Television Programming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Television Programming - Essay Example Everyone is responsible for what they watch, and therefore it becomes a personal decision when it comes to what one chooses to belief. Television advertising and programming are known to affect people’s perceptions and believes (Myers & Biocca, 1992). Visual programming and advertising can alter the way someone sees her body and this is particularly so among women as it affects them most. An example can be seen whereby the media advertisements and programming most of them portray the perfect body of a woman to be thin (Myers & Biocca, 1992). There are those advertisements and programmes that promote dieting and cutting weight which show that the body of a woman is targeted in most programming and advertisements. One is likely to follow these advertisements and programmes by starting to cut on weight. A woman’s body is exposed as something that is viewed for its attractiveness, that it should be slender. The impact that such programming and such advertising has is mostly seen by the increase in the number of women who are dieting and the number of television programmes that host shows about slimming. Advertisements are meant to appeal to the wider populace. An advertisement aims at ensuring that people note whatever product is being advertised (Bhargava, 2009), people who watch advertisements are likely to buy a certain product because of its advertisement in the same way a programme would affect someone. A person who watches a specific programmed would like to have the kind of life style that is portrayed in the programme (Petronio, 2007). Most of these programmes usually portray the American culture, people would like to mimic the behavior of the people in those programmes or the lifestyles that are shown in the programmes, and in effect, they copy the American culture.

Anti-diabetic medication Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anti-diabetic medication - Research Paper Example Monotherapy with Metformin is effective in controlling the blood glucose levels in Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM), however, it can also be used in conjunction with other oral hypoglycaemic drugs such as sulfonylureas and are effective in eliminating the use of insulin therapy (Dunn & Peters, 1995). Metformin is highly recommended in NIDDM patients because of its good glycaemic control, therefore it is crucial to understand its pharmacodynamics, adverse effects, contraindications, drug interactions, dosage and basic patient education for an effective prescription. The major action of metformin is decreasing the hepatic production of glucose and also reduces the intestinal absorption of glucose after meals. The better aspect about metformin is that it does not stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreatic beta cells, like the sulfonylureas. This removes any risk of causing hypoglycaemia in the NIDDM patients. Metformin has proved to reduce the HbA1c levels by 1% to 2% (Tindal, Sedrak, & Boltri, 2014). Metformin also increases the peripheral glucose uptake and increases the insulin sensitivity of tissue to insulin. These effects are helpful in improving glucose tolerance and also reduce the basal and the post-prandial levels of blood glucose. Metformin has also shown through clinical studies that it reduces the plasma lipid levels through its action on liver. It lowers total cholesterol, serum triglycerides, low-density lipids and increases high-density lipids. It is also effective in reducing platelet aggregation and makes the blood les s viscous (Wynee, Woo, & Millard, 2002). Metformin is used in the treatment of NIDDM as a monotherapy or in combination with other oral hypoglycemic drugs. It is especially of importance in obese patients who cannot use sulfonylureas, because metformin does not cause weight gain and also reduces plasma lipids (Wynee, Woo, & Millard, 2002). Metformin has shown in studies that if it is used in

American History - Utopian Movements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American History - Utopian Movements - Essay Example Several religious and secular Utopian communities arrived in America. Some of the communities include Shakers, Rappites, Oneida community and Brook Farm. According to utopian ideas, a perfect society would have communism. Some of the utopian communities include Mormons; it was established by Joseph Smith in 1830 (Halloway, 1961). Smith advanced the idea of polygamy as part of utopian society. The followers were later prosecuted and murdered. Another Utopian community was Oneida community that was located in New York. The community practiced communism and complex marriages. Every man and woman was free to have sex and accept criticism except Noyes. The society disintegrated when Noyes tried to pass leadership (Halloway, 1961). Another movement was the Shakers that settled in America in 1774. The emphasis was on vegetarianism thus they lived on by farming. The Shakers established eight colonies. They believed in communal ownership of property and religious confession of sins (Halloway, 1961). Members had to adopt children and homes were gender segregated consisting about ten individuals. The Shakers emphasized on celibacy thus the community ended since new members were not coming forth. The Shakers were later associated with most of reform movements like pacifism and abolitionist movements of 19th century. Another group was the New Harmony that was located in Indiana. The community believed in progressive education and community lifestyle. They advanced women equality but the society disintegrated later due to lack of strong central beliefs (Halloway, 1961). Another movement was the Fruitlands that lasted only for six months. It was founded in 1843 by Bronson Alcott. It followed a British reformist model since it forbade free ownership of property. It emphasized on free love and vegetarianism (Halloway, 1961). Children were not supposed to eat meat or use animal products like honey and wool. The movement also prohibited the use of animals for labor. In the farms, the community planted only the crops that grew out of soil so as not to disturb the living organisms under the soil like worms. Most of the members later felt manual labor as inhibiting. Malnourishment due to strict diet of grains made many members to leave. The movement later collapsed in 1844 (Halloway, 1961). Brook Farm was another utopian community based in Massachusetts in 1841, the community strongly advocated for women rights, abolition of slavery and labor rights. The community was based on a 200-acre farm with only four buildings. The community provided free education and residents had to complete 300 days of labor by farming, doing domestic chores and preparing recreational facilities. However, Ripley joined Fourierism movement thus youths had to do the dirty jobs like repairing roads and slaughtering animals. Most of the youths deserted. The community was also infected with smallpox and fire and later collapsed in 1847. Another utopian movement was Pullman’s capit alist utopia. It was founded in 1880s in the town of Pullman by George Pullman. According to Pullman, capitalist was essential in achieving both spiritual and material needs of the community. The employees would receive two paychecks, one for rent and the other for all material needs. There were rigid social classes since experienced employees and managers would live in tenements. Employee grievances and agitation for better pay increased forcing

Management of international business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Management of international business - Essay Example The company is also committed to meeting deadlines following a well organized work schedules. Most of our clients are referred to the company by previous clients indicating that we offer quality services that are customer satisfactory. In addition, it demonstrates that the company is committed to its work and very reliable besides the good customer relations that the company has established. This is the main reason why the company has continued to be relevant over the past fifty years. The company has incorporated sustainability principle in its principles. It utilizes construction materials efficiently and effectively to ensure that there are no adverse impacts on humans and detrimental effects on the environment following the company’s activities. The company has a deep understanding on the need for development that is sustainable. Our construction activities meet the international standards of construction with a long term vision of conserving ecological systems. Holder Con struction Company advocates for environmental impact assessment in order to weigh the costs and benefits that are likely to accrue from the development projects. In addition, the company has employed accredited environmental health officers who are experts in the area of environmental impact assessment as well as environmental audit that can be offered to assess if the environmental mitigation measures that were recommended are being achieved. The company is committed to its social responsibility. It is responsive and follows requirements that have been recommended by intergovernmental regulations. For instance, The Rio declaration on Environment and Development, Participatory Principles, Sustainability Principle, and The Precautionary Principle among other environmental principles and policies. Holder Construction Company has a department that drives its goals and mission of implementing sustainability development and Corporate Responsibility through its Sustainability Development Department. The department has a sole responsibility of giving the necessary advice required prior to the actual construction and during construction. This indicates how much we attach a lot of value in efforts towards Corporate Responsibility. The company holds sustainable practices at heart. Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate Social Responsibility, also known as Corporate Citizenship, is a framework that is used to evaluate a company’s performance against parameters including social and environmental parameters including economic parameters. The main aim of Corporate Social

Propaganda, P.R., and the News Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Propaganda, P.R., and the News - Essay Example It will also explain the propaganda techniques used by the U.S government in post war 1 and discuss why some techniques were too arrogant towards government’s action. The First World War popularized the word propaganda and provided it with a negative implication; since all the key nations participated in the war used new approaches of modern propaganda to organize their populations for the conflict. In the US, the effort was chaired by President Woodrow Wilson in the development of the CPI (Committee on Public Information) as a key propaganda ministry. The major theme of the Committee on Public Information was to improve the United States involvement into the war with the aim of establishing a world which is secure for democracy. This notion was particularly established by the leading scholar of the period, Walter Lippmann, who was 25 years old by then. Lippmann was interested majorly with the upholding of the nation’s capitalist system in the face of increased resistan ce, ideological opposition, and unrest, feeling that the field of science would require being employed to democracy, where social scientist and social engineers would give the current with a background upon which a latest stability might be achieved. Because of this, Lippmann proposed the need for information and intelligence control in what he referred the development of consent. The major intellectual of the period then became mainly concerned with the matter of propaganda during time of peace, having experienced its success during war. According to Lippmann, propaganda has desirable and legitimate role to play in the democratic system. He further noted that public was a confused herd of meddlesome and ignorant outsiders, who must be maintained as interested spectators of activities, and separated from the actors and the powerful themselves. Edward Bernays, the founder of public relations got his beginning with Wilson’s Committee on Public Information during the First World War, asserted that the intelligent and conscious manipulation of the organized opinions and habits of the masses is a crucial element in the democratic society. According to him, those who control this unseen approach of society form an imperceptible government that is the true proper ruling power of the nation. Bernays pointed out that modern society was conquered by few number of individual who understand the social patterns and mental processes of the masses. This was consistent with the Lippmann assertion of a sequential result of the manner in which the current democratic society s arranged. Hence Barneys borrowed from Lippmann the concept of engineering of consent. According to Lippmann, influencing nations thinking with propaganda is not an easy task; it takes a higher ability concerning how public opinion works and how such opinions can be made to unite beliefs. Therefore, the political leaders should use the propanda techniques to achieve their political desires the same w ay American did. During the First World War, the CPI (Communication on Public Opinion) attained this through making planned emotional appeals, demonizing Germany by connecting the warfare to the aims of different social groups and through lying outright. The CPI propaganda naturally appeals to the heart but not mind. Emotional protest is a preferred technique of propagandist, since every emotion

Portrayals and portraits Essay Example for Free

Portrayals and portraits Essay The processes of public memory in regard to Sojourner Truth already are framed by the multiple figurations that existed in the public consciousness prior to the three specific commemorative campaigns that form the focus of this study. Although some of the specific details vary, the basic outlines of Truths life are accessible. Born as a slave in upstate New York around 1797 and originally named Isabella, Truth was freed according to the dictates of state law in 1827. She adopted the name of Sojourner Truth and began a life of freedom that progressed through three distinct stages. The first stage is marked by her involvement with the Kingdom, an infamous religious community led Robert Matthews, also know as Matthias. After Truth left the Kingdom in 1834 she traveled through New York and Connecticut, speaking at various religious camp meetings. Friends eventually directed her to the Northampton Association of Education and Industry in Massachusetts, a group founded on socialist and transcendentalist ideas. In this second stage, Truths involvement with the Northampton group introduced her to several notable public advocates, including William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and Olive Gilbert, who would later become her first collaborator on her Narrative (Fitch Mandziuk, 1997, p. 16). When the Northampton Association disbanded in 1849, Truth entered her third stage as an advocate for the anti-slavery and womens rights causes. She lived and traveled in Ohio for a few years, finally settling in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1857 where she resided until her death. During this third stage, Truth traveled widely through eastern and mid-western states, often appearing as a popular speaker at conventions and meetings. Among the events in this third stage of Truths life that have become the fuel for her mythic meanings were her famous 1851 speech at a womens rights convention in Akron, Ohio and an 1858 confrontation with a hostile male audience in Silver Lake, Indiana where she bared her breast to prove she was female. In her own time, Truths contemporaries in their descriptions and accounts had transformed her tale variously to depict her as a tragic victim of slavery, a religious pilgrim, a comic caricature, and a fiery orator and advocate for womens rights (Fitch Mandziuk, 1997; Mabee Newhouse, 1993; Mandziuk Fitch, 2001; Painter 1994, 1996). While it is impossible to know how much control Truth actually exerted over the costuming and posing of these images, they do offer a striking alternative to the often grotesque, defiant, or devout descriptions of her that were available in print at the time. In all but one, Truth is seated. In these she is located in settings containing middle-class accoutrements such as bookcases, carved chairs, flowers, and books. In all of the portraits she is dressed in a fringed shawl and wears tailored clothing of heavy, patterned fabrics. In some she holds knitting; in one an open portrait of a young male rests in her lap. In the other portrait she is standing, her right hand resting on a cane with her left arm at her side. In all but two, she wears eyeglasses. In some she looks past the camera, directing her glance sideways or downward; in others her glance is more leveled and direct. The images are striking for their middle-class depictions; as Painter (1996) observes, In none of these portraits is there anything beyond blackness that would inspire charitynothing of the piteous slave mother or the weird Matthias Kingdom, no bared arms, no bodice taken down in public, nothing of Stowes amusing naif. The cartes de visite show a solid bourgeoisie (p. 196). These photographic images have been reproduced ever since on posters, buttons, cards, and t-shirts; importantly, they serve as the primary source material for any other interpretations and representations of Truths physical appearance. Contemporary campaigns to commemorate Truth in material form necessarily draw from these available portrayals and portraits. There is much room for negotiation and advocacy, however, around precisely which version of Truth will be visualized at a particular time and place, as well as who has the right to control and retain ownership of that image. As Painter (1996) concludes, Even today, when Truth can symbolize the angry black woman for most of her audience, others can see her as a kind of pet (p. 129). In the three recent debates over establishing statues of Truth, the ideological implications of the choices made indicate clear differences regarding her symbolic meanings. A preference for the bourgeois, devout, serious image among predominantly white communities marks her as a symbol of accommodation, while African American public memory continues to evoke the mythology of Gages defiant advocate and radical critique of white audiences. In each debate over how Truth would be remembered the concept of character provides an important lens to assess the meaning of each commemoration. From among the available portrayals and photographic records, each representation of Truth selected particular elements while deflecting others. The dimensions included in each characterization of Truth provide a revelatory index to the particular values of the community and the means through which her image was adapted to suit various purposes. Essentially, character provides the window to how questions of identity politics were negotiated in each instance. In the Portrait Monument dispute, the image of Truth in evoked by the National Political Congress of Black Women reference the angry orator first envisioned by Frances Gage in 1863. In this version, Truth symbolizes the defiant insistence on race as a central consideration in public debate and the processes of public memory, an adaptation of this persona often used by black women to challenge white exclusionary tactics. The characteristics depicted in the Battle Creek and Northampton statues invoke the alternative image of Truth as the upholder of principles of equality and faith. These two commemorations replicate the bourgeois aspects of Truths cartes de visite, yet also depict her in safe and comforting ways. The defiant Truth is subordinated in favor of likenesses that reflect abstract values and celebrate conciliation rather than ones that insist on recognizing am valuing difference. Evaluation of the dimension of character in the process of public memory thus reveals the ideological functions served by a particular commemorative representation. These campaigns to re-present Truth in a material form reveal the uncertainties in the process of public memory, as well as the ways in which the practice often accommodates and dissipates political challenges to the values held dear by dominant culture. Among the potential meanings of Truth, her symbolic appropriation as a sign of the ideals of equality and justice easily is reconcilable with our American democratic mythology and frequent delusion that inequities can be solved simply through individual acts of faith and hope. Consequently, Truth is appropriated in her most bourgeois, benign, and reverent form. The Truth commemorated is an image that is ambiguous enough for us to find residues of her race and gender meanings within it if we so desire, but is also abstract enough to be of no threat on either front. (Manziuk, 2003) Genealogical research, when conducted within the context of African-American history using a variety of resources, offers a more encompassing perspective of the African American family in American society. In other words, our individual family photographs can provide a wealth of information about society in general.

Themes of American Culture

Themes of American Culture John Pollina Today I will be a guest speaker at an elemtary school in China to discuss some themes of American culture. I will examine a particular American film, television show, and lastly a genre of music that depicts the aspects of American culture. The movie Rocky, the television series The Sopranos, and rap music all represent various ideas of American culture that children of China has benefit from a great deal. The film that shows an important theme of American culture is the movie Rocky. Rocky was introduced in 1976 starring Sylvester Stallone. This American classic shows the true underdog story of what the American dream of open mobility is all about. Rocky starts off in the film as a young street thug earning money through illegal work and straying down a bad path. After meeting local boxing coach Mickey Golmill, Rocky begins to train under his guidance and become one of the most successful boxers. After winning some local fights Rocky works his way up and makes a name for himself. An agent reaches out and offers Rocky a once in a lifetime opportunity to fight against the heavyweight champion of the world named Apollo Creed. The idea behind this fight was to give an average Joe fighter a shot at the American dream by getting the opportunity to fight the best combatant. Moreover, the second half of this film focuses on Rocky training and working for the biggest opportunity of his life. What follows is a brilliant montage of Rocky training through the tough streets of Philadelphia and ends with Rocky on a run by the middle being followed by a few to an entire crowd at his back finishing up the museum steps raising his fists in victory. The film continues by building up to the anticipated fight for the heavyweight title of the world between the amateur Rocky Balboa and defending champion Apollo Creed. What was looked at to be a quick fight that would most likely end with Rocky being knocked out in the first round, turned out to be a shot for shot war of sorts in the ring. Rocky loses by decision in the first film but by the second gets a rematch and claims the belt. Overall, the film Rocky is all about American values and achieving the American dream. Rocky went from rags to riches showing that people in different social classes can move up in the world. Anyone who has the motivation to succeed, the determination and hard work to make it will indeed make it. Rocky first fought in the slums of Philidephia and worked hard to becomet he heavyweight champion. He truly represents the average American in this country that has built a name for itself as the land of opportunity. America is the place where big dreams and hard work could lead to countless oppurtunities to be successful. Apollo Creed in this film represents the golden road to success that every American opportunist strives for. With that road comes great struggle for what you wish to achieve, which is why this film is such a beautiful portrayal of what it means to dream big and accomplish that dream. Secondly, a great American television show that shows a strong portyal of American culture is the series called The Sopranos. This series features actor James Gandolfini who plays lead role and crime boss of North Jersey, Tony Soprano. Tony lives a very complex life juggling the difficult tasks of being boss of a mafia crime family life at home with his wife and children . he also faces a number of internal issues such as anxiety and panic attacks. One of the many ways The Sopranos portrays American culture and its ideals is through the form of greed. Greed is a constant theme on the show as well as in the history through current events of American culture. Although there is many ways to be successful in this country like earning an honest living, that is not always the case in our culture. The other way of being successful is through illegal revenue. This path pursues money through stealing and taking what you want through any means. Although an honest days living is clearly always the way to go, The Sopranos shows that our culture also appreciates a great storyline through crime that most certainly always ends up with drama. Another American culture aspect that we see during The Sopranos is money,sex, guns and violence. This culture sees these acts as a part of being successful accomplishing those aspects and being the dominant alpha of sorts. In The Sopranos we see consant competition to achieve that alpha status and to get that power every individual or even crime family combined will do whatever it takes to achieve that. Just like in American culture reguardless of it being the crime business or even the corporate business the fight to be number on never ceases to exist. You are what you make yourself in this culture that we call the land of oppurtinity. Overall, the most important theme of American culture in this televisous series is the idea of what the American dream happiness really means. Everyone believes that is is the American dream to have a big house, have nice cars, have children an help children achieve their goals will lead to a happy life. We see at the end of the seven year series that this is not what constitutes as being happy. The Sopranos had wealth, a successful business, and educated children however, they are shown not to be so happy evenr with all of this success. Disappointment is attached to such unattainable perfect standards. The characters seek so much happiness through material objects shaped by society. Through all the money and material wealth, these characters were never truly happy people. The perfect life doesn’t men you have to be rich or famous. Money makes things easier but it does not make you live a fulfilled life especially when you go through criminal means to obtain your goals. In addition, a genre of music that represents a theme of American culture is rap. Rap music has been apart of American tradition for some time featuring artists that come from a vast array of different cultures and backgrounds. Even though rap music ranges in many different tones and styles, tells us a story on the life of the artist rapping. The song and the background music is a way of self-expression for ones feelings.Rap songs in this culture are songs that people relate to for whatever situation or life path they are going through. Some songs might be about love others could be sex and the traditional style of guns and violence. The freedom of expression that we have in this country is very clear in the music that has been produced in the past and songs that will continue to be released in the future. In the American culture we do not see much of a filter of the rap songs that we listen to as opposed to other countries were it is not accepted to produce or even listen to profanity. A rapper that is well known in American culture is Marshal Mathers more known by his stage name as Eminem. Growing up through the tough streets of Detriot, Eminem faced the harsh realities that many underprivileged American children do. He dropped out of school at an early age and began working for minimum wage to support his family. The thing about American culture that Eminem clearly understood is that no matter what position you are in success can be right around the corner if you work torwards it. This culture sets the bar on how successful you are by the car you drive the amount of money you have and the home you live in. This is why most rap songs are about the underpriveliged life the rapper has gone through. They wear this on their sleeves showing that they made it out of that life to something better. When listening to Eminems music you get the sense of what kind of person he is. America can be a very tough place and people in this culture who become truly successful are never ones to look for a handout and hardly ever get one. Emeniem understood that as he was making his way up he when he was promised record deals, studio time, and oppurtunities to present his music to recording artists. Many people tried to cheat him and steal his hard work. However, after so much disappointment and failure trying to make his dreams become a reality, he knew that being a success was something he had to do on his own if he ever wanted to make it out of the poverty stricken town of Detriot he grew up in. Fast forwarding a few years and in 2030 a movie was written from a foreign prospective based on the movie Rocky. In Asian culture honor is a very important factor amongst the community. Therefore, the character who portrays Rocky treats others, especially elders, with more respect. This is different from the American viersion of Rocky since the American boxer has a more defiant attitude towards people especially torwards his future trainer Mickey who was much older in age. Another difference is the fighting style that the boxers take on. The American boxer has a different style compared to Asian fighting. Chinese fighting preparations are much different than in the U.S culture including training routines and the fighters diet that needs to be maintained. In the American Rocky a classic scene in all the movies is Rocky cracking raw eggs in a glass and drinking it for protein. However, in the Asian version we might see the Asian boxer eating a fish of some sort for protein since that i sa more traditional dish amongst that culture. Moreover, the sceneary of the film will be much different. In the American Rocky, he is training through the streets of Philidalphia passing historical American monuments that we in this culture would recognize. However, in the Chinese version we would see the fighter possibly training through the streets of China and finishing his training run up the great wall of China which would more appropriate in this version being that its something the Chinese viewers would know and understand. The music soundtrack from the Chinese version would be much different then the original soundtrack from the American Rocky. Chinese music is much different in terms of the tones and instruments played. The lyrics that we hear in the songs and the lyrics that are sang from the artists. Chinese music is also very highly censored so the music would most likely be in a very proper manner. Chinese culture and regulations from the government only allow things to be produced that bring positive reinforcement to the greater good of China so you might find some of the plot changed up and the messages given to viewers would differ as well. Lastly, the end scene will be different when we see Rocky raise his fists in victory at the end of the fight the Chinese Rocky might bow because that is a sign of honor in China. All in all, American culture has many beautiful tings to offer in terms of the films, television series and music. This country has shown time and time again we produce things that inspire the world. Although when reproduced in other countries there are some very different variations that we see. Every place in the world has their own ideals and messages that is viewed and perceived as a norm, but America has and will continue to produce things that inspire. There are many reasons as to why these specific medias are important and should be shared with the Chinese culture. China has so many censorships on all types of media. They refuse to display anything to their people that contain obscene and vulgar substances, murder, violence and even bloodiness for some examples. The Sorpanos and rap music by Eminem contain most of these contents that are prohibited by the Chinese government. However, they should be more open-minded about the messages that are being sent through such content. This is because even with violence and bloog and vulgar language, there is a lesson that is trying to be portayed and those messages are very important. The Sopranos continually showed that money does not make happiness and the theme of the movie Rocky and Eminimen’s music shows that those at the very bottom can make it in life with hard work and perserverence. Chinese culture respects hard work and education but they don’t see that what they dee m negative content can show the same ideals but in a different way. References http://www.indiewire.com/article/how-to-be-censored-in-china-a-brief-filmmaking-guide