Virginia Tech Essay Example for Free

Virginia Tech Essay With the most resent massacre at Virginia Tech the issue of media ethics has once again been brought into question. This, I believe, is because of the need to understanding why or how this could happen. Perhaps this understanding could prevent another violent incident from happening to our children and to our society and allow a certain type of closure in our grief. In researching the topic of journalistic ethics and its effects on behavior, I found three distinct concerns that related to the Virginia Tech massacre does the media influence or encourage behavior? And if so, what steps is the media taking to understand this issue? Is the media industry trying to create a plan to regulate how incidents of this nature are portrayed, or how they will be reported and in what context? It should also be noted that in all the information on violent behavior everyone agrees that there is not one single indicator that will predict human behavior and that all avenues must be explored to fully understand human behavior which is very complex. But there is evidence available that does show a correlation between media and adolescent violence. In the United States children and young adults are among the highest at risk for experiencing violent crimes and violence. We can also claim that a large portion of our time is spent interacting in the world of media. Some forms of media used by American adolescents have been found to be very violent and this is where the question of media’s effect on behavior comes in. Shortly after the Virginia Tech incident a USA Today article told of a popular game called â€Å"Assassin†. This game is played on both college and high school campuses across America. Police officers have been urging students, â€Å"to halt the games, which involve ambushing other players with sometimes realistic looking toy gun or other objects, after the Virginia Tech shooting last week that left 33 people dead†. The local authorities did this as a preventive measurement for the safety of the kids playing as well as others by mistaken intent (Welch). The Society of Professional Journalists and the Associated Student Press joined together to discuss how school violence is to be covered. The discussion was to try to see how to balance reporting the news with minimizing harm to students across the country. If shooters get their fifteen minutes of fame†, especially is they are dubbed as the heroic outlaw, then this opens the possible problems of increasingly more disenfranchised nobodies who may view violence as a way to become noticed. Reporters pressured to get the story and make it central on the nightly news may not be sensitive to the effects of their coverage in the larger scheme of things (Fitzgerald and Mitchell). Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is important to justice and the foundation of democracy. The organization also believes that the duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. They believe that all journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. They go on to say that professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalists credibility. Members of the Society share a dedication to ethical behavior and adopt this code to declare the Societys principles and standards of practice (www. spj. org). In more resent weeks NBC news has been under fire for the way it handled the pictures and writings of the student who killed 32 people at Virginia Tech. NBC announced that it would limit its use of images to â€Å"no more than 10 percent of airtime†. Steve Capus, the president of NBC News, strongly defended the network’s decision to broadcast the material. Families of some of the victims, some law enforcement officials and executives from competing television news organizations have accused NBC of being insensitive or exploitative in the way it presented the materials on the air. (Carter). Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance. Journalist must recognize that private citizens have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy. Journalist must show good taste, avoid pandering to lurid curiosity, be cautious about identifying juvenile suspects or victims of sex crimes, be judicious about naming criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges and balance a criminal suspect’s fair trial rights with the public’s right to be informed. Works Cited Fitzgerald, Mark, and Mitchell, Grey. , Eds. Society of Professional Journalists. Retrieved May 3, 2007. http://www. spj. org/pressnotes Greene, Kathern. â€Å"Predicting Exposure to and Linking of Media Violence: A uses and Gratification Approach†. Communication Studies, March 2005. V. 56, Issue 1, p. 71-93. 23p.

impact of feminism on fashion

impact of feminism on fashion Impact of Feminism on Fashion There has been a heated discussion on the equality of man and woman since a century ago when feminists began to strive for womens benefit. Compared to women in nineteenth century, women in this day and age have more rights and freedom. Women are now more considered to be independent individuals, as long time ago, they were possessions of men. Furthermore, women were compelled to follow every single order from men unconditionally. As an important impetus to fashion, feminism, which was mainly formed by three waves, has changed the stereotype significantly and lead to the decrease of restrictions on womens dressing. â€Å"Feminism encompasses many different theoretical, political and academic traditions. At the centre of feminist concerns, however, is the liberation of women from oppressive social practices and ideologies.†The first wave of feminist movement dated from nineteenth century to 1940s in United Kingdom and United States. Accompanied by anti-feudal movement, feminism finally became the most indispensable part and the criteria of social revolution. Originally it focused on the promotion of equal contract and property rights for women and the opposition to chattel marriage and ownership of married women (and their children) by their husbands. However, by the end of the nineteenth century, activism focused primarily on gaining political power, particularly the right of womens suffrage. Basically, it was the first time when women have the opportunity to vote. During this wave, World War I took place, which was another cause of changes in womens status. In order to defend national sovereignty, men were conscribed to fight in the battle front. Therefore, women had to do mens physical labour in factory. Females no longer stayed in the house only serving their own family, but also went out working to support the household and their country. Not accidentally, (see Illus. 1) Coco Chanels simple and practical designs catered to the needs of working women. In her shop, she sold â€Å"flannel blazers, straight linen skirts, sailor tops, long jersey sweaters and skirt-jackets†which were inspired by menswear. These convenient clothes enabled women to work with higher efficiency. †Chanel used such serviceable materials and relaxed patterns in the design of fashionable daywear for sophisticated urban women, safe in her knowledge of their aspirational and practical qualities.† Her accomplishment in fashion helped her situated in the roles of feminist pioneer. Simplicity has become a recognized characteristic of Coco Chanel and affected the fashion trend afterwards. Unfortunately, after the men returned from war when the WWI ended, women were dispatched back to the kitchen.†Still, an important new stage had been reached, since the induction of women into the war effort initiated the whole process of liberation.† Between early 1960s and late 1980s, it was the second-wave feminism. Though after the first-wave feminism women have won over some legal rights, they were still limited and oppressed in working place. Slightly different from the first wave, the second-wave feminism concentrated on issues of real equality of women such as eliminating discrimination. Feminists went all out marching and protesting in the street. Owing to their hard struggle, females gradually earned some equality in the working place and other aspects of life. In all their achievements, the most remarkable event was the release of some gynocentric legal reforms. Without the legal obstructions to womens personal freedom and professional achievement, women had a chance to prove themselves to be as capable as men. The 1960s, also called the Sixties, was a decade when tremendous changes happened to fashion. In this era, fashion was influenced by various factors such as â€Å"social mobility, daring fashion photography, easier travel abroad, the Vietnam War, new music of the Beatles and their much copied hairstyles, retro military and ethnic clothes, musicals, pop art and film all played a part†. Feminism was absolutely one of the most influential causes of all. Le Smoking (see Illus. 2), designed by Yves Saint Laurent in 1966, is a typical example of impact on fashion by feminism. Yves Saint Laurent wasnt the first person who created trousers for women. However, it was the first of its kind to draw attention in the fashion industry and the public. This innovative creation started androgynous style for women and pantsuits have been popular ever since. Its still one of the favourite outfits of office ladies in present-day society. The popularity of power suits demonstrates womens liberati on and equality between men and women to some extent. Besides, it provides women another choice in their wardrobes and dresses were not the only selection any more. In a word, the appearance of pantsuit is a symbol of women been considered to be an independent individuals in workplace. In group of people in younger age, some daring youths were seeking for something new in fashion as restrictions on women reduced.   Mary quants miniskirts (see Illus. 3), of which the hemline was set 6 or 7 inches above the knee, fulfilled their needs. It was controversial when it first came into the market, but then more people began to accept it in the mid-1960s and went into the major international trend. Miniskirt was reckoned to be a sign of womens liberation and enabled women to run and show their beauty without limits. The third-wave feminism began in the early 1990s, and the fashion in this decade was casual and comfortable. However, fashion and feminism dont always go hand in hand. The release of womens body didnt go further because every woman wants perfect body for both personal reason and attracting men. Wearing garments that show their nice body makes women feel better, more beautiful and sometimes even more confident. Fashion nowadays emphasized on silhouette and only slim and S-shape body is deemed to be beautiful. This brings stress on women and urges them to fit themselves into clothes that might be too tight. After struggling for equality for more than one hundred years, phenomena of inequality have decreased remarkably. But men have been in the dominant position for the majority of time in history. Reforms in laws are definitely not enough to change the status. To gain real equality, male chauvinism should be eliminated entirely. Anyway, its still a long way to go to have final equality of men and women.

Deliverance: A Study of Medicaid and Managed Care Essay -- Health Medi

Deliverance: A Study of Medicaid and Managed Care Since the inception of Medicaid in 1965, the program has seen extraordinary growth in expenditures and enrollment. From 1989 to 1992, the increases in Medicaid spending were the largest since the program began in. Enrollment in Medicaid by AFDC families grew from 3.8 million in 1990 to 4.4 million in 1992, almost a nine percent annual increase (Coughlin et al. 1994). During this period, states were also experiencing the effects of a nationwide recession. Rapidly rising expenditure levels stretched revenue streams to their limits. In efforts to save money, states looked primarily at the benefits of managed care, which was becoming a successful delivery and financing system (Ruggie 1996). Medicaid patients had a history of using emergency rooms for problems such as colds, flues, and other minor illnesses. Medicaid paid $75 for an emergency room visit in 1995, but only $29 for a physician’s office visit (Lutz 1995). Medicaid officials hoped that placing the patient in contact with a primary care physician would encourage the use of preventative medicine, thereby holding down costs. States began Medicaid managed care programs using the AFDC population as guinea pigs. With waivers allowed under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act, states restructured their Medicaid programs (Rotwein et al. 1995). This was the single largest Medicaid innovation of the 1990s (Couglin et al. 1999). Between 1991 and 1996, enrollment of Medicaid clients in managed care increased by a factor of six (Thompson and DiIulio 1998). Many reasons accompanied the assertion that the AFDC population would benefit the most from managed care. The women and children of AFDC could take advantage of the ... ...cience Review 67: 1174-1185. Key, V.O., Jr. 1999, reprinted. Southern Politics in State and Nation. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press. Lutz, Sandy. 1995. â€Å"For Real Reform, Watch the States.† Modern Healthcare 25: 31- 35. Rotwein, Suzanne, Maria Boulmetis and Paul J. Boben. 1995. â€Å"Medicaid and State Health Care Reform: Process, Programs, and Policy Options.† Health Care Financing Review 16: 105-120. Ruggie, Mary. 1996. Realignments in the Welfare State: Health Policy in the United States, Britain, and Canada. New York: Columbia University Press. Thompson, Frank J., and John J. DiIulio Jr., eds. 1998. Medicaid and Devolution: A View from the States. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. Walker, Jack. 1969. â€Å"The Diffusion of Innovations Among the American States.† American Political Science Review 63: 880-899.

A Massive Project For The Benefit Of Mankind: A Look At The Human Geno :: essays research papers fc

A Massive Project for the Benefit of Mankind: A Look at the Human Genome Project Scientists are taking medical technology to new heights as they race to map all of the genes, nearly 100,000, in the 23 chromosomes of the human body. Along the way, they hope to understand the basis of, and maybe even develop methods of treating certain genetic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Muscular Dystrophy. They plan to do this by identifying the DNA sequence of an abnormal gene in which a disease originates and comparing it with the data of a normal or healthy gene. The entire research project is entitled "The Human Genome Project." "The Human Genome Project" is a large scale project being conducted by more than 200 laboratories, with even more researchers and labs having joined in. Most of the labs and researchers are located in France and the United States. The project started in 1990 and was slated to take 15 years and cost $3 billion in U.S. money for the entire project coming to roughly $200 million per year. Federal funding for the project is nearly 60% of the annual need. This has created some funding problems for the project. There also have been technological advances and discoveries that have helped to speed up the project. This automation may help to reduce the cost and help the project to meet its objectives ahead of schedule. The project was estimated to have detailed maps of all of the chromosomes and know the location of most of the human Genes by 1996. Researchers have successfully located the gene and DNA sequence for Huntington’s Disease on Chromosome 4 and have created a genetic test to determine if a person carries this gene. "The child of a person with Huntington's has a 50% chance of inheriting the gene, which inevitably leads to the disease." Once an individual acquires the gene, it is only a matter of time before they acquire the disease. Because the medical costs of treating such persons in terminal illnesses are extremely high, insurance companies who want to stay in business see this genetic test, and others like it, as an opportunity to screen prospective clients for the probability of such diseases. Some people feel that this information gives insurance companies unfair advantage over those covered by medical insurance and point out that release of genetic information to insurance companies puts a severe disadvantage on the person who is screened, as well as violates the patients right to privacy. If this genetic information is not safegua rded as confidential for the patient’s and doctor’s knowledge alone, then the patient can be labeled as undesirable and

Natural Born Japanese Killers :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Natural Born Japanese Killers Americans and Japanese are both fond of pointing out the difference in crime rates. To many Japanese, America is seen as an outlaw nation, bristling with guns. And for many Americans, the juxtaposition of Japan's often ultra-violent entertainment with their low crime rate is fascinating. Japanese pop culture and crime statistics are often cited to defend American entertainment when it is accused of inspiring violence. But for anyone paying attention, startling crimes have a way of popping up in Japan unexpectedly. There were the "Otaku Murders" of 1988 and 1989, where Tsutomo Miyazaki kidnapped and killed four girls of around five years of age, reenacting gruesome scenes from his hentai collection. The serin gas attack in 1995 is another notable incident in the analogs of Japanese crime history. Perpetrated by the Aum Shinrikyo cult, almost a dozen people were killed during the terrorist attack. I asked a Japanese friend of mine once, "Are there gangs in Japan?" I've since learned that Japan has a long history of gangs, including everything from high school motorcycle gangs to the Yakuza, but he shook his head. He said there were no gangs, but in Japan sometimes kids just go crazy. He told me the story of a boy who would kill people on the street, discretely, and then hide in an alley to watch the ensuing action. He was eventually caught with the murder weapon near one of his crime scenes. This was several years ago, and I wrote the story off as an urban legend. Recently, however, there have been several articles published about teenage boys committing gory crimes in Japan. Over the last year there have been multiple incidents. A 65-year old woman in Aichi prefecture was murdered on May 1, 2000. On May 3, a boy in Saga prefecture hijacked a bus with a knife. He held a six-year-old girl hostage, killed one woman, and wounded five others. There have been more crimes, including knivings in people's homes, baseball bat bludgeonings and matricide, budgeonings with hammers, and, just two weeks ago, a 15-year-old boy on Kyushu crept into a house during the night and attacked a family. All six family members were attacked, and three died. Incidents such as these have been reported in many newspapers and online news sites, but I take the examples above from two articles on the subject. Tim Larimer, a correspondent for Time wrote "Natural-Born

Promote Positve Behaviour

1. Identify types of challenging behaviour.There are many types of behaviour that can be described as challenging. Examples of these include: self-injury (eg head banging, self-biting, skin picking)  physical aggression or violent behaviour (eg punching, scratching, kicking, biting, pulling hair) verbal aggression (eg threats, insults, excessive swearing)  disruption and destruction of property or the environment (eg ripping clothes, breaking windows or furniture) racist or sexist behaviour.Stereotyped behaviours (eg rocking, spinning, hand flapping) inappropriate or unacceptable sexual behaviour (eg masturbating in public, touching others inappropriately or showing pornography) smearing and urination (eg smearing faeces, urinating in inappropriate places) stealing (eg taking possessions/food that do not belong to the individual) manipulative, deceitful and non-compliant behaviour (eg refusing to move, refusing to engage in an activity despite being able, telling lies) absconding (eg leaving school/home/residential service without permission).3. Explain the steps that are taken to maintain the dignity of and respect for an individual when responding to an incident of challenging behaviour. Children must always be treated with dignity and respect with. This may be difficult when their behaviour is threatening to their peers or members of staff, however it is essential to remember that it’s the behaviour that is adverse and not the YP. When challenging the behaviour it is important to disapprove of the negative behaviour, not the individual.Should the situation require reactive strategies, it is important to uphold best practise and continue to treat the YP in a child centred way, according to their placement plan, risk assessment and positive handling plan, paying attention to the YP faith, beliefs, culture while maintaining dignity. For example, when holding a YP, ensuring that the hold is not intrusive, especially to private parts of the body. Shoul d the YP clothes ride up, for staff to inform the YP that they are about to adjust their clothing. It is important to maintain dignity and respect when recording the incident. Not  using a derogatory tone when referring to the YP, instead recording in a way that describes the negative behaviour displayed by the YP.

Academic Motivation Essay

After the excitement and anticipation of entering college have passed and the semester is well underway, have you found yourself less and less motivated to study, or even to attend class? Although you have more or less settled down and adjusted to living away from home, making new friends, and being on your own, are you finding that the academic area just doesn’t seem to hold your interest? If this is true, perhaps you need to explore your motivation in attending college. This is often a complicated matter and requires your honest assessment of yourself and of your feelings. The following suggestions are initial steps in examining your own academic motivations. 1. First and most importantly, ask yourself why are you in college. There are probably several reasons, the most important of which should be to get an education and to expand your mind by learning. In doing so, you look forward to increasing your value in the job market, but your immediate goal as a student is to learn as much as possible during your college years. Some reasons which people often place at the top of the list, but which are usually poor reasons are: a.Your parents wanted you to come. b.All your friends came to college. c.You want to postpone getting a job. d.You want to have fun. e.You want to get a start as an athlete. f.You want to look for a spouse. g.You didn’t know what else to do. See more: Sleep Deprivation Problem Solution Speech Essay 2. Begin the process of making a career decision as soon as possible. It isn’t necessary that you make a specific decision right away, but having a career direction will increase your motivation. Others (including parents) may be able to offer helpful advice, but the final choice for a career should be yours. 3. When exploring career options, be REALISTIC. You should consider your abilities, values, and interests in evaluating career options. The fact that your great uncle (or your roommate’s brother) chose medicine or law as a career doesn’t necessarily mean that should be your choice. 4. When you have decided on a career direction, you are then able more appropriately to choose a major. The course you attempt will begin to become more relevant, and you’ll be more motivated to study. 5. Examine your attitudes about college and yourself. If you positively approach your studies, your professors, your books, your fellow students, and yourself, you increase your academic motivation. A negative attitude produces negative results in performance. Beware of unexplored anger which can interfere with learning. Unresolved anger and unrealistic expectations of others only lead to frustration and disappointment. Remember, you are in charge of only one person and not of everyone you have contact with or of every situation you face. Don’t waste your energy on negative attitudes toward persons or situations you can’t control. 6. Become actively involved in the learning process. Participate in your class; be over-prepared (rather than under-prepared) for class discussions and exams. Don’t expect the professor to teach you everything. Instead make it a point to learn by additional self-directed study. As you become more involved, you tend to learn more. 7. Remember that college is not high school. If you follow the same old patterns, you may be a loser! In college you are responsible for yourself, your courses, your study hours, your social behavior, managing your time, setting limits, managing your money, and sustaining mental and physical health. Are you mature enough to handle all of this? Everyone isn’t; so, don’t feel you are a failure if you experience problems. The important thing is to recognize the problem and seek help! There are many people on campus who can help if you will look for them. 8. Make time for recreation. It is important to spend time away from studies in activities which are relaxing. Recreation and relaxation allow you to be more productive all around. 9. Set some goals. If you clearly state what you want to accomplish and how you can accomplish it, you are much more motivated and more likely to succeed. Write these goals down on paper along with concrete steps for reaching them. Then occasionally review these goals to see what success you are having. 10. Dwell on your successes and not your failures. Where is it written that you are not allowed to fail or miss the mark on occasion? Be kind to yourself and be proud of your strong points. Try to understand why you do not do other things well. Perfection is an uncomfortable companion or goal. 11. Never lose sight of the fact that you are responsible for your life and what you do with it. Problems arise when you feel like a slave. Remember, it should be your choice to be doing what you are doing. Ultimately, you are in control even when others ask or seemingly demand something of you. 12. Be flexible and adaptable. Be open to new experiences and receptive to new ways of looking at things. This allows growth and new learning. 13. Maintain a calendar or schedule. By so doing you will be aware of and better prepared for assignments and activities and can allot and schedule additional study time when needed. Keep a calendar so you’ll know when you should be more motivated. 14. Don’t expect to be motivated 100% of the time. We all have our ups and downs. Try to be aware of too many â€Å"downs,† find out why, and do something about them. The suggestions offered here are only a beginning for self-examination. Motivation is a complicated matter. These suggestions may be enough to help you become aware of what is affecting your motivation—or lack of it—but if you’d like further exploration, give us a call at 348-5175 or visit the Center for Academic Success, 124 Osband Hall.