Prewriting Assignment Essay

Times I Saw an Adult Cry I. I was very young when I first saw an adult cry.   I did not actually see an adult cry in person; I saw it on television.   Nonetheless, it was the first time I have seen an adult shed tears.   That night, I was at home with the babysitter when my mother left to run some errands.   I remember that the babysitter tucked me to my bed early and I immediately fell asleep.   After some time, I was awakened by the sounds of people talking.   It was rather loud, and I could hear the voices of a man and a woman in conversation. Out of curiosity, I got out of bed and opened the bedroom door.   At first, I thought that maybe the babysitter had some company. So I carefully walked downstairs to the den, where the babysitter usually stays.   I took a peek and found her alone.   The sounds I heard came from the television; she was only watching a movie.   I remember that it was an old movie, as it was in black and white.   To my surprise, the woman in the movie began to cry.   I was surprised because I have never seen the adults in my house cry.   I thought crying were only for babies and young children.   After that, I learned that adults can also cry. II. When I was younger, my family and I were on a road trip. The trip was generally smooth, until my father decided to take a short cut.   He was driving the car, and he turned left to a narrow dirt road.   It proved to be a wrong decision; the road led to a cemetery, where a burial was taking place.   The width of the road made it difficult to pass through, but the parked cars on both sides of the road made it more problematic. The traffic caused my father to drive slowly, allowing me to witness the burial.   I saw all of the mourners; all of them were dressed in black.   However, a man stood out in the crowd out of his sheer size. As a child, I was terrified of bald, stocky men.   They all seemed intimidating to me. The man in the cemetery was tall, stocky and bald.   Because he appeared intimidating, I did not expect him to cry in the burial. I was not used to seeing men cry, especially those of his size.   I was expecting him to be simply serious but not emotional.   Besides, it was said that men do not cry.   As we drove past the cemetery, I caught a glimpse of him pulling out a handkerchief and wiping his eyes.   He was indeed crying.   I contemplated that maybe the grief over the loss of a loved one may have been too much to bear, that it prompted a seemingly intimidating man to cry. III. Our next door neighbor was a woman with two children.   The woman had fair skin and dark curly hair. She was remarkably thin and was rarely seen at home.   My mother said that she worked two jobs so she could pay the rent and feed her children. I always liked her because whenever she was around, she would smile at me and her eyes would seem to smile too. She had those distinct smiling eyes.   One day, my mother and I went out of the house as we were hearing loud noises from her home. We saw this tall man coming out of her house, dragging the children with him. She was screaming while grabbing on to the man’s arm. She tried to stop him, but her small frame was no match to the man’s physique. The children were shouting for their mother as the man dragged them into the car. The man immediately hopped in the driver’s seat, closed the door, and drove away.   The woman just stood there in the street, her eyes still fixed on the car that just disappeared. A minute later, she bowed her head and covered her face with her hands. Then she began to cry.   Her cries became louder, and soon all our neighbors were already watching her.    I later found out that the man was her former husband and her children’s father. She worked so hard to take care of her children, only for them to be taken away from her.   I never saw her smiling eyes again.   She soon moved out. I believe it was after that incident when I truly began to have respect for single mothers who work hard to take care of their kids. IV. I am used to witnessing marriage proposals on television.   I have seen programs wherein the men would go down on one knee and the woman would then gasp in shock, cover their mouths with their hands and become motionless for a few seconds. Afterwards, they would become hysterical in glee. In the past, I thought that such moments were too emotional.   My opinion changed when I witnessed a marriage proposal firsthand.   I was in a coffee shop with a friend when a couple entered. They looked like the average couple; nothing seemed extraordinary about the two of them. The woman took her seat, while the man went to the counter to order.   I did not pay them much attention afterwards. It was not until much later when I realized they were deaf-mute, when I noticed that they were using sign language. I did not expect a proposal to occur, not in a coffee shop.   So when I saw the man go down on one knee, I was taken aback.   My friend and I watched closely, along with the other customers, as the woman nodded and hugged his future husband.   As the people in the shop cheered, tears were streaming down her face. Unlike other women, she did not overreact.   She was just happy, and her tears showed it.   I guess true love does make people happy, and the happiness does not have to be showy to be expressed. V. One time, I had the chance to watch The Oprah Winfrey Show.   I can remember that the episode featured a middle-aged African-American woman who took care of many children.   I cannot recall if she was married, but I know she had three children.   When the woman’s siblings died, she took the responsibility of raising them as well.   She and the children had to cram themselves in a small three-bedroom house.   She worked several jobs to support these kids, most of which are not even her own.   The problem was that the home was not hers and if she did not pay a certain amount within the specified time, they would be evicted. The woman and the children were invited to the show where they were to receive gifts from Oprah. They were given things they needed; they received new beds, kitchen appliances, and even a van.   However, the biggest surprise of all was when Oprah announced that they would be shopping for a new home. The woman hugged Oprah tight, and wiped the tears running down her face.   I knew the woman was happy because of all the material things she received. Most importantly, I know those tears were of gratitude.   It was not the material things per se that she was grateful for; she was thankful for the help that those things could offer her and the children.   I knew she deserved those things for all her dedication and hard work. Still, she was very grateful.

Oedipus Rex Essay

I believe the main point Sophocles was trying to convey in the story â€Å"Oedipus Rex† was that you have to be accountable for your actions. He shows this by the use of dramatic, situational, and many more different kinds of irony. Sophocles also uses foreshadowing to show how Oedipus needs to be accountable for his actions. Sophocles is teaching his audience an important life lesson. Sophocles shows his audience that you have to be accountable for your own actions. He does this by showing the audience that no one could have stopped Oedipus from fulfilling his life’s prophecy. In the play â€Å"Oedipus Rex† Sophocles tells the story of a man, who is now king of Thebes. He was born in a different land and was told a prophecy that he would kill his own father and wed his mother. When he heard this he fled from the land and came to Thebes where he claimed the throne and became their king. Oedipus is a head strong person. Who often doesn’t think before he speaks, such as when he says, â€Å"And for myself I pray that if he should, with my knowledge, become a resident of my house, I may suffer the same things which I have just called down on others. Oedipus says this not knowing that he himself is the murderer and that he will punish himself. Oedipus also makes judgments and decisions before he knows all the facts. One example of this is when Creon says, â€Å"Kinswoman, Oedipus, your husband, wants to do one of two terrible things to me, either thrust me from the land of my fathers or to arrest and slay me. † Oedipus is so angry with Creon that he does not think before accusing him even though Creon is trying to protect Oedipus. Since Oedipus’ character is flawed it helps support Sophocles’ point of saying that you are accountable for your own actions. This is shown the best when Oedipus tells his wife, Jocasta, that while he was traveling to Thebes he ran into a man on the road who tried to push Oedipus from the path. Oedipus, having a short temper, struck out and slayed all the men in and leading the carriage. This was not a good thing to do in the first place, but what Oedipus did not realize was that the man in the carriage was Laius. Laius was the former king of Thebes and was Oedipus’ biological father. When he killed Laius he fulfilled half of his prophecy. This fulfillment is also an example of situational irony. It is situational irony because Oedipus believed he would be the hero and banish the murderer of Laius from the land. He believed he would end all the suffering, but in fact he was the murderer. Another example of irony that supports Sophocles’ idea that you are accountable for your actions is when Oedipus says, â€Å"†¦ who declared that I was doomed to slay my father? But he is dead, and lies beneath the earth, and here I am, not having put my hand to any spear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is dramatic irony. Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows more than the characters in the story. In which case things said and events in the story take on different meanings to the characters and to the audience. In this case Oedipus thinks he has overcome his life’s prophecy because he did not kill the man he believed to be his father. But the audience knows that Oedipus’ real father is Laius. The audience also knows that Laius was the man on the road that Oedipus murdered. So to the audience this just ads to the suspense of Oedipus finding out that he is the murderer. Foreshadowing also plays a huge role in showing Sophocles’ point that you are accountable for your own actions. In the play, Oedipus Rex, foreshadowing is used in the lines said by Jocasta, â€Å"No. Soon after he returned and found you ruling in Laius’ stead, he pled with me, with hand laid on mine, to send him to the fields, to the pastures of the flocks, that he might be far from the sight of this town. † This is foreshadowing because the audience knows that the man fled because he saw Oedipus, the same man who had murdered his king, ruling the city. Oedipus though only now is starting to question the event in which he killed men on the same road that the Laius was killed on. This is a foreshadowing of Oedipus finding out that he is Laius’ son and that he fulfilled the prophecy by killing his father and marrying his mother. Sophocles was trying to convey the message that you are responsible for your actions because you never know what might happen because of your mistakes. He shows this message in â€Å"Oedipus Rex†. He uses irony, foreshadowing and the flaws in Oedipus’ character to relay his message.

The Man Who Loved Flowers – Short Essay

Describe the setting and atmosphere. The story takes place in May 1963. The summer Is Just around the corner and everybody is smiling to the man in the gray slut because he exudes, he Is hopeless in love with the girl Norma. After he bought the tea roses for Norma, the afternoon turns to evening and the bright atmosphere Is replaced by darkness and gloomy cityscape when he makes his way to he's loving Norma. 2. Characterize the young man HIS hair was dark and cut short. HIS complexion was fair, his eyes a light blue.Not an extraordinary face, but he was beautiful. When he takes his hammer from his coat pocket and stats smashing her, he see he's reel Identity, the series-killer from the radio. 3. What does the other characters think of the young man, and how do Owe learn about it? 4. What news are we told on the radio, and what effect does it have on Dust as readers? It poured out bad news, a hammer murderer was still on the sass. 5. Who is Norma? She is the woman the character buy fl owers. 6. How does King develop suspense in the story, and what element of ;surprise is here? 7. Give your interpretation of the statement â€Å"His name was love† 8.Theme and message? 9. Compare It to â€Å"The Bogeyman – can you find cellmates between the two stories? 10. Compare Stephen King's short stories to Edgar Allan Pope's â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart and consider how horror Is created In the two stories (are there differences)? The Man Who Loved Flowers – Short Essay By hinderer The story takes place in May 1963. The summer is Just around the corner and everybody is smiling to the man in the gray suit because he exudes, he is hopeless in urns to evening and the bright atmosphere is replaced by darkness and gloomy His hair was dark and cut short.His complexion was fair, his eyes a light blue. Not an pocket and stats smashing her, he see he's reel identity, the series-killer from the 4. What news are we told on the radio, and what effect does it have on U s as 6. How does King develop suspense in the story, and what element of Surprise is 9. Compare it to â€Å"The Bogeyman – can you find similarities between the two stories? And consider how horror is created in the two stories (are there differences)?

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

Christianity 1 - Essay Example Poverty no doubt is one of the elements that is widespread in society. Jesus took the initiative to address the issue of poverty. Before Christianity people had different standards that defined poverty. Poverty was considered obviously to be bad and saw a person in poverty as insignificant one. However, Jesus took a different approach towards poverty. Jesus saw this as a test and said â€Å"Blessed are the poor in spirit†. Clearly, Jesus is emphasizing the fact that the poor will reach salvation and have strong faith. Moreover, Jesus goes on to say that being physically poor is completely different from being spiritually deprived. There may be a man who is deprived of nutrition, is exhausted, fatigue but can still possess an ego and have arrogance. However, a person with humbleness and poor soul is modest and will be forgiven for any minor sins. Spiritual poverty was a concept that was heavily emphasized in this sermon, and Jesus constantly persuaded his followers to be humble , modest, and to be compassionate. Jesus was a huge advocate of prayer. This could be perfectly illustrated through his statement in which he states, â€Å"If he prays, his prayer will not be compulsory, but a declaration of love which expresses the inner feelings that come from the heart and not from the lips.† In essence, Jesus is saying that prayers are necessary to reach spiritual salvation.

Obama was right to call for national conversation on race Essay - 1

Obama was right to call for national conversation on race - Essay Example The situation is openly apparent, but it is manifested in sections of society and governance structures that are bias towards some races and ethnicities. The most apparent cases of racial discrimination are exhibited by systems within existing governance structures and the implementation of policy. An example is during the hurricane Katrina incident where government intervention and response was criticized for being below par. This is attributed to the fact that the area that was adversely affected by the devastating hurricane comprised of minority African Americans thus; the governments illustrated prejudice in its reaction to the plight of these affected people. This paper seeks to present an analysis on whether Americans need a national conversation on race. The race issue in the US is exacerbated by the fact that slavery was an already established societal norm that permeated the American culture and traditions. Racism in the US is manifested through various aspects, and it is an apparent phenomenon that those who suffer racism belong to a certain racial background. African Americans have suffered the most severe manifestation of racism because they represent the foundation upon which the issue of race is founded in the US. Majority of slaves in the slavery days were of African origin who were considered second class human beings wherever they went in almost every part of the world where slavery was practiced. Advocacy and campaigning for an end to slavery was met with a lot of resistance because the white enslavers saw this as a threat to their source of cheap labor. African Americans have carried this adage of being second class citizens into the 21st century albeit a bit subdued, but the existence of these should not be ignored. The accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement have worked to establish African Americans as equal members of the US society. Open racism against African Americans is rarely seen or experienced, but it still does exist in vario us aspects of American society and life. The recent Trayvon Martin incident and case in an American court serves to depict that racism is still an emotive issue in American society. This issue comes to the fore every time an African American is involved in an altercation of the law alongside an individual of another race especially a white person. The ruling on Trayvon Martin’s case brought the race issue to the fore especially after president Obama commented on the issue. Obama’s direct reference to the race issue with regard to the Trayvon Martin case illustrated his unique position as bi-racial president to address the race issue and introduce a dialogue in America concerning race. Obama’s prose about race in America elicited diverse views with some citing it as an appropriate moment in his presidency for him to address the issue. Other people saw Obama’s foray into the race during Trayvon Martin’s murder trial as an attempt to boost his approva l ratings amongst the minority groups. The negative criticism Obama received for introducing the race angel in the case should not been. This is because it is his place as an African American president to address the race issue which is in his docket as other before him addressed issues that had affected them personally. According to Gerson, previous presidents had addressed issues t

Alternative Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Alternative Energy - Essay Example United States 1,650,020 5.61 (9) 2. China (mainland) 1,366,554 1.05 (92) 3. Russian Federation 415,951 2.89 (28) 4. India 366,301 0.34 (129) 5. Japan 343,117 2.69 (33) 6. Germany 220596 2.67 (36) 7. Canada 174,401 5.46 (10) 8. United Kingdom 160,179 2.67 (37) 9.  Republic of  Korea 127,007 2.64 (39) 10. Italy (including San Marino) 122,726 2.12 (50) 11. Mexico 119,473 1.14 (84) 12. South Africa 119,203 2.68 (34) 13. Iran 118,259 1.76 (63) 14. Indonesia 103,170 0.47 (121) 15. France (including Monaco) 101,927 1.64 (66) 16. Brazil 90,499 0.50 (118) 17. Spain 90,145 2.08 (52) 18. Ukraine 90,020 1.90 (56) 19. Australia 89,125 4.41 (13) 20. Saudi Arabia 84,116 3.71 (18) (Each Country’s Share of CO2 Emission) The developed countries are believed to contribute the biggest towards global Warming, it is very important to understand about the balance which the Earth needs to maintain, the consequences of disturbing the balance are going to be extreme. It is very important to take pr eventive measures to deal with the same; this especially applies to the twenty countries mentioned in the table. Weather Risks Posed by Global Warming Global warming is posing a very big threat to all the businesses across the globe. Global warming will trigger off a series of chain reactions. For instance, it will certainly give rise to the possibilities of volatile weather conditions and in that case all the major businesses will suffer and post annual losses instead of posting profits. The insurance market will be majorly impacted and in addition to this many other sectors will get adversely affected because of global warming. The question is that are the business... The research paper describes the issue of creating an alternative energy resources due to the increasing effects of global warming, air and water contamination and other factors harming the environment. The developed countries are believed to contribute the biggest towards global Warming, it is very important to understand about the balance which the Earth needs to maintain, the consequences of disturbing the balance are going to be extreme. It is very important to take preventive measures to deal with the same. Global warming is posing a very big threat to all the businesses across the globe. Global warming will trigger off a series of chain reactions. Several countries have experienced a rapid economic growth and as a result of which they are the ones who have consumed a lot of oil and will continue to do so. Some of the Asian countries have been consuming a lot of oil, and this consumption is only going to increase in the coming days. If the demand of oil increases and of the supp ly remains the same, the price of oil increases. The US is excessively dependent upon other countries for oil; this dependence can prove to be very costly for the US. There are other alternatives that can be considered, the best way to eliminate this dependence is to use solar energy. Solar energy is renewable and the best part is that it does not harm the atmosphere. The US government should make significant changes; all the automobile makers should make automobiles that would run on solar energy.

Advertising Journal #3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Advertising Journal #3 - Essay Example While Bruce is chewing, the person watching the advert is asked to decide if Bruce should be ‘deep’ or ‘shallow’. In this ad, Twix is being advertised as a snack at break-time which people can eat while they reflect on life. This type of innovative advertising style appeals to a young target market, ranging from late teens to late twenties, who enjoy the interaction and use computers. Indeed, the characters in the advert are all in their late twenties, so this is clearly the market sector that Twix is aiming to appeal to. On TV this concept was extended over a number of different ads. Although the interactive element was taken away, the tag line ‘Need a moment? Chew it over with Twix’ remained the same. As well as Bruce trying to win over his girl, there was the Bookzone ad, in which two guys are reading a book on ‘How to Score a Hottie’. A beautiful woman approaches them and one of the guys pulls out a Twix in order pause time and decide how to impress her. He turns to his friend, tells him he’s pathetic, and gets to go for a coffee with the woman. In all the TV advertisements, the recognisable tag line was repeated. The ads focused on situations where men, usually in their late-teens or twenties, were attempting to impress women. This style of advertising clearly appeals to the younger audience. It is a fun-loving, goofy approach to advertising, showing that Twix is the candy bar for people with a sense of humour. In this particular campaign, Twix made very little use of print advertising as a way of promoting their message. This is perhaps because the point of the ad campaign is that the Twix bar can stop time and allow the eater to chew things over and this is difficult to portray with a non-moving medium. However, on other campaigns, Twix have made use of the print media. On their ‘two for me, none for you’ campaign, Twix actually inserted speaking advertisements in Rolling

Foundations of Business Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Foundations of Business Knowledge - Essay Example In any working environment, the implementation of management as well as the establishment of communication and relationships becomes more effective if there is a complete understanding of each individual’s traits and capabilities so every working person can be further managed, motivated and developed. Understanding one’s personality and becoming familiar with his or her learning style is an effective means of determining ambivalent qualities that are hard to pin down (Spender & Scherer, 2007). Through the use of self-assessment tests, learning styles indicators and personality tests, individuals are helped in developing self-awareness that is extremely essential when working with any organization (Atherton, 2003). Consequently, companies will be able to support others in achieving self-awareness and working further towards development. They will also be able to improve their level of knowledge of how they can understand and motivate their employees, which will eventuall y aid them to function better in the workplace and even within their personal lives. In turn, these organizations may attain benefits from the improved performance and effectiveness of their employees; desirable outcomes for the organization include increased productivity, enhanced sense of collaboration, and sustained efforts towards self-development. To understand various personality types has been proven valuable for any company as they are able to appreciate their value, strengths and qualities in relation to their contribution to the organization’s goals (Malone, Crowstone & Herman, 2003). Organizational members develop an understanding that their differences are primarily based on their personalities and thus have to find ways of leveraging on such differences rather than allowing these to deter them from reaching organizational goals. Furthermore, aside from managing

Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Final - Essay Example To begin with, The Caddo lived in the Eastern Texas region while the Apache resided in the Great Plains. While the Caddo mainly occupied areas that had plenty of rainfall, the Apache mainly lived in dry areas. The Caddo lived in wooden houses that they built from trees found in nearby forests. The Apache, on the other hand, had no permanent homes and were nomadic in nature. Finally, whereas the Caddo were reliant on farming for their food, the Apache relied heavily on hunting, especially buffalo and deer for their food (Bowen 32). 2. Identify and discuss the responsibilities and authority of an empresario Emperesario, Spanish for entrepreneur, were contractors who were empowered, by the Texan government, to recruit particular family numbers to their territory (Weaver 18). Citizens from Mexico were mostly preferred as empresarios, although most of them were American citizens. These empresarios got land grants to settle colonists that they had recruited. However, they had no ownership of the land. The empresario had the responsibility to survey land, as well as issue title deeds for the lands. Grants to the empresarios extended to the northwest into the Great Plains from the Texan Gulf Coast Plain and across Balcones escarpment. The empresarios accepted to recruit at least 100 families in a span of six years, as well as acting as immigration agents. They were not compensated or paid for their work up front. However, after settling at least one hundred families on the grants given to them and fulfilling their contracts in the process, they got their own land. For every batch of 100 families settled, they were given 22,140 acres pastureland by the state and 885 acres of farmland (Weaver 20). If they were able to settle at least 800 families, they could get compensation, which made them very wealthy. 3. Identify the 3 most outstanding leaders of the Texan forces and Mexican Forces and the 3 least successful leaders One successful leader of the Mexican-American War w as Commodore Matthew C. Perry who was in command of the US Mississippi and the Home Squadron second-in-command. He led expeditions against Laguna, Tabasco, and Frontera that were successful and operated against remnant Mexican, port cities, whereas attacking Tabasco and capturing Tuxpan. General Stephen Kearny was another successful leader who was in command of the Western Army, leading an occupation force against California and New Mexico (Raabe 101). He achieved a bloodless conquest, in August 1846, of New Mexico. Finally, General Andres Pico led an attack on Stephen Kearny’s forces in san Pasqual and dealt Kearny a hard blow. While he was eventually forced back, he was briefly put in charge of Mexican Alta California when the US provisional government was established. One of the least successful leaders in the war was General Mariano Arista who lost numerous battles against General Zachary Taylor and left one of his armies in shambles, ending active field command. Governor Manuel Armijo also made a call to arms that brought untrained soldiers to Santa Fe, whom he sent home after general Kearny prevailed, on him, to give up, retreating to Chihuahua, and leaving General Kearny to take Santa Fe sans a battle (Raabe 103). Finally, General Pedro de Ampudia failed to defend Saltillo after losing the support of the inhabitants and was removed by Santa Anna; this resulted in him becoming an administrator for, the rest of the war. 4. The administration

Should women be able to drive in Saudi Arabia Research Paper

Should women be able to drive in Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example ltra conservative mullahs, the kingdom simply does not issue driving licenses to women, thereby leaving them practically helpless when it comes to the freedom of being mobile. The larger belief that supports this blanket ban on women in Saudi Arabia ensues from the traditional Islamic and tribal customs, as per which, allowing women the simple and plain freedom of driving will not only upset the strict segregation of sexes in Saudi Arabia, but will also expose the Saudi women to more dangerous situations that will dilute the honor of their male guardians and the male hierarchy in the Saudi society, giving way to utter chaos and social confusion. Hence, most of the Saudi women are they the traditional homemakers, or the more ambitious and outgoing career women, many of them having received education in the West are to contend with the feasible alternative of being driven around the town by a male driver. Many a times, many progressive Saudi women have tried to protest against this ban on female driving, only to be arrested and handed back to their male guardians. The situation for women gets even more stifling considering the fact that many other Gulf nations like United Arab Emirates and Kuwait do allow the women to drive. Many progressive Saudi women do hope that the winds of change will eventually sweep Saudi Arabia also. Yet, the bad thing is that irrespective of the multiple changes going on in the Gulf in general and the rest of the world in particular, Saudi Arabia has stood steadfastly to its stance of not allowing the women to drive. In a larger context, this ban on women driving prevailing in Saudi Arabia needs to be understood in the light of the traditional Saudi religious and tribal beliefs and the associated fears and apprehensions. It is not that forbidding women to drive in Saudi Arabia is a constraint that is apart from the traditional Saudi values and norms. Yet, the irony is that these very traditional Saudi norms and customs are totally

Upholding rights of Deaf and Mute Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Upholding rights of Deaf and Mute - Essay Example Up to the early 70s, deaf and mute children had to suffer from the lack of government efforts to extend to the deaf and mute community adequate opportunity to get the same level of education that the hearing is receiving.That meant more than one million children could not attend regular school and were forced to attend special schools that were not sanctioned by the government. That meant school fees went way above what they can afford, curriculum did not match what is required by government, and there was no way on how policies may be questioned. Since many of these families weren’t earning enough to send children to a special private school, they were left with no choice but to keep their children at home with no education. By mid the 70s, the congress finally became aware of this unfulfilled need. A series of laws were passed that were to provide the deaf and mute equal opportunity as the hearing. Different laws were enacted that covered the right that the deaf and mute sho uld have been enjoying in the first place. The following policies were set in place (Lane, 1996): †¢ Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Public Law 94-142 (the 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act) require that every deaf and mute child be given the same opportunity as the hearing to attend regular public schools with all their needs being met †¢ The Public Law 94-142 was amended in 1986 by Public Law 99-457 to provide greater detail on ensuring that deaf and mute children enjoy the same privileges and opportunities as the hearing Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was put in place in 1990 to encompass all the laws and policies that pertain to upholding of the rights of the deaf and mute Despite these efforts, there remain a lot of disparities between what the law is promising and what is actually being provided by public schools. In 1992, the Department of Education started a nationwide review on how public schools are meeting the requirement of the law when it comes to the deaf and mute and hard of hearing. Part of the objective of the review was also to identify the root of the problem on why many deaf and mute and hard of hearing still end up uneducated despite the law’s assurance that they are to be accommodated by public schools (Karchmer, 2003). The Department of Education learned that th e biggest problem of the deaf and mute children that prevents them from getting the same opportunities as the hearing children is communication. Many of the public schools already accommodate deaf and mute children but are not providing these children with the same communication tools that are appropriate for their needs. The deaf and mute communication needs are highly specialised and, when unfulfilled, could be isolating. Worse, the absence of communication tool for the deaf and mute are making them perform poorly in school. It is affecting their ability to learn and develop their skills side by side other children. The deaf and mute and hard of hearing are also finding it difficult to develop relationships with their hearing classmate (Karchmer, 2003). More than one study has already testified that the transmission of knowledge outside of the classroom is critical in the growth of child and in the development of a child’s skills and abilities (Armstrong, 1994; Crossley, 20 00; Curry; 1983; Mills 1959). When there is not enough socialization and interaction outside of the school, confidence and self-esteem also don’t develop enough to give them the willingness to pursue careers that the hearing is able to pursue (Marjoribanks, 200). The Department of Education also discovered that many public schools are not interpreting that laws correctly that are leading to many deaf and mute children being rejected by many public schools. Public schools are imposing the same requirement from the deaf and mute

Pennsylvania School Essay Example for Free

Pennsylvania School Essay It is my fervent wish to attend the prestigious University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine primarily because of the instant respect that a graduate of this 128 year old institution commands and also because I share the university and I share the same mission objectives and beliefs. I firmly believe that my goal of becoming and exceptional citizen who strives to offer the best available, affordable and even free dental services to those in need will be lent a guiding hand by the university. This is because just like the university, I believe that dentistry is a lifelong commitment that requires a lifetime of learning and discipline that will help me achieve my objective of providing a necessary dental care to the people who need it the most regardless of their status in life and financial capability. Achieving this will be possible for me because Penn Dental Medicine encourages their students to undertake dental researches and education that most often thrusts their students into the center of innovative and improved dental care methods. It is my hope that I will be given the chance to join the roster of students of Penn Dental Medicine who have gone on to become leaders in their chosen areas of dental specialization by attending regular classes in the atmosphere of the school that is conducive to students like me who strive for constant learning. Since Penn Dental Medicine encourages free expression, reasoned discourse, and diversity of ideas, I believe that I can only blossom and reach my full intellectual potential while attending this university because I will be allowed to explore my full potential not only as dental student and future dentist, but also as an individual whose rights are respected by the university as well.

VDEC Based Data Extraction and Clustering Approach

VDEC Based Data Extraction and Clustering Approach This chapter describes in details the proposed VDEC Approach. It discusses the two phases of the VDEC process for Data Extraction and clustering. Experimental performance evaluation results are shown in the last section in comparing the GDS and SDS datasets. INTRODUCTION Extracting data records on the response pages returned from web databases or search engines is a challenge posed in information retrieval. Traditional web crawlers focus only on the surface web while the deep web keeps expanding behind the scene. Vision based data extraction provides a solution to extract information from dynamic web pages through page segmentation for creating a data region and data record and item extraction. A vision based web information extraction systems become more complex and time-consuming. Detection of data region is a significant problem for information extraction from the web page. This chapter discusses an approach to vision-based deep web data extraction and web document clustering. The proposed approach comprises of two phases, (1) Vision-based web data extraction, and (2) web document clustering. In phase 1, the web page information is segmented into various chunks. From which, surplus noise and duplicate chunks are removed using three parameters, such as hyperlink percentage, noise score and cosine similarity. Finally, the extracted keywords are subjected to web document clustering using Fuzzy c-means clustering (FCM). VDEC APPROACH VDEC approach is designed to extract visual data automatically from deep web pages as shown in the block diagram in figure 5.1. Figure 5.1 – VDEC Approach Block diagram In most of web pages, there will be more than one data object tied together in data region, makes difficult to search attributes for each page. Unprocessed source of web page for representing the objects is non-contiguous one, the problem becomes more complicated. In existent applications, the users necessitate from complex web pages is the description of individual data object derived from the partitioning of the data region. VDEC achieve the data capturing from the deep web pages using two phases as discussed in the following sections. Phase-1 Vision Based Web Data Extraction In Phase-1 VDEC approach performs data extraction and a measure is introduced to evaluate the importance of each leaf chunk in the tree, which in turn helps us to eliminate noise in a deep web page. In this measure, remove the surplus noise and duplicate chunk using three parameters such as hyperlink percentage, Noise score and cosine similarity. Finally, obtain the main chunk extraction process using three parameters such as Title word Relevancy, Keyword frequency based chunk selection, Position features and a set of keywords are extracted from those main chunks. Phase-2 Web Document Clustering In Phase-2 VDEC perform web document clustering using Fuzzy c-means clustering (FCM), the set of keywords were clustered for all deep web pages. Both the phases of the VDEC helps to extract the visual features of the web pages and supports on web page clustering for improvising information retrieval. The process activities are briefly described in the following section. DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED IN VDEC APPROACH Definition (chunk): Consider a deep web page is segmented by blocks. These each block are known as chunk. For example the web page is represented as, , where the main chunk, . Definition (Hyperlink): A hyperlink has an anchor, which is the location within a document from which the hyperlink can be followed; the document having a hyperlink is called as its source document to web pages. Hyperlink percentage Where, à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Number of Keywords in a chunk à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Number of Link Keywords in a chunk Definition (Noise score): Noise score is defined as the ratio of the number of images in total number of chunks. Noise score, Where, à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Number of images in a chunk à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Total number of images Definition (Cosine similarity): Cosine similarity means calculating the similarity of two chunks. The inner product of the two vectors, i.e., the sum of the pairwise multiplied elements, is divided by the product of their vector lengths. Cosine Similarity, Where, , à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚  Weight of keywords in, Definition (Position feature): Position features (PFs) that indicate the location of the data region on a deep web page. To compute the position feature score, the ratio is computed and then, the following equation is used to find the score for the chunk. (4) Where, à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Position features Definition (Title word relevancy): A web page title is the name or heading of a Web site or a Web page. If there is more number of title words in a certain block, then it means that the corresponding block is of more importance. Title word relevancy, Where, à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Number of Title Keywords à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Frequency of the title keyword in a chunk Definition (Keyword frequency): Keyword frequency is the number of times the keyword phrase appears on a deep Web page chunk relative to the total number of words on the deep web page. Keyword frequency based chunk selection, Where, à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Frequency of top ten keywords à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Number of keywords à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Number of Top-K Keywords PHASE-1 – VISION BASED DEEP WEB DATA EXTRACTION In a web page, there are numerous immaterial components related to the descriptions of data objects. These items comprise an advertisement bar, product category, search panel, navigator bar, and copyright statement, etc. Generally, a web page is specified by a triple. is a finite set of objects or sub-web pages. All these objects are not overlapped. Each web page can be recursively viewed as a sub-web-page and has a subsidiary content structure. is a finite set of visual separators, such as horizontal separators and vertical separators. Every separator has a weight representing its visibility, and all the separators in the same have the same weight. is the relationship of every two blocks in , which is represented as:. In several web pages, there are normally more than one data object entwined together in a data region, which makes it complex to find the attributes for each page. Deep Web Page Extraction The Deep web is usually defined as the content on the Web not accessible through a search on general search engines. This content is sometimes also referred to as the hidden or invisible web. The Web is a complex entity that contains information from a variety of source types and includes an evolving mix of different file types and media. It is much more than static, self-contained Web pages. In our work, the deep web pages are collected from Complete Planet (www.completeplanet.com), which is currently the largest deep web repository with more than 70,000 entries of web databases. Chunk Segmentation Web pages are constructed not only main contents information like product information in shopping domain, job information in a job domain, but also advertisements bar, static content like navigation panels, copyright sections, etc. In many web pages, the main content information exists in the middle chunk and the rest of the page contains advertisements, navigation links, and privacy statements as noisy data. Removing these noises will help in improving the mining of the web and it’s called Chunk Segmenting Operation as shown in figure.5.2. Figure 5.2 Chunk Segmenting Operation To assign importance to a region in a web page (), we first need to segment a web page into a set of chunks. It extracts main content information and deep web clustering that is both fast and accurate. The two stages and its sub-steps are given as follows. Stage 1: Vision-based deep web data identification Deep web page extraction Chunk segmentation Noisy chunk Removal Extraction of main chunk using chunk weightage Stage 2: Web document clustering Clustering process using FCM Normally, a tag separated by many sub tags based on the content of the deep web page. If there is no tag in the sub tag, the last tag is consider as leaf node. The Chunk Splitting Process aims at cleaning the local noises by considering only the main content of a web page enclosed in div tag. The main contents are segmented into various chunks. The result of this process can be represented as follows: , Where, à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   A set of chunks in the deep web page à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Number of chunks in a deep web page In Figure 5.1, we have taken an example of a tree sample which consists of main chunks and sub chunks. The main chunks are segmented into chunks C1, C2 and C3 using Chunk Splitting Operation and sub-chunks are segmented into . Noisy Chunk Removal A deep web page usually contains main content chunks and noise chunks. Only the main content chunks represent the informative part that most users are interested in. Although other chunks are helpful in enriching functionality and guiding browsing, they negatively affect such web mining tasks as web page clustering and classification by reducing the accuracy of mined results as well as speed of processing. Thus, these chunks are called noise chunks. Removing these chunks in our research work, we have concentrated on two parameters; they are Hyperlink Percentage and Noise score which is very significant. The main objective of removing noise from a Web Page is to improve the performance of the search engine. The representation of each parameter is as follows: Hyperlink Keyword – A hyperlink has an anchor, which is the location within a document from which the hyperlink can be followed; the document containing a hyperlink is known as its source document to web pages. Hyperlink Keywords are the keywords which are present in a chunk such that it directs to another page. If there are more links in a particular chunk then it means the corresponding chunk has less importance. The parameter Hyperlink Keyword Retrieval calculates the percentage of all the hyperlink keywords present in a chunk and is computed using the following equation. Hyperlink word Percentage, Where, à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Number of Keywords in a chunk à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Number of Link Keywords in a chunk Noise score – The information on Web page consists of both text and images (static pictures, flash, video, etc.). Many Internet sites draw income from third-party advertisements, usually in the form of images sprinkled throughout the site’s pages. In our work, the parameter Noise score calculates the percentage of all the images present in a chunk and is computed using the following equation. Noise score, Where, à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Number of images in a chunk à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Total number of images Duplicate Chunk Removal Using Cosine Similarity: Cosine Similarity Cosine similarity is one of the most popular similarity measure applied to text documents, such as in numerous information retrieval applications [7] and clustering too [8]. Here, duplication detection among the chunk is done with the help of cosine similarity. Given two chunks and, their cosine similarity is Cosine Similarity Where, , à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚  Weight of keywords in, Extraction of Main Block Chunk Weightage for Sub-Chunk: In the previous step, we obtained a set of chunks after removing the noise chunks, and duplicate chunks present in a deep web page. Web page designers tend to organize their content in a reasonable way: giving prominence to important things and deemphasizing the unimportant parts with proper features such as position, size, color, word, image, link, etc. A chunk importance model is a function to map from features to importance for each chunk, and can be formalized as : . The preprocessing for computation is to extract essential keywords for the calculation of Chunk Importance. Many researchers have given importance to different information inside a webpage for instance location, position, occupied area, content, etc. In this research work, we have concentrated on the three parameters Title word relevancy, keyword frequency based chunk selection, and position features which are very significant. Each parameter has its own significance for calculating sub-chunk weightage. The following equation computes the sub-chunk weightage of all noiseless chunks. (1) Where à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Constants For each noiseless chunk, we have to calculate these unknown parameters, and. The representation of each parameter is as follows: Title Keyword – Primarily, a web page title is the name or title of a Web site or a Web page. If there is more number of title words in a particular block then it means the corresponding block is of more importance. This parameter Title Keyword calculates the percentage of all the title keywords present in a block. It is computed using the following equation. Title word Relevancy; (2) Where, à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Number of Title Keywords à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Title word relevancy, à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Frequency of the title keyword in a chunk. Keyword Frequency based chunk selection: Basically, Keyword frequency is the number of times the keyword phrase appears on a deep Web page chunk relative to the total number of words on the deep web page. In our work, the top-K keywords of each and every chunk were selected and then their frequencies were calculated. The parameter keyword frequency based chunk selection calculates for all sub-chunks and is computed using the following equation. Keyword Frequency based chunk selection (3) Where, à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Frequency of top ten keywords à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Keyword Frequency based chunk selection à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Number of Top-K Keywords Position features (PFs): Generally, these data regions are always centered horizontally and for calculating, we need the ratio of the size of the data region to the size of the whole deep Web page instead of the actual size. In our experiments, the threshold of the ratio is set at 0.7, that is, if the ratio of the horizontally centered region is greater than or equal to 0.7, then the region is recognized as the data region. The parameter position features calculate the important sub chunk from all sub chunks and is computed using the following equation. (4) Where, à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Position features Thus, we have obtained the values of, and by substituting the above mentioned equation. By substituting the values of , and in eq.1, we obtain the sub-chunk weightage. Chunk Weightage for Main Chunk: We have obtained sub-chunk weightage of all noiseless chunks from the above process. Then, the main chunks weightage are selected from the following equation (5) Where,à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Sub-chunk weightage of Main-chunk. à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Constant, à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Main chunk weightage. Thus, finally we obtain a set of important chunks and we extract the keywords from the above obtained important chunks for effective web document clustering mining. Algorithm-1 : Clustering Approach PHASE-2 – DEEP WEB DOCUMENT CLUSTERING USING FCM Let DB be a dataset of web documents, where the set of keywords is denoted by . Let X={x1, x2, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦, xN} is the set of N web documents, where, xi={ xi1,xi2,†¦.,xin}. Each xij(i=1,†¦.,N;j=1,†¦.,n) corresponds to the frequency of keyword xi on web document. Fuzzy c-means [29] partitions set of web documents indimensional space into fuzzy clusters with cluster centers or centroids. The fuzzy clustering of keywords is described by a fuzzy matrix with n rows and c columns in which n is the number of keywords and c is the number of clusters. , the element in the row and column in, indicates the degree of association or membership function of the object with the cluster. The characters of are as follows: (6) (7) (8) The objective function of FCM algorithm is to minimize the Eq. (9): (9) Where (10) in which, m(m >1) is a scalar termed the weighting exponent and controls the fuzziness of the resulting clusters and dij is the Euclidian distance from key to the cluster center zip. The zj, centroid of the jth cluster, is obtained using Eq. (11) (11) The FCM algorithm is iterative and can be stated as in Algorithm-2. Algorithm-2 : Fuzzy c-means Approach Experimental Setup The experimental results of the proposed method for vision-based deep web data extraction for web document clustering are presented in this section. The proposed approach has been implemented in Java (jdk 1.6) and the experimentation is performed on a 3.0 GHz Pentium PC machine with 2 GB main memory. For experimentation, we have taken many deep web pages which contained all the noises such as Navigation bars, Panels and Frames, Page Headers and Footers, Copyright and Privacy Notices, Advertisements and Other Uninteresting Data. These pages are then applied to the proposed method for removing the different noises. The removal of noise blocks and extracting of useful content chunks are explained in this sub-section. Finally, extracting the useful con

Challenges Faced By Abbasid

Challenges Faced By Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate ruled over the Islamic world, making it one of the influential and longest Islamic dynasties. During the rule of Umayyad, the Abbasids came in a rebellion with the help of coalition of various forces which were unhappy with the rule of Umayyad. Once the Abbasids were in power they continued with many policies that were built by Umayyad. One thing that made unique the Abbasids than the Umayyads was that the Abbasids embrace Persian culture and moved the capital to the new city to the Baghdad while the Abbasid had grown and faced rise as well as fall in the caliphate that are linked to diversity in terms of ethnicities and culture as their openness to Non Muslims also. This period is considered as the most successful and golden age for the Islamic culture. Challenges Faced: In context of fall or challenges faced by Abbasid, author Nigel D. Furlong states that With Kharijite tensions in the government, the rise of the Saffarids, Shiite enemies, and the emerging Qarmatiyyuns, the Abbasid state could not devote the resources necessary to deal with the Zanj revolt until ten years after the Zanj began their military and economic campaign (Rise and Fall, 2008). Under the influence of Abbasids, Baghdad was developed and became the most cultured and the leading city in the world. The literature, art and science were developed under the sponsorship of Caliph Harun al- Rashid and his son, Al-Mamun that created the House of Wisdom. The House of Wisdom was accountable for the translation of knowledge in Arabic from all around the world. With the implementation of such policies, the Abbasids oversaw an Islamic golden age where the learning of many civilizations was expanded and preserved upon. A number of practical innovations took place in different fields such as art, culture, and technical but major improvement was noticed in the field of agriculture. Many new techniques and methods were implemented in order to reduce the labor needs. At the same time, import and export trade process was enhanced and such Islamic innovation continued even as the government of Abbasid fell into the confusion. Gradually, under the governorship of Emirs and of mil itary that controlled the caliphs, Abbasid power became weakened and began to face several challenges (The Abbasid Dynasty: The Golden Age of Islamic Civilization). During the period of early ninth century, by the time of Caliph Al-Radi, the Abbasid Caliphate was succeeded and thrived despite of having multiethnic and massive empire because of several capable advisors and caliphs. So, the major challenge the Abbasid faced was the multiethnic and massive empire. At the same time, Abbasid faced challenges of revolts from the North Africa and Persia and Harun Al- Rashid was removed from power by the Persian Barmakid family which was supposed to be source of many great advisors. After this event his son Al- Mamun continued with the caliphate (The Abbasid Dynasty: The Golden Age of Islamic Civilization). Al- Mamun tested and adopted mihna and Mutazili technology in their caliphate which was influenced by the Greek philosophy. It was compulsory to follow the theory or else they could be imprisoned or killed. It leads to the divisions between the Islamic people and Islamic sovereign that was exacerbate by his creation of his army only. The Persian governor ruled as a king and set up his own dynasty however he continued to identify the Abbasid. This continuation of trend of impendent governors as well as the cost of running massive empire and maintaining a large bureaucracy became major challenges for the Abbasid caliphate (The Abbasid Dynasty: The Golden Age of Islamic Civilization). To overcome with all such challenges, the caliphs granted tax-farms to military commanders and governors and Al-Mutasim expanded its own army called Ghilman. These slaves tried to rule over the people of Baghdad that resulted in the riots and anger of the citizens. Instead of trying to solve the situation, the caliphate moved capital from Baghdad to Samarra. This step was not accurate and the capital moved back to Baghdad by Caliph Al-Muwaffaq who guided the caliphate to new prosperity and hence, Abbasid power gained a new lease on life (The Abbasid Dynasty: The Golden Age of Islamic Civilization). Impact Of Their Rise To Power: The rise of Abbasid was very impactful not only to Muslims but also to neighboring Non-Muslim states. The major important factor in their caliphate was its openness to the people; previously which was subject to the rejection by the Umayyad Caliphate. The rise of the Abbasid Caliphate greatly enriched every field such as agriculture, trade, natural science, literature, astronomy, chemistry as well as mathematics (Rise and Fall, 2008). In context of the cultural values Amira K. Bennison states in his book The Golden Age of the Abbasid Empire that the rulers of Abbasids nurtured the civilized values in their caliphate which western civilizations so often claim to represent and inculcated (Bennison, 2009). During that period, Abbasids were trying to advance all sectors of the economy mostly due to the efforts of Muslim Persians working in those respective fields. In the beginning of their rule many different aspects of Quran were also flourished because of the new idea proposed by the Muslims as well as Non Muslims of the state. The openness strategy of their community lead to the innovation in technology with the implementation of new methods and ideas so that they overcome with their Arabian and Non Arabian counterparts and it reshaped industries into more effective and wealth producing industries (Rise and Fall, 2008). Under the rule of Harun al- Rashid, Baghdad became the most important centre for philosophy, science, education, medicine and the literature. It share contacts and borders with many distant empires to collect, migrate, expand and translate knowledge of other civilizations like Indians, Persians, Greeks, Chinese and Romans. The Indian numerals which have become standard in the western world and in the Islamic were aided in the scientific discoveries and mathematics. Other Scholars such as Al- Biruni and Abu Nasar Mansur made contribution in the development of the astronomy and geometry while Al-Kindi synthesized Greek philosophy and revolutionized mathematics with Islamic thought. Many important innovations were taken place in the region which was important reason for the growth and development and hence, today this period is known as the Islamic Golden Age. This impacted innovation and development in the Muslim as well as in the Non Muslim states. The process of imports and exports w ere enhanced with new ideas, rules, laws and policies. Literatures were developed with the contribution of many scholars and writers in all subjects such as mathematics, astronomy, economics or science. Similarly, improved method of agriculture, advanced farming and crop techniques was implemented that reduced the need for labor and increased the productivity that ultimately enhanced economic situation of the region and also of the neighboring region (The Abbasid Dynasty: The Golden Age of Islamic Civilization).

Rain Main Essay -- Film Movies

Rain Main Rain Man, a film about an exceptional person, portrays the life of Raymond Babbot and his struggle to be understood and loved by his brother Charlie Babbot. This academy award-winning drama stars two incredibly talented actors - Tom Cruise (Charlie) and Dustin Hoffman (Raymond). These two brothers, separated at a young age by Raymond’s exceptional condition, find themselves later in life brought together by their father’s death. The movie grabs the heart of it’s audience in an attempt to bring together the life of the â€Å"exceptional† person with that of the â€Å"normal† mainstream life. The Rain Man drama begins with a young man (Charlie) sorting through his acceptance with his father’s death, or shall I say basically waiting to find out exactly what his inheritance may be. The Babbot family never really had a history of â€Å"togetherness† as Charlie and Raymond’s mother lost her life at their young age and while Charlie was three Raymond was sent off to WallBrook, a facility meeting the needs of exceptional people. As the inheritance is read to Charlie, he finds himself left with only a Buick convertible and a rose bush, while the rest of his father’s $3.5 million estate was left to a trustee (a director at the WallBrook facilities). Distraught with the idea that someone else has the money that Charlie needs, he heads off to meet with the trustee at WallBrook. Once there, Charlie Babbot finds himself not helped at all and upon leaving meets the genius...

Biography of Ferdinand Porsche Essay -- essays research papers

Ferdinand Porsche was born in Maffersdorf, Austria (now in the Czech Republic) on September 3, 1875. At age 18 he found a job in Vienna. While working in Vienna he audited a few courses at the technical university for the only engineering training he ever received. A few years later he took his first job in the automotive industry with Jacob Lohner. There he was involved in the design of an electric car, the Lohner-Porsche. That first car by Porsche set land speed records in Austria, speeding up to a remarkable 35 miles per hour. Later he participated in the development of a mixed car using an internal combustion engine combined with electrical power. In 1905 he won the Austrian Poetting Prize as Austria?s outstanding automotive designer. On the strength of Porsche?s earlier work he was offered a position with the Austrian division of the Daimler automobile company (today Daimler/Chrysler) as its chief designer. After several successful designs of early Mercedes he also worked on airplane engines, fire trucks, buses, wind electric generators and even an agricultural tractor. By 1923 he moved to the company?s headquarters in Stuttgart as technical director. There he developed several more very successful Mercedes models. In 1924 the Technical College of Stuttgart awarded him an honorary doctoral degree in engineering on the basis of his achievements. Since his days at Austro-Daimler he had a personal dream of a mass produced automobile which could be produced cheaply enough to be affordable for the average citizen. He made a proposal for such a car to his employers at Mercedes-Benz, but was disappointed that there was no interest at Mercedes for his plan. Irritated, he left the company. In 1931 he founded his own compa... ...h the Distinguished Service Cross. In 1965 he was presented with an honorary doctoral degree by the Vienna Technical College. In 1972 Porsche converted the company into a stock company with shares available to the public. The family, however, retained essential control with family stock holdings and seats on the board of directors. The name of the company was retained, ?Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche? but now with the addition of the letters AG (Aktiengesellschaft: stock based company). Ferry Porsche was given numerous awards for achievement. In 1984 he was presented with the title of ?Professor? by the Minister-Prà ¤sident (Chief Minister) of the state of Baden-Wà ¼rttemberg, Lothar Spath. Porsche remained as the chairman of the board of Porsche until 1990 when he retired and became the honorary chairman. Ferdinand (Ferry) Porsche died at the age of 88 on March 27, 1998. Biography of Ferdinand Porsche Essay -- essays research papers Ferdinand Porsche was born in Maffersdorf, Austria (now in the Czech Republic) on September 3, 1875. At age 18 he found a job in Vienna. While working in Vienna he audited a few courses at the technical university for the only engineering training he ever received. A few years later he took his first job in the automotive industry with Jacob Lohner. There he was involved in the design of an electric car, the Lohner-Porsche. That first car by Porsche set land speed records in Austria, speeding up to a remarkable 35 miles per hour. Later he participated in the development of a mixed car using an internal combustion engine combined with electrical power. In 1905 he won the Austrian Poetting Prize as Austria?s outstanding automotive designer. On the strength of Porsche?s earlier work he was offered a position with the Austrian division of the Daimler automobile company (today Daimler/Chrysler) as its chief designer. After several successful designs of early Mercedes he also worked on airplane engines, fire trucks, buses, wind electric generators and even an agricultural tractor. By 1923 he moved to the company?s headquarters in Stuttgart as technical director. There he developed several more very successful Mercedes models. In 1924 the Technical College of Stuttgart awarded him an honorary doctoral degree in engineering on the basis of his achievements. Since his days at Austro-Daimler he had a personal dream of a mass produced automobile which could be produced cheaply enough to be affordable for the average citizen. He made a proposal for such a car to his employers at Mercedes-Benz, but was disappointed that there was no interest at Mercedes for his plan. Irritated, he left the company. In 1931 he founded his own compa... ...h the Distinguished Service Cross. In 1965 he was presented with an honorary doctoral degree by the Vienna Technical College. In 1972 Porsche converted the company into a stock company with shares available to the public. The family, however, retained essential control with family stock holdings and seats on the board of directors. The name of the company was retained, ?Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche? but now with the addition of the letters AG (Aktiengesellschaft: stock based company). Ferry Porsche was given numerous awards for achievement. In 1984 he was presented with the title of ?Professor? by the Minister-Prà ¤sident (Chief Minister) of the state of Baden-Wà ¼rttemberg, Lothar Spath. Porsche remained as the chairman of the board of Porsche until 1990 when he retired and became the honorary chairman. Ferdinand (Ferry) Porsche died at the age of 88 on March 27, 1998.

Freud’s Psychoanalytic Approach to Psychology

The psychoanalytic approach to psychology is based on the system of psychoanalysis, developed by Sigmund Freud (1859 – 1939). Freud was interested in studies of the unconscious mind and mental illness. He preformed studies to look into human personality, psychosexual development and conducted method of treatments to determine the causes of neurotic mental illness. Freud thought that mental illness was caused by early childhood trauma of which treatment for such illness could only be successful when these childhood memories were dealt with and overcome. He developed his own technique to try and remember and overcome the events from their past that had disturbed their development. He made his patients describe anything that came into their mind no matter how silly they thought it may be. This technique helped Freud determine the cause of the mental illness and encouraged the patient to resurface repressed memories. Freud thought this would help them come to terms with the events helping overcome the illness, which was said to be ‘removing the neurosis'. According to Freud, everything we do, why we do things, who we are and how we became like this are all related to our sexual drive. Childhood sexual experiences will determine our personality in adult life. Freud outlined 5 stages of sexual development. In each stage the libido, the energy from the love instinct, Eros, fixates on different parts of the body, focusing on sexual pleasure on that specific part. Differences in the way sexual pleasure is obtained in each stage will lead to differences in adult personalities. Oral Stage – This occurs from birth to 8 months old when the libido fixates on the mouth. Sexual pleasure is obtained by sucking, gumming, biting and swallowing. Insufficient and forceful feeding can cause fixation in this stage causing symptoms like smoking, eating and drinking to excess, argumentative, sarcastic, demanding and exploitive personalities in adult life. Anal Stage – This occurs from 8 months to 4 years old when the libido fixates on the anal orifice. Sexual pleasure is obtained through stimulation of the anal membrane with bowl movement and withholding of such movement. Fixation in this stage can be caused by how the child copes with toilet training and how they are trained by their parents. There are 2 types of anal fixation. Phallic Stage – This occurs from 3-6 years old, when the libido fixates on the genitals. Sexual pleasure is obtained through stimulation of the genitals. The key event at this stage is the attraction to the parent of the opposite sex together with the envy and fear of the parent of the same sex. In boys this situation is called the ‘Oedipus Complex' and in girls it is called the ‘Electra Complex'. Boys experience ‘castration anxiety' caused by the fear of the fathers punishment for the desire for his mother, which is overcome when his conscious comes to realise that incest is wrong. Girls on the other hand experience ‘penis envy' believing that they once had a penis, but due to castration has lost it. She becomes hostile and aggressive towards her mother who she believes did the castration and a special tenderness for her father. This is overcome when the girl's affections are directed towards other males. The Latency Period – This occurs from 5-12 years when the libido is de-sexualised and directed out into peer group activities. It is a stage where there is little sexual activity and allows children to focus their energy on other aspects of life. Earlier sexual activities are repressed to the unconscious mind and this stage lasts until puberty when their sexuality is re-awakened. Puberty and Adolescence – This occurs from 12-16years when all sexual impulses re-appear. The child experiments with all their previous patterns of sexual activity until gradually leading to normal genitality. After this stage the individual will develop intimate sexual relationships. Freud's theories enabled him to develop a dynamic model of personality. His writings on psychosexual development set the groundwork for how our personalities developed. He also believed that there were 3 different driving forces that develop during these stages which played an important role on how we interact with the world. According to Freud we are all born with our Id. This is a drive that needs immediate satisfaction and does not consider anything else. Like a newborn baby, the Id is present at birth and causes the baby to cry when it needs feeding, changing, and is the babies way of getting its needs met immediately. The second part of our personality comes within the next three years, which Freud called the Ego. As the child interacts more with the world they learn and understand the needs and desires of others. It is the Ego that works to satisfy the Id, as well as considering others. Eventually, usually after the phallic stage of development, the Super-Ego develops. This is the moral part of our personality letting us know what is right and what is wrong. Freud's theories brought with them a lot of criticism. Many psychologists thought Freud's theories were imprecise and un-testable, as in the latency period of psychosexual development all experiences and sexual activities in the earlier stages are repressed. This meaning the individuals will have no memories of these experiences, therefore they can not be proven. His theories were said to be unfair in the way they had been studied. It was based on a small sample of people which were middle class, middle aged Jewish women, most of which had mental illnesses. These factors such as age, gender, culture and mental state should have been considered trough Freud's studies as they could well be factors that also affect the way in which we develop mentally and sexually and could differ from each individual dependent upon these factors.

Observing a Preschool Classroom Bicultural

July 1, 2012 M L HD 351/551 Assignment#5 Book reflection: â€Å"Resolving conflicts at work† Reading some of â€Å"The ten strategies for everyone on the job†, one that I found very important was, â€Å"Why people engage in difficult behavior†, is because, sometimes we judge people by their difficult behavior, and we do not take the time to ask â€Å"Why† they behave that way. For us could seems (senseless) or irrational to us, we ought to find out why they behave that way.Every time we ask an honest, emphatic question â€Å"Why†, we ask may lead to a more accurate description of the reasons they chose to engage in difficult behaviors. Every accurate description of those behaviors can help us to develop a strategy for stopping or discouraging them. One story in the reading is about a group of employees learned this lesson when they asked the question â€Å"Why† one person refused to go along with the consensus and adamantly refuse to accept t he design favored by the rest of the group.Her† difficult behavior† created considerable conflict and criticism, but she held firm, seeming to enjoy the conflict and smiling as she stood her ground. By asking â€Å"Why† and other open-ended questions, they discovered that her real issue had nothing to do with her design of the coordinating committee, but concerned her work team where she had been unsuccessful in raising or solving the problem. Another important point that I read was, that sometimes family or co-workers engage in difficult behavior because they have family problems at home.One example, I recall when I was supervising this person with a difficult behavior, I found out she was having personal problems, I never asked the question â€Å"why†. Perhaps if I would have the knowledge of this book â€Å"Resolving conflicts at work†, it could be easier for me to work with this person. What the author want us to believe is to understand better, why people behave that way, never to blame them for their difficult personally. Moreover, not regarding their negative behavior, but honestly calling attention to the difficulties it creates for us.One of the patterns I have discovered in the reading was that we would find people with this kind of difficult behavior in our job, co-workers and our own families; I read that difficult behaviors start in the family. Some of these difficult behaviors probably began long before we entered in their lives. Another important point in â€Å" The ten strategies† talks about some difficult behaviors people have since childhood, they follow a pattern because no one resolved their conflicts before. Resolving conflicts at work† strategy 7 we also learned how to understand people with difficult behaviors, bust also talks about methods for changing difficult behaviors. By focusing on the behaviors of the others, offering empathetic feedback, ceasing to reward their behaviors, and search ing for collaborative solutions, it is possible for us to shift from feeling hopeless in our conflicts to being strategic about them. The follow methods can help us to become more strategic in our response to difficult behaviors.They developed these methods to support the staff of a large U. S. government agency in changing their focus defining their problems as difficult people and personalities to identifying the chronic behavioral problems within the organization and developing the skills, they needed to address them. These are only a few of the methods. * Surfacing the conflict: They began by interviewing the staff about their experiences with conflicts in the work place.Summarized the main issues and distributed their comments to everyone without censoring or watering them down. They make a list of all the problems that needed to be solved and placed them on the table for discussion, negotiation, and problem solving. * Conflict coaching: It talks about coaching the leadership t eam in the organization on how best to respond to conflicts and the difficult behaviors that created them, how to model openness to criticism, how to be strategic by not rewarding them, and how to reward honest, empathetic communications instead. Teamwork: By having a group conflict resolution session, they assigned everyone to random teams and asked them to read the comments from the interviews. I believed in today’s competitive workplace, your ability to communicate is the most important business skill. After reading this book, â€Å"Resolving conflicts at work†, I am planning to use these strategies when I need to resolve a conflict at work. One of my questions is â€Å"How can we resolve our conflicts with our own brothers and sisters†.

Non-Verbal Communications to Clinch a Job Interview

Individuals communicate not through words alone, but through non-verbal communications, cues and messages transmitted, usually through body language and facial expressions. A great deal of meaning is conveyed by non-verbal means of communication, and when integrated with effective verbal language, can better convey or stress the intended message. Non-verbal communications, though, tends to be overlooked by many people, especially during crucial moments, like a job interview. It must be remembered that the various types of non-verbal communications have a significant impact on the communication process and play a critical part in successful business communications, as they complement oral discourse in today’s dynamic workplaces and other milieus. Non-Verbal Communications to Clinch a Job Interview Conveying a positive message with the right non-verbal cues can spell a great difference in jumpstarting a person’s career, ensuring a smooth and successful career path, and in effectively dealing with others, in general. Five of the most common ways whereby non-verbal messages can be utilized in favor of a person being interviewed for a supervisory position in a business organization are: physical appearance, both of the written message and the individual; body language; space or territoriality; and time.   The physical appearance of written messages, like a job applicant’s cover letter and resume, must follow the formal principles of style, correct grammar and spelling, in professional format and clean printout.   A person’s physical characteristics, likewise, must impart an overall professional look. When applying for a job interview, the person must be punctual and be well-groomed, clean, attractive and well-dressed, but not overdone nor dressed inappropriately. Clothes that fit well, are clean and neatly pressed contribute to a smart aura and show that a person cares enough to look professional on the job.   Clothes can communicate economic status, current occupation, and values, so care in choosing the right key pieces to wear can elicit favorable feedback from others. Postural non-verbal communication will also heighten a good impression, especially during job interviews. A person’s body orientation, arm and leg positions, and general sitting posture can send signals of being at ease, confident, or ready for challenges. Job applicants will do well not to fidget and not to avoid eye contact, lest they be seen as nervous or insecure, and to refrain from making defensive postures as crossed arms and legs that may convey a closed attitude. Occasional nodding, keeping the head up, and using the hands confidently to stress a point may be fine. Cheerful, not exaggerated facial expressions and gestures, like a firm handshake, plus an overall good attitude, may be used to display sincerity, confidence and respect for a position (â€Å"Nonverbal Communication,† 1998). In terms of communicating messages through space, individuals must keep a slight distance from job interviewers — and later on from higher-ups — to signify respect for, rather than an invasion of, their personal space.   Not standing too close when speaking to superiors also signifies respect for their status in the organization. Last but not the least, a job applicant up for a supervisory position must make optimum use of the time spent with the interviewer, which in some way reflects the applicant’s time management skill.   It may also be regarded as a sign that he may not tend to cram work, nor be too exhausted to assume work priorities.   After all, only when a person has time for himself and others can he truly be at his best or most productive. Reference College of DuPage (1998, May 27). Types of Nonverbal Communication. In Communication  Ã‚  Ã‚   ( ¶ 11). Retrieved March 7, 2008 from http://www.cod.edu/Course/MGT100?mgtcomm.htm         

Motivational Strategy and Action Plan Essay

Determine the motivational strategy or strategies that would likely be most appropriate for each of your three employees on basis of their individual characteristics. Indicate how you would leverage their employee evaluations to motivate each of the three employees. Describe one or more of the motivational theories and explain how the theories connect to each of your selected motivational strategies. Team Member Name Summary of Individual Characteristics Motivational Strategy and Action Plan Relevant Theory Tina Engaged Passionate Persistent Inspirational Leader Happy Emotional stable This employee would not really need much motivation, since already in engaged, passionate and is a leader at work. I would suggest that the employee uses an action plan to continue with positive attitude. Also since the employee has passed reviews, to advance in progress with promotions in the company. McClelland theory is relevant to this situation. It relates to this situation because for the most part the employee is happy at the job. Brittany Competitive Good communicator Influential Independent Emotional Quick thinker This employee shouldn’t much motivation since she is so competitive. However we could motivate her to be more engaged and happy at job since so emotional. An action plan for this strategy would be to assign her to do task she is interested and likes to do that are easy and take little thought since she is a quick thinker. This situation relates to the self-efficiency theory because employee is independent. She likes to do things on her own and feels she can. Denise Timid Considerate Neutral decision maker Eager Happy with job Encouraging This employee needs motivation in company involvement in communication since timid and shy. She can demonstrate these skills in an action plan by being more involved in conferences, presentations, and meetings. This situation could be also related to the McClelland theory because for the employee is happy with job, but there is room for opportunity.

Impact of Television on Presidential Elections

Impact of Television on Presidential Elections The Impact of Television on Presidential Elections: The aim of this paper is to look at the relationship between the mass media, specifically television, and presidential elections. This paper will focus on the function of television in presidential elections through three main areas: exit polls, presidential debates, and spots. The focus is on television for three reasons. First, television reaches more voters than any other medium. Second, television attracts the greatest part of presidential campaign budgets.Third, television provides the candidates a good opportunity to contact the people directly. A second main theme of this paper is the role of television in presidential elections in terms of representative democracy in the United States. Researchers tend to hold one of three views about television's influence on voters. Some believe that television affects voters in the short run, for example in an election campaign. Another group of researchers believes that television has a great influence on voters over time and that television's impact on voters is a continuous process from one campaign to the next.Others stand between the two views or combine both. In the last three decades, polls became an important instrument for the media, especially television networks, to determine who wins and who loses the election. Caprini conducted a study about the impact of the early prediction of a winner in the 1980 presidential race by the television networks. He observed that, shortly after 8 p. m. Eastern standard time, NBC announced that, according to its analysis of exit poll data, Ronald Reagan was to be the next president of the United States (Caprini, 1984, p. 866).That early call was controversial because the polls in many states were still open at the time and, in some of the western states, would remain open for several hours. Caprini ended his study with the following conclusion:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Voting for the Republican candidate was completely unaffected by the early call, with precall and postcall districts varying from their normal patterns in exactly the same amount and direction. The Democratic vote, however, declined 3. 1 percent more in the postcall districts than in the precall districts (p. 874). This result suggests that the NBC prediction did have an impact on the election.Additionally, this result supports the impact of the media on political behavior. Some experts argue that rates of voting in the western states are not affected by early projections. Strom and Epstein argue that the decline in western states' turnouts is not a result of the early projections by the networks but is the result of a complicated combination of factors, none of which is related to information received on election day (Epstein and Strom, 1981, pp. 479-489). This argument denies the influence of polls on the voting turnout in the first place, and it denies the impact of media on political behav ior.Other researchers look at the issue of exit polls from a legal perspective. Floyd Abrams, a First Amendment lawyer, supports the constitutional rights of the media and says their exercising of their rights should not be restricted, even if that influences the voters:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once it becomes a legal issue, even people who believe that projections are harmful, or that exit polls are sometimes misused, should unite and say that the law should not be used to stop people from exercising their constitutional rights even if we happen to disagree with the way that they are using them (Abrams, 1985, p. 8). These different viewpoints represent two sides, the public and the media. Few researchers believe that exit polls have no effect on voting behavior. The majority of researchers believe that exit polls and early projections of the presidential elections do influence voters, but they disagree to what extent. The most persuasive reason to include televised debates in presiden tial campaigns is that voters want them.Voters find something in televised debates that confirms their previously held support for a candidate or helps them to decide whom to support. So television debates are now part of the political landscape. However, one expert has written that, even after the Bush-Dukakis debate, thus making four campaigns in a row to include debates, he would not predict continuation: â€Å"there are too many points at which disagreement might scuttle the whole plan† (Mickelson, 1989, p. 164).Stephen Hess in his book, The Presidential Campaign, observes that:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While some contend that televised debates of 1960 and 1976 elected John Kennedy and Jimmy Carter, those elections were so close that any single factor – including debates – could have been said to have made the difference (Hess, 1988, p. 76). Debates give people an opportunity to learn about those who will be president. This is probably the most positive thing to come out of the televised debates. People build their images about the candidates through their stands on the issues. For the 1960 ebates, Katz and Feldman reviewed studies:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As far as issues are concerned, the debates seem to have (a) made some issues more salient rather than others (the issues made salient, of course, may or may not have been the most important ones); (b) caused some people to learn where the candidates stand (including the stand of the opposition candidate); (c) effected very few changes of opinions on issues; and (d) focused more on presentation and personality than on issues (Katz and Feldman, 1962, pp. 173-223). This conclusion shows the importance of â€Å"psychological factors† in voting.As technology develops, researchers try to determine its impact on voting behavior. Technicians use advanced techniques during the presidential debates to get the viewers' attention. The most impressive effect of the presidential debates is its im pact on voters compared to that of other televised political communication in presidential campaigns. In a 1983 study of 2,530 voting-age Americans, ABC News and the John F. Kennedy School of Government noted that voters and non-voters agree that debates are more helpful in deciding whom to vote for than either television news reports or the candidate's own television ads (Kraus, 1988, p. 28). So it is obvious that such debates will have some impact on the outcome of the elections. Presidential debates are controlled by the candidates in several ways: the decision about whether to participate, the approval of areas of discussion, and the refusal to debate without panelists (p. 142). The 1988 debates were actually just joint appearances by Bush and Dukakis answering reporters' questions in two-minute and one-minute segments (Mickelson, 1989, p. 164). The year 1952 witnessed the emergence of the televised spot commercial in politics.The spot is a very short ad designed to convey a spe cific point or image without going into depth on issues or providing much detail. Since that time, spot commercials have been a main part of presidential campaigns. Joe McGinniss, an expert on campaigns, noticed the importance of the political ads:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is not surprising then, that politicians and advertising men should have discovered one another. And, once they recognized that the citizen did not so much vote for a candidate as make a psychological purchase of him, not surprising that they began to work together (McGinniss, 1969, p. 27).The goals of spots are converting the voters and keeping the committed in line. Also, spots can encourage the voters to go out and vote on the basis of their commitments (Diamond and Bates, 1984, p. 352). These goals are related to the short-term influences of television on voting behavior because spots appear in the last weeks of the campaign. They could make a difference in the outcome of the presidential election. The goals ar e also related to the long-term influences of television on voting behavior because young voters today have been raised with television and they perceive the political process through the media.The evidence supports the idea that spots, more than anything else, could make a difference in the outcome of the presidential elections. Sidney Kraus makes this point in the book, Televised Presidential Debates:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It came as a surprise to almost everyone in the broadcasting industry to find a major study of the 1972 presidential race (conducted by two political scientists) concluding that voters learned more about Richard Nixon and George McGovern from political spots than they did from the combined nightly newscasts of the networks† (Kraus, 1988, p. 17).Kathleen Jamieson agrees: . . . political advertising is now the major means by which candidates for presidency communicate their messages to voters . . . Unsurprisingly, the spot add is the most used and the most vi ewed of the available forms of advertising (Jamieson, 1984, p. 446). On the other hand, others argue that spots are not providing the voters good information about the candidates. Theodore Lowi supports that position:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since the brief commercials are built on impressions rather than logic, â€Å"instant replay† benefits the sender, not the receiver (Lowi, 1985, p. 4). Others describe these spots as selling candidates like any other product. These experts ask whether presidential campaigns should be run on marketing principles or political tactics, whether the best candidate or the most telegenic performer wins, whether money can buy enough media to buy elections (Lowi, 1985, p. 65). The emergence of spots has been particularly upsetting to those who believe that political campaigns should inform the voters, not manipulate the opinions of the voters.The growing role of television in the presidential elections and its effects on the public gives rise to an i mportant question: Is this phenomenon healthy for democracy in the United States? Television became an important factor in the election process for several reasons: the decline of political parties, which had been the most important factor; (Wattenberg, 1986, p. 108) developing technology, which provided new opportunities for political television, like spots and debates; and, as a consequence of the decline of political parties, decreasing voter turnout in presidential elections since 1960.For example, only 53. 3 percent of the eligible citizens voted in 1984, the lowest since 1948. This is the same period during which the amount of money spent on televised political advertising tripled (in constant dollars) (Diamond, 1984, p. 352). Experts disagree about how television should function in a democratic society. Proponents see television as part of political socialization, and they believe that voters have profited from the presidential debates and political ads. Proponents do, howeve r, suggest particular improvements in presidential debates.Kraus suggests the following:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Campaign Act of 1971 provides a tax check off to help finance campaigns in presidential general elections, and since the public want presidential debates those who receive funds should debate. Candidates may refuse to debate, but they would not receive public funds (Kraus, 1988, p. 154). Others defend television from a legal perspective. Floyd Abrams defends exit polls as follows:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once it becomes legal issue, even people who believe that projections are harmful . . . should write and say that the law should not be used to stop people from exercising their constitutional rights (Abrams, 1985, p. 8). Opponents look at television as a harmful factor in the democratic process of electing a president. According to one expert, â€Å"The promise [of] television . . . has collapsed in an era dominated by packaged campaigns and avoidance of issues (Mickelson, 19 89, p. 167). Others see the media as the main cause of the decline of political parties, which were supposed to be intermediary between the government and the people in a representative democracy, and they believe the decline of the parties will increase the gap between the government and the people. Also, they see the media as a part of the political elite in the United States.Edward Greenberg noticed this point:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most importantly, the mass media are themselves parts of gigantic corporate empires and, while a few among them may experience an occasional episode of â€Å"muckraking† these media are firmly, in the long run, entrenched in the camp of the powerful (Greenberg, 1986, p. 22). Regulations are necessary to control some of the bad effects of the media, particularly television. Exit polls could be regulated so that East Coast poll results are not announced until the last poll on the West Coast closes. Participation in presidential debates should be r equired of candidates who want to receive campaign funds.Spots should have more regulations than the previous two areas because the candidates use spots to attack each other. For example, in the 1988 elections, George Bush had one spot in which he rode a yacht through Boston Harbor to show that Michael Dukakis is not an environmentalist and which appeared many times during the last days of the campaign (Mickelson, 1989, p. 162). The public got the impression that Dukakis is not concerned about the environment. Spots should be based on facts. This paper demonstrates that the mass media, particularly television, have a great effect on presidential elections.Analyzing exit polls, presidential debates, and spots shows that television does affect the voters and the voting turnout in the United States. Scholars agree on the effects of television on presidential races; however, they disagree on the extent to which television has affected voting behavior and the voters. Television emphasize d the decline of political parties in the last four decades. Although some experts believe television in presidential elections is healthy, others believe it is harmful to democracy, increasing the gap between the government and the people.The negative effects of political television on democracy can be eliminated through regulations. Such regulations could permit political television without its dangers. References Abrams, Floyd. (1985, Spring). Press practices, polling restrictions, public opinion and first amendment guarantees. Public Opinion Quarterly 49 (1): pp. 15-18. Caprini, Michael X. Delli. (1984, August). Scooping the voters? The consequences of the networks' early call of the 1980 Presidential race. Journal of Politics 46: pp. 866-85. Diamond, Edwin, and Stephen Bates. (1984). The Spot. Massachusetts: MIT Press. Epstein, Laurily R. , and Gerald Strorn. October 1981). Election night projections and west coast turn out. American Politics Quarterly 9 (4): pp. 479-91. Greenb erg, S. Edward. (1986). The American political system: A radical approach. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. Hess, Stephen. (1988). The Presidential campaign. Washington D. C. : The Brookings Institute. Jamieson, Kathleen Hall. (1984). Packaging the Presidency: A history and criticism of Presidential campaign advertising. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Katz, Elihu, and Jacob J. Feldman. (1962). The debates in the light of research: A survey of surveys. In The Great Debates, ed. Sidney Kraus.Bloomington: Indiana University Press, pp. 173-223. Kraus, Sidney. (1988). Televised Presidential debates, and public policy. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Lowi, Theodore J. (1985). The personal President: Power invested promise unfulfilled. Ithaca, New York: Cornell   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  University Press. Mcginniss, Joe. (1969). The selling of the President 1968. New York: Trident Press. Mickelson, Sig. (1989). From whistle stop to sound bite: Four decades of politics and television. New York: Praeger. Wattenberg, Martin P. (1986). The decline of American political parties 1952-1984. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Impact of Television on Presidential Elections Impact of Television on Presidential Elections The Impact of Television on Presidential Elections: The aim of this paper is to look at the relationship between the mass media, specifically television, and presidential elections. This paper will focus on the function of television in presidential elections through three main areas: exit polls, presidential debates, and spots. The focus is on television for three reasons. First, television reaches more voters than any other medium. Second, television attracts the greatest part of presidential campaign budgets.Third, television provides the candidates a good opportunity to contact the people directly. A second main theme of this paper is the role of television in presidential elections in terms of representative democracy in the United States. Researchers tend to hold one of three views about television's influence on voters. Some believe that television affects voters in the short run, for example in an election campaign. Another group of researchers believes that television has a great influence on voters over time and that television's impact on voters is a continuous process from one campaign to the next.Others stand between the two views or combine both. In the last three decades, polls became an important instrument for the media, especially television networks, to determine who wins and who loses the election. Caprini conducted a study about the impact of the early prediction of a winner in the 1980 presidential race by the television networks. He observed that, shortly after 8 p. m. Eastern standard time, NBC announced that, according to its analysis of exit poll data, Ronald Reagan was to be the next president of the United States (Caprini, 1984, p. 866).That early call was controversial because the polls in many states were still open at the time and, in some of the western states, would remain open for several hours. Caprini ended his study with the following conclusion:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Voting for the Republican candidate was completely unaffected by the early call, with precall and postcall districts varying from their normal patterns in exactly the same amount and direction. The Democratic vote, however, declined 3. 1 percent more in the postcall districts than in the precall districts (p. 874). This result suggests that the NBC prediction did have an impact on the election.Additionally, this result supports the impact of the media on political behavior. Some experts argue that rates of voting in the western states are not affected by early projections. Strom and Epstein argue that the decline in western states' turnouts is not a result of the early projections by the networks but is the result of a complicated combination of factors, none of which is related to information received on election day (Epstein and Strom, 1981, pp. 479-489). This argument denies the influence of polls on the voting turnout in the first place, and it denies the impact of media on political behav ior.Other researchers look at the issue of exit polls from a legal perspective. Floyd Abrams, a First Amendment lawyer, supports the constitutional rights of the media and says their exercising of their rights should not be restricted, even if that influences the voters:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once it becomes a legal issue, even people who believe that projections are harmful, or that exit polls are sometimes misused, should unite and say that the law should not be used to stop people from exercising their constitutional rights even if we happen to disagree with the way that they are using them (Abrams, 1985, p. 8). These different viewpoints represent two sides, the public and the media. Few researchers believe that exit polls have no effect on voting behavior. The majority of researchers believe that exit polls and early projections of the presidential elections do influence voters, but they disagree to what extent. The most persuasive reason to include televised debates in presiden tial campaigns is that voters want them.Voters find something in televised debates that confirms their previously held support for a candidate or helps them to decide whom to support. So television debates are now part of the political landscape. However, one expert has written that, even after the Bush-Dukakis debate, thus making four campaigns in a row to include debates, he would not predict continuation: â€Å"there are too many points at which disagreement might scuttle the whole plan† (Mickelson, 1989, p. 164).Stephen Hess in his book, The Presidential Campaign, observes that:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While some contend that televised debates of 1960 and 1976 elected John Kennedy and Jimmy Carter, those elections were so close that any single factor – including debates – could have been said to have made the difference (Hess, 1988, p. 76). Debates give people an opportunity to learn about those who will be president. This is probably the most positive thing to come out of the televised debates. People build their images about the candidates through their stands on the issues. For the 1960 ebates, Katz and Feldman reviewed studies:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As far as issues are concerned, the debates seem to have (a) made some issues more salient rather than others (the issues made salient, of course, may or may not have been the most important ones); (b) caused some people to learn where the candidates stand (including the stand of the opposition candidate); (c) effected very few changes of opinions on issues; and (d) focused more on presentation and personality than on issues (Katz and Feldman, 1962, pp. 173-223). This conclusion shows the importance of â€Å"psychological factors† in voting.As technology develops, researchers try to determine its impact on voting behavior. Technicians use advanced techniques during the presidential debates to get the viewers' attention. The most impressive effect of the presidential debates is its im pact on voters compared to that of other televised political communication in presidential campaigns. In a 1983 study of 2,530 voting-age Americans, ABC News and the John F. Kennedy School of Government noted that voters and non-voters agree that debates are more helpful in deciding whom to vote for than either television news reports or the candidate's own television ads (Kraus, 1988, p. 28). So it is obvious that such debates will have some impact on the outcome of the elections. Presidential debates are controlled by the candidates in several ways: the decision about whether to participate, the approval of areas of discussion, and the refusal to debate without panelists (p. 142). The 1988 debates were actually just joint appearances by Bush and Dukakis answering reporters' questions in two-minute and one-minute segments (Mickelson, 1989, p. 164). The year 1952 witnessed the emergence of the televised spot commercial in politics.The spot is a very short ad designed to convey a spe cific point or image without going into depth on issues or providing much detail. Since that time, spot commercials have been a main part of presidential campaigns. Joe McGinniss, an expert on campaigns, noticed the importance of the political ads:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is not surprising then, that politicians and advertising men should have discovered one another. And, once they recognized that the citizen did not so much vote for a candidate as make a psychological purchase of him, not surprising that they began to work together (McGinniss, 1969, p. 27).The goals of spots are converting the voters and keeping the committed in line. Also, spots can encourage the voters to go out and vote on the basis of their commitments (Diamond and Bates, 1984, p. 352). These goals are related to the short-term influences of television on voting behavior because spots appear in the last weeks of the campaign. They could make a difference in the outcome of the presidential election. The goals ar e also related to the long-term influences of television on voting behavior because young voters today have been raised with television and they perceive the political process through the media.The evidence supports the idea that spots, more than anything else, could make a difference in the outcome of the presidential elections. Sidney Kraus makes this point in the book, Televised Presidential Debates:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It came as a surprise to almost everyone in the broadcasting industry to find a major study of the 1972 presidential race (conducted by two political scientists) concluding that voters learned more about Richard Nixon and George McGovern from political spots than they did from the combined nightly newscasts of the networks† (Kraus, 1988, p. 17).Kathleen Jamieson agrees: . . . political advertising is now the major means by which candidates for presidency communicate their messages to voters . . . Unsurprisingly, the spot add is the most used and the most vi ewed of the available forms of advertising (Jamieson, 1984, p. 446). On the other hand, others argue that spots are not providing the voters good information about the candidates. Theodore Lowi supports that position:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since the brief commercials are built on impressions rather than logic, â€Å"instant replay† benefits the sender, not the receiver (Lowi, 1985, p. 4). Others describe these spots as selling candidates like any other product. These experts ask whether presidential campaigns should be run on marketing principles or political tactics, whether the best candidate or the most telegenic performer wins, whether money can buy enough media to buy elections (Lowi, 1985, p. 65). The emergence of spots has been particularly upsetting to those who believe that political campaigns should inform the voters, not manipulate the opinions of the voters.The growing role of television in the presidential elections and its effects on the public gives rise to an i mportant question: Is this phenomenon healthy for democracy in the United States? Television became an important factor in the election process for several reasons: the decline of political parties, which had been the most important factor; (Wattenberg, 1986, p. 108) developing technology, which provided new opportunities for political television, like spots and debates; and, as a consequence of the decline of political parties, decreasing voter turnout in presidential elections since 1960.For example, only 53. 3 percent of the eligible citizens voted in 1984, the lowest since 1948. This is the same period during which the amount of money spent on televised political advertising tripled (in constant dollars) (Diamond, 1984, p. 352). Experts disagree about how television should function in a democratic society. Proponents see television as part of political socialization, and they believe that voters have profited from the presidential debates and political ads. Proponents do, howeve r, suggest particular improvements in presidential debates.Kraus suggests the following:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Campaign Act of 1971 provides a tax check off to help finance campaigns in presidential general elections, and since the public want presidential debates those who receive funds should debate. Candidates may refuse to debate, but they would not receive public funds (Kraus, 1988, p. 154). Others defend television from a legal perspective. Floyd Abrams defends exit polls as follows:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once it becomes legal issue, even people who believe that projections are harmful . . . should write and say that the law should not be used to stop people from exercising their constitutional rights (Abrams, 1985, p. 8). Opponents look at television as a harmful factor in the democratic process of electing a president. According to one expert, â€Å"The promise [of] television . . . has collapsed in an era dominated by packaged campaigns and avoidance of issues (Mickelson, 19 89, p. 167). Others see the media as the main cause of the decline of political parties, which were supposed to be intermediary between the government and the people in a representative democracy, and they believe the decline of the parties will increase the gap between the government and the people. Also, they see the media as a part of the political elite in the United States.Edward Greenberg noticed this point:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most importantly, the mass media are themselves parts of gigantic corporate empires and, while a few among them may experience an occasional episode of â€Å"muckraking† these media are firmly, in the long run, entrenched in the camp of the powerful (Greenberg, 1986, p. 22). Regulations are necessary to control some of the bad effects of the media, particularly television. Exit polls could be regulated so that East Coast poll results are not announced until the last poll on the West Coast closes. Participation in presidential debates should be r equired of candidates who want to receive campaign funds.Spots should have more regulations than the previous two areas because the candidates use spots to attack each other. For example, in the 1988 elections, George Bush had one spot in which he rode a yacht through Boston Harbor to show that Michael Dukakis is not an environmentalist and which appeared many times during the last days of the campaign (Mickelson, 1989, p. 162). The public got the impression that Dukakis is not concerned about the environment. Spots should be based on facts. This paper demonstrates that the mass media, particularly television, have a great effect on presidential elections.Analyzing exit polls, presidential debates, and spots shows that television does affect the voters and the voting turnout in the United States. Scholars agree on the effects of television on presidential races; however, they disagree on the extent to which television has affected voting behavior and the voters. Television emphasize d the decline of political parties in the last four decades. Although some experts believe television in presidential elections is healthy, others believe it is harmful to democracy, increasing the gap between the government and the people.The negative effects of political television on democracy can be eliminated through regulations. Such regulations could permit political television without its dangers. References Abrams, Floyd. (1985, Spring). Press practices, polling restrictions, public opinion and first amendment guarantees. Public Opinion Quarterly 49 (1): pp. 15-18. Caprini, Michael X. Delli. (1984, August). Scooping the voters? The consequences of the networks' early call of the 1980 Presidential race. Journal of Politics 46: pp. 866-85. Diamond, Edwin, and Stephen Bates. (1984). The Spot. 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