Challenges in Conducting a Good Research Essay

The theoretical foundations are the heart for conducting research in a given area. It is the framework on which the whole research project is based. It is a rationally described, elaborated and developed network of relationships among the variables considered important to the problem situation and identified through such process as literature survey, interview and observations. An effective theoretical foundation identifies and define the relevant variables in a situation that are necessary to the problem defined. Similarly, the building blocks of conducting a good research are the existing facts, theories and hypothesis concerning the topic of study. They serve as a guide to the representation of existing information about the problem, thus supporting and motivating the research in regard to the topic. A good example of the building blocks of a research is the literature review, which provides information about what has been put out about the problem (Taber, 2012). Challenges To Conducting A Good Research Looking for study participants. Finding the participants of the research is usually difficult because a researcher has to define the target participants before he or she goes to the find. In most cases such participants are usually hidden, making it hard to find them. Nevertheless, the best way to solve this challenge is through networking. Networking through methods such as snowball technique eliminates this challenge (Webster & Tuckman,2000). A research can also work with other established researcher in the field for networking Dealing with collected data. When the study is completed, the researcher is faced with the challenge of having a large volume of data, which he or she has to link it with the present research. He or she has to show how his or her research contributes to the body of knowledge. Large data are hard to analyze. But, it can be solved by referring to the methodology used in the study. He or she can also stay focused so as not to be distracted by insignificant data. References Taber, K. (2012). Conducting research in educational contexts. Teacher Development, 395-397. Webster, P., & Tuckman, B. (2000). Conducting Educational Research. Journal of Research in Music Education, 271-271. Source document

Memory Keepers Daughter Essay

Truth be told nobody is normal or perfect each and every one of us have our flaws, insecurities and concerns. In The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards argues that . In life, there are many things that we can neither cure nor accept nor overcome; sometimes all it takes is one choice to determine the rest of our lives. One winter night in 1964, a Dr. David Henry makes a decision that will haunt his life forever. On a winter night in 1964, an unusual Kentucky blizzard forces Dr. Henry and his nurse Caroline Gill to deliver his own twins for his wife, Norah. First born is the boy, Paul, who is a visibly perfect baby. Shortly after, the baby girl Phoebe is born and is noticed to have symptoms of Down Syndrome. David cannot accept his baby girl because he does not want his wife to go through the same trauma his mother went through with the death of his little sister due to a heart defect. In a split second, David decides that the girl should be placed in an institution to spare Norah the suffering, and he asks the Caroline, the nurse, to take Phoebe to the institution. After Caroline left the Henry’s house, and seeing the horrible conditions of the institution, Caroline decides to keep the baby and raise Phoebe herself. David then lies to his wife and says that their daughter died at birth. This quick lie David Henry tells his family changes their life forever. The â€Å"death† in the family immediately causes a distance between David and Norah; David becomes infatuated with a camera that Norah bought for him while Norah turns to drinking. The distance between the Henry’s continues to grow even further while David and Norah aspire to do totally different things with their lives. David wants to become a photographer and tries to immerse himself in his work, he tries to ignore the resulting toll it takes on his family by viewing everything through a camera lens, almost†¦ We as people are in general very bias even if you don’t mean to be, you can be bias to the types of foods that you prefer, or to people who may or may not have mental illnesses. Life is filled with things beyond our control, and we must rely on ourselves to discover the link between suffering, joy and acceptance. There will always be thing that we can neither cure nor accept nor overcome; sometimes all it is going to take is one choice to determine the rest of our lives and The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards proves this.

Check List for Project Finance Essay Example for Free

Check List for Project Finance Essay 1. Brief description of every project sponsor: company history, establishment date, legal form, ownership, subsidiaries, core activities. Data on sponsor’s experience in the host country and in the project’s industry. Explanation of how the project relates to the sponsor’s strategic direction/goals. 2. Annual reports of the past three years for every project sponsor. Additional requirements in the case of project finance for activities in existing plants: detailed structured data for the past three years and budgets for the next five years on revenues (including a breakdown of export versus domestic foreign currency revenues if any, for countries with non-convertible currency; revenue mix by customer, country, and product) and expenses (in detail; in the case of non-convertible currencies, these need to be grouped separately). 3. Summary of the project concerned, including name, location, purpose, organisational form, ownership, equity, security structure, status of licenses/approvals, local partners, marketing and distribution, financing. 4. Brief characterisation of the role of the host country. For projects with currencies that are not completely freely convertible: description of the measures to avoid convertibility and transfer risk (including escrow accounts). 5. Schematic representation of the contract structure and the significant existing or intended contractual relationships and security. 6.List of references of the general contractor and/or most important suppliers as far as known; list of references of comparable projects to document the proven technological feasibility and the experience in the sector and host country. 7.Information on operator/management company: Company history, ownership, core activities, list of references, documentation of relevant experience in industry and host country. 8.Independent feasibility study reporting on the project’s economic and financial viability and political and environmental acceptability. Information on the level of expertise of the advisers/experts used in terms of subject area and geographic region, as it relates to the project (list of references). 9.The following information, if not already included in the feasibility study: a) Technical description, flow sheet, layout b) Detailed derivation of estimated operating costs (price and quantity details) c)Procurement situation for raw materials and supplies, including corresponding contract documents d) Description of the management, training of staff, staff costs and qualifications e) Environmental aspects, environmental impact assessment report, required environmental approvals and environmental measures, general description of location and emphasis on its specific relevant features, socio-economic and socio-cultural aspects. Also see our detailed requirements for the environmental review. f) Discussion of the amounts and appropriateness of the investment value and the risks regarding time and cost overruns. g) Timetable for construction and commissioning, milestones h) Market information on the project’s products/services, including the price and volume trends for the past 5 to 10 years; competitive situation, current and future supply and demand situation; forecast, identification and geographic location of main customers; marketing and logistics strategy; description of the planned marketing activities and off-take agreements (e.g. take-or-pay agreements) i) Detailed project costs, broken down by main categories of the key construction and commissioning cost items, interest over construction period, financing of working capital j) Projected procurement of funds, including source, amount, currency, time of input k) Cash flow projection over the repayment term of the requested export-credit-insured loan (including sensitivity analysis: a realistic base scenario, an optimistic and a pessimistic scenario), explanation of how any cash deficits will be covered l) Derivation and assumptions of the cash flow projection, including basis for sales quantity and prices, operating and administrative expenses, depreciation, amortization and impairment losses, taxes, inflation, exchange rate movements, export licenses, influence of local government. Check List for Project Finance. (2016, Oct 02).

Erich von Daniken claims that Egyptians did not have the technology or Term Paper

Erich von Daniken claims that Egyptians did not have the technology or manpower to build the great pyramids of Egypt. Is this an - Term Paper Example 1) Arguments in Support Erich von Daniken hypothesized that the monuments left behind by ancient civilizations show a level of technology and cultural and political organization of which those cultures were not by themselves capable of. He concluded that in these monuments, we can see the signs of extraterrestrial influence, with ancient astronauts making contact with these people, and being welcomed by them as divinities. He sees the physical presence of such unique artifacts as the pyramids of Egypt, the major stone circles of northern Europe, and the Maoi of Easter Island, as firm evidence for such theories. He even sees some patterns and signs on the world’s surface as evidence of runways and landing strips. Furthermore, von Daniken claims that we can see the enduring influence of these other worldly visitors in the artwork and customs of these peoples. For example, he suggested in more than one book that the practice of mummification in Egypt was developed so that the bod ies of notables could be preserved, awaiting resurrection by the extraterrestrial visitors when they next came to call. Likewise, he saw in ancient Egyptian visual representations some sign of these visitors being immortalized in the local pantheon. Von Daniken, on looking over the immense achievement represented by the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza, could not believe that the Egyptians, with the primitive technologies of the time, would have been capable of moving the huge blocks of stone into place. He wrote of the ‘heave-ho’ proposed by ‘people with lively imaginations’ (1971: 114) and stated his belief that some technology not indigenous to Egypt must have been used, choosing to entitle his chapter on the subject, ‘Ancient Marvels or Space Travel Centres?’. Furthermore, given that von Daniken believed that each of the large blocks of masonry weighed a staggering 12 tons, he could not conceive that any method known to the Egyptians of the t ime would have been sufficient to move them up into the air and then place them atop each other (1971: 101). As he looked around the local environment, with the desert on one side and the alluvial flood plain of the Nile on the other, von Daniken was struck by the scarce presence of wood in the region, and the large quantities of wood that would have been needed in building the pyramids. He stated that the palms that did exist in the area were much too valuable to fell because of their importance in providing shade, and dates for nutrition. Therefore, having established that large quantities of wood would have needed to be imported from abroad in order to build these structures, von Daniken believed that Egypt at the time of the pyramids had not sufficient tonnage of shipping to bring in the required quantities. He therefore saw the hand of an external power with more advanced technologies in completing the pyramids. Von Daniken also found what he considered to be some intriguing ma thematical aspects to the construction of the Great Pyramid. He asked, for example, ‘Is it really a coincidence that the height of the Pyramid of Cheops [Khufu] multiplied by 1,000 million corresponds approximately to the distance between the earth and the sun? That is to say, 93 million miles’ (1971: 99). Such arguments are interesting, but we will consider below the arbitrary nature of such arguments, which make it

Biogeochemical Cycles Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Biogeochemical Cycles - Research Paper Example le covers different regions from ocean to sky to earth and it covers all the Earth systems such as atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere. â€Å"The movement of water in the hydrological cycle extends through the four parts of the total Earth system—atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere—and strongly depends on the local peculiarities of these systems.† (Kuchment, 2004, p 2). The importance of the hydrological cycle to life’s processes is generally recognized as all living organisms, including humans, depend on the hydrologic cycle for water and different activities of humans such as drinking, respiration, perspiration, and elimination of wastes form part of this cycle. Significantly, human activities have a great impact on the functionality of the hydrological cycle and those activities that change the land cover of river basins and are aimed at regulating the water fluxes in nature can greatly change the hydrological cycle of th e separate river basins, and even of large regions. â€Å"Due to human activities, the natural hydrological cycle of most river basins is becoming more and more transformed and regimented†¦ The major effects of reservoir construction on the hydrological cycle (excepting runoff control) are an increase of evaporation and a rise of groundwater table.† (Kuchment, 2004, p 30). Similarly, the impact of irrigation on the hydrological cycle is especially informative in the arid regions, although it is also substantial in regions with moderate climate where irrigation is of supplementary character. In conclusion, human activities have a great impact on the functionality of the hydrological cycle. Kuchment, Lev S. (2004). â€Å"The Hydrological Cycle and Human Impact on it.† Water Resources Management. Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems. p 2. Retrieved 07 October, 2009, from

A Personal Narrative on How Important an Higher Education Is Essay

A Personal Narrative on How Important an Higher Education Is - Essay Example BODY 1 1. University policies explains what should take place on arrival of new students 2 i) Orientation is the first program me in the admission policy ii) We have advanced on how to fit the higher education system iii) From my Kisii community woman does not have a right iv) University policies of gender violence, affirmative act and sexual harassment were explained. I found it disturbing to Condon cheeky ladies vi) The dean of students gives an example of two students who were expelled B. I learnt of the need to conform to the policies BODY 2 1. The university hostel rule allow students to randomly selected 2. I) John I came from the same tribe ii) John differed with one of the roommates iii) John fell down due to illness iv) John fell due to illness v) I helped him but the Dholuo roommate did more help. v) Brian provides his traditional knowledge of the ailment and solved the problem vi) I learnt that every culture was of co-importance with its practioners. 3. I realized the impo rtance of accommodation rule E. BODY 3 1. The course lecturers and the content deliver had an impact 2. i) the professional terms referred to the lecturers were motivational ii) Their art of teaching did more good that damage iii) A Sociology lecturer answered questioned rerating to culture. iv) This encouraged me to be like him v) I took advantage of the available cultures to learn and appreciate them. vi) I started to befriend everybody irrespective of culture. 4. To promote cultural appreciation I participated in exchange programs BODY 4 1. The university programmes which promoted cultural festivities 2. I) in October, the university cultural exchange promoted understanding ii) Local and international cultural exchange promoted understanding iii) International students performed colonial related drama. iv). Public speaking promoted political understanding v) I also learnt on the cultural talents of sports and games vi). Cultural ceremonies too promote talents 3. Through the cultu re week program, I discovered my community hidden talent CONCLUSION I) Higher education is designed to promote peace II) There is need to educate all the stake holders on the need to accommodate all cultures. Introduction Since the onset of my life I never knew of other God granted opportunities that would enable me to travel to other parts of the world leave alone my own country. I grew up in a village where nobody knew about the neighbor on ethnicity and tribalism. I only knew of my local primary and secondary schools where I footed to every morning. My remote village remained a reserve as described by the colonial man who first ignited the fire of racism On my second last year in high school, my teachers explained to us the necessity of working hard to serve a chance in any government institution of higher learning. It is from the sharp but harmless words of Mr. Kill that I gained my mental and emotional stigma of excellence I passed well. In September 2009, I joined the internat ional university of Kenyatta where I found it difficult to adopt the new environment, full of cultural confusion, people like me described it as â€Å"unethical meeting our tribal enemies whose contact was viewed as a curse. Though higher education is seen to advance knowledge, it also promotes unity and cohesion in its policies, programmes, courses, rules, exchange programs

Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Essay

Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 - Essay Example The HSWA 1974 is divided into four key parts, and it is also divided into various sections. Part one of the Act focuses on the Health &Safety Commission and Executive, the general duties of the act, enforcement and penalties, codes of practice, and the power of making regulations. The second part of the act deals with the establishment of the employment medical advisory service. Part three on the other hand does the relations of the act to the building regulations. Finally, the forth part of the act does the coverage of other general issues and various amendments (Bennett 2012, p. 102).The 37th section of this legislation covers prosecution of managers/ directors, which is the main focus of this essay. The essay seeks to discuss the development of section 37 of the legislation analyzing the circumstance under which it operates. It also seeks to take considerations if the use of the legislation gives an effective mechanism for imposing secondary liability. Section 37(1) of the 1974 Ac t gives directives for the prosecution of managers/ directors. Section 37 of the HSWA States that in case a health and safety harm occurs to employees with the consent or connivance of a manager or director, then the manager or director together with the organization should be prosecuted under this particular section of the HSWA Act (Lofstedt 2011, p. 73). The section directs that employers should ensure that the safety and health of their employees is not affected by the work they do. Once the workers are affected by the kind of work they do in an industry in terms of their health and safety, then the act stipulates that the managers or directors be prosecuted. The act also tends to cover the employees’ duties at the work place. Employees in their duties at the work place are expected to take much care for good of their own safety and health and that of others who may be at risk of being affected by their acts. Employees are also expected to co-operate with their employers a nd other people at their work places when they are carrying out their statutory obligations (Lofstedt 2011, p. 73). The Health and Safety at Work act of 1974 provides that every organization or industry should have clearly stipulated health and safety policy if it has employed five and above employees. The organizations are also required to carry out assessments on their workers, partners, customers, and any other individual who may be at risk of being affected by the activities carried out by the organizations. The act also requires the organizations to have full access to health and safety advice that is competent. This is for the protection of its people or the staff members who may be affected by the activities carried out by the organization in terms of health and safety (Lofstedt 2011, p. 73). The HSWA act works alongside other regulations and Legislations in protection of health and safety of the workers. The Factories Act of 1961 and the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises A ct of 1963 are examples of Legislations that work alongside the HSWA act of 1974. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations of 1994, and the Health and Safety Regulations of 1992 are among the regulations that are operated together with the HSWA act of 1974 (Smith, 1998). In its other provisions, the act requires that employers have a working environment that is safe in operation and maintenance to avoid any harm related to health and saf

Victoria Chemicals plc-Merseyside and Rotterdam Projects Case Study

Victoria Chemicals plc-Merseyside and Rotterdam Projects - Case Study Example James Fawn the vice president of the Intermediate Chemicals Group (ICG) and John Camperdown, the financial analyst met to review the two projects. The proposals submitted by plant managers from both Liverpool and Rotterdam required an expansion of the polypropylene output of the respective plants by 7%. The strategic analysts in Victoria Chemicals held the view that an increase in polypropylene by 14% would not make sense though a 7% would do. This would compel them to approve one of the projects. The rational analytical process to use in extricating the ambiguities of the present measures of investment attractiveness of the two projects will be done through a thorough analysis and evaluation in terms of their net present value, payback, growth in earnings per share and internal rate of return to determine which of them is attractive for investment. After the evaluation, the best project based on its attractiveness will be chosen. 1. The proposal from Merseyside, Liverpool This proje ct would retain its flexibility in order to add technology in the future. The investment criterion for this project is as follows: Average annual addition to EPS GBP 0.22 Payback period 3.8 years Net Present Value GBP 10.5 million Internal rate of return 24% The contribution to net income for the project is a positive one. This is based on the calculation carried out by the average annual earnings per share contribution of the project over the economic life of the project using the number of outstanding shares at the recent financial year. The payback period which is the number of years which are necessary for free cash flow of the project to amortize the initial project outlay completely for the project is within the maximum payback period which is six years. The Net Present Value of the company is positive an indication of a better performing project. The internal rate of return of the project which is 24% is more than 10% and this is an indication of how attractive the project is . A summary of the performance of the Merseyside project is as follows 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Output 267,500 267,500 267,500 267,500 267,500 New Gross Profit 21.72 24.83 24.83 24.83 24.93 Old output 250,000 250,000 250,000 250,000 250,000 Free cash flow 1.27 3.92 3.86 3.77 3.08 Incremental gross profit 2.32 5.42 5.42 5.42 5.42 Based on the above analysis, it is quite evident that Merseyside project is quite attractive in terms of its performance and this makes it a good project for investment. The Merseyside project will be of great help to Victoria Chemicals as it would lead to an increase in free cash flow, increase in gross profit and increase in output for the company. The increase in output would see the company operate in full efficiency and to remain competitive in the market. Even though the Merseyside project seems promising in terms of output and return, the plant operations will be disrupted in the course of upgrading the technology in the company which will then affect the total output of the company. The period at which the plant will not be operating will mean that the company will temporarily lose its business from the close of the customers. The temporal close of business and clients may be a cost to pay by the company as it may end up losing the customers due to the inconveniences caused. The table below shows the assumptions made towards the DCF Analysis of the Merseyside Project: Annual output in metric tons 250,000 Output gain 7% Gross margin rate 12.5% The gross margin rate and the output gain are standard and this means that the company (Victoria Chemicals) will not take a long time before it enjoys the full benefits of the investment. This

Student's Post Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Student's Post - Research Paper Example Empowering leaders to mould employees’ behavior, according to Johnson, however, offers an effective approach to ensuring employees’ safety (2009). I also concur with your opinion that employees should be recognized for both their jobs and their outstanding performances because of the competitive rewards and benefits’ trend in the job market (Fay, 2009). Your post therefore succeeds in identifying significance of leadership, at different levels of an organization’s human resource, in ensuring personnel’s safety and maintaining their potentials. You offer an explorative discussion that answers the question, ‘how can managers maintain a cohesive and effective human resource base?’ This is an important question in the extremely competitive business environment in which poorly managed human resource may lead to high rates of mobility or inefficiency in workers’ output. It is therefore important that managers consider all stakeholders, including labor unions in making human resource management decisions. A leadership approach is, however, necessary in ensuring that employees utilize available empowerment programs (Johnson, 2009). Your critique of organizations’ poor approach to rewards and benefits is also important to human resource managers because employees’ motivation also depends on their knowledge of the market trends of rewards and benefits (Fay,

Global Supply Chain Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global Supply Chain Management - Assignment Example It is therefore, of importance that all parties, that are inclusive in the supply chain, play their role to the best of their ability in ensuring that the consumer says safe. This ensures that all products that run across supply chains bypass safety and security measures instituted by the members of the supply chain (Nuttall 2013, p. 221). However, like it is in most cases, it is never done to the expectations of society. As such, the final product that reaches the final consumers is, more often than not, in a deplorable state in terms of safety with regard to human consumption. This is best exemplified by the case of horsemeat being passed off as healthy meat ready for human consumption. Such cases call for the restructuring of the pre-existing programs for safety assurance to be revised. The dire nature of the situation makes it an ivy issue to deal with. As such, this paper seeks to explicate on the problems charactering the current supply chain system, to provide solutions to the se problems as well as investigate on how supermarkets should prepare on the breakdown of the supply chains. It is undisputed that the horsemeat scandal has had adverse effects on the economy of the United Kingdom. One of these effects is the ruining of the reputations of otherwise stand-up companies and corporations. Most of these firms have been on record for having worked hard in order to realize the levels of success that characterizes their business models. Given the much effort invested by such companies, it might not be order for all of this to occur due to causes such as the inadequacy of the supply chain. The economic impact of this horse meat scandal has also resulted following a reduction in sales. It is probable that after such a scandal in a food commodity industry, the levels of sales are reduced. In certain cases, the level of drop can be catastrophic. Therefore, meat supply chain has its associated challenges worth analyzing and doing so would help outline past mista kes for correction purposes. This will fashion an enabling environment for the complete overhaul of the current policies governing this supply system. A number of well-known brands dealing with meat products have been adversely affected by this horse eat scandal. This is done with the hope that the consumer patterns of shopping have not been altered to the detriment of this industry. It is highly probable that consumers have already decided on purchasing less of processed meat, less of meals with ready meat and a significant number are contemplating the option of indulging vegetarian products. It can be argued that the scandal has provided vital lessons to the government, retailers and most of the entire food standard agency (De Haan, Groot, Loo and Ypenburg 2003, p. 82). The chain of responsibility is however long, and each party must be ready to accept liability accruing from the scandal. It is not surprising that the overall majority of customers cite the government as to blame. It is imperative to note that food fraud has been in existence since time immemorial. Human kind has been adulterated foodstuffs to suit their own selfish ambitions to the detriment of the health of the unsuspecting public. Laws instituted to curb against this vice have not deterred these crimes. A cause of the continuing food frauds might be attributed to the ongoing economic slump. The rise of the process of food commodities is

The Quality of Education in the Public School System Essay Example for Free

The Quality of Education in the Public School System Essay Basic education whether it is from a public or a private school is one of the most fundamental needs of mankind. It is responsible for the advancement of our civilization. Education is a vital necessity and the fundamental right of an individual. It is difficult to put a price tag for education. However, it can be said that education is the window to numerous opportunities and the most essential means of poverty elevation. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Everyone has the right to education Education shall be directed to the full development of human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. (art.26 Universal Declaration of Human Rights). Today’s education system has become an issue of debate especially between the public and the private school educational quality. Each and every parent has their own set of choices for their children. Many people opt for having a religious affiliation, for others the costs of private school may not be affordable (Public School Review n.pag). This paper compares the major differences between both public and the private schools and also gives a few recommendations of improving the quality of education in the public school system. If we take into consideration the cost involved in the public and the private schools, it can be noted that public schools are funded through federal, state and local taxes. For instance, when a person pays taxes to the government they are paying for their childs education and the education of other children in the community. On the other hand, private schools do not run on the tax revenues or any fund from the government.   Instead, these schools are funded through tuition, fundraising, donations and private grants. Therefore, when a parent has to send their child to school they compare the cost of education. If the parent is not financially capable to pay the fees for the private school, then obviously the parent opts for public schools where the fees structure is much less and compromise on the quality of education. In order to improve the quality of the public schools it is essential to increase the funding to these schools, improve the infrastructure and also increase the number of teaching faculty. When it comes to admission, public schools admit all children, and therefore these schools are multicultural in nature. As per the rules in most of the countries, public schools are open for all and must educate all children (Public Education Network n.pag). Private schools are selective in nature. For instance, schools managed by churches give preference to Christians. They are not compelled to accept every child by any rule. Today because of this reason private school admission is very competitive. It is therefore important that public schools need to continue and improve their multicultural nature and promote education among all communities equally. It is essential to recognize the diversity of groups and issues that are present in every town and city (Leistyna 1-23). Whether fair or not, educational opportunity and academic achievement are directly tied to the social divisions associated with race, ethnicity, gender, first language, and social class. The level and quality of educational attainment either open the doors to opportunity or close them. —Educational psychologist Edmund W. Gordon in The Covenant with Black America In general public schools offer subjects which usually includes math, English, reading, writing, science, history, physical education, music and arts. The substance of what children learn is mandated by the state and learning is measured through tests and examinations. In private schools these subjects are flexible for students. Besides the students are taught the curriculum using various effective techniques such as take children on extended outdoor trips that blend lessons across the curriculum. Such innovative trips increase the practical knowledge of the students. Private schools are not bound by any rules and therefore they can create their own curriculum and assessment systems. In order to improve the public schools it is important to take some of the special teaching techniques followed by the private schools (GreatSchools.net n.pag). In terms of the teaching faculty it is a well known fact that the teachers in public schools are usually state certified or, at least working toward certification. Public school teachers need compulsory college degrees and to be licensed by the state (Broward County Public Schools n.pag). Qualified teachers with certification ensure that they have gone through the training required by the state, which includes student teaching and coursework. However, this is lacking in a private schools. Teachers in private schools may not be required to have certification but often have good subject area expertise and an undergraduate or graduate degree in the subject they teach. It is important to maintain the standards of payment in public and private schools because teachers also need to maintain high standards of living. Private schools are usually committed to providing attention to each and every child individually and therefore keep the class size small. Many parents choose private schools for this reason. In public schools though many states recognize the value of small classes, they are unable to do so because of overcrowding and lack of good infrastructure especially in large school districts and urban schools (GreatSchools.net n.pag). As a result teachers cannot give equal attention to individual students or for students with special needs. It is essential therefore to decrease the size of classes in public schools to improve the quality of education. Finally, it can be said that in order to improve the public education system, it is essential to equitably allocate resources. For instance, educational and administrative staffing ratios show how many students per teacher or per administrator are in each school. Work Cited    Public School Review, Public School vs. Private School (2007) Public School Review LLC. 21 October 2007, http://www.publicschoolreview.com/private-public-schools.php Public Education Network, Public Schools Must Be Held Accountable, Americans Say (26 July 2007) 21 October 2007, http://www.publiceducation.org/doc/Press_Releases/20070726_Public.doc Leistyna, P. Extending the Possibilities of Multicultural Community Partnerships in Urban Public Schools, The Urban Review, Volume 34, Number 1 / March, 2002, pp 1-23. GreatSchools.net, Private vs. Public Schools: Whats the Difference? (February 2007) GreatSchools Staff, 21 October 2007, http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticlefeature/ca/197 Broward County Public Schools, Public Vs. Private Education 21 October 2007, http://www.browardschools.com/info/education.htm

Italy between 1918 and 1929 Essay Example for Free

Italy between 1918 and 1929 Essay Fascism was born with an ambiguous face, surging from socialist ideas developed in a strong nationalistic way, embracing monarchy and free-trade; it also had expansionist policies. Mussolini himself was in fact socialist, but as his party was not getting as many votes as he expected he shifted to fascism, but reluctantly breaking his links with socialism. The rise and the consolidation of power was done in a superficially legal manner, but a party led by a dictator needs a harsh rule to stay in power and be to some extent ruthless to bring order something Europe needed, specially after the mess created by World War One. By 1900 the process of unification in Italy, the Risorgimento, had largely been completed territorially, but not in any other respect. The vast majority of the population still felt no real attachment to Italy at all, as a result of Italys continuing weakness as a cultural, industrial, military, and colonial power compared to older European states. This resulted in a deepening national inferiority complex and led to various projects for the renewal of nationalism, both from the extreme left and the extreme right. Italy was promised land in the war and joined at the side of the Allies, but in the end it did not gained what it was promised and this was known as the mutilated victory. The political sphere indicated the government in power was vulnerable, the Italians blamed the government for it did not take a stronger stand. Economically, Italy was in a great (fake, as it was believed it was about to collapse) boom. The North seemed to be booming more than the south. The fear of a communist revolution seemed to have given Mussolini an increasing amount of supporters such as the wealthy (who were afraid of the end of private property), the agrari fascists, richer peasants, estate managers and urban professionals joined the communists in a struggle against the revolution. Fascism survived the 1919 crisis due to the Wealthy Milanese help and the unsuccessful anti-fascist general strike in 1922 launched by the socialists. Still, the PNF (Partio Nazionale Fascista) was not able to win power legally so it was decided to promote the March on Rome, ill armed (they could have easily smashed). The King feared the fascist bonds with the army would drive the country into a civil war and gave Mussolini  the Prime Minister post. After 1922 Mussolinis role was to consolidate his power. In the beginning, however, he decided to slowly ensure his power rather than start a complete political revolution, so not to lose the power he now had. To make fascism stronger a combination of elements was necessary: The ras (headed extensive fascist organizations), the fascist left'(ex-syndicalists seeking popular enthusiasm through a national syndicalistic state), the fascist technocrats (who saw fascism as an elitist, modernizing force, nationalists (pushed fascism to a more pro-capitalist and imperialist way) and the conservatives (wanted the party to gain power as well and defended the social-political status-quo). These pressured Mussolini for a complete fascist takeover. It meant Mussolini had to tighten control over the ras and other rebellious supporters. To do so he created the Fascist Grand Council, what strengthened even more the partys position. In the 1923, in an electoral reform, the Acerbo Law was designed. This would give the leading party at the general election two-thirds of the parliamentary seats. At the April 1924 elections fascism led the way. The Acerbo Law proved to be useless as the fascist party legally got the two-thirds seats. It is believed, however that many of the votes were gotten with the use of violence and bribery from the fascist side. This same year a scandal about the Matteotti murder involving fascist came to public notice. It consisted the murder of a socialist murdered by fascists, increasing the anti-fascist movements and making Mussolini more vulnerable. Many boycotted the parliament Aventine Cexxession (what in the end was, in the end, positive for Mussolini) The ras (at this point made consuls), threatened to take Mussolinis position if a move towards dictatorship was not made and it was in 1925 that Mussolini made clear to the parliament (or what remained of it)his intentions as a dictator (the Fundamental Law was created). Even after the Matteotti crisis the King did not ask Mussolini to resign (willingness of conservatives to abandon the fascist movement fearing a left-wing revival). With his own words, Mussolini affirmed in 1925 that to go against him was to  go against the State, aiming at a totalitarian state. In 1927 a circular status that provisional prefects must obey, even by fascist was created and In 1928 the new Electoral Law was applied while the boycotting of the parliament was taking place. It meant that if one wished to become a member of the parliament, this person should first be accepted by the fascists. By 1929 Mussolini had an accumulation of offices 8 ministries. This is known as the Cult of the Duce (cult of leadership) and was given a major importance in the indoctrination process, in giving Italy a national identity. The educational system had a vital change text books became a state monopoly by 1936. two years later racism was thought in classrooms and one year later a fascist School Charter was created. Youth groups were created outside the school sector it was necessary to keep the young ones as far from the older generation as possible.  The older generation had more experience and could represent a threat to the regime. Culture was also controlled by the government. In 1925 a film institute was set up. In 1934 an office to Cinematography was established. The control of the press symbolized the major oppression freedom of expression was taken away from the Italians by 1926, when the Exceptional Decrees suppressed many papers. Two years later compulsory registration of all journalists with the Fascist Journalist Association became obligatory. Linked to the indoctrination process it is possible to see the coercion, the use of force. In 1926 the OVRA was set up and a Special Tribunal for the Defense of the State. The OVRA was the secret police, responsible to eliminate party traitors and enemies. Furthermore, Mussolinis image was essential for the party to maintain control and popularity over Italy. In 1929 the Lateran Pact would establish relations between the Catholic Church and the Italian State, securing wider acceptance of Mussolinis ruling. By this date the fascist dictatorship was reinforced by supporting a repressive legislation and this treaty would be significant to increase Mussolinis popularity and the support for his  regime thus securing his power. Mussolini promised to bring peace to Italy if possible by love, but if necessary by force as he said in a speech in parliament, which made clear the methods he used for consolidation. To conclude, Mussolini was undoubtedly a great speaker, and the Italians believed he would de the one to bring respect and importance to Italy in a world wide manner. Nevertheless, up to 1926 Mussolini was seeking power through aggressive ways to consolidate his power as quickly as possible, as his fellow communists pressured him to do. From this date onwards, he felt more secure and based himself on persuasive methods to stay in power. Squadristi violence was the most common among the fascists, but censorship can also be considered as an aggression towards the Italian people. Other parties were outlawed, alarming people of the danger to stand up against the party.

The Importance Of Online Reviews

The Importance Of Online Reviews In the wake of digital age, the internet offers a relatively complete and comprehensive environment for people all over the world to communicate and share information. The form of film review is reforming as well. From traditional critics of experts to review of ordinary audience (Awad, Dellarocas Zhang, 2004), cyber world offers a newly effective channel for audience sharing their comments about movies; cinema industry also encounters more challenges on box office from consumers (Boatwright, Kamakura Basuroy, 2005). For film industry, online review of critical audiences plays an important role. On one hand, the good comments of a movie can attract more audiences in general. On the other hand, the good comments do not necessary mean high box revenue and vice verse. The impact of film review has been proved by previous study on motion pictures (Litman, 1983; Eliashberg, Shugan, 1997; Basuroy, Chatterjee, Ravid, 2003; Desai, Basuroy, 2005; Gemser Gerda, 2007). However, most study tends to research film review from traditional critic review of journals or other form of articles while less study approach to the impact of online review on box office success. Within this paper, I approach to explore the correlation between the online review of new social media and the box office success of different types of movie. Although there are previous researches about the influence of online review on box office, those researches tend to study the whole catalog of film. In differ from previous research, the target of this paper is to find out to what extent online review could influence box office success and whether the impacts of different types of movies are the same. According to Gino and Ferrian research (2006), new social media can reflect the successful of the movie to a great extent. Audiences preferences and tastes can and stimulate final box office as much as the most positive comments from newspaper. Comparing with traditional media, such as articles written by critics or reporters on influential newspaper and magazine, obviously new social media is more powerful and covers a lager scope of audiences. By offering the opportunity to share preferences among ordinary audience, online movie database has established (www.IMDb.com). In the next couple of years, IMDb has expanded fast and became the best known platform for sharing information of the movie. The famous TOP 250 Movies list represents the best movies around. By cooperating with major film company and convenient operating platform, it has been recognized by both experts and audiences. The online ranking order of movies in IMDb, as the most direct and transparent approach to reflect th e positive or negative review of movie, is decided by normal audience worldwide. Due to the reliability and authoritative data of IMDb, this paper focus on online ranking order of IMDb. By dividing the first 100 movies of TOP 250 Movies into different catalogs which are artistic film and commercial film, the paper tests the correlation between the box office and the four independent box office drivers that are production budget, awards obtained, MAPP rating and online ranking order. In order to explore the correlation, this paper uses two equations for multiple regression analysis to test the possible difference between artistic film and commercial film by running SPSS. Comparing the results of outputs, there is statistical significance of both kinds of film. However, for artistic film, online ranking order has relatively less impact on box office while the most important determinant is awards. Meanwhile, the result of commercial film shows the strongest correlation between online ranking order and box office success comparing with other determinants. Thus, I con clude that higher online ranking order indicates higher box office of commercial film. As for artistic film, how many awards it obtained is the most important reason for box office. To be admitted, there are some limitations of the paper due to the small sample size of the research. Literature review 2.1 Artistic film and commercial film Film industry as an important part of creative industry has created huge fortune in both material and psychological of human contemporary history. Although there are plenty of types of movie and different catalog involved, considering the high marketing participation, film industry classifies two catalogs which can generalize all are types of movie. The two catalogs are labeled as major and independent films (Zuckerman Kim, 2003), or art house and mainstream films (Gemser, Oostrum Leenders, 2007). The reason of the different names attributes to the slightly difference about definition and criteria. However, those differences reflect the degree of artistic and commercial of a film (Bagella Becchetti, 1999). Thus, artistic and commercial film can be summarized as the most applicable assortment for film industry. Within this paper, I apply the concept of artistic film and commercial film on my research target since it is a relatively comprehensive classification. According to the author of Cinema of Outsiders: The Rise of American Independent Film, who had interviewed dozens of independent director and film researcher, whether a film could be defined as artistic or commercial film can be judged from two aspects. One is based on the way indies1 are financed, the other focuses on their spirit or vision (Emanuel Levy, 1999). The former concept refers to marketing issues including distribution and budget. While the latter one tends to be a abstract definition which is the fresh perspective, innovative spirit and personal vision that are determining factors. Since the concept is too ambiguous, the distinction between artistic film and commercial sometimes to be blurred to a great extent. Even a number of insiders of film industry tend to ignore the difference between artistic film and commercial film. Joseph Burstyn, a film distributor offered his point of view about artistic film. He said, I hate the expression art filmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ there are o nly two kinds, good films and bad films. Based on his opinion, there is no fixed meaning of art film. And obviously the concept of art film and commercial is flexible because of the increasing complexity of producing a film due to the financial issue of the film. Nevertheless, there still are certain standards for distinguishing artistic film and commercial film according to previous study. The factors might determine whether a film belongs to artistic film or commercial film refers to several more practical elements that contain production budget and advertizing effect (Geer, 1998), the participation of super stars and award-winning situation (Bagella Becchetti, 1999), the number of released screen (Reinstein Snyder, 2005), or the story line and the narrative structure of the movie (Bordwell Thompson, 2001). Those elements construct the standards of judging whether a movie is an artistic or a commercial one. And the two types of film construct the success of movie industry. Since there are different criteria of artistic film and commercial film, the box office success, the potential influence, and the reputation are distinct. Traditional concept about artistic film tends to be closed to the definition of independent movie which indicates independent production without any financial support of the eight major film company, MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer), Paramount, 20th century Fox, Warner Brothers, RKO (Radio-Keith-Orpheum), Universal, United Artists, Columbia Pictures (Levy, 2001). However, throughout the development of the century, the eight companies have been through broken, emerged and rebuilt. The concept is not suitable anymore. In my research, I only focus on the distinction of box office success between the artistic film and commercial film by texting different determinants of box revenue. In order to research the correlation between online review and different types of film, which are artistic film and commercial, I consider three elements which ar e production budget, language (English/non-English) and the number of released screen as the criteria that can classify all the films preciously into artistic film and commercial film. Since I conduct quantitative research in this paper, the three factors could offer a clarity standard for classifying artistic film and commercial film. 2.2 The function of film review First of all, film as information good has an important characteristic, which is experience good. The feature of experience good is that consumers must experience it before they know what it is (Hal, 1998). This factor results in a permanent problem which is incomplete pre-purchase information. Thus, reviews of film help overcoming this problem to a great extent. By providing evaluations and comments to potential consumers are ubiquitous in digital age (Hal, 1998). Although it is still a limited access for consumers getting to know the product, reviews play a curial role in the whole film industry, especially before video image became popular. Due to the importance of review in film industry, there are plenty of studies and researches about the influence of film reviews. To be more specific, most researches discover the relationship between reviews and box office success. And the result proved to be positive in most cases (Wyatt, 1991). Nevertheless, there are a number of different study implies opposite result of the correlation between box office success and positive review. Negative or positive review does not indicate the significant relationship between box office success and the movie performance. For instance, Transformer as one of the best known profitable series of film history did not earn too much positive review from professional experts or public. However, the worldwide box office of Transformer reached 836,297,228 US dollars worldwide, four times more than production budget, according to official data collection of IMDb. Most study about how review impacts box office tends to have the similar conclusion that there is significant-but-weak association between judgments of reviewers and box office success (Holbrook, 2007). Based on previous research, there is a significantly positive correlation between the average of ratings in two critical guidebooks and distribution rentals (Prag Casavant, 1994). On the other hand, there are evidence indicating a negative relation between the earnings of selected films and their critical evaluation, which could be explained by the application of technical and analytical considerations and stringent artistic standards in critical evaluations, whereas audiences looked simply for enjoyable entertainment (Hirschman Pieros, 1985). To explain the different result, there is the assumption that ordinary consumers like more accessible, realistic forms of entertainment, while professional critics give higher ratings to more complex, abstract, and intellectually demanding artwork (Holbrook, 1999). Despite of previous research on correlation between box office success and review, the perspective of the research is prone to focus on favorability of journalistic reviews or judgments of film experts (Prag Casavant, 1994). There are relatively less researches concerning about publics review. Due to the popularity of internet, audiences are able to share their review and preference through the internet instantly. Holbrook concludes audiences opinion towards motion picture as popular appeal which contains online rating and review. The popularity of online review is the nature consequence of digital age. Neoclassic theory emphases the importance of demand induces. As for film industry, companies pay attention on the importance of marketing power even more than products themselves (Belaux Marteaux, 2007). Thus, there has been a growing increase in the emphasis of web-related promotion for nowadays film industry (Zufryden, 2000). Zufryden (2000) did the research on the development and empirical testing of a variable mathematical model approach for predicting a films box-office performance as a function of film website activity, as well as other relevant explanatory variables. The results of his study support the relative importance and statistical significance of website activity as a predictor of a new films box-office performance. In accordance with promotion of website, variables including screens, film grade, time from film release, production budget and seasonally were also found to be significant covariate s in the prediction of ticket sales during a films life cycle. Obviously, online review and ranking system account for an important part of variables that can influence box office success according to Zufrydens research. Moreover, Holbrook (1999) summarizes different types of film review according to multiple cultural markets of distinction (Hall, 1992): professional critics versus ordinary consumers, expert judgments versus popular appeal, extensive training versus naive appreciation, emphasis on aesthetics versus entertainment, genuine or pure versus commercial or commoditized art, highbrow versus lowbrow standards, elite versus mass tastes, legitimation versus market success, dominance via cultural capital versus economic capital, autonomous versus heteronomous principle, and restricted versus large-scale production. Own to those different concepts, film reviewers have their own opinions about certain film. The ordinary audience in question does not share in the relevant habits governing the dispositions that guide the professional critics standards of evaluation. Therefore, the different judgments from ordinary consumers are quite personal. However, the influence of those judgments can be differe d according to different tastes. Holbrook (1999) compared popular appeal representing ordinary consumers and expert judgment in order to analyze the most importance variable for box office success. The data Holbrook collected for conducting research focus on polls of film viewers. Since his paper has published in 1999, one year from the establishment of IMDB, the best popular internet movie database, which involves film grade and audiences review. Therefore, there is a gap of studying to what extent online review system can impact a films box office success. My research in this paper would try to fulfill this missing part. The development of IMDB The IMDB has become one of the most popular forums for on-line interaction. The popularity of a movie can be gauged by the number of votes. The establishing of IMDB can be trace back to the late 1980s and early 1990s. Col Needham, the founder of IMDB, created a database that sought to provide useful and up to date movie information online across as many platforms as possible (Dodds, 2006). Since the year of 1990, the technology of constructing web site has developed speedy. Col Needham as a big fan of movie believed that there should be a place in cyber world to offer a free land for sharing ordinary audiences comments2. Therefore, IMDB has been created and expanded quickly since then. Firstly, the IMBD includes new features such as votes awarded to individual films. Later in 1995, it was formally launched and the Amazon.com Company subsequently bought it in the 1998. The site has been further enhanced to allow for greater on-line interaction as well as additional features providing updates on movie releases and film gossip (Dodds, 2006). Till now, IMDB import Metacritic, a similar movie database but focus on judgment of professional movie review like authoritative movie magazines and journals. Although there is increasing number of competitive online movie database, IMDB is still the most reliable, recognizable, professional and comprehensive online movie community containing the largest users and offering the best platform for sharing information and interaction. The ranking system of IMDB represents audiences opinion. The famous Top 250 list indicates the best movie in the history throughout time, culture and races. And the option belongs to ordinary audience. The top 250 films are also based on a weighted rating formula referred to in actuarial science as a credibility formula (Norberg, 2007). In order to create a fair and reliable grading system, IMDB sets a formula to calculate the final result of the movie as the following equation: This formula is equivalent to a Bayesian posterior mean3. In this equation, represents weighted rating, which means final score of the movie. means rating, represents average for the movie as a number from 0 to 10 (mean). refers to number of votes for the movie, more votes represents more influence. indicates minimum votes required to be listed in the Top 250, the current entrance is 3000 votes. is the mean vote across the whole report (currently 6.9)4. Because of my research focus on box office success and online review while IMDB includes all the official data and information, I introduced the brief history of IMDB and rating equation in order to convince people the reliability of this database. Determinants of the successful box office success Investing film industry has been considered as higher risk business even more than stock. Pervious study indicates that only three to four out of ten movies could reach breaking even point, and about one out of ten becoming profitable at the box office success (Valenti, 2004). Although film producers make profit through various channels such as DVD sales and sound track CD or any other related business. Box office still accounts for the largest part of gross revenue for the film market. Furthermore, box office success has been related to the successful of the movie itself to a great extent. Talking about the standards of a good movie, there are diversity of criteria according to different scholar and the era they lived in. In the last century, three indicators of judging success of a movie which are the reviews of professional critics, the size of audience and industry recognition via awards (Hirschman Pieros, 1985). The relationship among the three indicators has certain order. Fir stly reviews of critics come out, followed by amount of audience and finally awards prove the success of the movie. Besides, the three indicators have inside impact on each other as well. As for the determinants of motion picture in the 21st century, there are a number of detailed factors from several disciplines have been used in the literature to understand and explain various aspects of motion picture success (Hennig-Thurau, Houston Walsh, 2007). In general, there are three groups of movie-success drivers have been recognized in this century. The three determinants are movie characteristics, post-filming marketing studio actions, and non-studio factors (Elberse Eliashberg, 2002; Hennig-Thurau, 2001). Movie characteristics refer to star power, director power, cultural familiarity, genre, and certification. However, the research of questioning whether star power related to a successful movie has been published (De Vany Walls, 1999). As for director power, so far there is no empi rical evidence about a successful movie on economy can be decided by director. The second determinant studio actions are the term including the production budget, marketing expenditures, timing, and the number of screens. Finally, non-studio factors contain reviews, awards, consumers perceived movie quality, and early box-office information. The Academy Awards tend to represent a compromise between art and commerce (Caves, 2000). Audiences review does ascend the movies opportunity on obtaining an award. In another word, audiences voice has equal importance as experts judgment. Sony picture indicates that the insiders of film industry believe that movie review is important for box office success (Terry, Butler Armond, 2005). Combining the indication of Sony, one of the largest film companies in the world, the output of commercial film tends to prove Sonys standpoint. Firstly, there is statistic significance according to the output. And R-square is 0.694 which indicates 69.4 percentages dependent variable, in this case, box office, can be explained by the four box office drivers. In another words, the four determinants are major drivers of box office for commercial film. Production budget still has less importance comparing with other independent variables. Meanwhile, awards have positive and strong impact on box office of commercial film as artistic film. However, table 6 shows that among the four elements, the strongest correlation exists between box office and online ranking order. For commercial film, online ranking is the strongest box office driver, f ar more than artistic film. Comparing the outputs of artistic film and commercial film, online ranking order has less influence on artistic film while the strongest determinants of commercial film. Meanwhile, the higher online ranking order do result in better box office success in both artistic film and commercial film. Especially, for commercial film, the recognition from audience attributes to box office to the largest extent. Although there are some distinguish cases, the tendency of impact of online ranking order is quite clear according to the research. Conclusion Summary Online ranking order as the direct and clarify symbol of online review provides important information for audience. This paper tests the correlation between online ranking order and box office success by comparing online ranking order with other determinants of box office. Throughout running multiple regression analysis in SPSS, the result indicates online ranking order has stronger impact on commercial film while less important for artistic film. However, high online ranking order contributes to higher box office in general for any kinds of movie. Limitations This paper only includes four major determinants of box office success. However, other determinants such as released screen, released date, star power and region are also contributing to the box office success. Due to the limited words and research time, there are more important indicators are excluded. Besides, the result could be less trusted and accurate because of relatively small sample size. Furthermore, due to the producing time of some movies are quite old, the lack of some data and currency rate might lead to different results slightly.

Landscape Architecture as a Profession :: Research

Landscape Architecture as a Profession A landscape architect is an individual who arranges and modifies the effects of natural scenery over a tract of land so as to produce the best aesthetic effect for the land's use. Landscape architecture is the design profession which applies artistic, cultural, and scientific knowledge to the design, planning, and development of the land. Landscape architects accept certain responsibilities related to the health and welfare of the public and are concerned with resource conservation of the land. The practice of landscape architecture requires an appreciation and understanding of natural and social processes, a creative imagination, and a commitment to preserve or improve the environment for human use and enjoyment. Landscape architects plan the most harmonious relationships between the land and the objects on it by proper combination of open space and planting, and by wise use of land formation (Concise 151). They may work on parks, gardens, housing projects, school campuses, golf courses, or airports. They begin a project by reviewing the needs and desires of the client. They study the site, mapping such features as the slope of the land, existing structures and the type of soil. They check local building codes and availability of utilities, make drawings which outline the work in detail, and draw up lists of materials to be used. They then invite bids from construction companies and landscape nursery companies. With the awarding of the contracts, their work may be finished, or they may stay on to supervise the work as their client’s representative (151). A major branch of landscape architecture, golf course architecture, integrates the skills of a landscape architect on a larger scale. The aim a golf course architect is to create a truly great golf course by utilizing to the fullest extent possible the potential of a promising piece of land (Golfplan 1). This potential is expressed in the site’s location, slope, vegetation, water features, soil types, climate and orientation. The role a golf course architect is the realization of this potential under the constraints of design criteria that separate the truly great golf course from the ordinary (1). Landscape architecture, the science and art of modifying land areas by organizing natural, cultivated, or constructed elements according to an aesthetic plan (Encarta 1). The elements include topographical features such as hills, valleys, rivers, and ponds; and growing things such as trees, shrubbery, grass, and flowers; and constructions such as buildings, terraces, roads, bridges, fountains, and statuary. No unalterable rules exist in landscape architecture because each plot of ground offers unique problems caused by variation in contour, climate, and surrounding areas

AIDS :: Free AIDS Essays

AIDS The United Nations AIDS organization released disturbing estimates Thursday of the seemingly relentless expansion of the HIV pandemic. At a time when many Americans are increasingly optimistic that state-of-the- art drug therapy might eliminate the virus, HIV is taking a heavy toll worldwide. According to the agency, every minute of every day somewhere in the world, six people become infected with HIV: 7,500 adults per day and 1,000 children. About 30 million people have acquired the virus during the last 15 years; 6.4 million of them have died of AIDS. Behind this mounting death count are the signs of growing social disruption. For example, in sub-Saharan Africa, more than 1 million children have lost their parents to AIDS. And within four years, there will be more than 2 million AIDS orphans in the following seven countries combined: Dominican Republic, Kenya, Rwanda, Thailand, Uganda, the United States, and Zambia. Illness and death among young adults due to HIV have reached such proportions in some countries that overall national economics and productivity are affected. In Uganda, for example, 44 percent of all premature deaths are attributable to AIDS. In terms of years of labor productivity, AIDS is responsible for more than 66 percent of Uganda's economically significant losses. The virus is also spreading into new areas. For example: -During the last three years, HIV-infection rates among Vietnamese prostitutes jumped from 9 percent to 38 percent. -Infection rates among blood donors in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh have soared from 0.1 percent to more than 10 percent. -In the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Nikolayev, HIV-infection rates among narcotics users exploded in 1995, jumping from a 1.7 percent in January to 56.5 percent in November. -South Africa, long spared, is now being overrun.

Vonneguts Changing Women :: essays research papers fc

Vonnegut's Changing Women What follows is an argument to the effect that, in the novels written before 1973, Vonnegut's female characters generally are presented negatively, either as pro-authority anti-individualists or as helpless or male-manipulated victims who never "grow" in either a personal or literary sense. In addition I maintain that, in at least two of Vonnegut's later novels, certain female characters exercise individuality in their own existences and effect positively the awareness and attitudes of male characters. From the beginning of Player Piano (1952) through Slaughterhouse Five (1969), Kurt Vonnegut describes the characters of his various worlds in terms of their victimization at the hands of a dehumanizing, or perhaps a better term might be "deindividualizing," technologically fixated, industrial/militaristic society. Time and time again in these novels the role of the individual is subsumed in the miasma that passes for "social responsibility." Like the real world in which every human being exists, Vonnegut's literary worlds feature nameless and faceless authorities (when such authorities are offered at all) who seem to be the masters in local, regional, global, and sometimes interstellar chess games. Often, as is the case in Vonnegut's 1951 "All the King's Men," these "manipulators" move their all-too-sentient pieces in what at times, for the victims, must seem to be diabolical--and what certainly are tragic--maneuvers. In The Sirens of Titan (1959) and Slaughterhouse Five the "accidental" nature or intergalactic point of view of the authority that seems to be "in charge of things" serves to distance humans from personal responsibility for the results of such maneuvering--as such results are described in the novels. In Sirens, for example, the inappropriate and often asinine behaviors of Malachi Constant are shown to be products of the direct influence of the Tralfamadorians who for millennia have manipulated human societies simply to communicate with a mechanized messenger shipwrecked on Saturn's largest moon. The same excuse can be made for the ultimate human manipulator in the novel, Winston Niles Rumfoord, as it can for the actions and attitudes of Bee, Rumfoord's wife and the mother of Constant's son, Chrono. That the communications sent to Salo on Titan consist of such inane and, given the non-human nature of the receiver, unimportant content as, "Be patient. We h aven't forgotten about you," and, "You will be on your way before you know it" (271), only makes more pathetic the fact that Tralfamadore has influenced directly the rise and fall of countless human civilizations in order to deliver such messages.

The Development of New Testament Canon

Describe the development of New Testament Canon in period of time studied (35 marks) The New Testament Canon is described by Princeton Online Dictionary as, â€Å"a collection of books accepted as Holy Scripture – the books of the Bible recognized by any Christian church as genuine and inspired. † Basically the Canon is a selection of books used by the Church for public worship and also the books which the Church acknowledge as inspired scripture normative for faith and practice.The term (the Greek ‘kanon’ means ‘reed’, which went on to mean ‘measuring rod’ and then finally the list written in the column) was coined by Christians, but the idea is found in Jewish sources – Rabbinic Judaism recognizes the twenty-four books of the Masoretic Text, commonly called the Hebrew Bible. Evidence suggests that the process of canonization occurred between 200 BC and AD 50, while the formation of the Christian Canon was not until the fir st and second centuries. These canonical books have been developed through debate and agreement by the religious authorities of their respective faiths.During the first and second centuries, there was not a Canon of Scripture set down as it is today; originally the information was passed by oral tradition, until they were written down as it became clearer that eye witnesses would all grow old and pass away. Firstly, it was the four Synoptic Gospels, and then around 85 AD, Paul’s letters were collected. However at this stage there was no sense of a Canon of Scripture, which is a closed list (which is books that cannot be added or removed).Marcion of Sinope was the first well-known heretic in the history of the early church, and he was the first Christian leader in recorded history to propose and delineate a canon (about 140 AD) which included 10 epistles from St. Paul as well as parts of the Gospel of Luke which today is known as the Gospel of Marcion – he famously atta cked the Gospel of Luke with a penknife, and left only the parts he agreed with. This dividing of the books was viewed as a heresy, and so the church felt they had to organize the books in the right way to defend Christianity.In the first and second century, the early church accepted the Hebrew canon of Scripture as authoritative, and this was an influence on the formation of the New Testament canon. The church felt that because they regularly read the Old Testament within worship, they needed to make a link to the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles. Surely these were authoritative enough to be included? Indeed, the teaching of Jesus was respected as much as the Old Testament, the Apostles writings too, especially after their death. Gradually, the term ‘Scriptures’ was used to group these books together.In 153 AD, Justin Martyr confirmed that the Gospels were read in the services in Rome, along with the Old Testament prophets, â€Å"†¦ the memoirs of the Apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits†¦ †. The main criterion to be included in the canon was apostolicity, and to gain this the books had to be written by or ‘sponsored’ by an Apostle, contain Christ-honoring content compatible with oral tradition and contain spiritually fruitful use of the books within the church from the Apostolic age onwards.Firstly, Paul’s letters were brought together at the end of the first century, and then the four synoptic gospels were added fifty years later. However John’s gospel took longer to be accepted, particularly by the Gnostics and then the Montanists. Papias, the Bishop of Hierapolis in 130 AD, witnessed the Apostolic credentials of the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, and near the end of the second century, Irenaeus spoke of the apostolic origins of all four when he said, â€Å"Matthew published his gospel among the Hebrews in their own tongue†¦Mark, the disciple and interpret er of Peter, himself handed down to us in writing the substance of Peter’s preaching. Luke, the follower of Paul, set down in a book the gospel preached by his teacher. Then John, the disciple of the Lord, who also leaned on his breast, himself produced his gospel†. In 200 AD, a canon list from this period was created and is now known as the Muratorian canon. It includes all the books accepted as Scripture by the Church at Rome, which includes the gospels, Acts, thirteen of Paul’s epistles, 1st and 2nd John, Jude and Revelation.Wright says, â€Å"Hebrews is missing altogether which is surprising since it was used by Clement of Rome a century earlier. † However he explains how it was not accepted in the West, probably due to doubts about who wrote it were brought forth by Montanist use. At this period, it was generally accepted that all New Testament books were included, except James, 2nd Peter, 2nd and 3rd John, Jude, Hebrews and Revelation (which was only partially excluded, as its apostolic origins were questioned).Within the third and fourth century, the position of the canon was strengthened. Apostolic Fathers, such as Tertullian, Clement and Origen all used the New Testament scriptures regularly in doctrinal discussion, and often commented on the books themselves. Eusebius tells us that the only books still disputed at the beginning of the fourth century were James, 2nd Peter, 2nd and 3rd John and Jude. â€Å"†¦ we must set in the first place the Holy quaternoin of the Gospels; which are followed by the book the Acts of the Apostles.After this, we must reckon the epistles of Paul; following which we must pronounce genuine the extant forms epistle of John, and likewise the epistle of Peter. After these we must place, if it really seems right, the Apocalypse of John†¦ there is the extant the epistle of James, and that of Jude; and the second epistle of Peter; and the second and third of John†¦ † However not e verybody agreed with the New Testament Canon – in the late second century, there was the production of several ‘acts’ of the Apostles which were not recorded in Acts.Furthermore, a number of ‘gospels’ appeared which included the childhood of Jesus, or the life of Pilate. However these were mainly imaginative and some originated from fringe Christian groups’ ideas, such as Docetists. However Irenaeus ruled out the possibility of there being more than four gospels by saying, â€Å"since†¦ there are four zones of the world in which we live, and four principal winds†¦ it is fitting that she (she church) should have four pillars, breathing incorruption on every side and vivifying men afresh. These ‘gospels’ included the gospels of Peter, Thomas and Matthias, and the Acts of Andrew and John. Eusebius said of the spurious writings, â€Å"none of these has been deemed worthy of any kind of mention in a treatise by a single mem ber of successive generations of churchmen; and the character of the style is also far removed from the apostolic manner, and the thought and purport of their contents is so absolutely out of the harmony with true orthodoxy as to establish the fact that they are certainly the forgeries of heretics†¦ To conclude, it is easy to see how the New Testament Canon developed over a period of four centuries. The canon list set out in detail in the Easter letter of Athanasius in 367 AD contains the 27 books to the exclusion of all others, however certain books such as Shepherd of Hermas and the Didache were permitted for private reading. Thus, while there was a good measure of debate in the Early Church over the New Testament canon, the major writings were accepted by almost all Christians by the middle of the third century.

Media Violence Essay

Introduction A consider of psychological enigmas be come up these days, especi entirelyy resuscitateing the new-madeer generation. The open watchman ship of idiot box, movies & playing boob tube games ingrain new baberen with the pugnacity & idle thrust of the argue. It has been deduced through extensive seek that churlren who assimilate to a greater extent media abandon ar to a greater extent verbally & somaticly militant befitting to a greater extent anti social as the courses pass.Media furiousness painting is expound as a essay of infection federal senescent for militant beliefs and behaviors, and it is argued that media military unit mental picture in combination with some other risk f rat upors for aggression (e.g., hostile attri unlession bias, sex, prior aggression) skunk produce an case greater than either single risk accompanimentor alone. (For how constantly re pull in Gentile et al 2004) Psychologists soak up been conducting searches to pick out more(prenominal) than near the physical & mental personal personal set up of forcefulness through media. The intense & antagonistic melody, lyrics & paintings affect the display audience most controvertly regardless of their eld. plane the car in additionns which atomic number 18 meant purely for childrens forming relieve oneself turned belligerent & boisterous. In classrooms students argon quarterting into fights with co- students & forming cliques comprising of most general & un- popular students all derived from the latest TV series. This impact is seen in girls more than in boys however the boys be more into the war-ridden attitudes physically.The matters to be discussed argonHow the media affects the minds of immature children?What travel ar macrocosm findn by the p arnts to control these consequences?What measures be the media related good deal victorious so as to send out less military force in TV shows?The governm ent & officials dealingss to solve this problem?The problems occurring out-of-pocket to this social learning a process where an individual learns by observation & imitating others instead of ones knowledge experiences, by moving-picture show to TV craze in the primeval years are numerous. some(a) master(prenominal) points to be extravagantlylighted areDiminishing of the forced concern for anothers suffering.Losing the esthesia towards violence & aggression by beseeming habitual.Imitating the red-faced acts as seen in the movie.Exhibiting a hostile attitude towards others.Prevalence of risk factor Due to the avail powerfulness of numerous media options exchangeable c qualified goggle box, DVDs, & the ever progressing ikon games. Unlimited conviction is existence fagged in watching cartoon & light movies, which are seemly more sadistic as the technology advances generating a number of behavioral, social & e deedal problems. At generation the media simply provide a roaring to an already disturbed child under(a) straining due to family or instruct troubles. a great deal it ca practises severe psychotic disorders & permeant incremental disorders with a truly unkept frequency which decline abouts it difficult to identify the main causes. (Merrell K. 1999)Description of risk factor at opposite ages The risk factors in media violence are numerous an(prenominal) & observed other than at each age aim & also gender wise. A research concluded at 99% of Ameri git families have tvs at home, 87% a VCR, 54% children have televisions & moving-picture show games in their own bedrooms. Average time an Ameri stern child spends per day, in becharming different types of media is 6 hours & 43 smalls of which 90 minutes each day is played out in playing video games. This deduces that they consider double the amount of time in watching TV & playing video games then they spend at cultivate annually. Children are more a good deal than not fa scinated by the fantasies & stories therefrom fondness based games are the most popular among kids. The total inclination of the profit earned by the video games industry is a whopping $ 10 billion dollars a year, even hybrid the gross of the ever popular motion pictures. It has not yet been deduced how the media violence effectuate infants moreover it may cause them to obey behaviors in a minimal manner, from what they grasp. special Kly the counter ship becomes stronger when they reach the age of two & a half or above. Thats the time when they commence the ability to grasp the right meaning of what they view on television & then comprise it in their consummations. The children of age group 6 8 are most possible to be fascinated by what they view on media. They do not have the experience & maturity to characterize amidst the real life & fantasy hence they feel infatuated by the false characters & try to imitate their actions verbally & physically. numerous childre n, when asked what they want to be when they grow up, serve up mostly the names of superheroes they watch & applaud on TV exchangeable pane or batman.When the movie superman was released many children tried to copy the flying act by tying a cape around their neck & jumping from a high schooltimeer place. This ended up in a number of casualties & therefore thwarting on not being able to carry out the task, which the superman so flawlessly renders. This is not an only mannequin the horror movies children view also execute negative personal effects in the young minds. When the movie Childs play was released, a colossal number of children threw away their dolls & had countless nightmares by imagining the face of chucky the evil doll & judgement scared. The young age is open to supernatural ideas & fantasies. They consider the on-screen violence as reality, this though process gradually develops as the child ages & the difference between reality & fantasy diminishes. The TV i s taking over the family moments. This development is progressing with great pace which is an thoroughly stark issue & needs to be tackled & controlled by the parents & with the collaboration of the media related mess. The media viewing habits that the children develop at an early stage persuade their life throughout the ages. The inspiration they take from the fast paced & colorful cartoons & movies give go into a tone of aggression at a premature take. The exploring prissyty of young minds fosters them to learn the wild actions of the characters & emulate them themselves. This mark is pull ahead highlighted by the intense sounds & music supporting the movie.Theory The reality & pastime level of the violence creates de-sensitization. It is a feeling when the individual, loses the feeling of compassion or sensitivity & becomes oblivious to the violence being broadcasted in front of him. This process is cemented by the high levels of picturals being used in video games & movies these days. The points or rewards on killing, ancestry showing & personate mutilation in video games are considered as radiation pattern undertakings. slump is considered to be the major psychiatric disorder of the 20th century. (M. Abdel et al, 2006) This problem is becoming common in young children as well, mostly appearing during the teenage years, it intervenes with a childs psychological, social & academic run evoking a suicidal behavior. The signs are often showcased by a child submit frustration & low tolerance.Various factors are materializing due to the media violence exposure in childrenEpidemiologists who have been aiming the factors of violence & other common social issues discovered that exposure to impetuous media played a resilient part in 10,000 homicides committed in the United States of America last year (E. Cook, 2000)Individuals preferring heavy metal music are more subjective to psychological disarray, meaning exploitation, & suicidal risk in the extreme stage during adolescence.The effects of interactive media like internet & video games are more enduring & persuasive on violent behavior than passive media like television as they have increased levels of aggression & hostility having a trend to off the individual insensitive to violence.An inclination towards apply drugs & indulging in unsafe sex, add to the widely spreading diseases like human immunodeficiency virus aids, skunkcer of different types.Specific effects on children/adolescentsThe students of middle school or high school, around the age of 12 to 17 are very more than(prenominal) capable of theoretical thinking & elucidation. so far, when undefended to the world of media they do not put on these mental abilities, make them as attached to media violence effects as junior children. By this age they capture much independence by the parents, thus make them highly vulnerable to in take into account media. This is more compelling for boys than in girls however, girls too are being captivated into the akin habits nowadays. They indulge in viewing media dealing issues in negative ways including earthshaking music videos, horror & often richly grown fill. A research conducted by the of capital of the United States epidemiologist Brandon Centerwall, evaluated that among one- quarter & one- third convicted young antheral criminals had consciously imitated the violent techniques they had seen on television.(Tepperman) round percentage of youngsters both(prenominal) male & females who associate degree the media fill with real life are more prone to becoming aggressive later in life, however they are less prone to identify with television characters & doubt the reality of media at this age as compared to younger children. Whereas younger children, are much enthralled & captivated by the aggressive heroes depicted in the media. overweening exposure to strong media generates some grouchy effects on children likeThe violent behavior susceptibility perceive them into becoming attackers.It may induce fear in the individual hence creating a used effect.The excessive viewing of violent message may make them insensitive & ruthless to the belligerence happening around them in media or in real life.It can make them ambitious for yet more aggression & violence by creating an effect of negative desire. The children studying at principal(a) school level are very keen in recognizing patterns of the actions depicted in media especially cartoons which appeal to them the most. Their cognitive abilities make it a grave period to make conjectures about the vociferous content & see motivations of the characters. The society should show some concern to the risks encompassed & being spread through media. The fact that a young mind learns & develops aggressive behavior & later becomes desensitized to it has been proven by a number of scientific researches. The violence itself is not the attraction for younger child ren, the graphic content & dramatic production features set up the hype. As young as preschool students view cartoons like Pokemon which has been banned fore discharge in many countries due to its violent theme. The children not just enjoy the cartoons they get the merchandise & games of their favorite show as well. Another factor that appears here is when the families who cannot turn over such extravagance fail to travel along with the Childs demands it creates a sense of severance in him or her. This might induce him to appropriate or get into fights so as to hide this feeling. It has been noted by parents & teachers alike, that when preschooler watch any stimulating action oriented content, they become more aggressive in their play. The teenagers have a sensibility to confront conventional authority fashioning them vulnerable to interpret some television violence & especially expos of suicide & murders. interrogation findings If we observe the attestator ship of program s like MTV & WWE containing explicit matter, it is clear that children most expose to these programs are verbally & physically more aggressive & anti social. Children viewing WWE are physically more violent & get into more fights at school.Both the viewing audience showed decline in school grades. Girls surprisingly have a higher tendency than boys to get into fights. The steps that appear in children exposed to violence on media making them most likely to imitate it areIdentification with the hero & the program itself.Fantasizing about the program & creating ones own stories on its bases.The aptitude to commit the act. picture and protective factor The expansion of childrens media started in the early 1940s & up till now comprises of television, video tapes, DVDs, electronic games, interactive soft wares. The visual media has flourished more as compared to the print media like funny & story books. The 1990s saw a transformation of media into a more violent & physically aggressi ve medium. The rating establishment that they used to label the content has not been implemented properly thus excite the risk of violence in young children, often traumatizing them & touch on their judgmental qualities.The media portrays false concepts regarding beauty & physical appearances as gross sales tactics. This is perceived by the young minds in a negative way propellant them to opt for unhealthy diets & suffer body disorders & psychological effects when they are unable(p) to attain that look. Minimum 20 hours per week are dog-tired in television viewing by an average American child not counting the time spent on movies, music, video games & Internet. This friendship with media is promoting inactivity the children. Less time is spent on studies & social life. The parents use the TV as a way to get the children out of the way. Especially mothers so they can complete housework with ease. The use of baccy, inebriant & illicit drugs is jibeed as high glamour in t he media. The characters of the movies or TV shows often shown indulging in them. (Clark, 2007) $6 billion & $2 billion dollars are spent annually by the tobacco & alcohol manufactures respectively in announce their product. Educational messages are also broadcasted but on a much little scale. Repeated viewing of the harmful content has been noted to lower emotional chemical reaction to violence & increase hostility in individuals. Studies have documented that desensitization results in reduced arousal and emotional anxiety while witnessing violence. A survey conducted in Ohio, in 1998 of more than 2000 3-8 grade students showed that as the viewer ship increased the psychological effects like anxiety, depression & posttraumatic stress increased as well. (Cantor, 2002) A normal American child witness more than 8000 murders on media by the time hes 11, 75% of these show the receiver performing the act without any melancholy making the children either insensitive or fearful of the societys negative acts. (Gentile et all, 2004)A national survey in 1999 revealed that 62% parents of children ages ranging from 2-17 confessed their child being excite by something they saw on TV.Strengths and boundsSurveys were conducted, metier is that research will have positivistic implications if steps taken to avoid exposure of media on young children. Our research limitation is that we have to rely on questionnaires for this study. though both person who takes the survey we take consent to be truthful and honest, but still some people might not be serious in answering the questions. The research we conducted brought out many views & issues concerning the medias violent nature by parents & psychological experts. Many a quantify the results deduced by a survey are not 100% accurate due to the answers not being stated with honesty. Often parents hide their childrens problems so as to cast a positivist & openhearted image in front of others. Thus, self-aggrandizing fals e information & diluting the research. pass on probe should be planned & executed to fully extract the true happenings. This can dish in contriving the broadcast of media to promote dictatorial points among its viewers. The studies should be devised with a broad view so as to cover all the aspects whether good or bad. Often the experts do not co-operate with the evaluators therefore the end results insufficiency professional guidelines. Expert opinion is ever required to cement the result of surveys & assure the evaluation. The researches conducted in schools proved to be rather remarkable & help oneselfed in collecting physical & psychological health of the children. The information effrontery was backed by the annual penning cards & examination results of each student. more than studies should be conducted in different level schools. It provides a beneficial lead in devising theories regarding the children.Future directions for researchFurther research is needed in this line of products and especially research must be conducted to study the effect of media on developmental psychology of children. Future research will reveal how violence in media is affecting children and the related frequency of occurrence of kinky psychological disorders. This will help taking further steps to stop such media violence and avoid psychological problems. The research conducted proves that moderate television viewing with parents frustrate is rather favorable for the young children. The media can be used as an telling tool in teaching & ontogenesis sound habits in children through agnate guidance & proper planning of the mediums people. Parents can use the specific shows as guidelines to satisfy the childs inquisition. Watching programs with good values & moral philosophy on TV can help the children understand the right way to behave. However the media is being used in a limited way, the variety of messages that can be incarnate through the medium is being ig nored. Changes must be designed to use the medium in a finest way. The gaps left hand by this research & evaluation should be fulfilled by further researches that are extensively conducted. Advertising &entertainment industries represent the culture & spirit of the respective artless to the rest of the world & must not be used casually. Parents & teachers should come up with strategies to create a sense of ground in the children from an early age. The parents should realize what effects the movies & content on TV are having on their children & try to minimize TV viewing at home level. Some ways that may be incorporated by parents to limit childrens revelation to violence areRestricting & belongings a check on what their children view on TVDiscussing the programs with older children or young adults to clear their minds of any mental confusion & help them in expressing their opinions.Start a family oriented time by going for picnics, organizing a special lunch or dinner.Allow th e children to watch TV for a selected time period & only programs that are desirable for their viewing.Offer criticism on TV carry & sponsors for showing in appropriate programs or content so as to force them to use proper censorship.Conclusion The effects whether positive or negative concerning todays media are out in the open. It is the duty of every individual to counter such issues & lecture their voices to control them. Many researches & experiments are being conducted to realize the short-term & long-term effects of violent media. Feelings of hostility, revenge, anger sprout in a young mind & perk up him or her to retaliate. Many reasons that promote violence on media are present.Often the viewer & the broadcaster thinks the effect is too minute to make a difference in anyones mind, nevertheless children are bear on by the smallest of acts without worrying about its positive or negative aspect.The media declaring that that there is no understanding of the definition of vio lence among the people & continue to showcase the explicit content. They further comprehend by saying they show what the people want to watch.Believing that violence shown on media is simply showcasing real life. This is mostly observed in news channels & movies, where gruesome details of murder & accidents are shown openly.Parents allow children to view violent content in the name of comedy, many well-liked shows bedeck this example such as the ever popular tom & jerry cartoon which shows both the characters beating or pummeling each otherReferencesAnon., (May 28, 2003) Preventing violence by teaching non-violent problem-solving American Psychological Association, accessed maiden December 2007 Anon, (February 19, 2004) forcefulness in the media psychologists helps protect childrenfrom harmful effects American Psychological Association accessed initiatory December 2007 Donald E. Cook, (September 13, 2000) Testimony of the American academy of pediatrics on media violence present ed to the U.S. senate commercialism committeehttp//www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/mediaviolencetestimony.pdfDouglas A. Gentile, David A. Walsh, Paul R. Ellison, Michelle trick & Jennifer Cameron (May, 2004) Media violence as a risk factor for children a longitudinal study presented to the American Psychological Society sixteenth Annual Convention, Chicago, Illinois- pgs 2-5Jean Tepperman, January-February 1997. What do children learn from media violence? Childrens Advocate newsmagazine, fill Alliance for Children Action Alliance for Children accessed inaugural December 2007 Joanne Cantor, (April 19, 2002). The psychological effects of media violence on children and adolescents Presented at the Colloquium on video recording and Violence in Society Kenneth W. Merrell, (1999) sound judgment of other behavioral, social, and emotional problems Behavioral, Social and emotional Assessment of Children and Adolescents Lawrence Erlbaum Associates- Mahwah, NJ. Publication chapter 11, pg 275Laura B. Clark (2007) Influence on children media history of media for children, general considerations, studies of media influence, domains of influence, recommendations Education cyclopaedia Moataz M. Abdel- Fattah & Abdel-Rahman A. Asal, (August 13, 2006) Prevalence, symptomatology, and risk factors for depression among high school students in Saudi Arabia copyright 2005 europiums Journal of Psychology Accessed 1st December 2007http//www.ejop.org/archives/2006/08/prevalence_symp.htmWendy L. Josephson, (February 1995) Television violence areview of the effects on children of different ages for the Department of Canadian inheritance Reprinted with permission, by the Media Awareness Network. September 1997 accessed on 1st December 2007