Computer Engineering Pdf

Study Plan Masters of Science in Computer Engineering and Networks (Thesis Track) I. General Rules and Conditions 1. This plan conforms to the regulations of the general frame of programs of graduate studies at the University of Jordan. 2. Candidates for admission in this program are holders of the Bachelor's degree in the following specialties: a) Computer Engineering b) Electrical Engineering c) Networks Engineering d) Communications Engineering e) Electronics Engineering f) Bachelor of Mechatronics II. Special Conditions: None. III. The Study Plan: Studying (33) credit hours as follows: 1. Obligatory courses listed in Table 1; (15) Credit Hours. Course No. 0903720 0903723 0907721 0907731 0907741 Course Title Random Processes Variables and Stochastic Credit hrs. 3 3 3 3 3 Prerequisite 0903720 0907721 Analysis of Communications Networks Network Systems Design Advanced Computer Architecture Distributed Systems 2. Elective courses selected from the list shown in Table 2; (9) Credit Hours. Credit Course No. Course Title Pre-requisite hrs. 903721 0903725 0903728 0903730 0907702 0907722 0907723 0907732 0907733 0907779 Digital Communications I Wireless Communication Systems Data Communication Systems Multimedia Streaming Computer Performance Evaluation Networks and Systems Security Wireless Networks Advanced Embedded Systems Parallel Processors 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0903720 0907721 – Special Topics in Computer Engineering and 3 Networks 3. Masters Thesis, 0907799; (9) Credit Hours. 1 Study Plan Masters of Scienc e in Computer Engineering and Networks (Non-Thesis Track) I. General Rules and Conditions 1. This plan conforms to the regulations of the general frame of programs of graduate studies at the University of Jordan. 2. Candidates for admission in this program are holders of the Bachelor's degree in the following specialties: a) Computer Engineering b) Electrical Engineering c) Networks Engineering d) Communications Engineering e) Electronics Engineering f) Bachelor of Mechatronics II. Special Conditions: None. III. The Study Plan: Studying (33) credit hours as follows: 1. Obligatory courses listed in Table 3; (24) Credit Hours. Course No. 0903720 0903723 0903725 0907721 0907722 0907723 0907731 0907741 Course Title Random Processes Variables and Stochastic Credit hrs. 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Prerequisite 0903720 0903720 0907721 0907721 Analysis of Communications Networks Wireless Communication Systems Network Systems Design Networks and Systems Security Wireless Networks Advanced Computer Architecture Distributed Systems 2. Elective courses selected from the list shown in Table 4; (9) Credit Hours. Credit Course No. Course Title Pre-requisite hrs. 903721 0903728 0903730 0907702 0907732 0907733 Digital Communications I Data Communication Systems Multimedia Streaming Computer Performance Evaluation Advanced Embedded Systems Parallel Processors 3 3 3 3 3 3 – 2 0907779 Special Topics in Computer Engineering and 3 Networks 3. The Comprehensive Exam (0907798). – 3 Masters of Science in Computer Engineering and Networks Course Descriptions 0903720 Random Variables and Stochastic Processes (3 Credit Hours) Pro bability and random variables. Distribution and density functions. Functions of random variables. Two random variables and sequences of random variables. Multidimensional random variables. Stochastic Processes. Markov chains. Spectral representation of stochastic processes. Spectral estimation. Project. Digital Communications I (3 Credit Hours) Introduction to Communication Systems. Baseband and Bandpass digital modulation techniques: Line Codes, ASK, FSK, PSK, DPSK, QAM. Performance measures: power, bandwidth, bit error rate. Carrier and symbol synchronization. Signal design for band-limited channels. Signal design for fading channels. Project. Analysis of communication Networks (3 Credit Hours) Pre-requisite: 0903720 Introduction to queuing theory and traffic engineering. Markov chains, steady-state and balance equations. Continuous and discrete arrival models. Basic queuing systems. Erlang formulas. Applications to telephony systems and aata networks, performance parameters (blocking probability, delay, throughput and reliability). Systems with vacations, priority systems, polling and reservation systems. Network simulation. Project. Wireless Communication Systems (3 Credit Hours) Review of Multiple Access Techniques: TDMA, FDMA, CDMA, OFDMA. Design of wireless communication systems: modulation, propagation, channel estimation, equalization and coding. Cellular systems (GSM/3G/4G), Synchronous and Asynchronous CDMA and code synchronization. CDMA performance and multi-user interference cancellation. Satellite communication systems. Indoor communication systems, wireless LANs and wireless protocols. Data Communication Systems (3 Credit Hours) Introduction to communication and switching networks. Asynchronous and synchronous transmission, SDH/SONET. Design and planning of telephony systems. Broadband access technologies. Internetworking and the Internet Protocol (IP), routing in IP. Quality of Service (QOS). Voice over IP (VoIP). Audio and video streaming. IP network planning. Integration of data and cellular/wireless networks. Security issues. Project. (3 Credit Hours) Information Measures. Audio Video Data Compression. Performance of Compression Techniques and Rate Distortion Function. Mathematical Introduction to Number Theory. Cyclic, BCH and CRC Codes. Convolutional and Turbo Codes. LDBC Codes. Performance of Error Correcting Codes. Packet Data Transmission and Formatting for Audio and Video Data. Multimedia Streaming 0903721 0903723 0903725 0903728 0903730 4 0907702 Computer Performance Evaluation (3 Credit Hours) Issues in Performance Evaluation and Benchmarking. Measurement Tools and techniques, Trace Driven and Execution Driven Simulation. Choice of metrics. Benchmarks. Statistical techniques for Performance Evaluation. Trace Generation and Validation, Synthetic Traces, Verification of Simulators. Design of Experiments. Analytical Modeling of Processors, Statistical modeling, Hybrid Techniques. Application of queuing theory, Markov models and probabilistic models for computer system evaluation. Workload Characterization. Network Systems Design (3 Credit Hours) This course gives a broad view of the current state of computer networking research. Topics include: Internet architecture; Internet routing: the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), routing characterization, routing security, Internet AS relationships, traffic engineering, end host congestion control; quality-of-service, network security: intrusion detection systems, worms, and honeypots; mobile and wireless networking; peer to peer and overlay networking; content distribution networks; sensor networks; critical network infrastructure services: Domain Name Server (DNS), mail servers, etc. network measurement: distance estimation, bandwidth measurement, trouble shooting tools; network management. Networks and Systems Security (3 Credit Hours) Pre-requisite: 0903720 Review of Computer Networks. Number Theory and Field Arithmetic. Sources of Network Threats. Data Encryption: Cryptography and Ciphering. Risk Management. Key Management. Protocols and Alg orithms of Security Systems. Email and Web Security and Firewalls. Performance Evaluation of Security Systems. Wireless Networks (3 Credit Hours) Pre-requisite: 0907721 Introduction to wireless networks: physical layer, MAC and IEEE 802. 11, HIPERLAN, Bluetooth, channel assignment and channel hopping, power control and rate control, multi-radio, network layer, mobile IP, and naming, routing in mobile networks, transport protocol in wireless networks; types of wireless networks: wireless mesh networks, sensor networks, cellular networks, delay tolerant networks, RFID and WiMax; wireless network management and security: localization, network usage studies, network diagnosis, network security. Advanced Computer Architecture (3 Credit Hours) Subjects in scientific methodologies, review of computer design principles, processor design, RISC processors, pipelining, and memory hierarchy. Instruction level parallelism (ILP), dynamic scheduling, multiple issue, speculative execution, and branch prediction. Limits on ILP and software approaches to exploit more ILP. VLIW and EPIC approaches. Thread-level parallelism, multiprocessors, chip multiprocessors, and multi-threading. Cache coherence and memory consistency. Advanced memory hierarchy design, cache and memory optimizations, and memory technologies. Advanced topics in storage systems. Designing and 5 0907721 0907722 0907723 0907731 evaluating I/O systems. 0907732 Advanced Embedded Systems (3 Credit Hours) System specifications. Requirements and models of computation including State Charts, SDL, Petri nets, Message Sequence Charts, UML. Process networks, Java, VHDL. SystemC, Verilog and System Verilog, and SpecC. Embedded system hardware, I/O, communications, processing units, memories. Embedded operating systems, middleware, and scheduling. Prediction of execution times. Scheduling in real-time systems. Embedded operating systems. Implementing embedded systems: hardware/software codesign. Task-level concurrency management. High-level optimizations. Hardware/software partitioning. Compilers for embedded systems. Voltage scaling and power management. Actual design flows and tools. Validation. Simulation. Rapid prototyping and emulation. Test. Fault simulation. Fault injection. Risk and dependability analysis. Formal verification. Parallel Processors (3 Credit Hours) In-depth study of the design, engineering, and evaluation of modern parallel computers. Fundamental design: naming, synchronization, latency, and bandwidth. Architectural evolution and technological driving forces. Parallel programming models, communication primitives, programming and compilation techniques, multiprogramming workloads and methodology for quantitative evaluation. Latency avoidance through replication in small-scale and large-scale shared memory designs; cache-coherency, protocols, directories, and memory consistency models. Message passing: protocols, storage management, and deadlock. Efficient network interface, protection, events, active messages, and coprocessors in largescale designs. Latency tolerance through prefetching, multithreading, dynamic instruction scheduling, and software techniques. Network design: topology, packaging, k-ary n-cubes, performance under contention. Synchronization: global operations, mutual exclusion, and events. Alternative architectures: dataflow, SIMD, systolic arrays. Distributed Systems (3 Credit Hours) Pre-requisite: 0907721 Introduction to Distributed Systems. Distributed Operating Systems. Processes and Inter-process Communication (IPC). Distributed File Systems. Remote Procedure Calls (RPC). Security Models. Distributed Architectures and Technologies. Middleware. Object Based Distributed Systems. Messaging and Message Oriented Systems. Agent-Based Systems. Distributed Application Project. Special Topics in Computer Eng. and Networks (3 Credit Hours) 0907733 0907741 0907779 Topics of special interest in current computer engineering and networks issues. The course description is specified by the department at every course offering. 6

Prometheus and Gaea

Prometheus and Gaga: Any Rand's Choice of Characters Throughout Greek mythology Prometheus Is known as the fire bearing Titan who rebelled against Zeus and saved the world from his curse of a hatless and lightness punishment. Like wise, Equality In Anthem also rebels against his government in response to seeing the corruption within it. These similarities show how their lives exemplify the Ideal of individualism. Furthermore, Gaga, the goddess of earth, is comparable with The Golden one from Anthem; both would be seen as the beginning of a new race.In particular, Prometheus and Equality trails and experiences correlate to each other and elicit the motives behind their audacious actions. Ultimately, Any Rand changes the names of her characters to Prometheus and Gaga as their lives parallel the lives of Equality and the Golden One both with similar trials and sacrifices for the sake of mankind. Prometheus and Equality rebellion are similar. They both passionately desire prosperity for their human race and are willing to rebel against a higher power to achieve it.Initially, their rebellion against a higher power is quite similar: â€Å"The rebel Prometheus, who had taken such a arsenal risk for mankind, now was faced with getting the fire back down to earth. † (Pontoons; Prometheus; Mythology's Original Rebel). Furthermore, Equality rebelled against the higher power that threatened his humanity: † You fools! ‘ we cried. You fools! ‘ You thrice-damned fools! † (Rand, page 75). Here Equality calls the highest power, the Council of the Scholars, â€Å"Thrice-damned fools† because they reject his offering to humanity.Later, Equality vows to protect his chosen brothers and start a new rebellion race that would be based off Individualism and loyalty. He wanted to rate a new race of humans, a race that would be superior to the people that he grew up with. He would add things that would make them like gods relative to that of the past humans, such as individualism and reverence for there own spirit. Here, Rand displays Equality plans for mankind, â€Å"Our son will be raised as a man. He will be taught to say ‘I' and to bear the pride of it.He will be taught to walk straight and on his own feet. He will be taught reverence for his own spirit† (Rand, page 100). Likewise, Pontoons also describes Prometheus' view on the creation of humans when e writes, â€Å"Prometheus had created humans in the likeness of gods† and also when he says, â€Å"Prometheus, the wise Titan, made man stand upright like the gods to be noble and conscious and to hold his head high, looking up at the heavens† (Pontoons, Prometheus; Mythology Original Rebel).These similarities regarding rebellion and recreation of humans between Equality and Prometheus elicit their motives and exemplify how their lives are parallel. Throughout Greek mythology, Gaga Is known as Mother Earth, the creator of life, and the goddess of E arth. The characteristics of others during the creations of Gaga and The Golden One are the overarching theme between Anthem and Saga's myths. These characteristics correspond with how Any Rand describes The Golden One, â€Å"Let this be your name, my Golden One, for you are to be the mother of a new kind of gods† (Rand, 99).Thus the Golden one Is described as the mother of a new kind of race. Ironically, a motif throughout Anthem as we came to the northern road, we kept our eyes upon Liberty 5-3000 in the field†¦ Then one day they came close to the hedge, and suddenly they turned to us†¦ They stood still as a stone† (Rand, Page 39, 40). The Golden One is associated numerous times with nature and defined by it. An example of this is when the Golden One feeds Equality water from the stream; the love that they share is bridged through mother-earth.The numerous displays of nature exhibited through the Golden one emphasizes how their live are comparable and import antly parallel. Another aspect of Prometheus and Equality lives that are consistent includes their experiences. Firstly, both accepted severe torture for the sake of mankind. In Prometheus' case, he angered Zeus by fooling him and stealing the fire from the Palace of the gods and rough it back to earth, where Zeus prohibited it. This angered Zeus so much that he put Prometheus through excruciating torture for up to 30,000 years.Parallel to Prometheus, equality was whipped and tortured because of his disobedience to answer to the Council of the Home. Likewise, both Prometheus and Equality were forced into questioning, but both refused: † Where have you been? But we Jerked our head away, hid our face upon our tied hands, and bit our lips† (Rand, page 65). And also in Prometheus' story: â€Å"Zeus offers Prometheus a chance to free himself by veiling information that Prometheus knew' This idea of endurance is relevant in both situations and it underscores the willing passi on that both characters possessed for their human race.Gaga is also known for yielding offspring with Uranus, the god of the sky, and showing sheer courage in ordering her son Crocus to decapitate his genitals: â€Å"Uranus was afraid that one of his Titan children would end up overthrowing him†¦ The Titans were thus imprisoned by Uranus in Tartar's, a region of the Underworld†¦ From the blood of Uranus that fell on her, Gaga conceived Eeriness†¦ Gaga may have saved Zeus from a fate similar to his father's Crocus]† (Pontoons; â€Å"Gaga?Mother Earth†). With passion, The Golden One abandoned her former life of slavery to follow Equality.The Golden One showed courage by escaping the city and vowing herself to Equality for life; this step of faith would lead her to produce offspring Just as Gaga did. The similarities in their beliefs and their willingness to take action in time of despair are Just another aspect of how these characters are parallel. On the whole, the ultimate name change of Any Rand's characters?Greek gods Prometheus and Gaga?are symbolic representations of the ivies of Equality and The Golden One. They willingly submit their lives for the greater good of creation.Overall, Any Rand's choice of Prometheus is Justified through the rebellions, tortures, and goals for humanity that parallel Equality. Any Rand's choice of Gaga is relevant as well because of the courage and traits that The Golden One and Gaga share. In conclusion, Any Rand saw the personalities of Prometheus and Gaga and viewed them as perfect matches for Equality and The Golden One. Thinking in the here and now, how would today's world fare without brave leaders such as The Golden One and Equality?

Kite Runner Racism Essay

Racism plays important roles in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. The author uses racism to describe the characters and the culture represented in the stories. In The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini uses prejudice as a tool to tell this story of betrayal and redemption. He pursues his story with prejudice and racism in Afghanistan as well as in the United States. While the author uses individual characters to tell the story, he portrays the general attitudes and history associated with the characters’ Hazara and Pashtun ethnic origins and the conflicts that arise in Afghanistan. Throughout history and even while the story was taking place in the 70’s the US of A was going through their tough times with racism and prejudice thoughts and acts towards other ethnical groups such as the blacks, Asians and Latino’s. Although during this present era these racist acts and thoughts have been cut down and have been limited to just some states in the south as where in Afghanistan these prejudice acts still exist. Ali and Hassan represent the marginalized group in this story. They are considered by the ruling class to be of lesser value due to their ethnic origin, religious beliefs, appearance and social standing. The author gives us a glance of this when Amir reads about the harassment of, and attempted uprising of the Hazara, and how Amir’s people, the Pashtuns had: â€Å"†¦quelled them with unspeakable violence†. The disregard that people have for the Hazara is reinforced when Amir asks his teacher about what he has read and he responds by saying, â€Å"That’s one thing Shi’a people do well, passing themselves as martyrs†. Assef shows how internalized this hostility is when he says to Amir and Hassan, â€Å"Afghanistan is the land of the Pashtuns. It always has been, always will be. We are the true Afghans, the pure Afghans, not this Flat-Nose here†.

Science 6..11-12 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Science 6..11-12 - Assignment Example Dead zones represent low-oxygen areas (hypoxic areas) in the world’s coastline and lakes. All organisms need oxygen to survive. The absence or low oxygen levels in these areas make it impossible for organisms to survive hence the term dead zone. The Gulf of Mexico gives a quintessential example of one such area. According to National Geographic, in 2010, the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone was approximately 20,140 square kilometers. It has a seasonal hypoxic zone that forms every year in late summer. Its size varies from less than 5,000 square kilometers to approximately 22,000 square kilometers. The primary cause of dead zone formation is human activities. The upsurge in population has led to an increase in intensive agricultural and industrial activities. These activities lead to the emission of nitrogen and phosphorus into the environment i.e. soil, water and air. These are washed off into water basins such as oceans and lakes. These nutrients increase the fertility of the marine ecosystem; organisms like phytoplankton, algae and seaweed grow rapidly (algal bloom). This prevents the penetration of sunlight and absorption of oxygen by organisms living beneath the water surface leading to the reduction of the organisms immensely through death. Due to low-oxygen and available nutrients, the organisms (phytoplankton, algae and seaweed) eventually die and sink to the bottom of the sea where they are decomposed by bacteria. Oxygen can flow freely but is eventually used up by the process of decomposition leading to low-oxygen (hypoxia). Organisms that live beneath die or wither and others like the fish flee and a dead zone is formed. Several methods can be embraced to reduce the occurrence of dead zones. The use of synthetic fertilizers can be discontinued or reduced as they contain large quantities of nitrogen and phosphorus. Farmers can also use natural sources like compost and manure and adopt farming methods like contour cropping and no-till to reduce

Physics MRI Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Physics MRI - Essay Example The Larmor (or resonant) frequency ω0 is the frequency at which the nuclide precesses about the magnetic field. The resonant frequency is equal to the magnetogyric ratio ÃŽ ³ (specific to the nuclide) times the magnetic field B (Brandolini, 2004): the nuclide 13C at 75 MHz. From the equation above, the magnetogyric ratio ÃŽ ³ is constant so that ÃŽ ³ =ω0 /B = ω’0 /B’, where ω’0 is the resonant frequency when the magnetic field B’ = 1.5 T. Solving for ω’0 : ω’0 = (ω0 B’)/B what is the mean B and B This is explained in the sentence directly above: the single prime corresponds to the resonant frequency when the magnetic field is 1.5 T. You are asking what is meant by B’, but if you look at the sentence above, it was just defined: B’ = 1.5T. It is the magnetic field at 1.5T. B’’ is just a different value of the magnetic field (in this case 4 T) where we are trying to find the frequency w0’’ that corresponds to it. From this equation, if you know the frequency ω0 and the magnetic field B, then the ratio of these is the gyromagnetic ratio. We know the frequency at 6.9T from the reference cited above. Therefore, to find the frequency at a different magnetic field, we just use the equation w0/B = ÃŽ ³ = constant. So another set of corresponding values of w0 and B, call these new values w0’’ and B’’, will also have the same ratio: w0’’/B’’ =ÃŽ ³ constant = w0/B. Since we now have w0’’/B’’ = w0/B, we can multiply both sides by B’’ to get: w0’’ = w0 * B’’/B . Hopefully you can now see where that equation comes from. The reason I didn’t put the calculation down in this case, is because it is EXACTLY the same as the calculation before it, but with different values. You can just follow the equations that were used in the example above it, putting in the

Wal-Mart Capital Structure and Financial Analysis Essay

Wal-Mart Capital Structure and Financial Analysis - Essay Example Total Assets (Fixed + Current) = $27,638_ x 100 $120,223 = 22.9% Debt to Equity Ratio The debt to equity ratio measures the relationship between a company's debt capital and equity capital. It shows the percentage of a company's equity that has been financed by external debts. The debt-to-equity ratio for Wal-Mart has been calculated as: Debt-to-Equity Ratio = Total Debt Capital x 100 Total Equity Capital = $27,638 x 100 $49,396 = 55.95% CALCULATION OF WEIGHTED AVERAGE COST OF CAPITAL In the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) involves the calculation of separate items in the capital employed and then weighting the cost of each element by its proportion of the total capital employed. There are following factors in the Wal-Mart's total capital: Equity (Common Stock) Debt (Long-term Debts) $ % Of Total 4,311 Common Stock of $0.10 (par) 423m 1.75% Long-term Debt 23,669m 98.24% Total Capital Employed 24,092m 100% Cost of Equity The cost of equity estimates the cost of common and preferred stock. But for Wal-Mart, this calculation will not include preference stock because the company has not issued any preference shares. The analysis of Wal-Mart's annual report reveals that the company is expecting to pay $0.150 dividend per share to its common shareholders. For dividend growth, we assume it to be 10% annually. The cost of common share capital has been estimated with the help of following formula: Cost of Common Share Capital = (Next annual dividend / current market price) + annual dividend growth = ($0.150 per share / $50.49 per share) + 10% = 10.29% per annum. Cost of Debt The calculation of cost of debt will encompass all the interest bearing long-term debts of the company. According to the Wal-Mart's...There are following factors in the Wal-Mart's total capital: The cost of equity estimates the cost of common and preferred stock. But for Wal-Mart, this calculation will not include preference stock because the company has not issued any preference shares. The analysis of Wal-Mart's annual report reveals that the company is expecting to pay $0.150 dividend per share to its common shareholders. For dividend growth, we assume it to be 10% annually. The cost of common share capital has been estimated with the help of following formula: The calculation of cost of debt will encompass all the interest bearing long-term debts of the company. According to the Wal-Mart's annual report, the company's weighted average effective interest rate on long-term debt is 4.08% in 2005. The tax rate applicable to the company for the year is 34.7%. The cost of long-term debt has been estimated as: As analysed from the company's financial statements and the calculation of financial ratios, the capital structure of Wal-Mart has become evident. Wal-Mart has structured its capital funding in a way its external debts or borrowings do not exceed its total equity to a greater extent.

Communications Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communications Study - Essay Example Despite this, the fans have seen a more settled and confident United in the past few weeks, reminiscent of the spirit instilled by the iconic Sir Alex Ferguson, with a sharp attacking force that combines brilliantly with the ever- improving defense. Without the services of the injured and robust Diego Costa, the attacking force of the Blues is jeopardized. Given his seven point lead at the top of the table, the cunning Jose Mourinho will opt for a mere draw, as his team requires only three wins from a possible eight to be crowned the new English Champions. With his tactical prowess, Mourinho will look out to shut the on-form Manchester United midfielder, Maroune Fellaini who has proven to be a menace in aerial ball control. The ex- Everton man’s abilities have stretched the defenses of many fierce sides, such as Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspurs. Despite this, Louis van Gaal and his devils are out to spoil the party for the Chelsea fans at their own home turf, the Stamford Bridge. Previous records show that Chelsea are a hard side to beat at this stage of the competition, but football lovers and followers know that the story is totally different when dealing with an on-form Manchester United squad. With the Chelsea manger taunted for his over defensive tactics, the rhetoric Louis van Gaal was quick to tame the tension. â€Å"To build a champion team, you must have a system that not only scores goals, but also brilliant in defense,† said a relaxed van Gaal. Mourinho, on the other hand, hopes to rub salt in the wounds of the Red Devils, who are on a revenge mission having had a disappointing start of the year. He is out to put a stamp on his name â€Å"The Chosen One† having led Chelsea to the first trophy success of the season against Tottenham Hotspurs in the Capital One Cup finals. The timid Mourinho, however, is quick to write out the threat

Interpretation and Analysis of the essay From hope to Hopelessness by

Interpretation and Analysis of the From hope to Hopelessness by Margaret Wheatly - Essay Example is will also focus on the techniques that Wheatley employs as a function of delivering her method and whether or not these techniques are successful or not. Finally, the response piece will focus on how the essay made this student feel after reading it. Accordingly, it is the hope of this student that the forthcoming analysis will not only provide something of a personal take with respect to Margaret Wheatley’s work, it is my further hope that the reader will come to gain a more informed understanding for the tactics and approach that Wheatley uses to engage the reader. The first strategy that Wheatley employs is with respect to providing a pathos filled introduction that discusses the level of depression and hopelessness that she has been feeling with regard to the state of the current world. Referencing the human brutality, environmental destruction, and lack of vision for the way in which these issues might be addressed, Wheatley confesses that she battles with depression at the specter of these issues and how they impact upon her and the remainder of the human race. This is an especially interesting and effective approach to the issues at hand. The underlying reason for this has to do with the fact that Wheatley engages the reader in an understanding of the issues that have driven her to write the piece, encourages a degree of empathy from the reader, and then expands the need for discussion based upon the fact that these very same issues affect almost each and every stakeholder on the planet equally. The rhetorical strength of the introductory paragraphs is also important to note; due in part to the fact that it is within these paragraphs that Wheatley raises the key questions she will go about answering during the course of the remainder of the essay. For instance, the question of whether fighting hopelessness is a worthy human goal, whether human labor means anything, and whether or not action or inaction ultimately rank the same are all briefly

Catholiicism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Catholiicism - Assignment Example This prompted many natives in dedicating themselves to serving church rather that working. This is due to the then priests’ intensive evangelization for many of them were energetic and enthusiastic, which triggered vigor not only among the entire clergy but also among Catholics. Hence, this led to significant changes that conveyed difference from the 20Th era up to date assuming ethnicity and pluralism. Ethnicity encompasses an internal state of irrespective of numerous State churches comprising a single American Catholic. This is because of numerous immigrants who relocated to America each based on own ethnic group differed significantly with the other including their own credence regarding Catholics. Hence, giving rise to conflicts on whose way of worship was acceptable way of being Catholic (Albanese 71). The force was so strong that they even fought to maintain their identity similar to Irish in 19Th era. Pluralism refers to peripheral state of one church being among numerous denominations. Although Catholic comprises the minority, it poses a threat to Protestants due to demonstrations and nativist (Albanese 76). This was evident in 1834 whereby due Nativism incidence churches incurred great loses due to destruction through torching. This is because both Protestants and Catholics intended were at loggerheads whereby each intending to lead in America in terms of masses. Consequently, this prompted a catholic archbishop conceive the idea of coming up with Catholic System schools. Centrally to the initial state of evangelization by Catholics together with many becoming nuns, the onset of 20Th era was quite different. This is because of reduction of nuns as many people preferred material gain that came with white-collar jobs; hence, they saw vows regarding chastity and poverty being too demeaning. This is evident to date whereby numerous Catholics only attend church during Holy days like Good Friday, which is an

Htc Introduction Essay Example for Free

Htc Introduction Essay HTC quickly emerged on the smartphone scene with the remarkable success of The Sense, one of its first models, and broke many industry sales records. People were asking, â€Å"Who is HTC? † Our research indicates that HTCs rapid rise to success was because of innovation and technological capabilities. Even though the HTC brand was not widely recognized, its smartphones were generating interest. In our primary research, we discovered that some people owned an HTC phone but did not know that HTC was the manufacturer. Obviously, brand awareness was relatively low. For HTC to stay relevant in the hypercompetitive smartphone industry, it needs serious revamping of its marketing plan. With smartphone market penetration increasing to more than 20 percent in the past five years and reaching 46. 8 percent in Q3 2011, HTC has tremendous opportunities to establish a solid market position. After examining the market conditions and current HTC performance in the U. S. , our team proposes that HTC position itself as a technological leader by targeting consumers ages 18 to 34. This promising segment has potential sales of $2. 5 million. We analyzed the industry and examined external factors that could impact HTCs bottom line. This analysis gave us crucial insight into the smartphone market. We also analyzed the competitive environment that includes Apple, Motorola, and RIM (Blackberry). HTC, which has a positive reputation on the merits of its technology, needs to boldly differentiate itself in the marketplace. Through market analysis, we discovered that HTC has a strong market size, market potential, and distinct target markets. We recommend that HTC take specific steps through segmenting, targeting, and positioning to execute its marketing plan. We are confident that our plan can increase HTCs market share by 2 percent each year. By the end of 2012, our marketing objective is to reach a 24 percent market share of the smartphone industry, which equals 18. 7 million HTC customers. The plan includes recommendations and precautions at distribution channels so that HTC differentiates itself from the other brands. We developed a budget for the marketing plan and devised procedures to monitor each effort in order to reach our projected market share increase. We are confident that our marketing plan can take HTC from an emerging brand to a dominant market leader.

Benefits of Genetically Modified (GM) Foods to Human Health

Benefits of Genetically Modified (GM) Foods to Human Health Introduction Genetically modified food, also known as GM food refer to foodstuff such as animals or plants that had their genetic makeup altered to make them grow bigger, stay fresher and other benefits that will make human life more simple. The concept of genetically modified (GM) foods has existed for many years. Cross-breeding of plants, such as different types of corn, has been applied before with the purpose of transferring a desirable trait from one plant species to another (Whitman, 2000). However, a substantial amount of time is required to obtain a specific result. This is because all of the genes are pooled together and numerous attempts are required for the production of offsprings with the preferred trait. Tomatoes are the first GM crop introduced to the world. Tomatoes developed by Monsanto came into the market in 1994 after approval by the US FDA. In 2008, US FDA consultation procedures on bioengineered foods were completed by a total of 111 bioengineered food products. According to Grocery Manufacturers of America, genetically engineered plants are the ingredients for between 70 percent and 75 percent of all processes foods available in U.S. grocery stores (centerforfoodsafety.org, n.d.). Advocates of GM foods such as economists, scientists, researchers hail from various sectors, as well as from agricultural and food industries. Although genetically modified foods arises many concerns regarding its safety and consequences of consumption, the real question posed by the society is whether these GM foods should be banned for the benefit of mankind. Even if GM foods have been known to trigger allergic reactions and toxicities, is environmentally hazardous and costly, it should not be banned because it is confirmed to be beneficial to human health, environmentally friendly and able to improve the quality and quantity of yields. This report is mainly focused on the benefits of GM food towards mankind. The reasons why GM foods should not be banned are as conveyed in this report. The comments and personal views of numerous professionals are included in this report to show the evident benefits of GM foods. This report is not confined to any particular region or country but is assessed from a global point of view. This is due to GM foods being present in almost all countries worldwide. Additionally, to fulfill ever-increasing needs of humans, conventional crops are genetically being replaced by GM crops. Benefits to human health GM food brings many advantages to mankind. First of all, GM food that was engineered genetically is able to sustain favorable human health and enrich the wellbeing of its consumers. This is because it can remove the malnutrition problem faced by the current world and GM crops can be modified to become edible vaccines to reduce vulnerability towards diseases. Malnutrition problems can be solved by introducing GM foods enhanced with nutrition that humans are lacked of, such as vitamin D and iron that will cause rickets in children or osteoporosis in aged adults as well as iron deficiency. Susceptibility to a certain disease can be reduced if edible vaccines are added into the GM foods such as the GM banana (Whitman, 2000). Hepatitis B can be prevented by eating such genetically modified bananas. 2.1 Solves malnutrition problems Genetically modified foods can remove malnutrition problems faced by mankind today. Vitamins and minerals can be inserted into GM crops such as GM rice to make humans healthier. GM rice contains high amounts of Vitamin A compared to non-GM rice. The enhancement of vitamin A in GM rice will be able to result in the treatment of diarrhea in infants to be significantly easier as well as reducing the likelihood of chances of humans being diagnosed with night blindness (Gola, 2005). The other malnutrition problem often faced by humans is iron deficiency. According to the World Health Organization (2009), approximately two billion people prove to be tested positive for iron deficiency. As such, researchers have invested in GM rice by intensifying the iron content in polished rice to solve the iron deficiency problem. The genes that were inserted into the GM foods have a positive effect on the accumulation of iron in the rice kernel that causes the GM rice to contain 6 times more iron compared to the original variety (ScienceDaily, 2009). 2.2 Some GM crops possess medical advantages Some GM crops are modified to become edible vaccines that can reinforce the immune system of humans. Some GM crops have been inserted with DNA sequences encoding for antibodies into their genome (Dickinson, 2009). This enables the crops to produce antibiotics in their cells. GM crops such as banana, tomato and potato have been altered to contain bacterial or rotavirus antigens. Large scaled immunizations can be made by introducing edible vaccines to patients, rendering the vaccinations of these diseases considerably easier, painless, and accessible. Per se, antibodies contained in such GM foods will be able to enhance the immune system of human bodies to combat against pathogens when consumed orally. Therefore, it will not be uncommon in the near future when humans can merely ingest GM tomatoes instead of waiting in line to see a doctor. Hazards to human health Opponents of GM foods claim that GM foods are potentially risky to human health. They assert that GM foods will trigger allergenicity in the human body should it be eaten. There is a possibility that a new allergen will be created and result in susceptible individuals exhibiting symptoms of allergic reactions when a foreign gene is introduced into a crop. Though so, this affirmation is weak. GM foods are genetically engineered to have their allergenic-causing proteins to be removed. As such, they do not contain potentially harmful proteins as compared to non-GM foods such as peanuts, cereals and eggs. Producing hypoallergenic GM foods would be a desired commodity as these foods will possess the ability to notably decrease the danger of adverse reactions. This offers the possibility of consumption by allergen-sensitive individuals, enabling to enjoy the pleasure of being able eat foods on par with normal people (Herman, 2003). Besides that, GM crops will reduce herbicides on crops that may cause reactions in our bodies. GM crops that are modified to be resistance to insects will reduce the amount of herbicides used by farmers that will cause health problems. Hormonal signaling in human cells has been discovered to be altered by a common weed killer in U.S. (ScienceDaily, 2008). In another case claimed by Gammon (2009), a top selling weed killer, Roundup, has been found to magnify the toxicity in human cells. Hence, GM crops that are enhanced with resistance towards pests are able to completely eliminate the use of herbicides and weed killers, thereby protecting consumers from herbicide-induced ailments. Environmentally friendly One of the benefits introducing GM foods is that the plantation of GM crops is environmentally affable. Currently, our world is afflicted with the issue of pollution. To rectify this problem, GM crops are modified to resistance to insect and pest attack as well as to herbicides. Additionally, another process which is applied in an effort to make GM crops environmentally friendly is phytoremediation. Therefore, pollution can be greatly reduced and eventually be eliminated altogether. 3.1 Resistance to insect and pest GM crops can be genetically engineered to show resistance toward pests. GM crops can be genetically altered to contain a gene which encodes for a specific protein which is toxic to pests. Farmers typically use many tons of chemical pesticides annually. Consumers do not wish to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of potential health hazards, and excess waste due to agricultural use of pesticides and fertilizers could potentially pollute and harm the environment. The application of chemical pesticides can be eliminated through the growing of GM crops such as B.t. corn. B.t. corn is engineered to possess genes in their genetic make-up that encode for the creation of B.t. toxin which only specifically responsive to particular species of insect larvae and will not affect others life forms. Other environmentally friendly characteristics of B.t. toxins include biodegradability and safe for other living organisms. Varieties of sugar beet as well as winter oil-seed which have been modified to induce tolerance towards specific herbicides were scrutinized by the Bright project (Black, 2004). 3.2 Phytoremediation Phytoremediation is defined as the rectification of environmental issues through the usage of plants which alleviate the environmental problem without the need to relocate and dispose contaminant materials somewhere else. Crops of GM foods can be genetically altered to exhibit preferable characteristics, especially the ability of certain plants called hyperaccumulators to bioaccumulate, degrade or render harmless contaminants in soils, water or air (Wikipedia, 2010). For instance, genes in trees can be manipulated and conformed to absorb more carbon dioxide gas, CO2 and hence, would reduce the risk of global warming. Heavy metal pollution in contaminated soil and groundwater sources can also be assuaged by the use of such plants. Quoting Kochian (2004), Contaminated soils and waters pose major environmental, agricultural and human health problems worldwide. These problems may be partially solved by an emerging new technology phytoremediation. Pollution and contamination of the soil Opponents of GM foods claim that herbicide-resistant crops will only encourage farmers to increase the amount of herbicide used as the crops are already immune to the herbicide used and will not be affected. In order to kill pests that will harm the crops, they increase the quantity of the certain herbicide used to eradicate pests extensively. This results in pollution of the soil due to excessive usage of herbicides to kill pests at a faster rate to reduce harm inflicted upon the crops, thereby rendering the piece of land infertile or that crops grown on it may contain traces of pollutants and is hazardous should they be consumed. However, that claim is merely an assumption. As avowed by Monsanto (n.d.), the application of herbicide-resistant crops is able to decrease the number of herbicide sprays needed to keep pests at bay and this will promote environmentally reliable herbicide usage, even when used in moderation. For some crops, it is not cost-effective to remove weeds by physical means such as tilling, so farmers will often spray large quantities of different herbicides (weed-killers) to destroy weeds, a time-consuming and expensive process, which requires care so that the herbicide does not harm the crop plant or the environment. Crop plants genetically-engineered to be resistant to one effective herbicide could help prevent environmental damage by reducing the amount of herbicides needed. For example, Monsanto has created a strain of soybeans genetically modified to be not affected by their herbicide product Roundup. A farmer growing these soybeans will then only require one type of weed-killer in moderate amounts instead of multiple types, hence reducing production cost and limiting the dangers of agricultural waste run-off. Improve the quality and quantity With the population of the world growing substantially each year, significant amounts of stress are placed on resources of land fit for plantation, water, energy, as well as other biological reserves to supply sufficient food whilst sustaining the coherence of the ecosystem. As affirmed by the World Bank and the United Nations, roughly 1 to 2 billion humans suffer from malnourishment, signifying a sign of scarce food supply, low incomes and sparse allocation of food supplies (Pimentel, Huang, Cordova, Pimentel, 1996). Introduction of GM foods have greatly alleviated the problem. GM crops are modified to produce greater amounts of yield and increase the nutritional value in crop-derived foods. 4.1 Solution for world foods crisis Substantial amounts of yield are able to solve the world food crisis. Desperate pleas for richer, better-off countries to utilize genetic engineering in elucidating famines are a result of thousands losing their lives daily and millions on the verge of starvation. By revising the genetic make-up of plant strains, biotechnology will be able notably lessen world hunger. Crops can be engineered to resist diseases, resulting in the quantity of yield succumbing to disease to decrease. In another case, cold-resistant crops are able to benefit countries enduring from winter the whole year round. Extremely limited variants of crops are able to be cultivated in such countries due to the extreme condition of the environment present. By assimilating a gene enabling the crop to withstand such low temperatures, the range of crops planted will be increased and the amount of crops dying from the coldness is reduced. 4.2 Increase the quality of crops The quality of GM crops is considerably higher than unmodified crops due to their greater shelf life. When a crop ripens, bacteria and fungi are attracted, further catalyzing the decomposing process. For example, firmer tomatoes possess a higher substance to water ratio, causing them to rot at a slower, much delayed rate. In addition, the exterior appearance and flavor of the fruit are not influenced, the fruit is able to endure longer transportations which require more time, and harvest of the GM crop can be done simultaneously. Economic concern Adversaries of GM foods assert that the introduction of GM foods will give rise to economic concerns. Commercialization of GM foods is expensive and time-consuming, and agri-biotechnological companies are keen on ensuring profitable revenue for their investments. As numerous techniques for genetic manipulation and GM crops have been patented, copyright violation is among one of their biggest apprehensions. This will thereby increase the price of seeds to the extent that small-scale farmers and third world countries are unable to afford the cost of these seeds, thereby widening the wedge between the wealthy population and the poor. Though so, this argument is weak and has no sound base. Farmers stand the opportunity to reap exponential amounts of profit from the cultivation of GM crops. Money is able to be saved on the amounts of pesticides used, and a shorter period of time is required to produce desirable yield. GM foods are precise in their make-up, and unwanted genes can be replaced with preferred genes incorporated with the various benefits and advantages. Such crops are also able to be modified to exhibit resistance towards droughts or tolerance to salinity. With the world population increasing at an alarming rate and more land is required for development instead of plantation, farmers may be able plant crops on land formerly unsuitable for growing of crops. GM crops able to thrive and flourish in unfavorable conditions and extreme environments will then be able to benefit mankind. 5.0 Recommendations Firstly, GM foods should be legalized and commercialized throughout the world. Governments should show their encouragement by funding and investing in research regarding the production and testing of GM foods. Scientists must also expose the benefits and safety of GM food consumption to the public to comfort their doubts regarding GM foods. In addition, the price of GM foods must be controlled and subsidized by the government. By doing so, GM food can then be afforded by the working-class population. Advocates of GM food should show their support for the legalization of GM foods by purchasing GM food stuffs and spreading news of the benefits of GM foods. However, research and the creation of GM foods must be closely monitored so that products that might harm its consumers are not created under any circumstances. Numerous safety tests and examinations must be carried out to ensure its side effects are not harmful to human health. By doing so, better prospects for mankind can unfold in the future where world starvation and malnutrition is no longer a crisis, and human health can be maintained through the intake of GM foods. 6.0 Conclusion GM foods have raised much controversy in many nations throughout the world. People are still indecisive in their choice to consume products containing GM foods. It stands to be true that doubts concerning GM foods were widespread when first introduced to the public, but through many years of experimental analysis as well as safety tests, GM foods have been confirmed to be safe for human consumption with numerous benefits as a bonus. In fact, GM foods are essential now in resolving the crisis of hunger and scarcity of food around the world. Acceptance of GM foods are beginning to increase significantly over the years as more and more people are convinced of their benefits in terms of cost, health, and nature. Therefore, it cannot be denied that GM foods should be legalized for the benefit of mankind. As mentioned in the report, GM foods promote good human health, are environmentally friendly and (). Hence, it is irrefutable that its advantages totally outweigh its drawbacks and that GM foods are the way to go in ensuring a brighter future for us and for the whole world.

Media Literacy after The Simpsons

Media Literacy after The Simpsons Homer Simpson Explains our Postmodern Identity crisis, Whether we Prize it or not: Media Literacy after The Simpsons ABSTRACT This article suggests that The Simpsons is a sophisticated media subject about media that forces educators who teach media literacy into an encounter with postmodern judgment. The sense of postmodern judgment for media education is explored through a focus on two now themes in The Simpsons: the changing judgment of personal identity and the consequences of a relentlessly ironic worldview. Icons of habitual culture can be used to teach about philosophical constructs. From its inception The Simpsons has posed a significant challenge to educators. The program, which ridiculed all forms of influence and turned Bart Simpson into a wildly habitual anti-hero, initially provoked an intense reaction from the education citizens, in some schools influential to the banning of paraphernalia bearing Barts images and habitual denunciations of the series. As the series grew in popularity- and eventually was joined by other cartoon series that were seen to be all the more more educationally offensive, such as Beavis and Butthead and South Park-the furor died down to a now on the other artisan passive hostility toward the program, at least in the classroom. It certainly didnt facilitate the educational communitys disagreement to have Interval magazine reputation the series the best television program of the 20th century, or to have the poet laureate of the United States, Robert Pinsky, praise the series, stating that it penetrates to the existence of television itself (Owen, 2000, p. 65). Nor did it facilitate that various teachers went hab itat, turned the program on, and laughed themselves silly. All the more another abbreviate has been created between the culture of children and the culture of education, a poser that has been perhaps all the more more painful for media educators, various of whom follow Hobbs (1998) target that the texts of everyday career, when constituted as objects of social participation, provide the possibility for combining textual, historical, and ideological examination in ways that relieve students and teachers move beyond the limits of traditional disciplines and controversy areas (p. 21). To be undeniable, there have been efforts by media educators to bring The Simpsons into the classroom. Our debate of the media literacy literature and media literacy sites revealed a number of examples of proposed lessons incorporating the series, from examining The Simpsons as a virgin variant of social satire to comparing The Simpsons family to other television families. On the other hand, in almost eve ry dispute, we sensed that the unique qualities of the series eluded these efforts. The basic tools of media education and literacy as typically agreed upon by numerous media literacy communities-tools which regulate our control to basic precepts such as the meaning that the media are constructed-appear not to be enough to turn The Simpsons from renegade habitual culture into a teachable moment (Aufderheide, 1993; Media Awareness Network, 2000). Perhaps the central poser with The Simpsons is that it seems to drag the media literacy examination onto the unfamiliar and all the more foreboding terrain of postmodernism, where issues of image and replica open to fall apart, a terrain where sporadic media educators are willing or able to follow. Of line, there has been an effort to define, critique, and bring postmodern impression to bear on educational judgment and application, expressly from advocates of critical pedagogy (e.g., Aronowitz Giroux, 1992). All the more this has been a the ory-driven effort that has not reached further far into educational scholarship, and has made almost no headway into the frontlines of educational manipulate. Various teachers Studies in Media Info Literacy Education, Tome 1, Subject 1 (February 2001), 1-12 # University of Toronto Press. DOI: 10.3138/sim.1.1.002 have never heard of the label postmodernism. The same mould is equally, if not more pronounced, in the media education citizens. Our examination of media literacy literature and key media literacy web sites in the United States and Canada revealed an almost comprehensive absence of controversy and examination on postmodernism. There have been, of pathway, notable exceptions (McLaren, Hammer, Scholle, Reilly, 1995; Steinberg Kincheloe, 1997). The outcome of this empty margin is another critical abbreviate, in this dispute not between students and educators, on the other artisan between media educators and media theorists. In examining this section, we are struck by two observations. First, the gap between media education manipulate and media judgment comes precisely at the moment when teachers and media educators are finding them selves overwhelmed by strange contemporary regular cultural texts for which the unfamiliar category of postmodernism may potentially be the most fruitful interpretive handle. Second, the positions of students and media theorists stand in the succeeding relationship. Students are living inside an increasingly postmodern regular cultural participation that media theorists are attempting to label, define, and scan. The puzzle is that students dont necessarily have the vocabulary to generate meaning of their participation, and the vocabulary that theorists have developed seems to cause meaning only in graduate seminars. The Simpsons offers a promising opportunity to strategically residence these issues, highlighting the limits of conventional media literacy tools, illustrating the aesthetic examine of postmodernism, and providing some vocabulary to label that examine. In effect, it serves as an dispute of how the solution of postmodernism can be used to develop a contemporary range of c ritical interpretive skills for constructively engaging this growing trend in habitual culture. Our article presents a mini introduction to postmodernism and a grounded process of the benefits and limits of applying this judgment. Our reason is not to provide an exhaustive or all the more spread out introduction to postmodern judgment. Rather, it is to position The Simpsons as a media subject that can be used as a starting stop for exploring postmodern judgment. Fear of Postmodernism If everyone loves The Simpsons, postmodernism has its correct participation of critics. Writing in U.S. Material and Field Report, Leo (1999) argues that postmodernism has created a language that no one can understand, a language that is used to intellectually bully readers into agreeing with outlandish propositions. The academic area, on the other artisan, has offered more equivocal assessments. Hebdige (1988) argues that we are in the presence of a buzzword, a expression which, while confusing, does appropriate an influential social or cultural transition. Kellner (1995) agrees, observing that . . . the label postmodern is often a placeholder, or semiotic marker, that indicates that there are virgin phenomena that demand mapping and theorizing (p. 46). In the infrequent instances where references to postmodernism do appear in media literacy literature, its ambiguous area is emphasized. For process, Buckingham and Sefton-Green (1997), in their effort to launch charting the challenges posed by multimedia education in an increasingly digitized media area, believe that postmodernism, although glib and sweeping, offers a beneficial pathway to characterize a number of broad social and cultural transformations. Some of the changes that control Buckingham and Sefton-Green embrace the area of consumption, the blurring distinctions between production and consumption, the poaching of texts and symbols, and the rejection of the elitist and sterile oppositions between high and habitual culture (pp. 289-292). Given the slipperiness of the sense, postmodernism on the other hand marks a cr itical modern moment in the scan of media and replica. Building on the business of Buckingham and Sefton-Green (1997), we open by asking what is postmodernism and what can we do with it? With its questioning of truthfulness and its subject of the politics of media representations, postmodernism, once it is understood properly, can be a rich source of pedagogical judgment and manipulate. The Postmodern Dispute: Definitions and Symptoms What true is the label postmodernism trying to receive? There is, first, the sense of opposition to modernism. In essence, modernism states that individuals and nations, guided by rational thinking and Studies in Media Counsel Literacy Education, Tome 1, Subject 1 (February 2001), 1-12 # University of Toronto Press. DOI: 10.3138/sim.1.1.002 2 scientific achievements, are moving toward a more humane, more just, and more economically prosperous ultimate. In other contents, modernism embraces progress, viewing it as a linear and inexorable phenomenon with acceptable outcomes. Accordingly, the publish in postmodernism stands for the meaning that there is no longer any guarantee of progress. In point, there is further petty consensus as to what progress all the more wealth. Postmodernity typically is distinguished by an undermining of force, the denigration of novel by turning it into a style or evocative nostalgia, the questioning of progress, and the head to impression the ultimate as empty. Other postmodern symptoms embrace the meaning of image overload, intertextuality (the seemingly random q uoting of one subject by another), a heightened meaning of media self-reflexivity calling control to replica as a hall of mirrors, and pastiche, defined as the sense to cause disjointed images and subject fragments. Finally, the postmodern process is marked by commodification overload (the head to turn everything into a product or marketing opportunity), irony overload (the elevation of irony as the dominant rhetorical posture), and the increased questioning of the sense of personal identity brought on by viewing the self as a social construction. In short, the meaning of postmodernism calls control to the ways in which a beneficial deal of everyday regular culture is at once fully informed by, if not driven by, the basic media literacy precept that media construct social naked truth. In act, all the more of regular culture relentlessly draws carefulness to the further arbitrariness of almost every aspect of our social participation, as well as the moral and epistemological foundati ons on which social participation depends. In other contents, the curriculum of regular culture has outstripped the curriculum of the classroom, all the more the media education classroom. The vocabulary of postmodernism allows us to launch to contemplate and term the various ways in which this is taking fix, on the other share it further leaves us at a loss about how to proceed. Recognizing this disagreement, memo and educational theorists have attempted to clarify what is to be gained by drawing on the social and theoretical insights generated by the deconstructive influence of postmodern criticism. At the same interval, they have tried to demonstrate how to tame this influence in the utility of modernist values such as human rights, equality, freedom, and democracy (Aronowitz Giroux, 1991; Best Kellner, 1991; Giroux, 1997; Kellner, 1995; Rorty, 1989; Wolin, 1990). A critical postmodernism encourages us to solicit contemporary questions about all claims to influence (scientific or otherwise), about how contemporary forms of replica and contemporary inflections in the style of replica made practicable through technology and commodification exchange the quality of sense, and about how cultural dominance is produced and maintained through the patterns of contrasts used to define social and linguistic categories (Aronowitz Giroux, 1991; Scholle Denski, 1995). Postmodernism offers contemporary tools for critical interpretation and modern responsibilities for connecting media and cultural interpretation to democracy as a form of native land that enables critical reflection and activism, making us understand the ways in which our seemingly private individual identities are formed, through language and symbols, in relationship to each other and the broader social and political citizens (McKinlay, 1998, p. 481). For The Simpsons audience, an ambivalen ce toward technology and progress is guideline fare. This judgment of the ultimate as empty and without guarantees has further been associated with the core identity of Hour X, whose slogan might glance at We have seen the forthcoming and it sucks. While any aspect of postmodernism discussed above can be found in and explored within The Simpsons, two concepts in particular-irony overload and the questioning of identity-will serve as reference points in our reconsideration of the series. The puzzle of identity is a central complication for all young citizens, on the other artisan it is a puzzle that is not duration satisfactorily addressed, given the growing levels of hopelessness, cynicism, despair, and suicide among teenagers. Of particular control to us is that The Simpsons repeatedly focuses on this further subject: the puzzle of selfhood in an increasingly absurd culture pulverized with images, symbols, values, irony, commercialization, and hucksterism. What lessons does The Sim psons teach? What lessons can be learned as the characters on the demonstrate are thrust into many battles for selfhood within the postmodern terrain? Enjoy all the more postmodern Studies in Media Info Literacy Education, Manual 1, Controversy 1 (February 2001), 1-12 # University of Toronto Press. DOI: 10.3138/sim.1.1.002 3 culture, The Simpsons, is saturated with irony and obsessed with issues of absolute identity, expressly in relation to media culture. Our task is to articulate an interpretive frame of reference to facilitate media educators and viewers open to cause critical meaning of these symptoms. The Challenges of Postmodern Selfhood Gergen (1991) notes that postmodernists abbreviate version into three epochs, each of which corresponds to a particular judgment of personal identity or selfhood. These periods are labeled as the pre-modern (romantic hour), the contemporary era, and the postmodern. From the pre-modern or romantic tradition, we derive our meaning in a stable center of identity. In Gergens contents, powerful forces in the deep interior of ones duration are held to be the source of inspiration, creativity, genius, and moral courage, all the more madness (Gergen, 1992, p. 61). Modernism redefined the self, shifting the emphasis from deep, mysterious processes to human consciousness in the here and these days, always in control with such values as efficiency, stable functioning, and progress. The self in its virgin form-what Gergen calls the postmodern or relational self-is no longer viewed as a separate target, on the other artisan is increasingly understood as a rel ational construction, defined by and spread across the humanity and activity experiences each individual encounters throughout her or his field. In short, as McNamee and Gergen (1999) argue, there are no independent selves; we are each constituted by others (who are themselves similarly constituted). We are always already related by virtue of shared constitutions of the self (p. 15). Linked to this sense is the sense that a conscious understanding of ourselves as beings occurs through language, which is itself a fundamentally relational sense, and that our identity grows and develops in relationship to the endless dialogues that we have with others, with culture, and with ourselves. In this meaning, our interactions with the media become deeply significant. Moreover, this contemporary consciousness of the relational sense of the self comes at correct the moment when the relationships we enter into and which contribute to our definition of self are multiplying at an exponential rate and are duration increasingly spread over a in a superior way and in a superior way span of hour and amplitude. It is one baggage to see the sense of the relational self when we think of, claim, two friends engaged in a mutually sustaining and defining examination. In this setting, the sense of the relational self is promising, perhaps all the more reassuring. On the other hand, extending the meaning of relationship to subsume every symbolic encounter in which we willingly or unwilling participate-from intentional relationships to unintentional and forced relationship with 3,000 commercial messages per day-presents modern challenges. A critical postmodern perspective calls control to this crisis of identity, a crisis in which the media of memo and their commercial foundations are deeply implicated. Of line, thinking of the self as a relational construct not only gives insights into the crisis of the self, on the other share it further offers a means of thinking about how to residen ce that crisis. In this more hopeful and acceptable meaning, the relational self offers a glimpse of those selected aspects of human participation and identity that may be used as a moral foundation in the face of the deconstructive maelstrom of commercial postmodern culture. The relational self suggests a moral compass that is based less on the authentic truths of religion or science than in the manner by which we draw up ourselves and our community through ceaseless and inevitable physical, linguistic, and psychological dependence upon one another. Drawing on the duty of Martin Buber, Mikhail Bakhtin, Jurgen Habermas, Richard Rorty, and Jerome Bruner, McNamee and Gergen (1999) deposit elsewhere a autonomous and thoughtful introduction to what a moral ethic organized on all sides of the relational self would see enjoy. They have called it relational responsibility, defining relationally responsible actions as those that sustain and enhance forms of exchange elsewhere of which influ ential process itself is made practicable. Isolation, they argue, represents the negation of citizens (p. 19). The guideline of relational responsibility is in stark contrast to the deconstructive tendencies of postmodernism. As such, it can serve as a critical bridge linking the interpretive coercion of a critical postmodernism to the modernist values associated with progressive democracy. Studies in Media Counsel Literacy Education, Tome 1, Subject 1 (February 2001), 1-12 # University of Toronto Press. DOI: 10.3138/sim.1.1.002 4 At the same hour, it is autonomous that the deconstructive tendencies of postmodernism (as a fix of virgin conditions) have influential implications for personal identity construction. Giddens (1991), for process, warns of the looming threat of personal meaninglessness. It is this threat that directs us back to a carefulness of one of the central tropes of postmodern discourse: irony. As noted above, relentless irony is a hallmark of both The Simpsons and the postmodern era. As individuals struggle to confront postmodern challenges to identity, there is grounds to solicit whether there is any valuation in the postmodern strategy of irony. Thus, the implications of irony both for identity formation and relational responsibility must be considered. Irony, Identity, and the Disagreement of Responsibility The Simpsons is regularly celebrated for its incisive wit and social satire, for its force to manipulate irony to bell control to the absurdity of everyday social conventions and beliefs. Irony functions as a critical form that helps us to break through surface sense to examine and understand the correct area of things in a contemporary and deeper means. It is a vehicle for enhancing critical consciousness, and it represents a moral coercion of skilled in the function of eradicating conventional pathetic (Rorty, 1989). As Hutcheon (1992, 1994) notes, critical irony is intimately linked to politics. The compel of deconstructing can be a first development to political dispute, and ironys oppositional character can be a major critical compel. The subversive functioning of irony is related to its status as a self-critical and self-reflexive resources that challenges hierarchy, and this influence to undermine and overturn is said to have politically transformative coercion. On the other share this is not where the manipulate of irony ends in The Simpsons, nor does it appropriate the postmodern turn in the meaning of irony. Postmodern irony is ambiguous and its solution is contested. It can be interpreted by adherents as playful, reflexive, and liberating; opponents, on the other hand, contemplate it as frivolous, deviant, and perverse (Hutcheon, 1992, 1994; Kaufman, 1997; Thiele, 1997). In postmodern irony, clarity in moral delineation begins to disappear. For process, in virgin comedy, as in all social behavior, all actions are controversy to satire from some perspective. Besides, by reason of postmodern irony begins with the assumption that language produces all sense, a kind of emancipatory indulgence in irony is evoked-an invitation to reconceptualize language as a form of play. As Gergen (1991) writes, we neednt credit such linguistic activities with profundity, imbue them with deep significance, or fix elsewhere to interchange the nature on their novel. Rather, we might play with the truths of the hour, shake them about, try them on prize funny hats (p. 188). In other contents, postmodern irony invites us to avoid saying it straight, using linear logic, an d forming smooth, progressive narratives (p. 188). The Simpsons is saturated with this form of postmodern irony. On the other facilitate where does that leave media educators trying to duty with this enormously regular series? On the one artisan, media educators would prize to engage the series fully by practise of it raises various challenges to conventional ideas of mould and selfhood; on the other share, they are unwilling to lead students to examine media literacy as a form of deconstruction that leads only to meaninglessness or play. Some media scholars contemplate postmodern irony as a laborious challenge for teachers committed to linking media literacy with productive citizenship. Purdy, for dispute, laments that between Madonna and the fist-fight between Jesus and Santa Claus that opened the cartoon series South Park, there is less and less left in society whose flouting can elicit shock. Irony, he concludes, invites us to be self-absorbed, on the other facilitate in selves that we cannot believe to be particularly interesting or significant (p. 26). Conway and Seery (1992) are similarly concerned about the implications of postmodern irony for engaged citizenship. Although irony may equip the dispossessed with much-needed critical perspective and all the more underwrite a minimal political agenda, they draw up, it is generally regarded as irremediably parasitic and antisocial (p. 3). Hutcheon (1994) further shares this episode, noting that irony can be both political and apolitical, both conservative and radical, both repressive and democratizing in a pathway that other discursive strategies are not (p. 35). Gergen (1991) frames the challenge of postmodern irony in terms of its challenge to forming a coherent self. If all serious projects are reduced to satire, play, Studies in Media Counsel Literacy Education, Tome 1, Subject 1 (February 2001), 1-12 # University of Toronto Press. DOI: 10.3138/sim.1.1.002 5 or nonsense, all attempts at authenticity or earnest ends become empty-merely postures to be punctuated by sophisticated self-consciousness (p. 189). If this is the poser that The Simpsons raises in its manipulate of both critical and postmodern irony, to what room is it contributing to a social consciousness with a practicable for social process, as opposed to contributing to a cynical numbness founded on ironic detachment? What solutions does the series offer for resolving this disagreement? Are there any alternative solutions that acknowledge the postmodern challenge to identity? Exploration of Self in Homer to the Max With these concerns in meaning, we see an phase of The Simpsons that originally aired on February 7, 1998. The period focuses with particular vehemence on the quest for identity and asks the closest questions: †  How is the sense of the self understood in relationship to the blizzard of media images, symbols, and values? †  How does irony fit into the exploration and resolution of identity issues? †  How do we understand The Simpsons confrontations with the self and identity in terms of what has been called the postmodern process? The demonstrate begins with the principles sight gags on the couch and the Simpson familys lampooning of televisions midseason replacement series. The program that finally captures the familys carefulness is Police Cops, which becomes a present within the present. As the two Miami-Vice enjoy heroes of Police Cops subdue would-be bank thieves, one of the police detective heroes, a millionaire cop surrounded by admiring women, introduces himself as Simpson, Detective Homer Simpson. The Simpson family is shocked and Homer is exclusively overwhelmed, confusing himself with his television image. The plot then unfolds in essentially five kernels that hire up and explore Homers confusion over his own identity (Chatman, 1978). First, Homer identifies completely with the television detective hero: Wow. They captured my personality perfectly! Did you examine the means Daddy caught that bullet? In turn, the all-inclusive citizens of Springfield validates Homers contemporary pseudo-identity, treating him as if he were the television detective hero: Hey, Mr. Simpson, sir, can I purchase your autograph? Second, the Police Cops producers interchange their television detective character from glamorous hero to bumbling sidekick, launching a series of gags about Homers correct identity. The virgin characterization is truly a near perfect replication of the absolute Homer Simpson. This outrages Homer: Hey whats going on? That guys not Homer Simpson! Hes fat and stupid! The town continues to respond to Homer as the television character, only these days with ridicule rather than respect. No netheless, Homer gains some insight into the confusion between his authentic and fictional identity. As a assemblage of co-workers gathers in the hallway absent his business waiting for him to do something stupid, Homer retorts, Well, Im sorry to disappoint you gentleman, on the other artisan you seem to have me confused with a character in a fictional present. Factor of the pleasure for viewers derives from the irony of the cartoon character Homer making the state that he is the authentic Homer Simpson, as opposed to the fictional cartoon character within the cartoon. The writers of the period then continue to play with this seemingly endless hall of mirrors between absolute and fictional identity by scripting Homer to behave true in the transaction of the revised fictional detective character. Homer obliges by spilling a fondue pot on the nuclear reactor polity panel. Homers identity crisis eventually leads him to Hollywood, where he confronts the producers of the Police Cops-By the Numbers Productions-and demands that they recast the detective character: Im begging you! Im a human duration! Let me have my dignity back! The lines between Homers authentic identity and his media identity blur all the more besides when his efforts in the production business are used as grist for a contemporary gag in the later Police Cops period. Studies in Media Counsel Literacy Education, Manual 1, Controversy 1 (February 2001), 1-12 # University of Toronto Press. DOI: 10.3138/sim.1.1.002 6 In the third kernel, the plot shifts absent from Homers struggle over his identification with his media replica to his fixation on the sense that a contemporary label will give him a virgin identity. In this kernel, Homer goes to court to sue Police Cops for the improper application of his reputation. When his petition is nowadays rebuffed in the term of corporate proprietary interests, he rashly decides to transform his reputation to Max Coercion. Homers growth is nowadays transformed. His self-image improves, he becomes forceful and dynamic, and his co-workers and boss treat him with respect. Mr. Burns, remembering Homers reputation for the first interval, exclaims, Well, who could forget the reputation of a magnetic individual prize you? Keep up the acceptable profession, Max. While shopping at Costingtons for a contemporary faculty wardrobe, Homer meets a member of Springfields elite with a similarly powerful label, Trent Steele. Trent nowadays takes Homer/Max under his wing, inviting him to garden troop for Springfields young, hip force couples, an period that turns elsewhere to be the jumping off stop for an environmental reason. The critical moment in this kernel-which links the identity crisis of Police Cops with the identity theme in the Max Force parcel of the episode-occurs when Homer reveals to his contemporary best friend Trent Steele the origin of the term Max Compel. When Trent exclaims, Hey, beneficial term!, Homer replies, Yeah, isnt it? I got it off a hairdryer. Homers resolution to his identity crisis with his media self is to redefine himself in terms of the force setting of a mini household appliance. The self is these days equated with a product. At first, the results are stunningly successful. The fourth kernel leads to the denouement. In the third kernel, Homers appropriation of the identity of his hair dryer appears to have resolved his identity crisis in satisfactory transaction. On the other hand, this meaning soon falls apart. At the garden assemblage, Homer and Marge rub shoulders with celebrity environmental activists Woody Harrelson and Ed Begley, Jr., two of the various celebrities lampooned in the phase. The sense extreme these scenes is that Homer, as the buffoon celebrity Max Force, is on the same level as other equally shallow and ridiculous celebrities. Finally, Trent Steele announces that it is interval to board a bus to re ason the wanton destruction of our nations forests. This generate is relentlessly parodied: We have to protect [trees] by generate of trees cant protect themselves, except, of trail, the Mexican Fighting Trees. The partygoers travel to a stand of redwoods about to be bulldozed and are chained to the trees. The police (Chief Wiggum, Eddie, and Lou) confront Homer, attempt to swab his eyes with Hippie- Coercion mace, and stop up chasing him on all sides of his tree. His chain works prize a saw, cutting down the redwood, which in turn topples the comprehensive forest. Homer, freed at persist, throws his chain into the air, killing a bald eagle. Homer, as the phony Max Force, is rejected by the phony celebrity activists. In the fifth and final kernel, which serves as an epilogue to the phase, Marge and Homer are in bed. Marge tells Homer she is glad he changed his reputation back to Homer Simpson and Homer responds, Yes, I learned you gotta be yourself. The Phase Through a Postmodern Le ns The phase is intriguing by generate of of its insistent focus on the search for identity, and the methods by which that identity is constructed within the absurdities of the postmodern landscape. As Gergen (1992) notes, We are exposed to more opinions, values, personalities, and ways of activity than was any previous interval in novel; the number of our relationships soars, the variations are enormous: past relationships extreme (only a ring bell apart) and contemporary faces are only a channel absent (p. 58). There is, in short, an explosion in social connections. What does this explosion have to do with our meaning of selves and what we stand for, and how does it undermine beliefs in a romantic interior or in a rational center of the self ? This is precisely the controversy this period of The Simpsons takes up again and again. What is exclusively engaging in this phase is the focus on Homers identity crisis and its relationship to the media. This is not, of line, a theme unique to The Simpsons. As Caldwell (1995) observes, comedy-variety shows in the late 1940s and early 1950s were repeatedly using the conventions of intertextuality and

Dreams :: essays research papers

Dreams Since the dawn of mankind, man has been searching for the answer to just one question: Why do we dream? I believe strongly that the reason is not clear- cut and as easy to answer as it might seem. I think that dreams range in meaning and importance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When someone has a dream, there are many possible types of dreams they could have. First of these possibilities is for a dream that involves absolutely no meaning whatsoever. The dream is meaningless and involves a chain or series of events that are unrelated to one another and may be of people or places familiar or not. These dreams are most likely created because of the flash and mixture of chemicals that occurs during sleep. Many times these dreams are actually so bazaar that they have no meaning even to the dreamer. So these dreams are mostly just passed over and ignored.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second type of dream is one in which the dreamer can comprehend everything that is going on but things seem to have no meaning as before. But in some of these dreams, there are symbols that come into play. When you look at these dreams sometimes they can represent real life events. Often these are predictions about what could happen in the future or are an interpretation of things that have passed. These, like almost all other dreams have significance as a result of bodily rejuvenation processes. This type of dream has a significance I believe in helping the person have the feeling of a good sleep, where things have, if not in some bazaar way, been resolved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The third type of dream is one which makes great and perfect sense to the dreamer but doesn't have any real meaning. An example of this is dreaming that you are flying. Although you know what you are doing, and are comprehending this, it really doesn't have meaning in your life. Dreams like this can be quite mentally satisfying to the dreamer. Many times a dream like this can be almost a form of entertainment to the dreamer, especially if the dreamer realizes they are dreaming. When this happens sometimes the dreamer will take control of their dream and can do things they would not normally be able to do in real life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another type of dream is one where the dream has full meaning and the dreamer can fully realize everything that happens. Dreams like this can show exactly the way things could happen in the future, or ways of dealing with problems that will occur or have occurred.

Blue Crush Film Review :: essays research papers

Striving for Respect â€Å"These waves are for the big boys†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My film review is on the movie Blue Crush for my topic â€Å"Women competing with the men.† The movie is directed by John Stockwell and is written by Lizzy Weiss. The basic for the movie is that the main character Anne Marie is a surfer trying to make it big and become sponsored. She has to earn the respect of her friends, herself and the respect of the men surfers who ride the pipeline. She has to overcome her fears and conquer her own limits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anne Marie’s goal is to become a big wave surfer and to do that she needs to conquer her fears and overcome the critics who say a girl can’t ride the big waves like the boys. Anne Marie has many obstacles to overcome through the movie. First she has to take care of her little sister Penny, second she has to make money to pay rent, and third then she has to work and train for the Pipe Masters surf competition. Besides her obvious goals she has to earn the respect of herself to surf with the guys. A quote from the movie is when a guy surfer Eden says to Anne Marie:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"These waves are for the big boys.† (Blue Crush 2002) This shows that the men don’t think she can compete on the same big waves as they do. At one point in the movie when she goes out to try and prove herself to the guys, they clear the wave so that she can take it. She hesitates and doesn’t take the first couple waves. Her fear overcomes her and she looks weak in the eyes of the guys. The fear of failure is the driving force in what holds her back in become a great surfer period. It's not holding her back just in the female surfing world but the male and female surfing world as a whole.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A strong moment in the film is where she gets the nerve to test the big waves with the guys and before she goes out to the beach she runs into her ex-boyfriend. He obviously doesn’t think she can hang with the guys and questions her:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Drew: You really think you can surf it for real out there? Anne Marie: Well, Drew, I dated you, I guess I can do anything. (Blue Crush 2002) This shows how she rises to the occasion in face of the guy telling her she can’t do it.

Nature Nurture Debate Essay

?NATURE VERSUS NURTURE IS THE ARGUMENT OF WHETHER IT IS the characteristics that are inherited, or those that are learnt through environmental influences, which effect how we develop. ?WE ARE GOING TO LOOK INTO THE DIFFERENT PSYCHOLOGICAL approaches in relation to whether it is nature or nurture that determines gender: ?Psychodynamic ?Biological ?Social Learning ?Cognitive Sex and Gender Sex and gender are often referred to as one and the same, so it is important to distinguish between certain words and phrases: ?Sex: The biological state of a person; whether they are male or female depending on their genetic makeup. ?Gender: This is the social interpretation of sex. Is an individuals classification on whether a person is male or female. ?Gender Identity/ Role: Through socialisation we learn what is acceptable behaviour from females and males. We learn that each have different expected characteristics. ?Gender Constancy: Is the realisation that gender is fixed. This happens at 4 years of age. Psychodynamic Approach ?Freud backs up both the nature and nurture, with his psychodynamic approach: ?His idea of the personality being in three parts: the Id, Ego, and Superego. ?The Id is what we are said to have acquired naturally in birth. It is the primitive self, who strives to survive. Psychodynamic Approach ?The ego develops a few months in, and continues to be learnt from the outside world, it is when our consciousness comes into play. A child would learn the di$erence between male and female. ?The superego is the internalisation of moral values. We strive to do the right thing. So a child may have it instilled to act a certain way because that is what is expected, so any other feelings may be pushed into the unconscious. Psychosexual Stages ?In Freuds Psychosexual stages, it is the Phallic stage at age 3 to 6 years old that children become gender aware. ?A child is aware of what sex they are biologically, but their gender is e$ected by interactions between mother and father. Psychodynamic Theory ?However the personality model Freud talks about cannot be proved. ?This approach is also deterministic in that there is no free will when it comes to the psychosexual stages Little Hans Case Study Biological Approach All that is psychological is psysiological ? rst ‘Aron’. Social Learning Approach Cognitive Approach Conclusion ? There is no doubt that sex is based solely upon nature, whereas determining gender brings together both nurture and nature as it is the how society views the sexes. All that is psychological is psysiological ? rst ‘Aron’. Thought’s, feeling’s, ect, reside in the mind and are ultimately of biological cause. Biological psychology is the study of the physiological basis of behaviour and experience, it is highly scienti+c in approach, the key areas of study include:- †¢The nervous system and behaviour †¢States of consciousness †¢Biological rythms †¢Motivation †¢Anxiety and stress †¢pain Biological Psychology Cognitive is mainly a consequence of maturation stages of innate structures Biological Biological psychology states:- †¢Human Behaviour can be explained through hormones, genetics, evolution and the nervous system †¢If in theory, behaviour can be explained biologically, causes for unwanted behaviours can be modi+ed or removed using biological treatment such as medication for mental illnesses. †¢Biological psychology believes in experimental treatment conducted using animals, this is due to our biological similarities. Biological Charles Darwin †¢Was an 18th century English naturalist and geologist. †¢Best known for his contributions to evolutionary theory. †¢Whilst on a 5 year expedition, Darwin concluded species of life have descended over time from common ancestors. †¢This created the scienti+c theory to a branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process he called natural selection. †¢For 20 years Darwin worked on his theory †¢1859 The origin of species was published †¢The book was extremely controversial, mainly due to the theory of homo sapiens being another form of animal, leading to a theory of our evolution from apes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. The church was not happy. Biological Studying psychology within an evolutionary framework has revolutionized the +eld, allowing di$erent approaches to be uni+ed under one banner. Darwin also pioneered one of evolutionary psychology’s most important tools, the comparative method. The results coming from this new +eld continue to change how we view our behavior and mental abilities, as well as those of other animals. Darwin’s impact in biological Psychology Biological Strengths and weaknesses biological psychology and the theories within support nature over nuture. However, it can be argued, that by limiting explanations for behaviour in terms of either nature or nurture, the complexity of human biengs is underestimated. It could be argued, that the interaction of both nature (biology) and nurture (environment) both play vital roles in our behaviour. A strength to the biological approach is its use of scienti+c methods, producing clear evidence, such as neurotransmitters. The biological approach is able to produce clear evidence, scienti+cally, for explanations A weakness to biological psychology is the reductionist explanations provided, which do not fully encompass the full scope of human behaviour. Individuals may posses a predisposition, to particular behavioural traits, however, environmental factors can also be the cause. This is called ‘Diathesis stress model’ of human behaviour. Biological Biological explanation of gender. Through evolution, men in their role as ‘hunter gatherer’, may have developed a stronger ‘+ght or ;ight response than women, who had the role of caring for the children. Due to this males and females may have developed a di$erent physiological response to stress. Taylor et al (2000) suggested that women produce a calmer response to stress due to a hormone. Oxytocin is realised in response to stress and has been shown to lead to maternal behaviour. Taylor called this the ‘tend and berfriend response’ instead of the ‘+ght or ;ight’ response. Leading to the idea women are more likely to seek social support to cope with stress.

Khat: Ethiopia and Somali Youth

Khat is a green-leaved plant grown predominantly in the Horn of Africa, and consumed in the diaspora by emigrants from the region – Ethiopians, Kenyans, Yemenis and most notably Somalis – who report a mild, amphetamine-like high. Khat is legal in the UK, as are mafrishes, but spirited campaigns to outlaw it on health and social grounds have been galvanised in the past year by claims that terror cells are operating wherever khat is chewed, and that al-Shabaab is focusing its recruitment efforts on disenfranchised Somali youth with khat-addled minds.CNN said that reporters have been attacked while trying to enter mafrishes; the Huffington Post said that it had been advised not even to attempt access. A reporter with Vice magazine said he tried khat, washed it down with beer, and â€Å"got all hyper and threw a chair†. My sources were less certain of the dangers. â€Å"The most radical thing I've ever seen at a mafrish is a group of old men watching porn on the tel ly,† said one anthropologist.And apprehension dissipates rapidly in Peckham, despite a finger jabbed into my chest on the street outside, accompanied by the question: â€Å"What are you? † Hastily abandoning a flimsy cover story, I admit that I am a reporter with this magazine. My interlocutor appears baffled. â€Å"But what football team are you? † he says. I tell him, he rolls his eyes, grabs me by the forearm and hauls me inside. During the next month visiting mafrishes in south London, I will be scorned often for being a Tottenham Hotspur supporter.Issues of my nationality (British), ethnicity (white) and profession (journalist) pass without comment. No one attempts to recruit me to al-Shabaab. According to most recent figures, there are close to 110,000 Somalis in the UK, around 35 per cent of whom admit to consuming khat on a regular basis. Although some women indulge in the home or with female friends, khat chewing is most commonly regarded as a male pasti me, particularly in the mafrishes, which are frequently referred to as â€Å"Somali pubs†.The analogy is obvious, even though Somalis, as Muslims, tend not to drink. In Africa, khat's stimulant properties make it the product of choice for long-distance lorry drivers, night-watchmen and students cramming for exams. But in the diaspora it has come to be regarded as a cheap luxury, known to be an aid for relaxation and conversation. Men congregate to network, discuss politics and family or work issues. They watch the news or football matches, chew the fat – and chew khat.

Gendered Behavior- Biologically Determined?

Men and Women are different- not necessary better or worse, but definitely different. They generally live different lifestyles, in different worlds, with different values and different rules. This is a fact that many are unwilling to admit. Unbelievable? – Just look at the evidence. Why do little girls generally play with dolls, while little boys with toy cars? Why is blue defined as a â€Å"masculine† color, while pink as a â€Å"feminine†? Where did all the gender-based stereotypes come from? Women are bad drivers, Men will never ask for directions. Women are too sensitive, Men are not sensitive enough. Women use toilets as social regions and â€Å"therapy† rooms, while men clearly only use the toilet for one purpose only. Think about it: Wouldn't people be instantly wary of the man who called out â€Å"Hey Jack, I'm going to the bathroom- you want to join me? † From the shallow questions- why are men and women generally different heights? -To the more innate queries- why until the 1960s did men and women play different roles -domination of males and suppression of women? , it inevitably traces down to one conclusion. Men and women are primarily diverse. The question is what is the reason for this? If one were to leave young girls and boys to develop on a deserted island with no organized society, no parents, would they still be as they are today? Thus poses the question: Is gendered behavior biologically determined? Extracts from pop-psychology books profess â€Å"The equality of men and women is a political or moral issue; the essential difference is a scientific one. † Those who disagree with the biological perspective of this issue claim equality between the sexes. However the matter is not whether they are equal, but whether they are identical, which may be what many are confused about. Even scientific studies have shown recently that that behavior between the genders is not only physically different, but also mentally different. The most basic and direct form of evidence available for this argument is that the brain structures differ between the two ‘species'. The three main areas of the brain (the Temporal lobe, the Corpus callosum, and the Anterior commissure) illustrate these dissimilarities. The Temporal lobe, which helps control hearing, memory and a person's sense of self and time, has proven men to have 10% fewer neurons in this area. The Corpus callosum, the main bridge between the left brain and the right which carries messages between the two, takes up less volume in a man's brain than in a women's, signifying that they may communicate less. Lastly, the Anterior commissure, which also plays a role in connecting the two brain hemisphere, is smaller in men's brains than in women's, even though men tend to have a bigger brain size. These facts alone should indicate that there are differences in men and women behavior. Brain scans, a fairly new technology has confirmed the differences in thinking between the two, and how they use their minds very differently when it comes to certain things. Scientist Sandra Whittleson verifies that for men, emotion is generally position to the right of the brain (meaning it can operate separately from other functions. Because of a man's smaller corpus callosum, emotion is less likely to operate concurrently with other functions. It is the opposite with women, as their emotion is spread widely along both hemispheres, showing that in their case, it can activate at the same time as other functions. Thus, a stereotype of the sensitivity conflict between the two sexes is proven. There are many other case studies from these scans which present a kernel of truth in other regular stereotypical beliefs. There is, of course, another â€Å"side to the story†. Society today, one many say, is very gender-based. These stereotypes may exist because people encourage them too. Wouldn't one agree that in today's world, there are certain things that are and are not considered appropriate? In order to be accepted, people must conform. There are certain norms for dressing, manner, interests and behavior for males and females. Even the stranger who proclaims â€Å"What a big, strong boy you are† or â€Å"What a pretty little girl you are† is subconsciously indicating to a small child ideally cherished behavior and characteristics. It is believed by some that social conditioning is likely to determine how one acts through development. Baby girls are dressed in pink and given Barbies to play with, while baby boys are given Action Men and Hot Wheels. Young girls are cuddled and touched, while young boys are patted on the back and told not to cry. In comparison to girls, boys are more encouraged to behave typically and strongly discouraged from engaging in cross-gendered behavior. Is this form of up-bring why men are being dubbed insensitive? Because they are too insecure to show their feminine side? Why is it that when someone is pregnant, the first question an outsider would pose is â€Å"Boy or Girl? How such a question has has become so automatic now, so spontaneous is to be wondered of. It is also true that many in our society find gender re-assignment difficult to accept- think about transsexuals. As much as it is tried; people find the concept of this hard to grasp. The truth is there are no two ways about it; Gendered behavior is not only biologically determined, but also environmentally determined. Faced with the nature/nurture argument once again, it is strongly believed that the two are inseparable, especially in this context. Although the more evidence found, the more people think that the difference is biological. However, no one can say it is purely so because no one knows for sure. Everything you do, every way you behave is determined by a mixture of the two. The reason may be biological, yet how much it is enhanced may be environmental, and vice versa. Understanding the identity of people can be complex, and as much as we want to, we will not be necessarily undergoing this breakthrough anytime soon.