Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Desensitization and Media Violence

Talk about the connection between viciousness in the media brutality in the general public. Does brutality in the media make individuals progressively open minded of savagery in the general public? Likewise, does brutality in the media cause individuals to carry on viciously? The effect of brutality in the media identifying with the general public is an extraordinary subject talked about in this century. Gerbner characterized viciousness as â€Å"a danger or utilization of physical power, coordinated against oneself or others in which physical mischief or demise is involved† (refered to in Giddens, 2006, p. 610).The media incorporates various methods for correspondence, for example, TV, radio, papers, computer games; web and so on. Individuals utilize media as a wellspring of data, diversion and recreation action (Brown, 2005, p. 161). As per O’Donnell (2005), the two principle jobs of the media are to make benefit as far as cash and advance specific philosophy. The dat a that individuals see, hear or read has incredible effect on people’s characters, qualities and interests. It likewise influences the manner in which individuals think and act with respect to specific issues dependent on the â€Å"provided† proof (Brown, 2005,p. 62). In any case, individuals have capacity to assess and choose what they hear, see or read dependent on their social encounters, ethnic starting point, social class and sexual orientation (Brown, 2005, p. 185). Presently, the inquiries emerge as, what is the connection between media viciousness and the brutality in the general public? Regardless of whether media brutality cause individuals to carry on viciously or it desensitizes individuals? Consistently, sociologists and analysts have inspected these issues and have endeavored to clarify or refute it utilizing various speculations and researches.In the primary spot, the media assumes incredible job in molding esteems, mentalities and conduct through standa rd setting plan. It fortifies adjustment to accepted practices and demoralizes non-traditionalist conduct (Brown, 2005, p. 169). It additionally gives other data that the general public feels significant like climate and wellbeing. Notwithstanding, strife approach announces that the media controls thoughts and musings of the general public through plan setting and door keeping (Brown, 2005, p. 169). Notwithstanding that, the media used to develop the updates on wrongdoing and brutality to keep individuals busy with these issues.For model, assaults more established individuals, wounding, assaulting and group battles get over detailed (Brown, 2005,p. 182). Thompson’s hypothesis of crowd models expressed that cooperation among media and individuals is â€Å"mediated semi interaction† which implies there is no eye to eye or direct association. Along these lines, it leaves the watchers in a conversation of unanswered inquiries. This advances belief system and impact of what media needs on individuals (Giddens, 2006, p. 604). The satisfaction model crowd utilizes the media for what they need and overlook the rest.Instead, hypodermic model crowd what they hear, see or read without contemplating it (Giddens, 2006, p. 608&609). Along these lines, genuinely or sincerely â€Å"excited† watchers become effectively animated by brutality (Anderson and Wartell, 2003, p. 85). As per Brown (2005), â€Å"estimates propose youthful watchers will see around 13000 killings on television†. Osofsky and Eisenberg (1995&2000) expressed that presentation to savagery subvert the advancement of feeling guideline aptitudes. This prompts forceful conduct, mentalities and loss of critical thinking procedures (refered to in Funk et. al. , 2004, p. 24).It additionally impacts moral assessment, thus the watcher neglects to see or react to signs (Eron, 2001, refered to in Funk et. al. , 2004, p. 26). Scientists and sociologists allude these impacts as â€Å" desensitization†. Desensitization happens because of rehashed presentation to genuine viciousness (Ceballo et al. , 2001, refered to in Funk et. al. , 2004, p. 26). In like manner, anecdotal savagery like films and computer games likewise add to the viciousness conduct (Funk et. al. , 2004, p. 26). The media produces â€Å"a incredible desensitization mediation on a worldwide level† (Science Daily, 2006). Besides, desensitization is separated into two categories.When, the watcher show desensitizing or blunting of enthusiastic response to rough occasions is called passionate desensitization. At the point when individuals begin responding that brutality is not much, it is somewhat every day schedule is called intellectual desensitization (Funk et al. , 2004, p. 26). An examination was directed to inspect desensitization by Drabman and Thomas (1974). In this examination, the youngsters who saw rough film required grown-up help to dodge the forceful intuition towards the sc enes. The measure of time that individuals spend on viewing vicious media prompts Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Schechter, 2010). Animosity is generally founded on the actuation and use of hostility related information structures put away in memory† (Bushman and Anderson, 2002). Afterward, Molitor and Hirsch (1994) affirmed that â€Å"viewing savagery expands resilience of violence† (refered to in Funk et al. , 2004, p. 26). It is accepted that anecdotal viciousness desensitizes individuals to genuine brutality by letting the watcher taking part in savage activities (Funk et al, 2004, p. 27). An exploration by Funk (2004) uncovered that presentation to video game savagery was related with low sympathy and more grounded star brutality attitudes.The social intellectual hypothesis proposes that because of rehashed introduction to media viciousness the individual experiences mental desensitization. This hypothesis clarifies how individuals gain and keep up certain s tandards of conduct, while additionally giving the premise to mediation systems (Bandura, 1997). As indicated by Bushman and Anderson (2001), logical proof was adequate to guarantee that media viciousness introduction was decidedly connected to huge brutal practices and that even momentary presentation was adequate to cause increments in forceful conduct (refered to in Bushman and Anderson, 2002).The reason for future social, enthusiastic, intellectual, and physical advancement is laid during youth. They can be controlled and defrauded by the media brutality. â€Å"Concerns about youngster introduction to savage media have expanded as TV and computer games have indicated more violence† (Schechter, 2010). One of the primary speculations is the Bandura’s social learning hypothesis. This hypothesis for the most part traces that kids learn rough acts subsequent to seeing them. One of the principle issues looked by youngsters, who intensely stare at the TV, is decline in co gnizance of torment and sufferings of others.Furthermore, they will in general be progressively uncertain and caution of their environmental factors. Likewise, they resort to pick progressively forceful and hurtful decisions towards others. Analysts have revealed that high introduction of rough computer games can be connected to wrongdoing, battling at school and during free play periods, and fierce criminal activities (Anderson and Bushman, 2007). The seriousness of savage acts from different sorts of media, for example, PC games and motion pictures has likewise expanded quickly. The latest sort of media brutality is the savage computer games (Bushman and Anderson, (2002). Brutal movies and projects that likely have the most malicious impacts on youngsters are not generally the ones that grown-ups and pundits accept are the most violent† (APA, 2003). Scientists have built up a few hypotheses demonstrating that society is influenced by the impact of the media. Various youngste rs were demonstrated a video in which an individual beats a Bobo doll. At that point they were placed into a live with a Bobo doll to check whether the kid emulates the conduct. After it was suggested, this hypothesis demonstrated that youngsters imitated media viciousness. Notwithstanding that, adolescence ith animosity, further down the road ejects criminal practices like companion misuse and manslaughter (Anderson et al, Wartell, 2003, p. 81). Another examination led by the clinicians, uncovered that â€Å"children who watch brutal motion pictures, games and TV programs had been sentenced for violations at more than multiple times the pace of other men† when they grow up (APA, 2003). Kids get insusceptible to the media viciousness they begins to mirror it (AACAP, 2011). Rehashed presentation to vicious media becomes wide exhibit of forceful and fierce practices and later it changes as forceful and criminal conduct (Bushman and Anderson, 2002).The General Aggression model b y Bushman and Anderson (2002) has demonstrated their hypothesis on the connection between savagery in media cause individuals to carry on brutally. At the point when an ecological circumstance seems vague, an individual may depend on what they have seen, heard or read to decipher that circumstance as threatening, justifying forceful activity (Ferguson et al. , 2008). Besides, Peterson and Pfost (1989) found that presentation to non-sensual brutal music recordings drove antagonistic sexual convictions and negative consequences for men.Similarly, another examination demonstrated that explicitly subordinate pictures of ladies prompts teenager dating savagery, all things considered, circumstances (Johnson et al. Reed, 1995, refered to in Anderson et al. , 2003, p. 89). The media likewise assume an astounding job in â€Å"contagion of violence†. It is accepted that â€Å"well known person’s self destruction improve the probability that others will likewise take their own l ives† (Phillips, 1979 and Simon 1979, refered to in Anderson et al, p. 89). A particular explanation behind the explanation of savagery in the general public has not been discovered.One of the primary driver of this isn't having the option to utilize a normalized proportion of animosity and media viciousness. Estimating rough criminal conduct in research facility studies would plainly be untrustworthy (Bushman and Anderson, 2001). Besides researchers keep an eye on not report negative discoveries in their examines. In spite of all the examination, there has been almost no dependable proof that media viciousness causes forceful conduct. Media viciousness contemplates can't be totally depended upon as they neglect to represent third variables.Researchers recognize that different factors may assume a job in animosity

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Influence on the General Motors Corporation Essay Example for Free

Impact on the General Motors Corporation Essay This report examines the essential interior and outside effect on the General Motors Corporation and the impact of changing world of politics on strategy making and reaction of the company. At that point the report talks about the changing world of politics in and its impact. The impacts of world of politics on strategies and dynamic to the organization are dissected. The company reaction to the world of politics changing is fundamentally assessed. Finally, some improvement recommendation for the partnership in the reaction of the changing world of politics is illustrated. IntroductionGeneral Motors Corporation is the biggest vehicle produces on the planet. The organization, which is situated in Detroit, utilizes in excess of 260 millions individuals and sells vehicles and trucks in around 35 nations. The organization has a predominant impact in vehicle showcase in the United States and other created market, for example, the United Kingdom, Canada, etc. The organization likewise appreciates a huge piece of the pie in the fast developing business sector of creating nations, for example, China and Brazil. Be that as it may, the enterprise is in face of changing inward and outside condition. Conversation and AnalysisIn the initial segment of the report, the essential inside and outer impact is broke down after the SWOT Matrix, which is a cutting edge device for investigation of inward and outside condition. In the SWOT Matrix, the S represents qualities, W for shortcomings, O for circumstances, and T for dangers. The qualities and shortcomings are the investigation of inner impact while the potentials for success and dangers have for the impact of outer situations. In the accompanying piece of the report, the qualities, shortcoming, openings and dangers that have impact of the association is talked about individually. Interior impact: Strengths This segment breaks down the interior qualities of the enterprise. The General Motors are wealthy in brands and product offerings. The General Motors Corporation procured and mergers numerous brands and auto organizations in the beginning period of its history. The General Motors Corporation obtained Buick and Oldsmobile after it is established. At that point it brought Cadillac, Elmore and Oakland, etc. Thus, the enterprise possesses numerous brandsâ which are fit for various fragmented markets. Contrasting with Fords just giving dark Model T vehicles in the early years the General Motors Corporation gives different models, hues and brands for various markets. For instance, the pragmatic and efficient Chevrolet are intended for passage level customers, the Buick are make for white collar class purchaser and extravagance Cadillac for very good quality shoppers. (Warell, 2008) The upside of multi brands technique is to fulfill the requirements and needs of various gathering of shoppers to enter progressively portioned markets. The multi brands make GM a goliath automaker and appreciates enormous piece of the overall industry. The General Motors Corporation has the quality that it oversees the development innovation and has an affecting force in the circulation channel. The General Motors Corporation has created for a century since it is established in 1908. During the time, the innovation and channel impact is aggregating and expanding. The innovation is vital in the engine business, however the innovation aggregating needs a significant stretch. The General Motors Corporation currently oversees the cutting edge innovation that it can make progressively complex cars which are increasingly strong, more wellbeing, and have a rapider speed. Then again, the General Motors Corporation has a predominant force in the circulation channel. The General Motors Corporation has been the top vehicle maker for quite a while in like manner it has a solid dealing power in the appropriation channel. The organization can convey it item in the United States and all around the globe. The innovation and dispersion channel can be an incredible aide in the further improvement of the association. Inner impact: Weaknesses This segment breaks down the interior shortcomings of the company. One of the most huge shortcomings is that the expense of creation is excessively high. The Japanese automakers, for example, Toyota are hazardous contenders for the General Motors Corporation and the have mixed for a serious huge piece of pieces of the overall industry if the GM in America and the worldwide markets. The Japanese contenders chop down the expense immensely by lean creation. Nonetheless, the creation cost is still high in the General Motors Corporation. Also, the wastefulness of creation cause the significant expense of its autos and the piece of the pie contracts accordingly. (Coffey, 2005) Especially in face of the budgetary emergency, the General Motors Corporation has a lot to learn structure lean creation to chop down its creation costs. The bureaucratic culture is another shortcoming in the company. The General Motors Corporation utilizes in excess of 260 millions staff, which forms a gigantic and complex association. The General Motors Corporation had started to lead the pack in association. For instance, the enterprise had infused into grid association that consolidated the practical and task examples of division in a similar organization in early years. The General Motors Corporation additionally sorted out with vital specialty unit that grouped items and product offerings in a similar autonomous business office in front of different enterprises. The decentralization makes every office a benefit place. Notwithstanding, after periods of improvement the divisions and specialty units concerns more on their own advantages and become bureaucratic. The all around characterized division of offices and joined became lack and protection from change. Formal and casual systems shaped in the company. The bureaucratic culture is collecting and hander the further improvement of the partnership. Outer impact: Opportunities This area dissects the outside chances of the organization. The developing markets of creating nations give an extraordinary chance to the General Motors Corporation. The market of created nations is completely secured and shut to immersion in the cutting edge days. For instance, in the United States there are two vehicles in a family in normal so the market can not keep a quick developing rate. On the nation, advertise in creating nations shows their latent capacity. The business volume in China and Brazil is second just to the market of the United States. Numerous worldwide automaker bunches are scrambling for these business sectors. The enormous and potential markets of creating nations will give chances to the enterprise. The accomplishment in innovation is an incredible open doors for the General Motors Corporation. The innovation makes advancement accomplishment in fields of data, assembling, fuel, etc. The development of informationâ technology and execution of the executives data framework cause it conceivable to gather to and investigation exact information and data all around the colossal association. The PCs and moment specialized apparatus help the organization to sort out and deal with the flexibly chain. The new techniques in assembling, for example, lean creation, can expand the effectiveness of creation while chopping down the expense. The main edge accomplishment on fuel and new vitality motor can advance the redesign of vehicles. The General Motors Corporation is sufficiently immense to manage the cost of the expense of RD focus and the execute of new innovation, which thus can raise the competency of the company. (Sengi et al, 2004) Outside impact: Threats This segment investigates the outside dangers of the partnership. The inexorably developing cost of oil is a danger to the General Motors Corporation. From one viewpoint, shoppers go to other vehicle apparatuses when they can not bear the cost of the high petro cost. Then again, they need to buy vitality sparing cars. Numerous results of the General Motors Corporation are huge in size and overwhelming in weight and they are high fuel utilization engines. The vacillation of oil cost negatively affects the business volume of the car of the General Motors Corporation. Some political affaires, for example, wars and conflictions in the Middle East, the oil stun brought about by OPEC with financial and political reason, the earth insurance associations hostile to vehicle development, etc, improve the dangers of oil value choppiness. The opposition, both in the United States and the worldwide market, is an essential danger to the General Motors Corporation. There are three automaker mammoths in the United States. They are the General Motors, Ford, and Daimler Chrysler. They contend savage in the United States and in worldwide market. In the Europe, there are solid contenders, for example, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Peugeot and so forth. During the 1970s, with the raising of oil value, some Japanese automakers slowly held onto the vehicle pieces of the pie. The ease and vitality sparing vehicles, for example, Toyota, Honda, etc became world acclaimed brands. Increasingly more car brands go into the United States and they likewise scramble the worldwide vehicle advertise. (Loomis, 2006) They contend and attempt to meet shoppers various needs and needs with lower creation cost. The opposition in and abroad America is wild and dangers theâ survival of the General Motors Corporation. Coming up next is the second piece of the report. This area of the report examines the changing condition in and on board the United States. To begin with, the impacts of world of politics on strategies and dynamic to the General Motors Corporation will be examined. Second, the organization reaction to the world of politics changing will be fundamentally assessed. Finally, some improvement recommendation for the organization in the reaction of the changing world of politics will be illustrated. Impact on arrangements and choice makingThis segment investigates the influenc

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

The Dictionary of Fictional Techniques Proxy Detailing

The Dictionary of Fictional Techniques Proxy Detailing The Dictionary of Fictional Techniques  is a running feature in which I observe, name, and discuss heretofore uncategorized (at least to my knowledge) literary devices. See previous entries here. ____________________________ Proxy Detailing: Giving the particular name, brand, or style of an object to give it specificity without actually describing it. Example: Two days after his caran 85 Chrysler LeBaron with leather seats and all-power accessoriesvanished from the driveway, Warren Ziller crept past the expensive homes of his neighbors, trying to match his dogs limp. from  A Model Home  by Eric Puchner Discussion: This is a particular pet peeve of mine, but Ill try to keep my discussion here somewhat reasonable. Proxy detailing seems to me a rather recent phenomenon (and by recent, I mean the last several decades) as advertising and brand recognition have allowed it to be at all useful. The strength of this technique is fairly plain: if you tell the reader exactly what the car/object is, then they have a ready image of it. It is as specific as you can really be, without having to describe what the object is. The weaknesses, though, are considerable. First, if your reader is not already familiar with the brand/object, it is quite a bit more frustrating for them than just saying car. For example, I have no idea what an 85 Chrysler LeBaron looks like, so rather than bringing me closer to the object, this proxy detailing actually creates more distance than just car would, as I am now aware that there is a gap between the information intended and the information received. Another weakness of proxy detailing is that it shortcuts one of the things we ask literature to do, namely, to help us see the familiar in a new light. If I do indeed have a sufficient knowledge of an 85 Chrysler LeBaron to form an image of it, it is my image that is being formed, unaltered and unestranged by the authors artistic vision. ____________________________ All entries in The Dictionary of Fictional Techniques are original to, unless otherwise cited. (This means that they aren’t ‘real words,’ so don’t use them in your freshman comp essay)

Friday, May 22, 2020

Global Warming Essay - 1486 Words

Global Warming Global warming is the progressive gradual rise of the earths surface temperature thought to be caused by the enhanced greenhouse effect and responsible for changes in global climate patterns. The greenhouse effect is a term used to describe the roles of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other trace gases in keeping the Earths surface warmer than it would be otherwise. These radiatively active gases are relatively transparent to incoming shortwave radiation, but are relatively opaque to outgoing longwave radiation. The latter radiation, which would otherwise escape to space, is trapped by these gases within the lower levels of the atmosphere. The subsequent reradiation of some of the energy back to the surface†¦show more content†¦They have been used in refrigerators, air conditioners, plastic foams (bubbles) and aerosol cans. Water vapour is the most important greenhouse gas. Human activities are not directly changing the level of water vapour in the atmosphere. However, increases in other greenhouse gases are likely to raise the earths temperature and thus increase evaporation and therefore the level of water vapour. This would further increase global warming. There is an increasing body of evidence to suggest that global warming is taking place. Some examples include that temperature measurements taken in the traditional way - by thermometers in meterological stations - show that the world warmed by about 0.5 degrees celcius during the twentieth century, 1995 was the worlds hottest year since reliable records began around 140 years ago - prior to this 1990 was the hottest year, The Australian Bureau of Meterorology records show that Australia has been warming since the early 1950 by 0.1 degrees celcius to 0.2 celcius a decade, five Antarctic ice shelves have retreated dramatically over the past 50 years and others have broken up, at Macquarie Island just north of Antarctica sea temperatures have risen by more than 1 degree celcius since 1912, pine trees in northern Finland have taken root in tundra areas at the rate of about 40 metres per year in an apparent response to warmer temperatures, tropical corals which are sensitive to wate r temperaturesShow MoreRelatedGlobal Warming And The Warming1544 Words   |  7 PagesGlobal warming has become a well conversed topic among scientists and peoples in the world today. There are extremists who do everything possible to stop contributing to the warming, but the average person does little to alleviate the issue and in many cases refuses to acknowledge that there is a problem at all. Dating back to millions of years ago, even before humanity was born, the world has always experienced one form or another of warming; so the warming seen today is not as bizarre as many mayRead MoreGlobal Warming And The Warming1353 Words   |  6 PagesGlobal Warming With it being the presidential election season the talk of global warming, also known as climate change has come up in conversation more. But should it be associated with whether you are republican or democrat? Global warming should not be rather you â€Å"believe† in because it is a stated fact. The definition by Oxford Dictionary declares that global warming is a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth s atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect causedRead MoreThe Warming And Global Warming1442 Words   |  6 PagesThe Warming World Around Us The world is warming and we cannot deny it, the longer we deny the larger the problem it will become. Global warming is affecting the world economy, the overall health of the population, and most importantly the environment that surrounds us. Ignoring this problem will not just make it suddenly disappear; the world has to make an effort to stop it while it can still be maintained. Accepting the fact that it is happening is just the first step, the next step is takingRead MoreGlobal Warming1677 Words   |  7 PagesThrough the eyes of most scientists, global warming is seen as a very serious and severe threat. The actions taken by humans, such as industry and consumption of fossil fuels plus the increase in population and agriculture have played a big part in global warming. If something is not done soon the results could be very bad. By the middle of the twenty first century, there is evidence that the Earth will be warmer than it has been at any time in human history, and quite possibly since theRead MoreGlobal Warming1410 Words   |  6 PagesGlobal warming was first mentioned by ‘Svante August Arrhenius in 1896’, but in ‘1753, Joseph Black discovered carbon dioxide’ and in ‘1827, Jean-Batiste Fourier suggested that atmospheric effect kept the earth warmer than it would otherwise be’, (Direct.gov. n.d. A history of climate change). Since this time, reports, and study have be done with graphs to show the impact of global warming and what could happen to our planet. 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Humans contribute to global warming yet non-believers will think otherwise. Global warming is the greatest challenge facing our planet. According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change) mostRead Moreglobal warming1539 Words   |  7 Pagesof global climate over long periods of time. Climate model projections made by the US Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) show that, recently, global temperature has increased. This increase in temperature is referred to as global warming. One of the main causes of global warming is greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are gases in the atmosphere that absorb solar radiation to keep the planet warm. These gases have increased, so more solar radiation is trapped ins ide raising global temperaturesRead MoreGlobal Warming1050 Words   |  5 PagesTake a position: Global warming is a real problem. 1000 word Essay. Using persuasive technique Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth’s surface. Since the late 1800’s, the global average temperature has increased about 0.7 to 1.4 degrees F (0.4 to 0.8degree C). Climate change is happening and its effects are real. However, the larger the change in climate, the more negative the consequences will become. Global warming will make life harder for mostRead MoreGlobal Warming1192 Words   |  5 PagesGlobal Warming Essay Global warming is an important issue for humans to consider and science to figure out. Personally I don’t care very much about global warming and have never been active in green movements. The evidence presented in this class is very informative and useful when taking into account the numerous known and unknown causes and cures for global warming. However, my attitude towards global warming is unchanged. According to the Common Attitudes Toward Global Warming handout I think

Saturday, May 9, 2020

Impact Of Globalization On The Coffee Industry - 1178 Words

Globalization is the process of interaction and integration between the people, companies, and the governments of different nations. Coffee is the second largest commodity in the world. Globalization has had an immense impact on various goods none being as big as its impact on the coffee industry. In the 1970 coffee beans went for three dollars a pound, but since that 1970 it has gradually decreased due to the increase in the production of coffee. Even though demand has increased, it was met with over production. Which in 2000 coffee prices reached a historic low, impacting farmers all around the world. This crisis came from very poor quality Vietnamese coffee flooding the market, causing the balance between supply and demand to be dramatically altered. The poor quality coffee beans forced Arabica farmers to lower their prices. In the long run this caused a lower quality in coffee beans, lower customer expectation, and low interest in coffee. Most importantly families of Coffee growe rs saw their incomes diminish to half what is was or worst. Farmer families struggled to have enough money to live on, some families decided to give up on growing Coffee beans and other gave up on farming completely. The Coffee bean industry still hasn’t recovered from these events, and it’s estimated that the industry has lost hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues due to low production. And hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost as there is less coffee to pick, process and export.Show MoreRelatedThe Globalization Of Coffee : The Positive Impact Of Globalization1561 Words   |  7 PagesGlobalization as impacted numerous fields of business, the coffee industry is been impacted equally directly and indirectly. Some corporations have taken such a simple product and turned into an everyday life. According with the article â€Å"Coffee days† (2011), cheap chain coffee shops have significantly changed the social space. Globalization impacts all aspects of the coffee supply chain since the consumption of coffee in the developed world influences those in the developing world. It is obviousRead MoreGlobalization and Human Resource Management Strategies1608 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Globalization and HRM Strategies The Enterprise - Starbucks This paper will discuss the Starbucks Corporation concerning globalization and its HRM strategies. Starbucks is a company which prides itself on being a leader in the industry of coffee-brewers and coffee-houses, brewing the highest quality, most ethically grown beans for the most superior roasting experience, as stated on their official website. The Starbucks Company has always believed in fostering a high level of excellence thatRead MoreGlobalization Of Coffee : Starbucks1254 Words   |  6 PagesDevon Jones-Stewart Professor Solomon Globalization 22 March 2015 Globalization of Coffee: Starbucks Globalization is the process of interaction and integration between the people, companies, and the governments of different nations. Coffee is the second largest commodity in the world. Globalization has had an immense impact on various goods none being as big as its impact on the coffee industry. In the 1970 coffee beans went for three dollars a pound, but since that 1970 it has gradually decreasedRead MoreGlobalization Trade : A Positive Aspect1288 Words   |  6 PagesLeonela Gomez History 105 [22] Issue Paper #2 October 2, 2016 Globalization-Trade Globalization has generally been viewed as a positive aspect. Although it’s viewed as a positive thing, it also has its negative aspects that people usually choose to over-see and ignore. The most positive aspect of it was importing and exporting goods for other merchandise that may be needed more than what you have or in which crowded places it was not self-sufficient. In Pomeranz and Topik 2.7 Trade, Disorder, andRead MoreThe Impact Of Globalization On The People Of China1413 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Globalization is a worldwide growth phenomenon where economies, communities, and traditions are being integrated through increased interaction (Goodman). However, the phenomenon has come amid controversies. It has both positive and negative effects on the globe. Positive effects include globalization of western corporations that at some point had their businesses solely operating in the western nations (Goodman). Fast communication channels have interconnected people around the worldRead MoreHow Globalization And Technology Changes Have Impacted The Corporation You Researched1101 Words   |  5 PagesAssess how globalization and technology changes have impacted the corporation you researched What is Globalization? What does it do for a country? How does it affect a company? Who are the recipients of these benefits, if there are any? What are some major benefits of going global? â€Å"Globalization is the increasing economic interdependence among countries and their organizations as reflected in the flow of goods and services, financial capital, and knowledge across country borders† (Hitt, IrelandRead MoreGlobalization Is Defined As A Process Of Interaction And Integration Arising From The Interchanging World1356 Words   |  6 PagesHutchens Cultural Anthropology Globalization Unit October 17, 2014 Globalization Globalization is defined as â€Å"a process of interaction and integration arising from the interchanging world views, products, ideas, and other aspects of culture.† In other words, it is interactions and trade between people and other countries including governments. There are many effects that come along with globalization, both negative and positive. Negative aspects of globalization start with non-economists andRead MoreCultural Globalization and Westernization698 Words   |  3 PagesGlobalization is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of worldviews, products, ideas, and other aspects of culture. Cultural globalization is dealt with in our everyday lives. It deals with different ideas, meanings, and values throughout the world, globally. International travel, television, music, the Internet and many different popular cultures influence it. Globalization has been questioned whether or not it actually leans towards the Western culture, or if itRead MoreImportance of Globalization in Hospitality1346 Words   |  6 PagesQuestion- Critically analyse the relevance and utility of globalization for the international hospitality industry. In the recent years hospitality industry over the years has expanded their business all around the world. Big hotel chains such as Marriott’s and Accor group are opening their hotels in developing countries such as India, Singapore etc. The process of globalization has played a major role in expanding their profits and laying their business across their own boundaries. Majority countriesRead MoreStarbucks : What Key Driving Forces Coffee Shop Retailers?1352 Words   |  6 Pagespresent and future, it’s important to look at the external situation that surrounds them. By performing a five forces analysis it can be decided if the industry is strong enough for outsiders to enter and prevail. The next consideration is what key driving forces coffee shop retailers should concentrate. Those forces are: increasing globalization, marketing innovation, changes in cost and efficiency and changing societal concerns, attitude and lifestyles. It’s also important to recognize the strengths

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Merchant of Venice-Shylock Analysis Free Essays

In Shakespeare’s edgy and suspenseful play, â€Å"The Merchant of Venice†, the character of Shylock may evoke complex feelings within the reader. Shylock is clearly a villain in the sense that he takes repeatedly takes advantage of people in vulnerable economic situations and makes a handsome living in this way. He is not an inherently likeable character throughout   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Merchant of Venice† by Shakespeare; he avoids friendships, he is cranky, and he is steadfast in his beliefs to the point of being rigid. We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice-Shylock Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now Any character analysis of Shylock in â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† should note his tendency for selfish behavior and thinking. Shylock is also a man who is unreasonable and self-thinking, demanding, as one of the important quotes in â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† goes, â€Å"a weight of carrion flesh† (IV. i. 41) from a man he suspects will not be able to repay him simply because it is his â€Å"humour† to do so (IV. i. 43). Because he is the villain of this play, justice can only be served if Shakespeare’s Shylock is punished in a manner that is congruent with his violations of social norms and laws. At the same time, though, his punishment is problematic for it seems to mimic the very crime of which Shylock is really being accused, and that crime is absolutism. By insisting that Shylock must be punished in the way that he is in ‘The Merchant of Venice†, Shakespeare raises doubts about the purity of Christian love and mercy, which certainly creates implications for the very notions of both punishment and villainy. Shylock is a man who is hardly likeable in all aspects throughout   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Merchant of Venice†. Already a marginalized member of Venetian society because he is a Jew and occupies the stereotypical profession of the money-grubbing guarantor, Shylock ensures that his peers and the audience will not like him because of his unreasonableness and unwillingness to let go of his tendencies to be greedy, even in a situation that seems to warrant mercy and pity. In several instances in   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Merchant of Venice† he takes a perverse pleasure in what he refers to in one of the important quotes from â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† by Shakespeare, â€Å"a merry sport† of exacting â€Å"an equal pound/Of†¦fair flesh to be cut off and taken/In what part of [the] body pleaseth me† as the terms of a loan agreement (I. iii. 151-146), terms which he refuses to justify. At the same time, though, the reader, when performing even a basic character analysis of Shylock, can feel a curious compassion for this character, who is so clearly disliked. Although he has imposed isolation on himself by declaring that he will not â€Å"eat/ with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. † ( I. iii/ ll. 33-34), one begins to understand why he has withdrawn from social life when he makes his moving speech in Act III, in which it is asked by Shylock who is the victim of racism, â€Å"Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? † (III. i. 54). The reader begins to understand how Shylock has never been understood because no one has ever seen him for anything other than his Jewishness. Again, this complicates the reader’s relationship with his character and the subsequent punishment he receives because although he is not likable, one cannot help but sympathize with his plight as an outcast. It is Shylock himself who teaches the reader and his own peers the most about Christian love and mercy in   Ã¢â‚¬ The Merchant of Venice†. As he continues his Act III speech, he muses about the similarities between Jews and Christians   in one of the meaningful quotes, saying, â€Å"Fed†¦ the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means†¦ as a Christian is†¦. ,† and then confronts his Christian accusers and judges with three profound questions that invoke these themes in â€Å"Merchant of Venice†: â€Å"If you prick us, do we not bleed? † If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? † (III. . 54-62). The cycle of strange violence that Shylock has set into motion will not end once his punishment has been meted out to him, as he goes on to warn in the remainder of the speech. Rather than learn this lesson—namely, that revenge in the guise of justice will never result in anything other than more revenge—Shylock receives his punishment. Years later, we see the same kinds of issues played out in so ciety, proving that we have learned little about what Shakespeare hoped to teach us through Shylock. How to cite The Merchant of Venice-Shylock Analysis, Essay examples

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

The Effect Of Innovative Benefits And Services On Employee Retention E

The Effect Of Innovative Benefits And Services On Employee Retention WEBSTER UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL THE EFFECT OF INNOVATIVE BENEFITS AND SERVICES ON EMPLOYEE RETENTION AT SAS INSTITUTE, INC. by A paper presented to the Graduate School of Webster University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts July 26, 2000 Pope Airforce Base, NC Abstract Employee benefits programs are crucial to the recruitment and retention of employees in any industry. Effective programs enable employees to better cope with the demands of home and the workplace. These same policies can also contribute to lower employee turnover rates, retention of qualified employees, and motivation of workers. The computer industry has become the leader not only in technology and business, but also in the need for technically qualified employees. This personnel demand and the strength of the economy have created a job market in which skilled individuals are difficult to retain. SAS Institute Inc., based in Cary, NC has successfully created a corporate work environment that has significantly benefited the company, and placed SAS as one of the most desirable companies to work for in the US. Table of Contents 1. Overview..?Page 4, Paragraph 1 2. Demand for competent employees in today's economy..Page 4, Paragraph 2 3. How benefits and services falls fits in HR modelPage 5, Paragraph 1-2 4. Human Resource department responsibilities a. Recruitment.?..Page 5, Paragraph 2 b. Retention..Page 5, Paragraph 3-Page 6, Paragraph 3 c. Compensation..?.Page 6, Paragraph 4 d. Corporate Culture..Page 6, Paragraph 5 5. The SAS Institute: a. Background...Page 7, Paragraph 1 b. Comparison of benefits study by Albertson.Page 7, Paragraph 2 6. SAS Benefits: a. Child care facility....Page 8, Paragraph 2 b. Medical Clinic.Page 8, Paragraph 3 c. 35-hour work week.Page 9, Paragraph 1 d. Fitness facilityPage 9, Paragraph 2 e. Cafeteria..Page 9, Paragraph 3 f. Ergonomics.Page 10, Paragraph 1 g. Vacation/sick days..Page 10, Paragraph 2 7. Comparison to similar companies.....Page 11, Paragraph 4 8. SAS Awards and other recognition...Page 12, Paragraph 2 List of Tables/Appendices 1. Table of company comparison...Page 12 2. Data extract: Study of benefits and working conditions among manufacturers?APPENDIX A In the computer industry, as in any industry, companies are always striving to attract and retain skilled, loyal employees. In today's thriving economy, this task has become a challenge for some companies. Skilled workers have become free agents who can invest their human capital in the companies of their choice. The Human Resources department is at the forefront of this challenge, tackling recruitment, retention, compensation, and contributing to corporate culture. SAS Institute Inc. is a software manufacturing company that has recently risen to the top in both business and financial success, and also in employee retention rates. SAS's innovative approach to treatment of its employees has made the company an example of how an effective employee benefits program can reap rewards in many aspects of the business. The list of employee benefits and new-age perks is striking. A recent survey was conducted (see Appendix A), in which the benefits and working conditions among manufacturers were compared. SAS Institute provides better benefits at a significantly higher percentage than most companies, (Albertson, 2000). Although competitive companies offer similar benefits and services, SAS remains a leader, evidenced by the company's low turnover rate. When comparing SAS Institute with Nortel Networks, IBM, Cisco, and Intel the SAS benefits are superior. The SAS Institute has received many awards in several areas, and has been named as one of the top companies to work for in the US (Branch, 1999). The unemployment rate in the United States has reached the lowest level in nearly 11 years, roughly 5 percent since 1997 (Solomon, 1997). The proportion of people with jobs is at an all-time high, and the economy continues to grow. Economic growth continues to rise as inflation is remaining steady, and consumer confidence is high (Solomon, 1997). The ?Employment Outlook Survey? of 16,000 companies conducted by Manpower Inc. predicts that 30 percent will seek additional employees in the near future (Solomon, 1997). Because of this upward trend in the economy, for many businesses the biggest obstacle is in labor shortages. Now faced with continual changes in technology and development of new products, the demand for skilled employees in the computer industry is even more taxing. Workers possessing these shortage skills are so critically needed that they are able to ?write their own ticket.? A programmer may be hired by company

Friday, March 20, 2020

I Never Promissed You A Rose Garden Essays - Films, Free Essays

I Never Promissed You A Rose Garden Essays - Films, Free Essays I Never Promissed You A Rose Garden In I NEVER PROMISED YOU A ROSE GARDEN we see how one mans reality is not necessarily that of another mans reality. We as humans do not think exactly the same we all think in a different way, these distinctions will be proven. By seeing into the mind of the main character and comparing her thoughts to the people around her, the thesis will be proven. We are all guilty of retreating into some sort of lunacy, we all are guilty of talking to our selves; this sort of deportment will send some mixed messages to people. These messages will propel them to the assumption that they are not normal. They are of to their own world. Also proving, with the use of the protagonist that sometimes being crazy can help cleans the core of one's being and feel good, that for once you can gratify your fantasy. Perspectives play a grand roll in whether someone is mentally stable or not, it could be miss interpretation or personal feeling. Who is to say that a mad man cannot have an opinion? To him we are th e crazy ones. This is a case were majority rule is a determinant. We all live independent lives from one another this is human nature, we do this to have peace and serenity, to be alone but some loneliness we can do without. Deborah's reason for being a mentally unstable young girl is that she felt alone and not needed by the world. Normally as children, we had imaginary friends; Deborah's solitude led her to divert to a world where she is liked, loved and cherished. At one time-strange to think of it now-the gods of Yr had been companions-secret, princely sharers of her loneliness. In camp, where she had been hated. (Pg. 55, I NEVER PROMISED YOU A ROSE GARDEN). The girls at the camp perceived her to be strange, anomalous. This in turn drove her deeper into her madness only because she was different. This type of injustice can not be aloud it is morally unjust but we over see it and continue with the atrocity. That same savagery that has driven Deborah into her own sheltered world away from ours that same savageness stabs us all but we are develope d enough to fight back with a stable mind. Deborah's interaction with other people is what society would call unhealthy. Deborah would sometimes fall into deep trances that would be vicious she would end up in Yr, She saw the doctor's mouth moving, and imagined that it was spewing questions and accusations. She began to fall There was utter darkness for a long time, seen only in bands of across the eye. (Pg. 31). Near the termination of chapter, six she falls into a deep mystic abstraction with Yr and she speaks with one of the people there named Aterrabae. Aterrabae made Deborah take a tin can and start mutilating her arm to prove that she is different then the people from earth (society's reality) you were never one of them, not ever. You are wholly different.(Pg.51). Deborah's reality is so dominant that it forces her to believe that it is the germane reality, we may see it as madness but she sees it as her reality. Using ones imagination can be a form of madness, a level of self-escape. Escaping into your own delusion can be exhilarating, mellow and tempting. A person can not see another person on the street and say: that person is daft. Of course to that person he is not crazy you are. He feels good in his mental environment, it probably is harmonious or exciting, who knows. Our mind is very mysterious we lock out certain passions, thoughts and fantasies if we let them escape they could be shunned upon by civilization. The enticing thoughts that we have are the reason why we continue to live in this crazy world. e, quio quio quaru ar Yr aedat temoluqu' braown elepr' kyryr (brush winged, I soar above the canyons of your sleep singing) (Pg.131). This quote said by Deborah illustrates the beauty of madness with the poetic language. Along with language, it has exquisite

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Richard M. Nixon Biography and Presidency

Richard M. Nixon Biography and Presidency Richard Nixons Childhood and Education: Nixon was born on January 9, 1913 in Yorba Linda, California. He grew up in California in poverty, helping out at his fathers grocery store. He was raised a Quaker. He had two brothers die of tuberculosis. He went to local public schools. He graduated first in his high school class in 1930. he attended Whittier College from 1930-34 and graduated with a history degree. He then went to Duke University Law School and graduated in 1937. He was then admitted to the bar. Family Ties: Nixon was the of  Francis Frank Anthony Nixon, a gas station owner and grocer and  Hannah Milhous, a devout Quaker. He had four brothers.  On June 21, 1940, Nixon married  Thelma Catherine Pat Ryan, a Business Teacher. Together they had two  daughters, Patricia and Julie. Richard Nixons Career Before the Presidency: Nixon began practicing law in 1937. He tried his hand at owning a business which failed before joining the navy to serve in World War II. He rose to become a lieutenant commander and resigned in March, 1946. In 1947, he was elected a U.S. Representative. Then, in 1950 he became a U.S. Senator. He served in that capacity until being elected Vice President under Dwight Eisenhower in 1953. He ran for President in 1960 but lost to John F. Kennedy. He also lost the Governorship of California in 1962. Becoming the President: In 1968, Richard Nixon became the Republican candidate for President with Spiro Agnew as his Vice President. He defeated Democrat Hubert Humphrey and American Independent George Wallace. Nixon received 43% of the popular vote and 301 electoral votes.In 1972, he was the obvious choice for renomination with Agnew as his running mate again. He was opposed by Democrat George McGovern. He won with 61% of the vote and 520 electoral votes. Events and Accomplishments of Richard Nixon’s Presidency: Nixon inherited  the war with Vietnam  and during his time in office, he cut the number of soldiers down from over 540,000 troops to 25,000. By 1972, all U.S. ground combat troops were withdrawn.On April 30, 1970, U.S. and South Vietnamese troops raided Cambodia to try and capture the Communist headquarters. Protests erupted around the nation. The most visible was at Kent State University. Students protesting at the campus were fired on by the Ohio National Guard killing four and wounding nine.In January 1973, a peace treaty was signed whereby all U.S. forces left withdrew from Vietnam, and all prisoners of war were released. Soon after the agreement, however, fighting resumed, and the Communists eventually won.In February 1972,  President Nixon  traveled to China to try and encourage peace and more contact between the two nations. He was the first to visit the country.Acts to protect the environment were huge during Nixons time in office. The  Environmental Protection Agen cy  was created in 1970. On July 20, 1969,  Apollo 11  landed on the moon and man took his first step outside of earth. This fulfilled Kennedys goal to land a man on the moon before the end of the decade.When Nixon ran for reelection, it was discovered that five individuals from the  Committee to Reelect the President  (CREEP) had broken into the Democratic National Headquarters at the  Watergate  business complex. Two reporters for the  Washington Post, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein,  uncovered a massive cover-up  of the break-in. Nixon had installed a taping system and when the Senate asked for tapes recorded during his time in office he refused to hand them over due to  executive privilege. The  Supreme Court  did not agree with him, and he was forced to give them up. The tapes showed that while Nixon was not involved in the break-in he was involved in its cover-up. In the end, Nixon resigned when he was faced with impeachment. He left office on August 9, 1974. Post-Presidential Period: After Richard Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, he retired to San Clemente, California. In 1974, Nixon was pardoned by President Gerald Ford. In 1985, Nixon mediated a dispute between major league baseball and the umpire association. He traveled extensively. He also provided advice to various politicians including the Reagan administration. He wrote about his experiences and foreign policy. Nixon died on April 22, 1994. Historical Significance: While many important events occurred during Nixons administration including the end of the Vietnam War, his visit to China, and putting a man on the moon, his time was marred by the Watergate Scandal. Faith in the office of the presidency declined with the revelations of this event, and the way that the press dealt with the office changed forever from this time on.

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Ellis College Admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ellis College Admission - Essay Example Ellis College believes in delivering superior education to the students. I can take the first major step towards achieving my career goal at Ellis. I do not have an American diploma but what I know is Ellis values the experience gained by the individual over the years, which will help me as I have plenty of experience in the profession. I am planning to join another organization because right now I have a decent job, but with not much of growth potential. I firmly believe that to grow up, there must be opportunities for capable persons, which in turn provide motivation to perform still better. 5. As you advance in your career, what are your priorities related to advancement? For example, these priorities may include finding a stable position, reaching a certain salary level, fulfilling a personal interest, using specialized skills, being challenged intellectually, or providing benefits to others. You may have other priorities than the examples listed here, and you are encouraged to discuss them. My short-term goal is to gain credentials as a qualified learner, who’s ready to accept the challenges and learn from them. Therefore my first priority is to reach a stable position using specialized skills. Ellis College will help me in polishing my skills. I’ll do all my sincere efforts to consolidate my position thereafter. And after reaching a certain salary level I’ll consider having my own enterprise. Having received so much from the society, I consider it my solemn duty to pay my due share back to the society as well. I’ll, therefore, do my bit to help in reducing the agony of orphan kids by providing them with toys and books. Ellis College is certain to provide me the edge in interpreting the challenges arising out of globalization and competition. I am sure Ellis can help me in restructuring my knowledge and broadening the knowledge base.

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Week Eight Online Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week Eight Online Question - Essay Example This was in line with the theories of David Ricardo, the English political economist, who argued in favor of hard currency that would enable the economy to escape the cycles of booms and depressions. This, Andrew Jackson and his supporters felt, would be a lasting solution to the problems that America faced at a time when it was expanding rapidly and monetary policies were a widely debated issue. Jackson’s stance on this matter is considered t be crucial in his re-election to the post of the president of the United States of America. hands of people who lived outside America and those sections of the American society which belonged to the upper strata (Andrew). His efforts according to the speeches that he delivered regarding the future of the Bank of the United States were directed towards the establishment of a nation that would ensure the equality of the people who stayed in it. This, Jackson felt, could be achieved only through a return from credit to hard currency, something that David Ricardo had suggested. His views were appropriated by Jackson and his political friends in order to establish an economic order that they felt would not allow the re-establishment of situations like that which occurred during the panic of 1819, when the banks, since they had lent money that had become less valuable due to inflation, experienced a shortage. Ricardian currency theories required that the banks regulate the monetary pressures of inflation and deflation through regulating the flow of money into the economy. Jackso n’s views were thus, not completely against banks, but called for a reassessment of the roles that banks played in the American economy that would prevent a repeat of the events of 1819. A system was put in place according to which only the amount of money the equivalent of which was present in the bank in

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Handedness and Lateralization

Handedness and Lateralization Handedness and Lateralization Cortical Organisation and Lateralization Of The Brain In Handedness And Dominance According to Annett most people in our society define handedness as the hand that you use for writing (1970). Researchers define handedness as the hand that performs faster or specifically on physical tests. Paul Broca (1979), suggested that a persons handedness was opposite from that specialised hemisphere (so a right-handed person probably has a left-hemispheric language specialization). However, a majority of left-hemispheric brain specialise for language abilities. Many researchers have try to this correlation between handedness and brain lateralisation. The key reason that hand-brain link is important and is an accepted methodology is that clinicians use handedness as a marker for brain lateralization. Language is a distributed cerebral network with differences in area involvement that relate to specific language functions (Frith et al., 1991). Vital regions in network lateralize to one hemisphere and determine lesion (Ojemann, 1991). In most people this lateralization is to the left. The only consistent information on the variability of hemispheric control between individuals are aphasias following a stroke or hemispheric inactivation by procedure in patients with brain lesions (Wada and Rasmussen, 1960). Pertaining to the unevenness of language control there is a chance of functional hemispheric reform (Rasmussen and Milner, 1977). It assumes that variation from left hemisphere language power is related to a difference like left-handedness. In right-handed subjects there is puzzling correlation of verbal language and hand dominance, both confines to a small area to the left hemisphere (Mayeux and Kandel, 1991). The actual variability of language lateralization in the general popu lation is practically unknown. Evaluations in a representative number of healthy subjects do not exist because, in the past, no technique was available to determine language lateralization effectively and non-invasively. This lack of information has hampered the assessment of language disturbances. There is an ongoing debate on the role of the right hemisphere in recovery from aphasia after left hemispheric strokes (Weiller et al., 1993Go; Heiss et al., 1997Go; Mimura et al., 1998Go). Particularly, in retrospective evaluations it would be important to know how many patients with left hemispheric strokes and transient disturbance of language can be expected to have been right hemisphere language dominant and to have suffered speech impairment due to other, more unspecific causes like decreased vigilance. Moreover, knowledge concerning the exact incidence of right hemisphere language dominance in healthy righthanders would be important for functional neuroimaging studies. Here, due to lack of information, researchers often need to rely on the assumption that restricting examinations to healthy right-handers will control for a possible variability in hemispheric dominance. Recently, a simplified functional imaging technique, functional transcranial Doppler-ultrasonography (fTCD) has become available (Aaslid, 1987Go; Hartje et al., 1994Go; Silvestrini et al., 1994Go; Rihs et al., 1995Go). It allows determination of hemispheric dominance in individual subjects in an effective, reliable and non-invasive way (Deppe et al., 1997Go; Knecht et al., 1998). This technique has now made it possible to establish the variability in the side and degree of language dominance in a representative number of healthy subjects. fTCD measures cerebral perfusion changes related to neuronal activation in a way comparable to functional MRI (fMRI) and 15O-PET (Kuschinsky, 1991Go; Jueptner and Weiller, 1995Go; Deppe et al., 1997Go, 1998Go). fTCD makes it possible to compare perfusion changes (by measuring blood flow velocities) within the territories of the two middle cerebral arteries (MCAs), which comprise the potential language areas (van der Zwan and Hillen, 1991Go). It thus provides an operational index of laterality which, in many respects, resembles the one obtained by the intracarotid amobarbital procedure (Wada test) (Wada and Rasmussen, 1960Go). Determination of language lateralization by fTCD matches precisely both the results of fMRI and the Wada test with concordance in every single case (Deppe et al., 1998Go; Knecht et al., 1998aGo). As in many previous studies of this kind, word generation was chosen as an activation paradigm because it is one of the most effective measures of language production (Neils-Strunjas, 1998Go). On this basis language dominance was determined in a total of 188 healthy subjects. Left-handers were excluded from the study because of possible confounding effects of handedness on hemispheric dominance (Kimura, 1983Go). A careful history for brain damage in the prenatal period or in infancy was taken in order to exclude subjects with possible plastic reorganization of hemispheric dominance after brain lesions (Rasmussen and Milner, 1977Go). The work was part of the Munster functional imaging study on the variability of hemispheric specialization in health and disease (Deppe et al., 1997Go; Knecht et al., 1998aGo, bGo). Hemispheric language dominance was assessed in 188 healthy volunteers with 111 females (mean age 26  ± 5.5 years, range 17-50 years) and 77 males (mean age 27  ± 3.7 years, range 21-40 years). Subjects were excluded if, on a standardized questionnaire, they reported delayed or disturbed language development or a history of other neurological disorders, particularly perinatal asphyxia or kernicterus, head trauma, loss of consciousness, epileptic seizures, meningitis or encephalitis. They were further required to have successfully completed the equivalent of high school (`Realschule or `Gymnasium). Right-handedness was assessed by a handedness index in the Edinburgh Inventory of greater than 30% (Oldfield, 1971Go). Left-handers were excluded from the study, as were right-handers with a score for right-h andedness lower than 30%, because, due to the small number of these subjects, an adequate evaluation of the effect of handedness on language lateralization would not have been possible. Approximately 75% of the subjects recruited had an index of more than 80% right-handedness. All subjects gave informed consent to participate in this study, which was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Mà ¼nster. Assessment of hemispheric language dominance was performed by a standardized fTCD technique (used in a number of previous studies) and a word generation task, validated by direct comparison with the intracarotid amobarbital injection and fMRI (Knecht et al., 1996Go, 1997Go, 1998aGo, bGo; Deppe et al., 1997Go, 1998Go). Briefly, subjects were presented with a letter on a computer screen 2.5 s after a cueing tone. Silently they had to find as many words as possible starting with the displayed letter. For fTCD an activation paradigm strongly based on verbal fluency was used, corresponding to the fields of reported female superiority (Basso et al., 1982Go; Pizzamiglio et al., 1985Go). Task performance was controlled by instructing the subjects to report the words after a second auditory signal following 15 s after presentation of the letter. All words had to be reported within a 5-s time period. The next letter was presented in the same way after a relaxation period of 60 s. Letters were presented in random order and no letter was displayed more than once. `Q, `X and `Y were excluded because very few words have these as initial letters. Changes in the cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) in the basal arteries were measured as an indicator of the downstream increase of the regional metabolic activity during the language task. Dual fTCD of the MCAs was performed with two 2 MHz transducer probes attached to a headband and placed bilaterally at the temporal skull windows (1Go). Details of the insonation technique, particularly the correct identification of the MCA, have been published elsewhere (Ringelstein et al., 1990Go). The spectral envelope curves of the Doppler signal were analysed off-line with the fTCD software AVERAGE developed by one of the authors (M.D.) (Deppe et al., 1997Go). 1 Schematic diagram of the way language lateralization was determined. Perfusion increases and therefore neuronal activation during word generation were assessed in the vascular territories of the left (marked in red) and right (marked in green) MCAs, which comprise the language areas. This was achieved by fTCD measurements of the CBFV changes in these arteries. Systemic effects were eliminated by calculating the differences in perfusion changes between sides. Averaging the responses over 20 repetitions (on average) in each individual made the results highly reliable. (For details, see Deppe et al., 1997.) After automated artefact rejection, data were integrated over the corresponding cardiac cycles, segmented into epochs which related to the cueing tone and then averaged. The epochs were set to begin 15 s before and to end 35 s after the cueing tone. The mean velocity in the 15-s pre-cueing interval (Vpre.mean) was taken as the base-line value. The relative CBFV changes (dV) during cerebral activation were calculated using the formula: dV = [V(t) Vpre.mean] x 100 / Vpre.mean where V(t) is the CBFV over time. Relative CBFV changes from repeated presentations of letters (on average 20 runs) were averaged time-locked to the cueing tone. The number of repetitions was less than 22, because no letter was presented more than once during the word generation task. A functional TCD laterality index LIfTCDwas calculated using the formula: Statistics The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to assess the hypothesis that laterality indices in males and females were drawn from different populations. Unlike the parametric t-test for independent samples or the Mann-Whitney U test, which tests for differences in the location of two samples (differences in means, differences in average ranks, respectively), the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test is sensitive to differences in the general shapes of the distributions in the two samples, i.e. to differences in dispersion and skewness (Spence et al., 1990Go). The Mann-Whitney test for equivalence (Wellek, 1996Go) was employed to confirm equivalence of laterality indices in men and women. A significant result in this test provides a strong positive measure for a lack of gender differences in laterality indices. We tested the null hypothesis H0: |P[LImale > LIfemale] 1/2| >={varepsilon}versus the alternative hypothesis of equivalence H1: |P[LImale > LIfemale] 1/2| In six of the 194 right-handed subjects determination of language lateralization was not possible due to lack of a temporal bone window, i.e. inadequate ultrasonographic penetration of the skull by the ultrasound beam. In the remaining 188 subjects (59% females, 41% males) the overall distribution of language lateralization was bimodal with 7.5% being right hemisphere and 92.5% left hemisphere language dominant (2Go). The distribution of language lateralization was equivalent in men and women (3Go). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test did not detect any significant differences between females and males in the overall distribution (P > 0.05). In the subgroup of left hemisphere language dominant subjects, the Mann-Whitney test for equivalence showed equivalence with P The average number of words found during the activation task per letter presented was not statistically different between men and women (Mann-Whitney U test, P = 0.81) or subjects with left or right hemisphere language dominance (Mann-Whitney U test, P = 0.26). It was also independent of the index of lateralization (correlation coefficient r = 0.027). These are the first data on the natural distribution of language dominance in a large series of healthy right-handed subjects. They demonstrate equivalence of language lateralization for word generation in males and females, and they suggest that 1 in 13 healthy right-handed subjects is right hemisphere dominant for language. Methodology There is debate whether language can be treated as a separate mental faculty or should be approached as part of a more general cognitive system (Fodor, 1983Go). Moreover, language comprises receptive and expressive aspects and is intertwined with prosody, memory and attention (Knecht et al., 1996Go; Binder et al., 1997Go). Therefore, the assessment of language lateralization based on a single activation task provides just one index of the interindividual variability in language processing. This approach can nevertheless serve as a first step in elucidating the factors underlying the diversity of large scale neural language organization. fTCD lends itself to determination of hemispheric language dominance. The index of lateralization obtained by fTCD based on word generation is very reliable and closely corresponds to (i) the outcome of the intracarotid amobarbital procedure and (ii) the index of lateralization obtained by fMRI (Deppe et al., 1998Go; Knecht et al., 1998aGo). Other techniques like head turning, event-related potentials, transcranial high frequency magnetic stimulation or the dichotic listening test used for the evaluation of language dominance have so far failed to provide results that are reproducible and in sufficient concordance with the intracarotid amobarbital procedure (Bryden and Allard, 1981Go; Jancke et al., 1992Go; Jennum et al., 1994Go; Segalowitz and Berge, 1995Go; OLeary et al., 1996Go; Hugdahl et al., 1997Go). Unlike the intracarotid amobarbital procedure and as opposed to brain lesions, functional imaging techniques including fTCD assess brain activation and not inactivation. They are set to determine the location and relative amount of the maximal activation while diffuse or bilateral activations are cancelled out. Thus, fTCD is insensitive to a lesser activation in the contralateral hemisphere. Moreover, fTCD cannot determine whether an activated region during a task is a critical region that, when damaged, will result in a loss of that particular function. This shortcoming holds for all functional imaging techniques. However, the fact that determination of language lateralization by fMRI and fTCD correspond closely to that determined by the intracarotid amobarbital inactivation suggests that activated regions match critical regions and therefore provide essential information on the risk for language loss (Desmond et al., 1995Go; Binder et al., 1996Go; Knecht et al., 1998aGo). Sex Fuelled by the general interest in `la petite diffà ©rence, the lack of information about the natural distribution of language dominance has led to far-reaching speculations about possible differences in language lateralizations between the sexes. This discussion has been characterized by a high acceptance for positive results. Thus, despite considerable data to the contrary, there is a strong belief that language in women, on average, is less lateralized than in men (Bakan and Putnam, 1974Go; Levy and Reid, 1976Go; McGlone, 1980Go; McKeever et al., 1983Go; Hough et al., 1994Go; Rugg, 1995Go). The idea of an increased bilaterality in women has received support by a recent fMRI study in 19 males and 19 females (Shaywitz et al., 1995Go) in which activation related to a rhyming task was found to be more bilateral in women than in men. It has been conjectured that an increased bilaterality of language in women would lead to a decreased susceptibility to unilateral infarctions explaining a greater male than female proportion of aphasics (McGlone, 1980Go). Kertesz and Sheppard then showed that aphasias were as frequent in males as in females, as long as sex differences in the incidence of infarcts were taken into account (Kertesz and Sheppard, 1981Go). Similar results were obtained in a more recent epidemiological study (Pedersen et al., 1995Go). Recently, using fMRI, Frost and colleagues found no differences between sexes during a language comprehension task when group averages were compared (Frost et al., 1999Go). Our data provide the first direct evidence that language lateralization during word generation in men and women is also equivalent in variablity. In fact, they not only show a lack of significant differences but they positively demonstrate significance of equivalence in healthy subjects even though this finding is based on a word generation task, i.e. a field of reported female superiority (Kimura and Harshman, 1984Go). Equivalence of hemispheric lateralization between sexes during word generation does not exclude gender di fferences in subfunctions of language like rhyming, which we did not investigate. As was pointed out before, such a difference has been reported by Shaywitz and colleagues in a small series of subjects examined by fMRI (Shaywitz et al., 1995Go). However, in line with our results, these researchers did not find gender differences in other language tasks. Right hemisphere language dominance The predominance of right-handedness and left hemisphere language lateralization has led some theorists to suggest that a gestural system of communication with dominance of the right hand provided the neural architecture for vocal articulation in human evolution (Hewes, 1973Go; Kimura, 1987Go). If indeed handedness and language were coupled because they share the same neural resources, then any deviation from this pattern would have to be pathological. Right hemisphere language dominance in right-handers or left hemisphere language dominance in left-handers reported from the intracarotid amobarbital procedure does not challenge this view, because this procedure is only performed in patients with brain pathology. However, the present findings in healthy subjects indicate that even under natural conditions the association between handedness and language dominance is not an absolute one. Because 75% of subjects were strongly right-handed (>80%) and the remaining had handedness indices o f >30%, the effect of the degree of handedness on language lateralization could not be evaluated in the present study. Comparison of left- and right-handers will be necessary to test whether a relative association between handedness and language dominance exists in healthy subjects. The extreme argument could be put forward that all of our presumed healthy subjects with right hemisphere dominance must have suffered covert brain damage resulting in a shift of language into the right hemisphere. A similar argument has been made to explain left-handedness in healthy subjects (Coren, 1990Go). We believe that covert brain damage was unlikely. The medical history in all subjects was unrevealing and the scholastic achievement was similar. The average number of words produced during the task did not differ between subjects with left or right hemisphere language dominance and the pattern of language lateralization variability was bimodal with maxima for left- and right-hemisphere dominance (2Go). If there had been subclinical damage to language relevant areas in the left hemisphere resulting in a shift to the right, one would have expected impaired word fluency and more cases with little lateralization because of a bilateral representation of language functions. This was not the case. We therefore suggest that right hemisphere language dominance is not a pathological but a natural phenomenon. Previous estimates of `atypical right hemisphere language dominance were either based on the results from the intracarotid amobarbital test in patients evaluated for resective neurosurgery or on the occurrence of `crossed aphasia, i.e. aphasias after right hemispheric lesions. In patients with epilepsy submitted to the intracarotid amobarbital test the number of right-handers with right hemisphere language dominance was 4% in a large series and rose to 12% when a left hemisphere lesion was defined (Rasmussen and Milner, 1977Go). Because the Wada test is only performed in patients with brain lesions, which are often associated with a secondary transfer of cortical functions from the damaged to the intact hemisphere, these numbers cannot be extrapolated to healthy subjects (Helmstaedter et al., 1994Go). By evaluation of stroke-patients with crossed aphasia, the incidence of right hemisphere language dominance in right-handers has been inferred to be between 1 and 2% in the majority of series (Gloning, 1977Go; Borod et al., 1985Go; Kertesz, 1985Go). On the one hand, this low estimate of right hemisphere language dominance in previously healthy subjects made aphasias in right-handers after right-sided lesions seem an exceptional event and has resulted in almost 100 reports on `crossed aphasia in the last 30 years. On the other hand, difficulties in the assessment of language performance due to physical exhaustion and deficits in sustained attention in the early stages after stroke and reorganizational restitution in the later stages may have facilitated an underdiagnosis of aphasia in right hemispheric stroke patients in many studies. Not every patient with a cerebral infarction in the respective language dominant hemisphere will suffer damage of the language areas and become aphasic. The overall rate of aphasia due to stroke has been found to be 38% in the acute state and 18% at discharge from the hospital (Pedersen et al., 1995Go). Reasoning from the effects of brain activation to the effects of brain lesions is problematic but results from activation studies may be conceptually useful to the understanding of lesion-deficit variability in the clinical context (Willmes and Poeck, 1993Go). In a single recent study on 880 stroke patients it was reported, in passing, that of right-handed aphasics 9% had right hemispheric lesions (Pedersen et al., 1995Go). In a study on language deficits in servicemen who had suffered penetrating brain wounds, 18% of the aphasics had suffered right hemispheric lesions (Mohr et al., 1980Go). However, here the possible effects of diffuse brain damage by the impact of a bullet and the effect of variable handedness pose methodological limitations. Our cohort was similar in age to these soldiers. We found an incidence of 7.5% of right hemisphere dominance in our activation study of healthy subjects. This combined evidence suggests that about 1 in 13 previously healthy right-handed patients with a right hemispheric infarction could be at risk of suffering language impairments becaus e this is the hemisphere dominant for word generation. Conversely, after left hemispheric infarctions right-handed patients, who in retrospective evaluations seem to have recovered well from language disturbances, and on fMRI or PET may even show language related activation in the right hemisphere, may do so because they had been right hemisphere language dominant to begin with. Presently, we do not know the relevance of the extent of language lateralization by fTCD. Low indices of lateralization indicate that there is a bihemispheric activation during word generation. 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Friday, January 17, 2020

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Technology Essay

Chief among there is its convenience, efficiency and effectiveness in work, study, and research. It must be said that there are a number of substantial problems associated with the phenomenon of modernized technology. The one that springs immediately to mind is the potential risk of overusing technology in our lives. At the other end of the spectrum, there are many and varied merits to the concept of easily accessible up-to-date technology. Perhaps most importantly, it assists people to carry out their work faster. In my own experience, I found that technological appliances such as computer and mobile phone have assisted me a great deal in my occupation. As an accountant, I usually liaise with my clients to discuss about their account issues. Sometimes, problems can be solved via only a phone call. In addition, the aid of computer has reduced amount of my work significantly. At the end of the day, the positives effects of using digital technology and its convenience and efficiency for most people are more convincing than the negative aspects. If digital technology were never invented, our lives would be never wonderful as they should be. There is a school of thought which contends that features, talents and shortcomings humanity is born with determine our social skills and growth considerably more than any education and real-life scenarios throughout our lives. From my personal perspective, I am unable to concur with this view. First and foremost, it is clearly evident that while beasts inherit all the intuition needed for existence when they come into the world, humanity is virtually useless at birth and takes the first 20 years of life acquiring survival prowess. / To begin with, it is immediately apparent that off spring inherit incredible genetic †hard-wired† abilities at birth, but unless they are encouraged to evolve these, such talents will manifest themselves. / First and foremost, it is clearly evident that if an individual has skill at something, it becomes pparent in earlier youth. People do not wake up one morning as excellent/superb athletes or academics at the age of 35. Similarly, lack of ability or learning difficulties are usually noticed at a very young age. This strongly recommends that babies are neither born with distinct abilities nor they are. †¦.. At the end of the day, in the course of our daily existence, any educative processes and life-changing events exert far g reater control than aspects, natural abilities as well as weak points that are contained in our genetic make-up.

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Mirabai Bhakti Saint, Devotional Poet, Mystic, Rani

Mirabai, a 16th century Indian royal, is known  more through legend than verifiable historic fact. The following biography is an attempt to report those facts of Mirabais life which are commonly accepted. Mirabai was known for her songs of devotion to Krishna and for forsaking traditional womens roles to devote life to Krishna-worship.  She was a Bhakti saint, poet and mystic, and also a  Rani  or princess. She lived from about 1498 to about 1545.  Her name has also been translated as Mira Bai, Meerabai, Meera Bai, Meera, or MÄ «rÄ bÄ Ã„ «, and she is sometimes given the honorific of  Mirabai Devi.   Heritage and Early Life Mirabais Rajputi grandfather, Rao Dudaj, created the fortress city of Merta, where Mirabais father, Ratan Singh, ruled. Mirabai was born in Merta  in the Kudki district of Pali, Rajasthan, India,  about 1498. The family worshipped Vishnu as their primary deity. Her mother died when Mirabai was about four, and Mirabai was raised and educated by her grandparents. Music was stressed in her education. At an early age, Mirabai became attached to an idol of Krishna, given to her (legend says) by a traveling beggar. Arranged Marriage At age 13 or 18 (sources vary), Mirabai was married to a Ranjputi prince of Mewar. Her new in-laws were upset with the time she spent at Krishnas temple. On the advise by letter of the poet Tulsidas, she left her husband and his family. Her husband died only a few years later. Unconventional Widow His family was shocked that Mirabai  did not commit sati, burning herself alive on her husbands funeral pyre, as was considered proper for a Rajputi princess (rani). Then they were further shocked when she refused to remain secluded as a widow and to worship his familys deity, the goddess Durga or Kali. Instead of following these traditional norms for a widowed Rajputi princess, Mirabai took up enthusiastic worship of Krishna as part of the Bhakti movement. She identified herself as the spouse of Krishna. Like many in the Bhakti movement, she ignored gender, class, caste, and religious boundaries, and spent time caring for the poor. Mirabais father and father-in-law were both killed as a result of a battle to turn away invading Muslims. Her practice of Bhakti worship horrified her in-laws and the new ruler of Mewar. The legends tell of multiple attempts on her life by Mirabais late husbands family. In all of these attempts, she miraculously survived: a poisonous snake, a poisoned drink, and drowning. Bhakti Worship Mirabai returned to her home city of Merta, but her family also opposed her turning from traditional religious practices to the new Bhaki worship of Krishnu. She later joined a religious community in Vrindaban, a place holy to Krishnu. Mirabais contribution to the Bhakti movement was primarily in her music: she wrote hundreds of songs and initiated a mode of singing the songs, a raga. About 200-400 songs are accepted by scholars as being written by Mirabai; another 800-1000 have been attributed to her. Mirabai did not credit herself as the author of the songs — as an expression of selflessness — so her authorship is uncertain. The songs were preserved orally, not written down until long after their composition, which complicates the task of assigning authorship. Mirabais songs express her love and devotion to Krishna, almost always as Krishnas wife. The songs speak of both the joy and the pain of love. Metaphorically, Mirabai points to the longing of the personal self, atman, to be one with the universal self, or paramatma, which is a poets representation of Krishna. Mirabai wrote her songs in Rajasthani and Braj Bhasa languages, and they were translated into Hindi and Gujarati. After some years of wandering, Mirabai died at Dwarka, another place sacred to Krishna. Legacy Mirabais willingness to sacrifice family respect and traditional gender, family, and caste restrictions, and to devote herself completely and enthusiastically to Krishna, made her an important role model in a religious movement that stressed ecstatic devotion and that rejected traditional divisions based on sex, class, caste, and creed. Mirabai was a loyal wife according to her peoples tradition only in the sense that she devoted herself to her chosen spouse, Krishna, giving to him the loyalty she would not give to her earthly spouse, the Rajput prince. Religion: Hindu: Bhakti movement Quotes (in translation): â€Å"I came for the sake of love-devotion; seeing the world, I wept.† O Krishna, did You ever rightly value my childhood love? â€Å"The Great Dancer is my husband, rain washes off all the other colors.†Ã‚   I danced before my Giridhara. / Again and again I dance / To please that discerning critic, / And put His former love to the test. I have felt the swaying of the elephants shoulders; / and now you want me to climb / on a jackass? Try to be serious.