Saturday, August 31, 2019

Case Anaylsis Motivation

Jason Haro 10/10/2012 Management of Organizations Case Analysis: Motivation In order to have an effective performance from a group a people, effective leadership must be used along with good teamwork to have an efficient running company. After analyzing the case of Joe Chaney, it is clear that there has been a fault in leadership along with lack of motivation. In order to fix the situation with Mr. Chaney, a meeting should be established with him to discuss his performance.The first question to start out with is to make sure that Joe realizes there has been a problem with his performance at work. Chances are he will realize there is a problem, since his conversation about complaining about his job was overheard. Once it is established that there is a problem with performance, the next task is to figure out if the problem stems from inadequate subordinate ability or motivation. In the case of Joe Chaney, there is a problem with both ability and motivationThe inadequate subordinate abi lity comes from inadequate resources to do the job leading to a resource problem. Mr. Chaney was hired with mediocre recommendations from his previous employer because help was needed desperately. The firm seems to be understaffed to handle the rise in workload from the local construction boom. The absence of formal performance reviews and career counseling due to time constraints along with losing Friday social hours and making weekends mandatory is a huge demotivating factor for employees, not just Mr. Chaney.The relationship curve between level of conflict and level of performance shows that having too much conflict for extended periods of time leads to low levels of performance. More staff should be hired to ease the workload. Incentive problems are also an issue with Mr. Chaney. Mr. Chaney’s statement of â€Å"no one around here respects my opinion. I’m just a lowly draftsman†¦ because I don’t have the degree, they ignore my input, and I’m stuc k doing the grunt work† shows that there is an issue of Mr. Chaney feeling unappreciated so he has stopped caring about his work.Effective leaders should be empathetic towards his employees. Understanding that he has a wife and children shows that he has concerns for providing for his family. Between working and being a family man, he may not have an opportunity to obtain his degree to have a better title and paying wage. Restarting career counseling and performance reviews would help solve these problems. Credit should be given to Mr. Chaney as his performance, until recently, has been surprisingly well and produced high quality work.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Geographical Information System In Meteorology Environmental Sciences Essay

Despite a batch of attempts by scientists in specifying what geographical information system ( GIS ) is, definitions still vary and sometimes can add to confusion. Many definitions can be referred to in this essay but we will restrict ourselves to two definitions. The first 1 is by Longly et Al, A ( 2004 ) who define GIS by mentioning to it as the survey â€Å" of the cardinal issues originating from the creative activity, managing, storage and usage of geographic information † ( p.3 ) . The 2nd definition is by Heywood ( 2006 ) who defines GIS as a â€Å" system for capturing, hive awaying, look intoing, incorporating, pull stringsing, analysing and exposing informations which are spatially referenced to the Earth † ( p.9 ) . In his of import book, Mirror Worlds, Gelernter ( 1992 ) argues that â€Å" we are populating in a universe where the existent and the digital universes are meeting † and that â€Å" you will look into a computing machine screen and see world. Some portion of your world- the town you live in, the company you work for, your school system, the metropolis hospital- will hang at that place in a crisp coloring material image, abstract but recognizable, traveling subtly in a 1000 topographic points † ( p.1 ) . The rise of smart systems is seting more information at our fingertips. Our nomadic phones, loaded with a assortment of applications, can draw all of this information together to state us where precisely we are and how far we are from a nice cup of java. We can book a vacation and acquire day-to-day updates of the conditions conditions at our finish. Of class, there are wider and arguably more of import utilizations of smart systems beyond these strictly superficial app lications. The usage of geographical information systems ( GIS ) has been at the really head of Gelernter ‘s ( 1992 ) vision of the ‘mirror universe ‘ . As a affair of fact the usage of such systems stems from the inflow of computing machines into America during the sixtiess. Harmonizing to Chapman and Thornes ( 2003 ) these early systems were used to, â€Å" supply a simplified position of the existent universe by exposing digital particular information as dynamic electronic maps † ( p. 314 ) . They go on to reason that GIS has now, â€Å" evolved into a powerful direction tool used for capturing, patterning, analyzing and exposing spacial informations † ( p. 314 ) . Here we see a clear illustration of the digital and the existent universes clashing with potentially illimitable third applications for the information gathered. This essay we will see the usage of GIS specifically in the field of weather forecasting. In this regard the first subdivision will supply a brief debut to some of the issues here and besides show a conceptual model that will function to steer the subsequent research. The 2nd subdivision will see the existent application of GIS in weather forecasting, pulling on specific illustrations of its usage. How is the information collected and how is it used? What are some of the possible chances and challenges that it presents? These are merely some of the inquiries that this subdivision will trust to reply. The concluding subdivision will be a decision that will try to pull the statements together.Section 1: Gilbert and MeteorologyPlanet Earth is experiencingA of all time altering climatic events which are doing, about every twenty-four hours, the headlines of the intelligence requiring, therefore, more surveies and research. Although the survey of conditions and clime is indispensable beca use exposing climatic informations and information is of a affair of involvement for the populace for different grounds, it is even more of import for meteorologists as it constitute a really important beginning of information for their field. Tveito et Al ( 2008 ) argue that the public demand for information on assorted climatological, meteoric, hydrological and environmental issues requires, â€Å" multifacet, cross-discipline informations or cognition so that quantitative methodological analysiss and tools are necessary to pull out, analyse, form and measure the needed information † ( p. 6 ) . They go on to reason that in this context, GIS has emerged as a powerful tool due to the fact that it makes it possible to, â€Å" combine all necessary processs for visual image, integrating, flexible combination and storage of information for different informations sets † ( p. 6 ) . Thorne ( 2005 ) observes that over the past decennary, the usage of GIS has experienced an rush in involvement due to the falling monetary values of consumer GIS merchandises, faster calculating treating power and the rise of the cyberspace. This has resulted in, â€Å" a set of fast real-time bespoke solutions and visual images for ma ny national meteoric services and terminal users † ( p. I ) . However, Van der Wel ( 2008 ) argues, the usage of GIS in weather forecasting is being held back for a figure of grounds. He observes that, â€Å" the credence of commercial GIS tools beyond climatology is still a cumbrous procedure, partially caused by the defects underlying the information theoretical account and partially by the deficiency of cognition of applicable GIS methods † ( p. 11 ) . Another possible account is put frontward by Petrosyan ( 2001 ) , who posits that meteorologists are, â€Å" more concerned with the inquiry why phenomena happen and less with the part where they go on † ( p. 26 ) . This begs the inquiry of merely how GIS is being utilised in this field. Chapman and Thornes ( 2003 ) argue that the usage of GIS in weather forecasting allows for spacial variables to be compared with other variables, ensuing in datasets that can potentially profit a whole host of different maps. They observe that, â€Å" climatological and meteoric phenomena are of course spatially variable and therefore GIS represent a utile solution to the direction of huge spacial clime datasets for a broad figure of applications † ( p. 314 ) . Thornes ( 2005 ) subsequently expands on this, by saying that, â€Å" GIS methods allow the elaborate analysis of spacial forms of assorted atmospheric parametric quantities, supplying an in deepness expression into the regularities and variableness of conditions and clime over clip and infinite † ( p. I ) . Chapman and Thornes ( 2003 ) argue that GIS serves a double intent in weather forecasting. These are the derivation of informations and the subsequent customization of informations in third applications. Figu re 1 shows their conceptual theoretical account of this double function.Figure 1: Conceptual Model of the Dual Role of GIS in Meteorology( beginning: Chapman and Thornes, 2003: 314 ) The balance of this essay will utilize this conceptual theoretical account as a model for the argument into the utilizations of GIS in weather forecasting. This essay will concentrate chiefly on the customization portion of the theoretical account, as it is here that we see the existent application of the informations to existent life state of affairss.Section 2: Uses of GIS in MeteorologyChapman and Thornes ‘ ( 2003 ) theoretical account shows that the first function of GIS in weather forecasting is derivation. This chiefly concerns itself with how the information is collected. Although this essay trades chiefly on the 2nd conceptual function of GIS, it is deserving sing the first briefly.2.1: Derivation of Spatial Climate DataChapman and Thornes ( 2003 ) observe that there are three chief signifiers of the derivation of spacial clime informations. These are: distant detection ; baseline climatologies ; and climate insertion. Therefore, it would be deserving sing these three s ubjects individually.2.1.1: Distant FeelingChapman and Thornes ( 2003 ) province that GIS and remote feeling are really similar subjects. In world, they are so similar that it is difficult to separate or find where one ends and where the other Begins. However, the chief differentiation is that distant detection, â€Å" enables the acquisition of large-scale comprehensive datasets where as GIS provides a agency to expose and analyze the information † ( p.315 ) .2.1.2: Baseline ClimatologiesChapman and Thornes ( 2003 ) observe that clime informations is frequently displayed in a GIS in a assortment of different ways. They argue that because clime informations is normally a point beginning, one of the chief challenges in weather forecasting is how to project this information across a wider spacial sphere. They province that the extrapolation of clime informations, â€Å" has enabled good estimations of an country ‘s baseline climatology without the demand for extended aud ience of conditions records † ( p. 316 ) .2.1.3: Climate InterpolationChapman and Thornes ( 2003 ) argue that, â€Å" when covering with more spatially comprehensive clime datasets, the issue is non the illation of'first estimate ‘ baseline climatology, but alternatively the insertion of point station informations across the landscape by geostatistical techniques † ( p. 317 ) . The above has outlined the methods by which spacial clime datasets are gathered. These datasets can so be compared in a GIS, along with informations gathered from other beginnings. The ensuing informations can be tailored to run into the demands of a assortment of third applications. The undermentioned subdivision of this essay will see some of these applicationsl.2.2: Application of Spatial Climate DataOnce information has been collected, it is of import that it can be put to good usage in a assortment of ways. As already stated, the possible application of informations collected by GIS is illimitable but this essay will see some of the major applications.2.2.1: AgribusinessAgribusiness is possibly the biggest donee of the usage of GIS in weather forecasting. The usage of such systems allows for husbandmans to break predict and understand the conditions and how this could impact on their harvest outputs. There are infinite illustrations of this in operation and this essay shall now show a few. Madeline and Beltrando ( 2005 ) analyze how spacial interpolation-based function of spring hoars has helped Champagne manufacturers in northern France. The vineries in this part are highly sensitive to extreme frost events that sometimes occur in spring. In 2003, 50 % of the Champagne vineries were destroyed by a terrible hoar. The merchandise of these vineries is highly of import to the economic well-being of this part of France and so it of import to hold in topographic point a dependable prediction system that can foretell minimal temperatures. Madeline and Beltrando ( 2005 ) usage GIS to set up relationships between the minimal temperatures in certain vineries and the assorted other geographic and topological factors that cause fluctuation in temperature. They province that the usage of GIS allowed them to, â€Å" construct a map of the norm estimated minimal temperatures across the whole vinery country which can be used by vino agriculturists to place frost sensitive countries † ( p. 54 ) . This should decrease the opportunity of future hoar harm to this economically of import harvest. Another survey conducted by Menkir et Al ( 2000 ) used GIS spacial climatic informations of 114 sites in sub-Saharan Africa to see distinguishable zone where corn would turn best. They found that corn would react best in forest-transition savannas, Northern Guinea savannas, Sudan savannas and mid height parts. This information is potentially really utile for nutrient policy contrivers.2.2.2: EcologyChapman and Thornes ( 2003 ) observe that, â€Å" in much the same manner as possible harvest distribution can be modelled utilizing GIS based agroclimatic theoretical accounts, ecological diverseness can be modelled with regard to spacial clime datasets † ( p. 320 ) . There are several noteworthy illustrations of this. Rodhouse ( 2010 ) uses GIS informations to analyze how the altering ocean environment is impacting on cephalopod populations. Waluda and Rodhouse ( 2005 ) usage GIS informations to research the impact of angling on the population of the Jumbo winging calamari. This e ssay would propose that the usage of GIS in this sphere is likely to increase in approaching old ages as the argument around planetary heating and how it could be impacting on species becomes of all time more pressure.2.2.3: ForestryGIS can function multiple intents in forestry. Like in agribusiness and ecology, it can be used to place different clime zones or to foretell the output of a peculiar country. However, GIS has been put to some advanced usage in this field. For illustration, Hantzschel et Al ( 2005 ) usage GIS to gauge radiation balances, temperature and evapotranspiration degrees in different types of flora. One of their most interesting decisions, sing the subject of this essay, is that changeless betterments in engineering will take to better consequences in the hereafter and increase the importance of GIS in the hereafter. They province that, â€Å" the lasting betterment in declaration and quality of the digital surface informations allows an improved simulation of the existent land surface and the associated feedback between topography, land usage variableness and meteoric measures and will increase the importance of GIS-based theoretical account consequences in the close hereafter † ( p. 41 ) . Pew and Larsen ( 2001 ) used GIS to analyze the spacial and temporal form of wildfires caused by worlds on Vancouver Island. They argue that being able to accurately foretell where and when wildfires are most common is, â€Å" a first measure in cut downing their effects † ( p. 1 ) .2.2.4: Weather ForecastingChapman and Thornes ( 2003 ) argue that GIS has become, â€Å" a cardinal direction constituent in conditions processing systems leting instantaneous plotting, insertion and life of conditions informations across any isobaric degree of the ambiance † ( p. 322 ) . For illustration, Kumar et Al ( 1998 ) show that through the usage of distant detection signatures, GIS can be used to alarm specific locations of the way of a tropical cyclone. This is a potentially life salvaging application of GIS. Chapman and Thornes ( 2003 ) observe that GIS, â€Å" partly automates prediction by easing velocity and throughput of conditions informations in real-time every bit good as supplying support for traditional conditions treating undertakings such as contouring and superposition † ( p. 320 ) .2.2.5: ConveyanceGIS is peculiarly utile for conveyance contrivers as it can be used to help in be aftering for winter route care. Thornes et Al ( 2005 ) used GIS to analyze a stretch of route in Poland to foretell route temperatures at certain times of twelvemonth. Better apprehension of route temperatures can assist transport contrivers know when to stock up on grit and when they should be directing out gritting trucks. The manner Britain land to a arrest in February 2010 should function as a timely reminder that this is still non an exact scientific discipline. Hopefully the betterments in GIS that Hantzschel et Al ( 2005 ) reference in their survey should take to more acurate anticipations in the hereafter.2.2.6: Climate ChangeIt could be argued that all the applications of GIS presented in this essay have some bearing on clime alteration. Chapman and Thorn es ( 2003 ) argue that GIS has become, â€Å" a visual image tool for the end product of clime theoretical accounts such as general circulation theoretical accounts used to foretell the planetary impacts of hypothesise clime alteration scenarios † ( p. 325 ) . It is likely that as engineering improves and smart systems are able to interact with each other in more productive and effectual ways, GIS will go on to play a critical function in supplying information that charts the impacts of planetary heating.Section 3: Concluding RemarksThe debut to this essay quoted the work of Gelernter ( 1992 ) who argued that the existent and the practical universe were traveling of all time closer together. This essay would reason that GIS represents the realisation of this vision in many ways. The usage of GIS in the field of weather forecasting are basically illimitable and will undoubtedly better as calculating treating power grows greater and telecommunications improve. A recent particul ar study in The Economist ( 2010 ) looked at the rise of smart systems. These systems are bring forthing immense sums of informations that we are merely merely understanding what to make with. The study notes that, â€Å" smart systems may be humankind ‘s best hope for covering with its pressing environmental jobs † ( p. 4 ) . Smart systems can be used to do power grids, transit webs and H2O distribution systems more efficient. GIS will play a cardinal function in assisting to use the informations produced by smart systems and guaranting that it is put to the best possible usage. This essay would reason that GIS will go on in the development that Chapman and Thornes ( 2003 ) referred to earlier in this essay. However, it is the belief of this essay that we are merely get downing to see the possible applications and utilizations of GIS in the field of weather forecasting. This essay has merely touched on a few countries where it is being utilized at the minute. As terminal users in the assorted subjects learn to tackle the power of the information that is at their disposal, GIS will go on to play a polar function in how we understand the universe. Thornes ( 2005 ) remarks that, â€Å" the hereafter for the usage of GIS by atmospheric scientists is bright but increased coaction between the GIS and atmospheric communities is limited by information substructures that do n't easy interoperate † ( p. three ) . This essay would reason that it is merely a affair of clip before differences between these information substructures are resolved and the true potenc y of GIS can be unleashed.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Intercultural Relationships And Communication In School Education Essay

Globalization has made states and civilizations interrelated and interconnected with each other. This applies possibly in every facet of human life- from regional and governmental pacts, internationalisation of concern and trade and even instruction at single degrees. The universe has gone virtually smaller and we now experience a sense of planetary small town. With the promotions in information and communicating engineering and transit industry, geographical barriers can no longer impede communicating. This leads to the dramatic addition in intercultural communicating chances. Whether through computing machine mediated communicating or face to confront communicating, we can now interchange information and novice communicating with people of other nationalities and civilization. In the field of instruction, diverseness has besides been observed to increase over the old ages. However, along with these increased chances, are jobs caused by clangs of cultural differences. These struggles are brought about by barriers to effectual intercultural communicating. Hence, to get the better of these barriers and maximise the acquisition chances from intercultural communicating, we need to get intercultural communicating accomplishments which were derived from the common interpersonal communicating with accent on the particular features of interpersonal communicating. The range of this survey shall include these intercultural communicating jobs and intercultural communicating accomplishments will be observed in the visible radiation of instruction as an establishment that fosters cultural diverseness and provides chances for intercultural communicating.Statement of the ProblemThe immediate response of pedagogues in the emerging diverseness in the schoolroom is inclusion. However, inclusion is argued to hold been a failure in turn toing diversenesss other than disablements, gender and faith. In the coming of globalisation, diverseness in the schoolroom may besides be attributed to cultural differences. It can be assumed that intercultural relationships have besides been bing within the schoolroom scene. With this, it can be argued that intercultural communicating will be a more effectual scheme to turn to cultural diverseness within the schoolroom. Hence, this survey aims to turn to this research inquiry: How can intercultural relationships and communicating be described in the schoolroom scene? The specific inquiries that this survey will prosecute are the undermentioned: What are present conditions of intercultural relationships and communications? ; What are the bing intercultural communicating jobs Rodriguez High School pupils? ; What are cultural barriers and factors taking to these jobs? ; What are the deductions or consequences of these jobs? ; How skilled are participants in intercultural communicating? ; and What effectual communicating scheme could be recommended for usage?Aims of the StudyStill within the range of globalisation, internationalisation of instruction is besides an emerging tendency. This leads to observation of cultural diverseness within schoolroom scenes. Oftentimes, cultural differences lead to jobs such as intimidation, pigeonholing and sometimes, instances of school force. Although inclusion schemes are applied in the recent old ages, it has non truly solved the jobs within the pupil degrees. Therefore, to avoid these jobs, this survey aims to research intercultural relationships and the intercultural communicating within a schoolroom puting with the usage of instance survey analysis. To accomplish this purpose, this survey proposes to purse the undermentioned aims: depict the present status of intercultural relationships and communications ; place intercultural communicating jobs among selected high school pupils of Rodriguez High School pupils ; find the cultural barriers and factors taking to these jobs ; happen out the deductions or consequences of these jobs ; step the intercultural communicating accomplishments of the participants ; urge effectual communicating scheme.Postulates of the StudyThis survey is anchored in the premise that intercultural relationships and communicating can be observed within the schoolroom puting with the usage of instance survey. The specific posits for this survey are the undermentioned: intercultural relationships and communicating exist in the schoolroom scene ; there are jobs in the efficaciousness of the communicating ; there are cultural barriers that hinder efficaciousness of intercultural communicating ; these jobs and barriers lead to more serious deductions ; intercultural communicating accomplishments are factors for more effectual communicating ; and intercultural communicating schemes can assist in turn toing cultural diverseness in a schoolroom scene.REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATUREThis subdivision provides a brief literature reappraisal of the constructs related to this survey including cultural diverseness, intercultural relationships, and intercultural communicating.Diversity and Cultural DifferencesCorsini ( 1984 ) described cultural differences as a merchandise of ways its people work, value of ownerships and manner of thought which are influenced by civilization ‘s instructions or cultural symbols. The civilization ‘s instructions and ownerships are so passed over coevalss to coevalss. Apart from this corporate observation, cultural differences are besides observed at the single degree which pertains to personality versus the societal systems of features ( Hall, 2006 ) . Cultural differences in instruction are observed in three types: universal, primary and secondary. Universal cultural differences occur universally as every kid needs to set to new civilization in the schoolroom that is frequently really different from that of the civilization at place. Primary cultural differences, on the other manus, go on when people of different and dominant civilization teach their civilization to people who already have their ain civilization. This leads to secondary cultural differences wherein the voluntary minorities are willing to accept the dominant civilization while the nonvoluntary minorities resist it ( Hall, 2006 ) . More frequently than non, cultural differences lead to assorted types of jobs and unfavourable conditions. While there is now a thin line dividing voluntary and nonvoluntary minorities, struggles within an establishment or organisation are frequently attributed to clangs between two different civilizations. With the coming of globalisation and the universe going virtually smaller, cultural differences become more and more seeable. Intercultural relationship presents is going more and more inevitable.Intercultural Relationships and ProblemsOne factor that peculiarly emphasized intercultural relationship is globalisation. Although there are different perceptual experiences and definitions of globalisation, the common subject among economical, political and anthropological points of position is connectedness. Peoples of different civilizations can no longer populate to be reciprocally sole to that of other civilizations ( Samover, Porter and McDaniel, 2007 ) . This connectedness brings about intercultural relationships in all facets of human life. Hence, there is a demand to extinguish jobs related to cultural differences and to set up good intercultural relationships. Some job that hinders good intercultural relationship are pigeonholing and individuality freeze. When a individual is viewed to be a member of his ain cultural group, he is forced into the predefined class and his alone features and capablenesss are frequently neglected. This threatens the single whether the stereotyping is positive or negative ( Gudykunst, 2005 ) . However, Adler and Gunderson ( 2008 ) argued that favourable intercultural relationship is best achieved by doing cultural diverseness and differences more seeable. Although acknowledgment of cultural differences may be viewed to be simplistic, crude, racialist, male chauvinist, or pigeonholing it should be kept in head that acknowledgment is different from judging. Recognition goes with regard of the differences and similarities every bit good. Judging, on the other manus, include bias that limits the perceptual experience of one ‘s full potency. Diverseness can be favourable to intercultural relationship when cultural differences are recognized without bias. One of the best ways to accomplish cultural synergism and good intercultural relationship is by adhering to rules of effectual communicating and intercultural communicating.Intercultural CommunicationIn this paper, we adopt the definition of communicating as an exchange of thoughts between two entities- the basic constituent of interpersonal communicating. Communication so, is a bipartisan procedure of spring and take. While the first theories of communicating analyzed to be one manner as holding an beginning ( beginning ) and finish ( receiving system ) , it has been now widely accepted that beginning and receiving system is replaced as participants of the interacting flow of thoughts. Intercultural communicating is a type of communicating happening between people with different civilizations. This communicating oftentimes makes participants dying and tense because they may happen it difficult to understand each other ‘s manner of believing. They may besides be utilizing different verbal and non-verbal codifications within the class of the communicating. Hence, the consequence of this type of communicating is less predictable so significances of such codifications should be negotiated carefully ( Fielding, 2006 ) . Communication is intercultural when differences in cultural positions hinder the formation of a individual and shared civilization. Absence of shared civilization may take to contradictions and struggles on significances of shared symbols ( Baraldi, 2006 ) . Some researches argue that the globalisation tendency increases the chance for intercultural communicating ( Samovar et al. , 2000 ) . On the other manus, some provinces that it is the intercultural relationships and communicating that paved the manner for globalisation and its increasing tendency ( Baraldi, 2006 ) . Either manner, what is more of import is to place agencies on how to accomplish better intercultural relationship and to place and forestall cultural barriers that hinder effectual intercultural communicating.Cultural Barriers to Effective CommunicationFielding ( 2009 ) enumerated the undermentioned cultural barriers that hinder efficaciousness of intercultural communicating: stereotyping, ethnocentrism, defensiveness or involuntariness to accept other people ‘s thoughts, linguistic communication barriers, differences in construing non-verbal codification, differences in beliefs and values, bias and premises, differences in universe position, and unequal power. Hence, these should be avoided in order to accomplish good intercultural relationship and effectual intercultural communicating. Respect in malice of differences is of outermost importance. However, Baraldi ( 2006 ) argued that intercultural communicating ‘s modernist position have evolved from respectful conversation to creative activity of a new civilization. He called this phenomenon as taint being brought about by cultural hybridisation and intercultural communicating. The new civilization is composed of the old participating civilizations and the freshly shared cultural symbolic signifier.Intercultural Communication SkillsIntercultural communicating accomplishments are indispensable towards effectual communicating. These accomplishments may be different from the usual interpersonal communicating that we use with others within the same civilization. Based on assorted researches, Williams ( 2005 ) summarized four general classs of intercultural communicating accomplishments: 1 ) flexibleness and unfastened mindedness, 2 ) cultural empathy and non-judgmental, 3 ) personal liberty composed of personal strength and stableness, and 4 ) ability to cover with stresso rs in the class of the intercultural communicating. These accomplishments can besides be grouped based on the undermentioned dimensions: cognitive ( the head ) , affectional ( the emotions ) and behavioural ( the psychomotor ) dimensions. In general, effectual intercultural communicating can be achieved by willingness to get the better of the barriers and obtain these accomplishments.Theories of Intercultural CommunicationTo better understand the construct of intercultural communicating, theories and theoretical accounts of the procedure are besides devised. While intercultural communicating may non be wholly different from the usual communicating procedures, it is imperative to include the particular features of intercultural communicating in its several theoretical accounts. The convergence theoretical account of communicating of Kincaid ( 1981 ) , communicating is defined as a procedure wherein two participants exchange information to make a degree of common apprehension. Cultural convergence theory is based on the convergence theoretical account of communicating devised by Kincaid ( 1981 ) . This was used to invent a mathematical theory of the effects brought approximately by communicating within cultural differences. In the Torahs of thermodynamics, it can be predicted that all participants ‘ communicating in a closed system may meet over clip. Cultural divergency theory predicts the convergence of two corporate cognitive provinces if the members of the two civilizations converge ( Gudykunst, 2005 ) . Another relevant intercultural communicating theory is the individuality direction theory of Cupach and Imahori ( 1993 ) . This is based on the interpersonal communicating competency theory. Interpersonal competency is one ‘s ability to negociate reciprocally the acceptable individualities of interaction ( Gudykunst, 2005 ) . This can be extended to intercultural communicating accomplishments summarized from Williams ( 2005 ) mentioned in the old subdivision. In this survey, these theories will be used. With the cultural convergence theory, it can be predicted that there will be convergence and accomplishment of common apprehension within a closed system or the schoolroom over clip. Furthermore, the intercultural communicating accomplishments can be utilised towards the accomplishment of common apprehension.STUDY FRAMEWORKThis chapter introduces the theoretical and conceptual models of the survey. Furthermore, the operational definitions of footings used in the survey are outlined. This survey shall research the cross-cultural jobs among high school pupils in Rodriguez High School.Theoretical ModelThe theoretical model of this survey is centered on two theories explicating the procedure of intercultural communicating: the cultural convergence theory and the individuality direction theory. With the cultural convergence theory, it is predicted that common apprehension can be achieved through exchange or sharing of information over clip within a closed system. Common apprehension is assumed to be favourable in any relationships including intercultural relationship for that affair. Identity direction theory, on the other manus, emphasizes intercultural capablenesss or competence of the participants to find the barriers towards effectual intercultural communicating and to be able to stamp down these barriers.Conceptual ModelBased on these theories, the research worker intends to incorporate and custom-make the theories into the scene of instruction as an establishment that fosters cultural diverseness. In the cultural divergency theory, the exchange of information can be observed within the closed system of the schoolroom through clip. We can presume that within the schoolroom puting wherein there is a high incidence of cultural diverseness, intercultural relationships and communicating exist. The individuality direction theory, on the other manus, can be translated to the intercultural communicating accomplishments of the students/participants so that they can cover with cultural diverseness in their schoolroom, and achieve common understanding- an drift for a harmonious acquisition environment.Operational Definition of FootingsIntercultural communication- a type of communicating happening between people with different civilizations. This communicating oftentimes makes participants dying and tense because they may happen it difficult to understand each other ‘s manner of thought ( Fielding, 2006 ) . Intercultural relationship- occurs when two persons with different civilization exchanged/ Shared thoughts with each other within a period of clip ( Samovar et al. , 2009 ) . Globalization- interrelation or interconnection of the states regardless of geographical barriers. Inclusion- technique used in the instruction as a response to cultural diverseness Cultural diversity- differences in civilization or the ways and agencies of life and thought. Common understanding- the convergence of the civilization based on the cultural convergence theory. This may besides be called cultural synergism. Intercultural communicating skills- accomplishments are indispensable towards effectual communicating. These accomplishments may be different from the usual interpersonal communicating that we usage with others within the same civilization. Based on assorted researches, Cultural convergence theory- predicts the convergence of two corporate cognitive provinces if the members of the two civilizations converge ( Gudykunst, 2005 ) . Identity direction theory- Interpersonal competency is one ‘s ability to negociate reciprocally the acceptable individualities of interaction ( Gudykunst, 2005 ) .RESEARCH DESIGN AND PROCEDURESThis subdivision inside informations the research program along with research methodological analysis, informations assemblage processs, and informations analysis techniques.Research DesignThis survey proposes to research with the usage of instance survey, the intercultural relationships and communicating in a schoolroom scene. This includes the intercultural communicating jobs, cultural barriers towards effectual intercultural communicating, and the intercultural communicating accomplishments of the selected pupils in Rodriguez High School in Fairfield, California. This school is noted to hold a really high pupil diverseness rate. This is an effort to turn to cultural diverseness in the schoolroom puting that may take to struggles, intimidation, cultural stereotyping and other signifiers of school force. Effective intercultural communicating, if decently inculcated among the pupils may decrease the happening of the mentioned jobs. This will be a qualitative history depicting the intercultural relationship and communicating in a high school schoolroom which Fosters high cultural diverseness. However, due to clip restraints, merely the discernible traits of the intercultural relationships may be observed profoundly. Demographical features of the participants may merely be used as back uping informations. With this, the tradition of Inquiry this research is intended to use is descriptive anthropology. One of the most normally used enquiries to measure intercultural communicating competency is ethnography ( Asante et al. , 2008 ) . In this survey, ethnography shall include description of the intercultural relationships and communicating, designation of job, barriers and their deductions, and the intercultural communicating accomplishments of the participants. Hence, the research worker should besides move as an active participant in the behavior of the research ( Scollon and Scollon, 2001 ) .Data Generation MethodThe trying method that will be used to choose the participants of this survey is purposive sampling. The research worker shall ask with the disposal of Rodriguez High School about which category has the highest incidence of cultural diverseness. However, the age degree of the pupils under this category should be identified to be mature plenty to understand the construct of cul tural diverseness and intercultural relationships and communicating, for that affair. However, the take parting category should be noted with a high incidence of cultural diverseness. Since the scene of the survey is a schoolroom scene, the participants for the survey will include all of the pupils and the home room instructor. In the instance that the category is excessively large for a focussed group treatment, random sampling will be applied and merely statistically important figure of participants will be included. Focused group treatment will be informations garnering method for the students/participants. The subject shall be cultural diverseness in a schoolroom scene. The flow of the treatment should be deductive in nature. First, the perceptual experiences of the pupils about cultural diverseness will be identified. Later on, intercultural communicating will be the chief focal point of the treatment. Again, the construct should be identified in a general point of position and can later on be applied to their ain schoolroom scene. This will come up their intercultural communicating accomplishments, and the bing intercultural communicating relationships among the students/participants. The research worker should be an perceiver and participant. The locust of control should be centered on the research worker to restrict the range of the treatment within the range of the survey merely. The home room instructor can besides move as the 3rd person/observer in the instance survey. For the in deepness interview, the home room instructor will be the participant. He/she will be the cardinal source sing the jobs, barriers, and intercultural communicating scheme within the schoolroom scene. The interview may besides be used to corroborate information gathered from the focal point group treatment with the pupils. Extra activity such as squad edifice may besides conducted with the instructor so as to detect the efficaciousness of the intercultural communicating scheme that will be recommend. The instruments that will be used for this survey include: self-administered questionnaire for the demographic features of the students/participants ; observation usher and if possible, audio or video recording equipment for more accurate certification of the focus-group treatment ; and interview agenda for the in deepness interview with the home room instructor. Extra stuffs may besides be needed to document the squad edifice activity with the instructor and the pupils. The information analysis and presentation for the demographical features of the participants will be frequency counts and per centums. This will be used to depict the heterogeneousness of the participants. On the focal point group treatment, informations analysis and presentation will be complete numbering of the intercultural relationships bing and intercultural communicating accomplishments that students/participants possess. Video clips or images may besides be shown. Last, for the in deepness interview qualitative analysis and complete numbering of the jobs and cultural barriers that he/she will place. For the squad edifice activity, narrative presentation, images, and video cartridge holders may be used to show and stress the observations. All information generated from these activities should be summarized and carefully analyzed to come up with an extended and comprehensive descriptive anthropology study.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The Princess Bride Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Princess Bride - Essay Example As mentioned earlier, the video uses a narration told by a grandfather (Peter Falk) to his sick grandson (Fred Savage). With the keen interest in the cinematography, the narrative occasionally disrupts the delivery of the plot. When the young man falls ill, he is visited by his grandfather. In a bid to cheer the grandson up, the grandfather buys a story book entitled ‘The Princess Bride, a tale of the love between the beautiful Buttercup and the besotted Westley.† The story is centered mainly on the love broken when Westley is presumed to be dead during a sea voyage while in pursuit of his fortune (Goldman 16). This incident left his girlfriend, Buttercup, in a desolate state which pushed her to voting against love. Later on, Buttercup seems to have forgotten about the demise and the position held by Westley in her life. In this regard, she accepts a marriage proposal from Prince Humperdinck. He is presented as a wealthy and handsome prince who is also the heir to the Florin throne. The land was defined by fire swamps, intense quicksands, and unusually large rodents. Adding to the adventurous touch, the area is also characterized by exotic swordsmen, vile swamps, pirates, kidnappers, torturous, and giants. These set of environment provides a perfect platform from the adventure surrounding the love between Westley and Buttercup. Later, Buttercup is kidnaped in order to use her as leverage for war. This instance catalyzed the return of Westley as the Dread Pirate Roberts to save his love of his life. Westley sets up a team that includes a giant, a thief, a swordsman and hired helpers in a bid to save Buttercup from the three Outlaws. After he successfully rescues her, Westley is arrested and tortured by Humperdinck to his death. Meanwhile, Inigo and Fezzik find Westley’s body and take it to Miracle Max who resurrects him. Later, Inigo slays Rugen (his father’s killer), and Westley manages to save Buttercup from suicide. The main

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The Beast in Revelation Chapter 13 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Beast in Revelation Chapter 13 - Essay Example The beast was given ability to use his power for 42 months, and given power to make war with the righteous and to overcome them (verse 7) ( Merrill pg 258). John saw blasphemous names on the head of the beast rising from the sea. The beast symbolizes the Roman Empire. The Roman emperors were named sebastos, which referred them as spiritual, also, the savior of the world and the Lord. Such titles were meant for only God for he was the only holy and spiritual and holy Jesus is the savior of the world, and that is how blasphemous the names were. Thus, the blasphemous names on the head of the beast clearly show his trial to claim for him the power and glory that belong to God alone. The Roman Empire took itself as the savior. Meanwhile, it was unjust in its ruling and it persecuted Christians and the church. In these ways, it indicated itself as the beast of the book of revelation 13 (Merrill C. Tenney pg 347). However, the power that was pushing the throne of the Roman Empire was the devil also the dragon (revelation 12:8-9).The image of the dragon was the beast, and they have close similarity for they have seven heads and ten horns (13;1).In addition, the beast duplicates the devil by nature. His origin and appearance is a further indication of the evil that is controversial against God and man. The Satan is the mentor of the beast, which gives power, authority and might to him. The dragon is behind the monster from the sea and is accountable for leading the world to sin. Therefore, the beast from the sea is clearly seen as the dragon’s agent on earth. Furthermore, the beast is seen as a military, political, economic and social dominator of the world (revelation 13:5-8).In the book of revelation, the waters symbolize people under the rule of the sea beast, so the beast rose from the human population. One of the beast’s head was deeply wounded. The wound was mortal and it

Interactive Language Skills and Communication 2 Essay

Interactive Language Skills and Communication 2 - Essay Example 9). Management is, on the other hand, the process by which organizational goals are achieved. Therefore, the task of accomplishing the achievement of the organizational goals is the assignment of a manager. Fundamentally, important functions that managers employ in this pursuit have been universally identified. They include planning along with budgeting, organizing and staffing, problem-solving and controlling. A necessary disambiguation process will be covered in this paper in the subsequent illustrations provided to contrast the roles played by a leader distinct from those of a manager. In addition, the paper will elaborate on the interrelatedness of the two personnel’s roles in a smooth flowing of an organization. An elaborately well-balanced organization has been observed to be one which has a mix of leaders and managers in the organization’s pursuit of success. Important to note, equilibrium is ideally set when few great leaders influence relatively many first-class managers in the process. Leaders play a significant part in setting a direction, aligning people, inspiring and motivating them. The leader gives the employees (including managers) of a firm a sense of direction, aligns and elicits inspiration and motivation (Crossan, Gandz, Seijts, Stephenson, & Richard Ivey School of Business, 2010, p. 17). By so doing, the managers can take the managerial roles assigned to them with a sense of inspiration, direction, and more importantly motivation to do so. This influence, as passed on by a leader, can be contagious such that the behavior the managers exhibit is characteristically that of the leader. Consequently, managers can develop to become leaders who play a paramount role in the setting of an excellent working environment for their workers. The working together of a manager and a leader can be symbolically represented. For instance, a leader can be perceived as the symbol of passion, creativity and most importantly the

Monday, August 26, 2019

Eastman Kodak - Comprehensive Strategic Plan Memo Essay

Eastman Kodak - Comprehensive Strategic Plan Memo - Essay Example Key insights from the organizational and industry analysis report The industry analysis revealed that the imaging industry is a swiftly developing industry which requires the organizations operating in the industry to be highly innovative and adaptive. The rapid development of digital technology brought about a far-reaching change in this industry, and Eastman Kodak could not adapt to it as fast as many of its competitors. Thus, Eastman Kodak lost its foremost position in the photographic equipment and supplies market. The company had to compete with established players who innovated faster than it and build a strong foot hold in the industry in addition to encountering substitute producing companies like HP, Xerox, and Canon etc. The key matter that Kodak had to face in building its position in the digital imaging sector was that though it held the top position in terms of the conventional photography business associated with photo films, its position in context of digital imaging was very weak in comparison to its established competitors (Blackwell Publishing, 2012). The key assets of Eastman Kodak that could be its source of competitive edge over its rival companies are its brand equity and awareness in addition to its internationally wide-reaching distribution presence. Moreover, in context of technology, Kodak had made years of investments in research and development activities, which had resulted in the establishment of proprietary technologies. This research and development experience of the company can be regarded as one of its biggest strengths (Kodak, 2009; Grant, n.d.). Eastman Kodak will have to assemble its substantial set of resources and competencies in addition to building new organizational competencies necessary for thriving in this fast pace industry. This is essential to develop and reinforce Eastman Kodak’s position in the digital imaging industry. Analysis of Eastman Kodak's approach to creating a competitive advantage Eastman Kodak attempted to set up its competitive advantage by leveraging on its core strengths as an organization and industrial leader over the years. The conjugation of the company’s renowned brand name, its huge investment in research and development activities over the years, and its global network of manufacturing and distribution, was vital for the creation of Eastman Kodak’s competitive position (Kodak, 2012a). The company had diverged its focus from its original product photographic films and started concentrating on its digital

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Case study National Grid - Developing skills in a large organization Term Paper

Case study National Grid - Developing skills in a large organization through training and development - Term Paper Example In the past, numerous workers with diverse duties employed the name of â€Å"Company analyst† in spite of their responsibilities, backdrop or expertise set. We have established â€Å"business analysts† who are information analysts or scientifically-oriented systems forecasters or even scientific authors. Nowadays, the Global Institute of Company Analysts (IICA) has assisted defining the practice of BAs both more cautiously and more methodically and has created the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK Guide) that sets out the information areas significant to the company analyst. This manual has become the acknowledged benchmark for the BA career. Nevertheless, whereas the BABOK Guide comprises important information, it is not a bit by bit procedure that BAs may follow. In other terms, awareness of the Guide’s constituents alone is not sufficient to guarantee success (National Grid, n.d). Analysts who may essentially carry out the BA function as stipulated by the BABOK as well as the IICA are not many and wide. .As the occupation becomes extra famous and trade analysts are perceived as critical affiliates of every project body, the BAs presently in a company cannot have the expertise or knowledge needed to productively carry out significant projects. Or, as is frequently the situation, there are basically not sufficient company analysts to satisfy investment demands. Companies can be compelled to use untrained employees or go devoid of a significant tactical resource on the whole (National Grid, n.d). Organizations that require company analysts may discover it hard to draw and maintain trained venture-tested talent. On the other hand, even when there is a scarcity of funds, the job must be accomplished. The effect may be to rely too profoundly on the know-how of a selected a small number of over-worked, company analyses. This shortage of bench power will cripple a business as major forecasters become too profoundly allocated, or shoddier,

Saturday, August 24, 2019

A Search on the Word Hysterical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Search on the Word Hysterical - Essay Example One of the sources for the word hysterical took up the psychoanalytic perspective of the word, explaining why a person would be hysterical through relating it with development especially during childhood.2 Here, the same symptoms of hysteria- lack of control of emotions- are seen as defining the personality. Hence, the concept of a hysterical personality arises, where the individual experiences the symptoms of hysteria continually rather than isolated. The hysterical person has a neurotic condition underlying the neurotic symptoms observed. The origin of the hysterical personality is traced from fixation at one point during the individual’s development. Here, the individual is seen to be fixated at the infantile stage from where they cannot achieve actuality as adult human beings. This source also argues that hysterical personality, just as compulsive personality, manifests in multiple ways and cannot be entirely described as a homogenous occurrence among the individuals. The very origin of the word in this case is the Greek word hyster which translates to uterus. A closer look at the role of language in culture explains the observation of the disconnect between the uterine Greek source of the word and the contemporary meaning. It is noted that, in the male dominated culture, language treats things of greater significance or value as being masculine and those of lesser significance as feminine.3 This is clearly manifested in the word hysterical; a lack of control of emotions is perceived as negative, and associated with femininity as indicated by the source of the word-uterus. In contrast, a positive aspect such as moral worth is described by virtuous whose origin is â€Å"vir† the Greek word for â€Å"man†. Here, it is clear that language helps mirror dominant social perceptions and even aids in their perpetuation as in the case of the word hysterical. Another perspective of the hysteria can be obtained through establishing the person usin g the language. For an individual not well versed in medicine or semantic development of language, hysteria bears a totally different and independent meaning4. To this population, arguably the majority, the original basic meaning of the word hysteria is lost. Whereas psychoanalysts and doctors historically viewed the word as conveying symptoms of psychiatric disorder, to the contemporary world the word means string emotional reactions. The original word loses its description of a personality status in a patient and describes a state of emotions even in a normal person. In daily use, hysteria even takes light meanings of â€Å"very funny† such as when used to describe a joke. Here, it is clear that the original meaning of the words is lost or difficult to trace for the majority of people, and the debate on the word remains constrained to sociological standpoint perspectives. The various views on the lexicology of the word hysteria bring forth the question of when persons who h old different meanings of the word interact. It is noted that although the word may have lost its Greek uterine original meaning, the Greek element still persists in English medical terms such as hysteroscopy and hysterectomy.5 However, the dominant meaning for the word hysterical is uncontrolled emotions by both men and women, without any reference to the uterus. Haliday and Teubert cite an example of a clash of meanings on the word; a witness had described a man as being hysterical to which the lawyer had brought forth the uterine source of the wor

Friday, August 23, 2019

Manifest Destiny & Frederick Jackson Turners frontier thesis Essay

Manifest Destiny & Frederick Jackson Turners frontier thesis - Essay Example On the other hand, the Frontier Thesis as released by Frederick Jackson Turner in 1893 asserted that American development was explicated by the existence of a free land, its constant recession, as well as westward advancement of the American settlement (Turner 56). This concept was said to depend on Darwinism concept of survival for the fittest, where primitive political and economic conditions of the frontier shad to evolve into complex city life. Frederick Turner’s American identity epitomizes Manifest Destiny from the perspective of Anglo-Americans. This is attributed to the fact that Turner describes Americans as strong in individualism and selfishness, with nervous energy, coarseness and strength, and inherent expansive power. In his research, Turner established that the selfish and individual qualities characteristic of Anglo-Americans forced them to push westward; thus, claiming land and expanding democracy. The terms are extremely important in the US history. This is attributed to the fact that they give historians apparatuses that facilitate the using of social history as the basis for all economic, social and economic developments in the American history. Additionally, they give guidelines on the path American democracy has followed in its creation and

Thursday, August 22, 2019

The Negative Effects of Child Care on Child Development Essay Example for Free

The Negative Effects of Child Care on Child Development Essay Parent care Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Parent or child care is where parents take appropriate measures to ensure that children grow in environment where their emotional, social and educational needs are considered. The early stage of a child’s life is critical for cognitive, emotional and social developments. Parenthood is a task that requires full time dedication since children require more attention. Parenting also requires a lot of skills and energy to understand children wants which makes them happy and comfortable. Children also require time to talk and play with their parents which makes them feel appreciated. Poor parenting makes the children feel abandoned and unwanted since children miss an opportunity to interact with their parents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Household chores such as cooking and washing are very vital to parents, also making children joyful and relaxed. Professionals suggest that parents should engage their children in household work. This makes children to feel that they participate in small chores. This will as well hasten the communication involving parents and children and the care will remain integral. Child development depends on secure affection to a principal caregiver. Child development is one of the most significant stages in a kid’s life and if the stage is not handled in an appropriate manner, the child is likely to face social and emotional suffering.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Parents are left with the task of balancing between office work and their responsibility at home. This is not an easy task though, but it involves prioritizing and preplanning the works which will help the parent have an easy time to balance between family life and office life. Parents should ensure they have ample time with their children whenever they are at home. They can also take children for an outside dinner or shopping. This occasions help to maintain the affectionate rapport between parents and their children. The parent can ask the children to suggest as they purchase household items and also buy them sweets and gifts. Parents should have conversations with their children whenever they get time to interact. They should ask them about their personal issues, studies among other things which will make feel that their parents are concerned in all phases of their life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Parent or child care involves coping with the children behavior, however it includes correcting and showing appropriate mode of conduct. The parents should not complain express anger or work related tensions to their families. This will make the children feel like they are the cause of pain and trouble to their parents and they may gradually shift away their emotions from their parents. Parent care also involves considering the health of the children since small kids are susceptible to sicknesses such as fever, pneumonia, colds among others. Parents should also guide their children in their early ages as they gradually become independent. Children tend to rebel from their parents, try new behaviors from peers of the same sex as they grow up. Parental guidance and care become more necessary since children are likely to make serious mistakes from the peer influence. Parents should also identify behavioral and learning disabilities from their children since some of these problems can get worse if they are not handled properly. Research shows that children who grow in families where development needs are not met are at greater risk of delays in either language or learning among other areas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Research reveal that kids who grow in families rich in literacy and learning interactions and additional opportunities to listen and use language easily acquire the necessary skills in their early childhood years. Parents are the kid’s primary and very crucial teachers. Parents should also provide their children with opportunities to interact with other people. This is one of the reasons why some children fear to go to school since they do not know how to make new friends. Good parental care will help children develop social skills such as leadership, compromise and co-operation which are very vital in child development. Research shows that parental gradual exposure to social situations helps kids to face their worries and anxieties. Good parental care will not only help the child to have good social skills, but it will also help them have self-confidence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Parent can also help the child to speak through practice dialogue at home via regular conversations. For example, parents can ask open-ended questions to test their kid’s response. Through listening and sympathizing, parents show their emotional concern to their children. In addition putting jokes in conversations makes the conversation lively as well as lightening up the child mood. This will endorse child’s verbal expression and creativity. Through frequent talks, reads and singing to babies, parent can create a solid foundation for glossary and understanding. This helps the children at school since they can be learn the meaning of a word easily and be able to remember their meanings. Parent can improve a child’s word capacity by spending more time with the child. Children need a lot of practice reading which necessitate parent assistance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are several forms of care which include health care, appearance care, education care and cleanliness care. These different aspects of care manifest themselves in outside care and in home care. In home care is whereby parents show their care to the children at home since home is the initial step for the children to learn happiness and love. Home care is the most significant care step. On the other hand, outside cares is taking care of children from the society and protect them from harm. Parent care becomes more necessary as children grow since the responsibilities become more. In most cases mothers provide moral care while fathers provide safety and physical care. However, both parents should take care of their children in all phases of life. Parental care is complete when both parents are involved with children affairs. Parents provide different quantity of care and thus children require care from both parents. Parent care is not on ly providing for the child expenses, feeding the child, clothing or providing shelter, but parent care is showing affection and having time with the children to understand their physical, social and emotional needs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, parent care is very crucial to the child development. Parent is the child’s first teacher. There are various forms of care; health care, cleanliness care, appearance and education care. These forms of care are very necessary to the child especially if both parents are involved. Parent care will make the child to feel appreciated and loved. This improves the relationship between parent and child since the affection remain intact. However care should not be exaggerated since it will spoil the child. Excessive care makes the children to be irresponsible and increases the child’s dependency to the parent. Thus parents should provide appropriate care to their children. References http://childcare.about.com/od/theroleoftheprovider/tp/providerstell.htm http://www.prokerala.com/kids/parenting/working-parents-and-child-care.php (2010, 11). The Negative Effects of Child Care on Child Development. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 11, 2010, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Negative-Effects-Of-Child-Care-465509.htmlhttp://ar.scribd.com/doc/57435566/Childcare-Essays-Child-Developmenthttp://www.startimes.com/?t=23272210 Source document

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Romeo presented to the audience Essay Example for Free

Romeo presented to the audience Essay Romeo is presented to the audience through two characters. Montague and Benvolio, Montague is Romeos father and Benvolio is Romeos cousin Good morrow, cousin. Shakespeare has laid this out in a very intellectual manner; by introducing Romeo through other characters because this instantly makes Romeo stand out, look more imperative and maybe even have a higher status than the other characters in the play; because he is talked about and has been acquainted by Montague and Benvolio. Benvolio and Montague are both concerned about Romeos recent behaviour because he has not been acting himself lately. Montague reveals Away from light steals home my heavy son. This presents Romeo as a character who locks himself out of regularity and is constantly feeling sorry for him. His father feels that he needs to depend on others to remove him from this extraordinary insecurity. Benvolio comments Towards him I made, but he was ware of me, this shows that Romeo is feeling unsociable at he moment as well as out of character. Romeo also unexpectedly admits that in recent times he has not been himself Tut, I have lost myself, I am not here, this is not Romeo, hes some other where Romeo is presented to the audience as quite timid and introverted. He has been shown to wanting to take the easy way round to things O me! What fray was here? Showing that he does not like fighting and he is not interested in it. By saying that Romeo may be referring it to the old grudge between the Montagues and Capulets. When Benvolio questions him about love, he avoids admitting to it, however does not change the subject. This shows that he does not want to spill out with the truth and does not mention any names, but keep on waffling on about love thinking slowly as time goes by. The audience gets the impression that Romeo is inexperienced as this is his first love. He has only just realised how painful love is this love feel I, that feel no love in this, showing that Romeo almost certainly felt that love would be an exciting experience. Shakespeare presents Benvolio as a stronger, less sensitive character than Romeo, he also seems to be literally telling Romeo what to do directly Be ruled by me, forget to think of her show that Benvolio is giving Romeo good quality advice. Romeo also tends to dramatise and exaggerate his feelings as they pour out in one go, o brawling love, o loving hate, o any thingetc. This speeds up the time compared to before; it is builds up the tension, as Romeo chants many oxymorons. This extent of dramatisation is due to Romeos depression and bewilderment about love. This shows the audience that Romeo is going through the enjoyment of emotional pain. In conclusion to this, in act 1 scene 1, Shakespeare presents Romeo in a very, perplexed, depressed and frazzled way. As the audience knows Romeo is also not acting himself; due to this we cannot make any assumptions about him, yet.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Role Of Media In Peace Building

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 (Source). 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 several other provinc ial journals (Source). 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 (Source). 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 (Source). 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 (Source). 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 (source). 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 PeaceBuilding 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 thesis 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 the researcher 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 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 establish the measures that government, stakeholders and media houses have put in place towards 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? How has the media been successfully used to promote peace in Kenya?. What are the effects of the media on peace-building? What measures has the government, stakeholders and media houses put in place towards 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 thesis, media is mainstream or independent (press, 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 public policy process (1997). The CNN Effect by definition is the