Network, Networked Publics and Web 2.0

Network, Networked Publics and Web 2.0 Introduction In the past few decades there have been dramatic and rapid changes that have been witnessed in the telecommunication and media industries. This is as a result of interplay between various factors in the industry. One of the major reasons for this dramatic and rapid change is the complex network routes and computers connected through various physical and wireless links.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Network, Networked Publics and Web 2.0 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It has led to the emergence of what many scholars refer to as the networked publics. This peculiar type of audience is characterised by connection between people who are miles apart. Such connections have also led to the emergence of portable communication gadgets. Gadgets such as phones, laptops and such others are indispensable to most people around the world today. An increase in the number of social sites such as Face Book, Twitter, eBuddy, 2Go and such others is evident today. This form of communication (communication via social media) is used by many people including political bigwigs, celebrities and large corporations and companies. For example, it is noted that most politicians keep in touch with their constituents via Face Book and Twitter. The same applies to celebrities and business leaders in contemporary world. This is especially so if the communicator is targeting members of the youthful constituent. Cultural exchange is nowadays contributing to the emergence of revolutionized networks. In this paper, the author is going to define network and the networked publics that facilitate this trend. The author is also going to assess the impact of web 2.0 based sites. Definitions of Scale Free Network and Related Terms Various scholars have defined the concept ‘network’ variously. The different definitions depend on the philosophy of the scholar and their academic orientation. For example, Barab asi (2004) defines a network as â€Å"..an algorithm that generates random scale free graphs that have non- trivial- topology features and uses an attached preferential mechanism† (p. 45). Networks are easily identifiable in various natural and human-made systems that include the internet, social networks and the World Wide Web (Barabasi Reka 1999). This type of network is also referred to by other scholars as complex network. It is classified into two broad categories.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These are scale free and small- world networks (Bruns 2008). A scale free network is characterised by power law degree distributions and clustering of coefficients. Barabsi-Albert’s model generates the scale- free and small world networks which incorporate growth and preferential attachments. A network is said to be scale free when the degree of distr ibution of a node is selected uniformly and at random from a number of links on the basis of the power- law. At this juncture it is important to identify what a node is and how it relates to the computer and the resulting network. According to Barabasi Bonabeau (2003), a node can be conceptualised as a device attached to a computer network or other networks that aid in communication. The aim of such a device is to serve as a link when activated. It is noted that at times, the number of nodes in a network is likely to increase. Growth is a term used when the number of nodes in a network increases over time. On the other hand, preferential attachment is a term used when the number of nodes connected and are most likely to receive new links. Power- law on its part is a term used to illustrate the mathematical relationship between two quantities that vary in frequency of an event (Barabasi Reka 1999). According to Barabasi Reka (1999), nodes with a higher power- law degree have a str onger ability to access links that are added in a given network. Preferential attachment (which is the one commonly used in social media) is the ability of an outside node to access an existing hub of links or page (Habermas 2002). The probability of one randomly choosing or selecting an existing link over others and selecting a particular page would be proportional to the power- law degree of the node. Preferential attachment is commonly used in search engine sites such as Google, Yahoo and Wikipedia (Habermas 2002). The Concept of ‘Network’ According to Barabsi-Albert When discussing network in the context of Barabasi and his arguments, it should be noted that this author is making reference to scale free network. This is the form of network that is commonly cited or used by Barabasi.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Network, Networked Publics and Web 2.0 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Scale free net work (or what is also referred to as real network) is routed into two generics. To this end, it is noted that large networks are scale free since their degree of distribution follows power- laws. They differ with other networks which possess an exponential tail as a result of their degree deviation. Their degree significantly deviates from a Poisson distribution (Barabasi Bonabeau 2003). Such an open network exhibits the growth feature as discussed earlier in this paper. A network starts from a nodular nucleus from where it is randomly connected or rewired without modifications. This single node is noted to increase in number throughout the lifetime of the network by subsequent addition of new nodes. This is for example the exponential growth of a world wide web as a result of addition of new web pages or literature publications. Scale- free networks also exhibit preferential attachment. As earlier discussed in this paper, it is the probability that two nodes which are connected ar e independent of the node’s degree. This means that a web page will more likely include hyperlinks to popular documents with already high degrees because such highly connected documents are easy to find by the user and thus in the public domain and well known (Barabasi 2004, p. 71). This network works well when there is an average path length of a random graph with the same size and average degree and there is a correlation that develops spontaneously between the connected nodes. There should also be clustering of coefficients as well as simultaneous and continuous spectral densities. Therefore growth and preferential attachment plays an important role in network development because of the power- law degree distribution. One of the major limitations of model A is that exponential characters of distributions normally indicate the absence of preferential attachment thus eliminating the scale free character of the resulting network. This is as a result of the dependence of logar ithmic time. This is an indication of the inefficiency of growth alone to produce a scale free structure.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When a node is selected randomly in model B and connected to or linked with another node in the system, there is elimination of the growth process. As a result of this, it is noted that during the network evolution the nodes are partially constant and there is the seclusion of growth. This also produces an inefficient scale free structure which solely depends on preferential attachment. As a result of this, the correlation between growth and preferential growth is important so as to produce the stationary and stable powers of web 2.0 sites include blogs, wiki hosted services, video sharing sites and social networking sites such as My Space, Facebook and many more (Varnelis 2008). How Web 2.0 Creates a Networked Public Web 2.0 provides users with user interface and they benefit from its dynamic contents, metadata, scalability and direct participation. Collective intelligence and freedom to contribute are other benefits that are associated with the developments. Users are able to find any form of information by simply typing a keyword. The users are connected to meaningful information using the web. They are also able to create and update contents and download software. The author is now going to assess how Web 2.0 provides a space for creating networked publics reflecting the most used social networks. These are sites such as Facebook (Willinger et al. 2009). Social networks allow people to be in touch with those in their social circle. This typically starts with a request to create a personal account. From their personal account pages, users can invite their colleagues to become â€Å"friends† and can send messages and contents such as texts, video, pictures and sound to their network of friends. On Facebook, the modalities of exchange among friends are extremely varied. This is from news stories that automatically allow users to know about the Facebook activities of their friends during private (such as e- mail features) and public (such as â€Å"wall †-to-â€Å"wall† posts) content exchange. Furthermore, one’s network can be extended not only through invitations to â€Å"friends† but also through becoming, for instance, a fan of a public figure, political cause or a TV series. This is in addition to the creation of and signing up for events and groups. Politics The rise of social networks has enabled users to mainstream, maintain and build social ties. This is in addition to engaging in discussion on public issues and reviving public participation in public affairs. For instance political activism and revolution in Egypt in 2010 started in the web 2.0 platform of Facebook. The sharing of this information between various individuals later escalated to riots in the streets and due to pressure, the president had to step down. According to the Canadian Journal of Communication, during the presidential elections of 2008 in USA (where Barrack Obama was elected president), his group had more than 1.2 millio n supporters on Facebook. The web 2.0 social media have emerged as alternative platforms enhancing public participation and communication regarding public issues (ABC News [ABC] 2008). Social Relations Social ties had been broken with some people migrating to far flung towns, cities and even countries. Communication between them was difficult considering that one had to call, send a text message, e-mail or post a card. This was inefficient because they had to communicate with one person at a time. Web 2.0 has made it possible for one to communicate with many people at a time providing real time feedback. This is for example through dialogue boxes that web 2.0 supports, sharing of video and live casting. It is also possible now to chat with many people at a go. Facebook has been recommended for its ability to connect people (Castells 2010a). This has revamped social ties creating a networked society. Culture The interaction of people through web 2.0 interfaces has facilitated cul tural exchange. Sharing of digital videos between people of different cultures has created a networked culture. An emerging trend of live video sharing and recorded conference on cultural exchanges has been noted (Habermas 2002). This trend has increased tourism in countries with rich cultures in the world. Education Web 2.0 has improved education across the globe with features like live video casting and e-mail hosting making major contributions. Educational institutions have created their own websites that enable them to provide online education to students that are miles away. Documents can be uploaded by teachers and later downloaded by students on a particular topic. Academic research has been made much easier especially with web 2.0 sites such as Wikipedia, Google and Yahoo search engines. Commerce Web 2.0 has enabled companies to open up their websites which has enhanced the marketing of the companies’ products. Appointments have also been made through e-mails. Con ferences and meetings have been held through live video streaming across the globe. As a result of this, top executives are saved from the trouble of travelling miles away to do the same. Electronic transfer of money supported by web 2.0 has enhanced proper functioning of businesses (Karl 2008). Technology Technological networks have been created all over the world. Transfer of this technical information has enabled engineers to make advancements in their areas of specialization (Castells 2010b). Web 2.0 based platforms have created avenues for researchers and technicians to meet and share knowledge. As a result of this, they progress by making new inventions and innovate new ways of solving problems facing humans. Conclusion In conclusion, it is important to note that technological advancements that humanity is enjoying today in the information, communication and technology (ICT) sector can be traced back to the development of web 2.0 technology. These advancements have reduced t he world into a virtual community enabling the free flow of information which has in turn created a networked public. These advancements in networks and website technology have enabled the public to instil a sense of responsibility on their politicians as far as management of public assets is concerned. It has also created new social links, enabled easy learning and transfer of technology across the universe. References ABC News, 2008, Facebook, https://newsroom.fb.com/. Barabasi, AL Bonabeau, E 2003, Scale free networks, Scientific America, New York. Barabasi, AL Reka, A 1999, Emergence of scaling in random networks, Science Journal, vol. 1 no. 2, pp. 33-39. Barabasi, AL 2004, Linked: how everything is connected to everything else, Free Press, New York. Bruns, A 2008, Blogs, Wikipedia, second life, and beyond: from production to produsage, Peter Lang Publishing, New York. Castells, M 2010a, The rise of the network society, Blackwell, Oxford. Castells, M 2010b, The power of ident ity, Blackwell, Oxford. Habermas, J 2002, The structural transformation of the public sphere: an inquiry into a category of bourgeois society, Polity Press, London, UK. Jenkins, H 2006, Convergence culture: where old and new media collide, Free Press, New York. Karl, R 2008, Participatory democracy, science and technology: an exploration in the philosophy of science, Palgrave MacMillan, New York. Varnelis, K 2008, Networked publics, Free Press, New York. Willinger, W Alderson, D Doyle, JC 2009, Mathematics and the internet, NYU Press, New York.

Fortune Magazine Says LinkedIn is Rocking!

Fortune Magazine Says LinkedIn is Rocking! On July 15, in an interview by Margaret Larkin on WCKG Chicago’s Geoff Pinkus Show, I was asked what main mistakes people are making on LinkedIn. My response was that the biggest mistake people make is not being on LinkedIn in the first place – or not taking it seriously if they are. This sentiment was echoed in a July 2013 Fortune Magazine article entitled, â€Å"LinkedIn: How It’s Changing Business (And How to Make it Work for You).† Journalist Jessi Hempel asserts, â€Å"In the past year LinkedIn has emerged as one of the most powerful business tools on the planet.† She reports that according to ComScore, the number of users who log on at least once a month has jumped 37% over last year, to 141 million worldwide. Furthermore, 88 of the Fortune 100 use LinkedIn’s licensed recruiting software to search for job candidates; the software obviates the need to pay a headhunter. As a job seeker or business person, why would you not want to jump on the LinkedIn bandwagon with full enthusiasm? LinkedIn is largely conceived as a job seeking hot spot. It might be telling that students represent LinkedIn’s fastest-growing member group, ostensibly because they are cognizant that it is essential to have a positive presence on LinkedIn when entering the job market. What students and other professionals might not realize, as described in the article, is that LinkedIn is not just a tool for job seekers. Large corporations such as Citigroup, NetSuite and Dell are using the power of this business network to target markets, conduct surveys, and conduct creative marketing activities. Also not obvious to most of us is that LinkedIn is working on collecting information that will likely provide some of the most accurate and valuable information about the job market and business throughout the world. CEO Jeff Weiner envisions that â€Å"LinkedIn will provide a real-time measure of where jobs exist, where customers aren’t being served, and where people need training.† One use of the site, for example, would be to identify what colleges are best for obtaining certain jobs after college. After all, LinkedIn has accurate information on where all its members went to college and what types of jobs they’re in now. Watch out U.S. News World Report – LinkedIn is coming! People are paying attention to LinkedIn. The author of the Fortune article related that she updated her LinkedIn profile as part of writing the story; and her colleagues noticed. They jumped to the conclusion that maybe she was thinking of looking for a new job- a common perception when someone updates a profile. But the reality is that updating a profile is a good idea for everyone, not just job seekers. It is a way to â€Å"touch† your network and gain visibility. Maybe you’ll get a lunch meeting out of it, or an interesting information exchange. Perhaps the most interesting point of this article to me personally is that LinkedIn has a vested interest in having its members improve their profiles; if the site is to become competitive in the sales industry, it must provide companies with robust information on social networks. It is odd, therefore, that LinkedIn’s platform is confusing to many, and also, as Ms. Hempel points out, that LinkedIn has not commissioned any â€Å"How to† books about using its site. How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile is cited as one of the premier books on the subject, a mention which makes me proud. Hempel observes that LinkedIn has been extremely persistent in its vision, making it â€Å"the single biggest repository of career data† and positioning the site to be a force in how business is done worldwide. This observation brings me back to my radio interview and my point that the biggest mistake you can make on LinkedIn is not to be on the site or not to take it seriously. How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile I’m doing everything I can to support LinkedIn members in creating effective profiles (and to keep up with the rapid changes LinkedIn is making to its functionality). If you haven’t yet read How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile, I encourage you to do so; you can get a free excerpt by signing up for my e-list at https://forms.aweber.com/form/58/584588858.htm. If you want the full version, including FREE lifetime updates, order the pdf for just $9.97 from The Essay Expert. And as always, your questions are welcome. If you have a comment or question please enter it in the comments and you might just see an answer in a future blog!

Syphilis (oral pathology) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Syphilis (oral pathology) - Research Paper Example In considering the increase in reported cases of syphilis healthcare practitioners, including medical and dental experts, attempted differential diagnoses on oral lesions among those HIV-infected patients. The United States of America has seen the number of reported cases of syphilis in the United States of America rise significantly since 2001; the highest number of reported cases in the world occurred during the period between 2007 and 2008 (Ramirez-Amador et al, 2012). With the number of reported cases of syphilis on the rise, the healthcare community has also seen an increase in concerns among healthcare professionals over the last decade. Healthcare professionals, such as Buchacz & Klausner in 2008, have undertaken various studies in order to attempt to understand the correlation between HIV-infections and secondary syphilis; other studies have confirmed that HIV-infections modify the clinical presentation of syphilis. In order for healthcare professionals to best understand the clinical signs and symptoms of syphilis in an HIV-infected patient, they will need to understand the main symptoms of syphilis, as well as have comprehensive knowledge of the client’s treatment his tory. Scientific data on the oral manifestation of syphilis among HIV-infected patients is very limited; in addition, some healthcare experts confuse the clinical presentation of syphilis with other health conditions, such as squamous cell, carcinomas, hairy leukoplakia, lupus erythematous, oral ulcerations, oral candidiasis and lichen planus (Ramirez-Amador et al, 2012). As a result of the wide spectrum of oral clinical presentation of syphilis among HIV-infected patients, the process of identifying a secondary syphilis infection may become complicated. By considering the fact that reported cases of syphilis have been on the rise over the past decade, especially in HIV-infected patients, this study will

Biology Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Biology - Annotated Bibliography Example australis is the least tolerant of modified environments. Though the study is location-dependent, it still exemplifies a good scientific paper since the researchers were able to explicitly state their aims and their methods of going about their 12- year study. However, since it was indicated that later in the research, a newer technology (GPS) was used, I think that it would be better if the data presentation included the tracked items via GPS. The suggestion would add another dimension (the power of technology) to the research but the lack of it does not alter the completeness of the paper since even a sufficient background information and the significance of the study were provided. Lloyd, K. M., W. G. Lee, and S. Walker. 2006. Takahe Valley Hut: a focal point for weed invasion in an isolated area of Fiordland National Park, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Ecology Vol. 30(3): 371-375. The study aimed to look at back country recreational facilities as focal points for the spread of weeds. The research that was done in Takahe Valley Hut of the Fiordland National Park in New Zealand was able to conclude that grasses are the most invasive plant forms and that among the different types of land areas, bogs and forestly are the most resistant to invasion. The methodology of the study provided site, and climate descriptions, as well as vegetation sampling in the studied area. Moreover, ordination was utilized to analyze the data from the vegetation sampling done. The study is greatly dependent on location; however, this is not the main reason why the paper can not be considered as a good example of scientific writing. The problem lies with the lack of background information regarding the characteristics that make a plant form exotic, invasive and/or native. Though almost everyone may have a sense of what an exotic plant is, the term should contain definite limits because readers should not be left guessing whether the plant is exotic in the world, the whole country of New Zealand or just the southern portion of the said country. The research may be aimed at providing more information for the locals of New Zealand; but this does not mean that the data should be presented in such a way that familiarity is easily assumed and even, at the expense of completeness. ---------------------- Writer's note: the articles are available on-line at: http://www.nzes.org.nz/nzje pls note that the capitalized letters in the journal article title indicate proper nouns ---------------------- Johns, P. M., and B. Boag. 2003. The spread and distribution of terrestrial planarians (Turbellaria: Tricladida: Geoplanidae) within New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Ecology Vol.27(2): 201-206. Abstract: The New Zealand flatworm, Arthurdendyus triangulatus (formerly Artioposthia triangulata) has become established in the British Isles and the Faroe Islands and its human-mediated spread within Northern Ireland and Scotland is well documented. The geographical distributions within New Zealand of it and two related species, A. australis and A. testacea have always been assumed to reflect the natural distribution patterns. However, an analysis of the vegetation groups where the flatworms are presently found suggests that within New Zealand

John Stuart Mill and Women’s Movement Essay Example for Free

John Stuart Mill and Women’s Movement Essay John Stuart Mill was born in London in 1806. He became renowned as an economist, a writer, a philosopher and senior personnel in the East India Company (EIC). John Stuart Mill rendered much of his life time to a prominent activist working for women’s rights and movements. The Beginning The history which links Mill to the feminist movement dates back to the year 1851 when he married to a widow named Harriet Taylor and got settled in Blackheath Park. This place is said to be his spot from where a number of influential writings that advocated women’s right were written, which subsequently became popular worldwide. The Victorian Womens Movement in England is also said to reach to this very place of Mill in the hope of counseling, headship and financial assistance (Sunshine for Women, 2003). Mill started working for the women’s cause after getting married to Taylor. As a matter of fact, he had to be subtle in participating in reform movements while being a member of the EIC. This is the reason he had to use his pen to work for the purpose. Mill retired from the East India Company in 1858. The first popular writing that he have with his name was written in 1860 and 1861 entitled as The Subjection of Women, which he did not give to publish as yet (Sunshine for Women, 2003). The Breakthrough In the year 1865, Mill was asked to stand at one of the positions for the parliament, the offer which was readily accepted by him. The agreement was basically, on the basis of the platform’s top most agenda as to give women rights to vote along with other equality rights. Following Mill’s enthusiasm for the cause and seeing his participation, different other women’s rights organizations approached him for his support. In due course, a Ladies Discussion Group carried out a poll asking its members if they thought it right for the women to participate in the public affairs. To their surprise, all the women members consented with this. Such an overwhelming response made Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon, a leading early nineteenth century feminist and educationist, take a daring step. She suggested at par to build a suffrage society. Unfortunately, this step could not be carried out at that point in time because other contemporary activists were also afraid of extremists’ actions against the idea. However, Mill was courageous enough to support this idea once it was made certain that a Reform Bill would be put forward to the Parliament. He asked Bodichon to get more than hundred signatures in support of the petition. The stride proved to be quite successful and Bodichon was able to bring around 1,500 signatures following the formation of the first ever Women’s Suffrage Committee. Subsequently, when Mill put forth the petition after almost a eyear in 1866, the Bill was passed and the agenda of having women’s suffrage was incorporated in the parliament. Despite many hurdles, Mill’s one another daring step towards the cause was to make an amendment in the clause that dealt with property qualifications. He proposed to substitute the word ‘man’ with ‘person’ (Sunshine for Women, 2003). Nevertheless, at that point in time, the amendment was defeated with a larger number of votes against it. Unfortunately, this committee did not live very long and was dissolved with the dissolution and reformation of the bill as well. But, the women and Mill’s support did not end here and Mill’s wife along with other women members of the committee succeeded in creating a whole new organization which they named as London National Womens Suffrage Society (Sunshine for Women, 2003). Mill’s leadership led him to become the honorary president of this very organization. At this moment, this organization needed something in written to disseminate among their members and among the external public. Mill felt a dire need to make his writings public and thus his The Subjection of Women got published and it saw gaining popularity worldwide being translated into a number of languages. Most importantly, this piece of writing was only of its kinds to be present on such a topic until World War 1 (Sunshine for Women, 2003). This step certainly, proved to be a milestone in women’s movement in that era. Subjection Mill’s Subjection remained a limelight for decades whenever women’s movement and feministic approach was talked about. What he wrote in it was women’s persistent low-leveled position which was in a constant struggle to rise. His writings show his sensitivity towards the issue as he talked about the prevalent attitude of the society towards a patriarchal system while subjugating women’s very existence. Subjection also talks about how women’s existence could be kept on exploiting once the society does not follow the norms of equality and justices. The comprehensive book also gets the reputation of advocating how terrible domestic violence is and could prove to be. However, it voices that the right to vote granted to women is only the first step towards a series of obligations that should be followed to treat them as equal beings (Mill, 2003). Conclusion All in all, analyzing John Stuart Mill’s life we can conclude that he got depression and physical ailment at a much younger age, but his intellect was far above those of his contemporary men. He thought and spoke high of women and worked for the feminist movement as much as his health granted him to. References Mill, J. S. (2003). On Liberty and Other Writings. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. Sunshine for Women. (2003, February n. d. ). John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). August 2, 2010, from www. pinn. net

Cultural Norms and the Effects on America Essay -- Literary Analysis,

Cultural norms play a function in the way individuals view the world. Although, some individual’s experience social dilemmas between their heritage and being American. As United States citizens, individuals should go beyond ethnicity and see everybody as an American. America was established by immigrants from all over the world, which turned the nation into a collage made of a number of diverse cultures. With these different cultures come the laws and religions that govern their behavior. In, Mind Reading an Anthology for Writers by Gary Colombo presents a number of remarkable essays on cultural customs. In â€Å"Hidden Culture† by Edward T. Hall, he describes culture as well as, how an individual’s culture effects their capability to understand another person’s cultural customs. In â€Å"Mrs. Cassadore† by Mick Fedullo, explains his life experience while educating the Apache students on the reservation. Fedullo overcomes cultural obstacles. Fe dullo helps his students to realize that it is acceptable to be Apache. Fedullo teaches his students that one should never transform who they are. â€Å"The Self and Society: Changes, Problems, and Opportunities by Roy F. Baumeister make use of labels to explain selfhood. Baumeister discuss the history of selfhood to rationalize selfhood. For example, how changes in the society and culture affect selfhood. Two other articles that give some insight on American culture are â€Å"A Quilt of a Country† by Anna Quindlen, and â€Å"Communication In A Global Village† by Dean Barnlund. Culture is something people are born into. The way people view culture is how they are raised around it. Throughout history, our country has experienced social revolutions. When there are social revolutions, bringing about structural... ...eople would be more insightful to other cultures. An individual upbringing and cultural teachings make a person, and how they react to others. Unfortunately some people cannot make it past the ethnicity and sometimes tensions can be detected between their tradition and being American. As citizens in the United States all man and women ought to go further than ethnicity and see every person as an American. This is something that needs to be taught from childhood on. It is a shame that it is now 2010 and prejudice is very much alive in the United States. Maybe someday the citizens in America will be able to move past the cultural and ethnic differences and see each other as equals. Then America will be a nation to be revered as a country that can overcome anything. All it takes is a little faith and kindness and understanding that everyone matters.

Guasha Movie Review

The movie Guasha’s setting is in America. It tells a story about the conflicts arisen by the culture differences between the Chinese an American. Xu Datong, a Chinese immigrant, had made a great success in the field of video game design. One day, Datong’s little son, Denis had a stomachache. The grandfather, who just came to join the family, used Guasha treatment to cure Denis’ stomachache. The treatment made Dennis’ back black and blue, which later became the evidence of child abuse. Datong took all the responsibilities for his father.Although he tried to explain that Guasha is a traditional Chinese treatment but failed to persuade the judge. He was forced to separate from his wife and son. However, the story had a happy ending. Datong’s boss experienced Guasha and helped the family out of the trouble. At the beginning of the movie, Datong seemed to have realized his American dream, for he had a successful career, a lovely wife and an adorable chil d. He believed that America was a true land of opportunities and immigrants could become the truly successful Americans by working hard.However, life is not always full of roses. The American dream broke overnight due to the Guasha treatment to his own child. We can’t tell it is the American or the Chinese that did the wrong things. The cultural differences and local laws shouldn’t be ignored by immigrants. The main line of the movie was the Guasha treatment. The children welfare organization accused Datong of abusing his child. Like other Chinese, Datong took it for granted that Guasha was just an ordinary medical treatment. However, the American didn’t think so.He tried to defend himself but failed to win the lawsuit. As he didn’t have an effective communication, he failed to persuade the American even his good friend that Guasha was a medical treatment. Later his good friend went to experience Guasha and realized that what he said was true. When he was accused, he failed to learn in advance the American legal system and procedures and did something irrational, which put him into troubles again and again. Also the Chinese â€Å"face† culture is shown in the movie, which can’t be understood by the American.Datong beat Dennis on the head because he didn’t want to say sorry to Paul, son of Datong’s boss. His boss thought kids’ fight was not a big deal. Although he didn’t think his son was wrong, he beat him in front of his boss to show his respect to his boss. His behavior later became the evidence that he was a violent father. Another difference is respecting and caring aged parents. Datong’s boss couldn’t understand why he’d made a scapegoat for his father. Datong’s wife simply relied â€Å"because he is a Chinese.† Datong’s cultural beliefs were so deeply set that it’s impossible for him think about the consequences of telling lies. Cultural differences are bound to be there due to the differences in perspective of philosophy, history, geography, mode of conduct etc. So do as Rome does while in Rome. It’s necessary to have the intercultural awareness, tolerate and adapt to the cultural diversity. Effective communication could be a way to solve the cultural differences. After the communication the world would be more harmony in the future. I think that’s why the hero named Datong in Chinese.

A Letter to His Parents by Dr. Jose Rizal Essay

PSYCHOANALYTIC CRITICISM Psychoanalytic criticism: * It adopts the methods of reading. It argues the literary texts, like dreams, express the secret unconscious desires and anxieties of the author. * A literary work is a manifestation of the author’s own neuroses. * It usually assumes that all such characters are projections of the author’s psyche. * It validates the importance of literature. * Seeks evidence of unresolved emotions, psychological conflicts, guilt, ambivalences and may result to a disunited literary work. * The author’s own childhood traumas, sexual conflicts and fixation can be traced within the behavior of the characters in his/her literary work. Key terms in Psychoanalytic criticism by Freud: 1. repression. Every human has to undergo a repression of the pleasure principle by the reality principle; for some, even whole societies, repression may become excessive and make us ill. The paradox at the heart of Freud’s work is that we come to be what we are only by massive repression of the elements that have gone into our making. A vital conception in Freud’s thought is that that which is repressed will ‘return’ in some way — among the ways are parapraxis and psychic disorders. 2. sexuality The zoning of pleasure — through oral, anal and phallic stages; a gradual organization of the libidinal drives. The object of drives is flexible, changeable. Freud considered the biologically appropriate ‘phallic’ stage to be the proper, mature phase. The drives can be ‘hung up’, as it were, on objects, which are thus fetishized, wrongly experienced as the goal of the drive. 3. self. The early years of child’s life are not those of a unified subject but are a complex, shifting field of libidinal force in which the subject has no centre of identity and has indeterminate boundaries with the external world. The self which emerges, however, from the Oedipus complex (see below) is while more stable, a split subject, torn between conscious and  unconscious being, as it is forbidden to consummate the union it desires and so must repress those desires and substitute more acceptable objects of desire. 4. the Oedipus complex. The Oedipus complex is/marks the structure of relations by which we are produced and constituted as subjects. The self must be taken in hand to exist in the world — formed as an individual, a gendered subject through the Oedipus complex, and the threat of castration. The child desires (union with) mother, the father intervenes and bars this union; the son sees his difference from mother (her lack of a phallus), adjusts to reality by seeing its capability of being like the father who is also his enemy and whose power threatens to castrate him. This is not an easy or unproblematic process but is deeply disturbing and marks the child as he represses his true desire. This process is less clear for women, who resign selves to being like the mother, and displace their desire for, in their case, the father, onto a desire to have a child. 5. dream interpretation. The aspects of a dream are condensation (focusing various meanings in one referent), displacement (something like the use of tropes, allusions), regressive transformation (replacing ideas and feelings with images), secondary revision (making everything fit into a story ): all concepts which can easily be transferred to the function of literature. 6. unconscious Produced through repression, the unconscious peaks in the world through dreams, through parapraxes (slips, ways in which the unconscious speaks despite the vigilance of our conscious selves). The unconscious is powered by libidinal drives, and is an inevitable force in our lives. 7. disorders 1. neurosis [obsessional, hysterical, or phobic]: the result of internal conflict as the ego defensively blocks the intrusion of desire; these begin during the Oedipal phase, arrested or fixated ; analysis uncovers the hidden causes and acts to re-live, re-interpret the failed development, in order to relieve the patient of her/his conflicts, so dissolving distressing  symptoms. 2. psychosis: the ego comes under the sway of the unconscious — paranoia, schizophrenia; a harder case to treat than neurosis, as the self has been virtually subsumed. 8. transference. As the patient talks to the analyst, he transfers his conflicts onto analyst: this creates a controlled situation, a form of repetition of the conflict, in which conflict the analyst can intervene; what is repaired in analysis is not quite what is wrong in real life, but the patient is able to construct a new narrative for herself, in which she can interpret and make sense of the disturbances from which she suffers. 9. the early theory of the self: According to Silverman(see particularly Ch. 2 and 4) the earlier theory of the self is a more flexible, dynamic concept than the later. In the early theory, or ‘topography’, found in The Interpretation of Dreams, the mind is divided into three areas, the memory, the unconscious, and the preconscious. There are as well two temporary conditions, memory, which leaves sensory mnemonic traces (fully accessible to the unconscious, but fully accessible to the conscious self), and the motor response. The unconscious is, of course, not itself accessible to the conscious self except in disguised form. The cultural norms and repressions are stored in the preconscious, which is somewhat available to the conscious self. It is the preconscious which substitutes attainable gratifications for unattainable ones, and which works to substitute thought for sensory and affective memories. The pleasure principle is in fact the motive to avoid discomfort, not t o seek pleasure; the discomfort is produced by the conflicts that we inevitably feel through repressions, prohibitions and so forth. 10. The later theory: the Id operates at the behest of the pleasure principle; the ego, formed through a series of identifications with objects external to the self, carries out the commands of the reality principle; the superego in an internalized ideal image of the father in his power, his privilege, his repressiveness, and his genuinely-experienced superiority.

The Role of a Manager

The Role of a Manager Running Head: Roles 3Starr L. HaywoodThe Role of a ManagerInstructor Bridgette HardyMGT/251 ManagementFebruary 22, 2014Managers are a vital part of any business or organization. Understanding the role of a manager will help not only the workers, but the manager's position also. Management expert and professor, Henry Mintzberg developed a theory based on the 10 roles that managers play. These 10 roles are broken down into three categories: interpersonal, informational, and decisional. By implementing these various roles that managers can play, and organization can strive in all aspects of company growth.The interpersonal category is broken down into the roles of a figurehead, leader or liaison. A figurehead is a person that is looked up to for authority. An example of a figurehead in an organization is the manager of supplies. This person holds authority in ordering office supplies and is the overall decision maker for that duty.English: Low resolution logo of the Documentary Or...As a figurehead one must cultivate humility and empathy for people. Next, a leader manages the responsibilities of a team (Mintzberg 2011). A leader typically inspires personnel and they are not afraid to step up to the plate to assist in organizational duties. Lastly, a liaison communicates with external as well as internal contacts in order to network for the organization. An example of this can be a Booster Club Treasurer. The treasurer works with local businesses in order to gain donations for an organizational function to give away.The informational category consists of the monitor, disseminator or spokesperson. As a monitor, a manager is constantly seeking out information related to their industry (Mintzberg 2011). A monitor is also responsible for observing team productivity and the overall well-being of the members. A disseminator communicates useful information to the team. For instance the manager of the finance department...

12 Writers Discuss the Writing Process

12 Writers Discuss the Writing Process For almost a decade, the Writers on Writing column in The New York Times provided professional writers with an opportunity to talk about their craft. Two collections of these columns have been published: Writers on Writing: Collected Essays from The New York Times (Times Books, 2001)Writers on Writing, Volume II: More Collected Essays from The New York Times (Times Books, 2004). Although most of the contributors have been novelists, the insights they offer into the process of writing should be of interest to all writers. Here are excerpts from 12 of the authors who have contributed pieces to Writers on Writing. Geraldine BrooksWrite what you know. Every guide for the aspiring author advises this. Because I live in a long-settled rural place, I know certain things. I know the feel of a newborn lambs damp, tight-curled fleece and the sharp sound a well-bucket chain makes as it scrapes on stone. But more than these material things, I know the feelings that flourish in small communities. And I know other kinds of emotional truths that I believe apply across the centuries. (July 2001) Richard Ford  Beware of writers who tell you how hard they work. (Beware of anybody who tries to tell you that.) Writing is indeed often dark and lonely, but no one really has to do it. Yes, writing can be complicated, exhausting, isolating, abstracting, boring, dulling, briefly exhilarating; it can be made to be grueling and demoralizing. And occasionally it can produce rewards. But its never as hard as, say, piloting an L-1011 into OHare on a snowy night in January, or doing brain surgery when you have to stand up for 10 hours straight, and once you start you cant just stop. If youre a writer, you can stop anywhere, any time, and no one will care or ever know. Plus, the results might be better if you do. (November 1999) Allegra Goodman  Carpe diem. Know your literary tradition, savor it, steal from it, but when you sit down to write, forget about worshiping greatness and fetishizing masterpieces. If your inner critic continues to plague you with invidious comparisons, scream, Ancestor worship! and leave the building. (March 2001) Mary GordonIts a bad business, this writing. No marks on paper can ever measure up to the words music in the mind, to the purity of the image before its ambush by language. Most of us awake paraphrasing words from the Book of Common Prayer, horrified by what we have done, what we have left undone, convinced that there is no health in us. We accomplish what we do, creating a series of stratagems to explode the horror. Mine involve notebooks and pens. I write by hand. (July 1999) Kent HarufAfter finishing the first draft, I work for as long as it takes (for two or three weeks, most often) to rework that first draft on a computer. Usually that involves expansion: filling in and adding to, but trying not to lose the spontaneous, direct sound. I use that first draft as a touchstone to make sure everything else in that section has the same sound, the same tone and impression of spontaneity. (November 2000) Alice HoffmanI wrote to find beauty and purpose, to know that love is possible and lasting and real, to see day lilies and swimming pools, loyalty and devotion, even though my eyes were closed and all that surrounded me was a darkened room. I wrote because that was who I was at the core, and if I was too damaged to walk around the block, I was lucky all the same. Once I got to my desk, once I started writing, I still believed anything was possible. (August 2000) Elmore LeonardNever use an adverb to modify the verb said ... he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this way (or almost any way) is a mortal sin. The writer is now exposing himself in earnest, using a word that distracts and can interrupt the rhythm of the exchange. (July 2001) Walter Mosley  If you want to be a writer, you have to write every day. The consistency, the monotony, the certainty, all vagaries and passions are covered by this daily reoccurrence. You dont go to a well once but daily. You dont skip a childs breakfast or forget to wake up in the morning. Sleep comes to you each day, and so does the muse. (July 2000) William Saroyan  How do you write? You write, man, you write, thats how, and you do it the way the old English walnut tree puts forth leaf and fruit every year by the thousands. ... If you practice an art faithfully, it will make you wise, and most writers can use a little wising up. (1981) Paul West  Of course the writer cannot always burn with a hard gemlike flame or a white heat, but it should be possible to be a chubby hot-water bottle, rendering maximum attentiveness in the most enterprising sentences. (October 1999) Donald E. WestlakeIn the most basic way, writers are defined not by the stories they tell, or their politics, or their gender, or their race, but by the words they use. Writing begins with language, and it is in that initial choosing, as one sifts through the wayward lushness of our wonderful mongrel English, that choice of vocabulary and grammar and tone, the selection on the palette, that determines whos sitting at that desk. Language creates the writers attitude toward the particular story hes decided to tell. (January 2001) Elie WieselAcutely aware of the poverty of my means, language became an obstacle. At every page, I thought, Thats not it. So I began again with other verbs and other images. No, that wasnt it either. But what exactly was that it I was searching for? It must have been all that eludes us, hidden behind a veil so as not to be stolen, usurped and trivialized. Words seemed weak and pale. (June 2000)

Affirmative Action Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Affirmative Action - Essay Example an publicity, the government has ensured that racial discrimination against African-Americans and people of color are eliminated in employment industry. In the employment norm, the government has laid down strategies that ensure no barrier is created so that any qualified person is employed. Affirmative action in the U.S is fighting to ensure that there is no discrimination based on either gender or race. The affirmative action calls for equality in that every person should be given equal opportunity based on his or her qualification. In the U.S, an aspect of public policy has triggered employment industries to look in depth on the facet of discrimination, which has led to abuse of civil liberties of Americans. Various laws and policies have been laid down to ensure that there is equal employment opportunity and affirmative actions are dealt with. Public policies with inherent contradictions can be seen as a negative impact towards employment facet leading to disparate impact, color-blind and narrowly tailored actions (McCrudden 45-53). Approaches to affirmative action in terms of Catholic and Protestant applicants for the police service of Northern Ireland, the legal ability has laid down strategies that could see the government of European Union engage in positive action towards the issue of employment. Racial discrimination in regards to employment has been evident European countries for a long time. This has forced the members of the entire States to introduce effective measures that overlooked races context, disability and religion as far as the issue of employment is