Narrative Structure and Binary Oppositions Essay Example for Free

Narrative Structure and Binary Oppositions Essay This essay illustrates the understanding of writing aspects of visual composition because they are grammar of a language. In this image, we get to know good literature and good poetry is more than words and subject matter, art is more than pictures. The Safaricom Company had to choose the sentence structure, the style, and so on can make or break a good story. The designer of this graphic show the way the formal elements are arranged and this can make or break a good picture idea. The use of design principles applied to the visual elements is like visual grammar. In the background of this graphic, the children are playing and happy in school, at the same time it is like learning to read and write the language of vision because it develop you with a style of expressing visual ideas, this also helps you to become visual poets. Looking for the visual effects of design principles does not have to limit an artist’s options because it can focus an experimentation and choice making.. The six visual elements which includes: the color, the line, shape, value or tone, texture, volume or form are all display in this image, first we think of the elements as the basic visual material to this art because it is hard to imagine anything visual without the use of one or more of these elements. While, we think of the principles as was to work with and arrange the elements. See more: what is a narrative essay Colors are seen within the brain, it is the eyes that have the receptors that tell your brain what you are looking at, in the picture color explain a lot about this company. The color green was exploded in the visual element to shows their possession in Kenya and are the safari of Kenya with color used. Secondly, the lines used in the graphic design shows the border guiding the page layout and the design is shows the picture in a book form. The third thing is the shape which enable this design unique, even in the picture lots of shapes are shown to give you a better understanding about what information it’s poetry to the audience. Value or tone are shows who the picture was edited well and contrast at the proper level so suit the eyes of the viewers in Kenya , Safaricom had been there for the nation in it start-up. This was the first GSM Company and they had extended throughout the nation, they had brought lots of programs to the Kenyan people. This image tells how the company is in the front of the Kenyan people and ready to go extra mines for them, in the picture a boy is standing outside of a school fence with smile which means, Safari com company and on the campus there are lots of students and they are playing and dancing which poetry the services that the company Safaricom render to the Kenyan people. In another aspects of this graphic Safaricom company is promoting education programs, for those street kids out there who their parents doesn’t have the hands to sponsor them in school, the gender aspects have to do with promoting sexual gender equal because this have lead to many kids abuse and Safaricom is here in this picture saying â€Å"am here for a chance†. All these are just tell us how media are involved 95% in preaching polities. Some of the design principles or design rules are broken by artist for example: Emphasis- says â€Å"Center of interest.† It is about dominance and influence. Most artists put it a bit off center and balance it with some minor themes to maintain our interest. Some artists avoid emphasis on purpose. They want all parts of the work to be equally interesting. Harmony- As in music, complementary layers and/or effects can join to produce a more attractive whole. The composition is complex, but everything appears to fit with everything else. The whole is better than the sum of its parts. Unity- When nothing distracts from the whole, you have unity. Unity without variation can be uninteresting- like driving on a clear day through Western Kansas on the interstate. Unity with diversity generally has more to offer in both art and in life. Of course some very minimal art can be very claiming and at times even very evocative. Even the simple landscape in this artwork has a powerful effect. Opposition- uses contrasting visual concepts. That same background of this Safaricom advertisement â€Å"blue sky† landscape becomes very dramatic and expressive when a sun builds in the southwest. Principles can grow out of any artistic device that is used to produce an effect on the viewer. Balancing is one of the most important things because it is the consideration of the visual weight and importance in this image looks. It is the way of comparing the right and left side of the composition. The boy outside the fence is essentially symmetrical and the other students in the shade background, both sides are similar in visual weight and almost mirrored. Because symmetrical balance often looks more stiff and formal, sometimes it is called formal balance. Asymmetrical balance is more interesting, in the picture both sides again are similar in visual weight but not mirrored. It is more casual, dynamic, and relaxed feeling so it is often called informal balance. Radial balance is not very common but it is like a daisy image as we see in this picture with everything arranged around a center. Rose windows of cathedrals also use this design system too. Of course Safaricom, even though was the first communication company doesn’t look stiff and formal because we think of fluttering the company as nation number one for freedom and spontaneity. It is a case of subject matter and symbolism overpowering formal design effects. This Safaricom image can have many meanings and feeling beyond its â€Å"radiant† feeling. People might hate it as telling what they should do with their life and on the other hand, many of us can’t help thinking about this great company Safaricom. The extraordinarily textured painted the company. Since we have contemplated those thickly expressed colors and textures with their luscious painterly surface, every other company we see try to become an aesthetic experience filled with fruitful sensations. Variety is used in this image by elements changes. Repeating a similar shape but changing the size can give variety and unity at the same time. Keeping the same size, but changing the color can also give variety and unity at the same time. In visual composition, there are many ways you can change something while simulate Amorously keeping it the same while the depth is effects, space, projection toward the viewer add interest. Linear perspective in the real word makes things duller and small things brighter, and so on, to make the objects contradict realism. Many artists don’t believe in realism even though they could do it if they wanted to. It seems too boring to them. Realism wouldn’t be art for some artists. The way the image repetition is of the visual elements is, one is the size variation that can be applied to shape, form, etc. Notice how size can affect how close or far something can appear to be from the viewer. Example can be the boy in the close view and the rest of the students in a far view. Which one appears closer? Note how size relationships create depth or space in a composition. Children in first grade can already recognize closer and father based on size even though they wouldn’t typically use their pictures unless they were motivated to do so. Repetition can be used on all of the visual elements. If things are repeated without any Shape they can quickly get boring. However repetition with variation can be both interesting and comfortably familiar. Repetition gives motion. While variation can be used with all of the visual elements. See â€Å"variety† above. You can do this with all the elements. Artists do this all the time. Color saturation, sometimes called â€Å"color intensity† or brightness can also gives a feeling or depth and space. Which of these people are farther away in the image? Most second graders can see this effect when they are asked to look for it. These people create the illusion of depth even though they are all the same size. When we analyze artwork we often start with visual effects. We notice something happening. Then we try to figure out why it happens. Motion isn’t a principle. It is one of those magic effects when a still picture has motion. There are lots of ways to get motion. Motion examples: sometimes it has to do with orientation. A diagonal line is more dynamic than a horizontal or vertical line. Sometimes motion depends on the character of the element itself. A straight line may be less dynamic than a zigzag or a curving line. A blended are may appear to flow Depth is another magic effect. Illusion and magic are two threads of the same cloth. Example of depth; sometimes the illusion of depth has to do with orientation also, if you want a chair person to appear further away, you can place them higher on the picture plane. Sometimes the illusion of depth depends on the character of the element itself. A warm color can appear to project and cool color can appear to recede, other things being equal. A light tone (value) can appear to project and dark tone can appear to recede. We can define semiology or semiotics as the study of signs. We may not realize it, but in fact semiology can be applied to all sorts of human endeavors, including cinema, theatre, dance, architecture, painting, politics, medicine, history, and religion. That is, we use a variety of gestures (signs) in everyday life to convey message to people around us. We should think of messages (or texts) as systems of signs, e.g., lexical, graphic, and so on, which gain their effects via the constant clashes between these systems. For example, the menu we consult in a restaurant has been drawn up with reference to a structure, but this structure can be filled differently, according to time and place, e.g., breakfast or dinner (Barthes, 1964, p.28). The goal of semiological analysis is to identify the principle at work in the message or text, i.e., to determine the rhetoric or the grammar trying together all the elements. We get a sense of how language works as a system (Barthes, 1983, p.58) if we think of language as a pair of axes or two planes of metal activity, the vertical plane being the selective principle (vocabulary) and the horizontal dimension being the combinative principle (sentences0. For example, we might select items (words) from various categories in the vertical (associative) dimension, such as kitten, cat, muggy, tom, puss, mouser, sat, rested, crouched and so on, and link them in the horizontal (combinative) plane to formulate statements like the cat sat on the mat. Motivated signs are iconic signs: they are characterized by a natural relation between signifier and signified. A portrait or a photograph is iconic, in that the signifier represents the appearance of the signified. The faithfulness or the accuracy of the representation-the degree to which the signified is re-presented in the signified—is an inverse measure of how conventionalized it is. A realistic portrait (painting) is highly conventionalized this means that to signify the work relies on our experience of the sort of reality it re-presents. A photograph of a street scene communicates easily because of our familiarity with the reality it re-presents. It is important to recognize that in signs of high motivation, the signified is the determining influence, and in signs of low motivation, convention determines the form of the signifier. Finally, after intruding into this design principles and element used to convey information to the viewer, I will conclude by saying the safarcom GSM Company involve themselves in the life on the Kenyan to protect them but at the sometime media is put in front to shows politics. Safaricom choose this graphic because it explains a lot about the Kenyan cultural society. REFERENCES Barthes, R. (1964). â€Å"The structuralize Activity.† From Essais Critiques (winter) p. 82-88 Fiske, J, (1982). Introductions to communication. London: Methuen. Jacobson, R. (1960). â€Å"Linguistics and poetics. â€Å" In style in language, (ED.) pp.260-265 Williams, R. (1976). â€Å"Structural. â€Å"In key words. London; Fontana, pp. 253=59

Participative Management Essay Example for Free

Participative Management Essay In the corporate world, management style has shifted from scientific management to participatory management. While scientific principles of management underlines communication, leadership and participation , participatory management is anchored on the need for quality management, good relationship with the workers, building teams and integrated organizational structures. Research has shown that the following benefits can be accrued from participatory management. Firstly, it can result to the decline in absenteeism and turnover while enhancing attraction and retention of workers since they have a feeling of ownership in the organization. It also promotes effective and efficient conveyance of information between the management and the employee at all levels in the organization. (Yeatts, Hyten, 1998, p. 16). Elsewhere, it makes everyone to feel a stake order in the decision making process. Additionally, it reduces the cases of internal disagreements and wrangles since the workers interact without suspicion and consider each other a brother/sister. Participative management helps to widen the scope of skills of the staff and enhances innovations and designing of efficient ways and procedures for tasks. Finally, it motivates and gives job satisfaction to the workers ((Yeatts, Hyten, 1998, p. 29). On the other hand, participatory management has some demerits that have been evident in organizations which have implemented it. To begin with, most employees do not accept the responsibility of making decision for the organizations and instead they like being told what to do. At the same time, some of the workers are illiterate and not versed with the tasks of the organization hence they require training. Others demand pay if included in decision making. It requires the participation of many people thus making decision making to go slow resulting to inefficiency (Yeatts, Hyten, 1998, p. 37). In conclusion therefore, participatory management is of great benefit to both private and public sectors. It is the best for the newly founded organizations towards struggle for their survival through competitive advantages.

News Management of Influenza Outbreak

News Management of Influenza Outbreak 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2.0 NEWS MANAGEMENT The media is facing increasing pressure and demands from the public for timely and varied news stories in diverse angles. Media agencies are seeking above all to be the one-stop conduit of information for their audiences and the understanding of these pressures and angles can help organizations to not only cope with media attention but to also turn it to its advantage. News management according to Underwood (2010) is the process by which organizations attempt to take control of the flow of news to the media and setting the agenda for the media. The media will always want to set the agenda- which is what they consider as newsworthy. Organizations, ranging from businesses to political institutions all leverage this tactic to either establish a positive reputation or counteract public scrutiny in its activities. This is done through; issuing of press releases, holding press conferences and staging events which is also very powerful as a strategy to influence the media in its coverage. News agencies are considered to act as gatekeepers by seeking events and defining stories. The defining of stories that are newsworthy or not is done through a set of criteria called news values (Underwood, 2010). News value, as a criterion helps determine what makes a story and also, can make into the news. The selection of news events is determined by the creation of reality through choices of journalists related to their professional standards and what a journalist or editor considers an event is what they see to be an event and can make the news. For example, the opening of a multinational bank will make a potential news item than the same bank hiring new executives. Organisations can play the media at their own game through news values. For example, a political government choosing to announce details of an embarrassing report on the same day a latest report of an arrest of a corrupt official or an epidemic outbreak is announced. The arrest and epidemic issue may fit the mediaâ⠂¬â„¢s angle and thus rendering the report overlooked. News management within the context of political organisations is seen as a practical solution for governments and political actors to use the media in furthering their political goals. According to Pfetsch (1999), a particular selection and shaping of news is dependent on the institution, political and media context of a country. With political organizations’ objective of controlling information on the public agenda, through shaping media coverage makes news management an important factor. Political actors use news management as a way to manage contingencies, considering instances when the media is fed with information and the organisation still has no power to control the main news coverage. Framing and Spin-control are some of the strategies political organisations employ to control information. Framing as a structure of meaning and interpretation is seen to be connected to message contents, the media and the situation at hand (Klandermans, 1988). Spin-controlling is also a technique that is employed by political organisations in news management to fix results from happenings and to manage expectations of events about to happen (Bruce, 1992). This technique is used by organisations to stress more on features that is attractive to the target media and also avoid the features that are considered undesirable. For example, during election night news coverage, defeats in elections are interpreted as victories in front of television cameras. A typical example of a spin was the news during the September 11th World Trade Center came falling and Jo Moore sent Stephen Byers (Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and Regions) her boss a memo proposing â€Å"it’s now a very good day to get out anything we want to bury. Councillors expenses?† Unfortunately, the memo got leaked and she was reprimanded by her boss and there was a media onslaught and outrage. But on her part, it was a cynical spin which suggests she was able to divert attention on the serious event that has happened (Sparrow, 2001). Every organisation is potential for media scrutiny and needs to be prepared any time. Organisations always strive for brand recognition and reputation building through activities using public relations and advertising strategies; however, the media’s coverage during any event can be unsatisfactory. Therefore, when a crisis event hit an organisation, it isn’t difficult to see the media coming to knock on the door step to seek stories that are newsworthy. Organisations ultimate goal in news management should be to influence by all means possible what kind of news should appear in the media in any situation. Kotoka International Airport (KIA) has hit by a strain of influenza virus, has its image to protect in this crisis and as an organisation, it can only influence media coverage through setting the agenda for the media through an effective news management strategy. 2.0 INTRODUCTION An epidemic outbreak believed to be an influenza virus has come to the notice of the management at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) in Ghana. Several cases have been reported within the last 3 hours and seven people including three children are now hospitalized and one passenger reported dead from the influenza virus but in another country. The KIA is an airport that has facilities and offers services in line with international standards. KIA has seen more than 2.6 million passengers in 2013. The recent reported a case on the passenger who died of the epidemic was reported to have been on a trip to Thailand. The international airport has structured standard procedures to handle and protect the lives of passengers through its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) but the media in Ghana is criticising KIA on its poor cleaning routines and hygienic practices in controlling the epidemic so far. As the media relations officer of KIA, this strategic plan is devised to manage the news and also counteract any media onslaught concerning the influenza epidemic. 2.1 Aim The aim of this plan is to get the public informed about the influenza outbreak, provide safety actions at the airport and to also assure the public with the trust and confidence of putting the crisis under control. The plan also seeks to counteract any form of media scrutiny and protect the reputation of the KIA. 2.3 Objectives The following are the objectives of the strategic media plan: To install confidence to travellers at the KIA and how management is working effectively to keep the outbreak under control within 72 hours. To inform and communicate facts on the outbreak and minimize rumours before the end of the second day. To promote a positive understanding of the epidemic response, mitigation and control programs in place by the end of 48 hours’ time. To maintain confidence and order in the safety and operations at KIA by the end of the week. 3.0 THE CRISIS COMMUNICATION TEAM (CCT) In the development and implementation of a strategic plan, the first step is the creation of a team who will plan the response and provide the media with all details pertaining to the influenza outbreak at KIA. All the employees will be informed with measures on the influenza epidemic but authorised not to respond to any media enquiries. The CCT will include the following: i. Director of Airports The Director of Airports is Dr Gani and has been serving in that office for 15 years with vast experience and knowledge on the business at the KIA. He will be in authority to direct, control and coordinate the overall management of the epidemic crisis. He will work closely with his deputy in to oversee all measures put in place to control the epidemic and also manage all the section/team heads. ii. Health and Safety Director Mrs Ganira as the director will be playing a very important role. She will be responsible for coordinating all health and safety functions during this emergency at KIA. She will coordinate with all departments and provide messages and information regarding safety conditions to help minimize the outbreak. She will also coordinate with health services for emergency responses and quarantining of affected passengers. iii. Public Information Officer (PIO) Miss Claudia will be responsible for managing all media enquiries and assists in the preparation and dissemination of information and brief the media before a press conference. Supervise and monitor all information for accuracy and consistency before being discharged into the public domain via the media. She will prepare the spokesperson for any press conference or interviews and also train him on regular basis. She will be in-charge of the Media Information Centre (MIC). Chief of Operations Mr Saah will lead the operations section in the development and implementation of the health standard measures. He will ensure the planning and logistics functions support at KIA. He will support the MIC with operational information. He will identify the deployment and actions of each team and also someone to keep a log on all activities throughout. 3.1 DESIGNATED SPOKESPERSON In considering someone as the spokesperson for the team, factors considered include someone who is a real communicator, has a respectable public figure and the media are familiar with and can convey accurate and important messages to the media and public. With such qualities, no other person can occupy that other than Mr Godwin, who is the Deputy Director of Airports. With his vast experience in his past work history as the director of operations for the Ministry of Health, he suits the position to be the spokesperson for the crisis team. 3.2 TIPS FOR THE SPOKESPERSON Every spokesperson is expected to know or possess some characteristics to be able to engage and utilise the media to the organisations advantage. The following tips are considered and followed to gain some form of representation from the media. He must know the policies of KIA and be informed thoroughly on any current information before engaged by the media. Show empathy with those affected but not using words like â€Å"we regret†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which might make it look like a lawsuit. During interviews or Press conferences: When reporters or journalists put up sticky questions to him, he must answer them but will bridge them to the key messages he wants to convey. Must avoid â€Å"No comment† phrase. He will need to avoid replying questions with that phrase he do not want to answer. Appropriate answers can be, â€Å"I don’t have that information with me now. May I research it and get back to you?† And avoid using jargons or acronyms when speaking with news reporters and stick to the facts. 4.0 KEY MESSAGES The key messages play a very important aspect during crisis communication. They need to be few in number, short and concise to the public through the media. Other factors considered for key messages include giving positive action steps, not speculating, use of pronouns and cut-to-the-chase. The message map below shows the key messages to be used. Table 1: Message map for the influenza pandemic crisis 5.0 STRATEGIC MEDIA CHANNELS Media agencies are every time seeking above all to be their audiences’ avenue for information and make it important for the organization to meet its needs. It is imperative for organizations to establish positive relationships with the news media to help build partnership during any situation. KIA has built a positive relationship with key news media agencies in the capital. Therefore during this crisis, KIA’s goal is to be accurate, timely and reliable with its news coverage. There are a wide range of available media channels KIA can employ to disseminate and engage the media to reach its audience. However, the success will depend on the unique and best conduit for widest possible audience. The following will be considered by KIA. 5.1 Press Conference The first action to be taken when KIA has news on the influenza strain within 1 hour to 2 hours is to extend an invitation to media representatives (See Appendix A for Ghana’s media) to attend a press conference. This will help project KIA with an authoritative image and with a credible message during the crisis. To do this, the press statements will be brief, true, and accurate. As first official information, the key messages will include elements like expression of concern for passenger’s welfare, confirmed facts and action steps, the process, commitment statement and where to go for more information and the spokesperson will stay on the key messages throughout. 5.2 Website The next within the 2 hour period of the crisis it to create a crisis page on KIA’s official website and updates will be continuing on any new development on the epidemic at the airport. 5.3 Press release Within 3 to 5 hours period, possible topics would have been identified and press release sent to both the traditional and social media. They will include facts on the epidemic at KIA, and will stay on the key messages 1, 2 and 3. A media kit will be included with detail facts sheets on the crisis at KIA. 5.4 Social Media Considered as the fastest and uncontrolled channels for information travel, KIA will engage the public through key social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. YouTube channel will also be used for broadcasting the information on the epidemic. All key messages will be tweeted often as well as images posted. This will help inform and give details on the epidemic at KIA and users can also engage with the team to know how the crisis is being controlled. Continues updating will be done. Facebook: [emailprotected] Twitter: [emailprotected] and all posts will start with a hash tag (#). Example: #kiainfluenza 5.5 Radio Since radio listening is one of the most listened media outlets, KIA will leverage this tool to reach the wider public through news shows and live talk shows within 42 hours of the crisis. ‘Talk radio’ will provide KIA an opportunity to speak directly on important health messages and share the actions KIA is taking to protect passengers and the spread of the influenza epidemic in the region. (see Appendix B for list of radio stations KIA will be hosted on) 6.0 MONITORING INFORMATION FLOW It is critical to monitor the news on both the traditional media and social media to identify and rectify rumours or misleading reportage. KIA will establish a Media Information Centre (MIC) to function as a central point for all epidemic-related communications and queries from the media. The MIC will serve as the media-monitoring office to monitor all news and make immediate responses. Appendices Appendix A Ghana’s Media Ghana’s media enjoys a high degree of media freedom and thus can pose a threat to organizations during a crisis event. They are free to criticise authorities without fear with a lively press and an often phone-in programs on many radio stations. Radio is the most popular medium with over 200 stations and many of them based in the main cities. The State-run media is the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC). The key media will be listed for the purpose of the plan Source: BBC (2013) Appendix B Schedule for Talk Radio shows References BRUCE, B., 1992. Images of Power. London: Kogan Page. Ghana profile, 2013. News Africa [online] Available on: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13433793 [Accessed on 6 January 2015] KLANDERMANS, B., 1988. The Formation and Mobilization of Consensus. In Nandermans, B., Kriesi Hans Peter, Tarrow Sidney (ed.), International Social Movement Research (Vol. 1, pp. 173-198). PFETSCH, B., 1999. Government news management: Strategic communication in comparative perspective. [online] Available on: https://www.econstor.eu/dspace/bitstream/10419/49821/1/30895761X.pdf [Accessed on 6 January 2015] SPARROW, A. 2001. Sept. 11: A good day to bury bad news. [online] Available on: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1358985/Sept-11-a-good-day-to-bury-bad-news.html [Accessed on 6 January 2015] UNDERWOOD, M. 2010. News Management. [online] Available on: http://www.cultsock.org/index.php?page=media/setorder.html [Accessed on 6 January 2015]

Much Ado About Nothing Essay: The Importance of Word Choice :: Much Ado About Nothing Essays

Much Ado About Nothing:   The Importance of Word Choice  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      The choice of words used by the characters in Act 5, Scene 1, of the play, Much Ado About Nothing, clearly presents the characters emotions and constructs their characters for the audience. In contrast to his confrontation with Claudio and Don Pedro earlier in the scene, where he is reduced to begging them to hear him out ('My lord, my lord!'; Act 5, Scene 1; l. 106 ), Leonato's speeches are marked with a stateliness and self-assurance, as he has been fortified with the knowledge that his righteous indignation is justified. He is stern and dominates the scene, barking orders 'Which is the villain?' (l. 260), 'Bring you these fellows on.' (l. 333), and using the conversation to entrap, as Claudio and Don Pedro did to him during the aborted wedding: Art thou the slave that with thy breath hast killed mine innocent child?. No, not so, villain! Thou beliest thyself. Here stand a pair of honourable men; A third is fled, that had a hand in it. I thank you, princes, for my daughter's death. His true purpose is manifested to the audience in the way he addresses the prince and Claudio: this time he doesn't bluntly insult them, but uses more subtle language - 'Record [Hero's death] with your high and worthy deeds. 'Twas bravely done, if you bethink you of it.'(l. 270-271) - because he intends to perform one last deception, to get Claudio to marry Hero, so his strategy must be to play on their guilt, not to antagonize them: '.since you could not be my son-in-law, Be yet my nephew. And so dies my revenge' (l. 288-289, 293). He seems to see himself as the rightful patriarch, restoring order - '.This naughty man Shall face to face be brought to Margaret, Who I believe was packed in all this wrong, Hired to it by your brother.' (l. 298-301) - and his speeches have an air of stateliness and dignity (all are in verse), as well as an air of busyness, exemplified in the orders he gives, lines 280-294: Possess the people in Messina here How innocent she died; and if your love Can labor aught in sad invention, Hang her an epitaph upon her tomb, And sing it to her bones, sing it tonight. Tomorrow morning come you to my house. The emotion of earlier in the scene seems to have been spent - this meeting can be seen as Leonato's personal revenge, restoring his authority and reputation: his fatherly concern about Hero's reputation is no longer necessary, her name is merely an instrument to shame the princes.

Violent Athletes Essay -- Essays Papers

Violent Athletes When Indiana Pacer, Ron Artest, charged into the stands with forty-five seconds remaining in a NBA game, last November, between the Pacers and the Detroit Pistons, the shock waves reverberated immediately. Video clips showed Artest pummeling Pistons fans with his fists. Replays also revealed that it was fans, throwing a cup of beer at Artest, which sent the NBA superstar on his rampage. It was one of the ugliest incidents ever seen in American professional sports. Sports fans and non-sports fans alike witnessed the chaotic outbreak of violence from the serenity of their own living rooms. NBA junkies saw the scene unfold during the game's live broadcast on cable TV. Sports fans caught highlights of the melee on ESPN's SportsCenter. American housewives experienced the outrage as they watched their local ten o'clock evening news. For weeks this basketball brawl was not only headlines news on sports pages but it also became the focus of mainstream American debate. Everyone had an opinion on who was to blame: It was the players' who began the brawl on the court and then took it into the stands. It was the fans who provoked multimillionaire athletes into anger by throwing debris down on them. It was the Palace at Auburn Hills' security who failed to bring the situation under control. It was the NBA for encouraging such thuggish behavior from its players and then allowing their violence to take place on live TV. Opinion makers from all perspectives weighed in on the issue. Newspaper columnists and TV talking heads kept the brawl in the national spotlight. Some condemned the incident; some excused it, and some just wondered what all the fuss was over. In the end five Pacers players and seven Pistons fans were charged... ...at they agree on. Or at least one that they are not so strongly divided over. Hopefully this will help strengthen the debate both in the media and outside of it, as American's try to figure out if athletes really are good role models for our youth. Works Cited BasketBrawl.US. http://www.basketbrawl.us. Limbaugh, Rush. "Time for NBA to Stop Pretending." 8 December 2004. http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/estack/time_for_nba_to_stop_pretending.guest.html Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. Penguin Books, New York: 1986. Simpson, Carole. "Where Are the Role Models?" ABC NEWS. 28 November 2004. http://search.abcnews.go.com/US/id=2800796. Accessed: 10 March 2005. Traudt, Paul J. Media, Audiences, Effects: An Introduction to the study of media content and audience analysis. Pearson Education Inc.: 2005.

Stress and Anger Essay -- Stress Anger Psychology Essays

Stress and Anger Stress and Anger have always been related with each other. There have been countless studies, even more theories, about stress and anger and how they relate. But, no matter how many studies are conducted, there will always be the questions about whether or not stress and anger are related. But, I am here to provide the facts on both stress and anger, and then allow you, as the reader, to determine the relationship, because all-in-all, I feel that stress and anger can and cant be related, depending on the circumstance. If psychologists completely understood how stress and fears developed, we would know how to produce and reduce a phobia or an anxiety state. We don't. There seems to be a wide variety of life experiences which result in some form of stress, fear, anxiety, or psychosomatic illness. It would be convenient if life were simpler but it isn't. Perhaps a summary will help you review the ways you might become stressed and anxious Changes, such as sudden trauma, several big crises, or many small daily hassles, cause stress. Intense stress years earlier, especially in childhood, can predispose us to over-react to current stress. Events, such as barriers and conflicts that prevent the changes and goals we want, create stress. Having little control over our lives, e.g. being "on the assembly line" instead of the boss, contrary to popular belief, often increases stress and illness. Many environmental factors, including excessive or impossible demands, noise, boring or lonely work, stupid rules, unpleasant people, etc., cause stress. Conflicts in our interpersonal relationships cause stress directly and can eventually cause anxieties and emotional disorders. The human body has different ways of responding to stress; one quick responding nerve-hormonal system involving adrenaline, another long-lasting system involving cortisol, and perhaps others. These systems not only determine the intensity of our anxiety reactions but also our attitudes, energy level, depression, and physical health after the stressful events are over. As individuals, our nervous systems differ; however, according to Richard Dienstbier at the University of Nebraska, we may be able to modify our unique physiological reactions by learning coping skills. The genetic, constitutional, and intrauterine factors influence stress. Some of us may have been born "nerv... ...nd anti-social behavior. It is also known that a viral infection, called rabies, causes violent behavior. About 90% of women report being irritable before menstruation. Furthermore, 50% of all crimes by women in prison occurred during their menstrual period or premenstrual period. By chance only 29% of crimes would have occurred during those eight days. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) increases during the premenstrual period and it causes irritability. In all of these possibilities--instinct, heredity, hormones, or brain dysfunction--the aggression occurs without apparent provocation from the environment (although there is almost always a "target"). According to some of these theories, the need or urge to be aggressive is boiling within each of us and seeks opportunities to express itself. There is also clear evidence that alcohol consumption and hotter temperatures release aggression, but no one thinks there is something in alcohol or heat that generates meanness. The socialization process, i.e. becoming a mature person, involves taming these destructive, savage, self-serving urges that probably helped us humans survive one million years ago but threatens our survival today.

Week 4 Quiz

Week 4 Quiz 1. An example of a  secessionist minority  would be a. Native Americans. b. the Amish. c. Irish Catholics. d. Italian Americans. 2. The pattern of grandchildren of immigrants increasing their interest in their ethnicity is called a. ethnic pluralism. b. the principle of third generation interest. c. ancestor worship. d. the theory of bicultural immersion.    3. What is the  ethnicity paradox? a. The emphasis on ethnic foods and ethnically associated political associations instead of deeper ties. b. The maintenance of one’s ethnic ties in a way that can assist with one’s assimilation in larger society. c. The belief that one’s own culture is not as good as the dominant culture in society. d. The social acceptance of prejudice toward White ethnics.4. Members of which White ethnic group were placed in an internment camp in Montana during WWII? a. Japanese b. Italians c. Jews d. Irish5. Which two White ethnic groups found, upon immigrating to America, that their shared religion did not trump their cultural differences, to such a degree that clergy were imported from Europe?a. Germans and Irish b. Irish and Italians c. Jews and Italians d. Germans and Poles6. Which of the following would NOT be considered a White ethnic group? a. Jews b. Italians c. Chinese d. Swedes7. The 1962 Supreme Court decision  Engel v. Vitaleà ‚  ruled which of the following unconstitutional? a. Christmas displays in public schools b. school prayer c. certain religious activities in schools d. teaching creationism8. A large, organized religion that is not officially linked with the state or government is known as   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   a. n ecclesia. b. a denomination. c. a cult. d. a sect.9. Which of the following faiths has the largest membership in the United States? a. the Roman Catholic Church b. Jewish congregations c. Southern Baptist Convention d. the United Methodist Church10. Civil religion  describes a. governments run by the church. b. belief systems incorporating many religions, but no single one. c. courts restricting religious freedom. d. New Age faiths