The Civil War Essays (681 words) - Slavery, , Term Papers

The Civil War The civil war was doubly tragic because it was completely unnecessary. Slavery had been ended in other nations with the stroke of a pen, and yet in the mighty United States the country was willing to go to war over the issue of whether slavery should remain. The southerners felt that it was their constitutional right to own slaves and did not see a time when they should be required to give up that right. However, upon the election of Lincoln as President, the southerners felt threatened, and felt their slave holding rights were being threatened, and in an effort to protect these rights they chose to secede from the union. The northerners and Lincoln saw the importance of maintaining a united country, set out to bring back the seceded states. Thus the Civil War began. During the civil war 970, 227 Americans were either killed or wounded, this number was surpassed by only World War II. While the civil war originally began as a quest to bring the southern states back to the union. However, the goal of the war did soon change to that of abolition. While the war may have seemed necessary to the soldiers and governments who were participating, in retrospect it was unnecessary. In three separate European countries, slavery had been abolished prior to the American Civil War, and each without arms being raised. Slavery had been abolished in Britain in 1838, Sweden in 1848, and in Holland in 1863. It indeed could have similarly been abolished in the United States. However, the southerners, who were dependent on the slave institution, refused to give up their right to own slaves easily. Had the South been more progressively thinking many lives would have been saved and blood need not have been shed in the name of slavery. This is particularly true because if the south had given up their right to free labor (slavery), they would have soon received the gift of mechanical labor. Indeed they might have profited more from the use of the machines which were soon to be invented, as they did not require housing, and food. However, the southerners were deeply rooted in their institution of slavery and were prepared to go to war over their feelings. During this war the battle fields were transformed into shambles where during the duration of the war 634,703 union soldiers were killed or wounded, and 335,524 confederate soldiers were killed or wounded. Indeed this was the second most intense war second to World War II. In the civil war 3,846 soldiers from both the union army and the confederate army were killed per month of fighting. This clearly shows the intensity of the battle and the strong will which drove both sides to continue fighting in the face of such catastrophe. The financial burden endured by both sides was astronomical for the time period. The union force spent a combined 3.2 billion dollars which in terms of current currency values is 27.3 billion dollars. The confederacy spent two billion or 17.1 billion dollars. This is the price both sides were willing to pay in the name of slavery. The North and South went to war over the issue of slavery and endured a great expense in terms of human lives, and money. They could however have followed the example of Britain, Sweden, and Holland and simply signed away the institution of slavery and saved thousands of lives, and billions in dollars. However, the south was too deeply rooted in the institution of slavery, and when the Emancipation Proclamation came which freed the slaves they still treated them as they did before, often outside of the legal limits. Even after the 14th amendment which legally made people of color American citizens, there were strong racial and prejudicial feelings which ran rampant in the south, for example the KKK, and Jim Crow Laws, and literacy tests for the right to vote. African Americans endured these hardships for years to come, indeed until the civil rights movement in the 20th century.

The State of The Music Industry essays

The State of The Music Industry essays The state of the music industry is a curious and everchanging phenomenon. Lately, the multi-billion dollar industry has been in definite decline. Not to say however, that this decline doesnt have any relation to that of the state of the economy. In fact, looking statistically at the economy could help determine why in fact the music industry is in the state that it exists today. Also due to the internet, the popularity of the CD-R, and the various styles of retailing currently available, it will be more clearly revealed why the Music Industry might be suffering. The CD-R has become the poor mans answer to good music neglecting to understand that what they are doing in fact is piracy. They are stealing not only from the industry and the artist but from the economy. Music is a huge part of the economy and it has been thrown off center by the grand entrance of the CD burner. The burner has nearly become a staple part of a computer system and if not, dont fret, there are a bunch of external units to choose from. The RIAA states that one in two people had dowloaded music in the last month. The RIAA also states that three in 10 consumers report owning a CD burner; people who download music from the Internet are amongst consumers most likely to own CD burners (48%). Plus the most common use for CD burners amongst most consumers is making CDs for friends and family (54%) and making CD compilations (51%). That is truly a blast to recorded music sales and the retailers who distribute them. Still, number of CDs being shipped in seems to be high but unfortunately the demand is not coinciding with actual amounts of music sold. If the downloaded music was in fact being paid for, there would be ahuge difference in sales and that is the truth. DVDs seem to be the only things doing well at the moment because of the peril to duplicate them. Alas, the technology to do this is rapidly being updated and soon enough burning DVD...

Max and Inflection Points of Chi-Square Distribution

Max and Inflection Points of Chi-Square Distribution Mathematical statistics uses techniques from various branches of math to prove definitively that statements regarding statistics are true. We will see how to use calculus to determine the values mentioned above of both the maximum value of the chi-square distribution, which corresponds to its mode, as well as find the inflection points of the distribution.   Before doing this, we will discuss the features of maxima and inflection points in general. We will also examine a method to calculate a maximum the inflection points. How to Calculate a Mode with Calculus For a discrete set of data, the mode is the most frequently occurring value. On a histogram of the data, this would be represented by the highest bar. Once we know the highest bar, we look at the data value that corresponds to the base for this bar. This is the mode for our data set.   The same idea is used in working with a continuous distribution. This time to find the mode, we look for the highest peak in the distribution. For a graph of this distribution, the height of the peak is a y value. This y value is called a maximum for our graph because the value is greater than any other y value. The mode is the value along the horizontal axis that corresponds to this maximum y-value.   Although we can simply look at a graph of a distribution to find the mode, there are some problems with this method. Our accuracy is only as good as our graph, and we are likely to have to estimate. Also, there may be difficulties in graphing our function. An alternate method that requires no graphing is to use calculus. The method we will use is as follows: Start with the probability density function f (x) for our distribution.  Calculate the first and second derivatives of this function: f (x) and f (x)Set this first derivative equal to zero f (x) 0.Solve for x.Plug the value(s) from the previous step into the second derivative and evaluate. If the result is negative, then we have a local maximum at the value x.Evaluate our function f (x) at all of the points x from the previous step.  Evaluate the probability density function on any endpoints of its support. So if the function has domain given by the closed interval [a,b], then evaluate the function at the endpoints a and b.The largest value in steps 6 and 7 will be the absolute maximum of the function. The x value where this maximum occurs is the mode of the distribution. Mode of the Chi-Square Distribution Now we go through the steps above to calculate the mode of the chi-square distribution with r degrees of freedom. We start with the probability density function f(x) that is displayed in the image in this article. f (x) K xr/2-1e-x/2 Here K is a constant that involves the gamma function and a power of 2. We do not need to know the specifics (however we can refer to the formula in the image for these). The first derivative of this function is given by using the product rule as well as the chain rule: f ( x ) K (r/2 - 1)xr/2-2e-x/2 - (K / 2) xr/2-1e-x/2 We set this derivative equal to zero, and factor the expression on the right-hand side: 0 K  xr/2-1e-x/2  [(r/2 - 1)x-1 - 1/2] Since the constant K, the exponential function and xr/2-1   are all nonzero, we can divide both sides of the equation by these expressions.   We then have: 0 (r/2 - 1)x-1 - 1/2 Multiply both sides of the equation by 2: 0 (r - 2)x-1 - 1 Thus 1 (r - 2)x-1 and we conclude by having x r - 2. This is the point along the horizontal axis where the mode occurs.   It indicates the x value of the peak of our chi-square distribution. How to Find an Inflection Point with Calculus Another feature of a curve deals with the way that it curves. Portions of a curve can be concave up, like an upper case U. Curves can also be concave down, and shaped like an   intersection symbol ∠©. Where the curve changes from concave down to concave up, or vice versa we have an inflection point. The second derivative of a function detects the concavity of the graph of the function. If the second derivative is positive, then the curve is concave up. If the second derivative is negative, then the curve is concave down. When the second derivative is equal to zero and the graph of the function changes concavity, we have an inflection point. In order to find the inflection points of a graph we: Calculate the second derivative of our function f (x).Set this second derivative equal to zero.Solve the equation from the previous step for x. Inflection Points for the Chi-Square Distribution Now we see how to work through the above steps for the chi-square distribution. We begin by differentiating. From the above work, we saw that the first derivative for our function is: f (x) K (r / 2 - 1) xr/2-2e-x/2 - (K / 2) xr/2-1e-x/2 We differentiate again, using the product rule twice. We have: f ( x ) K (r / 2 - 1) (r / 2 - 2)xr/2-3e-x/2 - (K / 2)(r / 2 - 1)xr/2-2e-x/2 (K / 4) xr/2-1e-x/2 - (K / 2)(r / 2 - 1) xr/2-2e-x/2 We set this equal to zero and divide both sides by Ke-x/2 0 (r/2 - 1)(r/2 - 2)xr/2-3 - (1 / 2)(r/2 - 1)xr/2-2 (1/ 4) xr/2-1 - (1/ 2)(r/2 - 1) xr/2-2 By combining like terms we have: (r/2 - 1)(r/2 - 2)xr/2-3 - (r/2 - 1)xr/2-2 (1/ 4) xr/2-1 Multiply both sides by 4x3 - r/2, this gives us: 0 (r - 2)(r - 4) - (2r - 4)x x2. The quadratic formula can now be used to solve for x. x [(2r - 4) /- [(2r - 4)2 - 4  (r - 2)(r - 4) ]1/2]/2 We expand the terms that are taken to the 1/2 power and see the following: (4r2 -16r 16) - 4 (r2 -6r 8) 8r - 16 4(2r - 4) This means that: x [(2r - 4) /- [(4(2r - 4) ]1/2]/2 (r - 2) /- [2r - 4]1/2 From this we see that there are two inflection points. Moreover, these points are symmetric about the mode of the distribution as (r - 2) is halfway between the two inflection points. Conclusion We see how both of these features are related to the number of degrees of freedom. We can use this information to help in the sketching of a chi-square distribution. We can also compare this distribution with others, such as the normal distribution. We can see that the inflection points for a chi-square distribution occur in different places than the inflection points for the normal distribution.

Principles Of Auditing - Apple vs. Samsung Lawsuit Essay

Principles Of Auditing - Apple vs. Samsung Lawsuit - Essay Example Samsung, the two technology manufacturing giants. In this regard, the discussion of the case provides a critical understanding about the key reasons of stealing software and identifies if Apple or Samsung have disclosed any such information regarding the stealing of software. In addition, the discussion of the essay also highlights the process of disclosing information by these two technology manufacturers and explains the roles and the comments made by the auditors through this particular lawsuit between Apple and Samsung. In relation to the lawsuits associated with the software programs, Apple has been recognized to enter lawsuit by claiming a steal of software program by its core rival Samsung. According to the lawsuit, it has been identified that Apple acquired the community design registration in order to produce tablet computer in the year 2004. The team of Apple strongly believes the fact that a major portion of the buyers purchases a phone of Samsung by considering it as an iPhone. According to the team, there can be certain reasons of the customers for considering the phone of Samsung as an iPhone (Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, â€Å"Democratic, Republican Party Platforms Emphasize Internet Freedom†). Based on the lawsuit, it has been claimed by Apple that Samsung made an infringement by using comparable design of its Galaxy SII by stealing software programs from Apple iPhone 4S. Moreover, the court fillings written by the attorney of Apple has also claimed that Samsung has systematically copied innovative technology along with innovative features and designs of Apple by infringing devices in the smartphone and tablet business industry (The Guardian, â€Å"Apple Sues Samsung for $2bn as Tech Rivals head back to Court†). The litigation of copying design and features or menu structure of the operating software has been emerged in

The Jungle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Jungle - Essay Example A novel that would involve the real aspects of the meat packing yards in Chicago and the resulting ramifications for those involved. A novel that would not only seek to inform but ideally, educate in the same breath and influence the thoughts of those reading the material for themselves. In essence, the book itself would have an impact upon the issue that it was trying to address. In the quest for change to occur, it remains up to anyone concerned, however many that may be, to take the first step toward the implementation of a plan that would lead to the positive change desired. Going to the highest levels of the political echelon, ‘The Jungle’ would ultimately motivate then President Theodore Roosevelt, to move forward with a closer examination of the unhealthy conditions within the industry that Sinclair mentions in his book. One of the most personal choices an individual may make would be the food they chose to eat each evening. The message within ‘The Jungle’, would ultimately resonate with readers in that, with the horrible conditions being present that ultimately, would place into question the reliability of the very beef that so many eat frequently. Often times, political activists are those who seek to argue issues that are of present concern, with potential implications for the future. The characters mentioned within the pages of Sinclair’s work, would take on the appearance of average, everyday workers and families, seeking to make a living and support their families. How those who worked for many years in the stock yards, would take a different view to the work, in comparison to those that would have only been a part of the job for a shorter period of time. The sense of feeling as if the individual person would be invincible of discontent as a result of the work being performed, in the mind of those who would be new to the

The Color Purple Essay Example for Free

The Color Purple Essay Alice Walker’s epistolary novel The Color Purple demonstrates how the mistreatment of a woman cannot prevent her from fulfilling her destiny. The protagonist and narrator of the novel, Celie, is a young, uneducated black girl who is verbally and sexually abused by her supposed father, Alphonso. He fathers two children with her, kidnapping both and presumably killing one, if not both. Because of the unwarranted trauma, she struggles for the rest of her life to recover from his abuse and establish her own power. Celie has a much smarter and prettier younger sister Nettie, whom she loves, and of whom she is very protective. Celie saves Nettie from marriage to a suitor referred to only as Mr. when their father forces her to marry him instead. Celie’s stepson Harpo, weds a strong-minded woman, Sofia, who is the complete opposite of Celie. Sofia’s refusal to be abused by anyone, man or woman sparks a curiosity that makes Celie take a closer look at herself. The catalyst of the story is Mr. ’s lover, Shug Avery. Although Celie realizes Shug is her husband’s lover, she does not resent Shug; in fact, Shug becomes Celie’s best friend, lover and even mentor. These influential women, each trying to find their own happiness, fighting their own personal demons, tremendously impact Celie’s life. The women help to educate Celie, whose natural intelligence and talents have been stunted by years of constant humiliation and abuse by her father and husband. It is through each character’s definition of life and struggle within The Color Purple that Alice Walker is able to tell the story of victorious transformation. Walker’s narrative symbolically illustrates a woman’s psychological journey rising from the mentality of an abused victim of poverty to become a strong, independent and confident woman who establishes her own place within her society. The sexual abuse Celie endures at a very early age leaves her powerless with nowhere to turn. Alphonso’s (Pa) sexual abuse is taken a step further when he gives Celie’s two children away to a family. Celie’s ignorance, due to her age and poor education, prevents her from understanding why the children were taken from her, but she does not believe they are dead. Alphonso entices Mr. , a widower with four children, to take Celie instead of Nettie, so he will not have to care for her anymore, by throwing in a cow with the deal. Walid El Hamamsy characterizes the combination package of Celie and the cow as further â€Å"patriarchal oppression† and a way to continue to â€Å"dehumanize† her. Her brutality is continued in her loveless marriage to Mr. , who beats and uses her for sexual convenience. One way to endure the torture is to tell herself â€Å"Celie, you a tree† (23). The other way she is able to tolerate her plight of isolation and despair is through writing letters to God. The letters affords her a voice which otherwise she does not have. Celie’s relationship with her sister Nettie goes beyond just a sisterly bond. Nettie turns out to be the first person to show Celie true unconditional love. With Celie’s children being taken away from her, Nettie fills her void of motherly obligation. Celie wants to guarantee Nettie’s well-being and puts Nettie first for everything. Celie’s view of Nettie as someone filled with potential is in direct contradiction to how Celie sees herself; however, it never stops Nettie from trying to teach Celie so she can open her mind to what is going on in the world around her. When Celie’s husband tells her Nettie has to leave, it is like a ton of bricks lands on Celie. Nettie is the only person from whom Celie ever felt love. When Nettie leaves, she encourages Celie â€Å"to fight,† but Celie is so broken she says she only knows how to â€Å"stay alive† (18). Celie’s mental state is still that of an abused victim: she is encapsulated in a world of deep despair, but Nettie has planted a seed that will grow and eventually take her to a place of confidence. Alice Walker introduces Sofia, a bold, headstrong woman that illustrates assertiveness and self-dignity. Mr. ’s son, Harpo, marries Sofia because he loves her, but later tries to make her succumb to him through brutal force. Harpo has grown up seeing his father physically abuse Celie in order to get his way and when he asks Celie what he should do to get his headstrong wife to submit to him, Celie tells him he should beat her. Celie sees little or no value in herself. She survives victimization by accepting that fighting back will only cause more harm than good. Anyone can do or say anything they want to Celie since she has accepted her place and submits to the violence. With telling Harpo to beat his wife, Celie is once again showing her abused mentality: she truly believes that physical oppression by husbands is normal. Critic Stacie Lynn Hankinson contends Celie portrays â€Å"a survival-of-the-fittest perspective, which pitted her against, rather than aligning her with, other women. † After Sofia learns of the betrayal of Celie, she boldly confronts her only to figure out Celie is actually on her side. Sofia tells Celie â€Å"All my life I had to fight† (40). Sofia embodies something that would not allow her to be a victim, no matter who she has to fight. Celie professes her jealousy of Sofia because she unfortunately did not have the strength to fight and was continuously a victim. Sofia offers something to Celie she never had before; moral support. Sofia’s constant retaliation against Harpo assists Celie to understand that rebellion, fighting, is a way to escape victimization. Celie’s lack of confidence resides in her fear of not being loved. When Shug Avery, a Blues singer and her husband’s lover, enters Celie’s life, Celie become conscious of an intimate, trusting love, which empowers Celie to assert herself. Shug enables Celie to freely express herself and talk about all the unfortunate things that have happened to her over the years. Shug also helps Celie find her voice and change how she views herself. After Shug tells Celie â€Å"you still a virgin† Celie starts to look at herself less as a victim and gradually lessens her acceptance of ill treatment and stands up for herself (78). Shug shows Celie how having a powerful voice can be pivotal in changing their life. Walker uses the relationship between Shug and Celie as a way to emphasize consistency and a strong bond. Shug is not only Celie’s confidant but there is a role reversal and Celie becomes Shug’s confidant. Their conversations bring up points not only do they think about, but the reader might as well. â€Å"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it† (197). After her conversations with Shug Celie realizes she must strip her mind of the impression of God that her male-dominated society has placed on her and replace it with a holistic one. Celie’s recognition of God as a Creator allows her to establish a place in her society and finally love herself, just as she is. Marc A. Cristophe agrees as he writes in his essay The Color Purple: An Existential Novel, â€Å"she has rejoined the community of men and women; she has found herself, her own place †¦and is able to marvel at the creation, at life itself. †

Diagnostic Tests for Agents of Community- Acquired Pneumonia Essay

Worldwide, lower respiratory tract infections are the major cause of death due to an infectious disease. Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is possibly the most important infectious disease that is encountered in clinical practice. Most forms of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are treatable. There is consensus that the selection of antimicrobial agents is notably simplified if the pathogen is defined. This article will focus on how aetiological tests can be used to guide antibiotic therapy in adult patients with CAP. The role of aetiological testing for antimicrobial therapy in CAP A major role of aetiological testing in CAP is to enable the use of pathogen-directed therapy, and thus reduce the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and improve the outcome in patients. It has been suggested that the antibiotic therapy should be started within 4 h of hospital admission [4, 8], hence rapid tests with a shorter analysis time can be used to influence the choice of first-line antibiotic therapy. Rapid tests include, sputum gram strain, urinary antigen tests, and real-time PCR for respiratory pathogens. Less rapid tests, such as cultures, conventional PCR for respiratory pathogens, and serology, may provide useful information that may support ongoing antibiotic therapy, support narrowing of broad-spectrum therapy, and support therapy changes in case of treatment failure [3]. Culture of blood and respiratory specimens may be important for the identification of unexpected or uncommon CAP aetiologies that the empirical treatment does not cover for, e.g., Pseudomonas spp., methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and other highly resistant pathogens. Culture remains a cornerstone of the diagnostic techniques, as it can provide information abou... ...ing to the BTS and Swedish guidelines [7,8]. Suggested strategy for diagnostic testing A strategy for diagnostic testing in hospitalized CAP patients is presented in Table 3. It is based on disease severity and presence/absence of prior antibiotic therapy. Conclusion In order to cure CAP patients without causing unnecessary side effects and without contributing to the development of antibiotic resistance, antibiotic therapy should be carefully selected. Although patients with severe CAP should be treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, patients with non-severe CAP should preferably receive pathogen-directed therapy. While rapid aetiological tests may be useful for targeting initial pathogen-directed therapy, non-rapid tests may support switch from broad- to narrow-spectrum antibiotic therapy and support therapy changes in the case of treatment failure.

The Impact of Mass Media

President Abraham Lincoln delivered his infamous Gettysburg address dedicating the Soldiers National Cemetery at Gettysburg on November 19th, 1863. It was estimated 10,000 people attended the ceremony to observe the speech live and it was days before the message was read about in print. President Barrack Obama delivered his live State of the Union Address last January to an estimated 30 million television viewers at home while another 1. 3 million watched it online and it was only minutes after the speech was done that people were able to read about it in print.Mass media is printed and electronic means of communication that carry messages to widespread audiences. In the 21st Century United States, mass media products range from traditional newspapers and magazines, to radio, television, and internet. The internet has brought a whole new era of instant information to the media utilizing online social networks and live news outlets. In 150 years this Nation has gone from actually bein g on site to view something live to the ability to watch events live from the comfort of our own home. Where will we be in another 150 years?Although instant media is most times unfiltered, mass media has grown because of advanced technological means offering instant global reach while greatly influencing social changes. The Functionalism of Mass Media The functionalist perspective emphasizes the way in which the parts of a society are structured to maintain stability (Schaefer, 2009). So what is the purpose of the media? Mass media plays important roles in our everyday life. In addition to providing entertainment, news, and education, media products are also used to socialize and market.As a daily routine, many people today make use of mass media tools for various reasons such as socializing, gathering data, sharing information, and even escape. Television is a source of media that has a strong effect on society today. It is important to look at the influence of television because an average American who subscribe to cable TV watches over eight hours of television a day (Guillen, 2005). The medium of film is particularly suited to representing multiple perspectives through its ability to convey subjective experience.Film is also a medium with rich resources for conveying the sights, sounds, rhythms, and auras of a particular space and time, or what is called â€Å"chronoscopes†Ã¢â‚¬â€that is, â€Å"time-space articulations, characteristic of particular, historically determined conceptions of the relations between the human, the social and the natural world†. Further, the film medium is also well equipped to represent the multiscape complexity of globalization with its flows and disjuncture’s (Manning, et al. , 2010) The media increases social cohesion by presenting a common, more or less standardized, view of culture through mass communication (Schaefer, 2009).I believe we could all agree mass media provides valuable information which ea ch individual uses for work or personal reasons. For example, many folks will watch the news on television or seek information via the internet daily to stay abreast of current events. As this paper is being written, a devastating earthquake and Tsunami recently struck Japan and now the country is trying to avert nuclear disaster. There is risk of nuclear power plants exploding and on the verge of meltdown. This in no way compares to the 9/11 attacks, but as fellow humans we are genuinely concerned for the well being of our neighbors to the Far East.Significant sporting events or sports entertainment such as the Olympics or the Superbowl are media tools used as a reason for people to gather and socialize with family and friends. The advertising moguls know this and also use these mass media events to market their products to millions of consumers. With the explosion of the internet and its global instant reach, new virtual societies have formed using websites such Skype, Twitter, an d Facebook. These online tools are communities of people from all over the world meeting, make new friends, or catching up with old friends and family too in a web based portal.More and more people are beginning to live in a virtual reality world. While the privacy of these communities is often times criticized, the benefits of such media greatly increases social interaction. This theory also relays the message that the media is an enforcer of social norms (Schaefer, 2009). The mass media broadcasts information and television shows which reinforce social norms by pointing out the events that violate mores and folkways such as crimes and substance abuse. By doing this and not glorifying criminal behavior, the mass media can publicly emphasize the proper behaviors or formal norms to countless people.The Conflict with Mass Media Conflict theorists view the mass media as a means to reinforce divisions within a society which differs from the functionalist theory that mass media is used a s a tool for social cohesion. Functionalist and conflict theorists would agree the mass media provides information, entertainment, and social outlets but where it differs is how much is provided and who decides what is transmitted (Schaefer, 2009). Gatekeeping is the process where material passes through a series of checkpoints before it reaches the audience.The media industry is funded by major businesses whose interests are the desire to maximize profits (Schaefer, 2009) and are shaped by these businesses’ agendas as well as the desires of the small group of individuals who control what eventually reaches the viewers. The community and the filmmakers have different expectations regarding content and control (Coffman, 2009) too. Quite often, the media is structured in such a way that certain minority interests or groups are simply neglected or used as stereotypes in television. The news inaccurately covers its communities by having most of its stories about violence.A Univer sity of Miami study of local television news found that the time devoted to crime varied between 23 to 50 percent even though violent crime in the city remained constant, involving less than one tenth of one percent of the population (Guillen, 2005). Often times one can watch the local evening news and hear more stories of violence in other parts of the Nation as well as other countries over good human interest stories in their local community. Technological advances of mass media products and communications offers many the opportunities for instant information, but not everyone gets to enjoy this though.There is a digital divide within the U. S. and especially global when compared to the U. S. How big is the â€Å"global digital divide†? Less than 10 percent of the world’s population uses the Internet. Statistics compiled by the International Telecommunication Union as of the end of 2002 indicate that Internet use as a proportion of the population ranges from less tha n one percent in many underdeveloped African, Central American, and South Asian countries to between 50 and 60 percent in Iceland, the United States, Scandinavia, Singapore or South Korea (Guillen, 2005).Because of these statistics, Americans are at risk of ethnocentrism if we don’t take this into account when associating with developing nations. Another area where Americas are at risk of being ethnocentric is when we overstress U. S. dominance (Schaefer, 2009) in the mass media. The Interactionism of Mass Media Interactionists generalize about everyday forms of social interaction in order to explain society as a whole. Our social behavior is conditioned by the roles and statuses we accept, the groups to which we belong, and the institution we belong to (Schaefer, 2009).This theory is similar to the other theories in that the media is a major source of daily activity. It is very similar to the funtionalist perspective in that it supports face to face interactions within socie ty. This theory differs with the conflict theory where the interactionist looks for shared understandings; conflict theorists emphasize the differences of opinion or the struggle and the divisions within a society. Advances in technology probably play the biggest role within the Interactionism theory. The rise of the internet has facilitated new forms of communication and social interaction (Schaefer, 2009).One the internet alone, there are sites like Facebook that have gone global that fully supports social interaction. Another site like YouTube is another area where anyone can post a video of just about anything. The danger of the above mentioned sites is there is little control to what is put onto these sites. Children who are exploring the net or have little to no parental supervision could end up seeing much more than what a social norm would expect. The internet is the exception to centralization and concentration on media.Interactionists see a change in the way people share m edia and how they get their news versus their interest in it. Why wait for the evening news or even for breaking news on CNN, when Yahoo and Google are at your fingertips? (Schaefer, 2009). The internet is readily available for the user and is also the only media outlet that allows the average person to get an audience of millions if a post, or most likely a video, goes viral. According to hyperdictionary. com, a viral video is a video clip that achieves widespread distribution through online sharing.Interactionists play close attention to the use of symbols (Schaefer, 2009). Political leaders and entertainment figures use the media to control their images as symbols through public appearances called photo opportunities or â€Å"photo ops. † The underlying approach to a photo op is to pose the candidate (or the actor) with symbols of appealing values, in the hope that viewers will equate the two. In beer commercials these values can include the friendship symbolized by a welc oming group of guys in a bar. For a political candidate, the values could include patriotism or people where there's a candidate speaking with a U.S. flag as the backdrop or with his family or citizens of the community. Some movies engage their audience with alternative products to market the premiere or to promote continual interest in the movie. For example, the Shrek series construct global audiences as â€Å"communities† of consumers who are able to participate in a film by purchasing the many products placed throughout or by playing the computer games and visiting the Web sites developed as part of the â€Å"multimarket commercial intertext† of a given film (Manning, et al. , 2010).The Mass Media Providers Viewpoint. Media moguls and Webmasters perspective on the functionalist view of mass media is that it is a business, a big business. Large sums of money are generated by advertising on television, websites, magazines, etc. While maximizing profits (Schaefer, 200 9) may be the foregoing reason for the mass media from the individuals who are a part of the institution, I believe there are other roles the media providers take on too. Because of the global instant reach of today’s media, activists or humanitarians use the tools to get messages out to the public quickly.Using the earlier example of the Tsunami that hit Japan, how fast did we see Red Cross commercials, texting 90999 to make an instant $10 donation to the relief effort? The conflict viewpoint from the media providers is that it is a tight competition for scarce resources and the old way of doing business is gone. Many local newspaper circulations have closed shop do to in your face current events television programs. Additionally, with so many providers on the market and the advent of pay television and radio, the marketing dollar is dwindling.For example, like many other consumers, I subscribe to XMSirius satellite radio because I loathe the promotion of consumption all the time. So, the satellite radio company is making the â€Å"advertising† dollar vice the media mogul. The interactionist view from the media providers is this perspective is the one that helps us understand one most important aspect of the mass media system – the audience (Schaefer, 2009). The media giants know they would be washed up without the consumer. The interactionists have ways to keep the audience involved in the programming.Some example of how the audience participate in the programming are the reality completion shows like American Idol, Survivor, Dances with the Stars, to name a few. Viewers have the opportunity to vote for their favorite player. The Mass Media and Social Change Social lives have changed tremendously with the introduction of mass media into lives. An example of how media coverage can be functional, contrasting, and interactive can be seen in the reporting of the protests surrounding the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.Catherine Luther and Ma rk Miller analyzed pro-war and anti-war coverage in eight US newspapers and showed how reporters were more likely to use illegitimate cues when referring to anti-war protestors, while using legitimate cues to refer to pro-war campaigners (Barker, 2008). Americans are either for or against the war and turn to the media for information. Differences of opinion are a valid way to gain insight into a society or cause. Lastly, the power of the media will generate interest to get people to come out and support. The View from the AudienceThe mass media are distinguished from other social institutions by the necessary presence of an audience (Schaefer 2009). Without an audience, media products would cease to exist. The functionalism perspective from the audience is most anything you want or need can be accessed, purchased, researched, and you can even merge types of media into one source. The conflict with today’s mass media is the unfiltered aspect meaning the freedom of press versus protecting our children from some of the bad things seen on the media outlets.Another conflict the audience has with mass media is members of an audience do not all interpret media in the same way. Often their response is influenced by their social characteristics such as occupation, race, education, and income (Schaefer, 2009). Interactionist view on social interaction in today’s media product offer more freedom of broadcasting and less freedom to censor. Conclusion The media has had a huge impact on society over the last two to three decades with the significant advances in technology.Although instant media is most times unfiltered, mass media has grown because of advanced technological means offering instant global reach while greatly influencing social changes. Viewers have instant news, entertainment, and socializing opportunities via many different types of media tools. From the functionalist view, and the interactionist, the mass media’s biggest change has come with the introduction of the internet. The contrast to the movement of socialization and instant information is the increased freedom of information that is shared throughout the media tools and the risk of unfiltered information to certain viewers.

Promote Equality and Inclusion in Children’s and Young People’s Settings Essay

The importance of diversity in an early years setting is that children need to have their own sense of identity and have a sense of pride in themselves and their cultures. Equality This means to treat everyone fairly and equally. Children should be treated as individuals, equally and fairly. Sometimes treating children equally, you have to treat them differently. All children should be valued for their individuality and offered any support they may need. Everyone should be treated with the care, consideration and respect that they have a right to and given the same opportunities to learn and achieve as others. Inclusion This mean to include everyone and meet the individual’s needs. It is a human right for every individual. Everyone counts and differences should be valued, respected and celebrated. Inclusion involves identifying barriers that prevent people from taking part, being involved and fitting in. Knowledge is needed to understand these barriers which can only then be broken down. It is everyone’s responsibility to remove these barriers. It involves making sure that all support systems are available in order for everyone to participate fully. The importance of having equality and inclusion in a setting is so the child does not have poor self-esteem or lack of respect or confidence. The child should not feel as though they are being stereo-typed which could make the child aggressive towards others and prevent the child from interacting. The child should believe in themselves and behave in accordance with others expectations. Equality Act 2010 is the law which bans unfair treatment and helps achieve equal opportunities in the workplace and in wider society. Participation Every child matters, whether they have a different culture, race, gender or if they have a disability, all children have equality of learning and to participate to allow them to grow and meet their full potential. Discrimination Discrimination is a preconceived attitude towards members of a particular group formed only upon the basis of their membership of that group that leads to less favourable or bad treatment of that person. Discrimination could be direct or indirect. Direct discrimination is when a person is treated differently to other people when they are in the same circumstances and indirect is when discrimination is done un-intently. Potential effects may include: Causing upset Affecting an individual’s self-esteem Causing stress Individuals feeling isolated Affecting individuals’ hopes and expectations Creating tensions Leading to stereotyping Leading to labelling Producing prejudices The types of discrimination are:- Racial discrimination This is a belief that some races are superior then others based on the false idea that skin colour may make people better than others. Institutional racism This describes any kind of system of inequality based on race. It can occur in institutions such as public government bodies, private business corporations and universities. Disability discrimination Disability discrimination is about being denied equality of opportunity with their non-disabled peers because of their disabilities or impairments. Sex Discrimination People of one gender reinforce the stereotype that they are superior to the other gender. Discrimination is generally based on either prejudice or stereotypes. Prejudice means to prejudice people based on assumptions and stereotype refers to forming an instant or fixed picture of a group of people, usually based on false or incomplete information. By being discriminated can cause a lifelong effect on a child. They could feel shy and lack in confidence which can then stop them from fulfilling the full potential.

Pi essays

Pi essays Over all the critics rather enjoyed this film just like any movie it did although have is flaws. Mostly critics liked the film the script is well-written and the central character is strongly developed (James Berardinelli 5). This shows that was the most talked about part of the film was the script. Every critic was highly captivated during the first half of the film. In addition as it concludes it begins to seem more spiritual like and it takes away from the first half. Pi is not a movie for everyone its not action packed like most of todays movies and visually appealing, it can throw you off. I couldn't tell if Max ever solved his mathematical problem, but I know that I didn't figure anything out. It's still a big puzzle (Joy Wyse 6). The film is in black and white, and it jumps from scene to scene (Joy Wyse 7).This shows why the movie is not for everyone it does become confusing to the people who like movies laid out for them. In addition this movie is more like a roll coaster it will take you on many twists and turns. Thou the camera work can be some what annoying it is filmed with a very expensive hand held this adds a lot of shakiness to the movies chase seines. Over all the critics rated this very high and Pi is the probably the best low budget film I have seen. Even thou its in black and white and shaky in parts I believe that added to the film. Darren Aronofsky has found what movies lack to day a plot thats not concealed with big explosions and big time actors. In my oppion all the special effects you need are in your head. Darren almost lets you make up parts of the story you have to think and thats some thing not found in to ...

Aztec Civilization Essay Research Paper The Aztec

Aztec Civilization Essay, Research Paper The Aztec Indians created a great civilisation in Central Mexico, making its extremum in the 1500 s. Being late reachings to the country, and because of their strong adjacent states, they were forced to populate in the boggy western countries of the Lake Texcoco. Because of the boggy milieus, the Aztecs used clay to make illumination islands in the swamps. These islands are called chinampas, or drifting gardens, and were used as agrarian lands. On these fertile islands they grew maize, squash, veggies, and flowers. Bing an agriculturally dependent imperium, the Aztec s faith was based extremely on the forces of nature and worshipped them as Gods. The God of war, Huitzilopochtli, was the most of import divinity. They had many other of import Gods, such as Tlaloc, the God of rain, Quetzalcoatl, the God of air current and of acquisition, and Tenochtitlan, the Sun God. The Aztecs believed in order to pacify these and many other Gods that they needed to execute human forfeits. The chief intent of the great Aztec pyramids was, in fact, human forfeits. They besides believed that there were lucky and luckless yearss for baptism and to declare war on, which were decided by a priest. Most art and architecture in the Aztec civilisation was based on their faith. There are many brilliantly colored wall paintings and pictures on walls and on bark which depict spiritual ceremonials, along with big graven images of Gods. One of the most astonishing and celebrated of the Aztec s art works is a immense calendar rock that weighs 22 dozenss and is 12 pess in diameter. On the rock is a image of what the Aztecs thought the existence was like. The Sun God is in the center, with the celestial spheres environing it, and images of people made out of cherished rocks. The Aztec signifier of authorship was in pictographs, or little images typifying objects or sounds. The Aztec enumeration system used pictographs besides, and was based on the figure 20. For illustration, a flag represented 20, a fir tree R epresented 20 times 20, or 400, and a pouch represented 400 times 20, or 8000. The capitol of the Aztec Empire was Tenochtitlan, which was built where contemporary Mexico City is. It was given the nickname Venice of the New World, because it had many canals. During the height of the Aztec civilisation, the population of this great metropolis numbered more than 200,000. This made it one of the most populated metropoliss in the ancient universe. The metropolis was connected to the mainland by 3 causeways, which, when flooded, served as protective butchs. In the metropolis aqueducts, which was likely the first type of indoor plumbing, brought fresh H2O into places. Many people used canoes to go through the metropolis. Most of the houses were made up of clay and distorted branchlets, but the aristocracy and priests had plastered brick or rock houses. In 1519, Spanish adventurer Hernando Cortes and more than 500 other Spaniards landed on the shores of Mexico in hunt of gold. The Aztecs welcomed the Spaniards and gave them gifts, because they thought they were Gods. Cortezs became greedy when he saw the tremendous sum of wealths that the Aztecs had. He took the Aztec leader, Montezuma, surety, and forced him to curse commitment to Spain. There the Spanish remained without opposition until, in Cortes absence, one of the officers massacred over 200 Aztecs while they had gathered for a spiritual ceremonial. This caused the Aztecs to revolt, and they drove the Spanish to the sea. Montezuma was killed in the combat, so he was replaced with a new leader, named Cuitlahuac. He merely ruled a few months, and so he died of a disease. Montezuma s nephew Cuauhtemoc so took over. The Spanish retreated to a nearby metropolis and rallied together to siege Tenochtitlan. The Aztecs were no lucifer for the Spanish arms, and they surrendered in Augus t of 1521. This marked the terminal of the last of the staying Native American Indians. Today, most of the posterities of the Aztec civilisation live in Mexico, where the Aztec Empire used to boom.

Law Enforcement in the Czech Republic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Law Enforcement in the Czech Republic - Essay Example The total area of Czech Republic is 78,844 square km and the population is 10.5 million. It is surrounded by Poland, Austria, Slovakia and Germany and also occupies the historical regions of Bohemia, Moravia and a small area of Silesia. The people of Czech Republic are Slavic people who are from central and Eastern Europe but their culture and tradition connects them to the West. Czech Republic is a democratic country and the bicameral Parliament, that includes the House of Representatives and the Senate, acts as the central body in the political system. The head of the state is the President with limited powers and is elected for five years. The President holds some important legal powers such as the appointment of the Prime Minister and members of the government, selection for the members of Czech National Bank Board and the official signing authority (Czech Republic Country Brief, 2007). General: In Czech Republic the Justice system consists of 86 District Courts, 8 Regional Courts, 2 High Courts and a Supreme Court. The highest judicial authority in the country is the Constitutional Court which is situated in Brno. Its major activities do not include dealing with criminal cases. Prosecution: The formation of the State Prosecutor's Office entirely follows the courts. Prosecution is brought by the State Prosecutor's Office. The courts completely handle the operations of the office. Police Force The total number of police force in Czech Republic is approximately 47,400 officers and 11,600 civilian staff. They are responsible for the security of its people and investigation of all crimes that took place in the country. In addition to the state police, there is municipal police that controls the traffic and public order in their particular municipalities. The right to investigate and arrest only lies with the state police. Police officers of Czech Republic are allowed to use vehicles. Their vehicles contain a black and white inscription "Policie" on the sides. These vehicles are white in color with horizontal green strips on the sides. Police force of Czech Republic possesses the following rights: 1. Demand for testimony in case of any accident. 2. Demand for personal identification. 3. Taking a person into custody. 4. Supervising the traffic and checking the conditions of the vehicles. Czech Police departments Criminal police: In the police department of Czech Republic, the officers monitor the criminal cases. Moreover, they detect the wrong doers and take them under their custody. The criminal police force is also responsible for the investigation of different cases regarding stolen properties, missing people, road accidents etc. They continuously look after the people and places in order to safeguard the lives of the citizens (Czech Republic, 2007). Traffic police: By law the traffic police officers are there to organize and control the movement of the traffic. In addition to it, they have to be really careful about the investigations made on the roads regarding accidents that happen almost every day. They are further required to check the procedures of collecting fines for illegal acts. When a driver commits an offense then the traffic police officer has the right to stop him from driving and take the car into his custody with some