Foreign Auto Shop

Running Head: Foreign Auto Shop Final Case Paper jose terrs Submitted To: Dr. torres October 21ST, 2012 GEBB515 – ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP Abstract Many companies around the world have different styles of management. Some companies have â€Å"laid back managers† others have â€Å"drill sergeant managers† both types of managers are like and disliked. Management plays a very important role in any job field. The overall supervision and leadership shown by the management is what I think, constructs a business to a successful business.Every business needs a foundation. Once the foundation is settled, it’s just a step by step dedication with the owner and its leadership trend team. In this case analysis, Alan shows a mellow characteristic of a manger. But when things get serious, he has a â€Å"strong willed go getter manger characteristic†. The owner of the foreign auto shop has a much laid back personality informed to us by the case. Alan has a very we ll wanted leadership phase that many employees look for in a boss.Usual leadership situations in the auto repair shop consist of making sure every employee is doing the right job the right way, but without being to â€Å"on top of them† while they perform their work talent. The owner is also head supervisor of the overall shop. He has 7 employees working for his shop in which two of them (Gil & Hans) are the easiest to supervise due to the fact that they are more experienced in all subjects of the mechanical work field. Along with his other two employees (Bart & Herbie) which are dedicated in to their specific parts of the mechanical workforce.Bart works more on motorcycles, whereas Herbie is a whiz at trouble shooting engine problems. Three other employees require closer supervision by Alan because they are less skilled oriented. By going back to the abstract you will see how a â€Å"foundation† is needed to create a wonderful and successful business. Well Ala n has his overall view of what he is dedicated to, and has built a wonderful and creative team that are focused on making sure the client is always happy. Alan’s typical leadership style is considerately appropriate for his leadership situation.Alan is described to be a less â€Å"on point† supervisor amongst his employees. He knows that they are doing their job. He always makes himself available to on the floor to his employees if they are in need of any help or have specific questions. His fairness and openness have earned him the continuing respect and trust if his employees. Sometimes always being a mellow â€Å"laid back† kind of manager is not always a good thing also because many employees can take that and use it against the management.For example, seeing the manager being easy going and not too â€Å"put forward† can sometimes escalate to the actual employee not accomplishing his work goal and just taking it easy. In this case, Alan shows his dou ble side. â€Å"Things are not always greener on the other side of the fence†. There is certainly something very interesting regarding the cause and effect of running a laissez-faire organization, particularly corporations. Ultimately, when it comes to laid back management, it is not really a matter of whether to be lenient or not.Oftentimes, it is a matter of when to be indulgent, because there are certain circumstances that will cause either an advancement or failure. Laid back management is actually a good strategy. Needless to say, workers have to be entitled with certain rights and privileges. Lenient management is often the core of empowering the laborers. More often than not, empowering laborers proved to boost the overall prosperity of the corporation. Oftentimes this may come into explicit forms of idealistic gestures, such as enabling the worker to make any constructive suggestions regarding the company policies.Some companies find this method too lenient to a point of negligence, but there are those that abide by its format. An example of a popular tactic of promoting lenient management is the establishment of friendly relations with employees, although such a gesture could be taken as an extreme idealism for many traditional types of corporations. In certain ways, friendly relationship between the laborer and overseer would result to easy productivity because both parties could defer to one another and even work together to overcome certain challenges.A friendly relationship is often deemed good like-minded academic school of thought for the simple reason that respect for fellow human beings, especially in terms of their dignity, is a non-negotiable aspect of civil law. Alan’s leadership style during the flood was put out to be his â€Å"Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde† side. When he noticed that the storm was advancing rapidly towards the valley where his shop is located, Alan to be on the safe side went out to roll up the windows o f the clients cars that were in the parking lot waiting to be worked on.Then he noticed that the creek was already rising high and ran back to the shop but got soaked by the rain. His employees laughed at him for: not having enough sense to come in out of the rain. † After 15minutes of hard rain, he realized it wasn’t just a rainstorm, but an actual flood. He ran into the shop and announced in a loud voice that the creek was flooding and instructed all his employees to do certain jobs but nobody seemed to be moving.An employee walked over to Alan and told him, does he really think it’s gonna flood because it’s rained like this before and it doesn’t even reach more than an inch. Alan looks at the employee in the eyes and interrupted his employee by saying in an assertive manner, â€Å"Listen, ad listen good! You and the rest of the crew are going to do what I say, and you’re going to do it now! We can talk later about whether it was a good id ea. † By coming out and managing in this manner, Alan shows himself to no longer be a mellow â€Å"laid back† manager but be an assertive and â€Å"drill sergeant† manager.Another very concrete situation from which laid back management will truly not go as planned is when the corporate heads issue an urgent massive quota on such a short deadline. For instance, bombarding laborers with tasks in streamline payroll processing. If the management allows the workers to have a say according to their preference, nobody would be willing to work with such a given condition. The greatest error of imposing laissez-faire supervision is when it comes to the point that the laborers would feel entitled to defy a corporate order.There is a fine line between liberty and anarchy, and the latter could sometimes result from high expectations that are stifled by necessity. His effective behaviors were implemented as being an easy going manager when things are not a risk or are being d one incorrectly and a serious go getter when he sees that his business is in danger or an employee is performing incorrectly. After the flood subsided his way of management was very well performed by showing each of his employees that he is highly appreciative of each contribution each employee performed while the flood was in effect.Assertiveness is a key component to being an effective manager, and is particularly important when dealing with difficult employees who thrive on testing your boundaries. Why do employees behave badly to begin with? Because the manager who is in authority is allowing them to behave that way, â€Å"laid back† managers Some techniques that can be used to become a more assertive — and, therefore, more effective — manager: Set and communicate clear boundaries and expectations. Managers who fail to clearly define and consistently enforce boundaries are just asking for trouble from their employees. Your employees are not mind readers,â₠¬  Shepard emphasized. â€Å"You have got to clearly, clearly, clearly define what you expect and what you will not tolerate. † The good news, he pointed out, is that â€Å"the firmer you are and the more people realize you don't budge, the less they will test the boundaries. † Hold everyone accountable, even when you don't want to. â€Å"You have an obligation to your company to do the right thing; they are paying you to make the tough decisions,† stated Shepard. You also â€Å"owe it to your good employees not to let problem employees get away with things they shouldn't. Although this can be particularly hard when you're dealing with someone you like or with whom you empathize, said Shepard, â€Å"you are a manager, not Dr. Phil. Don't get involved in personal lives. † Don't stomp on your employees' rights or be disrespectful. â€Å"You don't have to be a jerk to be assertive,† he noted. A dysfunctional, authoritarian manager will be able to ge t employees to comply, but not to commit. â€Å"You want people to commit, because that's how you get your employees to give more than you ask for. † Choose your battles carefully. A smart manager knows that it's better to lose the battle, sometimes, in order to win the war,† Shepard observed. Choosing not to fight a battle you know you can't win is a sign of wisdom, not weakness. Being assertive will earn you respect, but only few know how and when to become assertive. High level executives and managers are generally very assertive. However, if they use their positions of power and authority in order to belittle, intimidate, and control those beneath them, it will cause a lot of trouble and loss of respect over the long term.Employees will begin to resent such executives and managers. Their productivity will eventually begin to fall, and if the dictatorial behavior of the executives and managers continues, it will not be long before the organization begins experiencing a high employee turnover. To avoid this problem, it is important to understand the difference between being assertive and being an autocrat. While some managers avoid dictatorial behavior in favor of being passive, this too is just as bad.The problem with passive managers is that employees often do not know what is expected of them, and they will often take the manager for granted. Employees may violate company policy while working in their department, and they will do this largely because they feel the passive manager will let them get away with it. A manager or executive who is assertive is an individual who maintains a balance between these two extremes. If you are passive or dictatorial, your behavior will have a negative impact on your career sooner or later.A manager who is assertive is an individual who can lead their employees, and they can do it without having to use a firm hand, or raise their voice. Some managers do not understand the difference between assertiveness and aggression, so they choose to be passive. But there is a critical difference between the two. An aggressive manager tends to be an individual who is quick to anger. They will usually bang their fists on the desk when an employee does something wrong, and they have no problem raising their voice or yelling at their subordinates.The aggressive manager will generally treat his employees like children. The problem with this form of behavior is that employees are not children, they are adults, and when you treat adults like children, they tend to harbor a great deal of resentment. The aggressive manager is also quick to criticize the work of his employees. If he sees something wrong with the work of his subordinate, he will be quick to point out all the negative aspects of it, as opposed to the positive aspects. In contrast, a passive manager is someone who is easy to walk over.Because he does not take things seriously, the employees will not take things seriously, and they will often d o what they want despite the company's rules and regulations. The primary reason for this is because the passive manager does not bother to enforce the rules. A passive manager will typically avoid doing anything with his employees that might cause conflict, as they do not want to disrupt the workings of their department. The ironic thing about this view is that those who try to avoid conflict the most are the individuals who are most likely to run into it.While the assertive manager is not aggressive, they make everyone understand that their rules must be followed. In conclusion, changing Alan’s way of managing and supervising shouldn’t be changed because of the way he makes himself available to his employees and thanking each employee for their contributions when the flood happened. Hi manner of managing is what makes his business what it is today. Having his clients respect and trust his provided services.References * Yukl, G. (2008). Leadership in organnizations. ( 7th ed. , pp. 259-257). Upper saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson. * Exforsys Inc. (2009, January 29). Traits of an assertive manager. Retrieved from http://www. exforsys. com/career-center/assertive/traits-of-an-assertive-manager. html * Alexander Hamilton Institute. (2012, April 23). Keep employees in check through assertive management techniques. Retrieved from http://www. businessmanagementdaily. com/19465/keep-employees-in-check-through-assertive-management-techniques * HR system: The pros and cons of laid back manpower management. (2012, October 9). Retrieved from http://hrxpayroll. com/blog/hr-system-the-pros-and-cons-of-laid-back-manpower-management/ * Shannon, E. (2004, December 12). The six different types of managers and

A Study of Aesthetics in the Call of Duty Franchise

Different but the Same: An Analysis of Aesthetics in the Call of Duty Franchise First Person Shooters (FPS) is one of the most famous genres within the gaming industry. It started with titles like Doom, Counter Strike, and now Call of Duty. Nowadays, console and PC gaming is a billion dollar industry. Multiple corporate and independent developers are working day in and day out to supply the market with better, bigger games. However, there are some titles which stand out from the rest, titles that always seem to be churning out one more instalment.One of these stand-out titles is the Call of Duty Franchise. Call of Duty is a series of games that at present, have nine main instalments, and another nine â€Å"lesser† titles to which the only difference is the console on which they are played. By â€Å"main† instalment, this means that the game was released on multiple platforms, which primarily includes PC, Playstation and the Xbox. It all started in October 29, 2003 with the release of Call of Duty. Since then, there has been a Call of Duty release every year, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 being the most recent adaptation, which came out November 12, 2012.The researcher will limit the discussion to the Call of Duty franchise, on the PC platform. To be specific, the four most recent games which include: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. The researcher aims to answer the question: Is Call of Duty overrated as a franchise? To answer the question, the researcher will analyze each game on eight components of aesthetics which include: Sensation, Fantasy, Narrative, Challenge, Fellowship, Discovery, Expression and Submission (Hunicke, LeBlanc and Zubek).In answering the question: â€Å"Is Call of Duty overrated as a franchise†, the researcher aims to educate both himself and his reader(s) on the importance of proper video game analysis. Nowadays, it is common to s ee a game receive a large amount of hype, such that gamers, who expected so much from a game, get disappointed and end up feeling like they wasted their money. It happened to Diablo III, where a sequel was created for the highly successful Diablo II, twelve years after it was released. Many gamers ended up disappointed with Diablo III, where changes to the core aesthetics of the game changed the way the game was going to be layed. These kinds of mistakes by the game industry, although excusable, could have been avoided. Likewise, the researcher will use Call of Duty as an example for this method for proper video game analysis. Hopefully, this will shed light on the matter, allowing both gamers and game developers to better understand the manner by which games should be measured. By analyzing on the different components of aesthetics, it would be plausible to define the franchise as â€Å"overrated† if they do not significantly improve in any one aspect and at the same time, d eliver the same kind of performance in each instalment.Before going into the full â€Å"meat† of the analysis, the researcher would like to delve a little into the components of Aesthetics that will be used in the analysis later on. The researcher wishes to stress that most of the analysis on each aesthetic is based on his opinions, based on the fact that he is a dedicated gamer himself. The nature of the analysis of game design using the MDA format is that it considers both the perspectives of the game developer and the player. A key concept of MDA is that the developer and player perceive the game through opposite ends of the spectrum (Portnow).The player would first experience the aesthetics of the game, the general reason that they are playing it. The developer on the other hand, due to the nature of his work, sees the mechanics of the game, and how they influence the dynamics, and eventually the aesthetics. In understanding the definition of these mechanics, dynamics, an d aesthetics, it could be said that a game is overrated when it may be different in mechanics but deliver the same performance in aesthetics. The First Aesthetic: Game as Sense PleasureThe first aesthetic is defined as the game’s ability to stimulate the senses (Portnow). Be it sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell, as long as the game is able to stimulate the senses of the player, this could be considered an aesthetic. For Call of Duty, the senses that are (if at all) stimulated are sight and sound. As a breakdown of sight, the most important parts is the gun itself, the enemies and the â€Å"set† or location. A breakdown of sound would be the general tone, and sound effects. For all four instalments of the game included in the research, the graphics were generally the same.Advances in technology, greater processing power of consoles as well as computers allowed game developers to create richer, more detailed and crisp visuals for the game. However with this in mind, t he modelling and texture of Black Ops 2 with respect to Modern Warfare 2 is significant. However, visuals are much more than the quality of the image, and have more to do with content. Content wise, there is no difference. The gun itself and other equipment are the same. Why? Because they use guns that actually exist in real life, which means that there is no deviation in model and texture.Since all four instalments are set in around the same time frame, the guns present inside are the same. The enemies inside do not differ as well. Generally speaking, enemies are dressed up to characterize them. This is obvious, but this also means that most enemies will be the same. For example, there are multiple instances resent in all four games that require the player to kill people from the middle-east. Scarves, light clothing and the trademark AK47 have become the definition of the terrorist. Sound, also does not differ since it is highly unlikely for the â€Å"sound† of a certain gun to change, because they are based on real-life guns.In multiplayer, the element of music is not as present as in the single player option. In the single player, key plot points and tense moments are always supported by a musical score, and this helps to set the mood. Be it the sad death of an ally or the intense run-and-gun moments, there is the right music for the right time. This would be a reason for a gamer to enjoy the game, but it is hardly different from one instalment to another. Therefore, Call of Duty does not change in this aesthetic. This is in fact due to the basis on real-life elements which actually help the game perform in the next aesthetic.The Second Aesthetic: Game as Make-Believe The paper on MDA defines the second aesthetic as fantasy. That is, the ability of the game to immerse the player in a role that normally he/she would not be able to partake in (Portnow). Call of Duty excels in their performance under this aesthetic. The paper on MDA explains that good g ames would be able to deliver on maybe one or two â€Å"core aesthetics† while great games deliver on three or four. These â€Å"core aesthetics† can also be defined as the primary emotive reasons that a player would want to play a certain game. Fantasy, is one of those core aesthetics when it comes to Call of Duty.Whether it’s being a marine, being a stone-cold killer or a patriot, there is a role that the player is immersed in, and the experience is fed to them in pieces during the experience of play. How this changes from game to game, is another matter altogether. Call of Duty excels in the immersive aspect of play, because of the authenticity of the places, and items inside the â€Å"Call of Duty Universe† and because that the first person point-of-view. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 in itself is already very good at this immersive aspect, and the experience does not really change from one instalment to another.The game itself, and the developers of the game, seem to have found the magic formula for the immersive aspect. Some would argue that better graphics are part of the immersive aspect. Things that break the immersive aspect are things like bugs, or errors in shading. These break the player away from the experience, and remind him/her that they are only playing a game. In the opinion of the researcher, this is not true. Games predating Call of Duty prove that good graphics does not equal a complete immersive experience. They may help, but it is not the most important thing.Games like Counter Strike, Half Life, Halo, and even some Doom games manage to immerse the player in another role without â€Å"life-like† graphics. In terms of the second aesthetic, Call of Duty shines. Even in the multiplayer where the immersive aspect is not as great (due to the lack of context), the game play alone is enough to make the player feel like a soldier surrounded by enemies, armed only with his gun, and his skill. All in all, the ex perience remains the same. But since it has been said that graphics help marginally to improve it, each game could still be said to have been better than the last, even if it is just by millimetres.The Third Aesthetic: Game as Drama The third aesthetic is narrative. This means that the player is playing the game for the story. In the terms of Call of Duty this means one thing: the single player. Plot wise, the stories of all four instalments covered in this research are practically the same. A soldier is taken out of the â€Å"regular army† to join an elite, top secret team to undergo a save-the-world mission, against an extremist, usually Russian, or Middle-Eastern. That being said, narrative is not one of the core aesthetics of the Call of Duty franchise.However, it is interesting to say that narrative may be one of the reasons for the game developers to create another instalment. Just like movies, the story where the previous game left of, is picked up by the next game. Th e plot in itself is not great, however anyone who played the previous game could be interested in knowing how the story progresses. The narrative in the first three games, Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 3, and Black Ops are player driven. In the game itself, the story will not progress until the player decides to move forward. Also, the game is linear and lacks depth.The player is given the â€Å"illusion of choice† through the tactical action of moment-to-moment decision, however in the end he/she has to kill their enemy to progress. Therefore, the player’s role as the main character is not to â€Å"make decisions† but to â€Å"stay alive†. This in my opinion can get old fast. A person who played Modern Warfare 2 and will play Modern Warfare 3 will know all they need to know, and have seen almost some variation of every part of the campaign. This however, changes in Black Ops 2. The campaign in Black Ops 2 is different from the first three games, and i s significantly better for doing so.Although still not having the â€Å"freedom of total choice† there are still moments in the game, subtle and otherwise, where the player is given the chance to change the plot. To go above ground or below, whether to spare a life or not, these are some of the examples of choice that the player will experience, and will feel a greater depth than ever found in the first three games. Having made an actual choice, a contribution to the plot, the player is excited to play on, anxious to see how his actions impacted the greater scheme of things. When it comes to narrative, the last game is improved significantly.The possibility of choice for the player is no small thing. With choice, came the aspect of â€Å"multiple endings†. In each ending, the player sees how he/she affected the world, and is given an overview of everything that has happened during the campaign. For this aesthetic, Black Ops 2 showed greater depth, and was better for do ing so. The Fourth Aesthetic: Game as Obstacle Course The fourth aesthetic is challenge. From the nature of the genre, First-Person Shooter, to the setting of the game, which are the Cold War and a fictional World War 3, it is obvious that the fourth aesthetic is a core aesthetic of the game.For the analysis of the fourth aesthetic, the researcher will divide the game into two categories: Single player and Multiplayer. This is because that the â€Å"enemy† of both is different, and highly changes the dynamic of play. First, the Single Player, where there is a focus on the one against many. The computer does not use tactically superior moves, but focuses on overwhelming the player with numbers. The â€Å"bad guys† hide in obviously tactical positions: behind the counter, around the corner, against the wall, always facing the player.This creates an obstacle course that the player has to go through, and although is a challenge, can get monotonous and repetitive. In the mu ltiplayer, there is more depth. Since other players online differ from one another, use different weapons and different tactics, this creates a dynamic that the player will require more skill to follow. The multiplayer in Call of Duty did not change much from game to game, if only in mechanics. In this way, it could be said that although challenge is a core aesthetic to the franchise, Call of Duty has already found its niche and no longer needs to change a large aspect of it.However it is still no progress, on the part of the developer. Insight would say that the challenge comes from the other players, and it would be logical to buy the new game if everyone is going to be playing it too. That being said, this is a special aesthetic where the game developer is not the one responsible for challenge, the player is. The Fifth Aesthetic: Game as Social Framework The fifth aesthetic, fellowship, is any game that allows the player to work cooperatively with others (Portnow). In the Call of Duty franchise, this is present in both the single and multiplayer.In the single player, the player is in a sense, part of the team. He/she may even form a connection toward other members, especially when the main character they are playing as holds them in high regard. The pair of Alex Mason and Frank Woods from the Black Ops series is comparable to a Han Solo and Chewbacca, and the player will cherish that bond. It is worth mentioning that the voice acting in Call of Duty is some of the best voice acting in the gaming industry, and this helps the player humanize the fictional characters in-game.In the multiplayer, as a flip side of the aesthetic challenge, bonds are formed in between team mates. Team work is always required for objective-based play, and for people with a good enough gaming set, people in game can talk to each other over the net. The players who experience this aesthetic most are people who enter the game as a group, and have friends with them to share the experie nce in. In this aspect, the game developer does not control much of it, and the players are responsible. For example, why would a person play Modern Warfare 3 when all of his/her friends are playing Black Ops 2?His/her friends are reason enough to but the new game. The Sixth Aesthetic: Game as Uncharted Territory The sixth aesthetic is discovery. Any player who plays the game to see what was previously unknown is a player who plays for discovery (Portnow). Again, this can be divided into the single and multiplayer, as the aspect of discovery is different for both. For the single player, discovery is not a large role to play. There aren’t many things to â€Å"unearth† and most things about the narrative are given to the player as a reward for beating the previous mission. This is true for the first three games, until Black Ops 2.With multiple endings, as well as the option to reset the story to a particular mission, the player was left with some sort of replay value: th e option to discover the alternate endings. This forced the player to do things differently to achieve them, and offered more depth. In the multiplayer, discovery comes through the form of a levelling system. Higher level players can use more things, and has access to more powerful guns and equipment. This made it so that the multiplayer experience was more of a journey than an arena, and kept the players interested longer.In a way, the multiplayer did not change from game to game. However, there is a significant improvement on the part of the single player in Black Ops 2. The Seventh Aesthetic: Game as Self-Discovery The seventh aesthetic is defined as expression, or the ability of the players to express themselves through the game. In Call of Duty, this is limited to the multiplayer. In the single player, the player is thrust into the shoes of a fictional character and therefore does not express himself. Expression in the multiplayer however, comes from the â€Å"Create your own Class† system. In other words, load out.The player gets to choose the primary weapon, secondary, as well as buffs to their character by way of â€Å"perks†. Whether the player is the run-and-gun type, or the silent sniper, these are all forms of expression. In terms of expression as an aesthetic, the game itself does not improve. Expression is something that is player driven, and can only be helped by more options for customization. As this game does not offer more customization from game to game, it could be said that it did not improve. The Eighth Aesthetic: Game as Past-time The eight aesthetic is called submission.This means that the player plays the game as a way to tune-out; much like reading a book or watching TV does (Portnow). It is difficult for the researcher to judge games on this aesthetic, seeing as the developers have no way to control this. People playing Black Ops 2 now, played Modern Warfare 2 before, and played Counter Strike even before that. Older g amers would be able to relate more games to their experience, and the researcher is speaking out of his own experience from playing first person shooters. Interestingly enough, the eighth aesthetic is aided not by the difference in games, but the similarity of them.People who have been playing the FPS as a genre for a long time would be able to enjoy this aesthetic more when the new games holds more similarities to old ones. In this way, developers are aiding their players by keeping the game relatively standard. In this, the game could be said to be the same for all four instalments, and does not improve. Of the eight aesthetics discussed, six are actually controlled by the developer. Of those six, the franchise as a whole has been seen to improve in three. That is half of those supposedly developer-induced aesthetics. Because of this, the game is judged to be not over rated.Small or big, there have been changes to the franchise with respect to the last four instalments with regard to the aesthetics. Whether these changes actually merit the game being â€Å"worthy† of being purchased, is in the opinion of the buyer. But as said before, there are another two aesthetics which are not developer-controlled. Which are the fourth and fifth. The players aid each other in these aesthetics by playing the game itself, and people seeking competition must go where competition lies. However, as said before, these games at most times changed marginally, and whether this deserves a $60 price tag is the player’s choice.As a researcher, the game is sound, and it is apparent that a lot of work went into the creation of these games. As a gamer, the researcher must implore other gamers to demand quality from their games. We as a culture, a society who enjoys this form of media have to be specific with what we want from the game developers. Do some small, arbitrary changes to the system deserve our money? If the next game is really the previous one with better graph ics, we should think about where we put our money and whether these games are worth buying. To conclude, Black Ops 2 picks up the slack of where the first three left off.Individually, these games deserve their standing, since all of them perform excellently in at least 4, maybe 5 aesthetics. As a whole, the franchise has found its niche. People are inherently intelligent, and will only buy when the price is right. It is the responsibility of the developers to improve, however their greatest responsibility will always be to satisfy the needs of the customers. Bibliography Ahearn, Nate. â€Å"Call of Duty: Black Ops Review. † 9 November 2010. IGN. 10 January 2013. Bozon, Mark. â€Å"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Review. † 10 November 2009. IGN. 0 January 2013. Gallegos, Anthony. â€Å"CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 2 REVIEW. † 13 November 2012. IGN. 10 January 2013. —. â€Å"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Review. † 8 November 2011. IGN. 10 January 2013. Hu nicke, Robin, Marc LeBlanc and Robert Zubek. â€Å"MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research. † 2004. 3 January 2013. . Portnow, James. â€Å"Extra Credits: Aesthetics of Play. † 17 October 2012. Extra Credits. 3 January 2013. Ryckert, Dan. â€Å"Call of Duty: Black Ops II. † 13 November 2012. gameinformer. 10 January 2013. Sicart, Miguel. â€Å"Defining Game Mechanics. † December

Being Sane in Insane Places

Roseanne explains in his essay, ‘ ‘On Being Sane In Insane Places† that society labels people permanently for some things that occur rarely. Roseanne clarifies In this essay that patients who are considered ‘ ‘ schizophrenic,† and ‘ ‘ Insane† aren't truly schizophrenic or Insane for the rest of their lives. There was an experiment conducted with eight sane people who explored twelve different psychiatric Institutions across the united States.These eight people entered these capitals as patients, therefore treated as patients and were only discharged by proving the authorities and staff that they were Indeed sane. They had to participate In all activities, even take prescription drugs that were never swallowed. They were afraid that they would be exposed as frauds because they were always observing and note taking: however, the staff never really cared of what patients wrote in the darkroom. Once admitted, the pseudo patients wante d to be discharged almost immediately but knew that they would have to play cool and cooperate with every ask asked of in order to leave.The time spent at the psychiatric institutions, the pseudo patients communicated with the real patients and realized that all insane people aren't always insane. Just as Roseanne points out in this particular article, ‘ ‘the sane are not sane' all of the time. We lose our tempers ‘for no good reason. † There are often times when people are in a depressive mood but you don't classify the person as a depressed individual for the rest of their lives. More times than often, people cannot seem to be bled to bond with others; however, they still aren't diagnosed with any symptoms.Sane people always have a couple of moments in life that maybe are ‘ ‘ intense† but are never studied. The same perception goes for the diagnosed insane patients. If it makes no sense to label ourselves permanently depressed on the basis of an occasional depression, then it takes better evidence than is presently available to label all patients insane or schizophrenic on the basis of bizarre behaviors or cognitions. It simply isn't fair that these patients are ripped of all of their rights In society because a couple of incidents that may have occurred.Just as how people who are classified as sane get through emotions and difficulties, so does the Insane patients. Once patients are labeled ‘ ‘schizophrenic † they are practically stuck with the title for the rest of their lives. If a schizophrenic patient were to be discharged they must have been In remission, although the staff would Walt on their arrival back to the Institutions because there Is no way a schizophrenic wouldn't relapse. Do patients act more Insane every day due to their surroundings?There Is a chance that the Insane people In the Institutions are sane outside of the Institutions because of the patients' reactions due to their sett ings. These hospitals deprive patients of their sense of personal identity which only causes them to act out of blame for the amount of time that patients are stuck in this mortifying setting and with names that will label them forever. Perhaps the only reason why the pseudo patients were able to be discharged fully sane is because they were so adamant and knew that it was only an experiment.

Analyze and Compare Ratios of West Ham Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyze and Compare Ratios of West Ham - Essay Example It has increased far more in 2011 from 2010 than that of in 2010 from 2009. But the reported percentage is not at all a good indicator of asset performance (NYU, 2012). Debt ratios Debt ratios determine the company’s over debt load an also mix of equity and debt. So these ratios evaluate the financial risk the company and its shareholders have been facing. Debt ratio is a compared unit of company’s total debt with respect to its total assets. Specifically it shows the amount of leverage the company is using. Higher debt ratio means the company is highly dependent on its leverage and the equity position of the company is very weak. So higher the ratio means more risk the company and its shareholder has been taking. Although the total liabilities of the company has been increasing over the year but the total assets also has been decreasing in similar proportion. As a result the ratio has increased more in 2011 than it decreased in 2010 from 2009. Debt equity ratio represe nts the overall status of debt of the company. It compares the total liability of the company with respect to the shareholders fund. ... The company improved a lot in terms of shareholder’s equity in 2010 than that of 2009 as it reported the shareholder’s amount of ?13,063,000 from tremendous growth from -?290,000 in 2009. But in 2011 again it has come down to huge deficit of its shareholders’ fund. So, due to the deficit of the shareholders’’ equity in two alternative years except 2010 with respect to huge liability of the company, the shares of the company have become worthless. The main reason behind this the company is highly depended on its creditors which adversely affects the interest of investors or the shareholders towards this company. Interest coverage ratio is an indicator that determines the how easily the company can pay its interest on the basis of its gross earnings before paying interest and tax. Higher the ratio means the company’s gross earning is very high and it can easily pay the interest of its outstanding debt. This company has been reporting negative g ross income i.e. loss before paying tax and interest. So has been able to pay interest expense of its outstanding debt and these have remained due or payable for the company (JMU, 2010). Liquidity ratios Current ratio represents the working capital position of the company as it is one of the important indicators of liquidity of a company. It measures the performance of the company regarding its short term ability to pay the short term liabilities of the company. The3 current ratio of the company is has been lower than 1 in all the tree consecutive years that means it has not been able to pay its liabilities as has remained lower than liabilities. Quick ratio or acid test ratio indicates that the company has enough short term

Problem solving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Problem solving - Essay Example For instance, the DHS uses these technologies when receiving and issuing incidents reports regarding specific incidents. In addition, the DHS uses communication technologies to coordinate the response efforts. In the modern world, Cybersecurity threats have become a major concern. This is one area that the DHS employs information technologies to deal with cyber criminals. The DHS works with investigators and experts in network security to identify and act upon the activities of cyber criminals. This involves the use of information technologies for gathering and analyzing of related data and information (dhs.gov, 2015). The area of Cybersecurity is one of the most sensitive areas where the DHS employs highly sophisticated information technologies and well trained personnel due to the complex nature of this problem. Finally, the DHS relies on information technologies for various security purposes such as detection, identification and surveillance. There are a number of these technologies that have been employed in order to boost the nation’s security. For example, the department has employed these technologies to enhance screening at all entry points in order to vet those people coming in and out of the country (DHS, 2007). Overall, it evident that the DHS uses information technologies to coordinate its operations, enhance communication within and outside the department and enhance the overall security of the nation. Well trained specialists in matters IT are used to make these operations a success. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2007). Information Technology: Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources Sector-Specific Plan as input to the National Infrastructure Protection Plan. Information Technology Sector Coordinating Council. Retrieved 8 May 2015, from

Prospects of Utilization of Solar Energy For Thermal Desalination Dissertation

Prospects of Utilization of Solar Energy For Thermal Desalination Technologies in Saudi Arabia - Dissertation Example The paper describes about the current scenario about water resources in Saudi Arabia and how existing demand supply gaps can be filled with the use of thermal desalination technology in the years to come. Introduction The world population including the population in Saudi Arabia is growing at a rapid pace. The established and known reserves of fossil fuel is depleting fast. It has been imperative on the part of scientist and engineers to think of alternate sources of energy to meet the increasing demand. With the rising population demand of water is increasing too. Saudi Arabia has no natural sources of water supply except the water stored in aquifers. For these reasons, the Saudi Arabia has undertaken several projects for the development of renewable sources of energy. This study explores the possibility of harnessing solar energy for the purpose of desalination of water in Saudi Arabia. Radiation Measurement in Saudi Arabia According to one research report, the average solar radiat ion in Saudi Arabia is noticed as 5591 Watt hour on unit square meter area. The data collected are from 41 stations in the period of 10 years. (Mohandas et al, 1999) The solar radiation measurement in Saudi Arabia is now available for 10 major towns namely Tabuk, Al-Ula, Unayxah, Shaqra, Dawdami, Yabrin, Turabah, Heifa, Kwash, and Najran. Though all the locations offer promising solar radiation but the area of Najran is found to be the best. The method used is called radial basis function neural networks. (Mohandas et al, 1999) Solar energy and duration of sunshine is not the same throughout the year. As per the Solar Radiation Atlas the radiation is found to be in the range of 4.1 and 6.7 kilowatt-hour /sq. meter / day. (Alnaser et al., 2004) An Overview of Desalination Process in Saudi Arabia The current market share of the Saudi Arabia in the production of desalinated water is about 30 percent when viewed with respect to the global capacity installed. In last 80 years the Saudi A rabia has spent almost $25 billion on building and operating desalination plants. The kingdom now has 30 desalination units and the country has more than quadrupled its food production. It can be said that Saudi Arabia has turned into a modern nation in the last 25 years. A more than 50 percent water need of a resident in any city of the kingdom is met through Desalinated technology. (Water Demand, 2010) Supply and Demand Scenario of Water in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is mostly desert area devoid of any lakes or rivers. Saudi has limited water resources. The groundwater, stored in several aquifers across the country, is the main source that satisfies more than 90% of its water demand. Available Water Resources in Saudi Arabia, 2010 Source of Water In Million Cubic Meters Surface water (Renewable) 5000 (2230 available for use) Groundwater resources 2,269,000 (84,000 renewable water in shallow aquifers) Groundwater recharge (Renewable) 3,958 (1,196 in shallow aquifers and 2,762 in dee p aquifers) Desalination 1050 Treated Wastewater 400 Source: http://www.miahona.com/upload/publications/2010_Walid_SWPF-2010_Jeddah.pdf (p 18) The government of Saudi Arabia has been making great efforts to secure the water supplies for all purposes; some of them include such as dams, distribution systems, wastewater collection and treatment facilities in most cities and towns of the kingdom along with large sea

Bullying in Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Bullying in Schools - Essay Example This study declares that victims of bullying in school have been shown to manifest a higher risk of social maladjustment. The good news is that because bullying behavior typically occurs on a recurrent basis between two individuals who know each other, it is one of the few conditions that can also often be identified and prevented, perhaps with the result of a reduction in criminal behavior among adults.   However, before teachers and administrators can reduce the long-term effects caused by bullying schools, they must first be informed as to the prevalence, development and identification of the problem to instill in them an appreciation of the seriousness of the problem and then be provided with knowledge of those approaches that have proven to reduce these behaviors among schoolchildren.  This research stresses that  the term ‘bullying’ is used to denote a specific behavior pattern statistically occurring most often among boys but that can occur among girls as we ll.   â€Å"Bullying is characterized by bigger and stronger youngsters ‘victimizing’ their peers through the repeated use of negative actions, such as physical, verbal or relational aggression†.  Despite noted differences in bullying behavior noted among grade levels, other research determined that the patterns of bullying and the social rejection that results from this type of behavior are established early.  A child with overly aggressive tendencies will quickly become labeled as a bully and will be socially rejected from the group, contributing to further disruptive behavior.   

The Benevolent Benjamin Franklin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Benevolent Benjamin Franklin - Essay Example Franklin had to learn at an early age to become an independent studier of academics, since books were quite rare and very expensive in this period in history, thus setting the foundation for his motivational prowess found later in life. Because of the aforementioned experiences, and many other exposures to diverse citizens in domestic and international society, Franklin began to understand the importance of virtue, character, integrity and the pursuit of securing the common welfare. Franklin eventually evolved into a highly-benevolent statesman who genuinely believed in the construction of ethical philosophy and the social promotion of self-improvement to better personal character. THE JOURNEY TOWARD SELF-IMPROVEMENT In Franklin’s autobiography, he continuously refers to situations that occurred throughout his lifetime that lay the foundation for his views on self-improvement, with considerable emphasis about the importance of divinity in establishing this principle. In 1756, Franklin was commissioned to take a leadership role in the construction of fortified structures for the military to ensure protection against growing Indian enemy threat. During these months, involving very difficult labor, Franklin witnessed what he referred to as â€Å"contemptible† management policy for workers (Eliot, 140), who had been charged with using axes and shovels to dig trenches and process lumber for fort construction. Franklin found that when men were gainfully employed, they were more jovial and willing to comply with management and laboring direction. During periods where there was limited work available, these same laborers would argue and complain due to these frustrations. The leadership of the fortification construction projects, rather than recognize laborer needs, would simply provide them with trivial grunt work as a means of satisfying the ongoing complaints. Through these observations, Franklin began to recognize the foundations of human nature and e ffective management which is more in-line with contemporary leadership philosophy about establishing relationships and providing satisfaction to laborers to improve productivity and commitment. Franklin seemed to recognize the imperative of searching for opportunities for self-improvement in terms of providing for the social and tangible welfare of others through these experiences. During this construction phase in Franklin’s life, he provides an example of where these realizations became apparent when discussing a lack of commitment by the aforementioned laborers for attending prayer services. Franklin offers to the project chaplain regarding the use of rum provisions as an incentive for regular and timely attendance of these services: "It is, perhaps, below the dignity of your profession to act as steward of the rum, but if you were to deal it out and only just after prayers, you would have them all about you." (Eliot, 141). Franklin believed that the volume of promises for incentive-based alcohol was not meeting with expected results for prayer attendance, since men inherently have gluttonous attitudes (this was apparent during periods where laborers were argumentative and dissatisfied). Franklin recognized that men required seeking self-improvement and that it is not always beneficial to provide abundance until the individual has sought emotional intelligence and self-reflection to monitor and control behaviors. Even though Franklin

How people are managed and how they lead. (There are four parts to the Assignment

How people are managed and how they lead. (There are four parts to the complete portfolio) - Assignment Example hostility, stress, guilt and sadness, increases the inevitability of an organization deviance, and how the outside world regards the firm or organization. Emotions normally are linked with some specific occurrences or events and are intense enough to interrupt thought processes. There are many consequences for allowing negative emotions to affect your general attitude at work. For a good organization, then emotions and emotion management plays a vital role in achieving its objectives. It is important to develop a desirable and observable emotional display as part of a job role. The ability to deal and manage emotions and emotional information in an organization helps workers in managing occupational stress and maintaining psychological well-being. This indicates that stress reduction and health protection could be achieved by increasing the personal resources of employees that comprise emotional intelligence. Additionally, stress reduction and health protection can be achieved by dec reasing work demands that cause stress. The increasing of EL skills responsible for successful job performance can help employees deal effectively with their emotional feelings, therefore reducing the level of job stress hence indirectly protecting their health (GRIFFIN & MOOREHEAD, 2012). Question 2 – Discuss, using ideas from the general model of stress, the causes (sources) of stress and thus how stress can be managed in the work place. In your response you must make reference to how the various causes of stress can be categorized. Work related stress is a harmful reaction a person has to undue demands and pressures placed on them at work. It is a chronic disease that result from conditions in the workplace that negatively affects a person’s performance or/and general welfare of his mind and body. Several mental and physical illness manifest job stress. But sometimes job stress can be disabling. In chronic situations a psychiatric consultation is recommended to validate the

Cross-cultural Training literature review ( International HRM) Essay

Cross-cultural Training literature review ( International HRM) - Essay Example Although cross-cultural study proceeded throughout the 1980s, the 1990s faced an ups and down in the account of research committed to Cross-cultural training. The increasing rate of economy globalization was one accelerator for the expanded interest in CCT. Moreover, research pointed to cross-cultural problems in the workplace has expanded in importance because researchers have been unable to find out the minor issues and to specify their research advances into an implementation. Particularly, multinational corporations (MNCs) have not yet designed many of the CCT policies that researchers present because the researches by the researchers have not completely solved the issues and the controversies lying under the goals, content, objectives of Cross culture training. The programs designed for encouraging cross culture environment is an objective to train people to live and survive in a cross culture environment. In early days, it was hard to cope up with different cultures at workplac e. Usually, people from developing countries feel depressed while working at multi cultural environment. People feel more pressure especially people from under developed countries. There was a need to cope up with the cultural difference and to treat all employees on the basis of their work and progress, rather than rating them on the basis of culture, race and religion. First study on Cross culture training was done by Brislon with the topic â€Å"Cross culture Orientation program† (Brislin, 1981). In the end of the year, other researchers realized the fact that there is more effort required to train the people to live abroad comfortably, with the passage of time, the field is now being referred as Cross culture or intercultural training worldwide. Paige (1986) described cross culture training as the program designed to prepare people to live outside their country and to work with confidence without being in the pressure of other cultures. Other researchers define cross cult ure training as the program to prepare people for the success in their jobs and to improve their interpersonal skills. The main idea of the programmers is to train people for the moment when they deal extensively with the people belongs to culture than their own. There are several training programs are in progress under different organizations and groups. These programs are influenced by experts who have great knowledge about the range of issues people face while working in the cross culture environment. These programrs do not train people only for any other country but also for their home land. In 1950’s, Oberg introduces the term â€Å"Cultural shock† describing the issues people face when they deal with people from other cultures. He described the term† Cultural shock† as a disease of people who have suddenly been transported aboard and presented as the predicated by the anxiety that results from losing all familiar signs and symbols of social intercours e. Thus, he described the term as the issues people face while moving or dealing with other cultures. The symptoms of cultural shock include both physical and physiological complaints. Physical person may feel headache, dyeria and psychological a person might feel depression. The concept of cultural shock encouraged people to provide training in this domain. The contrast American Method, taps on

Horns of the Terrorist Dilemma Essay Example for Free

Horns of the Terrorist Dilemma Essay This paper approaches analysis by using the descriptive and historical sketch method of research. It will also analyze empirical data from textual sources towards its conclusion. The primary question of this study is: how the particular Arab country of Syria, contributes to the further instability and volatility of the socio-political condition of the Middle East. And the secondary question is: how does Syria use terrorism in formulating the country’s foreign and defense policy as it places particular emphasis on its relationship with Israel? The theory/theories which prove to be useful to the course of this paper come from the disciplines of Philosophy and International Relations. For the philosophical approach to the analysis of data, it is useful to examine the findings under the light of differentiating rationales by recognizing the particular categories of religious identity and secular identity. As for the approach that stems from the discourse composition of the body of International Relations, the secondary question is answered by finding a greater understanding behind whether Syria uses terrorism as a form of positive counterintelligence or as a negative form of counterintelligence, even if the United States (US), has in the past, already described Syria to be, â€Å" a state-sponsor of terrorism† –which is a clear indication that the defense tactics of Syria must be of a threatening nature and not otherwise. One cannot say that the data presented is not empirical data. Noriko Sato’s â€Å" On the Horns of the Terrorist Dilemma: Christian Syrians’ Response To Israeli ‘Terrorism’ † in the academic journal â€Å" History and Anthropology† has been clearly described to be a study which came from, â€Å"data collected during the 39 days of the Israeli siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in 2002. † (142). Sato’s introduction presents that, â€Å" This article examines how the prevailing understanding of ‘terrorism’ and contemporary Israeli military operations against the Palestinians provides different religious groups in Syria with a common ground on which to base their claim to share in the national identity. † (141). Upfront, Sato’s data already answers the primary question of the paper which is made clearer by the table below.

Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous Essay Example for Free

Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous Essay Philonous, in Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous, attacks Hylas arguments toward the distinction between primary and secondary qualities. The distinction between primary and secondary qualities is a peculiarity between qualities which depend for their existence on the relation between an object and a perceptual device. An example of this would be smell and color, which has properties that an object has independently of any perceiver. What objectively, with out bias, exist and what merely subjectively exist? When something is clear and distinct it is true, and when it is not clear and distinct, like sensations that can be interpreted differently, it is false. Berkeley rejects this notion of primary and secondary quality distinction, which implies that material things exist independently of us. Philonous continues to argue against Hylas when he explains that sensible things are defined as those things that are immediately perceived; therefore, eliminating mediated perception. He gives a case by case examination of sensible qualities; such as heat and cold; sound; and colors. None of these qualities contain the ability of pleasure or pain independently because that is an identify we give it; therefore we give it its existence. He rejects Hylas claim that heat is motion, and he also proclaims that color varies with light. Philonous reminds Hylas that causes of ideas are not immediately perceive, and thus are not perceived at all; this makes them non- sensible things. Berkeley aimed to demonstrate that materialism is artificial because we have no reason to believe in the reality of mind autonomous material objects. He attempted to prove that we have no immediate perception of mind-independent material objects, so we have no source on which to assume the existence of mind-independent material objects from our instant experience. One can not imagine of primary qualities in objects totally separately of their secondary qualities. Therefore, primary qualities must exist in the mind, just as secondary qualities do.

Korean Wave In Vietnam History Essay

Korean Wave In Vietnam History Essay In a lot of researches, writers in Korea state that Korean culture has entered many countries in the world, beginning in China, then it moved forward to Southeast and Central Asia. From the year 2000 to 2002, the number of films and music album bought by neighborhood countries of Korea increased dramatically ( Hyejung, cited in Lee 2007). According to Kim (cited in Lee 2007), the connection between Korean culture and other cultures are Korean films. Vietnam is not an exception. Korean dramas focus on sexual love, the promoted luxury and hedonistic lifestyles which attracted many young Vietnamese (Kang, cited in Cho 2005). According to Nguyen (Xuan 2012b), with dramas whose content was gentle, philosophical and deeply humane, Korean wave entered Vietnam 10 years ago. She adds that in the middle of the year 2005, the amount of hours projecting Korean films reduced from nearly 20% to 8.4%. However, up to now, Korean dramas have been accepted by a lot of Vietnamese because of their varied themes and indeed meanings. Dang (2009) agrees that around the year 2000s, Korean wave developed strongly in Vietnam. During 2000s, in Vietnam, from the North to the South, Korean dramas occupied much of time on television channels with four or five dramas which were projected every night (Dang 2009). At that time, Korean dramas were so popular that whenever mentioning it, everyone thinks to cancer, accidents and amnesia (Xuan 2012a). The reason for that success is their close ideology to Vietnamese culture. Different from American series films, Korean ones are filled with traditional values and technical sophistication. While Hollywood or Bollywood focused on action scenes, sexy actors and actresses, Korean movies conquered Vietnamese by nice storylines, good production values, beautiful locations, excellent and gorgeous actors and actresses (Dang, 2009). Agreeing with two above opinions, however, Nguyen (2012) suggests that an important factors helping Korean wave enter Vietnam was their cheap price. Compared to the price of films of other countries, the average price of Korean dramas was about only a quarter or even a tenth of them. Therefore, a lot of Korean films were bought and they have been popular around the ASEAN, Eastern and other parts of the world (Nguyen 2012). Besides, another feature of Korean culture is Korean music, or K-pop. Dramas are in narrow areas, meanwhile, Korean music has developed dramatically thanks to beautiful dance and music videos meticulously invested (Xuan 2012b). A lot of famous Korean bands organized their concerts and they have sold millions of tickets each concert. Im (cited in Cho 2005) indicated that during H.O.T concert in February 2005, more than 100,000 copies of their records sold and many T-shirt with pictures of H.O.T bought by young people. What are the impacts of Korean wave on Vietnamese? It can be clarified that Korean wave influences Vietnamese, especially Vietnamese youth, with both good and bad effect. Primarily, Korean wave has changed Vietnamese lifestyle positively. Contrary to people who admired Korean idols in China or Japan, Vietnamese ones consumed enthusiastically all of idols pictures and messages (Cho 2005). Luong (cited in Xuan 2012a) suggests that Korean dramas can help young people learn the way to overcome their trouble, the way to work in a community and become more independent. In make-up area, a research shows many girls and women in Vietnam have changed their make-up way since Korean dramas and music entered Vietnam. They have used darker eyes color, thinly shaved eyebrows, body-hugging clothes, and square-toed shoes like Korean characters and singers they admired and crazed (Jim Seo, 2004). They also added that the Vietnamese president, Tran Duc Luong, has had his dinner with two famous actors and actress of Korean that time. This action expres sed Vietnameses interest to Korean culture (Jim Seo, 2005). During the last 10 years, Korean dramas have gradually replaced Chinese ones in Vietnam. Especially, for young people in Vietnam, modern lives, beautiful houses and items in Korean dramas have led them to think more about better lives in Korea and they admired those so much. They considered Korea as a developed country after seeing modern sceneries in Korean dramas. Therefore, they have tried to borrow and adopt those modern things into their lives (Dang 2009). Furthermore, she demonstrates that by Korean wave, a lot of young people considered Korea as the destination for their later lives. For example, Nguyen (cited in Xuan 2012b) states that in 1994, the number of student registering for school was only 30 students but that number increased to 120 students each year. And the reason they give is because they enjoy Korean dramas and music so much. Its a piece of love young people giving to Korean culture (Nguyen, cited in Xuan 2012b). Besides, the penetration of Korean wave in Vietnam brings along some bad impact for people, especially on young Vietnamese. Korean movies use fictional material, so they can make young people illustrate about Korea and Korean dream(Thanh 2012). Luong (cited in Xuan 2012a) assumes Korean wave has attacked young people strongly and a lot of young Vietnamese has become crazy fan of Korean singers, actors, actresses. A part of the youth has wrong thought about the Korean culture, which causes some bad actions. He takes his daughter as an example. She always ask him to buy many pictures, items relating to her idols. She even can wait many hours to meet her idols in the airport and unhappily comes back without seeing them. His daughter is only one of thousands of young people who are crazy because of Korean idols. The fashion trend of young Vietnamese is also influenced much by Korean wave. It would be good if young people didnt abuse that trend. So many young people have copied the style of Korean stars and they have spent so much money on buying the same clothes to their idols ones (Nguyen, cited in Xuan 2012b). However, according to Kim (cited in Thanh 2012), another bad impact of Korean wave on young Vietnamese is that it usually causes traffic jam in big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city because all of crazy fans want to see their idols in real (Nguyen 2012). As a recent study, estimate that about 500,000 viewers coming to each of big Korean concert in Vietnam. So, it is easy to make congestion. Even some crazy fans dare to suicide if their parents dont allow them to go to see their oppa (Thanh 2012). How to deal with Korean waves effects in Vietnam? Korean wave is popular in many countries around the world, including Vietnam. So, people and government should take some actions to deal with it properly. Thanh (2012) recommends that Vietnam medium should change the way advertising Korean culture now. Developing Vietnamese culture appropriately should be done too. Furthermore, other countries should cooperate to produce cultural products bringing different cultures (Dang 2009). Luong (cited in Xuan 2012a) adds that Vietnamese government had better invest to creative science after learning precious experience from Korea. In fact, Vietnam government has applied a lot of documents to local Television stations asking to reduce the number of foreign dramas, especially Korean dramas and increase the Vietnamese ones (Dang 2009). These actions will make equal between two culture and make the young enjoy them right. Moreover, family and school play an important part in dealing with their childrens craze for their idols. Parents and teachers had better unite together to educate and guide their children the best way to admire their idols and take their love to idols into the inspiration. With the right education and direction, the young definitely know the best way to behave with their love to their idols. Finally, the most important solution belongs to attitude of young people to Korean wave. Teenagers in Vietnamese should behave right to effects and drawbacks of Korean wave. People should make use of without destroying it. (Nguyen, cited in Xuan 2012a).

The Use of Agent Orange in the Vietnam War Essay -- Vietnam War Essays

The Use of Agent Orange in the Vietnam War Agent Orange is a plant killer, which was used during the Vietnam War to destroy the massive amount of trees (Nguyen, 1). The destruction that occurred, however, is far more extensive than once believed. Complications in health occur much more frequently to those exposed to the chemical than those who managed to avoid contact (Nguyen, 2). The use of Agent Orange in the Vietnam War affected the American soldier’s health and genetics. Agent Orange is a 50:50 mixture of two major compounds, 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy acetic acid (Nguyen, 2). This defoliant also contains dioxin, which is one of the most lethal compounds known to man (Nguyen, 2). Ironically, the dioxin, which makes Agent Orange lethal to humans, isn’t intended to kill plants at all (Vancil, 1). It is extremely hard to prove, however, that dioxin is responsible for the countless illnesses acquired by many Vietnam veterans because each individual has their own tolerance to dioxin (Vancil, 1). Many soldiers in the Vietnam War encountered Agent Orange repeatedly. Their lives revolved around the 55-gallon drums, which once were filled with an extremely harmful herbicide. Unaware of the possible consequences, many soldiers built showers and hibachis out of these discarded drums (Doyle, 139). They also used the barren drums to store potatoes and watermelons (Doyle, 139). One man described to his wife how they would bathe and s...

Anorexia Nervosa Essay -- essays research papers

Anorexia nervosa is a life threatening eating disorder defined by a refusal to maintain fifteen percent of a normal body weight through self-starvation (NAMI 1). Ninety-five percent of anorexics are women between the ages of twelve and eighteen, however, â€Å"†¦in the past twenty years, this disorder has become a growing threat to high school and college students†(Maloney and Kranz 60). Anorexia produces a multitude of symptoms, and if not treated, anorexia can lead to permanent physical damage or death. Anorexic behavior is complex because it is all about the need for control. Someone suffering from anorexia has a distorted body image of himself or herself. He/she believes to be overweight, even though twenty percent of the time he/she is not (Yancey 59). The image of being overweight causes a low self-esteem. Symptoms of low self-esteem are loneliness, inadequacy in talents, a lack of trust in people and themselves, insecurity, identification with a specific peer group, and sadness. The media displays the ideal human body as thin and beautiful. Anorexic’s lives are full of confusion and lack of control. To the anorexic, to be thin is to be in control. The state of control to the anorexic is the ideal life without confusion and difficulties. In most cases, the anorexic is intelligent; popular among his/her peers, athletic, talented, and viewed as a role model to most people he/she comes in contact with. In reality, the issues in daily living are too difficult for the anorexic resulting in a lack of control in his/her life. The anorexic’s answer to a confusing life is to starve the body. The behavioral symptoms of the anorexia are counting calories, eating little food, baking treats for everyone and giving them away in hope of controlling not only the anorexic’s intake of his/her food, but also others. â€Å"Playing† with food at meal times is common behavior of the anorexic. When the meal is complete, the anorexic has disguised food intake by pushing the food around on the plate and hiding food in napkins. To dress in layers to hide the distinct weight loss and to avoid social activities where eating is involved are common behavioral symptoms. Behavioral symptoms of the anorexic can go unnoticed by most people. These symptoms are very secretive and oblivious to outsiders because the behavior is not out of the ordinary. Although the behavioral symptoms of the anore... ...cising, reading, and establishing new friendships are encouraged when the anorexic’s mood rises to an unhealthy level. Voluntary self-starvation, anorexia nervosa, is physically and psychologically dangerous. Loss of the body fat from the severe weight loss can impair the body by putting stress on the bones from lack of calcium. Dehydration can be deadly because the body needs the correct water balance, and without this proper balance, the kidneys can shut down. Malnutrition can lead to brain damage. Amenorrhea can cause infertility and put stress on tiny bones making them prone to breakage. Amenorrhea can also produce an interference of the reproductive hormone that protects the body against heart failure and osteoporosis. Severe depression in anorexics occurs from hopelessness and shame and can lead to suicide. Even though the behavioral, nutritional, cognitive, interpersonal, and psychotherapy treatment for anorexia is a long-term process, it is crucial to the anorexic person to receive treatment, or the physical consequences and psychological consequences can lead to permanent damage and sometime s death. Notable research on the treatment of the anorexic continues worldwide.

Ecstasy Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ecstasy, or 3, 4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine, was first synthesized and patented in 1914, by the German drug company Merck. The original purpose of the drug was to be an appetite suppressant, however in 1970 it was given to clinical depressed patients to open them up and talk about their feelings. Then in 1986, Ecstasy was determined to cause brain damage (http://faculity.washington.edu/chudler/mdma.html).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ecstasy is used at the party and rave scene for its effects on the emotional state of the user. The drug lowers the user’s inhibitions; it relaxes them. The drug also increases awareness and feelings of pleasure and joy while giving the user energy. Side effects of the drug includes: headaches, chills, eye twitching, jaw clenching, blurred vision, and nausea http://faculity.washington.edu/chudler/mdma.html). But the hangover ecstasy causes is said to worse then the hangover alcohol causes(â€Å"After the Rave: the Ecstasy Hangover).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The hangover produced by ecstasy causes the user to have memory impairments. This is due to the loss of serotonin, which will be discussed later on. The reduction in serotonine affects the brains capacity to learn and remember. The memory impairment has shown to be detected up until two weeks after use, but habitual users who have become addicted show damage for up until seven years. Research has shown that the impairment is not due to withdrawal, but is heavily dose- dependent (â€Å"Ecstasy’s Legacy†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another problem with Ecstasy is the deadly combination it makes when mixed with other drugs and medications. Other drugs have harmed the body more so, because they use the liver enzyme CYP2D6 that metabolizes the drug. Thus the body can not rid itself of ecstasy and acts as if experiencing an overdose. The body then dies as if it has overdosed (â€Å"Deadly Combination†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Other drugs such as anti-depressants, trigger a surge of blood pressure when mixed with ecstasy. This surge causes the heart to be overworked and eventually burn out, leading to cardiac arrest and death. Molecular Mechanisms, another medication, block the neurotransmitters that clear the nervous system of ecstasy(â€Å"Deadly Combination†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The nervous system is the area of the body most affected by... ... breathing trouble, and also comas. As with GHB and ecstasy, rohypnol works to destroy the body in the nervous system. Roypnol is a type of benzodiazepine, a sedative or an antianxiety medication. The benzodiazepine interacts with the receptors on neurons in the brain. Roypnol, like GHB targets the neurotransmitter GABA. The interaction between the GABA receptors and the roypnol inhibits neurons and reduces neuronal activity. The bonding of the receptors enhance the affect of GABA and begin to reduce brain activity. Taken over long periods of time, the affect of the hyperactivity of GABA will cease all brain activity (www.faculity.washington.edu/chudler/ghb.html).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Drugs kill. That is the bottom line. It doesn’t matter the dosage of drug taken, because if the user becomes addicted the body is already poisoned with the toxins. Most drugs affect the nervous system. The nervous system is what keeps the body alive, to mess around with substances that are harmful to the system is like writing a death sentence. Drugs are not going to eliminated from society but people need to be kept informed about their decisions and the effects their choices have on them.

Recent Hazing Facts

Gabrielle Henwood Professor Briggs GWRTC 103 October 28, 2011 Should hazing in school groups be banned or not? Why hazing is hazardous and needs to be fully banned. As a college student there are many things you experience that are different from you previous years of schooling. You are finally living on your own, making your own decisions. So far in my college experience I have heard many stories about groups around campus participating in hazing, many of which that are extremely disturbing. My topic of my paper is why hazing should be banned in all schools, college or high school.There are many hazards that come along with hazing, including health problems or psychological problems. Students should not have to be put through humiliating activities just to become a stronger member of a team. Team bonding is built through spending quality time together, not pressuring a new member drinking until they pass out. Hazing is cruel and unnecessary and needs to be put to an end. College sho uld be the time of your life; there is no need for students to have to worry about hazing when accepted into a group, team, or fraternity.Britton W. Brewer, et al. â€Å"The relationship Between Hazing and Team Cohesion. † Journal of Sport Behavior 30. 4 (2007): 491-507. SPORTDiscus with Full text. EBSCO. Web. 23 Oct. 2011 This journal entry explains the connection that hazing has with the bonding of a group, or sports team. There are multiple reasons why hazing is considered to be a decent way to become close, one of which is you see that victim of hazing closer then you would with any normal bonding activities.Also there are reasons given why hazing is a bad way for groups to welcome someone in, such as the victim of hazing grows a fear or barrier to the group members. They are pretty much scarred for the time being. This source is a compare and contrast for the positive and negative aspects of hazing which is very helpful for my topic. No bias was found when I read this pi ece. I do wish there was more written about the negative aspects since that is more on my side of the spectrum. Hosick, Michelle Brutlag. â€Å"TheHidden Hazards of Hazing. † NCAA News 42. 20 (2005): A1-A4. SPORTDiscus with Full Test. Web. 31 Oct. 2011. Multiple studies have been done to show the impact of college hazing and how often it occurs. Susan Limpkins, a New York psychologist stated, â€Å"many believe that proving oneself through hazing rituals increases the bond between group members and solidifies an â€Å"us† versus them mentality already prevalent in athletics, â€Å"implicating the topic that hazing happens on almost every school team to create stronger bonds.These studies brought the attention to school officials the danger that was taking place and many stories were told that caused people to be punished. This source is reliable, as it was a newspaper article in 2005 and was published. The intended audience is clearly to students, really any one who may be experiencing or know of any hazing taking place. There is no bias to this source. All the information used was taken directly from student’s statements. For my topic this source laid out many negatives to hazing which can help me more clearly analyze my argument for or against hazing. JMU – Hazing Policies. † James Madison University-Home. Web. 23 Oct. 2011. http://www. jmu. edu/multicultural/icgs/resources/hazing_policies. shtml>. This website tells the rules and regulations for hazing at James Madison University. This website is based for multicultural groups around campus. It explains in full detail the consequences one will face in such groups if broken or misused. This source is credible, since coming from a college website and contains no bias.I did not find it helpful though since it was only related towards multicultural groups and not all groups at James Madison University. If it has included all the groups, this source would have been perfect sin ce I attend JMU. Nuwer, Hank. Broken Pledges: The deadly Rite of Hazing. 1990. ERIC. Web. 31 Oct. 2011. This book is written to solve the question as to why men and women haze and the different things people can do to prevent hazing from happening. Many stories of victims of hazing are told, one of which is the main topic of the book.Chuck Stenzel, a student at Alfred University in New York was killed because of hazing in his fraternity and after such an event his mother became â€Å"Americas leading anti-hazing advocate. † With my topic being the hazing should be banned, this book will be one of the top sources with such a personal event-taking place. I don’t see any bias in this source and found it to be very reliable. â€Å"Hazing: Arguments for and against. † hazing. cornell. edu. Cornell University, nd. Web. 1 Nov 2011. . This informative web page gives straightforward reasons why hazing is a good thing and straightforward reasons why hazing is a problemati c thing. Unlike the other sources, this article is not very detailed but still gives you the knowledge I needed to know. The reasons for and against hazing are from the college student point of view and reveals the rules and regulations if such things are misused. Since this article was from such a prestigious school, Cornell University, it is quite reliable, although I wish it had more detailed reasons.This source is not one of my most helpful. I will most likely use this source still but not as much as some others. Nuwer, Hank. â€Å"Hazing Prevention. † Hank Nuwer. WordPress, n. d. Web. 1 Nov. 2011. . Hank Nuwer consistently blogs about many things related to hazing. He blogs about preventions, stories, people being charged with such crimes and so on. He allows people to post their opinion on what he is saying and he also posts resources he has used to say what he posts which gives this blog credibility.There are numerous blog entries that I found extremely helpful for my research. The fact that Nuwer updates his blog on a daily basis was very helpful and gave me more recent hazing facts. I will be using this source. It was one of the most helpful ones I found. Skorton, David. â€Å"A Pledge to End Fraternity Hazing. † nytimes. com. The New York Times,01,Sep,2011. Web. 31 Oct 2011. http://www. nytimes. com/2011/08/24/opinion/a-pledge-to-end-fraternity-hazing. html. Hazing that took place in a fraternity at Cornell University, caused the life of a sophomore to be taken.This tragic event led to another student to finally step up realizing how wrong hazing is and the fact that it should be banned. This source was an article written about the pledge this boy proposed in memory of the sophomore. Once again I found this article extremely helpful for having such a personal aspect to it. This article was extremely reliable and contained no bias what so ever. Its audience is students, to show them that it is ok to step up to make what the believe it tr ue right. I would mark this source more reliable than some of the others

Psychological egoism and ethical egoism Essay

Human beings put so much value on other people’s interests. They find that if they satisfy their hunger for helping others, they (in turn) will have satisfaction for themselves. This was shown in Mother Teresa’s giving to others without taking anything back. However, as with everything else, there are exceptions. I know many people (i.e. car salesman ha-ha) that have only their interests in mind when they are taking action. This brings us to the discussion of the difference between psychological egoism and ethical egoism and my position upon ethical egoism. I will begin by defining both psychological and ethical egoism. I will then state the counterexamples/arguments against it, and finally critically assess my position on ethical. Psychological egoism, as Dr. Belcher describes it is, â€Å"Psychological egoism is the claim that humans are (and can be) motivated only by selfish desires or that humans can pursue only their own self-interests.† This means that every action that helps others turns into a selfish one because the action gives satisfaction or happiness to the human that performs the action. There are many counterexamples of this theory. I will give two: First, all actions are motivated by desires, therefore in seeking desires, I am doing what is in my interest. Secondly, we seek our own happiness; therefore our desires seek happiness not selfishness. Next, I will give arguments against psychological egoism. First, the argument is flawed in onto itself. When humans choose to pursue their own interests, who is to say that these interests are selfish (selfish being a purely subjective term). Secondly, if an action gives pleasure to a human, it does not necessarily mean that the human set out to get pleasure. Psychological egoism, although on first glance, may seem logical; it is flawed in its own arguments. Ethical egoism is the theory that the promotion of one’s own good is in accordance with morality. It is what one â€Å"ought† to do. In the strong version it is held that it is always moral to promote one’s own good and it is never moral not to promote it. In the weak version, it claims that although it is always moral to promote one’s good, it is not necessarily never moral not to do so. There is one solid, logical argument for ethical egoism. If, in the wilderness, two humans come across the only source of  food (which happens to be enough for one human), a dilemma arises if both claim the food. The rational idea would be to accept an equal share of the food. However, both humans would only have half as much food as they need. Therefore, there is no possible resolution and they must fight for it. They must resort to the â€Å"might makes right† theory and in the interest of living, they must indirectly kill the other one. Here are two main argum ents against it: First, only the human in question can say what is best for him/her. No human can say that they clearly know what is better for another human. Moreover, helping others is offensive to them. It is presumptuous to show a human that they are inadequate and that others are able to do what they cannot. Secondly, given that any argument that puts forth the idea of a different treatment for different groups of people without any justifiable differences is unacceptable arbitrary. Ethical egoism makes people put more importance on themselves than others; therefore, ethical egoism is unacceptably arbitrary. Although ethical egoism is trying to be helpful, it seems that the argument goes about it in a very selfish way. I will try to defend ethical egoism. The main argument I will put forth was originally created by Ayn Rand. 1) We must accept that life is of the utmost worth. Humans only live once and if we have any value on the individual, we must adhere to this claim. 2) Altruistic theories regard the individual as something that must be sacrificed for the greater good of others. 3) Altruistic theories do not take the worth of the individual life into account. 4) Ethical egoism’s main philosophy is that the individual life is of utmost value. 5) Therefore, ethical egoism is the most logical theory. The second argument for ethical egoism runs along the lines of the first. Humans ought to act on whatever will promote the interests of everyone. The interests of everyone can only be promoted if humans pursue their own interests. Thus, every human should look out for him/herself. I can see one major flaw with this argument. Although it seems that humans cannot see what is good for other humans, in most real life scenarios (the man that is about to be ran over by a truck), we can safely say that we know what is best. We should push the man out of the way. Furthermore, why are the interests of the individual so important? Is not every human being an  individual? Therefore, all of our interests are of equal importance. It is a prejudice to take our interests above others. Although, the arguments against ethical egoism seem to be solid, I believe that greatness cannot be achieved by looking out for the interests of the entire group. Genius is not a group effort. I do not believe Mozart or Van Gough could have made such great works of art if someone had been looking over there shoulder saying, â€Å"no, no, that doesn’t look/sound good at all.† Even though on average humans will get the better for themselves by looking out for the greater good, we will never see anything that is a work of genius.

Research Statement on the Impact of the American Culture to Canadian Cultural

Historically, Canada has been subjected to various cultures such as that of the British and the French. From as early the 1500s, European explorers, traders, and fishermen from England, Ireland and France helped form the basis of Canadian culture. Now in the modern era, there is another addition in the list of cultural influences affecting the Canadian society. This cultural treat comes in the form of the contemporary American culture.American influence is clearly visible but not fully acknowledge by most Canadians. Several people think that this is an implied disposition but there is also a great number who believe that this is explicitly manifested in the Canadian culture. Proximity and the migration of people, ideas, and capital were deemed to be the cause of America’s immense influence on Canadians (Canada culture).This study aims to uncover the predicament of the Canadian culture in relation to being associated to the American Culture. Public perception of the United Stat es as a global powerhouse in politics, economics and culture has produced a very potent American culture wherein in this case, Canadians have unconsciously embraced it as demonstrated in their fondness for Hollywood, U. S. landscapes and American vernacular (Kellogg, 2004).Determining the starting point, extent and effect of the American influence on Canadian culture will provide an ample amount of information that would explore the ways in which American influences have challenged Canada's cultural values and asks whether Canada is able to maintain its own identity. The period covered would start from post-modern era to present. The time frame relatively represents the age of globalization when culture is intensified and amplified to meet the clamor for innovations.Generally, Post modernism is a movement of ideas arising from, but also critical of elements of modernism. This definition embodies the present state of the American culture. Understanding Culture It is important to unde rstand and identify aspects of culture that leads to its pervasion across geographical and political boundaries. It is equally important to understand the roots of cultural disparity and differences that often places two civilizations, though geographically contiguous, at subtle levels of conflict and confrontation.The cultural spectrum holds different shades for a person, a society and a nation, accordingly helping each of them to assimilate and adapt to a common identity that is defined and shaped by culture. In the process of evolving this collective identity, culture transcends its traditional role of providing an aggregate set of beliefs, customs, norms, values, ethics, traditions, moral, social and legal codes, perceptions, and philosophy, to become the overall physical framework for the society to function.Culture attains a real form, rendering a three dimensional living space for people to experience its living force (Mahant and Mount, 2002). Culture is strongly related with geographical setting of a place, religion, ethnicity, and race, explaining why different countries have different cultures, and also why places on seashore share common elements of culture that is quite different from culture of mountainous places.The imprinting of culture on ways a person thinks, acts, perceives the environment and models his/her reaction is very strong and virtually indelible, determining every aspect of human behavior and giving rise to cultural identity in addition to individual and national identity. Although the classic rational choice framework says that people are independent in choice of their behavior and approach towards events, its seen that at subtle levels the structural model provided by culture acts as final determinant in predicting a person, a society and a nation.Although culture is dynamic, evolving and continuously upgrading itself, in essence, these changes occur within the context of culture’s own timeframe (Mahant and Mount, 2002). On e of the most important contribution of culture to human civilization is the orientation provided towards other cultures, making the culture in question receptive, tolerant, indifferent or outright hostile towards different cultures. Societies are seldom mono-cultural, displaying a range of cultural traits, achieved through generations of trades, contact, and cross cultural mixing.However, although for people belonging to a particular culture, their culture would hardly seem complex, the cultural realities are hidden beneath the surface, difficult to observe and discern from outside. These improper understanding and imperfect perceptions of culture often give rise to conflict when different cultures are required to meet or come across. Cultural Dialogue and Imprinting between USA and Canada In recent times, the Canadian cultural policy has taken an inward looking approach in order to minimize influence of United State Culture while supporting Canadian cultural elements.The rhetoric of cultural protectionism is familiar-aimed towards protecting Canadian cultural, its sovereignty and identity; assuring shelf space for Canada in a world completely occupied by Americanism; assuring a zone of creative independence to Canadians where their tales would be theirs’ alone. This introvert attitude is also promoted with an aim to counter the market dominance of American products, their selling strategies, , their discriminatory policies against Canadian goods and their challenge to Canadian sense of independence, unity, and identity (Mahant and Mount, 2002).It is no wonder that this logic is also forwarded as an argument for protecting and promoting cultural diversity. Such rhetoric have come repeatedly off Canadian politicians, cultural leaders and taken up fervently a large section of Canadian media. (Acheson and Maule, 1999, 329-48). However, these maneuvers lack a historical perspective of US and Canada relation that dates back to the earliest days of colonial settlements. At the time when United States of America achieved its independence in 1783, it comprised of thirteen principle colonies, comprising most of people, and habitable parts of the region at the time.What was left of British North America contained a large territory with scant but primarily English speaking population as a direct result of the American Revolution when most of the loyalist fled there (Maule, 2003). This predominantly English culture implied that this region, which would be later, organized as Canada would bear a close relationship with its politically and economically advanced neighbor. The binding thread of English language and same English culture provided both Canada and USA a common cultural platform, especially in a huge and isolated landscape.The cultural interaction between two countries took place at same frequency and within the same context, and it filled Canadians with a sense of creation and recognition of a joint cultural space where events in Un ited States did not take place across the border, rather across the boundary wall (MacKinnon, 1973). The feeling of continuous cultural space permeated through most of 19th century, as people across border established close links and immigration between the two nations took place with a greater ease than intra-state travel in many countries.Naturally, owing to its superior size, population, vastly greater economy and industrial prowess, USA took the role of big-brother between two nations and for the initial days, Canadians were perfectly content in following USA as a role model for practically all aspects of their life (Maule, 2003). Hence it is no surprise that education, political system and social structure of Canada closely toed on US lines (MacKinnon, 1973). By the beginning of 20th century, US media, press and broadcast were largely dominating their Canadian counterparts.Reports citing surveys conducted in the period 1920-26 state that Canadian readership for US magazines, bo oks and newspapers had gone on all time high, leaving behind British and even their own publications by several degrees (Acheson and Maule, 1999, 329-48). Meanwhile, with emergence of motion picture and wireless broadcast, Americanism, its ethics and its values found a much quicker and shorter route to penetrate Canadian horizons. The cultural extension of USA in Canada was of sufficient strength to mould its business interests to the interest of United States commercial enterprises (Maule, 2003).However, Canadian identity received a major boost post the Second World War, where their armed legions had distinguished themselves. Cultural issues now took centerstage and several commissions instituted by Canadian government were unanimous in their recommendations for establishing councils that would oversee development of Canadian art, literature, music, and aesthetics, independent of the drug laden bohemian US pop culture. By 1957, Canadian government had established the council for ar t and music and opened Canadian public library.The government even took several relatively draconian measures, such as levying tax on popular American magazines in order to divert the readership as well advertisers to Canadian publications. The government also invested in establishing a network of universities and colleges with independent curriculum than their US counterparts (Peers, 1969). Protecting Canadian Culture Canadian culture has always been protective towards its earlier British root, and although there is a continuous influx of people from around the world in Canada, the essential Canadian values hung close to colonial memories for a considerable time(Dean and Dehejia, 2006).Naturally the completely un-conventional and un-orthodox American value system and cultural symbols had always posed a threat to traditional values and cultural system of Canada. Further, the inner progress towards nationhood since 1960 has permeated a feeling of nationalism in Canada, where, coming out of British cultural dominion, they attempted to assert themselves as a national group (Fulford. 1990). Under these circumstances an assault of US cultural values was seen as a threat to the nascent Cultural nationalism and Canadian cultural-value system.Despite instituting these measures, Canadian government could not claim complete immunity by ever growing American influence through its beaming pop culture, movie world and non-conservative attitude towards system of values and ethics. The presence of an active, forward, and rather intruding American culture let Canada to retain at least five different types of measures to protect its culture were still in place. The first of these measures known as ‘Cancon’ regulations have been extant since 1930s and by 1990s they formed a essential if somewhat erratic part of the principle measures in place to check American Culture.Under the provisions of Cancon regulations, its compulsory for Canadian private broadcasters to sh ow at least 60 percent Canadian content during evening â€Å"prime time,†. Although in practice, the duration is considerably lower than what is stipulated, yet it has ensured that at the least some Canadian content is broadcasted. but most show considerably less than these figures would suggest (Kellog, 2004). As a direct consequence of cancon regulation surveys conducted in May 2000 reveal that 35 percent of all music played on Canadian radio stations is Canadian with some quota also for primarily instrumental music.To ensure Canadian presence in television programs, the government has introduced a a point system that measures Canadian-ness of programs in terms of the proportion of Canadians involved (Mahant and Mount, 2002). Although these measures did not necessarily reflect the accurate picture, neither assured Canadian-ness of content, they have remained effective from a general point of view in keeping Canadian culture afloat (Kellog, 2004). The second category of meas ures have consisted trade protection to Canadian broadcasters and media.Although, with introduction of WTO rules and regulations, many of these regulations have disappeared, yet the remnants continue to provide a structural security to Canadian broadcasters (Dean and Dehejia, 2006). In the third set of measurements, Canadian government took steps to increase investment in Canadian media and broadcast industry. The government recognized that cultural performance in Canada is linked with ownership and control. These investment policies have allowed the prevention of American bookstore chains and media industries from comprehensive takeover of their Canadian counterparts.Though the government has allowed limited foreign investment in the cultural industries, the center of its focus has remained on promoting and nurturing Canada based cultural entities (Mahant and Mount, 2002. Under the fourth set of measurement, government decided to directly subsidize Canadian Cultural entities. The s ubsidies have become central to Canadian policies to protect, and encourage Canadian cultural values, entities, art and music, especially after NAFTA and WTO have led to elimination of a number of other protective measures (Mahant and Mount, 2002).For example, according to a 1997 ruling, WTO stipulated that the postal subsidies enjoyed by Canadian magazines would be regarded as an illegal subsidy. Therefore, government has provisioned systems of direct grants and subsidies as a result of which nearly all the forms of Canadian cultural entities, ranging from from book publishing to films to readings by writers and art exhibits enjoys measures of government subsidy and supported (Mahant and Mount, 2002). The serious intents of Canadian government can be estimated from the fact that in 1996-97 government spent more than $5.6 billion dollars in cultural subsidies and grants; Apart from these measures, the Canadian government has also established a number of ad hoc measures, rules and re gulations to protect its heritage and Culture. This ad hoc approach has been necessary especially since WTO and NAFTA have continued to pressurize and impeded government’s efforts to protect Canadian cultural industries and sectors (Mahant and Mount, 2002. Certainly these measures diluted, if not ended, US cultural dominance on Canadian social space.However, US media, riding upon its buoyant economy and its technological enterprise continued to dazzle the world, and it was little surprise that, its culturally closest neighbor, Canada could hardly escape their affect. As the era of globalization, Internet and social networking has dawned upon the world, it is inevitable that Canadian cultural distinctions would at some point of time reflect the values and ethics promoted by a US dominated world (Mahant and Mount, 2002). References Blackwell, J. D. and Blackwell-Stanley, L. C.. Canadian Studies: A Guide to the Sources.Retrieved February 12, 2008, from http://www. iccs-ciec. ca/ blackwell. html#culture Canada culture. Retrieved February 12, 2008, from http://www. university- world. com/canada/canada_culture. html Kellog, A. (2004). Despite American culture creep, Canadian values remain. Edmonton Journal. Retrieved February 12, 2008, from http://www. gaiecoute. com/default. aspx? scheme=2150. Large Canada Urban Areas Population and Density: 2001. Statistics Canada:2001 McGregor, G. The Beaver Bites Back: American Popular Culture in Canada David H.Flaherty and Frank E. Manning (eds. ). Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1993. 356 pp. CJS Online. Retrieved February 12, 2008, from http://www. cjsonline. ca/articles/mcgregor. html O'Neil, D. Overview. (2006). Retrieved February 12, 2008, from http://anthro. palomar. edu/change/change_1. htm Mahant. E. E. , Mount, G. S. 2001. The U. S. Cultural Impact upon Canada; American Review of Canadian Studies, Vol. 31. Maule, C. 2003. State of the Canada-U. S. Relationship: Culture. American Review of Canadian Studies, Vol. 33, 2003.Neil MacKinnon, â€Å"The Changing Attitudes of the Nova Scotian Loyalists towards the United States, 1783-1791,† Acadiensis 2 (Spring 1973). Acheson, Keith and Christopher Maule, Much Ado about Culture: North American Trade Disputes. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1999. Frank W. Peers, The Politics of Canadian Broadcasting, 1920-1951 (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1969) W James W Dean, and Vivek H Dehejia. 2006. Would a Borderless North America Kill Canadian Culture? , American Review of Canadian Studies, Vol. 36. Robert Fulford. 1990. Canada: A Great Northern Paradox? Americas (English Edition), Vol 42.