Communication is a fundamental component promoting positive behaviour

In the secondary school scene, well-developed communicating accomplishments are an indispensable constituent of effectual schoolroom direction. They enable instructors to develop reciprocally respectful mutual interactions with pupils that serve to augment schoolroom experiences and results. Assorted characteristics and methods of communicating may be used to heighten interpersonal exchanges, promote effectual problem-solving and expedite struggle declaration. These are the critical edifice blocks that serve to construct trust and apprehension. Furthermore, the many factors involved in effectual communicating aid greatly in easing warm reciprocal student/teacher relationships and productive acquisition environments which in bend, foster positive behavior and larning results. ( Arthur-Kelly, Lyons, Butterfield & A ; Gordon, 2003 ) Many secondary school pupils perceive this clip period to be particularly disputing. Developmentally, such pupils are sing considerable upheaval as they begin to negociate the labyrinth to emotional, societal, physical and cognitive adulthood. The secondary school old ages are farther complicated as striplings begin to consolidate their sense of individuality, strive for greater liberty and freedom and their societal webs expand. These momentous alterations may do many pupils to stagger and fight both behaviourally and academically. Fortunately, through the usage of effectual interpersonal communicating techniques instructors are able to construct respectful, mutual relationships that bolster secondary pupils throughout this disruptive journey. ( Martin, 2010 ) Interpersonal communicating is a complex pattern that involves conveying and having messages. Spoken words are used to convey significance but the frequently unmarked non-verbal constituents of communicating are of equal importance and comprise at least 50 % of message content. Such constituents include oculus contact, paralinguistics, positioning and position, facial looks, gestures, propinquity and touch, personal visual aspect and communicating puting. These factors have tremendous potency to interfere with and falsify the significance of intended messages. As such, it is of paramount importance that instructors avoid doing rushed readings of pupil non-verbal behavior and besides pay attending to the congruity of their ain non-verbal communicating. Actions tend to talk louder than words so incongruous non-verbal communicating has the possible to earnestly undermine message unity and cause pupil confusion. ( Arthur-Kelly et al. , 2003 ) As stated by Charles ( 2000, pp. 48-49 ) â€Å" To a surprising grade, how you communicate determines your effectivity as a instructor. Relationships are built on communicating and easy destroyed by it. † Because so much of communicating has the possible to be misunderstood it is indispensable for instructors to use schemes that minimise the opportunity of this happening. One peculiarly effectual method is the usage of active hearing ( Arthur-Kelly et al. , 2003 ) . Active hearing is non simply hearing but a much more purposeful action that involves being attentive, endeavoring to understand communicated concerns and emotions, clear uping through appropriate inquiring and back uping job resolution ( Weinstein, 2007 ) . During active hearing, the receiver of the message interprets what has been said and accurately reflects this back to look into apprehension of the talker ‘s concerns and associated feelings. This procedure enables the talker to experience acknowledged, supported and confident that they have been understood. It encourages the talker to go on showing, clear uping and earning support to work through issues constructively ( Geldard & A ; Geldard, 2007 ) . By utilizin g the active hearing technique, instructors send a strong message to pupils that they truly care. Congruently, caring, and particularly student perceptual experience of such, is an of import requirement for set uping the healthy relationships that promote positive behavior and academic results ( DeSantis King, Huebner, Suldo & A ; Valois, 2006 ) . 4 Several other communicating procedures may besides be used to heighten the active hearing procedure and to convey echt concern and lovingness to pupils. These include doing appropriate oculus contact by changing position to fit the degree of the talkers, utilizing congruous facial looks, using minimum verbal cues and persisting with active hearing until the talker feels ready to reason ( Weinstein, 2007 ) . Open inquiring is besides of import. This involves the preparation of inquiries that require more than a negative or affirmatory response. Such inquiring is peculiarly utile to convey to light antecedently inconsiderate issues and besides to clear up information. Additionally, it is an effectual manner of promoting ongoing conversation ( Geldard & A ; Geldard, 2007 ) . The combination of the abovementioned schemes efficaciously facilitate clear look and enhance listening truth during conversations. In secondary schoolroom state of affairss, nevertheless, it is frequently necessary to guarantee that intervention whilst conveying messages is eliminated every bit expeditiously as possible. In these state of affairss, self-asserting communicating is an plus ( Arthur-Kelly et al. , 2003 ) . During self-asserting communicating, the rights of both the talker and the hearers are upheld, therefore cut downing intervention. This method of communication is neither inactive nor aggressive. Rather, pass oning assertively means showing messages in a no-nonsense mode that is straightforward, honest and unoffending ( Mohan, McGregor, Saunders & A ; Archee, 2008 ) . One such manner of communication is through the usage of I statements. I statements are a practical method for leting the talker to convey their message and at the same time do their demands known without encroaching on the rights of others. They are frequently peculiarly valuable as they alert the hearers to the talker ‘s religion in their cooperation without any associated threatening intensions ( Arthur-Kelly et al. , 2003 ) . Assertive statements are by and large stated in three parts, to depict specific behaviors, to sketch feelings associated 5 with such behaviors and to exemplify the effects of such behaviors. They send a clear message to the receiver without hazard of discourtesy ( Mohan et al. , 2008 ) . Spoken calmly, I messages operate to supply valid, comprehensive feedback to pupils about the effects of their behavior in a respectful, non-intimidating manner ( Arthur-Kelly et al. , 2003 ) . Despite the demonstrated efficiency of communicating procedures such as active hearing and self-asserting communicating, in secondary schoolrooms, the potency for struggles and unsolved jobs remains ever-present. Because of the emphasis and anxiousness that is frequently associated with the dramatic alterations experienced by striplings, that they may at times act with confusion as they try to joint their ideas and feelings. This may precipitate apparently inappropriate words and actions that may necessitate careful dialogue to decode and decide ( Brown, 2005 ) . Negotiation is a problem-solving communicating accomplishment that incorporates active hearing and self-asserting behavior. Basically, dialogue involves utilizing common regard and communicating devoid of intervention by such contaminations as high affectional provinces ( Arthur-Kelly et al. , 2003 ) . In dialogue, six stairss are used to ease problem-solving. The first measure involves job designation utilizing I messages, unfastened inquiring and active hearing. Step two necessitates the designation of possible problem-solving options. This is facilitated through the collaborative listing of suggestions which are freely expressed and are neither evaluated nor censored ( Arthur-Kelly et al. , 2003 ) . In measure four, this procedure is refined as stakeholders are provided with the chance to cancel any antecedently generated options that they find wholly unacceptable. Subsequently, in measure five the stripling selects their most favorable option which they believe is most likely to be successful and an understanding to implement this is established. Step six completes the process and involves holding on a clip period before the consequences of the solution are reviewed. During the reappraisal procedure, permanent 6 execution may be decided upon or in the instance of an disappointing result the dialogue process will be repeated ( Arthur-Kelly et al. , 2003 ) . Walsh ( 2004 ) alludes to the fact that during adolescence, emotional ordinance is still undergoing development. This is one account for what appears to be bad-mannered, unprompted and angry behavior that is sporadically demonstrated by striplings. Understanding by secondary instructors that striplings will at times make societal mistakes is highly wise and has tremendous potency to be relationship edifice, puting the phase for cooperation ( Brown, 2005 ) . Consistent, considered action on the portion of the secondary instructor leads to the edifice of trust that is built-in to respectful relationships. Likewise, appropriate and effectual communicating physiques common regard and is the foundation of all positive acquisition environments ( Brown, 2005 ) . All schoolroom larning occurs in the context of interpersonal interactions and this mutual agreement wields a powerful influence over the learning environment and associated pupil accomplishment. Effective communicating between inst ructors and pupils has a mutual consequence. Resultantly, it stands to ground that such interpersonal interactions are a critical constituent of positive schoolroom environment and associated enhanced behaviors and larning results ( Goh & A ; Fraser, 2000 ) . Much research exists to back up the impression that positive relationships between pupils and instructors enhances larning environments, taking to improved behavior and favorable acquisition results ( den Brok, Levy, Brekelmans & A ; Wubbels, 2006 ; Fraser & A ; Walberg, 2005 ; Urdan, & A ; Schoenfelder, 2006 ) . More peculiarly, pupil motive, larning and grade of conformity are preponderantly shaped by their perceptual experience of their relationship with their instructor ( den Brok, Levy, Brekelmans & A ; Wubbels, 2006 ) . During the turbid secondary school old ages pupils care a great trade about set uping positive relationships with their instructors and the degree of support this provides. As such, they respond 7 with far greater enthusiasm, pronounced battle and augmented attempt, both behaviourally and academically, when they perceive that their instructors care about them ( Urdan, & A ; Schoenfelder, 2006 ) . By utilizing effectual communicating accomplishments, instructors are equipped with the tools to leave this powerful belief in their pupils, therefore taking to respectful mutual relationships, positive acquisition environments and associated behavioral and academic growing. 8

Lab report Essay

Preparation is a key to success in this lab. For this reason, you are required to thoroughly read through the experiment information presented in the lab manual, and complete a pre-lab for each experiment you do. The prelab must be completed prior to the day of the experiment. Each Friday I will ask to see your completed prelab before I allow you to enter the lab. If you have not finished the pre-lab, I will not allow you to enter the lab and you will receive a zero. Note: Your prelab/lab report is to be done in your carbon copy lab notebook (sold in FIU bookstore) A complete pre lab has the following sections: I. Title of the experiment This is the name of the experiment as written in your lab manual. (ex. Experiment 1: MEASUREMENTS AND DENSITY DETERMINATION) II. Purpose or Objective (purpose and objective are the same thing) This section should be a couple of sentences SUMMARIZING why you are doing this experiment. This must be in your own words. (ex. For your first experiment on density determination and measurements your objective would be something like : † To become familiar with scientific measurements and the importance of recording measurements accurately and precisely. Also, to explore the concept of density, mass , and volume.†) III. Introduction In this section, in your own words you should discuss the important concepts of the lab. You should try to make this section flow from one concept to the next. You should make sure to include any important formulas mentioned in your lab manual for that particular experiment. (ex. A good way to organize an introduction for the density determination experiment would be something along the lines of: Experimental sciences such as chemistry, use measurements to quantify information about the physical world. Density, which shows the relationship between the mass of an object and its volume is an example of one such concept. The formula used to calculate the density of an object is D=M/V†¦. ) **What I want you to pay attention to in the above  example is that I have extracted information from the lab manual and condensed it into a logical paragraph that explains some of the important concepts. Notice that I did not include any â€Å"fluff† (useless information to make my intro duction longer.) Remember that there is no minimum length for any of your sections so you don’t have to worry about adding in anything that is not pertinent to the lab (unless you actually want to include some background info to help develop your ideas.) IV. Procedure This section should be concise. List each step of the procedure in either numbered format or you can use bullet points. Remember to always use PASSIVE language when writing lab reports. Never use I placed HCl into a 50mL beaker, instead say 50 mL HCl was placed in a 50 mL beaker. (ex. 1. Wash a 50mL beaker with deionized water 2. Into a 50mL beaker, add 2mL HCl etc†¦you get the point. ) Tip! If you look at your lab notebook, you will notice that there is a line down the middle of the page. When writing your procedure it is in your best interest to list your procedure on the left side (leaving a space between each step) so that you can list observations on the right side of the page when you’re performing the experiment, however, this is only a suggestion and not a requirement. V. Data As part of your pre-lab you must have all data tables already copied into your lab notebook. These tables have already been provided for you in your lab manual, so all you are required to do is copy them (neatly please) directly into your notebook. Recap: In order to be let into the lab you must have completed your pre-lab. Your pre-lab consists of the following five sections listed above (title, purpose, introduction, procedure and all data tables provided for you in the lab manual.) Remember that after you complete the experiment and you have recorded all of your data, you must complete the following sections: calculations (if any), discussion, and results. Check your lab manual for more information on what to include in these sections. Post lab instructions: Once you have completed an experiment you must complete a lab report. A complete lab report consists of the sections you completed as part of your prelab and a few additional sections which I will detail below. Lab reports are due exactly one week from the day you complete the lab. If you are making up a lab, your lab report is still due one week from the day YOUR LAB SECTION completed the lab. If you have any questions about this, please ask me 🙂 All labs must be turned in by 6 pm. If you choose to turn in your lab after class you have to get it time stamped from the stock room before you place it in my mailbox. If you fail to get it time stamped, I will consider it late and points will be deducted accordingly. Post lab sections to be completed after you have done the lab: VI. Calculations You will have to do calculations for some if not all of your experiments. If they are required, your lab manual will let you know. VII. Discussion (a.k.a conclusion) This is the most important section of your lab report. In this section you should discuss and tie together the concepts and theory discussed in the introduction. This section should include the results of your experiment, a brief discussion of any graphs you had to generate, identity of your unknown (if applicable) etc. Make sure to explain if these were the results you expected and why. If not, list possible sources of error. REMEMBER there is no minimum length required so you can make this section as long or short as you find necessary to cover all the important aspects of your experiment. If you need help with any part of your lab report please email me or come see me during help hour. I’m here to help you and I want you all to do well in this lab!

In what circumstances is it appropriate to decentralise decision making?

Decentralisation of decision making is the process of involving different people in an organization in making key changes whether these changes are policy based or otherwise, different levels of management are involved and their expertise and opinion is sought before any changes are enacted. There are 2 key decisions making methods in an organisation, namely centralized and decentralized, In the latter, only the top management is involved in making key changes and decisions which affect the whole organization. This system is advantageous in that, it is faster, reliable and less tasking. While it is still used in majority of organizaions, most organizations are shifting to the decentralised method and therefore are involving different levels of management in the decision making process. This system is ideal in a number of situations as explained below. Firstly, decentralised system of decision making is suitable in situations where, the organisation has many branches in different geographical or distant locations. This is usually necessitated by the fact that, there arise emergency situations whereby key and quick decisions have to be arrived at and therefore contacting the central decision making authority within a short period of time is out of question question. Secondly, decentralised decision making process is preferred when an organisation is experiencing major staff turnover and their fore lack of key management staff through sackings or retires or any other natural attrition method warrants decisions to be made irregardless. Thirdly, decentralised decision making process is ideal whereby, key decisions are being made at departmental levels such as in production department. Empowering departmental heads to make key decisions perhaps pertaining to the purchasing of crucial ingredients as well as other technical areas may require a decentralised decision making model. PAGE 2: Organisational culture can present difficulties for management initiated change programmes? Discuss Organisational culture refers to the employee – employer relations which shape how the two parties interact and intermingle at the work place. Also, organisational culture can be shaped by, employee backgrounds, external factors as well as the level of support accorded to the employees by the organization staff. Usually there are two common types of organisational cultures namely, positive and negative culture. The first one affects management initiated programmes in that, employees experiencing this kind of culture are more likely to accept any changes in the organisation as usually there is a good blood between the two parties which therefore translates into a strong trust, and mutual understanding. In such an environment, any changes coming from the management whether good or bad are welcomed without any queries and are looked at as being beneficial to the employees. This in turn leads to failure of pragrammes initiated by the management in that, as long as the staff who are tasked with project implementing do not question anything in terms of abnormalities and even if there are clearly missing facts, this is never realized until it is too late therefore causing programme failure. On the other hand an organization culture which is negative leads to customers shunning away so that, any well meant programmes will be fail to take off since, negative publicity which the employees can advance in the process of interacting with the different stake holders also does have a bearing on the outcome of the projects. Lastly, organizational culture determines output in workers in that, a negative attitude amongst employees is more likely to lead to low output in that, it is highly correlated with low morale and therefore productivity. PAGE 3: Discuss why managerial authority is so important to our understanding of organisations and how this power has to be legitimised not just by individual workers but by the organisations culture. Failure to appreciate managerial authority stems form a negative culture which in stead of pestering a mutual understanding between workers and employers causes tensions and misunderstandings in an organization. Usually, for the organisation to meet its goals and objectives the management has to execute its duties well just as stipulated in functions of management. This involves carrying out duties and responsibilities which must be commensurate with the corresponding authority. In situations whereby managers are allocated duties and responsibilities without proper and clear cut, authority to accompany it, the management becomes ineffective and this contributes to failure of many organizations. Therefore, there is a need for decision makers while allocating managers duties to weigh the responsibilities and duties assigned to employees versus the authority and power required to execute the roles and responsibilities effectively. To achieve the above, management should work towards having and inculcating in the organization, the right culture. This can be achieved (if it is lacking), through the launching of strategic plans which could incorporate vision and mission statements, core values of the organization as well as the social responsibility statement of the organization. All the above are necessary in ensuring that, the organization functions in the right environment whereby the needs of all members in the organization are taken care of and employees feel free and as a part of the organization. This in turn result into a culture of unity and strength.

Entry #5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Entry #5 - Essay Example He even perceives hostility at the inn but this does not stop him from his pursuit. Robins similarly meets a hostile response from a guard that forces him to run away, by the church, he meets the previous inn attendant in a scary outfit, blocks the man’s way to demand for directions to his uncle and does not leave the man’s way even after threat. These identify a persistent character that withstands all odds with the aim of achieving set objectives (Hawthorne 4-20). Robins psychological persistence is however evident in his ability to control his emotions and not yield to the crowd’s intended humiliation when they pass with his uncle. While the crowd, led by the man whom Robin met at the inn and the church, laugh at him, Robins manages to laugh, even louder, in spite of the fact that the uncle who held his hopes is a captive. This ends the crowd’s laugh and the multitude proceeds with their march (Hawthorne 25-

Jefferson, Madison, and the War of 1812 Coursework

Jefferson, Madison, and the War of 1812 - Coursework Example Britain blocked American shipping vessels in order to stop supply of goods to France. France also imposed trade restrictions on neutral countries prohibiting trade with Britain. Britain’s impressment actions, which entailed forcing Americans to work on the British ships, also angered the Americans. The Royal Navy searched American ships for illegal goods and deserters who left the Royal Navy to work in American ships. In addition, Britain supported the Native American communities to resist American westward expansion. Thomas Jefferson sought to protect US interests by restricting trade with both Britain and France through the Embargo Act (Ward, 254). However, this act was very unpopular as it hurt severely the American economy. A group of new congress members, ‘the War Hawks’ put more pressure on President Madison to declare war on Britain. The war produced mixed results for America (Ward, 244). The Ghent peace treaty did not resolve the impressment problems and enhance maritime rights. However, American victories in the Atlantic was a sign of American future power. The War was a loss to the ‘War Hawks’ who hoped for annexation of Canada. The big losers were First Nations and Tecumseh who hoped to end American

Nature, perception, reflection and conservation Essay

Nature, perception, reflection and conservation - Essay Example Similarly, Susan Sontag has used imagery throughout his writing to describe the war and its effect. However, the themes of these writers differ as one focuses on nature and the other talks of photography. In his ‘Windstorm in the forest’, John Muir tries to a great extent to personify the nature and the things of nature that are nonhuman. The nonhuman characters such as wind and trees in the forest have been gives both human and superhuman characters. This allows the writer to express his view of beauty and strength of the forest. The whole essay has not mentioned God but a supernatural power is seen to control all these events. The author describes this as nature. The nature in this essay is therefore, given a supernatural power to be in control of the forest. Comparison of nature with human acts is applied by the author. The use of metaphors is used where the wind is allowed by the author in his writing to go to every tree and finger the flowers and the leaves. The storms and their effects are also personified as gardeners. The forest is worked upon and therefore, seen as the patient. Trees in this essay have full human character such as arms, they talk, and swing. Thi s form of writing makes the essay lively and flowing. Susan Sontag focuses on how war photography expresses the effect of military violence. Her description of the photographs of Civil War in New York creates a lot of imagery in her essay. There is a good explanation of how the cameras and videos transform sensibility and vision. She argues that the camera man allows the photos viewer to see only what he or she wants them to see. Casual snapshot expresses a metaphysical aggression against people. Instead of photographs to provide knowledge, they provide what she referred to a semblance of knowledge. Those people who have never experienced war have the wrong knowledge about it from the war photographers (Berry 76). The aim of Sontag in her essay is to give statement

Evaluate this statement in light of relevant case law and doctrine of Essay

Evaluate this statement in light of relevant case law and doctrine of promissory estoppel - Essay Example Thus, whenever it is established that there was an intention to create a legal contract, the parties involved in the creation of the intention are prevented from rescinding the contract, through the doctrine of estoppels2. The substance of a contract is the intention that the individuals had when they were establishing the contractual agreement. Therefore under the law, an agreement is only legally enforceable, if the parties are deemed by the court to have intended to establish it1. While the element of consideration is essential for a legal establishment of a contract, the intention to establish such a contract overrides the substance of consideration, since where the court can determine that the parties involved in the establishment of a contractual agreement had the intention to do so, and then the presumed consideration is as good as agreed. While the intention to create a legal relation between parties may not have been stated explicitly, it is the circumstances and the conditi ons surrounding the establishment of the agreement that are inferred, to establish whether such an intention existed2. To establish the existence of an intention to create legal relations, two principles always come into play. First, the principle of the reasonable man test, must apply. This principle seeks to determine whether, given the circumstances under which the parties to an agreement were while establishing it, a reasonable man can find there was or there was no intention to create a legally binding agreement3. The second principle is the principle of two presumptions, which presumes differently when considering the intentions of an agreement, depending on whether the agreement is a commercial agreement or a social agreement. Nevertheless, the differentiation in the nature of the agreement, when it comes to the presumption of an intention to create a legally binding contract, has a predetermined position. The conditions applicable for a commercial agreement in relation to th e principle of intention to create a legal contract are different when it comes to social and domestic agreements4. The predetermined position for a business transaction or any commercial agreement is that there is always an intention to create a legal relation. On the other hand, the predetermined position for the domestic and social contract is that there is no intention to create legal relations, unless proved otherwise. Therefore, for a business transaction, the person wishing to rescind the contract has to prove to the courts that the circumstances and conditions under which the agreement was entered into, do not qualify to establish a legal and binding obligation. On the other hand, for a social or domestic agreement, the parties involved must prove to the courts that there was indeed a need to establish a legally binding contract between the parties (Mulcahy and Tillotson 97). This presumption was demonstrated in the case of Balfour v Balfour [19193] 2 KB 571, where Mr. Balfo ur lived in a different estate with Mrs. Balfour, who could not join him due to her medical condition. Therefore, Mr. Balfour promised to be remitting $30 to his wife every month, but later default on the remittance. Consequently, Mrs. Balfour sought to enforce the agreement through a court of law, on the premise that there was a legally binding

The American Flatbread Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The American Flatbread - Case Study Example They believe in taking care of the customer and the employee, and always looking out for the best interests of the people, not the business, while maintaining a healthy, fresh, and fun-filled environment to work and eat in. George Schenk is the founder of American Flatbread. He not only owns the business but takes a large role in the daily activities of running the company along with his management team. One of his beliefs is that it does not matter who thought of the best idea; the best idea will be the chosen course of action. In the video, he mentioned that at times there are arguments between the management team, but that each person must swallow their pride for the betterment of the company. He also stated that by giving each employee a voice in the company, it leads to better ideas; and employees take an ownership role in doing the best job they can because they know their opinions matter. Schenk established the Medicine Wheel Project and Organic Food for Public Schools projects that has helped build his name and food philosophies nationwide. He has also written many different articles stating his philosophies and beliefs to the culinary community as well as taking a strong stance in political ac tivities in the state of Vermont. American Flatbread practices many different socially responsible activities that have made it well-renowned. The American Flatbread restaurants hold â€Å"Benefit Bakes†, which are fund raising events to raise money for social causes such as public health clinics and the preserving nature habitats. The company also serves food to medical patients, medical personnel and all of their families through the â€Å"Medicine Wheel† program. Schenk has also demanded that members of the community that are facing tough times can come to American Flatbread and they will have flatbreads on the house. It is important for small businesses to intimately connect with their communities so that as one struggles,

102-Exam1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

102-Exam1 - Essay Example The modern technology is now being used as a means to gather credible information from all sources that are available. So now there is a combined effort of the management and the systems that are created by the management to process these information. Management Information System (MIS) is a computer-based system that administers the flow of information in an organization, thus allowing them to quickly access precise data. It particularly points to organizational information systems that contain data with huge commercial value (Sadagopan, 2004, p. 1). MIS converts the obtained raw data into useful information which is then disseminated to the different departments of an organization that eventually becomes the source of idea needed by the management for decision making ("Management Information Systems," n.d.). The changes in technology are now becoming the cause of conflict in the application of MIS by organizations. The modification of some computer equipments and gadgets that are important to successfully carry out MIS affects the smooth flow of its operations. The result of which is a delay on the transmission of extremely relevant information. a system to convert data from internal and external sources into information and to communicate that information, in an appropriate form, to managers at all levels in all functions to enable them to make timely and effective decisions from planning, directing, and controlling the activities for which they are responsible. (p. 2) Based on the definition of Lucey, one can never deny the fact the MIS is crucial to the process of decision-making in organizations. Without MIS, the access to the available data would be slower as compared to the times when a company uses it. Thanks to technology, the accumulation of data and its conversion to more useful information has become an easy job. If during the ancient times people had to use their own strength to gather information, the businessmen

Yes or no, did Roman architecture show any artistic advance over Greek Essay

Yes or no, did Roman architecture show any artistic advance over Greek architecture If so, how; if not, why not - Essay Example Nonetheless, many of the buildings were turned into places of worship during the Christian era. This paper highlights how Roman architecture shows artistic advances over Greek architecture. Roman culture and architecture, in specific, is established on that of the Greeks. In the republican period, Roman architecture merged Greek components and developed structures like the curved arch and the round temple. The principle Roman advancement in architecture was the establishment of sophisticated arched construction. This is where a ceiling is held by arches. During the Greek era, arched building was uncommon and straightforward. The common style of construction was referred to as post-and-beam (Kleiner 14). This was made up of vertical posts that held horizontal beams. The Romans also made advances in the building materials. Early Greeks used stone, mud, plaster, and wood in their buildings. In their natural form, these structures could not exist for long. Nonetheless, the Greeks built their temple with limestone or marble. Moreover, early Romans also used similar materials, especially limestone and marble. The Romans advanced building materials by utilizing concrete in many of their structures. Concrete is a combination of lime mortar, sand, and water. It is stout but light, permitting the Roman architects to build free-flowing and larger buildings. In addition, temples are the only form of Greek architecture that are still in existence (Ching, Jarzombek and Prakash 59). These structures were discernible on the inside and ornate on the outside. Conversely, Roman structures still exist. This is because of their progress in building technology. Unlike Greek structures, Roman buildings were ornate both on the inside and outside, showing the desire f or pleasure. Also, Romans improved the construction details. Greek buildings are usually of post and lintel and rectilinear construction. The

George Washington Biography Essay Example for Free

George Washington Biography Essay George Washington (1732 1799), the First President of the United States, is a prominent individual of the American history. He was commander in chief of the victorious Continental army of the American Revolution and won many important battles that helped the Americans defeat the British. During his presidential terms, he set many important precedents for the following Presidents, such as having Presidential Cabinet Members. He was nicknamed for his accomplishments as the Father of His Country. George Washington was born on Feb. 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia on an estate along the Potomac River. He was the oldest son of Augustine Washington and his second wife, Mary Ball Washington. When Washington was eleven, his father died and left only himself, his mother and his five other brothers and sisters. After the his fathers death, Washington could not go to school because he needed to help at the family farm to acquire enough money for his family to live. In his free time he practiced land surveying for fun with his fathers tools. Later, Washington started his occupation as a surveyor. When Washington turned 16, he surveyed lands of the Shenandoah for Thomas, Lord Fairfax. After his half-brother, Lawrence, had died, Washington inherited the farm and large amount of land at Mount Vernon, Virginia. Also, Lawrence was adjutant of the colony so Washington took over this responsibility. As district adjutant, he was referred to as Major Washington and was had trained the militia in the quarter he was assigned to. He first gained public awareness by being adjutant of Virginia and was sent off to warn the French to stop additional intrusion on the land of the northern colonies. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1754 to carry out this task and he departed to the North. Washington found out that the French already had a set up a fort and had a large number of soldiers camped, so he quickly built Fort Necessity. However, the French surrounded and attacked Fort Necessity. The French captured Washington in this attack. Luckily, Washington was released based on the earlier agreements of the British and French. These first several battles fought were the beginnings of the French and Indian War. The next  year, Washington volunteered to be the aide of General Edward Braddock because he was discouraged and angered by the defeat. At that time, Washington tried to convince Braddock to use the style of fighting of the Native Americans, but Braddock disagreed and used the regular fighting technique. Braddock was mortally wounded in this battle and Washington was nearly injured because of four bullets that ripped his coat and two horses that were shot from under him. After the French and Indian War, Washington was 26 years old and fell in love with Martha Dandridge Custis. She was a wealthy widow with her two children, Martha Patsy and John Parke. They married and moved to Mount Vernon where Lawrence once lived. Washington was very successful in farming there. While they lived in Mount Vernon, Washington was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses from 1759 to 1774 and he strongly against the British Stamp Act and the Townsend Act which set taxes on many products. Washington like many others did not buy these taxed products and boycotted them. In the middle of 1774, Washington thought that the many British laws were striving to stop self-government within the colonies and were attempting to have tyrannical rule over the colonies as the King had over England. Washington was one of the few that proposed of a continental congress to be held to govern the colonies. He was elected to be a delegate of Virginia for the First Continental Congress. The Congress created a new government devoted to overthrow unfair rule of Britain. The Second Continental Congress joined together on May 10, 1775, after the fighting of Lexington and Concord had took place. Surrounded by almost 14,000 of Massachusettss soldiers, the British army was trapped in Boston. The British government announced that Massachusetts had committed treason after this rebellion, and were trying to take over MA. Washington appeared at the Second Congress in full uniform conveying the message that he was in support of Massachusetts. Congress created the Continental Army for this reason to fight the British. Washington was unanimously elected as general and commander in chief of the army. As commander of the Continental Army, Washingtons actions were left to him because the Congress could not provide laws to help. Washington was given  full power to do anything with authority to improve the service. As General, Washington lost many battles such as the Battle of Long Island but Washington learned from his many experiences and he began to have many successes such as the Battle of Saratoga which was the turning point of the Revolutionary War. The colonies in this war had a great number of help from other countries, such as France, and Washington became good friends with Marquis de Lafayette. This war was won by the help of the French and Washingtons expertise. After the war, Washington left the power of general and returned back to Mount Vernon to be with his wife. Washington became President on April 30, 1789. Washington did not have any examples to follow of previous Presidents since he was the first. One of the first precedents that Washington set was to have only two terms in office. This precedent was followed until 1940. Another was to have the Cabinet contain two leaders of different ideas to balance the Cabinet. Washington appointed John Jay as the Chief Justice because Washington felt he was most suitable. In the Whiskey Rebellion, Washington sent many soldiers to stop the farmers from revolting and the farmers instantly stopped. Washington also pardoned the farmers for their actions because the governments strength was already shown. This event is very similar to Shays Rebellion, but the swift ending of the Whiskey Rebellion showed that the Constitution worked well and strong. In the Spirit of Cincinnatus, Washington left his power after being the General of the Continental Army, and after the Presidency to go back to his farm at Mount Vernon. Each morning he rode his large farm on horseback. Sometimes he rode fifteen miles north of Mount Vernon to watch the building of a new city. The city would be the capital of the United States, named after him, as Washington D.C. Washington died at Mount Vernon of a throat infection in December 14, 1799, after he made his last tour of his property on horseback in the winter weather. It has been said that George Washington was, First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.

Engaging Students during Instruction Essay Example for Free

Engaging Students during Instruction Essay Differentiated instruction is the critical element of effective education. Differentiated instruction guarantees that the learning needs of every student are satisfied. Bloom’s taxonomy can be used to determine the level of individual learners’ thinking, while Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences can help evaluate the level of learners’ knowledge and determine the ways to enhance this knowledge by using differentiated instructional strategies. Engaging Students during Instruction Differentiated instruction is the critical element of effective education. Differentiated instruction guarantees that the learning needs of every student are satisfied. Bloom’s taxonomy and Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences are the two complementary models that can be used to develop differentiated instructional strategies in any type of learning environment. Out of many educational researchers, B. Bloom is considered one of the most prominent education professionals in the 20th century. â€Å"Bloom and his colleagues undertook the daunting task of creating taxonomy of educational objectives† (Tomlinson, 1999). It should be noted that Bloom has initially concentrated his attention on differentiating the learning objectives; thus, his taxonomy can be successfully applied to differentiate between the learning outcomes for different groups of learners. Howard Gardner was deeply involved into researching human creative abilities (Gardner, 1993). The result of his profound investigation is reflected in the discovery of eight levels of intelligence (knowing). Each of these multiple intelligences can be used to determine the level of knowledge for a particular learner, and to develop the set of strategies to address the most significant knowledge gaps. In many instances, the combination of the two learning theories will serve the basis for the creation and implementation of effective instructional approaches that will satisfy the learning needs of all types of learners. In reality, both Bloom’s taxonomy and Gardner’s multiple intelligences create a stable framework for successful learning. Each lesson must have individualized learning objectives, a clear set of instructional strategies, and a choice of evaluation criteria, but these elements cannot be developed and applied without sound knowledge of Bloom’s and Gardner’s learning theories. Each lesson should be characterized by â€Å"a variety of teacher techniques aimed at reaching students at all levels† (Skowron, 2001), and by engaging all students into discussion. Here, Bloom’s taxonomy will be used to determine the level of individual learners’ thinking, while Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences will be used to evaluate the level of learners’ knowledge and the ways to enhance this knowledge using differentiated instructional strategies. Gardner pays special attention to non-linguistic intelligences, including bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, musical, and naturalist learner abilities (Gardner, 1993). Gardner’s theory can be used to â€Å"convey learning experiences with understanding of the many different ways individuals gain mastery in their learning processes† (Tomlinson, 1999). However, Gardner’s approaches are limited to knowledge and comprehension areas of instructional design, while Bloom’s taxonomy further expands to setting clear objectives and evaluating the learning outcomes through the prism of six different levels of learning. Gardner’s multiple intelligences and Bloom’s taxonomy form a detailed observation of the learners’ style, needs, abilities, and knowledge. The two theories create an excellent combination that will motivate students to learn. â€Å"With the outcomes clearly defined for students, the possibility exists that they will feel more challenges; they may motivate them to push on to the next levels of understanding† (Skowron, 2001). At each level of student intelligence, a variety of instructional strategies can be implemented to satisfy the widest range of the learning needs, and to ensure that each of Bloom’s learning outcomes is achieved by all groups of learners. When learners are aware of the six groups of learning outcomes (Bloom’s taxonomy) they may also choose, whether they need to work on their strongest intelligences, or whether they should concentrate on their weaker intelligence sides to achieve the anticipated outcomes in particular learning process. Thus, the combination of Bloom’s taxonomy and Gardner’s learning theory offers substantial freedom for student participation in the learning process (Tomlinson, 1999). Bloom’s taxonomy and Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences offer better choice and independence to students, creating favorable conditions for developing and implementing differentiated instructional approaches in classroom. References Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: the theory in practice. New York: Basic Books. Skowron, J. (2001). How to differentiate instruction. In J. Skowron, Powerful lesson planning models, Arlington Heights, IL. Tomlinson, C. A. (1999). The differentiated classroom responding to the needs of all learners. ASCD. Paper responses Daniel’s paper Daniel is very correct: there is no â€Å"one size fits all† in education. Differentiated instruction should stem from the optimal combination of learning theories and approaches. Piaget’s epistemological theory and Gardner’s multiple intelligences form a good combination of differentiated approaches toward instruction, and Daniel uses a simple and effective mathematical example to illustrate his findings. However, Daniel’s work also implies that there is unlimited number of theoretical combinations that can be used to differentiate instruction. I think and agree with Daniel that by using only one theory, instructional professionals risk losing significant learning benefits that each learning theory offers.

Analysis Of Mans Search For Meaning English Literature Essay

Analysis Of Mans Search For Meaning English Literature Essay The purpose of this paper is to analyse Victor E Frankls Man Search for Meaning. The paper will discuss how Frankl finds meaning in the Nazi death camps and why are some people unable to find meaning. The paper will explain what I have determined to be the meaning of life. Introduction Mans Search for Meaning by Viktor E Frankl is one of the most impressive works of psychiatric literature after Freud. This 1946 book gives an account of the authors experiences while being an inmate in a concentration camp. He gives a detailed account of the psychotherapeutic method he gives to find a reason to live. Frankl believes that the books objective is to answer the question-How the daily routine life in a concentration camp is depicted though the mind of an average prisoner there. The first part of the book encompasses the analysis of Frankls experiences in the concentration camps. It gives lengthy and stark and profoundly moving personal essay about the imprisonment of Frankl in the concentration camp of Auschwitz and others for five years. He struggled during this time to determine the reasons to live. The second part, Logotherapy in a Nutshell, depicts the psychotherapeutic method that Frankl establish as a result of the days he spent in the concentration camps. He introduces his ideas of what exactly meaning is and what is logotherapy theory (Viktor E Frankl). finding meaning in the Nazi death camps One of the different believes that Frankl nurtured during this time was that mans strongest desire is to look for meaning and purpose. His logotherapy theory, (logos, a Greek word, denotes meaning) which is quite compatible with the Western religions, unlike Freuds, is an amusing, advanced and very human work. His personal and professional discussions conflate into a style of great power. He writes, Our generation is realistic, for we have come to know man as he really is. (Viktor E Frankl). Being a well-known Viennese psychiatrist, Viktor Frankl was able to scrutinize how he and the other inmates of the Nazi camp suffered in Auschwitz. He observed that the men actually comforted others. They even gave away their food and actually proved that life can take almost everything from them but cannot change their attitude towards it in any situation. The prisoner became a unique sort of person and it was due to an inner decision. The life in the camp was not an only influence. Only the prisoners who lacked a strong inner control on their ethical selves gradually became victim to the camps deteriorating environment. On the other hand, the prisoners who became victorious of the sufferings and harsh experiences eventually turned them into a triumph of the self (Viktor E Frankl). Frankl writes about the three psychological reactions which the inmates of the camp experienced to a great extent: shock after going through the preliminary phase of admission in the camp, Numbness after becoming used to the life in camp, where the inmate values only the thing which helps him and his fellow inmates survive reactions of reification, resentment, moral disfigurement and disenchantment from life if he is lucky enough to survive and is released. The meaning of life Ascertaining the meaning of life is the key theme of the book. The book makes you ask yourself -what is the meaning of my life? It even moves the people who have not thought about it. And for some of them it was a recurrent quest. The book made me think that it is certainly not an easy question to ask anyone. No denying that is one is not an easy question either to ask or to answer. However, Viktor Frankls Mans search for Meaning explores this question in a great detail. Why Mans search for Meaning helps in understanding the meaning of life, is because it is beautifully crafted book. Other than the precious details of the Frankls experience in the Nazi camps, the book also takes us to his philosophy by presenting logical details. The main theme of the book is the detailed explanation and development of Logotherapy therapy theory (Viktor E Frankl). As I understand Logotherapy, it says that a primary motivational force helps a person to come through any annihilating crisis is his or her constant search for meaning in life. Unlike the other theories such as Psychotherapy, Logotherapy is futuristic. It tries to help the person find out the meaning in life and what will make his or her life meaningful or to put in Frankls words, life-to-be-lived. Frankls idea to find meaning is in the midst of utmost suffering. Other people in the nazi camp were unable to find meaning in life because they wanted to run away from suffering and not just sit and understand it. Frankl does not say that suffering is important to find meaning in life-rather he says that understanding lifes meaning is possible even despite suffering (Viktor E Frankl). Frankl discovered that most of the prisoners died when they were doing less hard work and were suffering more than the people who survived. The survivors were supposed to be the people who had a vision of a glorious future for themselves despite the horrible present. They believed they were pursuing a meaning in life and refused to surrender to despair. The prisoners life and experience in a concentration camp was finally only a remembered nightmare. Even when the fear of Nazis was utmost, he knew that he has nothing left to be afraid of, except God. The true meaning in life for Frankl is to make others find their meaning. As a victim and a successful survivor of the dreadful Nazi concentration camp, his pursuit of meaning kept him from losing his last possession. His strong and incessant will to finish his manuscript destroyed earlier, became the key for his believe in life and survival. His dream to finally hold a complete manuscript in his hand, actually helped him to endure every hardship and suffering imposed upon him in the death camp (Viktor E Frankl). Conclusion Frankl concludes in Mans Search for Meaning that one can find the meaning of life is almost every moment of life, whether it is of suffering or of happiness. He believes that life never stops to have a meaning; it is just that a person has to find it out right on time. He learns a lot from his experiences in the camp and believes that a prisoners psychological reactions are not only caused by the sufferings or adverse conditions of his life, but also from the freedom of choice that he always has even at the time of suffering. The strong inner hold that a prisoner has on his spiritual self depends on his faith in the future. Once a prisoner loses his faith in future, he not only loses his track to find the meaning of life, but is also doomed.

Lady Macbeth Essay -- essays research papers

Term Paper On Lady Macbeth William Shakespeare created a dynamic character called lady Macbeth; she was the total opposite of what women of the Shakespearian era were supposed to be. Despite qualities women were supposed to have in Shakespeare’s time, Lady Macbeth defied the way most women of her time acted. Lady Macbeth defied the ways of women of her time by being manipulative, ambitious, and ruthless. Women’s lifestyles back in Shakespeare’s time period was very different from the modern day women’s lifestyles of today. The characteristics for women of that time was that women should be uneducated, should follow chastity, take care of the home and should not join a profession or get a job. Most women were denied the chance to be schooled beyond the basics of simple reading and very little writing. Some women of the upper class were schooled but they were not looked upon as educated women but were instead welcomed to the company of men. Women would not be able to enter professions because of the lack of education and the fact that they were women. For the poor women their work was spinning and weaving. The best job that they could get was to be an overworked nurse. The only real profession that women at this time could get into was marriage. In marriage women were expected to only take care of the home and anything that would benefit the home. When entering mar riage women were further endorsed by the law. The law said that when entering marriage women became property of the men and all their belongings were the mans property now and the man could do whatever he wanted with these belongings such as selling them. A woman was generally fail and soft, which proved their overall weakness. A good woman of that time was supposed to be practice obedience, patience, chastity, modesty, and virtue. Women who didn’t live up to these expectations were considered to be â€Å"bad women†. During their free time Elizabethan women would sing, dance, and write letters. (Papp and Kirkland) Lady Macbeth defied many if not all the ways of women of the time period. She was very ambitious in achieving her goals. Lady Macbeth took charge in the murder of Duncan. Macbeth was in shock when he killed Duncan and Lady Macbeth said to Macbeth: My hands are of your color, but I shame To wear a heart so white. [Knocking within.] I hear knocking At the south entry: —retire we to our chamber.... ...o persuade him against his will. She tells things just how she sees them fit and tells it like it is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lady Macbeth is by far the total opposite of what a Shakespearian woman is supposed to be. She is bold, ambitious, ruthless, cold hearted, vicious and manipulative. A true woman of the Elizabethan era would be humble stand by he husband and take care of the house and would not resemble any of the things that lady Macbeth resembles. All of her actions and decisions prove her to be different from woman of that time. Lady Macbeth is truly unique and an epic character in literature that will always be remembered for how ruthless and different from a true Shakespearian woman really was suppose to be. Work Cited Coriat, Isador. â€Å"The Hysteria of Lady Macbeth†. (Internet) Available at www.galenet.com. November 25 2003 Epstein, Norrie. â€Å"Lady Macbeth†. N.Y.: Thomas & Thomas Publishing, 1993 Papp, Joseph and Kirkland, Elizabeth. â€Å"The Status of Women in Shakespeare’s Time†. (Internet) Available at www.galenet.com. November 25, 2003 Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. (Internet). Available at www.sparknotes.com. November 29, 2003

Budgeting Essay -- Finances Accounting Budgets Essays

Budgeting Budgeting is the systematic method of allocating financial, physical, and human resources to achieve an organization’s strategic goals. Budgets are utilized by for-profit and non-profit organizations to monitor the progress towards the goals, assist in the control of spending, and help predict cash flow for the organization. The central challenge that budget developers encounter is predicting what the future holds for the internal business and external factors. Reading the future is something that can never be done with perfect precision. The fast pace of technological change, the complexities of global competition and world events make developing effective budgets both more difficult and more important. Important benefits of improving the budgeting process include better companywide understanding of strategic goals, more coordinated support for those goals, and an improved ability to respond quickly to competition. (Gruner & Jahr, 2003 Inc Magazine). Anyone familiar with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and practices will find most accounting for nonprofit activity to be very familiar. There are, however, some significant differences, which include:  « Accounting for Contributions  « Capitalizing and Depreciating Assets  « Use of Cash- and Modified Cash-Basis Accounting  « Functional Expense Classification The act of budgeting resources to meet or beat the goals of an organization is an art form in any type of business. â€Å"All business should prepare budgets,† (Hansen and Mowen, p. 282). The advantage to budgeting is that: 1. It forces to plan. 2. It provides information that can be used to improve decision making. 3. It provides a standard for performance evaluation. 4. It improves communication and coordination. If good budgeting is important for every successful business or organization, can we expect to have industry standard and general practices that are followed in every type of organization? Probable not, but certain standard can be expected, which is the direction of this term paper. Are there a difference or should there be a difference in the way a for-profit and a not-for-profit conduct their budgeting procedures. In both cases, they have income and expenses, employees and goals and objectives of the organization. The hypothesis is that there is no difference in the bu... ..., a wide variety of popular accounting software systems are available that have been designed to satisfy these needs. If the nonprofit organization uses an adequate accounting system, sets up its categories and classifications in line with the IRS reporting requirements, and assiduously labels all revenue and expenses appropriately, then completing the IRS annual report is a relatively painless matter. References Bangs Jr, David H and Pellecchia, Michael, August 15, 2000, Action Plan: Forecasting and Cash-Flow Budgeting retrieved from web site http://www.muridae.com/ nporegulation/accounting.html on February 27, 2003. Critical Issues in Financial Accounting Regulation for Nonprofit Organizations, Online Compendium of Federal and State Regulations for U.S. Nonprofit Organizations, retrieved from web site http://www.muridae.com/nporegulation/main.html on February 28, 2003 Gruner + Jahr, January 12, 2000, Best Practices: Developing Budgets, Inc Magazine, USA Publishing. Inc.com, retrieved from web site http://www.inc.com/articles/ finance/fin_manage/budget/16379.html on February 27th, 2003 Hansen & Mowen, Management Accounting, 6th edition, 2003, South Western

Are You Unique? (for Cloning) :: essays research papers fc

You have been told that you are unique. The belief that there is no one else like you in the whole world has made you feel special and proud. In the near future, this belief may not be true. The world was stunned by the news in the summer of 1995, when a British embryologist named Ian Wilmut, and his research team, successfully cloned Dolly the sheep using the technique of nuclear transfer. Replacing the DNA of one sheep’s egg with the DNA of another sheep’s udder created Dolly. Plants and lower forms of animal life have been successfully cloned for many years, but before Wilmut's announcement, it had been thought by many to be unlikely that such a procedure could be performed on larger mammals and life forms. The world media was immediately filled with heated discussions about the ethical implications of cloning. Some of the most powerful people in the world have felt compelled to act against this threat. President Clinton swiftly imposed a ban on federal funding for human-cloning research. Bills were put in the works in both houses of Congress to outlaw human cloning because it was deemed as a fundamentally evil thing that must be stopped. But what, exactly, is bad about it? From an ethical point of view, it is difficult to see exactly what is wrong with cloning human beings. The people who are afraid of cloning tend to assume that someone would, for example, break into Napoleon's Tomb, steal some DNA and make a bunch of emperors. In reality, infertile people who use donated sperm, eggs, or embryos would probably use cloning. Do the potential harms outweigh the benefits of cloning? From what we know now, they don't. Therefore, we should not rush placing a ban on a potentially useful method of helping infertile, genetically at-risk, homosexual, or single people to become parents. Do human beings have a right to reproduce? No one has the moral right to tell another person that they should not be able to have children, and I don't see why Bill Clinton has that right either. If humans have a right to reproduce, what right does society have to limit the means? Essentially all reproduction done these days is with medical help at delivery, and even before. Truly natural human reproduction would make pregnancy-related death the number one killer of adult women. Some forms of medical help are more invasive than others.

Citizens United Case

In January 2008, Citizens United released a documentary that was critical of Senator Hilary Clinton and planned to run commercials of it at that time. However, through the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, also known as the McCain-Feingold Act which â€Å"prohibits corporations and unions from using their general treasury funds to make independent expenditures for speech that is an ‘electioneering communication’ or for speech that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a candidate†, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the commercials violated the act.The case was brought up to the Supreme Court and would be one of the more important cases about the First Amendment with a controversial decision. On March 24, 2009, the Supreme Court took oral arguments from Malcolm Stewart, then Deputy Solicitor General representing the Federal Election Commission. He pointed out that with the current laws in place for the campaign-finance s ystem, even a book that had the same content as the documentary would be banned. An even more disturbing point that Stewart made was that the government could ban a book that has just one sentence about candidate advocacy.This caused the Supreme Court to ask the parties to reargue the case due to two cases that Stewart used: Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, a statute that prohibited a corporation to use its funds for or against a political candidate, and McConnell v. Federal Election Commission, the decision that upheld the constitutionality of the McCain-Feingold law. The reason for rearguing the case was to determine if they, the justices, should overrule those two decisions. The court reversed the ruling from the lower court and overruled Austin v.Michigan Chamber of Commerce and partially overruled McConnell v. Federal Election Commission. The overall ruling was 5-4 with Justice Steven’s dissent that was joined by Justice Breyer, Ginsberg, and Sotomayor. Justice Ke nnedy, part of the majority opinion, believed that â€Å"If the First Amendment  has any force, it prohibits Congress from fining or jailing citizens, or associations of citizens, for simply engaging in political speech. † In general, the Justices in the majority opinion believed that the case was based mostly on the First Amendment.Due to freedom of speech, corporations, whom the Justices believed were counted as individuals, could not be denied their right to voice out their opinion on running officials. The justices that favored the ruling brushed aside the warnings that might result in overturning the lower court’s decision. The dissenting justices warned that treating a corporation’s right to speech to be the same as an individual human was dangerous. However, eight of the justices agreed that Congress can require corporations to disclose how much they spent and to have disclaimers in the absence of facts.Chief Justice Roberts, one of whom that was part o f the majority opinion, believed that â€Å"the important principles of judicial restraint and  stare decisis  implicated in this case† had to be addressed. He believed that overturning a past decision, such as Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce and McConnell v. Federal Election Commission, in certain circumstances were necessary. Roberts stated that cases such as segregation and minimum wage would not be as of what they are today if it were not for judicial activism. Justice Stevens wrote a passionate dissent that was joined by the other three Justices who opposed the ruling.He stated that the Court’s ruling â€Å"threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the Nation. † Because corporations and the general public could now spend unlimited money to promote or demote politicians who are running for office anytime, Stevens fears that it would cause an large disturbance in the election process. Although the majority opinion did not touch the laws about direct contribution to the candidates, part of the argument was whether a direct contribution versus an indirect contribution was the same thing.The time between the case being introduced to the Supreme Court until the official ruling of the case created a large amount of publicity and different opinions. President Obama believed that the decision gave the corporations too much power to influence the election process. However, other politicians such as a Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, believed that the First Amendment applied to corporations which would let corporations to voice out their opinions on campaigning officials. The fundamental question here is whether the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v.Federal Election Commission a good decision or a bad decision. I personally feel that the arguments from both sides were valid. The fact that Congress essentially denied a form of free speech from a corporation is unconstitutional in m y opinion. However, my opinion in corporations becoming involved in political campaigns where they might have a large impact on how people view a certain politician is that it is not fair. I believe that the decision made by the Supreme Court was good in part of retaining the First Amendment’s freedom of speech but bad in part of the campaigning process for politicians.The decision gives too much power to a corporation versus the general public. If a corporation was allowed to spend without limit in the elections, politicians could strategically support a topic that the corporation would benefit from. This would result in the corporation to have the power to directly contribute in the campaign by running their own ads that promotes the politician. Campaigning would then become a war of getting the support of many of the biggest corporations. This gives too much power to the corporations and essentially removes the voices of the general public.As Obama pointed out in his state of the union address in 2010, it would also give the power to foreign corporations to help fund a certain election. I strongly oppose any kind of foreign involvement in any political activity in the United States. With the potential of candidates to â€Å"sell-out† to corporations would just ruin the whole election process. With the potential of unlimited spending of corporations, not only would they be allowed to endorse a political candidate, but they would also be able to attack candidates such as the documentary made by Citizens United.With the current campaigning process, political candidates have created attack ads that give negative images of an opposing candidate. Now that corporations can voice their opinions, there may be an increase of these attack ads. Through an ethical standpoint, it ruins the integrity of the election process. The election process would not just become a fight between politicians to gain support from corporations but also a fight of who can de stroy another candidate’s image to the public.It not only defaces the opposing candidate, but it shows how dirty a politician can be. The election process turns into an all-out fight between candidates who would deploy such a tactic. With the inclusion of corporations now, it would worsen the current state of the campaigning process. I see why the Justices would overrule the lower court’s decision due to the First Amendment. The argument made by Malcolm Stewart definitely gave the impression that the law was too restrictive in such a way that it banned any forms of view from a corporation of a political candidate.I would agree with how the law would be unconstitutional through Stewart’s argument; however, I would oppose it through an ethical view. A poll conducted by Washington Post showed that eight in ten poll respondents opposed the decision made by the Supreme Court. William Rehnquist, a former Supreme Court justice, also opposed the decision made by the cou rt by joining the dissent made by Stevens. Sandra Day O’Connor, also another former Supreme Court justice, made a point that the checks and balances on campaign spending were demolished. However, O’Connor was an author of McConnell v.Federal Election Commission. The Supreme Court’s case about allowing the Westboro Baptist Church to protest at military funerals is similar to this case due to both cases involving the right to free speech. In both cases, the general public did not like the ruling; however, it made sense constitutionally. There may be alternatives that Congress can take in battling the problems of corporations being involved in political campaigns. Although the court overruled it, I believe that there should be some sort of regulation on how much a corporation could spend on a candidate.Instead of limiting the corporation’s freedom of speech, why can’t we limit how much they can endorse a candidate? One can argue that money is not spee ch, so limiting the amount a corporation could spend would be constitutional. Another way to tackle the problem is to let shareholders decide on the political expenditures made by a corporation, as Great Britain does. This would let a larger majority decide on what the corporation would do for political expenditures. However, even though it is still a larger pool of people, they probably will still act in the interest of the company due them be driven by profits.Now that the court has made its decision, corporations can now spend as much as they want on politics. Many problems would arise due to this; however, it would still be constitutional. I believe that the decision of overruling Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and partially overruling McConnell v. Federal Election Commission was good due to following the First Amendment. However through a practical stance, it would create a large possibility of corrupting the campaigning process. Bibliography Eggen, Dan. â€Å" Poll: Large majority opposes Supreme Court's decision on campaign financing.   Washington Post17 February 2010, n. pag. Web. 17 Feb. 2012. ;http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/17/AR201 0021701151. html;. Hasen, Rick. â€Å"CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS' CONCURRING OPINION IN CITIZENS UNITED: TWO MYSTERIESCHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS' CONCURRING OPINION IN CITIZENS UNITED: TWO MYSTERIES . â€Å"Election Law Blog. N. p. , 23 January, 2010. Web. 17 Feb 2012. ;http://electionlawblog. org/archives/015118. html;. â€Å"High-Court Hypocrisy. †Ã‚  Newsweek. 22 January 2010: n. page. Web. 17 Feb. 2012. ;http://www. thedailybeast. om/newsweek/2010/01/22/high-court-hypocrisy. html;. Liptak, Adam. â€Å"Justices, 5-4, Reject Corporate Spending LimitJustices, 5-4, Reject Corporate Spending Limit . †Ã‚  New York Times  21 January 2010, n. pag. Web. 17 Feb. 2012. ;http://www. nytimes. com/2010/01/22/us/politics/22scotus. html;. Liptak, Adam. â€Å"O’Connor M ildly Criticizes Court’s Campaign Finance Decision. †Ã‚  New York Times  26 January 2010, n. pag. Web. 17 Feb. 2012. ;http://thecaucus. blogs. nytimes. com/2010/01/26/oconnor-mildly-criticizes-courts-campaign-finance-decision/? p;. Robert, John. â€Å"Roberts, C. J. , concurring. † n. pag. Legal Information Institute. Web. 17 Feb 2012. ;http://www. law. cornell. edu/supct/html/08-205. ZC. html;. Scalia, Antonin. â€Å"Scalia, J. , concurring. † n. pag. Legal Information Institute. Web. 17 Feb 2012. ;http://www. law. cornell. edu/supct/html/08-205. ZC1. html;. Smith, Bradley. â€Å"The Myth of Campaign Finance Reform. â€Å"National Affairs. N. p. , n. d. Web. 17 Feb 2012. ;http://www. nationalaffairs. com/publications/detail/the-myth-of-campaign-finance-reform;.

Psychoanalysis, Popular Culture and Media Essay

Psychoanalysis is the science of the unconscious functions of the mind and personality. The theories originate from Austrian neurologist, Sigmund Freud. He discovered these as a treatment for health problems and also as a way to understanding more about your mind. In this essay I am going to discuss how these theories discovered many years ago have contributed to popular culture and media. Sigmund Freud divided the soul into the conscious and the unconscious. The conscious is the part of which we are mentally aware and in contrast the unconscious is where all are restrained wishes are stored. Freud stated that: â€Å"Each individual who makes a fresh entry into human society repeats this sacrifice of instinctual satisfaction for the benefit of the whole community†(Storey 2001:91). He also added: â€Å"Society believes that no greater threat to its civilization could arise than if the sexual instincts were to be liberated and returned to their original aims†(Storey 2001:91). What Freud is saying here is that we are born imperfect with many instinctual drives. From social to sexual drives, basically anything that are ID desires. He believes that these instinctual desires, especially sexual have to be restrained in the unconscious as they would have a detrimental act on society if they were to be followed through and would cause us to act in inappropriate manner to the views of our cultural society. This is where psychoanalysis demonstrates to us how it contributes to media and popular culture. It does this by teaching us certain ways to behave in order to fit in. There are right and wrong ways and psychoanalysis gives us an explanation to how our soul teaches us the appropriate mannerisms. Freud continued on with his discoveries and further divided the psyche into the ego, the ID and the superego. The ID is something we are born with and is totally unconscious. It is driven by the pleasure principle which means that it wants instant satisfaction for all its desires. Freud described the ID as the: â€Å"dark, inaccessible part of our personality†(Storey 2001:92) It is impossible to change our ID and are instinctual desires. The ego is the reality part of personality. It tries to satisfy the ID and its desires after weighing up the pros and cons and waiting until an appropriate time to do so. It develops as in becomes more in touch with culture, furthermore creating the superego. The superego is where we adopt qualities from people who have learnt how to cope in society, mainly are parents and other important figures in our lives at the time. By learning from other people and from what we hear and see on television etc we determine a sense of right and wrong. As a result, our superego helps to restrain the unacceptable urges of the ID, and tries to make the ego act in an appropriate manner that society expects and requires. Furthermore this psychoanalysis theory and breakdown of the psyche demonstrates to us how culture and media play a fundamental role on how we act in society. Its like a big circle, we learn how to act from elders and society and then people learn from us and so on. John Storey describes the superego as â€Å"the voice of culture† as it is what we learn from and Freud says that â€Å"our nature is governed by culture†(Storey 2001:92). He believes that human nature is in fact something that is not natural and controlled by the ever changing culture and media at that particular time. In my opinion, the ego of a person depends on the era they live, who they are surrounded by, the media and many other social and cultural factors. We learn from our contact with society and culture and that includes who we are with or what we here on TV, or see in the newspapers. Whether it be intentional or not, we consume all of that information and that forms are opinions on what is right and wrong etc and makes us who we are. We are in fact controlled by culture and what is going on around us, as this is the make up of our personality and determines the way we act in society. Furthermore, the superego keeps everything in balance. Without it we would be driven by our pleasure principle (ID) and not know how to express are opinions correctly or behave, essentially causing havoc. This results in their being a constant, ongoing conflict between the pleasure and reality principle. In conclusion, Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan have been greatly influential when it comes to culture and media. In my opinion the theory of psychoanalysis can be seen in everyday life when it comes to watching films etc as everything can be interpreted and has an effect on us. It had a large impact on how sound work in early childhood development and also in cinema. Psychoanalysis can be used to interpret different meanings, and what you get from it can vary from observer to observer. The cinema is full of hidden meanings and tempting us with desires. Slavoj Zizek states that: â€Å"The cinema doesn’t give you what you desire, it tells you how to desire† (Zizek:2007). When we are watching a film our instinctual drives are not fulfilled but it tells us how we should desire, and can be seen as a form of release. Many would argue that not every human desire has to be taught such as sleeping or drinking but many would argue they are not desires just basic needs. For an actual fact the desire is in the quantity of how much we want. The media affects are desires greatly by large and effective ad campaigns. Take for example McDonalds, the ad campaigns, the way they make the food look and its popularity entices us to desire it. If there wasn’t thousands of them an it wasn’t that popular I doubt we would desire it as much, however, it’s a big part of our fast-food culture. Psychoanalysis is very effective and demonstrates to us how our psyche works.

Superfund Recordkeeping

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, (CERCLA), as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, (SARA), provides for the identification, investigation and cleanup of Superfund, hazardous waste sites. Under these Acts, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to recover its response costs from responsible parties after participating in the investigation, cleanup, oversight, enforcement and other required administrative provisions. State agencies which spend CERCLA funds must account for and document all response costs to permit recovery of these costs from responsible parties by EPA and the State. Funds may also be provided to the State by EPA under a grant system to undertake Superfund related response activities. State agencies which spend CERCLA grant funds must account for and document all State costs. This manual outlines procedures involved with the expenditure of funds by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) for CERCLA activities. It sets forth financial management and recordkeeping requirements for Superfund sites and for CERCLA related activities covered by EPA grants. Many of the principles and procedures covered by this manual serve as guidance for non-CERCLA sites, as well, which have the potential for future cost recovery actions. This manual will continue to be updated as new procedures are developed. Documentation procedures involve complex financial management and recordkeeping policies that must be followed to assure cost recovery. These policies are based on regulations and guidance, in part, set forth in: – Code of Federal Regulations, (CFR), Title 40, Part 31, Part 33 and Part 35, Subpart â€Å"O†. – â€Å"State Superfund Financial Management and Recordkeeping Guidance†, 1987, EPA. – OMB Circular No. A-87, † Cost Principles for State and Local Governments†. – Code of Maryland Regulations, (COMAR), Title 21. Key features of the Superfund financial management and recordkeeping policies which are set forth in detail herein in Section D, include: – Documentation of all expenses involved with response or grant-specified activities. – Recovery of â€Å"reasonable and necessary† costs only. – Identification of financial documents, and all other cost related records or agreements which may serve as the basis for determining or authorizing response costs, with the phrase – â€Å"SUPERFUND – DO NOT DESTROY†. – Maintaining timesheets and other financial document originals without alteration after approvals. – Maintenance of a unique file or set of files, either containing hard copies, or electronic images shall be maintained for each Superfund site which shall be identified by a project cost account (PCA) code to permit timely access to site records. Record categories within these files shall be organized in a consistent manner. – Maintenance of additional files, containing backup documentation which provide background and serve as a basis or authorization for costs, should also be maintained. These general files may contain information that is not necessarily site-specific. – Retain original documents for each site, OU or activity. – Electronic records may be acceptable for cost recovery if approved by EPA or Attorney General's office. – Submitting cost documentation, in response to requests from attorneys or EPA only after, expense related records are reconciled with the cost summary. – Retention of records stamped with the phrase – â€Å"SUPERFUND – DO NOT DESTROY† for at least 10 years following submission of the final Financial Status Report, (FSR), unless otherwise directed by EPA. Records are to be retained longer than 10 years if litigation, claim, cost recovery or other associated action takes place before the end of the 10-year period. – EPA must approve destruction of documents that were required to be saved. Establish Superfund and EPA grant financial management and recordkeeping procedures which: – enable the State to meet legal responsibilities and EPA audit requirements; – document expense related records in a legally acceptable manner; – facilitate accountability and cost recovery; and – provide timely access to site, operable unit and activity related expense information. 1. ERRP – (Environmental, Restoration and Redevelopment Program) ERRP conducts and oversees CERCLA response activities within the Waste Management Administration, (WAS). Its areas of responsibilities cover: – Pre-remedial, remedial, removal and operation & maintenance phases. – Response activities which include, but are not limited to, investigations, review and comment on reports, oversight and implementation of response actions, and enforcement actions, and CERCLA activities may be funded under EPA grants/ Cooperative Agreements (CAs). The terms of these grants are negotiated between EPA and the State. The State also uses its own funds in engaging in response activities. Trained staff conduct technical activities associated with investigation, assessment and cleanup, including related activities such as training, travel, and Program development and the like. These employees shall submit timesheets for further processing and record keeping. Time devoted to various response activities is distributed to a number of unique PCA codes within the timesheets, thereby permitting assignment of costs to appropriate sites, OUs and activities. In addition, the technical staff may initiate requisitions such as purchase and travel requests and other financial documents associated with response activities. PCA codes are also used to assign costs for these and other activities as well. Clerical and administrative staff may assist the technical staff in fiscal, timekeeping, purchase requisitions, travel vouchers and record keeping matters. This staff also serves as liaison with other divisions in processing time accountability documents and other requisitions. The Program Administrator of ERRP manages ERRP Program and technical activities and approves all ERRP requisitions. Originators of requisitions must justify the necessity of items requested before approval and must satisfy terms of the grants. Approval, or sign off, by the Program Administrator may be via electronic signature where the Advanced Purchasing Inventory Control System (ADPICS), or a similar system, is used with the Financial Management Information System (FMIS) to process the requisition. FMIS is the computerized statewide accounting system which tracks costs by site, OU and activity, and by grant level.

Reality TV is a huge success to the television industry in the 1990s Essay

Reality TV is a huge success to the television industry in the 1990s. As a genre description, reality TV is widening its usage from ‘news magazine programmes based round emergency service activities’ to ‘talk shows, docusoaps’ and a variety of ‘first-person’ programmes (Creeber, 2001: 135). ‘Reality TV’ with extensive meaning becomes popular to describe ‘any factual programme based on an aesthetic style of apparent â€Å"zero-degree realism† – in other words a direct, unmediated account of events, often associated with the use of video and surveillance-imaging technologies’ (Creeber, 2001: 135). While Barnfield has criticized ‘the loose usage of the term, suggesting that over the last decade such a wide range of productions have been categorized as â€Å"Reality TV† that one wonders if the term is too general to be helpful'(Holmes and Jermyn, 2004: 3). It is true that ‘reality TV’ is not explicit enough in meaning. However, it is the best word applicable to all situations and never unilateral. It gives producers more space to innovate new programmes as to prosper this genre. Reality TV evolves with the development of new technologies. New sub-genres emerged as the hybrids of established genres. It challenges traditional documentary and changes the serious content to more entertainment elements. Every format is close to everyday life to convince the audience as ‘real’ programming. In the short history of only two decades, reality TV has evolved into various formats. I will focus on five main forms which have either had a remarkable effect on television history or unprecedented audience ratings with reference to relevant representative programmes of British television. Contested Generic Identification: Definition of Reality TV It seems difficult to issue a particular definition of ‘reality TV’ to attest to debates over it. As Su Holmes and Deborah Jermyn point out: Producing a particular definition of Reality TV is nevertheless complex. This is partly because of the fundamentally hybrid nature of the forms in question. Yet it is also because of the range of programming to which the term ‘Reality TV’ has been applied, as well as the extent to which this has shifted over time with the emergence of further permutations in ‘reality-based’ texts. (Holmes and Jermyn, 2004: 2) Jon Dovey characterised this genre by ‘reference to the dominant and original forms of Reality TV that feature police and emergency service work’ (Dovey, 2000: 80). In his opinion, as form and construction, reality TV should be: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ camcorder, surveillance or observational ‘actuality footage’; à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ first-person participant or eye-witness testimony; à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ reconstructions that rely upon narrative fiction styles; à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ studio or to-camera links and commentary from ‘authoritative’ presenters; à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ expert statements from emergency services personnel or psychologists. (Dovey, 2000: 80) These elements are helpful in interpreting the origins of reality programmes and in understanding its sub-genres and new development. Only by bearing these elements in mind can we make reference to relevant programmes when we trace back history to discuss the evolution of reality TV. Is it American Innovation? : Historical Precedent of Reality TV There is no consensus about the first reality programme. Jon Dovey thought that ‘Reality TV is generally historically located as beginning in the US with NBC’s Unsolved Mysteries in 1987’ (Dovey, 2000: 81). While Bradley D. Clissold considered that ‘during the years that it aired, Candid Camera (US, 1948- ), arguably the first ‘Reality TV’ programme, proved itself to be one of US TV’s most memorable, enduring and popular shows’ (Holmes and Jermyn, 2004: 33). There is a consensus that the earliest reality programme came out in America. In addition to these mentioned above, other commentators like Richard Kilborn, Chad Raphael and Gareth Palmer all agreed with this conclusion (Kilborn, 2003: 55; Palmer, 2003: 21). In the commercial environment in America, technologies like cable, satellite and digital prospered reality programmes in television market. However, reality TV as a television genre has evolved into ‘a very strong Eurpoean form with regional variations in each country’ (Dovey). In mid-1980s, when surveillance technology such as CCTV (closed-circuit television) became accessible, Britain produced its own reality programmes, which revealed real accidents, crimes and emergencies. By using CCTV footage, these reality programmes departed from traditional documentary and were quickly accepted by the curious audience because of their witness techniques. They were real shows without actors and noted for low-cost which was attractive to most programme-makers. Among these early reality programmes, Crimewatch (BBC, 1984- ) was most influential. Jon Dovey said it ‘has been seen as central to the development of the form, particularly in respect of debates around criminology and the media’ (Creeber, 2001: 135). Deborah Jermyn, who is experienced in studying television crime appeal, commented on Crimewatch: Promoting the growth of crime-appeal programming in Britain – with a format where serious unsolved crimes are reconstructed, police and victims’ families interviewed, images of suspects publicized and the public encouraged to phone in and volunteer information – by this time the series had comfortably established itself as Britain’s foremost crime-appeal programme. (Holmes and Jermyn, 2004: 71) The effectiveness of Crimewatch as a detergent to crimes has been under much debate. It entertained the audience, but it was weak as a warning to the criminals. As Jermyn commented: ‘indeed some criminals have claimed that the poor-quality CCTV footage they witnessed on Crimewatch actually gave them an incentive to commit crime’ (Holmes and Jermyn, 2004: 82). ‘The use of CCTV conspicuously enhances the programme’s claims to authenticity and underlines its sense of a privileged relationship with real crime and actuality, qualities which programme-makers evidently believe to be ratings winners’ (Holmes and Jermyn, 2004: 83). In this case it is exciting for the audience to see the ‘raw’ footage without caring much about its effect of crime appeal. These early reality programmes about crime appeal, accidents and emergencies formed a new documentary format, which was the precedent of a new genre-reality TV. Later popular factual entertainment programmes are based on these elements to innovate. Their effect is remarkable in a long term. ‘Fly-Off-the-Wall’: Video Diaries Known as Access TV The 1990s was a golden era for the prevalence of reality TV. Jon Dovey points out: ‘it seems that â€Å"ordinary people†, non-professional broadcasters, have never been more present on our screens’ (Dowmunt, 1993: 163). Camera is no longer simply ‘fly-on-the-wall’ to observe and record, but closes to the object to become active ‘fly-off-the-wall’. For a long time, access TV, as new reality television, has been in a great demand. According to Jon Dovey, ‘there are some fundamental principles that identify access programming; they centre around control and power over the programme-making process’, especially ‘the authors should have control over the whole process of representation’ (Dowmunt, 1993: 165). Camcorder and video technology opened up expansive space for access TV. ‘Non-professional broadcasters’ became a leading role in making these programmes. As Patricia Holland commented on this innovative style: The video diary style, in which programmes are made with domestic video equipment by members of the public rather than by television professionals, has introduced a new way of making programmes. Low-tech, with a less polished appearance, they seem to bring the audience even closer to the realities they show. (Holland, 1997: 158) Video Diaries, produced by the BBC Community Programme Unit from 1990-1999, was a representative of access TV. From these series of programmes, Jon Dovey noted: the Unit solicits and researches ideas from potential diarists with a compelling story to tell. Once chosen, the diarist is trained in the use of an S-VHS camera and packed off to shoot their story, with support from the Unit should it be needed. In this way the diarists are given not only editorial control but also control over the means of production. They return with anything up to 200 hours of material and attend all the edit sessions, from an initial assembly which is viewed and discussed at length to the offline and online edit processes. (Dowmunt, 1993: 167) The format of Video Diaries is a development of documentary. Gareth Palmer has explained that it ‘imported the authorizing and legitimizing discourse of documentary into the personal, and in doing so it imported also documentary’s ordering principle into individual lives’ (Palmer, 2003:168). It was popular to the audience and also gained acclaim from the critics because of its flexibility in recording reality. Nevertheless there were debates that the producers had already controlled the programme by selecting the diarists, and there were also problems of quality and legality. New Observational Documentary: Emergence of Docusoap Docusoap is one form of the new observational documentary and one sub-genre of reality TV. It is a hybrid of documentary and soap-opera. It improves from serious documentary to emphasize on entertainment, especially everyday lives. ‘Developed in the UK in the mid-1990s, the docusoap enjoyed unprecedented success for roughly a four-year period (1996-2000)’ (Kilborn, 2003: 87). Docusoap combines documentary and drama. There are elements of narration, interviews and background music, and similar sequences as soap-opera. Each episode has a certain title and focuses on character, personalities, plot or situation. Technological advances promote the development of new observational documentary. New technologies like lightweight cameras, ‘portable sound equipment’ and ‘non-linear editing system’ accelerate editing process with better quality and effect. Besides, financial benefits also attract producers to choose new technologies. ‘As Paul Hamann has commented, docusoaps already cost on average only a third of the price of the equivalent in light entertainment or sitcoms’ (Bruzzi, 2000: 77). The entertainment factor of docusoap makes it popular with audience. Driving School ‘peaked at 12.45 million’ viewers (Bruzzi, 2000: 86). It ‘focused on the trials and tribulations of people preparing for their driving test’ (Kilborn, 2003: 96). Compared to the core character of reality TV, docusoap is blamed to be less factual with aesthetic reconstruction. According to Bruzzi: The sequence most frequently cited is that in which Maureen Rees, on the eve of another attempt at her theory exam, wakes in the middle of the night and asks her husband Dave to test her on the Highway Code. The sequence is a reconstruction, and Jeremy Gibson (head of BBC Television Features, Bristol) and others have gone on record exonerating themselves from blame, commenting that, having gleaned that Maureen did get up at night ghrough panic, it was perfectly legitimate to recreate such a sequence without the film crew having to camp out in her bedroom for an entire night. (Bruzzi, 2000: 87) The producers’ intervention revealed obvious dramatic skills, which aimed at telling a complete story. In any case, under these circumstances one can never expect a totally natural performance from the character with the presence of camera. These factors make docusoap not so ‘real’, but the audience appreciate it for the entertainment value and these factors do not affect their enjoyment. However, by the end of 1990s, this new documentary format had gradually lost its popularity. Critics and executives of TV channels began to complain the similar content with in the same format between series. It was also blamed as a challenge of ‘serious’ documentary. Then new factual programmes emerged and replaced docusoap in TV schedules. Docusoap is remembered as a creative hybrid of documentary and fiction with high ratings in the history of reality TV. Serve the Public: Prevalence of Lifestyle Lifestyle is another sub-genre of reality TV, of which BBC has been one of the biggest providers (Gareth Palmer; Holmes and Jermyn, 2004: 173). It originated in the 1990s and is still popular today. It occupies a large part of TV schedule, shown usually in the daytime and prime time. There is ‘a series of choices in dà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½cor (House Invaders [Bazal for BBC1, 1999-2002], Changing Rooms [Bazal for BBC1, 1996- ]), clothes (What Not To Wear [BBC2, 1999- ]) and manner (Would Love To Meet [WLTM, BBC2, 2001-3])’ (Holmes and Jermyn, 2004: 174). People now have strong sense that they are citizens and consumers. They are eager to improve their lives. Many are glad to show their private life in front of camera. For habitus, Gareth Palmer commented: ‘Britain is a nation of homeowners clutching close the belief that the home represents a sort of castle. Hence, it makes sense to produce programmes aimed at the house-proud’ (Holmes and Jermyn, 2004: 179). For fashion, according to Palmer, ‘in looking at fashion programming we come closer to seeing how the individual should ideally be styled according to the new class of experts’ (Holmes and Jermyn, 2004: 181). There is a debate as to whether fashion shows need be bitchy. Palmer has an interesting opinion: ‘fashion without bitchery, like academia without snobbery, is inconceivable’ (Holmes and Jermyn, 2004: 184). Bitchery makes fashion programming as amusement. It does happen frequently in our life, which is a factual element of lifestyle. Lifestyle programming is an innovation that television is not only observing people’s life, but also changing people’s way of life. It ‘serves the audience’ by giving instructions, which is the nature of European television, compared to ‘marketing the audience’ of American commercial television (Ang, 1991). Lifestyle is a good illustration how culture affects social life. New Interactive Reality Show: World Success of Big Brother Endemol’s ‘jewel in the crown’, Big Brother was thirty months in development and was the brainchild of co-principal, John de Mol. First broadcast on Veronica in 1999 and an immense ratings success, the programme has been adapted in over eighteen territories in Western Europe, the UK, the US and elsewhere. (Albert Moran, the Global Television Format Trade; Hilmes, 2003: 120) Big Brother, a new reality programme is based on established genres such as game show, quiz show, documentary and soap opera. It is a social experiment, in which we witness the reaction of the participants to their new environment and changing circumstances are often beyond their control. With the feature of game show, Big Brother sets its game rules as: The programme involved ten housemates interned together over a ten-week period in a specially designed hermetically sealed environment. The housemates were supplied with food and drink and had access to all amenities, but were isolated from all contact with the media and the outside world; there were no television sets, radios, newspapers. Every week each housemate had to nominate for eviction two fellow-contestants; the two with the highest number of nominations would then be subject to public voting. It was the role of the public to select, by telephone vote, which of the two was to survive. By the final week there would be only two housemates remaining the winner was decided by the public, and took away a cheque for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½70,000. (Palmer, 2003: 182) From the above description, it is obvious that this programme innovatively uses interactive voting. The audiences have opportunities to join the programme and play a crucial role in deciding the result. In early 1990s, Mike Wayne criticized programmes at that time: ‘broadcasters and programme makers have paid relatively little attention to the way in which people watch television. They have been concerned with how many people see a programme, rather than the way audiences interact with the images on the screen: what they absorb, what they challenge and what they discard’ (Hood, 1994: 43). It seems that Big Brother answers all these criticisms. Compared to the audience, the participants are powerless to control the programme. They are observed at all times and their lives are exposed to the public. ‘We’ve been looking at the housemates through the eyes of thirty-one unforgiving cameras – we have seen them at their best and also at their worst’ (Ritchie, 2001: 279). What they need is just to relax and enjoy their time. ‘For all of them, without exception, it has been an amazing experience. They have learned a great deal about themselves, and the rest of us have learned not just lots about them, but also about human nature in general’ (Ritchie, 2001: 279). However, all the participants are under much pressure exposing their lives to millions of audience. There is probably some negative effect on the psychology of most participants. Gareth Palmer calls the programme ‘a psychological experiment’. Programme experience is not always as wonderful as Ritchie’s comment in the above paragraph. In Sweden there was a suicide of a participant on a similar programme (Palmer, 2003: 185). So in Big Brother ‘a team of mental health professionals will oversee both the selection process and the psychological well being of the participants while they are in the house’ (Palmer, 2003: 185). Big Brother creates a small society for the housemates away from the outside world. There are conflicts and also friendship. The participants are competitors and also partners. As the audience watch the trivia of their daily routine, the voiceover commentary helps them understand the situations. Big Brother, a hybrid of different forms with popular interactive elements, is a new format of reality TV. It is leading a new trend of reality programming. Many independent television production companies are professional and experienced in making these new reality shows. Channel 4 and ITV, such non-mainstream commercial channels have shown many this kind of reality programmes. The audience are looking forward to more innovation of reality TV. BIBLIOGRAPHY Allen, R. C. and Hill, A. (2004) the Television Studies Reader, London: Routledge Ang, I. (1991) Desperately Seeking the Audience, London: Roughtledge Bruzzi, S. (2000) New Documentary: A Critical Introduction, London: Routledge Creeber, G., Miller, T. and Tulloch, J. (2001) the Television Genre Book, London: British Film Institute Dovey, J. (2000) Freakshow: First Person Media and Factual Television, London: Pluto Press Dowmunt, T. (1993) Channels of Resistance: Global Television and Local Empowerment, London: British Film Institute Gunter, B. and Svennevig, M. (1987) Behind and in Front of the Screen: Television’s Involvement with Family Life, London: John Libbey Hilmes, M. (2003) the Television History Book, London: British Film Institute Holland, P. (1997) the Television Handbook, London: Routledge Holmes, S. and Jermyn, D. (2004) Understanding Reality Television, London: Routledge Hood, S. (1994) Behind the Screens: the Structure of British Television in the Nineties, London: Lawrence & Wishart Limited Kilborn, R. (2003) Staging the Real: Factual TV Programming in the Age of Big Brother, Manchester: Manchester University Press Ishikawa, S. (1996) Quality Assessment of Television, Luton: John Libbey Media Livingstone, S. and Lunt, P. (1994) Talk on Television: Audience Participation and Public Debate, London: Routledge Macdonald, K. and Cousins, M (1996) Imagining Reality: the Faber Book of Documentary, London: Faber and Faber Limited Palmer, G. (2003) Discipline and Liberty: Television and Governance, Manchester: Manchester University Press Ritchie, J. (2001) Big Brother 2: the Official Unseen Story, London: Channel 4 Books Swallow, N. (1966) Factual Television, London: Focal Press Limited Winston, B. (1995) Claiming the Real: the Documentary Film Revisited, London: British Film Institute