Planning (Local Development Framework) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Planning (Local Development Framework) - Essay Example The local development plan will consist of several Development Plan Documents (DPDs) and Supplementary Planning Documents(SPDs), conforming to the core strategic plans and policies. The salient features of the LDA are as follow: Will define the needs of the community in terms of the educational institutions, health related concerns and other social security requirements relating to employment, retirement, crime prevention etc. All the proposals and plans of the development plan documents and supplementary plan documents will have to undergo sustainability appraisal and must meet the criteria of environment baseline as set by the Borough. The reforms in the planning commissions have made it mandatory for the councils to prepare an Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) for all the ongoing projects and programs of the development schemes and clearly state the present status as against the premeditated goals of the scheme for the previous fiscal year. The implementation process of the projects and programs involves categorical and well defined plan of stratifies development which is to be monitored regularly by the authorities and community. Your involvement is the key to the success of the development in your area. If you or any organization want to be consulted in the future planning of your area or would like to know about the status of the programs and projects of the community, please do get in touch with the us through the email at PlanningPolicy@rbkc.gov.uk or phone us on 020 7361

Airbus A380 And Boeing 747

Airbus A380 And Boeing 747 Airbus A380 and Boeing 747 are the new generation of aircraft for long haul and bulk passenger flights. The Airbus A380 holds 525 passengers whereas the Boeing 747 holds up to 452 passengers The feat of flying is a giant leap forward as well as flying with a huge passenger load. The project is to produce a conceptual design of a large civil aircraft using advanced computerised aircraft methods. The mission profile defined for this aircraft is long haul, matching the Airbus A380s range of 15km [6]. Also, the aircraft to be designed is to carry 550 passengers, even more passengers than the Airbus A380. This can only be made possible by a number of criteria but the biggest problem comes from keeping the aircraft airborne under an increased passenger and structural load. The required lift for an increased load of this magnitude mainly comes from the combination of the lifting surfaces and lifting control surfaces of the wing. Wings (SA) Aircraft wing designers have drawn their inspiration from birds. Even in this day and age, engineers are still finding ways to improve design based on examples found in the ornithological (branch of zoology that deals with the study of birds) world [14]. Wings are airfoils that are attached to each side of the fuselage of an airplane and are the main lifting surfaces that support the airplane in flight [13]. Wings can be of different designs, sizes, and shapes. Different types of wings are used by manufacturers depending on the mission of the aircraft. A variety of wing shapes are shown in Fig.1. Each fulfils a certain need with respect to the expected performance for the particular airplane. Wings may be attached at the top, middle, or lower portion of the fuselage. Passenger airplanes usually have low wings. The number of wings on an aircraft can vary, for example airplanes with a single set of wings are called monoplanes and those with two sets are known as biplanes.[13] Fig.1: Examples of wing planform [12] Planform styles Wings have evolved over the years from simpler designs as well as the Canard configuration (a configuration in which the span of the forward wing is substantially less than that of the main wing) and straight wings to futuristic designs such as oblique and morphed wings. The Canard configuration was founded by the Wrights brothers where the tailplane is in front of the straight wing. Many years of research have been carried out to improve the aerodynamic efficiency and performance of wings in aircraft and evidence of this can be found in the more futuristic designs for aircraft. For example, the oblique wing is a wing of large span fitted about a pivot that rests on the top side of the fuselage and the wing can rotate about this pivot giving one side of the aircraft a forward swept wing and the other, an aft swept wing and vice versa. The varying sweep angle and configuration was the pinnacle point of research and development for this aircraft and was created to give the pilot more f reedom into how the aircraft can be flown at different speeds. [8] Variable sweep wings allow the aircraft to take advantage of the greater lift and handling qualities that come with straight wings during low speed phases such as takeoff and landing and can also benefit from the reduced drag and improved aerodynamic efficiency that comes with swept wings during high speed phases such as the cruise phase. However, this wing configuration is more likely to be found on high performance aircraft like military aircraft rather than transport maybe due to the unpleasant flying characteristics that come with the extreme wing sweep angles which could have discouraged transport aircraft designers from adopting this configuration in their designs. [8] Evolution of aircraft wings (SA) There were few large aircraft in the 1950s. In those days, some aircrafts wings were built by using wood instead of metal. One reason wings were built using wood is because there were a shortage of metal at that time [17]. This is due to various reasons. One factor in favour of the wood wing was the quality of the ride in turbulence. The ride of a wood wing was better than a metal one. The quality of the ride in a metal wing was harsher and stiffer than the wood wing [17]. Also, the stall characteristics of the wood wing were much better than the metal ones. A disadvantage of wood wing was that it would have to be replaced early due to rot. In1961, wings were no longer made of wood [11]. Instead metal wing was introduced. The reasons for this were for marketing aspects, that is, metal wing last longer than a wood one. People think of rot when they think of wood. When they think of Aluminium, they think it will last forever. Morphed wing (SAJ and SA) The morphed wing started as a conceptual design when then a prototype was eventually built to test the proposed idea. It works by using in-built shape memory alloy actuators which deforms into a different pre-proposed shape when heated. This new shape gives the wings a new set of aerodynamic characteristics adapting to different flight conditions or for a change in mission. [9] Airbus is trying to use similar principles to morph aircraft wings to make them highly adaptable. A bird glides for maximum lift and folds its wings for reduced drag and this is the principle that is adopted from birds which made Airbus focus on wing planform. Professor Meguid of University of Toronto believes the technology behind the UAV morphed wing design could eventually be applied to civil aircraft. Meguid also states that some big airplane manufacturers are already interested in this technology and current research is being done to implement morphed wings [14]. On the other hand, Airbus senior manager of flight physics research, David Hills, disagrees with the idea of using morphed wing in commercial aircraft. He points out that unlike military aircraft, commercial airliners do not need to drop like a stone, therefore do not need morphed wings. [14] Morphing aircraft are multi-role aircraft that change their external shape significantly to adapt to a changing mission environment during flight. This in turn creates superior system capabilities which are not possible without the shape changes of the wing. The objective of morphing activities is to develop high performance aircraft with wings designed to change shape and performance substantially during flight to create multiple-regime, aerodynamically-efficient and shape-changing aircraft. Different Wing configurations (SAJ) Braced wing They are normally used in transonic aircraft designs just like the aircraft the group is designing. This truss braced wing configuration proved better than the normal cantilever because of its reduced fuel consumption and improved aerodynamic performance. The configuration can be altered to maximise different performance criteria for example if minimum fuel emission is desired then the wings have a lower thickness-to-chord ratio (are a lot thinner) and if the maximisation of the lift to drag ratio is desired then the wings are in contrast a lot thicker. The main desirable outcome from the use of having supporting truss wing configuration is the result of lower span wise bending moments for given loading. However, having this means a lighter wing structure, which results in needing an increased span (therefore greater lift to drag ratio), thinner wing and a reduced chord. The outcome is a more thin and slender looking wings that would therefore hold less fuel. If the wing could then in turn be designed with a high aspect ratio, it could minimise induced drag and as the wing is thinner, it will minimise the production of wave/form drag. [1] However, this configuration is not desired because of its high wing. Biplane Configuration (SAJ) Having two wings on each side aligned vertically from each other, all wave drag that is caused by the thickness of airfoil is eliminated. However, at small angles of attack, the flow is similar to flat plate except for a small wave drag penalty. When the flow becomes choked, a lot of wave drag can be produced and this is controlled from the use of hinge slats. However, this is not an ideal configuration for the transport aircraft to be designed as this configuration is mainly used in supersonic aircrafts, not transonic. [5] Joint wing configuration (SAJ) Joint wing configuration is when the tail is attached to the wing on both sides. The advantage of this configuration is greater control when pitching the aircraft and that the tail provides adequate structural support of the wings. It also produces less drag and has an overall reduced structural weight compared to structural aircrafts of same span. Reduced structural weight is due to the tail acting like a truss in support of the wing and relieving bending moment. Disadvantages of this configuration are that it needs a far greater wing span for it to cope with the take-off field length and constraints. [2] Also, with a greater wing span, there is greater drag and weight compared to conventional configurations as shown in Fig.10. Therefore a conventional low wing cantilever design is preferred for the design of this aircraft. Winglets (SAJ) Winglets are the small vertical structures at the end of the wings to reduce the effects of leakage of flow from the under surface of the wing. The effect of different taper ratios (SAJ) Small taper ratios ensure that the wing is strong enough so that all vortex shedding ceases. However, increasing the taper ratio will result in less induced drag so therefore, the aircraft can take advantage of a greater flight range from less drag, larger taper ratio. Lower taper ratio wings are lower in weight but can hold an increased fuel volume. So the preferred design of the wing will be to have a small taper ratio to keep the weight of the wing low without causing excessive variation in CL and stalling characteristics of the wing. [3] Dihedral / Anhedral Angles (SA) The dihedral angle, that is, the wing tip chord raised above the wing root chord, assists roll stability. Dihedral angle is normally between 2 and 3 degrees and rarely exceeds 5 degrees. The figure below shows the dihedral angle of a low-wing configuration. An advantage of a low-wing is it permits more ground clearance for the wing tip. The opposite of a dihedral angle is an anhedral angle. Anhedral angle lowers the wing tip with respect to the wing root and is typically associated with high-wing aircraft. (Aircraft Design, A. Kandu) (a) Dihedral (midwing low tail) (b) Anhedral (high-wing T-tail) Effects of dihedral angle (SA) The dihedral angle affects the lateral stability of the aircraft. The greater the dihedral angle, the more stable it is during roll. However, having a small dihedral angle can mean that it is less stable, but it can increase the manoeuvrability. When an aircraft is disturbed from upright position, that is, rolling, the aircraft sideslips towards the downgoing wing; the dihedral angle increases the angle of attack to lateral flow producing additional lift to restore straight and level flight. [4] Leading edge strakes (SAJ) Leading edge strakes is a component just in front of the wing and provides usable airflow over the wing at high angles of attack, delaying stall and consequently loss of lift. LEXES, another abbreviation for the stakes are very highly swept lifting surfaces that generate high speed vortexes at high angles of attack and attaches itself to the top of the wing. This is not really needed on a transport aircraft and is more apt for military aircraft which flies at high angles of attack at times and therefore not required. [4] Wing size/ wing loading (SA) Wing size or wing loading affects the following characteristics of an aircraft: Take off / landing field length Cruise performance (L/D) Ride through turbulence Weight of aircraft Take off / landing field length (SA) To achieve short field length, large wings (low wing loading) are better than small wings (high wing loading). The wing can be kept small by using flaps. Flaps provide the possibility to obtain high values of CLmax. Pilot uses flaps or slats to modify the shape and surface area of the wing to change its operating characteristics in flight. (Roskam, 1985) Cruise performance (L/D) (SA) To achieve cruise flight close to (L/D)max a high wing loading is needed so that the cruise lift coefficient can be close to that at (L/D)max. Weight (SA) The larger the wing area, the greater the weight of the wing and therefore the weight of the airplane. High, Middle or Low wing (SA) The choice of high, mid or low wing configuration depends on the mission of the airplane (passenger, cargo). Hence the type of airplane that is considered plays a vital role in deciding the vertical location of the wing. Low wing (SA) Low wing aircraft, as shown in Fig.14 are planes with the wing mounted below the main fuselage of the aircraft. Aerodynamically, there is not much difference between the two wing locations. [16] Advantages (SA) A Low wing aircraft provides superior visibility above and to the sides of the aircraft. The visibility advantage shows in turns when the pilot can see where the turn will go, even in a steep bank. On the other hand, a high wing aircraft will block the view in the direction of a turn. [16] Low wing aircraft are thought to be easier to land in a crosswind. The reason for this is more to do where the landing gear is placed rather than its aerodynamics. On a low wing airplane, the gear is fixed and can be spaced wider apart than on a high wing airplane where the landing gear must be attached to the fuselage. Also, the landing gear of a low wing plane can be mounted straight up and down, which allows a more effective shock absorption system. [16] Most planes carry fuel in the wings. The fuel ports of a low wing aircraft is easy to reach compare to a high wing aircraft. High wing airplanes require climbing up on the plane to re-fuel it. Low wing aircraft uses (SA) A low wing allows commercial jets to have the wing spar go through the fuselage below the passenger cabin. This leaves a lot of room in the passenger cabin with full headroom from front to back. Low wing commercial jets have their engines mounted quite close to the ground. These planes need to fly and taxi on airports where the pavement is kept clean of any debris that could be sucked up by those big jet turbines. This is one reason why military cargo planes use a high wing design, to mount the engines higher off the ground. [16] High wing (SA) A high wing aircraft is when the wing is mounted above the fuselage. High wing is where the wing crosses the fuselage at the top. Advantages (SA) A high wing aircraft provides the best visibility below the aircraft. High wing airplane is also safer in a descent because it avoids the possibility of coming down on another aircraft, especially on approach to the airfield or in the traffic pattern. Planform Tailoring (SA) Many airplanes end up with significant planform irregularities. This is where the use of planform tailoring comes into play. Some reasons for using planform tailoring are: stall behaviour, pitching moment behaviour at high mach, aileron buzz and aerolastic behaviour. [Roskam, 1985] To improve stall behaviour of wing, that is, delay stall to higher angle of attack, leading edge extensions and/or droop may be used. Aileron buzz can occur if the wing sections at the aileron stations develop shocks close to the aileron hingeline. If the aileron is cable controlled then the aileron can develop a severe vibration which is known as aileron buzz. Such problems can be relieved by leading edge extensions. References Gur, O. (2010). Design optimisation of a truss braced wing transonic transport aircraft. Journal of aircraft. 47 (6), p1907-1917. Gallman, J.W.. (1993). Optimisation of joint wing aircraft. Journal of aircraft. 30 (6), p897-907. Ng, T.T.H.. (2002). Application of genetic algorithms to conceptual design of a micro air vehicle. Engineering applications of artificial intelligence. 15 (1), p439-445. Roskam, J. (1985). Preliminary configuration design and integration of the propulison system. Kansas: Roskam avaition and engineering corporation. p141-162. Kusunose, K.. (2011). Supersonic biplane a review. Progress in Aerospace Sciences. 47 (1), p53-87. Airbus A380 presentation. Boeing 747 presentation. Curry, M.. (2009). Past Projects AD-1 Oblique Wing. Available: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/history/pastprojects/AD1/index.html. Last accessed 11th October 2012. Stubbs, M.D. (2003). Kinematic Design and Analysis of a Morphing Wing. Virginia: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. p1-72. Tsai, D.. (2011). University of Washington Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Senior Capstone Project 2011. Available: http://www.behance.net/gallery/Aerospace-Engineering-Senior-Capstone/1553987. Last accessed 11th October 2012. http://www.mooneypilots.com/mapalog/woodwing.html http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Theories_of_Flight/airplane/TH2G5.htm http://engg-learning.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/introduction-to-aeroplane-airplane-is.html http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/aircraft-engineers-look-to-bird-world-for-new-and-improved-wing-designs-345832/ http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA479821 Airplanes: Low Wing Aircraft Buyers Beware, Mooney M-20A and Bellanca Cruiser Wing Preliminary Calculations Size and wing area (S) Similar aircraft to the specifications we have made for our aircraft is the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 747. Using the Roskam volumes, the aspect ratio of the Boeing 747 is 7.0 (Roskam, page 374) and 7.53 for the Airbus A380-100 (1). The wing span of the Boeing 747-400 is 229ft and the airbus A380 has a wing span of 261ft 9in (1). The reference wing area of the Boeing 747-400 is 6824 square feet and the reference wing area of the Airbus A380 is 9095 square feet (ft2)(1). The takeoff weight for our proposed aircraft is around about 1300000lbs (1221267.35lbs or 553957.5516901kg). The wings of the aircraft generates most of the total lift of the aircraft so in order for the aircraft to take flight, the lift would at least have to equal the weight of the aircraft. The lift equation is as follows: The velocity can be calculated through the equation where a= the square root of the product of Gamma (1.4), R (287) and the Temperature. The cruise Mach number specified for this aircraft (A380) is 0.89. The temperature at 35000ft, which is the cruising altitude proposed for this aircraft, is -54.23 Celsius which is 218.93 Kelvin. Hence, a = à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡1.4 ÃÆ'- 287 ÃÆ'- 218.93 = 296.59 Therefore the V = 0.89 ÃÆ'- 296.59 = 263.97 The coefficient of lift for takeoff is 1.6 -2.2, for cruise it is 1.2-1.8 and for landing it is 1.8-2.8, so take the coefficient of lift to be 1.8. The stall speed of an airbus A380 is 121kt (224 km/h) = 60.5 m/s and the 747X Stretch is 128kt (237 km/h) (1) So, say the stall speed of the proposed aircraft should be 128kt, or 65.792m/s Knot (kt) m/s 1 0.51 ft2 m2 1 0.0929 Rearrange, the lift equation to make the wing area the subject: = The density of air is taken at sea level to be 1.225 kg/m3 50 kt = 25 m/s Therefore, wing area = 553957.5516901/ 0.5 x 1.225 x 252 x 1.8 = 803.929 m2 Since the proposed aircraft is to be designed to carry more passengers than the airbus A380 and the Boeing 747-400, a larger wing span is proposed to create more lift, so b = 265ft. The aspect ratio can be calculated by: Aspect ratio= b2/S where S = Reference Wing Area and b = Wing Span A (Aspect ratio) of A380 = 7.53 (550 passengers) New A = 8 (an assumption based on having more passengers, 600) Aspect ratio= b2/S= 280^2/6824=10.29 Sweep Angle The sweep angle of the Boeing 747 is 37.5 degrees, the taper ratio is 0.25 and the dihedral angle is 7 degrees (Chapter 6, part II, page 146, Table 6.7, ROSKAM). In terms of the mission profile, size and configuration this aircraft is comparable to the A380. The sweep angle of the A380 is 33.5 degrees and taper ratio is approximately 0.3. (http://www.dept.aoe.vt.edu/~mason/Mason_f/A380Hosder.pdf). For the proposed aircraft, the sweep angle should be 30 degrees. Thickness Ratio the thickness ratio of the airbus a380 is 6%. (http://www.dept.aoe.vt.edu/~mason/Mason_f/A380Stephens.pdf) The thickness ratio of the boeing 747 is Airfoils http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/wing31.htm http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/images/pic3-1.gif A deep camber should be used which gives high lift and low speeds. Suitable for transport planes. http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/images/fig18.gif http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/afplots/sc20610.gif Airfoil for the wing root (http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/afplots/sc20610.gif) http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/afplots/sc20606.gif Airfoil of wing tip (http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/afplots/sc20606.gif) (6) Taper Ratio The taper ratio of the Boeing 747 is 0.25 The taper ratio of the A380 is 0.3. For the proposed aircraft, the taper ratio should be 0.25. (7) Incidence Angle and Twist Angle Incidence angle of the Boeing 747 is 2 degrees. (Roskam) (8) Dihedral angle The dihedral angle of the Boeing 747 is 7 degrees. (9) Lateral control surface size and layout

The Second Amendment - The Right To Bear Arms Essay -- Constituton Bil

The Second Amendment and the Right to Bear Arms The Second Amendment to the Constitution gave United States citizens the right to bear arms. Although, the Second Amendment stated: â€Å"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms. However, the framers could not foresee the type of violence we have in our cities today. Innocent citizens have and are being brutally killed due to this amendment. Stricter gun control laws must be enacted to receive these types of weapons. Background checks for gun buyers were implemented a year and a half ago, more than 4,600 people who were supposed to be prevented from buying guns bought them anyway because their background checks were not completed in time, according to ABC news. The NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System) is supposed to inspect the criminal, citizenship, and mental background of all gun buyers (Yahoo News). However, if authorities cannot finish the checks in three days, the buyer gets the gun by default—even if he/she is a convicted felon or illegal alien (Yahoo News). On April 20, 1999, Columbine School was terrorized by gunfire. Twelve students and one teacher was brutally slain by two seniors of the high school. According to the APB News, hundreds of people were intended to die. After the two students gunned down their classmates and teacher, they shot and killed themselves. At this time, the guns used in the shooting 2 are said to have been purchased from unlicensed dealers at gun shows, according to Yahoo News. For this reason and many others, stricter gun laws should be enacted to be able to purchase these types of weapons. In Asheville N.C., two... ...as Review-Journal. Due to the increasing amount of deaths that are caused by firearms, Congress should enact stricter gun control laws. However, they are not and more people are continuing to die on a daily basis due to that matter. Congress is continuously discussing ways of preventing convicted felons, mental patients, and illegal aliens from purchasing firearms, but do not fulfill the voters’ wishes of doing so. I feel that this is the government’s way to prevent the United States from becoming overpopulated, because they are not doing anything to stop this problem. On the other hand, if most of the United States population is killed by gunfire, then where is the tax money going to be derived from? In my opinion, there should be a way to eliminate the section of the Second Amendment that gave the citizens of the United States the right to bear arms.

Behavior is hereditary Essay

The whole issue of nature and nurture is complex with potential debates centered round their influences on human development. Nature refers to the traits inherited from parents while nurture refers to the influence of the environment to an individual’s behavior (Lippa 2005, p. 26). Psychological research shows that both nature and nature have a general influence on the physical and behavioral characteristics of people. This paper seeks to explain the factors which affect nature and nurture. The nature theory holds that human behavior is hereditary. True to the theory, some traits such as blood type and eye color are known to be predominantly genetic. It can therefore be asserted that genetic variation of people affects the development and characteristics of the next generation (Lippa 2005, p. 28). Nurture on the other side holds that the environment in which an individual is brought up in influences his or her behavior. In this context therefore, it can be acknowledged that the ability of an individual to interact and conform to the societal requirements and the environment at large affects the degree to which the environment can influence the individual’s behavior (Lippa 2005, p. 28). Still to be noted here is the effect of age on the influence of nature and nurture. Inherited traits are first noticed when a child is born. As the child grows up to teenage, behavioral characteristics are predominantly influenced by the environment because of the interactive nature of people at this stage of growth as well as the ability to conform to peers and the society at large (Lerner & Bearer 2004, p. 86). At adult stages, people tend to become more independent hence less influenced by the environment. At this stage therefore nature prevails but the nurture traits acquired at early stages of growth remains effective. In conclusion therefore, nature and nurture are undoubtedly influential to human development. Nature gives inborn traits while nurture takes these inborn abilities and changes them with age to fit the individual’s environment. ? Bibliography Lippa, R 2005, Gender, nature, and nurture, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Lerner, R, & Bearer, E 2004, Nature and Nurture: The Complex Interplay of Genetic and Environment. Routledge: New York.

Gender Bias In The Workplace And Pay Inequalities Essay

In 1972, the government attempting to correct discrimination in the workplace passed the Equal Employment Opportunity Act. This act protects individual rights and promotes employment opportunities and fairness for everyone within the workplace (Klingner & Nalbandian, 1998, p. 158). This act should have eliminated gender bias and pay inequities, but has it accomplished its goal? Are employment opportunities and promotion opportunities fair and equal to everyone? Does gender bias and pay inequities still exist in 2000, 28 years after the passage of the act? In researching this topic, I do find that gender bias and pay inequities are still prevalent in today’s work world. Because there are so many women and minorities in the workforce today, I will attempt to explore some of the reasons why gender bias and pay inequities still exist. Background Organizational Culture First, does the organizational culture attribute to gender bias and pay inequalities? In researching this topic, I find the answer to be yes. Many times, the organizational culture and climate foster workplace inequalities and these inequalities are maintained by group pressure (Hale, 1999, p. 13). Informal networks within the agency help to maintain inequality because women and minorities are traditional employed in lower status jobs and not allowed into the networks. These jobs limit their access to powerful employees (McGuire, 2000, p. 1). These informal networks tend to be personal, voluntary and have their own boundaries. You don’t join the network because you want too, you join because you are allowed too (McGuire, 2000, p. 1). Organizations have always been geared to the white male and these habits are hard to break. To accomplish goals of the agency, all employees must work together. Managers must build rapport with their employees and this is most easily accomplished by interacting with those who share the same background and who are most like them (Maume, 1999, p. 4). White men working and networking with white men. Many times the organization does not even realize that they are inequalities in their agency because they have always done it that way. People tend to get set in their ways and operate on auto-pilot and never see their weaknesses. Organizational climates are hard to change and it takes dedication from management to make it happen. Many times the management thinks, â€Å"If it’s not bro ken then why fix it?† What they do not realize is that the organization would be so much stronger if they diversified their workforce and let all employees excel to their greatest potential. Literature also suggest that gender bias is a result of institutional and attitudinal processes. White males simply do not want women or minorities to be in an equal position with equal pay. Not only do they not want it, often times they take steps to protect specific jobs from women (Maume, 1999, p. 9). The â€Å"good ole boy† network is hard to break. All organizations state that they are an Equal Employment Opportunity company, but many agencies are only promoting that image and not actually following it. Yes, they hire minorities and yes they hire females, but these individuals do not have the same advantages as men. Often times they hire just for quotes and this causes hard feelings within the entire organization. Rather than the company hiring the best qualified, sometimes they hire a minority just to meet requirements. When this happens, the Equal Employment Opportunities policy can adversely effect other employees through reverse discrimination which in turn causes problems for the entire organization through decreased morale (Hale, 1999, p. 13). Also, if the black or female fails or performs poorly, then all white males will assume that all blacks and fem ales will fail. â€Å"In sum, it is the relationship between social roles, interests, intergroup relationships and organizational culture norms and values that set the conditions that perpetuate unequal employment opportunities and outcomes (Hale, 1999, p.13).† Society and Personal Influences What we are taught as children in regards to roles of females and males overflow into the workplace (Hale, 1999, p. 14). â€Å"Gender is a culture unto itself, raised with basic rules of conduct â€Å"instinctively† known to all adult members of that gender (Heim, 1995, p. 3). The managers of today grew up in families where their mothers stayed at home and kept house and took care of children. They have been taught at home that men should be the bread winner and women should take care of the house. They are also taught that men are stronger and should be the leader of the household and therefore these behaviors flow into the work setting. Even the Bible states that a women should not be over a man. These beliefs are taught generation after generation. â€Å"Internalization and Identity encompass the learning and socialization processes by which individuals incorporate assumptions, perceptions, stereotypes, and misperceptions and make judgments about themselves based on the way they perceive others judge them (Hale, 1999, p. 3). Women feel their are invisible, isolated and irrelevant within an organization while men see them as emotional (Hale, 1999, p.4). Men and women are different and view situations differently. Literature suggests that men do not want to give up their power and are uncomfortable working with women (Hale, 1999, p. 1). Women feel excluded from power and feel socially isolated within the workforce. Description of a Specific Situation Job Segregation Another proof of gender bias is job segregation. Often times women and minorities are segregated or placed into certain agencies only because they are women or minorities. Social closure issues hold that society has defined what jobs are appropriate for males and what jobs are appropriate for females (Maume, 1999, p. 3). Many studies conclude that men and women are allocated and segregated into positions because they are either male or female. And this segregation affects pay and promotion opportunities (Maume, 1999, p.2). â€Å"Segregation accounts for approximately one-half of the gender gap in wages (Maume, 1999, p. 9)†. A National Study of Gender-Based Occupational Segregation in Municipal Bureaucracies indicates that women can be more successful in redistributive agencies (Miller et al., 1999, p. 2). Agencies such as welfare, social justice a nd health are more likely to support affirmative action. Society has taught us that women should be caring and nurturing and because of these traits, they fit into redistributive agencies. Many women will hold administrative and professional positions in these agencies and so there appears to be a gender balance in public welfare, sanitariums, and hospitals (Miller et al., 1999, p. 8). In a study in Los Angeles, it was determined that economic restructuring had a negative impact on African Americans. The unemployment rate among black males has increased more than twice the rate of white males (James, 2000, p. 4). At a first glance, it appears black females have faired better than white females, but that is not the case. Black females are more likely to be employed in public sector work or pink-collar occupations where segregation of females is high. Many black females have entered the arena because they have obtained higher levels of education (James, 2000, p. 6). However, very few of them have management positions, but are employed as school teachers, educational counselors and social workers. While all of these professions require at least a bachelors degree, they are still relatively low paying jobs (James, 2000, p. 8). It is also noted in the study, that jobs held traditionally by black females such as housekeepers are now held by Latinos. The Latinos are not g aining employment because of non-gender bias but because these individuals are uneducated and speak limited English (James, 2000, p. 7). Once again, minorities and females are being segregated into certain jobs. If government agencies are required to follow Equal Employment Opportunity rules and affirmative action laws, then why are females not getting a fair deal? One reason is because primary stakeholders in government tend to be male and therefore they support the hiring and promoting of men. Policy making, implementation, and management of infrastructure are usually dominated by men, following the orders of men. On the contrary, in social agencies there appears to be less male influence. This is believed to be caused by the fact that most businesses are not the beneficiary, but citizens. Politicians perceive businesses as more important than citizens because of the economic impact of tax revenues. Therefore, men feel they need men in areas of real power positions. This shows a direct relationship between agency-clientele on gender-based employment patterns (Miller et al., 1999, p. 7). Once again, the municipal study finds that females are underrepresented in the best paying or most power ful positions within city government (Miller et al., 1999, p. 7). Jobs are ranked by employers and employees differently. Employers rank them according to skills and commitment and employees rank them according to desirability and rewards (Maume, 1999, p. 3). One would think this process would be fair to everyone but, in many organizations there appears to be double standards to judge men and women. Women most often have to measure up to higher standards than men do to obtain the position (Hale, 1999, p. 8). Are employment opportunities and promotional opportunities equal to both men and women? No. Reskin and Roos conclude that women can move into â€Å"male† jobs â€Å"either because market conditions force employers to reach down into the labor queue to hire women, or because men reevaluate and vacate jobs, thereby creating openings for women (Maume, 1999, p. 3).† Women are traditionally segregated into specific jobs; thereby leaving men in their on world to compete with each other for higher paid jobs (Maume, 1999, p. 3). Men traditional have higher status contacts than women which also help them to maintain their positions (McGuire, 2000, p. 2). Glass Ceilings, Glass Walls and Glass Escalators â€Å"The glass wall metaphor describes occupational segregation attributed to employment barriers that restrict the access of women to certain types of jobs (or agencies) or that trap them within certain types of jobs (or agencies). Glass walls are likely to persist when: (1) organizational cultures create impediments to change; and/or (2) skills necessary to perform jobs in a given agency are not highly valued elsewhere† (Miller et al., 1999, p. 2). The glass ceiling is an expression used to describe the inequalities of men and women within the workforce. It seems that women can become employed in an agency but then run into an invisible barrier when they try to move up the ladder of hierarchy within the organization (Baxter & Wright, 2000, p. 1). â€Å"Although women held half of all federal government jobs in 1992 and made up 86 percent of the government’s clerical workers, only a quarter of them were supervisors and only a tenth senior executives (Baxter & Wright, 2000, p. 2).† Several studies in the employment of women conclude that women continue to face glass walls and glass ceilings in government positions (Miller et al., 1999, p. 2). In addition, women continue to find it hard to obt ain employment in male-dominated fields (Miller et al., 1999, p. 1-2). This further proves that women are segregated into certain types of jobs. The findings of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics suggest that white men have a glass escalator and a glass ceiling continues to exist for women and minorities. White men tend to ascend to managerial levels with little or no effort especially in segregated workplaces (Maume, 1999, p. 3). Initially one would think that females would have the advantage in a predominate female workplace, but that is not the case. Women are continually excluded from supervisory positions and are generally paid lower salaries even in those agencies (Maume, 1999, p. 1-2). Promotions, Job Devaluation, and Pay Inequities Segregation places different sexes into unequal jobs thereby locating women and men into different opportunity structures and affects promotion opportunities (Cassirer & Reskin, 2000, p. 3). Most female jobs then to have a shorter promotion ladder (Cassirer & Reskin, 2000, p. 3). The municipal study finds that females are underrepresented in the best paying or most powerful positions within city government (Miller et al., 1999, p. 2). These positions are traditional administrative and professional occupations. They convey status, authority, and usually influence policy makers (Miller et al., 1999, p. 2). The study concluded that specialists were more likely to be promoted to these positions rather than generalists. The subject specialists are generally from professions mostly dominated by men, for example, engineers or biologist (Miller et al., 1999, p. 4). The municipal study also uncovered two patterns within city government. First, female administrators and professionals were hired in lower paying agencies. Second, agencies with higher level salaries were agencies with more gender imbalance (Miller et al., 1999, p. 10). Again, women were more concentrated in health, welfare, hospitals, and sanitariums. It appears that the jobs with better pay were held for men. Literature suggest that men are more often promoted than women. Because of this, men attach more importance to promotion than women. In addition, men are more likely located in a position where promotions are possible. The organi zational culture encourages male promotions (Cassirer & Reskin, 2000, p. 1). This culture causes women to not value promotions because they know that they will not receive one because the company just doesn’t promote females or the promotion will be blocked (Cassirer & Reskin, 2000, p. 2). Another surprising finding within female dominated organizations is the fact that males still have the advantage in management. One would suspect that in a predominate female organization, the female would have the advantage, but studies show this not to be the case. Males seem to bullet up the glass escalator. Many times the promotion occurs because the male employee will bond with the male manager who will in turn mentor him and prepare him for advancement (Maume, 1999, p.5). Often times the male is promoted in the predominant female agency to boost morale and to decrease tensions (Maume, 1999, p. 5). The tensions develop because females think that the males can not do the job because they do not match the stereotype of nurturing and caring (Maume, 1999, p. 11). â€Å"Kanter concludes that sex-differentiated work behavior results from sex-differentiated opportunity structures rather than from gender assumes a casual process in which workers’ positions, not their gender, aff ect their work attitudes and behaviors (Cassirer & Reskin, 2000, p. 2).† Another interesting facet of gender bias is that when women move into jobs predominately held by men, the jobs are devalued. The autonomy, prestige and high pay are removed (James, 2000, p. 9). It is noted that as agencies become more and more female dominated, they are viewed as the dumping ground for females resulting in lower pay scales and limited job training (Maume, 1999, p. 5). Reskin and Roos conducted a study on labor and job queues to inform readers of the changing ethnic/gender composition of occupations and how it related to African American women’s changing occupational profile. They also found that because occupations were transformed to include women, the jobs status decreased and the pay also decreased (James, 2000, p. 6). The status composition perspective holds that organizations with large numbers of female employees are devalued in the eyes of an organization. The jobs held by mostly females are considered unimportant and lower skilled as compared to male jobs. Job evaluations prove that women receive lower points than men which means lower salaries for the females (Maume, 1999, p. 3). â€Å"Inequality in the distribution of earnings and income i s generally positively related to inequality in education and training (James, 2000, p. 9). I feel that this statement is not true. A male and female can be equally as qualified, but the male will still get a better salary. Literature suggests that even when females hold masters degrees, they still make less than their male counterparts (Maume, 1999, p. 2). Although women have made some progress in obtaining management positions, gender bias is still highly integrated. Ironically, gender bias is greater at the lower level of management than at the highest level of the organizational hierarchy (Baxter & Wright, 2000, p. 9). In all the research that I conducted, the same theme was prevalent in all articles. There is not equal pay for equal work nor is there equal opportunities for advancement. Conclusions and Recommendations In order to fully gain equal employment and fairness, traditionally male positions must be opened up to females. This is the only way to shatter the glass walls and ceilings that currently exist (Miller et al., 1999, p.10). Individuals concerned about equalities for everyone should press for the continuation and strengthening of local government programs designed to increase female re presentation and more equitable gender distributions of better paying and better government jobs (Miller et al., 1999, p. 10). This support must come from white males and not only females and minorities. In addition, organizational cultures must be changed in both the private and public arena. This process will be time consuming and will inevitably run into opposition from white males. Change is hard and many times people try to block it. In order for employees to embrace change, they must understand the changes and why they are necessary. If employees are not supportive, tensions will increase and morale will worsen (Miller, 1963, pp. 236-237). Managers at all levels will need to fully embrace workforce diversification for the value that it will bring to the organizations. Literature also suggests that educational institutions must get involved in teaching equality because they are preparing the leaders of the future. â€Å"Public administration graduate programs should more actively strive to strengthen equal-opportunity learning environments by exposing students to the way gender affects their work-lives and by better preparing students to face and overcome gender-based inequalities in organizations (Hale, 1999, p. 16).† The goal of educators should be to continu ally improve society. Many times schools have failed to recognize this purpose (Miller, 1965, p. 7). Valuing differences in employees creates synergy and the key to valuing these differences is to realize that all people see the world as they see themselves (Covey, 1989, p. 277). This makes the job of equality and pay equity so difficult. Men believe that it is easier to work with men and that men do a better job and therefore deserve more money. Their pride and egos tell them that women cannot do the job as well as they can. These personal beliefs must be changed. Pairing men and women together on teams will expand the male mindset and hopefully help them realize that females and minorities are as equally qualified. Valuing the differences of all employees can make the entire agency stronger because we all have strengths to bring to the agency. Intense staff development must be held to teach men and women how to communicate with each other. Men need to learn all they can about females and females need to know all they can about males. Society requires that men and women work together and this is not going to change. What has to change is the way we work together. Communication is the key. If we do not communicate effectively, then the best intentions of both genders will fail (Heim, 1995, p. 3). In looking at my agency, I can agree that gender bias and pay inequalities exist. Our agency has more white females than white males and only a few minorities. We have an established pay scale but the scale is not always followed.There is evidence that men are given more pay than women with the same degree. Also, men with lesser degrees have received a higher salary because of who they know and not because of their education or experience. Traditionally when promotion opportunities became available, the administration would automatically appoint a white male. The new President of the college recognized the gender bias in management. He put a policy in place that all jobs must be posted and that everyone would have an opportunity to apply for them. When he was hired we had one female administrator, now we have three. BIBLIOGRAPHY Baxter, Janeen and Erik Olin Wright, 2000, â€Å"The Glass Ceiling Hypothesis†, Gender and Society, Vol. 14, Issue 2, p. 275. Cassirer, Naomi and Barbara Reskin, 2000, â€Å"High Hopes†, Work & Occupations, Vol. 27, Issue 4, p. 438, 26p. Covey, Stephen R., 1989, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, New York: Fireside of Simon & Schuster. Hale, Mary, 1999. â€Å"He Says, She Says: Gender and Worklife,† Public Administration Review, Vol. 59, Issue 5, p. 410. Heim, Pat, 1995. The Power Dean-Even Rule and other gender differences in the workplace, San Jose, California: Cor Vision Media. James, Angela, 2000. â€Å"Moving up, But How Far? African American Women and Economic Restructuring in Los Angeles, 1970-1990†, Sociological Perspectives, Vol. 43, Issue 3, p. 399. Klingner, Donald E. and John, Nalbandian, 1998. Public Personnel Management: Contexts and Strategies (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Maume, Jr., David J. 1999. â€Å"Glass Cei lings and Glass Escalators,† Work & Occupations, Vol. 26, Issue 4, p. 483. McGuire, Gail M., 2000. â€Å"Gender, Race, Ethnicity, and Networks,† Work & Occupations, Vol. 27, Issue 4, p. 500, 24p. Miller, Van, 1963. The Public Administration of American School Systems. New York: The Macmillan Company. Miller, Will; Kerr, Brinck; Reid, Margaret (1999). â€Å"A National Study of Gender-Based Occupational Segregation in Municipal Bureaucracies: Persistence of Glass Walls,† Public Administration Review, Vol. 59, Issue 3, p. 218,

How to Decline an Offer of Admission to Graduate School

How to Decline an Offer of Admission to Graduate School If you were accepted to a school that you no longer wish to attend, youll have to consider writing a graduate school rejection letter. Perhaps it was not your first choice, or you found a better fit. Theres nothing wrong in declining the offer- it happens all the time. Just make sure to take action and be prompt in your response. Tips on Declining a Grad School Offer Here are a few things to keep in mind: Respond soon: Once you know the school is out, do not delay. Once you give up your spot, it may open up for someone else who really wants to attend that college or university. Plus, it looks bad not to respond at all- especially because the admissions committee devoted their time to evaluating your credentials.Keep it short:  You dont owe the university or college an explanation; just politely and briefly decline the offer (see the template below for wording ideas).Thank them: You may want to thank the admissions committee for their time. You never know when you may encounter one of the members during your career, so keep it nice.Dont disclose more than you need to:  You are not responsible for telling the school which college or university you will be attending. They may ask, but likely not.  Check it off:  You may not need to write a letter at all- some universities and colleges let you check a box declining their offer or do it with a few clicks online. Thanks, But No Thanks After you are done carefully considering all of your options and youre ready to decline the offer, how exactly do you word it? Responding with a short grad school rejection letter will do. This can be an email or a printed letter. Try something along the lines of the following. Dear Dr. Smith (or Admissions Committee): I am writing in response to your offer of admission to the Clinical Psychology program at Graduate University. I appreciate your interest in me, but I regret to inform you that I will not be accepting your offer of admission. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Rebecca R. Student Remember to be polite. Academia is a very small world. You likely will encounter faculty and students from that program sometime during your career. If your message declining the offer of admission is rude, you may be remembered for the wrong reasons.

Last Situation of Cyprus-2002 essays

Last Situation of Cyprus-2002 essays Cyprus, after so many years, is again in the news. International interest is alive again and hardly a week passes by without some personalities from one or another country visiting it. The interest is fully justified. After such a long interruption at long last the inter-communal talks have started again and since the 16th of January they are going on without interruption. President Clerides and President Denktash meet regularly, two or three times a week, and will continue doing so until some time in June. At the same time the E.U. accession process is reaching its final stages and it is expected that by December this year, Cyprus will be one of the countries to be invited to join the Union at the Copenhagen Summit. The truth is that accession to the EU offers a unique opportunity: it will make the solution of the Cyprus problem much easier to implement and will be of clear benefit to everybody involved. By far the most important contribution of the EU would be provided by its various institutions and Cypruss participation in them. Furthermore, Cypriots in the Union will come to understand, as for example the Germans or the Belgians have, that they can be loyal at the same time to their community, federated state, nation and EU as a whole. Another very important advantage of a solution, prior to accession, is that any agreement between the two communities will be enshrined in the Accession Treaty and will thus provide the best guarantee possible to both communities that what has been agreed is final and has to be implemented. With a solution the Turkish Cypriot community will be harmonized with the Greek Cypriot Community within a short period of time, probably not more than few years, there will be no noticeable difference in the standards of living between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. This will be made possible partly by the large special assistance that the EU is ready to provide. Already, it has announced 206 m...

Dawn Kills Animals

Dawn Kills Animals Proctor and Gamble tests on animals, they dont want to stop, but they want the public to think they are animal-friendly. Last night, I saw a very disturbing commercial for Dawn dishwashing liquid. The commercial claims that thousands of animals caught in oil spills have been saved by being washed in their dishwashing liquid. The video depicts a penguin, a duckling and an otter, all covered with oil, being bathed with their dishwashing liquid. In the before video, you can see how the duckling stumbles and struggles to walk. In tiny letters at the bottom of the screen, it says, simulated demonstration. This was not footage of an actual rescue. They intentionally covered at least three animals with tempera paint and corn syrup to simulate oil, just so they could wash them on camera. If Dawn really is used to wash oil off of animals, why couldnt they use footage of an actual rescue? The company then has the audacity to put up a website at DawnSavesWildlife.com, extolling their role in wildilfe rescue. Meanwhile, Proctor and Gamble, the parent corporation that owns Dawn, continues to test on animals and defends animal testing: We must conduct research involving animals to ensure materials are safe and effective. Not to be branded monsters, they have joined with The Humane Society of the United States in a partnership committed to the elimination of animal use for consumer product safety evaluation. Im guessing that this guarantees that HSUS will not target PG in any campaigns. PG, if you were really committed to the elimination of animal testing, you would stop it. Today. Now. Stop the lip service. Stop pretending. What you can do: Boycott Proctor Gamble products. Contact Proctor Gamble at 513-983-1100 or via email at comments.impg.com (Update: It appears that PG has now disabled this email address), to tell them you are boycotting all of their products until they stop testing on animals. Its not always easy to tell which brands are owned by PG and the list is always changing, so try to familiarize yourself with this list, from the official PG website. Dozens of brands are part of the PG corporation, including Dawn, Gillette, Cover Girl, Pampers, Tampax, Clairol, Febreeze, Tide, Mr. Clean, ​Crest and others. Iams and Eukanuba are also owned by PG and sponsor the Iditarod, so there are at least two reasons to boycott these two brands. Even better, boycott all companies that test on animals. Two apps available on iTunes make it easy to carry around a list of companies that dont test on animals. Cruelty-Free and BNB (short for Be Nice to Bunnies) are both compatible with the iPhone or the iPod touch. July 21, 2009 Update: I just spoke to Cory, a representative at PG, and told him that Im not swayed by the Dawn Saves Wildlife campaign, and if PG really cared about animals, they would stop animal testing. Cory was very nice and said that he would pass along my comment. He also said that PG is required by law to conduct animal testing. I told him that was not true. Federal law requires drugs to be tested on animals, but no law requires household products to be tested on animals. Cory said that the EPA requires new chemicals to be tested on animals. But thats not the same as requiring all household products to be tested on animals. A dishwashing liquid can be made using known, reliable ingredients, without creating new chemicals. There are lots of cruelty-free companies making the same types of cleaning products that PG makes, without animal testing. Our very civil conversation ended with my accepting Corys offer to send me a pamphlet about PGs animal testing, but turning down his of fer of coupons for PG products. Regardless of the certification from AHA, the animal rights position is that animals should not be used for entertainment or commercials, and should not be covered with paint or corn syrup. Correction, July 22, 2009: The original postincorrectly stated that during the filming of the commercial live animals were covered with oil. However, according to American Humane Association, the animals were covered with a mixture of tempera paint and corn syrup designed to simulate oil. The original post also suggested that animals may have been injured or killed during the filming of the commercial. American Humane Association was on set to supervise the filming of the commercial and certified that No animals were harmed during the taping.

Space and time in architecture Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Space and time in architecture - Case Study Example In this regard, space promotes planning of construction works because it helps in isolating waste and shortages that may arise unexpectedly (Libeskind & Auerbach 2013, p. 1). The visual and expressive components of architecture that represents uniqueness and tranquility of an art work. Strength and its stability are concepts that require adequate spacing by using the correct materials. Space and time will always merge to show the periods and dimensions of architecture (Heynen 2010, p. 39). Allen used art to define the concept of space and times using the Roman architecture to present a cultural aspect that denotes the introduction of paintings and sculpture in art work (Libeskind & Auerbach 2013, p. 1). This implies that a person can easily relate to the design of a building by observing the cultural or historical elements used. This is an indication that developments in architecture are milestone depicting changes in modern buildings. Allen further suggests that water in a stable condition in the experiment is a sign of strength enhanced by the spacing between the sponge and the waves (Libeskind & Auerbach 2013, p. 1). A notable concept is that modern buildings allow for more space unlike the older ones that emphasized on the cultural values. The concepts of interactivity and relatedness may be fixed within abstract art, but they are unique to modern speculative structural design and background urbanism (Libeskind & Auerbach 2013, p. 1). It is apparent that every community has its own architectural designs that represent their culture and feelings. It is also applicable to launch space and time in architecture to adopt technological transformations in the industry (Giedion 2014, p. 29). The relevance of space and time in architecture is that they facilitate the addition of new concepts in the field. This increases innovation since the architects are free to come up with latest ideas

Hospitality and tourism industry economy in Australia Essay

Hospitality and tourism industry economy in Australia - Essay Example Although, this segment comprises of a cluster of small firms or hotels that offers extremely attractive holiday packages to spend leisure or recreational times, religion or health, business and professional purposes at a quite affordable ranges. Due to this, its competitiveness enhanced to a significant rate as compared to others. Thus, from the above graphs, it might be depicted that the outlook of hospitality or tourism industry in Australia changed to a certain extent. The entire credit of such a market scenario of hospitality and tourism industry of Australia is due to the changing demographics. However, in-spite of benefits, it also had to face varied types of challenges as well. This paper mainly focuses about the challenges regarding the type of jobs and talents required for the individual getting engaged in the hospitality and tourism industry in Australia due to changing demographics. Along with this, it also describes the appropriate human resource approaches essential to retain the employees as well as to attract new talented ones towards the industry of tourism. In this today’s era, maximum extent of the employees desire to establish his or her own identity and image in the organization or industry, engaged with. This is mainly due to the changes of the attitudes and behaviours of the generation x and y candidates as compared to baby boomers. So, in order to retain the employees of generation x and y within the organization or industries for a longer period of time, varied types of human resource approaches are maintained. These approaches might lead to the betterment of this industry. So, they are described below one by one. Succession Management- according to Philips (2012), it is a constant process of identifying, assessing and developing varied leaders within the organization so as to improve the level of performance, dedication

Time Management and Nursing Burnout Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Time Management and Nursing Burnout - Essay Example The time management techniques have been fairly well covered in the book chapter. We are exploring an article here which goes beyond just time management to relieve a person of stress and make his life more valuable. This article can be said to be of the type of self-care or self well being. This is absolutely an essential component in order to avoid a burnout. We will study some dimensions associated with the job of a person which should be satisfied for him to continue working. The absence of these dimensions can lead to burnout of the individual. We will initially review the article written by Matuska Christianen which has been attached in appendix A. This paper presents a proposed model of lifestyle balance that meets biological and psychological needs within the unique environment of individuals. The writer of the article claims that once the biological and psychological needs of the individuals are in alignment with the environment of the individual; the level of stress faced i n the work is reduced and the person is able to enjoy his job fully. This article claims well-being as the lack of stress during the work. ... are in alignment with the environment of the individual; the level of stress faced in the work is reduced and the person is able to enjoy his job fully. This article claims well being as the lack of stress during the work. The person should be satisfied with his work and look forward to do it every day to avoid stress and improve his well being. The article presents five factors, dimensions or conditions which need to be satisfied in order to achieve physical and mental well being. These 5 dimensions are essential for the well being of an individual and are thus key factors in preventing work related stress. The first dimension is biological health and physical safety. These can be said to be the most basic needs of the individual. If these are not satisfied it leads to a lot of stress and the person finds it extremely difficult to continue in the job as he faces a large amount of stress. The first dimension is the foundation upon which all other dimensions and the endeavors of the h uman being rest. The second dimension discussed in the article is rewarding and self-affirming relationship with others. This can be said to be the need for affiliation. A person wants his co-workers and those with which he works to appreciate the good work done by him. It can be easily seen in nursing that relatives of a patient might blame the nurses for any failure in health of the person. These accusations may not have any basis but increases the stress level of the nurse which leads to disillusionment with the job. Rewarding behavior discussed in this dimension need not be reward given by a third party. This may even by the reward which an individual decides to give himself for sticking to an action plan or achieving a target which was decided earlier by him. The third dimension

Facts about Scotland Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Facts about Scotland - Research Paper Example This essay analyzes that Scotland has produced several famous personalities, which are related to the creative writing. A few among the well-known names in the literature include James Kelman, AL Kennedy, Janice Galloway, Liz Lochhead, Alisdair Gray, Irvine Welsh, Ian Rankin, Andrew O'Hagan and many others. Most of the business outsource processing jobs have gone to the country as it has around 60,000 employees in almost 300 call centers that cater to businesses of companies like Dell, Direct Line, among others. The oil and gas industry of Scotland supports nearly hundred thousand jobs, spread around 40 countries worldwide, as there are around 2000 service and supply companies related to this trade, internationally. In a report by Financial Times FDI magazine, Scotland was named as the â€Å"UK region of future-2006/7†, while it was listed on the top in human resources, IT and telecom.The country is ranked as a fifth largest financial center for Europe. Royal Bank of Scotland and Halifax Bank of Scotland, headquartered here, has operations worldwide, as they have the reputation of efficient performance, internationally.The aerospace industry in Scotland has almost 10% share of the UK’s aerospace industry, as per the Scottish Survey Report. The aerospace industry in Scotland had a turnover of Pound Sterling 2.1 billion; while Prestwick has a reputation of being the excellent center for maintenance, repairs, and overhaul, as it caters to companies like GE, Goodrich, to name a few.

Swin flow Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Swin flow - Research Paper Example A person acquires flu when the droplets land into their mouths or noses (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]). The flu can be passed on before a person knows he or she is sick or when the person is sick. Majority of the healthy adults can infect others on day 1 before the symptoms can develop and up to five to seven days after the adult becomes sick. Children and people with a weak immune system can infect others for a long time. The disease is unpredictable and how severe it can be varies from one season to the other and it is dependent on the following things; (a) the type of the flu viruses spreading, (b) the amount of flu vaccine available, (c) the time the vaccine is available, (d) the number of people who get vaccinated, and (e) the conformity and compatibility of the vaccine to the flu viruses causing the illness. People at high risk of developing serious complications when they get the flu include the older people, pregnant women, young children and people with particular health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or asthma. Between 1976 and 2006, flu-associated deaths are estimated to be in the range of 3, 000 to 49, 000 people. 2009/2010 period witnessed the first flu pandemic in over 40 years. 2009 H1N1 pandemic caused 12, 000 flu-associated deaths in the United States (CDC). More than 90 percent of the H1N1 death occurrences were among people who were younger than 65 years of age. Seasonal influenza is estimated to kill more than 36, 000 people and hospitalizing more than 200, 000 per year in the United States (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases [NIAID]) The following are some of the complications that are associated with flu; ear infections, bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, sinus infections, and deterioration of chronic medical conditions such as asthma, congestive heart failure and diabetes. Research institutes such as

Most Americans Should Not Use Credit Cards Essay

Most Americans Should Not Use Credit Cards - Essay Example The credit card industry has evolved so drastically that it is predicted that an average number of credit cards per family is around 3.5 (Nilson Report, 2010). According to another statistics, it is reported that an average American with a credit file is responsible for $16.635 in debt; this amount is reported after excluding the mortgage charges (U.S News and World Report, 2008). Credit cards have had a huge impact on people spending spree and it is only because of this extravagant spending style, credit cards consumers have had to face severe bankruptcy issues. It was reported that the bankruptcy filed during 2009 amounted to $1.4 million dollars; this had increased by 22% compared to the figures of $1.09 million in 2008 (AACER, 2010). This bankruptcy rate usually comprises of young adults and it is reported that young Americans have the 2nd highest rate of bankruptcy. These increase bankruptcies, heavy spending and huge debts are all a result of psychological behaviour. Americans tend to live in an economy where debt has not been given any significant value by many households. Mortgages and other similar loans are a part of almost every American household. Besides that, people tend to have an emotional attachment to paper money, which if spent, is given to the provider of goods/service whilst credit card/plastic money has no sense of emotional feeling attached to it when it is being spent because of the psychological belief that nothing material is being given at the instance of buying. This reason makes people more vulnerable to heavy spending and eventually they end up in critical positions such as bankruptcy (Schor, 1998). Credit card use has overshadowed the entire world economy. According to Federal Reserve G.19 report, the total U.S revolving debt amounted to $793.1 billion as of May 2011 and the total U.S consumer debt as of the same date amounted to $2.43 trillion (Federal Reserve Report, July 2011). The amount of U.S consumer debt increased to 2.45 trillion as reported in the September issue of the G.19 report. Hence it is clearly evident that the expansion of credit led America to severe consumer debts and this debt has not been stopped, the credit is still being offered to the consumers and it is often argued that if this trend continues, the credit card industry would be highly susceptible to downfall and failure that would further lead to another economic collapse. This collapse can be prevented by using credit cards on a minimal level or paying off the dues as they fall due. Credit card companies tend to offer credit cards to customer on increased interest rates in order to reduce its use. This pullback is affecting the creditworthy consumers and it further increases the danger to already endangered banking industry. Credit card companies had to write off $21 billion in 2008 as bad credit card loans, issues like these clearly suggest the credit card industry would definitely affect the economy in a negative manner (Dash, 2008). Finally it is said that the Federal Reserve Bank is also one major factor that can lead to an economic collapse. This is because the Fed has enough power to lend to anyone whom it desires i.e. without the consent of the Barrack Obama’s government; hence only favoured institutions are bailed out when the total economy falls prey to this downfall (The Economic Collapse, 2011). The payment pattern of the credit card debt is such that according to

Swin flow Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Swin flow - Research Paper Example A person acquires flu when the droplets land into their mouths or noses (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]). The flu can be passed on before a person knows he or she is sick or when the person is sick. Majority of the healthy adults can infect others on day 1 before the symptoms can develop and up to five to seven days after the adult becomes sick. Children and people with a weak immune system can infect others for a long time. The disease is unpredictable and how severe it can be varies from one season to the other and it is dependent on the following things; (a) the type of the flu viruses spreading, (b) the amount of flu vaccine available, (c) the time the vaccine is available, (d) the number of people who get vaccinated, and (e) the conformity and compatibility of the vaccine to the flu viruses causing the illness. People at high risk of developing serious complications when they get the flu include the older people, pregnant women, young children and people with particular health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or asthma. Between 1976 and 2006, flu-associated deaths are estimated to be in the range of 3, 000 to 49, 000 people. 2009/2010 period witnessed the first flu pandemic in over 40 years. 2009 H1N1 pandemic caused 12, 000 flu-associated deaths in the United States (CDC). More than 90 percent of the H1N1 death occurrences were among people who were younger than 65 years of age. Seasonal influenza is estimated to kill more than 36, 000 people and hospitalizing more than 200, 000 per year in the United States (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases [NIAID]) The following are some of the complications that are associated with flu; ear infections, bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, sinus infections, and deterioration of chronic medical conditions such as asthma, congestive heart failure and diabetes. Research institutes such as

Rotator cuff tear Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Rotator cuff tear - Essay Example The shoulder (Mercier 28-29) is composed of three bones: the scapula,, the clavicle and the humerus. The scapula is a thin bone that articulates widely and closely with the posterior chest wall. It also articulates with the humerus by way of a small, shallow, glenoid cavity and with the clavicle at the acromion process. The clavicle and scapula are suspended from the cervical and thoracic vertebrae by the trapezius, levator scapula, and rhomboid muscles. Four articulations constitute the shoulder joint: the glenohumeral, scapulothoracic, acromioclavicular, and sternoclavicular joints. The stability of these joints is provided by a series of ligaments and muscles. Motion of the arm results from the coordinated efforts of several muscles. With the irritation of shoulder motion, the scapula is first stabilized. The muscles of the rotator (musculotendinous) cuff then steady the humeral head in the glenoid cavity and cause it to descent. Elevation of the arm results from a combination of scapulothoracic and glenohumeral joint movements. One third of total shoulder abduction is provided by forward and lateral movement of the scapula. The remaining two thirds occurs at the glenohumeral joint through progressively increasing activity of the deltoid and supraspinatus muscles. Thus, even in the complete absence of glenohumeral motion, scapulothoracic movement can still abduct the arm approximately 600 to 700. The muscle of the rotator cuff (supraspinatus, teres minor, infraspinatus, subscapularis) are separated from the overlying "coracoacromial arch" by two bursae, the subdeltoid and the subcoracoid. These bursae frequently communicate and are affected by lesions of the musculotendinous cuff, acromioclavicular joint, and adjacent structures. They are frequently referred to as the subacromial bursa. Primary diseases of this bursa are rare, although secondary involvement is quite common. The shoulder (Matt, July 23, 2002) is made up of three bones: the scapula (shoulder blade), the humerus (upper arm bone), and the clavicle (collar bone). The rotator cuff connects the humerus to the scapula. The rotator cup is formed by the tendons of four muscles: the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. Tendons attach muscle to the bones. Muscles move the bones by pulling on the tendons. The rotator cuff helps raise and rotate the arm. As the arm is raised, the rotator cuff also keeps the humerus tightly in the socket of the scapula. The upper part of the scapula that makes up the roof of the shoulder is called acromion, A bursa is located between the acromion and the rotator cuff tendons. A bursa is a lubricated sac of tissue that cuts down on the friction between two moving parts. Bursae are located all over the body where tissue must rub against each other. In this case, the bursa protects the acromion and the rotator cuff from grinding against each other. The Encyclopedia of Medicine explained the movements of the shoulder joint as follows: "The shoulder joint is a ball-and-socket joint which allows 3600 of movement to give maximum flexibility. In addition to enabling these movements, the muscles of the pectoral girdle add stability. The movements

Advertising Designed To Differentiate Remind Inform And Persuade Marketing Essay

Advertising Designed To Differentiate Remind Inform And Persuade Marketing Essay Advertising is one part of the promotional mix, and therefore advertising objectives will be set in line with overall Promotional and Marketing Objectives, which in turn will relate to the organizations overall Corporate Objectives. In general, however, there are three main categories of advertising objectives a business might set itself in terms of whether it seeks to Inform, Persuade or Remind the target audience. Types of advertisement: Inform: Informative advertising, seeks to tell the market about the product, explain how the product works, provide information on pricing, and build awareness of both the product and the company. Such objectives are normally pursued at the launch of a new product, or re-launch / up-date of an existing product. Its the product of Pepsi Company and wants to inform people about it. Presenting different taste and verity of the product in daily print Electronic media to influence people towards product. Persuade: Here objectives are to encourage the target audience to switch brands, make the purchase, and create a preference in the market for the product as opposed to its competition. Advertising of this nature is required in highly competitive markets, where a range of products compete directly with each other. In such circumstances businesses often seek to differentiate their product through Comparison Advertising either directly or indirectly comparing its product to that of its competitors. Here Nestle Pakistan wants to inform public about the price of Product NIDO Price. That its price 39 rupees per liter and also persuade that it is low price then market price as well as grater Quality. Their target market is for product childrens. Remind: Reminder Advertising is used to maintain interest and awareness of a well established product in the market, often in the latter stages of its product life cycle. It is often used at the Point-of-Purchase to remind consumers of the Brand. Such advertising is used by the likes of Coca-Cola and other leading brands, to maintain their position in the market. Nestle Yogurt is well know product of Nestle Pakistan, they advertise just remind people about the product. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising P-5: Evaluate appropriate uses and applications for advertising in two given situations. Uses of advertisement: Advertisements are used to tell the audience what products you are selling, services you provide and the type of business you do such as whether your business provides finance company loan services for purchasers. Advertisements may be used to notify the public of the date and venue of an event. They inform consumers of what is available with a view to get the customers into the store and make sales. Other Uses are Corporate Communications Incentive Programs Multi-State Marketing Campaigns Multifunction/Department Management Regional Markets Prominent Client List Strategic Advertising Account Marketing/Sales Vendor Research Selection Strong Customer Relations Print/Newspaper Trends Marketing Program Execution Uses in Reminding: Brief messages designed chiefly to keep a product in the mind of the consumer once the product is already familiar. Reminder advertising usually follows an extensive advertising campaign, and therefore does not elaborate on the reasons to buy the product. Common examples of reminder advertisements are those found on matchbooks and pencils and in skywriting, as well as the more traditional media vehicles. Advertising designed to remind consumers of the benefits of a product or service, or of their current need for those benefits. For instance, the XYZ Company may seek to remind consumers of their need for XYZ anti-freeze when the weather begins to turn cold. Uses in Persuasion: This is the basic rule when it comes to persuasion in advertising. No matter how enticing the woman in a poster for a liquor brand might be, its not going to work if your target audience is composed of straight women. They just wont go for that. The same logic applies to when youre catering for the rich and the poor. You have to study your target group in order to come up with the most suitable ad campaign. Watching the news can prove to be a very effective mode of persuasion in advertising. By keeping yourself tuned into what is happening globally and locally, you are able to put your brand or your client into context with your target market. For example, if youre assigned to come up with an ad for vitamins and the rainy season has arrived, you can use the weather to convince your market that they need vitamins. Persuasion in advertising can be as direct or indirect as you want it to be. Some brands have even been known to make use of certain celebrities to actually tell people to support a certain brand. Whichever road you choose to take, it is very important to take note of your target market (because theyre the ones youre supposed to convince) and take advantage of current events to help you do it. P-6: Evaluate the role, organization and functions of agencies in the advertising process. Advertisement Process: http://www.ipa.co.uk/write/images/uploads/process.jpg Advertisement agency: An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising (and sometimes other forms of promotion) for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the clients products or services. An agency can also handle overall marketing and branding strategies and sales promotions for its clients. Role of advertising agencies in advertising process: A plethora of Businesses, Corporations, Government Organizations and Non Profit set-ups hire advertising agencies   to advertise their products, brands and services to present and prospective customers. Understand the Product / Company: An advertising agency begins by getting well acquainted with the clients goals, products target audience. This knowledge proves beneficial in planning and creating an effective advertising campaign. The advertising executives work towards creating an effective advertising campaign (a single or a series of attention grabbing and unique ads) which is within the clients marketing goals and budget. This includes creating interesting slogans, attractive jingles and attention grabbing body copy for advertisements. The client has the final word and may ask for rework. Plan Create an Advertising Campaign: Once an advertising agency understands its clients needs, the process of brainstorming and planning begins. Keeping in mind the clients goals (which can range from pushing sales of its products and services introducing new products in the market reiterating its brands benefits attracting new customers or keeping in touch with old ones Strategize: Some Companies like to outsource their overall marketing responsibilities to advertising agencies. In such a case, the ad agency takes over the process of brand building, strategizing and pushing sales through other promotion techniques like sales promotions etc. Organization of advertising agencies:- Broadly there are 6 departments in any advertising agency Account Servicing Account Planning Media Creative Production Finance and Accounting Account service department The account service, or the account management department, is the link between the ad agency and its clients. Depending upon the size of the account and its advertising budget one or two account executives serve as liaison to the client. The account executives job requires high degree of diplomacy and tact as misunderstanding may lead to loss of an account. The account executive is mainly responsible to gain knowledge about the clients business, profit goals, marketing problems and advertising objectives. The account executive is responsible for getting approved the media schedules, budgets and rough ads or story boards from the client. The next task is to make sure that the agency personnel produce the advertising to the clients satisfaction. The biggest role of the account executive is keeping the agency ahead of the client through follow-up and communications. Media department The responsibility of the agencys media department is to develop a media plan to reach the target audience effectively in a cost effective manner. The staff analyses, selects and contracts for media time or space that will be used to deliver the ad message. This is one of the most important decisions since a significantly large part of the clients money is spent on the media time and/or space. The media department has acquired increasing importance in an agencys business as large advertisers seem to be more inclined to consolidate media buying with one or few agencies thereby saving money and improving media efficiency. Creative department To a large extent, the success of an ad agency depends upon the creative department responsible for the creation and execution of the advertisements. The creative specialists are known as copywriters. They are the ones who conceive ideas for the ads and write the headlines, subheads and the body copy. They are also involved in deciding the basic theme of the advertising campaign, and often they do prepare the rough layout of the print ad or the commercial story board. Creation of an ad is the responsibility of the copywriters and the art department decides how the ad should look. Production department After the completion and approval of the copy and the illustrations the ad is sent to the production department. Generally agencies do not actually produce the finished ads; instead they hire printers, photographers, engravers, typographers and others to complete the finished ad. For the production of the approved TV commercial, the production department may supervise the casting of actors to appear in the ad, the setting for scenes and selecting an independent production studio. The production department sometimes hires an outside director to transform the creative concept to a commercial. Finance and accounting department An advertising agency is in the business of providing services and must be managed that way. Thus, it has to perform various functions such as accounting, finance, human resources etc. it must also attempt to generate new business. Also this department is important since bulk of the agencys income approx. 65% goes as salary and benefits to the employees. Functions of advertising agency: Professionals at advertising agencies and other advertising organizations offer a number of functions including: Account Management: Within an advertising agency the account manager or account executive is tasked with handling all major decisions related to a specific client. These responsibilities include locating and negotiating to acquire clients. Once the client has agreed to work with the agency, the account manager works closely with the client to develop an advertising strategy. For very large clients, such as large consumer products companies, an advertising agency may assign an account manager to work full-time with only one client and, possibly, with only one of the clients product lines. For smaller accounts an account manager may simultaneously manage several different, though non-competing, accounts. Creating Team: The principle role of account managers is to manage the overall advertising campaign for a client, which often includes delegating selective tasks to specialists. For large accounts one task account managers routinely delegate involves generating ideas, designing concepts and creating the final advertisement, which generally becomes the responsibility of the agencys creative team. An agencys creative team consists of specialists in graphic design, film and audio production, copywriting, computer programming, and much more. Research: Full-service advertising agencies employ market researchers who assess a clients market situation, including understanding customers and competitors, and also are used to test creative ideas. For instance, in the early stages of an advertising campaign researchers may run focus group sessions with selected members of the clients target market in order to get their reaction to several advertising concepts. Researchers are also used following the completion of an advertising campaign to measure whether the campaign reached its objectives. Media Planning: Once an advertisement is created, it must be placed through an appropriate advertising media. Each advertising media, of which there are thousands, has its own unique methods for accepting advertisements, such as different advertising cost structures (i.e., what it costs marketers to place an ad), different requirements for accepting ad designs (e.g., size of ad), different ways placements can be purchased (e.g., direct contact with media or through third-party seller), and different time schedules (i.e., when ad will be run). Understanding the nuances of different media is the role of a media planner, who looks for the best media match for a client and also negotiates the best deals. An Advertising agency is responsible for coming up for an Idea for an advertisement for the customers these customers maybe anyone Coke Cola, Pepsi Adidis, Nike anyone who has something to sell pays money to an advertising agency to get there product into the mind of customer. The advertising agencies are responsible for marketing and producing their clients brand. For example, if the client is Dell Computers, the agencys role is to see what are the best ideas in promoting the product. It can be done with television commercials, print ads or internet ads. There are many services an agency offers to its client. http://www.smallbusinessnotes.com/operating/marketing/advertisingprocess.html M-2: Make an effective judgment which of these advertisement do you consider as best in its category and why? In my judgment the add of NIDO is best of all because it have solid persuasive entity of price where people know general price of milk per liter and they give low price as 39 rupees per liter, shown the target market as mentioned in the picture a child with his mother. Here mother giving love in shape milk as NIDO. They specified the quality in the sentence ghezayit sy barphoor dhood. The specified that its beneficial as quality for children health. They also mentioned from how much quantity a quality milk can be made. On the top the company named is mentioned. Which show the overall company advertisement too. Where as bright colors are used which show happiness of the family children. D-1: Evaluate your findings on the basis of the criteria for the category discussed in Merit section. As I mentioned in the merit part my findings in the add. That price is mentioned in the add. That per liter its cost 30 rupees. They have shown their target market as children. They shown in the add NIDO as the symbol of care LOVE of mother with children. They described how to make liquid milk from powder milk in the better quality its quality quantity measurements. That the formula making better milk. They shown NIDO have better hygiene quality and health making material as vitamins etc. I think they had covered in the add: Target Market Brand quality Brand Price Brand Quantity Brand Benefits Method of use Contents of product Appendix Inform Persuade Remind

Artifact Study of an Olympiakos Soccer Jersey :: Greece Greek Sports Essays

Artifact Study of an Olympiakos Soccer Jersey Introduction The artifact of appearance I have chosen is a soccer jersey representing Olympiakos, a team in the top Greek league. I acquired this article of clothing during the summer of 1995. Many factors have contributed to my interest in Greek soccer jerseys. These include my Greek heritage, my family's fanaticism with soccer, and the growing popularity of sports jerseys in the, for severe lack of a better term, alternative subculture. In this paper, I will perform an artifact study on this jersey. For another example of an artifact study, see my first project. The steps of an artifact study are Identification, Evaluation, Cultural Analysis,and Interpretation. Identification History This jersey was manufactured in Greece most likely by a textile or clothing company that has a merchandising agreement with the Olympiakos organization. In early June of 1995 my uncle Petro bought the jersey, along with other sports items, and mailed them to my home. He intended for my brother and I to split the contents of the package; however, I quickly claimed all the items as my own after my brother expressed no interest in the jerseys. Since that day I have had the jersey in my possession. Material The jersey is constructed from a mix of several obviously artificial fabrics. Unlike football or lacrosse jerseys, it does not have a very open weave. The insignia, number, and sponsor logo are made from felt and attached to the jersey. Construction The workmanship of the jersey seems to be average. There are no major flaws in the design or material. The only apparent imperfection is a small thread unraveling on the sleeve. From the material and workmanship, it is safe to assume that the jersey was mass-produced. Design The jersey closely resembles the red and white one in the picture above left. The stripes though are thinner and the jersey has long sleeves. Also, the neck is cut in a low 'V'. Like the jersey in the picture, the team insignia, shown in the background of this document and in the above right image, is located over the left breast and the sponsor logo, in both cases Mastercard, is on the front center of the jersey. The jersey pictured has the logo and insignia in color, while my jersey is detailed completely in black. The number 10 is on the back in black felt. Function This Olympiakos jersey is primarily designed to be casually worn.

David Suzukis A Planet For The Taking :: essays research papers

David Suzuki's A Planet for the Taking In the essay "A Planet for the Taking," David Suzuki describes Canadians' odd appreciation for this great natural bounty we call our own. He is an internationally acclaimed scientist who is concerned about the welfare of Canada. Suzuki's intended audience is the Canadian population that does not realize the grave danger they are instilling upon themselves by haphazardly taking our resources without looking at the subsequent repercussions of their actions. The essay is persuasive and informative. He compares various facets of science and gives reasons why none of these fields can explain why we are destroying nature. The organization of the essay supports the author's views well. It begins with general opinions about the Canadian population and is followed by more detailed explanations. The general opinions in the beginning are well- chosen considering the audience. Suzuki's tone is evident when he states "We have both a sense of the importance of the wilderness and space in our culture and an attitude that it is limitless and therefore we needn't worry." These words suggest that we are willing to reap the rewards of our vast resources but we fail to see the harm that we are doing, and will continue to do if we do not stop these actions. Although his approach for explaining his beliefs changes, Suzuki's tone of great concern remains consistent throughout the essay. After his views are presented, Suzuki begins to tell us what we have done to our country and how we are destroying it. Present day Canadians are compared to native Canadians which successfully serves its purpose in illustrating how, for centuries, people lived off the natural resources in Canada. With the development of science and technology, we have developed better ways of mass harvesting resources but these methods are taking at a faster rate than nature can sustain. Science suggests means of replacing these resources we are taking but there is no quick replacement for ecosystems that have taken thousands of years to evolve. Following his explanations of how we have destroyed nature, Suzuki discusses science and how society deals with it, "I believe that in large part our problems rest on our faith in the power of science and technology." This statement and the following sentences are used to describe how people deal with great developments in science and technology. Because there have been so many great advances in these fields in the past century, people are comfortable placing their faith in science though scientists are still far from discovering all of the secrets to the universe. Scientists interfere with nature without

Us Soldiers Imaging the Iraq War

Popular Communication, 7: 17–27, 2009 Copyright  © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1540-5702 print / 1540-5710 online DOI: 10. 1080/15405700802584304 Popular Communication, 1540-5710 1540-5702 HPPC Communication Vol. 7, No. 1, Nov 2008: pp. 0–0 US Soldiers Imaging the Iraq War on YouTube Kari Anden-Papadopoulos Stockholm University Anden-Papadopoulos US Soldiers Imaging the Iraq War on YouTube This article examines the homemade videos uploaded to YouTube by coalition soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.I interrogate how perceptions of war, and the conventions of war reporting, change as new media technologies allow soldiers to log on to the Web and upload personal views from the frontlines. The Iraqi conflict is emerging as the first YouTube war, where homemade soldiers’ videos throw into sharp relief the reportorial conventions of the mainstream news coverage. I take into consideration the format, meanings and communicative functions of these amateur videos, and the distinctive ways in which they reconfigure professional standards of ethics and authenticity.The firsthand testimonials by soldiers offer the public uncensored insights into the experience of warfare and may provide the basis for a questioning of the authority and activity of U. S. foreign policy. INTRODUCTION This article considers the specific challenges that the online proliferation of alternative imagery of violent international conflict raises for traditional journalism and its standards of ethics and credibility.I examine how modern communication technologies that allow active duty soldiers to log on to the Web from Afghanistan and Iraq, and upload personal and at times shockingly brutal views from the frontlines, can alter our perception of war and the conventions of war reporting. The most graphic images show the gruesome aftermath of suicide bombings and fierce gunfights between coalition forces and insurgents. Sites such as MySpace, YouTube, Google Video, L iveLeak, and military. com abound with violent videos and stills from combat soldiers, some set to heavy metal or rap music, and include troops using obscene language.My article examines the homemade videos uploaded to YouTube by coalition soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. These personal, poignant and sometimes shockingly brutal video testimonies clearly diverge from, and subvert traditional forms and standards for war reporting. I take into consideration the format, meanings, and communicative functions of these amateur videos, and the distinctive ways in which they reconfigure professional standards of ethics and authenticity.The soldiers’ firsthand accounts of the war have introduced new and sometimes highly controversial perspectives into the documentation of warfare that military and media elites are struggling to contain. The most contentious imagery uploaded to YouTube is undoubtedly Correspondence should be addressed to Kari Anden-Papadopoulos, Department of Journalism, Media, and Communication, Stockholm University, Karlavagen 104, P. O. Box 27 861, 115 93 Stockholm. E-mail: [email  protected] jmk. su. se 18 ANDEN-PAPADOPOULOS he live recordings of violent confrontations, in which U. S. troops can be seen taking part in aggressive and seemingly indiscriminate killings of Iraqi citizens. However, some of the soldier videos that have caused most public outrage are shot behind the scenes of combat, showing troops entertaining themselves by demeaning Iraqi children or abusing pet animals. Also, the recurrent video tributes to fallen soldiers foreground a controversial and highly emotional subject: the premature and violent deaths of young U. S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.My analysis suggests that these audiovisual productions by active duty soldiers can provide us with the kind of critical perspectives needed for a more open democratic questioning of U. S. foreign policy and the conduct of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. IMAGE W ARS IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY During almost all major wars in modern times, governments have made systematic efforts to shape the visual experience of the citizenry (Brothers, 1997; Campbell, 2003; Griffin, 1999, 2004; Moeller, 1989; Roeder, 1993; Taylor, 1991, 1998; Zelizer, 1998, 2004).In recent years, increasingly professional government media management strategies have strengthened the dominance of official perspectives in the U. S. and UK mainstream news media (Robinson, 2004). The media tend to support the government course of action during military operations and privilege the official version of events (Allan & Zelizer, 2004; Thussu & Freedman, 2003; Tumber & Palmer, 2004). Central to the manufacture of this version is the representation of warfare as clinical and even compassionate.What is most striking about traditional war coverage in the Anglo-American news media is that the images are relatively bloodless and seldom hint at the capacity of modern warfare machinery to injure the human body. However, cable and satellite television, as well as new media technology, have made it more difficult for nation states to control the information crossing their borders (Webster, 2003). The information front is no longer confined to traditional mass media but extended to an increasingly porous and fast global communication space (Taylor, 2003).Alternative imagery of violent international conflict that has not been created or disseminated by mainstream media is exploding onto these new nonfiltered public spheres, and often finds its way to conventional news outlets. It includes stills and videos created by active duty soldiers and imagery produced by civilians in the war zone. Iraqi insurgent imagery is also prevalent, showing the bloody work of sectarian death squads, and U. S. soldiers being shot and blown up (Johnson, 2007).The insurgent videos, set to inspiring religious soundtracks or chanting, are not only aimed at drawing new recruits and donations but also at terrorizing of the enemy with the violent spectacle. Increasingly, these spectacles of terror are staged primarily to generate footage to be circulated in the media and thereby subject potential mass audiences to the shocking displays of destruction. The proliferation of vernacular imagery of international conflict has become a key issue of concern for both military and media elites (Kennedy, 2008).The military is uneasy with the threat such communications pose to operational security and also with their potential to subvert the understandings of war and foreign policy so powerfully framed by government and military powers. For the media, the main concern with the advent of citizen journalism is that it bypasses the established forms of news production and representation and even challenges the professional status of journalists. The popularity of internet communications in war zones has led the US SOLDIERS IMAGING THE IRAQ WAR ON YOUTUBE 19Pentagon to begin closely monitori ng what its troops post online, with special attention being paid to images that show the aftermath of combat (Greene, 2006). A policy instituted in the spring of 2005, however, requires all military bloggers inside Iraq to register with their units. It gives unit commanders the authority to review blogs and other communications before they are sent to make sure there are no violations of operational security. The internet has become a key battleground of information and image warfare, a territory long dominated by Islamist extremist groups that have demonstrated greater sophistication than the U.S. Army in their use of Web 2. 0 tools. They utilize the net for â€Å"fundraising and recruitment, training and instruction, and propaganda and psychological warfare, and for gathering open-source information with which to plan attacks† (Weimann, 2006, p. x). The online response from official U. S. military sources has been fairly subdued, characterized by an unwillingness to exploi t new media to get their message out. However, in March 2007, the U. S. Defense Department made a significant move into the cyberspace battleground with the launch of its own channel on YouTube, called Multi-National Force – Iraq. The videos uploaded to the site adhere to traditional norms of propaganda, showing American soldiers succeeding in â€Å"clinical† combat and aiding local Iraqi citizens (Christensen, 2008). The channel is a direct attempt by the U. S. Defense Department to counteract the prolific posting of damaging video clips by its own troops, an attempt at online visual management accompanied by what appears to be a concerted effort to suppress online publications by troops in the field.In May 2007, the U. S. military announced that it had blocked troops from accessing popular video-sharing sites, including YouTube and MySpace, on military computers. Shortly after, YouTube removed dozens of soldiers’ videos from its archives and suspended the acco unts of some users who had posted them. The U. S. Army is facing a dilemma over how to manage internet access by its troops. On the one hand, online communication clearly serves to boost battlefield performance and morale.Soldiers and their families visit social networking sites to exchange notes, swap images, and share recorded messages – a form of instant communication that, together with e-mail, has largely replaced the mail call. Moreover, a large majority of military bloggers in the war zone express unabashed support for the operations in Iraq and elsewhere and, most importantly, lend them a human face, which provides invaluable PR for the military. On the other hand, the Pentagon knows that enemies are proficient at mining the Web to collect intelligence on potential targets.In addition, the occasional posting of gruesome battle photographs and videos by serving soldiers not only jeopardizes operational security but also contradicts the carefully crafted image of modern warfare as clean, rational, and even humanitarian. THE â€Å"YOUTUBE WAR† A new digital generation of soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq is turning to the internet in a strongly felt urge to communicate and come to terms with the realities of experiencing a war up close. Today’s soldiers are equipped with the same digital tools and technology as the media, which enable them to share their experiences with potentially vast audiences.The omnipresence of digital cameras and camcorders among serving soldiers means that they â€Å"exist in a new relationship to their experience of war, they are now potential witnesses and sources within the 1 http://youtube. com/profile? user=MNFIRAQ 20 ANDEN-PAPADOPOULOS documentation of events† (Kennedy, 2008 p. 4; see also Mortensen, 2007). This also means that the boundaries between those who are fighting and those who are documenting the war are becoming more and more blurred. In the age of digital media, the waging and represent ing of war are enmeshed almost to the point of being inseparable.Much of the imagery that coalition soldiers produce of their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan is shared primarily with close family and friends, and within their units, via e-mail or burned to CDs. Still, a large amount of the imagery is made available to the public via a wide range of internet venues, in particular through the rapidly growing subculture of â€Å"milbloggers† – firstperson online diaries by serving troops. Since their first appearance in 2003, the number of milblogs has increased rapidly. Today it is estimated there are more than 2,500 milblogs (Kennedy, 2008).More recently, video-sharing platforms such as YouTube have become popular outlets for soldiers to publicize their audiovisual productions. YouTube has become one of the fastest-growing Web sites in the world – in January 2008 alone almost 79 million users watched more than 3 billion videos on the site. 2 By offering users the unprecedented ability to share their experiences inexpensively and instantly with a potential mass audience, YouTube has turned video sharing into one of the most significant features of contemporary internet culture.The Web site’s community guidelines forbid the uploading of material likely to be perceived as inappropriate or offensive, such as videos containing pornography or sexually explicit content, animal abuse, bomb making, graphic or gratuitous violence, or dead bodies. 3 Still, the enforcement of these guidelines is relatively weak, and videos that clearly violate YouTube’s terms of use are proliferating on the website (Gimeno, 2008). 4 The video clips uploaded by U. S. oldiers on YouTube cover a range of settings, activities, and emotions: combat action, routine patrolling, colloquial interaction with Iraqi civilians, recreation in the barracks, and tributes to fallen comrades. 5 It is often the case that several or all of these five general thematic cat egories can be found in individual video clips. The videos contain not only private footage created by the troops themselves but also imagery appropriated from other sources such as official military recordings, news broadcasts, music videos, and so forth.There is a significant degree of visual redundancy in these videos in the sense that certain stills and moving images tend to reappear time and again. This is also to say that the question of authorship and authenticity is difficult to decide when it comes to this type of image production. The Iraq war is being fought by what has been called the first Playstation generation, raised on Hollywood war films, graphic video games, and internet porn.When this generation of soldiers now documents and tries to communicate their experiences of actual warfare, they fall back on contemporary popular culture and its broad repertoire of war as entertainment. The video clips follow an MTV style of format, with a montage of stills and live footag e cut rapidly to music. The more violent scenes are typically edited to heavy metal or rap music, while the recurrent themes of brotherhood, mourning, and loss are set to power ballads. In creating, posing http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Youtube http://www. youtube. om/t/community_guidelines 4 Thousands of videos on the website are for example explicitly tagged with human rights violation terms such as â€Å"execution,† â€Å"torture,† â€Å"rape and sexual abuse,† and â€Å"mass killings† (Gimeno, 2008). 5 A sixth type of content is the dissenting soldier testimony: Iraq war veterans bearing public witness to dark war experiences, such as killing unarmed civilians with the consent of their superiors. Since this is a specific genre that does not entail images that document the controversial aspects of warfare, I will not consider it further in this article. 2 US SOLDIERS IMAGING THE IRAQ WAR ON YOUTUBE 21 for, and uploading these videos the American soldie rs also follow the trend in contemporary â€Å"confessional† media culture to employ digital technologies as tools for exposing and exhibiting the self on the internet or other media venues. They are part of the recent explosion of (until now) private discourses in public spaces, such as swapping intimate details about your life via MySpace and Facebook. The troops can and do post footage on personal Web sites, but the networking sites and video-sharing platforms rovide a more public arena where the videos become open to global audiences who can communicate directly with the soldiers and give feedback on their audiovisual productions. COMBAT ACTION Since the Vietnam War, news organizations and media scholars have debated the question of whether, and how, explicit images of the violence and carnage of war should be broadcast. For the soldiers serving in Iraq, however, this is not an issue. They are clearly not impartial or external observers of the war, who abide by the dictat e to serve the so-called â€Å"public interest. † They are combatants documenting the war as they wage and experience it.Many combat videos focus on the physical actions of the U. S. troops, shooting or blowing up targets that are in the distance. Most of them are edited to music, but some present live action footage with original sound, showing troops engaged in intense street battles and gunfights. Young soldiers often take what appears to be a near-sexual pleasure in the violent fighting – you hear them breathe heavily, moan, and make excited comments. One example is an entry on YouTube titled â€Å"Iraq Witness War Crimes U. S. Soldiers Murder Unarmed Civilians. †6 The clip shows a group of U. S. oldiers open fire on unidentified targets across the street from a rooftop in Ramadi. The troops cheer and laugh loudly as they fire on two cars that apparently by chance drive into the line of fire. The unarmed passengers leave the cars running in an attempt to see k protection in the nearby buildings but are summarily gunned down by the soldiers. The boasting comments made by different soldiers on the video make the scene of what appears to be unprovoked aggression even more disturbing: â€Å"See that car, I lit that fucker up! He got 30 rounds in that bitch! † â€Å"Oooh, my bitch is fucking done dude! â€Å"Dude, look at it! We fucked those people all to shit down there! † The edited to music combat videos are typically made in a fragmented style with a rapid succession of various battle scenarios. They are often set to hard rock music – a symbolic expression of the adrenaline rush felt by soldiers going into a fight. In some cases, these videos seem to glorify violence and promote a kind of adolescent machismo with soldiers taking keen delight in shooting or blowing up targets. Other combat videos however clearly distance themselves from such a pro-war sensibility and militaristic celebration of power.One example is a video titled â€Å"U. S. Army, Marines-Iraq War-Kill Insurgents (4th video Battle). † Set to the heavy metal song â€Å"Eyes of the Insane† by Slayer, it is a montage of stills and moving images that shows U. S. troops engaged in various spectacular combat scenes. The lyrics of the song are the guiding principle 6 http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=JWYNn1pTwPM Added February 22, 2008, by â€Å"Slavesrevolt. † Accessed June 15, 2008. 22 ANDEN-PAPADOPOULOS for the set up of the video, taking the point of view of a soldier who suffers from the traumatic effects of war.He testifies to the â€Å"devastating insanity† of war which he keeps re-experiencing in the form of intrusive images: â€Å"I keep seeing mutilated faces/Even in my dreams/Distorted images/Flashing rapidly /Psychotically abusing me/Devouring my brain. † The video starts with an extreme close-up of an eye, in which the reflection of a soldier can be seen. This visual effect emphasizes th at the rapid flashes of violent battle imagery in the video represent horrific war experiences as they are reflected – and compulsively replayed – in the eyes and mind of a traumatized soldier.One scene shows what appears to be an unarmed Iraqi civilian driving a motorcycle being gunned down from across the street by U. S. troops. Another shows two unidentified men running for their lives down a dusty Iraqi street before they are killed by U. S. troops in a Humvee. Yet another shows three marines on a balcony as they are hit by shrapnel blasting back at high speed from a distant exploding building. The video documents and expresses the maker’s own experience of the insanity of war – the chaos, panic, vulnerability, and kill-or-get-killed logic that compels soldiers to use sometimes indiscriminate violence.It presents warfare as a traumatizing experience that leaves the soldier full of questions and disturbing memories. In many cases, the videos contain im agery that originates from military surveillance devices such as night vision cameras and aerial surveillance technologies. Here, the representation of war becomes one with the waging of war itself. One example is a clip titled â€Å"Apache Kills in Iraq,† which consists of guncam footage taken at night from an Apache helicopter. 7 The video shows a U. S. ttack aircraft using high power ammunition to eliminate three suspected weapon smugglers on the ground. The clip is disturbing not only because the Iraqi men apparently are gunned down without a confirmed identification, but also because it visualizes the devastating impact of high power artillery when used against humans. The thermal imaging system used at night shows the glowing presence of the warm human body against the dark surroundings, making the effect of impact shockingly apparent: When the 30mm rounds hit the Iraqi men, you literally see warm viscera scattering in all directions.As one of the three victims lies hel pless and wounded on the ground, the Apache pilots take aim and kill him with a second salvo, an action that would seem to qualify as a war crime. â€Å"OPERATION IRAQI BOREDOM† Soldiers have privileged access to the frontline of war and also to its back stage. They can go behind the scenes and document the more private settings, activities, and feelings that professional photographers cannot access and would not necessarily attribute news value to.The soldiers perform not only in front of the camera, but apparently even for the camera, often in playful, intimate, and humorous ways that clearly defy the more formal and distancing conventions of professional journalism. They often film themselves and their comrades goofing off for the camera, playing pranks such as capturing and overtaking a port-a-John housing a soldier dressed mockingly as a terrorist. 8 Frat-style humor is a key feature not only of these recurrent http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=LoFq9jYB2wo. Added July 24 , 2006, by â€Å"acdclights. Accessed June 19, 2008. http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=XvMLREePkyY&NR=1. Added June 16, 2007, by â€Å"Sensicane. † Accessed June 29, 2008. 8 7 US SOLDIERS IMAGING THE IRAQ WAR ON YOUTUBE 23 â€Å"toilet action† clips, but of many of the videos that show troops in downtime activities. The soldiers waste time in measured nonsensical performances such as taping a comrade to the front of a Humvee, dancing poorly in their underwear, drinking maple syrup, or pouring canned air – which boils at room temperature – into the palm of their hand and watching as it burns the skin.These videos testify to the boredom that soldiers feel when not in action. Making videos is a way to offset the monotony, and also to release stress and frustration. Some of them are rather creative and witty, such as the celebrated rap song spoof about Ramadi titled â€Å"Lazy Ramadi. †9 This is a battle zone parody of the widely popular Saturday Nigh t Live’s â€Å"Lazy Sunday,† created by and starring two National Guard staff sergeants who rap jokily about insurgents, body armor, Jell-O, and their hometown Muncie, Indiana. The clip evidently struck a pop-cultural chord.It became an overnight internet sensation that has been viewed millions of times on different internet venues. Ramadi is considered to be the most dangerous city in Iraq. The rap skit makes light of a hazardous and high stress situation, providing comic relief for both soldiers and the home front. â€Å"Lazy Ramadi† has many imitators on YouTube, with music video parodies that mock the grim conditions of war. There are also more controversial examples of activities that soldiers resort to in order to entertain themselves and their YouTube audiences. A clip posted in March of 2008 shows a U.S. Marine, David Motari, throwing a puppy off a cliff while on patrol in Iraq. 10 The 17-second clip generated international attention and sparked outrage from animal right groups around the world when it came to light. In the video, Motari smiles and jokes with his comrades before he hurls the puppy over a cliff as it yelps. An unknown person operating the video camera is heard laughing and another voice saying, â€Å"That’s mean. That’s mean, Motari. † The video clip caused the Marine Corps to expel David Motari and to take disciplinary measures against a second Marine involved.TRIBUTES TO THE FALLEN US SOLDIERS Tribute videos foreground a controversial and highly emotional topic: the deaths of U. S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are made as specific tributes to individual soldiers or as a generic homage to the U. S. troops serving and dying overseas. The former are typically created by close family members or friends and show private recordings from the funeral ceremonies interspersed with snapshots from family albums. The latter often present melancholic meditations on the ordeals U. S. troops face in Iraq, highlighting the harsh conditions and consequences of their mission.These memorial videos almost obsessively parade images of coffins draped in the American flag, a motif that inevitably conjures up the ghosts of Vietnam. In contrast to much official imagery, they also show seriously wounded American soldiers, soldiers being hit, and soldiers breaking down and crying. The Pentagon and the Bush administration have gone to great length to avoid images of U. S. casualties being broadcast or published in the U. S. media and have enforced a ban on pictures of the flag-draped coffins returning home from Iraq and 9 http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=5k3L-_Snu7k.Added May 15, 2006 by SSG Matt Wright and SSG Josh Dobbs. Accessed June 30, 2008. See also Lazy Ramadi’s official site at http://lazyramadi. com 10 The video was viewed tens of thousands of times before YouTube took it down because of a violation of the site’s terms of use. The clip is still widely available on t he internet, however. 24 ANDEN-PAPADOPOULOS Afghanistan. Military and governmental officials always have been careful to prevent images that show their own troops dead or seriously wounded, since such sights might arouse fears about war’s personal and social consequences and undermine faith in the cause.What makes these images so contentious is not only the disturbing sight – actual or symbolic – of dead bodies, but the repressed question that they might evoke: Is the war worth the cost? Hence, official narratives have persistently sought to put depictions of American death in a meaningful context. Blood is sacrifice, spilled for sovereignty and freedom. Corpses are swiftly transformed into martyrs, whose surrender warrants our redemption. Mortality is relied on to project immortality, impregnability, and a reinvigorated sense of national purpose.In contrast, soldier tribute videos present more mixed messages. The themes of bravery, camaraderie, and patriotic pr ide are counterbalanced or even nullified by distressing expressions of pain, vulnerability, and irretrievable personal loss. One example is an entry on YouTube titled â€Å"Final Salute: American Soldiers in Iraq. †11 The clip starts with footage taken from a moving military vehicle, shot through the front windshield. After a couple of seconds, a roadside bomb explodes and shatters the windshield right before our eyes, as smoke and fire fill the screen.The spectacular scene positions the viewer with the vulnerable soldiers, making palpable the experience of lethal danger. This is followed by a slide show with images of soldiers crying, embracing, and paying tribute to fallen comrades. A recurring motif is the ritual shrines assembled of the dead soldier’s military gear. These memorials symbolically resurrect the dead soldier, with the rifle as a body placed in the boots, crowned by the helmet and dog tag. Sometimes they also include a formal portrait of the deceased. Images of flag-draped coffins are also repeatedly shown in the video, as are photographs of wounded U.S. soldiers. Some of the latter are extremely graphic, such as a close-up of the remains of a soldier’s blown-off feet. The overall theme of many tribute videos is the anguish and grief that the casualties of war cause for the U. S. soldiers and their families. They ask us to remember and fully appreciate the sacrifice of the young men and women serving overseas. Where the military and government elites attempt to spin American death into a political weapon, used to reinforce loyalty to the nation and to the military effort, tribute videos lament the loss of young lives in their own right.They insist that we recognize and recall the fallen American soldiers as persons, as unique individuals, whose sacrifice can only truly be measured through the consideration of what they meant to those who knew and loved them. INTERACTION WITH IRAQI CIVILIANS A great number of the soldier vi deos contain images of Iraqi children, the epitome of innocence and hope for the future. Many clips clearly attempt to cultivate the image of a good relationship between U. S. forces and local civilians, showing troops in amiable exchanges with Iraqi children and families. 2 The soldiers hand out candy, toys, and books to happy children, play with them, and give them medical care. The Iraqi children laugh, give a â€Å"thumbs up,† and wave 11 http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=WIw-BP4zfW4. Added August 27, 2006, by â€Å"prezjackie. † Accessed June 27, 2008. 12 â€Å"Iraq War: The Soldiers,† at http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=FUm05_I8xJ4. Accessed July 16, 2008. Iraq video â€Å"Why† at http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=hPVPqERfTM4. Accessed July 16, 2008. US SOLDIERS IMAGING THE IRAQ WAR ON YOUTUBE 25 small American flags, and are often seen embracing and even kissing the troops.These clips are obviously intended to project an image of the U. S. and coa lition soldiers as humane and compassionate. They reflect and reinforce the official U. S. framing of the Iraq conflict as a â€Å"war of liberation† – the troops appear as the longed-for saviors of an undeveloped nation in need of paternal guidance. Other clips, however, employ the symbolic power of the innocent child to communicate strong anti-war messages. 13 Here, the Iraqi children are foregrounded as defenseless victims who cry out for us to take a critical stand on a conflict that deprives even infants of their tender life and limb.These videos contain graphic depictions of children seriously wounded, bleeding, screaming, and crying – often with a direct address to the camera, imploring us to act upon their unjust suffering. Such imagery evidently reflects negatively on the military effort in Iraq. By implication, if not explicitly, the U. S. forces are portrayed as cruel assaulters – rather than fatherly protectors – of the people of Iraq, bringing injury, death, and destruction to the country. In contrast to the feel good visuals of smiling Iraqi children, these depictions present the war as immoral and misguided.Apart from the clips that implicate U. S. soldiers in physical cruelties, there are also videos that document troops abusing Iraqi children in a more psychological sense. A notorious clip, â€Å"Iraqi Kids Run for Water,† shows U. S. soldiers dangle bottles of clean water over the back of a truck. 14 Much to the amusement of the soldiers, the trick makes Iraqi children run after the truck for a long period in a vain attempt to reach the bottles. Another clip shows U. S. soldiers entertaining themselves by teaching a group of Iraqi children (who apparently do not understand English) to say â€Å"Fuck Iraq. 15 In another video, a U. S. soldier dupes a clueless Iraqi boy to admit that he has â€Å"fucked donkey. †16 Needless to say, the humanitarian halo fades in the light of such stark enactment s of patronizing, neo-colonial arrogance. CONCLUSIONS The frames of media and military elites no doubt remain powerful controls on the public understanding of international affairs. Still, the explosion of vernacular imagery of international conflict is becoming an increasingly important factor in the representation and shaping of the news and the newsworthy, and in mediating perceptions of war and foreign policy.The Iraqi conflict is emerging as the first YouTube war, where homemade soldiers’ videos throw into sharp relief the reportorial conventions of mainstream news coverage. Contrary to the myths of national glory, macho heroism, and clinical warfare manufactured by military and media elites, the firsthand testimonials by soldiers actually living the war offer the public uncensored insights into the mundane, violent, and even depraved faces of warfare. They challenge traditional 13 â€Å"War in Iraq† at http://www. youtube. com/watch? =4Gu7pswE43Y&mode=related&sea rch=. Accessed July 16, 2008. â€Å"Iraq anti war video† at http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=3wKG9T1xPwY. Accessed July 16, 2008. 14 http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=L71Y1galpyA. Accessed July 2007, 2008. This clip has been submitted to YouTube numerous times by different users. 15 http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=eBGi8jr_CBE&feature=related. Added December 18, 2006, by â€Å"tmacdagreat. † Accessed July 27, 2008. 16 http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=kpHWaUSfYj8&feature=related. Added February 7, 2007, by â€Å"666stunts666. Accessed July 27, 2008. 26 ANDEN-PAPADOPOULOS journalism’s claim to authenticity and credibility precisely by showing that which the mainstream news will not show and thus rendering dubious the professional practices of selection, framing, and editing. The authenticity of the soldiers’ experience lends a heightened sense of veracity and immediacy to their representations of war. The â€Å"reality effect† is further undersco red by the soldiers’ personal points of view and the often raw emotionalism and poor technical quality of their amateur videos.Many of the soldier videos not only conflict with the official message that the military mission in Iraq is about rebuilding and peace but also with the persistent marketing – and popular perception – of â€Å"our† troops as fair, courageous, and caring. They show aggressive fighting by U. S. and coalition troops that at times revel in violently destroying the enemy. Other recordings contradict the image of a benign American presence in Iraq by showing troops unscrupulously abusing Iraqi children and pets – the embodiment of a degenerate abuse of power.The soldier videos also challenge the mainstream news convention of hiding the disturbing sight of dead and badly injured bodies from public view. They display gruesome images of dead and mutilated Iraqi insurgents and civilians, and also of U. S. casualties. The many memoria l videos also defy the mainstream practice of transforming dead soldiers into generic symbols of national purpose and rectitude. Instead, they urge us to remember the fallen soldier as a specific individual whose death has devastating consequences for the loved ones left behind.This highlighting of war’s personal and social consequences undermines the official attempts at concealing these costs of war. Another sight not often found in official imagery, but frequently so in the soldier videos, is of troops crying. Here, the soldiers openly express their vulnerability when faced with the fatalities of war. If such a display of emotions contradicts the ideal of macho heroism, this is even true of some of the mundane imagery showing troops killing time in the barracks.Their playful performances for the camera abound with obscenities and adolescent humor, showing an unruly, even silly side of the troops that works against the official image of the regimented U. S. soldier. Yet the y serve to put a human face on the U. S. military. For better and worse, many of the soldier videos bring us closer to the troops as real people, as opposed to prescribed images of dutiful soldiers who place their lives at risk in order to restore security to the sacred homeland.The homemade soldier videos represent a way of dealing with the stress, agony, and boredom of experiencing a war first-hand. Making these videos, though often a form of entertainment, can be seen as a coping mechanism, helping the soldiers to make sense of and communicate about a war that has gotten more and more complicated since Saddam’s statue fell. These new sources allow for more diverse points of view that complement, and at times disrupt the traditional framings of war.As my analysis of the soldier videos makes apparent, these nonprofessional contributions can provide us with critical insights into the complex, painful realities of experiencing a war directly, thereby offering the basis for a m ore open and democratic questioning of the authority and activity of U. S. foreign policy. It may be that these dispatches lack a coherent explanation for why the bombs are going off, and that it is often difficult to ascertain what is going on in each video, when and where it was shot and who shot it.Still, it is precisely the lack of prescribed framings and official narratives that make the soldier videos valuable, in that they provide raw, often unfiltered views that resist an all too neat packaging of war by those who direct it. The soldiers, as war insiders, can record, synthesize, and disseminate information that circumvents official channels of discourse. Their productions include the messy, visceral, chaotic, mundane, and emotional aspects of war often left out in the sanitized reports available on the network news. These, along with videos from insurgents, are transforming YouTube andUS SOLDIERS IMAGING THE IRAQ WAR ON YOUTUBE 27 other video-sharing sites into alternative n ews networks. This multiplying of perspectives, accessible on the World Wide Web, empowers internet users to go beyond the one-way broadcasts directed at them and to actively seek out other points of view on the tangled realities of war and its policies. REFERENCES Allan, S. , & Zelizer, B. (Eds. ). (2004). Reporting war: Journalism in wartime. London and New York: Routledge. Brothers, C. (1997). War and photography: A cultural history. London and New York: Routledge. Campbell, D. (2003). 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