Napster.Com Essays - Metallica, Napster, Web 2.0,

Napster.Com Napster.com The Napster software (http://www.napster.com), launched early in 1999, allows internet users to share and download MP3 files directly from any computer connected to the Napster network. The software is used by downloading a client program from the Napster site and then connecting to the network through this software, which allows sharing (uploading and downloading) of MP3 files between all users connected to the network. While Napster does not condone copyright infringement, there is no opportunity in the software to stop this, or for royalties to be paid to artists whose songs are being duplicated for free. Unlike similar file-sharing applications (Gnutella, Freenet), Napster limits users to uploading/downloading of MP3 files only. These files are compressed wave (.wav) files. The advantage of MP3 files is that they are approximately one-tenth the size of the corresponding .wav file and can be close-to-CD-quality. It is for this reason that many artists, record labels and other music industry stakeholders are concerned by the MP3 file format and applications like Napster that simplify the sharing of copyrighted material. Other file formats in common use on the Internet are not as threatening to the recording industry; primarily due to the reduced quality of the recording. Real audio (.ra, .rm) files have reduced sound quality (comparable to radio) and are usually streamed over a different protocol, allowing people to listen to songs without having (or being able) to download the source files. Another 'music' file format common on the internet is the midi format. These files are of no threat to the music industry because the files are not actually a recording of the music; rather a set of instructions to the computer as to what sounds to play (and there is no way to duplicate vocal tracks). This file format is also becoming outdated and being used less and less. The reaction from recording artists, record labels and other music industry players has been varied, but primarily anti-Napster. The first action to be taken against Napster was by the band Metallica. In April of this year, they sued Napster Inc for copyright infringement. The case was settled out of court when Napster agreed to ban some 300,000 users who had allegedly downloaded Metallica songs. Again in June Napster Inc was sued for copyright infringement by The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), a trade group representing the US recording industry, alleging Napster is enabling and encouraging the illegal copying and distribution of copyrighted music. Napster claims that Audio Home Recording Act that permits copying of material for personal use, allows it's uses to swap MP3s. Napster further claims immunity by defining the company as an ISP under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The RIAA unsuccessfully applied to have an injunction to stop Napster's operations u ntil after the court case in September, so Napster will continue to operate until (and if) the court rules against Napster. Other artists and record labels (http://www.napster.com/speakout/artists.html and http://www.napster.com/speakout/labels.html) have responded to the advent of Napster and similar applications in a more positive way, embracing the new technology rather than rejecting it. On their website, the Offspring says MP3 technology and programs such as Napster [are] a vital and necessary means to promote music and foster better relationships with our fans. Interestingly enough, the Offspring's last album, Americana, was made available online illegally before commercially released, yet it is the band's best-selling album to date. Furthermore, a number of surveys have proven that Napster users actually buy more CDs, after 'sampling' the songs online (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/1/12093.html). It is this issue that is at the core of the RIAA lawsuit, whether Napster and similar applications will mean reduced CD sales. Napster does challenge the traditional distribution of music (CDs, cass ettes, vinyl etc) but whether this should be viewed as a threat or simply a new medium to be exploited by the music industry is another issue. Some record labels, most notably Epitaph (http://www.epitaph.com) have partnered with sites like e-music.com to sell full albums and single songs in MP3 format over the web. In this case, the record company has in fact gained a new distribution method, rather than seeing it as the 'enemy'. Of course, in this scenario, the record company still gets a cut

Essay Sample on Job Design Improvement

Essay Sample on Job Design Improvement Repetitive work for 8 hours a day, day after day can often cause health problems for employees as well as lead to ineffectiveness. In order to reduce the negative impact of monotonous jobs, improve the organization of tasks to streamline efficiency, job design concept was introduced. Job design and work organization is the specification of the contents, method and relationships of jobs to satisfy technological and organizational requirements as well as the personal needs of job holders (Accel Team). Job design is about the ways to organize a set of tasks, or an entire job. Some argue that job design improves workers’ motivation and dedication to work. However, at a closer examination, job design can only contribute to the better efficiency within an organization, eliminate some health problems, but will not impact employee morale and enthusiasm at work. Rearranging activities can help alleviate fatigue and/or boredom according to Environmental Health and Safety Office (University of Toronto). For example, ergonomically designed workstations will not eliminate all problems for individuals who continuously perform repetitive, monotonous work. Generally, health complaints can be significantly reduced if workers are given a variety of tasks, and some control over their work. Approaches to job design improvement include job enlargement, job rotation, job enrichment and work design. Job enlargement includes more and different tasks. Job enlargement may or may not give employees more responsibility but should increase interest to the work. Job rotation assumes moving employees from one task to another, distributing the group tasks among a number of employees. Job enrichment allows employees to assume more accountability, responsibility, and independence when learning new tasks and allows for greater participation and new opportunities. Work design allows employees to see how the work methods, handling procedures, and work layout are linked together as well as the interaction between machines and people. Currently companies offer job design consulting services, which cover writing job descriptions, constructing job competencies, determining standards of performance, designing effective reward packages, drawing up employment contracts. (Business and Training Solutions Ltd.). As one can see, the primary role of job design approaches is to speed up the processes and make the most out of every employees work. Thus employee morale and motivation are not the primary focus and result of the job design concept application, although they may appear as a side-effect. If you need a custom essay, research paper, thesis, dissertation, term paper on Sociology, Management or other discipline feel free to contact our professional custom writing service.

Adding Value through Diversity Management, Ethical Behaviours, and Assignment

Adding Value through Diversity Management, Ethical Behaviours, and Organisational Commitment - Assignment Example According to the discussion  employee resourcing is defined in various ways, including what it is basically composed of, what it should be, and what it actually is. Armstrong provided a straightforward definition of the role of resourcing in supporting company operations and objectives: â€Å"Resourcing is what organisations do to ensure they have the people they need.† Employee resourcing includes recruitment, selection, and retention strategies.This paper stresses that  employee resourcing can improve performance through adopting diversity management strategies. From recruiting to hiring, a diversity management perspective allows HR to look for and hire from as varied pools of applicants as possible. This relates to Equal Opportunity principle, where biases and discrimination are removed from HR policies and practices. Wilson gave the UK National Health Service as an illustration of international diversity management. She stressed that the NHS is â€Å"largest single em ployer within the UK, employing over a million people – 5 percent of the working population – in numerous careers. The NHS reaps the benefits of tapping competent and experienced people from all over the world, while migrant workers gain helpful education and experience. Benefits flow both ways for the NHS case. Furthermore, selecting diverse people enhances creativity. Google is known for its diversity management in hiring and selecting people.

Global Warming Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global Warming - Assignment Example dence on rising sea level that threatens to displace people along seashores and submerge cities and resources along the shores is an example because residents of the area fear for their stakes and the resources have massive significance on economies. Evidence on rising temperatures and have informed the public of the need for a solution because of effects of temperature on agriculture and health. High temperatures do not favour agriculture, a major source of food, and is therefore a threat to food security and increases susceptibility to some infections. In addition, evidence on effects of global warming on biodiversity has also influenced public opinion on needs for a solution. States and local politicians such as governors and state legislators have been active in efforts towards addressing global warming. In California and many other states, strong legislations have been enacted for cleaner air and climate change, some stronger that federal laws on environmental issues. Schwarzenegger’s California State is the leading and states enjoy support from local leaders for environmentally friendly policies (Davoudi, Crawford and Mehmood 125, 126). Corporations and environmentalists have assumed different perspectives in efforts to address global warming issue. With leading efforts from environmental scientists, environmental groups have advocated for efforts to manage global warming through addressing its major causes and they have used evidence to create awareness and campaign for policy changes by government agencies and social responsibility by the corporate sector. Corporations have however opposed efforts to control global warming because of the adverse economic effects that they are likely to suffer. This is because industrial activities into greenhouse gas emissions are some of the major identified causes of global warming. In response to evidence and advocacy of environmental groups and legislative measures, corporations have argued that scientific evidence

Software Technology Evaluation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Software Technology Evaluation - Research Paper Example More specifically, organizations are becoming aware of the threats that peer-to-peer software poses to their networks and users who download or upload files. With regard to the request the client made, it is reasonable to have concern over users who install file sharing software without receiving the authority to do so. This is because there are many threats that target files sharing software, which can harm computer users and the corporate resources, as well. While peer-to-peer file sharing software is popular, their mechanisms of operations offer significant opportunities for hackers to perform exploits that can harm its users. More specifically, such software like uTorrent, Bit Torrent and other popular files sharing softwares can allow propagation of malicious codes such as worms, and spyware. File sharing software can also help hackers carry out intrusion into host computers where they can steal data. Unauthorized installation of file sharing software can expose the host compute rs to peer-to-peer worms that can affect the users of the network. Over years, file sharing community has been facing the problem of peer-to-peer worms that exploit the vulnerability of hosts in the peer-to-peer network (Salomon, 2010). ... In most cases, peer-to-peer networks have scanning worms, which can use the peer-to-peer software to exploit network vulnerability. Indiscriminate and unauthorized installation of file sharing software can introduce spyware into the corporate network. It is has been argued that users install spyware software unknowingly because some get installed along free software or files sharing applications (Baskin & Piltzecker, 2006). More often than not, developers of spyware use free software as a way of distributing their spyware programs that hope to exploit unsuspecting users. Because of this approach, unauthorized installation of file sharing software can introduce spyware into the corporate computers such as desktops and laptops (Appleman, 2004). The problem of spyware entails monitoring and sharing of information on the user of the system. This means that a spyware can monitor the use of an infected computer and share the information with the developer of the spyware. Through this appro ach, the organization can lose valuable information that could be used against it by its competitors or hackers for criminal acts. While there other ways that spyware can penetrate the corporate network, unauthorized installation of files sharing network is the most covert way of installing spyware on any computer, whether a desktop or laptop computer. Installation of file sharing software on a corporate network can allow hackers to penetrate the network and execute other functions that harm computers connected to the network. While computers users can install new file sharing software to use for distributing materials on the internet, there are high chances that hackers can use the software to gain access to the network resources such as servers or desktop

Attachment Theory Analysis Development And Application Psychology Essay

Attachment Theory Analysis Development And Application Psychology Essay This paper focuses on the concept of attachment theory. We begin with an analysis of what it is and its development and the founders and important people who have applied and developed it. We then present its applications in the modern psychology. Attachment can be defined as the emotional bond that connects one person with another. This theory was first advanced by psychologist John Bowl by and he described it as a lasting psychological connectedness between human beings (Bowlby, 1969). He believed that the initial bond that is formed by children with their parent or caregivers have very important impact upon their entire lives. According to him, the attachment is very fundamental in ensuring that the childs chances of survival are enhanced. The main theme in the theory of attachment revolves around the notion that mothers who are responsive and available to the needs of their children usually establish some sense of security. The infant are therefore ware of the fact that such a bond with a dependable parent or caregiver is important for their security and safety. This gives them a well secured platform to explore the world at large. The main characteristics of attachment Secure base This is when the caregiver or parent provides a dependable and secure base for the child to explore the world. Safe haven This is exhibited when the child feels afraid and threatened. They do therefore turn back to their caregiver to seek comfort Maintenance of proximity This is exhibited when the child makes efforts to be as close to the caregiver or parent as much as possible in order to keep themselves safe. Distress of separation The Ainsworths theory of Strange Situation Mary Ainsworth, a psychologist in 1970s carried out research that expounded immensely on the work of Bowlbys. Her famous theory of Strange Situation revealed that there is a notable effects of attachment on the human behavior. The study which she conducted entailed an observation of children aged between 12 and 18 months who were being watched as they responded to various situations in which they were left alone for a short period of time. The infants were then reunited with their mothers as pointed out by (Ainsworth, 1978). On the basis of the observed responses, Ainsworth came up with three main styles of attachment which were: Secure attachment Ambivalent-insecure attachment Avoidant-insecure attachment However, later on, the work of Main and Solomon (1986) saw the addition of an extra style of attachment referred to as disorganized-insecure attachment. Several other studies have shown that the various attachment styles have a profound influence on the behavior of humans in their later lives. Detailed characteristics of attachments Secure attachment Children who are securely attached do exhibit a lot of distress when they get separated from their caregivers. They do however become happy on the return of their caregiver. It is worth pointing out the fact that these children do feel secure and are able to depend entirely on their parents ar caregivers. Whenever the caregiver or parent leaves, they may feel upset but with the knowledge and hope that their caregiver would soon come back. In case they get frightened by anything, these securely attached children would seek the comfort and protection of their caregivers. They know their parents and caregivers and their ability to provide them with assurance and comfort. Ambivalent attachment The ambivalently attached children normally do become distressed whenever their caregivers leave them. This form of attachment is usually uncommon and is therefore observable in just a small percentage of American children. It has been shown through research that ambivalent children are a product of poor maternal availability. These children however, cannot rely on their parents availability for their needs to be met. Avoidant attachment This form of attachment is characterized with children who try at all costs to avoid their parents or primary caregivers. In case they get offered a chance, they would show no form of preference between their caregivers and new people who are considered total strangers. Research work has indicated that this form of attachment comes about as a result of a neglectful or abusive caregiver. This therefore means that children who get penalized or punished fpor their reliance on their caregivers would soon learn to avoid seeking their help in the future. The problems with attachment There are a myriad of problems that affects attachments. The questions that most people may ask are what happens to infant who do not form some form of secure attachment. Extant literature suggests that in case there is a failure to be part of a secure attachment during infancy, then there is bound to be negative impact on the behavior of the affected individual. This is notable in the early childhood as well as during adulthood. The children who are diagnosed with oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or conduct disorder (CD) usually show signs of attachment related problems. This is possibly as a result of : Early abuse Neglect and Trauma. It has been suggested by clinicians that early attachments do have very serious effects on the future relationships .For example, people who are securely attached during their childhood do tend to have positive qualities such as: Good self esteem Strong romantic relationships Ability to disclose oneself to other people. It has been suggested by several theorists that the attachment theory is a special kind of psychological theory that gives a description as well as explanation to be used as a theoretical framework necessary for discussing the various types of affectionate relationships that do exist between individuals. This theory which got its origin from John Bowlby in 1969 has continued to be influential as a logical framework to be utilized in the explanation of interpersonal relationships as pointed out by (Hazan, Shaver, 1987). Bowlbys theory was heavily influenced by the work of Harry Harlow. Harlow is the one who made a discovery that infant monkeys that got separated from their caregivers (mothers) ended up clinging to objects that were as fluffy as their mothers as opposed to the wire-coated food sispensers.This was a strong indication that the infants had a strong need to be nurtured as poited out by Harlow Suomi (1970).It was the belief of Bowlby that the attachment style of an individual is developed in their childhood and gets heavy influence by the infants relationship with the primary caregiver. His other belief was that an individual style of attachment is durable and has a strong influence on the way the person would relate to others through our their life time (Bowlby, 1969).There are however some theorist who challenge this notion. Secure attachment style This is the very first attachment style. Individuals who are securely attached have very low self esteem coupled with low avoidance. They however have positive attitudes towards themselves and towards the rest of the people. In order to promote secure attachment in children, it is important for the primary caregivers to be dependable, supportive and provide a safe haven as pointed out by Bartholomew Horowitz (1991). Ainsworths strange situation study revealed that securely attached children are characterized by several behaviors such as protestation of their caregivers departure while having the ability to begin being in happy mood only to welcome the departed caregiver and be reassured once again of their comfort as outlined by Tracy Ainsworth (1981). There are other benefits that come with being securely attached. These include the ability to form very close and intimate relationships with very little ease while being comfortable with the autonomy. Secure adults usually feel like they are worthless and have expectations that other persons will be accepting while being responsive at the same time as outlined by (Hazan Shaver, 1987). The diminishing attachment style This form of attachment is characterized by individuals who have low anxiety coupled with a rather high avoidance. Therefore, they do have a positive attitude towards their existence. They however do have a high avoidance of others. This form of attachment is observable in children and is formed whenever an infants bid to gain comfort are rejected and their primary care givers are hesitant and generally reluctant to allow body contact between them. This makes them to pick up their young ones in very abrupt manner. There is also an element of controlling behavior with very limited emotional response as indicated by (Hazan Shaver, 1987). An observation by Ainsworth shown that children who are dismissing had a characteristic of not being distressed by the departure of their caregivers and they were also not too much bothered by their return. This observation was reported by (Tracy Ainsworth, 1981). In adults It is also a general fact that adults who belong to the category of the dismissing individuals do feel a certain sense of worthiness. They however possess a very negative disposition towards other individuals. They do have a self protection mechanism that involves the avoidance of very close relationships and the maintenance of a general sense of independence coupled with invulnerability. The preoccupied (Fearful avoidant attachment styles) This third attachment style is referred to as the preoccupied style. These persons do experience a very high level of anxiety coupled with low avoidance. Therefore they get preoccupied and do feel on a constant basis, a sense of unlovabililty along with that of unworthiness that is combined with an affirmative evaluation of others. The preoccupied style is usually formed whenever a primary care giver is inconsistent in their manner of parenting. This is marked with being loving while being responsive. This is however true only when they are able to manage but not in their response to the childs signals as pointed out by Cassidy (2000). In adults Several adults have been shown to be exhibiting this style and they are known to be in a constant quest to be accepted by others through the gaining of acceptance of other individuals in the community. Fearful avoidant style This is the last type of avoidance styles It comprises of highly negative individuals.They do have: High anxiety High avoidance They also feel the following: Unworthy Unlovable They view people negatively and regard them as either rejecting or untrustworthy. Due to this, they usually avoid very close relationship and try to avoid being rejected at all costs. This group is made up of individuals who have been abused and neglected as pointed out by (Bartholomew Horowitz, 1991). The durability of the attachment styles The durability in this case refers to the state of stability of the attachment styles. This has however been a subject of too much controversy and debate. The attachment theory postulates that after repeated experiences during an individuals childhood, they do while in infancy, develop a string of knowledge structures a concept that can also be referred to as an inner working model that acts as a representative of the various several interactions that the infant had while they were with their primary care giver. The infant then learns of the fact that whenever their primary caregivers get responsive then they have an opportunity of counting on them as well as others should need be. On the other hand, in case the primary care givers are cold, unresponsive and inconsistent, then the child would soon learn to ignore or rather neglect their role in his or her life in regards to gaining comfort. . This model has for a long time been thought of as being persistent throughout the life of an individual and can be considered to act for them as some sort of a guide as illustrated by Fraley, (2002). In order to support this model, we bring out the fact that adults generally do tend to be more attentive to situations that bring out their experiences and to information that is in congruence with their worldly expectations. This is called the confirmation bias In order to illustrate this, we look at the study that was conducted by Simpson, Rholes, Nelligan in 1992 that portrayed that people who have avoidant working models with a general view of others as being unreliable did also vies social scenarios as being ambiguous. A study conducted by Roisman, Collins, Sroufe, Egeland (2005) in order to explore if an infants style of attachment could be predictive of their adult hood indicated that: A secure mind state in regard to one;s romantic relationship and better of (high quality) romantic relationship is usually a result of a secured attachment relationship that took place in infancy. In yet another study by Torgersen, Grova, Sommerstand, (2007) whose research relied on the test results of hypothesis that purported that attachment in most adults is heavily influenced by certain genetic factors. This was done through a comparison of both monozygotic as well as dizygotic twins attachment styles. Their result is was that both the environment and the genes have a profound influence on attachment Recent theories Several recent theories dispute this notion. They do propose however that the durability of a certain style is a functions of the stability of an individuals environment. This can be illustrated with a consideration of the experiences of new relationships and formation of new attachments both of which can bring about positive influence on an individuals working model. It is worth noting that the attachment theory is very crucial in the explanation of an individuals interpersonal relationship in a lifetime. The four proposed attachments styles: Secure Preoccupied Dismissing and Fearful avoidant Are all crucial in the explanation of an individuals interpersonal relationship. It is important to note that the durability of attachment has been questioned and more research is going on this. Applications to social phenomena Attachment theory in raising children Attachment is the link that forms between the person taking care of an infant and the infant itself from when it is between eight to nine months of age, giving the child security emotionally. Bonding starts from when a child is being given food, and goes on to participating in pseudo-dialogue and then it is followed by the child taking part in more active roles of proto dialogue, as shown by Kaye (1982), other ideas such as inter-subjectivity and scaffolding have been looked into by psychologists. As an infant continues growing, their attention towards the person taking care of them increases. John Bowlby (1958, 1980) founder of the attachment theory was involved in extensive analysis on the emotional link between infants and adults and he had a strong belief that the early relationships greatly determined the emotional and behavioral growth of a child. An earlier study done by Bowlby in 1944 found out that children who had an unstable upbringing where more likely to become juvenile derelicts. His work is often free to criticism and has been improved on with further research. Other following research has measured different levels of security and insecurity in children from early times by use of the method known as Strange Situation Test. Other explorations have also shown different types of the difficult habits and how a child may relate with the person taking care of them actively. Bowlbys theory was founded on ideas from ethology studies and earlier works. The psychodynamic theory as put by Sigmund Freund was very pertinent during the 50s following the Second World War when women were taking up caring for households and playing motherhood roles as men were going back to employment post war. Sigmund believed that every child ought to have a relationship with one caregiver monotropism and that separating from this person would bring about the proximity promoting behaviors in the attachment order. The caregiver coming would cause the behaviors of, clinging, making noise and crying to come to an end. The protected grounds of the affectionate links present between the parent and infant representation becomes part and parcel of the inner working model. These therefore become the heart and the base of all close relationship during continuation of the childs life all through to adulthood. The interference of a mother and childs relationship through lack of emotion, se paration and bereavement to the bonding process. Bowlbys theory of maternal deprivation (1951, 1953) was supported by Konrad Lorenz imprinting study on the young ones of animals done in 1966. He believed that the childs caregiver should impress as a constant figure, and that lack of maternal links between mother and child could be dangerous to the childs health mentally and could cause delinquency. His opinions on long term organizational care were that if a child was placed in a foster home before reaching two years and six months social, emotional and cognitive development may not be delayed but his other works show there has been varying types of parting in youth with serious behavioral issues. Attachment behavior as looked into by Mary Ainsworth works (1985) Ainsworth Bell, (1974) Ainsworth et al (1978) becomes the base for all potential connections and this develops up to two years from the time the child is born. She also agreed with Bowlby on the opinion that the process of attachment bonding occurs at the age of two years. Roughly when the infant is about 7 months old when they get to be watchful of strangers and unknown environments. This continues until the child attains two years of age. The process Ainsworth (1969) investigated to determine if a child was securely or insecurely connected was the strange situation paradigm. This involved a series of short separations and reunions. The childs parent and a person unknown to the child took part in the study with a child aged one year, there were eight series in total and Ainsworths measurement on secure and insecure connection was founded on the reunion scene of how the child reacted in such a situation. Evaluation was carried out using four different variables. The results showed that there were three main varying styles of adjusting. Type A was the anxious and avoidant. The Type B secure while the Type C was the anxious and ambivalent. Most children showed secure attachment; one fifth of them showed anxious/avoidant and one tenth showed anxious/amb ivalent. Main and Solomon (1990) introduced yet another variable, D Type: which in recent times was disorganized to match the behaviors of children in risky environments. The strange situation paradigm, has been faulted by Judy Dunn (1982, 1983), she believed that children from varying backgrounds like institutional care and those living with their families may bring different meanings to the test and the childs environment. The method and results of the experiment are doubted even by Judy Dunn herself. In another study carried out by Richman in 1982 et al it showed that different dangerous factors of disturbed behavior can be evident from the time a child is three years old. Some of the factors known to influence a childs emotional development are the mothers mental state, marital stability and the parents attitudes to the child. The childs active part must also be taken into consideration when giving advice on bringing up children as is shown in Sameroffs 1991 transactional model, as children interact with their environments, while the caregiver develops the childs behavior and how they will relate in future. In Ainsworth and Bowlbys view in which they both agree relationships are universal it can said that different peoples and cultures have different degrees on to what degree or amount of time an infant should be left alone, Japanese, the Chinese and the Israeli results showed Type C in a research done across cultures by one Marinus van Ijzendoorn and Peter Kroonenberg in 1988. Problems could also be with the ethological view of drawing comparisons between children and the young ones of animals as they could be controlled by an instinct. Bowlby considered only the effect on the child by the caregiver yet other factors could affect this such as the child moods. A mother whose child has a thorny mood could prefer to work and leave their child in a day facility which in turn could have a negative effect on the mother being unable to leave the child behind with other people. The mothers patience and the look of the goodness of fit. Researchers Chess and Thomas (1984) suggested that attachme nt could impact on the behavior and a reflection on the attachment link between the child and the primary caregiver (mother). Bowbly and Ainsworth worked together in the development of secure links as per the sensitive mothering of a child in its first year but it could have an impact on the mother as argued by Woollet and Pheonix in 1991, where if she has to abandon all her earlier work and duties possibly leading to frustrations. A workable alternative is to share the responsibility of parenting but this notion would appear to be contrast to the opinion of Ainsworth and Bowlby. The showing of the movie A Two-Year-Old Goes to Hospital, by James Robertson in 1952 showed the stress and pains of a child separated from the mother during a long stay in hospital. During this period mothers were advised not to pay regular visits to their children while in hospital. According to Ainsworth and Bowlby ,the abrupt and premature separation of the child could have terribly affected its emotional wellbeing and the bonding process. Separation and providing alternative means for taking care of the child have been researched on more recently. Day care was among the topics researched into by Bowlby and his belief was that that if a child started nursery schooling before attaining three years of age, it would also cause irreparable damage to the child. However, recent studies done during the 70s and 80s have shown varying opinions and this was proved in a research carried out by Laurence Steinberg and Jan Belsky in 1978 and in yet another study done by Clarke-Stewart and Fein (1983). A much later study done by Belsky (1988), had different views as mothers who worked for more than 20 hours a week showed a higher level of insecure attachment as compared to his earlier study which found absolutely no problems with taking children for day care, Clarke-Stewart opposed this data. Other crucial factors that needed to be taken into consideration according to Belsky were the difference in the surroundings, the children in the day care facility, the staff at the day care and the quality of the day care. Appendix A: Figure 1: Attachment models source (http://www.personalityresearch.org/attachment.html)

Stuart Hall Essay -- British Culture

Outline: In this essay I will try to present the ways in which Stuart Hall influenced the development of Cultural Studies in Britain and illuminate the importance of his contribution to the understanding of British culture in general. As â€Å"one of the leading cultural theorists†, an epithet given to him by The Observer in 2007, he expanded the field of study to include gender, race and identity. He is also important for introducing new approaches to the study based on the works of French theorists. Introduction Stuart Hall was born in Kingston, Jamaica on February 3, 1932. After receiving a Rhodes scholarship in the 1950 he came to Britain in order to study at Merton College at the University of Oxford. He was a member of the Windrush generation, when a great number of African-Caribbeans migrated to the UK and other parts of Europe in the search of a better future. It is interesting to note that he was part of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in 1957. The publication of his book â€Å"The Popular Arts† (Hall and Whannel 1967; first published in Britain in 1964) ten years later led to the invitation by Richard Hoggart, another important figure in the founding of British Cultural Studies, to join the Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies. In 1968 he replaced Hoggart as the director of the institution and held the position until 1979. The BCCCS might be considered the cradle of cultural studies in Britain and some might even say that is the pivotal institution in the history of cultural studies in general. After leaving his position at the Centre, Hall became a professor at the Open University. He retired in 1997. Throughout his career, Hall stressed the practical impact that cultural studies can have on... ...’s work has been crucial for both the process of formation and the expansion and development of British Cultural Studies, as well as cultural studies as an international discipline. Due to the fact that Hall was born in Jamaica but practiced his career in Britain, he is able to present views both from inside and outside the British society. As much as he participated in contributing to the studies dealing with ethnicity, he also contributed to the study of national identity. The impact of his work expands the circle of cultural studies; during the 1980s he was a fierce critic of Thatcherism and influenced the Labour Party in Britain. The dedication he put in his work, together with the innovation and diversity of his studies have earned him the epithet â€Å"The Father of Cultural Studies†, a title most certainly deserved for redefining British cultural studies.

About film Magnifico Essay

The film opens with the birth of Magnifico (also called Ikoy in the film). It is clearly discernible at the outset that the boy was born in to a rural poor family. His father, Gerry, is a carpenter but does not have regular employment. It was Gerry who christened him Magnifico because he enjoyed watching a magician by that same name. Magnifico’s mother, Edna, augments the family income by stitching embroideries. Their house is a dilapidated hollow-blocks-and-wood structure typical in rural Philippines. They were so impoverished that they could only prepare soup and noodles for the town fiesta. At one point Edna had to pawn her wedding ring so they could have food on their table. The story actually begins when Magnifico turned nine. His brother, Miong, has just lost his much-needed scholarship from a university in the capital city Manila. This was a heavy blow because Gerry pinned his hopes on Miong to save the family from poverty. His grandmother, Magda, who lives with Magnifico’s family, figured in a serious accident and had to be hospitalized. In the hospital it was discovered that Magda had pancreatic cancer. This was another backbreaking blow because part of Gerry’s meager income would now go to medical expenses. As if these problems were not exasperating enough, Magnifico’ sister Helen had cerebral palsy, which rendered her incapable of self-mobility and comprehensible speech. Burdened by such seemingly insurmountable difficulties, Edna lustily sighed, â€Å"life is a never-ending misery†. But whole throughout the film life proved to be a series of small marvels. When Magnifico heard whispers that his grandmother Magda would soon die and that his family was incapable of shouldering the sky-high burial expenses, he innocently devised a secret plan. Employing the help of his school buddy Carlo, he covertly began constructing a wooden coffin. For materials he asked scrap wood from a local woodcarving shop and borrowed carpentry tools from his neighbors. And together with Carlo, he sold iced water and juice at the town carnival, hoping to collect money enough for his grandmother’s funeral dress, flowers, and tomb. When their two plastic jars emptied, they ended up with 306 pesos (about 4 euros) in their hands. However this was way too low, considering that he needed at least 30,000 pesos (roughly 400 euros). Yet Magnifico never lost hope. Nor felt bad. He was determined to fulfill his mission even if he had to sell iced water and juice until kingdom come. For aside from toiling for her grandma’s wake, he was also saving for her sister Helen. He  promised to bring her to the town carnival so she could have a colored balloon and enjoy the merry-go-round and other fun rides. Since Helen could not walk, Magnifico resolved to use his money to rent a wheelchair from Domeng. On the day Magnifico and Helen would go to the carnival, Magda’s illness worsened. And since his parents had virtually nothing, Magnifico had to part with his 230 pesos to buy the requisite medicines. Armed with less than a hundred pesos in his pockets but with a lot of determination, Magnifico brought Helen to the carnival by carrying her on his back. The neighbors who saw Magnifico and Helen at the carnival showed them compassion. A guy who used to bully Helen for laughs drove them there. Two feuding neighbors each gave them 100 pesos for tickets to the rides. One ticket controller admitted them without charge, another gave them a huge discount and a vendor gave Helen a free balloon. Magnifico brought Helen around. He showed her the cotton candies, the ice cream, the works. Helen had the time of her life. When Domeng saw Magnifico hauling Helen on his back, he understood why Magnifico wanted to rent his wheelchair. Moved by what he witnessed, Domeng decided to give his wheelchair to Magnifico for free. So he arranged for Magnifico to get the wheelchair from his house. On his way to Domeng’s house, Magnifico was hit by a car and died instantly. The colorful coffin he built for his grandmother became the chest in which he was buried. MAGNIFICO AS A CHRIST-FIGURE Peter Malone defines the Christ-figure in films as â€Å"any purely fictional character who resembles Jesus, significantly and substantially†. This does mean that the character has to look like the conventional Jesus in church paintings or be named Jesus. The character does not even have to be Christian nor male nor sinless in order to be a Christ-figure. The Christ-figure is â€Å"neither Jesus nor the Christ, but rather a shadow, a faint glimmer or reflection of him†. Thus, for the Christ-figure to be authentic, the film character must mirror Jesus’ life in some way. When the film character’s life or at least some aspects of it make implicit, metaphorical representations of Jesus’ own life and values then he or she may be considered a Christ-figure. Hence, â€Å"the Christ-figure is a way of being led back to the Jesus of the Gospels†. Aside from being the son of a carpenter, the central dynamic of Magnifico’s story runs parallel to a variety of  Christ-story elements and situations in the Gospels. The film presents these elements and situations in both symbolic forms and in the day to day life and behavior of Magnifico. The following are some of the scenes wherein we can see Jesus peek through in Magnifico. a.) Magnifico serves others with love Magnifico is a film brimming with Christian themes, the most obvious of which is that of selfless love. Magnifico’s love for his grandma Magda, for his parents, for his brother Miong, for his buddy Carlo, and especially for his sister Helen is radically Christian and thus radically different from any experience of love these people have ever experienced from other members of their family and from their neighbors. Magnifico’s attentiveness to the feelings and needs of his ailing grandmother contrasts against Edna’s bitterness towards Magda. Edna regarded Magda’s illness and impending death as an unnecessary encumbrance to the family. Magnifico, on the other had, wanted to make her grandma’s apparent passing away as dignified and unburdensome as possible. He spent much of his free time making this mission into reality. Magnifico’s compassion towards Helen contrasts against Makoy’s bullying of the crippled girl. He never felt burdened by Helen even if he had to carry, entertain, protect and feed her often. He labored hard to secure a wheelchair for her and to give her the chance to have a â€Å"normal† life and enjoy the carnival. While doing all these, Magnifico never complained nor had any selfish reasons. All he cared about was the joy he could give to those he loved and to those who needed him the most. Such compassion and selfless desire to be of service to others positively manifests Magnifico’s role as a Christ-figure who came to serve not to be served and to give his life as a ransom for many. b.) Magnifico makes â€Å"miracles† happen There is a minor character in the film named Ka Doring. She isolated herself from people and lived in the cemetery because she felt more at peace being away from the crowd. She was always begrudging and her face perpetually frowned. Children made fun of her hoarse voice. In turn she would scare them off with threats and curses. Magnifico brought her a bottle of herbal medicine for her soar throat. At first Ka Doring suspected that Magnifico was just one of the kids who wanted to make fun of her so she threw the bottle away. Upon learning this, Magnifico brought her another bottle and this time Ka Doring drank a few gulps. Later on Ka Doring’s sore throat would go away. During the town fiesta, Magnifico also brought Ka Doring noodles cooked by her mother. Magnifico brought about healing in Ka Doring, both in the physical and in the emotional sense. For when her soar throat healed she was not anymore antagonistic towards the children who made fun of her. Another small miracle made possible by Magnifico concerned Helen’s speech impediment. Edna tried all she could to teach her daughter Helen to say even such simple words as Nanay (mother) but to no avail. There came a point when Edna’s patience was stretched too thin that she ended up hurting Helen physically. On the night when Helen would be brought by Magnifico to the carnival she miraculously began to talk. It was out of sheer joy that Helen began to utter words like â€Å"mother† and â€Å"carnival†. The total healing experienced by Ka Doring and the unsurpassable joy experienced by Helen which gave her the impetus to speak implicitly establishes that dimension of Jesus as healer and miracle worker. These two narrative frames dramatically highlights Magnifico as a Christ-figure. c.) Magnifico inspires forgiveness and reconciliation Magnifico’s christological identity is exteriorized not only in the small miracles he effected in Ka Doring and Helen but also in bringing about reconciliation between Miong and his girlfriend, between Edna and Magda, and between Tessie and Cristy. Miong broke his rich girlfriend’s heart when she learned that Miong only wanted to marry her in order to bail out his family from poverty. Magnifico encouraged his elder brother Miong to ask forgiveness from his girlfriend. Miong humbled himself and went to his girlfriend to reconcile with her. As has been noted above, Edna was always bitter towards Magda. But in the end Edna’s attitude towards her mother-in-law changed radically. It seemed that Edna’s heart suddenly melted when she saw her son carrying Helen on his back without a hint of displeasure or exasperation. The camera focused on Edna’s face and we see tears streaming down her cheek. Then she looked at Magda, and in their eye-to-eye contact it is communicated that now Edna understood the meaning of unconditional love. If her son Magnifico could carry the crippled Helen  with love, so must she bear Magda with patience and compassion. That night was the beginning for a new and better relationship between Edna and Magda. Tessie and Cristy were both jealous of each other. While Tessie was a perennial gambler, Cristy was a helpless rumormonger. They were neighbors but they didn’t talk to each other. In the carnival they each gave Magnifico one hundred pesos. Not conscious of the presence of the other, each waved and smiled at Magnifico and Helen. After which they discovered that the other was just nearby and they soon had eye-to-eye contact. For a brief moment it seemed that their mutual hatred for each other had gone away for the better. It seemed that at last they were initiating a new way of being neighbors. Except for his brother Miong, it was not a conscious effort on the part of Magnifico to bring warring people to reconcile. Yet it seemed that every contact with Magnifico was life-changing and inspiring. These people were moved to ask pardon, to forgive and reconcile not so much by what Magnifico did as by his manner, his way of being and loving, which formed a luminous evidence to his being a Christ-figure. d.) Magnifico carries his own cross, dies and brings about redemption To start building his grandma’s coffin Magnifico and his devoted friend Carlo went to a woodcarving shop and asked its owner for scrap wood. On their way home they carried a long wooden plank on their shoulders which paralleled to that part in the passion story when Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus carry his cross. Whole throughout the movie Magnifico would be seen carrying something – a bottle of herbal medicine and some noodles for Ka Doring, a basin of vegetable for his family’s lunch, plastic jars for iced juice and water, a pouch of money to buy medicines for his grandma Magda, a brush to paint her coffin, and Helen on her back. These were his little crosses. These bespoke of his immense determination to be a person for others. And such involving scenes were essentially Christlike in their execution, content and effect. The life of Magnifico was cut short. He was on his way to meet Domeng to get the wheelchair for his paralyzed sister when a vehicle hit him. He died just like that. He must have been too excited to see Domeng on the other side of the road that he failed to notice the speedy cars. Up to his last breath Magnifico was always on the move to be of service to others. Symbolically his death poignantly conveys that, like Christ, he was willing to lay down his life for others. It was a kind of poetic justice – his death empowered  others to new life. This new life began for the family he left behind. Everyone who knew him attended his funeral. It was such a sad moment. The burial donations the family received totaled 31,105 pesos. When he was still alive Magnifico hoped to raise as much as 30,000 pesos. Ironically, this was to be accomplished in his death. Because of it Edna was able to redeem the wedding ring she pawned. And because of it they had something to restart on financially. Hence, the money became a metaphor of redemption for his family. One recurring symbol used throughout the film was the Rubik’s cube which Gerry tried to solve for at least a year. His failure to solve it symbolized his family’s lack of accomplishment in delivering themselves out of poverty, despair and misery. After one problem piled after another Gerry could not bear it any longer and threw the Rubik’s cube out of his sight. After Magnifico’s death, Gerry discovered that Magnifico had solved the Rubik’s cube, putting everything in its proper place. This was so symbolic of what Magnifico did for the people around him – he united his family, reconciled feuding neighbors, brought about healing to the sick, gave joy to the handicapped – in short putting their lives and their relationships in their proper place. Thus, in effect Magnifico became the Good Shepherd who died so that others may have the fullness of life.

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Handle Popular Culture Terms with Care Handle Popular Culture Terms with Care Handle Popular Culture Terms with Care By Mark Nichol Writers and editors must exercise caution when using terms and idioms that organically develop in popular culture. A misunderstanding of meaning or implication can adversely affect the message or impact of written content, so if you’re unsure about something, take a little time to research an unfamiliar or ambiguous word or phrase online. Sometimes, a pop culture pileup occurs because an idiom takes on two or more meanings. Take, for instance, the term redshirt. The traditional definition of the noun form describes a collegiate athlete kept out of competition in their freshman year to allow them to be eligible in their second through fifth years of higher education, rather than in the usual first four years. (These students, though still permitted to train with their teams, were originally distinguished from eligible teammates by wearing red shirts.) The term, thanks to the flexibility of the English language, also came to be used as an adjective (â€Å"The team has four redshirted players this year†) and a verb (â€Å"She redshirted last season.†) Furthermore, it has recently been extended to refer to children held back from kindergarten as a purported developmental benefit. However, a new, quite distinct meaning developed from usage among the fans of a cult television series that later expanded into an extensive multimedia franchise, and the term has become correspondingly more ubiquitous. On the original Star Trek series, initially aired during the late 1960s, at least one crew member of the starship Enterprise was often killed by some extraterrestrial menace or other and that person was usually a security officer, designated by a red uniform. Therefore, fans came to refer to these expendable stock characters as redshirts. (The latest Star Trek film, released in 2009, pays tribute to that trope by foreshadowing a bit character’s fate through the color of his uniform.) As familiarity with the Star Trek universe, and as appreciation of science fiction in general, became more pervasive in our culture, the concept of futuristic cannon fodder already had a name, and now the term is used throughout the sci-fi genre. (Similarly, at least one horror movie fan site, in its reviews, refers to doomed film characters as monster chow.) Numerous other references to the phrase pertain to various political and social movements that use or used such a garment as a unifying theme, and there’s even a Red Shirt School of Photography; this derogatory term refers to the tendency among National Geographic photographers and their imitators to favor (or even stage) brightly colored subjects for dramatic visual impact. Another pop culture reference with divergent meanings (though in this case, one was hatched from the other) is â€Å"rubber chicken.† The original trope is the prop of that description used in stand-up comedy and other entertainment such as juggling, and sometimes displayed at home or at the office as a goofy sight gag. (The rubber chicken apparently evolved from inflated pig bladders used as props by court jesters.) Subsequently, the term was employed to refer to the entree served as large invitation-only events that include a meal. Because of the time constraints, numerous plates of chicken are precooked, then reheated just before serving, giving the meat a tough consistency suggestive of the comic prop. From this term, the idiom â€Å"the rubber chicken circuit† was derived to describe the milieu of events such as fund-raising dinners for political campaigning, where such food is served. The next step in the pop culture progression, I suppose, is redshirted rubber chickens. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:25 Subordinating ConjunctionsLatin Words and Expressions: All You Need to Know40 Idioms with First

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