Zhang (2004) conducted a survey of 1,628 married consumers in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai to collect data informing of

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

International Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

International Business - Assignment Example However, the big question is what is the reason that made companies to take their venture on the global scale? The answer is not just the intention of the companies to expand the business volume, but companies are actually experiencing extreme difficulties to sustain in the market place with only domestic operation. Thus, international business not only worked as a factor that helped in business expansion but acted as a saviour of business as well. Moreover, the opening of the world economy and globalization has fostered the companies to embrace international expansion. The study intended to investigate about the features of international business environment and the way it differs from the domestic business environment. In addition, it also tried to assess how the chosen company Samsung deals with competition in the overseas market. The key findings of the study are that Samsung generally uses competitive pricing, mass targeting and product differentiation strategy to deal with the competition of overseas market. Introduction The notion of international business can be traced back to the early 1960s. During this epoch, several multinational enterprises emerged as a centre of focus and interest for the economists as well as general public. Majority of the literature from this era has been able to provide only a time bound perspective about this phenomenon (Campbell, 2009; Kapil, 2011). Paradoxically, economist of this phase treated multinationals as the by-products of the post world war II. It has resulted into global financial integration, improved the communication system and along with that developed the transportation technologies. From the point of view of common people, international business was seen as a way of making business expansion (Dooley, Guy, Goymer, Richards and Richards, 2006). Since that phase, the impact of international business on the global economy was phenomenal. Companies that started to operate on a global scale were truly signified as ‘multinationals’ (Nelson, 1999; Onkvisit and Shaw, 2004). With the expansion of European and East Asian firms in the international markets, a new cross-national strategic partnership came into existence. The historiography of global enterprises was tremendously enriched by some of the eminent scholars such as Mira Wilkins, D. K. Fieldhouse, Peter Hertner, Shin'ichiYonekawa, among others, who not only threw light on the origins of multinational business on the twentieth century, but have also linked their scholarly works with the wider reinterpretations of the business evolution dynamics. One of the interesting facts of international business is that since the 1960s, the international business environment is being controlled by a single country thereby reflecting a single - nation dominance (Clifton, 2012). For example, the phase of 1880 to 1914 was dominated by the United Kingdom, whereas 1950s and 1960s were dominated by the United States. However, the scenario drasti cally changed after the 1960s as the world experienced continual growth of the multinational operation and reflected a steady shift in the external factors

Monday, September 23, 2019

Corporate Governance and Internal Audits Role Essay

Corporate Governance and Internal Audits Role - Essay Example whether internal or external,and have led to evolution of a new systemic structure of the audit function.In the foregoing paragraphs we examine these aspects in some details.To begin with we look at some of the corporate governance policy developments and follow them up with contributions they make towards a more robust audit function. The Financial Services Authority has evolved a refurbished code on corporate governance replacing the1998 intending that the new Code will apply for reporting years beginning on or after 1 November 2003. This Code supersedes the earlier Combined Code issued by the Hampel Committee on Corporate Governance in June 1998.The highlight feature of the new code is the leveraging on the work of Derek Higgs on the role and effectiveness of non-executive directors and a review of the structure and functions of audit committees by a group led by Sir Robert Smith. The Code as it had evolved permitted no room for further consultations and was considered final and applicable in the stated form. The Code essentially evolved around main and supporting principles and provisions. The UK company Listing Rules requires corporates to make a disclosure statement in two parts in reference to the prescriptions of the Code. In the first free format part of the disclosure statement, the company reports as to how it applies the corporate governance principles stated within the Code. This report covers the main as well as the supporting principles. This first part reporting has been left free of any particular format with the specific intention of letting the corporates have a free hand in expressing their corporate governance policies and compliance with the Code. The second part, however, is structured and the concerned corporate has to report categorically if it complies with the provisions of the Code or not. In case it does not comply then structured explanation for the same has to be furnished. The Code specifies that smaller companies outside FTSE350 may find some of the Code provisions not entirely relevant to their circumstances. Similarly the investment companies have been excepted as they tend to have a distinct board structure. Lastly the Code carries this laudable flexibility further in not assessing mechanistically corporate deviations from the Code and advises shareholders to assess the characteristics, size and risk profile of the corporates before concluding on inadequacy of corporate disclosures. The flexibility of the Code itself reflects a desire of the regulator to

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Kantian and Utilitarian Theories and the Nestle Moral Issue Term Paper

Kantian and Utilitarian Theories and the Nestle Moral Issue - Term Paper Example o new mothers, free or low cost products, improper labels) allegedly designed for the adoption of bottle-feeding instead of breast-feeding by mothers. Outrage against Nestle came to a high point when a Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute attested that millions of infants suffered ailments or death due to bottle-feeding. The institute, however, did not clarify whether the cause was the infant formula or improper sterilization-and-storage of baby bottles and feed. Heightened indignation against Nestle resulted in a campaign led by the Infant Formula Action Coalition (INFACT) to boycott Nestle products globally. Subsequently, the World Health Organization (WHO) imposed a Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes to prohibit advertising which discourages breastfeeding. After years in which Nestle seemed to comply with the Code, the Action for Corporate Accountability charged Nestle with non-compliance. Boycott of Nestle was again instigated, bolstered by the United Methodist Churchà ¢â‚¬â„¢s study that Nestle’s advertising practices (free supplies to hospitals, stepped up donation to counter Ivory Coast government’s promotion of breastfeeding) were designed solely to increase sales, thus violating the WHO code. KANTIAN AND UTILITARIAN THEORIES 3 Today, the issue is unresolved due to data issued by UNICEF that 1.5 million infants, who are not breast-fed, die each year. This study was used by the International Baby Food Action Network and its affiliates by accusing Nestle and other infant-formula companies of violating the WHO marketing code. The situation aggravated when a 2003 British Medical Journal reported that 90 percent of health providers were ignorant of the WHO code, while two-thirds of mothers using infant-feed formula were not advised on the benefits of... Kantian and Utilitarian Ethics have similarities in their common aim to provide guidance on moral conduct amid 18th century modernizing times in which nationalism and industrialization were emerging. Both theories need not be seen simply as speculative principles since the Kantian categorical imperative will have an impact after his death on the subsequent 19th century German idealism in which: â€Å"The state had a will, a consciousness and a moral end of its own, on a higher level than that of any individual. Neither internally nor externally was the state limited by moral laws, since it was itself the fount of such laws†. On the other hand, utilitarianism will be the foundation of the American principle of American capitalism and free enterprise, expressed by Adam Smiths’ insight â€Å"in which a free market system could combine the freedom of individuals to pursue their own objectives†. The Utilitarian philosophy is also well entrenched in the Declaration of Independence as drafted by Thomas Jefferson: â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness†.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Politeness and Pragmatics in the Cross-Cultural Communication Essay Example for Free

Politeness and Pragmatics in the Cross-Cultural Communication Essay Introduction In this paper, we will examine the Natural Order Hypothesis which was first introduced by Stephen Krashen in the late 1970s and 1980s. Krashen proposed the Second Language Acquisition Theory with five hypotheses. The Natural Order Hypothesis is a part of this second language theory. This hypothesis claims that learners of second language acquire the grammatical structures in a predictable way. It includes that some grammatical structures acquired naturally earlier than the others and this synchronization does not affected by the learners’ native language, age or any condition of exposure. Using a case study approach we will observe whether this claim is valid in Bangladeshi context or not. To examine that how the Natural Order Hypothesis works in Bangladeshi context, we have chosen some Bangladeshi people from different ages. Some the students of first semester and second semester of University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh. We have asked them to answer some certain questions which have added in the last section. This paper is divided into several chapters. The first section of the paper introduces with the five hypotheses of Stephen Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition. The hypotheses are demonstrated one by one because all the hypotheses are interrelated. This part is concluded with some main points of criticism about the Natural Order Hypothesis. The next section of the paper analyses our examinations about the hypothesis. It includes the Findings and Results of the study. The last section of the paper explains recommendations and conclusion where we have given our opinion. Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition Stephen Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition is well accepted widely in all areas of second language research and teaching since the 1980s. This theory consists of five hypotheses. These are the Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis, the Monitor Hypothesis, the Natural Order Hypothesis, the Input Hypothesis and the Affective Filter Hypothesis. The explanations of these hypotheses are given below. The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis states that there are two ways to  develop second language proficiency for adult learners. One is ‘acquisition system’ and another one is ‘learned system’. According to Krashen, the ‘acquisition system’ is a subconscious process. In this system, it is claimed that the development of the L2 proficiency goes through naturally. More like the way children acquire their first language. The learners acquire language without knowing about that acquisition is taking place. The main point is that learners develop proficiency through using language in meaningful conversations where the focus is on meaning not in the rules of language. On the other hand, ‘learned system’ is referred to ‘knowing about’ language. According to Krashen, the ‘learned system’ is a conscious and explicit process. Through this system learners learn about the language as a conscious study of formal instructions. That means the two systems are totally opposite. Krashen states that acquisition is more important to develop second language proficiency. Learning cannot lead to acquisition. He adds that conscious rule of ‘learned system’ only performs as one function; Monitor or editor. So the error correction occurs in ‘learned system’ which affects in learning language. But error cannot affect in case of acquiring language because in development of L2 proficiency, ‘acquired system’ only gives learner a ‘feel’ of error subconsciously. To demonstrate the Acquisition- Learning hypothesis, Krashen also denies about Noam Chomsky’s Language Acquisition Device (Device). Chomsky claims that humans are born with the instinct or innate facility for acquiring language. There is a ‘black box’ in every person’s brain and it acquires any language before puberty. Krashen disagrees and says that acquisition of second language can also happen after puberty. He further explains that LAD also works for adult but that does not mean that adult will always acquire second language as native speaker. He claims that LAD function also works for adult second language acquisition. The distinction between ‘acquisition system’ and ‘learned system’ can be seen in the table given below. The Monitor Hypothesis Stephen Krashen explains in the Monitor Hypothesis that how acquisition and learning are used in second language performance. This hypothesis holds the theory that utterance in L2 is initiated by the acquired system at first and after that the learned system works if there is any need of changes. Krashen includes that utterance of L2 happens generally through acquired linguistic competence. The role of learned system is work as a Monitor or editor. To use Monitor successfully, Krashen gives three conditions. These are time, focus of form and know the rule. 1. Time: The first condition explains that the acquirer must have enough time to apply the Monitor. The problem regarding this condition is, during normal conversation one cannot look after the time. If someone tries to use the Monitor he/she will fail to utter in right time or if someone tries to maintain the time he/she will fail to use the Monitor. The important part is that this condition can be applied only in case of advanced acquirers who use Monitor occasionally. 2. Focus on Form: The second condition instructs that the acquirers must focus on form of the language. The acquirers must think about the correctness of the form. But the problem is using Monitor with focusing on form is really tough. To maintain this condition one can lose the track whether he/she will Monitor what he/she is saying or he/she will Monitor how is he/she saying it. 3. Know the rule: The third condition is the acquirer must know the rule of language. It is very difficult condition to maintain because everyone does not know about all the rules. Even the best students may not know all the rules of the language which they are exposed to. So, these are the three conditions which drive to use Monitor successfully. But later on Krashen has mentioned only about the focus on form and know the  rule. He did not mention about the first condition ‘time’. Learnt knowledge (Monitoring) Acquired knowledge Output Figure: Model of adult second language performance On the other hand, Krashen has explained about three individual differences regarding use of the Monitor though the difficulties of three conditions remain dissolved. According to him, there are three types of Monitor users. Monitor over-users, Monitor under- users and the Optimal Monitor users. 1. Monitor over-users: This type of people use the Monitor all the time. They always check their output with the conscious knowledge of the language. Krashen claims two causes for this type of Monitor users. Firstly, they acquire language with the restriction of grammar instruction. Secondly, they may have acquired a good amount of second language but can not trust their acquired competence. That is why they always try check and cover their mistakes by using Monitor. So, they speak hesitantly and try to correct their utterances at the middle of a conversation. 2. Monitor under users: These types of people whether acquire language not learning or they do not prefer to use their conscious knowledge. Actually they do not use the conscious knowledge even when the three conditions are met. The self-correction happen only from a ‘feel’ of correctness. 3. The Optimal Monitor users: The optimal users are the people who apply the Monitor when it is necessary and appropriate. They know how to combine their learned competence with their acquired competence. They never use the grammar rules in their regular conversation because it can interfere in their utterances. This type of users most of the time achieve like the  native speaker in writing and planned speech. The Natural Order Hypothesis: According to Krashen the Natural Order Hypothesis deals with the grammar structures. The hypothesis explains that grammatical structures are acquired in predictable order. This order does not follow any rules that the easier grammar rule will be at first and then the complex one. It claims that there are some certain grammatical structures which acquired early by the learners of second language acquisition and then the others and it is for any given language. Krashen explains that the claim does not prove as 100% always, but there are some significant similarities. Krashen actually adopted this hypothesis from the study of Dulay and Burt’s study of what they called the order of acquisition of grammatical morphemes in English by five to eight year old children learning English as a second language (1974). They established a chart of morphemes for their study. So, Krashen adopt the idea of English morphemes and established his Natural Order Hypothesis. Krashen believed that there was no difference regarding the synchronization of the grammar structures. But later on Krashen develops his own idea about the order. He examines the study with both children and adult’s second language and illustrates the natural order of grammar structure according to his point of view. Table: Average order of second language acquisition in English. In further description about the Natural Order Hypothesis Krashen explains three facts. * Krashen claims that natural order cannot be changed. Teacher cannot change the order through drills or exercises. If a teacher tries to drill a certain rule for several weeks the result will be zero. Because the acquirer will only acquire language when it is ready to acquire the certain rule. This fact is very much related to the Affective Filter Hypothesis. * The natural order of grammar structures do not depend on any obvious feature. It can go through complex to easier or easier to complex. Some rules acquired later which are quite simple. On the other hand some rues acquired earlier which seem to be difficult in structures. It shows that curriculum designers might face problem that which one they should put earlier and which one in later. * The third fact is that the natural order is not the teaching order. So, if someone predicts that through learning the grammar structures he or she will acquire language proficiency, he/she might wrong. Because Krashen applied the Natural Order Hypothesis to extend the idea of ‘the Input Hypothesis’. The Natural Order Hypothesis actually helps to know how the comprehensible input can be acquired one by one. So the learners will acquire the language in a natural order as a result of getting this comprehensible input. Criticism of Natural Order Hypothesis: Krashen’s Natural Order Hypothesis faces many criticisms about the predictable natural order in second language learners’ acquisition of grammatical structure. His using of English morphemes as a model also causes criticisms. There are some important criticisms which really force linguists to rethink about Krashen’s Natural Order Hypothesis. These are, * Krashen claims that all L2 learners adopt the same nature of acquiring language to attain proficiency. However there is some individuality between learners. Every learner does not go through the same order of morphemes to  learn grammar rules. Some adopts the -ing form at first and later on go through the other rules step by step. On the other hand some adopts the pronoun case (he/she, his/her etc.) at first. So, Krashen’s hypothesis does not concern about individuality. * Another criticism explains that all languages do not have the same morphemes. Some languages do not have the function of Copula or definite/indefinite article. So as a result the learners from this type of languages face problem acquiring the morphemes though these are the simplest one. The learners pick up the morpheme according to their first language acquisition. Here, Krashen actually totally overlooked the possibility of the influence of L1 on L2. On the other hand he also ignored the role of negative and positive transferences. * Krashen claims that his model of natural order works for both adult and children. Critics raised questions about this generalization. That how did Krashen judge it as the both applied natural order for adult and children. Did the judgment was from instrument and task specific? A critic named Larsen-Freeman applied Krashen’s natural order model for both the adult second language learners and children second language learners and she found that the model really works but when she put it in some different tasks using different instruments, she could not found any similarity between adult learners score and children learners score. So, Krashen’s claim proved itself as unreliable because it does not work for every situation. So these are the criticisms regarding Krashen’s Natural Order Hypothesis. To evaluate our case study we have taken the help of these criticisms and we also found some problems in Bangladeshi context. The evaluation has given in the Analysis part. The Input Hypothesis: The Input Hypothesis gives the answer of the question that how we acquire language. Regarding this hypothesis Krashen states that, the learners acquire language by understanding input which is slightly beyond their  competence. He also adds that when the learners understand the messages of a language, they acquire language. The main theory of this hypothesis is ‘i+1’. Here ‘i’ is learners’ present competence and ‘i+1’ is the input of the language which can be understood by the learners. Krashen calls this ‘i+1’ as the comprehensible input. He not only states that but also strongly claims that ‘comprehending message’ can help to acquire language and there is no other fundamental process of language acquisition. Another point he claims that listening and reading comprehension are the primary important function of second language acquisition. There is one important point which should be noted that the Input Hypothesis and the Natural Order Hypothesis are interrelated. These two are combined to answer the question of how we move from one stage to another of acquisition. That means, Natural Order Hypothesis works for analyzing the Input Hypothesis that how learners move from ‘i’ to ‘i+1’. The Natural Order Hypothesis helps to decide that which one should be the comprehensible input or ‘i+1’ in the classroom. There are two corollaries in the Input Hypothesis. These are, 1. The first corollary is that speaking is not the cause of language fluency but the result of language accuracy. It cannot be taught directly. It is acquired through comprehensible input. 2. The second corollary is, if there is enough amount of comprehensible input the learner will automatically acquire competence from the teacher. There is no need to use grammar structure. That means there is no need to be finely tuned input which means the exact next grammar structure as ‘i+1’. It can also be roughly tuned input, like the nearer structures from the ‘i’. So, from this hypothesis we can understand that there is no need to use energy in acquiring language. The main important part is just to understand the messages. When we understand the messages of second language, the LAD starts to work. This is how we acquire language. The Affective Filter Hypothesis: The Affective Filter Hypothesis describes us that how people face obstacles to acquire second language. It tells us about a filter named ‘affective filter’ which works as an obstacle in the way of acquiring language. The affective filter does not work directly as a barrier but creates a ‘mental block’ in brain which prevents to acquire language. Krashen explains that if the affective filter is down then the comprehensible input reaches to the LAD and acquires competence but if the affective filter is up then the input does not reach to the LAD and acquisition does not happen. Krashen includes that there are some ‘affective variables’ which control this affective filter. The affective variables include motivation, self-confidence and anxiety. This variables help to acquire second language very easily. But if someone has low motivation, low self-esteem and debilitating anxiety the student will face difficulties to acquire language. Because these low motivation, low self- esteem and anxiety will ‘raise’ his affective filter and form a ‘mental block’ which will become an obstacle to understand the input and acquire language. So, the Affective Filter Hypothesis helps to determine that why a specific learner faces problem in dealing the comprehensible input though he/she has reached a native- like competence. The main point is one should have motivation, self-confidence and low anxiety if he/she wants to acquire second language. Many critics raised question against Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition. Some of them are reliable and the rest of them are from anti- Krashenites. From our opinion, though Krashen has applied many statements to prove his theory but the Natural Order Hypothesis really lacks in reliable informations. The hypothesis could not set with our Bangladeshi context. The discussion has given in the next section.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Global Terrorism Index (GTI) Summary and Analysis

Global Terrorism Index (GTI) Summary and Analysis Global Terrorism The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) defines terrorism as â€Å"the threatened or actual use of illegal force and violence by a non-state actor to attain a political, economic, religious, or social goal through fear, coercion, or intimidation.† Countries are ranked on a scale out 10 based on their risk and impact of terrorism. The top five countries for the highest impact of terrorism is Iraq with a GTI score of 10/10, Afghanistan with a GTI score of 9.39/10, Pakistan with a GTI score of 9.37/10, Nigeria with a score of 8.58/10 and Syria with a GTI score of 8.12/10. Although, there are several factors that have contributed to the global pattern, three main factors include; country development, relgious idealogy and their expansion tendancies, and politcal uppheaveal. These factors have caused significant social and economic impacts for countries and their population. The map above shows the risks of terrorism globally, with red representing a severe risk graduating down to green representing a negligible risk of terrorism. As can be observed, there is a concentration of countries in Africa and areas of the Middle East such as Pakistan, Iraq, Libya, and Nigeria, which are all, developing nations or less economically developed countries (LEDC). Seventy percent of the countries in South America have a medium or high risk of terrorism. However, the global pattern of countries suffering from a medium or high risk of terrorism is scattered around the globe and includes such other countries as Brazil, Ethiopia, Iran, and even Russia. With the exceptions of some countries such as Ghana, there are clusters countries that share a common risk rating implying that neighboring countries influence each other such as the cluster in Europe, South America and Africa, where the countries within the clusters share a common risk rating. The southern hemisphere does not seem to demonstrate any particular pattern, countries with a low or a negligible risk of terrorism is randomly scattered with developed countries such as Australia and New Zealand having a negligible risk of terrorism and developing countries such as Zambia and Uruguay also having a negligible or low risk of terrorism. However, the holistic, global pattern of countries with a negligible or low risk of terrorist attacks is scattered between more economically developed countries (MEDC’S) with a cluster in Europe. Factor 1: One of the main factors that have influenced the global pattern of terrorism is country development. The global pattern of countries that have low risks and negligible risks of terrorism is in MEDC’s. This is because MEDC’s usually have a stable political system, low levels of corruption, and a high HDI (The Human Development Index) score that is a holistic indicator to give an insight on how developed a country is. For example, Norway has the highest HDI ranking with a score of 0.944; alternatively, Niger has a HDI score of only 0.337 meaning that it has the lowest level of human development in the world coupled with a severe risk of terrorism, thus showing that there appears to be a strong correlation between the level of development of a country and the risks of terrorism it faces. This is because LEDC’s suffer from lack of judicial resources and capital to be able to control violence and are more susceptible to corruption, which leads an unstable governmental system. Therefore, the higher the HDI rating the increased probability of terrorist attacks occurring in that particular country. The pie chart to the left clearly exhibits that where there is a lack of judicial control present in provides greater opportunity for terrorist organizations to carry out their activities. Syria is an example as the nation is experiencing internal and external conflict and as a consequence, terrorist attacks are more likely to occur. It is therefore seen that there seems to be a strong correlation between the pattern of global terrorism and country development, LEDC’s tending to have higher risks of terrorism. Factor 2 Another compelling factor of developing the pattern of global terrorism is extremist religious ideologies, where particular fanatics believe that they have doctrine authority to unilaterally impose their ideology on others. Demonstrating the contagious expansion of these terrorist groups into neighboring clustered nations. Extremist groups have expanded their organizations by utilizing modern day technologies such as social media and terrorist forums as a platform to advocate their beliefs and expand their territory. For example, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) uses the Internet not only to spread its radical beliefs but also to recruit empower and motivate recruits from within their own homes to join their cause. The use of the Internet is a modern phenomenon used to recruit impressionable and naive youth from the west to join their campaign and to commit acts of terror in their homeland. So far, there is an estimated 12000 westerners have left their lives to expand terro r groups such as ISIS in Iraq and Syria. This affects the global pattern of terrorism because the areas in which these radical groups operate expands as they gain more power and therefore form clusters like the ones in Africa and in the middle east where terrorism crosses borders. The graph to the left (figure 12) clearly shows there are a higher proportion of religiously motivated terrorist incidents when compared to other factors over time. In 2000 the number of recorded religious incidents was 250 but in 2013 it dramatically increased to over 1500 incidents. In correlation, the graph also to the lefts (figure 12) shows the total number of terrorist incidents it is observed that as the number of global total incidents increases from 2000 so did the number of religiously motivated incidents, therefore, suggesting that the increased radicalized religious motives contributes to the increasing trend. Since the number of religiously driven attacks and the expansion of terrorist organizations has increased it indicates that the clustered countries (such as the cluster in the middle east) with a common risk rating implies that religious ideologies have caused this pattern due to porous borders. Factor 3: The last significant factor that has instigated the global pattern of terrorism is political upheavals, where governmental agendas are in conflict with groups within the society creating internal conflict. For example, in Nigeria the active extremist group Boko Haram aims to eradicate the irreligious Nigerian government to achieve radical Wahhabi interpretations of Sharia law in the country. The groups’ extreme Sunni Islamist ideology has resulted in the use of terror to enforce and proclaim their views by bombings and shootings on citizens and the government. This political upheaval due to differences in interpretations of how the government operates has caused conflict within the country and terrorist attacks on the population. Systematic political differences are what have caused the global pattern of because countries that do not have a stable and fair political system tend to be LEDC’s and suffer from high risks of terrorism, where alternatively MEDC’s like the cluster of countries in Europe which have a low or negligible risk of terrorism, tend to have a history of strong democracy and a stable government. The graph below (figure 13) shows the trends of terrorist ideologies. Political and nationalist separatist motives are more common in South America, Russia and Central America and the Caribbean. This explains the cluster of countries in South America which almost all countries have a medium or high risk of terrorism as the continent deals with corrupt governments and inequality between classes as lower socio-economic groups suffer from poverty and therefore extremist groups have formed as result. An example of this is the PCC, (Primeiro Comando da Capital ), an extremist group in South America who in May 2006 created chaos in Sao Paulo by destroying busses, construction and public buildings as well injuring civilians and police officers. This attack was driven by political and social agendas demanding improvement of Brazilian prison s. Significance Global terrorism is significant to people all over the world because of the economic and social consequences that comes as a result of it. The social impact of terrorism has mainly negative affects on people; however, there are some positive outcomes. The perception of terrorist groups depends on where the view originates. It has been said that one person’s terrorist group is another person’s ‘freedom fighter.’ Terrorism affects different people socially in different parts of the world, for example, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Chechnya; the Chechnya’n rebels are viewed as terrorists in Russia but in Chechnya they are viewed as freedom fighters. One recent example of a positive social effect of a terrorist attack is the act of bringing a community together was after ‘Sydney Siege’ in 2014. There was a campaign after the siege where people posted via Twitter with the hash tag â€Å"I’ll ride with you† offering to accompany Muslim women who were wearing the hijab on public transport to prevent harassment. Interestingly in the topic of uniting communities, terrorism has galvanized world leaders to combat collecting using combined resources to respond and aim to eradicate terrorism, for example the United nations brings developing and developed countries together to work in unity to try correct the global issue of terrorism. This creates positive long term affects for future generations as a global community is established where interdependence exists between nations. The hallmarks of terrorism are the taking of innocent lives. Approximately 150,000 people have died as a direct result of terrorist attacks over the past eight years, that is an average 43 people a day! These staggering numbers show how many families have been destroyed due to effect of radical, terrorist attacks. There are still 1,113 unidentified people from the September 11 attacks in the United States fourteen years ago; meani ng the attacks have a long-term effect for many families as they do not have closure of their loss. Another negative social affect is the mass generation of refugees. People flee out of their own countries to live in another safer country, for example, three million people have fled Syria and five million afghan refugees live in Iran as their country of origin high levels of terrorism conflict. The lasting effect has generation effects, language, financial, loss of careers health. The economic significance for people of as a result of terrorism affects every country having prolonged financial costs. Decreased tourism is a resultant effect as people do not want to travel with their families to what they perceive as risky and dangerous places so people will avoid travelling to countries with very high risks of terrorist attacks. Decrease in trade is also another cost because in the aftermath of an attack and increased prices of valuable commodities, for example, after there was an attack on 22 foreigners Saudi Arabia in 2004, the day after the incident crude oil prices rose by USD$2.50 as traders feared a US military strike in the middle east. Countries that suffer from high risks of terrorism have developing economies or unstable circumstances have drastically low investors. As security premium are higher the cost of economic involvement is high deterring foreign investors, potentially leading nations to bankruptcy. A further example of how terrorist attacks ha ve affected an economy is the aftermath of the September 11 where a range of estimates from USD$35 billion to USD$108 billion, of which the clean up cost alone of $1.3 billion; direct job losses amounted to 83,000 and further with $17 billion lost in wages in the proceeding months. One economic aspect can be noted as a positive effect of terrorism, which are the increased job opportunities in military. With escalated threats of terrorist attacks, development of the military increases thus generating more jobs for people. Also with the massive expenditure and development of military arms advancing a lot of economies especially the United States. Israel is an example of how prolonged low intensity terrorism has affected the Israeli people and the economy. Studies show that terrorism in Israel have caused a depression of economic development as in the volatile and unstable environment consumers have become cynical, corporations invest less decreasing supply and the government spends largely on defense and security measures instead of education and healthcare. Although there are some positive social and economic affects on people, the negative consequences exponentially outweigh the positives, long term impacts that terrorism has on people is catastrophic where the main consequence is loss of life which is an unfathomable tragedy that is experienced globally by all nations regardless if they are developing and developed countries.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Dreams Can Come True :: essays research papers

Dreams Can Come True â€Å"I think my passion for [flying] started when I was in high school†, Gary Chambers told me as I sat down in his beautiful home in the hills of Serrano, a very upscale, gated community in El Dorado Hills, California. He was wearing a tropical shirt and bahama shorts with a pair of Teva sandals on his feet. He offered me a soda and then sat down across from me. We were sitting in matching black leather love seats with a tan and gray granite coffee table separating us. Despite the fact that he agreed to the interview and seemed eager to talk to me, he seemed uncomfortable during our conversation. He indicated to me that he wanted to get started right away. I was given the impression that he was a guy that did not like to waste time, but instead liked to get right down to business. I started asking him questions and I could see his eyes light up as he was talking about his zeal towards flying. He was like a burst dam flooding me with the story of his life and how he became hi s dream. He was just your typical high school kid until he decided to take Air Force ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps). Springing out of bed each day, showering and dressing as quickly as possible, he rushed out of the door, saying goodbye to his parents and hurried his way to school. The journey to school was not as bad for him as it was for other kids because he resided right down the street. He was not anxious to get to school, but eager to go to his Air Force ROTC class. Although he did not love the Air Force, his passion for flying was what motivated him to come to school early everyday and talk to the Colonel that was teaching the class. He was a dry sponge and he wanted to soak up all the flying knowledge that the Colonel had. Gary continued to probe the Colonel for erudition until he graduated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After he finished high school, Gary moved on to college. He chose to matriculate at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago where he received his Batchelor’s Degree in civil engineering. The Air Force, he was hoping, would be able to give him the career he desired. Disappointingly, the position that Gary wanted was not available at that time through the Air Force.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Circulation Systems Over China :: essays research papers

Circulation Systems Over China Introduction: The Earth's atmosphere is in continuous motion: movement which is attempting to balance the constant differences in pressure and temperature between different parts of the globe. It is this motion which carries water from the ocean to the continents to provide precipitation and moves heat energy from the tropical regions toward the poles, warming the high latitudes. It is this circulation which plays a basic part in maintaining a steady state in the atmosphere and generating the climatic zones which characterise different parts of the earth. China, from its latitudinal location, mostly belongs to the mid- latitudes, with a small part to the low latitudes. It is located at south of Siberia and the north of the tropical Pacific. At this distinctive location, the country is affected by the alternate seasonal expansion and contraction of the polar continental highs and tropical maritime air masses, along with the seasonal shifts of the overhead sun. These changes in the pressure systems over Asia generate the unique Asian monsoon circulation which prevails over China throughout the year. Surface Pressure Field and Winds: For any fluid to initiate movements, pressure gradient must exists. Therefore, for a close understanding of the circulation system that operates over China, we should start from discussing the seasonal pressure distribution at sea-level over the Asia-Pacific region, which is the driving force for the air movements in China. Most clearly to be seen, the largest difference in the atmospheric pressure occurs between winter and summer, whereby January and July can be considered as representative months. In January, a typical cold anticyclone with central pressure above 1,040 hectopascals (hPa) developed over mid-Siberia and Mongolia (Mongolian High); while a strongly established cyclone over the north-western Pacific Ocean (Aleutian Low). Since both pressure systems practically lie in the same latitude of 50Â ° to 55Â °N, a steep pressure gradient occurs which produces strong and persistent north- westerlies over Northeast China. A third pressure system which affects China, although limited only to south-eastern China, is the equatorial Low over Australia and New Guinea. The vast territory of East China lies in the middle of the path along which the Mongolian cold air tries to rush southward into the Equatorial Low. Northerly and north-easterly flows prevail over the eastern half of China. As a typical feature, the Mongolian High is only a rather shallow pressure system. It disappears at the 500-hPa level. West China which has a higher elevation, therefore feels little of its influence; Yunnan highlands are even predominated by south-westerlies during most of the winter. The pressure pattern at sea-level during summer differs completely from winter conditions.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

HIV/AIDS in Prisons and Jails :: STD, HIV, AIDS

In addressing the prevention of the spread of the HIV virus in prisons, we have seen a rush to develop and implement prevention measures. Much attention has centered on such controversial issues as compulsory or voluntary blood testing, isolation versus integration of HIV infected inmates into the prison mainstreams, provision of condoms and disposable needles, and effective educational measures for specific groups within the prison.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unfortunately, this rush to develop and implement preventive measures has resulted in a degree of polarization which has hindered progress towards implementation of effective prevention measures. Prisons and jails offer uniquely important opportunities for improving disease control in the community by providing health care to disease prevention program to a large and concentrated population of individuals at high risk for disease. Inmates often have little interaction with the health care system before and after being incarcerated. (U.S. News & World Report) The bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) reported that in 1999, HIV/AIDS in prisons and jails was a growing problem in American correctional facilities. The AIDS rate in US prisons was five times the rate of general population. (Society. 2003)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For a variety of reasons, many inmates do not seek diagnosis or treatment for illness before arriving to prison or jail. Because inmates are literally a â€Å"captive† audience, it is vastly more efficient and effective to screen and treat them while incarcerated than to conduct extensive outreach in local communities. (AIDS Weekly. 1998) Uninfected prisoners have sued the authorities for failing to test and segregate. In a recently reported case, Cameron v. Metcuz 705 F. Supp 454 (N.D. Ind 1989), an uninfected plaintiff prisoner sued prison authorities for failing to segregate a known infected prisoner with a violent history who had bitten the plaintiff. In that case, the court found that the authorities’ failure to segregate a known infected prisoner with a violent history did not amount to gross negligence or reckless indifference to the prisoner who was bitten. (Mead. Vol. 15 no. 5, pp. 197-9).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is a clear case for urgent reform of the law as it relates to prisoners right’s to ensure meaningful HIV/AIDS prevention and care strategies for both the prison and general populations.

The Modern Information Technology

The information age is the age we live in today, and with the information age comes an age of ethics. When we deal with the new technologies introduced every day, we need to decide what we must consider ethical and unethical. We must consider all factors so that the use of the information readily available to many persons is not abused. â€Å"Information technology will be the most fundamental area of ethical concern for business in the next decade† (Houston 2). The most widely used tool of the information age is the computer, whether it be a PC or a network of computer systems. As we enter the information age the newness and power of information technologies tests the ethics of the average person, not just the criminal and causes thousands of computer crimes to be committed daily. The most common computer crime committed daily, some aware and many not, is the illegal sharing of computer software. Software is any of the programs used in operating a digital computer, as input and output programs, as defined by Funk and Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary. When you purchase computer software, you purchase it with the understanding that it will be for se on a single computer, once installed on that system, it is not to be loaded on any other computer. However many people are not aware of this understanding, and many load a program on a couple of computers or on a whole network of computer systems not aware that they are committing a crime. Even though you probably will not be prosecuted for loading a program on a friends computer, this is where your ethics come in. Do you consider anything when you share a program with others? If not then consider the programmers of the software who are denied compensation for their developments every time you distribute a iece of software. â€Å"Why is it that people who wouldn't think of stealing pack of gum will copy a $500 piece of software† (Houston 3)? A popular form off illegal software distribution is throughout the online world. Whether it be the Internet, America Online, CompuServe, Prodigy, or a BBS (Bulletin Board System), software â€Å"pirates† thrive freely online. These so called â€Å"pirates† operate by uploading pieces of software, commonly referred to as â€Å"warez†, into an online service's database then sending through e-mail the rights to download them. â€Å"The Information Superhighway has opened the door to a new kind of highway robbery – the home shoplifting network† (Mattia 43). When you access a online service, you are identified through an account which most commonly consists of a user ID and password. The password is so you only can access the online service with your user ID. Many people online use their own accounts to access their service, but many steal and use the accounts of others or make fake accounts. When online, these account â€Å"pirates† many times trick other users into giving their passwords to them by impersonating an employee of the online service. Others can hack into the online services mainframe computer and steal thousands of accounts. Probably the most common method of getting online without paying is the use of fake or fraudulent accounts. These are made by giving false information when attempting to gain access to an online service. Name, address, phone number, and billing information, such as checking account or credit card number, are all falsified in obtaining an online account. With these stolen and fake accounts, software â€Å"pirates† have virtually unlimited time to download their â€Å"warez† without any charge to them. Many people don't consider the people behind the creation of software when they illegally distribute it. The developers of software are not properly compensated for their work because of the extent of software piracy. No one can argue with a software company's desire, and right, to make sure everyone using their products has paid for it (Furger 73). The numbers add up, it is estimated that in 1994 alone that software companies lost $15 billion from illegal software copying (Maremont 65). It is not only illegal, but clearly unethical to distribute software knowing hat the people behind the software are experiencing the downfalls of Every time software companies cannot compensate their programmers for their work, more people are out of a job. Consider this, you enter a store and purchase an item, during this transaction you give your name and phone number. The person you have given this information to then enters it into a computerized database. After this person has collected a sufficient amount of names, they then sell it to a telemarketing firm for a profit. This action is legal, but is it ethical. Do you want your name sold without your consent? Most people don't because they don't want to be bothered by sales persons on the telephone. Also, your address could be sold and you put on a mailing list. Then its an issue of do you want your mailbox filled with junk mail. This action is unethical for the simple reason of consent. If the person had just gained consent to enter the names into his/her database then he would not have committed and unethical act. One conclusion from studies sponsored by the National Institute of Justice is that persons involved in computer crimes get form skills and interests at an early age. Usually they are introduced to computers at home or in school and usually start their â€Å"career path† with illegally copying software (McEwen 2). As young people interact with hackers, they incorporate the beliefs of the hackers into their own. Many of these unconventional beliefs of young hackers about information and computers leads them to a career in computer crime. Many times it is the lack of education by parents and schools that helps to make these beliefs all the more true to a young person. Computer criminals have their own set of beliefs about information and computers. Their beliefs are based on obvious unethical reasoning. For example, hackers believe that computerized data are free and should be accessible to anyone. They also believe that passwords and other security features are simply obstacles to be overcome in obtaining data that should already be available and while data should never be destroyed, there is nothing wrong with viewing and transferring data for one's own use (McEwen 2). One member of the Legion of Doom, a nationwide group of hackers who exchange information about computer systems and techniques o break into them, has said, â€Å"Hackers will do just about anything to break into a computer except crashing a system, that's the only taboo† (McEwen 2). The key to stop computer criminals from forming is education. It is often times the case that people commit computer crimes without even know they are doing so and the reason for this is the lack of education. Few schools teach computer ethics, and parents of arrested hackers are usually unaware that their children have been illegally accessing computer systems (McEwen 2). Colleges and universities do not usually include computer use and abuse in their ourses, arguing that it is the responsibility of the schools. On the other hand, many secondary school educators are not sure about what should be taught and are reluctant or unable to add ethical computer education to many subjects in the curriculum. Textbooks on computer literacy rarely mention computer abuses and individual responsibilities. Educators and software developers have worked together to prevent software piracy in educational institutions. In 1987, the Software Copyright Committee of the International Council for Computers in Education (ICCE) developed a policy to guide educators. The policy call on school districts to teach staff the provisions of the copyright law and both staff and students the ethical and practical implications of software piracy. This policy has been adopted by many school districts across the country (McEwen 3). In recognition of the problems arising with the illegal and unethical use of computers, criminal justice forces have begun to crack down on computer criminals. In 1989, three computer crime studies were sponsored by the National Institute of Justice. One of these studies examined different organizational approaches for computer crime nvestigation and prosecution, another documented the experiences of several dedicated computer crime units, and the third developed a computer crime investigation handbook (McEwen 2). Computers are a permanent fact of life in work places and classrooms across the country. More businesses are likely to incorporate policies on information access and confidentiality in their employee orientation and training programs. Many schools and universities, responding from pressure around them, are beginning to incorporate computer ethics into their courses.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Animal Farm Essay

Animal Farm by George Orwell is an allegory written in 1943. It was also made into a TV film version in 1999 directed by John Stephenson, produced by Greg Smith and Robert Halmi and distributed by Hallmark Films. Animal Farm is a deceitfully simple story about a group of farm animals who are tired of living in a dystopia caused by humans. They rebel and create their own way of life, only to find themselves back in a dystopia caused by animals. The film follows the plot line of the novel closely but changes some major details. While the film and the novel Animal Farm are basically one in the same and have similar plot lines, the film had less detail, while the novel was thoroughly detailed. The differences between the film and the novel were points of view, exposition and major plots. Orwell tells the story of Animal Farm through a third person, omniscient point of view. The narrator is never involved in the action of the story, but knows everything. This point of view allows readers to see into the minds of the characters and understand their motivations. The film is told by a narrator, a character in the novel, Jessie. It explains the film in a way that she sees everything occurring. It also stops most of the dialogue between the animals and they don’t really talk like they do in the novel. Another difference between the novel and film is the exposition, which gives background information on the plot. In the novel, some of the events that occur in Animal Farm’s exposition play important roles later on in the novel. In the novels exposition, Orwell describes many of the animals that are important to the novel. In the films exposition, very little time is spent on developing the characters of the important animals. Also, the song Beasts of England is not sung in the exposition, unlike the novel, this song plays a very pivotal role later on in the novel. In the film, they don’t know the characters very well and the animals don’t really sing it, they hum it. This takes away from the mood of the song. The movie is merely an adaptation of the novel into film, so almost all the events that take place in the novel will take place in the film. Another difference between the novel and film is the major plot differences. The novel and film follow the same plot line but there are some major differences. In the novel, Old Major died about 3 days after his speech from natural causes. While in the film, Mr. Jones shoots Old Major minutes after his speech, while they’re reciting the Beasts of England song. In the novel, all of the animals could speak while in the film it was arrated by Jessie which cut the dialogue of most of the animals. The end of the film and novel differ greatly. In the novel, the animals are sadly dominated by Napolean. But in the film they somehow overthrow his power and finally bond together for another attempt at a utopia. The film covered major ideas but missed some details, characters, and small stuff that made the novel so interesting. It’s quite apparent that there are many significant differences between Animal Farm the novel and the film. There are a number of differences between the use of point of view, the exposition, and the major plots. Animal Farm is a simple story about a group of farm animals who overthrew their human dictators and their animal counterpart who dictated them also. The novel was very detailed and had many characters which made it very interesting. While the film had less details, and characters which made it a little dull, and boring. These are my comparisons of the film and novel called Animal Farm.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Analysis of The Cool Web by Robert Graves Essay

Why is the title of the poem â€Å"The cool web†? Give a reason for your answer. The poem discusses an adult’s predisposition to use linguistic dexterity to avoid the consequences of extreme emotion. The title combines two words, â€Å"cool† and â€Å"web†, each of which evokes a strong impression, to create a third even more evocative image. There are many English expressions which use the word â€Å"cool† to convey repressing emotion. This usage is similar to using â€Å"calm†: â€Å"cool down†, â€Å"don’t lose your cool†, â€Å"go and cool off†, â€Å"cool it!† and so on. Even the slang interpretation of â€Å"cool† in the sense of fashionable or sophisticated conjures up the idea of a relaxed and casual attitude. In the context of the poem, â€Å"cool† can be seen as synonymous with a lack of passion and an increase of self-control. â€Å"Web† is used to convey the sense of being enveloped by a layer which inhibits freedom. Graves could have used â€Å"net† or â€Å"mesh†, however those words lack the sinister connotation of the most common use of â€Å"web†: that of a â€Å"spider’s web†. In this sense, there is an air of vulnerability and menace; the spider’s prey has not chosen to be caught in the web, but is ensnared nevertheless. The combination of â€Å"cool† and â€Å"web† creates an image of forced composure. The â€Å"cool web† is a linguistic lobotomy which life imposes on humankind. What is the effect of the repetition of ‘hot’ and ‘dreadful’ in the first stanza? The first stanza creates a threatening atmosphere. The adjectives used are  intense: the day is not warm, it is hot; the evening is not dark, but black; the soldiers are full of dread, not just alarming. (Although now used in the same way as frightening, â€Å"dreadful† really describes a greater level of terror.) This development of menace is further emphasised by the repetition of the â€Å"hot† and â€Å"dreadful†. The point is driven home to the reader. If Graves had used synonyms – blistering for â€Å"hot† and frightening for â€Å"dreadful† – in the second instances of each, the meaning would be essentially unchanged. However, the sound and rhythm of the stanza would be significantly affected. The effect is also assisted by repeating not only â€Å"hot†, but the assonance and alliteration of the phrase â€Å"how hot†. The repetition and emphasis of â€Å"hot† in lines 1 and 2 also provides contrast between the word â€Å"cool† in the title and â€Å"chill† in line 5. â€Å"Cool† and â€Å"coldly† are also used in the body of the poem in contrast to â€Å"hot†. (This emphasis through repetition is used a number of times: in the second stanza with â€Å"spell†; in line 10 with â€Å"too much† and in the last stanza with â€Å"facing†.) Who are ‘we’ in the second stanza (line 5)? The use of â€Å"but† at the beginning of line 5 contrasts â€Å"we† from the children of the first stanza and presumably Graves therefore means adults. Adults have a more sophisticated command of language with which to interpret events. Children are direct in their approach to the world and do not attempt to obscure reality for any reason. On meeting an overweight person, a young child will cheerfully ask them why they are so fat. An adult would be unlikely to broach the subject at all. Children simply state what they think; adults use euphemisms and oblique vocabulary to ward off unwelcome emotions. Comment on the use of: The adjectives ‘cruel’ to describe the rose’s scent and ‘overhanging’ to  describe the night (lines 6 and 7). The reader is jolted as these adjectives are associated with unfamiliar subjects. This is a form of foregrounding to draw attention to the language of the poem. The use of â€Å"cruel† to describe the scent of a rose is especially jarring. Almost without exception the rose is a symbol of romance and love, not one of cruelty. Graves seems to be implying that anything that intrudes – even something pleasant – is objectionable and to be â€Å"dulled†. By describing the night as â€Å"overhanging† Graves refers to the sense of intimidation, of something unexpected looming over us. The poet then tells us that this should – and can be – be spelled away as undesirable. The verb ‘spell’ in the phrase ‘we spell away’ (lines 7 and 8) Graves exploits a double meaning of â€Å"spell† to intertwine the ideas of language and trickery. In the linguistic context â€Å"spell† means to form a word by arranging its constituent letters in the correct order. ‘Spell† also means to influence someone or something by means of magical powers. In this way, the poet concentrates a number of images into a single word. An adult’s desire to misrepresent reality is a form of magical spell, but it requires the ability to spell words. (Graves also uses this technique in line 1 by describing children as â€Å"dumb†. This could mean that they are stupid and therefore unable to manipulate and distort the world. It could also mean that children have no linguistic faculty as in â€Å"deaf and dumb.† Of course, he means both.) Explain how, in your opinion, ‘the cool web’ may protect one against ‘too much joy or too much fear’ (lines 5 to 11). â€Å"The cool web† of language is used to rationalise extreme emotions. Instead of reacting instinctively to a situation, we can drown it in verbose explanations. From pulpit to parliament, and from lawyer to liar, we use language to distort reality to suit ourselves. It is through language that we can persuade ourselves that the noise we hear in the night is just the  cat and not a violent burglar. This is the basis for Graves’s reference to retreating from â€Å"too much fear.† Less obvious is the desire to protect ourselves from â€Å"too much joy†, a condition that would appear to be desirable. Perhaps the poet believes that we are unable to cope adequately with either extreme of fortune. There are a number of superstitions in this regard such as labelling something as being â€Å"too good to be true†. It may be that Graves is suggesting that we subconsciously know that we can’t sustain a state of delight for long and that the pain of the ensuing disappointment is not worth the moment of joy. It reflects a low-risk paradigm where we would forego the highs to avoid the subsequent inevitable lows. What indications are there in stanza 4 to show us what the speaker’s attitude is towards such protection? The phrases â€Å"self-possession† and â€Å"throwing off† show us that the speaker believes that the protection which language offers is an imposition and not a natural state of affairs. He notes that this enforced situation controls us for our whole life until we die. While implying that this protection is a burden, Graves also tells us that without it we would go mad. In other words, this protection is a necessary evil. Why do references to the day, the rose, the night and the soldiers recur throughout the poem? These words occur in the first, second and fourth (last) stanzas. The repetition in the second stanza and the fourth stanza fulfil different purposes. The reference in the second stanza forms the basis for a contrast with the initial reference in the first stanza. In the first stanza these objects are described via a child’s simple outlook: hot and dreadful. In the second stanza the same words are described via an adult’s more complex, language-distorted view. The last stanza has a different form than the first three; it breaks a  pattern of 4-line stanzas and, by doing so, demands extra attention from the reader. In this last stanza the words â€Å"day†, â€Å"rose†, â€Å"night† and â€Å"drums† are listed simply without adjectives. This neatly reminds the reader of the beginning of the poem and completes the comparison between children and adults, and their differing use of language. Briefly state the speaker’s conclusion about the role of language in our lives (lines 13 to 18). The speaker concludes that we need language to protect ourselves from the reality of life. Graves states that without the capacity for persuading ourselves that situations are not what they appear, we would find it impossible to cope and would go mad. The diction (choice of words), structure, rhythm and tone of the first and last stanzas are markedly different. What do you think the purpose of these differences is? The first three stanzas have a relatively simple rhyme scheme of A B C C. The effect of lines 3 and 4 of each of these stanzas rhyming is that each stanza is concluded firmly. Three stanzas with the same structure creates a pattern and an expectation that the next stanza will be the same. The fact that it is not is a surprise and a type of foregrounding. The last stanza has a rhyme of A B C D C D and this difference in structure alerts the reader and demands additional attention. This warning is welcome as the message in the last stanza is far more direct than previously where metaphor and allusion are used. The last line states unequivocally â€Å"we shall go mad no doubt.† It is in this last stanza that Graves delivers his judgement on our use of language.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Outline how legislation, policies and procedures relating to heath Essay

The Health and Safety at work act is a piece of legislation that is responsible for convering all health and safety in britain. However, the health and safety manager at individual establishments are responsible for carrying out the act and making sure everything is in cohearance with the piece of legislation. HASAWA influences health and social care in many different ways such as the protection it now gives to employers and employees, before this piece of legislation was made people had no legal protection whilst they were at work. HASAWA influences health and social as it tells the owner of a business, or establishment, what they need to be doing to make sure they are working in accordance to the legislation. Everyone has the duty to comply with the act, this includes employers, employees, trainees, self employed, manufacturers, suppliers ect. This legislation keeps people safe as it provides people with the instuctions to make their establishments safe for themselves and their emp loyees. HASAWA tells owners to carry out a risk assessment which points out the hazards that need to be changed and/or fixed. An example of legislation influencing a health and care setting is The Manual Handling Operations regualtion. MHOR is always thought to be the last resort, and only if there is a possibility of injury. Legislation tells emplyers and employees how to move and handle things appropriately and when it is and isn’t appropriate to move and handle things. Employers must carry out risk assessments before opening a business to find if there are any faults or dangers to the customers or employees. There must be a health and safety policy written specifically for that setting and someone must be employed to be in charge of health and safety. Everything in the establishment must be insured incase accidents occur. Employees must take responsibility of your own and other peoples health and  safety and not do anything that could cause someones health and safety to be put at risk. This influences the setting as it keeps people working or entering the setting safe and gives them the appropri ate instructions to keep them as safe as possible. It keeps people safe as it provides instructions and regulations that must be followed to keep everyone safe, and if everyone follows these regulations and instructions then their safety and health will be safe. Food Safety Act 1990 The Food Safety Act 1990 is a frame for all food legislation in Britain. Responsibilities for food businesses include: Ensuring you do not include anything in food or remove anything from food making it a hazard to the health of people consuming it. Advertising food in a way that isn’t misleading or false. The food safety act influences health in many different ways, it gives environmental health the right to inspect the quality of food, the place it is prepared and the place it is served and if it is not up to standard they have the power to close the establishment, in extreme cases. Before the establishment is closed down they are served a notice of improvement or be temporaraly closed until the standards are back up. Without the Food Safety Act food would be able to be served to you in any conditon, and if you became ill from that food you could not retain any form of compensation because there is no legislation telling the establishment how to cook, prepare and serve food safely. Employers and employees must make sure food is safe to eat, make sure they don’t add, remove or treat food in a way that makes it harmful to eat, make sure the quality of the food is the same as it is advertised or expected by the customer, Keep track of where the food was bought, if unsafe food is discovered it needs to be recorded and removed and tell people why the food has been recalled. There must be hand wash at all sinks and hands must be washed before touching food, after touching food, after using the toilet, after touching animals, after touching your own skin and hair, after sneezing or coughing and after touching raw food. Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 RIDDOR is the piece of legislation that states all injuries, diseases, illnesses need to be reported to either the health and safety executive or  the local council. RIDDOR is put in place so that health and safety executives can look at where the risks occur and can take steps to prevent them. There are of course only certain injuries and dangerous occuurences that need to be reported, things such as violence at work, gas leaks, injuries that have occured during work or in the work place. RIDDOR also benefits people who have been injured at work and want compensation, health and safety executives follow up on the case and evaluate if the acdicent was because of the employee being put at risk or if they didnt follow procedure. The employers responsibility is to maintain the safety of their employees customers and they have the responsibility to report if an employee or customer has been injured whilst at wor k or in the establishment. Without RIDDOR, injuries caused in the workplace could not be claimed upon and the hazard could not be found and removed, if the hazard isn’t removed then people will be continuously be getting injured. The incidents need to be written in an accident book and should inlude the date and time of injury, the name of the worker, a description of the accident, action taken and the result. Slips, Trips, Falls Slips, trips and falls are the most common causes of major injuries in the work place. Most trips are caused by uneven or un-maintained floors, and slips are usually cased by wet floors. However, slips, trips and falls can be prevented if the right preventions and procedures are put into place and followed. The employers responsibilities are to make sure the floors serface is even and maintained, decreasing the risk of trips, all obstructions in hallways and on floors are removed and stored properly, this also decreases the risk of trips. All spillages should be immediately cleaned up using the appropriate method, usually a cloth or mop, and a wet floor sign should be appointed if needed, this decreases the risk of slips. Staffs responsibilities are to wear safe and sensible footwear which have good grip, and they must also keep their work stations clear and tidy, also both staff and service users have the responsibility to report obstructions and spillages if not recognised. The pol icy put in place ifluences health and care as it prevents the risks of slips, trips and falls, without it there would be no procedures to influence staff to remove the risks, such as obsticles that may cause trips. If staff, employees and the service users don’t follow the policies put in place then the risks of accidents will be raised, and if an accident does occur and they haven’t followed the procedures they were responsible to follow then they can’t claim any form of compensation.