Beethoven Biography

Beethoven, who was a great composer and pianist of German origin was born in the 1770 and died in 1827. On the same note, he is grouped among the very influential composers and played a very great role in Western classical music especially due to the fact that he existed during the transition period between the famous classical and romantic eras (Beethoven: biography, 2001).Although he was born in Bonn which was the capital city of Cologne, currently known as Germany, he later migrated to Vienna where he got occupied in studying as well as learning to play piano.It bears noting that though he developed a hearing problem, this did not deter him from his music career since he continued to perform and compose even after becoming completely deaf. Although he did not live for long, he made notable contribution in the field of music. With this background, this paper will objectively describe his biography, laying more emphasis on his life history as well as his major accomplishments. 2. 0 Background InformationBeethoven was born in the family of musicians since his grandfather Lodewijk van Beethoven was also a musician of Flemish origin who was employed as a bass singer and ended up becoming a music director (Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)). More to that, his grandfather still had a son by the name Johann van Beethoven who was also talented in music since he was employed as tenor in the same place with his father. The son used to teach violin and piano lessons part time as a means of supplementing his income. Johann married a lady by the name Maria Magdalene and the two became the parents of the famous Ludwig van Beethoven.Although studies record that the parents of Beethoven had seven children, it is only Beethoven together with two younger boys who survived past infancy stage. He was the second born in the family and even though his exact date of birth is not known as there are no records, it is assumed that he was born 16th December 1770. This is due to the fact that it is evidently known that he was baptized on 17th December 1770 and by then children were being baptized a day after birth (Lane, 2005). Moreover, most studies indicate that he used to celebrate his birthday on 16th December.Beethoven talent in music was discovered quite early in life and his father who was a music teacher was the first person to start teaching him how to play keyboard. Although his father used to teach him, he still had other local teachers like Tobias Friedrich who taught him how to play piano, Franz Rovantini who taught him how to play violin as well as Gilles van den Eden. In the year 1779, Beethoven began to study music seriously with the help of Christian Neefe who helped him compose and publish his first composition in the year 1783.He was first employed in the year 1784 at Court Chapel although before then he used to work as Neefe assistant without any pay. He was later appointed as an assistant organist and the people who used to work closel y with him like Maximilian Fredrick noticed his talent in music and encouraged him to pursue further studies in music. Although studies illustrate that Beethoven had attempted to travel to Vienna in 1787, he was forced to go back to Bonn to take care of his siblings especially after his mother’s death.His father who was becoming a worse alcoholic day by day could not be trusted with caring for the family, this is denoted by the fact that he used to do it through a court order. However, in the year 1792, Beethoven travelled back to Vienna through the help of Elector. At Vienna, he trained under Haydn and managed to compose lots of work that was not published even though the works displayed his development in the music career. Similarly, these works by then indicated that he had learnt a lot from Haydn’s since they displayed a lot of Mozartean flavor.Nevertheless, Beethoven did not first concentrate on composing but on learning to play piano under the instruction of Hayd n as well as playing violin. He was also occasionally taught on Italian vocal composition style by Antonio Salieri for some few years. Even though after sometime Elector ceased to finance him, he continued to stay in Vienna because some people from the same place who had noticed his talent in music continued to support him financially (Crowest, 2009, p. 120). 3. 0 Beethoven’s Music CareerBeethoven’s Music career began to flourish in 1800. It is noteworthy that his first music performance at Vienna was in1795 after which he planned for the publication of his initial compositions, piano trios of Opus 1 which were dedicated to his patron. He continued to compose in many forms such as symphony, quartet and string. Although his works were greatly influenced by Mozart and Haydn, he emerged to be unique due to his music development, his use of modulation and texture, as well as his unique characterization of emotion.Beethoven was not only a composer, but a music teacher as we ll. Further studies indicate that he also taught Ferdinand Ries who became a composer and went a head to write a book entitled ‘Beethoven Remembered’ which explained about their encounter. Carl Crenzy who was a music teacher was also a Beethoven student for two years from 1801-1803 (Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)). Just at the height of his career, Beethoven developed a hearing problem which was quite discouraging since he could no longer be able to appreciate music.Even if the exact cause of the problem is not known, it has been assumed that the problem was attributed by lead poisoning, syphilis, his habit of immersing his head in water in order to stay awake and typhus. However, the doctor’s report indicated that it was as a result of distended inner ear. The evidence of his deafness is not only from his works which record his written conversation with his friends, but also from a large collection of his hearing aids which have been preserved in Beet hoven House Museum in Bonn. He completely become deaf at 1814 but still continued with his music career (Davies, 2001, p.234) and (Udvarhelyi, 2003). Much as Beethoven used to obtain money from his compositions and his performances, he also depended heavily on financial help from his patrons like Prince Lichnowsky and Archduke Rudolph who was the last born son of Emperor Leopold II. As years progressed, he continued to develop his career and by 1810, he had managed to be recognized as a great composer. However, due to family and personal as well as financial problems, a slight decline was noted in his music career. He also had numerous illicit love affairs which may have contributed to the decline of his performance.In addition, he also started to experience ill health and his brother who was also ailing died in the year 1815. Albeit during this time he was still composing, his health did not stabilize and in 1825, he became bedridden. Nonetheless, he composed the fifteenth Quartet and still compiled the sixteenth, fourteenth and the thirteenth quartet while still in poor health. In 1826, his health deteriorated further (Kinderman, 1997, p. 238). Further studies illustrate that he latter died in 26th March 1827 and his funeral service which took place in the Holy Trinity Church was attended by more than ten thousand people.Beethoven was buried at Wahring cemetery located in Vienna, but latter his remains were exhumed in 1862 for study purposes. Further studies indicate that the exact cause of his death is not known although it has been projected that he might have died of infectious hepatitis, syphilis, lead poisoning, Whipple’s disease or Sarcoidosis. However, the analysis that was done after his body was exhumed point out that he could have died from excessive lead poisoning administered by his doctors (Beethoven: biography, 2001). 4. 0 Beethoven Major AccomplishmentsBeethoven’s composition represents several music genres and also contained a v ariety of music combinations. He wrote a total of sixteen string quartets, five string quintet, seven works for piano trio, five string trios and a lot more works containing a variety combinations of wind instruments. In addition, he also wrote nine symphonies and nine concerti and some vocal works with orchestral accompaniment. The first and the second symphonies and the first set of the six string quartets as well as some few other works were written in his early life when his music was greatly influenced by Mozart and Haydn (Kinderman, 1997, p.284). Most of the major works of Beethoven that identified him as a hero was written when he started experiencing hearing problem. Such works include the six symphonies, the very last piano concertos, five string quartets, Fidelio which was his only opera and some piano and violin sonatas. In his last stages of life, he began composing works that displayed high personal expression, formal innovation and his intellectual depth. His very last works include the last five quartets, ninth symphony and the last five piano sonatas.However, there are some of his works which were still very significant and may not have been recorded or published. 5. 0 Conclusion Whereas studies indicate that Beethoven managed to become one of the renowned giants of classical music, some of his character traits did not display a vey strong personality. For instance, his deafness made him to contemplate suicide and was frequently described as an impatient as well as a highly irritable person. He had some close friends who stayed by his side especially during his illness which led to his death.However, most studies indicate that he found it quite hard to get along with people the main reason why he was never legally married. His works remain to be a strong indication of his contribution in music arena. References Beethoven: biography. (2001). Retrieved July 10, 2010, from http://www. lvbeethoven. com/Bio/BiographyLudwig. html Crowest, F. J. ( 200 9). Beethoven: With Illustrations and Portraits. Charleston: BiblioBazaar, LLC. Davies, P. J. ( 2001). Beethoven in person: his deafness, illnesses, and death.West Port: Greenwood Press. Kinderman, W. (1997). Beethoven's Childhood . Berkeley: University of California Press. Lane, W. (2005). Beethoven's Childhood . Retrieved July 10, 2010, from http://www. lucare. com/immortal/childhood. html Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827). (n. d. ). Retrieved July 10, 2010, from http://library. thinkquest. org/22673/beethoven. html Udvarhelyi, G. B. ( 2003). Beethoven in Person: His Deafness, Illnesses, and Death (review). Bulletin of the History of Medicine , 77 (1), 196-197.

Hnc Poverty Essay

|In this report you will read about poverty and what is meant by poverty. Included will be an exploration of the differences between | |absolute and relative poverty. You will also read about the relationship between poverty and inequality, covering the types of | |inequality between gender and class and also, the extent of poverty in the current British context. I will also cover causes of | |poverty and inequality using sociological theories. Ending this report you will read into the effects of poverty and inequality in | |relation to behaviour, experiences and life chances on young people. | | |Poverty can be defined as â€Å"The state or condition of having little or no money or material possessions†, (Oxford English | |Dictionary). There has been two approaches brought forward by sociologists and these are absolute and relative poverty. Absolute | |poverty refers to basic conditions being met for an individual or group to live in a physically healthy state.These conditio ns | |include sufficient food, shelter and clothing; if these are not met, it is seen as absolute poverty. (Townsend 1979). The second | |approach is relative poverty and is based upon the standard of the overall living in society. It is when individuals or groups are | |living to a lesser standard to others within the society. | | | |Another factor that can cause inequality within society is class. This relates to a division of groups within society.Class has | |been seen as a major factor determining â€Å"the production, distribution and redistribution of resources†. (Townsend 1979). | |Depending on your class group, it will dictate where you are placed in the hierarchy of the society, which will affect your access | |to the gains and resources in society. There are four classes in society; these are the underclass, the working class, the middle | |class and the upper class. The inequality of class causes poverty as individuals are limited to wealth, resources and opportun ities | |within society.A case of inequality that relates to poverty is gender. This is when men and women are treated differently from each| |other regarding their roles and position within society. It is fair to say that women have been treated as less than equals and have| |had lesser opportunities within employment and chances | | | |Within Scotland, there were 980,000 people living in relative poverty and 620,000 across Britain working but living in relative | |poverty in 2007. (www. bbc. com).There were also 250,000 children living in relative poverty, and 150,000 children living in absolute| |poverty within Scotland in the same year. (Save the Children in Scotland). | | | |A feminist perspective is the sociology theory you could use to show the causes of poverty and inequality. The feminist perspective | |believes there is a general thought in society, that there is a gender division in the employment market, and males are | |breadwinners, whereas women are housewives †Å".Many women throughout the world encounter discrimination just because of their gender | |even though the government created the ‘sex discrimination act 1975’, which is now ‘The Equality Act 2010’, to prevent sexual | |discrimination, as it still continues today. Throughout the years it has been well known that women have faced discrimination in | |areas such as employment, education, and the use of facilities such as golf clubs etc. Due to the gender inequality within Britain’s| |society the man is the bread winner, and that the woman stays at home, cooks cleans and looks after the children.Over the years it | |has created a culture that is engrained within our society. This leads to a woman often working part time or in low paid jobs, if | |working at all. Also, if they are working, they are less likely to be selected for promotion or managerial posts, because it is not | |seen as a woman’s position or because of childcare responsibilities , such as maternity leave for 9 months or longer if they have | |more than one child.This can then lead onto that if you have a poor income, or reliant on benefits, then you are not able to afford| |the basics such as gas, electricity, appropriate living conditions and healthy nutritious food. This then creates health problems | |and inequalities because of poor diet and living conditions, from which they are unable to escape from. All of this can lead to | |addiction because of the situation they find themselves in. They can turn to smoking, drinking and drugs as a way to relieve | |anxiety, stress, boredom and depression. | | |Poverty can severely affect the young people I work with and have a negative impact on their behaviour, experiences and life | |chances. Many of the young people come from deprived areas, where their homes are inadequate or their parents are on a low income or| |are unemployed. This has an effect on the young people’s health, and they often have poor diets and lack healthy nutrition.Due to | |the lack of finances, the parents are not able to provide their children with a variety of social activities. This does not help | |develop the child’s socialisation skills and can often leave them feeling angry and left out from their friends. This anger can | |often show itself within education and lead to being excluded from school, which in turn can have a negative effect on their job | |opportunities. This lack of finance and social interaction for the young person can lead them to commit crimes.The individual can | |often suffer low self-esteem which may lead to regular drug abuse, which again can have a knock-on effect towards crime. Within the | |residential setting, I work with a young person who often gets jealous and angry when he hears of outings his peers have been on | |while he is on home contact. This is because when he goes home, his parents have little or no money to take him out so he often | |spends his time on t he street being bored, rather than going to places like the cinema or to a leisure centre .This young person has| |committed crimes of vandalism through boredom and theft from shops because he cannot buy the goods he wishes. | | | |To conclude, it can be shown that there is a link between poverty and inequality, this has been demonstrated through various | |theories and supporting statistics. | | | | | REFERENCES | |What causes poverty by John H Mckendrick | |Miller, Janet (Care in Practice for Higher Still) 1996 | |Oxford English Dictionary | |Townsend, P(Poverty in the United Kingdom) 1979 | |www. bc. com/news | |www. savethechildren. com | |Word Count |1053 |

The Political Establishment in Germany Succeeded in Maintaining

The political establishment in Germany succeeded in maintaining the political status quo through a policy of moderate reform. How far do you agree? The junkers succeeded in keeping the existing political system the same through moderate reform, to what extent? When assessing whether maintaining the status quo in Germany was down to the effective use of moderate reform, we should also assess the effects of force maintaining status quo. Some would argue that it was indeed the use of moderate reform using Bulow’s reforms such as the tariff law and sickness insurance.However others would argue that it was the use of force, using ideas such as the Herero uprising. Some people may also use the policy introduced the Bulow called the Flottenpolitik. Furthermore; we should consider the economical and social factors which could have influenced this. The view that the policy of moderate reform succeeded in maintaining the political status quo; could be argued against by the fact that; Bu low’s strengths and interests lay firstly in foreign powers but he also implemented some reforms such as the tariff law in December 1902.This restored a higher duty on imported agricultural products which had a knock on effect on food prices which ended up rising. This helped maintain status quo because this would have made the public angrier henceforth could have made people rebel against the Junkers. Adding to this point; others could argue against moderate reform being the main cause of maintaining status quo on the basis that it was down to the use of force.To do this they could refer to the Herero uprising this makes clear the weaknesses of moderate reform maintaining status quo by showing one way that it led to the complete opposite; a rebellion. This uprising and how it was dealt with shows the strength and the forces and led to some members of the more conservative element of leadership of the centre part being cautious about challenging Bulow’s government. Thi s helped maintain status quo.On the other hand; Bulow created sickness insurance in April 1903 which gave ill workers longer and more generous help. This helped maintain status quo because this gave some people more reform which made people a little more happy which lowered the risk of them rebelling against the Junkers. Bethmann was Bulow’s successor as chancellor. He created reforms such as the imperial insurance 1911; this consolidated all previous workers’ insurance. This meant that some workers were now insured against sickness, old age and death.This also helped maintain status quo through moderate reform. Law such as the Sammlungpolitik also helped to maintain status quo; this law had the aim of trying to init people for the right wing leadership and take support away from the socialists. This was introduced by Bulow and he created a strategy called weltpolitik to achieve this take over the world using an army to unit people under the right wing leadership and a gainst the socialists which would help maintain the same political system and status quo.On the contrary to the above point others could argue that social or economical factors could have influenced this; for example workers wages were increasing (this made them the most urbanised state in Europe). This led to maintaining status quo because of something called the knife and fork question, this status that states that during periods of economical depression support for groups such as the socialists increase. This would be dangerous for the Junkers as they are left wing and conservatives (Junkers) are right wing.To conclude, the idea that the political establishment in Germany succeeded in maintaining the political status quo through a moderate policy of reforms can be supported using facts like how some of the reforms put forward by Bulow were successful at maintaining the same system and keeping people happy. However it can be argued against using facts like how some of the reforms put forward by Bulow and Bethmann were not successful and could be argued they did the opposite.When weighing these facts up its important to asses each of their impacts they made for example the unsuccessful reforms could be seen as having a bad impact of making the workers n happy with the system and lead to people rebelling this can be shown through the Herero uprising. The judgement I have reached is that. It wasn’t only down to moderate reform because other factors like force and also helped maintain status quo, due to the fact these factors could be seen as taking support away from the socialists which were the right wing leader’s main rival, therefore helping maintain the status quo.

Critique of an article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critique of an article - Essay Example The article covers various aspects of astrocyte functioning in association with experimental basis on hippocampus cultures, cell cultures and imaging techniques. Interesting observations have been elaborated with regard to the calcium waves phenomenon and consequences of release of glutamate. Back in 1894, Rudolf Virchow referred to astrocytes as "glia", meaning "glue", as they were believed to be holding the neuronal elements together. Astrocytes: neuron ratio is approximately 10:1 and despite the larger number of astrocytes, it was neurons that were considered to perform the primary function of the nervous system. The increase in intracellular Ca[2+] level led to release of glutamate which in turn helped in modulating synapses to allow the conduction of the nerve impulse. The article, which spans over 14 pages, indeed provides a thorough, detailed insight in the working of astrocytes. It commences with a short description of the previously built information regarding astrocytes, and gradually gravitates towards the new findings regarding the functioning of astrocytes ... rding the functioning of astrocytes due to elevated intracellular calcium level as a result of various neurotransmitters like GABA, ATP, and glutamate. It has been brought forward that a calcium elevation in astrocytes is both necessary and sufficient to modulate synaptic transmission and to activate ionotropic glutamate receptors on hippocampal neurons. It is also supplemented by pictures, which are extremely useful for the comprehension of this thesis. The authors have no doubt done a good job in writing up this article. Not only has the information been provided with a systematic and methodical approach, it has been made sure that each conclusion that has been concurred has a factual experimental basis, which is mandatory and extremely impressive, especially as figurative data has been imparted. Though the material has been extrapolated and unnecessarily lengthened a few times due to repetition of certain clauses that could have been avoided, overall it provides all the essential information that a student would require. What has been most intriguing is the function of astrocytes as vasomodulators, ie, as intermediary regulators of blood flow and experimental basis showing that application of neurotransmitters like norepinephrine, acetylecholine can mobilize astrocytic calcium, suggesting extrinsic axon pathways can also act on astrocytes to regulate the calcium. The basis for bi-directional glutamate-mediated signalling between astrocytes and neurons is unclear and the concept of neuroligands is enlightening. The various experiments employed to support the notion that glutamate is the neurotransmitter mediating astrocyte-neuron signaling are satisfactory, however the fact that the researchers have gone one step further to explore the action of other

Two Writers Compare of Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Two Writers Compare of Education - Assignment Example On the side of Derrick Jensen, education, especially the modern educational systems, should enroll and mold the student into the realms of creativity and individuality. He also extends that education schools are to impart and unveil the realities of life, not illusions like that of happiness lying outside learners’ classroom. The two writers compare through their acknowledgment that education should not generate an illusion, rather it should reveal and aid in solving the realities of life. The two do not seem to conform to the traditional education system, rather advocate that education should help learners find their own voices, freedom, and creativity. To them, education has less to do with knowledge, but being in touch with actuality, as this helps on how to connect to the core of our creative selves. Wild by Cheryl Strayed is a spectacular tale, which sums up the profound meditation on the nature of the angst and endurance. It is a story of a woman, in her journey from lost to found. The self-discovery that Strayed describes as having a lot of shit to shovel emanates from the death of her mother, exit from the university, divorce from her husband and the shocking shockwaves of this drama. This compares to Andrew Forstaffle in the This American Life radio episode Hit the Road. Andrew episodes describe how the fascinating ordinary people are despite the dismissive snort of those around them. The two contrast in that one is a novel by Strayed while the other is Radio short stories and essays. Reading the two, one would encounter an inspiring tale from people, both physical and psychological journey through life’s wilderness of despair until they reach a renewed sense of oneself. According to these writers, Wild, in literal forms means the choice of a writer to unveil his or her unflinching and emotionally incisive language.  

Branding and product life cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Branding and product life cycle - Essay Example In this stage the products are newly launched in the competitive market place by the organizations. In this product life cycle stage, monopoly can be developed based on the demand and efficiency of the product. The organizations generally achieve losses rather than profit during this product life cycle stage. The organizations generally implement aggressive promotional strategies in order to create awareness about the newly developed product. This introduction stage has two characteristics, such as low competition and low sales growth rate. Growth Growth stage is the second common stage in the product life cycle model. This stage comes with the recognition in the competitive market. Profit of the products starts to flow from this stage. The organizations can try some new innovative ideas in order to maintain the sales growth of products. This growth stage is considered as the appropriate time to develop new competitive and effective price in the competitive marketplace. This strategy helps the organizations to develop a potential customer base for the products. Maturity Maturity is the third stage in the product life cycle model. ... It affects the sales of product. Several organizations try to redesign their products to secure market share and customer loyalty towards it. However, low profit margin, limited sales growth rate and implementation of new innovative models are the major characteristics of this maturity stage. Decline Decline is the last stage of product life cycle model. Generally, majority of the products dies in this decline stage due to huge low sales growth rate. Several organizations share the same market for a single product class. It is difficult for these products to compete with the new entrants. It is true that, market demand and needs of customers change constantly due to the organizations’ product differentiation strategy (Lamb, Hair and MacDaniel, 2008, p.30). This strategy reduces the demand of the existing products. Target customers generally perceive these products as the old and ineffective products. Therefore, people try to experiment with newly developed products in the mark et place. It is not necessary that, every product would go through this specific product life cycle stage. It highly depends upon the category of products, scope of that particular product and market competition. Question 2: Branding Strategies Branding strategy can be defined as the long term plan for a particular brand. It includes determination of potential target audiences and a significant understanding of the market demand and needs of target customers. Effective branding strategy helps to identify the brand and its experience. There are several branding strategies that have been implemented by the organization. This part of the essay will discuss about Company Name Branding, Individual Branding, Attitude Branding,

Environmental Quality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Environmental Quality - Essay Example There have been many government funded agencies which have helped to do testing and figure out ways in which to improve our ecosystem. Minnesota has always been on the forefront in environmental safety. Interestingly enough, one of my teachers has joined the board who helps to decide how many and what types of products must be purchased which are deemed environmentally safe for our state. They help to set guidelines on what kinds of materials can be used and how much must be spent on environmentally safe products versus unsafe products. These are only a few of the things done to help improve the quality of the environment around our area. Local groups have been organizing clean up days and if you ever stroll down Minneapolis, you'll notice how amazingly clean it has become. In fact, sometimes when I take the bus and check out downtown Minneapolis, I barely see a newspaper thrown on the ground somewhere. There are, however, many different things which can be done to help improve the environmental status of the Twin Cities. For instance, increase recycling announcements could be made. Many people I know don't even know where to drop off their items which can be recycled. Bulletins and fliers could be produced and distributed around apartments and dropped off at people's houses with numbers to call an addresses for places to drop off their waste materials.

Gods and Humans Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gods and Humans - Assignment Example Part of the reason both Oedipus and Antigone are considered to be classic works is that they feature characters who are larger than life and whose deeds are truly remarkable. Even centuries and millennium later the human and divine figures featured in these stories astonish us with their extreme and powerful qualities. We can marvel at these classical figures but we can also examine the different ways they interact with one another and the sorts of relationships they have with one another, plus the different ways Sophocles portrays them. Surely this interplay is one of the reasons these figures continue to resonate in our modern days and continue to excite us so much. The conflict between the world and laws of humans and those of gods is one that is truly timeless.In both quoted passages, the laws of the gods and the laws of human beings are examined and discussed. There are two clearly different principles at play. In both works the human heroes are at odds with the political system which is trying to subjugate them. In both cases, the heroes stand up for what they believe. They are willing to obey a higher law, a higher order which is in conflict with the human law before them. They do not recognize the arbitrarily exercised power of the regent. They operate under a different, more powerful law which they think is more objective, or more fair. Oedipus serves Apollo. Although he is blind he is capable of seeing that real life, full of human laws, is corrupt and false. The higher world of gods and forms is truer and more just. His blindness is perhaps something of an asset as it separates him somewhat from the human world and allows him to imagine or perceive of a more just world where the law of gods such as Apollo dominate. In Antigone much the same idea is presented. Antigone also must deal with Creon and the law of the human system. â€Å"[M]y reverence only brands me for irreverence!† she exclaims, weeping at the injustice of it. She has obeyed the religious ritual of burying her dead brother at the expense of the human law forbidding her to do so. That is why she is being punished. For her, obeying the gods is more important than obeying the king. And that is why she is willing to endure her punishment even if it is unjust in the human world.

Japanese Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Japanese Culture - Essay Example Allied Forces occupied Post-War Japan (1945-1952) and the General Douglas MacArthur of the United States ruled there. This order and these changes have exerted a significant impact on Japanese culture. A democratic world order has seized Japan’s military rule of the world. The war was devastating and many territories of Japan had to be subjected to the newly existent order. There was a constant intention of the Japanese nation to gain superiority in some spheres of their activities. For example, Japanese engineers came to the US companies made systematic attempts to improve different production modes. At this point technological background of popular culture development can be found. Thesis: Therefore modern culture of Japan is developed with respect to military context, changes of post-war period, social oppression and innovative social order of the society. Japan after war After war Japan intended to find new ways of profits gaining. In the result of their practices, Japan t urned into a consumer-oriented producer. Electronics was one of the most important concerns for Japan. Moreover, a great attention was paid to innovative automobile design (which was borrowed from the principles of Japanese aesthetics). After 1980s Japan gained reputation of the largest creditor nation on earth, and America turned into the largest debtor. Japanese popular culture has been spread all over the globe after rapid growth of industrialization and information bum. The Asian world wanted to reach pace of Japan development1. Post-war period of the country's development was marked by unique and vibrant culture, which is often associated with innovations in China and Korea and the rest of the Asian world. It cannot be denied that "markers of loss" after the war have been gradually disappearing from the Japanese culture. Culture development from the 1950s to the mid-1960s it was difficult for Japanese people to find their identities. They were puzzled by numerous losses after t he war. For example, we can refer to the drama and film,  Kimino na wa, the film  Gojira  (Godzilla), and the professional wrestler Rikidozan, where specific features and cultural templates of Japanese culture can be identified2. In the chapter "From the Anti-Security Treaty Movement to the Tokyo Olympics: Transforming the Body, the Metropolis, and Memory" the restructuring images of the resurfaced memories of the past are discussed. It can be claimed for sure that the memories should have been transformed and cleansed till 1964, the year of Tokyo Olympic. Tokyo has been changed into a clean and successful city. The Japanese volleyball team gain victory against the former Soviet team and this team signified the path of Japan's progress and a gradual restoration. Thus, there is a consequential transformation of the Japanese culture. The central principle of cultural development of Japan after war was a peaceful strategy3. The eternal peace was very important issue for the Japan ese culture. A rejection of military service in Japan has left a significant impact on the country's development. Igarashi integrates post-war concerns of the country in the context of popular culture development4. Igarashi claims that post-war crisis in the Japanese culture can be identified at different levels and different factors are influencing the process of cultural development in post-war Japan. The author is focused on psychological aspects of nation history development. Identity of historical development can be traced with respect to historical factors. In Barefoot Gen by Keiji Nakazawa (2004), the issues of family difficulties after war are considered. Family members showed their following social norms though they were puzzled by

KIEU ESSAY-THEME 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

KIEU -THEME 2 - Essay Example He contradicts his position of morality as at one point he is immoral and some other point he is moral. The character Thuc Ky Tam portrays the theme of immorality in ‘the tales of Kieu’. It is evident throughout the old story narrated in the poem. Thuc Ky Tam is at first introduced in the story to be the top manager of a brothel. As known to the public at large, brothels are place where immorality is practiced at its highest levels. For such a person to be in charge of a brothel, more at the time this poem was publicized, he had to be immoral. In spite of Thuc Ky Tam’s actions later in the story, he carries on the shameful deeds of individuals who maintained visiting the brothel. Thuc is one person who was well bred and educated and was supposed to defend women rather than indulging in immoral acts with them. This defilement act portrays the character of Thuc to be obviously immoral man. The family of Thuc can be described to be well bred and well to do as they ha d a trading shop. Thuc at his early ages was a man of passion as sings of Kieu’s beauty from the moment he saw her. He made it his initiative to persuade and make her fall in love with him for which he accomplished (Nguyen, pp.69). He first saw Kieu in the brothel at her place of work and where Thuc was a manager. They went on to see each other on many instances and their relationship looked to be more intimate than being casual. Visible closeness existed between the two that portrayed to true lovers. Thuc expressed his emotions to Kieu who answered back by professing her love to him. Nevertheless, Kieu’s current and past job was a stumbling block as she knew it could not be ignored. Thuc was a married man and this was a challenge to their relationship with Kieu as they could not get into a union of marriage. It also barred them from carrying out their relationship outside the brothel. Kiev talked about the wife of Thuc, "But if the lady lords over you, I shall be toss ed to her, your lioness" This did not shake Thuc as their situations that grew worse rather made them stronger in love. The character of Thuc makes a turn at this juncture when what he feels for Kieu makes him liberate move away form the brothel. Thuc does this by paying Dame Tu, madam at the brothel which showed that he held to his words by honoring his promise. Kiev and Thuc continued in their relationship as married partners with Thuc looking after his wife and life became enjoyable. This is contrary to one’s expectation of an affair between a man who was frequent in brothels and a prostitute. One’s expectation may be that the two would at one time renounce the life they live and turn into a new leaf. Nevertheless, their relationship looked so comfortable and normal that there could be an end. The character of Thuc transforms to man of good deeds and one may attempt to deliver him from his past sins of prostitution and frequenting brothels. His father who has been a way is responsible for stereotyping the play in this love story of Thuc and Kieu. He warns them that Thuc should take Kieu back to where she worked as a prostitute or judgment awaits them for making a mistake of living together while Thuc was still in another union. The two opted for the worse by waiting for the judgment as they continued to live together. What trouble his father was that Thuc had chosen a prostitute for a wife and this tarnished the family name. Thuc and Kieu face judgment and at the start, the case was against Kieu who had

Corporate Governance Essay Example for Free

Corporate Governance Essay In a commercial organisation, the board of directors is typically charged with the key responsibility for corporate governance – protecting the rights of shareholders and creditors, ensuring contractual obligations and regulatory compliance. In the public sector, the elected government is typically responsible for corporate governance, and in semi-government and statutory bodies like State Rail, Sydney Water, the Australian Broadcasting Authority, the University of NSW, etc – and in not- for-profit organisations – governments will usually mandate a body similar to a board of directors with the responsibility for corporate governance. What does corporate governance involve? In a recent article, Gomez Korine (2005, pp. 739-752) propose that: Corporate governance can be understood as a set of contracts that defines the relationships among the three principal actors in the corporation. To simplify what this actually means, corporate governance is the set of relationships where: †¢A key stakeholder whom they refer to as the sovereign (in the case of commercial organisations this would be the shareholders; in the case of public sector agencies, the elected government; for not-for-profit organisations this is often the ‘members’ or other key stakeholders as defined by legislation) †¢sets in place a governing body (eg, board, council, senate, etc) with responsibility for overseeing the actions of the governer (management, staff, employees, volunteers, players, etc) Increasingly, societies and governments are reacting to a rapidly changing world surrounding them, and modifying the regulations affecting ‘corporate governance’ accordingly. The numbers and interests of stakeholders who are affected by the actions of organisations is expanding. Organisations are being seen to impact on: the economy the natural environment society through opportunities for work and employment conditions of work family life, etc Consequently, there are increasingly complex expectations placed on organisations of all sizes to consider and take responsibility for decisions and actions beyond simply their ‘money making’ or other purposes and goals. Corporate governance covers a large number of distinct concepts and phenomenon as we can see from the definition adopted by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) – â€Å"Corporate governance is the system by which business corporations are directed and controlled. The corporate governance structure specifies the distribution of rights and responsibilities among different participants in the corporation, such as, the board, managers, shareholders and other stakeholders and spells out the rules and procedures for making decisions in corporate affairs. By doing this, it also provides the structure through which the company objectives are set and the means of attaining those objectives and monitoring performance†1. From this definition we see that corporate governance includes the relationship of a company to its shareholders and to society; the promotion of fairness, transparency and accountability; reference to mechanisms that are used to â€Å"gov ern† managers and to ensure that the actions taken are consistent with the interests of key stakeholder groups. The key points of interest in corporate governance therefore include issues of transparency and accountability, the legal and regulatory environment, appropriate risk management measures, information flows and the responsibility of senior management and the board of directors. Harshbarger and Holden (2004) point out that while many of the governance issues that organizations face are not new, the environment in which they confront them is more challenging than ever: State and Federal law enforcement have applied significantly increased resources and a more aggressive philosophy toward confrontation of governance lapses; the media spotlight has increased awareness among those constituents directly affected as well as the business community as a whole; shareholder proposals are taken more seriously; and the judiciary has demonstrated its willingness for a more stringent definition of good faith. As well, there are a number of factors that have brought ethical issues into sharper focus, including globalization, technology and rising competition. Van Beek and Solomon (2004) also note the ability to deliver a professional service will necessarily take place in an environment in which there is an increasing tendency towards individuality, while society as a whole becomes more global. The new realities of corporate governance show that no entity or agent is immune from fraudulent practices and have altered the way companies operate; they have re-defined the baseline for what is considered prudent conduct for businesses and executives (Dandino, 2004). CORPORATE STRATEGY Strategy can be developed at many levels – in a multi-layered organisation there may be: †¢Corporate level strategy – decisions made for the whole corporation or organisation to gain the better of adversaries or attain ends. Business unit or divisional strategy – decisions made for the business unit or division to gain the better of adversaries or attain the business units end. Functional strategies – such as marketing/finance/huma n resources/IT/technology/ operational/production/etc. strategies. There would be marketing decisions (or finance or HR decisions, etc) designed to get the better of an adversary or attain a marketing/finance, etc, end. †¢So what do we mean by ends? Other terms that are frequently used here for the same concept are goals or missions or visions. Organisations typically have (or should have) a set of goals, desired outcomes or a view of their purpose (mission), or their future achievements and positions (visions) in mind. Ideally these are clearly articulated and understood by everyone in the organisation. When these ends (goals, mission, vision) are clearly understood, then the board, management, staff and partners of the organisation are able to ‘develop’ strategy to achieve these. What is a strategic plan? A plan, whether strategic, tactical, operational, marketing, finance – or whatever – is really just a set of decisions that have been captured in some form (document, web page, PowerPoint presentation, video, etc) that set out the answer to three key questions: 1. Where are we now? 2. Where are we going? 3. How will we get there? Accordingly, a plan is formed by: †¢analysing the existing and ex pected future trends and factors affecting the organisation/business unit, etc †¢setting down clear statements of the outcomes that will help to achieve the ends that the organisation has set itself (these statements of outcomes are commonly called objectives) †¢describing some tactics and actions that will lead to achieving the outcomes ETHICS IN A GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT The dawn of a global knowledge society with information-driven economies and expansion of cross-border trade as consequences of liberalization and globalization policy is placing new demands on business organizations for more innovative approaches in business ethics at both local as well as global business environment (Nissanke and Thorbecke, 2005). This premise is consistent with Brownlie et al. (1999) who indicate that; â€Å"What is it like to think new thoughts†¦ to undo the fragile web of assumption†¦ to render new images to the familiar†¦ to look anew at the world†¦ to see the ordinary and everyday from a fresh perspective?† Many research scholars today share this view and indicate that what they took for granted, assumed, believed and worked towards has been upended by those who argue that in order to ‘get it right’ in a global business environment, organizations must rethink their business ethics approach. Sheth and Sisodia (1999) also support this hypothesis by asserting that, the context of ethics in global business environment is changing in fundamental ways. The acceptance of law-like generalizations has to be, as they suggest, â€Å"Either enhanced or modified†. The old opinion of business ethics as â€Å"an oxymoron†, or that â€Å"business organizations do not have ethics† (Laczniak and Murphy, 1993) is being re-thought. The business ethics is increasingly being called into question from various quarters (Brownlie et al., 1999) and research scholars are developing the discipline in order to challenge the ethical complacency that existed in the past. Business ethics is ultimately the ethics of power, of how to handle the power of business and how that power is acquired, increased and exercised. The need for ethics in business has never been greater, precisely because the power of business was never so manifold and as extensive as it is today (Mahoney, 1997). The term ‘ethics’ has generally been used to refer to the rules and principles of right and wrong conduct. It therefore boils down to morality and good or bad conduct. Business ethics are a set of rules that stipulate how businesses and their employees ought to behave (Aldag and Stearns, 1991). DiPiazza (2002) says â€Å"I see ethics as a mission-critical issue†¦. deeply embedded into who we are and what we do. Its just as important as our product development cycle or our distribution system†¦its about creating a culture based on integrity and respect, not a culture based on dealing with the crisis of the day†¦We speak to ourselves every day, ‘Are we doing the right things?† Sheth, Gardner and Garret (1988) opine that ethical decision-making in a business environment is very complex, and that allegedly â€Å"guilty business practitioners have quite sincerely stated that they honestly did not realize that their actions could possibly create ethical problems†. Business organizations operating at international levels often find that many countries differ in what is considered wrong or right in a business market. IN TERMS OF SONY: ETHICS Ethical business conduct and compliance with applicable laws and regulations are fundamental aspects of Sonys corporate culture. To this end, Sony has established a Global Compliance Network comprised of the Compliance Division at the corporate headquarters, a global compliance leadership team, and regional offices around the world; adopted and implemented the Sony Group Code of Conduct; and set up Compliance Hotline systems through its Global Compliance Network all in order to reinforce the Companys worldwide commitment to integrity and help assure resources are available for employees to raise concerns or seek guidance about legal and ethical matters. In July 2001, Sony Corporation established the Compliance Division, charged with exercising overall control over compliance activities across the Sony Group, to emphasize the importance of business ethics and compliance with applicable laws, regulations and internal policies. The Compliance establishes compliance policies and structures for the Sony Group and performs crisis management functions. In July 2003, Sony established a regional compliance network comprised of offices in the Americas, Europe, Japan, East Asia*1 and Pan-Asia,*2 which are charged with exercising regional control over compliance activities to strengthen the compliance system throughout the Sony Group. Officers responsible for compliance in each region have the authority to issue instructions concerning compliance to Sony Group companies in their respective regions and, by cooperating with one another, are working to establish and maintain a comprehensive global compliance structure. To further reinforce global compliance efforts, a Compliance Leadership Team was formed in September 2009 as an additional component of the global compliance organization. The Compliance Leadership Team assists the Sony Corporation General Counsel and Compliance Division in identifying, developing and implementing key compliance strategies and compliance-related measures; encourages more active participation in Group-wide compliance activities from a larger group of key Sony personnel by involving not only the Regional Compliance Officers but also experienced legal/compliance personnel from Sony Group companies; and creates a global framework that by its very structure highlights the companys compliance priorities and commitment to best practices. *1Coverage area of East Asia compliance office: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea *2Coverage area of Pan-Asia compliance office: Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa and Oceania *3 The Americas Office is responsible for Sony Corporation of America, the Sony Pictures Entertainment Group, and the Sony Music Entertainment Group, in addition to the Electronics Group companies in the Americas Region . The Sony Europe, East Asia and Pan-Asia Offices are responsible for the Electronics Group companies in their respective regions. The Japan Office is responsible for Sony Corporation, the Sony Computer Entertainment Group, and Sony Financial Holdings, in addition to the Electronics Group Companies in Japan CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: Sony is committed to strong corporate governance. As a part of this effort, in 2003, Sony adopted the Company with Committees corporate governance system under the Companies Act of Japan. In addition to complying with the requirements of applicable governance laws and regulations, Sony has introduced its own requirements to help improve the soundness and transparency of its governance by strengthening the separation of the Directors function from that of management and advancing the proper functioning of the statutory committees. Under Sonys system, the Board of Directors defines the respective areas for which each of the Corporate Executive Officers is responsible and delegates to them decision-making authority to manage the business, thereby promoting the prompt and efficient management of the Sony Group. Sony Corporation is governed by its Board of Directors, which is appointed by resolution at the shareholders meeting. The Board has three committees (the Nominating Committee, Audit Committee and Compensation Committee), consisting of Directors named by the Board of Directors. Corporate Executive Officers are appointed by resolution of the Board of Directors. In addition to these statutory bodies and positions, Sony has Corporate Executives who carry out business operations within designated areas. Board of Directors: Determines the fundamental management policies of the Sony Group Oversees the management of Sony Groups business operations Appoints and dismisses the statutory committee members Appoints and dismisses Representative Corporate Executive Officers and Corporate Executive Officers Nominating Committee: Determines the content of proposals regarding the appointment/dismissal of Directors Audit Committee: Monitors the performance of duties by Directors and Corporate Executive Officers (with respect to processes in place to ensure the adequacy of the financial reporting process, to enable management to ensure the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, to ensure timely and appropriate disclosure, and to ensure compliance with applicable law, Articles of Incorporation and internal policies). Monitors the status of any other items described in the Internal Control and Governance Framework determined or reaffirmed by the Board of Directors in accordance with the Companies Act of Japan. As part of its monitoring, attends the Nominating Committee and Compensation Committee meetings. Oversees and evaluates the work of the independent auditor (including to evaluate the adequacy of its independence and its qualification, to propose its appointment/dismissal or non-reappointment, to approve its compensation, to evaluate the appropriateness of its audit regarding the financial results and internal control over financial reporting, and to pre-approve its engagement for any services other than audit services to be provided) Prepares the Audit Committee Review Report in which the Audit Committee expresses its opinion on the performance of duties of Directors and Corporate Executive Officers, on the Business Report and on the independent auditors audit procedures and results based on its review activities including review of the matters subject to the Committees opinion in the Audit Committee Review Report. Compensation Committee: Sets policy on the contents of individual compensation for Directors, Corporate Executive Officers, Corporate Executives and Group Executives, and determines the amount and content of individual compensation of Directors and Corporate Executive Officers in accordance with the policy Corporate Executive Officers: Make decisions regarding the execution of Sony Group business activities within the scope of the authority delegated to them by the Board of Directors Corporate Executives: Carry out business operations within designated areas, including business units, headquarters func tions, and/or research and development, in accordance with the fundamental policies determined by the Board of Directors and the Corporate Executive Officers

Important Event in Chinese History Essay Example for Free

Important Event in Chinese History Essay The May Fourth Movement (traditional Chinese: ä ºâ€Ã¥â€ºâ€ºÃ© â€¹Ã¥â€¹â€¢; simplified Chinese: ä ºâ€Ã¥â€ºâ€ºÃ¨ ¿ Ã¥Å  ¨; pinyin: WÇ”sà ¬ Yà ¹ndà ²ng) was an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement growing out of student demonstrations in Beijing on May 4, 1919, protesting the Chinese governments weak response to the Treaty of Versailles, especially the Shandong Problem. These demonstrations sparked national protests and marked the upsurge of Chinese nationalism, a shift towards political mobilization and away from cultural activities, and a move towards populist base rather than intellectual elites. The broader use of the term May Fourth Movement often refers to the period during 1915-1921 more often called the New Culture Movement. Backgrounds: Following the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, the Qing Dynasty was overthrown. This marked the end of thousands of years of powerful imperial rule, and theoretically ushered a new era in which political power rested with the people. However, the reality was that China was a fragmented nation dominated by warlords, who were more concerned with their own political powers and private armies than national interests. The Chinese Beiyang government was occupied with suppressing internal affairs, and did little to counter the influence exerted by imperialist foreign powers. The Beiyang government made various concessions to foreigners in order to gain monetary and military support against their rivals. Defeats by foreign powers and the presence of spheres of influence inflamed a sense of nationalism among the emerging middle class and cultural leaders. Leaders of the New Culture Movement believed that traditional Chinese values were responsible for the political weakness of the nation. This created a rather peculiar situation, in which Chinese nationalists called for a rejection of traditional values and the selective adoption of Western ideals of science and democracy. May fourth Movement (Chinese Students Protest) In 1989 there were growing economic hardship caused by high inflation set the ground for a large-scale protest movement by students intellectuals and other parts of a disaffected urban population. University students and other citizens in Beijing camped out at Tiananmen Square to protest against those who slowed reform. Protests also spread to many other cities including Shanghai and Guangzhou.Martial law was declared on May 20 1989, military units were deployed in Beijing. Demonstrators were suppressed brutally, most observers believe that casualties numbered in the hundreds.The entire world expressed horror at the brutal suppression of the demonstrators, the central government eliminated opposition, held in custody large numbers of protesters and urged for required political re-education not only for students but also for party cadre and government officials.

Role And Ethics Of Pakistani Media Media Essay

Role And Ethics Of Pakistani Media Media Essay Media has become double-edged sword for a society while it has the power to shape and reshape public opinions. Media has been playing very effective role since its inception, with the passage of time gained extraordinary power. It can influence and change the beliefs, norms and the structure of a society. Latest technologies have exceptionally amplified the power and utility of the mass media and at the same time have put huge pressure on media scholars to rethink and redefine the guidelines of ethics for media practitioners. Media can form the public opinion from one point to another. Media has vital compulsion towards the society as it has to inform to educate and to entertain but it has been working as opinion maker more than else. It can change a hero to villain and a villain to hero. There are some ethics that media has to follow according to the societys norms. These ethics are not the written rules that state promulgates but the sense of responsibility make media to follow the m. Every society has its own norms that cannot be implemented on others so media has to follow different norms in different societies. Research work of Kai Hafez, Journalism Ethics Revisited: A Comparison of Ethics Codes in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Muslim Asia (2002), discussed about the ethics of media in Muslim and European states that what ethical codes those states have. Muslim rulers did not allow media to be free. They imposed strict policies on freedom of expression and freedom to information. The study revealed that political frame for a free media was established in a country and free expression is the inevitable consequence. Media, in Muslim states, cannot criticise and negatively depict their rulers. The study also argued regarding the ethics of media as western media demands for a common global ethics, which should be noticed as western media programmes that are available in Muslim states like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan etc, creating ethical problems regarding the social norms as it promotes pornography taken as cultural invasion into Eastern societies that are not much open like West. Journalism ethics in Europe and in Islamic world have evidently diverse corridors. While talking about Islamic world, the state authorities promulgate ethics, which make difficult to cover the important issues of the society. While in West, media ethics protect the individual rights to express almost everything. These diversities established that Western codes promote individualism and the codes followed in Islamic states are based on collectivism. The codes of ethics for good journalism seem more complicated. Both sides, West and Islamic states, try to protect personal privacy or even try create balance in news coverage according to the norms of their society. Islamic codes are stricter as compare to Western codes that provide much protection of privacy and sensationalism. However, it came with lower freedom of expression in news coverage regarding the state, the society and religion. Arab states stand first in strictness as Saudia Arabia does not allow publishing or broadcasting any thing even against their sect and other Arab states as well as other oriental states follow these traditions. Islamic Mass Media Charter of Jakarta 1980 demands journalists to be more loyal with religion that is impossible in West. Although rights of freedom of expression are inbuilt parts but only in documents and most Islamic codes, restrict the freedom of expression. Some Islamic states have misused the traditions and norms of their societies for their own interests of remain in power as long as they want or at least as they can. In western states, individuals have been enjoying freedom of speech and have talked about every issue openly what they want to discuss. Comparison between these two codes is much easy to distinguish them as both are going on opposite direction. Role and Ethics in Pakistani Media Media Ethics in Pakistan, a research report of Gilani Research Foundation (GRF) was selected to review its results and findings as well as its effect on developing code of conduct for Pakistani media. The organization is working to enhance and support scientific methods in the field of social and political research. The aim of the organization is to train and support the Pakistani social scientists, market researchers, media planners about the nuances and challenges of research in Pakistani environment. The report was developed after a survey back in 2002 in Pakistan. In its introduction, report presents a comprehensive analysis of the role of Pakistani media as it says the role of media has significantly been increased in Pakistani society. Media is affecting people personally, socially and politically. In 2007, Pakistani people were watching talk shows more than entertainment programmes. Two reasons were behind that increase in talk shows viewership, one was that those kinds of programmes were new to Pakistani society and the other was that Pakistani people take interest in political issues and current affairs that attracted people. The report also examine the scope of the media that has been stepped-up however, before 2001 country had only PTV, a state-run television channel, which had provided news, entertainment etc., People did not have any other choice of watching TV channels. However, after the start of independent private TV channels era, they attracted the Pakistani people with great power. Lots of news channels begun telecasting the talk shows and breaking news that no doubt start spreading information among the masses but it also put an important responsibility on media that while enjoying the freedom and power to reshape the opinion, media has to be more responsible and consider society norms during broadcasting. Unfortunately, Pakistani young media has made so many mistakes. Every TV channel wants to be The first in breaking the news and maximum viewership of their talk shows so they put ethics aside. GRFs report also discussed the growth of mass media in Pakistan, which was very much helpful to understand the nature of Pakistani media. It is all necessary to develop an effective code of conduct that media should be examined carefully and comprehensively. This portion of the report covered the growth of Pakistani media in last 50 years when 80per cent of the population were living in rural areas. They people did not have access to information due to lack of literacy, improper road conditions that constrained the speed of delivering newspapers and cost of the newspapers had somehow been played a role in distribution of information. Having all these problems, media did enjoy a significant role at that time. Nevertheless, media boosted up the area of its reach day-by-day and start participating to shape the civil society. In a part of print media, the report explained the role of newspapers and magazines, which have increased its circulation by 10 times, as it had 50 years back. Readership of newspapers were divided in regulars and casuals including English and Urdu readers. Price of the newspapers had also affected its circulation that why half of the readers borrowed newspapers. The report suggested that how newspapers survived while passing through hard times of restrictions by the authorities, especially by the dictators. During Zias regime newspapers had to get their copy approved from PIDÂ  [1]Â  on repeatedly every day. They were not allowed to publish news stories that criticising the government. PID instructed them what to be published and what not to be. Once a mainstream English newspaper ordered by PID to remove a news story from the paper, it left the space blank to give people a message that here was a news story but government did not allow us to publish (Zamir Niazi 1986). About electronic media, report revealed that TV has become an important part of Pakistani society as more than 80per cent of urban and almost 50per cent of rural population own TV sets, watched regularly but the high effect of its content has been exaggerated. The number of campaigns against the political parties was remained unable to make people to change their loyalty. The report marked the relationship between reach, awareness, attitude formation and behaviour change as very much complex to understand. Less than 50per cent of people having radio sets, listen it regularly. It is far more essential to be aware of the role of electronic media along with its influence and boundaries while developing the code of ethics. The report further lay a hand on the parameters of media ethics that what should be codes for media, which has to cover political, commercial and social issues. However, discussed little more that a code of conduct should linked with global norms to ensure the programmes and advertisements discourage violence, ethnicity, religious discrimination and hatred. Media should respect the sovereignty and culture of the state that are declared in the constitution. The report talked about Pakistani authorities those were working to establish a regulatory body and official code of conduct for media. At that time, a bill draft proposing codes of ethics that media should: Be accurate Promote truth Be fair Respect the right of privacy Repress any kind of discrimination Decrease harm in society Report in decent way Droop violence Discourage sensationalism Avoid to be slander and libel Media supposed to provide accurate information. Unconfirmed and incorrect information could create huge problems in society as well as among countries. However, Pakistani media is in race of ratings that makes it as fast as it can be. With the aim to defeating others, media practitioners, most of the time spread wrong information, which sometimes made them sorry and urged them to publish contradictions. Regarding TV programmes, PEMRAÂ  [2]Â  rules say, No programme shall be aired which contains material which may be detrimental to relations of Pakistan with other countries (Section A, Clause 1/O). However, few months back, a Pakistani English news channel broadcasted an unconfirmed Wikileaks cable accusing India that Hindu extremist lobby could attack Pakistan. The report also suggested that Indian government supported by genocidal army that propagated against Pakistan. The report created problems between the two countries. Wikileaks pointed it out a wrong cable so that Pakistani media had to publish contradiction. In recent news, while reporting on Presidents health issue, media seemed clueless about the facts that why actually Mr. Zardari went to Dubai, every news channels and newspaper reported different information that were proved wrong. Media should avoid speculation-based reporting. Media personnel must be fair and have to be objective rather subjective. Media have to put both sides of a picture in front of its viewers or readers and let them to develop their own point of view regarding any issue. However, Pakistani media either print or electronic, in its content, looks like biased that favor one party and trying to prove the others wrong. Talk shows are at their best to doing this where some anchor persons taking side of their beloved party. They specially criticized the government, reason of doing this is that Pakistani people were always complaining against the government policies and somehow they were right but it is not an anchors job to do so. Media ethics demand them to be fair and unbiased. Geos self-proclaimed most watched talk show Aaj Kamran Khan Kay Sath is a best example of this because the programme always trying to establish that government has failed to deliver and it has to go home very soon. Opponents of the government are invited in the talk show. Print media also doing the same while publishing news reports. Another talk show entitled Hasb-e-Hal of Dunya News has also been doing the same as it always portrayed negative picture of national institutions, politicians and Pakistani society but in humorous way. Now in current issue of Haqqanis Memo scandal, almost every anchorperson of TV channels and news stories of newspapers seem to prove Hussain Haqqani guilty while the case is in court. Media ethics demand them to inform not to pass the verdict that he is guilty or not. Pakistan is an Islamic state and Islam asks to reduce harm and promote harmony in society. According to the PEMRA rules, Programmes must not be directed against the sanctity of home, family and marital harmony (Section A, Clause 3). Pakistani media supposed to play its part according to this rule but a one can easily see contrary reality of its performance. Like many broader ethical systems, journalism ethics include the principle of limitation of harm. This often involves the withholding of certain details from reports such as the names of minor children, crime victims names or information not materially related to particular news reports release of which might, for example, harm someones reputation. Reporting of accident or rape case, reporters along with camera operator reach victims house and start report in dramatic way that would hurt the feelings of affected family. Another PEMRA rule tried to decrease harm by saying that, contains an abusive comment that, when taken in context, tends to or is likely to expose an individual or a group or class of individuals to hatred or contempt on the basis of race or caste, national, ethnic or linguistic origin, colour or religion or sect, sex, sexual orientation, age or mental or physical disability (Section A, Clause 1/c). Nevertheless, TV programmes of disabled persons can often be seen on Pakistani media those will hurt the feelings of disabled people. So many sex-orienting dramas, religious, ethnic and sex-based documentaries have also been part of TV programmes. For some offensive material is acknowledged as important to the story. Indecent words, videos and pictures are often seen in Pakistani media. Vulgar stories, immodest dialogues and indecent dressing of actors in TV dramas, are unsuitable for Pakistani society. Shouted-anchors sometimes used harsh language. Indecent content should be moved from front to inside page of newspaper and in TV programmes from prime time to late night, when children are not watching and the PEMRA rules say that No programme shall be aired which is against basic cultural values, morality and good manners (Section A, Clause 1/i) and Particular care should be taken to ensure that programmes meant for children do not contain objectionable language or are disrespectful to their parents or elders (Section A, Clause 2). During floods in 2010, in name of information media, especially electronic media put affected families on show with their broken houses, crying and appealing for help. Media could easily inform masses regarding the devastation and the most flood-hit areas without exposing the harsh reality of the condition of flood victims by showing the destruction through charts and maps. While reporting a scuffle between she-males in unfitted way as they physically had beaten each other, media had ignored the PEMRA rule which says denigrates men or women through the depiction in any manner of the figure, in such a way as to have the effect of being indecent or derogatory (Section A, Clause 1/L). As few of them were shirtless and used, abusing language but camera operator did not take of the camera and the telecasting authorities did not stop that vulgar piece of video. To regulate TV advertisements, the PEMRA rules said, No advertisement shall be permitted which glorifies adultery, lustful passions or alcoholic drinks or the non-Islamic values (Section A, Clause 2/d), but advertisements of facial and hair removing creams, body lotions, beauty soaps etc, promote adultery and lustful passion among young generation. All these activities are absolutely against the Islamic values. It is violation of privacy rights to publish private information about someone who has a logical expectation of privacy. No one has the right to interfere others personal matters. Investigative reporting demands some extraordinary efforts to get hidden truth of any important event but sometimes journalists efforts violate the right of a persons privacy. The report also talked about the media actors that includes media personnel, audience and the judges who are the third party to examine the role of media and its effects on the behaviours. Nowadays, media industry has become a huge commercial industry, which has a complete hierarchy of professionals as owners, managers and other professionals. The report argued that the role of media owners should be limited in the organization as their focus would be only on maximum profit and they could violate the code of ethics that demands something beyond the financial benefits. There should be a board of professionals, which run the organization according the codes. Conclusion All fields of lifework ought to have set of rules to follow to ensure the safety of the society as well as themselves. Those rules also ensure restrictions on who could take personal benefits of his/her position in immoral way. This research is a well effort by GRF to discuss the ethics in Pakistani media. However, there are so many areas that were remained untouched, as it talked about the journalism ethics that are already existed but did not recommend anything new for ethical codes. A comprehensive history of print and electronic media in Pakistan was thrash out in the research, which is, somehow, looks irrelevant when it revealed the result of a survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan, which provided information regarding the number of people in Pakistan who are watching TV, listening radio and reading newspaper regularly. GRFs report should spoke about the criteria for ethical codes, freedom and limitations of media organizations according to norms of Pakistani society rather to discuss how many people buy newspapers, and how many borrow it from other. It should reveal the actual performance of the media that is it working efficiently and obeying the ethical codes or just focusing on financial benefits. If media working against the journalism ethics than how much it is affecting the society negatively and how it could be put on the right way. Norms of Pakistani society should also be discussed, which will be very much helpful to judge the existing ethical codes. This kind of judgment, which was missing in the report, could make someone able to develop new lines for media to follow. This country paper of GRF conferred the parameters of media ethics that it should caters the need of public according the norms but the paper did not speak how media could build up a proper code of ethics that is acceptable for every one. This is not reasonable, in a paper on media ethics, to present information about scuffles between governments and media regarding the content, which was published in newspapers over the years, purely based on personal conflicts. If the conflicts were based on code of ethics related to societys problems, in that case, it would be better for both the government and media organisation, it would help government to promulgate official code of ethics as well as would help media to put and maintain pressure on governments erroneous policies.

Military Policy :: essays research papers

POLSCI 111  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gerard Chretien Introduction to American Government  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  May 15, 2001 MILITARY DEFENSE POLICY Dear Mr. President,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a proud American and veteran of our great armed forces, I strongly advocate that you initiate a new policy regarding the maintenance and strategic welfare of our nations forces. The current conditions of our military are not in sync with the needs of the 21st century challenges and objectives. There is numerous issues that need to be addressed such as: new weapon development, increase in pay, consolidation of various programs, review of oversea deployment policy and so forth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Currently you are aware that your predecessor (malignant Bill Clinton) and his administration have not developed any policy to upgrade our forces during his presidential tenure. Having served in the military, I can say from personal experience, that our forces need a desperate infusion of new weapons and strategic programs that would do away with inefficient and obsolete ones. Our men and women, who wear their proud uniform, represent one of America’s most treasured assets, thus their needs must be held to a high standard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the Clinton era, for that matter, since the end of the Reagan era, defense spending has been systematically reduced across the board (omitting the Gulf War). This type of reduction leaves our armed forces inadequately supplied with resources to combat issues that affect the U.S. domestically and abroad. The current status must be overhauled and restructured.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You may feel that as a result of the Cold-War ending and the majority of America feeling the need to expand our military is not necessary, I urge you not to ride the same track of thought. Having rogue states still capable in constructing weapons of mass destruction (e.g. Iraq) and host of other states that despise our way of life, it’s imperative, now more than ever, that we stay militarily capable and ready to defend America’s interest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now there is many who believe that the United States should down grade military production because of several factors. First, the United States is the remaining super-power in the world, a threat from an antagonistic country like North Korea or Iraq seems ridiculous and very remote. Secondly we have the world’s most productive economy, allowing us to build and purchase anything that fits our interest. Last and most importantly we have and sustain the most dangerous armed forces known to man. Such factors leads us to believe that military spending is futile in age of peace time and further more, America’s most dangerous rival (Soviet Union) is no longer a threat, but a cooperative diplomatic engaging state.

Antigone :: essays research papers

We are not what we are; we are who society recognizes us to be. The responses from society for our actions are what gives us our sense of self. Without other people your identity does not exist for it is society who acknowledges or denies the individual their identity. We are who society allows us to be. Society represents that which is more powerful than the individual. Society’s needs are always greater than the individual. The identity of the individual will suffer for stepping outside of the boundaries set by society for that individual. Society sets boundaries for individuals that give the individual a certain area of movement, actions, and speech. Those individuals that cross those boundaries not only could lose their identity but will most likely suffer societal penalties that often result in death. Those individuals that live their lives and reach for goals within their boundaries, using what is within their boundaries set by the society that individual lives in, will be rewarded by reaching their goals set within the scope of limits set by society. Using examples from the movie â€Å"The Return of Martin Guerre† one can see the importance of complying with the demands of society in order to obtain the desired identity. In 1527, a family with the name of Daguerre moved from French Basque country to a village called Artigat. This village had different moral attitudes about whom and what the individual is. The family understood this and from the beginning made changed to themselves that allowed society and the individual family member to fit together in a tighter fashion. For instance, the family Daguerre changed the name to Guerre in order to ‘fit in’ to their new society. Also the Guerre family learned to speak in a different dialect because their new found society also spoke that dialect. The most extreme example of conceding to the demands of society was the women in the family were no longer equal to the men in the family. This inequality of the sexes was demanded the most at the local church. The women in the Guerre family abided by these laws. In the end, these compromises made by the family in order to be accepted and contribute to their new society paid off. For instance, when an imposter threatened infiltration into the Guerre family the society of the town rose up and made efforts to back the family and protect them. If the family had not chosen to make concessions, then it would not be surprising if the society they lived in would leave them to their own devices for their own defense against the imposter.

Of Ants and Terrorists Essay -- essays research papers

Of Ants and Terrorists   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After several hours and extensive questioning of family and friends, I decided to write this analogy assignment on the vast similarities of ants and terrorists. I had several topics to choose from; however, I wanted to write about something that relates to our present times. There are dozens if not hundreds of similarities between these two. For example they both live in organized societies, they range in sizes from a very few to several thousands. You could also find both of these groups all over the world. These two â€Å"species† are well organized, very meticulous and determined. For these and other reasons, I decided to write this paper on this subject.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lets start with the organization of these two. Ants operate in highly organized colonies. There’s a queen and every ant has a specific function within the colony. There’s the worker ant, responsible for the construction of the complex anthill; also, the farmer ant duty is to gather food and ensure of a vast supply of foodstuff for the queen. Now lets look at a terrorist group, for example â€Å"al Qaeda†, as we have found out from the last several weeks of media coverage, this group is also extremely highly organized. They have their â€Å"queen†, Usama bin Laden, which runs a pretty darn good structured outfit. This terrorist group is based on a chain command, with its captains, lieutenants and foot soldiers. The al Qaeda group has many branches like, ...

Reaction Paper: Prenatal, Infancy, Middle Childhood, Adolescence, Adulthood Prenatal Development

Development is a lifelong and dynamic process that follows highly definitive processes from conception to old age. Basic themes developed in childhood are transferred or modified through the development stages unto adulthood. The prenatal development as covered by Gregoire & Jungers is extremely crucial for child development specialists or counselors.The developments that occur even before the birth of a child have profound influences on the health and well being of the individual as the process of growth and development continues. In the chapter, â€Å"Prenatal Development† the authors highlight physical, cognitive, emotional and social gains that is made.According to the authors, physical and behavioral characteristics are influenced by genetics and the environment. Prenatal development is further subdivided into three distinct categories based on the duration and the associated developments in pregnancy.For instance, between week one and week three marks ovum period, week f our to eight marks the embryo period and week eight onwards marks the fetal period(Gregoire & Jungers 115).During the ovum period, implantation of the fertilized egg occurs followed by the formation of the neural tube. Most organ systems begin forming in the embryonic period. Development of organ systems precedes both in a cephalocaudal and proximodistal direction.During this period of development, the only risks to normal development are the teratogens. The understanding of the risks to prenatal development is useful because it aids the mother in making decisions aimed at avoiding events, activities or nutrition that may negatively impact on the health and development of the fetus.Some of the teratogens as listed by the author include any substance that may cause structural damage to the unborn such as drugs, environmental pollutants, alcohol, infectious diseases, diet and other factors related to psychological health like stress and anxiety. However, there are other factors that m ay also directly affect the physical development at the prenatal phase.The prenatal phase of development is defined by some authors as the period between conception time and birth. In normal circumstances, this duration typically lasts 38 to 42 weeks. During this entire period rapid changes accompany the transformation of fertilized egg, to zygote and eventually to a baby.It is only during this phase of development that systemic growth occurs so rapidly in the absence of any form of direct external influences. Any influence to the unborn is transmitted via the mother. Due to the rapidity of growth and development coupled to the vulnerability of the unborn to deleterious external influence, the prenatal phase demands strict medical management (Curtis & Newman 58).The authors succeed in presenting a critical analysis of the prenatal stage of development; however the presentation is highly complex and extremely modeled for the sole benefit of counselors. The text may not be appropriate from child development specialists without an advanced level of professional or academic achievement.During the prenatal stage of development, all activity takes place in the uterus. The behavior of the unborn can only is described through the experiences of the mother. Mothers possess an extraordinary sensitivity to the movement of the fetus.Based on the descriptions of these movements, the behavior of babies is described as being active or passive. They are active when they are kicking or rolling while when they are quiet their behavior is described as being passive.Fetal movements are more noticeable from the sixteenth week towards the twentieth week. By the seventh month of pregnancy, eyelids open. Taste and smell also develop. Studies have also established that grasp reflex also exists in utero.InfancyAfter the birth of an infant, the development domains necessarily expand from the biological aspects to other domains that had earlier on been less important. Thus, Gregoire & Ju ngers begins the analysis of the stage of infancy by looking into the physical, cognitive as well as the socioemotional domains that categorically characterize the changes and transitions that will occur during the entire lifespan of an individual.The first noticeable changes at infancy are the reflexes fundamental for survival and adaptation to the new environment. As development progresses, other some reflexes are maintained while a select number are discarded due to their non-importance in survival and adaptation.Some of the survival reflexes that the author notes include; rooting, breathing, papillary, eye blink and sucking while the primitive reflexes may be observed as swimming, stepping, plantar, babinski, startling and palmar(p. 114).Just like in prenatal development, motor and physical development proceed via the cephalocaudal and proximodistal patterns. Motor developments allow the infant to accomplish the raising of heads and chest followed by sitting, crawling, standing and eventually walking. Between eleven to fifteen months, many infants begin to walk unaided.Fine tuning of motor skills allows them to perform tasks such as uncoordinated reaching and grasping using their palms. Later on coordinated reaching and grasping is observed as the infant learns to use thumb and the forefinger.As these motor developments become more and more apparent other physical developments in seeing and hearing also becomes noticeable. It is at this time that sensitivity to sounds becomes evident. As such they can be soothed, distressed, or even alerted via the influence of varying frequency or rhythms of tones.Through auditory developments, infants learn how to discriminate between non speech sounds and speech sounds and even begin to show preference for human voices and by extension, ton specific human voices. Moreover, attachment and temperament attributes begin to not only determine their bonding with closer carers but also how they behave and respond to the enviro nment.Gregoire & Jungers, posit that during infancy emotional development is externally affected by the nature of parent's responsiveness and that over a period of time self regulation among infants is internalized. It is also during the same time that gains in self awareness are achieved.In a nutshell, infants learn of their own existence as distinct beings and as they begin to discover how to interact with their environment they realize that their actions possess predictable results. At the later stages, they gain knowledge of their own physical composites (p. 119).According to Christiansen et al, infancy extends to toddler hood and is associated with cognitive, sensory and musculoskeletal development. Social and emotional gains are also made. By early infancy, differences in temperament and personality become manifest. These character attributes are modeled by genetic and environmental factors which directly influence early social development (Christiansen et al 49).These first e ighteen months after birth characterize the beginning of communication, the acquisition of walking skills and use of hands for grasping and reaching and the child's relationship with the social environment. With rapid physical growth, motor and sensory fine tuning, the impacts of cultural, social emotional and cognitive influences become integral in development.Middle ChildhoodBy middle childhood, sense of identity as reflected through play activities, gender roles, and family relationships can be observed. Even though physical growth can easily be measured, rapid development in social skills, linguistic skills and cognitive gains are even more compelling.It is at this period that imaginary and physical play, self care activities, school and family chores and responsibilities emerge to demand the child's concentration (Christiansen et al 48). According to Gregoire & Jungers, this period ranges from six years to eleven years and is marked by great strides in cognitive development. It is also at this period that children are exposed to peer and other social sphere influences (124).Children demonstrate an extensive knowledge of language. Gains and use of vocabulary, grammar as well as pragmatic skills are astounding. After mastering good grammar correcting of grammatical mistakes, these young learners then begin to communicate with regard to context. Code switching enables them to adapt their linguistic skills to the persons they are communicating with.Gains on self concept can be observed when children start to make social comparisons and interpret their behaviors and abilities in relation to their social environment. During middle childhood children demonstrate very high esteem which later drops off to realistic levels.This leveling off of self esteem is only possible after children succeed in incorporating feedback about their competency in relation to that of other peers or other individuals in the social environment.On the emotional scale, self conscious emo tions develop as children begin understanding the concept of personal responsibility. By learning to interpret how others are feeling or thinking, they understand other people's perspectives. These developments are further buttressed by emotional self regulation which is linked to a variety of social functioning aspects.Pre-schooling and schooling increases the importance of peer associations in middle childhood. Through peers they learn socially appropriate behaviors and emotions such as empathy, sympathy and shyness.Since children only make friends with other children identical to them in terms of gender, race, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, achievement, popularity and social behavior, peer associations became incredibly important in modeling their behavior and cognitive gains.The importance of middle childhood developments cannot be underrated as some researchers point out. Middle childhood activities can be used to predict adult work competence. Peer relations in middle c hildhood may be used to predict early adulthood involvements in romantic relationships(Huston & Ripke 25).In a nutshell, middle childhood is characteristic of a stage where individuals continually refine motor skills, focus on academic and/or school related tasks while at the same time nurture peer relationships that would become very useful not only in adolescence but also in early adulthood.AdolescenceAccording to Copher & Mortimer, adolescence marks the development period when individuals establish identities. This stage of development is often associated with significant emotional strain as individuals are forced to model themselves into who they think they are and what they hope to become as they progress to adulthood.Identities are basically grounded on relationships, roles, status and character traits. Character trails can either be classified as behavioral or psychological attributes. In the western world, adolescence as a stage is conceptualized as experimental, carefree an d playful. As these adolescents mature into adulthood, the conceptualization changes to being independent, hardworking, responsible and productive.It is important to note that the author restricts this classification to Western conceptualization since these definitions vary the world over with regard to the cultural, social and even legal context. These asynchronies attribute to identity conflicts and status inconsistencies among different social institutions(http://family.jrank.org).Typically, adolescence occurs between the ages of 12 to 19 years. The period is characteristic of hormonal changes. The pituitary gland releases growth hormones which stimulate the release of a wide variety of other homes by different glands in the body.These hormones aid in body growth and sexual maturation. Key aspects of sexual maturation include the release of androgens and estrogens which trigger sexual maturation.Physical changes in the body as manifest in the growth and maturation of reproductive organs and other secondary sexual features also signify sexual maturation and finally, spermarche in boys and menarche in girls are directly related to pubertal changes.There are other physical developments that are not associated with sexual maturation   but which can also be observed during adolescence. For instance, as opposed to childhood, a reversal of cephalocaudal growth occurs. Release of thyroxine by thyroid glands results in height and weight gains.These developments can be measurably be seen as broadening of the boy's shoulders and girls hips, increase in the growth of legs, feet and hands. Boys increase muscles while girls accumulate more fat. Gins also occur with respect to the improvement in motor skills which vary between the sexes.On the cognitive development front, adolescents develop the capacity to engage in abstract scientific thinking but this does not necessarily imply that such individuals find it much easier to plan and make everyday decisions. Peer associ ations lead to the formation of cliques. Peer affiliation, conformity and peer pressure also increases during this development phase(Gregoire & Jungers 130).Adolescents are always in search of autonomy and their emotional development is characterized by the same. While early childhood is almost supremely influenced by the family, peer influences rival family influences in adolescence. Thus, even though parent-child relationships remain crucial, conflicts between adolescents are their parents are not unusual occurrences.Huge gains in cognitive development imply that many adolescents can engage in operational thought hence they may often recognize multiple choices that are available to them. Some choices may not be optimal. Problems in decision making are attributable to this multiplicity of choices.Since adolescents have to make decisions in a dynamic sociopolitical world with varying traditional expectations, economic upheavals and contemporary conditions, there are times when the d ecisions made may be grossly inappropriate. In fact, a majority of the changes related to sexual maturation and hormonal changes also reflect on physical and motional status of the adolescents.In preparation for adulthood, adolescence marks the period of educational attainment while at the same time working to attain considerable financial health. However, for a majority of youth, adolescence which comes with increased risk taking creates several youth problem behaviors like substance abuse and delinquency.Problems with the law may also arise due to engaging in legally prohibited activities like smoking and drinking. Play in adolescence assumes a structured and formalized nature hence music, competitive sports, dances and a host of other group experiences. Social relationships are nurtured because of their importance. Productive pursuits like volunteer activities and work are taken up by some individuals and such pursuits may last a lifetime.