Life of Pi Journal Response Free Essays

The narrator of this book has his own view about zoos. He tries to make it seem as if his view is absolutely true and is scientifically proven and that he is 100% politically correct. According to him a zoo to an animal is like a home to a human. We will write a custom essay sample on Life of Pi Journal Response or any similar topic only for you Order Now But I totally disagree with his view on the zoos. In the book the narrator’s view is totally opposite. He assumes and thinks that keeping animals in cages is normal to them and they don’t mind†¦ He persuades us to think that animals are perfectly fine and find it normal to be kept in cages â€Å"Animals like being in the same cages, it’s like their home, There is no place like home? That’s certainly what animals feel. † According to him animals would rather live in a restricted area where his basic needs are met than live in an open area full of enemies and no guarantee of food. He is saying that a cage is an animal’s home!!! How can that be possible? How can an animal call some cage where it’s been stuck forever and ever where it can’t go anywhere, call it home?!? It seems as if the narrator†¦ I personally do not agree with the narrators view about zoos or any other enclosed dwelling for animals. We all humans know that animals do not like being kept in cages and in enclosed enclosures. Animals are territorial. That is the key to their minds. Only a familiar territorial will allow them to fulfill the two relentless imperatives of the wild: the avoidance of enemies and the getting of food and water. So biologically sound zoo enclosure – whether cage, pit, moated island, corral, terrarium, aviary or aquarium- is just another territory†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"In a zoo, we do for animals what we have done for ourselves with houses†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Now he is comparing the animals’ cages to our homes! How is it possible to compare an animal’s cage to our houses? They are definitely vastly different. We cannot possibly compare a place like our home to an animal’s cage. Animals are meant to live in the wild – in the forests, the desserts etc. That’s their home. Like our homes are our habitats in cities and country sides. It’s not possible to call a cage, an animal’s territory; it’s like a jail for him. â€Å"A house is a compresses territory where basic needs can be fulfilled close by and safely (with the noteworthy absence of a fireplace or the like, present in every human habitation). Finding within it all the places it needs- a lookout, a place for resting, for eating and drinking, for bathing, for grooming-etc. – nd finding that there is no need to go hunting, food appearing six days a week, an animal will take possession of its zoo space in the same way it would lay claim†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I disagree with the fact that the cages are the animal’s territory and home. Just because the cage can fulfill the basic needs (resting, look out, eating, and bathing) that doesn’t mean its territory. The animal is being forced to live in the cages and so it has to deal with the situation and cope with it. Where he says â€Å"†¦ fulfilled by close by and safely† he is wrong. The bars around the cage aren’t for safety for the animals but for simply keeping it inside its cage. It’s a safety for us! How does this even make sense in the first place? It’s basically saying that, someone a human is forced to live in a cage where he/she will be supplied with food and calling that cage their home! Their safe, have a place to eat, rest, lookout†¦ It’s the human’s territory and home now because it will stay there forcefully until it dies†¦ You can also look at this like this. You see a lady bug crawling around. So you take a jar and cover it atop it. You give it food/water daily†¦ So basically now the jar is its home sweet home and its own territory? That’s what the narrator is basically saying. I disagree with the fact that animals can be compared to humans. The narrator cannot simply just start comparing human’s lifestyles to animals. How can we possibly know whether the cage is like a home to the animals? The animals belong in nature; they have their own habitats and their own ways of having a comfortable lifestyle. How can we say that a cage is a comfortable area and a home to an animal? We do not know what animals think, we don’t know what they are saying†¦ Even though we see the animals in their enclosures all peaceful and quite we cannot simply assume that they love it. It’s like we were separated from our families and put in a cage to stay†¦ Humans and animals are very different. Humans are able to do things that animals can’t†¦ They can build houses out of nature (with wood etc). Animals are limited. They get raised and are taught to hunt so they can eat and live†¦ In conclusion I defiantly do not agree with the narrator on the fact that animals love the zoo, and like being kept in cages/enclosures. I disagree with his view and opinion on zoos. How to cite Life of Pi Journal Response, Essay examples

Mental Illness Stigma Reduction Interventions †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Mental Illness Stigma Reduction Interventions. Answer: Introduction: The following media release focuses on the issue of discharging a mentally ill patient with just a one weeks notice rendering the patient totally homeless. Landon Webb, who was suffering from mental disabilities was only 24 years old and had been under the care of the Kings regional rehabilitation centre due to some cognitive dysfunctions and learning disabilities. The paper sheds light on the inhuman activity of the staffs of the rehabilitation centre who had admitted that they no longer care for him. This paper discusses about the various ways how a mental patient is portrayed in the society. According to, an advocate for people with mental disabilities, release of Landon Webb can be risk for the others living in the community. According to the verdict of his parents, Landon Webb is unable to take any decision on his own and hence have a greater risk of bringing himself and others in the community at risk management. Landon had also become victim to drugs and had developed unpleasa nt characteristics. As per the report, the Kings rehabilitation allowed the victim, out in the community without any supervision. It is evident from the news that Landon has no insight of his own and hence is vulnerable to all the predators of the society. Landons mother thinks that like any other person, Landon has got the right to receive a dignified care. The words that have been used in this article to signify further devaluation of the person with disabilities are vulnerable, significantly low functioning, unsavoury characters. Reports suggest that mental health is still stigmatized in the society and very few people are sympathetic to the people with mental health. The following newsletter are providing with the idea that Landon is out in the society without any supervision. As per the advocates opinion Landon has become addicted to drugs and can inflict harm on anybody. Thus, this news can exacerbate the stigma of mental illness in the society (Corrigan et al., 2014). People would not extend their hands of help in fear, that he might harm them. From the news itself it can be assumed that most of the society finds this population of human to be vulnerable and pose risk to the society (Dalky, 2012;Pescosolido, 2013). This kind of a thought would aggravate the sense of resentment and fear among the common people regarding the people with mental health issues (Naslund et al., 2016). A rehabilitation centre should be able to serve a patient irrespective of the socio-economic status, but in this case the mental rehabilitation centered not only failed to provide appropriate care and supervision to the patient but also discharged him without prior notifications, which reflects gross negligence and misconduct in part of such an organization management. Recommendation Keeping an eye on the article, it should be noted that, social stigma and discrimination related to cognitive disability can make situations worse for the concerned person and make it harder for them to recover (Dalky, 2012). According to me, the Kings rehabilitation centre would have opted for some other alternatives, if there were shortage of beds or could have given ample time to the family to make situations at home suitable for shifting a patient like Webb Landon. Furthermore, it is recommended to use more sympathetic words to address the mental health patients (Naslund et al., 2016). References Corrigan, P. W., Mittal, D., Reaves, C. M., Haynes, T. F., Han, X., Morris, S., Sullivan, G. (2014). Mental health stigma and primary health care decisions.Psychiatry research,218(1), 35-38. Dalky, H. F. (2012). Mental illness stigma reduction interventions management: Review of intervention trials.Western Journal of Nursing Research,34(4), 520-547. Naslund, J. A., Aschbrenner, K. A., Marsch, L. A., Bartels, S. J. (2016). The future of mental health care: peer-to-peer support and social media.Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences,25(2), 113-122. Pescosolido, B. A. (2013). The public stigma of mental illness: What do we think; what do we know; what can we prove?.Journal of Health and Social behavior,54(1), 1-21.

5 Tips to Write an Excellent UCF Application Essay

5 Tips to Write an Excellent UCF Application Essay SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The University of Central Florida, commonly known as UCF, is one of the largest colleges in the United States. Over 50,000 students are enrolled at UCF, but that doesn’t mean it’s super easy to get in- UCF has an acceptance rate of 49.9 percent, meaning they accept just under half of students who apply. To set yourself apart from the crowd, you’ll want to write a stellar UCF application essay. Don’t think that the fact that these essays are optional means they’re not important; they’re an additional opportunity to show why you’ll be a great addition to the student body! In this guide, we’ll cover all the details of the UCF essay prompts, including how to answer them, what UCF is looking for, and a step-by-step guide to make your essay as strong as it can be. All roads lead to choosing to write the UCF application essay. What Should You Know About the UCF Application Essay? Unlike many schools, only freshman students can use the Common Application to apply to UCF. Otherwise, students must use UCF’s own application, which is also available to freshman students. However, there are some differences between the two. UCF's website includes a recommendation, but not a requirement, for a supplemental essay based on two of four prompts, outlined below.However, the instructions for the essay include the phrase, "The personal statements are a very important part of your application," so while they may not actually be required, you should write them as if they are. The Common Application includes two questions that do not appear on the UCF application, and reports from students suggest that UCF sends a follow-up email with instructions for how to complete the supplemental essays. The essays on the Common Application are flagged as optional, but, as with the UCF application, you should answer them as if they're required to be on the safe side. If staring wistfully out the window helps your writing process, do it! What Are the UCF Application Essay Prompts? Though the UCF essays aren’t technically required according to the college's website, it’s strongly suggested that you complete them. They’re an opportunity to flesh out your application with a more complete picture of yourself, which is valuable to both UCF and you. UCF has four essay prompts to choose from and instructs students to respond to two. According to previous applicants, UCF accepts those responses in one combined essay or in two separate statements. The responses, whether in one single essay or in two essays, should total no more than 500 words or 7,000 characters combined. Be sure that your essay or essays fall below both the word and character count. UCF has four essay prompts for you to choose from, though you only need to answer two of the prompts. The questions can either be answered in one essay or two, depending on which you prefer. If there has been some obstacle or bump in the road in your academic or personal life, please explain the circumstances. With this prompt, UCF is giving you an opportunity to explain any parts of your application that may not be as impressive as you’d like them to be. Many students aren’t able to commit to extracurriculars as deeply as they’d like because of financial problems or because they need to work or otherwise help out their family. Other times, students may not be able to keep their grades up as well as they’d like due to family illness or other obstacles that can make staying on top of homework difficult. Circumstances like these are out of your control but can cause hiccups in your education, which might not look good to colleges. This prompt gives you space to explain that, giving UCF a better picture of who you are as a student. So if you’ve encountered any hardship that’s had an impact on your education, it’s smart to take advantage of this essay question and explain it. If your grades dipped in junior year because you had to pick up an after-school job to help your parents out, let UCF know! Not only does that explain changes to your grades, but it also demonstrates responsibility. If you can explain your GPA based on outside circumstances, take advantage of the opportunity and do so. Be honest about challenges you’ve faced, and accept responsibility for things that you could have done better. Your answer to this question should demonstrate anything you’ve learned from the experience and how you’ve grown rather than just shifting blame to outside circumstances. Don’t stop at writing about what happened- continue on to answer what you did about it. However, be sure that what you write about is an actual hardship. Being bored with your classes or being more invested in something else, such as an extracurricular activity, doesn’t qualify- this question is asking for obstacles outside of your control. How has your family history, culture or environment influenced who you are? This is a fairly standard background essay, which asks you to think about your upbringing and how that’s shaped the person you’ve become. Because UCF has a fairly short word limit, be sure to pick one particular element and hone in on it rather than spending time painting a complete portrait of your family history. Information like this helps a college like UCF better understand what you’ll be bringing to the student body. Our upbringings often give us unique perspectives and abilities, which contribute to a thriving campus culture. In a school of over 50,000 students, it might feel like there’s nothing particularly unique about you, but there is- this essay prompt helps you discuss it. Don’t get too hung up on picking something dramatic to set your family or culture apart from everybody else’s. If you grew up in a family that really loves fishing and it’s made you a more patient, hands-on person, write about that! On the other hand, if you grew up as part of a traveling circus and that’s made you long for a place to put down roots, write about that! The most important thing with this question is to be honest, thoughtful, and specific. Pick something that really matters to you, and think deeply on what it means. Provided you are honest, thoughtful, and specific, there aren’t a lot of topics you should avoid on this one, though always be aware that, if you choose to write about something potentially inflammatory, the admissions office may not feel the same way about things that you do. Your audience is made up of strangers, so choose something you’re comfortable sharing with people who don’t know you and deciding whether or not you’ll get into college based in part on what you write. Why did you choose to apply to UCF? â€Å"Why This School?† essays are common in college applications because they require you to think beyond a school’s reputation and get specific about why you want to go there. Colleges want to know that your interest goes beyond ticking another box on your college list- you should have a reason to attend beyond that you think you can get in! To answer this question, try to get specific. What is it about UCF that appeals to you? You can look through their mission statement, course catalog, and clubs to find things that appeal to you, or refer to experiences at a campus visit or college fair. Connect your interest in UCF to something concrete. For example, UCF has part of its mission statement dedicated to creativity, which should â€Å"enrich the human experience.† Why does that matter to you? When you attend UCF, how do you hope to use creativity to enrich the human experience, too? If you can, make connections to real-life classes or clubs that you want to belong to, such as the Cypress Dome Society or Elements of Hip Hop. What interests do you have? What are your goals? How will these clubs help connect you to your student body? The most important things to avoid in this essay response are the things everybody else is already saying- that UCF has a good reputation and that it has a nice campus. Assume that both of those things go without saying. What else does UCF have to offer? What qualities or unique characteristics do you possess that will allow you to contribute to the UCF community? This prompt is the flip side of the â€Å"Why This College?† prompt- instead of asking why you want to attend UCF, UCF is asking why they should want you. Think beyond everything UCF already knows about you, like your grades and test scores. Assume that every student applying has exactly the same grades and scores as you do, and then decide what it is about you that’s different. What else do you have to offer? Choose something you haven’t discussed already, and be sure that you embrace that UCF is asking for what makes you unique. UCF wants to know about you as an individual, which could be anything from how you have the patience to make the perfect tamale to how your time leading a guild in World of Warcraft taught you about leading by example and connecting with people. UCF has lots of people with good GPAs and test scores- does it have enough tamale makers and guild leaders? Aim to fill the unique gaps only you can fill! Attending college isn’t just about attending classes, getting good grades, and moving on with a degree to show it. You’ll be part of a thriving campus culture, and UCF wants to know that you’ll be participating and enriching it. Beyond not focusing on things UCF already knows, always be sure that you’re presenting your best self. The people reading your essays are strangers, and may not get your sense of humor if you try to be tongue-in-cheek in this section. Be honest and thoughtful in a way that others will understand, especially because this essay will likely be their first impression of you. A good notebook isn't required for writing your UCF essays, but it sure does feel nice. What Are the UCF Common Application Essay Prompts? If you're applying to UCF using the Common Application, the requirements are a little different. The Common Application includes two additional questions that do not appear on the UCF application, which are flagged as optional. Still, there's no reasonnot to answer them- the wordcounts are short, they provide extra context for your application, and they're valuable questions for both you and UCF to reflect on. According to students who've applied to UCF, after finishing the Common Application, UCF will follow up with you with additional requirements, including responding to the additional essay prompts covered above. Though these essays are optional, it's still a good idea to answer them. Be sure that you don't answer the same prompt twice, as one of the Common Application prompts is almost the same as the one in the UCF application.You only have 250 words each, so be brief and clear rather than spending a lot of time painting a vivid picture. Why are you interested in UCF? As in the UCF application essay prompts, this question is asking why you want to attend UCF. Think beyond widely applicable answers like citing their reputation, campus, or weather- assume the admissions office already knows all that. Why UCF over any other good, beautiful, warm-weather school? What specifically draws you there? UCF wants to know that you're committed to attending not just as somebody who wants a good name on their diploma, but as somebody who's dedicated to UCF's mission and programs. Showing that UCF, not just their credibility or campus, matters to you is a great way to set yourself apart from other applicants. To do this, you need to get specific. Drill deep into what makes you want to attend UCF, and connect it to specifics. Campus visits are a great way to make these specific connections, but if you can't visit, you can also comb through the course catalog, club list, or mission statement. Show UCF that you don't just see yourself proudly holding a diploma with their seal- show them you see yourself learning, growing, and participating in campus culture along the way. Discuss your reasons for pursuing the academic program (major) selected above. Like the first question, this prompt wants to know more about you as an individual student. Think about what draws you to your major beyond prestige or salary. What should UCF know about you and your connection to your program beyond your GPA and extracurriculars? Questions like this show your dedication, which can be an important factor in admissions. Schools want to know that you're committed to your studies, and an essay that shows a deeper connection to your field is more likely to impress them. Take some time to craft a response that's insightful and honest- this essay will show UCF that you're truly passionate about what you study. You don't have a lot of space to answer this question- just 250 words- so be sure to focus on one specific thing rather than being comprehensive. Did trying and failing to grow strawberries lead you down the path to becoming a botanist? Did you decide to put your reputation for bossiness as a kid to work as a business major? Due to the short wordcount, you're going to want to be brief. Don't pick a topic that's too big, and stay away from using answers that other people might use. It's great if you want to be a doctor because you want to help people, but why a doctor as opposed to a social worker? Your essay should clearly demonstrate why the field you've chosen is the perfect one for you. Believe it or not, relaxation is part of a good essay. Key Tips for the UCF Essay No matter what school you’re applying to, there are some strategies you can always follow to be sure that you have a good, strong essay. Follow these steps as you’re writing your UCF essay and you’ll have a much easier time wrangling your thoughts and shaping them into something that’ll impress the admissions office! #1: Brainstorm It’d be nice if you could just sit down and write a perfect draft on your first try, but that’s not how most of us work. Instead, start with a little brainstorming. Set a five-minute timer and give yourself free rein to come up with as many possible answers to the prompts as possible, even if the answers are silly or weird or absolutely not in a million years going to work. Don’t worry about it! Get everything you can think of down on paper now so you’re not trying to herd your thoughts back into shape later on. #2: Write a Draft The benefit of getting all your ideas down on paper is that now you can pick and choose the ones that sound the best without getting midway through an essay before deciding the topic isn’t working for you. Cross out the choices that aren’t strong enough to support a whole essay, even one as short as UCF’s, to get those out of the way. Spend a little more time brainstorming some different points to hit on with the remaining topics and pick the one that feels strongest. Using your brief outline, flesh the topic out into a full essay. Don’t worry about getting it perfect the first time- that’s what editing is for! #3: Edit Editing is tough; it means re-reading your work and dealing with all the flaws that creep in. But editing is what separates the good essays from the bad. Take a day or so away from your essay before diving back in to read it with fresher eyes, and try not to get frustrated as you go. Read your work aloud to help you find sentences that are too long or lacking in punctuation. Cut out extra words- those â€Å"really†s and â€Å"very†s aren’t doing any work for you- and rephrase to get as much of the essay into passive voice as you can. Read it aloud again, give it another pass, and keep going until you feel like your work is in as good of shape as you can possibly get it. #4: Get Feedback Now that you’ve put in some time in editing, it’s time for the next scary step: showing your work to others. Choose a few people who you trust to give you honest, useful feedback- people who know what a good essay looks like, not just people who are going to tell you it’s great- and ask them to take a look at it. Leave them with a copy to make notes on so that you can refer to them later. When you read their feedback, don’t take it too hard. Everything they have to say is a suggestion, and it’s ultimately up to you whether you want to use it or not. Your essay should always, always, always be your work; don’t rephrase things exactly as a teacher or counselor suggests if it isn’t how you would say it. Besides, readers aren’t always right about the best way to fix errors. If the people reading your essay are confused about something, take that seriously! But don’t feel like their suggestion to fix it is inherently the best way, especially if it contradicts your meaning. It’s okay to disagree- it is your essay, after all. #5: Revise and Submit Take another break from your essay. Always try to edit with fresh eyes, if you can- trying to make changes when you’ve already spent a lot of time editing can either mean you miss mistakes or that you get so frustrated you give up. Spend some time away, working on an essay for a different school or doing something else entirely before you come back to it. Now that you’ve had a break, take all that feedback you received and use it to spin your essay into gold. Smooth out places where readers were confused, and clean up any lingering grammar errors. Read it for clarity and flow, and tidy everything up. When you’ve reached a point where you’re satisfied, take one last break. Give yourself a little time away from it, then read it one more time. Are you happy with it? Great! It’s time to submit! Send it off to UCF and anxiously wait for your acceptance letter to arrive. What’s Next? As you're applying to UCF, it's good to be aware of their admission requirements. This guide will walk you through the average GPA and test scores at UCF to help you maximize your chances of getting in! College essays should always be targeted to the school you're applying to, but there are some essay-writing strategies that work no matter what school you're applying to. If you're applying to college, it's a good idea to be aware of how to apply for financial aid.Make a plan and stick to it to ensure you get the maximum money available to you! Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

Motivational and Cognitive Sources of Prejudice

Motivational and Cognitive Sources of Prejudice Asian female celebrities and Caucasian men, has become one of the most common interracial pairing in America. The trend is attributed to motivational and cognitive prejudice that a particular person has towards his or her counterpart. Prejudice emanates from a special preference for a particular individual due to race, nationality, social status, or sexual orientation. Such factors have soothed Asian women to prefer Caucasian men to their Asian male counterparts.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Motivational and Cognitive Sources of Prejudice specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand, Caucasian men prefer Asian females due to their highly rated smartness, good body physic and social interactivity. In addition, Asian females are said to be submissive in nature. Anyone who finds himself a target of the cross-cultural frustrations will definitely defend himself as pursuing his tastes rather than guided by the et hnic stereotypes. This growing trend creates an imbalance in interracial pairing and both the Asian and Caucasian men have expressed their disappointment. The Asian female and Caucasian male interracial pairing phenomenon is attributed to the motivational sources of prejudice that exist among the parties involved. This fact is clearly elaborated in the frustration and aggression, and the social identity theories. Furthermore, frustration and aggression is further categorized into the realistic group conflict theory and the scapegoat theory. The realistic group theory is manifested in the fact that Caucasian men are striking back at the modern feminism portrayed by the Caucasian females. Most Caucasian men believe that their counterparts articulate for modern feminism, whose main agenda is equal rights for women, and in the process end up discrediting the males. Initiating and sustaining of relationships with the Caucasian females becomes complex and uncomfortable forcing the Caucasi an males to resort to Asian females who are more idealistic (Myers, 2010). Furthermore, the Caucasian men who cannot contain the masculine role that the Caucasian women play in relationships turn to women from other cultural backgrounds. They mainly prefer the Asian females. In this regard, Asian females obtain preference because of their supposed submissive nature attributed to the male dominance in relationships from their cultures. Notably, such characteristics promoted by tradition and culture are considered to be socially backward and lack value in the American standards. The scapegoat theory explains some of the reasons that coerce Caucasian men to prefer Asian females to the Caucasian females. Most Caucasian men with certain weaknesses in their character prefer dominance in relationship. Therefore, individuals with such personalities resort to Asian females whose culture advocates for submissiveness in a relationship. With this option, the Caucasian men can avoid the blame ga mes that are prevalent in relationship with women who advocate for the gender role equality.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Asian women indeed become the ultimate alternative in which Caucasian men can exercise their aggression. No matter how the Asian females get exposed to the American society, their culture still pervades unlike other individuals from different backgrounds. This has therefore substantially contributed to the rapid increase in the Caucasian men’s’ preference to the Asian women. The social identity theories propose that individuals have social groups and categories that form an important part in their self-concept. The individual personalities portrayed by both the Caucasians and the Asians reflect the need for groups, association with the in-groups and comparison with the out-groups. Most of the young people who belong to both the Caucasian and Asian background are influenced by their counterparts to follow the same path, contributing significantly to the trend. Although numerous accusations may arise that Caucasian men are taking advantage of the Asian women, their preference is attributed by the fact that Asian women are more lady-like. On the other hand, Asian women’s preference for the Caucasian men is attributed to their need for more tolerant and socially fit men. These women quickly point out that the Asian men are restricted by their stifling culture, which forces them to opt for men who are likely to bestow them more freedom. Considering that most relationships are initiated at school levels, most Asian men are academically focused and limit themselves to the classroom work forcing the Asian women to go for Caucasian men. Despite their brilliance, they do not put much effort on learning essential skills of establishing and maintaining relationships (Gilbert, 1998). In spite of the cultural values that connect people, the Asian men feel discarded when the Asian women prefer the Caucasian men to them. Asian women have developed a notion that their men are nerdy and mostly suitable for the karate-chop actions. These ideologies are mainly promoted by the media, which tend to give more favour to the Caucasian men as representing the American standards. The beauty of men as portrayed by the media is represented in terms of characters such as being smart, athletic and social. Media due to its influence on people has greatly changed the desire for women to go for ordinary men, but opt for men who fit the American standards. Such bias favours the Caucasian men in wooing the Asian women. The confidence exhibited by the Caucasian men makes them more attractive to women. A gradual decline in the number of Asian women dating Asian men creates an imbalance since few Caucasian women go for Asian men. Asian males are disadvantaged in this regard and are generally perceived as unattractive to sui t the women demands. Due to the continuous appearance of Asian women in the spotlight as representing the American beauty, the preconceptions that initially existed concerning them are now being discarded. This has influenced their preference among Caucasian men unlike the Caucasian women who are more independent.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Motivational and Cognitive Sources of Prejudice specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Attribution, distinctiveness and categorisation are the cognitive source of prejudice. Categorisation is prevalent and has substantive impact on the Caucasian male and Asian women interracial pairings. With the perception of the Caucasian men as being lenient, appreciative and respectful, they are more favourable to the Asian women compared to their competitors, the Asian men. The rating of the Caucasian men by the Caucasian women as appropriate suitors and partners creates a mentality among wom en that they are the ideal men for relationships. Most Caucasian men find Asian women suitable because of the fact that the independent Caucasian women are usually short of time, preoccupied and not passionate in relationships (Baron, 2000). In this regard, the analysed perception of the desirability of the Caucasian men and Asian women relationship creates a conception that other unions are not effective. To avoid the likely disappointments in other unions most people choose the tested patterns. Homogeneity effect plays a crucial role in the pairing of the Caucasian men and Asian females. In other words the perception held by women that all Asian men are alike creates a discrepancy in the formation of relationship. Attrition refers to the stereotypic ideologies held by people that what takes place is justifiable. For most Caucasian men, there is a notion that Asian women are ideal for them and therefore a majority of them go for these women. Asian women on the other hand view the c haracteristics of the Asian men as void and weak in forming stable and enjoyable relationships. Distinctiveness mentality among the Caucasian men creates attention and forms inappropriate judgement of the realistic partners that they should have. On a large extent, it has facilitated bias in the creation of ideal and appropriate relationships. Furthermore, both the Asian men and Caucasian women have also concurred the trend and expressed disappointments and pity for the parties involved. References Baron, R. A., Byrne, D. E. (2000). Social psychology (9th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Gilbert, D. T., Fiske, S. T., Lindzey, G. (1998). The handbook of social psychology (4th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill ; Myers, D. G. (2010). Social psychology (10th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Radiation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Radiation - Research Paper Example UV radiation comprises only about 5% of total solar radiation but is biologically important, as exposure to this part of the spectrum might lead to damage of cellular DNA and thereby increase the risk for skin cancer. Descriptive epidemiological data strongly indicate a link between solar radiation and malignant melanoma. Studies of have suggested that the risk for melanoma is related to exposure to solar rays at the place of residence in early life. Some 5% of solar radiation is within the ultraviolet spectrum and may cause both malignant melanoma and non-melanocytic skin cancer; the latter is regarded as a benign disease and is accordingly not included in our estimation of avoidable cancers (Edmund Kennet Karuth, 2011). Ionizing radiation is classified as either particulate or electromagnetic. Charged particles such as electrons (beta minus particles), protons, alpha particles (helium nuclei) and heavy ions can ionize directly. Uncharged particles, notably neutrons, interact with the nuclei of the atoms through which they pass and give up their energy to produce recoil protons, alpha particles and heavier nuclear fragments, which go on to produce ionizations. The important characteristic of ionizing radiation is the local release of large amounts of energy, sufficient to break strong chemical bounds that are biologically important. Electromagnetic ionizing radiation consists of X and gamma rays, which give up part or all of their energy to the orbital electrons of the atoms through which they pass, producing fast recoil electrons that have sufficient energy to be ionizing. X and gamma radiation differ only in the way in which they are produced, gamma being produced by the decay of radioactive isoto pes and almost all X rays being made by electrical machines. For radiation initiated or formed, there is a process. To begin with, we classify radiation as either particulate or electromagnetic. Charged particles such as electrons (beta minus particles),

Social policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

Social policy - Essay Example Studies into the relationship between gender, health and human life cycle have taken a systematic approach in this unit. During my studies in this module, I found out that there is a positive correlation between gender, health and stages in the human life cycle (Hayward, 2003). From the point of determination of the sex of children, a difference in health trajectory begins to show between the two sexes. These differences vary in kind(Romans & Seaman, 2006). With ageing comes health complications. Ursula Lehr posits that old age is characterised by negative traits such as a decline in the capacities of individuals coupled with dysfunction or complete loss of the vital functions of the human body. In the social construction of old age, sociologists have shared that the current society is based on a ‘cult of youth’, where youthfulness, beauty, vigour and strength have immense value (Romans & Seaman, 2006). The society has a way of constructing a way of viewing issues that do not regard the law. I learned this alongside my colleagues last year in the unit ‘Introduction to Sociology’ where we were first introduced to the concept of social construction. Initially, during my First Year, I thought social constructs only existed in childhood. However, after further studies on the issue, I came to find out that the issue of social constructs can be applied in other issues such as gender, race, mental health and physical disability among others. I now understand that anything that results from shaping and forming by the society is of concern to sociologists and researchers. The number of aged people in Britain could rise to 12 million in the year 2021. This figure could grow further to 15.5 million aged people by the year 2030, according to figures provided by the Office of National Statistics. The number of people expected to be above the age of 80 by the year 2021 is 3 million, with further projected increase to 5.5 million people by the year

Is Halls Encoding Decoding Model Still Useful Media Essay

Is Halls Encoding Decoding Model Still Useful Media Essay Encoding and Decoding in the Television Discourse was written by Stuart Hall in 1974, which was critically acclaimed in mass communications research and paved the way for many academics to build upon the theoretical model of encoding and decoding between audience and receiver. Messages are sent and received between the audience and the receiver, but the meaning of the text is dependent on the audiences cultural background, to accept, reject or negotiate the text with a margin of understanding, (Hall: 1974). This analysis of the model of research will examine the usefulness of Halls theory on contemporary mass communications research, and will follow the next generations of audience research and the application of the model in current media today. Firstly it is necessary to recognise that the encoding decoding model has much older theoretical roots. One of the main theoretical roots of the model (critical theory) referred to the post 1933 emigration of scholars from the Marxist school of applied Social Research in Frankfurt to the United States (Mcquail: 2000). The school was established to understand the failures of Marxism, and Stuart Halls essay examined the mass media as central to the culture of capitalism with meaningful discourse, this is relevant to the success of the model which appears critically popular in looking at capitalism with a predominant media. Secondly the theory readdressed the themes of the Use and Gratifications theory examining audience power over the media rather then mediated effects on the audience (Katz: 1959). The theoretical study later concluded that audiences use the media to fulfil there own needs and gratifications (Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., Gurevitch, M.: 1974). Halls theory represents a similar model with elegant simplicity, to make it a key text, (Mcquail: 2002). Importantly Halls model focuses on groups rather then the individual which is more useful for looking at mass communications dominance due to social class and cultural heritage. Both the political and theoretical foundations of the model have implications on its relevance today as its usefulness is paramount to a mass media dominated society and the driving relationship between audience and media. The model itself described by Hall is, The institution -societal relations of production must pass into and through modes of language for its products to be realised. This initiates a further differentiated moment, in which the formal rules of discourse and language operate. Before this message can have an effect it must first be meaningfully decoded. It is the set of decoded meaning which have an effect, influence entertain, instruct or persuade with complex perceptual cognitive, ideological or behavioural consequences (Hall, 1974: 3). Hall (1974) suggests four decoded meanings from this model, the dominant code of preferred meanings, the professional code transmitting a message signified within in a hegemonic manner, the negotiated code of adapted and oppositional elements and the oppositional code, clear understanding but with a connotative inflection and rejection for audience, (Mcqual: 2002). This segregation of groups was tested by David Morleys The Nationwide Audience in 1980 which complimented Halls research but importantly gave birth to second generation ethnographic research. This was praised by Morley (1992) where he described how Halls model gave rise to decode media messages and sparked emphasis toward a new phase of qualitative audience research, gender realities and media consumption. Ethnographic research predominant in the 80s examined how television was a social resource in family dynamics and the relation of media in everyday life, rather then decoding one programme through a single medium. Fish wrote that one studies the every day life of a group, and relates the use of (a reception of) a programme or a medium to it (1979: 329). This quality of research transcends further into areas such as gender and communities in which Halls model can not disseminate. Third generation audience research offers a constructionist analysis of contemporary media in the sense of how we are aware and conceive our roles with the audience and reflexivity of our understanding of ourselves as the audience. Radway (1998) emphasized the audience point of departure subjected to television and our self reflection of the media and our knowledgeable participation is where audience research lies. Essentially second and third generation research explored more deeply into social constructivism, which compliments audience media relationships. Although Hall was praised by Nightingale (1996) for the model researched media linguistics and social semiotics to combine research methods and genre in new ways. The audience understanding of linguistics and there self representation through genre is a critical area of contemporary audience research. After the third generation of audience research, Schroder (1994) described the turn towards ethnography and the everyday, as a threat to write the media as the focus of research out of existence. Political research addressed later, will demonstrate this to be untrue and encoding/decoding remains useful in social and cultural class on a broad scale. Nightingale (1996) criticized the model for the assumption that only dominant culture is produced through television and the modernity of the model should recognise the cultural hegemony distributed through society. Fiske (1997) described, the characterization of the television text as a site of a struggle between dominant ideologies working to produce a closed text by closing off the opportunities it offers to resistive readings, and the diversity of audiences who, if they are to make the text popular, are constantly working to open it up to their readings. Audience participation has increased dramatically in contemporary television, addressing the dominant reading and offering opportunities for varied outcomes. The rising popularity of reality TV shows is a good example of a larger audience participation, which will be addressed later on. Before looking at the changing media landscape and the issues that affect the use of the decoding model in the close present. It is first necessary to pay attention to David Morley. In The Study of the Nationwide Audience, Morley (1980) described members of a given sub-culture tend to share a cultural orientation towards decoding messages in certain ways, similarly Hall (1981b) described individual readings of messages will be framed by shared cultural formations and practices (p.51). This study used Stuart Halls encoding model and successfully identified dominant, negotiated and oppositional readings based on cultural background. The limitations of this were later noted by David Morley (1992) in his critical postscript in Television Audiences and Cultural Studies where he acknowledged his terms of class (middle and lower) are descriptive labels that do not divulge the detailed ethnography of the people studied. He also describes The Nationwide Audience as scratching the surface of c ultural practises that could range from religion to biology. Therefore we can acknowledge that the model lacks the detail desired to penetrate the cultural depth of the audience, but the model can disseminate by social and cultural class on a broad scale. The Nationwide Audience was defined in relation to texts rather then mediums (Holmes: 2005) but audience medium interaction was also examined in Morleys postscript. Critically the audience medium changes the way the audience receives the text. The internet has been the largest rising social medium in contemporary technology and is very different from television. Television is considered to be an acoustic medium like radio, in which sound represents the privately experienced equivalent of a social world characterized from all directions ( Holmes: 2005, p.114). The Internet presents a world of information, a virtual reality linked with broadcast networks, interactive communication, and a definitive need for the audience to participate. The internet and online broadcasting were not present at the time of the original study forming an argument that Halls model is outdated as it does not account for changing mediums and New Media content consumed by the audience. New genre has allowed reflection on old mediums acquainted to their ontological power (Holmes: 2005). An example is the spectacular increase in active audience participation in reality TV, founded on a principle of imaginary substitution; and audiences viewing a representation of themselves. Using Nightingales assumption that the model assumes only dominant culture is produced through television; reality TV rebuffs a dominant understanding through the audience participation. Critically as Halls model arguably only accounts for a dominant ideology, it has extremely limited use in looking at audience participation and influence. The ITVs X factor audience has an estimated 10 million viewers, and there are various reality TV voting shows such as big brother, that arent just primetime TV, but can dominate the front page of many tabloid magazines reaching a predominantly larger circulation of people then television. Third generation audience research best describes the audience participation, in there active role in the media in determining the outcome of the represented. Social constructivism defines reality TV, and a dominant hegemony is arguable defeated. Halls model integrates determination and freedom via the producer and consumer, but arguably disappoints in its linearity. Murdock (1989) criticizes the models overemphasis of the rational dimension of the response. Comparing the basic nature of the model to Lasswells comment (known as the Lasswell model) Who (says) What (to) Whom (in) What Channel (with) What Effect recited before Hall, accounts for the medium and the effects within research, justifiably explaining the linear nature of the encoding mode in comparison. Modern communication research needs further consideration of the medium. Although Lasswells model can be seen as a transmission of communication as opposed to mass communication it is arguably more useful then that of Halls in allowing for current new media interactivity and the medium. Murdocks description of the overemphasis of unilateral response is justifiably irrelevant in large groups, in which it is useful to examine mass communication from a political perspecti ve. We previously mentioned Halls model can penetrate social and cultural class on a broad scale and mediated politics can theoretically be applied to the encoding model. The conservative government will have most support from the upper social class; typically bankers and businesses that support the privatization and socio-economic freedom of the individual agreeing with the dominant message delivered through the media. This message would understandably be rejected be trade unionists and the lower class that live in less privileged economic conditions. The middle classs are the negotiable reading, and are essentially the battleground for government votes. Thatcherism and the conservatives long stint in power from 1979- 1996 can be examined in relation to encoding and decoding the mass audience, similarly to Tony Blairs acknowledgement of the model in Labours reign from 1997-2010. During Margaret Thatchers reign the traditionalist capitalist ideology, family values and patriotism presented through the media were a success in cultural hegemony. It can be argued that Thatcherism was successful due to its ability to address the concerns of ordinary people through its articulation of right wing politics The study of this is described by Gauntlett (2000) who says In studying the media and gender, one could use this approach to see how the media might make certain formulations of masculinity, femininity and sexuality to be natural, inevitable and sexy (p.30), Certainly Margaret Thatchers formulation of ideology expressed certain values onto the British public that permeated their culture. Recapping on the value of Halls model in mass communication as a meaningful discourse in capitalist culture, the application to politics and the media is evidence of its use. Hall (1996) also argues Thatcherism successfully maintained support of the working class through popular authoritarianism. It can be seen the British people submitted to the psychological message of the driving capitalist machine and arbitrary nature of political power. The Falklands War is a great example of how the hegemonic embodied populism to remain in power. The ability to be able to look back and examine governmental power, political strategy and articulation of the people is vitally important for understanding the nature of our media, culture and public and can be used by government and historians to shape future policies and projections. A large amount of credit must go to Halls model that can textualize and open up the coding used between audience and public and represents an important academic angle f rom which to do so. Although Stuart Halls model is based around theories of mass communication, Dicks (2000) applied Halls encoding/decoding model to a local heritage museum based in South Wales with the understanding that heritage and the museum visitors can be studied as a form of social communication. Heritage is examined as a cultural communicative practise, linked to the vernacular aesthetic of the people. The social model of communication looks at the practises of production and consumption in relation to politics, economics and culture, (drawn from the framework of Stuart Hall). Initially the heritage site, (which was being built in the early 90s) dedicated to the miners strikes felt the Conservative government had projected a Disney model of narration to the heritage site that didnt reflect the community feel, thus as local historian was able to get involved in the development process, outlining the encoding element. When the public visited the museum they were asked a series of questions before , and after there interactivity with the museum. Generalising the findings presents Hallss theory in accurate modern context of dominant, oppositional and negotiated responses to the decoding of the information presented due to economic and cultural heritage. However they should not be simplified into this manner as the detail of the answers given, present a larger scope of negotiation from the public, due to the museum not actually presenting a dominant hegemonic view of the miners strikes. In this sense, the question is how did the visitors negotiate with the negotiation? Essentially using there own social-cultural class to deconstruct the narrative. Concluding the findings of the article, the encoding aspect of the museum content presented a clear divide between the government and local idea of the aesthetic and values of the museum, and decoding is representative of cultural and economic means but does not necessarily descend from hegemonic measures passing scope for more negoti ation. The article has clearly used the model to an intelligently critical viewpoint of an audience subject to heritage with large significance thus cementing its usefulness in this element of modern society. If the model can be used to deconstruct our perseverance of heritage and reveal political and cultural means of the audience, it has another credible use. Importantly the model was able to be adapted to reflect more audience freedom and negotiation reflected in contemporary audience theory today. It is now necessary to revisit many aspects of Halls model, tying in the theoretical, alongside politics, the changing media landscape and the wider scope of knowledge. Firstly, taking a political stance, the continuities between Thatcherism and New Labours political projection were documented by Hall (1998), as the authoritarian populism of Britain was echoed in the New Labour rhetoric under Tony Blair. As we previously covered the theoretical roots of the encoding model stem from emigration of scholars from the Marxist school of applied Social Research, and Labour learnt a lot with its affiliation with Marxism. Tony Blairs contribution to the magazine almost certainly contributed to his understanding of how to modernise his party and use the media effectively as a dominant mass communication tool. Where the Use and Gratifications model failed in Marxist academia, Halls model successfully justifies mass media dominance. If we revisit the third generation audience research we can see a link between the constructionist viewpoint and the findings from the heritage museum. Participants in the heritage museum research were able to self identify there role in the research and offer a more negotiated viewpoint, as such there is greater audience understanding of there identity in shaping the outcome, and the ability to use the encoding model with more modern research giving it greater use. Referring back to Nightingales criticism of the model, that it assumed only dominant culture is produced through television. The heritage site had no dominant message and yet the model was able to be used to negotiate readings and audience understanding. The model was able to do this because it still posed relevant for disseminating social and cultural class but its real findings and the examination of further audience negotiation compliments its ability to embrace the audience understanding of third generation research. Whilst it was concluded modern television such as reality TV produced flaws in Halls model, one would assume there would be new documented research on the progression of New Media and the distribution of programmes through changing mediums and a diverse virtual world of information. There is not such a wealth of information out there which asks larger questions as to whether the encoding/decoding model has been cast aside with changing media dynamics. One of the most important recent media developments is the rise of social media. One of largest and most predominant media campaigns in western politics was Barack Obamas presidential campaign in 2008. Meerman Scott (2007) believes this was won due to Obama being the candidate that mostly strongly embraced social media. The encoding model does fall short of being able to connect to interactive media, user generated content and networking that is not subject to a mass dominated message, but instead the articulation and communication of m any individuals independent of thought. Obama didnt pursue an authoritarian message with his campaign to be mediated across the web, but many individuals wrote multiples blogs raising awareness online. This has given me the viewpoint that mediated liberalism and the freedom of audience control has rapidly increased due to social media. Halls model is relevant in predominant media, it will not transcend into the online social forum. Similarly the role that the audience plays online is very much what people do with the media, (echoing the Use and Gratification model) and attempts to cast aside dominant ideology or reading. Social Media is technically the most recent revolutionary form of media in which the encoding model appears to fall short in its application of audience understanding. It can however be concluded that there is very little academic research on this topic thus far to determine the model in this form. Conclusively, Stuart Halls model has taught me, in regards to politics and the media, it is best applied in context of the media dominance of society and has clear use and purpose in analysing recent UK governments and can contextualise the relationship we have with the autonomous power above us. The model has limited use in modern television such as reality TV and the changing media landscape, and falls short of the social media revolution and the powerful nature of the audience online. The model itself though, does transcend the ethnography and constructionist nature of the research that followed the model, and its ability to be applied to a local heritage site and successful disseminate an audience, proves it can still be useful in modern society. Similarly the social and cultural decodings of the model in mass audience research have been justified and complimented by various researches undertaken.