Iraq War Coverage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Iraq War Coverage - Essay Example The first article comes from the New York Times and it is has been written by Richard Oppel to describe how a buried bomb killed five American soldiers in Iraq. The second article is also from the New York Times, written by Steven Farrell and it discusses how American soldiers have been charged with the murder of Iraqi civilians. From the foreign news sources, Aljazeera.net provides us with two articles where the first shows how the president’s plan for Iraq is coming under fire and the second shows how deaths in Iraq have fallen in number. Finally we have an article from PBS.org that discusses how the military is handling the issue of homemade Iraqi bombs. The commonality between all articles is the fact that they are dealing with the Iraq war and all of them are trying to present both sides of the issue. However, for the American sources, there is a clear differentiation between the right and wrong side. Aljazeera also has offered its own clear distinction but it is quite different from the one given by the New York Times. The independent news source, i.e. PBS.org, presents the transcript of an interview with various individuals from different fields that have been to Iraq and can understand the situation on the ground. Another similarity between the all the news sources is their data gathering which seeks to get information from all possible sources. For example, the New York Times gets statements from American soldiers as well as American government officials regarding the situation in Iraq. They also got words from the anti-American clerics who are part of the leadership in the Mahdi Army that has been reportedly engaged in attacks on American interests in Iraq. Similarly, the foreign news source i.e. Aljazeera reports on what the American statesmen are saying about the war in Iraq and one would think that such statements

MANAGING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MANAGING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE - Essay Example In the case of Jessica, this is one area that she has not properly understood leading to her lack of unfair treatment of the internal customers (TrevinÃŒÆ'o, Linda K, and Katherine A. Nelson, 293-296). Organizations need to develop a two-way communication approach that ensures that all the ethical issues are well addressed as they emerge. Another principle is based on the sharing of ideas as well as information. The challenges that the organization is facing due to the conduct of Jessica does not just affect her department but the entire organization. Lack of separation of social life with formal office relations may hinder the flow of information within the organization. The fact that Bruce and Jessica are in a relationship makes it hard for free flow of information given that Bruce is the boss to whom reports should be made. This case can be handled by reporting the matter to the senior managers above Bruce so that they can talk to both Bruce and Jessica separately and discuss the issues with them based on their need to take their responsibilities in the organization

Development of Radio in African Countries

Development of Radio in African Countries Chris Cazalet Essay: The Development of radio in African countries, including South Africa Radio is the most important medium in Africa. Its Flexibility, low costs, and oral character meet Africa’s situation very well. It remains the top medium in terms of the number of people that it reaches (Mytton). Radio is the fundamental mass-medium in Africa as it holds the widest reach and the highest audience numbers compared to television (TV), newspapers and other information and communication technologies (ICTs). Over the last 20 years radio has experiences a regeneration, due to democratisation and more affordable technology, today radio has proved to be far more hands-on and a straightforward type of communication then it possibly was in older times. Adding to the development is the welcoming of new technologies that have become available – this has evolved radio into more of a two-way medium, assisting in the bridge of the digital divide by providing information tools for access to all audiences (Mytton). Radio as a source of news and entertainment is completely unrestricted by the internet. One of the main developmental content encounters on African Radio is the need to produce programmes on a tight budget. The dominant principles of African radio is live broadcast, rather than arranged programmes (Myers, 2008). Future technologic trends seem to be enhancing rather than replacing radio. It is unlikely that TV will challenge radio as it is developing at a lower process then expected. â€Å"At the level of international donor support, radio, which at one time was regarded at the ‘poor cousin’ of the newer ICTs, has been brought back into the ICT family, there is renewed interest at the policy level.† (Myers, 2008). There are four classes that radio stations can be divided into today, state-controlled public radio; privately owned commercial radio; community-controlled radio and international radio. Because a country’s media may be loosened does not mean that there are not huge stresses on press freedom and countless economic challenges met by broadcasters. Technology seems to be enhancing rather than replacing radio. Radio is uniquely matched to the African context, being an aural and portable medium in a continent that is primarily non-literate (Myers, 2008). The history of radio development emerged from three separate stages, beginning in 1924 when they first South African broadcasts took place. There was the colonial period, radio was the main medium which was brought in to serve the settlers and the welfares of the colonial powers. Later on the ruling classes introduced radio services presented by and for the indigenous people. The domestic broadcasting system of all European authorities such as the British independent public service model of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) or the French government radio stations were not government monopolies (Mytton). The earliest broadcasting that appeared on the continent was in in South Africa. In Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, three organizations – an advertising group, a private dub, and a local authority; these organisations were granted licenses to broadcast. They all soon were taken over by an entrepreneur who, through difficulty, moved the stations toward commercial practicality. The government did not see this commercial practicality as a service they sought after – after inviting John Reith, the BBC’s first director-general, to come to South Africa in 1934 to help them develop a national public service form of broadcasting thus the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was created in 1936. SABC drifted from BBC’s working mannerisms soon after its establishment. It was never far from the political influence and control which grew during the years of apartheid. For a large period the SABC programmes were dictated by white audiences until 1943, it only broadcasted in English and Africans, leaving the African audiences ignored. In the 1960’s broadcasting for Africans extended when Radio Bantu was developed during apartheid to emphasise the apartheid ideology of the separation of the races (Mytton). After World War 2 broadcasting expanded in most of the African colonies and became one of the official British policies, radio services would be developed to educate and inform the African listeners. Torn Chalmers, a successful BBC radio producer who was involved in developing of the radio is Nigeria, Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania, along with others tried to separate broadcasting from government. In spite of the establishment of public corporation in several British regions, stations were closely managed by their corresponding governments and had little independence (Mytton). The French developed a different policy, nearly all broadcasting in French regions were in the French language. Radio broadcasting to a large extent, originated in France through the Societe de Radio-diffusion de la France d’Outre-Mer (Society for Radio Transmission to French Overseas Territories – SORAFOM). It was not until the 1960’s the decade when African colonies were granted independence and allowed to establish national radio broadcasters (Mytton). In most countries the national and regional radio represent the voice of the government. The main difference between state radios and independent radios are that state radios reach nation-wide and independent radio stations are confined to urban areas. Independent radios also have almost all been FM stations where as state radio stations are of various stations (Mytton). Community Radio has becoming a growing importance to the accessability of information and a tool of empowerment for local communities across Africa, they face several challenges with regard to sustainability. There is no certainty to the long-term future of this sector – despite it its growth in numerous countries. (MCgregor, 2006) Independent radios stations can be catorgorised into five types. Fully commercial stations that seek to make a profit, religious radio stations – these stations are mostly supported by sponsors, the growth of commercial radio could change the weakness of many states that support the talented artist that have had to stop working because of inadequate payments – these artists find that they do better by marketing their own music at street venders. Community radion stations which could be seen as the fastest growing sector – these stations are often staffed by volunteer helpers, run at low cost and sponsored from the outside. By 2000 there were over 70 radio stations in South Africa and more then 100 in West Africa. Community radio stations contribute to the national edication and development which is of major importance – there are many developmental agencies strongly favour the use of radio campaigns for better health, in the past these campaigns and advert isments were very dull however in recent years there has been a growth in the imaginative and entertaining use of the radio to encourage the development of these areas. The fourth and fifth categories each emerged as the result of ethnic or other struggles. Factional radio stations were used to promote a specific section in a struggle. This category was also referred to as the hate radio station. The fifth category, humanitarian radio stations, was a standing power to factional radio. Radio power in Africa led numerous aid agencies, including the United Nations, in support of the establishment of humanitarian radio stations that encourage peace, harmony and democracy. (Myers, 2008) In the 21st century there have been many technological advances that have boosted broadcasting to new invisions of direct satellite broadcasting. Digital shortwave is the future of radio tansmissions and if Africa can employ this new technology it will revolutionize radio broadcasting over the whole African continent. References MCgregor, S. (2006). Reserach Summary Report Africa Media Development Initiative. Rhodes University. London: BBC World Service Trust. Retrieved from http://africanmediainitiative.org/content/2013/07/22/AMDI-BBC-summary-report.pdf Myers, M. (2008). Radio and Development in Africa Concept Paper. Canada: International Development Research Centre of Canada. Retrieved from http://www.amarc.org/documents/manuals/12481943581Radio_and_Development_in_Africa,_a_concept_paper.pdf Mytton, G. (n.d.). A Brief History of Radio Broadcasting in Africa. Retrieved from http://www.transculturalwriting.com/radiophonics/contents/usr/downloads/radiophonics/A_Brief_History.pdf

The Hidden Truth in The Rocking-Horse Winner by D. H. Lawrence Essay

The Hidden Truth in "The Rocking-Horse Winner" by D. H. Lawrence      Ã‚  Ã‚   The plot in "The Rocking-Horse Winner" by D. H. Lawrence reveals to the reader conflicts between Paul and his mother using different levels or forms of secrecy. There are secrets hidden throughout the house that leads Paul and his mother to an unpleasant life. The first level of secrecy is the actual secrets that Paul and Paul's mother keep from each other. The second form of secrecy is that D. H. Lawrence uses a story telling style of writing. This way of writing in itself holds many secrets. Finally, the third level of secrecy is through the use of symbolism. Paul's mother tries to show others that she is a good mother even though "at the center of her heart [is] a hard place that could not feel love, no, not for anybody" (Lawrence 524). The children know their mother has this block for love and it is Paul's goal to find love from his mother. His mother's only obsession is to have money. According to W. R. Martin Paul's mother feels that if she has money her problems will disappear and she can obtain that "high social class" she does not deserve to be in (65). This adds conflict because there is a child that is neglected by his mother and a mother who is only interested in herself and the social class she lives in. Paul's secrets add conflict in the story because the secrets separate him and his mother and eventually lead him to his death. Paul rides a wooden rocking horse that his parents gave to him as a gift. While riding a voice will sometimes magically whisper the next week's winner in the upcoming horse races. Without his mother knowing, Paul will ask the young gardener, Bassett, to place bets on horse races behind her back. Then he gives ... ... story a classic. He did not only write a story that had a good plot line, but a story that had many in depth topics. The way the conflicts were shown throughout the story between Paul and his mother using secrecy was magnificent. D. H. Lawrence is an excellent writer and "The Rocking-Horse Winner" is a prime example of the talent that he has. Works Cited Beauchamp, Gorman. "Lawrence's The Rocking-Horse Winner." Explicator 31.5 (1973): Item 32. Fitz, L. T. "'The Rocking-Horse Winner' and The Golden Bough." Studies in Short Fiction 9 (1973): 199-200. Junkins, Donald. "'The Rocking-Horse Winner': A Modern Myth." Studies in Short Fiction 2.1 (1964): 87-89. Martin, W. R. "Fancy or Imagination? 'The Rocking-Horse Winner'." College English 24 (1962): 64-65. Steinbeck, John. "The Rocking-Horse Winner." Modern Fiction Studies 9.1 (1965): 390-391.   

Functionalist and Conflict theories Essay

Sociology is the study of society and the behaviour patterns of a particular group or culture. In contemporary Australian society, a good understanding of this is needed in order to make better social changes to meet social needs. When it comes to trying to explain and understand society, there are two main points of view that a person can take. These are the functionalist view, which is largely based on works by Talcott Parsons, and the conflict view, sometimes referred to as Marxism, as Karl Marx made a significant contribution towards this theory. Although in most ways these views directly oppose each other, ultimately, they are both trying to do the same thing, that is, explain why society is like it is today. Functionalists see society in a relatively optimistic way. They see groups as interdependent, working together for the good of the whole society. They claim that organisations and groups are largely benevolent, and that they are there for useful purposes. A person who takes the functionalist perspective sees society as generally operating smoothly, and perceives that very little change is needed, as groups being interrelated means that change in one area will have an effect on the whole society. The functionalist view, while useful in explaining structures and functions of various groups in society, tends to gloss over the negative aspects of society, over-explaining them so that happenings which could have a large negative impact on society seem trivial and unimportant. Where consensus is not happening, it is the conflict view that has the better explanation. Read more: Functionalist Perspective on Social Media The conflict theory perceives society as stratified, that is, having significant divisions. It puts forward a more challenging, questioning view on society. People who support this view claim that in every institution there are some people with more power, opportunities and status than others. This view is about inequalities, disagreement, and the use of power to advantage some while disadvantaging others. The conflict theory is the direct opposite of functionalism in that it focuses on the negative aspects of society, and even when something is functioning relatively well, conflict theorists tend to analyse it until they do find something wrong, making a mountain out of a metaphoric molehill. So while the functionalist theory and the conflict theory are two extremes of sociological thinking, it is not necessary to take the view of either one or the other. Very rarely are situations clearly black and white. Most often, if not always, there are many shades of grey in between. Therefore it is important to take on the perspective of both theories, and figure out which aspect of a particular situation applies to which theory. A good example of just how much the two opposing views differ is to apply them both to the universal institution, the family. Functionalists see the family as a vital institution that is needed to carry out several important functions. These functions are:  ¨Regulating sexual behaviour and reproduction  ¨Socialising children  ¨Protecting children and the elderly  ¨Providing emotional support and affection for its members  ¨Serving as an important consumption unit for society’s products (Earle and Fopp, 1999) These functions generally still work well in the cases of socialisation and reproduction, care of the children and the elderly, and as an economic unit, earning and consuming. However in today’s society, where there is an increasing amount of domestic abuse as well as working single parents or two working parents, members of a family aren’t always able to provide emotional support and affection for other members. Also in today’s modern society there are a great amount of people having sex before marriage, and an alarmingly large amount of teenage pregnancy. Therefore families are not carrying out the function of regulating sexual behaviour and reproduction as much as they were twenty or thirty years ago. Functionalists often use biological comparisons, claiming that a family is like an organism, with each member having a particular role. These roles are considered natural, and must be carried out for the good of the whole family. These roles involve men going out into the workforce and taking economic leadership while the women stay at home looking after her children and husband and doing all the housework. The functionalist theory claims the nuclear family as the ‘norm’. The nuclear family consists of two parents, one of each gender, and their children living together in one household. Although this structure is still fairly typical of today’s society, it was much more prevalent in the 1950’s. Today there are many variations of the family, and only about half of families are nuclear. With divorce and single parent families steadily on the rise, and women wanting the same rights as men, functionalists are having to come up with ways to explain these occurrences. For example, with divorce, a functionalist would argue that divorce is a good thing because it means that when people marry the second time round they will have more experience and it will be more likely to last. However, this theory is considered outdated. In today’s society with a rising economy more and more women are going out into the workforce. But this extra role does not mean giving up their other role as carer. Women end up taking on two roles – that of the carer and the housewife, as well as that of a worker. This is becoming undesirable for women, making them reluctant to marry. The functionalist theory fails to take into consideration the simple fact that things change. And where the functionalist theory doesn’t quite apply, the conflict theory has the better explanation. The conflict view sees traditional roles in families as limiting women’s lives to caring for their husband and children. They claim that this arrangement is not biological at all, but socially constructed, that is, created by people. These roles have been around and accepted for so long that they seem natural, but the conflict view argues that in actual fact people have been trained over many years into thinking this way. The conflict theory emphasises disagreement and struggle as a part of any human group. Conflict theorists say that in any group there will be status issues, something will be unfair, and the power will be divided – some will give orders, others will obey. This applies to the family in that it is often, if not always, the parents giving orders to their children/teenagers, who are supposed to obey. Also, even in today’s changing society, men still often have more power than their wives. In modern Australian society, there are demographic changes in family form, and family households are considerably smaller. The changes in family arrangement and in family values have important consequences for the family as an institution. Fewer women are having large families and the marriage rate has declined, largely because of changes in attitudes to marriage and living arrangements. There is an increasing amount of not only de facto relationships, but also in the social acceptance of these relationships. The divorce rate has also increased, which then in turn influences the number of blended as well as single parent families. The conflict theory addresses these issues, and asks the important question ‘what needs to be changed in order for the family unit to survive?’ On the other hand, the functionalist theory tries to explain why these things are happening and how they benefit society. Both the functionalist and conflict theories raise some very valid and important points. Functionalism sometimes has a tendency to focus on the past, while the conflict theory places a bigger emphasis on the present. However, both theories are needed if the family is to survive in the future.

Descartes vs. Spinoza Essay

What I will do in this following paper is to discuss two very interesting philosophers, Rene Descartes and Benedictus de Spinoza. I will discuss each philosopher’s perspectives and insights on their most recognized theories and thoughts. I will then evaluate them and then give my opinion on the given topic. By doing this, I will contrast the similarities and differences between the two genius minds. By the end of the paper I will have discarded some ideas and opinions from each of the two and will have my own judgment that consists of thoughts from Spinoza, Descartes and my self put together. Themes On Descartes: Existence of God- Descartes’ View – One of the most famous and debatable theories Descartes had was his proof of the existence of God. He had for steps on the ladder to prove this. 1) Everything including our ideas has a cause. 2) We have an idea of God. 3) Nothing less than God is adequate to be the cause of our idea of God. An lastly 4) Therefore God exists. My View – Considering the fact that Descartes was a rationalist and a very religious man, you can see why he would desperately try to make sense of everything, including God. I believe his proof that he has laid out for us that God exists is false. What Descartes is trying to tell us is that our idea of God comes directly from God himself and that we cannot create something in our minds that we have not already witnessed by our senses. But I believe we can implant the idea of God in our minds without God planting it for us. Since man has been on this planet, we have been evolving. I believe our idea of God is a collection of thoughts and ideas that has evolved. Ideas such as security, peace, direction, order, separating good and evil, questions to our existence, comfort, space, answers to questions no one has. It is all these thoughts, ideas and more put together in our minds overtime that create this all mighty powerful being who knows all and is all that we call God. The U-Turn- Descartes’ View – One of the aspects Descartes strived to find was â€Å"certainty†, searching for absolute foundation. He felt in order to come across certainty; we must first doubt everything we know. To help people comprehend his idea, he created the U-Turn as a visual reference to understand. As we go down the â€Å"U† we first doubt common sense, then we doubt awake/sleep since he believes we can’t distinguish the difference. We continue to go down the â€Å"U† by doubting mathematics because there could be an â€Å"Evil Genius† that tricks us into believing something untrue. At the bottom of this U we reach the point where nothing is certain except one thing according to Descartes, which is our existence. He says â€Å"I think, therefore I am†, which means the only thing we can be certain about is our own existence. He then stops and says if we exist, then there must be a God, and this is where the U takes its turn and moves upwards. He then says if God exists he would not deceive us because he is all loving and caring, therefore we have no reason to doubt mathematics, followed by ourselves (body/mind) and lastly we can then be certain about the physical world, no need to doubt it. My View – I find this to be an interesting concept that Descartes has formulated in his mind, one that is most definitely worth thinking about and taking into consideration. But in my point of view, there is a break in his chain. From the moment he mentions we doubt being awake and asleep is where I think his U-Turn collapses. Descartes says we can not distinguish the difference between the two, but that’s only true to a certain point. As humans we have logic, common sense and we are aware of most of the knowledge we obtain. We know that we live a life every day and that we need rest every night; and we know that sleeping is a form of rest which sometimes includes bizarre, twisted, chaotic scenarios which we call dreams or nightmares. The argument he made on this segment of his U-Turn concept was only half true. He was right on the fact that we can not distinguish the difference when in a dream state but wrong on the idea that same goes for when we are awake. As human begins we may not be able to have any reasoning, logic or understand the fact that we are dreaming but when we are not dreaming we can logically know we are awake and be able to know the difference between awake/sleep which means we don’t have to doubt common sense or mathematics anymore. If this is the case then Descartes U-Turn theory is wrong and the idea that the only thing we can be â€Å"certain† about is our own existence is false. Themes On Spinoza: Conception of God- Spinoza’s’ View – Spinoza went on a whole different direction when it came to God. Up to his point in time most people believed in a transcendent God, this meant that they believed in a personal God that was all loving, caring and would not deceive us human beings. People would prey to this personal God for various things like comfort and security, but Spinoza had his own belief. His conception was quite different from that of anyone else. His conception of God was non-personal (Non- Transcendent) and was the totality of everything that is immanent. He explained that our infinite Universe is one that has no outside and is also one big web where everything in it is connected. What he is basically trying to say is that God=Nature, God is the totality of everything that is. My View – Spinoza’s conception of God is quite absurd. There may or may not be a God but if there is, it is definitely not the totality of everything that is. The meaning of God is a higher supreme being that would have a higher consciousness than humans. There is a difference between nature and God. I feel nature is more on the lines of what he is trying to say but uses the word â€Å"God†. God can not be everything that is because then that would mean we are part of the make up of God and that is absurd. How can everything in the universe that has no conception of God be a part of God? His thoughts and ideas on this subject don’t add up in the end and don’t seem like an acceptable solution to the questions revolving around â€Å"God†. Ethics: On Interconnected Self- Spinoza’s’ View – Spinoza said that freedom of choice is an illusion and that everything that happens is part of a necessary order witch is completely rational. My View – If freedom of choice is an illusion and everything is already set to happen before it occurs†¦then why are we making choices in the first place? I believe we do have freedom of choice and that we set our own destiny. Everything will be set but is not set yet. We must make choices and decisions to get to where we want to or do not want to. This can be compared to a video game, the programmer and the player. The programmer sets al these scenarios, levels, obstacles, directions and gives the gamer various choices to make. The player goes through these obstacles, and makes choices where many possibilities are presented to him/her. Ultimately the game will finish one way or the other with the choices that the player makes. All these various different possibilities were laid out (each which had its own outcome) but the player made the decision to get to where he/she is now. Overall Comparison: After taking in everything these two philosophers have presented and evaluating their ideas, I have come up with my own thoughts. I believe Descartes had a much more reasonable and acceptable point of view than Spinoza. Descartes thoughts and concepts were easier to understand and coupe with. I disagree a lot with both of the two but my mind has a greater understanding of Descartes perspective. Spinoza was so special in his own way because of his unique ideas but his concepts on God and ethics seemed to far fetch. Descartes seemed to be on a perfect track until he took a couple things too far like God, trying to prove his existence. If we are to gain knowledge through sense experience then technically we have no knowledge of God, jus a compound of thoughts and ideas to create such a being. Overall I like Descartes philosophical way of thinking more than any other philosopher and feel we can learn a lot from him including helping ourselves to think in a more abstract philosophical manner. Sources Of Information: 1) A History of Western Philosophy : Hobbes to Hume (Second Edition) 2) individual. utoronto. ca/mtlin/god. pdf 3) www. utm. edu/research/iep/s/spinoza. htm 4) http://serendip. brynmawr. edu/Mind/17th. html 5) www. trincoll. edu/depts/phil/philo/phils/descartes. html 6) www. connect. net/ron/descartes. html.