Mohammed Daoud Khan Essay Example for Free

Mohammed Daoud Khan Essay The chapter begins where the last left off, Amir was left speechless after Hassan’s criticism. Before Amir could respond to Hassans criticism of his story, gunfire erupted outside. The boys huddled together with Ali until Baba came home. For the first time, Amir saw fear on his fathers face. He was even glad for the violence for a moment, because Baba held him and Hassan close. The events of that night, July 17, 1973, were a precursor to the end of life as Afghanis knew it. What would follow was the Communist coup detat of 1978, followed by the Russian occupation beginning in December of 1979. On that July night, the kings brother, Daoud Khan, had seized Zahir Shahs kingdom while he was away. Afghanistan had gone overnight from a monarchy to a republic. Tired of listening to the radio news, Amir and Hassan went to climb their favourite tree. On the way, a young sociopath named Assef and his friends confronted them. He taunted Hassan for being a Hazara; Assef also had a habit of taunting Ali, whom he called Babalu. He praised Hitler and then said that he wanted to finish what Hitler started and rid Afghanistan of Hazaras. He called Amir and Baba a disgrace to Afghanistan for taking in Hazaras. Just as Assef threatened to punch Amir with his brass knuckles, Hassan pointed his slingshot at the bully and threatened to take out his eye. Assef and his friends retreated, but promised to come back for Amir and Hassan later. On Hassans birthday, Baba summoned him to the house as usual to collect his present. To Hassan, Amir, and Alis shock, Baba had hired a plastic surgeon to correct Hassans harelip. Amir was jealous that Baba was giving Hassan such special attention. The surgery went well and Hassan could finally smile an unbroken smile. Ironically, Amir explains, it was soon after that Hassan stopped smiling for good.

To Kill a Mocking Bird Comparison Essay Example for Free

To Kill a Mocking Bird Comparison Essay It is interesting how two family members can share many differences and many similarities. In the novel To kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus and Aunt Alexandra demonstrate their care and love for Jem and Scout, yet differ when it comes to parenting and views on society. Atticus and Aunt Alexandra both express their love and care for Jem and Scout. Firstly Atticus has more of a relaxed and compassionate love for Jem and Scout. For instance, after the attack of Jem and Scout, Jem was frightened and Atticus was there for him, Scout said â€Å"He guided me to the bed and sat me down. He lifted my legs and put me under the cover†¦ he turned out the light and went into Jems room. He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem woked up in the morning† (Lee, 387)Although Atticus Is a busy and tired man, he shows that he cares by tucking Scout in and watching over Jem after an eventful night. Similarly, Aunt Alexandra moves into Atticus’ house due to her concern for Scouts lack of proper etiquette. For instance, Aunt Alexandra was in the kitchen, explaining her presence to Scout â€Å"We decided that it would be best for you if you had some feminine influence. It won’t be many years, Jean Louise, before you become interested in cloths and boys.† (Lee, 170) Although Aunt Alexandra moved in with Atticus, she expresses to scout her worries and motivation to correct them. It is evident that, both Atticus and Aunt Alexandra demonstrate their love for their family in many ways throughout the book. Atticus and Aunt Alexandra show many different parenting methods throughout the novel. Firstly, Atticus treats Jem and Scout as equals. He allows them to make their own decisions. For example, Jem and Scout wanted to hear the verdict on Tom Robinson’s case: â€Å"Tell you what, you can all come back when you’ve eaten supper†¦ and if the jury is still out you can wait with us†¦ Atticus opened his mouth to answer but shut it and left us.† (Lee, 277) As a result Atticus lets Jem and Scout make their own decisions by allowing them to stay later. On the other hand, Aunt Alexandra makes decisions for Jem and Scout; she treats them like children. For example, when Jem asks Atticus if he can go to church with Calpurnia Aunt Alexandra tells him that he cannot. â€Å"Atticus, I’ll go next Sunday if it’s alright, can i? Cal said she’d come get me if you were off in the car† Jem asked. â€Å"You may not† Aunt Alexandra answered. (Lee, 181) Therefore, Aunt Alexandra makes decisions for Jem. Clearly one can see Atticus and Aunt Alexandra’s parenting methods greatly differ. In addition, Aunt Alexandra and Atticus’ views on society greatly differ. For instance, Aunt Alexandra believes that certain people should be treated differently. For example Aunt Alexandra tells Atticus that she feel that Calpurnia is not doing her job efficiently, and should let her go. â€Å"And don’t try and get around it you’ve got to face it sooner or later and it might as well be tonight. We don’t need her now† (Lee, 182) for this reason, Aunt Alexandra demonstrates the she is prejudice and racist, she wants Calpurnia fired only because of the colour of her skin. On the other hand Atticus believes that people should be treated fairly and as equals. For instance, Alexandra complains to Atticus that she feels that Calpurnia being a person of colour should be fired because she is not doing her job correctly. Atticus disagrees and says â€Å"Alexandra, Calpurnia’s not leaving this house until she wants t. you may think otherwise, but I couldn’t have got along without her all these years† (Lee,182) Thus, Atticus expresses that Calpurnia is part of the family, and deserves to be treated fairly. As a result, Alexandra and Atticus’ views on society contrast because of the way they treat people. In the novel, To kill a mockingbird written by Harper Lee, Atticus and Aunt Alexandra show strong love for their family and yet they differ when it comes to their parenting methods and views on society. In conclusion although Alexandra and Atticus are family they are more different then the same.

Global Standardisation Or International Adaptation

Global Standardisation Or International Adaptation In the International Marketing field, the debate of standardisation as against adaptation has been significantly researched in the past and is still a highly debatable issue. This debate commenced in 1961 as indicated by Vignali and Vrontis, (1999). Initially this debate mainly focussed on international standardisation with regards to advertising. However, recently, this debate has been extended from just advertising to promotions mix and now to all the seven Ps of the marketing mix (Kanso, A., et.al, 2004). A brief review of literature also indentifies adaptation and standardisation as the two main tactics by international marketers for business longevity (Vrontis, D., et al, 2009). In the last four decades, according to Ryans (2003), there has been extensive academic research done in the field of international marketing standardisation. However in the past, economic development was concentrated on surplus of exports as compared to imports and hence, firms mainly focused on merely minimising costs to increase their exports. However, in this increasingly competitive and changing international market, firms have realised that cost minimisation is not just enough for gaining a competitive advantage. Nowadays, firms have become more consumers oriented and have developed techniques to satisfy and understand customer preferences and needs. (Vrontis, D., et al, 2009) The objective of this essay is to understand the issue of whether a business should adopt an international marketing mix strategy which is standardized globally or adapted internationally as per individual markets. In the quest to expand their presence worldwide, acquire higher market share, increase profitability and overcome market saturation issues, internationally oriented firms continually seek for new growth opportunities (Vrontis, D., et al, 2009). According to Vrontis (2006) whenever a firm decides to market their products internationally the fundamental decision for marketers is whether to use a global marketing strategy with a standardized marketing mix or whether to adjust and adapt the elements of the marketing mix according to the unique local target market. However, Vrontis (2006) suggests that according to the literature companies make contingency choices, which relate to key determinants in each circumstance (Vrontis, D., et al, 2009, p.3). The primary distinction between global standardisation or global marketing and international adaption in international marketing management is orientation. Standardisation forms the basis of global marketing management which views the world a s a single market where as on the other hand international marketing management is guided by an adapted marketing strategy (Cateora Graham, 1999). The basis of standardization in marketing as argued by Chung, 2007, is the comparison of a firms domestic and international marketing operations. In standardization, firms standardize all their marketing mix components. Chung further suggested that the extent to which the firms should standardize their marketing functions should be assessed. He has also highlighted in his research paper, the interaction method which helps to identify the influencing factors in selecting the standardization strategy (Ryans, J., et al., 2003). Buzzell (1995) have stated that the dissimilarities amongst countries have led international firms to redesign their marketing planning according the country in which it is operating. However, he further said that this situation is changed and he recognized potential gains for firms who adopt standardization of marketing practices. Chung (2007) further argued that culture has a major effect on just the promotional element of the marketing mix. This suggests that firms should use an adapted promotional approach when entering a different cultural environment (Vrontis, D., et al, 2009, p.3) and culture has a very minimal effect on product, price and place. Backhaus and Van, J., (2007) claims that standardisation is a trade off between the possible economic benefits of a standardised approach, as well as the performance gains attained by adapting to the needs of local markets. Marketers who support global standardisation tactics argue that consumers live in a globalized world in which nation-states are not the major determinants of marketing activities; and in which consumer tastes and cultures are homogenised and satisfied through the provision of standardised global products created by global corporations (Vrontis, D., et al, 2009; Dicken, P., 1998). Levitt, 1983 said that multinational firms have moved from customising items to offering globally standardised products which are better, more reliable and lower in price. According to Levitt, multinational firms who concentrate on particular consumer preferences become puzzled and are unable to see the big picture. Levitt strongly recommends that standardisation will bring success in the long term by concentrating on what majority wants (Levitt, T., 1983). The main reasons as suggested by Papavassilou and Stathakopoulos (1997) that add values to Levitts thesis is because it allows international firms to maintain brand identity globally and helps firms to maintain a consistent global image. It also reduces the confusion with regards to perceptions of travelling customers or buyers allowing firms to adopt a single tactical approach and enables them to reduce production costs by taking advantage of economies of scales in production. Levitts, 1983 suggests that standardisation on a tactical level is very important for global markets. He further argues that global firms which operate on standardised functions, at lower cost, can consider the entire world to be a single market and can sell product in the same manner globally. Keegan Green, (2000) supports Levitt by stating that standardised global marketing is similar to mass marketing in one country involving similar marketing mix strategies. This approach of global standardisation of the marketing mix is opposed by the researchers who support international adaptation approach. According to Vrontis et al, 2009, Supporters of adaptation declare that the assumptions underlining global standardisation philosophy are contradicted by the facts. Jain, (1989, p. 71) has stated that, Standardisation is at best difficult and, at worst, impractical (Jain, S., 1989, p. 71). According to Ruigrok and Tulder (1995), Globalisation seems to be as much of an overstatement as it is an ideology. Ruigrok and Tulder (1995) further stated that it is not possible to effectively market by using standardized marketing mix methods everywhere. Helming (1982) and Youovich (1982) challenged the basic assumption of the standardisation approach and argues that similar buying motives of international consumers may, at best, be simplistic and at worst, dangerous(Vrontis, D., et. al, 2009, p.3). Hence, supporters of international adaptation argue that minor or major adaptations in the elements of the marketing mix are vital and necessary in meeting the target market demands. According to them, different international markets are subject to different micro and macro-environmental considerations and hence standardisation of the marketing mix is not feasible. The marketing mix consists of seven components namely product, price, place, people, process, positioning and promotion. Any possibility of a global marketing mix suggests that the same configuration of the seven Ps could be applicable internationally, regardless of cultural and conditional differences. Some businesses do focus on global standardization; however, current data suggests the need for local adaptation. This may be achieved by carefully analyzing the regional market segmentation (Semenik, R., et.al, 1995). Hassan, Craft and Kortam (2003) has distinguished three important market segmentations namely, those group of countries which have a similar product demand, different countries in different region which already have the same product and Universal segment which are present in most countries. The other drivers considered by multinational companies with respect to segmentation and operating in the international markets can be divided into macro factors such as political, e conomic, technological, geographic, etc. and micro factors which include consumer tastes, preferences, lifestyles, attitudes, etc. Lipman (1988) has supported international adaptation strategy because in his view, the global-marketing theory itself is bankrupt and bunk (Vrontis, D., et.al, 2009, p.3). The standardization concept which once rushed executives to reconfigure their marketing strategies are now feeling duped. The differences in the customer characteristics, climatic conditions, culture, consumer behaviour and other factors are in the ascendency and having a single global marketing strategy is a vague concept. On the other hand, the huge costs involved in adaptation and the benefits of standardisation, may not allow adaptation to be used extensively (Vrontis, D., 2005). Adaptation and Standardisation are two extreme schools of thought. The view of adopting any one of these two strategies is rejected by researchers, authors and marketers who have found it difficult to apply these strategies in practice. For them, global standardisation and international adaptation is not a proposition, but a matter of degree. Diversity amongst countries does not permit global standardisation. They have stressed on the necessity of simultaneously using both international adaptation and global standardisation wherever necessary. (Sorenson, R., et.al, 1975; Prahalad, C., et.al, 1986; Boddewyn, J., et al., 1986; Douglas, S., et.al, 1987; Kim, W., et.al, 1987; Choi, K., et.al, 1996; Terpstra, V., et.al, 1997; Vanaij, W., 1997; Hennessey, J., 2001; Vrontis, D., 2003; Vrontis, D., et.al, 2005). The best example of an effective international marketing firm which adopts an integrated approach of standardisation and adaptation is McDonalds. The firm has expanded internationally by branding globally and adapting to the local tastes. (Vignali, C., 2001). Successful multinational firms should incorporate elements of both approaches. Hence, incorporating both concepts means that global firms must try to standardise as many elements of the marketing mix as possible and also follow necessary adaptation in order to satisfy market needs. To conclude, the goals of market complexity and cost reduction may influence firms to consider standardisation where as customer orientation may lead them towards adaptation but by incorporating both will help firms gain a competitive advantage and above average returns. References: Backhaus, K. and Van, J., (2007), Consumer perceptions of advertising standardisation: a cross-country study of different advertising categories, International Management Review, Vol. 3 No. 4, p. 37. Boddewyn, J., Soehl, R., and Picard, J., (1986), Standardisation in international marketing: is Ted Levitt in fact right?, Business Horizons, Vol. 29, pp. 69-75. Buzzell, R., Quelch, J., and Bartlett, C., (1995), Global Marketing Management, Cases and Readings, 3rd ed., Addison-Wesley, New York, NY. Choi, K., and Jarboe, T., (1996), Mass customization in power plant design and construction, Power Engineering, Vol. 100, No. 1, pp. 33-6. Chung, H., (2007), International marketing standardisation strategies analysis:a cross-national investigation, Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 145-67. Dicken, P., (1998), Global Shift, Transforming the World Economy, 3rd ed., Paul Chapman, London. Douglas, S., and Wind, Y., (1987), The myth of globalization, Columbia Journal of World Business, Vol. 22, pp. 19-29. Hassan, S.S., Craft, S. and Kortam, W. (2003), Understanding the new bases for global market segmentation, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 20, No. 5, pp. 446-62. Helming, A. (1982), Pitfalls lie waiting for unwary marketers, Advertising Age, n.d., p. M-8. Hennessey, J., (2001), Global Marketing Strategies, 5th ed., Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA. Jain, S.C. (1989), Standardisation of international marketing strategy: some research hypotheses, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 53, pp. 70-9. Kanso, A., and Kitchen, P., (2004), Marketing consumer services internationally: localisation and standardisation revisited, Marketing Intelligence and Planning, Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 87-94. Keegan, W., and Green, M., (2000), Global Marketing, 2nd ed., Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Kim, W., and Mauborgne, R., (1987), Cross-cultural strategies, The Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 7, pp. 31-40. Levitt, T., (1983), The globalization of markets, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 61, pp. 92-102. Lipman, J., (1988), Marketers turn sour on global sales pitch Harvard guru makes, Wall Street Journal, 12 May, p. 17. Papavassiliou, N., and Stathakopoulos, V., (1997), Standardisation versus adaptation of international advertising strategies: towards a framework, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 31 No. 7, pp. 504-27. Prahalad, C., and Doz, Y., (1986), The Multinational Mission: Balancing Local Demands and Global Vision, the Free Press, New York, NY. Ruigrok, W., and van Tulder, R., (1995), The Logic of International Restructuring, Routledge, London. Ryans, J., Griffth, D., and White, D., (2003), Standardization/adaptation of international strategy: necessary conditions for the advancement of knowledge, International Marketing Review, Vol. 20 No. 6, pp. 588-603. Semenik, R., and Bamossy, G., (1995), Principles of Marketing, a Global Perspective South Western, Cincinnati, USA. Sorenson, R., and Wiechmann, U., (1975), How multinationals view marketing standardisation, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 53, pp. 38-48. Terpstra, V., and Sarathy, R., (1997), International Marketing, 7th ed., Dryden Press, Fort Worth, TX. Vanraij, W., (1997), Globalisation of marketing communication?, Journal of Economic Psychology, Vol. 18, No, 2/3, pp. 259-70. Vignali, C., 2001, McDonalds: think global, act local the marketing mix, British Food Journal, Vol. 103, No. 2, p. 97. Vignali, C., and Vrontis, D., (1999), An International Marketing Reader, The Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester. Vrontis, D., (2003), Integrating adaptation and standardisation in international marketing, the AdaptStand modelling process, Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 19, No. 3/4, pp. 283-305. Vrontis, D., (2005), The creation of the AdaptStand process in international marketing, Journal of Innovative Marketing, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 7-21. Vrontis, D., and Papasolomou, I., (2005), The use of entry methods in identifying multinational companies AdaptStand behaviour in foreign markets, Review of Business, Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 13-20. Vrontis, D., Thrassou, A., and Lamprianou, I., (2009), International marketing adaptation versus standardization of multinational companies, Journal of International Marketing Review, Vol. 20, No. 4/5, pp. 477-500. Vrontis, D., Thrassou, A., and Vignali, C., (2006), The country-of-origin effect, on the purchase intention of apparel opportunities and threats for small firms, International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Vol. 3, Nos 3/4, pp. 459-76. Youovich, B., (1982), Maintain a balance of planning, Advertising Age, n.d., p. M-7.

Principles for Cognizing the Sacred Essay -- Spiritual Religion Papers

Principles for Cognizing the Sacred Today we need a scientific analysis of basic world views which expresses genuine understanding of the sacred. Such world views hold the main principles for cognizing reality. A ‘substratum’ understanding of the Sacred is characteristic of mythology and magic, wherein all spiritual phenomena are closely connected with a material or corporeal bearer. Functional understanding of the Sacred is developed by the earliest civilizations in which the spiritual is separated from the material. For example, Plato, Aristotle, and Neoplatonism created European functional theology. Substantial understanding of the Sacred appears in Christianity. Here we find the synthesis of substratum and functional peculiarities which are looked upon as "creaturous," revealed by God to man and integrated in their fundamental unity as the basis for variety. It is only unity which avoids the mixing of the three images of an object-substratum, function, and substance-that allows us to cognize a true obj ect. In reproducing the Sacred as such, we can show the Sacred as the unity of the mysterious and the obvious, the static and the dynamic, and the passive and the active. In our eventful time with unstable international conflicts and politics characterized by an pervasive enthusiasm for occultism and lack of spiritual depth, we need a renewed interest in the scientific analysis of basic world view concepts that can express a genuine understanding of the Sacred. Such concepts express the main principles for cognizing reality. They help us to systematise the information about our surrounding world, and to determine not only how we conceive ourselves and the world, but also the specific logic of linking such statements with t... ...ry of the Peoples of the World. Moscow 1976, p.22. (12) J. Freser, Golden Branch. Moscow 1987, pp. 54-55. (13) A. Men, History of Religion, op.cit., pp. 54-55. (14) M. Veber, Science as Inclination and Profession. Vol 2. Moscow 1979, p.343. (15) K. Levi-Strauss, Structural Anthropology. Moscow 1983, p.147. (16) Aristotle, Works. Vol. 1. Moscow 1975, p.189. (17) G.V. Florovsky, Eastern Fathers of the Ivth Century. Moscow 1992, p.152. (18) Ibid., pp. 14-15. (19) Ibid., pp. 112, 84. (20) W.Pannenberg, Theology and Philosophy of Science. Philadelphia 1976, pp. 29-35, 45. (210 A. F. Losev, Of the Early Works. Moscow 1990, p.574. (22) F. Engels, Natural Dialectics. Vol 20. Moscow, pp. 382, 392, 566. (23) G. A. Yugai, General life Theory. Moscow 1985, p.54. (24) Y. Prigogine and I. Stengers, Time, Chaos, Quantum. Moscow 1994, pp. 6-7.

Soil Hydrology Under Fire Essay -- Geology Natural Nature Essays

Soil Hydrology Under Fire Soil type is a function of five factors: parent material, climate, topography, biota, and time (Singer and Munns, 1996). Fire's effect on soil can be described in the same manner and, interestingly enough, is almost identical to the five factors of soil formation with only a couple of minor modifications. First, the parent material for a burned soil is the original soil itself plus the fuel consumed in the fire. Second, climate includes not only weather-related variables but also the burning temperature of the fire. This paper focuses specifically on one aspect of the climate factor: the effect of water. It investigates both how soil moisture influences fire severity, and conversely, how fire severity influences the hydrology of a soil. Based on this discussion a land management recommendation states that prescribed fires should be utilized during wetter times of the year to maximize the positive effects for vegetation and to minimize the negative effect of soil erosion. Rapid plant regrowth is essential to the rehabilitation of a burned area, for plants greatly influence the hydrology of a soil. But for plants to grow back on a burned area, they require several nutrients whose concentrations are modified by fires. The degree of these modifications are determined by a fire's temperature, but there are a few general trends. Levels of phosphorus (Kutiel and Shaviv, 1993 and Marion et al., 1991) and pH (Kutiel and Shaviv, 1993) both increase during a fire. Conversely, nitrogen decreases during a fire (Kutiel and Shaviv, 1993, Marion et al., 1991). Chemical concentrations in burned soils are greatly affected by a fire's intensity. Ulery and Graham (1993) classify fire intensity into three major cla... ...h deposition, and clipping effects on soil nutrients in chaparral: Soil Science Society of America Journal, 55, 235-240. Robichaud, P. R. and Waldrop, T. A., 1994, A comparison of surface runoff and sediment yields from low- and high-severity site preparation burns: Water Resources Bulletin, 30, 27-34. Samran, S., Woodard, P. M., and Rothwell, R. L., 1995, The effect of soil water on ground fuel availability: Forest Science, 41, 255-267. Scott, D. F. and Van Wyk, D. B., 1990, The effects of wildfire on soil wettability and hydrological behavior of an afforested catchment: Journal of Hydrology, 121, 239-256. Singer, M. J, and Munns, D. N., 1996, Soils: an introduction: Upper Saddle River, Prentice-Hall Inc., 480 p. Ulery, A. L. and Graham, R. C., 1993, Forest fire effects on soils color and texture: Soil Science Society of America Journal, 57, 135-140. Soil Hydrology Under Fire Essay -- Geology Natural Nature Essays Soil Hydrology Under Fire Soil type is a function of five factors: parent material, climate, topography, biota, and time (Singer and Munns, 1996). Fire's effect on soil can be described in the same manner and, interestingly enough, is almost identical to the five factors of soil formation with only a couple of minor modifications. First, the parent material for a burned soil is the original soil itself plus the fuel consumed in the fire. Second, climate includes not only weather-related variables but also the burning temperature of the fire. This paper focuses specifically on one aspect of the climate factor: the effect of water. It investigates both how soil moisture influences fire severity, and conversely, how fire severity influences the hydrology of a soil. Based on this discussion a land management recommendation states that prescribed fires should be utilized during wetter times of the year to maximize the positive effects for vegetation and to minimize the negative effect of soil erosion. Rapid plant regrowth is essential to the rehabilitation of a burned area, for plants greatly influence the hydrology of a soil. But for plants to grow back on a burned area, they require several nutrients whose concentrations are modified by fires. The degree of these modifications are determined by a fire's temperature, but there are a few general trends. Levels of phosphorus (Kutiel and Shaviv, 1993 and Marion et al., 1991) and pH (Kutiel and Shaviv, 1993) both increase during a fire. Conversely, nitrogen decreases during a fire (Kutiel and Shaviv, 1993, Marion et al., 1991). Chemical concentrations in burned soils are greatly affected by a fire's intensity. Ulery and Graham (1993) classify fire intensity into three major cla... ...h deposition, and clipping effects on soil nutrients in chaparral: Soil Science Society of America Journal, 55, 235-240. Robichaud, P. R. and Waldrop, T. A., 1994, A comparison of surface runoff and sediment yields from low- and high-severity site preparation burns: Water Resources Bulletin, 30, 27-34. Samran, S., Woodard, P. M., and Rothwell, R. L., 1995, The effect of soil water on ground fuel availability: Forest Science, 41, 255-267. Scott, D. F. and Van Wyk, D. B., 1990, The effects of wildfire on soil wettability and hydrological behavior of an afforested catchment: Journal of Hydrology, 121, 239-256. Singer, M. J, and Munns, D. N., 1996, Soils: an introduction: Upper Saddle River, Prentice-Hall Inc., 480 p. Ulery, A. L. and Graham, R. C., 1993, Forest fire effects on soils color and texture: Soil Science Society of America Journal, 57, 135-140.

Anxiety in Post Open-Heart Patients Essay -- Health, Diseases, Theorie

Concept analysis of Anxiety For many decades nursing has been developing tools to assist with development of theoretical and conceptual bases. Concept analysis has been identified by Walker and Avant (2005) as encouraging communication within the discipline it is being research in. Walker and Avant (2005) also point out that â€Å"the results of the concept analysis, the operational definition, the antecedents, and the defining attributes can provide scientists with an excellent beginning for a new tool or an excellent way to evaluate an old one† (p.64). Walker and Avant (2005) based their process on a â€Å"simplified† version of Wilson’s (1963) concept analysis procedure whereby there were 11 steps. Walker and Avant (2005) have condensed this process to 8 steps. For this particular concept analysis this is the process that will be used. The current nursing diagnosis â€Å"anxiety† will be used in this study as set forth by the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association. Selection of the Concept Within Walker and Avant (2005) the selection of a concept is the first step with concept analysis. With selection of a concept choice is important as it relates to the research within the area of interest. The concept needs to build on the phenomenon of concern within the discipline. With this in mind the concept of â€Å"anxiety† is in need of being examined as it relates to the post open-heart population. A tool is needed to identify anxiety associated specifically with the post open-heart patient in mind. Moreover anxiety has been scientifically researched and is in need of careful analysis for this population (Anjali & Ulrich, 2007; Akansel & Kaymaki, 2007; Christensen, 2007). The tool proposed is the Subjective Unit Discomfort Scale (Wolp... ...d pressure, heart rate or respirations as well as light-headedness and dizziness. Table 1 Empirical Referents of Anxiety Physiological Parasympathetic_ _________________Sympathetic________________ Nausea Increased blood pressure Dry mouth Diarrhea Increased pulse Headaches Frequent urination Increased respirations Restlessness Dizziness Perspiration Pacing Light-headedness Flushing Pupil dilation Dyspnea Insomnia/nightmares Behavioral_________ Expressions of helplessness Preoccupation Feelings of inadequacy Rumination Crying Inability to problem-solve Difficulty concentrating Trembling Conclusion The information derived from this concept analysis will be used to develop an instrument to further the validation of environmental noise in post open-heart patients in the acute care setting.

Alternative Media, Youth and Civil Society

BIOGRAPHY OF Dr. Govind Ji Pandey Filmmaker, college professor, social activist Dr. Govind Ji Pandey was born in Varanasi in 1972. Studied at BHU, Varansi and received his doctoral Degree in Journalism from MG Kashi Vidya Peeth, Varanasi. Acted in many films and worked for promotion of Bhojpuri Films in Purvanchal. Dr Pandey taught students of Masters Course at MGKVP before he moved to Delhi as Lecturer (Electronic Media), in MBICEM, a college affiliated to GGSIP University. Here he taught BJ(MC) students for six years. During his stay in Delhi he supervised various small research projects of students.He taught Video and Radio Journalism,Production, and supervised around five hundred audio and audio-visual production of students. Some of the films supervised by him got prize in prestigious film festivals like Jeevika, Vatavaran, Misce-en-scene etc. Dr. Pandey is author of a book ‘Television Journalism and Programme Formats’. At present he is working as a Reader (Mass Com munication) at BB Ambedkar University, Lucknow. He is teaching PG students and guiding research scholars for their Ph. D thesis at BBA University. Alternative Media, Youth and Civil Society Dr. Govind Ji Pandey Associate Professor, Dept. f Mass Comm & Journalism Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Univrsity, Lucknow Email- [email  protected] com Mob. 0919198915357The pen is mightier than the sword, and the alternative media may become mightier than the mainstream media. This is not a mere conjecture the process has already begun. The alternative media has emerged as a key player in promoting the cause of marginalized section of the society, an alternative voice of people and reflecting reality. The neglect of underprivileged and browbeaten by mainstream media, suppression and manipulation of information by government and media industry has posed a evere threat to the right to freedom of speech and expression of the members of global civil society. In the backdrop of the great danger posed by the media and political-economical nexus, a new development has given hope to millions around the world, of reuniting and creating an alternative source of information which is free by all means. The past few decades have shown us the path of creating a multi polar world and the advent of new media will create a world with multiple sources of voices.The information will come from those who are not only consumers of it, but producing it as well. The recent technological developments have reduced the cost of production dramatically. The speed of internet has increased with the development in the data transmission technology. This development has provided in the form of new media, a very strong tool of communication to challenge the monopoly of traditional mainstream media. The alternative media particularly Internet and Community Radio have changed the way we were consuming the media products.Now the consumer is no more a passive receiver of the media content but involved in the pr ocess of collection, selection and dissemination of information. There is a large number of people who believe that media can be used as a tool for social change. The large number of people involved in developing and disseminating information can be a great source of information for hundred and thousands of people all across the world. The information flow can not be stopped by the governments and now it has taken a global shape. Things happening at far of places now started affecting local governments.The recent case of Iran where the Iranian Government stopped the flow of information by putting many journalists behind bars and blocking television and slowing down internet speed could not restrict the flow of information. People used their mobile phones and cameras and put videos and audio of the various acts of Government for viewing and it became instant hit. A global opinion was formed and it affected the Iranian Government as well. It shows the strength of the alternative sourc es of information in shaping the modern world. The present study is an attempt to analyze the time people devote in creating media content.The continuous up gradation of information which has changed the social and economical condition of the consumers, in particular the youth studying in various universities in India.. The objectives of research are : 1)To understand the time youth devote for creating and consuming the media content; 2)to analyze the various tools used for content creation and reception by students; 3)to compare preference given to the medium for the content creation and consumption; 4)to analyze nature and type of content created by the students: 5)to observe social change in student community.The research study aims at highlighting the characteristics of alternative media, civil society, with the help of theoretical discussions and finally the relevance of concepts related with alternative media, civil society and youth have been analyzed through the following re search hypotheses: RH 1) Internet is the most preferred medium among youth. RH2)University students are actively participating in the social campaigns promoted through various social network sites. RH3)The most preferred tool for content generation is mobile phone. RH4)New media has changed information creation and consumption behavior of students.Methodology: For the analysis of above mentioned objectives and hypotheses a sample of 300 PG students of various departments of three universities from Lucknow, UP, India, were selected and their opinion on the various issues were taken. For this purpose an interview schedule was constructed. The students were selected through non-probability sampling method and equal representation was given to male and female students. Civil Society: Jurgen Habermas’ founded the notion of ‘public sphere,’ in which he discussed about a model of rational communication and rational critical debate.While explaining this kind of public sp here he said that, ‘private people come together as a public and they engage the state on various matters of public interest with reasoned argument. ’ As Habermas stressed, the public sphere has been in a permanent state of transformation as underlying social and economical conditions have changed. Though we have many views about civil society but we were not able to provide a single definition of civil society which is unanimously supported by all the scholars. The most recent one given by Mary Kaldor in his essay written in the book Global Civil Society 2007/08 talks about civil society, as the edium through which social contracts or bargain are negotiated between the individual and the centers of political and economic authority. Civil society is a process of management of society that is bottom- up rather than top down, and involves the struggle for emancipatory goals. Till 1989, the definition of civil society was territorially bounded. The concept of civil society was prevalent in some parts of Europe and America. The developments that have started around the world in early part of seventy and continued through eighties and nineties strengthen the democratic movement in Asia, Africa and other parts of the world.It is very clearly stated that to have a vibrant civil society you need established dem ocratic rights of electing public representatives, an independent judiciary and separation of legislative from executive. Media’s Role in a Civil Society The control of media by large business houses who are governed by the state bureaucracies and commercial motives has created an environment where the power has come under one head which is a dangerous sign for a democratic country like India.The UNESCO report on various aspects of communication and society provided eight following functions of mass media; i)dissemination of information ii)socialization iii)motivation iv)promoting debate and discussion on public issues v)education vi)cultura l promotion vii)entertainment and viii)integration. The objective of these functions were to provide complete information to the public so that they can form opinion and participate in the democratic process i. e. debate and discussion which ultimately guarantees their freedom of speech and expression.There is an immense danger to the freedom of speech and expression in the form of control and manipulation of information by state and private media industry. The control of mainstream media has come from various quarters and in variable forms. The fourth pillar of democracy has been hijacked by the various governmental and non-governmental organizations. Main stream media is no more the voice of people and is in a total disconnect of the real India. The mainstream media is serving the interests of minuscule minority and totally neglecting the real issues.If we analyze the issues that have been the centre of debate and discussion on various television channels and in print media we wil l hardly see an issue that is affecting the masses or talking about the marginalized section of the society. The mainstream media is obsessed with the glamour and politics, real developmental issues are vanished from the scene. What is Alternative Media? Michael Albert (2004) attempts to define alternative media in his manifesto, ‘what makes alternative media alternative’? As he writes ‘ An alternative media institution does not maximize profits, does not primarily sell audience to advertisers for revenues, is structured to subvert society’s defining hierarchical social relationships, and is structurally profoundly different from and as independent of other major social institution, particularly corporations, as it can be many segments of civil society are politically motivated communities promoting numerous causes and holding various versions of democracy.John Ehrenberg (1999) â€Å" A democratic sphere of public action that limits the thrust of state pow er. Alternative media enable and encourage empowerment and leanring outcomes may take place in either formal or informal education settings. UNESCO report on alternative media says: ‘ These are the kinds of consciously political and social demands by groups for whom alternative communication is but another facet of their need to contest hegemonic structures and forms to create an new social and cultural reality for themselves. (UNESCO, 1993,p. 16) Advent and Type of Alternative Media The monopoly of information control and ownership by the government, political and economic elites given them a lot of power to manipulate information.The newspapers and television channels have been driven by the commercial motives and the news about the poor and the marginalized were shifted to the inner pages. The global civil society felt a need of having alternative media which can connect with the rural, is committed to the poor and the oppressed and report the truth. The alternative media w as present during the media boom but did not take proper shape. Just after the internet revolution now, it came in to prominence. Some of the alternative media that have created and posted great challenge to mainstream media are following: 1)Interne Newspaper 2)Blogs 3)Social Networking websites )Mobile phones and Pager services 5)Independent documentary/Video filmmakers 6)Community Radio 7)Visual Radio 8)Ham operators 9)Small Newspapers and Magazines 10)Newsletters, brochures, handbills, pamphlets, posters, etc The development of alternative media gave ordinary citizens power to publish articles, upload videos and display photographs. It gave birth to a new kind of journalism which is public journalism. In this type of journalism public is producer, editor, reporter and consumers of the content. It has reduced the gate keeping authority of the traditional media. Role of Alternative Media 1)An alternative voice of people:It has a great role to play in shaping up a global civil socie ty and free world. With the advent of internet and use of advance technology in mobile telephone industry the local issues have all the potential to become global that to within a very little time. The recent experience of the governments of China and Iran attempting to control the internet has led to a strong underground movement. The authorities blocked the flow of information by putting journalists in jail and tried to stifle the flow of information but the internet gave people the much needed voice and forum which is hard to contain by the governments. )A forum for marginalized section of the society: The main stream media is catering to the need of affluent in the society. The marginalized section of society is hardly finding place in the main stream media. The voice and problems of the socially weaker class is unreported and unrepresented. Here alternative media can play an important role in highlighting the problems of poor and marginalized communities. The small community ne wspapers, community radio, television broadcast blogs, posters etc. can help the people overcome neglect by mainstream media to highlight the atrocities, faults in bureaucratic and other institutional setup.Marie Trigona, in his book â€Å"Argentina's Community Media Fights for Access and Legal Reform†, she explores Argentine groups that have emerged to produce alternative and independent media for television, radio and video in an effort to counter lack of access to marginalized communities in mass media. 3)Global public sphere: The world is shrinking and the nation state boundaries have disappeared in the contemporary societies. Any issue that is related with a particular country might become global within no time, curtsy new media. This is not merely a hypothesis but global reality.One of the biggest examples is â€Å"Batti Band Campaign†, such was the impact of this campaign that through out the world people came out in support of it and now it is a global phenomen on. And this is not the only example of this type there are many examples where global opinion was generated in support of many campaigns and world governments were forced to accept global opinion. This is how new technologies have reinvigorated a sense of transnational public sphere and strengthened global civil organizations movements and provided platform for sub cultural groups and common man. )Free expression and social activism: Alternative media is playing an important role in social learning process by providing easily accessible content to common man. In many developing and developed countries it is working as agents of social change. Denis Mc Quails in his democratic media participant theory suggests that media content should not be controlled by the Government Institutions and political organizations. Members of Civil Society should have their own media and it must promote the interest of common man.This can be achieved only when we have multiple sources of information an d communication where one can easily access and disseminate information. Recently in India, a controversy involving a union minister and a commissioner of a government body, started off from a social network site twitter, and within no time public opinion was formed. The public opinion was so strong that government accepted resignation of minister and the commissioner was forced to step-down. This shows the strength of the new media and the public opinion generated through it.Now no government can neglect opinion of civil society. Alternative Media and Youth No country can deny the importance of youth in nation building process. The involvement and participation of youth in decision making process not only strengthen the democratic process but also contributes to their personal development. In India, almost 55% population comes under this category who is also frequent users of new media technologies. The world’s youth population, Ages 15to 24, will become more and more concen trated in Africa and Asia.By 2050, the number of youth will have risen from just under a half billion in 1950 to 1. 2 billion. According to a recent study done by the Internet ; Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), there are 471 million mobile phone subscribers, out of which 127 million have their own Internet ready mobile device. But of these 127 million users who have mobile phones with Internet capability, only 12 million have used the Internet on their devices and the number of active mobile Internet users is just 2 million.But â€Å"industry experts† quoted on Business Standard claim that there are over 500 million mobile phone subscribers and due to the decline in prices of Internet-enabled handsets, there are about 10 million mobile phone Internet surfers, much more than the 2 million reported by the IAMAI. This shows the potential of this media and those who are using it are mainly youth in all parts of the world. Not only this, the change brought in by the technology has given youth many different tools for content generation.One of the most important tolls is mobile phone which is used for video, audio, still photo recording and putting them on internet using various social network sites like twitter, U tube, face book etc. The information reaches to millions of users across the globe and global opinion is generated on various issues of public interest. In Indian universities, youth devote a lot of time for content generation and dissemination. In the study conducted in three universities of India following conclusions were drawn: Table 1 Time devoted for internet surfing 0-1 hour1-2 hour2-3 hour3-4 hourMore than 4 hourMale1832602515 Female2654401515 Total44861004030 Surveys conducted in several countries in the world show that the internet addiction in on rise. In China the number of young Internet addicts had soared to 24 million by 2009, almost double the figure for 2005, It is very much evident from the data that youth particularly in the Indian university have been devoting a lot of time in content generation and dissemination on internet. Overall, 71 million users accessed Internet in year 2009, with 52 Million â€Å"active† users who accessed it atleast once in a month.If we look at global users on internet India is on 4th position but it may change very soon the moment it will reach to the rural population of the India. PositionCountryInternet Users Million 1USA220 2CHINA210 3JAPAN88. 1 4INDIA81 5BRAZIL53 ( Source: Internet ; Mobile Association of India(IAMAI) and IMRB. ) In India the growth of internet is mainly in urban centers and school ; college students itself contribute to more than 44% of all Internet usage that happens in India – Overall 72% of young people access Internet on regular basis. Table 2 Most popular tool for content generation Video cameraRecorderStill ameraMobile phone Male1068126 Female446136 Total141014262 Mobile is the most popular medium for content generation. Not only is that mobile a very popular mode of internet surfing among youth in India but the trend is more or less same across the globe. The Opera Mini, most widely downloaded mobile application has released the number of Mobile Internet usage.The report is quite significant in terms of mobile internet usage in the world. Following are the top 05 countries in Opera Mini Usage: 1. Russia 2. Indonesia 3. India 4. China 5. Ukraine ( Source: Internet ; Mobile Association of India(IAMAI) and IMRB. Table 3 Most preferred medium for news and entertainment TVRadioNewspaperInternetFilm Male2515207515 Female2636245410 Total51514412925 The information and communication behavior of the students have shown significant change in regard to the medium they use for news and entertainment. In a research study conducted by World Association of Newspapers (WNA) on Decoding Youth as News ; Information Consumers found that young people are spending less time with traditional media and more with new media. Same is t he conclusion drawn in the data mentioned in the table three. Young participants said that usage of new media (i. e. , computers, mobile phones, the internet, and MP3 players) is increasingly taking up time participants would have spent with traditional media, though this time is obviously restricted in countries where the digital divide remains a strong barrier. Despite this, many participants say they would like to spend more time with newspapers and other traditional sources of information. Contrary to stereotype, many young participants remained respectful of traditional information sources and few dismiss them as obsolete. † (Source: World Association of Newspapers)Table 4 University students are actively participating in campaigns promoted through social network websites YesNo Male9555 Female46104 Total141159 The data shown above clearly indicating that youth is engaged in social reformation with the help of alternative media. Social Networking Sites (SNS) are young peop le? s spaces – and engaging with young people here is meeting young people where they are at. The recent example of Batti Band Campaign that got momentum through the SNS is one of the many examples where young ones created awareness and it is now a well established campaign.There are many other cases in India which generated and garnered a lot of public response and support through social networking sites. Ruchika Girihotra, Jessica Lal, Nitish katara, etc. are some of the cases that are highlighted through these websites and ultimately proved to be a very strong campaign which generated a huge support for victim’s family and put pressure on the state authorities to act for justice. Table 5 Do you think alternative media has changed your information and entertainment behavior YesNo Male12624 Female13020 Total25644Youth information behavior is a complex process of interplays among various factors, such as young people’s cognitive status, identity formation and va lue negotiation, and social interaction within a context. Here the data indicates that youth in India has significantly changed their information and entertainment behavior. More than 85 % of the samples were of the opinion that they have witnessed significant change in their media content consumption. The new media has taken over from the traditional media which includes radio and television.On the basis of the analysis of data collected with the help of interview schedule the following conclusions can be drawn: 1)Youth in India is spending a lot of time using internet and other alternative means of communication. The main stream media will have a tough competition in the form of alternative media. 2)Internet is the most popular medium among youth and mobile phones are the most preferred medium for content generation and uploading of data. 3)Social networking sites have become a very important platform for common man.The social issues raised with the help of the social networking s ites are getting good response from the netizens and global public opinion is very easily formed. 4)The global civil society has found a new and alternative platform for raising their voices. Alternative means of communication have become a very strong tool to form global opinion. Now the local governments are finding it difficult to stop the flow of information. 5)The world is now fast becoming multi polar and multiple sources of communication in the form of small and alternative media have given a strong platform to the marginalized communities and socially deprived class. )It is very much evident from this study that mobile phone is the most popular medium for content generation and dissemination of information among youth in India. They upload data to various social networking sites and actively participating in the social campaigns promoted through it.Reference: 1)Kaldor Mary, Global Civil Society, 2007/08 2)Tufte Thomas, Youth engaging with the World: Media, Communication and Social Change, The International Clearinghouse on Children, Youth and Media’s Yearbook 2009. 3)The Hindu, Role of Alternative Media Stressed, 2010. )TOI, Friday, June19, 2009, Editorial. 5)Trigona Marie’ Alternative media is alive and well all over Latin America. (Argentina), 2009. 6)Casey Bernadette and others, Key Concepts in Television Studies, Routledge, Newyork. 7)Rayner philip, Media Studies, Routledge, Newyork. 8)Branston Gill, The Media Students’ Book, Routledge, Newyork. 9)Waisanen Don J, A citizen’s guide to democracy inaction, Southern Communication Journal, Volume 74/Number 2/April-June 2009 10) world population data sheet 2009. 134 Million 11% Asia/ Pacific