Raymond Williams and Marshall McLuhans views regarding the relationship between media technology and culture Essay Example

Raymond Williams and Marshall McLuhans views regarding the relationship between media technology and culture Essay Marshall McLuhan and Raymond Williams have made key contributions to our understanding of media and its relationship to society and culture. McLuhan, in particular, has been an influential thinker on the subject and his ideas continue to be debated to this day. McLuhan’s work laid emphasis on how media is not an exclusive domain, but a space for the intermingling of politics, commerce and culture. One of the founding fathers of the field of media ecology, McLuhan introduced his core ideas in the 1950s and 60s. This was a period of rapid growth in telecommunication technology. The project McLuhan undertook is no less than to explain how â€Å"the nuances and great sweeps of human history are made possible by media of communication–how media determine the thoughts and actions of people and society.† (Strate, 2004) Raymond Williams’ career as a media analyst succeeded that of McLuhan. Consequently, he was able to see the flaws in several of McLuhanâ€⠄¢s theories and rectify them to a large extent. Where Williams differed from his predecessor was on his ability to place media in the larger socio-cultural and economic dimensions rather than merely the technological dimension. This essay will argue that while McLuhan laid out many fundamental concepts governing media studies, it is Williams who offers a more robust and veritable framework of understanding for studying media. Their arguments are weighed in the cases of digital media such as the television and the Internet. And finally, where either scholar’s concepts fall short, the Propaganda Model proposed by Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman is referred to present a more comprehensive understanding of media and its functionality. One of McLuhan’s interesting ideas is that media is much more than the communications technology. It includes all â€Å"human inventions and innovations†. In this view, the constituent components of mass media includes â€Å"the spoken word, roads, numbers, clothing, housing, money, clocks, the automobile, games, and weapons, in addition to the major mass media and communication technologies.† (Driedger Redekop, 1998) Hence, media is effectively an extension of human beings and their perceptory faculties and capabilities. While there is efficiency and expedition in the dissemination of information in this setup, the concerns are the attendant negative consequences. For example, an outcome of this pervasive media space is the numbing of our critical faculties under the overload of information processing. In this cultural order where ‘the medium is the message’, there is danger in media technology’s role in â€Å"how and what we communicat e, how we think, feel, and use our senses, and in our social organization, way of life, and world view.† (Driedger Redekop, 1998) I concur with McLuhan’s apprehensive about the power of media technology in determining and dictating culture. McLuhan further argued that We will write a custom essay sample on Raymond Williams and Marshall McLuhans views regarding the relationship between media technology and culture specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Raymond Williams and Marshall McLuhans views regarding the relationship between media technology and culture specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Raymond Williams and Marshall McLuhans views regarding the relationship between media technology and culture specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer â€Å"the sensory organization, and the relationship between sensory organization and the nature of thought were shaped by a person’s direct experience with a medium. He saw television as a high-involvement medium, which leads viewers to crave the same level of involvement in all of their experiences. This was based on his designation of television as a â€Å"cool† medium, drawing on the distinction between â€Å"hot† jazz which was highly structured, and â€Å"cool† jazz, which was more unstructured, generating more listener involvement.† (Driedger Redekop, 1998) It is fair to claim that this theory is now proven to be inaccurate, for television actually only requires passive consumption as opposed to active engagement. Indeed, television has thus acquired the derogatory terms ‘idiot box’ and ‘the tube’. This is one of several instances where McLuhan’s grasp of the nature of a medium was off the mark. But some of his other theories pertaining to media’s influence on culture generally hold true. He first articulated his theories on media in his debut work The Mechanical Bride: Folklore of Industrial Man. First published in 1951, this book focussed on media content as opposed to his later ruminations on the nature of media and the enabling technology. McLuhan identifies ways in which â€Å"popular culture reflects and promotes the attitudes, beliefs, and values of technological society†. (Strate, 2004) In this milieu, human beings are conditioned in certain ways that promote the technocratic so cial order. McLuhan refers to the ‘technological man’, who is a super specialist in his professional field, but is limited in his ability to critically engaging with the system he is a part of. While McLuhan doesn’t fully articulate the repercussions of this limitation, Raymond Williams’ fulfils this scholarly void. He elaborates that the ‘technological woman’ is mass produced as in an assembly line. She is a product of consumption of commodities such as soaps, cosmetics, household appliances, etc. With greater mechanization, some of her traditional roles are shifted to an automatic machine like, say, a washing machine. The vast sweep and penetration of mass media is such that children are especially hostage to its effects. Whereby, technological children grow up feeding on baby formula instead of mother’s breast milk. The resultant unfulfilled neo-natal urge leads them to carry an oral fixation in later life. This manifests in t he form of addictions to cigarettes and alcohol – even Coca-Cola is a source of satiating this fixation. But beyond these physical entrapments that keep them entrenched in the consumerist cycle, the more significant effects are on the faculties of mind. Even McLuhan concurs with Williams on the above point, as he notes: what passes for education is usually technical training that â€Å"will allow them to fit into the machine-like organizations of corporate America. Even in death, we are ruled by technology through the sale of coffins that are weather-resistant.† (Strate, 2004) Through these insights McLuhan introduced the concept of ‘technique’ or ‘technopoly’ that is the dominant method of indoctrination of human beings in modern technological societies. McLuhan and Williams were thus able to foresee the unsavoury and detrimental effects – so far as general human progress is concerned – of the confluence of media technology and consumerism on culture. Of the two, it is Williams who disapproved of these tendencies more vehemently and lamented the abuse of media. He expressed disappointment over the fact that the enabling and emancipating potential of technological media is usurped by business and political interests for perpetuating their own narrow goals. Through the mere fact of exposing this reality, Williams is pitching for critical thinking and corrective remedial action on part of civil society. One of Raymond Williams’ key ideas is how culture â€Å"is a whole way of life, and everyone adopts a certain way of life or wants to have a changed way of life†. (Murray, Roscoe, Morris, Lumby, al-, 2002) This aspiration takes a whole set of connotations in the era of globalization. Under this global economic paradigm, the primary concern is how local or indigenous culture would be impacted by â€Å"the global flows of capital, information, ideology, values, and technology.† (Fengzhen Xie, 2003) Consequently, Williams identifies a general anxiety permeating all cultural discourse. There are fears that globalization might challenge and eventually quell several historically developed local linguistic, ethnic or national cultures. Several social critics, including Williams, have pondered if globalization is synonymous with â€Å"unification or Americanization of the world culture†. (Fengzhen Xie, 2003) Others insist that â€Å"globalization is not nec essarily the story of cultural homogenization or Americanization; instead it encourages and creates cultural diversity and protean difference.† (Fengzhen Xie, 2003) It is important to remember that the process of globalization happened on the back of an equally rapid growth in telecommunication technology. Hence, Williams’ observations on globalization are fully applicable to its iconic technological symbol – the Internet. In the debate surrounding Internet’s effect on indigenous cultures, a third position has emerged â€Å"that attempts to reconcile the global and the local–it argues that globalization is a two-fold process which brings the universalization of particularism and the particularization of universalism at the same time.† (Fengzhen Xie, 2003) Bringing in the viewpoint of Chomsky-Herman to this debate, it is fairly clear that their view of globalization and attendant media consolidation is negative. Chomsky, for example, has ci ted the failure of NAFTA to create prosperity for a majority of Mexicans, thereby exposing its rhetoric as propaganda of half-truths. Coming back to McLuhan, in his later work, ‘The Gutenberg Galaxy: The Making of Typographic Man’, he performs media analysis at the level of ‘system’ or ‘ecology’. Of the various observations and insights offered in the book, many pertain to the role of media (mainly the television) to the formation of culture. He identifies oral communication at the level of tribes as the earliest media developed by human civilization. The invention of the printing press at the beginning of the modern age thus brought a radical shift to the manufacture and assimilation of culture. There is even the contention that it was print technology which precipitated the beginning of the modern age, breaking away from the feudalistic and culturally stagnant medieval times. In this view, the invention of the alphabet is a watershed event in the evolution of human culture. According to McLuhan, the electronic culture (standing for both television and the Internet) is the ‘fourth culture’ which is ‘paradise regained’. Developing from â€Å"the invention of telegraphy to television and the computer, this culture promises to short-circuit that of mechanical print and we regain the conditions of an oral culture in acoustic space. We return to a state of sensory grace; to a culture marked by qualities of simultaneity, indivisibility and sensory plenitude. The haptic or tactile senses again come into play, and McLuhan strives hard to show how television is a tactile medium.† (New Media, p.81) Undertaking the study of the evolution of media in the last five centuries, McLuhan considers the dominant contemporary media forms in great detail and depth. It is in the context of modern electronic media and the conditions of globalization that the term ‘global village’ is introduced. One of McLuhan’s most enduring quotations in this regard is how â€Å"the new electronic interdependence recreates the world in the image of a global village†. (Murray, Roscoe, Morris, Lumby, al-, 2002) There is truth to this view as the stupendous success of Hollywood and other American cultural products across the world prove. But McLuhan’s articulation is incomplete as it does not mention the commercial backbone of the electronic/digital culture. For example, in studying the film industry one can see how there is an â€Å"intersection of political economy and cultural studies†. (Druick, 2004) In the current set up where local cultural sensibilities are challenged by Hollywood, Raymond Williams’ argument rings true. He noted that

Top Workplace Trends of 2016 so Far

Top Workplace Trends of 2016 so Far It’s always important to stay on top of the most current and exciting trends in the workplace, no matter what your field. Here are the top 10  biggest trends for this year, according to the Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology. 1. Big DataThis has been on top of the short list for the past few years- and was also number one last year. Companies are increasingly looking for ways to analyze the mounting piles of data they accrue and find ways to maximize what they learn from that data to improve their business. Businesses need to keep strategizing how to get the best analysis and make the best interpretations in order to make their best decisions.2. TechnologyTechnology continues to evolve faster than we can keep ahead of it. And we are relying on it more and more. Businesses need to focus on figuring out how that reliance, plus the increased prevalence of automation, might affect their hiring and staffing decisions- not to mention training emphases for current and new employees.3.  Working RemotelyMore and more people are getting the opportunity to manage their own schedules and work remotely. Businesses need to keep an open mind as to how to best manage teams who are not all working from the same physical location- and how to keep productivity as high as possible.4. More Frequent ReviewsGone are the days of performance reviews only happening once or twice a year. The evaluation process will become more like an ongoing conversation between employees, supervisors, and management. This focus on continually improving will help employees develop faster and better- and help companies help them to improve.5. Employee EngagementEngaged employees are better employees. So much research confirms this. They go the extra mile so much more often. Businesses should constantly be thinking how to raise employee engagement, which will help boost productivity and set a constructive and positive office culture.6. Wellness for EmployeesBusinesses are under mu ch more pressure these days to provide health and wellness incentives for employees. The healthier the workers, the better the work!7. FlexibilityBusinesses are required to be more and more agile and flexible in their business practices. The willingness to take risks and innovate is proving to pay off more and more often. This will need to be incorporated into organizational principles and missions, including flexibility with work schedules.8. Work/Life BalanceThere’s more and more focus these days on offering better work/life balance for employees. And more and more employees are demanding such a focus. Businesses will have to figure out which strategies work best, and which are less effective, in order to compete.9. DiversityHiring practices will hopefully adapt to include more diversity in the workforce, and also more diversity-oriented thinkers in positions of authority. This is an important one, and is required to matching the ethos of the future.10. Social MediaSocial m edia sites like Facebook and LinkedIn will be used much more for hiring and recruitment- not just for networking. There are legal issues to keep in mind on both sides, for both workers and employers.

Critically analyse the assertion that the benefits of globalization Essay

Critically analyse the assertion that the benefits of globalization have been unequal and have led to widening global inequality - Essay Example These are just a few of the advantages that human societies and business activities enjoy from globalisation and its related activities. Globalisation is a term used to describe various macro-economic regulations and policies that influence various cross-border transactions and other systems that lead to increased interdependence in the citizens of many countries globally (McGregor 2008, 13). It is believed that globalisation activities in the world started in the 1990s. However, it is important to understand that trends in globalisation had began a few years before the 1990s (Ghauri & Powell, 2008, 54). Globalisation is said to have led to increased quality, efficiency and effectiveness in the quality of goods and services that were being produced by countries. Many companies began to improve in the supply management and distribution of goods and services, something that led to their growth and development, with expansions to other regions and countries. Globalization played a big role in economic integration, something that led to the economic growth and development in these countries. Currently, many countries are involved in various integration something that some people say has led to increased economic inequalities in different economies. This paper examines the effects of globalization and perceived inequalities that have results from it in various countries. The process of economic integration describes the rising economic integration as well as the interdependence witnesses in the national, regional and the local economies in many parts of the world. This process is often experienced in the intensification of the cross-border movements and transfers of products and services, capital and other important technologies used in economic activities. In as much as globalisation is described as a set of various processes that happen in the economic networks, cultural interchange as well as the in political circles, the rapidly

Religion and Ecology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Religion and Ecology - Essay Example This book guides its reader through everyday life with an eco-friendly and animal -friendly outlook. It advises its readers on how to raise children in an environmentally sound way of life as well. The application of religion could potentially be applied to this type of lifestyle but the conflict arises in the arena of commitment to God. Particularly in Christianity, one’s devotion to God is of the utmost importance. This means that one should be concerned about one’s spiritual life and the promise of the eternal afterlife more so than the physical realm of this earth and its inhabitants and recourses. In the Old Testament, routine sacrificing of animals was imperative in keeping one’s God happy. This was a ritual that rid an individual of sin and evil deeds, before the eyes of God. Certainly, this made for a good disciple of God but was not an animal friendly approach to life by any means. One of the key aspects to environmentally friendly living, is respecting the creatures that live on this planet. That means humans as well as all animals. Through a religious perspective, God gave Adam and Eve dominion over all of the animals. This is often interpreted by Christians to mean that humans should feel free to eat animals, wear their skin and sacrifice them as burnt offerings if need be. There is a more eco-friendly interpretation of this that states that having dominion over animals just means that humans are to watch out for and care for the animals of the earth. But, as the Bible goes from Old Testament to New Testament, readers of the Bible are told that Jesus was the ult imate sacrifice and that animal sacrifices were no longer necessary. Most Christians though today, will freely eat meat and concern themselves with spirituality as opposed to the physical condition of the earth. The concept of Christianity is ultimately that one

Asian American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Asian American History - Essay Example The paper explores Southeast Asian migration to the US in the wake of the Southeast Asian crisis and their subsequent experiences in the alien land and how they coped up in a given situation. Early Migrations Takaki dates Asian migration back to 1835 when a sugar mill owner began his sugar business in Hawaii. Local workers were not efficient enough to carry on his sugar mill operations. When he replaced them with Chinese workers, he found them more efficient. Perhaps, that was the first time when Chinese or Asian workers got its due recognition so much so that during laying of transcontinental railroads in 1834, it was decided to employ Chinese workers. By 1867, there were more than twelve thousand Chinese workers employed at the Central Pacific Railroad Soon stories of Hawaii were reaching to other shores. Between 1903 and 1920, in their bid to escape from the clutches of Japanese, more than eight thousand Koreans migrated to the US. The migration to the U.S. from other Asian countr ies such as Korea, Philippines, and India continued unabated (Takaki 21, 53). The Global Cold War and Hot Wars of Southeast Asia The end of World War II marked a new beginning of Asian migrations in the US. The global cold war between the Soviet Union and the US intensified after the end of World War II and Asia became a battleground in a process to leave an imprint on many underdeveloped and poor Asian countries by the two diametrically opposite economic and political ideologies – namely the USSR and the US. Cambodia which was a French colony until 1953 had a major political upheaval thereafter. Chandler mentions the radical thinking of Pol Pot: â€Å"We all carry vestiges of our old class character, deep-rooted for generations† (44). He believed in destroying these things in order to achieve socialism. The fight between Lon Nol's Khmer Republic supported by the U.S. and the Khmer Rouge supported by communists from North Vietnam brought an extraordinary turmoil within the country. Communism was exported to Cambodia via Vietnam during the time when both were under French rule. The Civil war in 1970-75 took the toll of more than 500,000 people and displaced more than three million people from its place. Khmer Rouge's ideology had several facets. As Chan puts it, "Fearing pollution or contamination, they savagely went about eradicating all those whom they deemed impure" ("Cambodia’s Darkest Hour" 14). Khmer Rouge believed more in the concept of race overthrowing the concept of class. It was neither a peasant revolution nor a revolution meant for working class. That is why Khmer Rouge began evacuating Phnom Penh on the same day after capturing it. In a most pathetic incident, the patients from the largest civilian hospital from the Phnom Penh were evacuated first. In a few days, the city's entire population was asked to move on the plea that Americans might bomb. In a bizarre and well-thought out move, approximately 2.5 million people were as ked to leave their houses and places. Some of the Khmer leaders, such as Hou Yuon who opposed the evacuation, were removed from the scene. The citizens were completely baffled and wandering without shelter and food. Thousands of them died of illness, thirst, and starvation. The former military officers and government officials who were called to take specific instructions never returned.

Influence of Religion and Education on Moral Judgement

Influence of Religion and Education on Moral Judgement Morality Education How do people explain what is moral? Or what is right or wrong? Morals signify what is right or wrong and it mainly depends on the cultural context. According to Lalonde in lecture, morality is the behaviour that people regard to be right or wrong, morality depends on culture and as a result morals are culturally imbedded into a person in a particular geographical area. There have been so many researches done on the topic of morality, but the main focus of this research is on how people living in multicultural countries relate to other cultures around them and what they judge to be right or wrong. Morality has become a broad topic for most researches and it is not only fascinating but it is how it has developed and still shapes individuals behaviour regardless of where they are or who they are with. In recent discussion about morals, moral reasoning develops from childhood. When a person is born into a particular society, mainly the he or she learns the morals associated with that cu lture. Society is a leading influence on morality thus, the terms in-group favouritism and out-group derogation support this argument. In-group favouritism is associated with members in a particular group, whiles members outside the group are treated differently. Hence morality has to do with the wrong and right behaviours where, members in particular groups’ behaviours are perceived to be right and outsiders behaviours’ are perceived to be wrong. This paper will cover some literature reviews of other research study and a proposed study on how religion and education influence moral judgements, methods been used and the conclusion. Moreover, Larin, Geddes Eva performed cross sectional study which compares moral judgments within two groups of students who underwent a physical therapy and was measured by ‘Defining Issues Test’ (DIT). According to Larin, Geddes Eva, many researches have used Kohlberg’s concept of moral reasoning which have been criticised in many dimensions, so the results of this research was not characterized under Kohlberg’s theory but mainly on the religious effect on morality in testing different groups across cultures (2009). In this research, two different groups of students in different cultures underwent a physical therapy and were tested after a period of time. One group of students were from a western culture whiles the others were from an Islamic religious background (Larin, Geddes Eva, 2009). The main reason was to test the judgements made by students and to determine how education influence peoples moral judgement. The two groups of students were present ed with a moral dilemma and were tested on how they will respond in such a situation. It was concluded that, DIT scores in the western culture increased while the DIT scores in the Islamic culture remain constant over time. Therefore, education can influence peoples judgement in a western culture where there is no specific religious background but not for people who are all associated with one religious body. Religion becomes the main factor in shaping morals because the students were still confined to the morals of their religion and even education could not change their judgments in anyway (Larin, Geddes Eva, 2009). In relation to the previous study, this study is also a cross-cultural study which also discusses morality based on the concept by Shweder, known as â€Å"the Big 3 Moral Ethics (CAD)† (Guerra Sorolla, 2010). Ethic of Community, Ethic of Autonomy and the Ethic of Divinity has been used in so many researches in countries like India, Brazil, Japan, Philippines and United States and there have been many different responses (Guerra Sorrolla, 2010). The participants were British-born students across different ages, and Western European students, where the research focuses on how people in similar settings respond differently on moral judgements. However, they introduced a new â€Å"novel approach by also measuring how ethics relate to approval of moral actions as right† (Guerra Sorrolla, 2010) and how effective Shweder moral ethics proposed. Different students and their responses were categorized under the Community, Autonomy and Divinity Scale that Guerra Sorrolla devel oped. The scale was designed in horizontal and vertical lines, where horizontal represented equality, whiles vertical was hierarchical system. Autonomy falls under both individualism and collectivism horizontal because each of them is associated with the notion of equality. Another relation was between divinity and community which is associated with vertical collectivism and the prediction was that British student will fall more on the individualism horizontal than the western Europeans who are more collective. The results were valid and that the study they proposed was proven and consistence across culture (Guerra Sorrolla, 2010). In addition, another study was conducted among students in Kuwait University, in order to know the effect of gender and education on moral reasoning. According to AL- Ansari, many literature reviews have mainly certified morals development as a result of education and in his study, 3 questions was constructed. First, what is the overall moral reasoning pattern for the students in Kuwait? Secondly, are the gender differences in moral reasoning? And lastly, are there differences in the moral reasoning of students in higher or lower educational levels? Students were randomly selected in ages ranging from 18-24 and were categorized under freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors (AL- Ansari, 2002). The method used in this study was the short form of DIT and before the study all the participants were registered in a short semester at the university. In order to consider different cultures, 3 different stories were used in the testing the moral reasoning of the student. Ultimately, the sta ge at which the students in Kuwait reason in making moral judgements is at the conventional level of Kohlberg’s theory (AL-Ansari, 2002). There was also no difference in making moral judgements between the females and male, and lastly, there is an effect on moral judgement when there is an introduction of formal education (AL-Ansari, 2002). When all the reviews are put together, the main focus is how morality has been influenced by the introduction of formal education. PROPOSED STUDY The introduction of formal education into people’s lives has influenced their responses on making moral judgement. The development of the mind into different cultural practises as a result of higher education, the more similar judgement a person has with his or her other mates. However different cultures have different morals but as a person mingle with other cultures and study these varieties, the more open-minded they become in making judgements. This study is about how individual from different cultures become similar in making moral judgements as a result of education. METHOD Furthermore, I assembled about 20 immigrants from different cultures, such as Africans, Indians, Europeans and others who have been introduced to formal education but with different curricular. Their education was mainly based on their cultural activities and they were based on scholarships to continue their education in the higher. I was able to gather these people based on a class I took at York know as English as a second language. The incentive for this research was to help them learn English language, so we meet at the end of every semester to discuss our experiences and as a result I developed this study. It is a longitudinal study which is studying the same group of participants across a long period of time. HYPOTHESIS Introduction of formal education influence peoples moral judgements in a similar context. STUDY The participants were given a questioner to answer after reading a moral dilemma. These participants were new in Canada and still had their morals associated with their cultures. The questions were what would you do if you were in such a situation and what do you think about the behaviour of person in the situation. Their answer was characterised under the 3 stages of Kohlberg’s moral reasoning. Level 1: Preconventional, what is bad is determined by the physical consequences, Level 2: Conventional where morality is based on external standards such as what maintains the social order in relation to the family and society and lastly, Level 3: Post conventional where moral reasoning is based on internalised standards of abstract ethical principles regarding justice and individual rights. These students were studies across time with the similar moral dilemmas, thus during their first, second, third and final years. The study was very effective and there were tremendous results. RESULTS In the first year there was a variety of responses between the participants but as more educated they became, the more similar they thought in their moral reasoning. In their final years most of the participants gave answers which focussed more on the conventional level of moral reasoning regardless of their backgrounds. CONCLUSION The hypothesis was proven to be right, thus the moral educated people become; the more alike they are in making moral judgements. This research might not be valid because there might be other factors that influenced the responses of the participants. References Al-Ansari, E. M. (2002). Effects of gender and education on the moral reasoning of Kuwait  University Students. Social Behavior And Personality: An International Journal, 30 (1),  pp. 7582. Guerra, V. M. Giner-Sorolla, R. (2010). The community, autonomy, and divinity scale  (CADS): A new tool for the cross-cultural study of morality. Journal Of Cross-Cultural  Psychology, 41 (1), pp. 35-50. Larin, H. M., Geddes, E. L. Eva, K. W. (2009). Measuring moral judgement in physical  therapy students from different cultures: a dilemma. Learning In Health And Social Care,  8 (2), pp. 103113.

Kill the Wolves :: Wolved Wildlife Animals Essays

Kill the Wolves Bang! A shot rings out in the forest. â€Å"Another one down. That’s five this week.† In the early 1900s there were predator extermination teams that were paid for every wolf, mountain lion, and bear they brought dead to the ranger station. Why were these stopped? â€Å"It’s those damn tree-huggers again.† Reintroducing Wolves into the southwest is the biggest mistake the government has made in several years. Farmers and ranchers suffer some of the most losses from wolves out of anyone in our society. For one, the wolves eat cattle, which is some rancher’s only means of income. Yes, there are programs which reimburse ranchers for their losses, but the raising calves to cows, feeding them, and immunizing them is more money than one wants to put out for one animal if it isn’t your income. Farmers lose from wolves because their cows, sheep, goats, and dogs get eaten or killed by wolves. For farmers, the money situation is almost as bad as it is for ranchers. Either way wolves infringe on the rights of farmers and ranchers, so they should not be reintroduced into the southwest. Another reason wolves are bad for our society in the southwest, is a good piece of income and food is raised from hunters every year; with wolves being in the wild, hunters would feel afraid to go into the back country looking for a good deer or elk, the best animals would be eaten by wolves thus reducing the number of permits that are being given out, reducing the money generated by hunting permits. Every year hundreds of people purchase hunting licenses and tags for elk and deer. All of that money goes to the forest service’s fund for improving trails, roads, and safety systems in the national forests. With reduced tags being sold, that revenue is lost. In addition to that money being lost, the best animals will be taken down by wolves, leaving the hunters to go for small, sick, injured, or extremely old animals. The effect of releasing wolves into the wild would be detrimental to the southwest’s hunting community.

Healthy living Essay

Healthy lifestyle for both adults and children is more important than anything else. Healthy lifestyle habits will reduce your risk of getting diseases; you will feel better, have more energy and prevent the risk of chronic diseases. Living healthy also helping you to feel happy and have more self confidence which results in a better quality of life . in today’s The term healthy lifestyle encompasses several factors that need to be brought together in order to gain the benefits, namely exercise, healthy eating and a body mass index (BMI) in a normal range. Healthy lifestyle, particularly for children is their insurance policy for a lifetime of good health, and as research has shown, may significantly reduce the chance of contracting chronic illnesses and diseases. Regular physical activity is important for a healthy growth, development and well-being of children, the British Heart Foundation has carried out research into the fact of living a healthy lifestyle, eating healthy can stop you gaining weight, which means reducing the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. It can also help lower your cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of some cancers. Chronic illnesses associated with obesity, lack o exercise and a poor diet include the following * Coronary heart disease * Cancer * Stroke * Diabetes * High blood pressure (Hypertension) * Chronic Obstructive pulmonary Disease (COPD) 2. Healthy Eating along with a healthy BMI and exercise is the third element of a healthy lifestyle for children is eating a healthy diet. A healthy diet is again protective against a whole host of chronic illnesses, eating fruit and vegetables everyday helps children’s grow and develop, boosts their vitality and can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases And children are especially susceptible to behavioural problems due to deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals that are derived from the food that we eat. Educations by example in the young child greatly improve their chances of eating a wide variety of nutritious foods as they move from childhood into adolescence. Children who eat meal around the table with others are more likely to try different foods, therefore lowering the possibility of them becoming picky eaters. In order to eat healthily food should be selected from the various different groups to make up a nutritionally balanced plate. These groups are * Carbohydrates – potatoes, rice, bread, pasta and other starchy food * Protein – meat, eggs, fish, beans, milk, cheese, and other dairy products * Fat – butter, oil, spreads * Fruit and vegetables * Sugars – sugary drinks, sweets 3. Activities for young children, Regular physical activity are important for the healthy growth, development and wellbeing of children and young people Physical play and leisure activities can have a hugely positive effect on children’s healthy living. Even though IT and computer games are becoming more popular with the children instead of traditional exercises, they still need physical exercises into their everyday routines. In 2006 professors in Glasgow identified through a study of 545 nursery school children, that one hour of exercise a day was required for children to maintain a healthy BMI, in addition to eating healthy diet. Play is an essential part of a Childs development and we are focusing here particularly on the physical and mental wellbeing aspects. There are many opportunities in the local community for involving children in physical exercises for example of these * Trips to the local park * Indoor children’s play centres * Specialist activities for children at leisure and recreation centres Creative in add ion to the physical activities as a means of promoting a healthy lifestyle, cookery demonstrations and activities can have a profound effect on children encouraging them to prepare and taste healthy foods that they may not have previously been introduced to. The use of different colours and textures of food in recipes can fuel a child excitement and interest where it may not have previously been held. Games displays and the creation of posters can all assist with the promotion of a healthy lifestyle for young children. 4. Wellbeing is the state of being comfortable healthy and happy. In child it is necessary to evaluate children regularly to identify any children who may be displaying sings of emotional or social difficulties affecting their wellbeing. Children should feel comfortable enough to be able to express themselves in an environment that they perceive as positive and safe, and this should be encouraged. Wellbeing for families there are many public and private courses that run including the triple p programs (positive parents programs) which runs nationwide offering invaluable support to parents. Courses are available for different age groups of children and are delivered by experienced and appropriately trained practitioners. These courses have proved a lifeline for some parents who have been struggling in silence to conquer various emotional, physical or behavioural aspects of their children’s lives. This is a fantastic tool for improving parent’s wellbeing and offers an opportunity for parents to meet in secure non judgemental and confident environment where they can discuss their own issues that they are experiencing with practitioners and fellow parents †¦

Purgatorius - Facts and Figures

Purgatorius - Facts and Figures Name: Purgatorius (after Purgatory Hill in Montana); pronounced PER-gah-TORE-ee-us Habitat: Woodlands of North America Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (65 million years ago) Size and Weight: About six inches long and a few ounces Diet: Probably omnivorous Distinguishing Characteristics: Small size; primate-like teeth; ankle bones adapted to climbing trees About Purgatorius Most of the prehistoric mammals of the late Cretaceous period looked pretty much the samesmall, quivering, mouse-sized creatures that spent most of their lives high up in trees, the better to avoid rampaging raptors and tyrannosaurs. On closer examination, though, especially of their teeth, its clear that these mammals were each specialized in their own distinct way. What set Purgatorius apart from the the rest of the rat pack is that it possessed distinctly primate-like teeth, leading to speculation that this tiny creature may have been directly ancestral to modern-day chimps, rhesus monkeys, and humansall of whom had the chance to evolve only after the dinosaurs went extinct and opened up some valuable breathing room for other types of animals. The trouble is, not all paleontologists agree that Purgatorius was a direct (or even distant) precursor of primates; rather, it may have been an early example of the closely related group of mammals known as plesiadapids, after the most famous member of this family, Plesiadapis. What we do know about Purgatorius is that it lived high up in trees (as we can infer from the structure of its ankles), and that it managed to straddle the K/T Extinction Event: fossils of Purgatorius have been discovered dating both to the late Cretaceous period and the early Paleocene epoch, a few million years later. Most likely, this mammals arboreal habits helped rescue it from oblivion, making accessible a new source of food (nuts and seeds) at a time when most non-tree-climbing dinosaurs were starving to death on the ground.

Roman Baths and Hygiene in Ancient Rome

Roman Baths and Hygiene in Ancient Rome Hygiene in ancient Rome included the famous public Roman baths, toilets, exfoliating cleansers, public facilities, and- despite the use of a communal toilet sponge (ancient Roman Charmin ®)- generally high standards of cleanliness. When trying to explain to children, students, readers, or friends what Roman life was once like, nothing gets to the heart of the matter more poignantly than intimate details about daily life. Telling young children that there were no telephones, televisions, movies, radio, electricity, traffic lights, refrigerators, air conditioners, cars, trains, or airplanes doesnt convey the primitive conditions nearly so well as explaining that instead of using toilet paper, they used a communal sponge- dutifully rinsed out after each use, of course. The Aromas of Rome In reading about ancient practices, it is important to put away preconceived notions. Did urban centers like ancient Rome stink? Certainly, but so do modern cities, and whos to say whether the smell of diesel exhaust is any less overwhelming than the smell of Roman urns for collecting urine for the fullers (dry cleaners)? Soap is not the be-all and end-all of cleanliness. Bidets are not so common in the modern world that we can afford to scoff at ancient hygiene practices. Access to Toilets According to O.F. Robinsons Ancient Rome: City Planning and Administration, there were 144 public latrines in Rome in the later Empire, most of which were located next to the public baths where they could share water and sewerage. There may have been a token payment if they were separate from the baths, and they were likely comfortable places, where one might sit and read, or otherwise amuse oneself sociably, hoping for dinner invitations. Robinson cites a ditty by Martial: Why does Vacerra spend his hoursin all the privies, and day-long sit?He wants a supper, not a s**t. Public urinals consisted of buckets, called dolia curta. The contents of those buckets were regularly collected and sold to the fullers for cleaning wool, etc. The fullers paid a tax to the collectors, called a Urine Tax, and the collectors had public contracts and could be fined if they were late with their deliveries. Access to Hygiene Facilities for the Rich In Readings from The Visible Past, Michael Grant suggests that hygiene in the Roman World was limited to those who could afford the public baths or thermae, as running water did not reach the poors tenements from the aqueducts. The rich and famous, from the emperor on down, enjoyed running water in palaces and mansions from lead pipes connected to the aqueducts. At Pompeii, however, all the houses except the very poorest had water pipes fitted with taps, and the wastewater was piped away into a sewer or trench. People without running water relieved themselves in chamber pots or commodes which were emptied into vats located under the staircases and then emptied into cesspools located throughout the city. Access to Hygiene Facilities for the Poor In Daily Life in Ancient Rome, Florence Dupont writes that it was for reasons of ritual that the Romans washed frequently. Throughout the countryside, Romans, including women and slaves, would wash every day and would have a thorough bath on every feast day if not more often. In Rome itself, baths were taken daily. The admission fees at public baths made them accessible to just about everyone: one-quarter as for men, one full as for women, and children got in for free- an as  (plural  assÄ“s) was worth one-tenth (after 200 CE 1/16th) of a denarius, the standard currency in Rome. Life-long free baths might be bequeathed in wills. Hair Care in Ancient Rome Romans were materially interested in being considered non-hairy; the Roman aesthetic was of cleanness, and, for practical purposes, hair removal reduces ones susceptibility to lice. Ovids advice on grooming includes hair removal, and not just mens beards, although it is not always clear whether that was accomplished by shaving, plucking or other depilatory practices. The Roman historian Suetonius reported that Julius Caesar was meticulous in hair removal. He didnt want hair anywhere except where he didnt have it- the crown of his head, as he was famous for the combover. Tools for Cleaning During the classical period, removing grime was accomplished by the application of oil. After the Romans took a bath, sometimes scented oils would be used to finish the job. Unlike soap, which forms a lather with water and can be rinsed off, the oil had to be scraped off: the tool that did that was known as a strigil. A strigil looks a bit like a clasp-knife, with the handle and blade being in total length about eight inches. The blade was gently curved to accommodate the curves of the body and the handle is sometimes of another material such as bone or ivory. The emperor Augustus is said to have used the strigil rather too strenuously on his face, causing sores. Sources Dupont, Florence. Daily Life in Ancient Rome. Translated from the French by Christopher Woodall. London: Blackwell, 1992.Grant, Michael. The Visible Past: Greek and Roman History from Archaeology, 1960-1990. London: Charles Scribner, 1990.Robinson, O.F. Ancient Rome: City Planning and Administration. London: Routledge, 1922.

US government assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

US government assignment - Essay Example The bill necessitates freezing the Ohio Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard at existing degree, by the end of 2016. Senate Bill 310 also intends to minimise the general renewable energy targets by 2025 and permit every Ohio renewable energy source to be acquired from efficient plants, even if they are positioned outside Ohio. The bill controls the state energy effectiveness and mandates in minimising the use of renewable energy. The proposed bill has therefore been argued to require creating a special committee, which will determine the level of cost to the customers for mandated energy efficiency plans and renewable energy plants such as wind energy and solar energy. The bill also necessitates state regulators to enact new regulations for unveiling the expenses for electric utility on every customer’s electric bill. The bill requires implementation of electric utilities (such as energy efficient equipments and lighting) for assisting customers to minimise their overall ener gy consumption. The bill also mandates energy generation organisations to reduce overall demand and peak demand of power by efficiency measures by 22% within 2025 (Funk, 2014). Renewable energy in Ohio signifies electricity generated by wind turbines. Nevertheless, ending Ohio’s inner state energy mandate would permit state’s energy utilities to seek inexpensive wind generated power from other states, such as Minnesota and Iowa. Such movement in turn would force wind energy manufacturers in Ohio to compete for better and inexpensive energy generation or find other markets to sell the energy. The bill can therefore be regarded as a compromise between those who desire to eradicate energy efficiency regulation and those who desire no change in regulation (Heindl Server GmbH, 2010). Apart from ending in-state mandate of energy, SB 310 would freeze the renewable energy effectiveness standard. In relation to the bill, several legislators stated that wind energy

What Do ERP Systems mean Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

What Do ERP Systems mean - Research Paper Example From this paper it is clear that the above departmental processes are comprised of characteristics which have similarity and differences on various aspects. These characteristics are based upon the definition, order, customers, emdeddedness, cross-functionality and value-adding. In regards to the definition, the processes have well defined boundaries, inputs as well as outputs. Business processes operate on one or more functional units. The enterprise processes are either based internally or externally unlike the inter-enterprise process which is non-centralized. Next to ordering, the processes consist of ordered work activities based on their position in terms of time and space. In any process there must exist a recipient that receives the outcome of the process. Both enterprise and inter-enterprise process are not exceptional to this. They have targeted customers for whom they produce and deliver their products and services to. Another feature of these processes is embeddedness. Th is means that processes cannot survive alone and must be embedded to the structure of the organization/department. Further to cross-functionality, processes are expected to perform several functions. Finally, processes are characterized by transformations either upstream or downstream aimed at adding value to their products/services and their recipients at large. For the past 20 years, the detonation in the use of ERP systems across the world has proved a major factor in the advancement of business operations, services and the overall quality of products. This paper basically discusses how the ERP system operates, its elements and history. Customer intelligence identified as vital for it brings out the customers buying habits.