Media Violence Essay Example for Free

Media Violence Essay Television has been considered as part of entertainment of the society. Mass media has been recognized as the giver and provider of the information needed by the public. These two terms have too many influences and greatly affects the lives of the people in the society which make them important elements in this post modern world. From gaining knowledge to entertainment, media has been having the reputation of providing all the information needed by the public. However, the society also points out the mass media as the greatest influence of aggressive behavior of the viewers. Through the movies and television shows that are being released by the media, people learn to conform and adopt the attitudes that are portrayed by the characters. The constant changing society has challenge the culture and values of the people around the world. The popular culture has been very influential making the society conform to the new trends. However, there are some factors in the society that are not changing regardless of the transparency of its effects. In other words, these are the aspects that affect the lives of the people negatively but still considered as adequate because of the acceptance of the mainstream. Media violence is one of the negative elements of the society but still existing despite the evident effects to the people. The Viewers and the Media Violence The behavior of the person shows the kind of television program he or she watches (Science Daily). Apparently, media violence does not affect only those who already understand the language and actions of a certain movie or television show. In fact, even the toddlers are being affected by these aggressive behaviors on screen. The people learn based on what they could see in their environment. Undeniably, mass media is one of the most influential factors that is present in this post modern world. The values that people adapt from their surroundings help in developing their personalities as they grow older. Since media has been the easiest tool in gaining information, it has also become an instrument to learn and adapt the culture of the society. The children that are just starting to learn in the society is being trained and influenced by the behaviors that are being portrayed in movies and television programs. Everyday, a home is being penetrated not only by thousands of advertisers that persuade every member of the family to buy a certain product. In fact, the television serves as the bridge of the people to the fictional world that are perfectly created by the mass media. Thousands of scenes from television shows and advertisements are being portrayed and most of them are adopted influencing the mind and personality of an individual. Countless murders and other acts of violence are shown making the audience feel the danger present outside their homes. The martial arts battle, shootings, knifings, fistfights, and exploding cars are just few of the scenes that can be watched on movies or television shows. These acts of violence are usually done by the heroes and villains who often serve as the role models for the young adults in the society (Freedman 4). The aggressive behaviors that the children often see on screen are committed by the live actors or even animated figures that appear in the best movies as well as the worst. On the other hand, the existence of violence in the society has not created by the media themselves. In fact violence has been in the society even before television was invented, movie houses were constructed, and video games were released. Aggression is a nature of man and it has been present even before the technology enter the scene. The public has been blaming the media for the aggression that their shows cause to the people especially to children; however, the media has been firm on telling that their aggressive shows represent the violence of the society. This issue has been at the heart of debate in the society. The presence of media relies on the elements of the society while the society relies on the information that are being offered by the mass media. Effects of Media Violence As the child becomes older, he or she is being accustomed with the information available in his or her surroundings. The internet, television shows, video games, and advertising are the sources of information of children nowadays (Wintour). The presence of media has undeniably influenced the young adults as they grow up to be mature individuals. The aggressive behaviors that they can see on television, movies, or even video games are being adapted and accepted to their own construction of reality. The child learns to hit his playmate when he gets mad, throw things when he is irritated, and shout when somebody did not pay attention to him. These are all examples of aggressive behaviors which may appear to be simple and normal attitude of a child. Oftentimes, the society fails to notice these simple behaviors as a problem that needs to be solved before it gets worse. The video games that are sold in the market with a goal to teach children to stand diversity has undeniably created an impression that it would enhance the knowledge of the young adults in technology and eliminated the idea that this would trigger the aggressive behavior of the player. The children will play as the main character that is given a task to protect a territory and kill the animated figures that would hinder him to win the game. The concept of this game sets the mind of the young players to fight with the use of guns and knives (O’Hehir) Frequently, learning to behave aggressively is the tested effect of media violence. This effect is also referred to as instigation of aggressive impulses, disinhibition of socialization against aggressive behavior and imitation of violence (Potter, 25). The child may not show an aggressive behavior after watching series of violent shows but the child would definitely think that aggression is acceptable in the society. Moreover, the child may not imitate the actions that were portrayed by the media, but the scenes may create fear to the young minds of the viewers. Since the information on media sources are the most accessible source of knowledge, the viewers may accustomed them and accept them as part of reality. Media violence produces short-term increases by priming existing aggressive scripts and cognitions, increasing physiological arousal, and triggering an automatic tendency to imitate observed behaviors. Media violence produces long-term effects via several types of learning processes leading to the acquisition of lasting (and automatically accessible) aggressive scripts, interpretational schemas, and aggression-supporting beliefs about social behavior, and by reducing individuals normal negative emotional responses to violence (Anderson et al. 81). Apparently, mass media gives all the necessary information that the people need in order to function well in the society. The media may represent the events that often occur in the society but those should not also be the basis of the messages that are being conveyed to the audience. The real events are filmed and added with more spices to make the viewers buy what the media has prepared for them. Although aggression is long associated to human, there are still factors in the society that provoke people to behave aggressively. Mass media sells products to the public. These products do not consist only of the consumer goods that the society needs in order to survive. The television programs that are being shown to the public are products of mass media that the society willingly buys. Unquestionably, the media is an influential and powerful tool to make the society a better place; however, mass media sources have been very consistent in telling only the truth to their customers. The element of the society that should help the people to lessen the societal problems become an instrument to pass the negative aspects of the society from generation to generation. However, the people can still select the products carefully. Buying violent products is telling the media to produce more (Edgar 59). The society needs to be wiser in selecting the program that would portray less aggression and help the people to participate more on salient topic in the society rather than the fiction stories that affect negatively to the lives of the viewers. Works Cited Craig A. Anderson, Leonard Berkowitz, Edward Donnerstein, L. Rowell Huesmann, James D. Johnson, Daniel Linz, Neil M. Malamuth, Ellen Wartella. The influence of media violence on youth. Psychological Science in the Public Interest. USA: Association for Psychological Science. 2004. Volume 4 Issue 3 pp. 81-110 Edgar, Kathleen. Everything you need to know about media violence. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2000 Freedman, Jonathan L. Media Violence and Its Effect on Aggression: Assessing the Scientific Evidence. Canada: University of Toronto Press, 2002 O’Hehir, Andrew. The Myth of Media Violence. March 17, 2005. Daily Newsletter. 11 March 2009. http://dir. salon. com/story/books/feature/2005/03/17/media/index. html Potter, James W. On Media Violence. USA: SAGE, 1999 Rutgers University. Media Violence Cited As Critical Risk Factor For Aggression. ScienceDaily 20 November 2008. 11 March 2009 http://www. sciencedaily. com ¬ /releases/2008/11/081119122632. htm. Wintour, Patrick. 5 September 2007. The Guardian. 11 March 2009 http://www. guardian. co. uk/politics/2007/sep/05/uk. media

Why is American public education inferior among industrialized nations

Why is American  public education inferior among industrialized nations In 2011 the United States has allotted 15.3 percent of its 3.82 trillion dollar government budget for education. Japan plans to spend 9.8 percent of their 2.66 trillion dollar budget. The United Kingdom fixed 12.1 percent of 669.3 billion dollars, and Canada set aside 12.5 percent of their 276 billion dollar budget as well. In comparison to all of these other countries spending towards education, the United States spends more than all of them combined. Now while this is a quantified observation, the United States public education system is inferior to these other industrialized nations. Many reasons are prevalent for this statement. In the United States there are problems with the ways teachers operate the classroom, the ways academic performance is determined, the ways teachers are trained, and the ways curriculums are arranged. These are all issues that the United States needs to improve on in its effort to maintain a leadership position in the fields of mathematics and science and to keep its place as a major world power (UNESCO Institute for Statistics). A major argument with the United States education system is whether or not to switch to a year-round calendar in public schools. In the United States, schools currently start at the beginning of September or at the end of August, and tend to end in the month of June. United States government requires students to attend school at least 175-185 days of the year with a typical school day lasting around seven hours. In between two different school years there typically tends to be a two month summer vacation. Schools are normally organized into semesters, but the apportionment of a school year is largely decided by the school district (Education in the United States 15). While the United States does not have a year-round education, the country of Japan does. Japans school year starts on April 1st and ends on March 31st with the government mandating that students attend school at least 210 days out of the year (Ishikada). As a student reaches higher grade levels in Japan the school days usually become longer. First graders are in school for around five hours a day while fifth graders are in classes for roughly seven hours during a day (Rohlen 162). An average day in a Japanese school has students in some type of recess or lunch period for fifteen percent of the day (Rohlen 170). Primary school students will specifically have a recess in which students are allowed to use playground equipment while secondary students have ten minute breaks in between their fifty minute classes (Whitman 14). All schools in Japan normally have a lunch period lasting one hour and thirty minutes with time set aside so that students are able to clean up after themselves and to have time for relaxation with other students after eating (Rohlen 162). These two educational systems in both Japan and the United States are systematized quite similarly in structure. Discrepancies between the two systems lie in that a Japanese student is in school more hours in any given day than an American student. Also, a Japanese student attends school more days out of the year than an American student. In light of these two differences, Japanese students receive more edification and practice with their material than students do in the United States. With schools days in Japan being longer and years being longer than in the United States, students have a lot more time in between classes and for lunch. Japanese children spend fifteen percent of their day in recess while American children spend around five percent of their day in recess (Rohlen 170). Because Japanese students have their breaks in between classes throughout the day it allows their minds to relax and actually process what they have learned before attending their next class. This idea o f mind relaxation and processing expands into a main supportive assertion for year-round education. With shorter breaks in a given school year, rather than one long summer vacation, it gives a child time to gather what they have learned in an effort to use it in their future studies (Bemis and Palmer 4). An extensive summer vacation causes a child to forget what they have learned and when they return to school teachers have to take time that could be used for other areas of learning and instead focus on review (Moore 59). If schools in the United States were to become year-round this problem would be removed and America would see positive results in its educational system. With the school year length being a plausible problem in the United States, another major area of concern are the curriculums being mandated by public schools. The government of the United States passed the No Child Left Behind act as a law on January 8th, 2002 (No Child Left Behind). The No Child Left Behind act put into law by Congress gives each and every state in the United States the power to create its own curriculum with certain impediments. Because this act was established as law, curriculums in public schools are not nationally standardized. Even though the No Child Left Behind act does regulate educational practice, the curriculums used by schools are determined by local governments. These local governments can vary between the state level and the school district level (Slavin). No Child Left Behind requires public schools to give students annual tests in reading and math in grades three through eight and only one test between the grades of ten and twelve. During the 2007 s chool year science tests were required to be admitted by public schools (No Child Left Behind). Approximately ninety-five percent of students in schools are required to take standardized tests. These requirements are set forth even if English is a students second language or if that student has some type of disability (Slavin). Test results are used to determine whether a schools students are making adequate progress throughout their educational career. This progress refers to the legislatures intention to have all children proficient in reading, math, and science by 2014 (National Science Foundation). What is determined as adequate progress is defined on a state level, and leaves the states the power to determine their own standards and how to reach them. No Child Left Behind creates discrepancies in the quality of education that is provided in the different states. Because of how the curriculum is determined in the United States, another area of education that is being jeopardized is the material being taught. Teachers are able to specifically teach for only the standardized tests, focusing on only providing information that will be seen on the test in the exact same style that the test will follow (FairTest). This leads students to memorize information rather than focusing on mastering skills that were once deemed important (Slavin). By not analyzing other areas of the educational system and only paying attention to the advanced yearly progress schools make, instruction is only being enforced on a shallow level. No Child Left Behind emphasizes that students make progress, but it fails to realize whether students are just learning the information being taught or if they are achieving their actual potential. With massive state-to-state differences in the public schooling system the results of standardized tests begin to lose credibility. Standar dized tests in the United States do not keep track of the progress students and schools make as a whole, but they do bring to the surface the discrepancies between state curriculums and the resources that are being distributed to teachers and students. British education is regulated by the national government with an intensive standardized system. The British government established a national curriculum by setting up an organized set of stages for children ranging from ages five to sixteen and core subjects for them to study. It indicates the various focuses to be taught at different stages and the anticipated knowledge, abilities, and understanding level for the various subjects. It also lays down the grounds for how the students progress should be tested (Education System in England). Four stages are what make up the National Curriculum of Britain and each stage is determined by what a childs age is at the time. These stages are known as key stages. Key Stage One encompasses students ages five to eight, Key Stage Two ages eight to eleven, Key Stage Three ages eleven to fourteen, and Key State Four ages fourteen to sixteen (Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency). To move onto the next key stage, students are subjected t o a standardized test correlating with the specific key stage they were previously in. After the test has been taken by all of the students, the results are then reported to the parents and the public in two different ways: the actual test grade of the student is revealed and also evaluations for each individual student are provided by the teacher (Education System in England). By doing this, the risks of high stake standardized tests are diminished. Teachers are able to communicate that a student is brilliant and able to learn information at a superior level, but that they may just be an awful test taker or having an off day. There are some benefits to having localized curriculums, but the curriculum statutes determined by the United States are inferior in comparison to that of the British national curriculum. Because the quality of education between the different states in the United States varies, the students from each state are certainly not on the same page once they graduate. Colleges have specific standards from which they create their expectations. Because one student may come from a state that has lower academic standards does not mean that a college will change their expectations to accommodate them. If a state has lower standards of achievement their students will not be as prepared for higher education and eventually will have a difficult time meeting their colleges academic anticipations. One other disadvantage when comparing the United States with Britain is that by having a minimum of fifty different curriculums on a strictly state level, these curriculums are hard to examine and fix. In Br itain if a change is needed in their educational policy there is only one system that needs to be scrutinized and corrected. Since there are fifty states in the United States there is not only one curriculum to fix, but fifty different curriculums that need to be analyzed and then changed. Regardless of the country or grade level, all teachers practically follow one standard approach when instructing a class on a new subject. This standard approach comes forward even when countries have strikingly different standards of arranging their curriculum in its educational system. With the first step the teacher reviews any knowledge that is germane to the information needed for the lesson that students should already know. The teacher then proceeds to teach and discuss the concepts of the subject with the students. Before long the teacher is evaluating the progress of the students by asking questions and overseeing them while they work in groups or individually. Finally, the teacher provides students with sample problems to practice on in order to master the new subject in its entirety. These steps are virtually universal in the teaching profession, and both teachers from around the world and American teachers use them to some degree. How they focus on each step is what separ ates the two countries from one another (Beauchamp). Teachers in the United States tend to focus on the reviewing step of teaching new subject matter more than their counterparts in Japan. This is because of how subject matter is taught during a curriculum. A traditional style of instruction for teachers that students are used to in the classroom is to spend a majority of the class going over previous homework assignments either correcting or reviewing them (Woodward). Teachers in the United States have higher standards and requirements for homework than any other country in the world (Schmidt et al). Perhaps this happens because schools in the United States only cover subject matter briefly and never go in depth into the area which resigns students to never being able to master certain subjects. American teachers also rarely focus on changing their teaching style in the classroom while going over a lesson. This causes about only sixty percent of students to be consistently focused during a teachers instructions (Rohlen 170). The last parts of a lesson are used for students to work independently or in groups during class. This is also called seatwork (Slavin 223). This is in order for a teacher to evaluate the students knowledge by having them practice what they have learned. American teachers take time while seatwork is being conducted to work at their desks correcting student assignments or by planning what is going to come next in their instructions. American teachers do this instead of observing the classroom in an effort to help the students with their work and to keep track of what the class needs to improve on (Rohlen 170). This defeats the entire purpose of seatwork. Due to teachers in the United States not assessing their students while seatwork is being conducted and by not having discussions about misconceptions, students are missing out on a fundamental step in the learning process. In general when comparing the United States and Japan, an observation would be that Japanese teachers are a lot more dedicated to the education of their students. During the time while seatwork is being done by students, Japanese teachers will observe the classroom in an effort to evaluate their students advancement. By observing their classroom the teacher can then determine whether or not it is appropriate to proceed on to the next area of the lesson being taught. Part of the reason why U.S. teachers take time to correct papers or plan lessons while students conduct seatwork is because the majority of their time at school is spent teaching. Japanese teachers only teach four out of the eight hours they are at school (Rohlen 165). Japanese school teachers do an exceptional job with their styles of teaching in order to keep the focus of their students. Because Japanese teachers change their strategies so frequently their students are always paying attention and are rarely bored with c lass. Students in Japanese classrooms are also able to get much more out of a school day because teachers are not taking a majority of the class time going over and correcting old assignments (Beauchamp). Because homework is not emphasized as much in Japanese schools as in American schools, teachers have more opportunities to provide students with new topics and to assist students with any problems they may have. This is an important observation because by doing this Japanese students are able to achieve their full potential during their educational career. If the United States were to change their teaching tactics and focus less on review and more on in-depth studies, perhaps students would leave the public education system with more than just a degree (Rohlen 165). The methods with which teachers instruct their students can be traced back to the way they were specifically trained for their position. American teachers are required to have a bachelors degree in order to teach and must also pass an exam to become a licensed teacher. During the course of acquiring a bachelors degree there are many mandatory courses one must take in order to achieve the status of an educator. Most of these courses are in the areas of different teaching methods in the classroom. In addition to this, American teachers must also student teach with an experienced teacher for at least one semester. American teachers do not have much time to learn from a mentor or their peers, and are expected to know a majority of what they are going to need for a position upon being hired. Even after being hired into a school, teachers will work individually a greater part of the time. Because teachers are instructing students a bulk of the school day they do not have much time to colla borate and compare classroom techniques with one another. Teachers in the United States have hardly any time to learn from others in their prospective profession on different ways to instruct and also learn most of what they know during their college education in classrooms rather than from raw experience. Experience is what human beings learn best from, and it is a trial and error process. The United States should require teachers to student teach for a minimum of one year in order for them to learn as much as they can from their more experienced colleagues (Rohlen 165-166). Frances requirements to become a teacher are much more rigorous than that of the United States. To become a teacher one must first obtain a bachelors degree or its equivalent. This is a mandatory canon before applying to one of the many university institutes for teacher training. These institutes are also known as IUFMS. IUFMs are specific to the different regions of France. Each IUFM specializes in the training of secondary teachers. Potential future teachers are required to attend an IUFM for two years. The first year consists of taking a training course in the career of their choice. The career paths available are for primary, secondary, and high school teachers. After the first year, training teachers take an exam in their chosen career path. In order for training teachers to proceed with their second year of training they must pass the exam. Year two at an IUFM has a much more thorough curriculum. Trainees are trained in French, mathematics, a foreign language, and in physical e ducation. They are also subjected to nine hours of teaching each week and are assigned a qualified teacher of the same subject they are studying that currently is employed in a school. The training teacher meets with this mentor on a regular basis in order to have them assist with the training process. Upon completion of the second year at an IUFM, teachers are officially appointed as such by the Ministry of National Education. With this program set up in training teachers, France has established a meticulous system in order to procure the finest teachers possible. Teachers are able to gain experience from a mentor for an entire year rather than just a semester like American student teachers do. Even after becoming employed in a school in France, teachers are able to learn from their fellow educators in an effort to improve their own educational techniques in the classroom. France has an excellent system in place for training teachers, and the United States should take some time in order to learn from their techniques (Instituts Universitaires de Formation des Maitres). With all the aforementioned areas of education that the United States needs to improve on, it comes as no surprise that academic performance lies as one of the main subjects being analyzed and studied in the public school system in the United States today. In comparison to other countries the United States is doing poorly. There are exceptions of course, but when compared to China these exceptions are not applicable. One extensive study found that standardized tests given to students covering mathematics and reading is that China had scores higher in both areas. In fact, the highest scores of American fifth graders were below the average scores of the Chinese fifth graders. This may be caused by the fact that sixty-nine percent of the time in American schools are spent on academic activities while eight-five percent of time in Chinese schools are. Focus on improvement in these indispensable areas of education is becoming even more prevalent as populations grow. Parents in the United States could help their children become more academically proficient by being more active in their childrens lives regarding education outside of school. Chinese students spend an average of ninety-five minutes on homework each day while fourteen minutes are spent on homework each day in the United States. Also, the Chinese spend well over an hour on both Sunday and Saturday simply studying their material. Students in the United States spend less than twenty minutes during the entire weekend studying. Parents could help change these habits with the amount of influence they hold over their children. In fact, more than fifty percent of parents in China purchase academic workbooks for their children to practice with when there is no homework available to them. Only twenty-eight percent of American parents do this. With these studies bringing the United States poor education system to the surface, perhaps it is easier to understand why the United States is falling behind (Stevenson, Lee , and Stigler). American public schools could never be farther from the perfection that their government is demanding. No Child Left Behind aims for one-hundred percent of students to be proficient in both standardized reading tests and math tests by the year of 2014 (National Science Foundation). This is unobtainable. The fact the United States is even attempting to do this pushes it even farther behind the rest of the world in the educational field. Other countries are correct with their ways of instructing students, training teachers, determining academic performance, and curriculum planning. American classrooms could take a lot from these other countries. The only problem is that the United States has an ego problem and has a consistent belief that its standards are better than others. Perhaps if enough parents and citizens were to raise concern about the problems in the education system of the United States changes would be made. The people of the United States have the power. Citizens are not to be afraid of their government. The government is to be afraid of its citizens.

Change Management Essay -- Philosophy Papers

Change Management "Change is the only constant, we are told" in the twenty-first century marketplace(Ojala, 1997, p.1). In order for many companies, organizations, or institutions to stay competitive in their fields, they must be prepared for change and the effects of that change. According to a 1994 American Management Association and Deliotte & Touche LLP study "approximately 84% of American companies" are experiencing some type of change (Carson, 1998, p.1). Change management helps companies predict, institute, guide, facilitate, and evaluate change. Change management is "the focus of the change project (or initiative), whether it be to bring about alterations at the individual, group†¦or organizational level"(Henderson and McAdam, 1998, p.1). The concept behind change and change management is that these changes or "alterations’ refer to proactive business improvements"(Henderson and McAdam, 1998, p.1). Unfortunately, "the underlying assumption that all change is good"(Ojala, 1997, p.1) is incorrect; therefore, companies, organizations, and institutions must understand the "forces that drive change," how their employees will react to change, and the "underlying principles of change, and use them to develop a comprehensive change management framework" that will ensure a successful change project (Hirschfield, 1998, p. 1). The Forces Of Change "Organizational change is any alteration of activities in an organization†¦[that] may be the result of changes in the structure of the organization, transfer of tasks, new product introduction, or changes in attitude of group members or process, or any number of events inside and outside of an organization" (Carson, 1998, p. 1). There are external and internal forces of change f... ...r). Another reason why companies resist change, [Internet]. Strategy and Business Briefs, 4 pages. Available at: plweb-cgi/idoc.pl?201+unix+_free_user_+www.strategy-business.com.80+booz+booz+SB_All+SB_All++ ‘Change%20management’ Ojala, Marydee. (1997, December). Change management. Database, 20(6), 2 pages. Available at: ABI Inform Database on Galileo Puccinelli, Bob. (1998, September). Overcoming resistance to change. Inform, 12(8), 2 pages. Available at: ABI Inform Database on Galileo Rogers, Everett M. (1995). Diffusion of Innovations (4th ed.) New York: The Free Press. Smith, Catherine. (1998, August). The alchemy of change. Banker, 148(870), 3 pages. Available at: ABI Inform Database on Galileo Wilbur, Randa A. (1999, March). Making changes the right way. Workforce, Workforce Extra Supplement, 2 pages. Available at: ABI Inform Database on Galileo

Life Saver :: Interview Essays

Life Saver The phone starts ringing as soon as Rita Murray enters the office of the Birthright House in Richmond, Indiana. A teenage girl asks for information about a free pregnancy test. While Rita is scheduling an appointment for the girl, a new mother comes in needing diapers and formula for her baby. Rita starts for the diapers, but another mother walks in the door bringing a bag full of baby clothes and a handmade quilt to donate. Just as the office begins to settle, two girls, "Christy" and "Heather," walk in without an appointment wanting pregnancy tests. After the tests are given, the girls wait for the results and watch a video of fetal development. Rita returns with the results and several pamphlets about teenage pregnancy, dating, abstinence, and the effects of abortion. Christy's test is positive and Heather's is negative. Christy starts to cry, "I can't have a baby, I'm too young." She asks Rita, "How can I tell my boyfriend . . . my parents? What do I do now?" She has many questions about the medical aspects of her pregnancy, and is unsure about what will happen now to her and to her baby. Rita asks her about her family and sex life, goes over the various pamphlets with her, and talks about decisions she will now have to make. She sits quietly with Christy and talks about the decisions that must be made. Christy walked into Birthright a teenage girl with few worries, but as she leaves, she seems much more burdened with the many choices she now has to make. Birthright is a Pro-Life international movement with offices throughout North America and Africa. In 1968, Louise Summerhill, a homemaker and a mother of seven, founded Birthright in Toronto, Canada, starting the service with $300 and promises of help from 60 women, 20 doctors, and other professionals. Richmond's Birthright branch consists of 30 volunteers, like Rita, with assistance from six local doctors. If further assistance is needed, Birthright may refer a client to additional community services, including affordable medical services, legal services, housing, maternity homes for unwed mothers, adoption information, educational guidance, and employment assistance. If the client is in serious financial need, Birthright will offer its assistance.

Acid Precipitation Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sitting in your room late at night, you listen to the gentle pittter-patter of the rain on your window. Ahh, so soothing and relaxing. Have you ever really wondered what the rain is really made of? Is that just water or is it acid slowly streaming down out there? That rain you hear just might be acid rain, it could change the way you live your life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The commonly used terms â€Å"acid rain† and â€Å"acid precipitation† describe specific forms of a type of pollution described generally as â€Å"acid deposition.† Harmful gases that rise into the air mix with cloud moisture, sunlight, and oxidants. There they chemically combine into dilute sulfuric and nitric acids, which fall back to the earth. This is acid deposition. The major contributing pollutants are sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide (Morgan, 5). â€Å"Acid rain† is basically rainwater with a pH level lower than 5.6 (Morgan, 3). The term pH means â€Å"potential hydrogen†. When a substance has a pH level of 7, it is completely neutral with the same number of hydroxyl and hydrogen ions (Pringle, 6). Acidity in the atmosphere can be changed by many natural things. When a volcano erupts, sulfur dioxide is spewed out. Droughts produce unusually dry soil conditions allowing dust particles to be carried upward into the air, neutralizing the acids that may be present at the time (Pringle, 4). Acid Rain can come in concentrations sometimes more acidic than lemon juice. These pollutants reach the earth in rain, snow, hail, sleet, or fog. The rain at the beginning of a shower is usually more acidic than the rain that follows. Dry acidic particles can also fall from the atmosphere. Because wind can carry gases and moisture for hundreds of miles, even areas far away from the source bear the effects of acid deposition (Durha m, 10). There are of course, many things that we as humans do everyday to promote and support the continuation of acid rain. Not intentionally, of course. When the fossil fuel, (i.e. coal) is used, the sulfur in it mixes with Oxygen in the air to form sulfur dioxide. The sulfur dioxide is eventually turned into acid over a matter of days. Coal-fired power plants are the single greatest cause of acid rain in the United States. They account for two-thirds of all sulfur dioxide emissions in the US (Pringle 16; Morgan 75). In the mid-1980’s, the United states alon... ...ain can aggravate a person's ability to breathe and may increase disease, which could lead to death (Bennet) In conclusion, any rain with a pH level lower than 5.6 are classified as acid rain. Acid rain is made when sulfur dioxides mix with nitrogen oxides to form acids. The acids then can come back down out of the atmosphere in either a dry or a wet form. Both of these have proven devastating to both aquatic animals and forests. Billions of dollars have been spent to correct and try to fix what acid rain had done to buildings and monuments. Acid rain also has its toll on the health of us humans. The food you eat could be contaminated with toxins due to acid rain, you’d never know it either. Sources: Bennet, Mark. â€Å"Acid Rain† 2-25-00. Online. Internet. 1-17-96 Available WWW: http://www.soton.ac.uk/~engenvir/enviroment/air/acid.home.html Durham, Jack. Acid Rain: A Student’s First Sourcebook. Diane Publishing Co.: 1994. Morgan, Sally. Acid Rain. Franklin Watts, Incorporated 1999. Phamornsuwana, Sam. â€Å"Effects of Acid Rain† 2-24-00. Online. Internet. 1-5-99 Available WWW: http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects.html Pringle, Laurence. Rain of Troubles. Macmillan Publishing Co.: 1988.

Jose Rizal, our national hero Essay

  Jose Rizal, our national hero was one of the Filipinos who asked for reformsduring the Spanish era. This was one of his best contributions in building our nation. These reforms will grant the ultimate dream of the reformists; assimilation. Filipinoswill be given the rights that they deserve. Rizal choose to seek for reforms than tostart a revolution because he knew that Philippines was not yet ready to stand onits own (during his time). Rizal used his liberal ideas in asking for reforms 5. Although Rizal hadrevolutionary ideas, he was not for armed revolution per se. He was more for thegradual and peaceful one. One that is catalyzed by the education of the Filipinopeople. He reasoned out that when subject people are educated, intelligent, and havebecome aware of their human rights, they would have self-determination and they would strive to be free from their mother country. When this revolution happens,drastic changes will occur in the political, economical, social, religious, andintelligence sphere of a society paving the way for its independence someday. Rizal reasoned out that when subject people are educated, intelligent, andhave become aware of their human rights, they would have self-determination andthey would strive to be free from their mother country. When this revolutionhappens, drastic changes will occur in the political, economical, social, religious,and intelligence sphere of a society paving the way for its independence someday.Even though Rizal did not actually support the revolution, we can say that healso contributed in this revolution. His works and writings were the corner stone of the revolution and he was indeed an inspiration for the Katipuneros during thosetimes. Rizal’s life was devoted to his country (Philippines). MIDTERM 1.Rizal shows his concern for a world community. This new order consists of nations which reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women . the nations would establish conditions of justice, social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom . the people would practice tolerance , live together in peace and maintain good relations among themselves 2. 3 â€Å"To the Filipino Youth† does carry a very strong one; strong enough to persuade those who are to be persuaded-the Filipino youth themselves. As one of those individuals, I could really feel the nationalistic spirit within me glow brighter the moment I finished reading the poem. It was like telling me that I am one of the existing hopes of our dear country and that through my abilities, expertise and knowledge of things, I am capable of protecting its freedom against oppressive forces that may come through. Furthermore, it was like telling me that together with my fellow youths, I am responsible for preserving the Philippines as a nation not for the foreigners but for me and the rest of the Filipinos. Finally yet most importantly, as to the sincerity of the poem, I can really consider â€Å"To the Filipino Youth† as indeed a work from the heart-no pretense, no plasticity and no sort of hidden motives. I can tell it so based on what I felt when I was reading the poem and the emotions that were expressed on each of the poem’s line. The fact that it came out during the Spanish era was also another thing that made me think that way. SEMIFINALS 1. If you don’t have a good EDUCATION system,   your MOTHERLAND is lacking in luster. the KEY is that RIZAL isn’t praising the Filipino education system †¦ he’s describing an ideal system and IS VERY CAREFUL NOT TO SUGGEST that it’s the one he came out of. 2. The first step carrying out his education philosophy is depends on mother. Rizal appealed to all mothers to do their best in educating their children. Love for honor, sincere and firm character, clear mind , clean conduct, noble action, love for one’s fellowmen, respect for God. The country should not expect honor and prosperity so long as the education of the child is defective.

Pip’s Shadow Parents Essay

He then takes Pip’s hands, and causes him to be disorientated and feel very weak and vunerable. This is, again, like a metaphor for Pip’s whole world being shaken up and turned on his head, and he has control, he is pushed out of his comfort zone by this stranger, and so it creates a strange bond with him, because then Magwitch has total control over Pip. Magwitch exerts his â€Å"new found control† over the boy to pressure him into stealing for him, and if Pip fails this, the fate is death. The mention of death has a huge emotional impact on Pip. Magwitch also uses his eyes to great effect to scare Pip, intensifying his stare to pressure Pip even more. Dickens focuses on the eyes and hands in Great Expectations because they show the methods, which Magwitch uses, and the look in Magwitch’s eyes reveals a lot about his desperate attitude. The BBC dramatization of this echoes this, because the actor who plays Magwitch uses his eyes to great extent, looking Pip all over, checking him out, and the whole scene is reproducted even down to the last detail. When Magwitch is led away in Chapter 5, we don’t hear much about him until his return in Chapter 39. What we find out is that Magwitch was taken to Australia by the dreaded â€Å"hulks† and worked in sheep farming, and this is the source of Magwitch’s money, which he uses to fund Pip’s journey to London, and to become a gentleman. However, when Magwitch is away in Australia, he sends Pip money, in other words, he is Pip’s benefactor. We find out this in chapter 39. Dickens plays with the idea that Pip has no idea where all this mysterious money is coming from, and it is quite amusing. A huge sum of around five hundred pounds (a huge amount of money in the 19th century) arrives for him via Jaggers in Chapter 36. Pip is still confused and thinks that it is Miss Havisham who sends him the money; however, Miss Havisham denies this fact. Miss Havisham, whom Pip first meets in Chapter 8, conveys herself as a mysterious character, who is sitting upon a great fortune, but who will not spend it. Miss Havisham, despite the fact she doesn’t give Pip any money, still plays a major part in sending him to London. Miss Havisham acts as Pip’s â€Å"shadow mother†; because she gives him advice like a mother would give to her own son. Frequent visits to Satis House build up the relationship between Miss Havisham and Pip, and in addition to this, Pip and Estella, since their first meeting, grow more tolerant towards each other. Estella has treated Pip like dirt since their first meeting in Chapter 8. We know that there is a link between Compeyson and Pip’s shadow parents. Compeyson is Magwitch’s arch enemy, since Compeyson â€Å"split the beans† and blamed all his misdemeanours on Magwich. Miss Havisham, as we discover in Chapter 42, reveals that Compeyson was the con-man who ruined Miss Havisham’s life by failing to show up at her wedding. The social class system in the mid-19th century was much stronger than it is today. There was a more obvious divide between the rich and the poor. Nowadays, it is less apparent. At the time Dickens is writing, it was â€Å"easier to become a gentleman†. Before the novel, the only way you could become a gentleman was to be born into a rich upper-class family, and brought up in decent surroundings. Pip was born in the working-class â€Å"band† and works his way to becoming a gentleman, aided along the way by Miss Havisham. Dickens’ writing style throughout the whole novel ends the novel on a cliff-hanger. The reason for this is because of the original format of the book. Great Expectations was published in a journal format (one chapter per journal) in a publication called All The Year Round from December 1, 1860 to August 3, 1861. The writing style is apparent throughout the whole novel. 1,207 words   English Coursework Mr Bacsich James Cull Page 1 08/05/2007 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Great Expectations section.