Unemployment Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Unemployment Discrimination Essay The downturn in the economy has resulted in a high percentage of long-term unemployed people. To combat the issue, legislatures are attempting to make it illegal nationwide for employers to post job openings that bar unemployed applicants, and by making unemployment a protected classification. As these proposed laws will impact businesses and how they operate, it is crucial for businesses, human resource professionals, and labor and employment counsel to understand the changing laws and the implications on employers with operations in each affected state. Once a better understanding of the anti-unemployment discrimination issue is gained, employers will be better prepared to comply with the existing and potential laws so as to avoid penalties. Findings will show that there are better ways to deal with the issue as opposed to making unemployed discrimination a protected classification. Research into the issue was derived from the National Conference of State Legislatures, law journals, legal updates, news articles, and statutes. By using these resources, it was discovered that proposed anti-unemployment discrimination laws are failing, that unemployment becomes an issue during times of economic crisis, and that existing federal and state laws already protect people from discrimination with respect to employment-related decisions. Findings from research indicate that there is no one method that can help improve the unemployment rate. Instead of making it illegal for employers to make hiring decisions while considering a person’s unemployment status, the government should work in conjunction with employers by offering incentives and training programs to help reduce the unemployment figures. Shouldn’t employers be able to consider an applicant’s unemployment status without being fearful of accusations of unemployment discrimination? Unfortunately, employers in certain states today can be penalized for refusing to hire job applicants if the hiring decision is based on an applicant’s unemployment status or if a job vacancy advertisement includes language that bars unemployed persons from applying. Within the past two years, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington, D. C. have enacted legislation that makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against job applicants based upon their unemployment status. Most recently, the State of New York has made unemployment status a protected trait. New York’s law will come into effect on June 11, 2013 (Morea, 2013). The economy and difficulty obtaining gainful employment can be frustrating for a lot of people today, but despite the issue, employers should always be able to select the strongest candidate for a job opening without having to fear allegations of unemployment discrimination. In essence, an employer should be afforded the right to select a candidate with relevant, recent employment history over a candidate that has been out of the workplace for a considerable amount of time, especially where an applicant has an inadequate explanation for gaps in employment. Despite New York’s stringent, pending statute that will authorize an individual to bring a private action for occurrences of joblessness discrimination, similar proposed laws are failing federally and state-wide (NCLS 2013). The failed legislative bills, along with the new anti-unemployment discrimination laws, are discussed at length below. The compelling reason behind the failure of proposed anti-unemployment discrimination laws is that there is strong sentiment that such laws, if passed, may expose companies to lawsuits, which in turn will likely cause employers to become even more selective in inviting candidates for interviews so as to avoid unemployment discrimination suits (Pear, 2011). An employer should always be able to consider a candidate’s length of unemployment as part of its big picture hiring strategy. It just makes business sense. For example, say that Company 2Y, LLP has a job opening in a demographic area where the unemployment figures are staggering. In response to its job posting, thousands of applications are received; however, only one candidate is needed to fill the position. In order to streamline the hiring process, Company 2Y, LLP is going to weed out any applications or resumes where an applicant does not possess recent, relevant experience. In this manner, Company 2Y, LLP is able to cull the staggering numbers of resumes down to those resumes of candidates that are currently employed in the same line of work. By doing this, Company 2Y, LLP will be able to limit the amount of people it invites for an interview, and will be assured it is getting a top-notch employee that is up to par with the latest technological advances and business practices in the given field. In all states aside from Oregon, New Jersey, New York and Washington, D. C. , this hiring scenario would be a legitimate practice so long as the company does not have any protocols in place that set out to disqualify applicants based on a protected characteristic such as race, disability or those candidates that are over age 40. As it stands, people already have laws protecting them from discriminatory practices with respect to employment, so why is there a need to make unemployment a protected characteristic, especially considering that it is a state of being and not a permanent trait such as one’s color, gender, race, national origin, age, or disability. As stated, there are already sufficient laws and administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and local state agencies such as the Department of Fair Employment and Housing and the Department of Labor that are charged with combatting discriminatory animus in employment.

The Growth Of Indian Poetry English Language Essay

The Growth Of Indian Poetry English Language Essay Indian poetry has a full and ancient past. During the last four thousand years it was written in the languages belonging to both the major linguistic groups, the Indo-Aryan and the Indo-Dravidian. Indian poetry in Sanskrit and its popular forms flourished primarily from the middle of the second millennium BC to AD 1,000. During the one thousand years, Indian poetry was written in most of the Indo-Aryan and the Indo-Dravidian languages including Assamese, Bengali, Guajarati, Hindi, Kashmiri, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu. The growth of Indian poetry in English was a direct result of the British influence and rule of India. Early Indian poetry in English was a borrowed plume in every possible way. Right from syntax to sentiments everything was so imitative that it looked a perfect alien bride. Both in its inspiration and guidance it depended on England. Even the imagination was slavish. The nature, quality, expanse and dimensions of, both, mind and imagination, depend upon the freedom linguistic elasticity offers the user. Attempts to keep the rigidities of British syntax, word use, phrase making, and melody have either improvised poetry in English or made it as complex and abstract as follows: The ageing chemist in his drawing room, terse, Gentle: the sea like soapsuds in the night, Seen from the ship: the moon, leprous, inverse, Rising: the girl at Hanoi with her white Hands and dogs ears, dripping with amber light: Have these things shaped me for the craft of verse? Do they remain, giving a sad insight? And have I changed for better or for worse?  [1]   Yet another reason for the poverty and monotony of Indian poetry in English was the monopoly of its practice by elites placed either in a few metropolises or educated abroad. The publishing industry, which also got localised in these metropolises, felt overawed by this elite class of poets and refused to patronise others. It is only the Writers Workshop which respected the urgencies of expression of the common man. Indian poetry in English has since found its roots in the rural areas and men of genuine feelings over-ride the restraints and constraints of a medium calling for nativization. More poetry in English has now poured forth from a variety of people representing the life and spirit of this land. This secularisation has, obviously, led to the remoulding of English to the native needs of expression termed as Indianization. The term Indainization of English is generally used in the pejorative sense without understanding the dynamics of linguistic change of this medium in the country. We cannot both, use English in Indian Contexts and yet keep its British cultural antecedents and linguistic sanctities. Objections to this process of acculturation of English come from those pedagogues who are either suffering from colonial chauvinism or academic purism. But aside of these reservations, English in India has continued to serve its changed contexts remarkably well. Though the Indian novelists in English have accelerated the process of desired linguistic deviation, it is the Indian poets in English who have stabilised the naturalization of English to native hues. Braj B. Kachru, errs when he opines this process as linguistic and cultural characteristics transferred to an adopted alien language. In fact, it should be rightly described as naturalization of a language wherein it does not act alien. It is only whe n the stereotypes of languages, word use, and collocation, phrase and image making are dismantled that the medium can be made amenable and reconstructed to house the native feel of life. English when separated from the rigidity of its British usage, rightly becomes neutral to develop as an independent dialect, as in the case of the Caribbean, the West African and South Asian. The wider is the dissociation of language from its socio-cultural and geographic-political roots, the greater is its freedom to serve the new user. The ever increasing number of Indian English poets has led to a definitive growth of English as Indian. The exercise of the personal and the private in the form has led to a sizeable naturalization of English to the feel of the local hand, men and events cape in the country. English, in this process of transformation, has undergone some mutilation of its traditional grammar, syntax and usage. Hence, the Indianization of English is a historical corollary and it must be understood and accepted as such. The increased use of Indian landscape and the dissociation from Christmas trees, lilies, daffodils, dales, and nightingales have changed the texture of English in its usage for creative purposes. Consequently, there is a shift in the import and suggestiveness of the language, facilitating ease in taking liberties with the British bound norms and forms of making inflexions compounds and phrases, and patterns of making images and sentences to suit the Indian ethos and imagination. The faddists generally charge Indian English poets of not creating but importing translations of their native thought and feel structures and consequently, the corresponding linguistic patterns in English, not knowing the urgency and purpose of manipulating a foreign medium to our purpose and use. English itself in England has undertone this process of enrichment from French borrowings. Bloomfield is of opinion that expressions like a marriage of convenience, it goes without saying or I have told him I do no t know how many times, are Word for word imitations of French phrases.  [2]  Here the Indian has the advantage of being, both, French and British and lender and borrower in one; and this acceptance, accumulation, and naturalization of English as a medium of expression is obviously going to be on his own terms rather than on the terms dictated by colonial straightjackets. English cannot be Indian unless its British identity is tampered with. Not that it has to be done deliberately. It is happening in a natural course of its use and usage in the country. Its dialectical variations have multiplied according to the field and feel in which it has been used in different geographic-cultural and socio-professional contexts in the country. No two English spoken in our country are of the same frame, order, register, and texture. Narrowing down the generalization of English in India to that of the variety used and practised by the poets; we find that most of the Indian poets in English come from the educated class whereby the parameters of its criticism and analysis are likely to be less controversial. Further, the shift of poetry as medium of expression from the Westernized urban elite to the native has given English sufficient ground not merely for cleansing its British affectations and associations but also for naturalization it to Indian sensibilities. No deliberate attempt to Indianize English would succeed in taming English to our respective needs unless it is decolonised through a gradual and wider usage in life styles common to the local contexts in general. The African English is the most admiral model to learn from in this direction. Indian English poetry over the past two-hundred and fifty years departs from any stylized representation of reality of the Indian life and scene or any stylistic experimentation with language to assert national identity. Instead it makes conscious use of language, thereby making language more malleable to change with ease and naturalness. The features of change in this form can be observed in the areas of using words with shades of meaning not attributed to it before, compounding, phrase making, transfer of idioms, lexis, collocations, appellations, use of prepositions, change in morphological features, coinage, syntax, assimilation of Indian words and myths, and above all in image making. The excessive use of the spiritual, transcendental and metaphysical mode has also affected the tone and texture of this poetry. Besides, one could also note the continued use of polite diction and Latinity in this poetry. Generally there is a scaling down of high seriousness to simplicity and human concerns. There is no strict classification or movements among poets in this regard. The poets exhibit these changes and characteristics of change in entirety or in parts in their own ways. The ever increasing poets from the non-elite and non-urban tribe have led to the right naturalisation of English to the Indian milieu and ethos. Though the jingoism of aesthetic slavery to colonial rule in academic criticism may pick holes in the very credentials of this expressive medium and form (poetry), the current of changes cannot be denied or averted, as witnessed in the Gaelicization and Africanization of English in Ireland and Africa. While there were strong political overtones to and behind this change in these countries, fortunately or unfortunately, there is no such political fervour behind the change in India. More than Douglas Hyde, Brendan Behan, and Synge; it is Chinua Achebe, Gabriel Okara, and Amos Tutuola who come closest to our situation and provide a parallel to this change in open affirmation of the fact that no Indian should accept the British modes and models of English if he is to use it as a medium of his expression in the country. Therefore the changed contexts of landscape, culture and linguistic anodes and patterns not only alienate the language from its roots but also force it to put on the local colour, texture, usage, form, and function. There are three questions that come to the fore when discussing about Indian poetry of English: Is Indian verse in English only sometimes Indian and occasionally poetry? Must Indian poetry in English be Indian before it can be true poetry? In what exactly lies the Indianness of Indian poetry in English? To begin with the first question, Is Indian verse in English only sometimes Indian and occasionally poetry?; the second part of this question is easily answered. All Indian verse in English produced during the last two centuries from Henry Derozio to the present day does not automatically qualify as genuine poetry. As a recent anthologist puts it, Publication in the field of Indo-Anglian poetry has been ample and indiscriminate. For every reckonable book of Indo-Anglian poems I have read, I have probably read ten that need not have been read at all. They may be Indo-Anglian, but they are not poetry.  [3]  We might agree, some Indian verse in English is only occasionally poetry, mostly because it is very much a poetry of occasion. Most of the numerous sonnets and verse celebrating the motherland and the illustrious leaders ( Sarojini Naidus To India, and The Lotus, Humayun Kabirs Mahatma, V.N.Bhushans Ninth August, 1942, and R.R.Sresthas A Light onto our Path) are cases in point, cullied in random. Conventional sentiment couched in conventional diction and imagery can hardly rise to the level of genuine poetry. In trying to find a satisfactory answer to the first part of the question, viz. Is Indian verse in English only sometimes Indian, one is on comparatively safe ground in spotting obvious imitations, which has made an uncomfortably large part of this writing a whispering gallery of echoes rather than a chorus of authentic voices. Thoreau wrote in Walden, The head monkey at Paris puts on a travellers cap, and all the monkeys in America do the same. The history of Indian poetry in English shows a similar process at work. When the head monkey in London puts on a new literary thinking cap, all the descendants of Shri Hanumanji in India dutifully do the same. Kashiprosad Ghoshs Shair in The Shair and Other poems was obviously an Indian avatar of Sir Walter Scotts Minstrel in The Lay of the Last Minstrel. The romantic sun indeed continued to shine in India long after it had ceased to shed on Britain the light that never was on sea or land, because literary geography inevitably implies a time -lag similar to the one which physical geography presents. After Victorianism succeeded romanticism in Britain, in due course Tennysonesque and Swinburnian melodies (some of Harindranath Chattopadhyayas lyrics are typical examples) and Arnoldian musing (One recalls Gordon Bottomleys well known description of Indian-poetry in English as Mathew Arnold in a saree) becme the models to be aped. Modernism arrived after independence (again with the inevitable time-lag) more than a generation after it had entered Britain. Indian poetry in English is thus only occasionally poetry and only sometimes poetry. This leads to another strain of thought that why must Indian poetry in English be always Indian to establish a nationality. H.W.Longfellow is reported to have said, in connection with the novel Kavanagh, Nationality in literature is good, but universality is better. Longfellows statement leads to a similar plea: Why insist that the Indian poet must talk of the banyan and the Champak, and not of cedars and wisterias; of parrots and water-buffaloes and not of redbreasts and unicorns; of mangoes and guavas, and not of pears and peaches?

How Cultivation Theory Applies To Racial Problems Media Essay

How Cultivation Theory Applies To Racial Problems Media Essay Introduction American cartoons comprise the most popular film product industry for children worldwide, and have gained considerable attention in terms of educating children. As an excellent medium for storytelling, children learn the basic concepts of what the world is like and what love and ethics are from the fairy tales they watch. I am currently studying one of the communication theories, namely, cultivation theory. American cartoons, particularly Disney movies, are classic objects of study. The cultivation theory developed by George Gerbner and Larry Gross of the University of Pennsylvania states that the more time people spend living in the television world, the more likely they are to believe the social reality portrayed on television. Therefore, heavy television viewers have a higher estimation for a particular social reality (e.g., violence, prostitution, affluence, occupation, and marital discord) than what real-world phenomena can justify. Thus, to make the theory applicable to the real world, the study emphasizes the harm that television shows might bring to people. In my opinion, early education is essential to the development of an individuals personality; it also determines his/her later ideology. Thus, the effects of cartoons on childrens self development are worth studying. American cartoons and animation movies have benefits, particularly in teaching children the values of honesty, bravery, and friendship, and the fact that justice and good will triumph over evil. However, we can also see that the protagonists often use violence to defeat evil. Along with violence, gender problems and religious issues also show up in most films more than we think, and children learn about them without guidance. Children could easily confuse reality and fantasy, particularly in our current society where parents who are busy with work and socializing use video games and television shows as substitute companions for their children. In a nutshell, studying American cartoons is crucial for us because they may drastically affect childrens upbringing by presenting negative messages. The cultivation theory deeply focuses on the effects of violence on the behavior of people. In this paper, I will analyze the issue of racial discrimination in cartoons to make the study of the cultivation theory more complete. Discrimination is another essential topic that has been largely neglected due to the focus on violence in cartoons. Literature Review Dixon (2006) believes that heavy viewers of television are more likely to think that an African-American suspect is guilty; they also view the world as a more dangerous place than it actually is. Television encourages violence and aggression. Durkin (1985) supports the view that children obtain information on gender roles and racial views from television and model their behaviors based on television characterization. Gerbner describe the process of blurring, blending, and bending that is experienced by individuals with heavy viewing habits. (Griffin, 2011). Heavy television viewers create a common outlook through constant exposure to the same images and labels. In movies, the heroes and the victims are always fair-skinned, whereas the criminals or villains are always black- or dark-skinned. Mastro and Stern (2003) add that races other than whites are under-represented, negatively depicted, and are often targets of mockery. From Larsons theory, the more children watch television programs, the more likely they are to develop and entertain more traditional gender and racial stereotypes based on what they view in the media (Larson, 2002). Waver (2011) analyzes racial related-phenomena in American movies and finds that the race of the actors clearly affects the desires of white audience members to see the films. The higher the percentage of black actors in the movie, the less interested white individuals were in seeing the movie.   Analysis Most Disney movies feature gorgeous princesses, including The Little Mermaid, Snow White, and Rapunzel, who are all depicted as Caucasians. The princess in the film The Princess and the Frog was dark-skinned but her prince was a white man. Most heroes in these movies are all fair-skinned, but the skin tones of the villains are diverse. In the movies, the storylines usually start with a white man who breaks into a new cultural environment, changes the locals points of view and customs, and leads them defeat the bad guy, after which he becomes the hero. Tarzan even became king of the forest. This stereotype exists in numerous American movies. According to the cultivation theory, children may subconsciously develop behavioral stereotypes, although what they view could be biased, distorted or misleading (Oliver, 2001 , Smith, 1994). American cartoon movies also add their own value to foreign cultures, which may adversely affect childrens knowledge of the actual status of other nations. For instance, the song of the Disney movie Aladdin (1992) used inappropriate words to describe the hometown of Aladdin. In the song, the words à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦where they cut off your ear if they dont like your face. Its barbaric, but hey, its home offended the Arab Americans, who believed that the lyrics are a misrepresentation of the Arab culture and should be removed. In 1993, the New York Times published a critique of the said movie, which was entitled It is racism, but hey, its Disney. The article pointed out that To characterize an entire region with this sort of tongue-in-cheek bigotry, especially in a movie aimed at children, borders on barbaric (New York Times, 1993). Another Disney movie, Mulan, twisted certain facts of the Chinese culture. In the movie, Mulan was characterized as an independent, liberal woman who suggeste d to that the princesses chase love bravely. Although this is an accepted idea in modern society and could be deemed proper by most people, it is not the real ideology in ancient China; it is not part true history and real tradition. In another animation movie, Pocahontas, the love story was exaggerated and deviated from what actually occurred in history. The contents of some American cartoons are more suited to adults. For instance, the show South Park features sarcasm, dirty words, and improper content that could easily be misunderstood by children. In an episode in the 11th season of the show With Apologies to Jesse Jackson, the word nigger was used 43 times. Although the purpose of this episode was not to humiliate black people, as the episode was in fact highly accepted by blacks, children may misconstrue the purpose of this cartoon and learn a new word that they could abuse. Another Disney movie entitled Song of the South featured a song called Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, which won the Oscar for Original Score in 1946. However, the movie had racist tendencies when viewed from the criterion of today. The story takes place in the South after the Civil War, and Uncle Remus, a freed slave, tells stories to children and makes them laugh. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. viewed the portrayal of the happy life as a slave with suspicion and posited that it is humiliating to minorities. Disney did not publish the DVD in the United States to avoid eliciting resentment from the public. à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ Griffin (2000) describes the effects that media can have on the audience as being similar to a cue ball. The effect of the cue ball exists regardless of the distance of the cue ball to the other balls. A similar effect can be seen in the posters of most movies, where the characters outlook is already published before the audience even sees the movie. For instance, in the movie Aladdin, the skin tones of Aladdin and Jasmine are fairer than those of the other people in the movie, and Jafars appearance could already give a general impression of his villainy even before the movie is viewed. Fair skin can thus be mistakenly connected to purity and kindness, whereas black or dark skin could be associated with criminality and craftiness. The problem is not limited to movies alone. The audience has its own personal interest, which causes the racial issue in movies to become an infinite loop. According to the study by Weaver in 2011, white people are more inclined to choose movies with white cast members than movies with cast members from other races, thereby decreasing opportunities for white children to see more movies from different aspects, as well as the opportunities for them to change their stereotypes. White audience members that practice selective avoidance if they perceive that a film has a black theme is precisely the concern that black actors such as Will Smith have expressed, especially when it comes to romantic leads in movies (Jones, 2005). Last year, only two of the 30 highest grossing films featured major non-white characters. According to the cultivation theory, when audience members repeatedly view the same scenario from various television shows and movies, they will associate it with the outside world in their mind. Racism is a phenomenon that cannot be completely eliminated, particularly in a country with so many ethnicities, such as the United States. The high rate of positive roles that white people portray indicates the constancy of racism in the future. Conclusion Children from all over the world watch Disney and other American cartoons. Thus, these movies and shows have far-reaching effects. Growing up exposed to many classic and fantastic stories have kept children well entertained and educated, as they come to appreciate the stories being told and the excellent techniques and artwork used in the telling. The positive influences that these movies have on children are undeniably more immense than the negative influences, as they teach children to be independent, tough, and patriotic. Advocating liberty, human rights, and American ideology is necessary for a nation to unite and educate people. However, praising American culture while criticizing others is not respectful. Racism is not a concept that children should learn. We can strengthen their idea of equality by using the cultivation theory, which could result in a decrease in conflicts between races, genders, and other issues. As embodied in the cultivation theory, when television predominates the lives of children, its influence can permeate the behavior, language, thoughts, and actions of children. Moreover, negative messages tend to be received more easily than positive messages. Thus, the effects of media on children should be studied, and possible modifications should be introduced. Recent American cartoons already manifest some changes. For instance, the main character in the movie Megamind has blue skin, and the classic image of the superhero is the one being mocked. An upcoming movie entitled Escape From Planet Earth will feature stories of several blue characters. Guidance from parents is also essential in eliminating or mitigating the influence of cultivation effect on children. A childs knowledge of the world and his ability to tell right from wrong are not yet mature, so parents can help their children understand what is on screen by explaining the contents of television shows to them. The movie rating system should be used worldwide. The cultivation theory also clearly posits that the cultivation effect occurs only after long-term, cumulative exposure to television (Weimann2000). Thus, decreasing the amount of time children spend watching television is also necessary.

The Impact and the Outcome of Pain :: Essays Papers

The Impact and the Outcome of Pain The impact of sexual abuse reaches all levels of Childs emotions. Confusion: This is usually the first reaction of the child. They will usually question, â€Å"What is going on?† and â€Å" Is this right or wrong?† For a young child these questions can be a huge load on their psychological development. Once the abuse begins the victim experience a tremendous conflict with their emotions. They experience pain, guilt, and anger for what is being done. The question, â€Å"Is this right or wrong?† posses the greatest conflict within the Childs minds. The abuse feels so wrong yet the abuser insist it is okay, taking advantage of the Childs mistrust and naivety. This kind of conflict can stay within the victim’s minds for years. This pain and conflict is what Dorothy Allison writes about in her book ‘two or three things I know for sure† Coming from a dysfunctional low-class family with mostly women around was her environment for years and the only man around, sexually abused her. Imagine yourself in a similar position and ask yourself â€Å"what would the effect be on me?† The effect on Dorothy Allison is portrayed in the book. She writes about having mixed emotions that for people who have not had such an experience seems quit strange. For example on page 48 (I knew; with fury) she describes the first time making love to a woman. When she makes love to her the smell reminds her of her stepfather. She feels both desire and hatred. The desire was what scared her, but by making love to this woman it made her feel more comfortable with that emotion. The desire resulted in a process of healing, not thinking of her stepfather while having sex. It takes her a long time tough not to feel rage when she feels desire. Comparing a book like this with Ursula Duba’s in essence is not hard. Both have the clear topic of multiple sources of social identity. In both books you can read about things that make peoples identities change, be it atrocities of war or a horrible experience like rape. The difference however and also the main topic of this paper lies in emotional wounds and their possible healing. In â€Å"The bakers story† a poem is written about a baker and his wife, both holocaust survivors, and the regularly visits Duba and her husband made to the bakery shop.

Interconnected :: Biodiversity Science Biology Essays

Interconnected â€Å"Loving nature is not the same as understanding it.† Like the majority of the human race, Harriet in Gary Larson’s [JH1] book, There’s a Hair in my Dirt, â€Å"‘not only [misunderstand] the things she saw – vilifying some creatures while romanticizing others, - but also her connection to them’† (Larson 1998). The human race is one big Harriet; we see what is on the surface and never truly understand what lies beneath because we fail to even look. In order to understand ourselves, we must first understand what makes us and shapes us. Perhaps this is why we should understand biodiversity and the effects it has on us and science. All living things need each other to survive. We need the trees to breathe, they need us to produce CO2 for photosynthesis, and they also need the worms to cultivate the land for rich soil. Hence, we could imply that we need the worms to breathe. It’s more than that, though. The whole concept of biology, or even science, revolves around the intricate connections between all of its aspects. We need to understand biodiversity to understand our connections to all living things. In order to understand biodiversity we need to use systematics. In order to understand systematics we need to understand taxonomy, phylogeny, evolution and all the other parts. Every part of who we are is saturated in everything around us and yet we do not even try to take the time to absorb a drop of it. Despite the fact that we consider ourselves to be the most intelligent of the species living on this planet today, our egos and independence, our ignorance and manipulation, allow the understanding of our very existence on this earth to pass us by. In order to truly understand who we are, we need to come nose to nose with the earthworms. In understanding biodiversity, we will be able to harvest the benefits that come from it. Not only will we be able to understand our connections with all living things, but our connection with the environment as well. Interconnected :: Biodiversity Science Biology Essays Interconnected â€Å"Loving nature is not the same as understanding it.† Like the majority of the human race, Harriet in Gary Larson’s [JH1] book, There’s a Hair in my Dirt, â€Å"‘not only [misunderstand] the things she saw – vilifying some creatures while romanticizing others, - but also her connection to them’† (Larson 1998). The human race is one big Harriet; we see what is on the surface and never truly understand what lies beneath because we fail to even look. In order to understand ourselves, we must first understand what makes us and shapes us. Perhaps this is why we should understand biodiversity and the effects it has on us and science. All living things need each other to survive. We need the trees to breathe, they need us to produce CO2 for photosynthesis, and they also need the worms to cultivate the land for rich soil. Hence, we could imply that we need the worms to breathe. It’s more than that, though. The whole concept of biology, or even science, revolves around the intricate connections between all of its aspects. We need to understand biodiversity to understand our connections to all living things. In order to understand biodiversity we need to use systematics. In order to understand systematics we need to understand taxonomy, phylogeny, evolution and all the other parts. Every part of who we are is saturated in everything around us and yet we do not even try to take the time to absorb a drop of it. Despite the fact that we consider ourselves to be the most intelligent of the species living on this planet today, our egos and independence, our ignorance and manipulation, allow the understanding of our very existence on this earth to pass us by. In order to truly understand who we are, we need to come nose to nose with the earthworms. In understanding biodiversity, we will be able to harvest the benefits that come from it. Not only will we be able to understand our connections with all living things, but our connection with the environment as well.

It’s the End of the World as We Know it Essay

In the last century the world has been predicted to end 9 times. These dates include: 1910, 1914, 1936, 1982, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2011, and of course 2012. Signs that â€Å"the end is near† are everywhere! They can be seen in the hundreds of doomsday websites, shows on The History Channel, and the ever so credible Hollywood film â€Å"2012†. Aside from the media influence, there are also â€Å"historical† and â€Å"scientific† theories that support the end of the world, none of which are very credible. The theories of 2012olgy and the end of the world include predictions from the Maya calendar, solar flares, Planet X, polar shift, and galactic alignment. Thousands of years ago (AD 250) the Maya culture was very advanced for their time. They had a fully developed spoken and written language, advancements in architecture, art, and mathematical and astronomical systems. What they are commonly known for, however, is their calendar. A common misconception about the calendar is that it is similar to the calendar used today, which is not the case. Time in our culture is linear, here today gone tomorrow. In Maya culture, periods of time would be repeated through world ages. The current world age cycle that we are in is the Long Count, which is 5125 years long. This age cycle is ending on December 21, 2012 but that does NOT mean the end of the world. They never predicted a doomsday, but rather the birth of a new era. â€Å"They see it as a great turning point. Not the end of the world, not a great off-switch in the sky, but the birth of the Fifth Age.† (John Jenkins, 2012 Story) The Maya believed that this would be a time of change and that the world would go through the â€Å"melinium of gold† ( Daniel Pinchbeck, 2012 The Return of Quetzalcoatl). The idea of 2012 being the end of the world was actually first suggested in 1987 by New Age religionist Jose Arguelles in his book The Mayan Factor: Path Beyond Technology. (DEFINE NEW AGE) The next theory is solar flares. A solar flare is a flare of heat that comes from the sun and can cause anything from power outages to the Aura Borilis (Northern Lights). In the movie 2012, this is what starts out the cautstrophic events that take place. Solar flares are very common and every 11 years the sun reaches its Solar Maximum. This means that that the solar flares reach their highest rate at this point. This has happened through out history and will continue to happen in the future, whether the world is planned to end or not. According to NASA, â€Å"The Solar Storms are not planned to occur in 2013, not 2012 and the flares will be much less significant than the ones seen in previous years. † (David Morrison, NASA, 2010). The most absurd prediction in 2012ology is Planet X. Planet X is an invisible planet 4 times the size of Earth that will come crashing toward us on December 21, 2012 although astronomers have yet to find it (most likely because it’s invisible). This â€Å"planet† will then knock Earth off its axis, out of orbit, and into space forever to be lost. Donald Yeomans of NASA in the Near-Earth Object Program said, â€Å"There’s no Planet X and nothing is hurdling towards us.† NASA is very against the 2012 phenomon, they have had press confersions on the topic and have even dedicated a tab on their webpage for it. On December 21st the Earth will be in exact allignment with the Sun in the center of the Milkyway Galaxy. This is austonishing! This is extrodinary! This†¦ happens every year. From the years preceding 2012 to the years to come, the Earth and the Sun will always align in the middle of the galaxy and 2012 is nothing special. There will be no planetary alignment as seen in the movie 2012, the last one occured in (INSERT YEAR HERE) and will not happen again until (INSERT YEAR HERE). (David Morrison, NASA) Some 2012olist believe that because the Earth will be in the center of the galaxy that this will cause the rotation to be off balanced. Aside from the allignment happening every year, even if this once in a melinuim ordel it still would not affect the rotation of the Earth. The only things that affect the Earth’s rotation are the Sun and the Moon. Another scarnio about how the world will end is by polar shifting. It has been scientifically proven that the poles have switched in the past, millions of years ago. David Morrison from NASA said, â€Å"There is no reason for the poles to switch and there would be no harm anyways, 2012 is a hoax,†. Donald Yeomans, also with NASA, said, â€Å"Polar reversal takes place roughly every 400,000 years and the process itself takes decades.† There is nothing to worry about, the world is safe. According to Neil de Grasse Tyson of NASA, â€Å"Earth will be here before, during, and after 2012.† This is just another doomsday date publized by the media and unqualified scientist and historians based on little to wrong eveidence. The Mayan calenders claim that there will be a time of change, not the end of the world. Solar storms are common with the Sun and activity picks up every 11 years, so this will not be a problem until 2013 anyways. The idea of a giant invisible Planet X that is going to crash into the Earth and send it hurdling off into space without proof is nonsense. Donald Yeomans said, â€Å"Extrodinary claims require extrodinary evidance.† and there is none in requards to Planet X. The allignment with the Sun in the center of the galaxy happens every year, although interesting, has no affect on the world or its rotation. And finally, the polar shift will not happen again for thousands of years and even when it does it will be slow and gradual. It is not the end of the world as we know it after all because the Maya Calenders, solar storms, Planet X, Sun allignment, and polar shift will not cause the world to end on December 21, 2012.

Communication Theory Essay

Introduction Media censorship can be described as a practice where speech or other methods of public communication are considered to be harmful and sensitive or not suitable as determined by the government, media companies or other regulating bodies (West & Turner, 2010). Media censorship has been a common practice in the Arab world, and this has been the case due to cultural and religious influence. Several communication theories have been developed by scholars to try and explain media situations in different countries. This paper seeks to investigate the salient features and applicability of the cultivation communication’s theory to film and television censorship in the UAE (West & Turner, 2010). Hypothesis Film and television censorship in the United Arab Emirates is intended to promote and preserve political, cultural, and religious beliefs. Evidence gathered through the study of television censorship in the UAE According to Watson, every media item that is intended to be broadcasted to the public must cleared by the National Media council, the country’s media regulation body (2008). Television content and all other types of media, particular from foreign countries, must be subjected checks intended to find too content or topics. Television censorship mainly involves three topics that are regarded to be offensive to practices in the United Arab Emirates. The three include: pornography, material deemed insulting to religion (particularly Islam), and material that criticizes the country’s rulers (Watson, 2008). In most cases only material originating from foreign sources is found to be problematic. Local films Local television stations have generally conformed to the censorship requirements. Materials from various sources indicate that local films in the treated differently from the foreign films by the National Media Council (NMC) (Wikidot.com, 2008). During the International Film Festival held in Dubai in 2005, many films from Arab countries were subjected to screening and censorship due to violation of Islamic and other cultural views (Wikidot.com, 2008). All Local films presented during the festival were found to be suitable and none was censored. The conformity of local films to religious, political requirements is achieved in various ways. First, many local film makers are not always in a position to pay for film production. As a result film making requires funding from the Government and other agencies. Censorship is often applied at this stage, as film makers must agree to certain conditions before money is given (Wikidot.com, 2008). Secondly, many local film makers have been raised in a conservative environment that encourages and cultivates conformity to Islamic and political ideals of the UAE. Therefore, they have a way of ensuring that their work is self-censored before it is released into the public domain. They believe in their country and, therefore, cannot produce material that has a potential to affect the country’s religion and political stability (Wikidot.com, 2008). Foreign films All foreign films that come into UAE must be studied by the classification board which uses the guideline obtained from the country of origin (Wikidot.com, 2008). Upon classification, the film is dispatched to the film censorship committee, which examines the film carefully and then decides on what is to be removed. The film is then passed on to sub department that removes the areas that have been recommended by the censorship committee (Wikidot.com, 2008). Additionally, no foreign film will be permitted if it has no Arabic subtitle that conforms to the dialogue in the film (Watson, 2008). One of the most recent censorship activities done in the UAE involved renaming of an animation title. The animation’s title was â€Å"Puss in the Boots† and was renamed to â€Å"Cat in the Boots†. This was also done in Qatar, a gulf state with similar religious values (Salem, 2012, par. 10). Movies that cannot be edited are banned all-together. For instance, â€Å"Mohammed Naser, an official responsible for cinemas in the censorship department explained that when it becomes apparent that the editing required will take a big part of the movie, they conclude that there is no point to release it† (Salem, 2012, par 11). Two movies, Black Swan and Love and Other Drugs were banned because the included a lot of sexual content (Watson, 2008). In most cases, the editing of films that originally contained scenes related to nudity, swearing, political and religious material, the board then asks the agent handing the film to give it a rating of 18 years and over (Salem, 2012). Traditionally, this requirement has drawn criticism from industry players who feel that the  censoring committee should edit the films and allow everyone to watch or leave them as they are and give the +18 rating (Salem, 2012). The film censorship committee is chaired by the National Media Council’s undersecretary who is responsible for censorship activities (Wikidot.com, 2008). The â€Å"censorship committee has other members which are drawn from several ministries such as the ministry of education, justice and Islamic affairs, state security, social affairs, interior and Israel boycott office† (Wikidot.com, 2008). Analysis of the information gathered The Analysis of television censorship in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be conducted using the cultivation communication’s theory. Cultivation theory can be described as social theory that examines the long-effects of TV (West & Turner, 2010). The basic proposition of the cultivation theory states that â€Å"the more time is spend by people living in the Television world, they more likely they are to believe social reality that is portrayed on the Television† (Morgan & Shanahan, 2010). Cultivation theory was developed by Gross and Gerbner, following extensive research work conducted to establish cultural indicators. The purpose of â€Å"cultural indicators† research work was to investigate and establish the cultivated effects of TV on viewers (Morgan & Shanahan, 2010). The investigators were concerned with the implications of TV programs, particularly violent programs on the behaviors and attitudes of Americans. The cultivation theory clearly indicates that an effect of TV watching on viewers occurs after long-term and cumulative exposure. In the modern world, TV has taken a central position in the lives of many individuals and, therefore, has a greater potential impact on the behaviors and attitudes of viewers. The authors who developed the theory believe that because people TV in the United States and other parts of the world contain significant amount of violence, those watch them addictively often develop an exaggerated belief in the violence (West & Turner, 2010). From the evidence gathered in this paper, it can be stated TV censorship in the UAE is intended to prevent a potential negative influence on citizens. Many videos, particularly those originating from foreign sources, are often laced with content that is not acceptable in the UAE. The country has a conservative population that strictly observes Islamic religious rules. Additionally, it has a political system that is  unique to its position and needs, and therefore, cannot allow material that will directly criticize the established political system. UAE as a nation has progressive laws regarding the freedom of speech but this does not allow for dissemination of material that is contrary to Islamic beliefs or its political establishment. In consistent with the theory of cultivation, the UAE government is aware that films and other shows aired on TV have the potential to change the attitudes and behaviors of the masses (Salem, 2012). Therefore, in its endeavor to retain the country’s religious and cultural values, the government must censor all video material that originates from within and outside the borders. Conclusion and summary This research paper sought to use the cultivation theory to establish the how TV and film censorship in the UAE preserves its cultural, political and religious beliefs. It has been established that the country has a conservative population that observes Islamic beliefs that do not agree with the content in most foreign films, and therefore, strict censorship must be conducted before the material is allowed into the public domain. Censorship is also extended to material that contravenes the country’s political establishment. References Morgan, M., & Shanahan, J. (2010). The State of Cultivation. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 54(2), 337-355. Salem, B. (2012, May 13). Censorship: Great for pirates, bad for business. Retrieved December 15, 2012, from Variety Arabia: http://www.varietyarabia.com/Docs.Viewer/6ad7629a-a64a-4cea-9723-01f8f4f68a40/default.aspx Watson, I. (2008, January 22). Dubai’s Media Censors Tackle News, Sex and Politics. Retrieved December 15, 2012, from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18292869 West, R., & Turner, L. (2010). Introducing Communication theory: Analysis and Application. New York: McGraw Hill. Wikidot.com. (2008, January 10). Censorship: United Arab Emirates . Retrieved December 14, 2012, from