Time Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Time Management - Research Paper Example Notably, time is constant and scarce and hence this topic seeks to define the need and methods that help college students to develop effective strategies to manage their time for purposes of balancing the conflicting demands of study time, working hours, leisure time, and other endeavors that limit study time. In college education, time management is significant in revising for examinations, attending lectures, and participating in sporting activities. I chose this topic because traditional students always lack enough time to do everything they need in college. As such, this topic will inform the students on the need and methods of planning and controlling the amount of time spent on certain activities with an aim of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of their academic pursuit. This topic is significant in that it informs the students on the benefits of proper time management as well as the academic problems. Proper time management in college may involve future planning, monitoring the allocation of available time, goal setting, and prioritizing tasks. Numerous tools, skills, and techniques will help the students to accomplish their goals and tasks within the set deadlines. Such methods may include goal setting, prioritizing tasks, monitoring the academic pursuit, creating a list, organizing a work schedule, and limiting procrastination. Through effective time management, college students will enjoy certain benefits that may include good performance, establishing conducive learning environment.

IKEA and Fantastic Furniture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

IKEA and Fantastic Furniture - Research Paper Example The key success factors desirable for such success is the provision of quality and value for customers’ money, understanding the market and targeting advertisements to perceived needs of the markets and provision of an outstanding customer service to the customers. Though IKEA and Fantastic furniture are similar in many ways, they differ in design of products where IKEA emphasizes on flexibility and portability of the furniture, thus, producing self-assembled furniture while Fantastic furniture mostly produces pre-assembled ones. Backward integration and increased productivity are recommended for the two companies, in order to be able to meet the projected increase in furniture demand. Table of Contents Background and Introduction IKEA is a privately owned international company that sells home products that can be assembled, such as home appliances and accessories, beds, and desks (Coker, 2005). The company was founded in 1943 by a 17-year-old Swedish, with the name of the com pany derived from his name and place of origin. The company ranks as the world’s largest retailer of furniture (Dennis, 2008). There are notable strengths that the company has been credited with. Its ability to control costs allows it to offer continuously lower prices for its products. The company is also known for its attention to operational details, allowing it to improve continuously the products it offers to its customers. These strengths have seen the company continuously advance, and expand to different countries in the world (Stroman, 2003). The company comprises of a group of companies that are centrally controlled by a Dutch corporation. The company provides its customers with 12,000 different products and is the third largest consumer of wood in the world (Ben, 2009). The company adopts environmentally friendly manufacturing process to ensure it preserves the environment. Fantastic furniture, on the other hand, was started in 1991 by two founders, Harding and Dejo ng. The company started as a stall that was selling plastic garden furniture, and later, the first of their store was opened at Birkenhead point (Johnson, 1983). In 1992, the company opened the first Fantastic Factory Lounge and in 1995, the Fantastic metal factory was established. The company owes its success to some strength it possessed from its inception. The company indulged in clever advertising, while at the same time improving its products and processes continuously. This way, the company has been able to expand its operations and grow to a large furniture retailer. The company’s growth rate was so high, that the founders were unable to manage this growth. Consequently, they invited other directors who had experiences in handling growth in a new business, effectively increasing the number of company’s director to five (Greenblat, 2010). In 1997, the company opened its first import department, which has been responsible for the sale and distribution of the compa ny’s products to a tune of 50%. The company has expanded its operations to have many other branches in Australia, later transferring its Fantastic Lounge factory to a different location to accommodate the increased production capacity, in 2006. With its growth and expansion, the company acquired a mattress producing company to suffice the mattress requirement of the company in the same year (Ben, 2009). Literature review A furniture retail business should be the most successful business ever running. This is because every day someone needs

Assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Assignment 1 - Essay Example Putting these skills into practice is a factor that will help the United States move ahead and maintain its high position economically. Over the past years, countries like Russia and China have had steady economic growth rates, and this has posed as a challenge to the United States. The United States ought to understand the various steps taken by the countries to have them at the position that they enjoy and the consequent result of this is implementation of plans that will see the country register a rise in general growth. Demographics is also critically analyzed in the chapter. According to the United States census, it has had a steady increase in the birthrate from the 1970s (CEA 122). The increase in birthrate has had a negative effect on the working population. One way in which this has affected them is that many people and especially mothers have had to leave their works to carry out their maternal responsibilities and this has led to the slowing down of their corporate responsibilities. This is negative from the fact that other countries that do not have such a birthrate have their citizens working tirelessly to support their families and consequently catching up with the economic stature of the United States. The demographic problem has had its effect reflected in the prime working age. With an increase in population, the prime working age for a particular location is bound to decrease. Currently, the rate is between 25 to 54 years (CEA 122). It is speculated that if the birthrate continues increasing at the rate in which it has increased over time, the prime working age gap is bound to decrease and this has the consequent effect of having less labor. With less labor, there is a decrease in the amount of money that individuals bring into a company or organization. This has the effect of having the country in a poor economic position with the citizens having low living standards and the country lagging

IKEA and Fantastic Furniture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

IKEA and Fantastic Furniture - Research Paper Example The key success factors desirable for such success is the provision of quality and value for customers’ money, understanding the market and targeting advertisements to perceived needs of the markets and provision of an outstanding customer service to the customers. Though IKEA and Fantastic furniture are similar in many ways, they differ in design of products where IKEA emphasizes on flexibility and portability of the furniture, thus, producing self-assembled furniture while Fantastic furniture mostly produces pre-assembled ones. Backward integration and increased productivity are recommended for the two companies, in order to be able to meet the projected increase in furniture demand. Table of Contents Background and Introduction IKEA is a privately owned international company that sells home products that can be assembled, such as home appliances and accessories, beds, and desks (Coker, 2005). The company was founded in 1943 by a 17-year-old Swedish, with the name of the com pany derived from his name and place of origin. The company ranks as the world’s largest retailer of furniture (Dennis, 2008). There are notable strengths that the company has been credited with. Its ability to control costs allows it to offer continuously lower prices for its products. The company is also known for its attention to operational details, allowing it to improve continuously the products it offers to its customers. These strengths have seen the company continuously advance, and expand to different countries in the world (Stroman, 2003). The company comprises of a group of companies that are centrally controlled by a Dutch corporation. The company provides its customers with 12,000 different products and is the third largest consumer of wood in the world (Ben, 2009). The company adopts environmentally friendly manufacturing process to ensure it preserves the environment. Fantastic furniture, on the other hand, was started in 1991 by two founders, Harding and Dejo ng. The company started as a stall that was selling plastic garden furniture, and later, the first of their store was opened at Birkenhead point (Johnson, 1983). In 1992, the company opened the first Fantastic Factory Lounge and in 1995, the Fantastic metal factory was established. The company owes its success to some strength it possessed from its inception. The company indulged in clever advertising, while at the same time improving its products and processes continuously. This way, the company has been able to expand its operations and grow to a large furniture retailer. The company’s growth rate was so high, that the founders were unable to manage this growth. Consequently, they invited other directors who had experiences in handling growth in a new business, effectively increasing the number of company’s director to five (Greenblat, 2010). In 1997, the company opened its first import department, which has been responsible for the sale and distribution of the compa ny’s products to a tune of 50%. The company has expanded its operations to have many other branches in Australia, later transferring its Fantastic Lounge factory to a different location to accommodate the increased production capacity, in 2006. With its growth and expansion, the company acquired a mattress producing company to suffice the mattress requirement of the company in the same year (Ben, 2009). Literature review A furniture retail business should be the most successful business ever running. This is because every day someone needs

Confusing Truth Essay Example for Free

Confusing Truth Essay 1. 1 Introduction Before the advent of digital imaging, we rely on paintings and books to record for documentary use. While paintings and books suggest the clear separation of what is truth and what is falsehood, people believe that camera is trustworthy and photos taken from it are the truth because camera is a machine with no emotions. Digital imaging gives better quality images to readers. However, due to the potential of digital photography manipulation, it has clarified that truth is not fixed anymore but has fluidity. There is no absolute truth. Before digital imaging, although photograph still has manipulations during their creation through framing or posing, photo manipulation is not that serious because fake photos are usually easily detected. Nowadays, digital imaging has made manipulation much more easily and harder to be detected. But, there are different degrees of alterations. From removing a hair from the forehead to removing a person in news photo, we can see the potential of digital manipulation. People start arguing on the matter of what to be considered as truth and falsehood; it is all because of the presence of fluidity of truth. 1. 2 Concept of Fluidity of Truth Generally, we are used to the truth-versus-falsehood nature. However, with the potential of how digital imaging can be changed in different degrees of alterations, it is not always easy to identify a point where truth is lost and we cannot set a clear line separate truth from falsehood. This is the concept of fluidity of truth. In the following, I will explain how digital imaging clarified fluidity of truth, with 2 altered images examples with different intentions and degree of alterations. Digital imaging and the powerful techniques of manipulation distort the truth. Photographers manipulate photos mainly in 4 ways: bad intention with large alteration, bad intention with little alteration, good intention with large alteration and good intention with little alteration. 1. 3 Example of manipulated photo with bad intention Take the award-winning photo about Tibetan Railroad in 2006 as example (see figure 2. 1). The photographer combined two separate photographs together to make a photo of a group of antelopes running below the Tibetan Railroad, showing a state of harmony between railroad technology and animals. At that time, environmental protection groups were aware that the construction of railroad had destroyed the ecosystem. With this combined photo, it is proved and people believed that construction did not affect the animals at all. The Government used this photo as a proof to persuade the Environmental Protection groups who object to the construction of the railroad. This photo, for sure, should be considered as falsehood, covering the truth, because of its bad intention. Figure 2. 1: Photo of Tibetan railroad, Liu Weiqiang, 2006. (10 News photos 2009) 1. 4 Example of manipulated photo with good intention Another example is about National Geographic (see Figure 2. 2). In 1982, it was accused of altering a photo of Egyptian pyramids, squeezing them closer together, in order to fit into the cover vertically. In this case, the photographer did not have any bad intention. He just wanted to fit his original horizontal photo into the magazine’s vertical cover. He did not alter the photo a lot either with the fact that if he went farer and took the photograph, the resulting image would have been the same as the altered image. Regarding this case, pyramid was still there and nothing was added nor removed. Truth was not lost at all. Should this photo be considered as falsehood? It is difficult to set a clear point to discern between truth and falsehood. Figure 2. 2: Photo of National Geographic, February 1982. (10 News photos 2009) 1. 5 Different perception of ‘heavy alteration’ As shown above, it is difficult to discern manipulated digital images to truth or falsehood depend on the intention. So can we identify them in accordance with degree of alteration? For instance, photos with large alteration should be considered as falsehood. The answer is probably not because everyone can have distinct perspective towards what is more and what is less. Take Klavs Bo Christensen’s photo of Haiti in 2009 as example, his photo has been processed in terms of the color tone and sent to a Danish photo contest (see Figure 2. 3). Retouching made the photo stunning and contrasting in color tone. At the end, the judges disqualified the photo since they thought the photo were too extreme and unacceptable. Christensen, the photograph, admitted the retouching but insisted that the result image was within his limit. In this case, we can see that different people have different perception of ‘heavy alteration’. Neither did Christensen remove a person nor combine two separate photos. All he did was toning the color. It is difficult to identify a clear line to tell what is truth and what is falsehood. Figure 2. 3: Photo taken by Klavs Bo Christensen, April 2009. (10 News photos 2009) 1. 6 Ironic photography and retouching techniques in products In postcards and photos of residence catalogs, most of them have been processed and are taken in certain angle in order to make the place look spectacular. These beautified photos are to attract people to visit there, expanding number of possible customers. People are always disappointed when they really get there and realize the difference between the real place and the process one. Not only these two products, most, if not all, advertisement also retouch the photos to make the subject look perfect. For instance, in the advertisement selling skincare products, the skin of the model always looks silky and perfectly smooth. Again, this is the result image of retouching. However, we never criticize these photos as falsehood or lying even though they are also under the same kind of retouching technique and manipulations as the mentioned examples above. It is all because we have fluidity of truth. There is no absolute truth or falsehood. 1. 7 Inevitability of digital manipulation Indeed, media do need certain extent of digital manipulations, such as lightening or darkening a photograph just for better reproduction quality (Newton P. 11). Truth is not lost at all. In these cases, should we consider these manipulated photos as falsehood? It is always hard to judge because of the fluidity of truth where the line between truth and falsehood is ambiguous. 1. 8 Conclusion It is always hard to define what is real. With the potential of how people can digitally manipulate photos in totally different ways and with different intentions, fluidity of truth has been clarified, where not every photograph can fit into the truth-versus-falsehood nature. We can have people doing alterations with good intention or simply just for better reproduction quality, while we can also have people using photo manipulation for controlling and creating a scene that has never happened. At the same time, we have advertisements under retouching technique without being criticized. All these suggest that digital imaging, with numerous ways of manipulations, has clarified the fluidity of truth. A clear line or point to discern between truth and falsehood does not exist. We may not be able to determine absolute truth. Instead we can determine a reasonable truth, depending on our maturation of perception of reality (Newton 2007). Reference List 10 News photos that took retouching too far, 2009. Available from: . [20 October 2012]. Newton, JH 2007, Digital media: transformations in human communication, Peter Land Publishing, Inc. , New York.

Impact Of Media On Global Social Movements Politics Essay

Impact Of Media On Global Social Movements Politics Essay In this paper my aim would be to bring forth various views and theories of social movements and explore the evolution of global social movements in the recent past. In the later part of my paper I would be discussing the role of mass media in global social movements and would also include the concept of new media and contemporary social networks in the cyber space and their impact on global social movements. But first I would like to start with a few definitions and views on global social movements by eminent scholars and intellectuals. SOCIAL MOVEMENTS The term social movements was introduced in 1850 by the German Sociologist  Lorenz von Stein  in his book History of the French Social Movement from 1789 to the Present. Since then, the term has taken different meanings and interpretations. Charles Tilly  defines social movements as, a series of contentious performances, displays and campaigns by which ordinary people made collective claims on others  [1]  .  For Tilly, social movements are a major vehicle for ordinary peoples participation in public politics. Sidney Tarrow  defines a social movement as,  collective challenges to elites, authorities, other groups or cultural codes by people with common purposes and solidarity in sustained interactions with elites, opponents and authorities  [2]  . Scholars like Escobar see social movements as sources of alternatives, hopes and theories of how the world can be made differently  [3]  . Bourdieus argument on social movements is that, its not the market, as its tr ied to make us believe today, but the social movement, which has civilized the market economy while largely contributing to its efficacy  [4]  . Touraine, on the other hand, contends that social movements are not positive or negative agents of history, of modernization, or of the liberalization of mankind. They act in a given type of social production and organization  [5]  . His views differ from the romanticisers of social movements and from those who define a social action mainly in terms of effectiveness in bringing about social change or resistance, to varying degrees, like McAdam and Snow  [6]  . Social movements are also seen as organizational and political opportunities by some and as effects as well as results of power structures, class struggles and identity politics by others. Some like Rucht find the value by combining them and arguing that a social movement exists to the extent that the following qualities are co-present: In structural terms, social movement s are networks of groups and/or organizations; regarding their aims, they are attempts to fundamentally change society (including power structures and basic values) or to resist such changes  [7]  . Global social movements have intensified in recent years; some of these movements contest not only the actual nature and consequences of current global socioeconomic relations but also the very foundation governing them. One of the reasons may be the global economic and technological integration which has consistently been disarming the traditional welfare function of the state and in turn generating increased misery, inequalities and conflicts. This has provided grounds for citizens and civil society groups of diverse origins to express their resentment and advance claims in increased numbers. There has been an emergence and consolidation of global civil society which is believed to be bigger and wider, offering a positive response, even counterweight, to a narrow notion that linked globalization to economic processes alone. I would like to begin my discussion on GSMs with some theories relating to social movements. THEORIES OF SOCIAL MOVEMENT Typically, European social movement theorists tended to view contentious collective action through a Marxian lens, proffering structural analyses to varying degrees. However, a paradigm shift occurred which delineated old social movement theory (class based) from new social movement theory (culture based). I would discuss some theories relating to social movements like collective behaviour theory, resource mobilisation theory, political process theory, social constructionist theory, new social movement theory and the networks theory. Collective Behaviour Theory This theory states that social movements differ a little from other group manifestations, such as panics, crowds and crazes. Generally, this theory advanced the notion that social movements were little more than the most well-organized and self-conscious part of an archipelago of emergent phenomena, ranging from fads and rumours, to collective enthusiasm, riots, movements and revolutions  [8]  . There have been different approaches to this theory. Beginning with Symbolic interactionism which is a variant of classic collective behaviour theory wherein creative agency triumphs over structural determination, and the creation and interpretation of meaning are the key. This model views collective behaviour as the spontaneous development of norms and organization that contest the status quo, and provoke individual reactions to social disintegration, which then form into a general, collective response. Another version of collective behaviour theory parallels the overarching theoretical paradigm of structural-functionalism in an attempt to link broad, structural factors to specific occasions of collective behaviour unfolding in several necessary stages like, structural conduciveness, structural strain, generalized beliefs that provide meaning and motivation and events or actions that catalyse collective behaviour; physical mobilization of actors; and the absence or suspension of social control  [9]  . The third approach identifies Relative deprivation as the motivating force behind collective action represents another variant of classic collective behaviour theory. In sum, this concept stipulates that a group decides to act collectively when people judge themselves as lacking certain resources in relation to another group. Resource Mobilization Theory The demise of the collective behaviour paradigm came about during the tumultuous 1960s with the advent of new social movements. According to McAdam  [10]  , theorizing social movements as a response to social strain was problematic in that it did not take the larger political context into consideration. In assigning causation of social movements to individual discontent, collective behaviour was considered abnormal and apolitical. Resource mobilization theory arose during the 1970s as a response to the shortcomings of collective behaviour theory. It held that in contentious collective action, passion gave way to rational calculation, and the collective good acquiesced to individual gain as mobilizing factors. Thus, activism relied on the ability of social movements to muster resources and engage in planned, rational action  [11]  . In this analysis, activists were not considered under the sway of sentiments, emotions, and ideologies that guided his or her action; rather, coll ective behaviour should be understood in terms of the logic of costs and benefits as well as opportunities for action Proponents of this model argued that increased personal resources, the professionalization of activism and the availability of external financial support could adequately account for contentious collective action. The focus, therefore, was on resource aggregation, and facilitation by social movement organizations (SMOs), formal or professional organizations that identify their goals with those of a social movement. In contrast to collective behaviour theory, which focused on why collective action occurred, resource mobilization theory attempted to answer the persistent question of how social movements organized and mobilized. Political Process Theory The political process model developed as an alternative to resource mobilization theory. Here, the success or failure of social movements depended on political opportunities created by ruptures in the institutional structure and the ideology of power-holders  [12]  . Three essential components comprise this theory. The first demarks the political structure as an external factor not under the direct control of challengers, but critical to a movements success. The second is an internal factor: the organizational strength of activists, the product of interaction between movement members, leaders and incentives. The final component is McAdams  [13]  cognitive liberation, or a change in group consciousness whereby potential protesters see the existing social order not only as illegitimate, but also as subject to change through their own direct efforts  [14]  . Thus, revolutions owe less to the efforts of insurgents than to the work of systemic crises which render the existing regime weak and vulnerable to challenge from virtually any quarter. Social Constructionist Theory Social constructionism approaches collective action as an interactive, symbolically defined and negotiated process among participants, opponents and bystanders  [15]  . Central to this theory is, the concept is of framing, which describes how activists make sense of their social worlds  [16]  . Frames constitute shared understandings and identities that generate the trust and cooperation amongst activists necessary for collective action. In the context of social movements, frames dignify discontent, identify grievances and assemble the grievances of various groups  [17]  . Grievances are framed in three ways. Diagnostic framing identifies a problem as well as a target for action; and prognostic framing suggests solutions, including strategies and tactics specific to the target. Together, they mobilize consensus, creating a base from which movements may recruit; however, collective action is not the necessary outcome of this process. In order for people to act contentiousl y, they must have compelling reasons to do so. Thus, motivational framing provides inspiration and rationale for action  [18]  . New Social Movement Theory NSM theorists stressed that social transformation is mediated through culture as well as politics narrowly defined, that the personal and the cultural are as politically real as, and are not reducible to, power struggles in the state and economy  [19]  . As Melucci, observes, Conflicts move from the economic-industrial system to the cultural sphere. They focus on personal identity, the time and space of life, and the motivation and codes of daily behaviour  [20]  . That is to say, activists in new social movements turned their gaze inward, focusing on issues as they affected their personal lives, and pursuing social change through politicizing culture. Networks Theory The concept of networks helps to address the division created by a narrow focus on identity, as mediated through cultural analysis, in social movement theory. According to Castells, New information technologies, by transforming the processes of information processing, act upon all domains of human activity, and make it possible to establish endless connections between different domains, as well as between elements and agents of such activities  [21]  . Castells observes that, As people organized meaning around who they were, rather than what they did, the process of globalization relied on increasingly integrated networks of instrumental exchange  [22]  . According to Appadurai, the result of globalized communication and mass migration is the creation of diasporic public spheres, phenomena that confound theories that depend on the continued salience of the nation-state as the key arbiter of important social changes  [23]  . The electronic revolution has facilitated the g lobalization of capitalism; it has also enabled the globalization of protest, as Dyer-Witheford  [24]  observes: New information technologies therefore appear not just as instruments for the circulation of commodities, but simultaneously as channels for the circulation of struggles. Thus, social movements become increasingly global both in target and in form. The movements that oppose corporate globalization, like the Zapatistas and the Anti-Corporate Globalization Movement (ACGM), are prime examples of network-based social movements. My further discussions would primarily be based on this theory of networks in social movements with an emphasis on the rise of social networks in GSMs and their role in felicitating them. MEDIA AND GSMs In this part of my paper I would give a brief evolution of media as a tool for social change and would also discuss the use of ICTs in GSMs. I would give some examples of social media and would conclude this part with views of authors and scholars who are divided on the positive and negative role of media in social movements. MEDIA FOR CHANGE TRADITIONAL MEDIA Soon after the end of World War II the importance of mass media like newspapers, radio, cinema and television as accelerators in spreading ideas about progress and development began to be recognised. There are numerous examples in history where movements have been influenced by media. The issues at that time were more political than social but slowly, the same process was followed in carrying out social movements. It was already well documented how during War times radios and newspapers were used along with televisions to create a public sphere where people shared ideas and issues of common interest in a democracy. How leaders through their mesmerising speeches were able to instil patriotic feeling in their countrymen. These established norms gave way to the use of mass media in different social movements. In the Indian context one can find the use of such means during the Green Revolution, Family planning Communications. In Latin America, Paulo Freire (1971) used it for adult litera cy programmes. Even with the advent of the ICTs one can still find that the maximum amount of information dissemination in social movements, even today, is done through these means. May it be an environmental campaign or anti-corruption campaign, this mode still remains a dominant player in social change. NEW MEDIA: INTERNET The battles of Seattle, Washington, Prague and Genoa, with an unforeseen mixture of nationalities and movements, became world news. Interestingly, the new media seemed to play a crucial role in the organization of these global-protests. Internet has been widely used as a tool for social change and social movements in the recent past. I will illustrate some popular examples corroborating my statement. Zapatistas Movement Beginning in 1994, the Zapatistas used the Internet to turn a local dispute over land in Chiapas, Mexico into an international debate over the ill effects of corporate globalization. They incorporated their localized concerns over the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) into an international agenda opposed to global economic policies that usurp national political sovereignty and recolonize debtor nations. The Zapatistas and their supporters worldwide thus fashioned an ideology that rejected neoliberalism, which for them refers less to policy or theory and more directly to degrading environmental conditions and escalating human rights abuses  [25]  . Thus, they used the Internet to weave a new electronic fabric of struggle  [26]  to rally support for their revolution throughout Mexico and across the globe. The Anti-Corporate Globalization Movement The Anti-Corporate Globalization movement built on the foundations laid by the Zapatistas, using the Internet to connect with social justice activists around the world, to serve as a forum for education and discussion, and to disseminate information unavailable in the corporate mainstream press. The Internet was also critical in the logistical organization of the massive demonstrations against the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Seattle in 1999. This protest marked the birth of the ACGM, which gathered within its folds other activist movements, organizations and networks. For the first time in living memory, possibly ever, many different grievances and causes were represented under one broad banner: social justice. Thus workers walked arm in arm with environmentalists, feminists, human rights workers, farmers, and fair trade advocates. The Battle of Seattle marked the beginning of a new form of activism: the new communication technology that made the globalization of capital possib le also spurred the globalization of protest and facilitated globalization from below. The Internet was instrumental in both shrinking vast geographical distances, and in disseminating a new sort of global consciousness. There was also the increased use of SMSs by the protestors in organizing and carrying out their protests. There were termed as Smart Mobs, though it is still not a major tool of social movement it has had its impact during the 1999 Battle of Seattle, 1992 Critical Mass Bicycle demos of San Francisco and September 2000 protest in Britain over fuel price rise. Many social movements relating to environment, health, etc. have taken post Seattle through use of ICTs, social networking, websites, etc. The Coffee Party on Facebook is one such example of a movement that was initiated and primarily carried out on the social networking site Facebook. Though these developments seem to hold both a bright future for social movements and interesting times for social movement researchers, nothing assures us that movements always make society more democratic  [27]  . Tilly advocates that, technological determinism ought to be avoided and that one should recognize that not all new features of soci al movements result from technical innovations but most of them from alterations in their social and political contexts  [28]  . Relying on ICT services also requires being able to cope with their risks and dangers therefore most 21st century social movement activity continues to rely on the local, regional, and national forms of organization that already prevailed during the later 20th century  [29]  . HOSTILE MEDIA One of the first detailed examinations of a social movement protest in the media focused on a mass demonstration held against the Vietnam War in Britain  [30]  . The demonstration involved approximately 60,000 protesters, most of who marched peacefully through the streets of London (with an insignificant number of protestors involved in violent actions). However, despite the overwhelmingly peaceful nature of the march, the media concentrated most of its coverage on the issue of violence  [31]  . There were differences between media outlets in their coverage; they were all united by the overall focus on the same limited aspect the issue of violence. The misrepresentation of this massive political rally, and the totality of the negative coverage across all media outlets led the investigators to conclude that such reporting poses extreme problems for democracy, which may only be remedied by some form of institutional rearrangement  [32]  . For any social movement to draw beneficial attention to its activities in the mass media, the first barrier it must overcome is the structural constraints of the medium itself. According to Herman and Chomskys  [33]  Propaganda Model, there are five filters through which all news must pass, that actively shape the medias content. These are (1) the size, ownership and profit orientation of the media, (2) advertising, (3) sourcing, (4) flak (criticism) and (5) anti-communist ideology, which can be interpreted as keeping the discourse within the boundaries of elite interests. According to Sidney Tarrow, The media are crucial in a social movements efforts to broadcast its demands. But the media are anything but neutral in the framing of activists concerns and events. On the one hand, the media provide a broad base for consensus formation that is difficult for movements to achieve on their own. On the other hand, while the media may not work directly for the ruling class, they certain ly do not work for social movements  [34]  . CONCLUSION The mass media is an important outlet for social movements, where the quality and nature of media coverage strongly influences how they are perceived in the public eye. It is important for social movements, whose transitional and adversarial nature weakens their ability to secure public legitimacy. Their outsider status, along with their usual resource-poor nature, means that traditional avenues of publicity are not easily accessible and forces them to rely on alternative methods to obtain media access. Traditionally, this involves some form of public spectacle like a protest to attract media attention. These activities have become accepted as mechanisms by which social problems are communicated in the public sphere, alongside public opinion polls and elections and they act as vital means by which citizens can signal their discontent  [35]  . Key to any social movements eventual success in reforming the current world order is its ability to garner majority support, which is severely restricted by the mass media. Global justice movements profess to want to mobilise entire communities worldwide to enable truly participative decision-making. However, if this is really the case, they need to consider whether the same media system that serves to naturalise and legitimise elite decision-making, can really encourage its antithesis, collective grassroots decision-making. It seems an anathema to even consider that by working on the terms set by the mass media, social movements are actually legitimising and tightening its hegemonic power over society, even while it simultaneously acts to de-legitimise or ignore the global justice movement. Therefore, it is time for social movements to take collective action. To start with, democratic media reform needs to be recast as an end in itself, a public good, not simply a means by which eac h movement can get its message out  [36]  . In this way, a media reform project can be linked to the wider array of social movements calling for a more equitable and participatory democracy.

Education Today Essay -- essays papers

Education Today A college education is suggested to be the most heavily judged form of qualification to be looked at when looking for career opportunities. But what is a college education? Is it something you go out and buy at the most prestigious of College University's? Do you simply hand over 25,000 dollars a year, and at the end of 4 years, give or take a few, you are handed a diploma that says, 'Educated'? In my opinion, this is today's view on what education is. It is less of a conquest of knowledge then it is just a stepping-stone towards a career. John Newman suggested that all forms of education and knowledge are connected together, and that the subject matter of knowledge is united in itself. Each Science that we break our knowledge in to, complete, correct and balance the others. This is what John Henry Newman wrote in, The Idea of a University. This was written to discuss the idea of a Catholic University, so it has a large influence on how we get our education today. We take specific courses that educate us in our major, and a number of other core courses that help shape our ideas and views into that which we are learning. If an education is confined to only one subject, Newman believes the individual's work in life may favor the advancement of a particular pursuit or viewpoint over another, due to ignorance. This is the approach we take at Seton Hall and most other University's in the world towards an education. But is this the only form of education that is valid? Jon Spayde believed that one could gain education in any way he wants. If biology was an individual's serious interest, he could observe life throughout the year and justifiably educate himself that way. Anything you had int... ...roader the education you get the more knowledgeable you will become in all areas of your study. However, I also think that it isn't necessary to pay for a college degree to be truly educated. The problem is you have nothing to show for or prove your intellect. In today's competitive society everyone wants the best, and if you don't complete a college education and have your own individual flares your going to have a much harder time landing a job then perhaps someone you are smarter then. You can't just be the best, you have to show that you are the best. It seems that if you can throw 100,000 dollars away on a degree today, you probably will have a decent job waiting for you when you graduate. So the individual with the advantage in society is the one who loves what he paid to get educated in. Education in a field that you love is the only true conquest of knowledge.