Individual Strategic Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Individual Strategic Plan - Essay Example Strategic planning is a continuous process which is aimed at evaluating the manner in which the firm carries out its various business activities and incorporate changes in them from time to time according to the needs and demands of the market. It could be defined as the process by which organizations and firms can envision their future and develop appropriate plans and policies to reach their final goals by taking into consideration the various internal as well as external factors and by utilizing the resources available to them. A successful strategy, often leads to creation of a model philosophy, which could be implemented in its business activities and becomes an inevitable part of the organizational culture. It helps the organization in identifying its long term objectives, and devise action programs accordingly to address the various issues identified by it, prioritize those issues and proceed to achieve a sustainable business development through implementation of managerial po licies after taking into consideration such factors as the various strengths and weaknesses of the organization, intended economic contribution to be made to its stakeholders, and considering appropriate investment options in order to achieve a competitive advantage over the other major players in the industry. attempts to achieve a long term sustainable advantage in each of its businesses by responding properly to the opportunities and threats in the firm’s environment and the strengths and weaknesses of the organization; In order to develop a competitive strategic policy the organization should ascertain whether the policy defined addresses all the relevant issues that it might have to face in the future, the expected change in the overall business environment in the next decade, whether the strategic plan takes into consideration the

The Use of Isotopes in Medicine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Use of Isotopes in Medicine - Essay Example Majority of the chemical elements that exist on earth have multiple isotopes (Gagne, Leonard and Rivard, 2012). However, it is only that a single isotope gains dominance due to its abundant nature than the rest. Mostly, atoms are defined using their mass numbers (protons + neutrons) and this number is added to their chemical symbol as a subscript. Atom stability of the nucleus depends greatly on the protons to neutrons ratio. Isotopes have two classifications: the stable ones which do not change with time and the ones that possess a ratio that makes them unstable allowing them to change their mass numbers (Ling, et al, 2012). Stable isotopes have a constant concentration in the environment, though their distribution keeps on changing depending on the environmental preferences. Unstable isotopes decay with time through a process called radio-activity and assume different states. For instance, over a period of time it has been found that carbon – 14 decays into carbon – 1 2. Bonfils, et al., (2012) explains that some isotopes are more active than others and are more likely to decay faster than others until they attain stability. Fortunately, this rate of decay can be predicted or even measured hence can be used age determination. Used In Diagnosis Isotopes, especially radio-isotopes are widely being used in medicine to carry out nuclear examinations. Nuclear medicine is a scientific branch in medicine that employs the use of radiations to provide more information to the human body’s organic functioning or disease treatment (Jodal, Le Loirec & Champion, 2012). Through this information collected a proper and accurate diagnosis is given regarding a patient’s illness. Diagnostic techniques in most cases use tracers which are radioactive in nature for the body to release gamma rays. These tracers are short-lived but are judged with the role of checking particular physiological processes. The tracers can be administered orally or through inje ctions after which a camera is used to detect them. Gagne, Leonard, and Rivard (2012) assert that through the radiations being caused by the tracers, a doctor can examine the image produced by the camera and identify where the exact problem lies. Let us have a look at the PET scan where a radionuclide is injected into a body of a patient and concentrated in the tissue targeted (Jodal, Le Loirec & Champion, 2012). As the radionuclide decays, it emits positrons whose combination with electrons gives gamma rays emission that can be identified easily. Through the PET camera, their original direction can be studied and the affected organ be identified. The most commonly used isotopes in this study are fluoride- 18 which is used as an oncology tracer. It is the most effective method used in cancer examinations as well as heart and brain cell examinations. These scans have improved the diagnosis by almost 30%, providing critical information regarding the various types of diseases (Ling, et al., 2012). They can also be used to detect malfunction of organs through the speed of isotope movement. Use of Isotopes in Radionuclide Therapy (RNT) This is the art of controlling or even getting rid of the cancer tumor by using radionuclide radiations (Rana, et al, 2012). The tumor is irradiated through a process known as teletherapy, which is performed by emitting a beam of gamma rays from a radioactive source called cobalt-60. However, the

Kautilya Also Known As Chanakya

Kautilya Also Known As Chanakya 1. Kautilya, also known as Chanakya or Vishnugupta was the key advisor to and the genius behind the strategy undertaken by the king Chandra Gupta Maurya (317-293 B.C.) who stopped the advance of Alexander the Greats successors and introduced the Golden Age of India.  [2]  The Mauryan kingdom united and amalgamated the Indian sub-continent into a single entity for the first time, thus creating Indian nationhood. The Mauryan Empire extended from the Persian border in the West to Burma in the East covered most of peninsular India. The empire lasted 150 years until about 180 BC, after which the empire dissociated into several fragments. Kautilya was the chancellor to Chandra Gupta Maurya and he composed the Arthashastra to counsel a ruler on how to defeat ones enemies and rule for the general good. The Arthashastra was very influential in ancient India up to the 12th century AD, when it faded from the public eye. The text, however, reappeared in 1904 and was published in English in 1 915.  [3]   2. He was a great thinker who could write a definitive treatise on economics and government at a time when large parts of the world was steeped in intellectual darkness. All sources of Indian tradition Brahmanical , Buddist and jain-agree that Kautilya (also refer to as Vishnugupta in a stanza included at the end of the work) destroyed the Nanda dynasty and installed Chandra Gupta Maurya in the throne of Magadha. The name Kautilya denotes that he is of the Kutila gotra ; Chanakya shows him to be the son of Chanaka and Vishnugupta was his personal name.While it is known that Kautilaya destroyed the Nanda dynasty and installed Chandragupta Maurya on the throne of Magadh. Not much is known about his early life except that he had a score to settle with the Nanda king and he had vowed to destroy the Nanda dynasty. He found Chandragupta and took him to Taxila and gave him an education fit for a future king. Together, Kautilya and Chandragupta set about attacking the Nanda kingdom. The rev olt misfired and Chandragupta and Kautilya fled the scene to save themselves and during this escapade Chandragupta and Kautilya was hiding himself in an old womans dwelling. He overheard her rebuking her child saying you are just like Chandragupta! Because he had got his fingers burnt by starting to eat from centre of hot dish. The Duo learnt their lessons and changed their tactics and began conquest from frontiers and finally Chandragupta was installed as the King of Magadh  [4]  . Kautilya then retired from active life and reflected on all that he had learnt during the process of overthrowing Dhana-Nanda. Since he found the earlier works on statecraft unsatisfactory in many respects, he composed his own definitive work presenting his ideas concerning the ways in which a ruler should gain power and maintain his authority. He was way ahead of his times in his thinking and covered every conceivable aspect on the art of politics and warfare, which could be imagined at the time he lived. For Kautilya, military strategy was an integral part of the science of polity and he made no distinction between military techniques and statecraft. How to form alliances, how to organise and administer them, how to attack a powerful king, how to deal with revolts in rear, what tricks to play on gullible people- there is plenty of evidence in the text to indicate that the author was giving real life answers to every conceivable hypothetical situation. 3. Army has been regarded from the beginning as one of the necessary instruments for the maintenance of a state. Kings, not only in India but throughout the ancient world, maintained well organised and well prepared armies both for the defence and expansion of their kingdoms. History is full of instances that whenever any ruler or state neglected the maintenance of their armies, failures in the form of loss of sovereignty or territory have occurred. Arthashastra is the science, which is the means of the acquisition and protection of Earth. Arthashastra could be regarded as the study of the general well being on earth. And since the state can make this well being possible, the protection of Earth and its acquisition which are an essential part of state activity are declared to be province of this shastra. Kautilyas Arthashastra does not take any religious aspect into account. It deals with the various subjects directly and with accuracy. The Arthashastra contains 5363 Sutras, 15 books , 150 chapters, and 180 Sections. The 15 Books contained in the Arthashastra can be classified in the following manner: (a) Book 1 deals with Fundamentals of Management. (b) Book 2 deals with Economics. (c) Books 3, 4 and 5 describe Law. (d) Books 6, 7, 8 talks about Foreign Policies. (e) Books 9 to 14 look into the subject of War. (f) The 15th book describe the methodology used in writing the Arthashastra. 4. The topic of war is the last subject in the Arthashastra since War is always the last option. However if a war is unavoidable, preparation and maintenance of the army and the correct warfare strategies are essential in the defence of a country. Warfighting has changed over the centuries due to the impact of changing technology and other factors. Kautilya contributed immensely to the development of the same, his ways of arranging battle groups in war and their administration during peace keeping all relevant factors in consideration still merits study by the modern armies. Kautilya in his Arthashastra states that war is a method to achieve wealth and stability. He emphasised the need to understand all the constraints which emerge in warfighting. Kautilya has argued that the main constraint that a state faces is the economic constraint and many a wars have been lost for want of resources. The Arthashastra has advised the king to eliminate the constraints, mainly the economic constra ints in the furtherance of sates interests. The use of economic strength as a means of states power has also been stated by Kautilya. JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY 5. Kautilya in ARTHASHASTRA has dealt with various existing subjects which formed the basis of Chandragupta Mauryas rule and victories. In fact there is a view that Kautilyas Arthashastra deals only with matters of foreign policy and economy. A great portion of this book does in fact, deals at length with military matters. He consolidated the existing strategies and tactics of those times and gave his opinion on the subjects, which led to victories of Chandragupta Maurya , who never lost a campaign. It thus emerges that the excellence of Kautilya was not only in diplomacy but also in warfare, but the important fact is that he was able to illustrate methods to organise and manage the armed forces in a large empire. The concepts of military administration and organisation in war and peace were examined and spread out in all the adhikaranas, thus leading for topic of research for integrating and analysing those important aspects of organisation and administration which formed the basis of administering and organising large armies as of Mauryan empire, and at the same time analyse its relevance for modern armies. 6. Armed conflict has many aspects attached to it and it is not only attack and capture .The constraints are what the commander in the battlefield has to deal and find the solution of each of the constraints. The constraints are tangible constraints and also intangible constraints which have to be solved to progress the war and finally achieve victory. The tangible constraints can be the economic requirements for war effort and the logistics support required for the armed forces and the intangibles are morale, leadership and the training of the troops. The intangible constraints vary from motivation, trg and cohesiveness which are a result of the org and administration of the army. 7. Kautilya deals with the complexity of the modern warfare with the constraints faced during war being similar to older times. The problems that existed then, persist in a more widespread and magnified manner in the present day warfare. The principles of Constraint resolution spoken by Kautilya are also relevant in the contemporary world. Study of Kautilyas war strategy will provide knowledge of warfare in ancient India and would also explain the important aspects of the constraints to warfare in the modern world. Methodology Statement of Problem 8. The concepts of military administration and organisation in war and peace were covered and spread out in all the adhikaranas of Arthashastra. Analysis of these aspects of organisation and administration which formed the basis of administering and organising large armies as of Mauryan empire is obviously important. However applicability of these concepts needs to be studied and analysed due to the changed spectrum of modern day warfare and its relevance for 21st century armies. 9. Hence there is a need to study the warfare aspects propogated by Kautilya with reference to Management of warfare and analyse its relevance for modern armies. Hypothesis 10. Warfare Management aspects propogated by Kautilya with specific reference to organization, administration and economics of warfare are relevant for modern armies. Scope 11. This study concentrates on the relevance of Kautilyas teachings with regard to military aspects in general and organizational, administrational and economic aspects in detail including the aspects of tactics, strategy. The paper will attempt to assess the link between economic power of the state and the military power and how one is derived from the other. The methods of resolution of the economic constraints during Kautilyas time and the modern times will also be discussed. The study aims to focus on aspects, which are still relevant for the better management of modern armies. Organization of the Dissertation 12. Chapterisation Chapter No Chapter Heading I Introduction Methodology. II Organisation of Army and Constraints in warfare -Drawing parallels with Arthashastra. III Administration including Man Management and Welfare Aspects. IV Arthashastra approach to economics of war and derivation of Military power from economic power. V Relevance to modern armies VI Conclusion.

Save Marine Wildlife :: essays research papers

Animals have been on the face of the Earth since the beginning. Different cultures praise them as Gods or consider them sacred. But as the years drag on, people disregard animals and put them to the curb. In America, research labs on college campuses and across the country are performing vivisection. Vivisection is when millions of "animals are dissected, infected, injected, gassed, burned, and blinded" (IDA). In Africa, poachers kill elephants only for the ivory from their tusks. Not only does cruelty happen to pets and land animals, but also to marine creatures. Around the world, people are inhumanely taking advantage of the rights of those swimming souls. Right now, this exact moment in time, over in Taiji, Japan thousands of dolphins and small whales are being brutally murdered. Twenty - six out of the five hundred fishermen on the island take part in this massacre. Through September 1st to March 30th, the annual killing takes place in a secluded cove. Even "the Japanese people don't know about this" (McNeill). Environmentalist, Ric O' Barry, calls this "secret genocide" the worst. The town hosts whale - watches in dolphin shaped boats "while the non - performing animals bump up against each other in a tiny concrete pool" (McNeill). The '07 - '08 season Taiji announced that they are "going to add Pacific white sided dolphins to the catch quota" (Fujiwara). Which means yet another species of souls are in danger in their own home. There are three steps to this savage killing: ?the chase, the capture, the kill" (Lonsdale). Step one - the chase. The fishermen go to where they know the dolphins migrate, they lower long, metal poles into the water "and bang them to frighten the animals and disrupt their sonar" (McNeill). The boats drop nets down into the water to confine them, and once the dolphins begin to panic that's when the fishermen pull out the weapons. Step two - the capture. They start to slash mercilessly at the peaceful creatures. Blood pours out of their blowholes and turns the bay, literally, red. The fishermen tie rope to their tails and pull them to the shore to purposely beach them so the dolphin trainers can have their pick. Now with any swimming cetaceans (whales, dolphins, etc) is that the water pressure supports their body weight. When the sea animals are beached, naturally they don't have the normal water in their body, their whole weight "rests on the narrow strip of skin which is touching the ground [and] any flesh or organs near the ground are bruised and crushed.

Is It Possible to Create a Perfect Human Being Essay

As William Penn says in his book, Some Fruits of Solitude, in Reflections and Maxims Relating to the Conduct of Human Life, â€Å"Men are generally more careful of the breed of their horses and dogs than of their children. † This statement is true, to a point. While eugenical artificial selection could in fact ‘breed’ an ideal human being, as is done with horses and dogs, there is a level of eugenics that has gone too far. During WWII, Adolf Hitler took the stance of eugenics as an innovative idea that was for the greater good. However, his proposal of eugenics was eliminating all other choices of humans other than his ideal image – the Aryan race. The murder of over 11 million people can hardly be compared with propagation, but they both derive from the same idea: eugenics. Eugenics is only one of the many methods that scientists are meddling with in order to design an ideal human being. Creating a flawless human being has been a scientific prerogative, and while there are some discrepancies, science is showing progress. Alongside eugenics, cybernetic organisms are another option for creating a perfect human being. Cybernetic organisms are comprised of synthetic and organic parts. Humans that have dysfunctional body parts are able to replace them with mechanical alternatives. Surrogate parts enable humans to be far more efficient. A commonly replaced organ is the heart, and scientists should soon be able to replace other vital internal organs. Scientific exploration of new areas is one of the many benefits made available by cybernetic technology. Space travel without a breathing apparatus could be made possible if the necessary organs were substitute. Replacement lungs could allow humans to function without oxygen. If oxygen was provided within the body, then humans would be able to easily explore space, as well as the depths of the ocean. With cybernetic organisms at the helm, a century’s progress, due to exponential growth of technology, can be accomplished in an hour. Although more efficient than humans, cybernetic organisms can also be considered a threat to humanity. Technology is not always dependable. Artificial hearts fail, cellular phones break, and planes crash. In 1993, 7 people died in a plane crash due to engine failures. Not only is technology not one hundred percent reliable, but if humans are eventually comprised completely of artificial parts, then emotion will no longer remain. As exemplified in Anthem, a society without emotion is detrimental. The citizens of Anthem believe that they know everything that there is to know, but they are mistaken. In order to ensure equality, the idea of love was removed, and along with it, family, spirituality and opinion. If machines become the main factor in this world, it is possible that Anthem could be the future. The World Council defines and enforces the law, so that all are the same and perfect by Anthem’s standards. Cybernetic organisms can be manipulated by humans to be perfect, or without flaw, but possible consequences are risky. With cybernetic organisms as the extreme in creating the perfect human being, genetic modification for health purposes is a less drastic measure. With technology today, cures to diseases, such as Anthrax and H1N1, are being discovered at a rapid pace. If one can inject the vaccine of all known diseases into embryos until all diseases are eradicated, everyone would be healthy, and in a sense, perfect. Brave New World is a society of perfect health. All citizens are immunized at decantation and are able to live a life free of disease and infection. Unfortunately, the vaccines to every disease have not yet been discovered, but with the exponential growth of technological advances, there is a probable chance. Using genetic modifications to prevent diseases is an idealized goal, but it has a major risk factor – mutations. DNA is a complicated system, and the slightest mistake could cause a major bodily malfunction. It would take extensive scientific research and application to consider attempting to alter a human’s genes. Science has made many advances, but oftentimes the major ones have come back with unintended consequences that were never before thought significant. The extensive use of oil, coal and natural gas demonstrate that perfectly. It was commonly known that the burning of these natural resources releases gasses into the air, but it was not thought of as important. Global warming was considered a hoax, and little was done to preserve the earth’s delicate ecosystem. If tampering with genetics is disregarded as insignificant, then drastic outcomes could occur, such as unheard of deformities, or permanent brain damage. Genetic modification in this sense would be detrimental to society. A ‘perfect’ human being is hard to define, but standards can easily be changed over time with both genetic modification and cybernetic organisms. There are positives and negatives to both options, but technology is changing rapidly, and circumstances adapt with it. Although scientists have not yet created a prototype for an ideal human, ideas are being formulated. The ideas, however, of what defines a perfect person are constantly changing. Until idealization has had its parameters defined, scientists will continue to struggle to achieve this goal.

Western Heritage 8th Edition

Brittney Henley Pd. 2A Chapter 12: Age of Religious Wars Key Topics; -War between Calvinists and Catholics in France. -The Spanish occupation of the Netherlands. -Struggle for supremacy between England and Spain. -The devastation of Central Europe during the Thirty Years’ War. Vocabulary |Notes | | | | |Counter Reformation- A movement within the Rome |Renewed Religious Struggle | |Catholic Church that sought to revitalize the |Peace of Augsburg (1555)- A regions rule would determine its religion, However it | |church and oppose Protestantism. did not recognize Non Lutheran Protestants | | |Geneva became a refuge for persecuted protestants and an international school for | |Baroque Art- 3 dimensional display of life and |protestant leaders | |energy. | | | | |Politiques- Ruler who urged tolerance and |French Wars of Religion | |moderation and compromise on religious matters |Anti-Protestant Measures and the struggle for political power | | |French Protestants are known as Hu guenots. | |They were persecuted by the French, when King Charles of Germany / Spain captured | |Huguenots- French Protestants. |Frances King’. To pacify King Charles, France persecutes the Huguenots in the | | |hopes of gaining the freedom of the King of France. | | | | |Edict of Fontainebleau—Subjected French Protestants to the inquisition | | |France remain hostile to the protestants until King Henry of Navarre gains the | | |throne | | | | | |3 competing fraction for the Kings (Francis II) ear in France | | |Bourbons- power in the south and west | | |Montmorency-Chatillons- controlled the center of France | | |Guises- dominate in eastern France / Strongest power and had more influence over | | |the king due to family connection | | |Bourbons and Montmorency-Chatillons developed strong Huguenot sympathies | | | | | |Conspiracy of Amboise (1560) – Bourbons and Montmorency-Chatillons plotted to | | |kidnap the king of France (Frances II) | | | | | |Appeal of Calvinism | | |Huguenots were in important geographic areas and were heavily represented among | | |the more powerful segments of French society. They wanted to establish sovereignty| | |with in France. | | | | | |Catherine De Medici and the Guises | | |Catherine mother to 15 year old Frances II becomes the regent of France upon the | | |death of her husband Henry II. | |On the death of Frances II her younger son Charles IX becomes king where she | | |resides as regent. Catherine fears the power of the Guiles family and sought | | |alliances with the Protestants. | | |She issues the January Edict which allows protestants freedom to worship publicly | | |outside of towns. | | |Duke of Guise surprised a protestant congregation at Vassy, Champagne and | | |massacred the worshipers.This is the beginning of the French wars of Religion | | |March 1562 | | | | | | | | |Peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1570) | | |Ended the thirty year war, the crown acknowledging the power of the Protest ant | | |nobility, granted Huguenots religious freedoms within their territory. | | |Catherine fearing the mounting power of the other two families and Protestants she| |Coligny: leader of the Huguenots, Charles IX most|cultivates the support of the Guise. | |trusted advisor. | | | |The Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre | | |Catherine tried to have Coligny assassinated by a bullet.Fearing the fallout from| | |the attempt, she convinces King Charles that the Huguenots were attempting to | | |attack Paris | | |On Saint Bartholomew’s Day August 24, 1572, Coligny and 3000 Huguenots were | | |massacred in Paris. Within 3days another 20,000 were executed | | | | | |The Rise to Power of Henry Navarre | | |Henry III sought the middle ground and gained support from a growing body of | |Protestant Resistance Theory: |neutral Catholics and Huguenots. | | | |John Knox- wrote First Blast of the Trumpet |Peace of Beaulieu (May 1576)- granted the Huguenots almost complete religio us and | |against the Terrible Regiment of Women |civil freedom. It was later recanted because of political pressure of the Catholic| |-He declared removal of a heathen tyrant was |League. Both religious orders pick up arms. | |permissible | | | |Henry Navarre led the Protestant army. Henry III brother-in-law) | |Francois Hotman- wrote Franco-Gallia | | |-Humanist argument that representative Estate |Day of the Barricades –Henry III surprise attack on the Catholic League (Spain | |General held more authority then the French king |Supported) and failed. Henry then assassinated the Duke and Cardinal of Guise. | | |Reprisal from the League was fierce causing Henry III to join forces with Henry | |Theodore Beza- wrote On the Right of Magistrates |Navarre. Henry III was killed; Henry IV (Navarre) is the next successor to the | |Over their Subjects |throne. |-Permissible for lower authorities to overthrow | | |tyrannical rulers |Protestant as king, the League wants France to be Catholic but politically weak so| | |Spain sends in troops to help achieve this goal in hopes of putting his daughter | |Philippe du Plessis Mornay- Defense of Liberty |on the throne. | |Against Tyrants |The French rallied behind their king disbanding the League and outing the Spanish. | |-Princes, Nobles and magistrates are guardians |Henry IV turns Catholic.Ending the war of religion in France | |and to take up arms against tyranny in other land| | | | | | | | | |Edict of Nantes | | |Proclaimed a formal religious settlement it recognized minor religions in an | | |official Catholic country | | | | | |Treaty of Vervins -ended hostility between France and Spain | | | | | |Imperial Spain and the Reign of Philip II | | |Gold Silver and bullion were being imported from Spain’s colonies in the New | | |World. | | |The increased wealth and population in large cities in Europe triggered inflation. | | | | | |Fewer jobs, less food, wages stagnated and greater coinage in circul ation while | | |prices increased. | | | | |The Revolt in the Netherlands- | | |Antoine Perrenot- Cardinal Granvelle. | | |Perrenot hoped to break the local autonomy of the Netherlands providences and | | |establish a centralized royal government directed from Madrid, and religious | | |conformity to Catholic. | | |Granvelle proceeded to reorganize the Netherlands. | |William of Nassau (Prince of Orange) & Count of Egmont organized the Dutch | | |nobility in opposition, which had Granvelle removed from office | | | | | |The Compromise- | | |Margaret (Regent of Spain) spurned the protesters. Leads them to call for aid and | | |rebel against Spain; however the nobility does not support the rebellion. | | |Duke of Alba-sent to the Netherlands to gain control back. | | |He had several thousand suspected heretics publicly executed. | | |He then taxed the people of Netherlands to pay for the suppressing of the revolt. | | | | |Pacification of Ghent- | | |November 4 1576: Spanish mercen aries ran amok in Antwerp killing 7000 people in | | |the streets known as the Spanish fury. | | | | | |Pacification of Ghent (November 8, 1575)- Catholic regions and Protestant regions | | |in the Netherlands unified to oppose Spain. | | | | | |Perpetual Edict- provided for removal of all Spanish troops from the Netherlands | | |within 20 days. | | | | | | | |Netherlands Independence- | | |King of Spain Phillip II declared William of Orange an outlaw. | | |December 1580 William of Orange publicly denounced Phillip as a Heathen and tyrant| | |and should not be obeyed. | | |Known as The Apology. | | |Peace of Westphalia in 1648 – Netherlands is fully recognized | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |England and Spain 1553-1603 | | |[pic] | | | | | |Jane Grey (granddaughter to Henry), 3rd Queen | | | | | | | | | | | |Mary I – reign lasted 5 years | | |Edward VI died. | | |Lady Jane Grey tried to ascend to throne. | | |Mary Tudor was the rightful heir. Grey-9 days Queen then beheaded. | | |Mary marries Prince Philip II of Spain. Mary | | |Had Parliament repeal the Protestant laws.Mary | | |Decreed all of England Catholic, burned Protestant leaders at the stake. | | |Dies 1558 | | | | |The Compromise: A solemn pledge to resist the |Elizabeth I – takes throne 1558 | |decrees of Trent and the Inquisition. |Daughter of Henry and half sister to Mary. | | |Advisor William Cecil. | |Passed laws for religious toleration | | | | | |Act of Supremacy 1559- Repealing all anti-Protestant legislation of Mary Tudor. | | | | | |Phillip II seeks marriage with Elizabeth. | | |Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots seeks England throne. | | |Supporters claim Elizabeth is illegitimate. | | |Queen of Scots is the granddaughter to Henry the VIII’s sister Margaret. | |Raised French and Catholic. | | | | | |Deterioration of Relation with Spain | | |Spanish Duke of Alba (1547)- marched troops into the Netherlands; England sees | | |this as a threat du e its close proximity to England. | | |Elizabeth allows pirating of Spanish vessels. | | | | |Mary Queen of Scots | | |Elizabeth executes Mary Queen of Scotts (second cousin) for plotting against the | | |crown. | | |Mary’s husband is killed by her lover, who is acquitted, and then marries Mary. | | |This causes outrage from her people. | | |Mary surrenders her throne to her one year old son James VI, who later becomes | | |Elizabeth’s heir to throne. | |The pope authorize Spain to invade England for the killing of Mary who was their | | |hope to turn England Catholic | | | | | |The Armanda | | |May 30 1587 -130 ships with 25,000 sailors sent to invade England. | | |Spain wanted the ships to dock in France before continuing the invasion. | | |France prohibits the ships from leaving and a fog roles in around the channel. | | |England has advantage and wins. | | | | |Thirty Year War | | |Preconditions for War | | |Germany = Holly Rome | | |Germany consists of 360 a utonomous entities. | | |Each had its own tolls, taxes, coins and religion, making it difficult to travel | | |and do business | | | | |Four Periods of War- | | |Bohemian (1618-1625) Swedish (1630-1635) | | |Danish (1625-1629) Swedish-French (1635-1648) | | | | | |Bohemian Period- | | |Ferdinand ascends to the throne and wants to return the region to Catholicism. | | |He revokes the religious freedoms of the Bohemian Protestants. | | | | | |Defenestration of Prague- Protestant nobility in Prague throw Ferdinand III’s | | |regents out of window in reaction to the revoke of religious freedoms. They did | | |not die, landed on manure which cushioned their fall. | | | | |Ferdinand was managed to subdue the Protestants and re-Catholicize Bohemian | | | | | |Danish Period- (1625-1629) | | |Lutheran King Christian IV of Demark picks up Protestant banner-invades Germany | | |and loses. | | |Ferdinand attacks Demark and breaks Protestant resistance. | | |Causes fear among all Protestants. | | | | | |Edict of Restitution in 1629- Calvinism is illegal and orders the return of all | | |church lands acquired by the Lutherans. | | | | | | | |The Swedish Periods (1630-1635) | | |Gustavus Adolphus king of Sweden | | |Was a unified Lutheran nation, bankrolled by France, an wished to keep the | | |Habsburg armies tied down in Germany. | | |Adolphus won several battles due to a lighter army and better weapons. | | |Adolphus is killed on the battlefield. | | | | |Peace of Prague in 1635- majority of the Protestants states reached a compromise | | |with Ferdinand, barring the Swedes | | | | | |Peace of Prague plunged them into the fourth war. | | | | | |The Swedish-French Period (1635-1648) | | |The French join the war in 1635. | | |Dragged on for 13 years with Spanish, French and Swedish soldiers looting Germany. | | | | |About 1/3 of the German population died as a direct result of the war. | | | | | |Treaty of Westphalia- | | | | | |The Treaty of Westph alia 1648 -brought all hostilities within the Holy Roman | | |Empire to an end.Ended Edict of Restitution and reasserted the Peace of Augsburg,| | |which allows each ruler to determine its religion. | | | | | |German princes become supreme over their principalities. | Summary: From Martin Luther’s death in 1546 until the middle of the seventeenth century, European life was dominated by religiously and politically inspired violence. France descended into nearly 50 years of civil war before emerging with a united monarchy under the terms of the Edict of Nantes in 1598. Spain escaped civil strife and remained firmly Catholic.Spain’s American empire provided immense wealth, but Spain failed to subdue Protestant nationalism in the Netherlands and suffered defeat of its Armada naval fleet at the hands of the English. As a result, Spain’s position in international affairs declined. Unlike the French, the English managed to avoid civil war under the inspired leadership of Queen Elizabeth I. In Germany, the original center of the Reformation, Lutherans and Catholics had come to tolerate each other. But in the early seventeenth century the temporary compromises collapsed. The resulting free-for-all, known as the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648), consumed much of Europe’s energies until it was resolved in the Peace of Westphalia. ———————– Elizabeth I 4th, Queen Mary I 2nd, Queen Edward VI 1st, King Henry VIII King

Stigma, Discrimination And The Concept Of Social Exclusion The WritePass Journal

Stigma, Discrimination And The Concept Of Social Exclusion Abstract Stigma, Discrimination And The Concept Of Social Exclusion ). As noted by Goffman (1963), stigmatized individuals may accept the negative labels placed on them resulting in self-stigma which manifests in many ways including shame, self-hatred and self-isolation. Similarly, HIV/AIDs related stigma is reported to have severe implications on the stigmatized person. The onset of HIV and AIDS during the early 1980s triggered responses of stigma, fear, denial and discrimination which have, up-to date, been targeted at individuals perceived to be infected (UNESCO 2002). Such individuals become rejected not only by the community but also by their beloved ones. These individuals are also reported as having been denied access to health and education services on several instances. Research also shows that such individuals receive unfair treatment in the workplace. The root causes of stigma related to HIV/AIDS are fear and moral judgement (UNESCO 2002). HIV/AIDS pandemic is associated with fear of causal transmission of virus, fear of living with the virus, fear of loss of productivity, and imminent death (UNESCO 2002). Moral judgment is also considered as the root cause of the stigma. People infected with the disease are often seen as self-blaming, since the transmission of the pandemic is linked to stigmatized behaviour. HIV/AIDS-related stigma remains a barrier to effectively managing this epidemic. The fear of shame and discrimination prevents such infected individuals from seeking the much needed help and support, thereby making prevention and management extremely difficult. The feelings of shame, guilt and the fear of discrimination impedes an individuals willingness and ability to adopt preventive behaviours. This results in delayed help-seeking behaviours. Stigma still appears to be a major issue facing many employers and employees. There is increasing evidence of people being turned down for a job simply because they are infected with stigmatized illnesses. Others have also reported as having stopped looking for employment because they expect to be discriminated against. For example, a study led by Graham Thornicroft found over a third (34%) of the participants as having been shunned by people due to their mental illnesses (Thornicroft et.al, 2007). The study also found nearly a quarter (25%) of the participants as having stopped applying for work because they anticipated discrimination, and another 37% who were afraid of initiating close personal relationship due to fears of being discriminated against (Thornicroft et al., 2007). However, it was found that for those who anticipated discrimination, their experiences did not necessarily confirm this. Nearly half (47%) of those who had stopped looking for work and 45% of those that were afraid of initiating personal relationships because they anticipated discrimination did not in the actual sense experience this (Thornicroft et al., 2007). The study also found that 71% of the participants wished to conceal their illness, raising concerns about delayed help seeking behaviours due to fears of discrimination once their condition is disclosed (Thornicroft et al., 2007). Similarly, a recent survey on 500 leading employers in the UK conducted by SHAW Trust, showed that one in three employers thought that persons with mental illness were less reliable than the rest of the workforce (Thomas 2012). The survey also found that negative attitudes held by employees towards the mentally ill were a major barrier to employing individuals with mental illness. This indicates that stigma is still a major concern in the employment. Implications on policy and practice: There is a current policy spotlight on providing stigmatized individuals with greater employment support. This is largely due to emerging evidence of discrimination of stigmatized individuals in employment. It should be noted that some societies may increase the level of stigmatization through their laws, rules and policies. Legislations such as limitations on international travel and migration and those that include compulsory screening and testing tend to increase stigmatization and create a false sense of security concerns among individuals who may not necessarily be dangerous (EU report 2010). There is, however, a range of standards and policy initiatives which have been formulated to help address problems of stigmatization. The National Service Framework for Mental Health, for example, has incorporated standard services which must be adhered to including guidance on social inclusion, tackling stigma, and ensuring health promotion among those with mental illness (DFID 2007). There is also the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 which prohibits discrimination of disabled individuals in terms of employment, union membership and access to housing, health and education services (DFID 2007). The definition of disability is extended by the DDA 2005 to include people diagnosed with HIV. This implies that people with traits or attributes considered stigmatized are protected against discrimination in recruitment, training, promotion and from unfair dismissal. Such individuals are also protected against harassment and discrimination by colleagues in the workplace. However, despite these policy initiatives, it is apparent that stigma and discrimination is still an issue. For example, in the UK and the US, elaw and licensing practices are making it increasingly difficult for stigmatized individuals to be employed (Gonzalez 2012). Under the American with Disabilities Act, disabled persons can be denied a license especially where such a person poses a threat to others that cannot be reasonably eliminated (Gonzalez 2012). Also, a study by the HIV Law project on professional licensing practices in the US reported over 20 states with requirements that prohibit granting or renewal of license for persons with communicable or infectious diseases including HIV (Gonzalez 2012). Adding to this discriminatory licensing criterion, the study found that science based data was largely ignored, thereby promoting stigma and denying stigmatized individuals employment opportunities. A similar trend was evident in the UK especially when reforms were made to the job and benefit system with the aim of encouraging stigmatized individuals to re-enter the workforce (Gonzalez 2012). According to Laura Dunkeyson, a policy officer at the National AIDS trust, job applicants were often asked about their health status prior to the extension of an offer, which resulted in the exclusion of a number of persons from the workforce (Gonzalez 2012). Moreover, it was reported that, on application of a job by non-disabled and disabled individuals, the non-disabled persons were twice as likely to be invited for the interview as the disabled. Clearly, stigma still exists. However, popular views about mental illness and HIV/AIDS appear to be improving in term of less social rejection. According to a newly released research by Aviva (2012), over 28% of employees in the UK believe that the stigma associated with mental health problems has dropped. This is attributed to the increased awareness and public understanding of mental health issues. This shows that interventions that aim at improve public knowledge can effectively reduce the level of stigmatization. With improvement in public knowledge, people are more likely to recognize features of illnesses and become more supportive for those with such illnesses. Interventions to reduce stigma Efforts to reduce stigma have often been inhibited by the lack of public awareness and knowledge on issues contributing to the stigmatization of persons. Efforts to address stigma have also been inhibited by the lack of incentives/benefits for taking action (DFID 2007). Adding to this, stigma has been perceived as culturally specific and complicated to address (DFID 2007). The following are some important steps that might be taken to address the issue of stigmatization in employment: Stigmatized individuals could be provided with employment initiatives such as individual placement and support interventions (IPS) which is more effective than the traditional rehabilitation schemes (Pinfold 2003). Promote awareness of anti-discrimination legislation in the public (Grove 2012). Promote social inclusion through strengthening efforts to overcoming administrative, legal and societal barriers that prevent stigmatized individuals from enjoying equal and full participation (EU report 2010). Education also plays a major role in addressing stigma and discrimination in the society. It plays a key role of lessening the stigma and can affect change where the law has failed such as changing societal attitudes (Knifton 2010). Supporting meaningful participation of stigmatized individuals in national planning and policy making as well as in other processes (DFID 2012). The government also has a key role to play alongside law reform and national human rights commissions. They may condemn stigma and discrimination both in employment and in the community Ensure promotion and protection of human rights in institutional settings Challenge/address discrimination at workplaces Ensure policy dialogue and policy reform where necessary Increase interaction with stigmatized individuals to help build their confidence and increase their self-esteem Ensure strengthening and building capacity of individuals with stigmatized illnesses through skill building, training and counseling, network building, and income generation (DFID 2012). Ensure interactive and participatory education. This is highly effective as it fosters greater understanding of stigma and allows people to reflect on their attitudes and actions, thereby catalyzing individual change around stigma (DFID 2012). Advocate for policies that promote and facilitate effective rights based approach to addressing stigma related issues. There is also the need to stop mandatory testing except for limited purposes such as blood donations, court orders and epidemiological research. In addition, there is need for the government to emphasize on the rights of privacy of test results, given the recent changes in law in UK which allows insurance companies the right to know test results. Conclusion Stigmatization remains a major issue facing both the employers and employees. People can be stigmatized based on their race, beliefs, obesity, AIDs and even based on their mental health. Stigma has a dramatic, though under recognized effect on the life opportunities of stigmatized individuals including employment opportunities, access to education, health and housing. Efforts to reducing stigma have often been inhibited by the lack of public awareness and knowledge, lack of incentives/benefits for taking action, and the widely held view that stigma is complex to address. However, a few of initiatives appear to be reducing the level of stigmatization. According to a newly released research, popular views about mental illness and HIV/AIDS appear to be improving in term of less social rejection. This has been attributed to the increased awareness and public understanding of mental health issues While there is a voluminous literature exploring the publics perception of stigma, there is need for further research to explore these peoples experiences, the impact on their lives, and ways to addressing these issues. This could help shape interventions and policies for improved legislation. Reference Berzins K.M., Petch A. Atkinson J.M., 2003. â€Å"Prevalence and experience of harassment of people with mental health problems living in the community†. British Journal of Psychiatry 183 (12) 526–533. Briggs, E., 2007. Reducing HIV stigma within the workplace. Brockington I., Hall P., Levings J. Murphy C., 1993. â€Å"The community’s tolerance of the mentally ill†. British Journal of Psychiatry 162 (1) 93–99. Brohan, E. and G. Thornicroft, 2010. â€Å"Stigma and discrimination of mental health problems: workplace implications†. Occupational medicine, vol.60 (6, pp. 414-415 Chevannes B., 1998. Rastafari and other African-Caribbean Worldviews. Rutgers University Press; New Jersey. Crisp A., Gelder M., Rix S., Meltzer H. Rowlands O., 2000. â€Å"Stigmatisation of people with mental illnesses†. British Journal of Psychiatry 177 (7) 4–7. Department for International Development (DFID), 2007. Taking action against HIV stigma and discrimination. DFID EU report, 2010. Promoting social inclusion and combating stigma for better mental health and well-being. European Communities Gale E., Seymour L., Crepaz-Keay D., Gibbons M., Farmer P. Pinfold V., 2004. Scoping Review on Mental Health Anti-stigma and Discrimination – Current activities and what works. Leeds: National Institute for Mental Health in England. Goffman, E., 1963. Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity. New York: Simon Schuster Inc. Gonzalez, C., 2012. HIV employment discrimination still an issue in US, UK. AIDSMEDS [viewed on 27th December 2012] available from aidsmeds.com/articles/hiv_employment_discrimination_1667_22733.shtml Grove, B., 2012. Overcoming stigma and discrimination in the workplace what does the evidence tell us? Centre for Mental Health Knifton, L., 2010. â€Å"Workplace interventions can reduce stigma. In: Mental health, training, education and practice†. Journal of public mental health, vol.7 (4). Brighton Ltd. Link B.G. Phelan J.C., 2001. â€Å"Conceptualising Stigma†. American Sociological Review 27 363–385. MacLean, L., Edwards, N., Gerrard, M., Sims-Jones, N., Clinton, K. and L. Ashley, 2009. Obesity, stigma and public health planning. Health Promotion International Parle, S., 2012. â€Å"How does discrimination affect people with mental illness?† Nursing Times; 108: 28, 12-14 Phelan, J. and Link, B., 2006. Stigma and its public health implications. Mailman School of Public Health, New York. Phelan J.C., Link B.G., Stueve A., Pescosolido B., 2000. â€Å"Public conceptions of mental illness in 1950 and 1996: What is mental illness and is it to be feared.† Journal of Health and Social Behavior 41:188-207. Pinfold, V., 2003. Reducing stigma and discrimination: what works? Showcasing examples of best practices of anti-discrimination projects in mental health. Read, J. Baker, S., 1996. Not just Sticks and Stones: A survey of stigma, taboos and discrimination experienced by people with mental health problems. London: Mind. Stafford, M.C., Scott, R.R., 1986. â€Å"Stigma deviance and social control: Some conceptual issues.† in The Dilemma of Difference, edited by S. C. Ainlay, G. Becker, and L. M. Coleman. New York: Plenum Thomas, O., 2012. Depression stigma stops people getting and keeping a job. [viewed on 27th December 2012] available from wsandb.co.uk/wsb/news/2218175/depression-stigma-stops-people-getting-and-keeping-a-job Thornicroft, G., Szmukler, G., and K. T. Mueser (Eds.), 2011. Oxford textbook of community mental health. Oxford University Press, USA. Thornicroft, G., Rose, D., and A. Kassam, 2007. â€Å"Stigma: ignorance, prejudice or discrimination†. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 190: 192-193 Thornicroft, G., 2006. Shunned: Discrimination against People with Mental Illness. Oxford: Oxford University Press. UNAIDS, 2000, HIV-related stigma, discrimination and human rights violations. UNAIDS UNESCO, 2002. HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination: an anthropological approach. UNESCO/UNAIDS research project. Weiss, M.G., and Ramakrishna, J., 2004. Health-related stigma: rethinking concepts and interventions. Amsterdam Whitley, R., 2005. Stigma and the social dynamics of exclusion. Research and practice in social sciences, vol.1 (1), pp.90-95 Wood, k. and P. Aggleton, 2010. Stigma, discrimination and human rights. Thomas Coram Research Unit Institute of Education, University of London. World Health Organization, 2001. The World Health Report 2001 – Mental health: New understanding, new hope. Geneva: WHO.

Summary Essay -Once more to the lake essays

Summary Essay -Once more to the lake essays E.B White, the famous author of Stuart Little and Charlottes Web, also wrote the person essay Once More to the Lake in which he explores the relationship between father and son. The essay starts off with a father talking about his experiences as a child camping with his father in 1904 on a lake in Maine. During this he gets the great feelings that he once had as a child camping and decides to relive them again. He is now a father who has a child himself which he decides to bring along with because his son has have never had any fresh water up his nose and thought this would be a great experience for the both of them. On his way to Maine he wonders how much different the holy spot may be and if he still will love this place like he used to. After settling into a camp near a farmhouse and getting that summer feeling, he thought things couldnt be much different. He defiantly knew it the next morning lying in bed, smelling the bedroom, and hearing his young boy quietly sneaking out to go off along the shore in a boat. Lying in his bed he starts to imagine his son has him and that he was his own father. He would be in the middle of simple acts such as picking up a bait box or laying down a table fork and he would suddenly get the feeling that it was his father doing these things or saying the words and it started to give him a creepy sensation. The next morning he and son went fishing. He felt the same damp moss covering the worms in the bait can, and saw the dragonfly on the tip of the rods as it hovered over the water. The arrival of the dragon fly convinced the father even more that everything was as it had always been. They both sat their while fishing and the father looks over to the boy staring quietly and sees that it is his hands that is holding the rod and his eyes watching the water. He is confused and feeling dizzy and doesnt know which rod he was at the end of. ...

Agenda Setting Theory Introduction

Therefore the main effect of media in agenda setting is telling people not what to think, but what to think of. The policy agenda is the issues that policy makers consider important after the public start to make campaign or petition to show protest against the organizations. Mass Communication plays an important role in our society its purpose is to inform the public about current and past events. Mass communication is defined in â€Å"Mass Media, Mass Culture† as the process whereby professional communicators use technological devices to share messages over great distances to influence large audiences. Within this process the media, which can be a newspaper, a book and television, takes control of the information we see or hear. The media then uses gate keeping  and agenda setting to â€Å"control our access to news, information, and  entertainment† (Wilson 14). Gate keeping is a series of checkpoints  that the news has to go through before it gets to the public. Through this process many people have to  decide whether  or not the news  is to be seen or heard. Some gatekeepers might include reporters, writers, and  editors. After gate keeping comes  agenda setting. Elaboration of the Theory The Agenda-Setting Theory says the media (mainly the news media) aren’t always successful at telling us what to think, but they are quite successful at telling us what to think about. The power of news media is to set a nation’s agenda, to focus public attention on a few key public issues, is an immense and well-documented influence. For example, newspapers provide a host of cues about the salience of the topics in daily news. They will lead story on first page, large headlines and etc. Besides that, television also consider as a mass communication tool. Television offers numerous cues about salience too. Their opening story is on newscast, length of time devoted to the story and etc. As said by Walter Lippmann, Agenda-Setting Theory is â€Å"the world outside the pictures in our heads†. The news media are a primary source of those pictures in our heads about the larger world of public affairs, a world that for most citizens is â€Å"out of reach, out of sight, out of mind. † Agenda setting is divided into two levels where the first level stress on common subject that media thinks the subject is important. The second level decides which part of the subject is important. Both level leads to the concept of agenda setting where the concept is divided into three parts. The first part of the process is the importance of the issues that are going to be discussed in the media. Second, the issues discussed in the media have an impact over the way the public thinks, this is referred as public agenda. Ultimately the public agenda influences the policy agenda. Furthermore, the media agenda affects the public agenda, and the public agenda affects the policy agenda. People would attend only to news and views that didn’t threaten their established beliefs. Agenda-setting will reconfirms the power of the press while still maintaining that individuals were free to choose. The agenda-setting function is a 3 part-process. Firstly, media agenda is the issues discussed in the media. Secondly, public agenda means issues discussed and personally relevant to public. Lastly, policy agenda is the issues that policy makers consider important. Media agenda and public agenda are close to each other. Media agenda is the set of issue addressed by media sources. It is a composite index of media prominence reveled the importance of foreign policy, law and order, fiscal policy, public welfare and civil rights. While public agenda are issues the public consider important. It is the rank of the five issues was identical to the media agenda. The key concept and terms are agenda setting, salience transfer, gatekeeping, framing, priming and determinants of agenda-setting effects. Agenda setting is giving priorities to alternative policy issues but in the early communications studies, shown a mixture about the ability to influence public opinion on the given issue. Salience transfer refers to the capacity of the media to influence the relative importance individuals attached to the policy. Next is gate keeping is a process that control the media content. Framing is the importance and interpretation of people attach to potential items on the public agenda are strongly influenced by how the media present news stories. Priming happen when framing centers on political loading of the presentation of news, it can be conscious and not conscious. Priming basically mean draw attention to certain issue even in a neutral manner. Last but not least is the determinant of agenda-setting effects. Media credibility or also known as media reliance are found that the determinant is weaker than the media exposure and media exposure are more important than media credibility in relation to presidential state of the union addresses. Application of the Theory In Malaysia, one of the case studies was to examine the Malay language newspaper’s media agenda during the general election. (Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, UPM) The study was conducted to examine the use of the Barisan Nasional (BN) manifesto as the media agenda during the general election for the year 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995 and 1999. A model for the study was constructed based on the Agenda Setting Theory. A content analysis was conducted on 50 issues of Utusan Malaysia (UM) and Berita Harian (BH). Throughout the studies, it was found that there were 11 major themes frequently used in the BN manifesto namely: politics, foreign policy, development, economy, social education, security, religion, workers welfare, agriculture and the quality of life. Above were the main themes in the news during the general election for the year of study. The content analysis also found that there were 4461 news with the BN manifesto shown in 11 major news themes with â€Å"politics† in the lead and the â€Å"quality of life† ending the list. It also showed that the BN manifesto was mainly covered in various sections such as the Local News, Foreign News, Special Column, Main Column, Editorial, Advertisement, Economy, Asean, Forum, Articles and others. While the coverage on News, Articles, Photographs, Editorial, Letter to the Editor, Cartoon, Columnist and Comments also showed the present of BN manifesto. There was also a small difference between the two newspapers in terms of its news coverage on the BN manifesto during the general election. The study clearly showed that the media agenda of the two mainstream newspapers in the country was framed by the content of the BN manifesto during the duration of the general election for the year 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995 and 1999 and thus, strengthening the Agenda Setting Theory. The media institution and politic institution are closely linked to each other and are hardly being separated. Both the institutions are interdependent on each other. In Malaysia, we are practicing the democracy system, thus, media are an important instrument to achieve the democracy level; Media play a role in influencing the public in deciding their votes during a general election, either to vote for the specific individual or the party. Besides, media also take control in the politic process as mentioned earlier in the Agenda Setting Theory. In a democratic country like Malaysia, the process in politics often involve media as a tool to spread the news on certain parties’ issues and frame some of the suggestions or views on certain parties or individuals. In order to achieve a country that is practicing democratic system, the general elections were often used as a measurement tool in testing the level of support among the voters toward a specific party. Personal experience interpersonal communication among elites and other individuals So, the process of general election in Malaysia is a very crucial component in a democratic way. There were 12 general elections being held so far in Malaysia which were in the year 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995, 1999 and 2004. Also, there were 6 Prime Ministers that have involved themselves in became the main politic communicators in every general election that have been done. Every Prime Minister has their own plans in collaboration with the media to enhance their communication through media, and utilized it in a proper ways. Gatekeepers’ influential media spectacular news events Policy Agenda Public Agenda Media Agenda Real world indications of the importance of an agenda, issue or event Figure 1: Three Main Components in Agenda Setting Process In political communication, media is one of the aspects to be deal with. Others include media agenda, public agenda and policy agenda. All these three main components form a process (Agenda Setting Process) by which a complete political communication is carried out where the media were used to disseminate the messages or information to mass audiences. This process is involved in the Agenda Setting Process and has TWO levels: The media agenda affects the public agenda, and the public agenda affects the policy agenda. The communication using media has done by the politicians to publish their views and news or in this case, the manifesto of Barisan Nasional in Utusan Melaysia and Barita Harian in the media agenda. However, there are existence of gatekeepers that may influence the news and events to be published. In the case studies on BN manifesto, the gatekeepers here would be the editor and the owner of Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian newspapers publishers. The purposes of having gatekeepers here is to avoid harmful, negative, sensitive or religious issues being discussed which may cause misunderstanding within the nation According to the research, Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian used media agenda to influence the public, and this has brought the issue to a broader step which is the public agenda, where the public start discussing about the issue. In the case studies, there are some similarities in the manifesto of Barisan Nasional. During the general election, extensive media coverage on the political issues of BN were published continuously especially in the front page of the newspapers being analyzed: Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian. Those issues are similar to the manifesto of BN. Therefore, the public can gain most of the information about BN from the newspaper than the other party. After the public has start discussing about the issue, which is the involvement of BN’s manifesto in both the newspapers being mentioned, there were some activists who tried to support or banned the manifesto. The real world indicator will decide the importance of the agenda itself. Then, through the personal experiences and interpersonal communications among the elites and other individuals, there might be changes in the policy agenda. Finally, the policy agenda causes the media agenda to publish about the news and information all over again. The Agenda Setting Process will be repeated. ————————————————- Strengths and Weakness of the Theory We found that agenda setting theory has three strengths. First, agenda setting theory has explanatory power. Because this theory explains why most of the people prioritize the same issues as important. Therefore, most of the people will discuss the same issues at the same time. They will also concentrate discuss the issues because they think that the issues are affecting them. Second, this theory also has predictive power as it predicts that if people are exposed to the same media, they will feel the same issues as important. For example, if one issue be the headline of all the newspapers for one week, people will feel that this issue is very important and it will affect their life. Furthermore, this theory has organizing power because it helps organize existing knowledge of media effects. There are also weaknesses, such as media users may not be as ideal as the theory assumes. People may not be well-informed, deeply engaged in public affairs, thoughtful and skeptical. Media just tell them what to think about the issues. People just know the appearance of the issues and not deeply engage in the issues. They will also think that are the issues reported correct or the media have hide something bad that they do not know about the issues. So, some of the people do not trust what the media have said. Instead, people may pay only casual and intermittent attention to public affairs and remain ignorant of the details. For people who have made up their minds, the effect is weakened. News media cannot create or conceal problems; they may only alter the awareness, priorities and salience people attached to a set of problems. Research has largely been inconclusive in establishing a casual relationship between public salience and media coverage. Suggestions to Improve on the Theory For communication theory to be adopted by researchers and remain viable, it must be able to survive and grow through its ability to adapt to changing environments, encourage further research, and serve as a foundation for studies beyond those in which the founders originally applied their theory. According to McCombs and Shaw (1972) the result of their study shows that fewer voters knew about specific issues. While they found out that media were often effective in raising awareness of issues with undecided voters. They also found that issues presented by media that were new to audiences were better received by the public than issues with which the public was already familiar. The key factor to the ability of media to have an agenda-setting effect upon their audiences depends on the desire of the viewers to become informed about the issues. For example, when the voters wants to know more about their ideal government leaders the public have to search for more information about the leaders and the party as the desired for them to become informed on the issues instills a strong motivation factors for the public’s. Although the theory may seem to be acceptable but the theory still have its own weaknesses and failure which are visible and need to be improved. For example, while the article concentrate on the presentation of the issues during the election campaigns, the willingness of voters to listen to issues presented by the media, they fail to examine the degree to which mass media is able to raise issues and attract information-seeking audiences on its own but they fail to examine the degree of how the mass media is able to heightened public interest of political issues during election seasons to perform an agenda-setting function. Besides that, the media agenda in agenda-setting theory have their own limitations, as media may not be as ideal as the theory assumes. The information from the media may not deliver appropriately, deeply engaged in public affairs, thoughtful and skeptical. Therefore to improve the theory effectiveness of the theory, the media should increase the understanding of the issues by reporting a more detail information about the election with wide range of information. In addition, the media can also carry out a survey to understand better the level of absorption information of the readers, listeners and viewers. The media should also aware of the public acceptance and understanding of the issues as the agenda-setting theory has its own limitations in dispersing the news. Conclusion In conclusion, the Agenda Setting Theory is a very important practice in media industry especially in a democratic country like Malaysia. The media collaborate with government to control what to be think and discussed among the public. The purpose is to shape their perception over certain issues. It can be from a political issue to welfare issue. This theory proved that whatever issue has been discussed shape the importance of that specific issue and bring to the discussion in the public as in the public agenda. If the public or majorities think that there are some dissatisfactions or objections going on, there will be changes in the policy agenda. Thus, agenda setting is a very important tool in media even though there are still some weaknesses in this practice. So, the media should take in to account to improve their practice by injecting more information not only to a specific area but make it more widely than today in order for the public to have more knowledge about our nation and this may create a more critical thinking nation. References Agenda-Setting Theory – Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw(n. d. ). Retrieved July 30, 2010, from http://www. ninosoriadeveyra. com/uploads/3/0/1/1/3011660/agenda-setting_ justine_kate_gian. ppt. Agenda-Setting Theory: Presentation paper abstracts (n. . ). Retrieved July 30, 2010, from http://realhomepages. com/wecapps/agenda%20setting. htm Agenda-Setting Theory: Strengths and weaknesses of theory (n. d. ). Retrieved July 30, 2010, from http://www. servinghistory. com/topics/Agenda-setting_theory::sub::Strengths_And_ Weaknesses_Of_Theory Garson, G. D. (2006). Agenda setting theory. Retrieved July 30, 2010, from http://faculty. chass. ncsu. edu/garson/PA765/agendasetting. htm Media Tenor Innovatio – Agenda setting theory (n. d. ). Retrieved July 30, 2010, from http:// www. agendasetting. com/res_theory. php M. Sanchez Spring 2002. (2002). Retrieved July 30, 2010, from http://zimmer. csufresno. edu/~ johnca/spch100/7-4-agenda. htm Spring 2001 theory workbook. (2001). Retrieved July 30, 2010, from http://www. uky. edu/~ drlane/capstone/mass/agenda. htm The Agenda-Setting Role of the Mass Media in the Shaping of Public Opinion (n. d. ). Retrieved July 30, 2010 from http://www. infoamerica. org/documentos_pdf/mccombs01. pdf

Balance Score card (BSC), Beyond Budgeting and Economic value added Essay

Balance Score card (BSC), Beyond Budgeting and Economic value added (EVA) - Essay Example Hence, balanced scorecard provides a clear picture of the tangible and intangible assets, human resource, available equipments, customers range and quality, and the plans necessary for the financial growth of the organization. The under-analysis Coors’ case manifestly states that the scorecard can be applied for multiple purposes particularly in the following dimensions: Articulation of vision and mission statements on the basis of the business plans the management maintains in its mind for the successful implementation of the blueprint drawn out before the commencement of the corporate ventures Assessment of the activities and performances of the managers, employees and workers, and conferring of awards and prizes upon the workforce on showing outstanding performance as well as meeting with the targets determined by the management of the organization. Evaluation of success factors on the concrete foundations of the successes made by the company in past as well as the assessment of improvement plans in the projects met with failure or ended in fiasco in past Precise, complete and accurate presentation of all plans, performances, ambitions and targets to the management in few lines, so that they can evaluate the standing of their company without delaying their meetings with clients as well as other high scale corporate adventures (Answer A): Though budgeting is considered to be the blueprint of all financial matters involved into running the affairs of a company or an organization, yet Star Savers appears to be trying to stop the same. There are few specific reasons behind adopting the policy of surrendering from making and implementation of budget from all levels and scales. The company is of the opinion that budgeting serves as the great hurdle on the way to progress due to the very reality that it does not meet with the changing market scenario on the one hand, and is unable to

Unit 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Unit 2 - Essay Example (CFA, 2009) II. There is no single or correct value for a ratio. Normally, the ratio value may be too low or too high in comparison to reference value. Ratios can therefore mislead especially when they are not combined with economic need and management of the company. Therefore, one must consider the products, competitors and the vision of the company. III. It is generally hard to define the goodness- appropriateness of the ratio or its badness. Ordinarily, high cash ratio is historically classified and may be interpreted as a good sign especially when the company is growing, but could also interpreted as a sign that the company is no longer a growth company. V. The inflation also changes companys balance sheet hence affecting the profits accrued from the organization. Therefore, a ratio analysis of one company over time or a comparative analysis of companies of different ages must be scrutinized with understanding (CFA, 2009) I. Free cash flow is the amount of cash that a firm has in the bank at any given time, after all of its bills and payables are accounted for. It is determined on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis. Free cash flow is given by the total cash flow or the earnings with noncash charges added back in, minus capital spending. II. Free cash flow is important in the progress of any business because an excellent indicator of the strength of the marketplace. It normally focuses on the ability to pay bills and the remaining cash invested in growth and expansion projects. It is vital in assessing financial health of the company because it strips away all the accounting assumptions built into earnings III. Free cash flow is vital and it represents the operating cash flow after interest, the cash taxes, and normal capital expenditures. This is the cash flow that is available to a firm or a company used for dividends, debt repayment or the acquisitions of a new business. Investors use free cash flow in

Antigone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

Antigone - Essay Example This study looks into â€Å"Antigone† by Sophocles that is about Antigone’s struggles with what she thinks is right versus what Creon believes is right. They have differences in what morality is about and who should define it. The play depicts the conflict between serving the state’s authority and observing one’s family duties. Creon makes a law that prevents Polyneices from having a proper burial, because he is a traitor to Thebes. He declares: Him I decree that none should dare entomb, That none should utter wail or loud lament, But leave his corpse unburied, by the dogs And vultures mangled, foul to look upon. Antigone, however, is willing to defy the king, so that she can bury Polyneices. For her, her family duties come first before her duties as a citizen. She reinforces her belief to Ismene, who tries to stop her in disobeying Creon: â€Å"At least he is my brother-and yours, too,†¦ I will not prove false to him†. Antigone thinks that the laws can be damned, if it means failing her brother. Another cause of moral conflict in the play is the conflict between duties to the gods and duties to the state. Creon stresses to his son Haemon that the former’s will represents the will of the state or Thebes: â€Å"The state, I pray,/It is not reckoned his who governs it?†. As a result, people must follow him, or else political instability will occur. Antigone undermines the need to obey Creon, when she prefers following the laws of the gods. The gods want the dead to be buried properly, so Antigone says: â€Å"Who traced these laws for all the sons of men;/Nor did I dee m thy edicts strong enough,/Coming from mortal man, to set at naught† ... The gods want the dead to be buried properly, so Antigone says: â€Å"Who traced these laws for all the sons of men;/Nor did I deem thy edicts strong enough,/Coming from mortal man, to set at naught† (Sophocles 495-497). For her, mortal laws are inferior to divine laws. The causes of these conflicts are deaths, where Antigone’s death starts a cycle of death in Creon’s family. When Antigone commits suicide, Haemon follows suit. Then, Haemon’s mother kills herself too. In the end, Creon only wanted to punish one woman for her insubordination, and yet he suffered the most, because all his loved ones died. The main causes of moral conflicts are differences in duties and laws. For Antigone, her duty to her family and the gods are more important than her civic duties. Divine laws are heavier for her than man-made laws. Creon, however, insists on the paramount importance of his laws and civic duties. The effects of his decree are deaths and his unhappiness. Work Cited Sophocles. Antigone. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. . Lesson 4 Journal Entry # 1 of 14 Journal Exercise 4.1: Essay Ideas Before you begin the reading for this section, brainstorm possible essay topics. You can choose any issue, situation, or event that catches your interest. Your textbook offers some general possibilities for topics on page 752. You should list at least five possible topics. Journal Entry Some of the five possible topics I have thought about are: 1) Causes and effects of moral conflict 2) Causes and effects of being an individualist 3) Causes and effects of being a ruler 4) Causes and effects of being a woman 5) Causes and effects of being a tyrant Lesson 4 Journal Entry # 2 of 14 Journal Exercise 4.2: Synopsis

Mass Extinction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mass Extinction - Essay Example A life seen through the eyes of a forever-existing mountain, which has witnessed wonders and ruins forming the current space we are living in today. As a part of this holistic ecosystem, it is our responsibility to respond to the nature’s call. This paper sheds some light on this mass extinction by focusing on its causes to determine the effects brought about by this extinction to find out how man should respond to this phenomenon, and why it is important for man to act quickly. Sea turtles are inhabitants of all worlds’ oceans except for the arctic, and are referred to as marine reptiles. However, they have been listed as endangered, for their reproduction rate is so slow to cover up for its rapid decrease from the ecosystem due to man’s activities that threaten their survival. It is noteworthy that sea turtles play a significant responsibility to two ecosystems that are very important to the turtle’s themselves and to humans too. This is because in the s eas they eat the sea grass that grows on the sea floor. This is very important, for they function to keep them short enough to avail breeding and development locations for many fish species as well as other marine life (Elewa, 34). The sea turtle’s meat, shell and eggs ate so precious and forms one of the main reason as to why man continue hunting them at an alarming rate. This has greatly reduced its numbers as St Catherine’s Sea Turtle Conservation program reports that the nesting levels of sea turtles today are less than one percent of those in 1947 (Leakey and Lewin, 46). This is an immense decline that calls for mans attention to reclaim these turtles. Therefore, to prevent the loss of these creature, fishing nets should be designed a way to allow for escape of turtles because if trapped in the net they are bound to drown. This is because they naturally come to the surface of water to breath, and if trapped, they don’t get the opportunity to do this. Beach development should also be monitored so that they do not encroach more into the water bodies. This is because hatchlings are mostly affected b y light especially during the night. As talked about above, the mass extinction of sea turtles is majorly brought about by man and his activities. It is evident that these moral violations of man as well as their practices are set to drive the sea turtles into extinction. It is important for the public to be warned that this is an impending disaster if nothing is going to be done now. The debate as to whether man is capable of slowing the extinction seems to drag on as some opponents claim that it is too late for man to intervene. This happening as little by little man continues to take down the homes of millions of animal species for cultivation, settlement and other infrastructure, and this has doubled since 1960 (Goodale and Black, 22 ). Therefore, this indicates that more habitats will continue to be reclaimed by man as he continues to sa tisfy himself at the expense of other animals. The current extinction rate in the world over stands at ten thousand times faster than earlier recorded, and the highest for that matter (Garner, 23). Is this the sixth extinction? Scientists are of the opinion that these reductions in biodiversity have already stated having an impact on human life. With the belief that the world is in the middle of a mass extinction, it implies that the millions of people who are indeed contributing to this extinction of animals will face food

Spirituality and Holistic care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Spirituality and Holistic care - Essay Example old among the Australian adults is low (Dick, 2003), it remains a fact that there is a higher probability that individuals who suffer from at least one type of chronic illness may end up becoming partially or totally dependent on other people when performing their own activities of daily living (ADL) such as walking, bathing, dressing, and feeding. The family structures In Australia has significantly changed over the past twenty years. As reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007), it has been very evident that the number of divorce rates had increased whereas the marriage rates had decreased. Considering the high number of divorce, separation, and never been married cases, the number of elderly including the physically and mentally disabled individuals who continuously seek for a long-term care and treatment from the professional nurses has significantly increased over time. Managing chronic illnesses can be very time-consuming and inconvenient on the part of the patients’ family members. (Sawyer et al., 2003) For this reason, spirituality has considered as a principle of practice when rendering holistic care to the patients (Dyson, Cobb, & Forman, 2007). As part of the study, the student nurse will first discuss about the essential nature of spirituality as a core component of holistic care. Aiming to prove that the student nurse has gained a better understanding with regards to the role of nurses in supporting individuals spiritually when taking care of patients who are chronically ill, disabled, and/or dying; several real-life clinical examples wherein nurses should care for the patient will be provided in the study. Caring for the sick individuals is not limited to the administering of medications, symptom management, and personal care. When providing holistic care to the patients, it is essential for nurses to know that their health care practice should be delivered not only to the patient but also the patient’s family members. This

Antigone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

Antigone - Essay Example This study looks into â€Å"Antigone† by Sophocles that is about Antigone’s struggles with what she thinks is right versus what Creon believes is right. They have differences in what morality is about and who should define it. The play depicts the conflict between serving the state’s authority and observing one’s family duties. Creon makes a law that prevents Polyneices from having a proper burial, because he is a traitor to Thebes. He declares: Him I decree that none should dare entomb, That none should utter wail or loud lament, But leave his corpse unburied, by the dogs And vultures mangled, foul to look upon. Antigone, however, is willing to defy the king, so that she can bury Polyneices. For her, her family duties come first before her duties as a citizen. She reinforces her belief to Ismene, who tries to stop her in disobeying Creon: â€Å"At least he is my brother-and yours, too,†¦ I will not prove false to him†. Antigone thinks that the laws can be damned, if it means failing her brother. Another cause of moral conflict in the play is the conflict between duties to the gods and duties to the state. Creon stresses to his son Haemon that the former’s will represents the will of the state or Thebes: â€Å"The state, I pray,/It is not reckoned his who governs it?†. As a result, people must follow him, or else political instability will occur. Antigone undermines the need to obey Creon, when she prefers following the laws of the gods. The gods want the dead to be buried properly, so Antigone says: â€Å"Who traced these laws for all the sons of men;/Nor did I dee m thy edicts strong enough,/Coming from mortal man, to set at naught† ... The gods want the dead to be buried properly, so Antigone says: â€Å"Who traced these laws for all the sons of men;/Nor did I deem thy edicts strong enough,/Coming from mortal man, to set at naught† (Sophocles 495-497). For her, mortal laws are inferior to divine laws. The causes of these conflicts are deaths, where Antigone’s death starts a cycle of death in Creon’s family. When Antigone commits suicide, Haemon follows suit. Then, Haemon’s mother kills herself too. In the end, Creon only wanted to punish one woman for her insubordination, and yet he suffered the most, because all his loved ones died. The main causes of moral conflicts are differences in duties and laws. For Antigone, her duty to her family and the gods are more important than her civic duties. Divine laws are heavier for her than man-made laws. Creon, however, insists on the paramount importance of his laws and civic duties. The effects of his decree are deaths and his unhappiness. Work Cited Sophocles. Antigone. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. . Lesson 4 Journal Entry # 1 of 14 Journal Exercise 4.1: Essay Ideas Before you begin the reading for this section, brainstorm possible essay topics. You can choose any issue, situation, or event that catches your interest. Your textbook offers some general possibilities for topics on page 752. You should list at least five possible topics. Journal Entry Some of the five possible topics I have thought about are: 1) Causes and effects of moral conflict 2) Causes and effects of being an individualist 3) Causes and effects of being a ruler 4) Causes and effects of being a woman 5) Causes and effects of being a tyrant Lesson 4 Journal Entry # 2 of 14 Journal Exercise 4.2: Synopsis

Spirituality and Holistic care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Spirituality and Holistic care - Essay Example old among the Australian adults is low (Dick, 2003), it remains a fact that there is a higher probability that individuals who suffer from at least one type of chronic illness may end up becoming partially or totally dependent on other people when performing their own activities of daily living (ADL) such as walking, bathing, dressing, and feeding. The family structures In Australia has significantly changed over the past twenty years. As reported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007), it has been very evident that the number of divorce rates had increased whereas the marriage rates had decreased. Considering the high number of divorce, separation, and never been married cases, the number of elderly including the physically and mentally disabled individuals who continuously seek for a long-term care and treatment from the professional nurses has significantly increased over time. Managing chronic illnesses can be very time-consuming and inconvenient on the part of the patients’ family members. (Sawyer et al., 2003) For this reason, spirituality has considered as a principle of practice when rendering holistic care to the patients (Dyson, Cobb, & Forman, 2007). As part of the study, the student nurse will first discuss about the essential nature of spirituality as a core component of holistic care. Aiming to prove that the student nurse has gained a better understanding with regards to the role of nurses in supporting individuals spiritually when taking care of patients who are chronically ill, disabled, and/or dying; several real-life clinical examples wherein nurses should care for the patient will be provided in the study. Caring for the sick individuals is not limited to the administering of medications, symptom management, and personal care. When providing holistic care to the patients, it is essential for nurses to know that their health care practice should be delivered not only to the patient but also the patient’s family members. This

City Life Essay Example for Free

City Life Essay Hello! I have a request for you to give me a feedback on my essay. Thanks in advance. Essay on city life see more:city living vs country living The migration from the countryside to city areas is merely a new phenomenon. This is a historic transformation on a global scale that consists of village culture being rapidly replaced by urban culture. Nowadays more than half of the worlds population lives in the cities. The majority of the people migrate of the better employment opportunities, the medical and educational facilities but there are also other reasons like the fun attractions of city life. City life is far more interesting and appealing to young people than rural life with its theaters, cinemas, night clubs, restaurants, shopping centers, places where you can practice some sport and get a professional to help you out with it and all sorts of other things you can imagine. Nevertheless urban life has its disadvantages too.Those ensue from the fact that inevitably life becomes more and more rapid in the city and that results in the way people act. They walk through life hurriedly without noticing the important things in life that are family and nature. They become more and more distant and loose their way to nature which leads to more and more medical conditions ensued by withdrawing from nature. Life in our cities will become more perturbed in the future. The main problem will be overpopulation therefore the streets will become crowded with people, it will take hours to get anywhere. Even if the traveling issues are solved overpopulation will result in many homeless people because there isnt enough space for everybody even if skyscrapers are built to the sky. Other than that new technologies will develop even more and make life easier than today. In conclusion city life is very appealing but its developing rates are harmful for mans survival and future. Future generations will have to solve this problem.

How to Write an English Language Dissertation

How to Write an English Language Dissertation An English language dissertation is a substantive academic piece of writing at postgraduate level – Masters or Doctoral – that aims to defend a thesis or position and, by doing so successfully, contributes original research and insight to the field of English language studies. Understanding how to write an English language dissertation is the first step in achieving the demanding academic objectives of original and significant research in your field. Learning how to write an English language dissertation then, is probably the most important part of postgraduate studies. How to begin to write an English language dissertation. There are two major components to learning how to write an English language dissertation. These are: The planning, research and note-taking phase The structuring, organising and writing phase Understanding how to write an English language dissertation begins with the deceptively simple task of developing a clear and achievable objective within a given topic or area of research. When writing an English language dissertation, the topic will change over time, as research and reading brings to light new ideas and questions, until it develops into a very specific focus based within the original research topic of interest. The planning, research and note-taking phase should begin as soon as possible, but the structuring, organising and writing phase should also begin sooner rather than later. This is because both phases are mutually supportive. It is important to remember that learning how to write a successful and significant English language dissertation requires numerous drafts. With each new draft, the topic of the thesis becomes clearer and directs the student to further research. Both phases of writing an English language dissertation should occur simultaneously. Planning how to write an English language dissertation. The initial planning, research and note-taking phase begins with developing a topic, usually in collaboration with the student supervisor. The supervisor will be the first point of contact and this is where you begin by sounding-out your ideas for a suitable topic. The topic chosen for an English language dissertation will be general, at first, for example you may be interested in the sociolinguistic aspect of the English language. Begin by reading widely in sociolinguistics until you uncover a specific aspect that might come up in the literature, but that has yet to be explored further. This gap in the research is where you may focus your own research project and offer something new in the field of sociolinguistics. For example, a more appropriate research topic would be to consider how sociolinguistic theory of the English language may offer insight into the fiction of migrant novelists. When you have decided on a narrower topic of interest, you must be able to write it up in about eight words. This will be the title of your English language dissertation. Learning how to write an English language dissertation, however, is not just about coming up with a topic and writing about it. A student faced with the task of writing a dissertation must balance two things: theoretical research and practical activity. The theoretical aspect simply refers to reading, research, analysis and evaluation. The practical aspect involves personal and time management, setting deadlines and meeting them. It is important to address the practical aspects of writing your English language dissertation as soon as possible, by doing the following: Develop a draft title for your dissertation Write up an initial reading list Write an outline of the dissertation Set a date for completion of initial reading list Set a date for a first draft Set dates for subsequent research deadlines Set dates for subsequent drafts How to write an English language dissertation with effective structure. Learning how to write an English language dissertation also includes learning about structure. Individual universities and supervisors have their own expectations of how a dissertation should be structured, so in all cases it is best to refer to your supervisor and to your departmental handbook for writing an English language dissertation. In general, however, your dissertation should be structured like this: Title page: Include the title of your dissertation, your name, your supervisors name, and department and course information. Abstract: Summarise the introduction, body and conclusion of your dissertation in around 125 words. Acknowledgements: Thank the people who have been instrumental to you during the writing of your English language dissertation. Table of contents: List the chapters and sections of your dissertation with page numbers. Introduction: Introduce your thesis, outline the scope and structure of your dissertation and anticipate your conclusion. Main body: Present in complete detail your research and reading, respond with your analysis and evaluation of the research, and argue your new and significant perspective. Conclusion: State your response to the original thesis of your English language dissertation and conclude your argument. Remember that your conclusion must present something completely new in the field of English language studies. You may also make recommendations for further research along the lines of your topic. Bibliography: List your sources according to the style preferred by your university. Consult the style guides before doing this. Because this is an English language dissertation you will most likely use the styles preferred by the Humanities, such as CMS, MLA, Harvard or Oxford. Acknowledging your sources is as important as writing and researching, because it shows the breadth of your background reading and accumulated knowledge and avoids accusations of plagiarism. Appendices: Add information that is not necessary to your central argument but may be of interest to your reader for further exploration and research. How to write an English language dissertation with effective style. When writing an English language dissertation it is important to remember that this is a significant piece of academic work, no less than an intellectual and critical achievement. As such, your work must not only be original and give evidence of superior research skills and critical thinking and analysis, but it must also be written with style and quality that is indicative of your flair for academic reasoning. The purpose of writing an English language dissertation is to present your ideas in a clear and concise fashion, using vocabulary that is suitable to your purpose, and executed in an appropriate style to your subject. It is important to write well at both the sentence level and the overall level. Sentences should be grammatically correct and linked together to effectively present your analysis and argument. At the larger level, paragraphs should be organised in a way that allows the argument to flow naturally and logically to its conclusion. The style and quality of your writing is the main tool that will help you showcase your research and critical thinking skills. Learning how to write an English language dissertation in the style appropriate to the field is the best way to exhibit the desired academic ideals of critical thinking and and significant research at the culmination of your studies. 2/ 4