The company requires a short description of the proposed project

A prominent publishing company, has contacted you about the possibility of writing a new textbook for the first semester History of World Civilizations course, a potentially very lucrative undertaking.The company requires a short description of the proposed project that includes:   a possible table of contents; an overview of the purpose of the book (and what will be unique about it); a rationale for the book's organization; and an explanation of the key themes to be developed.Please take the time to organize your thoughts in a logical manner and cite evidence to support your analysis.The 21st century is filled with technological innovations and scientific discoveries that have significantly improved how the human race subsists. Since the beginning of time, man has constantly aim for development and progress.As a result, numerous changes have transpired which paved the way for the occurrence of civilizations. Without these developments, the contemporary society would not be able to enjoy and at the same time benefit from the modern conveniences that were all made possible through the ingenuity and intelligence of the ancient people.Most of the history books have almost accurately tackled the advancement of the political, social, cultural and economic aspects of the society in the six continents of the world namely: Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North and South America. However, this book that I am proposing would discuss the relationship between nature and civilization.There have been previous studies conducted that argued that civilization is a â€Å"by-product of these social adaptations to environmental change† (Rockets, 2006). More so, based on several archaeological expeditions, scientists and historians have theorized that the â€Å"development of civilization was simply the result of a transition from harsh, unpredictable climatic conditions during the last ice age, to more benign and stable conditions at the beginning of the Holocene per iod some 10,000 years ago† (Environment News Service, 2006).Because of this notion, I have decided to write a book that would provide historical accounts on how man and nature have evolved that contributed to the formation of civilizations which have become the core of human existence. Through this book, readers would be enlightened on how the interaction between man and nature and their development have played a role in the advancement of humanity.Moreover, this undertaking would provide answers on why climate has changed and determine the contributions of man in the present environmental phenomenon. This book offers a timely subject matter and revealing historical information that would give a new perspective on World Civilizations.

An Analysis on Customer Care Strategy of Sainsbury

1. 0 Company Introduction Sainsbury’s was founded in London in 1869 as one of the nations’ oldest retailers. It also provides a unique illustration of transformation that has occurred in retailing and in shopping and eating habits since the mid-19th century. It grew to become the largest grocery retailer in 1922, pioneered self-service retailing in the UK, and had its heyday during the 1980s. Now it is the third largest chain of supermarket in the United Kingdom with a share if the UK supermarket sector of 16. 3%.The supermarket chain operates three store formats: regular Sainsbury’s store (â€Å"Main Mission†), Sainsbury’s Local and Sainsbury’s Central (convenience stores and smaller supermarkets in urban locations—â€Å"Mixed Mission†) and Sainsbury’s â€Å"Main Plus† (hypermarket) stores. 2. 0 An Outlook of Sainsbury’s Customer Care Strategy Sainsbury aims at building on and stretching the lead in food. B y sharing customers’ passion for healthy, safe, fresh and tasty food, Sainsbury’s will continue to innovate and provide leadership in delivering quality products at fair prices.Sainsbury will continue to accelerate the development of non-food and service following the principles of quality and to provide a broader shopping experience for customers. Sainsbury commits to reach more customers through additional channels, and it commits to manage its business with integrity. 3. 0 Development of Sainsbury’s Customer Care Strategy Strategy refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. 1. Sainsbury should know who Sainsbury’s customers are Sainsbury should know that every member of the community is the potential customer.Sainsbury should reach the total community. Every citizens living around the stores can be Sainsbury’s customers, as well as another companies can be the customer group of Sainsbury. 2. Sainsbury should know the needs of customers Customers need to be understood. Sainsbury comes up with the strategy that it commits to provide quality food with fair prices, which makes consumers delight. Customers need to feel welcome. Sainsbury’s staff serves every customer with a smiling face. Customers need to feel important.Once any customer has some recommendation or suggestion, he can directly approach to managers to point it out. 3. Sainsbury should know how to determine needs Sainsbury puts out questionnaires to citizens to find what they really want to buy when shopping in the supermarket and then determine their goods. It is a way to analyse needs in terms of the development objectives of Sainsbury. Sainsbury’s also set up suggestion box in its supermarkets to listen to customers’ needs. Through different ways such as community meetings and feedback, Sainsbury determines customers’ needs. 4. Sainsbury should response to needsSainsbury shows the real interest in the needs of sp ecial group, such as babies; they display their special tools and foods. Sainsbury ensures that every goods displayed on the shelves represent the real living needs for all customers. Sainsbury holds feedback meetings in order to response customers’ needs, and it commits to handle and solve customers’ complaints. 5. Sainsbury should give access to services Sainsbury never limit the service to the boundaries of Sainsbury’s store building. Sainsbury broadens its service range outside of the supermarkets and Sainsbury carries on deliver service.Sainsbury not only offers the regular stores for its customers, but also provides smaller supermarkets in urban locations as well as shopping online services. 6. Sainsbury should get stakeholders and senior managers’ support Sainsbury establishes a committee to get cooperation and support from the stakeholders and senior managers. They give financial support to promote Sainsbury’s operational environment as wel l as intelligence support to improve Sainsbury’s operational situations. Both of their supports are necessary to the development of Sainsbury. 7. Sainsbury should deliver competencySainsbury analyse its existing services to determine if their service is suitable for their customer care projects and whether the service meets the needs of customers. Sainsbury offers delivery service to customers and Sainsbury provides a search engine in its website to help customers to find the nearest store. 8. Sainsbury should give continuously analyses methods and procedures for improved efficiency. Sainsbury reduces its delivery time and time to supply new goods. Sainsbury has fax and website address to connect with customers. The employees are all trained and professional enough to serve the customers.Sainsbury makes sure that its customers know the standards of service in the stores. 9. Sainsbury should manage an effective communication Sainsbury develops a communication strategy that inf orms all information and provides channels to feedback. Sainsbury trains its employees to develop skills for successful interpersonal communication to introduce goods to customers. Sainsbury uses handbooks to advertise and inform customers’ about special events. Sainsbury puts clear signs to inform customers about the classification of all goods. 4. 0 Sainsbury’s standards in details 1. Employees Sainsbury’s employees should be passionate about working in a customer-facing environment *Sainsbury’s training divided into 4 steps:? basic introduction to Sainsbury’s ? introduce to employees their role and all the basics they need to know to work productively and safely ? develop employees to grow in their role and deliver to the required performance standards ? advanced training covers how to manage and supervise in its employees’ role *Employees are eligible for a colleague discount card when they completed 6 months service *All colleagues with one year’s continuous service can take up to 13 weeks’ unpaid leave for each child nder 5. They are also special provisions allowing time off for parents with disabled children up to 18. *Colleagues are able to exchange a portion of their salary for childcare vouchers which are non-taxable and exempt from National Insurance contributions and therefore represent a saving for colleagues who receive them as part of their total reward package. *The life assurance at the rate of four times staff’s annual basic salary in the event of death in service. *Sainsbury offers eligible colleagues the opportunity to apply for a career break for up to one year. Sainsbury would like to reward its long-term employees *Sainsbury always welcomes applications from people from any background. 2. Customers *Sainsbury is looking for people who can deliver the highest level of customer service each and every day *Customers can access a whole range of different services and meet togethe r in a safe environment. *Sainsbury hosts â€Å"community dinners† with local stakeholders to get to know customers better and understand any issues they have. *Sainsbury always supplies quality food to its customers Sainsbury creates ranges of food covering all customers’ needs *Sainsbury helps every customers cut their cost while shopping *Customers can buy goods online which will save a lot of money and time. *Sainsbury kids range is nutritionally balanced, so you can be sure you are making good, healthy choices for your children. *Sainsbury offers organic food. *Sainsbury provides customers various food recipes covering every type of meal, dish and ingredient; they really can try something new every day. *Sainsbury has the â€Å"store locator†, customers can find the nearest Sainsbury’s shop quickly. . Suppliers and Subcontractors *Sainsbury makes a deal with developing countries in order to support fair trade. *Sainsbury requires its suppliers and su bcontractors to provide fresh and healthy foods. *Sainsbury requests its suppliers and subcontractors to deliver their goods in the quickest time. *Sainsbury commits to settle accounts with suppliers and subcontractors as soon as possible. *Sainsbury requires its suppliers and subcontractors to register in a formal organization. *The suppliers and subcontractors of Sainsbury need to have a formal address and e-mail address to contact. . Community *For Sainsbury, this is not about providing great service and quality products, it’s also about making a positive difference to the communities and being a good neighbour. *Sainsbury provides local jobs for local people, and buys from local suppliers. *Sainsbury carries on Active Kids and Local Charity of the Year schemes. It helps kids who are in poverty to go to school and have medical check. *Sainsbury maintains longstanding partnership with Comic Relief, which is a local charity organization, to donate clothes and medicines and n ecessaries to rural areas. Sainsbury provides its customers options about charities to do good things on kids or social while they are shopping. 5. Environment *Sainsbury commits to reduce our impact on the environment. *Sainsbury sources products from all over the world, which means they have an important part to play, both in the evolving environmental debate, and in doing what they can do to reduce their carbon and wider environmental footprint. *Sainsbury was praised for having â€Å"excellent sustainable farming and fish policies† and the â€Å"high proportion of sustainable products available† in a survey. Sainsbury searches the latest ideas in engineering and building design, which could dramatically help them reduce their carbon footprint. *Sainsbury develops â€Å"carbon positive† stores or provide heat and recycled water to customers’ homes. *Sainsbury commits to reduce energy, packaging, food waste and wasting. 5. 0 Ways in which the Standards Were Established Customer care standard is more detail than customer care strategy and it direct how to carry on the project. A customer care standard normally covers areas of management practice, broken down into these sections: †¢ Employees Customers †¢ Suppliers and subcontractors †¢ Community and environment 1. Employees: *Clear employ article: EMP1: Organisations have a clear employ article and conditions and the procedure to ensure faith. EMP2: Organisations should secure the personal information for its employees. Safe and healthy working conditions: EMP3: Staff can get enough training to ensure the safety while working. *Faith salary system: EMP4: Staff has a clear mind about the time and method in paying salary. *Organisation engages in treat existing and potential employees’ variety.EMP5: Encourage the variety of the employees and welcome the new staff. *Encourage its staff improve in their career: EMP6: Organisations offer many kinds of training to h elp employees developing in their career. *Organisations are not allowed to molest any employees in any way. EMP7: Organisations should have the relevant articles to ensure the teenagers working in the national standards. 2. Customers *Organisations set up an equal relationship with its customers: CUS1: In the condition of respecting customers, organisations have clear business articles.CUS2: The information of customers can be used in the condition that is allowed by customers. CUS3: Organisations have the procedure to settle complaints in especially time. CUS4: The recommendations of the customers are fully considered. *Organisations ensure the safety of the products in the reasonable range: CUS5: The products or service have a clear illustration about the information like use, composition, and conservancy. CUS6: Organisations have the responsibility to protect the weak group. 3. Suppliers and subcontractors: The simple data and information about the supplier and subcontractor can be easily found in the website. SUP1: clear and crystal standards to select suppliers. SUP2: The information can only be used in the condition that are allowed by suppliers and subcontractors. SUP3: Organisations have the procedure to solve the conplaints from suppliers in ruled time. *Organisations offer money to suppliers in agreed standard. SUP4: Have the procedure to ensure suppliers and subcontractors get funds according to the agreement. Organisations encourage suppliers and subcontractors to carry on necessary business convention SUP5: Organisations should ensure the suppliers and subcontractors gain the training and exercise about the safety knowledge. *Organisation has an honest relationship with the suppliers and subcontractors 4. Community *Organisations promote the business environment on community: COM1: Organisations should consider the influences on the plan and action. COM2: Organisation has the action to promote the development of the community.COM3: Ensure to brin g up customers in the ruled area. *Organisations need to be sensitive to the local culture and economic structure: COM4: Organisation should have the procedures to ensure that its products or service will not threaten the safety. 5. Environment *Organisation reduces the use of energy and the emission of waste: ENV1: Organisations should point out clearly that the influences of its service and goods to local environment and the solutions. ENV2: Organisation takes charge of supervising and reducing the impact on local environment.ENV3: Have the procedure to ensure that its employees and suppliers are encouraged to the exercises of protecting the environment. ENV4: Encourage the use and abandon of the environmental friendly of the products. 6. 0 Methods Used by Qualitative Research and Quantitative Research to Gather and Analyse Information from Customers with Respect to Their Impressions of Sainsbury’s Customer Care 1. Qualitative Research Qualitative Research seeks out the â⠂¬Å"why† of its topic through the analysis of unstructured information and it does not rely on statistics or numbers.Qualitative research is used to gain insight into people’s attitudes, behaviors, value systems, concerns, motivations, aspiration culture or lifestyles. It is used to inform business decisions, policy formation, communication and research. Focus groups, in-depth interviews, content analysis and semiotics are among the many formal approaches that are used, but qualitative research also involves the analysis of any unstructured material. Sainsbury chooses interview as the way to carry on qualitative research.Interview is a technique that is primarily used to gain an understanding of the underlying reasons and motivations for people’s attitudes, preferences or behavior. Interviews can be undertaken on a personal one-to-one basis or in a group. The interview is put in the appendix A. Sainsbury interviewed 100 people and makes a conclusion that most of the customers are satisfied with the stores, and they think the goods are mostly cheap. Besides, people interviewed are all satisfied with the environment in Sainsbury, and they think the stores are light and clean, which really delights them.However, the customers are too many so that it is usually crowded, especially in holidays and discounts. What is more, most of the stores are set in downtown and it makes difficult for people who live in suburbs to buy in the stores. 2. Quantitative Research Quantitative research is used to measure how many people feel, think or act in a particular way. These surveys tend to include large samples. The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories and/or hypotheses pertaining to natural phenomena.Sainsbury chooses questionnaire as the method to give a quantitative research. Questionnaire is quantitative preferred and freedom of respondent. The questions have to be relatively simple and there is no inte rviewer bias. The questions usually are literacy problems and there is no control over who completes it. The questionnaires are presented in the appendix B. These questionnaires are handed out to 1,000 people. Sainsbury makes a conclusion through research by questionnaires.Most regular customers of Sainsbury think the dominating reason contributes them to buying in Sainsbury is the fair price with good quality. Customers focus on price while shopping dominates 73%. Around 87% of customers think the service attitude in Sainsbury is passionate and 72% of customers think the environment in Sainsbury is bright and clean. Moreover, 53% of Sainsbury’s customers gain salary between 5,000 to 10,000 and 27% of its customers gain salary between 1,000 to 5,000; customers gain salary less than 1,000 or over 10,000 both dominate 10%.Through the comparison of the data from 2007 to 2010, customers’ attitude about the goods price has changed. More people think the goods are cheaper an d the increase in the attitude of acceptable is more visible; less people hold the view that the goods are expensive in Sainsbury. There are two diagrams presented in appendix C and appendix D. 7. 0 The Review of Sainsbury’s Customer Care Strategy Review is an evaluation of an operating process or a business outcome. Sainsbury chooses â€Å"comparing to customer feedback analysis† to review its customer care strategy.Before Sainsbury carry on another new customer care strategy, it makes a survey among its customers and makes a conclusion. After carrying on for a period of time, Sainsbury does a equal number survey among customers and makes a conclusion through comparing and analyzing the data: Sainsbury increases its opening hour and it makes customers life more convenient; Sainsbury promotes its employees moral and passion in serving customers. However, Sainsbury should update its goods in a high frequency and strengthen the arrangement after customers’ selecti ng goods.Sainsbury chooses â€Å"Third Party Assessment† as another method to review its customer care strategy. Sainsbury hires Mckinsey & Company to give a overall assessment about its customer care strategy and standard by using professional methods, ways, and procedures. The conclusions are made below: Sainsbury does well in caring about customers’ healthy lifestyle and delivering a healthy lifestyle to its customers; That Sainsbury encourages its customers to give a hand to local charity and people need help is a light point in Sainsbury’s strategy.However, Sainsbury must promote its after-sale responsibility and its after-sale quality. Some sorts of service, such as point out the use structure of some special goods, need to be highlighted. 8. 0 Recommendation There are some weaknesses in Sainsbury’s customer care. The relationship between suppliers and Sainsbury sometimes is not equal; The after-sale services are sometimes not enough; The safety env ironment in Sainsbury is not secured enough.In response to this, Sainsbury should point out a clear after-sale responsibility and promote the after-sale service quality; Sainsbury need to inform suppliers and subcontractors about the loss before the change of the business articles; Sainsbury need to strengthen the supervision on the safety environment and it is necessary to hand out the safety handout to employees to guarantee their safety while working. 9. 0 Reference Books: —-Scottish Qualifications Authority, Creating a Culture of Customer Care. —-Bryman, A. (1988a), Quantitative and Qualitative in Social Research, Routledge, London.Websites: http://www. sainsburys. co. uk/sol/index. jsp http://zhidao. baidu. com/question/13903776. html http://zh. wikipedia. org/ 10. 0 Appendix Appendix A 1. What do you think about the service at Sainsbury? 2. What goods do you think we should add to our goods list? 3. What service do you think we should add? 4. What reason contribu tes you to consume in Sainsbury? 5. What do you think about the quality of Sainsbury’s goods? 6. What do you think about the quantity of Sainsbury’s goods? 7. What do you think about our recommendation system? 8. What do you think about the environment in Sainsbury? . What do you think about the prices of our goods? 10. Why do you consume in Sainsbury? What attracts you to consume? Appendix B 1. What contributes you to buying in Sainsbury? A. fair price B. good quality C. convenient D. else 2. The frequency you shopping in Sainsbury every month? A. over 15 B. 10~15 C. 5~10 D. under 5 3. What do you think about the kinds of goods in Sainsbury? A. complete B. so-so C. small 4. What do you think about the prices of goods in Sainsbury? A. cheap B. middle level C. expensive 5. What aspect do you focus on when shopping? A. rice B. quality C. brand 6. What do you usually buy in Sainsbury? A. necessaries B. vegetables C. clothes 7. What do you think about the quality of goods in Sainsbury? A. good B. so-so C. bad 8. What do you think about the service attitude in Sainsbury? A. passionate B. acceptable C. bad 9. What do you think about the environment in Sainsbury? A. bright and clean B. so-so C. mess and uncomfortable 10. Can you find the goods you need easily? A. yes B. a little difficult C. only find with the help of assistant 11. Are there big supermarkets around your house?A. yes B. no C. unsure 12. What big supermarket do you usually consume? A. Wal-mart B. Tesco C. Sainsbury D. else 13. What is your gender? A. male B. female 14. What age group are you in? A. under 18 B. 18~25 C. 25~45 D. over 45 15. What salary group are you in? A. under 1,000 B. 1,000~5,000 C. 5,000~10,000 D. over 10,000 Appendix C Appendix D [pic] People’s attitudes about the prices of Sainsbury’s goods ———————– [pic]The salary level monthly of Sainsbury’s customers 10,000 1,000~~5,000 5,000~~10,000

Week 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Week 4 - Essay Example One similar account of affair was seen in the early 21st century when Iraq was invaded for the core reason for enacting the long lost and long deprived democracy from its people. This version of the democratic peace theory is relatively aggressive in its outlook. This version can be termed as the amalgamation and the outlook of the recent political events and progress. The engagement of war based on the claim of democracy is often seen as the paradox, however one of the three prominent versions of peace theory. The global order is advocated for in the form of democracy prevailing even if it required aggressive means adoption. The second version of this theory stresses upon the economic aspect equality and balancing. This form does not include direct confrontation or any measures that are otherwise taken for the purpose of democratic enactment. This version of theory is considered to be closer to the original theme that was introduced as an alternative to the other theories that advocated war offensives and other extreme measures. The third version of this theory is related to the international relations enactment. Although the aim is to ensure democratic setups, yet mutual cooperation and mutual co existence are two of the factors and variables that are stressed for in this version. The collective aims under this doctrine include poverty eradication, economic prosperity, respecting sovereignty and fighting all other ills and evils that are faced by the modern world (Zimelis). The version pertaining to the global community based on mutual cooperation and respecting one another’s sovereignty amounts to the more relevant and most likely implementable form of democratic peace theory. The theory is compelling based on the fact that the world has seen different other forms of ideologies yet the injustice, inequality and the oppression of the mighty against the weak has not stopped and is still in practice. As a result and

Explain how the Emissions Trading Scheme impacts flaring of gas on the Essay

Explain how the Emissions Trading Scheme impacts flaring of gas on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf(UKCS) and comment on the effectiveness of this scheme - Essay Example asingly and progressively upholding measures aimed at controlling these emissions even as industry players have realised the economic benefits of preserving the vented gas (Gerner and Svensson, 8). Countries and organisations have are obliged to adhere to regulations governing emissions and which are based on Kyoto Protocol of 1997. In Europe the European Union (EU) has promoted the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) as variable model for its member countries that especially enhances CO2 preservation and the greenhouse effect. The oil and gas industry faces a number of challenges as it struggled to curb emissions within the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) offshore industry. This includes fire, gas explosions, gas venting, and structural infrastructure collapse in its aging structures. Some of these calamities have had some fatalities on human life like the 1988 Piper Alpha disaster. Active legislative measures have been undertaken to curb this episodes within the industry with some noted success, however the nature of the rapid evolving industry and technology mitigate against some of these tactics. In the UKCS, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is mandated to regulate the sector2. The HSE has set up an Offshore Division in a Hazardous Installations Directorate who is tasked as preventing major catastrophes and consequences while ensuring more stable working environment for the firms (HSE, 1). 1. World Bank Report estimates that this is adequate fuel to supply all of Germany and France consumption. In Africa the wasted energy can provide 50 percent of the continent’s electricity requirements. 2. The HSE is a UK agency more concerned about the safety of the more than 20,000 employees in the offshore oil and gas industry. The aging infrastructure still pose potential health hazard to the workers and environment. The United Kingdom Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) was the precursor as the first world bid in a trade-wide greenhouse gas emission

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Business - Essay Example The firm’s employees globally are estimated to 95,453 (BMW Group, 2011) – in about 150 countries worldwide (BMW Group, 2011). The firm’s success has been strongly related to its CSR policies, an issue evaluated in this paper. 2. Stakeholder demographics In order to understand the performance of the firm in regard to the interests and the needs of its stakeholders, it would be necessary to identify primarily the demographic characteristics of these stakeholders. In the most common view, the term stakeholder reflects the groups of individuals who are most likely to be affected by the company’s operations, meaning its employees, its customers, its suppliers and the community. In accordance with Freeman and Reed (1993) the key criterion for identifying the stakeholders of an organization is their relationship with the organizational objectives. In this context, it is noted that the term ‘stakeholders’ is used in order to describe ‘the groups of individuals who affect the organizational objectives but also those who are affected by the organizational objectives’ (Freeman and Reed 1993 in Gossy 2008, 6). ... In the case of BMW, it is explained in the organization’s website that the term ‘stakeholders’ is used for referring to the following groups of people: ‘Customers, business partners, employees, media, policy and scientific decision makers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and investors’ (BMW Stakeholders 2011). The response of the firm towards the interests of its stakeholders is explained below by referring to an indicative example: the Education programs developed by the firm in order to support the community. Reference is made, as an example, to the educational program that the firm developed in 2007 in cooperation with the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (BMW Group, Community 2009). 3. Impact of the firm’s CSR on stakeholders BMW highly values its stakeholders. In fact, in accordance with its statement on CSR, the firm has been trying to focus on the needs of its stakeholders, taking into consideration their views on its CSR performance. M oreover, the suggestions of stakeholders on potential failures or gaps in the firm’s CSR are taken into consideration when the firm’s CSR is to be designed and applied. The above view is based on the following fact: in the context of its efforts to be informed on the views of its stakeholders on its CSR, the firm developed a stakeholder survey in 2006/2007. The survey, in which about ‘200 stakeholders from 21 countries worldwide’ (BMW Stakeholders 2011) participated it was revealed that the dialogue developed between the firm and its stakeholders is proactive and it has been welcomed by the stakeholders; moreover, it has been revealed that the firm’s CSR strategy is

Does The Use Of Technology Specifically Phones And Facebook Diminish Essay

Does The Use Of Technology Specifically Phones And Facebook Diminish Real Life Interactions - Essay Example A good example is the development of internet, which despite it being very useful brought forth cybercrime that, is affecting all persons either directly or indirectly. The phones are very essential in communicating with others who are not around us. This is very good for human development either politically or economically. Despite this, phones produce electromagnetic waves, which are not good for human health. Furthermore, the phones reduce physical interaction between persons as all transactions are completed without face-to-face interaction. This paper seeks to give an in-depth analysis of technology, specifically the use of phone and internet and they diminish real life interactions based on personal observation and interview results from five individuals.Due to the nature of the society we are today, the use of the phones has been on the increase. In the past, access to phone was limited and thus those who did not have phones had to travel to meet others. In such case, the huma n face-to-face interaction was common and had benefits attached to it. The face to face-to-face interaction reduced the chances of lying, which was very good for human social development. The duration a person spends on his phone in a day, depend on the nature of work he is undertaking. For example, businesspersons spend a lot of time on their phones to ensure that all transactions are carried out as planned despite them being absence.... The interference with their normal brain functioning affects various activities they are involved in, human face-to-face interaction included. Some people use phones for leisure and pleasure activities. This is well demonstrated by people who spend quantitate period playing various games available in the phone. In most cases, these games usually require one player. As a result, the addicts of such games spend a quantitative period of lime alone. Without the phone, the person would have interacted with other persons face to face in his recreation activities. In the children and youth development, learning from others not only the academic knowledge but also the general knowledge is mainly learned through interaction and observation of other people. Thus, the uses of phone impair face-to-face interaction of people, which may have adverse effect on child development. This does not mean that children should be denied access to phones. Consideration is necessary in ensuring those phones a re availed to children at the age of about fourteen years when it would not have much adverse effect on their development. Despite this, they should be advised and monitored. It is evident that people are involved in various activities in order to satisfy their needs. The activities may require their presence or not. In order to ensure that they effectively undertake them, people usually have more than one phone, each dedicated to a particular purpose. Using the phone, they are able to coordinate various activities in their absence. This makes it one of the most preferred methods of communication, as the response to the conversations is real time through calls. There are also methods of communication such as emails and messages. Their choice

Immigration from Iraq Because of Religion Assignment

Immigration from Iraq Because of Religion - Assignment Example Christians used to account for about 4% of the population but their numbers dramatically dwindled after the US invasion of the nation in 2003 (Chanaa 15). Currently, the proportion of Iraqi Christian immigrants has significantly increased owing to a number of political and social factors. First, Iraq has always given Christians a minority status in which they feel as though they are second class citizens who are vulnerable to injustices at any time. Furthermore, the law has historically minimised their ability to express themselves freely in the nation even though this has often been disguised by constitutional provisions that claim to respect the freedom of conscience (Salloum 60). In the political arena, Christians are scarcely afforded the right to become leaders in government, security organs or the military. Such institutional discrimination has ensured that Christians in this nation lack the ability to become influential in their society, so a number of them now have an even greater impetus to leave Iraq. Many Christians have not forgotten the history of oppression that they have been subjected especially in 1915, 1933, 1961 and 1975. All these attacks created numerous villages of Iraqi immigrants in Syria and other surrounding nations. The 1975 incident was accompanied by the burning of Christian villages that caused the displacement of thousands of Iraqi Christians (Rassam 23). Continued discrimination and persecution of Christians was revived in 2003 after the US-led invasion against Iraq and Afghanistan; this chaos and sectarian violence heightened in 2006.

Pre-certification assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pre-certification assignment - Essay Example In level 212 the patients reach 211 (1, 3 and 4,) the history of the patient also demonstrates the patient to have had episodes of sore throat with is a sign of tenderness of the tonsils. The patient also has difficulty in swallowing which is a typical sign of tonsillar enlargement. In addition, the patient presents with fever in the history. Finally, in level three, the patient seems to have taken two courses of antibiotics even though it is nonspecific; most strep antibiotics are 7 to 12 days The patient should have a history of snoring, bleeding, suspected sleep apnea hyponasal speech persistent drooling or more than six months accompanied by grade three or four tonsillar enlargements with the patient having normal palate This patient qualifies for the criteria 400 for the diagnosis of adenotonsillar hypertrophy. In 412, the patient snores a sign of sleep apnea she also has signs of bleeding. In 411, the speech is hyponasal with the sore strep throat; the patient, however, does not meet the level 413. 420 The patient also meets the criteria 413 as he has a 4+ tonsillar enlargement on the right that touches the uvula and 3+ in the left tonsil that is pink in appearance. The patient seems to meet the 430 criteria, as there is no physical pathology with the palate for it is not reported. In this, the assumption is that only the pathological findings are recorded. The patient, therefore, meets all the requirements for these criteria for the insurance cover The patient needs to present with symptoms of tonsillar history enlargement of grade 3 or for by physical exam. Besides, on the physical exam the patient should have a normal palate. Also, the patient needs to have history any of the following symptoms, bleeding, suspected sleep apnea hyponasal speech persistent drooling or more than six months. The patient meets the criteria for this

Social class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Social class - Essay Example In order to understand these factors, it is imperative to begin by explaining the meaning of buyer or consumer behaviour. The main body of the paper will evaluate the role played by different factors in light of neuroscience. â€Å"Consumer behaviour comprises the behaviour patterns of decision units (individuals as well as families) which precede, determine and follow on the decision making process for the acquisition of need satisfying products, ideas and services,† (Strydom, 2004, p.2). On the other hand, McCarty & Perreault (1996) posit to the effect that the needs of the consumers, their motives, perceptions, attitudes, learning abilities and their personality have a bearing on their consumption patterns and buyer behaviour towards certain market offerings. Of notable concern is the fact that the consumers do not live in isolation from others and their buying behaviour is also impacted by factors such as culture and other social factors obtaining in their respective socia l environments. Aspects such as cultural and reference groups, family and the social class system impact on the buying behaviour of different people and these should be taken into consideration by the marketers. The study of buyer behaviour mainly draws from psychology with additional inputs mainly from sociology as well as Economics (Lancaster &Reynolds, 1999). Sociologically, the behaviour of people is shaped by factors such as friendship, love, status as well as self esteem among other factors while psychological factors are mainly concerned with attitude and perception developed by people towards something. There are several reasons why an individual may buy a particular product but the major one is to satisfy different needs as postulated by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (McCarthy & Perreault, 1996). Before making a decision to buy a certain product, a need must first arise and this need has to be satisfied. This in turn compels the individual to make a decision towards pu rchasing a product that can satisfy the need. According to Lancaster &Reynolds (1999), the buying behaviour of an individual is determined by factors such as perception, needs, motives as well as attitudes which are either directly or indirectly influenced by the individual’s ability to learn. A person first acquires buying and consumption knowledge about a particular product and this stage is mainly referred to as cognition. This process can be attributed to the cognitive theory which posits to the effect that that a considerable amount of learning takes place here due to the fact that the customer comes into contact with a certain product and develops a keen interest in it. Before making a decision to purchase that particular product, the customer first learns about the product to gain more knowledge and insight about it. According to this theory of consumer behaviour, the customer is viewed as a problem solver who first seeks knowledge in order to solve a problem through i nformation gathering. Mental processing is involved where the mind is manipulated in order to arrive at the desired goal. The power of reasoning is central in this process and it can be noted that as human beings we subconsciously learn about something through coming into contact with it. For instance, the buyers can learn about a product like toothpaste particularly Colgate through coming into contact with it since there are different brands. Knowledge about a product is created during the early

Isolationism in Europe Essay Example for Free

Isolationism in Europe Essay Isolationism is a system whereby a country withdraws from participating in international affairs. Europe adopted isolationism to protect its economy from foreign countries. Isolationism is associated with America’s refusal societies believed they were different than European societies in the sense that they could achieve democracy and freedom without using violence. Isolationism in European began back in the colonial days when people started fleeing from Europe because of war and economical deprivation. Increase in religious persecution also led people to free from Europe. The escapees saw their new environments as better places to restart the lives and make them better . America isolated itself from Europe because, Europe’s interest were in no way similar to those of America. Europe also participated in a set of controversies and wars that of less importance to America. They saw it unwise to get involved in those activities that did not affect them already. To prove this America involved itself in a set of wars which included the Mexican war and the Spanish American war without asking for Europe’s alliance. President Monroe, during this period declared that America had never and would never involve itself in the domestic European wars. The colonists who brought about isolationism had escaped from Europe to avoid religious persecutions and wars. They believed that the new world outside of Europe was more favorable and moral. Though the wars in Europe were brought about by the colonists from America, they did not participate in them. European states were based on ethnicity and territorial history which brought about a sense of identity and ties states that felt more superior and strong extended their authorities to other national borders to increased their territories and powers. This kind of forced invasion is associated with a lot of violence and wars. Europe therefore became entangled in a chain of wars among its own states. Adopting isolationism brought more benefits to America which was a young developing country. Europeans dominated most of the world affairs and if America got involved in Europe’s affairs it would be colonized by Europe. However during 1800s, Germany provoked America during World War I and got America to participate in the war. Isolationism in Europe caused so much poverty because states fought amongst themselves and destroyed important resources such as schools, factories, farms and hospitals. Actually America was very deeply rooted to this idea of isolationism. Though many other nations supported this idea, their intentions to move into this system were not the same as that of the Americans. That was mainly because the United States was very much stable in terms of economical and also political status and their involvement in isolationism was considered to be very successful. During the time when America was at its peak of development, the United States had many options that they were going to use on expanding within their own territories. It also had large amounts of raw materials that they were going to use in expanding the factories and industries within the country. There was nothing which actually made the Americans travel abroad like many of the western European nations e.g. Britain. They were in no need of any new markets or any opportunities to invest neither did they need any space to build their dynasties. Their only motives were to increase their internal colonization territories to the furthest west. Therefore most of their duties were mainly concentrated within the country and they did not need to move out of the country. Many other nations also had very little chances of entering into the United States. Also the two wide oceans which surrounded the United States of America kept the rest of the countries 3000 miles away. Therefore it was very much difficult for the rest of the nations to cover such distance in seeking to enter into the United States. Most of their surrounding neighbors in the northern and southern part did not concentrate on entering into the country. This was mainly because countries in the northern part e. g. Canada and the West Indies had been connected so much with the British and in the south, the South Americans in the 19th century were not strong enough to attack or to cause conflicts with a country like America at that time. The main reason why the isolation of the Americans was not disturbed in the 19th century was mainly because the British soldiers kept them at bay. This reason was mainly caused by the world’s organization whereby it was mainly done so following the British system. The British system was mainly used because there was a well balanced system of power in the west and the British Navy was very much powerful at that time. The British system was functioning so effortlessly and most of the nations didn’t even believe that the system was mainly powered by the British economical and political supremacy. Therefore America grew well while adopting this system of isolationism as a successful policy because it would keep them away in involving themselves in wars. This was also strengthened by the international involvement of other nations e. g. the British that ensured that all the trouble were reduced to the minimum. Another reason that made Americans to adapt to this system was their belief in the vision of staying as one community that is dedicated to working together. Isolationism in Europe was led by socialists. In Europe isolationism led to political and economical demise. This led to an outbreak of war when Germany went against the treaty of Versailles. Strong alliances were formed against the Soviet Union. Some of them include the alliance between Germany, Italy and Japan. After the World War I, most European countries decided to isolate themselves from the international affairs of Europe. This is because the results of the war were very devastating and so staying away from the alliances was of more benefit to the states of Europe. During the 1900s Portugal rejected all forms of international invasion into its territory and accepted the incorporation of economical aspects and also intergovernmental corporation within itself. The French are the most isolated people in Europe. French does not welcome new members and immigrants into its state. The French politicians are the most rigid and do not allow any foreign invasion into their political affairs. European nations resulted into isolationism due to the fear of international communism. This is a style that was adopted by Western Europe to protect itself against Russia. This is because all activities of the Soviet Union were questionable and suspected to have a ridden motive. Most western European states cooperated with each other to work against the Soviet Union. Great Britain, France and Germany acted as the major authorities in Europe making other states inferior to them. Russia, being a soviet union did not participate in the world war, because it aimed to protect its territories and resources. Russia also colonized other European nations only accepted Russia foreign policy, when Russia joined the League of Nations. After the world wars, Europe did not feel that money and resources used in the war were a waste of time, instead, they believed that, the war was thought for a worthy cause and a common goal to protest its interests and those of its citizens. The war caused unequal distribution of wealth between America and Europe. This is because the war led to collapse of business in Europe. After the war, United States imposed a tariff policy on European goals making it difficult to sell their goods in America. America put the tariff policies to protect their business after the world wars. Political isolationisms in Europe also led to the collapse of the European constitution political leaders isolated themselves from the common citizens and implemented laws that were not acceptable by the citizens. Political leaders in Europe did not accept any political ideas from its citizens. Isolationism is a problem that makes human beings to put their interest first. It is a nature to create a sense of security. European did not want other people from different backgrounds to include their own tunes, values or culture. As a result Europe introduced tariff policies that were aimed at protecting its business from foreign status. Bibliography Graebner, Norman A. The New Isolationism: A Study in Politics and Foreign Policy since 1950. New York: Ronald Press, 1956. http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=3485145. Martel, Gordon, ed. American Foreign Relations Reconsidered, 1890-1993. New York: Routledge, 1994. http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=103366220. Powaski, Ronald E. Toward an Entangling Alliance: American Isolationism, Internationalism, and Europe, 1901-1950. New York: Greenwood Press, 1991. http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=9788561. Ward, Barbara. The West at Bay. New York: W. W. Norton, 1948. http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=104923298.

The Role Of Media In Peace Building

The Role Of Media In Peace Building History has shown that the media can incite people toward violence. Hitler used the media to create an entire worldview of hatred for Jews, homosexuals, and other minority groups. Rwandas radio RTLM urged listeners to pick up machetes and take to the streets to kill what they called the cockroaches. Broadcasters in the Balkans polarized local communities to the point where violence became an acceptable tool for addressing grievances. The medias impact on the escalation of conflict is more widely recognized than the medias impact on peace-building. Yet it is not uncommon to hear experts pronounce that the medias impact on peace-building must be significant given its powerful impact on conflict. However, this simple relationship must not be taken for granted and should be critically examined in order to most effectively use the media for conflict prevention and peace-building (Wolfsfeld, 2004, p.15) In the last six decades, the influence of the media in the global arena has increasingly been recognized, especially its power to either exacerbate or contain potential conflicts. Indeed it is worth noting that among the defendants during the Nuremburg trials which were constituted by the allied forces following the defeat of the Germany and her allies immediately after the second world war was one Julius Streicher who although never held any official position within the Nazi party hierarchy, was considered to be among the top individuals who bore the greatest responsibility for the holocaust that killed more than six million Jews (Nuremburg trial papers). For close to twenty five years, Streicher had educated the Germany people in hatred and incited them to the persecution and the extermination of the Jewish race. The propaganda which Streicher carried for close to twenty five years was chiefly done through the medium of his newspaper as the editor of the Der Stuemer and later sever al other provincial journals (May 24 1934 issue). As early as the 17th century, Edmund Burke had coined the term the fourth estate, to demonstrate the growing power of the media in periods when power and influence was concentrated in hands of only three classes of society (Calyle, p 392).). Although it is still debatable as who was the first to use the word, Burke is said to have remarked that there were estates in Parliament, but in the reporters gallery yonder, there sat the fourth estate more important than four than they all. He was making reference to the traditional three estates of Parliament: The Lords spiritual, the Lords temporal and the Commons (Schultz, p.4). In the last 50 years the media influence has grown exponentially with the advance of technology, first there was the telegraph, then the radio, the newspaper, magazines, television and now the internet. Many people are today fully dependent on the information and communication to keep moving in the right direction and their daily activities like work, entertainment, healthcare, education, personal relationships, traveling are greatly controlled by what they read, hear and see. New communications technologies such as mobile/video phones and laptop computers are allowing journalists to gather and disseminate information with ease from many parts of the world. The digitization of the news industry, which has led to a compression of time and space, means we see news images of demonstrations, riots or coups within minutes of these occurring in the streets. These images not only inform global audiences, but may instigate further campaigns of violence at home. Commercial realities of news gathering have also affected the reporting of conflicts. The higher cost of news gathering in remote regions, coupled with the geopolitical and economic priorities of the West, mean that conflicts occurring at close proximity to the metropolitan centers receive coverage at the expense of those occurring further away in less developed regions of the world. A study of conflict reporting in the worlds major news outlets in 2000 shows that the Israel Palestine conflict was by far the most covered five times greater than the next most covered conflict (Hawkins, 2002) . Virgil Hawkins, the researcher who conducted the study, notes: By contrast, conflict in Africa, which has been, in the post-Cold-War world, is responsible for up to 90 percent of the worlds total war dead suffered an almost complete media blackout. Coverage of the massive war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which caused in excess of one million deaths in the year 2000, was almost insignificant (p. 231). With the international news agenda controlled by the worlds major media giants, it has become crucial to develop and strengthen media at the local level to maintain diversity of opinion. As media in many developing nations, such as Kenya, move away from state control towards private enterprise, it is essential for local media to find their own voice and professional codes. A well developed media system with professionally trained journalists usually benefits both global and local audiences and provides a vital link to the outside world during conflict situations. The media is a double-edged sword. It can be a frightful weapon of violence when it propagates messages of intolerance or disinformation that manipulate public sentiment; but there is another aspect to the media, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it can be an instrument of conflict resolution, when the information it presents is reliable, respects human rights, and represents diverse views. It is the kind of media that enables a society to mak e well-informed choices, which is the precursor of democratic governance. It is a media that reduces conflict and fosters human security (BBC policy briefing). Today, in every part of the world reliable, accurate and objective media, whether be it mainstream, alternative or traditional/non-conventional, can both help to prevent and resolve conflict through the automatic functions of responsibly disseminating information, furthering awareness and knowledge, promoting participatory and transparent governance, and addressing perceived grievances. In the same vein, inadvertently or overtly propagandistic media may equally fuel tensions and exacerbate conflicts, which in extreme cases like in Rwanda may directly result in genocide (Thomson, 1998). 1.1 Background of the Study To argue that media does make a difference means rejecting the view that media are no more than mirrors of something else -consumer choices; elite interests, or reality itself (as in the positivist assertions by some journalists that they simply report the way it is). It is a commonplace to suggest that media provide their audiences with a map of the social and political world beyond their own immediate experience. From this observation about contemporary complex society, flow other notions of media power: agenda setting (media capacity to focus public attention on some events and issues, and away from others); the spiral of silence (the withering of issues and perspectives ignored by media); priming (media ability to influence citizens criteria of political evaluation); cultivation (the gradual adoption of beliefs about the social world that correspond to televisions selective picture of the world), framing, and the ideological effect (the production of meaning in the service of dom ination) (Hackett Carroll, 2006, p.30-31). A less frequently considered but equally pertinent dimension of media influence is their relationship with anti-war movements. Within reasonably democratic states, and in the absence of elite discord, such movements may be the most important buffer within civil society against war. The movement/media relationship is asymmetrical: movements need media (to mobilize support, validate their political existence, and attract new supporters) far more than vice versa (Gamson Wolfsfeld 1993). Media play contradictory but important roles at every stage of their trajectory; their emergence, organizational self-maintenance, and success; when political and foreign policy elites are united around a war policy, dominant media are likely to trivialize or demonize anti-war dissent (Gitlin 1980; Hackett 1991). In the context specifically of war, some scholars see an intensification of media agenda-setting with the advent of real-time, 24-hour, globally distributed television news -most iconically Ber nard Shaws and Peter Arnetts reporting for Cable News Network (CNN) from Baghdad during the 1991 Gulf War. The so-called CNN effect allegedly highlights political uncertainty and incompetence, accelerates the pace at which politicians must respond to crises, and creates expectations and emotions that may force governments, against their initial inclinations, to intervene (or disengage) in conflict situations. The American humanitarian intervention in Somalia is often cited as an example (Spencer, 2005, p.24-38). According to Arnold (2005), the mass media contributed immensely to the propagation of US foreign policy agenda, couching imperial military actions in terms of humanitarian interventions undertaken to promote global freedom and democracy. This gave the US foreign policy the media attention cycle as there was competition among worldwide television and radio networks such as BBC, CNN, FOX TV and Channel 4 as who gets the right information first. This therefore, created huge demand for Western media even in non-western countries. In Africa, several efforts have been made to use the mass media to promote peace. For example, Radio for Peace-Building Africa (RFPA) is a program founded in 2003 by the international non-profit organization Search for Common Ground. The following are the countries in which RFPA is operated: Burundi, Central African Republic, Kenya, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda. Working on the assumption that radio is the most accessible form of mass communication in Africa, RFPA trains journalists in peace-building, conflict resolution, and acting on commonalities. As stated in their achievements, 2010, RFPA has more than 3,000 members representing 100 countries, across Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. They have carried out over 90 workshops and trained local radio station personnel (Radio for Peace-Building Africa, 2011). If the media have played an important role in breeding violence, it seems reasonable to examine the prospects of the reverse perspective-positive media contributions to ending violence and peace building in Kenya as a whole. Furthermore, if the media are usually found to support forces that lead to violent conflict, it can also be said that the media have the power to influence the activities that promote peace in the society. While media have been prominent contributors to every post-Cold War conflict (Prince and Thompson, 2002, Allen and Seaton, 1999), their role in post conflict peace-building and social development has not been apparent. Elsewhere however, recently there have been enough proves to accept the idea regarding the use of role that the media have played in peace-building. For instance, in Bosnia, Burundi, Cambodia, Croatia, Israel/Palestine, Macedonia, and Rwanda there are documented positive accomplishment of initiated projects of post-conflict recovery through the r ole of the media (McGoldrick, 2006). Also, over the past seven years, RFPA promoted peace in its areas of operation through levels of collaboration that it established between the government, media (TV stations and news papers) and civil society, increased the ability of radio stations to identify the underlying causes of war and conflict, increased the publics access to policy information, and used media to foster communication between policy makers and the civil society within that state, among other achievement (Radio for Peace-Building Africa: Achievements, 2012). 1.2 Problem Statement Literature on conflict and peace-building reveals a dismal focus on the role of the media in peace processes. Existing theory only tends to portray the media as essential in reporting and generating discourses on conflicts (Wolfsfeld, 2004; Watson, 2006; Bratic, 2006). Scholars of the post-election phenomenon in Kenya quickly conclude that, the crisis was a deeply rooted political and ethnic problem. Yet, the role of the media in the conflict, as well as its ability to mediate peace is not adequately tackled. In the East African region, Kenyan media like that in Rwanda has been scrutinized at the level of international law as a perpetrator of political violence. The post-2007 crisis serves as a good case to exemplify the process from conflict to peace-building. First, it illustrates the double role of the media as a constructive and destructive agent, and provides a link between media freedom and human rights. Secondly, this research explores challenges of media freedom within fragile democracies, where politics, poverty and ethnic differences can influence the media agenda. While the use of hate speech in the media is not discounted, this project will not focus on the subject as a whole, but draw examples to examine arguments. This project does not discuss ethnicity as a theory, but rather uses the term ethnic violence, a theme applied to describe political and ethnic tensions in Kenya (Hagg Kagwanja, 2007). The concept of ethnic violence has also been characterised as an element of civil or degenerate wars by several authors in recent years (Hanssen, 2000; Shaw, 2003; Kaldor, 2006). In recent times the effect of the mass media in shaping and forming the view of people especially the radio due to its accessibility, affordability and availability as compared to TV and computers (social networks e.g. Face book, Twitter, and YouTube) has contributed immensely to the development of a country. In the area of sport the mass media is promoting all kinds of sports especially football through constant publicity. As an emerging buoyant economic industry, the various media houses have established front desk for sports. Besides, they also have sports journalist who monitor, research and analyze sports related issues in the world, Africa and Kenya in particular. This has brought sports to the limelight of the media and given it a place in the media cycle. Inferring to the above and many achievements and contributions of the mass media in Kenya, it can be concluded that the mass media actually do assist in social improvements and building the ideals of the society. By systematically monitoring the performance of state institutions and reporting progress activities of the government, by guiding and dispensing of socialization, and by entertaining its audiences through interesting programmes. Against this background, many media houses have capacity building programmes to enhance public participation through phoning-in sessions. These programmes are also inspired by the need to improve and deepen governance and democracy. Notwithstanding, none or little concern has been given to programmes that are geared towards peace-building. It is for this reason that this study seeks to find out the role of the mass media in peace-building in Kenya. 1.3 Objectives of the Study The general objective of this research will be to explore the role the media has played in peace building among selected media houses in Kenya. The specific objectives of the research will be: To examine the activities of the media in peace-building. To establish the measures that government, stakeholders and media houses have put in place towards peace-building. To find out whether the media has been successfully used to promote peace in Kenya. To assess the effects of the media on peace-building. To make recommendations towards the use of the media in promoting and enhancing peace-building in Kenya. 1.4 Research Questions The following questions will serve as research questions to guide this research. What are the activities of the media in peace-building? What measures has the government, stakeholders and media houses put in place towards peace-building? How has the media been successfully used to promote peace in Kenya?. What are the effects of the media on peace-building? 1.5 Rationale for the Study The media is a double-edged sword. It can be a frightful weapon of violence when it propagates messages of intolerance or disinformation that manipulate public sentiment. But there is another aspect to the media. It can be an instrument of conflict resolution, when the information it presents is reliable, respects human rights, and represents diverse views. It is the kind of media that enables a society to make well-informed choices, which is the precursor of democratic governance. It is a media that reduces conflict and fosters human security. Today, in every part of the world, reliable, accurate and objective media, whether mainstream, alternative or non-conventional, can both help to prevent and resolve conflict through the automatic functions of responsibly disseminating information, furthering awareness and knowledge, promoting participatory and transparent governance, and addressing perceived grievances. In the same vein, inadvertently or overtly propagandistic media may equall y fuel tensions and exacerbate conflicts. This study aims at establishing the role of media in peace-building in Kenya. 1.6 Assumptions of the Study This study will be guided by the following assumptions: The media houses in Kenya have adopted acceptable practices in relation to peace-building reporting in their operations. The target audience from the population that will be selected will give a fair representation of the whole population under study. 1.7 Limitation of the Study Unexpected negative response from respondents due to the fact that they will be unwilling to give out sensitive organizational information. This will be delimited through counter-checking on secondary literature as well as desk-reviews. 1.8 Definition of Key Terms Capacity Building Capacity development is the process whereby individuals, groups, and organisations enhance their abilities to mobilize and use resources in order to achieve their objectives on a sustainable basis. Efforts to strengthen abilities of individuals, groups, and organisations can comprise a combination of (i) human skills development; (ii) changes in organisations and networks; and (iii) changes in governance/institutional context (ADB, 2004). Capacity building is a complex notion it involves individual and organisational learning which builds social capital and trust, develops knowledge, skills and attitudes and when successful creates an organisational culture which enables organisations to set objectives, achieve results, solve problems and create adaptive procedures which enable it to survive in the long term Ethnic violence In this study the term ethnic violence will be defined as a theme applied to describe political and ethnic tensions in Kenya (Hagg Kagwanja, 2007). Media The media refers to several mediums or channels used in an organized fashion to communicate information to groups of people, as a service to the public (Howard, 2002). In regard to this project, media is mainstream or independent (print, radio, television) in general. Peace Journalism According to Lynch and McGoldrick (2005) peace journalism is when editors and reporters make choices of what stories to report, and how to report them which create opportunities for society at large to consider and to value non-violent responses to conflict. Peace Journalism entails: Uses the insights of conflict analysis and transformation to update the concepts of balance, fairness and accuracy in reporting Provides a new route map tracing the connections between journalists, their sources, the stories they cover and the consequences of their journalism the ethics of journalistic intervention Builds an awareness of non-violence and creativity into the practical job of everyday editing and reporting (Lynch and McGoldrick 2005 p. 5). Peace Building The Carnegie Endowments Commission on the Prevention of Deadly Conflict (1997) defined peace-building as structural prevention which consists of the strategies to address the root causes of deadly conflict. Likewise, the Joint Utstein study of peace-building concludes that peace-building attempts to encourage the development of the structural conditions, attitudes, and modes of political behavior that may permit peaceful, stable and ultimately prosperous social and economic development. It states that there are four main headings related to peace-building: to provide security, to establish the socioeconomic foundations of long-term peace, to establish the political framework of long-term peace, and to generate reconciliation, a healing of the wounds of war and justice (Smith, 2003). These terms will be adopted in this study based but not limited to the above definitions. CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 The Kenyan Media: An Overview Kenya has a plural, sophisticated and robust mass media and communication sector that serve the various competing political, social, economic, cultural and technological needs of diverse interest groups. The sector has grown rapidly in the past 15 years because of a combination of factors including political and economic liberalization; and Kenyas strategic location as a regional and international economic and communication hub. Before 1992, the media scene was small, urban based and less independent owing to repressive media laws and regulation. Today, the media especially radio and television, reaches all urban centers and almost all rural communities. The broadcasting sub-sector is diverse, dynamic and competitive with substantial reach. There are about 14 TV and 113 radio stations in Kenya (Steadman Group, 2008). Radio is the number one source of information reaching almost 90 percent of the entire population followed by television reaching about 40 percent and newspapers (30 per cent). There are about 7.5 million radio sets (1.9 million in urban and 5.6 in rural areas) and 3.2 million TV sets in Kenya (1.4 million in urban and 1.8 in rural areas) in the country. There are about 16.7 radio listeners across the country with 12.4 million in rural and 4.4 million in towns (Steadman Group, 2008). Interesting developments in the broadcasting sector include the proliferation of FM stations broadcasting in over 21 ethnic languages out of 42 (CCK, 2008). The FM stations broadcasting in ethnic languages command about 30 percent of the market share today. Unfortunately, low professionalism characterizes most of these FM stations because they employ untrained and less experienced journalists. Satellite broadcasting is also thriving particularly among the upper and middle class in urban areas (Howard, 2008). Although the print media has a history of relative independence, it remains an urban phenomenon in Kenya. Kenya has 5 daily newspapers and over 10 weekly newspapers. The dominant newspapers are the Standard with a daily circulation of 80,000 -110,000; and Nation newspapers with a circulation of 100,000 120,000 (Mbeke Mshindi, 2008). The new media is also catching up in Kenya which boasts of 17.6 million mobile phone owners and 3.2 million internet users. There are over 1000 act ive blogs in Kenya. Safaricom, Kenyas number one mobile operator commands 70 percent of the market share and has over 16 million subscribers. Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), the oldest and only public broadcaster, has the largest network of TV and radio stations across the country. KBC radio service, broadcasting in over 21 ethnic languages, is the only network in Kenya with the capacity to reach all audiences across the country. It also operates KBC TV. Royal Media Services, owned by media magnate S.K. Macharia, is the second largest media house in Kenya. It operates Citizen TV which has a national reach and several radio stations broadcasting in ethnic languages including Kikuyu (Inooro), Luo (Ramogi), Kamba (Musyi), Luhya (Mulembe) among others The Nation Media Group (NMG) is the largest media network in Kenya with interests in newspapers, magazines, TV and radio. It operates the Daily Nation, Sunday Nation, the Business Daily, the East African newspapers as well as the Tourist Guide, the Business Directory among other magazines (BBC Media Monitoring, 2007). NMG runs the NTV and QTV as well as Easy FM and QFM radi o stations both with a national reach. NMG is listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) with the Aga Khan as the key shareholder. The Standard Group (SG) owns the KTN Network, Kenyas first private TV station (1989) and the East African Standard Newspapers, the oldest newspapers having started in 1902. The SG is listed on the NSE with Baraza Limited, a company closely associated with the former President Daniel arap Moi and his close aide Joshua Kulei as the key shareholders. The people media group owns the People Daily several ethnic radio stations. It is associated with the Kenyatta family having bought it from Kenneth Matiba and the radio component from Rose Kimotho. Patrick Quarcco owns Kiss FM and several other FM station together Kiss TV and the Nairobi Star, a daily newspaper. Industrialist Chris Kirubi owns Capital Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) that runs CBC TV and Capital FM. Other media include STV formerly owned by professional journalist Hilary Ngweno. Kenya also has a strong faith-based broadcasting media including Hope FM, Radio Waumini owned by the Catholic Church; and Family TV and radio FM owne d by Leo Slingerland. A number of international news agencies and organizations operate from Nairobi, Kenya. These include the BBC, VOA, Duetsche Welle, Radio France, Radio China, Al Jazeera and CNN. While the press covers mainly politics and economic issues, the broadcasting stations in Kenya are characterized by heavy music and light entertainment programming lazed with interactive talk shows on politics and current affairs. Kenyans have continuously voted the media as the most trusted and influential institution even as they continue to express their reservations over other government institutions like the legislature and the executive. According to BBC, the Kenyan media is one of the most respected, thriving, sophisticated and innovative in Africa. Compared to other African countries, Kenya has in the recent past enjoyed a robust economic growth which in turn has supported one of the most dynamic advertising markets on the continent and a population which consumes news and information voraciously. In turn, this market has supported an explosion in media over recent years. This is a relatively recent phenomenon. While an independent media tradition in Kenya is a long one, it was only in 1992 that the media bloomed to become the thriving industry it is today. Until then, the suppression of media freedom by the then KANU government, a stagnant economy and the continued monopolization of the airwaves by the governments Voice of Kenya (now Kenya Broadcasting Corporation), meant that independent media outlets were few and confined mostly to elites. Over a period of 15 years, this increasingly assertive and self-confident media has played a substantial role in mediating relationships between citizens and state, in shaping the democratic dispensation in the country, and has transformed utterly how some of the most marginalized in society access information on issues that shape their lives. Kenyan citizens have become increasingly reliant on the media for such information, investing in it with greater credibility than almost any other source of information. For most of this period, the media has been seen nationally and internationally as a principal indicator of the democratic vitality of Kenya. Media has been at the forefront of moves to transform Kenya from one party state to multiparty democracy; it has gained a reputation for exposing corruption and acting as a vigorous forum for public debate; it is seen as a guardian of the public interest against an overbearing state power. 2.2 The Activities of the Media in Peace-Building While large scale or world war has been avoided, continual civil conflicts have not been avoided i.e., the conflicts in Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Congo, Somalia. At the same time, peaceful resolution of conflicts that have major potential for civil conflicts: the transitions in South Africa, in Central and Eastern Africa have been witnessed. Therefore, peaceful resolution of national-civil conflicts is in a great part a communication process. That is; a concept of communication that channels civil conflict away from open war in to what is called cultural negotiation (White, 1990, p.22-23). The media can provide information directly to citizens regarding major events of importance for decision -making so that citizens can take action and influence the structure of decision-making. What is expected is a narrative reconstruction of events which reveals the source of the problem, the persons who are responsible and why, and what emerge finally as the solution. The media are the forum for the expression of public opinion and enable the public and public officials to chart the general public opinion regarding the state of public affairs. The mirroring of public opinion enables the public to know what people are expecting and whether representative governments are serving the public or not. A totalitarian state is one in which civil society is totally absorbed by the state, a state without a public opinion. Boutros Boutros-Gali (1992) gave clarity and coherence to the concept of peace building when he defined it as Action to identify and support structures which will tend to strengthen and solidify peace in order to avoid relapse into conflict and, rebuilding institutions and infrastructures of nations torn by civil war and strife (and tackling the deepest causes of) economic despair, social injustice and oppression. Inscribed in Willshers comment about his role as a journalist is an assumption about media influence which has also come to be known as the CNN effect -so called after the first Gulf War when the UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali said: We say we have 16 members in the Security Council: the 15 members plus CNN (Boutros Ghali, 1995). The proposition is that todays global media have grown so mighty as to be able to raise issues to the political agenda by their own efforts; issues which would otherwise hold little or no interest for the powers-that-be. In summary, the influence of the media on society has attracted international agencies closely involved in peace-building since the early 1990s (Ross, 2002). The media can contribute to peace, by engaging in credible reporting, representing balanced opinions in its editorial content, and opening up communication channels among parties in a conflict. It can also identify and articulate without bias the underlying interests of warring factions. By doing so, the media is capable of disseminating information that builds on the confidence of stakeholders in a conflict. 2.2.1 The CNN Effect The Harvard University Joan Shorenstein Center for Press, Politics and Public Policy has been instrumental in examining media effects. Steven Livingston, a leading CNN Effect researcher and associate professor of communication and international affairs at The George Washington University, along with his colleagues at Harvard, identified three conceptual variations surrounding the CNN Effect: the notion that media serves as an agenda-setting agency, that the media serves as an impediment in some cases and that the media facilitates a more accelerated publi

Philosophy of Education Essay example -- Philosophy on Teaching Statem

Philosophy of Education As I begin my education for becoming a teacher, I am beginning to make decisions on things such as how I would like my teaching style to be, ways to deal with discipline problems, and how I would like my classroom to be set up. However, I cannot put my ideas into one philosophy. I feel that using many styles of teaching is better than just using one. Some students may learn better with one style of teaching while others may learn better with another. The teaching philosophies I can best relate to are realism, pragmatism, and idealism. The main reason I would like to become a teacher is the love for little kids. I really enjoy being around children. After teaching Sunday School to children up to 8 years of age for over five years, I feel that I can relate to them and connect with them very well. I also feel that students look up to teachers, so they are a very big influence on the children's’ lives. I would love to know that I could make such a big influence on a child’s life. In my opinion teachers have an impact on the life of every student they ever have in class. The appearance of the classroom has a big effect on how smoothly the class will go. The seating arrangement in my classroom will be in a U shape. It will be better with classroom discussion to have the students facing each other. This type of seating arrangement should relax the children and make them feel more comfortable. On the bulletin boards there will be pictures of the students while involved in class activities and students work as a reward for doing well on an assignment. Also on the walls there will be posters to inspire the students. My class ... ...er the teacher will have more time for each student, therefore, the students will get more out of the class than if the class was bigger. I think that smaller schools and smaller class sizes are much better than consolidating the schools into one large school. Teachers should try to make the class as interesting as possible. If the students are interested in learning they will try harder and learn better. Teachers should be a positive influence on their student’s lives. They should not only teach them the basic subjects, but also try to make them become better people by being involved with them. Some parents don’t care how their children act and don’t try to help them overcome problems such as shyness; therefore it is left up to the teacher to help these students. This is where the teacher should become a friend and role model for the students.

Comparison of Seven Beowulf Translations Essay -- comparison compare c

Comparison of Seven Beowulf   Translations    There is not unanimity among Beowulf translators concerning all parts of the text, but there is little divergence from a single, uniform translation of the poem. Herein are discussed some passages which translators might show disagreement about because of the lack of clarity or missing fragments of text or abundance of synonyms or ambiguous referents.    After the Danish coast-guard meets and talks to Beowulf, the guard then begins his next speech with a brief maxim or aphorism:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aeghwaepres sceal scearp scyldwiga  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   gescad witan, worda ond worca,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   se pe wel penced. (287-289)    T.A. Shippey comments in â€Å"The World of the Poem† that :      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Translating this ought not to be difficult†¦. The problem here is caused by the fact that proverbs are not merely linguistic phenomena†¦. the hidden factor is the extralinguistic frame; we have been taught in childhood when to use proverbs, what their metaphors mean, who to say them to, and how to take them. It is this nonverbal knowledge that we need to be able to understand the coastguard’s ‘gnome.’ Reluctance to reconstruct such intangibles and dogged staring at the text have led literary critics into controversy (Shippey 34).    So let’s cross-reference six translators and determine how serious a discrepancy exists here. Howell D. Chickering translates the troublesome part of the passage:   â€Å"must know the distinction between words and deeds, keep the difference clear† (Chickering 65). E. Talbot Donaldson: â€Å"who thinks well must be able to judge each of the two things, words and works† (Donaldson 6). Kevin Crossley-Holland: â€Å"one whose mind is ... ... multiple synonyms, vague references, etc.    BIBLIOGRAPHY   Alexander, Michael. Beowulf A Verse Translation. New York: Penguin Books, 1973. Chickering, Howell D. Beowulf A dual-Language Edition. New York: Anchor Books, 1977. Crossley-Holland, Kevin, trans. Beowulf The Fight at Finnsburh, edited by Heather O’Donoghue. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Donaldson, E. Talbot, trans. Beowulf The Donaldson Translation, edited by Joseph Tuso. New York, W.W.Norton and Co., 1975. Heaney, Seamus. Beowulf, A New Verse Translation. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2000. Rebsamen, Frederick. Beowulf A Verse Translation. New York: Harper-Collins Publishers, 1991. Shippey, T.A.. â€Å"The World of the Poem.† In Beowulf – Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987..

Language and Mind Essay

1. Which of the following statements about parameters is FALSE? a. They specify the limits on possible differences between languages b. They do not belong to Universal Grammar # c. Their values must be â€Å"set† on the basis of experience 2. From the viewpoint of the principles-and-parameters theory, the process of language acquisition consists of: a. Setting the choice for each parameter that fits the language that is being acquired # b. Storing words and sentences in memory c. Learning the order in which words occur in sentences 3. If some property X is true for all languages, we can conclude that: a. X may be a property that all and only languages have (i.e. a language-unique universal) # b. X must be a general property of all cognitive systems c. X is determined by the universal human articulatory apparatus 4. The fact that young infants do not forget about objects that they have seen after these objects have been taken away is called: a. object shift b. habituation c. object permanence # 5. Consider the following two question sentences: i. When did the boy say he fell out of the tree? ii. When did the boy say how he fell out of the tree? The first question is ambiguous because: a. It is not clearly formulated b. It has two different underlying deep structures # c. It has one sentence embedded in another sentence 6. The statement: perception is ahead of production means that: a. Children can articulate words before they can recognize and understand them b. Children can recognize and understand words and sentences that they cannot yet properly produce themselves# c. Children’s visual abilities are better than their auditory abilities 7. The special way in which parents speak to young infants is called a. Telegraphic speech b. Motherese or parentese# c. Recursion 8. The ‘Critical Period’ that is relevant for first and second language acquisition a. That is correct # b. That is incorrect because it is only relevant for first language acquisition c. That is incorrect because it is only relevant for second language acquisition 9. Genie’s success in acquiring English turned out to be very limited. The greatest problem she had was: a. Learning words b. Understanding what people said to her c. Forming utterances with syntactic structure # 10. Genie’s case provides important support for: a. The critical period hypothesis # b. The role of ‘motherese’ in language acquisition c. The Poverty of stimulus argument for innateness 11. Imagine the following scenario: Some Japanese people come to Mexico to do business. None of them speaks Spanish, and none of their Mexican partners speaks Japanese. There is no other language that these two groups have in common. Therefore, they have to develop a kind of ‘auxiliary communication system’ that can fit this special circumstance. This system is most likely to be a: a. creole b. pidgin # c. English 12. According to Derek Bickerton a creole language is created by: a. adults who are forced to communicate with each other over a long period of time without having a shared language b. people who need to have a secret language c. children whose linguistic input consists of a pidgin spoken in their community # 13. The fact that children are apparently capable of producing a creole language which has grammatical properties that are not present in the pidgin input can be used as evidence for: a. The view that children have innate knowledge of language structure # b. The view that pidgin languages have hidden grammatical structure c. The view that children are born with blank slate minds 14. For a universal to count as an argument for the IH, which of the following three conditions is NOT necessary: a. The universal must be true of languages only b. We cannot explain the universal in any other way c. The universals must be about the syntax of language# 15. Which of the following is NOT a property of creole languages? a. Creole languages have a very simplified grammar # b. Creole languages have been acquired as first languages c. Creole languages have a fully developed grammar 16. Which of the following statements is FALSE? a. Sign languages differ from spoken languages in being based on visual signals rather than on sound b. Sign languages have emerged spontaneously (i.e. they are not man-made or artificial) just like spoken languages c. Sign languages are fundamentally different from spoken languages in that all signs are necessarily iconic # 17. The existence of sign languages, being fully equivalent in all relevant respects to spoken languages, supports the innateness hypothesis because: a. Both types of languages are processed in totally different brain regions b. Both types of languages depend on the innate principles of the auditory or visual system c. Even though the perceptual modality (audition versus vision) is so different from the spoken language modality, the same kind of grammatical structures are present in both types of languages # 18. The stages that children, who acquire a sign language, go through (after they start babbling) are: a. The same as the stages we see in the acquisition of spoken languages # b. Different in that deaf children skip the two word stage c. Different in that deaf children never get to the point that they form full sentences 19. In the case of Nicaraguan Sign Language, the youngest children changed the unstructured signing of their older peers into a structured language. This is analogous to: a. changing a pidgin into a creole # b. changing a creole into a pidgin c. changing a spoken language into a sign language 20. A simplified form of human communication used by people with no common language is a(n): a. Pidgin language # b. Creole language c. Artificial language 21. Which of the following statements is TRUE? a. All pidgin languages have the same grammar b. All pidgin languages have very simple grammars # c. All pidgin languages have fully developed grammars 22. Which of the following statements is TRUE a. Children can acquire only one languages at the same time b. There are no fixed stages in the acquisition of sign languages c. Foreign language learning after puberty in general leads to imperfect language abilities # 23. The argument that the input that children receive is not rich enough to explain the rich knowledge that they end up with is called: a. The argument from universals b. The argument from stages c. The poverty of the stimulus argument # 24. Evidence for categorical perception in young infants comes from: a. Habituation studies # b. Diary studies c. Longitudinal studies 25. In which stage of language acquisition would children most likely produce a sentence such as â€Å"mommy want milky†? a. Holophrastic stage b. Two word-stage c. Telegraphic stage #

Discuss the Roles of Language and Reason in History Essay

History as the area of knowledge is virtually indivisible from language and reasoning. Language is one of the most potent means of interpreting and reporting historical information that is derived from the sources pertinent to the events and occurrences. The sources themselves, in their turn, are frequently presented by the written documents, recorded anecdotal experiences, and works of art, archeology, anthropology and photography which, yet again, are interpreted through the language in conjunction with the context of a historical event. It appears to be an endless loop, where language is the alpha and omega, the main vehicle of conveying history. However, to arrive to the valid interpretation of a certain historical event or development, historians frequently use reasoning to connect the factual data of the tangible sources since the latter ones often come in the form of fragments, related to a particular aspect of the happening. Ideally, reasoning, applied to the interpretation of historical data, should be impersonal, unaffected by predominant views and opinions and completely untainted by political agenda. Yet, it is hard to imagine that throughout the centuries those who held power would willingly allow the contemporary historians relate to the masses the adequate information on the details of their governing techniques and actions. As Winston Churchill pointed out, â€Å"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.† Therefore, it is up to an individual to interpret the language, deduce information through applying reasoning, incorporate other areas of knowledge such as science, sociology, psychology and arrive to conclusions in attempts to comprehend historical developments in question. It is important to point out that we frequently perceive historical events as they are presented by those who hold some form of authority: the individuals whom we refer to as experts or the mass media and research bodies who are entrusted with the responsibility to convey information to masses. And here comes the essential aspect: the validity of the statements and projections made by the mentioned authorities. In other words, in search for the truthful perspective of a historical event one needs to remember about the language that is used for such interpretations, the language of power. Truth in history is a dubious concept since any event which involves certain outcomes would be interpreted by a number of experts. The outcomes of the events be it revolutions, wars, or reigns of monarchs and are usually appear in form of facts: toppling of governments, changes in ideologies and laws that societies are to adhere to, development or stagnation of the economy in a given country. These are the facts that are presented in the form of explanations, commentaries, and justifications. And here the language of power might play the crucial role in the way this information is to be perceived. To distinguish the motives behind the language that is used for presenting the event, one needs to look for other sources that interpret the same development, but from a different angle. For instance, the attack on the World Trade Center, New York City, in 2001 is vastly believed to be executed by the group of terrorists known as Al-Qaeda, and hence perceived as â€Å"the terrorist attack†. The mass media of the entire world presented the fact that over 2,700 people perished during the atrocious bombing which involved the hijacked airplanes driven into both towers which collapsed within a short period of time. However, the independent sources point at the undeniable facts that the World Trade Center towers were â€Å"designed to take the impact of the Boeing 707 hitting the building at any location† (Les Robertson, WTC Structural Engineer) and â€Å"could sustain multiple impacts of jetliners† (Frank A. Demartini, Manager of WTC Construction) and still survive (Aaron Swirsky, WTC Architect)1. Other sources, such as a scientific research conducted by Dr Steven Johns, Professor of Physics, BYU, state that the way the buildings collapsed precisely follows the scenario of a controlled demolition. Here, historical event calls for the help of reasoning, which can raise further questions to authorities that put the entire responsibility on the Al-Qaeda. The more scientific and factual evidence emerges from the research, the more controversial this event seems to be. But it is for an individual to arrive to a conclusion provided he or she is concerned with the issue. However, the prevailing opinion that was projected into the minds of the public by mass media remains adamant: the terrorist group dealt a tremendous blow to the democracy of the United States and must pay for it. Hence, there is a fully justifiable war with Iraq, the country which has a doubtful connection with Al-Qaeda, apart from the fact that it is run by a dictator and constitutes a predominantly Muslim society. But the non-Muslim world has already been contaminated by the fear of Muslims who seem to be nearly synonymous with â€Å"terrorists†. â€Å"Thus, [†¦] crowds have come,[†¦] to acquire a profound antipathy for the images evoked by certain words†2 and fully accepted the justification for the war in Iraq. Reasoning is an indispensable tool for those who wish to form a personal opinion on historical events which are presented through language. Yet this process entails searching for the information from the alternative sources. Language is used as a powerful vehicle in creating certain views among various groups of societies, and such language is frequently applied by those who are concerned with power. History is abound with examples in which governing bodies used language to impose ideology and ensure that the masses are entirely convinced in the righteousness of such propaganda: the Soviet Union, China and socialism, Germany and Nazism, the United States and democracy. However, upon a simple application of reasoning, a series of questions arise: how a nation that was claimed to be fed by pure ideology could exist for more than 75 years and build one of the most successful, self-sustaining industries and sciences that are still recognized, though grudgingly, throughout the entire capi talistic world? How could a nation develop such a potent economy that is still burgeoning while the other one is desperately trying to recover from the economic meltdown that has affected nearly the entire world? What could make a nation believe a mentally ill person3 and empower it to conquer the entire Europe? It is indubitable that the language of power and the power of language were effectively used by the leaders of those nations. However, it is reasoning that can help an independent researcher or a concerned individual in the quest of constructing a clear picture on what forces were involved in such profound changes on such vast scales. Of course, it is naà ¯ve to presume that reasoning alone might provide clarifications to the historical events under scrutiny. Reasoning in history is a second step in interpreting historical developments after pertinent to them materials were selected and carefully studied. These materials would include evidence from various fields and areas of knowledge, and the greater the scope of those areas, the more comprehensible and significant the features of events would emerge before the eyes of the researcher. Language might play the roles of obscuring the conditions and implications of historical events; yet the same language might be used in explaining the factors that led to the consequences produced by those events. However, it is the effort in applying reasoning and logic that would eventually create an unobstructed perspective on the historical developments and occurrences in question. References and works cited: 1. Joseph, Peter. 2007. Zeitgeist. Online. Accessed: Dec 21, 2010. www.zeitgeistmovie.com. 2. Le Bon, Gustave. 1841-1931. The Crowd: A study of the Popular Mind. 1841-1931. Translation: Psychologie des foules. Cherokee Publishing Company. Atlanta, Georgia. 1982. Pg. 100 3. The International Campaign for Real History. Hitler’s Last Illness. Online. Accessed: Dec 23, 2010. www.fpp.co.uk/Hitler/docs/Parkinsonism/VancouverSun170599.html