Issues in Researching and Developing Media Projects The WritePass Journal

Issues in Researching and Developing Media Projects Introduction Issues in Researching and Developing Media Projects , p. 1) when it was pointed out that: â€Å"Studies have shown that online participation varies with income.† Hence, it was stressed that individuals of a higher income were more likely to blog. Whilst this may be due to a lack of internet connectivity it is evident that the ideologies of the minority are not being represented. In addition, even where the minority do blog, it is unlikely that their views will reach the mainstream, which again signifies how the media is being controlled by a certain type of person. Antonio Gramsci and Hegemony (Long, P. and Wall, T. 2009, p. 285). Long and Wall believe that ideology is no longer considered relevant in today’s society. Accordingly, they believe that despite media perceptions as to how individuals ought to live their life, the constant changes no longer make this possible. Therefore, the ideological theory no longer represents society as it once did: ideology is not static and is subject to change – how we live and what we believe is different from the society of Marx’s day† (Long and Wall, 2009, p. 287). In accordance with this, it is therefore believed by Long and Wall that the media can no longer influence societal values and beliefs in the way that they could. This is very important in order to eradicate gender, class and racial biases which the media appear to have created, yet whether this means that the media no longer have an influence on society is doubtful. This is because, mass communication products will continue to influence the ways in which we think about things whether consciously or subconsciously and as asserted by Kenix (2010, p. 1); â€Å"Media both perpetuate identities to the public and are receptors of an ideology created and sustained within society.† It was also added that; â€Å"Media do not only send ideological messages out to the public but media systems are also interwoven into the ideological framework of society. Media also have their greatest influence on individuals over time.† Consequently, provided that the media continue to expose certain ideologies, it will eventually become embedded into all societies regardless as to whether it was disapproved of or not. This is because, regardless as to whether the media are a desirable influencer, it is clear that they shape individuals values and beliefs within modern society. Whilst attitudes may have changed over the years, the media is still the most powerful product which ultimately controls ideology through the perceptions in which it creates. This leads to much inequality, though â€Å"there is a widespread recasting of the ideal role of the state† (Garland and Sparks, 2000; p. 186). In order to prevent the media from influencing society in a way that leads to inequality, it is vital that public bodies â€Å"have a crucial role in helping people fulfill their potential and removing the barriers that hold people back† (White Paper, 2009) in effect, social inequalities must therefore be eradicated in order to tackle such media inequality. Thus, whilst Long and Wall make it clear that the media does significantly influence popular culture, they are still of the belief that ideolog ies are no longer relevant in today’s society. If these contentions are accurate, it would seem as though the underlying issues surrounding race, gender and sexuality are simply the result of individual perceptions. Consequently, it is evident that the relationship between the mass media and popular culture is still pertinent in today’s society, though the media do not have the same influence over individual values as they may have had in the past. Although this is considered important in preventing inequality, it seems as though the mass media should have a broader perspective on life as prejudice is still being conveyed. Conclusion Overall, it is manifest that there are significant social, cultural and psychological effects of media content and use. This is widely due to the fact that modern society is largely influenced by the ideologies that are created by mass communication. In addition, whilst different ideologies continue to be promoted, only certain values reach mainstream society. This leads to a great deal of inequality and illustrates how the media are capable of dominating the social world by conveying their own views and opinions. In Horkeimer and Adorno’s text, it became apparent that popular culture is swayed by the production of standardised cultural goods and that societal values and beliefs are thereby manipulated as a result of this. It was also made clear that cultural industries are only created in order to generate income for those that are most likely to profit and that the true needs of society are not being provided for. Whilst many will disagree with these points, it is palpable t hat the media can influence and change the ways in which society thinks. This is also due to the fact that the owners and controllers of the media are usually white middle and upper class men who communicate their own beliefs and values into everyday settings. Hence, media content does not hold a broad perspective, which ultimately leads to inequality as only certain issues are being dealt with. Because of the constant changes in society, however, it is believed by Long and Wall that ideologies are no longer relevant, yet given that the relationship between the mass media and popular culture is still very much existent it is likely that ideologies will still influence society. References Croteau, D. and Hoynes, W. (2003) Media/Society: Industries, Images and Audiences, Pine Forge Press. Deveraux, E. (2007) Understanding the Media, Sage Publications, 2nd Edition. Fiske, J. (2010) Understanding Popular Culture, Taylor Francis, 2nd Edition. Fitts, M. (2008) Drop it Like its Hot: Culture Industry Labourers and Their Perspectives on Rap Music Video Production, Meidans: Feminism, Race, Transitionalism, vol. 8, no. 1. Garland, D., and Sparks, R., (2000). Criminology and Social Theory. OUP Oxford. Horkeimer, M and Adorno, T. W. (1944) Dialetic of Enlightenment, Vesro Books. Kenix, L. J. (2010) Alternative and Mainstream Media: The Converging Spectrum, [Online] Available: bloomsburyacademic.com/view/AlternativeMainstreamMedia_9781849665421/chapter-ba-9781849665421-chapter-008.xml?print [07 January 2013]. Long, P., and Wall, T., (2009) Media Studies: Texts, Production and Context, Longman, 1st Edition. Perse, E. M. (2001) Media Effects and Society, Psychology Press. Spears, A. K. (1999) Race and Ideology: Language, Symbolism and Popular Culture, Wayne State University Press. Thompson, J., (1995). The Media and Modernity. Cambridge: Polity. Whibey, J. (2012) The Trend of Class, Race and Ethnicity in Social Media Inequality, Journalists Resource, [Online] Available: http://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/gender-race/the-trend-of-class-race-and-ethnicity-in-social-media-inequality [07 January 2013]. White Paper., (2009). New Opportunities: Fair Chances for the Future: The Guardian, Socialism in one Clause? The Government’s proposal to tackle inequality, [Online] Available: guardian.co.uk/society/blog/2009/jan/13/equality-socialexclusion [07 January 2013]. Young, J., (1999). The Exclusive Society: Social Exclusion, Crime and Difference in Late Modernity. Sage Publications Ltd.

Russian Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Russian Policy - Essay Example Strobe Talbott, the presidential advisor to President Clinton, in his book, ‘The Russia Hand: A Memoir of Presidential Diplomacy’, has provided a vivid account of the period especially with regard to the relationship with the former Russian President, Boris Yeltsin and his subsequent fall from grace. It should be noted that the author is qualified to write his opinions and observations since he played a vital role in US Russia relations during that period. He has had personal access to all the primary stakeholders in the process including Clinton, Yeltsin and later with Vladimir Putin. The book, written in the form of a memoir clearly states that the era of Putin would not have occurred without the era of Yeltsin. This would create an impression that the transition was a smooth one planned by Yeltsin, but it is far from the truth. The relationship between President Clinton and his Russian counterpart was unprecedented in the history of the United States. It is said that the number of meeting between the US President and Yeltsin outnumbered the total meetings by all the US and USSR premiers in the past. President Clinton was of the view that the cold war attitude of former presidents including Eisenhower and Truman is no longer relevant in the changed circumstances (Talbott 133). It required a closer approach devoid of suspicion and intrigue that had been characteristic of the attitude between the two superpowers of the time. Yeltsin who had continued the reforms of Gorbachev was in an unenviable position. The country was opening up to reforms which included to a large extent, private business and ownership. People were optimistic about a situation where free market enterprise and freedom of thought and speech would result in a resurgent and prosperous Russia. But the actual situation is his country was far from rosy or perfect. A country used to Communist rule

Jpmorgan income&growth PLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Jpmorgan income&growth PLC - Essay Example The professors further theorized about the market value a any given firm being determined by not only the earning power of the given firm, but also by the risk associated to he underlying assets of the firm with the firms value being independent of the way it chooses to finance its investment or the distribution of the dividends. The capital structure theorists who are perceived to be orthodox are mainly divided into two different groups with the fundamentalists like Modigliani and Miller making arguments bout the world approaching perfection very much closely with the imperfections which might be offsetting to a great extent which consequently makes gearing not to matter in the real sense. Amongst the scholars classified as the revisionists include finance text authors who are famous for writing for a wide group of audience for whom theoretical ingenuity may in real terms not imply to the highest value but instead make attempts towards accommodating, though, within the confines of o rthodoxy in what is described as the stark difference between Modigliani and Millers both theoretical analysis and empirical observations as regards to the importance that has been based on a firms capital structure not only by the firm itself, but by also the investors (Findlay and Williams, 1985). It is therefore evident that what they are in real sense arguing about is the importance of imperfections which further which further attributes to the reason making gearing very important hence they play quite a critical role in making us understand why different firms make the gearing decisions the way they do. This study will therefore critically analyze both the fundamentalist and revisionist positions. The Modigliani and Miller argument is mainly founded on the following basic assumptions; That there is absence of taxes, the absence of the costs of transactions, that there are no costs of bankruptcy, that there exists equivalence in the costs of borrowing not only for the companies, but also the investors, that there exists symmetry in the flow of market information as regards to both the companies and investors being in know how with the given information (Edwards, 1987). Lastly, the theory is based on the assumption that there exists no significant effect as regards the effect of debt on the earnings of the company before interest and taxes (Findlay and Williams, 1985). It must however be noted that the reality existent in the real world is that there are taxes, costs of bankruptcy, the costs of transactions, existence of various differences in not only the costs of borrowing, but also the asymmetries in the flow of information and the effects debts has on earnings. Thus, to gain a better understanding of the failures of Modigliani and Miller (MM) economic models of gearing, we will first briefly look at both prepositions. Modigliani and Miller’s Capital-structure Irrelevance proposition The capital structure irrelevance proposition propagated by Modi gliani and Miller makes assumptions of the lack of both taxes and the costs of bankruptcy. According to the proposition, they argue that the weighted cost of capital of any given company remains constant in disregard to the numerous changes in the structure of any firm’s capital structure. A good example would the rate of borrowing of a given firm which would result in no tax benefits resulting from payments of interest hence resulting to no changes or benefits as regards the companies weighted average cost of

Environmental Depletion Essay Example for Free

Environmental Depletion Essay 1. Individuals are affected by the environment in different ways. The environment is an essential element in mans daily sustenance. The environment is the source of fresh air which humans breath in order to live, the source of fruits and vegetables that are necessary for the better functioning of the body, and the care taker of nature which provides man with a serene view of the world. The environment is also the source of trees and other raw materials that are used in the production of the basic needs of the modern world. The environment aids man in so many ways that living without it is totally indispensable for the survival of man. However, the many blessings and benefits which man derives from the environment have caused greed and abuse. The environment, as many theorize is very sick because of mans lack of concern for it. Instead of striving to preserve and/ or cultivate all that the environment has to offer, man continues to abuse and show lack of care for the environment. Thus, the world now is experiencing too many nature related tragedies. The tragedies that are happening and the climate changes as well as global warming are all the result of mans depletion of the earths natural resource. Everything which the environment has to offer has been continually abused by man and utilized commercially to satisfy their greed for profit. What man forgets is that whatever he does with the environment will be done to him two fold. Aside from the physical effects, changes in the environment can also have physiologic and psychological effects to man. If the temperature is hot and dry, man tends to be sweaty and thirsty while if the temperature is cold, the body of man tends to cling on to something that will provide him warmth. Psychologically, a hot temperature will most likely cause man to be easily irritated and annoyed. More often than not, the patience is man is shorter when it is hot as compared when the temperature is cold. In addition, if the environment to which man lives in is rowdy or in chaos or there is too much pollution, the tendency of man is also to feel and act in chaos whereas if the environment is serene, man, most often than not, will feel relaxed and relieved. A busy and crowded environment may lead to stress but a lax setting may temper the mind and feelings of man. Individuals, generally, act in accordance with what they see and feel from the environment. There are only a few people who do not feel affected with what is happening in their environment, these are the people who have high tolerance and have a high sense of discipline to detach themselves from the environment where they are. 2. In the past five years, there has been an increased awareness in the environment because man has been feeling the wrath of nature. The effects of the pollution of the water, the seas and rivers, the air and the noise pollution that are felt world wide are starting to cause serious trouble to mans daily existence. There has been too much pollution around that man can hardly enjoy the benefits which nature used to offer. The climate changes, global warming, extinction of plants, animals and fishes, melting of glaciers and scarcity of natural resources such as water, trees and animals have caused man difficulties. In some parts of the world, such as Africa, water scarcity is very prevalent (Arriens, 2007). The people there hardly have any water to drink, cook and bath. In the years to come, it has been predicted by several scientists and researchers that water scarcity will be felt in a greater degree. If there is water scarcity, almost all resources will be affected. Lack of water will also deprive man to cultivate the soil and plant fruits, vegetables and rich thus there will be food shortage. Cost of products bought in the market will also rise. The lesser products there are available, the higher is the cost. The fear of man to experience all of these adverse effects is the reason why there has been an increased awareness of the environment, which I believe is just right. Man needs to protect and preserve the blessings of nature in order to live longer and enjoy life better.

Nanotechnology: Global Prospects and Possible Introduction in Nigeria’s

Nanotechnology can be defined as the study of the manipulation and application of matter on a molecular scale. According to Wikipedia, it generally deals with developing materials or other structures possessing a size of at least one hundred nanometers. The concepts of nanotechnology were considered fiction until December 29, 1959 during a talk entitled â€Å"There’s plenty of Room at the Bottom† by physicist Richard Feynman at an American Physical Society meeting at the California Institute of Technology. In this talk, Feynman described a process by which individual atoms and molecules can be controlled and manipulated. The term, â€Å"Nanotechnology† was coined over a decade later by Professor Norio Taniguchi. It wasn’t until 1981, with the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope and the atomic force microscope that could â€Å"see† individual atoms, that contemporary nanotechnology began (National Nanotechnology Initiative n.d). It is difficult to envision how small nanotechnology is. An illustrative example given by the National Nanotechnology Initiative is; a sheet of newspaper is one hundred thousand nanometers thick. This kind of size is extremely small and cannot even be seen by the typical microscopes used in high school science classes. Although the study is a new one, nanoscale materials have been in use for centuries. The colors of the stained glasses of medieval churches built hundreds of years ago were created by alternate sized gold and silver particles. The artists then did not know the process they employed to create those works of art. Today’s scientists on the other hand are discovering a variety of ways to exploit the science and its enhanced properties like higher strength, lighter weight and so on. The impending ... ...ll also be in the application stages of the study. â€Æ' Works Cited â€Å"Nanotechnology 101†. National Nanotechnology Initiative. n.d Web. 29 May 2012. http://www.nano.gov/nanotech-101 â€Å"Nanotechnology† Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d Web. 29 May 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanotechnology Dr. Ayman El-Fatatry. â€Å"Defense Applications† Systems Engineering Innovation Centre n.d PDF file. 29 May 2012 Admin. â€Å"Nanotechnology in Medicine - Nanomedicine† UnderstandingNano. n.d. Web. 29 May 2012. http://www.understandingnano.com/medicine.html Joseph, Tiju and Mark Morrison. â€Å"Nanotechnology in Agriculture and Food†. European Nanotechnology Gateway. May 2006. Print. 29 May 2012. News Agency of Nigeria. â€Å"Government of Nigeria approves nanotechnology plan† August 13, 2007. Web. 29 May 2012. http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=2364.php

The Significance of the Manner in Which Ophelia Dies

There on the pendant boughs her coronet weeds/ Clambering to hang, an envious sliver broke,] When down her weedy trophies and herself/ Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide,] And mermaid-like awhile they bore her up†¦ (line 197-201 , Act 4, Scene 7). Shakespeare, by â€Å"letting† Aphelia drowns herself, to some extents alleviates the pain of death and pictures a beautiful Aphelia drowned In water with her beauty minded and preserved.By comparing Aphelia to a mermaid-like figure, Shakespeare gives unreal characteristics to her death and makes it smoother for Aphelia, whose life has been tragic enough. The fact that Aphelia was suffocated under her own dress and that her feminine clothes made her impossible to swim is a metaphor of women's helplessness at the time being – Aphelia dies without any self- defense or mobility. Shakespeare implies the role of women in society and how being a woman gives Aphelia no chance to react even in death.At the same ti me, Aphelia peps singing: Which time she chanted snatches of old lauds/ As one incapable of her own distress/ Or Like a creature native and endued/ Unto that element. (line 202-205, Act 4, Scene 7). Her chanting reminds audience of her madness In Scene 5 and 6, In which she sings songs about men and death. Audience may Identify Aphelion's chanting as a trace of madness, but also her singing on the verge of death portrays a passive let-go of Life – Aphelia clearly has no Intention of fighting back or even crying out for help. Compared to Aphelion's conversations with Polonium andHamlet throughout the play, it is clear that Aphelia never has any voice or reaction to the events of her life – her madness, her destiny and even her death are caused and retold by others. For several times throughout the play Aphelia is pictured with flowers. At the end of Act 4, Scene 7, her death is again associated with symbolic floral images: Therewith fantastic garlands did she make/ Of c ornflowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples/ That liberal shepherds give a grosser name/ But our cold maids do â€Å"dead men's fingers† call them. Nine 193-196, Act 4, Scene 7). Flowers are symbols of Aphelion's tragic life, being a victim of disruptive events mostly caused by men. Cornflower symbolizes a dream of lover, portraying a dying Aphelia still thinking about Hamlet and his love[l]. Nettles signify her bad luck and tragic destiny; while daisies represent innocent love[2]. The long purples represent Aphelion's loss in love Wendell at ten same time audience can assume Tanat â€Å"a grosser name† raters to sexuality[3].By calling long purples â€Å"dead men's fingers†, Shakespeare implies the causes of Aphelion's death as her life is destined by men (Hamlet, Polonium and Alerts); reminding audience of the song which she sings earlier: Larded all with sweet flowers/ Which between to the ground did not go/ With true-love showers. (line 43-45, Act 4, Scen e 5). By associating Aphelion's figure with the presence of flowers, Shakespeare also lets audience know about women's beauty and fragility as that of flowers: although women are romantic and pretty outside, they are truly somber and vulnerable indeed.

What Is the Function of an Indirect Object in English Grammar

In English grammar, an indirect object is a  noun or pronoun that indicates to whom or for whom the action of a verb in a sentence is performed. With verbs that can be followed by two objects, the indirect object typically comes immediately after the verb and before the direct object. When pronouns function as indirect objects, they customarily take the form of the objective case. The objective forms of English pronouns are me, us, you, him, her, it, them, whom and whomever. (Note that you and it have the same forms in the subjective case.) Also Known As:  dative case Examples and Observations Instead of answering my question, he showed me a photograph of his father, the squeamish Otho. (Charles Portis, The Dog of the South, 1979)At Chartwell, Winston Churchill painted, raised pigs, and built the children a tree house in a lime tree.Edna . . . sat and told the children a story. (Kate Chopin, The Awakening, 1899)I had about two inches of water left, and passed him the bottle.  (Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods. Broadway Books, 1998)Give me a fish and I eat for a day. Teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime. (Chinese proverb)I bought myself a parrot. The parrot talked. But it did not say, Im hungry, so it died. (Mitch Hedberg)I never give you my pillow,I only send you invitations,And in the middle of the celebrations, I break down.(John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Carry That Weight)Give me my robe, put on my crown; I haveImmortal longings in me.(William Shakespeare, from Antony and Cleopatra) Two Patterns The two patterns for sentences with indirect objects are the prepositional pattern and the dative movement pattern. Depending primarily on the verb, both patterns or only one pattern may be possible.In the prepositional pattern, the indirect object occurs after the direct object and is preceded by a preposition. In the dative movement pattern, the indirect object occurs before the direct object. (Ron Cowan, The Teachers Grammar of English: A Course Book and Reference Guide. Cambridge University Press, 2008) Ditransitives The verbs which can take an indirect object are a subset of transitive verbs, and known as ditransitives. For English, such ditransitive verbs include give, send, lend, lease, rent, hire, sell, write, tell, buy and make. (James R. Hurford, Grammar: A Students Guide. Cambridge University Press, 1994) Prepositional Datives and Ditransitive Datives The dative is a pair of constructions, one similar to the content-locative, the other containing two naked objects:The first is called the prepositional dative (because it contains a preposition, namely, to), the second the ditransitive or double-object dative (because the verb is followed by two objects, not just one). In traditional grammars the two phrases are called the indirect and direct objects; linguists today usually call them simply the first object and the second object. The term dative, by the way, has nothing to do with dates; it comes from the Latin word for give. (Steven Pinker, The Stuff of Thought. Viking, 2007) Give a muffin to a moose.Give a moose a muffin. Recipients and Beneficiaries The indirect object is characteristically associated with the semantic role of recipient ... But it may have the role of beneficiary (the one for whom something is done), as in Do me a favour or Call me a taxi, and it may be interpreted in other ways, as seen from examples like This blunder cost us the match, or I envy you your good fortune. (Rodney D. Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum, A Students Introduction To English Grammar. Cambridge University Press, 2005)