Compare and Contrast: Being a Single Parent Essay

Single parents often faces struggles in raising their families, it does not affect only the parent but the children also. Families become a single parent family because of a death of a spouse or a divorce. A single parent struggles on financial, emotional, and social challenges. Of the eyes of the child, seeing their parent busy all the time makes the child feel neglected. The parent and children becomes depress because of all the stress she/he faces and lack of time for each other. A single parent faces money problems even though they have child support. Divorce couples often divide the expenses but the single parent have less work opportunity because of the responsibilities she/he faces as raising children. Having a death of a spouse is more difficult because it leaves the single parent bills like car, funeral, hospital, and etc. The single parent need to work a lot to support the family but he/she leaves little time of spending time together. If the single parent does not make enough money to support his/her family then sometimes the children is taken by the child protective services. The single parent and children faces emotional problems like depression and loneliness. After a death of a spouse or a divorce, the parent feels neglected and he/she sometimes shut themselves down for a long time and neglect their children. Even though the parent is not depress because of being a single parent, he/she has lots of responsibilities which gives little time to spend with the kids. The bond of the family weakens everyday which cause depression on each family member. Seeing their children suffer makes the parent feel angry and ends up blaming themselves. With all the things a single parent need to do, he/she lack social time with their kids. Communication is an important element to make the family strong. Most single parents have more than one job or go back to school for a better paying job in order to support financial needs and so he/she leaves their kids to a sitter or relative. This gives little time to help their children with academics, emotional, and etcetera problems personally. The child end up being negative because of the lack of help and communication. It is tough being a single parent with all the challenges they faced and lack of time with families. The three main challenges( financial, emotional, and social) makes the family fall apart. But not all single parent families are unsuccessful some are successful. The single parent needs to have a positive outlook by being responsible on all the duties he/she faces, making the family number one priority, being outspoken with kids, taking care of themselves and still maintain family relationships or traditions. Each single parent out there should follow these things in order to accomplish their goal in life, wishing the best for their children’s future or outlook. http://www.ehow.com/info_8008164_causes-effects-single-parents.html http://foreverfamilies.byu.edu/Article.aspx?a=83 Work Cited Carpenter, Michael E. â€Å"What Are Some of the Challenges Single Parents Face?† EHow. Demand Media, 09 Dec. 2010. Web. 24 Jan. 2013. Duncan, Stephen F. â€Å"Being a Successful Single Parent.† Forever Families. School of Family Life, Brigham Young University, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. Gilbert, Rebecca. â€Å"The Difficulties That Single Parents Face.† EHow. Demand Media, 14 Feb. 2011. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. Golden, Jaime. â€Å"Single Parents & the Effects on Their Children.† EHow. Demand Media, 08 Mar. 2011. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. McGrath, Victoria. â€Å"Causes & Effects of Single Parents.† EHow. Demand Media, 02 Mar. 2011. Web. 23 Jan. 2013.

The Metamorphosis by F. Kafka

Franz Kafka belongs to those writers of the twentieth century whose fiction express sorrow over the fracturing of human community. Though Kafka remains exceptional in that he enjoyed no public recognition during his lifetime, his world-fame came to him only after his death. His well-developed, modernist parables often do not have any fixed meaning, yet they reflect the insecurities of an age when faith in old-established beliefs has crumbled. Kafka masterfully combines within one framework the knowable and mysterious, an exact portrayal of the factual world with a dreamlike and magical dissolution of it. By unifying those contrary elements he was able to achieve some new fusion style in prose fiction. The analysis of one of his works will allow seeing in what way Kafka attains that profound quality of his expression of the experience of human loss, estrangement, and guilt – an experience increasingly dominant in the modern age.Kafka's best-known story The Metamorphosis is the demonstrative example of Kafkaesque paradox which consists in clashing the realism of commonplace detail with not just improbable but absurd turns of events. The inner world of Kafka’s character seeps from imaginable to actual, Gregor Samsa in The Metamorphosis transmews into an insect as the only way to manifest his insect-like relationship to the world, where he lives. It is no dream.The Metamorphosis is peculiar as a narrative in having its climax in the very first sentence: â€Å"As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.† (Kafka, 19) The rest of the story falls away from this high point of astonishment in one long expiring sigh. This form of narrative, which contradicts all conventional concepts of presenting the discourse, violates the rules just the same as the people’s faith in particular ancient beliefs had been violated in the twentieth century. As it is known, the traditional na rrative bases on the drama of dà ©nouement, the so-called solution of complications and the coming to a conclusion.For Kafka such form is not acceptable because it is just exactly the absence of dà ©nouement and conclusions that is his subject matter. His story is about death, but death that is without dà ©nouement, death that is merely a spiritually petering out. The first sentence of The Metamorphosis announces Gregor Samsa’s death and the rest of the story is his slow dying. However, in no case Kafka’s protagonist is going to give up meekly. He struggles against the reality of life which, actually turned out to be a death for him; in his case, it follows, his life is his death and there is no escape. For a moment, it is true, near the end of his long dying, while listening to his sister play the violin, he feels â€Å"as if the way were opening before him to the unknown nourishment he craved† (Kafka, 76); but the nourishment remains unknown, he is locked i nto his room for the last time and he expires.What Gregor awakens to on the morning of his metamorphosis is the truth of his life. His ordinary consciousness has lied to him about himself; now he is confronted with the transference from his habitual self-understanding into the nightmare of truth. That dreadful dream, which he got into, reveals, in fact, reality, which he could not have understood before – he is a vermin, a disgusting creature shut out from â€Å"the human circle.† (Kafka, 33) At this point it should be underlined that Kafka prefers to use a metaphor, so that Gregor Samsa is not like a vermin but he is vermin. Anything less than metaphor, such as a simile comparing Gregor to vermin, would diminish the reality of what Kafka is trying to represent. Gregor appears in a dream and it is only natural that a dreamer, while dreaming, takes his dream for reality. However, his metamorphosis is indeed no dream but a revelation of the truth. And this truth is compo sed of an array of facts.First of all he grasps the deteriorative effect of his job upon his soul, the job that materially supports him but cuts him off from the possibility of real human associations:Oh God, he thought, what an exhausting job I've picked on! Traveling about day in, day out. It's much more irritating work than doing the actual business in the office, and on top of that there's the trouble of constant traveling, of worrying about train connections, the bad and irregular meals, the human associations that are no sooner struck up than they are ended without ever becoming intimate. The devil take it all! (Kafka, 20)He has been sacrificing himself by working at his meaningless, degrading job so as to pay off an old debt of his parents’ to his employer. Otherwise â€Å"I'd have given notice long ago, I'd have gone to the chief and told him exactly what I think of him.† (Kafka, 21) But even now, with the truth of his self-betrayal pinning him on his back to h is bed, he is unable to claim himself for himself and decide to quit—he must wait â€Å"another five or six years†:Once I’ve saved enough money to pay back my parents' debts to him—that should take another five or six years—I’ll do it without fail. I’ll cut myself completely loose then. For the moment, though, I'd better get up, since my train goes at five. (Kafka, 21)Another truth revealed through metamorphosis is the situation in the Samsa family: on the surface, the official sentiments of the parents and the sister toward Gregor, and of Gregor toward them and toward himself; underneath, the horror and disgust, and self-disgust: â€Å"†¦ family duty required the suppression of disgust and the exercise of patience, nothing but patience.† (Kafka, 65) His metamorphosis is a judgment on himself from the standpoint of his defeated humanity. Philip Rahv has very suggestively analyzed the subjective meaning of the insect symbol here by showing that quite frequently brothers and sisters are symbolically represented in dreams as animals or insects and that, since in this story of family life one of the underlying themes is the displacement of Samsa in the family hierarchy by his sister, it should, on the psychological plane, be looked upon as, on Kafka’s part, a construct of wish and guilt thoughts. (Rahv, pp. 61-62)Gregor breaks out of his room the first time hoping that his transformation will turn out to be â€Å"nonsense†; the second time, in the course of defending at least his hope of returning to his â€Å"human past.† His third eruption, in Part III, has quite a different aim. The final section of the story discovers a Gregor who tries to dream again, after a long interval, of resuming his old place at the head of the family, but the figures from the past that now appear to him—his boss, the chief clerk, traveling salesmen, a chambermaid (â€Å"a sweet and fleeting memor y†), and so on—cannot help him, â€Å"they were one and all unapproachable and he was glad when they vanished.† (Kafka, 69) Defeated, he finally gives up all hope of returning to the human community. Now his existence slopes steeply toward death. His room is now the place in which all the household’s dirty old decayed things are thrown, along with Gregor, a dirty old decayed thing; and he has just stopped eating.At first he had thought he was unable to eat out of â€Å"chagrin over the state of his room† (72).   But then he discovered that he got â€Å"increasing enjoyment† from crawling about the filth and junk. On the last evening of his life, watching from his room the lodgers whom his family have taken in putting away a good supper, he comes to a crucial realization: â€Å"I’m hungry enough,† said Gregor sadly to himself, â€Å"but not for that kind of food. How these lodgers are stuffing themselves, and here am I dying o f starvation!†(Kafka, 74) In giving up at last all hope of reentering the human circle, Gregor finally understands the truth about his life; which is to say he accepts the knowledge of his death, for the truth about his life is his death-in-life by his banishment from the human community. But having finally accepted the truth, he begins to sense a possibility that exists for him only in his outcast state. He is hungry enough, he realizes, but not for the world’s stuff, â€Å"not for that kind of food.† (Kafka, 74)When Gregor breaks out of his room the third and last time, he is no longer trying to deceive himself about himself and get back to his old life with its illusions about belonging to the human community. What draws him out of his room the last night of his life is his sister’s violin playing. Although he had never cared for music in his human state, now the notes of the violin attract him surprisingly. Indifferent to the others, at last he has the courage to think about himself. The filthy starving underground creature advances onto â€Å"the spotless floor of the living room† where his sister is playing for the three lodgers. Here Kafka makes use of the idea that music expresses the inexpressible, that it points to a hidden sphere of spiritual power and meaning.Creating in The Metamorphosis a character who is real and unreal, replete with meaning and empty of self, Kafka encourages his readers to fill in the void that exists at the center of the insect-Gregor's self. Thus, as a reader, one can come to conclusion that Gregor’s metamorphosis is a symbol of his alienation from the human state, of his â€Å"awakening† to the full horror of his dull, spiritless existence, and of the desperate self-disgust of his unconscious life.Reference:Kafka, Franz (1952) Selected Short Stories of Franz Kafka. Translators Edwin Muir, Willa Muir New York: Modern Library, 1952Rahv, Philip. (1939). Franz Kafka: the Hero as L onely Man. The Kenyon Review, I (1)

Bharti Enterprises

Ensuring that the look and feel of the store is as per guidelines/standards Ensuring/ reporting Inventory and Stock availability as per the norms to prevent stock-outs Provide suggestions /feedback to improve store productivity People Development / Team Management: Acting as a mentor and trainer for store staff To ensure daily roistering briefing to inbound outbound store staff Customer Experience: Manage staff allocation based on demand at point in time Personally step in to handle demanding customers Provide suggestions for improvements in CE 4. A. On Diversity and Cultural spread in Africa, As Africa consists of 53 countries, to operate successfully it is important to understand the dynamics of each country, including differences in culture, language and especially regulations. Bharti would do well to put in place as few expatriates as possible and have most of its top management from Africa. b. On Infrastructure sharing and cost / capital issues, The biggest driver of network sharing will be the shift in approach of the biggest operators, who had been unwilling to share network to sustain competitive advantage. There is visible network sharing in the markets of Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa, and that this is likely to pick up in other markets. c. On Bharti Airtel’s Minute Factor Model, Network sharing and IT outsourcing would help operators bring down costs. While costs could trend down, however they will be higher than in India because of some of the structural costs caused by power shortage and poor infrastructure. 5. Bharti Airtel has a history of making first moves and emerging as the winner just because of that. This is what built the company’s success in India, where it remains the top MNO and second-largest fixed-line operator. In fact, thanks to the massive market it serves at home, at the time it acquired the Zain portfolio in March 2010 Airtel was reckoned to be the fifth largest mobile operator in the world on a proportional subscriber basis, putting it behind the likes of China Mobile, Vodafone Group, American Movil and Telefonica, but ahead of China Unicom. As has been widely covered for over a year now, Airtel has been looking at Africa as a new growth market. While it has a deal with Vodafone for the Channel Islands, Africa is the only other territory outside the Indian subcontinent (including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) that the company has entered. The commonalities are compelling: similar markets, needs and infrastructure. The realities on the ground are somewhat more challenging: logistics, legislative compliance and serious local competition being foremost. The logistics of infrastructure in Africa are an equal challenge for all MNOs. That is a given. Where Airtel might have been overly optimistic is in hoping its Africa model would run similarly to its success in India, based on a first-to-market approach and having some leverage to overcome legislative obstacles. Unfortunately, while Airtel has a 30-year history of being first in India (with pushbutton phones, cordless phones and then mobile), they were not first in Africa. There were major EU, Middle East and South African players there ahead of them. In fact, Airtel’s African expansion is largely thanks to its takeover of Kuwait’s Zain mobile operations in 15 countries. This was a beachhead, not a conquest. Zain only held dominant market share in a few countries. Going up against market leaders such as MTN of South Africa, Airtel applied a strategy of extensive cost cutting. This followed on what it achieved in India, cutting a deal with Ericsson for per-minute fees (rather than upfront payment) that enabled very low-cost call rates from the outset. Airtel has an all-Africa, five-year deal in place with Ericsson for network management that offers similar advantages. Elsewhere, Airtel is engaged with Nokia Siemens Networks and Huawei, not keeping all its eggs in one basket, of course. As a Plan B, possibly following on the indecisive outcome of Airtel’s low-cost invasion, the company has previously been negotiating a takeover of or (maybe) a joint venture with MTN itself. How this putative deal is described depends on which company is talking. This has been going on for some four years without a definitive ending. Even if it never happens, it is a signpost of just what Airtel would consider to get its Africa operations truly established.

Search and Seizures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Search and Seizures - Essay Example In Mapp V Ohio,2 the court held that this constitutional duty applies against both the state and the Federal government. It does this by prohibiting unreasonable searches and seizures from being conducted by federal and state law enforcement agencies. A search is an infringement of the right to privacy while seizures interfere with the possessory rights of the individuals, including right to property ownership. The Fourth Amendment permits reasonable searches and seizures. For a search to be legally carried out, it is subject to the proviso that a search warrant has to be issued by a judge. An application for search warrant has to be supported by an oath or affirmation, and to specifically state the place to be searched or the things or persons to be seized. For the judge to issue a search warrant, he must satisfy himself that there is a probable cause, that is, reasonable cause to believe that the law enforcement agencies can find evidence of commission of a crime. Nevertheless, suc h a search has to be individualized, targeting individuals and not generalized. There are exemptions for the warrant requirements as far as entry into private residences by police is concerned. To begin with, if the owner of the residence consents, such entry shall not be illegal under the fourth amendment because of absence of a warrant. However, such warrant must be given voluntarily, and be unequivocal and specific. Consequently, consent obtained by duress or coercion fails this criterion. The person who gives the consent has to be the owner of the residence. Similarly, a third party can give the consent for the law enforcement agencies to search a house or premises subject to the proviso that they own or lawfully occupy such premises. In Georgia v. Randolph,3 the court held that where the residents are two and both are present, if one of them objects to consent while the other consents, the objection by one of them shall override the consent. To add, an officer can enter a priva te house or residence without warrant, in times of emergency. The search however shall be subject to the existence of exigent circumstances and the law enforcers must have a probable cause. Such a circumstance shall exist where a law enforcement agent needs to take a compelling action but lacks the required time to acquire a warrant. In Mincey V Arizona,4 the court stated that, â€Å"we hold a reasonable, and warrantless search of the scene of a homicide, or of a serious personal injury with likelihood of death where there is reason to suspect foul play-does not violate the fourth amendment of the United States Constitution where the law enforcement officers were illegally on the premises in the first instance†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Nevertheless, for such a search to be reasonable within the Fourth Amendment it has to be limited to the purpose of only determining the circumstances of death and the scope must never exceed what is necessary to fulfill that purpose. In addition, it must commen ce within reasonable period following the time when the officials learn of the murder. Evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendm

World War II Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

World War II - Research Paper Example History has recorded and proved time and over again that such aggressive act of violence against any nation has resulted in changing the face of the earth and has produced profound effects on any involved country’s global and political standing. It is not the matter of who wins or loses the war because despite the fact, every nation gets affected by its negativity in one way or the other. Our world history has detailed accounts of many important wars which has changed the world map accordingly but two wars have always considered as of having greater affect globally and much violent that any other war. This essay compiles the details about World War II. It is an attempt to provide authentic research material for understanding what caused this war, how it was started and how it ended. If we look at it in a statistical manner then World War II started in 1939 and ended in 1945 but this essay is not about when it started. To have an in depth and comprehensive analysis of second wo rld war, we will have to look back a decade or more to understand the reasons for which a war of such a magnitude became unavoidable and inevitable. Covering a span of over 26 years of pre-war state, during and post-war from 1919 to 1945 it will incorporate all the major events that defined and shaped the future. Its foundation was laid soon after the World War I which raged in Europe from 1914 to 1918. It was fought between the central powers including Germany, Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian and the allied forces which included United States, Italy, Britain and France. It can be termed as the aftermath of the World War I. The great first war saw the allied forces as victors while the central powers were on the losing side. Naturally the winners wanted the losers to pay and so a peace agreement namely the Treaty of Versailles was formed which contained enough substance to punish and humiliate the nations who lost. (Goldstein) As the latter two sides ceased to exist, only Ge rmany was left to bear the victor’s brunt. There were the territorial losses as the part of the agreement for peace with which new nations were formed taking parts from Germany and the Soviet Union. Also the Austro-Hungarian regime was divided into newer states namely Poland, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. Those Germans who were parted and divided due to the formation of new states were called Ausland Deutsch (German Outsiders). So a grudge started building against the central powers in Germans and European nations. Then another reason which proved decisive in paving way for a second world war was the great depression which started in 1929. This changed the economic stature of many nations and global economy literally crashed. This produced devastated effects on the economy of Germany and European nations because they were already shaken due to the war debt. The European nations were so weakened by the war that the newer global economic downfall caused their economy to utterl y collapse. This brought an end to the perception that capitalist and democratic political environment prevailing so far has failed to secure the boundaries of European nations especially Germany. These aftereffects of World War I produced a negative yet indispensible urge in the Germans and they started developing a strategy for revenge. Soon after this after math of World War I and the great depression which followed, world saw the unexpected emergence and popularity of two dictators the Italian Benito Mussolini and the German Adolf Hitler. Germans who were helpless and starving to death needed a dictatorial regime that could provide an instant solution to their problems. They instantly accepted Hitler as their leader and soon the national socialist Nazi

Answer these two question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer these two question - Assignment Example When contrasted with expenses such as business space rent, operating an online shop can be more affordable. This assists small business vendors having no sufficient capital to rent prime space or hire employees to set up as well as operate business (Akhter,2009). Reach: having an online store enables one to do business worldwide provided s/he can communicate via email, as opposed to traditional commerce where one only deals with people who come to the physical store. This also facilitates other ways of marketing that can only be done online, which increases sales and customers (Akhter,2009). Return rates: In a conventional shop, the client purchases goods in person, in the process getting the opportunity to check the items, touch and try them effectively reducing the complaints and returned items. On the other hand, online shopping is characterized by high returns, because many clients order and try goods at home, they will return them if they do not meet their expectations (Akhter,2009). Over the years, the phrase â€Å"electronic commerce† has been changing. Initially,† electronic commerce† referred to the electronic facilitation of commercial transactions by use of technology such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) that was introduced in 1970s.The EDI facilitated electronic sending of commercial documents such as invoices and purchase orders. The second major development involved the activities more accurately referred to as â€Å"Web commerce†-which is the buying of services and goods over the World Wide Web through secure servers such as HTTPS which is a unique server protocol capable of encrypting confidential ordering data to protect customers (Akhter,2009). Whereas the Internet, in 1994, started to progress in popularity amongst the general public, it took around 4 years to come up with security protocols such as DSL and HTTP which facilitated quick access in

Improvements to Ethical Corporate Evaluation Assignment

Improvements to Ethical Corporate Evaluation - Assignment Example I would also define the standards of procedures that are to be used in the corporate compliance program (Hasnas 54). They could range anywhere from the code of ethics to the internal controls for prime risk areas. A quicker response to problems that border the element of criminal conduct should be implemented as well as instituting limitations in order to prevent parallel occurrences. 2. Fraud: this is using individual influence to get away with the property of another individual. Fraudulent cases often involve the deception of clients into investing their money into places where it will not return. 3. Cheating: as per the term, this element involves an individual or company making false statements to the intended client in order to get them to invest their money in their businesses. Many fortune 500 company officials are in jail for cheating. 4. Violation of workers’ rights: this is an issue that has been noticed in a majority of companies. This happens when the employees in a company are treated unfairly in a manner that is not in accordance with the rules and regulations of the company. 5. Ignoring health, safety, and environmental issues: this is a major ethical issue that has to be addressed. These conditions could result in injury or causing sickness to one or more of the employees working in an area which has not had its health, safety, and environmental issues checked. 6. Labor conditions: some of the issues affecting labor conditions are the employment of child laborers. This is an ethical problem that goes beyond the humanitarian bracket. Use of child laborers id unethical and is punishable by law. 7. Corruption: this is an ethical concern that has been constantly addressed, but has failed to heed the call. Corruption involves the taking part in unlawful business dealings that often includes the aspect of bribery to facilitate the execution of a business deal.

Interpersonal and Transferable Business Skills NEGOTIATION Essay - 1

Interpersonal and Transferable Business Skills NEGOTIATION - Essay Example Currency exchange rates can fluctuate greatly over time, so it is within the best interests of both parties to come to some kind of arrangement. On the one hand, the Czech manufacturer can still receive ongoing work. At the same time, the American company can pay a fixed rate, something which would make no difference to the Czech manufacturer because of the need to pay in Czech crowns. 2. If negotiation is not an option, then the American company could attempt to take the Czech manufacturer to a tribunal or hearing to resolve the issue. Perhaps the agreement could be renegotiated to take into account that the currency exchange has changed immensely since the agreement was first made and it will continue to do so in the following years to come. A renegotiated contract could include or fixed exchange rate or a stipulation that the exchange rate be looked at on a bi-annual basis. 3. Finally, if all else fails, the American company may have to raise its prices even though this will likely have the knock-on effect of losing some market share to rival competitors. If the company kept losing money, then it may have to shut down, and this would negatively impact the Czech manufacturer because there would be no more work forthcoming. For the relationship to continue, ideally a compromise has to be made. It may be that payments are made in Czech crowns one year and then US dollars the next to make everything fair for both sides. In this situation the ball is really in the Czech manufacturers court because the long-term agreement cannot be broken and the fluctuating exchange rate is of little concern to them. Based on the present situation, there are three options for the Czech manufacturer to choose from: 1. The Czech manufacturer could insist that the American company adhere to the terms of the original deal, which was that they be paid in the local

Why did the Korean War become an international conflict Essay

Why did the Korean War become an international conflict - Essay Example Fought as a result of disintegration of Korea into two countries due to World War II, Korean War was a result of conflict between USA and USSR as after the World War, one part was occupied by US and other was by USSR. The overall scenario leading to the Korean War is also based upon the rising tension between US and USSR. After the end of World War II though peace started to take its roots in Europe and other developed countries however, the US-USSR conflict started to worsen and both the super powers of the world reached to a point of cold war. The competing ideologies of Communism versus capitalism and dominance of US or USSR on the world political stage set the most part of the War between US supported South Korea and USSR and China supported North Korea. It was also during this war that UN was used for the first time by US as a tool to actually engage into armed conflict with any country. Why this conflict became global in nature and size, why major players including UN and US ac tually involved in this conflict will be discussed in this area. Political Turmoil and role of US and USSR Korea’s geographical location made it one of the most important regions in post-World War-II scenario and it was increasingly viewed as region which would ultimately become the point of contention between the Western powers and Communist bloc. The conditions for war were created due to keen interests of the two of the largest communist states in the world and the overall indecisiveness of US to conduct its foreign policy in the Far East region. Korea has always remained of interest for Russia and China and it was also because of this reason that USSR tried to occupy the country after World War II. Considering the increase in power of USSR, US also attempted to capture part of the country and hence Korea was divided between South and North Korea with US controlling South Korea whereas North Korea was controlled by USSR. The failure to actually hold free and fair elections increased the political tension in the region with North and South Korea forming two different sets of governments. South Korea adapted democracy whereas North Korea became a communist country. The political tension further escalated when small skirmishes started to occur on what was called 38 Parallel, the line controlled by US which was also virtually dividing both the countries from each other. The Korean War erupted in what was called the middle of the cold war between US and USSR and their bid to take control of the world. It was also increasingly seen as the war to determine which ideological framework world would adapt i.e. capitalism versus communism. The direct involvement of USSR in the war and supplying the arms to North Korea also prompted US, under the banner of UN to engage into the conflict with USSR. It is suggested that it was also the first time when US actually used UN as a foreign policy tool. The overall plan was to actually give Korea under the trusteeship of United Nations which would eventually lead it to full independence over the period of time. It was however subsequently realized that the imposition of any political will from other than Koreans may not be easy to implement and region may drift into turmoil as a result of political conflict between the super powers. It is also important to understand the overall diversity of opinions as well as groupings within Korea which could not help materialize the development of a workable plan to actually make the transition. The overall diversity of political opinions was also due to the Japanese Colonial rule which kept the country divided based upon different ideological basis. The suppression of Korean nationalist movement by the Japan also resulted into the lack of

Effects of Computer Gaming Essay Example for Free

Effects of Computer Gaming Essay Technology nowadays has brought man to an era of digital and advanced world of computers. Not only are computers used in studies, research and work, it is now being used as part of leisure and entertainment. Most of the youth today know how computers work and even a 3 year old child who is still yet to learn how to read and write knows how to operate a simple computer. This is because the interactive element of a lot of software that computers use excites and attract children and this makes them learn to use and play with the computers. (Jones, 2002) Advancement in technology has drastically changed man’s way of living which has been made easier for most. It has come from diskette to very portable and stylish mini USB, from the ancient â€Å"three point eleven† personal computers with big and bulky monitors and CPUs to very user friendly touch screen-tablet PCs, and from limited Nintendo games like Mario brothers to a bunch of online and offline games like Dota, Counter Strike, Angry Birds, and Fruit Ninja etc. Such kind of improvements has led today’s generation to learning more of what life has to offer through the use of modern technologies like computers. Schools now facilitate teaching and learning through the use of computers. By the use of this kind of technology, learning is now more fun and a lot easier. Application of modern technology like computer-assisted teaching-learning on student’s aims to provide faster learning and ease of teaching and also provide the students of the advanced technology that they need to experience inside the classroom, and which they can apply when they are out of school. Since computer has a lot to offer to its users, it is also being used as entertainment and leisure and computer gaming being the most popular. There are lots of computer games that enhance the thinking abilities of students because of its gaming nature and environment like strategic gaming, word puzzles, etc. With this fact, learning through computer gaming helps students be more willing to study and learn more because, they are not just playing, they are also learning. The use of multimedia in education has significantly changed people’s learning processes. Results from a number of research studies indicate that appropriately designed multimedia instruction enhances students’ learning performance in science, mathematics, and literacy (Gee, 2003). Previous studies indicate that computer-assisted instruction programs have important factors that can motivate, challenge, increase curiosity and control, and promote fantasy in children (Tzeng, 1999). Despite the fact that computer and video games have the same multimedia capability as computer assisted instruction programs, their potential learning impact is often discounted by parents and educators. While computer gaming is regarded somewhat negative in educational settings, particularly for young students, re-scrutinizing of its influence in a teaching and learning context is vital since computer gaming can also be an education-assisted-program with proper implementation and application. While others confirm the negative effects of computer gaming to students’ performance in school and student’s health and mental ability, some authors argue that there are positive outcomes that a player can gain while playing computer video games. A research published in the Australasian Journal of Educational technology found that students who play computer and video games more frequently get lower grades than those who do not. However, it is also included in the research the positive effect of this activity to students as far as some specific video games are concerned which promote some elements that increases learning. On an online article entitled by Charles Pearson (2009) â€Å"Positive Effects of Computer Games on Student Achievement†, the author enumerated five positive significant effects of computer gaming to students. These include enhancing one’s problem solving capability, time and resource management, strategic life management skills, educational games promoting learning, and inherent instructional nature helps students to hone mastery skills. Playing video games needs a sharp mind and an alert reflexes because most of the games require thinking quickly to be able to achieve the games’ goal. According to a blog site on the web authored by Manali Oak (2009) which has an article entitled Positive Effects of Video Games states that since video gaming is interactive, it boosts the ability of one person to use his mind and hence, develops the thinking ability of the person playing. The author also said that video gaming is surely better than watching television as video games are interactive. In addition to what Manali Oak added that playing video games help benefit person with inferiority complex and lack of self confidence as they are experiencing sense of participation and a sense of achievement thus, building his self confidence. An excellent summary of the scant research that has been conducted is by Barlett, Anderson, and Swing (2009) on their research book Video game effects confirmed, suspected, and speculative: A review of the evidence. They reviewed the evidences for video game effects and grouped them into categories of confirmed, suspected, and speculative. By â€Å"confirmed,† the authors mean that the outcomes have received consistent empirical support for causal claims. They describe two such confirmed positive outcomes: (1) Playing video games can result in superior visual attention and (2) Video game play improves the ability to mentally rotate or arrange objects. They point out that the research shows that both violent and non-violent video games produce these positive effects. They also observed that educational video games and simulators can teach specific educational skills and knowledge such as algebra, biology, photography, computer programming, and flight training. The evidence for this connection is provided by Gee (2007) and Shaffer (2006). However, most of the games that they discuss are not commercially available. Perhaps such games will be developed and distributed more widely in the future. In the meantime, the evidence shows that video games can enhance learning if they are designed properly for that purpose. Another study tackled the good and bad effects of video games to children conducted by the Raise Smart Kids Organization. The study enumerated the positive effects of video games to children. Following instructions, problem solving and logic, hand-eye coordination, fine motor and spatial skills, resource management and logistics, multitasking, quick thinking and making fast analysis and decision, inductive reasoning and hypothesis testing are among those which enumerated by the author about the positive effects of video gaming. In addition, the article also included that video games can improve one’s decision making speed. People who played action-based video and computer games made decisions 25% faster than others without sacrificing accuracy, according to a study from the University of Rochester. Other studies suggests that most expert gamers can make choices and act on them up to six times a second—four times faster than most people, and can pay attention to more than six things at once without getting confused, compared to only four by the average person. Surprisingly, the violent action games that often worry parents most had the strongest beneficial effect on the brain, according to cognitive neuroscientist Daphne Bavelier, who studied the effect of action games at Switzerlands University of Geneva and the University of Rochester in New York. Moving from the early years, the effects of socialization become more entrenched. In an article published in The Journal of Educational Computing, A. Colley (1994) reported that masculine gender role traits are associated with a more positive computer attitude and that there is a gender stereotype of science in general being masculine. According to Sax (2007) his book â€Å"Boys Adrift: The five factors driving the growing epidemic of unmotivated boys and underachieving young men† where he drew one fact well established by his conducted research revealed that violent video games cause aggressive behavior in the players. He argues that video games are so addictive that they satisfy the male need to power and control. It is evident in the country like the Philippines that the most popular computer games that the youth play in the computers are Dota, San Andreas, Counter Strike among others which are clearly promoting violence and aggression through its war and battle depiction. It can in effect, influence the youth as they play those kind of games which depict war, blood, killing, shooting etc. In a book by Barlett, Anderson, and Swing (2009) entitled Video Game Effects Confirmed, Suspected, and Speculative: A Review of the Evidence, it has stated that the â€Å"confirmed† negative effects of video games established by the research include aggressive thoughts and behavior, physiological arousal, and antisocial behavior. It was also explained that there are two variables that heighten the effects of computer games. One is depiction of blood, which results in higher levels of physiological arousal, aggressive feelings, and aggressive thoughts. Another is rewarding of violent acts, which also increases these effects. Since most of the computer games depicts violence, what they conceive in the monitors of their computers in the games that they are playing are somewhat becoming part of their reality. In an article on a eHow.com by Sarah Arnette (2011) entitled The Negative Effects of Computer Gaming on Students, the author enumerated four negative effects of computer gaming on students. She used the General Aggression Model (GAM) developed by Craig Anderson and Douglas Gentile in conducting the study that helped the author come up with the results. The results showed the negative effects include short term aggression, lack of problem solving thinking ability, weight gain, and anti social behaviors. It is regarded that the negative effects of playing video games does not only affect the player’s mental ability but as well as that concerning their health and socialization. Computer gaming also affects the behavior of the players and on how they relate with other people. A study by Argosy University’s Minnesota School on Professional Psychology found out that game addicts argue a lot with their teachers, fight a lot with their friends, and score lower grades than others who play video games less often. Performance in class may be negatively affected due to significant time spent in playing video games. Studies conducted by Anderson and Dill (2000) and one that was conducted by Gentile, Lynch and Walsh (2004) show that the more a person spends playing video games, the poorer is his performance in school. Computer gaming can also affect the health of the players. According to an online article entitled â€Å"the good and bad effects of video games† (2011), online gaming may also have bad effects on one’s health including obesity, video-induced seizures and postural, muscular and skeletal disorders such as tendonitis, nerve compression, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Conceptual Framework This study was based on a recent study conducted by Barlett, Anderson, and Swing (2009) and a study by the Raise Smart Kid organization which stated that there are confirmed positive and negative effects of computer gaming on studies of students who play the computer. Barlett, Anderson, and Swing stated that the â€Å"confirmed† negative effects of video games established by the research include aggressive thoughts and behavior, physiological arousal, and antisocial behavior On the other hand, Raise Smart Kid organization stated the good and bad effects of video games to. The article enumerated the positive effects of video games to children: following instructions, problem solving and logic, hand-eye coordination, fine motor and spatial skills, resource management and logistics, multitasking, quick thinking and making fast analysis and decision, inductive reasoning and hypothesis testing. Using the results of the study conducted by Barlett, Anderson, and Swing in 2009 and the study by the Raise Smart Kids Org as basis, this study aims to find out what effects do computer gaming have particularly on students of Business Administration of the College of the Immaculate Conception and enumerate both the positive and negative effects of the said activity on their studies and personal behavior.

History Of What Is Piracy Media Essay

History Of What Is Piracy Media Essay In its typical sense, the word piracy refers to the manufacturing of unauthorized copies pirated copies of protected and copyrighted material and then distributing or selling said copies. The rights of authorization infringed by those who make and deal in pirate copies are the rights of authorship generally protected by copyright, as well as the rights of ownership, particularly in the case of sound recordings, which are generally protected by neighboring rights regimes. In its wider sense, and as often spoken of in the popular press, piracy may also refer to acts of bootlegging (the making of an unauthorized recording of a live performance) and of counterfeiting (selling works made to resemble a genuine copy, as by replicating the label, the packaging, or the recording itself). Origin Piracy in the West The word piracy was used to label the infringement of exclusive rights in creative works for the first time in 1603, and, as such, predates any statutory law. Before the establishment of the Statute of Anne (which was the first copyright law in the Kingdom of Great Britain) in 1709, the Stationers Company of London was given a Royal Charter in 1557, which gave the company a monopoly on publication, as well as the responsibility of enforcing the charter. Those people who were found violating the charter were labeled pirates as early as 1603. After the Statute of Anne was established, the term piracy was used to describe the illicit manufacturing, sale and distribution of copyrighted material. b. Piracy in the Philippines Piracy of films and music in the Philippines has existed since the technology necessary to replicate tapes and disks became easier, cheaper and more available. In the 1970s, the cassette became a popular music format; and, as such, opened up a whole new market for portable music. Tape recorders also became easily accessible and cheap to the market, which brought along the problem of pirated music cassettes. In the 1980s, the Betamax became the first audiovisual playback device that gave the public the opportunity to record a show. This brought a trend in the Philippines. However, during martial Law, access to foreign material was limited. There would usually be a delay of a few months before a movie would be viewable in local theaters. This gave birth to the era of video rental shops, and these shops became a refuge for the entertainment-hungry Filipino. Betamax players were phased out in other parts of the world, to be replaced by video home systems (VHS) and laser discs. However, they did not become obsolete here in the Philippines. In fact, the loss of Betamax player buyers caused its price to plummet and become very affordable, causing its popularity to increase drastically. (Beginnings of Piracy, omb.gov.ph) The trend repeated itself with the VHS. At the same time that this was happening, camcorders were also being made. People discovered that camcorders were easy to use because they could bring it inside a cinema and record the movie showing. From the VHS, the material used moved to video compact discs (VCDs) and now we are using digital video discs (DVDs). All of these made possible by the advancing and upgrading of technology. Forms of Piracy Optical Disk Piracy Optical disk piracy refers to the illegal distribution, manufacturing, trade and/or sale of copies of movies, television programs, software programs, music, and games in digital disc formats which include Blu-Ray, DVD, DVD-R, CD, CD-R and VCD. These disks are sold on websites, online auction sites, via e-mail solicitation and by street vendors and flea markets around the world. The relatively inexpensive cost of blank discs and reliable disk-burning machines has led to the increase in number of DVD-R and CD-R burner labs. Internet Piracy In general, Internet piracy refers to the employment of the Internet to supply unauthorized downloadable copies of music, games, television, movies, and software programs. Internet piracy can also refer to the use of the Internet to spread codes or other technologies to bypass anti-copying security features in software products. Auction sites, Peer to Peer (P2P) networks, social networking sites, B2B websites and botnets are all common paths through which Internet piracy occurs. Theatrical Print Theft Theatrical print theft is exactly as its name suggests-the theft of an actual film print, usually 35 or 16 mm types, from a film depot, theater, courier service or other industry related facility, purely for the purpose of making illegal duplicates and then selling and/or distributing them. Having the original film print then allows the pirate to craft a high quality videotape from the original, which then serves as a master copy for future duplication purposes. However, this form of piracy is extremely rare, mostly because it is difficult to even obtain the prints and it is difficult to transfer the print to another format. Signal Theft Signal theft occurs when someone gains access to a cable TV system without the cable service provider being informed, or when someone receives satellite signals illegally. Usually pirates will provide satellite signal descramblers or illegal cable decoders for consumers. Counterfeit Consumer Goods Counterfeit consumer goods, regularly called  knock-offs, are  counterfeit  or imitation products presented for sale. The spread of counterfeit goods has become global lately and the range of produce subject to infringement is greater than before. Effects of Film Piracy First of all, I would like to stress that the main focus of this paper is on film piracy; therefore, the following points will deal with the effects of film piracy in particular. Economic Effects a. Business Loss in the Part of the Producers Those who are most obviously affected by film piracy are the people who invested their money and resources into the production of said motion picture. Seeing as how they gain returns on their investments through the sales of their film, allowing pirates to sell copies of the film without having to forward any margin of their profits to the producers of the original film would effectively rob the producers of the money they ought to earn if consumers were to purchase copies of the film from them rather than the pirates. One of the effects of piracy to films, especially local films, is that it shows that the people do not really support the films shown. It is a big problem especially during the Manila Film Festival. Piracy makes it an option for the people to wait for a cheaper alternative, and just watch it at home. Another of the effects is this: through the introduction of the illegal pirate market, pirates are effectively providing less expensive alternatives to the original at nearly, if not the same quality. This forces the producers to lower their selling prices in order to compete with the illegal market. We need only to look at the prices of original DVDs over the last few years in order to show this. In 2005, the prices of legal DVDs were about Php 700. Now, the prices have gone as low as Php 250 for two DVDs. Still, these prices are still not as preferable as the prices for an illegal DVD, which can go as low as four DVDs for Php 100. These effects can easily discourage any person from producing his own film for fear that he may not get a good return on his investment. If this continues, there may come a time when independent films will simply cease to be made. Social Effects Of course, the consumers are completely aware and fully informed that purchasing pirated DVDs practically amount to theft, but still people continue to patronize these illegal merchants. The existence of these pirated goods, these less-expensive alternative goods, is clearly promoting lower moral values and ethics. It is a well-known fact that, if presented a choice between two products that are of the same quality but of different price, consumers will always choose the product with the lower price. But in most cases, if you mention that the cheaper one will prevent cash from going to the producer of the good, then most consumers will suddenly have second thoughts. Unfortunately, this seems to happen only to a handful of consumers when it comes to movie piracy, providing more evidence to the case that film piracy promotes lower ethical standards and morals. Chapter III Actions and Precautions This chapter will deal with the actions and precautions taken in order to combat film piracy here in the National Capital Region. A. Local Goverment 1. Municipal Level As far as my research has uncovered, only two cities here in the Philippines have enacted a total ban on piracy in any area of the city. They are the cities of Manila and Quezon. It is important to note that the Quiapo district in Manila was previously listed as among the worlds 21 most notorious markets for pirated and counterfeit items. This caused Manila authorities to implement a total ban on the sale of pirated DVDs in the district and other parts of the city last July 28, 2011.(Esplanada, 2011) Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim previously gave a 1-month grace period for the DVD vendors in Quiapo to leave the illegal trade. Some vendors said they would obey Lims order, but others complained, claiming that they might not be able to feed their children. Some believe that the governments campaign against piracy will not last long, allowing the vendors to go back into this illegal trade; however, Manila officials strained that they were serious about applying this ban. Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista also declared a total ban on the sale and distribution of pirated discs in Quezon City, and has united with the Optical Media Board in enforcing Republic Act 9239 and City Ordinance No. SP1608, S2005. These two laws make illegal the distribution, transfer, manufacture, rental, and/or sale of fake, pirated, or counterfeit articles, services or goods. (Chavez, 2011) B. National Government In the past, the Philippine government has made it a state policy to protect intellectual property rights. This policy was enshrined in both the 1973 Constitution which offers the exclusive right to inventions, writings and artistic creations shall be secured to inventors, authors, and artists for a limited period and in the 1987 Constitution which clearly mandates that the State shall protect intellectual property. 1. Laws, Acts, and Orders a. Executive Order 60 CREATING THE INTER AGENCY COMMITTEE ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS In 1993, President Fidel Ramos issued an executive order that created the Inter-Agency Committee on Intellectual Property Rights. It was supposed to recommend and enforce policies that protect intellectual property rights. (Executive Order 60. 1993) Executive order 736 INSTITUTIONALIZING PERMANENT UNITS TO PROMOTE, PRTECT AND ENFORCE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (IPR) IN DIFFERENT LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OTHER AGENCIES UNDER THE COORDINATION OF THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS (NCIPR) On June 21, 2008 the NCIPR was established to coordinate inter-agency efforts against counterfeiting and piracy, and to provide maximum benefits to Filipinos and ensure significant contributions to national development. (Executive Order 736, 2008) Republic Act 10088 Anti-Camcording Act of 2010 Its full title is AN ACT TO PROHIBIT AND PENALIZE THE UNAUTHORIZED USE, POSSESSION AND/OR CONTROL OF ADUIOVISUAL RECORDING DEVICES FOR THE UNAUTHORIZED RECORDING OF CINEMATOGRAPHIC FILMS AND OTHER AUDIOVISUAL WORKS AND/OR THEIR SOUNDTRACKS IN AN EXHIBITION FACILITY, PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFOR AND OR OTHER PURPOSES. In layman terms, this act forbids the recording of a cinematographic film or other audio visual work and/or its soundtrack in a theater or similar venue. Penalties range from a fine of Php 50, 000.00 up to Php 750, 000.00, and imprisonment of six months and one day up to six years and one day. (Republic Act 10008, 2010) Republic Act 9239 AN ACT REGULATING OPTICAL MEDIA, REORGANIZING FOR THIS PURPOSE THE VIDEOGRAM REGULATORY BOARD, PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Commonly known as the Optical Media Act of 2003, this act reorganized the Videogram Regulatory Board, created under Presidential Decree No. 1987, into the Optical Media Board (OMB). This act established the OMB in order to evaluate the qualifications of any establishment, individual, or entity to engage in the mastering, manufacture or replication of optical media, conduct inspections and raids, etc. In recent news, the Optical Media Board has been active in terms of confiscating pirated DVDs. It has partnered with the government of the City of Manila in keeping the Quiapo district, which was recently named one of the most notorious markets for pirated and counterfeit goods, free of pirates. Republic Act 8293 Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines This acts full title is AN ACT PRESCRIBING THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CODE AND ESTABLISHING THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE, PROVIDING FOR ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. It established the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, which is supposed to: [a] Examine applications for grant of letters patent for inventions and register utility models and industrial designs; [b] Examine applications for the registration of marks, geographic indication, integrated circuits; [c] Register technology transfer arrangements and settle disputes involving technology transfer payments covered by the provisions of Part II, Chapter IX on Voluntary Licensing and develop and implement strategies to promote and facilitate technology transfer; [d] Promote the use of patent information as a tool for technology development; [e] Publish regularly in its own publication the patents, marks, utility models and industrial designs, issued and approved, and the technology transfer arrangements registered; [f]Administratively adjudicate contested proceedings affecting intellectual property rights; and [g] Coordinate with other government agencies and the private sector efforts to formulate and implement plans and policies to strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights in the country. (Republic Act 8293, 1997) Chapter IV Effectiveness A. Results of Operations The website of the Intellectual Property Rights Philippines has been so kind to provide data on how much pirated and/or counterfeit goods have been confiscated in the past several years. Unfortunately, the data has proven too voluminous for this paper, so I have condensed it into this graph. Unfortunately, these figures can mean two things. Either these raids and confiscations are indeed improving and these acts, laws, and actions against piracy are allowing us to legally seize more illegal goods, or, the pirate market is simply growing at an exponential rate and we just happen to be able to confiscate more things simply because there is more to seize. So, it has come to my attention that one of the best ways to discover whether the governments methods against piracy are working is to ask those who are sure to be affected (if ever they are): the men and women who man the stalls that sell pirated movies. To my surprise, I discovered that the vendors I had interviewed indeed were experiencing a much harder livelihood compared to a few years back-but not because of laws and actions made by the government. Their main reason for the increase in difficulty of sales of their product is none other than competition. The rise of the number of vendors can only prove one thing, and that is that the government and the movie industry, despite their efforts, were unable to effectively trim the piracy problem in the last few years. However, according to the United States Trade Representative (USTR), we [the Philippines] are one step closer from being removed from the watch list for counterfeit and pirated goods. B. Difficulties in Fighting Film Piracy 1. Greater Demand As has been stated before, film piracy has made the pastime of watching movies and shows much cheaper and easier, which makes it no surprise to find that more people would prefer to purchase a pirated DVD simply because it is much cheaper and much easier to find. It is much more convenient to buy a pirated DVD and watch it at home anytime they want than to go to a mall and spend more money. One thing that film piracy offers that people also look for is the range of movies available. It is not hard to find an all-time favorite, or an old or new movie. 2. Loss of Livelihood Many people rely on their sales of pirated discs in order to support their families. That being said, one of the governments problems in fighting piracy is finding alternate livelihoods and jobs for those vendors who are to be affected by the bans. This was one of the issues that Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista had to deal with first when he declared a ban on the sale of pirated discs in July 2011, especially because those vendors were willing to not put up a fight, and all they asked for in exchange is for the government to provide jobs for them when the ban would start. 3. Incomplete Dedication of Enforcers It is sad that many of those on law-enforcement duty simply look the other way when it comes to piracy. Whether out of bribery or sheer ignorance, well never know. A fine example of this is the flea market known colloquially as Ruins, located in Sucat, Paraà ±aque city. It is a known center for pirated disc vendors, but less than a block away, lies the [Sucat PNP station]. I find it strange that there is next to nothing being done on the part of the PNP when such a large trove of illegal pirates is sitting right under their noses. This shows that not all enforcers are consistent, that others tolerate such crime, and that they may be supporting the idea and action of piracy. It is a bad view on the enforcers. The sellers would also be at ease in selling these pirated products. 4. Tolerance of officials? Piracy has reached such a level of popularity that even those with respectable positions in the government are prone to being clients. Take Ronaldo Llamas for example, he was Presidential Political Affairs Adviser and yet was STILL caught red-handed purchasing pirated DVDs in Circle C Mall along Congressional Avenue in Quezon City.