Chinese Water Scarcity

Abstract In my opinion, China is threatened by the fresh water scarcity problem right now. According to this, I will try to design a best way which is suitable for China to solve this issue by comparing and contrasting different countries’ methods. I have collected some background information from the internet and extracted the main idea into a form. After analyzing it, I have reached a conclusion that reducing the factories which are creating pollutant into the rivers or lakes by establishing a special legal system is the most suitable way for China. This is a convenient and long-lasting project. 1. IntroductionTable 1. 0 Solution to solve water scarcity | |Water supply |Water demand | |Increase water supply |^ |Same | |Decrease water demand |Same |v | |both |^ |v | The purpose of the research is to find the information about water scarcity and to improve the water scarcity problem in China. I choose to increase the water supply as my original solution, and I have develped a creative solution based on the original one.As a result, the thesis of my research is to reduce the polluted water which comes from the factories is a effective way to improve the fresh water scarcity. Aquatic ecosystems cover about 70 percent of the Earth's surface. There are many kinds of animal life in the aquatic systems including microscopic zooplankton and all sizes of marine mammals. (eHow ND) 2. 0 Methodology China is now facing increasingly severe water scarcity problem, especially in the northern part of China. The character of China's water scarcity is the insufficiency of local water resources and the water quality which is decreasing because of the water pollution. Jiang 2009) Due to the increasing population and the developing of many big cities in China, Chinese government must take action as soon as possible to improve the situation although it is a long-term task. In my opinion, the easiest way to improve this problem in a relatively short time is to establish a cer tain policy system so that the factories which create a lot of pollution can be reduced. This method can also save a lot of time and money. All that Chinese government has to do is just check if the local government is following the rules.There are several data sources such as the internet, textbooks of science from last semester, and I will also collect some information and experience from other countries' methods so that I can compare them in different situation to find the most effective way. The data that I have collected has helped me a lot to analyze the problem. This includes other countries’ methods to solve the issue. Then I compare them all to try to figure out which way is the most suitable for the situation in China. To sum up, the information that I got from several ways is really useful for me. 3. Findings Table 2. Three main fresh water issues in China | |Description |Current plans | |Issue #1 |Wastewater pollution |Wastewater improvement project | |Issue #2 | Pollution of fresh water lakes |Ge help from Asian Development Bank | |Issue #3 |Uneven distribution of fresh water |South-to-north water diversion project | Here are three main fresh water issues in China. First is about the wastewater pollution in China.For example, Tianjin is the third largest industrial city in China. However, the whole city’s drainage system and its wastewater treatment are far behind its industrial development. In order to deal with the problem, Tianjin Municipal Government has introduced a waste water improvement project, the World Bank also provide some help for them. Also, Chao Lake is one of the five largest lakes in China which locates in Shanghai, is also damaged because of the rapid development of industry and urban areas. The Shanghai government is also try to get help from the Asian Development Bank. Min ND) Second issue is the uneven distribution of fresh water. South areas in China is facing the threaten of floods, however, there is not enoug h rainfall in north areas. The Chinese government has started a great project called south-to-north water diversion project since 2004. For more information about this project, see This project is still lasting until now. I believe that it will works very well to solve this problem. The third issue is about water pollution. Even in the places where the fresh water is rich, water pollution is also decreasing the fresh water supply.So the environmentalists are trying to reduce the factories which produce a lot of wastewater into the freshwater lakes. This work would be a long-lasting project for the whole country. In my opinion, globalization has both positive and negative impacts for the water scarcity in China. First, Chinese government can get a lot of help from other countries after globalization. As I said, Tianjin and Shanghai have already got financial help from some global banks. We can also absorb other countries’ experiences and methods to improve the water scarcity i ssues. However, there are also several disadvantages.Some international companies would start their municipal companies in other countries. Such small companies are usually factories which would create a lot of pollution into the seas or lakes. This kind of factories harms the environment a lot. Also, globalization may have bad impacts on the developing countries such as China. This is because that we are not strong enough to prevent the risks from happening. 4. 0 Discussion America also has water scarcity problem. For example, the Lake Mead, which supplies water for about 22 million people, will be dry by 2021.Also, the water from Colorado River may soon be compelled to cease pumping water to other places because of its water scarcity. The main reason for this is the global warming is fastening the speed of water evaporation. The American environmentalists suggest that they can dig ponds or underwater receptacles. Fortunately, this low-tech method has already helped the farmers in China. (Snyder, ND) India is also a typical country which has very drastic water scarcity problem. This issue even has a negative impact on the whole country’s food security because the farmers do not have enough water to irrigate the farmland.India is a developing country; however, the water scarcity limits the development of agriculture. The geological environment of India includes desert, plain, and tundra, so the climate changes very fast, this situation only makes the problem worse. So the Indian government starts to use a kind of special irrigation method, drip irrigation, and it is trying to improve the water management system. (Chatterjee ND) According to the findings, I have got a conclusion that the methods to solve fresh water issues depend on different situations in different countries.So, because China is a developing country, the industry and agriculture needs to be improved, reducing the factories which are producing pollutant can not only improve the environme nt, but also provide more space for other companies to develop. As I have mentioned, Chinese government has already made a plan to solve those issues above. In my opinion, in spite of getting help from the big banks, the government can also hire some environmentalists who have a lot of experiences to design a new drainage system for the factories.This can prevent the wastewater from flowing to the lakes or seas from its origin. I think that this research is really helpful to solve the fresh water issue. I have compared and contrast several countries which are really typical for this problem. Then I find the best way that is very suitable for China. If this plan can be adopted, I believe that it will be really effective. As I have mentioned in the introduction part, my original solution to solve the water scarcity problem is to increase water supply. Then I develped a creative solution according to the resesarch I have down on the internet.So I think that to reduce the factories whic h produce a lot of wastewater is a effective way to increase water supply. However, there are also several factors that can influence the findings. For example, the situations are different in different parts of China. Also, the geological environment is different. These are the aspects that I think may interfere with the findings. 5. 0 Conclusions and Recommendations There are some advantages that I think for my solution. First, this solution is the conclusion I have got after compare and contrast several different countries.It is suitable for China’s situation. Second, this method is easy to do, it will not cost a lot of money or need a lot of people to do it. These are the reasons that I think Chinese government would adopt this solution. If the solution can be adopted, the government should make some special policies or laws to restrict the factories to prevent them from creating much pollution. Second, the government should let some people to go to all the industrial cit ies to check if the factories are following the rules.Then they should check the quality of water once a month so the environmentalists can know if the situation is improving. Reference Jiang,Y (2010), Water Scarcity – China, the encyclopedia of Earth , [online] Available at: http://www. eoearth. org/article/Water_scarcity_-_China [Accessed 10 March, 2013] Gast, C (ND), Definition of an aquatic ecosystem, [online] Available at: http://www. ehow. com/about_6307480_definition-aquatic-ecosystem. html [Accessed 10 March, 2013] Min, K (ND), Water Pollution in China, ScienceCentral. com, [online] Available at: http://darwin. bio. ci. edu/~sustain/suscoasts/krismin. html [Accessed 10 March, 2013] Chatterjee, S, (ND), The battle of water – India’s food insecurity compounded by water scarcity, [online] Available at: http://www. trust. org/alertnet/blogs/the-battle-for-water/indias-food-insecurity-compounded-by-water-scarcity [Accessed 10 March, 2013] Snyder, S, (ND), Wat er Scarcity – The U. S. connection, the Water Project, [online] Available at: http://thewaterproject. org/water_scarcity_in_us. asp [Accessed 10 March, 2013] Appendices Picture 3. 0 South-to-north water diversion project in China

American Indians Two Spirits

The role of the American Indians (Native Americans) in the United States cannot be underestimated. In fact, this people are the part of a cultural legacy of the United States. Due to the multiple tribes inhabiting America from East to West Americans loaned many of the common names and other terms going directly from the language of Native Americans. It concerns everything about the names of multiple states, towns, cities, etc. However, this research has its aim to disclose the nature of Native Americans in terms of gender roles and gender issues scoped out for today.In such an analysis one should pay special attention to some similarities or differences (natch! ) about two-spirit people among Native Americans. Moreover, it is not for nothing that the cultural as well as mythological approaches are taken to help an observer get the right idea of specificities going around these unique people, namely American Indians.First of all, it is possible to suggest that Indians living in the No rth America and throughout the United States, in particular, keep their culture in safety from the ominous (as they say) impacts of the Western culture.Hence, some similar terms and states of people have another coloring among Natives than it is among Westerners. Thus, one of the aspects in the research paper covers the cultural aspects of these spiritually well-treated people. Next, the question will be about the concept of two-spirit people (two-spirits) coming out to be among Native Americans. Finally, the discussion will touch upon some justifications of suchlike characterization of Native Americans. This will presuppose using features of compare/contrast analysis.As a finishing stroke, an observer should be ready to perceive the reality of two-spirit people, as it falls into traditional concept of gender, sex, sexuality, and spirituality among Native Americans (Jacobs, Thomas, & Lang, 1997).Nonetheless, the play is worth candles, as they say. Thus, the value of the research is in its sociological as well as anthropological investigation of tribal life of Native Americans and some peculiarities of berdache people (meaning two-spirits). Evaluation First of all, it is necessary to draw one’s attention to the mythology of Native Americans.They are quite spiritual in their beliefs and in traditions as well. Everything about their beliefs in divinity starts from glorifying spirits incorporated in well-known elements of nature or natural features (Leeming & Page, 2000).Woodlands and Plains are the most appreciated by Natives, as the place for the basic spiritual powers (Manitou and wakan) which are personified in these widespread areas inhabited by American Indians (Leeming & Page, 2000). Hence, the cultural background of Native Americans starts with the mythology and faith they share for centuries.Such a multifaceted reality encounters some critical points while Western civilizations are trying to critique beliefs of Natives, as primitive and no longer p ossible in a fast-growing world. Nevertheless, mythology is inseparable out of what Natives secure about their own attitudes toward some social events or people being different than the rest of the tribal community. This characterization is for a reason, since gender roles and the concept of sexuality are thought of in a different way by American Indians.It is a matter of their identity and dignity. Owing to keeping their culture(s) in safety, Native Americans secure social equilibrium on the spot. Thus, it is worth mentioning that features of any kind are open for discussion in a tribe.Some of them being a taboo for Western people are beyond reproach among Natives. In fact, the question is about Native American berdaches, as the two-spirit people. As it was mentioned before, American Indians kept their precious beliefs out of Western implications.As a matter of fact, Indians are likely to omit the notion of â€Å"berdache† by changing it to another concept of â€Å"two-spir it† (Jacobs, Thomas, & Lang, 1997). This is because the term itself originates from the nineteenth century when it defined â€Å"slaveboys,† â€Å"catamites,† or â€Å"inverts.†Hence, Natives, as a freewill community of people in the United States, prove their identity through the notions of spirituality and belonging to a tribe. This is the most valued features associated with these people. American Indians are non-violent by nature. It is well reported in the legends going along with tribes throughout the continent.Before getting the idea of the Great Spirit, two people were proposed to choose the weapon: the first one chose a gun and became a white man while the second one chose a bow and an arrow and became an Indian (Leeming & Page, 2000).In this mythic inscription American Indians tried to illuminate that spirits saved them from â€Å"extinction,† so to speak, by letting to choose afterwards. Otherwise, they would become as a Whiteman, cruel a nd apt at violence. This is the gist of why American Indians are likely to ignore what the Western civilization has proposed them.It is so even in social relationships, of course. Indians are not willing to use the same terms as whites use. They are scrupulous at finding a better explanation of peoples’ lives. Notwithstanding some unique states of peoples’ souls and spirits in a tribe, Indians follow the prescriptions of their predecessors in judging all of their identity. It is about time to give some new implications on the term of two-spirit people. In fact, these are those being of one gender physically, but feeling strongly the presence of another gender at the same time.This simple definition provides a scope of reasoning over the nature of indigenous people in the United States. Gender was always viewed by Native Americans as having a spiritual background. The physical sphere for the spirit is a secondary thing to interpret Indians’ justification of why t hey think of gender relationships differently. By contrast, indigenous people of America use their own characterization of gender. Brown (1997) identifies six basic gender styles among Native Americans, i. e. men and women, not-men and not-women, gays and lesbians.This characterization gives substantial grounds to suppose American Indians more varied and free-to-judge about gender analysis and its significance. Western culture views these particularities senseless reducing them to four or even two elements. It is due to the influence of morale and historical background outlining bigotries as of berdaches. It is important that American Indians view a man and a woman as two beginnings or halves to give further life to a tribe. These incorporations are done to prescribe a divine nature of gender in its spiritual patterning.All in all, indigenous people are apt at coming up with the alternative gender style in their society. Despite Western people, Indians, therefore, reduce an extent o f tribal conflicts due to a right understanding of different genders in people. For instance, in Santee Dakota and Lakota tribes, gender styles are in most points associated with particular cultural norms as for berdaches and fetishism as a term which unnecessarily linked to two-spirit people (Brown, 1997). These particularities gave American Indians more freedom to choose their social niche within a tribal society.Nevertheless, one should see a sociological prerequisite for diminishing a degree of controversial, frequently conflict, situations. Native American gays and lesbians is another aspect of the discussion. These people feel no prejudice or blame because of their gender style. In fact, two-spirit people are concerned with some magical power being with them, as healers or even as associates to witchcraft (Jacobs, Thomas, & Lang, 1997). In this respect American Indian people do not feel like hating two-spirit people. One should notice a distinct use of the word â€Å"spirit.à ¢â‚¬ This is where a respectful attitude toward Native American berdaches starts. What is more, it is largely considered that indigenous people in the United States are unique for their own views on life and manners of social existence.This goes along with the anthropological features of two-gendered spirits of some people living in a tribe. As a matter of fact, in the contemporary discourse gays and lesbians among Native Americans are really different from those of other ethnical belongings (Western people, in particular) (Brown, 1997).Century-long history of American Indians and their unbreakable strong traditions in fulfilling their destinies does not give them a chance to drop a hint of doubt concerning their spirituality. It is remarkable that two-spirit people are also endured with force.This one is appreciated among tribal society to bear a healing power and a so-called ‘mascot’ for the rest of the society. Thus, these people are largely considered to be involve d into spiritual connections with the Great Spirit as well as with Manitou and wakan.Once again, it is significant to admit that the main difference of shaping gender identities between Native Americans and Western people is in their cultures. Culture is a multilevel system bearing the identity of a community or even society of individuals.The anthropological issue is that cultural belonging exemplifies itself in gender attitudes (Wood, 2008). As was mentioned before, two-spirit people are a particular calque for gays and lesbians in the rest of the world. However, this notion is incomplete, as it bears no connection to how American Indians treat it.Thereupon, one should be careful and accurate in explaining the fact that two-spirit people are not similar to gays and lesbians in a simple conception. Two-spirit people are admired among Native Americans (Wood, 2008).Intersexuality means something special for American Indians. It is an aspect of a sacred features in a man incorporated with spirits being of different genders. Therefore, people should not treat it wrong that two-spirit people of Native Americans have nothing to do with something else but gay or lesbian attitudes and way of life.The features of acceptance and belonging for two-spirit people today are critical, as there is a collision of two cultural backgrounds, namely Native American and traditional gay cultures (Gilley, 2006).Two-spirit American Indians are so by their initial realization of their place among people and in terms of spiritual features corresponding to their Indian identity. It is hard to talk on this topic due to the increase of current gay culture dampening genuinely sacred understanding of two-spirit implementation among Indians.Recent studies on being a two-spirit individual within Native American communities show that it is impossible for indigenous people to impose surgery for making the prevailing feeling as of gender physically apparent (Gilley, 2006).This is a silly thing f or those who knew about two-spirit people long before the scientific and technological progress and the development of medicine and plastic surgery. It is a state of spirit, a state of soul, thus, a state of mind for Native Americans.Nonetheless, it is not a big secret that in contemporary tribal rites and priorities two-spirit people encounter some problems with the overall acceptance and further belonging to American Indian society (Wood, 2008). Historically, the cultural tradition of two-spirit people among different tribes has its specific definitions. Lev (2004) provides a set of different notions for two-spirit people in different tribes: â€Å"winkte (Lakota), nadleehi (Navaho), bote (Crow), lhamana (Zuni), and haxu’xan (Arapaho) for males, and hwame (Mojave) for females† (59).Dual-gender states are explained differently but all of them derived from the precious for Indians cultural framework and strong connection to their indigenous beliefs in spirituality of a ny individual within Native American society. The hegemonic Western culture is a great impediment for two-spirit people among Native Americans. The question is that these people cannot but be nearby the trends and features of traditional gay and lesbian culture. Thus, dualism of genders seems to be on the edge of having no genuine spiritual coloring for Indians.In this respect it is interesting that Native American berdaches are not traditionally concerned with homosexuality in terms of gender relationships, but just physically (Jacobs, Thomas, & Lang, 1997). This evaluation comes out to be a critical and quite contradicting as explained on the part of Native Americans. The idea is that everyone having an intercourse with two-spirit people is never considered to be a gay or a lesbian: If you are a man and you have sexual relationship with a ‘berdache,’ you’re not having sex with another man. You’re having sex with a ‘berdache.’And if youâ€⠄¢re a woman who has sex with a ‘berdache,’ you’re not having sex with a woman, you’re having sex with a ‘berdache. ’ So the partners of the ‘berdache’ technically are never homosexual because they’re not having sex with their same gender† (Jacobs, Thomas, & Lang, 1997, p. 104-105) This truth (apparently, an assumption) by Native Americans illuminates a sticking point for Western mentality and rationale of what being a gay or a lesbian means at large. Cultural prospects are above all for indigenous people in the North America.In fact, there is a feature of admiration in evidence. Many anthropologists refer Native Americans in their understanding of two-spirit people to some Asian cultures which have full-fledged settings of beliefs similar to duality of genders among American Indians. As might be considered, these implications are for a reason. They drop a light on the century-long communication within Indian peoples. In turn it was reflected on every feature of social life and further adaptation for living with â€Å"white† neighbors. This is why gender relationships are widely anticipated nowadays.To say more, American Indians are likely to personify deities in terms of their duality and reference to both genders. Two personifications of gender types from the spiritual point of view are eagle for a male part and coyote for a female part (Leeming & Page, 2000). Embodiment of two genders associated with nature and animals, particularly, brings a new understanding of homosexuality in. It has many things to do with neutrality and supremacy when individuals bear different feelings and preferences in life as for individuals of the same gender.It is almost impossible to speak about a two-spirit man or woman, as a bearer of some particular gender type. Here comes a dilemma in judging American Indians. They are never considered to be of the same values as pursuant to European people.Not-men and not-women are likely to be discovered out of men and women but as those having some magic power at their disposal (Brown, 1997). Among six gender styles, one should be attentive and quite rational not to mix not-men and not-women with gays and lesbians. This is why there is another incorporation of gender belonging as constituted by Native Americans.At a glance, it is hard to believe it, but it needs a proper look at how socialization takes place among American Indians. Hence, it is impossible to identify two-spirit people similar to current gays and lesbians.This would be a particular anthropological and sociological mistake. Different researches proved it to be right and full of rationality if only looking at the historical, cultural, and religious background of indigenous peoples living in America. Looking at what has been discussed previously, one can make up his/her mind about how to explain two-spirit people among Native Americans.It is apparent that the main difference betwee n two-spirits and gays with lesbians is in the spiritual and cultural background. It is a niche which provides a place for further dimensions in gender styles and gender treatment among American Indians. In the milieu of â€Å"Native American gender diversity† most of the scholars refer all two-spirits to bearing more male features than female ones (Gilley, 2006). This is why, since the colonial era until present it is documented that both not-men and not-women are basically characterized through features of masculinity.This assumption provides a scope of differences to consider two-spirit people not the same as traditionally understood homosexual minorities, as long as the European gay culture presupposes men to be like women in manners and other features and women to be more like women, as they can understand each other better than men could. This makes a constraint between two types of cultural and social ways of perceiving the reality. Westerners and Native Americans deli neate initially different beliefs which are inseparable from gender identities and attitudes toward them.The thing is that homosexuality among Westerners is in most points a reflection of Ancient Greek attitudes toward gender relationships. This idea got through different philosophical and social theories and explanations leading toward present identification of gay culture, as something transcendent and magnificent. Conversely, the evaluation of two-spirit homosexual identity among Native Americans begins on the moment when Indians came to the American continent long before the Europeans discovered it.Thus, it is rational to state two-spirit tradition of American Indians, as purely inscribed into the cultural background of these peoples. Hence, it has no Western or some other alloys of cultural intrusions, as Indians were isolated for many years continentally and by sea. This is why both cultures do not fit in what they mean for people belonging to them. A civilized life and seemin gly old-fashioned traits in traditions are like a medal with two different edges. Strict and quite elaborated norms in tribes of American Indians did not exclude homosexuality.This provides an assumption that transgender versatility should be taken into consideration in every culture in the world. As concerned with Native Americans, their predominantly genuine coloring in provision of the same sex relationships among some few people in a community are functionally defined. In this respect Lev (2004) identifies three core-features among two-spirit people within Native Americans, namely: â€Å"(1) a cross-role specialization in social, productive, and domestic roles; (2) spiritual sanction and associated powers; and (3) gender variation often denoted by cross dressing behavior† (60).This classification of the basic functions as of two-spirit people assumes implication of the key-features hierarchy. Just as they are listed above, these features should be understood by means of t he ascending scale.Two-spirit people, as described in the several tribes in the United States since the colonial time, were obliged to commit with both male and female social worlds (Gilley, 2006). It corresponds to the fact that social taboos were not possible for those who could not give birth to a child. Moreover, it becomes so until now.Two-spirit people are no longer appropriate to be claimed as having something of a man or of a woman. These people shared labor of both gender types inside Native Americans. This is why in Zuni, Cherokee, and other tribes two-spirit people were respectful for being good craftsmen or highly apt at social work within the tribal community.In fact, men could do weaving and potting alongside with hunting big game and building wigwams (Gilley, 2006). Two-spirit men were not separated from the male part of the community, but rather appreciated and adored. This constituted the same for two-spirit women.Notwithstanding, two-spirit people are widely said t o be another, third, type of gender relationships among Native Americans. This statement gives enough space to consider two-spirits economically and socially profitable for their communities.However, it is possible for those representatives of such gender type who position themselves as Jacks-of-all-trades. Nevertheless, experts are apt at characterizing the two-spirits as rather valuable individuals who are even believed to predict different events and to speak directly with spirits. This cannot but suppress ardency of the rest of a tribe.However, there were evidences when two-spirit people were widely suspected in witchcraft and bad will of spirits (Jacobs, Thomas, & Lang, 1997). Not for nothing, it was something like hatred to witches in a medieval Europe. Wood (2008) is inclined in her studies to state that two-spirit people of indigenous tribes of America are the result of the prior matrilineal system established among American Indians. In this respect everything, social, prope rty, or inherited things, were for women, not for men. Perhaps, this was a real pivot around which a symbiosis of two genders appeared and was applied to be another kind of gender relationships.To date, it is taken for granted that two-spirit people embody mostly cultural features and consequences in the evolution of Native Americans’ social life and development. Some experts still show perseverance in identifying two-spirit people through their spiritual estimation. However, the historical and ethno-sociological points of view give grounds to make sure Native American two-spirit people emerged as a result of some social privileges and appropriate changes in the social system and in stratification of individuals inhabiting a definite tribe.Different biases are concerned with some assumptions on the divine and culturally original personification of two-spirit people. This provides further discussion or debate, so to speak, in order to evaluate the social and cultural insights into the essence of what people call Native Americans.Contemporary talks on the theme of two-spirit people among indigenous tribes and peoples living in America including Inuit and Siberian Chukchi are all about transgendered people (being so few within communities) who are concerned women if they are two-spirit men and vice versa (Jacobs, Thomas, & Lang, 1997).This is in evidence until now, and no Western intruder can explain indigenous people the gist of such doing or, perhaps, its amoral side. Moreover, culture is a strong and quite dynamic unity of states and relationships between individuals of the same cultural terrain. This is why there is plenty to talk about social factors impacting cultural growth or decline. Now, it is vital to distinguish between the main dimensions to explain the nature of two-spirit people.It was aforementioned that this is a social and physical mixture of feelings inside an individual grounded on the cultural and the religious features. Lev (2004) giv es a holistic idea on how an observer should think of two-spirit people taking into consideration everything highlighted earlier, namely: â€Å"Though physically Two-Spirit people were not commonly known to be hermaphroditic or intersexed, they are considered to have the social characteristics of both men and women and – consistent with the Indian worldview – they are thought to possess the visions of both sexes† (60).This is, perhaps, the most appropriate in terms of the social discourse. The main obstacle as well as means to survive for two-spirit people is that they should adapt to two social systems with different settings of values and morale, i. e. American and American Indian (Brown, 1997). Getting through the diversity of likes and dislikes in both systems, these people managed to save their culture despite their gender inappropriateness with traditionally marked borders.This is the gist of what makes indigenous people living in the United States so scru pulous and up-and-coming in social or everyday activities. Another applicable feature of two-spirit people is that they do not separate themselves out of the society and their own communities (Jacobs, Thomas, & Lang, 1997). Traditional Western culture presupposes that gays and lesbians should gather together in special places during some thematic parties and on love parades, in particular.Western gays and lesbians are more likely to isolate their community out of the heterosexual majority. Obviously, some features corresponding to morale and political situation in a country have caused such behaviors. On the other side, isolation is a kind of pride suchlike people manifest to the rest of the society. By contrast, two-spirit people never neglect their direct participation in social services and things to be done at the moment. They feel their responsibility to be nearby the majority and help as they can.This is why two-spirit people are full-fledged individuals among the heterosexual peers. Conclusion/recommendations Based on the investigation and analysis done in this research paper, it is clear now that indigenous people have a set of peculiarities about those individuals who mate with the same sex partners. One should not mix it with the traditionally implemented notions of gays and lesbians. Two-spirit people are true members of their tribal communities and of the American Indian society on the whole.It is said that dual-gendered people among Native Americans are the representatives of the third gender which presupposes both male and female views incorporated with suchlike individuals. Historically, the anthropological analysis proves direct sociological links within which the formation or emergence of two-spirit people began. Even though, the study bears an analytical and descriptive evaluation of two-spirit people among Native Americans, it provides a framework for further recommendations.First of all, the study serves as a direct stimulus for would-be so ciologists and anthropologists. Thus, it is vital that practitioners in these fields take a look at the overall analysis of gender issues among indigenous peoples of America. It would be a great precursor for further deeper insights in the subject matter. However, the research would be incomplete if observers or young scholars found out more up-to-date sources on the problem itself and its place in social affairs maintained and developed throughout the American society.Hence, the overall representation of the research paper covers exhaustive information on two-spirit peoples among American Indians. Its value and its significance for sociology cannot be underestimated for further implications in the Native American studies at schools and in colleges.ReferenceBrown, L. B. (1997). Two spirit people: American Indian, lesbian women and gay men. New York, NY: Routledge.Gilley, B. J. (2006). Becoming two-spirit: gay identity and social acceptance in Indian country. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.Jacobs, S. -E. , Thomas, W. , & Lang, S. (1997). Two-spirit people: Native American gender identity, sexuality, and spirituality. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press.Leeming, D. A. , & Page, J. (2000). The Mythology of Native North America. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press.Lev, A. I. (2004). Transgender emergence: therapeutic guidelines for working with gender-variant people and their families. New York, NY: Routledge.Wood, J. T. (2008). Gendered lives: communication, gender, and culture. Stanford, CT: Cengage Learning.

9’Ms of Quality Essay

Different meaning could be attached to the word quality under different circumstances. The word quality does not mean the quality of manufactured product only. It may refer to the quality of the process (i.e., men, material, and machines) and even that of management. Where the quality manufactured product referred as or defined as â€Å"Quality of product as the degree in which it fulfills the requirement of the customer. It is not absolute but it judged or realized by comparing it with some standards†. Quality begins with the design of a product in accordance with the customer specification further it involved the established measurement standards, the use of proper material, selection of suitable manufacturing process etc., quality is a relative term and it is generally used with reference to the end use of the product. Crosby defined as â€Å"Quality is conformance to requirement or specifications†. Juran defined as â€Å"Quality is fitness for use†. â€Å"The Quality of a product or service is the fitness of that product or service for meeting or exceeding its intended use as required by the customer.† Fundamental Factors Affecting Quality The nine fundamental factors (9 M’s), which are affecting the quality of products and services, are: markets, money, management, men, motivation, materials, machines and mechanization. Modern information methods and mounting product requirements. 1.Market: Because of technology advancement, we could see many new products to satisfy customer wants. At the same time, the customer wants are also changing dynamically. So, it is the role of companies to identify needs and then meet it with existing technologies or by developing new technologies. 2.Money: The increased global competition necessitates huge outlays for new equipments and process. This should be rewarded by improved productivity. This is possible by minimizing quality costs associated with the maintenance and improvements of quality level. 3.Management: Because of the increased complex structure of business organization, the quality related responsibilities lie with persons at different levels in the organization. 4.Men: The rapid growth in technical knowledge leads to development of human resource with different specialization. This necessitates some groups like, system engineering group to integrate the idea of full specialization. 5.Motivation: If we fix the responsibility of achieving quality with each individual in the organization with proper motivation techniques, there will not be any problem in producing the designed quality products. 6.Materials: Selection of proper materials to meet the desired tolerance limit is also an important consideration. Quality attributes like, surface finish, strength, diameter etc., can be obtained by proper selection of material. 7.Machines and mechanization: In order to have quality products which will lead to higher productivity of any organization, we need to use advanced machines and mechanize various operations. 8.Modern information methods: The modern information methods help in storing and retrieving needed data for manufacturing, marketing and servicing. 9.Mounting product requirements: Product diversification to meet customers taste leads to intricacy in design, manufacturing and quality standards. Hence, companies should plan adequate system to tackle all these requirements.

Working Management and Dividend Policy Assignment

Working Management and Dividend Policy - Assignment Example The two most significant theories dealing with this subject, as explained by Brealey and Myers, are that of Miller and Modigliani (MM), and the traditionalist view. According to the theory proposed by MM, the capital structure of the firm has no relevance to determining the value of the firm. So, they opine that there is no difference in the value of stock between geared and ungeared firms. Gearing does not affect the value of a firm, whether positively or negatively. The payment of dividend also is not necessarily required to be done on a regular basis, since it does not have any effect on the value of the share price. MM have proved that capital structure can be irrelevant even when debt is risky. (Brealey and Myers 469) Thus, MM propose that financial leverage or gearing does not affect shareholders wealth. And secondly, that the rate of return on shares increases as the firm's debt-equity ratio increases (pp. 473). But, this increase is exactly offset by increased risk and hence, the required rate of return, which nullifies the increase in returns. A "traditionalist" view has emerged in response to MM's proposals regarding geared equity. The traditionalists believe that personal borrowing is more expensive, risky and inconvenient to investors, so they are willing to pay a premium for shares in moderately geared firms. Consequently, they believe that firms should borrow to "realise" this premium. (Brealey and Myers 782) According to this view, up to a certain point of gearing, the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) decreases, and after this point WACC increases. The point where WACC is minimum is the optimal point of gearing, where shareholders' wealth is maximised or price per share is highest. (McLaney 231) MM rejected this view and opined that WACC is impervious to level of gearing. Wacc and the value of a firm only depend on (1) the cash flows generated by the investments of the firm, and (2) their business risk. (pp 234) They see a world without taxes or bankruptcy costs. McLaney observed that a large proportion of firms do go for some level of capital gearing, while very high levels of gearing are very rare. Thus, managers do believe that gearing lowers WACC, but not at very high gearing levels. Empirical evidence shows that "firms with safe, tangible assets and plenty of taxable income have higher debt to equity ratios than an unprofitable business with intangible assets." (Warner 1976, and Altman 1984 qtd. in Soderlund and Ostermark) The pecking orders theory by Myers (1987) gives a conflicting view. It explains that some profitable firms borrow less as they have less requirement of outside money. Kjellman and Hansen (1993) have found that Finnish financial managers seek to maintain a constant debt to equity ratio. (qtd. in Soderlund and Ostermark) Soderlund and Ostermark have found that there are less dividend payouts when interest payments are high, since funds are channeled more towards creditors. There is a tradeoff between dividends and investments also. A tradeoff is also seen between dividends and net income. "When maximising net income, the model minimises dividends and prefers investments." (Soderlund and Oste

Cross-cultural management & HRM Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Cross-cultural management & HRM - Research Paper Example IHRM is concerned about managing the human capital at the international level at multinational companies (MNC). It is especially requisite to manage three types of employees’ i.e. domestic employees, host country employees as well as employees of the different countries. For this reason, it is a vital challenge for the human resource manager to handle the diversity effectively along with efficiently. This is because it is effectively related to the productivity of the organization when working collectively with the people of different cultures. According to Bernard Baruch stated regarding cross-cultural communication that â€Å"We did not all come over on the same ship, but we are all in the same boat† (Hord & et. al., 2009). In accordance with today’s working culture for the effective implementation of globalization, it is rapidly becoming enormous, as the business environment has expanded to the various geographical locations. Therefore, it is a major challenge for the HR managers of the MNCs to understand the cultural aspects of the different countries and geographical locations to promote the business and expand the market share, along with interacting and collaborating across boundaries using global communication technologies (Self, n.d.). However, there are also enormous positive aspects of cross-cultural diversity in the organization because it considers creativity along with innovation as well as provides various advantages which include helping an organization to enter the international arena. ... According to Bernard Baruch stated regarding cross cultural communication that â€Å"We did not all come over on the same ship, but we are all in the same boat† (Hord & et. al., 2009). In accordance with today’s working culture for the effective implementation of globalization it is rapidly becoming enormous, as the business environment has expanded to the various geographical locations. Therefore, it is a major challenge for the HR managers of the MNCs to understand the cultural aspects of the different countries and geographical locations to promote the business and expand the market share, along with interacting and collaborating across boundaries using global communication technologies (Self, n.d.). However, there are also enormous positive aspects of cross-cultural diversity in the organisation because it considers creativity along with innovation as well as provides various advantages which include helping an organisation to enter in the international arena. Diver sity among the team also is very helpful to improve elasticity and ensure quick response to any kind of challenges. A company with a diverse workforce can better serve and compete in the assorted market exceptionally beyond their imagination. Nevertheless, managing cross cultural elements in the organisation is very challenging, for this reason there is requirement to established open communication among all, supporting ongoing training and monitoring the various programmes to achieve the organisational targets (Crowe& Hogan, 2007). Therefore, the objective of the essay is to discuss the topic of measuring process in terms of workforce diversity taking care of national as well as organisational

Logical vs. Physical Models Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Logical vs. Physical Models - Research Paper Example Taking the viewpoint of an independent outside base is another responsibility of the model and this assists in understanding the areas that require improvements. Process modeling also assists in defining the desired processes and understands the best manner through which the general system can incorporate it. Process modeling is important for it establishes the patterns that ought to be followed for the consequence of getting a particular desired result. Providing details on the rationale taken in the processes is another responsibility of process modeling. Exploring the courses of the various arguments that are brought up in the development of the process is the task of the process model. Establishing a link between the requirements of various processes and the actual processes is another importance of process modeling. It also defines points where data is extracted for reporting and analysis. A logic model is a type of analysis tool that is used by analysts to identify the effectiveness of particular computer programs. There are times that a particular project may fail and it is the responsibility of the analyst to identify the best logic model to employ and consequently understand the importance of having an overall haul of the system (Dennis, 2012). Using the logic model, the manager has the ability to understand the processes that can lead to increased investment, thus categorize them as either important or disposable, and consequently understand the course of action. A logic model is also used for program evaluation. In the past, program evaluation has always been used using an insider in the system. However, in contemporary days, new reasoning has been brought about by this model and it has helped in identifying and resolving some problems in the evaluation of a program. Some other uses of this model include assisting the database in understanding the current situation in

Collegeaged Drinking in USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Collegeaged Drinking in USA - Essay Example These figures, which are quite staggering, stand as a testament to the magnitude of the problem and underscore the importance of asking and answering the following question: what are the factors which drive college students to drink and can university policy annihilate this problem. Available evidence suggests that the primary factors are immaturity, lack of self-control and peer pressure, further suggesting that a well-designed policy response can stem the problem. There is strong evidence to suggest that heavy and binge drinking among college students are the outcome of psychosocial immaturity. Professors Fischer, Firthum, Pidock and Dowd, undertook an extensive study to identify alcohol drinking patterns amongst college students and their causes. Following a thorough review of the literature on the causes of binge and heavy drinking among college students, Fischer et al. surveyed 1,592 students (915). The research findings clearly indicated that the primary cause of heavy and binge drinking was psychosocial immaturity. This is itself, according to the researchers, was a problematic finding as the root causes of the said immaturity were traced back to the relationship the respondents had with their parents (915). Those who had experienced a less than healthy relationship with their parents or who had not benefited from a stable family environment, exhibited signs of psychosocial immaturity. This made them vulnerable to alcoholism (915-916). T he implication here is that family environment proved the most important predicator of susceptibility to alcohol abuse. While psychosocial immatirity has been identified as an important predictor of alcohol abuse among college students, lack of control is another. Psychology professors, Leeman, Fenton and Volpicelli contend that empirical evidence strongly suggests that heavy and binge drinking among college students is symptomatic of "impaired control" (42). Impaired control, which may be defined as "a breakdown of an intention to limit consumption in a particular situation" (42) has been identified as a trait common to the majority of college students who engage in binge and heavy drinking. These students may not have a prior intention to heavily drink in a particular situation and, indeed, need not have an alcohol abuse problem but they most certainly have a self-control problem. Their inability to control their drinking in a particular situation is indicative of their inability to control their own selves. In fact, the survey study conducted by Leeman, Fenton and Volpicelli shows that in many inst ances, students did not have any prior intention to engage in binge drinking and, quite importantly, had a contrary intention. Nevertheless, when finding themselves in a situation where alcohol is available and those around them are encouraging them to drink, they embark upon heavy drinking (44-45). While their inability to stop themselves or adhere to their original intent not to drink heavily may be construed as symptomatic of alcoholism, it is not necessarily so. Instead, it is symptomatic of an "impaired control" problem which may later escalate into a substance abuse problem (45-46). Therefore, a leading cause of binge and heavy drinking amongst college students may be identified as lack of

Linguistics - How far can the PROCESS of 1st language acquisition be Essay

Linguistics - How far can the PROCESS of 1st language acquisition be taken as a model for the acquisition of a 2nd language What are the implications for the 2nd language teacher - Essay Example Thus, language is â€Å"so uniquely human, distinguishes us so clearly from other animals, that our species might be more appropriately named homo loquens than homo sapiens† (Widdowson, 1996: 4), especially so that language is innate in man. With man’s birth is the natural tendency to acquire and master a language as he/she grows, making language essential to man’s existence as it is his/her most effective means to communicate, build relationships, and form societies. With man’s experiences, beliefs, feelings, etc. expressed in the complex system of symbols, language defines man; the language man speaks in return speaks for the speaker him/herself. Hence, â€Å"when we study human language, we are approaching what some might call the ‘human essence’, the distinctive qualities of mind that are, so far as we know, unique to man† (Chomsky, cited in Fromkin & Rodman, 1998: 3). In fact, the study of language has been historically centred on the study of the nature of the human mind and thinking, as it has long been believed that being distinct to man, â€Å"languages are the best mirror of the human mind† (Leibnitz, cited in Chomsky, 1986: 1). In this context, the study of language becomes not only important but fascinating, too, as it deals with one of the most mysterious endowments of man that a plethora of research studies and theories abound, yet until now, more and more questions are left unresolved. One area in language study that attracts further inquiry is language acquisition. As Leonard Bloomfield (1933: 29), said: â€Å"the acquisition of language is doubtless the greatest intellectual feat anyone of us is ever required to perform†. If the acquisition of first language in early childhood raises many questions, the acquisition of second language by older children and adults raises more questions, especially in relation to FLA. Thus, the study on language acquisition generally focuses on these two interests: First is the

Brand Attributes and Consumer Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Brand Attributes and Consumer Motivation - Essay Example One aspect that is very crucial to the success of our brand positioning is that it needs to relate to our target market. The company needs to improve on its technology so that it can employ better techniques of collecting and analyzing the market. This will help the company know what exactly is expected by customers. We need to improve our products and services according to the expectations of our customers while keeping in mind that their expectations continuously change. We also need to research on our competitors attribute in terms of their logo to make sure that our logo is unique to the market and that it is also acceptable in this market. This will help the company mitigate the risk of losing customers to competitors because of confusion in the similarities of the attributes. The company also needs to assess the brand differentiation strategy while keeping in mind the company’s need to generate revenues. While positioning our brand, we need to consider the companyâ€℠¢s market share and market size. This is by looking at the demand of the business activities in a particular market. The company needs to map the products and services in order to identify gaps in the marketplace, understand the competitors, understand if the company is entering a crowded market, and this will also help in understanding the criteria in which customers in a particular market position different brand in the market. This will help the company to make an informed decision on marketing strategies for the brand.

An Evaluation of Academic Performance of Grade 1 Pupils with and Without Early Childhood Experience Essay Example for Free

An Evaluation of Academic Performance of Grade 1 Pupils with and Without Early Childhood Experience Essay â€Å"Bright minds make bright future!† Preparatory children nowadays are far better than before they are more advanced in teaching and more capable of absorbing the methods of learning that used with them. Modern teaching accompanied with modules and analytical measures develop the preschooler’s memory retention that serves as the foundation of their education. Kids today are more willing and not afraid to try to discover new ways and methods of learning. The value of preschool is a hot topic these days. A small but growing number of studies link enrolment in preschool or child care centers (which typically include a preschool curriculum) to higher cognitive and language scores on kindergarten-entry tests The early childhood stage is a permanent learning stage. Whatever they learn now, they will take home. This preschool education is the provision of education for children before the commencement of statutory education, usually between the ages of three and five, dependent on the jurisdiction. The institutional arrangements for preschool education vary widely around the world, as do the names applied to the institutions. Effective preschool education can help make all children ready to learn the day they start school and, more importantly, help close the enormous gap facing children in poverty. Preschool gives our kids the strong foundation they need to be successful in school and in life. Children who attend pre-kindergarten programs have bigger vocabularies and increased math skills, know more letters and more letter-sound associations, and are more familiar with words and book concepts, according to a number of studies (Patson P. Opido 2010). The child is the ultimate concern in all educational processes. He is the beginning at the end of all educational efforts. The goal of education is to help every child grow up well-rounded; physically well-developed, mentally healthy, intelligently alert, emotionally secure and socially well adjusted. These can be truly achieved by giving attention to the child’s foundation. The first day of the children in school is a unique experience. It may be their first contact with big group of children. The difference among first grade pupils in their level of preparedness to grade one work may vary. The grade I teacher should be aware of the differences in the children’s readiness; some readiness is the springboard to do actions. Knowing pupil’s differences will guide the teacher on what to do to develop them to the fullest ( Lindberg and Swedo, 1995). A child born of a healthy, responsible and emotionally mature parents has a good foundation. His parents, especially the mother, guide him through the proper habits of eating, sleeping and cleanliness. An individual’s attitude toward himself and others, his behaviour either at work or at play, and his emotional roots in his early childhood experiences. What he learns at home constitutes the basis for future learning and adjustment. As the child develops social awareness, he needs to experience association with a larger group outside his home. Parents send their children to school simply because they want them to develop basic health habits and self sufficiency. Furthermore, this also includes the ability to use language patterns for simple and correct social attitudes in relation to the company of people around him, whether adults or other children and the appreciation of the aesthetic attributes of his immediate surroundings. Modern teaching accompanied with modules and analytical measures develop the preschooler’s memory retention serving as the foundation of their education. Kids today are more willing and not afraid to try to discover new ways and methods of learning. The value of preschool is a hot topic these days. A small but growing number of studies link enrolment in preschool or child care centers (which typically include a preschool curriculum) to higher cognitive and language scores on kindergarten-entry tests. The early childhood stage is a permanent learning stage. Whatever they learn now, they will take home. This preschool education is the provision of education for children before the commencement of statutory education, usually between the ages of three and five, dependent on the jurisdiction. Parents on the other hand, play a vital role in educating their children because they are their first teachers, which is the greatest contribution before a child ever begins his formal education in school. When a child enters the formal school, he carries out with him the acquired values from his parents. Just like the teacher’s task, if parents fail to perform their responsibilities, it may bring misbehaviour on their children which may directly or indirectly affect the child’s academic performance. In the Philippine public elementary schools today, inner tensions have been continuously affecting the learners going to grade one level, especially those who had never gone to any kind of schooling before. These learners entering grade one have many apprehensions. Most of them have no experiences in going to school. Parents are not capable of sending them to school especially those in remote and slum areas. Instead of giving their children a chance to study in Day Care Centers and Kindergarten in some public elementary schools, they ended up waiting for their to be accepted in Grade One. With these scenarios the pupils encounter difficulties in catching up with different skills like numeracy and literacy which are now the basic skills necessary in the first grade level of formal schooling. These children also suffer in relating themselves to their new environment, the school. In order to have a smooth transition from home to school and to prepare them socially and psychologically, the curriculum on the Early Childhood Experiences was recommended for adoption in all public elementary schools as included in Every Child A Reader Program ( ECARP). It aims to developing the reading readiness and developmental reading in Grade one as launched by the Department of Education. One of the major goals of the 2015 Education for All (EFA) is the expansion of the coverage and improvement of the quality of the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) programs in the country. The present government administration in its Ten-Point Agenda has declared a policy calling for the standardization of preschool and day care centers. The Department of Education (DepEd) in support of this thrust will administer School Readiness Assessment Test to All Grade One Entrants, effective SY 2005-2006. The School Readiness Assessment (SRA) is a tool to determine the readiness of Grade One entrants in tackling formal Grade One work. The School Readiness Assessment Tool will be administered by Grade One teachers assisted by the Grade Two and Three teachers one week before opening of classes. The assessment shall not be treated as an entrance test or examination. No child shall be refused entry to Grade 1 based on the results neither of this assessment nor without preschool experience. To continuously determine the school readiness of all Grade One Entrants, the School Readiness Assessment (SReA) was administered. One of the objectives of SReA is to assess pupils’ readiness across the different developmental domains – gross and fine motor, receptive/ expressive language, cognitive domain and socio- economic domain. The result obtained was the basis for grouping the Grade One entrants. It was also used to guide Grade One teachers in providing appropriate instruction and assistance to address specific needs of the pupils. The result of the School Readiness Test in May 2011 identified that there were at least forty two point ninety eight percent of the school population of Grade One entrants were not ready. Children with No Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) has low average in pupils’ readiness across the different developmental domains – gross and fine motor, receptive/ expressive language, cognitive domain and socio- economic domain. Background of the Study The researcher is motivated by the above mentioned situation and this led to the conceptualization of this study. As an educator, the researcher is faced with the fact that there is an imperative need to strengthen and streamline the internal management of educational arrangements in order to achieve efficiency and responsiveness to trends and challenges of the next millennium. It is therefore the aim of this study to empower parents and positively influence them on affirmative effects of pre-school education in the holistic development of their children particularly on the advancement of their academic performance. The value of preschool is a hot topic these days. A small but growing number of studies link enrolment in preschool or child care centers (which typically include a preschool curriculum) to higher cognitive and language scores on kindergarten-entry tests. The early childhood stage is a permanent learning stage. Whatever they learn now, they will take home. This preschool education is the provision of education for children before the commencement of statutory education, usually between the ages of three and five, dependent on the jurisdiction. The institutional arrangements for preschool education vary widely around the world, as do the names applied to the institutions ( Bustos Alicia and Espiritu 1985). The Early Childhood Experiences Curriculum, hence all Grade One teachers are expected to implement it. Teachers are also encouraged to make use of local songs, games, dances and indigenous materials to enrich the curriculum. It is hoped that the Early Childhood Experience for Grade One will greatly benefit the children and strengthen efforts to make the schools child-friendly. Theoretical Framework This study is anchored on Edward Thorndike’s, Jerome Bruner’s, and B.F. Skinner’s Theories of Learning. These theories enabled the researcher in the conceptualization of this work. The Law of Readiness as advocated by Thorndike is associated with mind set. It states that when an organism is prepared to respond to a stimulus, allowing doing so would be satisfying while preventing him would be annoying. This law works well in this study because the children is mentally ready to learn. The Law of Exercise states that the constant repetition of response strengthens its connection with the stimulus, while disuse of response weakens it. The exercises given to the children using a modifiable connection like instructional materials enables them to acquire the learning easier and faster because the responses will be utilized, the stronger the connection to be developed. Thus, when a modifiable between a stimulus and a response has been made, it is strengthened if its results in satisfaction as the Law of effect proves. Jerome Bruner’s (1915) theory of Instrumental conceptualization is also applied as it involves (3) three simultaneous processes as: Acquisition, Transformation and Evaluation. This theory of learning believes that the acquisition of whatever form of knowledge acquisition, who selects structures, retains and transforms information. Teaching without the use of proper strategic plans will result to failure. Through School Readiness Assessment Test (SReA), pupils will acquire knowledge through different techniques used by the researchers. Hence, learning to read is facilitated by Skinner’s Theory. Conceptual Framework This study focused on the evaluation of academic performance of Grade One pupils with and without Early Childhood Experience of Sto. Nià ±o Elementary School. The independent variable consist of School Readiness Assessment Test (SReA) for children with and without Early Childhood Experience while the dependent variable is the academic performance of the respondents in terms of the following: Sensory Discrimination, Concept Formation, Numeracy, Reading Readiness and Construction and Visual Motor Integration.

Whether Media Actually Leads To Homogenisation Process Media Essay

Whether Media Actually Leads To Homogenisation Process Media Essay Globalisation and media are closely inter-connected. The growth of globalisation has accelerated to a large extent with the growth and development of media technology especially in areas of TV, films, internet, videos, music, news etc. Media acts as an agent of globalisation in generating homogenisation by spreading cultural symbols, ideas and practices across socio cultural settings of the world. The impact of media is instant, it moves quicker than any material goods or people. It has a tremendous impact on both sustaining and weakening or eroding the fabric of social life. The more efficient the media is in communicating, the more effective it is in stabilising or destabilising existing social, political, religious etc scenario. Media actively constructs peoples identity across the dimensions of nations, race, class, gender, ethnicity etc in a number of ways, which often lead to homogenisation process. The media imposes their powerful images, sounds and advertisements on a vast ra nge of peoples of the world who most often succumb to their messages which are mostly designed to increase the profits of capitalist firms. Globalisation involves expanding worldwide flows of material objects and symbols and the proliferation of organisations and institutions within global reach that structure those flows. The process of globalisation is also characterised by relationships that are mediated through symbols of values, preferences and tastes etc through the powerful impact of media. The impact of media globalisation is manifold: it can lead to hybridisation of cultures, assertion of cultural autonomy and identity, cultural conflict, localisation, creolisation and homogenisation. However in my paper the focus is mainly on the homogenising effect of media globalisation on the socio cultural settings of the world and the factors which facilitates the creation of this homogenisation. Hannerz distinguishes between three dimensions of culture, which indicates that cultures are susceptible to global dynamics: Ideas and modes of thoughts: The entire array of concepts, propositions, values and mental operations that people within some social unit carry together. Forms of externalisation: The different ways in which ideas and modes of thought are made public and made accessible to the senses eg, forms of art, food habits etc. Social distribution: The ways in which people`s ideas and modes of thoughts and external forms are spread over a population and its social relationships. Thus, understanding structures of shared knowledge, values, beliefs, experience and meanings in all their complexities remain the core concern of cultural analysis. Media technology plays a major part in transmission of the second and third dimension of Hannerz definition of culture. According to Hannerz, media in particular are machineries of meanings: they enable communication without being in one other`s immediate presence. In contemporary complex cultures, people increasingly make use of the media to externalise and distribute their ideas and thoughts throughout the world. This is how cultures as a system of meanings, symbols and actions get expressed in different form and media plays a major role in their transmission across the rest of the globe. Therefore culture is also about sharedness. The concept of de territorialisation as also referred by Appadurai, explains the inter connectivity of cultures across nations. These cultures are in contact with media in one way or the othe r and constantly influence each other in terms of tastes, styles, value systems, ideas, meanings and practices. According to Ritzer, the theory of socialisation and social interaction teach that human transcend in their social group through a process of acquiring culture and other gestures from parents and other social group members and social facts that happen in the environment in which the person lives. Here the environment in which each individual lives also includes media mediation and translation of social reality and thus culture is transmitted and diffused across cultures through the workings of the media. Media also play a major role in the continual re shaping of cultural identity. Benedict Anderson, points out that nation as imagined communities often started out as media audience. Media articulate the meanings and experiences associated with particular social identities in a globalised context and export them to different distant places. Arjun Appadurai makes clear that people around the world are increasingly living a fictional lives based on media narratives and imagery. People around the world can now connect with like- minded others which binds people together irrespective of language, home background and socio economic circumstances eg:- allegiance to Real Madrid or Manchester United as global football club. Internet connections enable fans scattered across the globe to remain in touch and meet up regularly. Popular culture leads to formation of distinctive organisational forms and practices which are hybrid in nature. They are neither local nor global but a distinctive hybrid culture of transnational where fan clubs of a particular sport like football, cricket etc or iconic figures like Michael Jackson come together and form a unique transnational group where hybrid names, emblems and material products emerge. This trend emerges with the formation of internet communities and networks. They allow intensive contact with other cultures without actual bodily or localized contact and have an impact on the minds and practices of the people. However the intensity of impact depends on the way in which information are processes and digested in the receiving cultures. New channels of intensified social connectivity are permitted by contemporary electronic media Eg:- social networking sites like facebook, orkut etc. Live global television covering a single event carried through the satellite news carriers covers varied and diverse locations and geographical areas. This brings together people across great distances and social relations become radically freed from l ocal contexts, and spatial distances become less important, and a greater consciousness of a world outside the local context come into picture. It produces a sense of globalised reality eg:- the recent FIFA World 2010, Cricket World Cup 2011 etc. This live global television is experienced by large numbers of people worldwide and creates an extension of social connections across time and space. Increased oneness of the world is accelerated by such forces. There is international corporate ownership of media enterprises which ensures that there is an increasing consumption of material goods and sharing of cultural icons across large numbers of people. These processes construct a shared experience of time and a collective memory for different groups of people. Thus Mass culture is created which is a product of modern communications. There is a huge amount of debate on whether media leads to homogenisation process and thereby the subsequent creation of Global culture and whether there is such thing as global culture. Is the widening and deepening of international flows of culture through media in a single integrated market leading to the emergence of a global culture? The term global cultural flow according to Arjun Appadurai, is used to indicate the simultaneous fluid movement and changing meaning of ideas as well as their location and passage through specific historical, linguistic and political contexts. Global culture is used to denote the growing uniformity and homogenisation of the world`s cultures which serves as a magnet attracting people to particular ideas regarding economic opportunities and consumption. Consumer culture: Global culture is often held to be a media driven construct dependent upon the profit seeking production of mass mediated signs and symbols. The emergence of global culture is often taken as the direct outcome of the capitalist market institution restructuring to get desires, create needs and thereby open up a new arena for capital accumulation leading to commoditisation, commercialisation and consumerism made possible by media ads and communication industries in their drive to maximise profits. Global consumerism thrives on the promotion of brand names like rolex, addidas, reebok, coca cola, Mc Donalds etc based on what people would like rather than what they are and need. This consumer culture is filled with new community signs which form the popular culture allied to global media translated through the market. There is a growing similarity which transcends frontiers and similar trend of styles of dressing, consumption of sports, music preferences, eating habits etc has emerged. Th e term MC world has been coined to describe the standardisation of an American consumer culture, a combination of fast food, fast music and fast computers that bring people together through a common consumption of commodified cultural production. According to Hermans and Kempen in their article Moving Cultures, referred to Glocalisation in economic usage where they introduced the term micromarketing i`e is the tailoring and advertisements of goods and services globally to increasingly local and diverse cultures. Thus, they talked about the creation of differentiated consumers and the emergence of consumer culture of the same global goods and services. They further problematises the relationship between the local and the global where cultures constantly interpenetrates with each other and become a part of the interconnectedness of the world system. Therefore the distinction between what it global and what is local becomes blurred and the presumed homogeneity of the local or internal and the distinctiveness of the global or external becomes problematic. Thus globalisation also involves the blurring of clear cut distinction between the local and global. What is local becomes global and what is global becomes local and sometimes they may become indistinguishable and homogenised. Media globalisation increasingly involved the creation and incorporation of locality. These processes is largely seen through the TV enterprise like CNN and MTV which seeks global markets and focussed on culturally diverse and differentiated groups. Dominance of west: Many have argued that global culture is more of western culture domination and enforcement of western culture on the rest of the world which is referred to as westernisation. The imposition of American culture in the form of TV, Videos, Pop music, Films and Ads on vulnerable communities unable to protect them from the sheer volume and intensity of exposition to media is widely under attacked. In recent years US has enjoyed a growing surplus for audio visual products (TV, Video, and Cinema) with the EU. Globally, the US accounts for about 75% of all TV programme exports. American Time Warner organisation claims to be the largest media company in the world. During the last decade there is a struggle for the formation of a new Information order from the Third World countries with a determination not to remain passive recipient to the west active centre. Countries like France, Italy, China, Canada, North Korea etc has imposed a check on US media imports for different reasons. Hence questions are being raised regarding prior consent for Transborder home reception, the production of communication technology on definition of privacy and also attempt to develop their own regional media. Fears of US media domination lead to Mc Bride Report 1980, which lead UNESCO to call for a restructuring of global media along more egalitarian lines. The WTO and International Tele communications Satellite Organisation (INTELSAT) are among the prestigious international bodies that have attempted to establish guidelines for the regulation of global cultural flow. However for some writers globalization is not westernization. According to them, outwardly analysis may appeared that the world is oriented towards westernisation rather than globalisation especially when one could see the popularity of the western music, movies, and McDonalds etc where more and more countries are seen playing the top chart of the pop list of USA and Hollywood movies and US-made television serials (like Friends and the Simpsons) are becoming widespread processes of cultural transmission. However, a closer examination indicates that the impact of the flow of these cultural goods have different meanings in different societal and cultural contexts with uneven impact on classes and age groups. Some of the products are consumed without any modification; others are modified and indigenized to suit the local contexts. Nevertheless, westernisation can be seen as a part of Globalisation. Media Imperialism: There is a construction of media order through the entrepreneurial devices of a comparatively small number of global players eg Time Warner, Sony, Rupert Murdoch News Corporation and Walt Disney Company. News globalisation was dominated by press wire services in the 19th century, however in the 1970`s and 1980`s electronic media globalisation increased. Aggressive media companies like Rupert Murdoch`s News Corporation yielded a massive conglomerates of other global media industries. Cable News Network (CNN) has struggled to become a 24 hour news provider, watched religiously by global business and political elites of the world. The result was an undeniable increase in the degree to which people`s everyday lives are experienced through the media. Several large media companies like Viacom, Disney, Time Warner etc over the last decade have evolved from being a local industry to large global conglomerates based on new forms of vertical and horizontal integration. These media conglomerati on was made possible by media deregulation in major western economies. These conglomerates not only have access to enormous quantities of investment capital but also the ability to minimise financial risks by managing their media products across different world markets in their areas of influence. For instance, News Corporation began as a print enterprise in Australia, spread into TV in UK in the 1970`s. This is now targeting the huge Chinese and Indian markets with its Star TV system which currently broadcasts in over 20 Asian languages. There is a popular concern about the growing concentration of ownership of global media production and transmission in the hands of a small number of corporations. For example, the past two decades have experience a huge expansion of the pop music industry, MTV has now become 24 hour music channels in America, Europe and Asia. But 70% of all pop music is produced and distributed by a handful of multinational corporations that integrate production, transmission and promotion ensuring that certain iconic faces like Madonna, Michael Jackson etc are everywhere, on TV, video, films, CD`s, magazines, newspapers, advertisements, radio and even designed on T shirts and many other things. The flow of information was dominated by multinational entities based in the most powerful nations leading to what is known as medial imperialism. Global and the local: The widespread claim of homogenisation of world cultures; the global as pro active and the local as reactive to global culture have been found to be unlikely by many scholars. They have argued that the local do not remain a passive recipient of global cultures transmitted to them through the media but the local have its own way of interpreting global influences according to its relativity. One such defender of this view is Robertson, who maintained that diffusion and transfer of ideas and values across socio cultural formations adapt to a particular local culture, which he termed as Glocalization. He talked about ambivalence and ambiguity of human culture in globalised world. Globalisation itself has no meaning unless it is connected in the context of the local. For him, globalisation is able to link locales together both materially and ideationally. Hence the local and global are inter connected and influence each other simultaneously and the media acts as an agent in increasing thi s process of glocalization and globalisation. This results in not only homogenisation but also hybridisation of cultures as the global gets localised according to the suitability and necessity of that particular contexts. To quote Robertson, An international TV enterprise like CNN produces and reproduces a particular pattern of relations between localities, a pattern which depends on a kind of recipe of locality. He further illustrates how certain religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism etc involved a long process of Glocalization after its dissemination throughout the globe. Following form this and relating it to the present context of information technologically advanced world, we see that religions are being widely promoted through the media. Religious channels are available 24/7 on TV, internet etc. These channels reach out to different regions of the world and are either absorbed and assimilated into the existing settings and become glocalised or they are rejected complet ely as a threat to their existing values and beliefs system. From here we can induce how the media play an important role in localising the global. Thus, the relation between the local and the global remain complex and negotiable terrain. Basically the politics of the glocal refers to globalisation from below which means that the impact of the global to a certain extent is in the hands of the local. This is because the local is not just a passive recipient of whatever globalisation through media brings at their doorstep influencing their lifestyles, ideas, values etc but the local is something active which constantly accommodates, assimilate and transforms different cultures that are brought to them, interpreting them according to its convenience and adaptability. Another reaction of the local to the global is the rejectionist attitude. There are many local movements who vehemently attempts to reject or resist the globalisation process and the impact of media consumerist culture claiming to protect their cultural identity or the purity of their culture. Some remain hostile to globalisation impact due to its ability to erode the traditional value system and the adverse affect on their socio cultural moral system. Contemporary indigenous movements are becoming increasingly global Eg:- Native people`s Movement increasingly use the media to defend or promote their rejection of globalisation process. In a globalised world, people constantly used the media to mobilise people as a local assertions against globalisation influence. In the present context, promotion of locality through the media has become a common trend. There is an attempt to globally organise the rights and identities of natives or indigenous people`s movement. The emergence of popul ar culture and the growing commodification of the consumer`s experience popularised and sensationalised by media is seen by many as posing a threat to the richness and diversity of cultural practices, resulting in the description of mass consumerism as a monolithic force with one dimensional causal effects on the traditional cultures. There are certain closed group which remain suspicious about the impact of media globalisation and attempts to curb and regulate the free expression of media itself. Such kind of group would be countries like China, Japan, Muslim fundamentalist etc however in the context of contemporary advancement of media technology it becomes difficult to remain intact by the homogenising influence of media. Nevertheless, the idea of uniformity of culture should not undermine the pervasive impact of counter currents that emerges from the local reception of the global. Wilkinson (1995) has developed the thesis that today, Conclusion: However claims of Global culture and its impact on cultures without uninterrupted reception by age, class, gender and geography etc is naive. Thus a deeper probing of the complex relationship between the global and local is necessary because human beings are not without rational analysis or do not have any personal choice but they are thinking individuals with a mind of their own capable of deciding what is best for themselves and hence they do not succumb to the global consumer culture unmindfully but translates the impact of media according to their own reality. Tomlinson made a distinction between culture as lived experience and culture as represented in media. He had argued that the realities in peoples lives are much more powerful than mere representation in global televisions and people do not get manipulated easily by the reception of media. He furthers argues that the cultural critics have overlooked the capacity of the audience to negotiate the possible contradictions in the reception of media. To him the power of the media should not be exaggerated by looking at media as mediating cultural experience rather than the determining force. Ang also refers to interpersonal drama to mean that media products are interpreted differently in different cultural contexts. Avijit Pathak is another who also talks about the politics of culture where cultures constantly negotiate in its interaction and influences. For him, even though there is a dominant global culture emanating, the process of reception becomes contextualised and gain a hermeneutic form, this he calls the art of resistance. For Wilkinson only one global civilisation exists which is a direct descendent of 1500 BC civilisation in the near East when Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilisation collided and fused. This entity spread all over the globe and engulf all others previously independent civilisation like Chinese, Japanese and western into one global civilisation. His idea was of connectedness of the world into one system rather than uniformity. People who interact with each other continuously belong to the same civilisation even if their cultures might be very dissimilar and hostile to each other. Expansion of media communication increases connectivity of cultures, thus a chain of cultural networks are created no matter however they are connected either hostile or differently but they are still interacting with each other and hence influences each other in one way or the other and results in the emergence of certain similar trends. Therefore, what is undeniable is that media globalisation in one form or the other has an impact on the lives and consciousness of almost every one cutting across transnational borders, cultures, ethnicity, gender, class, age etc. Thus, global media is rendering almost everyone with something of a cosmopolitan culture. What was once local has become global and the line between the division of global and local is thinning and becoming blurred day by day.