A Call for Conservation of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area located in North Eastern Alaska, North of Fairbanks, which was established under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980. It borders Beaufort Sea to the North, Prudhoe Bay to the West and Brooks Range to the south. It is roughly 20 million acres or 78000 square kilometres big. Eight percent of the roughly 20 million acres is 1002 area: an unexplored, onshore area with commercially viable oil deposits (United States Department of Energy).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Call for Conservation of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Currently, onshore drilling can only take place with congressional authorization due to a raging controversy between proponents, who claim that the oil will ease United States dependence on foreign oil, create jobs and expand of business opportunities; and opponents who argue that drilli ng will lead to irreversible damage to a delicate ecosystem that supports unique biodiversity. Though economic benefits of such drilling are obvious, they do not outweigh the need to preserve the pristine nature of the area o the benefit of thousands of animal and plant species that depend on it. To begin with, the refuge should be preserved since it supports a rich due to its undisturbed status. The Alaska National Interest Land Conservation Act recognizes the need for protection of resources such as fish, birds and caribou since they rely on the refuge for spawning, nesting and calving respectively. Lagoons, barrier islands, river deltas and coastal tundra host migratory birds such as swans and geese. During summer, caribous inhabit coastal lands to escape from numerous flies, feed on shrubs and most importantly, give birth before winter sets in. Others animals include, musk oxen, moose, grizzly bears and arctic squirrels. Further South, wolves, lynxes, grizzly bears flourish. The act also identifies the delicate interdependence among these species as a vital element of their survival. Consequences of accidental spills would be unimaginable and disastrous to the fragile ecosystem if the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill and 2010 Deepwater Horizon disasters are anything to go by: food chains are interrupted and species take long to recover. In addition, construction of oil platforms, pipelines and necessary infrastructure will damage the area irreversibly. Even if proponents of drilling might argue that it is possible to minimize such impact using new technologies, possibility of structures such as pipelines, roads and airports constricting land and disrupting migratory patterns for caribous cannot be ruled out.Advertising Looking for essay on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Trans Alaska Pipeline System continues to face allegations of blocking migratory caribou herds not to mention the disruption of dens and lairs for numerous animals that happened during its construction. Tied to this issue is the plight of native Alaskan people who depend directly on caribous for their meat and hides. Perhaps proponents of drilling oil in the refuge on the basis of its ability to reduce United States’ reliance on foreign oil should consider assessment by the United States Department of Energy to the effect that the oil is not expected to have a large impact on world crude oil prices and US economy. A report by US Energy Information Administration projects that if fully developed, 1002 area will have a capacity to produce 1.9 million liters of oil per day in 2020. This will account for a paltry 0.7 percent of the world production. The report adds that this will reduce US net oil import from 62 to 60 percent which is not very significant. It is therefore necessary to put drilling oil in 1002 area on hold since negative impacts far out weigh possible economic and social ben efits. Wildlife and the rich tundra vegetation are equally important to United States of America. Works Cited United States.  96th Congress. â€Å"Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.† 1980.7 December 2010. https://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest/alaskcn.html United States. Department of Energy. Energy Information Administration. â€Å"Petroleum Basic Statistics.† 7 December 2010. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.php?page=oil_home#tab1. United States. Department of Energy. Energy Information Administration. â€Å"Independent Statistics and Analysis.† 7 December 2010. https://www.eia.gov/Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Call for Conservation of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This essay on A Call for Conservation of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was written and submitted by user Juliette Munoz to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

buy custom Engaging Narrative Essay Examples About Lost in the Forest

buy custom Engaging Narrative Essay Examples About Lost in the Forest Narrative Essay Example About How I Was Lost in the Forest Introduction Last year, during the summer break, my friends and I decided to go for a walk in the forest. It was in this walk that I wanted to try game hunting. The forest was overgrown with thick growth and tall trees. Being an adventurous person made me yearn for the occasion not knowing what was going to happen to me. The forest had paths, and we decided that we would trek along the paths and converge at a central point to have a drink later. We parked our gears and left for the forest. We were dropped at the forest path, and divided ourselves into groups of three. We had planned on meeting with the rest of the group after three hours. I had a partially charged phone, and a bottle of water. We continued on our way towards the deeper part of the forest until we were far from any recognizable trail. After two hours, we were at the deepest part of the forest, and we could not trace our other friends. As we went another mile, I never thought we were lost.

Cloning Entire Organisms Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cloning Entire Organisms - Research Paper Example Now the entire organisms are cloned. Cloning of entire organisms can be dated back to 1997 when the first mammal was cloned; a sheep named Dolly. After this the research work in the field saw a rapid progress, and soon clones of rabbits, cows, mice, goat etc. were made (Cloning Fact Sheet, 2009). Cloning which has now long been a buzz word among not only the science, biology, medicine or genetics learned people but has also been arousing strong interest and attention among the so called â€Å"laymen† or non-science background group of the society. To start with, when cloning, its potential application and benefits for the human race were elaborated, the technique earned many accolades and the scientists responsible for this great research gained loads of appreciation. This all started years back in 1952, when the first clone of a tadpole was created.   Further studies about the genes, genetic make-up, gene cloning and molecular biology have won many awards for the responsibl e scientists and associated companies and universities. Considering the prospective gains cloning might have for the human race, many governments have also been encouraging research work in related fields by providing grants for many biotech companies, institutes and universities. ... any problems including organ transplanting, low yielding crops, need of highly productive animals, huge requirement of lab animals, infertility among couples, disease like cancer, Alzheimer’s etc. On the other hand, the same cloning technique is being considered unethical and unsafe for the progress of human race. Both these aspects are discussed with relevant instances below. The Pros Cloning is a broad term extending from single gene cloning to cell culture, recombinant DNA technology and organism cloning. As far as cloning is considered, the method presents itself as a boon or a gift for the human population. The technology has been and can be used in various ways to help people find possible solutions for their problems, some of which will be elaborated in the following paragraphs. Cloning of entire organisms includes making genetic replicas or identical twins of another organism of the same class/race, like bacteria, some fungi, plants, mammals, lab animals or even humans . A donor or a giver is selected whose replica or twin is to be made. All the techniques which have been defined and developed in this field till date somehow focus on provision of some or the other benefit for the human kind. If one form of cloning can be used to create extra stock of proteins useful for diabetic patients, the other has been used to create high yielding varieties of rice. The entire genome replication/cloning is another advanced form of gene cloning. Here, not a single part or segment of the genome but the entire genome of an organism, be it goat, sheep, some kind of bacteria or a human, is used to make clones. As a result, we get identical twins of the donor. By identical we mean that the clone will have exactly the same genetic make-up as the donor. At first the technique was

Asias Slowdown and British Consumers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Asias Slowdown and British Consumers - Essay Example Table 1 below shows China’s trade balance for the gap difference of ten years; 2001-2011 (Techau 2014) Obviously, for the strategy to work, the lifestyle for people in Asia has to increase in quality prompting them to adapt to the economic changes; however, the current position of states such as China and Hong Kong makes it hard for this to happen, as it requires them to fail in some of the leading ventures (Knight 2013). Largely, if Asia experienced bankruptcy, especially in countries such as China, it is a prediction that the whole world would feel the pinch, but some continents such as Europe would experience a blow. The idea that Asia has the ability to reduce the pace of development without affecting trade partners, foreign investors or even local companies is more of a fantasy because the recession is uncontrollable, as proved by past studies. The best tactic would be for China to initiate a long-term strategy that will prepare the possible victims as they look for other ways out of the situation; however, this would also require countries in Asia to liaise with the international policymakers. China seems to have a good idea, and one would think that this is going to be easy for them especially with the current economic status, but after evaluating the forecasts of the target growth rate with the current one, it requires more efforts (Pilkington 2014). Essentially, China aims at reducing its growth to slightly below 8%.

Tabloid, Celebrity Internet Assignment Research Paper

Tabloid, Celebrity Internet Assignment - Research Paper Example He suggested four categories for the purveyors of news, namely: elite, prestige, popular, and tabloid (Sparks and Tulloch, 2000, 292). It follows a hierarchical classification where the best is the elite and the tabloid - at the bottom rung - is typified by poor quality in terms of structure and content. The differences demonstrate a reverse progression of content standards - from objective stories that are factual and substantial, the additional use of images, the emphasis on drama, action, entertainment, simplicity and immediacy, to the pure sensationalized content that focus on scandals, celebrity and crime. It is interesting to note that Paletz, identified TV shows such as American Journal, A Current Affair, Hard Copy and Inside Edition in addition to supermarket tabloids in the category of tabloid news (Sparks and Tulloch, 293). Rainwater supported this stratified characteristics when he explained the hierarchy and characteristics of taste and cultures are similar to the hierarc hy and characteristics of the U.S. class structure, pointing out that the taste that a person develops can largely depend on his or her class origins, particularly the quality of education. The idea is that tabloid media must cater to the low taste culture of a segment of the population that are not exposed to higher cultural origin - those that prefer â€Å"greater literalness† and the emphasis on action, as found in adventure stories, melodrama and violent sports (Rainwater, 2009, 356). Rainwater stressed that â€Å"taste culture often express the class concerns of their public† (356). This aspect highlights the cultural and social dimension to tabloid programming. The public reception to the Bonnie and Clyde movie demonstrate this position. It was positively received by the audience across various class groupings. But the appreciation came from diverging perspectives. The elite saw the material as a critique to the American society whereas lower class public saw it as a crime thriller, one that shocks and entertains. A comparison to history or historical documentary/narrative is an excellent approach to highlight the nature of tabloid media. According to Glynn (2000), history â€Å"depicts the current regime as the inevitable expression of an unbroken continuity rooted in human nature and a presumptively teleological social evolution† (138). The opposing approach is identified as genealogy, which focuses on discontinuity into our very being in an attempt to explore possibilities of the past and the future. As Glynn pointed out, the origin of tabloid media is aligned with its modalities since genealogy is all about depicting history â€Å"in the form of a concerted carnival† (138). What makes it appealing is the fact that it supposedly provokes laughter and entertainment as opposed to the sobriety and solemnity of pure truth. These points of view highlight the perception that tabloid media public tends to be drawn to fantastical m aterials that show extremely distorted truth in order to satisfy a thirst for entertainment. Also, media today - through technological advancement - has become a public forum where producers of content sets the stage and the millions of spectators can access or watch at the same time, regardless of geographical distance and time. There are authors who consider the media and the entertainment industry as a battleground wherein important messages, images, issues and constructs

Effect of Globalisation on Chinas Economy

Effect of Globalisation on Chinas Economy Globalisation has had a dramatic affect on the Chinese economy. Discuss. Introduction In this essay I will be looking at the effect the growing globalisation has had on the Chinese economy. I will look at both the positive and negative effects globalisation has had on China and in general. I will start by briefly describing the term globalisation. Globalisation Globalisation is the term used to describe the continuing integration of economies from different countries. Globalisation has been brought about by the reduction in cost of transportation and communication from country to country. Also, artificial barriers of flows of goods and services have also been lowered. These lowering of barriers have, in turn, brought about increased market liberalisation. Globalisation has also brought about the need for international organisations to govern and offer advice for globalisation. These organisations include the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Affects of Globalisation Globalisation and liberalisation has caused a few problems to countries. These problems occur due to the way the liberalisation is pushed on developing countries by the IMF. Indeed, many authors state that the fundamental ideas of liberalisation are sound it is just the pace the measures are taken onboard by the developing countries that needs to be carefully considered. The argument was voiced by Stiglitz (2002) who stated that the ‘IMF vigorously pursued privatisation and liberalisation, at a pace and in a manner that often imposed very real costs on countries ill-equipped to incur them’. Authors do state that liberalisation can only benefit a country if the pace of liberalisation is right. Liberalising too quickly can do more harm than good in the long term. Lichtenstein (2000) reported that China, through gradual liberalisation, has grown into one of the world’s biggest economies. Indeed, it has been forecasted that in 20 years time China will be the world leader in terms of the size of economy. Probably the best argument for liberalisation through sequencing is that of India. This was argued by Tripathi (2003). In 1991 India plunged into financial crisis. Their political leaders decided the best cause of action was to liberalise their market. However, this was only done gradually as the population would never have agreed to complete liberalisation from the beginning. Now 12 years later India is one of the strongest economies in the world and is lending money to the IMF. The Indian economy is expected to grow at between 5 and 8 percent a year. Also, India was in the position to write off  £12.5 million worth of debt owed to them by heavily indebted countries as an act of generosity. Other authors argue for liberalisation but also say that the underlying policies and financial structures of individual countries need improving if liberalisation is to be beneficial. Improved policies and financial structures will mean that market failure is less likely. Authors that argued this point include Ortiz (2003) and Gibson and Tsarkalotos (1994) who argue that ‘market failures hamper the liberalisation process’. Liberalisation used properly can have huge benefits for individual countries. Increased inward investment will, in theory, stimulate growth and strengthen the economy. This inward investment will create new jobs and new projects that will benefit the local population. This initial investment will create initial growth and over time, through the improved education of the local population, domestic companies will start up that will be more efficient and competitive compared to the old domestic companies before liberalisation began. However, there is a potential problem with this theory. This comes about in the terms of what kind of inward investment there is. If some company invests into a country with a long-term strategy in place then this will be beneficial to the economy. However, if someone invests into a country as a speculator then this could cause problems. These problems will come about if the investor decides to remove they money. Long-term projects might be dependent on this investment and therefore run the risk of having to be downscaled or stopped altogether. This could lead to the economy collapsing. Solomon (1999) who stated that funding long-term projects with short-term funding can not be a good idea argued this. This point is supported by the arguments of Krugman (1995) who stated that increased liberalisation has led to ‘excessive speculation for which Mexico was not ready’. Also, Cypher (1998) argues about so-called ‘hot money’. Other authors have also argued against liberalisation. Taylor (2000) argues that liberalisation does not have any positive affect on a countries economy. He argued that liberalisation in the countries he looked at ‘at best generated modest improvement and at worst was associated with increasing income inequality and slower growth’. Clift (2003) argued that liberalisation was to blame for the growing number of world crisis’ and, in turn, to the growing level of contagion, such as the Asian crisis in 1997. Affects on the Chinese Economy In this section I will look at some of the effects that globalisation has had on the Chinese economy. Many countries have tried to take advantage of the increasing globalisation, some with better success than others. No developing countries have taken advantage of globalisation better than those countries in East Asia. Indeed, countries from this region have been the most successful economies over the last 20 years or so. Good examples of this success come from India and, indeed, China. As I mentioned in the previous section, Lichtenstein (2000) reported that China, through gradual liberalisation, has grown into one of the world’s biggest economies. Indeed, it has been forecasted that in 20 years time China will be the world leader in terms of the size of economy. China has grown into one of the most successful economies in the world and avoided going into crisis, especially avoiding the Asian crisis of 1997, by not completely following the guidelines stated by the IMF about liberalisation. China, along with India, has gradually opened up its market over the last 20 – 30 years. This slow transition has meant that the economy could adjust to a new system over time. Many other countries that follow IMF guidelines find themselves in economic crisis. Another effect that globalisation has had on China is that it has experienced reduced unemployment and reduced poverty. Indeed, China has experienced the largest reduction in poverty in the shortest amount of time in history. The figure fell from 358 million in 1990 to 208 million in 1997. China has also experienced an increase in the foreign direct investment it receives through increased globalisation. Foreign direct investment rose from $8 billion in 1990 to $41 billion in 1999. This increased foreign direct investment has also meant that China has more access to other markets and also has increased access to new technology. This access to new technology can be emphasized by looking at the mobile phone industry. Today, China is one of the top markets when it comes to the production and selling of mobile phones. Through globalisation, China has gradually increased its economy and is now in a very strong position. Because of this China has been accepted as a new member to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). This has huge implications, because China is looked at as a developing country. Now that China has a seat on the WTO, the developing world now has a major voice to express its concerns on a global audience. Some of the major western powers on the WTO, such as the USA and the UK, have expressed concerns over this as they feel it weakens their own power. Conclusion To conclude, I can say that globalisation can be described as the coming together of individual countries economies. Trade barriers that existed before are becoming less and less. Globalisation has been found to have both advantages and disadvantages. Some advantages include the fact that it makes the economy more efficient and also the economy will become stronger. This is true with the examples of China and India. Some disadvantages include the fact that if the liberalisation is enforced too quickly then the economy could collapse and cause crisis, both in the country and in the local region. This was true with regards of the Asian crisis of 1997. China has been able to take advantage of globalisation by undertaking liberalisation at a slow pace. This has meant that poverty has reduced, foreign direct investment has increased and they have been accepted into the WTO. Because of all this it has been forecasted that China will be the world’s biggest economy in 20 years time. References Salil Tripathi. (2003) The right way and the Indian way: who has written off poor-country debts and now lends to the IMF? Salil Tripathi on an economic miracle. New Statesman (ISSN: 1364-7431) July 21, 2003 v132 i4647 p29(1) Jeremy Clift (2003) Beyond the Washington Consensus. Finance Development (ISSN: 0015-1947) v40 i3 p9(1) Guillermo Ortiz (2003)Overcoming reform fatigue: Latin America and the Washington Consensus. Finance Development, v40 i3 p14(4) Paul Krugman (1995) Dutch tulips and emerging markets. (global capitalism) Foreign Affairs, v74 n4 p28(17) Heather D. Gibson; Euclid Tsakalotos. (1994) The scope and limits of financial liberalization in developing countries: a critical survey. Journal of Development Studies, v30 n3 p578(51) James M. Cypher (1998) The slow death of the Washington Consensus on Latin America. (Celebrating 25 Years) Latin American Perspectives, v25 n6 p47(5) Taylor (2000) The consequences of capital liberalistion, Challenge November 2000, Volume 43 Issue 6 Lichtenstein (2000) Competing perspectives on the liberalisation of Chinas foreign trade and investment regime, Journal of Economic Issues, Vol 34 Issue 4 Solomon (1999) Money on the move, The Revolution in International Finance since 1980 Stiglitz (2002) Globalization and its discontents

Herodotus Essay -- Essays Papers

Herodotus As Herodotus develops his History he diverges from the main aspect of his narrative many times throughout the text. Many wonder why Herodotus diverges from the main point by introducing minor characters who do not seem relevant to the central theme. Some consider this method of narrative confusing and pointless but I believe that Herodotus has a purpose for including these minor figures and that these characters help express Herodotus ideology towards proper moral and political systems. These minor figures are developed and manipulated by Herodotus in order to express his ideas and he is able to accomplish this because these characters are flexible in the sense that the readers (and listeners) do not have a predisposition when introduced to these characters. By closely analyzing the minor characters throughout book seven we realize Herodotus’ purpose behind the inclusion of these characters is to demonstrate his beliefs on the proper morals people should exhibit and to show how Tyranny is a poor form of government. As the History unfolds Herodotus diverges from the central idea by introducing characters which do not seem to correspond with that central theme. These diverges serve instruct the reader as to Herodotus’ view on moral issues. Herodotus expresses his view on the way death should be perceived by society through the words of Artabanus. Xerxes represents the common perception of death when he is admiring the vastness of his army and begins to weep because he realizes that they will all be gone in short span of time. Artabanus tells Xerxes â€Å"Life is gives us greater occasion for pity that this. Short as his life is, no man is happy†¦but many times, to wish himself dead rather alive (Artabanus 7.46).† Herodotus is explaining through these words that death should not be seen in a negative view because life brings man so much troubles and anguish that he desires for death to come upon him. Artabanus tells us of these troubles when he says â€Å"For there are calamities that meet him and diseases that derange him, so that they make this life†¦seem long (Artabanus 7.46).† Even though people may agree with Xerxes actions that death should be pitied but Herodotus does show that life brings tragedy to man and that death may act as an escape from these tragedies. We are able to see the way proper behavior should be display... ...the second is that they will challenge you to battle, even though all the other Greek were on your side (Demaratus 7.102).† Xerxes can not believe that the Spartans would fight against such odds but Demaratus explains that they fight for a greater cause then the Persians. He tells Xerxes â€Å"They have as the despot over them Law, and the fear him more then your men fear you (Demaratus 7.104).† Herodotus is demonstrating that individuals under the rule of democracy are more content then individuals under Tyranny because they fight more valiantly for their government. Herodotus uses the introduction of characters to diverge from the central idea of his theme and he uses this technique to demonstrate his views on moral and political topics. These controversial topics come up while he is unfolding his History and he uses these characters to express his own opinion on these subjects. An example of Herodotus’ confronts moral subjects during his narration when he talks about death, yielding to ones pride, and honorable fighting. He also uses these characters to show that Tyranny is not a good form of government. Bibliography: Herodotus Translated by David Green

A midsummer night dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream Shakespeare is one of the most well-known playwright and poet that the world has ever produced. He's known for his ability to recapitulate the array of human emotions in simple yet Intensely expressive verse. One of Shakespearean most popular plays, A Midsummer Night's Dream Is full of Intense feelings, tragic events and a happy ending. Literature can be defined as a comedy, romance, or a tragedy. A Midsummer Night's Dream can best be defined as a comedy.In literary sense, a comedy is a work which is principally designed to amuse and entertain, and where, despite problems during the narrative, all ends well for the characters (English Literature Dictionary). The play can be proven to be a comedy because of its humorous tone. The play features fairy magic, pranks and the performance of a play within the play by a group of fairies. The play even has trickery and disguise in it as well. Hernia and Alexander try to sneak away from Athens to wed behind Geese's ba ck.Also, Titanic and the nouns lovers have no Idea they've been dazed by Oberon by the love-in-idleness flowers Juice. These examples given are what put A Midsummer Night's Dream under the literature category of a comedy. A romance Is traditionally, a long fictional prose narrative about unlikely events Involving characters that are very different from ordinary people. Nowadays the modern romance novel Is a prescribed love story, where boy meets girl, obstacles get in the way, they are then overcome and the couple live happily ever after (English Literature Dictionary).A Midsummer Night's Dream could also fit into this category because of the fairies that are in it. In the play the fairies experience unlikely events, like Titanic falling in love with Bottom as he as the head of an ass. Another way the play could fit into this category would be how Hernia and Alexander are in love and are forbidden to be married. At the end of the play the obstacle of them not being able to marry is overcome when they are invited by the fairies to go back and marry with the duke.The last category is tragedy. Tragedy Is defined as a serious play where the protagonist experiences a succession of misfortunes leading to a concluding, disturbing catastrophe usually for the protagonist (English Literature Dictionary). The way love Is defined In the beginning of the play is a tragic view. Segues goes to Theses demanding that he make Hernia marry Demerits, and not Alexander. Segues says, â€Å"As she is mine, I may dispose of her. Which shall be either to this gentleman, or to her death. Even though this makes the play come off as a tragedy, the characters and situations do not allow for tragedy to aka over or take form in the plot. As a conclusion, A Midsummer Night's Dream best fits into the literary definition of comedy. It has some aspects of romance in it but comedy smothers the majority of the play. The beginning of the play can make A Midsummer Night's Dream seem that it will t urn out to be a tragedy but again comedy takes over. A Midsummer Night's Dream Is a classic example of Shakespeare comedy. â€Å"English Literature Dictionary'. Education. Asia. Education Asia. ND. Web. 14 June 2014

Celebrity Culture Sociology Essay Sample

Celebrity Culture Sociology Essay Sample The Celebrity Culture Sociology Essay The Celebrity Culture Sociology Essay The celebrity culture continues to be elevated significantly. The culture, which according to Marshall (2006) involves the elevation of personalities into the public limelight, has become deeply entrenched in societies, which is partly so due to the role played by it in the mass media. In the past, avenues such as TV and radio stations were the most popular channels. However, in the present times, technology has opened its doors for the use of social media to propagate the culture in various ways. The current paper explores para-social interaction, celebrity status and political power, van Krieken’s celebrity society, new social media, celebrities, as well as religion and celebrities. Para-Social Interaction Among the most notable features of the new mass media is the face-to-face illusion created by the performing artists. The circumstances of responses to the celebrities are comparable to those across primary groups (Donald, Wohl 2006). Thus, viewers perceive the illustrious artists as if they are within the same sphere. Hence, the para-social relationship is defined by the personal association that the new mass media creates. For example, if looking at television shows, the image that is presented relies on appearance and gesture nuances which capture attention of ordinary social imaginations. In the above mentioned instances, actors often face spectators and employ directness in addressing or talking. The approach influences the latter into thinking that they are directly engaged, at a personal level. On its part, the audience responds by actively participating in the shows through subtle insinuations. The process goes on, as performers alter their behaviours to suit their audiences , and vice versa. The conversational simulacrum, involving ‘give and take’, constitutes para-social interaction (Donald, Wohl 2006). Such interactions are not subject to sense, effort and responsibility governance on the audience. Spectators are free to withdraw from engagement any moment. However, if the involvement continues, the relationship provides a framework for adding some fantasy. Differences are encountered based on experiences which often demonstrate the lack of reciprocity, although the audience can do nothing about the concern. The audience is also at a disadvantage because it can only withdraw from engagements, if unsatisfied. In the present times, programs full of celebrity rumors keep increasing. In such shows, petty issues form the agenda for discussion. Surprisingly, large numbers of people are addicted to following the programs for entertainment or to catch up on fashion trends. In this regard, the social relationship conveys a message that largely centers on challenging social norms. Thus, individuals who feel that the time has come to escape from the confines of routine are more likely to find the shows attractive. In the case of radio and TV, the persona reflects archetypal indigenous individual of the scene that the media presents (Donald, Wohl 2006). Besides attempting to portray the character as familiar and intimate, pervasiveness and closeness are also thoroughly put into consideration. Surprisingly, such personae claim they have intimacy with crowds, comprising of strangers. Hence, the intimacy is an imitation that is aimed at satisfying the protracted goals. Nevertheless, the high number of recipients seems happy about the association. The fact that the members who form the audience are invited using some informal channels show that celebrities are interested in ‘deceiving’ them into believing that they are relating at a personal level. Thus, through the creation and enhancement of fantasy, celebrities are in a position to generate many followers who ensure that the culture is sustained. The intimacy bond is integral for the development of a personal relationship between the celebrity and audience (Donald, Wohl 2006). The bottom-line lies in the creation of an intimacy illusion, since the relationship between the two parties is definitely one-sided. In creating the illusionary image, the persona duplicates gestures and conversational styles that are visible only in face-to-face encounters. The trend accounts for the high level of casualness that invitations of concerts take. The idea is to create an impression among fans that they are engaged personally. Similarly, spectators maintain small talks that demonstrate that indeed the connection is individual-based. Celebrity Status Political Power Both social and political fields keep changing with time. In the present times, celebrities are using their popularity or elevated images to influence public opinion. Given the high level of fame that such personalities enjoy, their public utterances on various issues normally alter the way the public assesses matters proposed or supported by politicians (Merkel 2013). It is apparent that celebrities have the public attention. Hence, when they raise objections to matters affecting the people, chances of swaying opinions increase significantly. Despite the growing influence of celebrities, it is arguable that their power does not match that of politicians in shaping public opinion on governance issues. On the contrary, celebrities seem to hold more power regarding social matters, such as fashion. Nevertheless, their role in politics continues to rise. Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the most notable celebrities who have managed to take their influence from the celebrity status to publ ic office. The need for information is central towards the decision whether celebrities should play a role in politics. Given that information is useful in decision-making, the public needs its possession to arrive at sound choices. However, not all the individuals are equally informed. As a result, such persons are likely to make poorly deliberated decisions and celebrities emerge and influence them. However, such occurrences always happen, given the fact that high levels of apathy continue to affect many democracies. The implication is that the influence from celebrities on politics is growing in stature, although it might not inform audiences on what is right. In practice, celebrity figures are more likely to support their friends, instead of important issues or principles. However, in cases where celebrities base their support for issues on principle, they are likely to have a significant influence on politics. Another concern is that celebrity influence might deny a common person of a chan ce to assess issues being addressed by blindly taking the position being supported by the popular stars (Merkel 2013). Taking into consideration that a big percentage of people do not follow political debates, they are highly likely to take similar positions of those taken by celebrity figures. The connection between celebrities and politics lies on the former’s ability to provoke both positive and negative reactions on social and political matters. However, sometimes they exploit their statuses to access certain provisions or privileges, as well as support from political figures in a bid to further their personal political activism. According to Merkel (2013), celebrity power is viewed in terms of the possessions of popular personalities that allow them to form social capital that they use when engaging the public. Owing to the power that celebrities have, they are able to publically tangle in hegemonic negotiations and struggles. Celebrities are constructions that are maintained through a combination of industry promotional activities and subordinates, such as people. In the absence of the two categories, celebrities cannot exist. The author proposes the need to investigate how celebrities influence audiences in creating meaning and understanding issues under discussion. In his observations Merkel (2013) claims that through their social status, politicians have found that star personalities are useful in creating a certain image on voters. The development explains the preference for such figures in political campaigns and other political activities. Van Krieken’s Celebrity Society Van Krieken (2012) has explored the celebrity society. According to van Krieken (2012), celebrity figures attract wide attention from the media (films, internet, books, magazines and television). The above author observes that the emergency of modernity is central to the rise of a new crop of star figures who are dominating social life. van Krieken (2012) also demonstrates that, as a culture, celebritism is beyond the Hollywood activities, given that it is a long-running historical process that started with art, theatre and print press. By looking outside the precincts of the existing accounts of the celebrity culture, van Krieken (2012) focused on the constantly changing social structures and practices. Further, van Krieken (2012) assesses moral grammar, political economy, legal order, and the construction of self-identity based on attention, recognition and distribution of visibility. The author explains that the contemporary celebrity culture is a product of the court society which emerged after the democratization of a number of functions that were carried out by the aristocracy/ruling class. Similarly, van Krieken (2012) observes that the ‘economics of attention’ has risen to play a significant role in the development of the celebrity society. Attention is proving to be critical and valuable in the current information/digital age. In the court society, social associations are structured on the lines of the princely or royal system that was dominant across Europe in the Middle Ages. The court society presented a form of social organization that placed some individuals on top of others. The emergency of alternative leadership to aristocracy placed an emphasis on hard work, rather than ascription. Despite all the attempts to bring rationality to social life, bourgeois which was the alternative leadership failed to accomplish the mission, as anticipated, given some form of irrationality remained as reflected in celebrity worship. With the advancement in information technology and the development in social media, a show-off culture has developed among people all over the world. In particular, the young generations have sunk into the habit of sharing their new possessions on platforms, such as Instagram. Star figures, on such avenues, enjoy massive following. As a result, it is easy to find celebrities positing their activities and items on the sites from time to time. Through acts of this nature, the culture of consumerism is supported and taken to a new level. Van Krieken (2012) argued that although the concept of culture has its virtues, it lacks adeptness unless given a particular and an unusual definition. The author cites the inability to capture aspects that go beyond values, attitudes, behavior, ways of life, and cognitive orientations in order to understand economic, social and political structures and institutional bases of experience, such as what emanates from the celebrity customs. Reasoning alongside celebrity lines tends to demonstrate that a given obsession about a select class of people in the society. Although acknowledging that celebrity is a politically institutionalized phenomenon, van Krieken (2012) argued that social structuring is also critical towards understanding the assigning, distribution and organization of the status. In essence, van Krieken (2012) sees the celebrity culture as an institutionalized social life. New Social Media and Celebrities Without a doubt, social media has emerged as a leading contributor to the glorification of the celebrity culture. The media uses its ability to set and dictate agendas to thrust celebrities into the public domain. As a result, it is not surprising that social media has radically brought the culture into focus. Despite a number of issues taking place at a time, stories on tabloids and magazines gravitate on celebrity life, as observed by North, Bland Ellis (2005). It is fascinating that instead of concentrating on issues affecting tangible issues, media outlets are attentive to the celebrity syndrome. However, celebrity coverage remains trivial, and it also lacks in substance. For example, informing society about the clothes that a musician adorns amounts to pure trivia. In the present times, the celebrity culture has become tied to the new social media. The relationship between the two parties is mutually beneficial and, sometimes, destructive. The celebrity culture is profoundly entrenched in the media, such that in the absence of the latter, the former ceases to exist. By running constant updates about celebrity persons, the media attracts many followers. In the current times, having a big numbers of flowers enhances the ability of an entity to secure sales and marketing contracts. As a result, a lot of followers are beneficial both to celebrities and social media, as the relationship between the parties helps in to generate revenue. Apart from benefits, such as those listed above, some downsides are witnessed as well. In particular, the media always keeps a close check on celebrity figures, such that the individuals in question lack the freedom to go about their daily lives without scrutiny. Moreover, the media seems to be more focused on negativ e stories than productive ones. The media does not worry about criticism, so longer is generates viewer or visitor traffic. Although almost all celebrities can thank the media for the role it plays in elevating them into stardom, such personalities can also raise their concerns about the role of such avenues in bringing them down. Figures, such as Michael Jackson and Britney Spears, are examples of the role of both the media in undermining artists. Taking Spears as an example, she was labeled a sensational figure but once her career nosedived, the same media began tearing her apart. In practice, it is commonly remarked that, â€Å"no publicity is bad publicity†. However, negative publicity is only productive if the star in question is viewed as a product. Thus, social media will carry stories to generate traffic on their sites. By sensationalizing stories, the media is able to create content and attract visitors with the intention of elevating its position as a largely visited site. The overall aim is to convince marketers that such a platform is the best tool to reach a high number of existing and potential customers. Such a culture perpetuates commercial imperialism because social media outlets do not pay attention to the feelings of the celebrities. On the contrary, generation of revenue is what matters for the media platforms. It appears that at the personal level, the relationship between the media and celebrities is not necessarily positive, although the association between the two in a commercial sense is largely satisfactorily. Religion and Celebrity The relationship between religion and celebrity culture emerges based on a number of observations. Citing Emily Durkheim, Marshall (2006) observed that religion’s power to unite a community was influential because it provided what he termed as collective effervescence (state of excitement). However, the role of religion dwindles as morality centered on individualism advances. The equilibrium principle sets into operation to counterbalance the changes in order to ensure stability when the place of religion comes under threat in societies. Accordingly, it is a rational development that a decline in the influence of religion results in a new development that is based on celebrity worship. As it was mentioned above, religion generates an effervescence feeling in people. Thus, in the face religion’s declining power, star performers in various fields rise to fill the void left. Academic studies have shown that celebrity culture is assuming the place of religion. Arguing based on research, Arnould and Thompson (2005) found that the DNA structuring of human beings predisposed them to be social beings. As pointed earlier, religion’s primary role is to provide leadership, an aspect that coincides with the human nature of following. Based on the above account, following star performers is a natural process for people, since celebrities are individuals who have excelled in different spheres of life. In the eyes of the audiences/followers, the artists who scale high levels of success in life are worthy emulating. This is the case because they are viewed as role models. Hence, it is arguable that celebrity worship is similar to religion because the two play the same function of providing leadership about life. Ideally, religion should provide leadership regarding what individuals are expected to do (McCutcheon, Scott, Arugate and Parker 2006). Conventionally, religion shaped people’s lives, given that it provided values and norms for people to abide by. Celebrity figures have also taken the role, since a big percentage of their followers focus on matching their lives. Thus, it is arguable that celebrity worship equates to religion. McCutcheon, Scott, Arugate and Parker (2006) observed that historically, societies always collected in crowds to follow those viewed as capable of leadership. As a result, celebrity worship has existed from ancient times, just as religion did. However, nowadays, the media has blown the issue out of proportion. Regardless of such variations, it is apparent that the culture of celebrity worship competes with that of religion, given that both attempt to provide guidelines on leading life. Evolutionary biology is also among the fields that assist in demonstrating the connection between celebrity culture and religion. Referring to evolutionary biology, McCutcheon, Scott, Arugate and Parker (2006) observed that human beings always aspire to emulate people who do excel in a given fields. Such a trend was present even during prehistoric times, as individuals who outperformed others earned respect. For instance, successful hunters were viewed as heroes. However, following the end of the significance of such practice, their prowess lost value. In the current times, people count on top performers whom they rank as role models. Fundamentally, its performance is a major factor in evaluating the contribution of people. In conclusion, it is held that religion and celebrity culture have many similarities, although the latter seems to be on an upward trend while the former is on a decline.

Economy of Argentina essays

Economy of Argentina essays Argentina has a long history of economic problems since they gained independence from Spain. And recently it has improved gradually, but it seems like a recession hits the country and their economy drastically drops. When President Carlos Menem took office in 1989, Argentina possessed huge external debts as inflation had grown to 200% per month and the economic output was plummeting fast. To try and end this economic crisis, the government headed on a path of trade liberalization, deregulation, and privatization. It began working by 1991 after the government decided to privatize most of the state controlled companies, opened up to foreign trade and investment, created private pension and workers compensation systems. The economy was doing great until the peso crisis in 1995, which caused a loss of banking system deposits and a severe recession, but ended quickly as it was followed by reforms to give a boost to the domestic banking system. This helped the real GDP of Argentina reach 8% by 1997. This, though, was followed by international financial problems caused by Russia's investor anxiety in Brazil, one of Argentina's neighbors. It created the highest domestic interest rate in Argentina in more than three years which halved the economic rate. Newly elected president, Fernando de la Rua sponsored tax increases and spending cuts to reduce the deficit, which had fell to 2.5 % of GDP (Kurian 76). One of Argentina's challenges to produce consistent economic growth is the high unemployment rate and the lack of equitable distributing of income. Since the mid-1990s, Argentina has seen double-digit unemployment which rose to as much as 18.4% in 1995, but was lowered in five years as in fell to15.4% in May of 2000 because of major private investments were implemented as labor productivity rose and the economic was the strongest in the capital-intensive sectors. There are important structural forms that are still needed in A...

Apple Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

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Environmental scan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Environmental scan - Essay Example However, the management should be aware of some of the shortcomings of semantic technique: it is limited in its data content, it can not be used for navigating the website and it is complicated for beginners. Currently, many people make use of search engines to retrieve and search for data on the internet. There are over fifty search engines that are available to the user worldwide. Some of the search engines are regional while others are universal. For example, Google, Yahoo Search and MSN are some of the global search engines. These search engines came to the market at the start of the last decade of the twentieth century. Following are some of the search engines that are currently in use: It is an immense search engine (Takakuwa, 2004: 23). It is claimed to be one of the biggest search engines that is currently available to web browsers. Levene (2006: 123) is of the view that Google uses the PageRank system to display the information that the user is searching for. This type of page ranking is named after one of the pioneers, Larry Page. This technology gives the user the pages that closely resemble what he is looking for (Takakuwa, 2004: 100). The page with the highest similarity is ranked at the top. This search engine is effective as far as giving the user a multitude of hits that closely resemble what he is searching for. It can be used to search for books, blogs, images, patents amongst others (Takakuwa, 2004: 100). It also links the user to other sites that are relevant. Though not as big as Google, it has an excess of twenty billion â€Å"web objects† (Thurow, 2007: 23). It gives the user shortcuts to the relevant site that he is looking for (Thurow, 2007: 23). The results are ranked using the Automatic AND technique. Apart from the two above, there are many other services such as Exalead, MSN and a host of others. The current search engines have some efficacies based on their size of database, search