Identifying the Common American Sycamore

Minority Report Film Analysis - 1070 Words

Stephen Spielberg’s 2002 science fiction mystery thriller Minority Report, is an interesting commentary on the age old struggle for human beings to find a balance between our desire for freedom and our need for security. The premise of the film is that in the future, 2954 to be exact, the city of Washington, D.C. has instituted a pre-crime police unit which harnesses the â€Å"powers† of three young people with precognition to detect murders before they happen. The main character is police chief John Anderton, played by Tom Cruise, and when the PreCogs foresee him killing someone, he goes on the run and attempts to clear his name. The film ends up dealing with issues not only about freedom and security, but also about the ethics of the criminal†¦show more content†¦Each actor is exceptional in playing his or her role, but Cruise is a stand out. He is widely known for his roles in action films and his performance here shows why. His character is nuanced, not just a macho police officer, and Cruise plays the role well, displaying a vulnerable, flawed, well-intentioned, and well-rounded hero who the view can really get behind and root for. The mis-en-scene and costume design are interesting because they display what life could very well be like in the near future. The environment is riddled with facial and iris detection technology, sleek flying cars, and familiar brands like Gap and Ben Jerry’s. The inclusion of these brands creates a world that is almost believable. The costume is also a mix of contemporary clothing and futuristic, with civilians generally wearing normal clothing and police wearing exo-suits with jetpacks and helmets. The colors in the environment are generally dark and shadowy. Even in scenes that take place during the day time, while the colors may be bright, the overall feel of the film is dark and gray. The editing and camera work of Minority Report are what really make the film feel like a detective movie from the 1950s updated for the turn of the 20th Century. Visually, the film has a hazy, soft quality to it, which gives the viewer a false sense of peace and calm. This, coupled with the use of the color blue, along with black, white and gray, create a seemingly peaceful, comforting environment. This isShow MoreRelatedMinority Report Film Analysis1427 Words   |  6 PagesThe film Minority Report catalyzes a specific message through its usage of film effects and actors. Dystopian films are created through the film’s plot, often enforcing an over-arching method of government corruption and control through its setting, actors, and specific lighting. These key elements utilize the overall tone of the film, and it is the specific use of actors and technicians that ultimately set the film up for success. Minority Report exploits this usage of blocking and setting in orderRead M oreFilm Analysis: The Minority Report Essay1596 Words   |  7 Pages The Minority Report is a film that tries to stop crimes before they happen, with the enlistment of 3 teen pre-cogs. These pre-cogs predict future murders and the authorities swoop in and arrest the would-be murders, before they have the chance of committing the crime. Even thing goes great until Anderton, a cop played by Tom Cruise, is suspected. Written by Philip K. Dick and then turned to film by Steven Spielberg in 2002, the short story to film became a success. Though there are many differencesRead MoreFilm Analysis of Minority Report Essay968 Words   |  4 Pagesaction and another, his freedom to seek good and avoid evil. The animal has no freedom, but is determined by physical and biological laws; like a machine, the animal responds whenever the appropriate stimulus is present† (Bolles 1963, p.182). In Minority Report (2002) one of the main issues is free will versus determinism. Is there some point that people can and do change their mind while committing an act? I n the movie, the police have the right to arrest and charge citizens that have been determinedRead MoreGendered Medi The Influence Of Media On Views Of Gender, By Julia T. Wood1405 Words   |  6 Pagesrepresent an environment of equal opportunity for both sex. However, the majority of women that are currently represented on television are Caucasian female. Additionally, there’s still an absence of diversity and inclusion as there’s not a lot of minority group being portrayed in television. For instance, when other groups such as Latinas are represented in television they are portrayed in a negative way unlike Caucasian females. Not only are Latinas negative portrayed, but when they are representedRead MoreGraduation Speech : Senior Honors Program1321 Words   |  6 Pagesmothers and how they have been depicted in film over the past sixty five years. Over the time period of 1950-2015, single mothers are continuously addressed throughout American politics in relation to both economic and moral conditions of the country. For an honors thesis I would be interested in researching the possibility of a relationship between the way single mothers are addressed and mentioned in politics, how they are subsequently portrayed in film, and how the general public conceptualizesRead MoreThe Reason Why Minorities Are Often Suspected First Of Doing Violent Crime1525 Words   |  7 Pages The following paper will try to discover the reason why minorities are often suspected first of doing violent crime, instead of their counterparts. A general reason why trying to understand this phenomenon is important is for the consequences it brings. When an individual, in this case minorities, are suspected of doing violent crime, they are more often targeted more than usual. This leads to mostly minorities being in prison, and in most states, they are not allowed to vote. This is crucial forRead MoreThe Help Film Analysis Essay1686 Words   |  7 PagesHannah Struzynski Film/Documentary Analysis Paper: The Help ERS 100 Section 8 For my film/documentary analysis paper, I chose the movie The Help. This movie was actually originally a book written by Kathryn Stockett, but then in 2011, a screenplay was written and directed by Tate Taylor. I selected this film because it directly relates to some of the topics we talk about in class. Some of them being segregation and discrimination. In society today, segregation and discrimination play a huge roleRead MoreMovie Analysis : Crash 1055 Words   |  5 PagesMohamed Abdi Professor Opse English 1108 23 November 2015 Movie Analysis Although the movie Crash aired in 2004, the movie does a phenomenal job at depicting social conflicts that are still evident in 2015. Crash, also deals with wide range of controversies and offers multiple narratives. And since narrative is always a two-way street, the movie does a great job of showing two perspectives of everything. More specifically, it challenges our ethical and moral beliefs in a sense that many of theRead MoreDefining Socially Conscious Film Making Essay1311 Words   |  6 Pagesresponsibilities that our progressive films champion because the ends justify the means? The system is not working. And while it may be seemingly impossible to change, this does not absolve us of our responsibility to critically examine a system that, like many others in our global economy, which can be classist, ageist and exploitative. Let’s look at the elephant in the room constructively, bravely, honestly and in the spirit of discovery. Before hearing the report on NPR today, I contemplated applyingRead MoreMedia s Negative Portrayal Of Minorities903 Words   |  4 Pagesthat technology is vital to the facilitation of everyday living. In today’s media, minorities are constantly being represented in a negative light. Those who fall victim to this tend to be Latinos and African Americans. In the news, there are many aired reports of acts of violence that are portrayed as being committed either by an African American or a Latino. Entertainment media also does its part in showing minorities through negative stereotypes and are underrepresented in important leading roles

Annotated Bibliography on Introduction to Sociology-myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theAnnotated Bibliography on Introduction to Sociology. Answer: Essay plan The discipline of sociology emerged as a response to the changing social events and the task of the sociologist to identify and explain those events through a critical analysis of the events (Cragun et al. 2014). Sociology is premised on the principles of debunking, disrespectability, relativization and cosmopolitanism (Wolfe Callahan, 2017). The study of sociology enables an individual to contextualize the everyday social interactions and personal troubles in the broader spectrum of issues that have been part of struggles in history. Sociology is the science of examining social events through a critical lens. This essay on introduction to Sociology aims to introduce the readers to the world of sociology and the various tenets, contributions and propositions made by sociologists. It outlines the quintessence of sociology and in what ways it may be different from natural sciences. There is a discussion on the methodological framework that has been undertaken by Durkheim. Sociology has progressed through the years and have responded to the changing vents like the bane of urban life to the critique of modernity. The scathing critique of modernity underlines that the generalized image of modernity an emancipatory project is an illusion and conceals the social, political and political evils that have been promoted and perpetuated. It concludes with the post-modernist and post structuralist approach envisaged by Foucault about the modern institutions and how power is infused in the body of the individuals. The literature (annotated bibliography) selected for the essay plan have been found through the library research catalogue and the suggested readings in the assignment. It is expected that the essay would be enriching to understand sociology by anyone interested to engage with the subject and at the same time these readings are widely cited for the study of sociology. Berger, P. (1963). Invitation to sociology.New York: Anchor,1, 963. Invitation to sociology Peter Bergers Invitation to Sociology is apt for the reading of the scientists who want to understand the fundamental distinctions between the discourses of natural sciences and social sciences. Penned in the year 1966, the book provides the reader an insight into the essence and contents of sociology. The books major strength lies in its ability to focus and critically examine the things that are closer to us. He exhorts the sociologists to not to look at the cultural artifacts as de-contextualized and unpoliticized objects whereas on the contrary those should looked with a critical lens. Mills, C. W. (2000).The sociological imagination. Oxford University Press. Sociological Imagination C W Mills Sociological Imagination underscore on the distinction between personal trouble and public issue. According to Mills, the very notion that individual troubles are isolated events is a facade. Our personal troubles are situated in the broader context of public issues all over the world. History is the manifestation of the individual trials and tribulations. Individuals fail to understand that their personal failures are not unique and are located in the larger society in which they live. The strength of the book is that it enables the reader to contextualize their everyday issues and the weakness may be the strict intellectual parameter set by Berger. Bauman, Z. (1989).Modernity and the Holocaust. Cornell University Press. Modernity and holocaust Liquid modernity is a seminal text in the discipline of sociology that locates the xenophobic attitude meted out to the Jews in the broader context of the essence of modernity. The text brings out Baumans social location as a Jewish critical social scientist who always had to be in the periphery because of his ethnic minority position. The author argues that the theoretical complacency that has surrounded the event of holocaust. The strength of the book lies in its reinterpretation of modernity and the identification of modernity as a bureaucratic-rational event. The shortcoming of the text is that is a synthesis of different themes that have been already addressed earlier by sociologists. Bauman, Z. (2013).Liquid modernity. John Wiley Sons. Liquid modernity In Liquid modernity, Bauman encapsulates the nature of modern relationships as fragile, loose and lacks the intense bond that had existed before the pre-modern era. Bauman also emphasizes on the increasing fear of the stranger that is permeating into the society. Spatial differentiation is growing in correspondence with social differentiation. This text is the legacy of Baumans ethical or normative sociology. Bauman argues that the lack of ethics in society is leading to disintegration of relationships both at the micro level as well as the macro-level. The strength of the text lies in its befitting response to understanding the nature of modernity whereas the possible drawback may be the presence of too many themes in one book, quintessential to Baumans work. Durkheim, E. (2013).Durkheim: The rules of sociological method: And selected texts on sociology and its method. Palgrave Macmillan. The Rules of Sociological Method Emile Durkheim is considered as one of the key figures in the functionalist school of sociology. For Durkheim, sociology is the scientific study of society where reality is understood as sui generis. It underscores on the view that there are social facts that a sociologist needs to intervene. Durkheim proposed that social facts are to be derived through the pre-determination of legal facts. The strength of the text lies in its detailed account of methodology. The drawback of the text lies in its positivist and functionalist orientation of placing too much importance on the structure and overlooking the micro-level everyday human interactions. Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in.Butler, Bodies that Matter. The presentation of self in everyday life Goffman, a micro-sociologist and important figure in the domain of symbolic interaction argued that social interaction is the performance of roles. He used the analogy of the front stage and back stage to underscore on the motivation of human action. In the front stage, the social actors act according to the norms and expectations of the society. In the back stage, the individual retreats from the given role. The strength of the text is that Goffman criticizes the structuralist and functionalist theoretical strands and his contribution of dramaturgical sociology. His weakness lies in not using the gender perspective to understand the dramaturgical tenet. Foucault, M. (2012).Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison. Vintage. Foucault Discipline and Punish Discipline and Punish highlights Foucaults post-modernist approach towards the existing issues in society. Foucault recognized that power is infused in the everyday social relationships and the body becomes the site to manifest that power. In the pre-industrial society the nature of punishment unveiled its power relationship with the body. The exertion of ones power through corporeality remains the same and has taken the shape in disciplining the bodies in the industrial societies. The strength of the book lies in its nuanced approach of identifying power and the possible critique would be the invisibilization of discussions on gender, body and power. Horkheimer, M., Adorno, T. W. (2006). The culture industry: Enlightenment as mass deception.Media and cultural studies: Keyworks, 41-72. Enlightenment as mass deception by Adorno and Horkheimer The concept of culture industry proposed by Adorno and Horkheimer is a critique of the project of enlightenment. It was believed that enlightenment would be emancipatory and pave the path for progress. On the contrary, enlightenment induced modernity, bureaucratic rationality and capitalism has caused more harm than good. The aspect of culture has been turned into a commodity, manufactured and sold in the capitalist market. This had culminated to a culture of consumerism. The strength of the text lies in its critique of popular culture through a neomarxist approach. The drawback lies in it ability to recognize the subjectivity of the individual in preventing themselves to be cultural dopes. Simmel, G. (2012). The metropolis and mental life. InThe urban sociology reader(pp. 37-45). Routledge. The metropolis and the mental life Simmel also known for his formal sociology has highlighted about the impact of mental health on the individuals residing in the metropolitan cities. Simmel encapsulates the disposition of the modern urban culture. It emphasizes on the psychological implications on the lives of individuals. In metropolis human interactions are short and there is an increasing of animosity and doubt among the people. The strength of the book lies in its critique of the implications of health in the backdrop of urban megalopolis whereas the weakness of the book may be argued as Simmels pessimistic view about the society much like Weber. Weber, M. (2013).The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. Routledge. Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism In Protestant ethic and spirit of capitalism, Weber makes an interesting analysis by linking Protestantism and the rise of capitalism. According to Weber, the prevalence of capitalism and entrepreneurial venture among the protestant believer may be attributed to the specific qualities in the religious sect. Protestants believe that they should not engage in hedonistic life and rather save the money made from the business venture. There is also an emphasis on predestination and calling that is compatible with the temperament of capitalism. The strength of the text lies in its ability to identify a phenomenon with specific values shared by the group. The weakness lies in the overgeneralization of the explanation. References Bauman, Z. (1989).Modernity and the Holocaust. Cornell University Press. Bauman, Z. (2013).Liquid modernity. John Wiley Sons. Berger, P. (1963). Invitation to sociology.New York: Anchor,1, 963. Cragun, R., Sumerau, J. E., Friesen, B., Carter, K., Cragun, D. (2014). Introduction to sociology.St. Petersburg, FL: Wikibooks. Durkheim, E. (2013).Durkheim: The rules of sociological method: And selected texts on sociology and its method. Palgrave Macmillan. Foucault, M. (2012).Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison. Vintage. Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in.Butler, Bodies that Matter. Horkheimer, M., Adorno, T. W. (2006). The culture industry: Enlightenment as mass deception.Media and cultural studies: Keyworks, 41-72. Mills, C. W. (2000).The sociological imagination. Oxford University Press. Simmel, G. (2012). The metropolis and mental life. InThe urban sociology reader(pp. 37-45). Routledge. Weber, M. (2013).The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. Routledge. Wolfe, C., Callahan, J. S. (2017). Introduction to sociology.

NAFTA Essays (903 words) - International Trade,

NAFTA Mexico and the United States along with Canada have entered into a trilateral free trade agreement called the North American Free Trade Agreement otherwise known as NAFTA. NAFTA has got to be the largest trading agreement in history; the agreement creates a single market of 370 million consumers. The people of NAFTA talk about potential gains from increased free trade between Mexico and the U.S. as the two countries remove tariffs, other trade barriers and restrictions on investment so that businesses would have access for goods, service and investment. They argue that the U.S. stands to gain from the agreement as Mexico offers trade potential in a growing market, more investment opportunities, low cost labor, abundant natural resources, and geographical prospects and growing markets for American goods. On the other hand, outsiders argue that the agreement would further encourage American businesses to move their production facilities to Mexico in search of low cost labor so that the U.S. would lose a lot of jobs along with money. They also claim that the pollution in the environment, which is already bad to begin with, will be worsened by the agreement. These opposing arguments need to be sorted out so that the potential benefits and costs of the agreement can be identified. A free trade area is formed when countries remove tariffs and other barriers to trade among them while maintaining tariffs and other commercial policies against non-member nations. This selective trading arrangement would appear to be a movement toward freer trade and therefore, greater economic efficiency. The trade barriers among the member countries are removed while others remain. There are other potential benefits to members of a free trade area. Successful businesses within the trade agreement can take advantage of the economy as their market expands. Another source of benefits comes from increased competition. Competition increases managerial efficiency, worker productivity, and higher rate of investment by low-cost firms. The development of more efficient economies, in turn, creates more jobs and increases standards of living in the member countries. In addition, reduced tensions and an increased likelihood of peace may be another benefit from a trade agreement. There are several components in the agreement. One component deals with market access. Issues such as tariffs, non-tariffs barriers, rules of origin and governemnt procurement are addressed under this category. Trade rule components deal with issues such as subsidies and health and safety standards. The agreement also deals with issues facing specific industries such as the automobile, textile, energy and agriculture. The financial and telecommunications industries are the two areas of conflict. The other components include investment, intellectual property, and dispute settlement. There are four major issues in NAFTA: rules of origin, labor, agriculture and environment. Rules of Origin. Any regional free trade agreement is subject to a "transshipment problem." Without a Rules of Origin clause, a business from a non-member country could import unfinished products into the member country with the lowest tariff rates. The foreign company could then assemble its products in the member country and ship them to the remaining member countries, avoiding their higher tariffs. The Rules of Origin, also known as local content requirement, can be defined as ?the minimum percentage of a country's exported product the must be produced or substantially transformed within the border of the exporting country" (Aguilar 1993). Labor. Among those who are strongly against NAFTA are labor unions who fear that American workers will suffer as U.S. businesses move their business to Mexico in search of lower labor cost. In 1991, the average manufacturing wage rate in the U.S. was $15.45 per hour while that of Mexico was only $2.17. Agriculture. Currently the majority of agricultural products traded between the U.S. and Mexico consist of grains, livestock and oilseeds. Mexico also exports sugar for refining and cattle for feed lots, which are re-exported for sale. The U.S. has tariffs on fruits and vegetables. Overall, the average tariff on Mexican farm products to the U.S. is about 6 percent. Environment. The environmental issue has taken a backseat to many of the economic concerns Mexico has had to address in the past. In the 1980's Mexico faced a debt crisis. In order to revitalize the Mexican economy the Mexican government allowed an increase in foreign investment within its borders. However, this investment also meant increased pollution. The pollution that has been allowed for so long has escalated into a serious problem that Mexico must address as they face increasing free trade with the U.S. and Canada . NAFTA introduced a major breakthrough in the history of trade among the three North

Essay on Rap Music free essay sample

Rap Is a popular type of music in todays society, but It didnt Just come to be. In the sasss rap emerged from other types of music to become what it is today. Rap is influenced and inspired by other types of music. Its influences are closely related to each other. Rap music has derived from various types of music.In a world In which people are constantly confronted with violent acts such as rape, assault, murder, school shootings and other violences, society is eager and anxious to find and remove all causes of these cultural Ills, All the blame can not be put on one particular hinge but a heavier degree of blame can be put on one thing. Some of the violent acts listed above are expressed through music. Gangster rap, which followed rap music, developed In the sasss. Though the Immaturity and lack of teaching morals has an impact on how we view and take in things, the context of gangster rap presents a negative image for people in society. We will write a custom essay sample on Essay on Rap Music or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Rap music has derived from other music categories. Rap is an integral part of this subculture that did not evolve or exist in isolation from its other major components (CTD. In Rhodes). One of the first musical Influences on rap music Is hip pop. Hip hop is comprised of graffiti, break dancing, attitude and the dress of the people who listened to it. The start of hip hop, along with rap, can be located in the Bronx of New York. There were three major events that occurred in the Bronx that contributed to the hip hop subculture. The first event was the building of an expressway through the Bronx.This plan was carried out by the 1 959 Parks Commissioner, Robber Moses. This expressway ran through the heart of the Bronx. Italians, Germans, Irish and Jews disappeared from the Bronx. They were replaced by poor blacks and Hispanics. As a result, crime, drug addiction, and unemployment sky rocketed. Robber Moses continued to put out projects that slowly changed the Bronx as it was previously known. He built a 15,382 unit apartment complex in 1968. This event took away from the majority of the middle class that was left In the Bronx. These apartment complexes brought high vacancies and landlords began selling out to professional slumlords.They were built on the north edge of the Bronx near the newly built expressway. Because of high vacancies in these new apartments, old, occupied buildings on the Bronx deteriorated. The last major event also brought the graffiti aspect of hip hop Into light. We can write a custom essay on Rap for you! A group of seven teenage boys terrorized Broadband Project in New York. This may not seem important, but this group of teenagers laid the groundwork for a surge of street gang activity that would overwhelm the Bronx for the next six years (CTD. In Rhodes).This group of boys was called the Savage Seven but later changed to the Black Spades. At night, street gangs were found on many street corners. Many toys real name is Kevin Donovan), became a member of the Black Spades. The name he eave himself meant affectionate leader. He later became a musician but left his gang days behind him and built a positive youth group called the Zulu Nation, which is still in effect today. Gangs in New York reached a peak in 1973. They declined because of drugs, other rival gangs or people Just losing interest. Women involved in gangs left them to have kids and start families.Times were beginning to change. People became more involved in the dancing club scene. They wanted to dance and have fun. This interest of dancing and getting involved in music contributed to the hip hop culture. Another important aspect of hip hop is graffiti. Graffiti dated back to World War II. Someone wrote, Killer was here during the war in many different places throughout the country (CTD. In Rhodes). In the toasts, street gangs used graffiti for self promoting, territory boundaries and intimidation. Graffiti writing was used with spray paint until the asss when magic markers were invented.This act was strictly limited to artists only at first. Style and originality were important in writing. Graffiti writing wasnt Just an act of fun. It was taken very seriously. By the late sasss graffiti writing could be mound on subway cars, trains, buildings and any other large objects that would allow it to be widely visible. Jamaican music and hip hop can be referred to as cousins. One style of Jamaican music is called toasting. At first Jamaican toasting began when Ads would toast over the music they played with simple slogans to encourage the dancers. Some of these simple slogans were Work it, Work it and Move it up (CTD in Rhodes). The term toast meant words or slogans that a DC would say over the music to encourage dancers. These words spoken over music were related to words spoken over music in AP. Unlike these simple words and slogans that Jamaican used, the words used over music in rap are more developed. Jamaican disc Jockeys talked over the music they played. Music in Jamaica was played at blues dances. Blues dances took place in large halls or slum yards. As toasting popularity increased, so did the lengths of toasts. Shortly after toasting came dubbing. Ads that dubbed cut back and forth between vocal and instrumental tracks while adjusting bass and treble. Rap and toasting both rely on pre recorded sounds. You need a strong beat rapped and a strong beat toasted. Rap relies more on a hard funk strong beat while Jamaican relied on beat from Jamaican rhythms. In both of these types of music there is a rapper (or toaster) that speaks in time with the rhythm. The content of raps and toasts were also similar.When you look back on hip hop and Jamaican music, they are greatly similar to rap and you can understand how rap came to be. Granted they had their own styles, speeds and sounds of there music but the general ideas of Jamaican, hip hop and rap are the same. As mentioned and enforced above, rap has had musical impacts on it to make it what it is today. In the late sasss rap took another step into gangster rap. Gangster rap mainstream of the music world, it was less violent. Pop rap for example appealed to mainstream America. It sold quite a few albums. These artists consisted of Will Smith, M.C. Hammer, Young MAC, and Puff Daddy. These artists are considered cross over artists because they took rap from strictly rhyming to pop music. However, these same artists have also been accused of selling out because their music is seen as feel-good music that emphasizes tenability over rhyme skills (CTD. In Kelley). Rap music took a step in a positive direction by the acts of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. These artists were the first group effectively use rap for a social and political message. The type of music they releases expressed Black Nationalist ideologies.It discussed racism and made reference to Martin Luther King Jar. Chuck D is not the only person who believes that some rap songs successfully pass on a social or political message to young, and the more people- black or white-that listen to a song, the greater the possibility someone will hear its political message (CTD. In Kelley). All rap music does not present a negative image. Some artists use rap powerful means of expression, to express the troubles in the country, was to fix them and their ideas on issues. Political rap is an example of such music.Political rap is a method of conveying political statement and promoting a world view that [isnt] reflected in the mainstream media which doesnt contain explicit, appalling lyrics. Not all rap music can present positive images to society. Listeners to political rap that pay close attention to lyrics can gain something where as, close attention to gangster rap may not be advantageous. Rap music, especially gangster rap, seems to be African American dominate. Through Sound-Scan statistics, its shown that white, predominantly suburban male teens purchase a great deal of gangster rap (CTD. N Kelley). Gangster rap originates from the West Coast and started in the late eighties. Ice-T and N. W. A were artists that started this soon to be dominate music. Gangster music uses a great deal of profanity to illustrate the life of poor, downtrodden communities. If everything in society could be perfect, people would live with the right states of mind and know right from wrong. They would be bale to take in everything they learn ND hear and be able to dispose of anything destructive from their minds. That would be the ideal society, but it Just doesnt exist.People, especially adolescents hear things. They really absorb the knowledge they gain and take it as acceptable. Gangster rap today sends out negative messages. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that rap music spurs violence (CTD. In Kelley). This statement was made by John Norton, the Public Safety Commissioner. Rap music isnt the only type of music that has promoted violence, but it is the one that has the most negative feed back. From the asss rock to present day rap concerts, here have been brawls, shootings and other criminal activities.Violence will exist no matter where you go. The problem is that, unlike the asss rock, rap is greatly Even one of the first big rap tours, Run-Dams Raising Hell tour, had to deal with unruly fans. Time Magazine described an incident that occurred on Run-Dams Long Beach, California tour top where more than 300 members of black and Hispanic street gangs swarmed through the crowed, attacking everyone around them(CTD. In Kelly 36- 37). Rap videos show the alcohol, violence and sex in their videos but rarely show the attention long term outcomes that these behaviors can produce.A study of high exposure to rap music videos was composed for young African American female adolescents. The girls in this study lived in monaural, lower socioeconomic neighborhoods (CTD. In NBC 1). They researched over 500 females from the ranging ages of 14 to 18. Hitting of teachers, fighting, arrest, alcohol, drugs, multiple sex partners, condom use and possible Studs, were properties they looked for in the females after 12 months. After this study was complete it was showed that people were three times more likely to hit a teacher and 2. Mimes as likely to be arrested if they were exposed to 14 or more hours of rap per week compared with people that had less exposure to rap music. Adolescents who frequently watched rap videos were also twice as likely to have multiple sexual partner and more than 1. 5 times as likely to acquire an SST, use drugs and use alcohol during the 12 month study (CTD. In NBC 1). This study showed the negative effects of rap music on the adolescent mind. Adolescents, more than adults, tend to copy and accept as normal what they see. They grow up with these ideas. It becomes a continuing cycle.In this day in age, rap has changed in so many more ways than one. From the start of rap in the asss to its transformation to today, rap has earned a first name; Gangster Rap. It has become a way of life for many fans and can be considered misunderstood. Rap was a means of expressions. Artists could put how they felt out on a record the share it with the world. Positive rap music such as political rap expressed non violent ways. Some rappers are blamed for violence because they praise their gangster way of life. Everyone has the right the express themselves freely. Gangster rappers dont choose to express themselves in the best way.They know what they are trying got say and do it the way they feel will be most effective, but rap today is out of control. It is having a negative impact on society. Rap started as a peaceful way of expression. Rap music still result in violence, but that was Just problems within people themselves. From the late sasss when rap emerged, to today-2003- rap has changed for the worse. There are still rap artists that preach peaceful expressions. If you turn on a radio, you are most likely to hear gangster rap. It has become very popular and is constantly on the top of the charts.It is very popular amongst people. The majority of gangs you see today listen to rap music to this are exposed to violence, guns, drugs, alcohol and females see women on TV and think this is the way to dress and act. They think this is what they are supposed to look like. If adolescents today grow up listening to rap, learning about violence, guns and drugs, and are exposed to all this, what will they teach their kids? How will we evolve in years to come? Rap and its content is not the only blame for the violence in todays society, but improvements in it can make the difference.

Defining A Regulatory Framework For Financial Reporting Accounting Essay Essay Example

Defining A Regulatory Framework For Financial Reporting Accounting Essay Essay Example Defining A Regulatory Framework For Financial Reporting Accounting Essay Essay Defining A Regulatory Framework For Financial Reporting Accounting Essay Essay The fiscal regulative model in the UK went through important reforms in 1990-91 and has remained stable for 10 old ages thenceforth. Changes are being proposed to the regulative model originating out of three major grounds ( a ) the move by the European Commission towards developing a individual capital market ( B ) the Enron dirt which has stimulated political involvement in the ordinance of accounting and ( degree Celsius ) alterations in UK s domestic Torahs and ordinance ( Fearnley and Hines, 2003 ) . There have been several alterations in the international sphere that have besides necessitated alterations in the fiscal regulative model. Due to globalisation, many UK companies are now geting subordinate companies in other states, which function under different fiscal parametric quantities and there may be a demand to modify the bing regulative and fiscal models ( Haller and Walton, 2003 ) . When different fiscal accounting criterions exist in different states, it may be necessary to harmonise them and this can merely be achieved through alteration of the fiscal regulative webs. In this context, a study published by the Institute of hired comptrollers in Scotland offers the position that the current place in the context of globalisation is such that there is an of all time increasing volume of accounting regulations , which is non sustainable in the long tally ( ICAS, 2006:2 ) . It s merely rules based accounting is likely to be good Domestic jurisprudence and ordinance has changed in different ways. First, the London Stock exchange was one time self regulative but it is no longer the Listing authorization within the U.K. The UKLA ( UK Listing Authority ) which is a portion of the Financial Services Authority ( FSA ) is now the responsible authorization for this intent. Second, professional organic structures which are a portion of the UK Accountancy profession, have set up their ain private regulative model the Accountancy Foundation to supply independent inadvertence of their auditing criterions, ethical criterions and regulative activities, including disciplinary processs. New ordinances have besides been issued in regard of restricting the wage paid to managers and the Companies Act has besides been modified ( Fearnley and Hines, 2003 ) . These alterations in the domestic jurisprudence mean that the model which existed earlier and was mostly self-regulatory may no longer be equal. Bullen and Crook ( 2005 ) have explained why a conceptual model is needed. Both the FSAB and IASB, portion a common end of guaranting that their criterions are rules based , which requires that such criterions must non be a mere aggregation of conventions but must be rooted in cardinal constructs. For case, when the FASB members foremost attempted to put up a regulative model, they experienced considerable trouble in achieving understanding on criterions, which led them to work towards the development of a conceptual model. If such criterions are to bring forth a consistent fiscal coverage system, they must be compiled in such a manner that they constitute a model that is sound and consistent internally. Bullen and Crook ( 2005 ) have besides pointed out differences in constructs and conventions through assets, wherein the construct of a piece of equipment as an plus is based upon sing it as a beginning of economic benefits for the hereafter, while the consecutive line depreciation of that plus would be viewed as a convention. Harmonizing to Bullen and Crook ( 2005 ) , a consistent regulative accounting model is required to meet different facets of showing the same constructs. The development of an accurate and good developed regulative model is indispensable to forestall accounting fraud and misrepresentation such as the fiscal dirt that erupted at Enron. Second, it besides provides advantages for investors, such as the ISAB model for illustration, which Ball ( 2005:9 ) has spelt out as follows: ( a ) a more efficient rating in equity markets ( B ) reduced costs to treat fiscal information because GAAP accommodations are non required ( degree Celsius ) reduced costs for being informed in a timely mode and ( vitamin D ) ability to make standardised fiscal databases. If these criterions are implemented systematically, so it provides better comparison and therefore ensures that there is less hazard for investors. Third, it enables certain aims of fiscal coverage to be met, such as ( a ) utility in doing econ omic determinations ( B ) useful in measuring hard currency flow chances and ( degree Celsius ) supplying information about endeavor resources, the claims of these resources and the alterations that are required. Using ISAB Standards: The bing ISAB model is similar to the FSAB model in footings of its structural constituents, i.e. , puting out the aims, the qualitative features of the information, elements of fiscal statements, their measuring and show in the statements every bit good as elements of revelation. The qualitative features listed for illustration, include comprehensibility, relevancy, dependability and comparison ( Zeff 2007:291 ) . There are two specific challenges originating where world-wide fiscal coverage is concerned: comparison and convergence. Most companies are utilizing the International Financial coverage Standards in order to fix their fiscal statements ( Zeff, 2007 ) . The differences in concern imposts and corporate constructions, such as the kieretsu in Japan and chaebol in Korea which are really webs of keeping companies with meshing relationships, raises the inquiry of whether a criterion on amalgamate fiscal statements would guarantee comparison. It must be noted that there are some factors interfering with world-wide comparison, such as the concern and fiscal civilization, the accounting civilization, the auditing civilization and the regulative civilization ( Zeff, 2007 ) . Different states have different legal models in topographic point to undertake issues of fiscal ordinance and the operation of companies. For illustration, in the United States, the Sarbanes Oxley Act tries to modulate the operation of companies, while in the UK, it is the Turnbull study which has guided corporate administration. Achieving similarity between the different legal national systems and their effectual execution across geographical boundaries is besides hard. While there are similar commissariats among the Torahs of different states, it must be noted that statutory commissariats tend to put out legal parametric quantities which may be equal to show what fiscal actions would be considered illegal. The Companies Act of 2006, for illustration, has late been amended to let companies greater latitude and flexibleness in their operations, such as determination devising, company formation, manager responsibilities, etc, every bit good as spelling out bounds on wage allowable to them. The constituents of the legal commissariats thereby set out elaborate parametric quantities about how the company maps and how it is to transport out its concern operations. The Companies Act of 2006 besides requires that companies set up hazard appraisal and answerability steps, such as puting up independent hearer map to supervise and look into accounting processs within the Company. But all these facets are dealt with in generalizations instead than particulars i n so far as statutory commissariats are concerned. But the ISAB model is much more comprehensive from the position of set uping and specifying fiscal parametric quantities. For case, the ISAB model defines assets, liabilities and equity clearly. Other information contained in the models includes the features of fiscal information, such as the elements of fiscal statements and their acknowledgment, every bit good as measuring of assets and liabilities. As Ball ( 2005 ) points out, investors require high quality fiscal statements, which would ask ( a ) an accurate word picture of economic results ( B ) seasonableness and ( degree Celsius ) a low capacity for use by directors. None of these elements are likely to be constituents of the jurisprudence ( Ball, 2005:5 ) . The ISAB model on the other manus, does put an accent on dependability and relevancy. The aims spelt out under ISAB include the development of high quality, apprehensible and enforceable planetary accounting criterions, advancing the strict application of those criterions and conveying about a convergence in these criterions. ( Ball, 2005:6 ) . Furthermore, the regulative models place accent on dependability and consistence of accounting models which helps to guarantee that there is comparison and relevancy across geographical boundaries. In decision hence, a regulative model for fiscal coverage is necessary to guarantee that there is consistence across fiscal criterions in assorted states. Regulatory frameworks besides aid to specify fiscal parametric quantities more clearly every bit compared to statutory commissariats, which provide a more generalised set of regulations and Torahs that companies are expected to adhere to. It is merely when there is a misdemeanor in fiscal behavior that a legal proviso can be applied and contested, in order to set up how it applies in the context of the specific incident or allegation that has been brought before the Courts. A fiscal regulative model such as the ISAB model nevertheless, clearly defines fiscal parametric quantities and allows for the readying of accurate fiscal statements which are likely to be more enlightening for investors, based upon an accurate word picture of economic results.

Audit and Internal Control Issues Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Audit and Internal Control Issues - Coursework Example In the next section, the report identifies the tests of controls to be performed for obtaining sufficient appropriate audit evidence in relation to purchases made during a year. Lastly, the report discusses the substantive procedures, which are to be carried out for the purpose of obtaining reasonable assurance as to the reliability and correctness of the information pertaining to inventory in the financial statements of the company. A. Key Business Risks, Possible Consequences and Risk Mitigating Strategies Since the company is going through a declining phase as far as profitability and sales turnover is concerned, it is pertinent to consider areas which require management’s attention. The increase in the employee turnover rate and the fact that there are few experienced professionals left in the accounts department of the company pose significant risks in relation to the operations of the company and the preparation and presentation of financial statements which are free fro m material misstatements. Apart from this, the increase in competitors of the business also poses a significant threat in future. All these risks can act together to result in a risk related to going concern of the business. From an auditor’s professional skepticism point of view, these risks and developments can have serious implications on the financial reporting and internal controls maintained by the company, since there is a possibility that management may try to manage earnings and overstate the sales revenue and profits of the business. In addition to this, greater employee turnover reflects that there is a continuous inflow of new inexperienced employees who are expected to be less aware of the procedures and practices followed in the company. Moreover, the company’s automated purchase management system is also regarded by the employees as inefficient due to the complexities and lack of user friendliness and hence the transactions are often recorded manually in the system. This manual practice of recording transactions is another area where fraudulent activities may take place and intentional misstatements may be made by the personnel responsible for data entry. Moreover, there are only two persons in the organization who possess skills to operate the system. Lastly, the composition of the board is also an area of concern; there are different affiliations of board members and there is a risk that the members may have some conflict of interest which may promote unethical practices (Rittenberg, Johnstone and Gramling 2011). Keeping in view these risks and their possible consequences, the company can take several steps to mitigate these areas and overcome these loopholes. First of all, there shall be appropriate measures taken to ensure that employee turnover is brought down to a minimal level in order to ensure that experienced and professional staff members are working in the company and therefore the function of financial reporting, in pa rticular, runs smoothly. On the other hand, there should be a resolution passed for the disclosure of director’s interest in Sucre Delights Limited and other companies, so as to identify and counter any conflicts of interest. The automated system shall be made more user friendly so that the users are able to run the system easily and are inclined to use it. Moreover, the fact that there are only two

History exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History exam - Essay Example As Reagan reduced taxes, defense expenditure made it unattainable to have a balanced budget. This enlarged budget, coupled with the anti-Soviet campaign, increased America’s debt, as Americans could not contribute due to their reduced tax contributions. Incurred debt was transferred to the government. This led to many Americans experiencing economic hardship; they had to work harder and longer, as they had limited opportunities to progress professionally. Reagan encouraged growth of clandestine segment initiatives. He anticipated being able to reassign some federal responsibilities to the private sector. This initiative led to many developments domestically. Citizens enhanced their livelihoods and spontaneous services increased; domestic competition created growth in the private sector. On the domestic front, Reagan received much credit; he was productive and future-oriented (Knopf, 200). Although Reagan stopping the Vietnam War helped the U.S. maintain peace, it encouraged fresh new attacks from other territories. The Soviet Union consequently bombed an American aircraft, and the country faced attacks from Iran and Lebanon. Because of this, many Americans military groups felt the need to defend their country. This led to antagonism from each side. Americans had to be careful, as it was no longer considered to be peaceful. The Arabs and Lebanese were waiting for a chance to strike. Reagan did not gain favor nationally due to tax discrepancies in Americans’ incomes. This created a divide; some saw themselves as superior (those with a nine percent reduction in taxes), while others (those with a one percent reduction) saw themselves as inferior. These groups could not compromise because they saw themselves as dissimilar societal classes. Reagan enhanced the gap between the underprivileged and the rich. Reagan’s administration formed a

Blacks Leisure Group plc (BLG) Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Blacks Leisure Group plc (BLG) - Case Study Example It was Peter Farquhar who articulated that "a brand is a name, symbol, design, or mark that enhances the value of a product beyond its functional purpose" (Farquhar 1989). This gave rise to the brand equity's subsequent definition as the "added value with which a brand endows the product." (Farquhar 1989). In 1991 David Aaker put forth the model of Brand Equity in his seminal work "Managing Brand Equity" (1991). The model stipulates that brand equity is founded on five dimensions that of brand loyalty, name awareness, perceived quality, brand associations and other proprietary brand assets. Of the five brand equity elements, the basic four elements will be the subject of this discourse that will attempt to apply the principles of brand equity to Blacks Leisure Group's current market situation. This report will attempt to discuss the subjects of Brand Loyalty and how Blacks can begin to fully appraise the status of its core market's willingness to support the brand vis--vis the many market and economic fluctuations; the subject of Brand Name Awareness and how Blacks can continue to perpetuate its top-of-mind status in the outdoor sporting goods and lifestyle business; the subject of Perceived Quality and how Blacks can improve on its product attributes which can make or break its "specialist" status in the outdoor sporting goods category; and finally, the subject of Brand Associations which is ever more important these days in the face of stiff competition, environmental pressures and increasing consumer awareness that exacts nothing less than the best of what a company can offer and give back to the various communities and stakeholders it impacts on. CASE BACKGROUND With its stock publicly traded at the London Stock exchange and enjoying, there is no arguing that Blacks has been enjoying enthusiastic public support over the last 10 years. In fact, there is no denying that Blacks is one of United Kingdom's leading retail sportswear and sporting goods groups and the largest specialty outdoor retailer. Innovation, style and technology and a demonstrated passion for providing a range of outdoor clothing and equipment at great value for money remain Blacks Outdoor's hallmark in the industry. The company operates 427 stores under seven company-owned and managed retail chains across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Its Sports & Fashion division includes the First Sport chain, the AV (Active Lifestyle) chain, and the company's newest store concept, Pure Women, the company's first attempt to target specifically the women's sportswear and sports fashions category. Its Outdoor division features the company's original store format, Blacks Outdoor, buttressed by the company's acquisition of U.K. outdoor sporting goods leader The Outdoor Group--which included the Millets chain of family-oriented sporting goods stores and the higher-end Air and youth-oriented Free Spirit retail chains. Though it had to cut back on its Wholesaling division, after the sale of the company's Fifa UK license back to Italian parent Fifa International in 2000, Blacks still enjoys

Molecular Genetics of Cancer

Molecular Genetics of Cancer INTRODUCTION It has been established that cancer is a genetic disease, characterized by interplay of mutant form of the oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes leading to the uncontrolled growth and spread of cancer cells. While some of the mutant genes may be inherited, others occur in the somatic cells of the individuals, which can divide and form tumour. Completion of Human Genome Sequencing Project has generated a wealth of new information about the mutations that trigger a cell to become cancerous. It has now been possible to understand to great extent the relationship between genes and cancer, and how mutations, chromosomal changes, viruses and environmental agents play a role in the development of cancer. In this chapter current understanding of the nature and cause of cancer has been presented. CELL CYCLE AND CANCER During mitotic cell division, in every cell, all chromosomes must duplicate faithfully and a copy of the each has to be distributed to progeny cells. Progression through the cell cycle is controlled by the activities of many genes. At different stages in the cell cycle there exist control points (G1, G2, S, and M stages) at which the cell cycle is arrested if there is damage to the genome or cell-cycle machinery. Such mechanism helps to repair the damage or destroy the cell. Through this process it is possible to prevent the possibility of dividing a defective cell and from becoming cancerous. Proteins and enzymes called cyclines and cycline-dependent kinases (Cdks) respectively are the key components that are involved in the regulation of events in the checkpoints. At the G1-to-S checkpoint, two different G1 cycline/Cdks complex forms, resulting in activation of the kinase. The kinase catalyzes a series of phosphorylations (addition of phosphate group) of cell-cycle control proteins, affecting the functions of those proteins and leading to translation into the S phase. Similarly, at the G2-to-M checkpoint, a G2 cycline binds to a Cdk to form a complex. Phosphorylation of the Cdk by another kinase keeps the Cdk inactive. Removal of a phosphate group from Cdk by a phosphataes enzyme activates the Cdk. Thereafter, the cell moves from S to M phase, due to phosphorylation of proteins by Cdk. Regulation of Cell Division in Normal Cells Division of normal cells is regulated by both extracellular and cellular molecules that operate in a complicated signal system. Steroids and hormones made in other tissues are extracellular molecules, which influence the growth and division of some other tissues. These extracellular molecular are known as growth factors, which bind to specific receptors on their target cells. The receptors are proteins that span the plasma membrane, and the growth factor binds to the part of the receptor which lies outside of the cell. The signal is then transmitted to an intracellular part through the membrane-embedded part of the receptor. Thereafter, the signal is relayed through a series of proteins, which ultimately activate nuclear genes involved in stimulation and division of cells through transcription factors (Fig 13.1a). In the opposite direction, inhibition of cell growth and division is regulated by growth-inhibiting factors (Fig 13.1b). The process which involves either growth-stimulator y or growth-inhibitory signal after binding of the extracellular factor to the receptors is called signal transduction, and the proteins involved in such process are called signal transducers. Cell division in normal cells takes place only when there exist balance between stimulatory and inhibitory signals from outside the cells. Any mutation either in the stimulatory or inhibitory genes or genes encoding cell surface receptors involved in cell cycle control may cause imbalance and loss of control of cell division. CANCERS ARE GENETIC DISEASE Clinically, cancer is defined as a large number of complex diseases that behave differently depending on the cell types from which they originate. However, at the molecular level, all cancers exhibit common characteristics, and thus they can be grouped as a family. All cancer cells share two fundamental properties: unregulated cell proliferation, characterized by abnormal growth and division, and metastasis, a process that allow cancer cells to spread and invade other parts of the body. When a cell loses its genetic control over its growth and division, it may give rise to a benign tumour, a multicellular mass. Such tumours may cause no serious harm and can often be removed by surgery. However, if cells of the tumour also acquire the ability to break loose, enter the blood stream, invade other cells, they may induce formation of secondary tumours elsewhere in the body. Such tumours are called malignant, which are difficult to treat and may become life threatening. A benign tumour may become malignant through multiple steps and genetic mutations. Mutations in three kinds of genes can leads to cancer. These are proto-oncogenes, tumour suppressor genes and mutator genes. Mutant proto-oncogenes are called oncogenes, are usually more active than normal cells. The product of oncogenes stimulates cell proliferation. The normal tumour suppressor genes inhibit cell proliferation, while the mutants found in tumour cells have lost their inhibitory function. The normal mutator genes are required to ensure fidelity of replication and maintenance of genome integrity, while mutant mutator genes in cancer cells make the cells prone to accumulate mutational errors. RETROVIRUS AND ONCOGENES Most cancer causing animal viruses are RNA viruses known as retroviruses, and the oncogenes carried by RNA tumour viruses are altered forms of normal animal host cell genes. Infection with retroviruses can transform normal host cells to the neoplastic state, and such cells proliferate in an uncontrolled manner to produce tumour. Examples of retroviruses include human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1), mouse mammary tumour virus, felin leukemia virus, and Rous sarcoma virus. A typical retrovirus particle has a protein core, which often is icosahedral in shape, with two copies of plus-sense (means directly translatable) single stranded RNA molecule (7kb and 10 kb). The core is surrounded by an envelope with virus-encoded glycoproteins inserted into it (Fig 13.2). The virus enters the host cell by interacting with the host cell surface receptor through its glycoproteins present in the envelope. To understand how retroviruses cause cancer in animals, it is essential to know their life cycle. Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) is one of the earliest retrovirus studied on induction of cancer. When a retrovirus like RSV infect a cell, the RNA genome is released from the viral particle, and a double stranded DNA copy of the genome is made by reverse transcriptase (Fig 13.3). This is known as proviral DNA. The proviral DNA then enters the nucleus of the infected cell, and integrates into the host chromosome at random locations. The integrated DNA copy is called provirus. At the left end of all retroviral RNA genomes consists of the sequence R and U5, and U3 and R at the right end. Powerful enhancer and promoter elements are located in the U5 and U3 sequences (Fig 13.3). During proviral DNA synthesis by reverse transcriptase, the end sequences are duplicated to produce long terminal repeats of U3-R-U5 (LTRs in Fig 13.3), which contain many of the transcription regulatory signals for the vir al sequence. The two ends of the proviral DNA are ligated to produce a circle, a double stranded molecule in which the two LTRs are next to each other. Staggered nicks are made in both viral and cellular DNAs, and integration of the viral DNA begins. The viral DNA ends joined through recombination. Integration occurs at this point, and single stranded gaps are ligated. The integration of retrovirus proviral DNA results in a duplication of DNA at the target site, producing short, direct repeats in the host cell DNA flanking the provirus. The proviral DNA is transcribed by host RNA polymerase II, after integration into the host DNA. The retroviruses have three protein- coding genes for the virus life cycle: gag, pol, and env (Fig 13.3). The gag gene encodes a precursor protein that is cleaved to produce virus particle protein. The pol gene encodes a precursor protein which produces an enzyme called reverse transcriptase, required for the integration of the proviral DNA into the host chromosome. The env gene encodes the precursor to the envelop glycoprotein. The progeny virus particles are produced when transcription products of the entire integrated viral DNA are packed into new viral particles. The new virus particles are released and can infect new host cells. A retrovirus may induce cancer in the host cells through two different ways. First, the proviral DNA may integrate by chance near one of the cell’s normal proto-oncogenes. The strong enhancers and promoters in the provirus then stimulate transcription of proto-oncogenes present in the host cell at high levels or at inappropriate timing. This leads to stimulation of host-cell proliferation. Second, a retrovirus may pick-up a copy of a host proto-oncogene and integrates it into its genome (Fig 13.4). The integrated oncogene may mutate during the process of transfer into the virus, or it may be expressed at abnormal levels, due to action of the viral promoters. Retroviruses that carry these viral oncogenes can infect and transform normal cells into tumour cells. Different oncogenic retroviruses carry different oncogenes. Most oncogenic retroviruses cannot replicate as they do not have a full set of life-cycle genes. Thus they cannot change growth properties of the host cells. They are called nononcogenic retroviruses. HIV-1 is a nononcogenic retrovirus. On the contrary, RSV is an oncogenic retrovirus as it can replicate its oncogenes and can affect the growth and division of the infected host cells. Viral oncogenes, genetically called v-oncs are responsible for many different cancers. The v-oncs of RSV is called v-src. Unlike RNA tumour viruses, DNA tumour viruses do not carry oncogenes. Their mechanism for transforming cells is completely different. They transform normal cells to cancerous state through the action of genes present in the viral chromosome. DNA tumour viruses are found in five major families of DNA viruses which include: papovaviruses, pox viruses, hepatitis B viruses, herpes viruses and adenoviruses. After infection, the DNA tumour viruses produce a viral protein that activates DNA replication in the host cell. Then, utilizing host proteins, the viral genome is replicated and transformed. After producing large number of progeny viruses, they lyses the host cell and the viruses thus released can infect other cell. Rarely, the viral genome instead of replicating gets integrated into the host genome. Thereafter if the viral protein that activates DNA replication of the host cell is synthesized, this will lead to division and proliferation of the host cell converting normal cell to cancerous state. Basically, the cells move from G0 phase to the S phase of the cell cycle. The DNA viruses which induces cancers are papillomaviruses (HPV 16 and 18), human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV-1), hepatitis B virus, human herpesvirus 8, and epstein-barr virus. Some of these viruses cause benign tumours such as skin and venereal warts in humans. Transformation is caused by the key viral genes, E6 and E7, which encode proteins that activate progression through the cell cycle. However, in most of the cases, virus infection alone is not sufficient to trigger human cancers. Other factors like DNA damage, accumulation of mutants in cell’s oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes, are required to induce cancer in multiple pathways. Some transducing retroviruses, their viral oncogenes, viral protein and type of cancer induced is presented in Table 13.1. CANCER AND GENOME STABILITY Cancer cells are characterized by the presence of chromosomal translocations, deletions, aneuploidy, and DNA amplification. Cultured cancer cells also show similar genomic instabilities. Study of the specific chromosomal defects can be used to diagnose the type and stage of the cancer. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) gene C-ABL from chromosome 9 is translocated to the chromosome 22 in the region of gene BCR. The fused ABL-BCR gene encodes for a chimeric ABL-BCR protein, which produces an abnormal signal transduction molecule that stimulates the CML cells to proliferate. The normal ABL protein (protein kinase) acts within signal transduction pathway, transferring growth factor signals from the external environment to the nucleus, thereby control cell division. Defect in the DNA repair genes can also induce cancer. For example, Xenoderma pigmentosum (XP), a disease in which the skin becomes extremely sensitive to UV light and other carcinogens. Patients with XP often develop skin cancer. Cells of XP are defective in nucleotide excision repair, with mutations appearing in any one of the seven genes whose products are required to carry out DNA repair. Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is also caused by mutations in genes controlling DNA repair. Patients affected by HNPCC have an increased risk of developing colon, ovary, uterine, and kidney cancers. At least eight genes are associated with HNPCC, and four of these genes (MSH2, MHS6, MLH1, and MLH3) control DNA mismatch repair. Mutations in any one of these genes can lead to development of cancer. EPIGENETICS AND CANCER Epigenetics includes those factors that affect heritable gene expression but do not alter the nucleotide sequence of DNA. Examples of epigenic modifications are DNA methylation, acetylation and phosphorylation of histones etc. Modifications caused through these processes can be inherited and affect gene expression. X-chromosome inactivation, heterochromatin gene expression are such examples. Cancer cells contain major alterations in DNA methylation. In general, there is much less DNA methylation in cancer cells compared to normal cells. On the other hand promoters of some genes are highly methylated in cancer cells. Apparently these changes lead to the release of transcription repression over the bulk of genes that would otherwise remain silent, while at the same time repressing transcription of genes that would normally regulate functions such as DNA repair, cell cycle, and cellular differentiation. The genes MLH1 and BRCA1, involved in DNA repair mechanism, are transcriptionally si lenced by hypermethylation in many cancer cells. Methylation profiles can be used to diagnose types of tumours and their possible course of development. It has also been observed that histones are also modified in the cancer cells. These modifications are due to mutations in the genes that encode histone acetylases, deacetylases, methyltransferases, and demethylases. Since the epigenetic modifications are reversible, epigenetic- based therapies may be useful for cancer treatments. APOPTOSIS AND CANCER If a normal cell encounters defective processing in DNA replication, DNA repair or chromosome assembly, they do not allowed to continue through the cell cycle, till the conditions are corrected and thereby reduces the chances of accumulation of defective cells. In case the damage of the DNA is irreparable, the cell may go through a second line of defence called programmed cell death or apoptosis. Apoptosis is controlled genetically, and is an inherent process to eliminate certain cells that are not required for by the final adult organism. In this process, the nuclear DNA becomes fragmented, internal cellular structures are disrupted, and cell dissolves into small spherical (apoptotic) bodies. Thereafter, these bodies are engulfed by the phagocytic cells of the immune system. The products of the genes Bcl2 and BAC can trigger or prevent apoptosis. In the cancer cells these genes are mutated, and as a result normal checkpoints in the cell cycle are inactivated. Such cells remain defec tive and cannot undergo apoptosis. TUMOUR SUPRESSOR GENES Henry Harris in late 1960’s observed that some cell lines, derived from the somatic hybrid of normal rodent cells and cancer cells, did not form tumours, instead established a normal growth pattern. He speculated that products of some genes present in the normal cells had the ability to suppress the uncontrolled proliferation of cancer cells. These genes are called tumour suppressor genes. Inactivation of tumour suppressor genes has been linked to the development of a wide variety of human cancer, including colon, lung and breast cancers. With the development of positional cloning technique, it has become possible to isolate tumour suppressor genes. In this technique, variations in the genetic characters present in the cancer cells and/or in cells of patients with inherited cancer predisposition are identified. Existence of variations indicate occurrence of mutations and help to study such mutations through cloning. Through this technique several tumour suppressor genes are identified in humans (Table 13.2). The p53 Tumour-Suppressor Gene In human cancer cells p53 is the most frequently mutated gene. The nuclear protein encodes by the gene p53 acts as a transcription factor. It can stimulate transcription or repress more than 50 different genes. Although the p53 protein is continuously synthesized, it is rapidly degraded and thus is present in low levels. When p53 protein binds to another protein called Mdm2, it induces degradation and sequesters the transcriptional activation domain of p53. It also prevents conversion of inactive p53 protein to active form. In case Mdm2 protein gets dissociated from p53 protein then rapid increase in the activated p53 protein takes place at nuclear level. Such dissociation is induced due to creation of dsDNA breaks, chemical damage in DNA and presence of DNA-repair intermediates. Increase in the level of p53 protein leads to increased protein phosphorylation, acetylation, and other post translational modifications. The products of p53 gene control the movement of the normal cells through different phases of the cell cycle. Activated p53 proteins can: i) stimulate transcription of p21 protein (which arrests progression from G1-S checkpoint of mitotic cycle), ii) regulate gene expression that retard replication of DNA (this helps in repair of the damaged DNA before replication), and iii) block damaged cells (DNA damage occurred during S phase) from progression from G2 to M checkpoint by regulating expression of other genes.

“Competing for the Future” by Gary Hamel and C K Pralahad

The book, â€Å"Competing for the future† brings into fore the discussion of effective strategic management as a path towards the establishment of efficient organizations and companies for the future. Moreover, the book's objective is to create ways in which leaders, specifically managers, can help lead the path towards the creation and development of an effective strategy plan for the organization. The path towards the future, however, should not be misconstrued as a ‘race' in which organizations or companies must participate in. What Hamel and Pralahad brought into focus is the nature of the race towards the future, and this was aptly stated in the book (25): There is not one future but hundreds. There is no law that says most companies must be followers. Getting to the future first is not just about outrunning competitors bent on reaching the same prize. It is also about having one's own view of what the prize is. There can be as many prizes as runners†¦In business†¦what distinguishes leaders from laggards, and greatness from mediocrity, is the ability to uniquely imagine what could be. Given this thesis of the book, the authors began their discussion by making it clear that in strategic planning, members of the organization must have a ‘vision,' the ability to imagine things beyond the scope of reality. That is, organizations and companies must also ‘dream,' create ambitions that have not been always considered â€Å"realistic,† yet feasible enough to be accomplished provided the strategy is well-thought out and effectively implemented (145). Of course, it is vital to consider that the process towards the establishment of an effective strategic plan is to bring together all members of the organization, because to delegate the task to a specific group would mean foresightedness in the part of the manager. The authors recommend that for full participation among members in the organization become possible, managers should plan to make each member educated about the whole process in which the organization/company operates (146). Re-educating members/employees ensures that they are able to understand how the organization/company works, and can provide suggestions or recommendations that can be beneficial not only to one department or sector of the organization, but also to the whole organization. The process described above illustrates the authors' view of what â€Å"resource leverage† should be: an acknowledgment of the organization's existing resources, and what can be generated as new resources from these existing ones. Thus, putting leverage on resources may be accomplished through converging, targeting, mining, blending, balancing, recycling, co-opting, and protecting these resources (160-173). Central also to the discussion of strategic management is establishing an organizations ‘core competencies.' The authors define core competencies as those activities that are an â€Å"integral part of the process of general management† (225). This does not only include specific products and/or activities, but all activities and products must be considered as potential core competency. The bigger and more difficult task is in identifying an organization's core competencies; surely there would be activities that specific members of the organization may consider as core, but the authors clarify that these activities becomes a core competency when it is an inevitable and essential part of the organization's daily activities and operations (226). Integrating together the authors' recommendations, â€Å"Competing for the future† brings into light how managers have the foremost goal of creating strategies that integrates the thoughts expressed in the book. This includes creating the â€Å"big dream,† opening up to the possibility that ambitious goals propels companies and organization towards the front race to the future, re-educating employees/members about the organization's daily operations, and identifying core competencies in preparation to the creation of a core competence agenda.

6 Easy Ways to Make Studying Fun

6 Easy Ways to Make Studying Fun No matter the course one thing is for certain, studying for tests will be a key part of passing the class. While there are classes that you excel at and find studying for easy and intriguing, otherswell not so much. Some find equations and math-related studying hard to retain, others find difficulty memorizing dates and facts in history or art, and there are those who hate anything that has to do with writing. And when you have one of those classes that where the subject matter is boring or dense, studying can be at the very least, unmotivating. Typically, people avoid studying by: Procrastinating Avoiding Dropping a Class Getting Abridged Notes and Guides These â€Å"solutions† dont help you get ahead in your academic career and can lead to graduating late, not having the credits you need, or even dropping out of school entirely. But studying doesnt have to lead to stress, procrastination, or anxiety. There are many ways to pump energy and fun into studying. Lucky for you we have created a handy guide to this common issue with The Best Ways To Make Studying Fun! The Fun Studying-On-Your-Own Ways When you have a lot of work that needs to be done and its just you and your books, it might seem like there is no way to make studying fun. The dullness of the material is enough to put you to sleep, but, if you want to get a good grade on the test, you have to come up with a way to get (and stay) in the mood to study. Get Cool Stationary This may sound like a strange way to start the list but trust us, we know what were doing. Most would agree that for the best results in anything, you need the right materials and tools for the job. Studying is no different. Using supplies that make studying visually attractive is a great way to make it fun! With the number of options in real world and online stationery stores these days, you will have no problem finding a fun to use and cool looking set of stuff to study with. Consider purchasing: Glitter Pens Mini Sharpies Decorative Paper Colorful Post It Notes Graphic Notepads Hi-Tech Rulers and Calculators White Out Mice Note Cards Shaped Like the Subject It doesnt matter what you are studying, having fun stationary to work with can make all the difference between a boring study session and a fun one! Break It Up With Another Task If you know that studying is going to take a while and the idea of spending the day studying instead of handling your other tasks is unappealing, then why not do both? Choose a simple manual task that allows you to break up your studying so that you can accomplish more and give yourself time to process and retain the information. Simple tasks that make studying more fun can include: Doing Your Laundry Cleaning Your House Organizing Your Collections Cooking a Complicated Meal These things are all tasks that require you to go back and forth between them and studying. The sense of accomplishment you get from getting things done and studying at the same time can be a great way to make studying fun! Surround Yourself With Everything You Need Most people try to remove all distractions when they want to study. No music, no phone, no people, no fun. Period. Though this can be an effective way to focus on the task at hand, it lends itself in no way to making studying fun. Consider for a moment that studying is a lot like binge-watching a tv show. You are absorbing information for long periods of time without being able to tear yourself away, mostly for fear of not getting all the information you need. In the same way you would prepare for hours of binge watching, we say surround yourself with all of the food, entertainment, and other necessities you need: Music Snacks Charger Pets Toys Comfy Blankets Pillows At the very least, these things will give you a nice distraction from your studying for a few moments. Allowing yourself to have what you want around you is a great way to make studying fun! Make It Funky If the traditional way of sitting down in a quiet space like a library or home office is not conducive to your desire to study, then make your own rules! Try these tips for making studying fun and funky: Change your location Coffee Shop, Bar, Pillow Fort, Somewhere in nature Turn it into a song Retain information through mnemonic devices that make it fun and easy to remember Costumes! If no one is around why not dress up as your subject of study? Or try out the accent of whoever invented the theories that you are studying The Fun Studying-With-Other-People Ways Sometimes studying with other people is the best way to verbally absorb, exchange, and clarify information. With others around you can bounce ideas around, break up the work, and, if your study group is nice, have some good people to talk to in between the cramming session. In these situations, creating ways to make studying fun is an easy task that just requires a group effort! Make It a Game You are not the only one that thinks studying can be boring. Chances are your whole study group feels the same about the material. So why not make it fun for all of you? Get together and turn the material into something that lets you move around, shout, yell, and score points! This includes: Treasure Hunts Trivia Games Drinking Games (This one might not help you remember the material the next day, but it sure does make studying fun) Word Search Games These games make it fun to study in ways that traditional methods are lacking. There are a ton of already well-established study games online that make studying easy and fun! Turn It Into an Event If you are going to get together with a group of people to study then why not make an event out of it? Instead of meeting at the library or workroom to study, try: Changing locations to different venues Take turns hosting at different houses Make every study session a potluck Plan an activity to do after studying to give you something to look forward to Start the study session with an activity While the subject matter may be boring, turning it into a creatively engaging and entertaining event is a great way to make studying fun! The Takeaway You might not have control over WHAT you study, but with the tips in this article, you can control HOW you study. Taking the advice above will allow you to improve the enjoyment and pleasure you get out of studying in ways you have never dreamed of. Dont let boring subject matter detour you on your road to educational success! Crack open those books and make studying fun again!

The Family of Woody Guthrie A Long Way to Oklahoma

The Family of Woody Guthrie A Long Way to Oklahoma When it comes to biographies of famous people, there is hardly a single detail of a celebrity’s that goes unnoticed by the crowd, yet there is an obvious and nonetheless strange gap of knowledge concerning the rest of the family members or the celebrity’s closest relatives.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Family of Woody Guthrie: A Long Way to Oklahoma specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is as if all famous people were manufactured right before they gained world recognition and had no relative attached. The same can be said about Woodrow Wilson Guthrie, known as Woody Guthrie, an American folk singer-songwriter. However, despite his family was not as famous as him, Charles and Nora Guthrie deserve just as much respect. One of the most fascinating things about Woody Guthrie’s family was that each of its members had a very unique personality and the features of character, which, quite honestly, would, probably, be completely incompatible in any other person. As the existing records say, Woody’s father, who was known among the neighbors and his fellow citizens as a politician, taught his son the charm and secrets of the Indian and Scottish music. Other sources, however, point at other influences that Charles Guthrie had on his son, some of them leaving much to be desired. For example, it is a notorious fact that Charles Guthrie was a racist and that his son supported his political viewpoint (Kinchen). However, there are other peculiar facts that even this sad bit of information out. For instance, the notorious fire, which gave Charles Guthrie severe burns, left a truly shocking impression on his son; as Woody Guthrie would say later on, this event would make him appreciate more not only the people whom he was close to, but also what these people shared with them. Thus, Woody’s fascination with music began owing not as much to his father’s stories, as t o the chain of events that led woody to appreciating these stories.Advertising Looking for essay on biography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Despite the obvious strong influence of Charles Guthrie, Woody’s mother, Nora also changed her son’s life considerably with her passion for art and the willingness to share this passion with him. Unfortunately, Woody found out very soon – in fact, too soon, for a young child, – that his mother was suffering from a terminal disease, known as Huntington’s syndrome. Allowing Woody to understand how fleeting the moments of sharing love with his parents are, the boy’s first acquaintance with the fact of inevitable death, which sooner or later attacks anyone, including his closest relatives, his relationship with his mother can also be considered as an important factor in defining Woody’s further life and the ideas that he would commu nicate through his songs. These relationships between Woody and his mother, however, turned even complicated as the boy realized that the disease, which his mother was suffering from, affected their relationships greatly, seeing how it changed his mother irreversibly. Though it was not proven completely, it was believed that the fire mentioned above was set by Woody’s mother during one of her fits (Reineke 7). The impressions that shaped Woody Guthrie’s vision and talent of a musician were not restricted to the influence of his parents, though. Apart from his loving, though definitely not quite happy, parents, Woody also built very close relationships with his uncle, which would later on be reprinted not only in his songs, but also the way in which the musician would write his songs. Jeff Guthrie not only taught young Woody how to play the guitar, but also supported him in his darkles days, helping him get over the tragic death of his parents and the fact that his fami ly was literally falling apart. As for Jeff being the influence for Woody as a future musician, it will be reasonable to admit that at this point, the future folk star needed not spiritual guidance in his search for the music that he wanted to play – it was pretty much clear by then that Woody was into folk – but learning how to play the instrument. This was when Jeff’s old guitar came in handy; thrown aside when Jeff no longer had time for getting in contact with his artistic side, it was finally put to practice. Guthrie started learning to play the instrument and started performing, slowly starting to understand that his hobby was more than a fad.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Family of Woody Guthrie: A Long Way to Oklahoma specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When watching Woody cross the threshold of his house, Jeff could hardly think of who his nephew was going to become pretty soon, as w ell as what part he would play in this transformation (Sanders). The parents of a musician who made folk and country music a complete craze in the USA, Charles and Nora Guthrie might not have been as well-known as their son, but they surely led very decent and nonetheless interesting lives. In addition, it is obvious that Woody’s siblings have also contributed to his vision and shaping of his personality, which would later on be reflected in his songs. Inspired by his outstanding, though inordinately modest, family, Woody had all rights to be proud of not only the long way that he went through, but also of the people who helped him to start his journey. Kinchen, David M. Book Review: â€Å"Woody Guthrie, American Radical† Explores Transformation of Legendary Oklahoma-Born Singer Famous for â€Å"This Land Is Your Land.† n. d. Web. Reineke, Hank. Arlo Guthrie: The Warner/Reprise Years. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. 2012. Print. Sanders, Craig. Ten Facts: Woody Gu thrie’s Childhood. 9 Apr. 2009. Web.

Choose one of them i will upload after paid Essay

Choose one of them i will upload after paid - Essay Example This form of writing provides a deep analysis of Purchasing Power Parity and highlights some of the PPP’s significance in the economy. PPP theory is used in various situations including adjustments for the price differences between countries and provides the solution of comparing countries with dissimilar wellbeing standards as well as setting exchange rate for new countries. By comparing the value of output from different countries and considering exchange rate for ease of data comparison, a lot of information between countries can be obtained (Yavuz 2013, p. 118-121). PPP may make it easy to determine numerous things such as the speed at which the global economy grows and further determine a country, whose average persons are better off. Purchasing Power Parity exchange rate is one of the numerous techniques that can be used to convert different country’s statistics into a common currency (Carvalho & Nechio 2011, pp. 2412-2423). It is worth noting that the PPP exchang e rate must not be similar with the one that prevails in the financial markets as it may either be more or less. Nevertheless, comparison of prices between different countries considers several products and services, which is a very complex task due to the massive amount of data, and the sophistications encountered in the process. In facilitating the price comparison process, always an International Comparisons Program (ICP) generates PPPs founded on global survey of prices where every participating country provides national average prices for several products. PPP is deemed a better measure of the overall wellbeing and its exchange rates are always fairly stable over time. Unfortunately, PPP is not easy to determine compared to other approaches such as the market based rates since ICP is a huge statistical undertaking and there are challenges of methodological involved such as estimation of the PPP rates that may lead to inaccuracies. Additionally, another challenge of using the PP P approach is that there are products that are never available in some countries thus limiting their utilization in comparison purposes. According to Adhikari, Guru-Gharana & Flanagan (2011, p. 4-8) because these countries share almost same economic trend of consumption normally experience better PPP exchange rates compared to countries that do not have similar economic characteristics. On the other hands, most of the developing countries particularly in Africa and Asia may make it difficult to obtain an adjusted exchange rate for PPP because they do not have well-kept economic records deemed important in determining the PPP exchange rates (Taylor 2009, 19-24). Although it may be presumed that, the nominal exchange rate and PPP may be comparatively similar there is always, an evident of a marked difference in the PPP’s accustomed exchange rates. It is significant to note that the PPP figures are normally grounded on the law of one price that indicates that products and servic es cost similar amounts everywhere such as the price of Big Mac in UK and France are similar. This assumption is vital in comparing the two products directly in

Trangenic Animals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Trangenic Animals - Essay Example By transferring foreign DNA into animal cells, new genes can be inserted or functioning genes can be switched off. In some cases, new genes can be transmitted to the next generation. The precondition for the elimination or insertion of genes is that is possible to transfer into the cell recombinant DNA that integrates itself firmly into the DNA of the mammal. (EIBE, 1998) 2.2 Techniques for Transgenesis The most direct way of integrating a new gene into a cell is to inject a piece of DNA into the nucleus in the hope that it will become integrated into the genome> This technique is called microinjection. Microinjection is the most frequently used method of inserting a foreign gene into the genome of the mouse in order to develop a model for investigations into hereditary diseases. With each microinjection, 50-500 copies of the modified DNA fragments are inserted into the pre-nucleus. Until recently, pronuclear microinjection of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was the standard method for producing transgenic animals. This technique is now being replaced by more efficient protocols based on somatic nuclear transfer that also permit targeted genetic modifications. Lentiviral vectors and small interfering ribonucleic acid technology are also becoming important tools for transgenesis.(Prosperi, 2000) 3. Transgenic Mice and Cancer 3.1 Underlying Principle What triggers cell to abandon their normal behavior and to divide out of control to produce a tumor Why do cancer cells move to other parts of the body to produce tumor there as well Is the change from a normal cell a consequence of genetic change, external factors, disturbance of the immune system or is cancer only a result of growing old The following questions may be answered by testing known... This report stresses that transgenesis is a radically new technology for altering the characteristics of the animals by directly changing the genetic material. Since DNA contains a universal genetic code for living organisms, it can in principle, be transferred between completely unrelated organisms to produce organisms with useful characteristics that would not be available. Many different genes have now been characterized. This knowledge opens up the possibility of looking for methods of changing genes in ways that are useful. By transferring foreign DNA into animal cells, new genes can be inserted or functioning genes can be switched off. In some cases, new genes can be transmitted to the next generation. The precondition for the elimination or insertion of genes is that is possible to transfer into the cell recombinant DNA that integrates itself firmly into the DNA of the mammal. This essay makes a conclusion that the use of transgenic mice in cancer research is very prevalent. Its use enables us humans to understand cancer better and come up with solutions. The problem, however, is that many scientists are contesting the appropriateness of relating results from transgenic mice to humans. Many animals are far more genotypically closer to humans. There have been developments lately that humans can be used for clinical tests without wasting lives. Although this remains to be seen, the use of transgenic mouse model can serve as a good source of insights for us humans to understand the malignance that is happening to our body.

Analyse how Public Relations communications theory can help an Essay

Analyse how Public Relations communications theory can help an understanding of the role of new media - Essay Example Toward the end of the century, as business corporations became the dominant institutions of our times, the scope of PR widened and assumed new roles in the commercial realm of product marketing. At the birth of the new millennium, the ascendency of digital technology into the mainstream has once again enhanced and redefined the nature and role of public relations industry. Irrespective of the evolution and change of mediums of communication over the last century, the essence of PR industry has remained more or less the same. In other words, the theoretical framework within which the PR industry operates is applicable across media technologies, both new and traditional. This essay will pertain itself to the analysis of how Public Relations communications theory can help understanding the role of new media. Firstly, new media is a term that is used to refer to a range of communication options that fall along a spectrum. The research team of Diana Owen and Richard Davis have done extensive analytical work on new media. They describe the wide range of new media technologies thus: â€Å"At one end are communications platforms based on old technologies that have taken on new political roles, such as radio and television talk programs, tabloids, and television news magazines. In the middle of the spectrum are mixed or hybrid media that combine elements of traditional media with newer technologies. These include 24-hour cable news programs and the Internet sites of newspapers and magazines. On the far end of the spectrum are new media that have developed as a result of new technology that has been put to novel political uses. Internet applications, such as social networking Web sites like Facebook and MySpace, blogs, video-sharing sites including YouTube, and podcasts fall into this category.† (Owen & Davis, 2008) What we learn from the history of PR theory over the last century is the identification of

Entrepreneurship Essay Example for Free

Entrepreneurship Essay The public perception of entrepreneurs today is almost legendary. They seem to seamlessly start up small businesses and make them grow and develop themselves almost overnight to big successes. (Beaver, 2005) This essay will briefly cover the differences and similarities between managers, business owners and entrepreneurs. Differences and similarities between managers, owners and entrepreneurs Back in the 19th century being a businessman, in other words being an owner-manager, was not regarded a profession. These people were coordinators, arbitrators, innovators, interpreters of the market and risk-takers at the same time. The purpose of their activity ranged from interest from capital to profits for bearing the risk of operation. (Zaratiegui Rabade, 2005) However they required ownership of over 50 per cent of the shared capital to have control over the business. (Burns, 2007) From that early stage the traditional management as mentioned first in Henri Fayol’s General and Industrial Management in 1949 (in French, 1916) evolved which dominates our public perception still today. Here we notice a distinct separation between the owner, or the proprietor, of a business and the people those owners hire to get their business managed and administrated. (Fraja, 1996) Those managers are required to have certain capabilities, i.e. leading people and administrating operations, finance and resources. They are the ultimate authority in the organization and therefore responsible for the social, legal, environmental and ethical aspects of the company. An entrepreneur is not exactly the latest form of performing business activities as Joseph A. Schumpeter identified entrepreneurial entities already in 19341, however, the term got increasingly popular by the end of the 20th century. People like Steve Jobs, Sir Richard Branson or Mark Zuckerberg are just some of many famous entrepreneurs. The Oxford English Dictionary defines an entrepreneur as â€Å"a person who attempts to profit by risk and initiative†. Therefore Gartner, et al. (1992) suggest that an entrepreneur is both a manager and an owner, with a willingness to accept risk, uncertainty and an eagerness to exploit change and profit from market niches. What is even more striking is that entrepreneurs have a certain 1 â€Å"A person, ‘a contractor’ who coordinates, organizes and supervises (posses managerial skills) an enterprise with exceptional moral qualities, perseverance, and knowledge of the world and society’s needs.†- Schumpeter, 1934 Similarities and differences between a manager, a business owner and an entrepreneur By Henry Amm set of skills that is superior to that of a manger in terms of productivity and profitability. Typical entrepreneurial capabilities comprise features such as investigating opportunities, believing in innovation, and strategic planning upon the latest developments on the market. (Piperopoulos, 2011) Any manager can behave in a more entrepreneurial way, if he or she is aware of the individual effectiveness. This can ray out more confidence towards customers, investors or subordinates and therefore increase productivity and profitability. (Piperopoulos, 2011) Research has shown that entrepreneurs and managers might have different goals and working styles. (Stewart, et al., 1999) But even though everyone has different working preferences, the literature suggests that being an entrepreneur can be learned, especially regarding the way entrepreneurs work on tasks and complete them. What the typical manager can copy from an entrepreneur is his personal organization and interpersonal interaction. (Piperopoulos, 2011) Burns (2007) notes that owner-managers, entrepreneurs and managers can be distinguished by their character traits and the type of business they run. An owner-manager typically has a high need for independence and achievement and an ability to live with uncertainty and measured risks. Therefore he often runs a lifestyle firm that is based on trade or craft which, however, will not grow to any considerable size. The entrepreneur in turn is opportunistic, innovative, self-confident and acts proactive and decisive. He is highly self-motivated by his vision and is therefore willing to take even greater risks and can live with a high uncertainty. That is why the entrepreneur has a growth firm and is pursuing growth and personal wealth. Lastly the manager is administrating, or in other words managing, an entity that does not belong to him. His ‘purpose’ is to build up the organisation, by means that are similar to larger firms. (Burns, 2007) However there are some exceptions from that generalization: An owner-manager of course can have a growing business, while an entrepreneur could manage a business he owns together with a business associate and therefore has not complete control over the capital. (Burns, 2007) As Fraja (1996) suggests every firm can be assigned to either one of the following types: Either it is an entrepreneurial firm, where the owner-manager or entrepreneur is in exclusive control, organizes production, borrows funds and retains any residual returns from his work. Or it is a managerial firm, where the individual that has the right to residual returns remains outside the company and the individual that has the right of control is hired from the owner. Similarities and differences between a manager, a business owner and an entrepreneur By Henry Amm Modern approaches like ‘corporate entrepreneurship’ try to overcome those boundaries by incorporating advantages of entrepreneurship into common management. Companies try to facilitate diversification with internal development workshops. That makes activities necessary, in areas that are usually only loosely related to the current ‘domain’ of competence of the company. That is to engage innovation like you have it with a start-up company, but within an established organization. (Burgelmann, 1983) Conclusion Exceptions prove the rule; mangers, owners and entrepreneurs can be distinguished not only by their character traits but they are also more likely to lead an organization that is typical for their respective role. Modern organizations try to incorporate selected features of entrepreneurship to be more competitive. It seems like those terms still are about to change, or maybe always will need adaption to our contemporary view onto management, ownership and entrepreneurship.