Saturday, August 31, 2019

Pornification of culture

In a world where amazing technology has change our way of life, the issue of pornification of culture has become a common phenomenon among people in all over the world especially among youth. This issue has become serious when there are lots of social illnesses that occur among teenagers nowadays. The integration of the Internet along with sophisticated gadget that seems to become enhanced day by day in which we ourselves could not imagine of how superior it is in the future has changed the system of communication a lot and with these modern technologies, the oundaries across the countries and time are no longer becomes a matter to us.However, when our life turn out to be more easier and faster, some of us would often violate the purpose of these facilities as it bring disaster towards one's life when they involve with the popular culture that exists in todays fashion, music, games, etc. It is not an issue if those are used in a positive and correct ways, but to some extent people us ed them to get access to pornography and many other related issue which is sometimes can abuse the role of man as a vicegerent in this earth.It will also lead o numerous types of social problems and this natural process that happened should not be look upon lightly, hence urgent action need to be taken strictly and serious to overcome this new challenges. When dealing with the rising trend of pornification of culture across the world today, people from all cultural backgrounds including parents are very concerns towards their children particularly girls.We are facing a serious issue of increasing influences from popular culture and celebrity which sometimes portrays bad role models towards children as they are not matured enough to consider which is good o follow and which is bad to avoid. Some people in the west, for example, are extremely worried about the increasing pornographic elements in children's fashion (Feiler, 2013).The way fashion designers intend to create new fashions among children and teenagers is as if they would like them to expose themselves with sexualisation through the various types of clothes and pants which every parent are worried about. The hardest part is when the children are always rebel against their own parents because those fashions are become common and usual to them. Even the west are fear with this rising issue, what more if we are Muslims. Both the Muslims and non-Muslims today are beginning to realize that they have to work together to deal with this complex challenges.The concern is not Just only towards the children's fashion. Recently, Muslims and non-Muslims in Canada were united to join effort in protesting against the proposed plan to ban the wearing of religious garments that reflects the identity of their own religion. This shows that many people around the world understand the importance of religion in a modern world (New Straits Time, 2013). The probability of both sides working together may involve the ole of rel igion in everyday life.The need to defend their own identity has urged them to be united so that everyone has rights to voice out their concern about religion. Discussing on the religion, nowadays, people begin to accept the true practice of need of religion in their life to guide them along straight path. Teenagers particularly becomes attracted towards Islam because of the increasing number of young Imams who are able to preach the teaching of Islam and at the same time follow their lifestyle which is in conforms to the way of life of the teenagers.Even though Islam in America today still remains a minority religion, many people have realized the proper religious teaching to their children in order to encounter the problems among youths today (New Straits Time, 2013). The importance of having young Imams in the society is crucial at this time in order to prevent the decline of morality among teen and guide them if they have gone astray and involve with social problems.Their roles are needed because sometimes the nurture from parents are not enough as they are always busy with works and from the teaching of these Imams, it also helps to provide with mental along with spiritual aspect of life. Not only that, women nowadays also begins to involve with the society as they starting to realize that women in their societies are the key to solving serious social and moral problems like teenage pregnancies, alcoholism and religious extremism (Shulman, 2012).We cannot deny that the role of women these days are also as significant as the role of man because the women is needed to encounter problems faced by most of the girls teen and women adults as the approach of women to women gives more comfort. Besides, they also feel like this is the time to bring back the dignity of women and levate their status in society so that women will not be oppressed easily by man and their Justice should also be preserved. This is one of the ways in order to help solving the problems in volving teenagers which become serious with the issue of pornification of culture.In one of the Western countries, the issues of alcoholism have achieved the alert stage in which actions should be taken immediately. The consumption of alcohol or known as binge-drinking in Britain had risen the expenses related to health and also caused rising levels of death and diseases (The Star, 2012). As we already know, lcohol is one of the major cause for the social problems today because it can makes people drunk and they are not realize of what they are doing.Thus, from alcohol drinking only, people can involve in prostitution, pregnancy, rape, murder and etc. which is very common issue that we heard lately. Everyone involving the government should begin to do something and taken several steps to reduce the consumption of alcohol so that the major illness among teenagers will slowly decrease. It is also becomes everyone's role in order to help reducing the problems slowly so that the problem s in the society will not be prolonged to the future.

Friday, August 30, 2019

School Management Information Systems

IntroductionMyocardial infarctionA computing machine system designed to assist directors program and direct concern and operations. MIS pronounced as separate letters, MIS refer loosely to a computing machine -based system that provide directors with the tools for forming, measuring and expeditiously running their section s. in order to supply past nowadays and anticipation information, an MIS can include that helps in determination devising, informations resources such as that information of ware resources of system, system for do any determination, people direction and undertaking direction application and any computerized procedures that enable the section to run expeditiously. Within companies and big organisation, the section responsible for computing machine system is sometimes called the MIS section. Other name for include is information system. IT ( information engineering ) .SCHOOL MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLSIntroductionThese yearss, which we describe information epoch as assorted technologic developments have been practiced ; the taking hazard that an organisation could obtain is to hang approximately tactless to alter. A batch of of import factors such as changeless developments in information engineerings, information exchange, and increasing and increasing the outlook of the society to a great extent, recent disposal perceptual experiences and applications cause organisations none over the universe to develop new applications during order to stay Every state aims to do available their citizens with the most existing instruction in the line of their pecuniary competency. In support of this ground, huge encompass been put into action all around the universe. Inside our state, excessively taken out within of the batting order, were prepared in conditions of in order engineerings and so activated. In committee preparation classs in relation to the usage of computing machine in following subdivision of the program that information engineering package are circulated to the 3.000 primary instruction schools merely about Turkey and instruction room access is established. As a consequence of developing 600 computing machine instructors, in-service instruction is designed for all the primary school inspectors working on the grazing land, and for at least 106.381 pedagogues shaped of directors and instructors of chief in larning will be ready in line with recent direction plansSchool Management Information SystemsBing at the commencement phase of the School Management Information Systems, mechanisation of the school direction is the necessary topic of today ‘s school direction. Principals have ongoing obtain domination in competitions by directing schemes. School direction in sequence systems aim to offer maintain for the managing and educational behaviour of the school directors by manus out information. Obtain domination in competitions by directing schemes. School direction in sequence systems aim to offer maintain for the managing and educational behaviour of the school directors by manus out information. Telem ( 1999 ) specify the direction information in his words as â€Å"an executive information system planned. Information systems sustain non merely information procedure but besides make the support in inventions. Since being correctable to different alterations, these systems are helpful to pull off with the burden for alteration. School directors can do more better and dependable determinations when they get rectify and up-to-date information by school executive information systems ( Christopher, 2003 ) . Option devising is careful as the bosom of educational direction and shows the significance. Every twenty-four hours, disputing fortunes that need determination devising are based on the complex and unannounced nature of school milieus. In add-on to this, directors have been necessary to do more and speedy determinations in short times because of the lifting chance from the educational system ( Christopher, 2003 ) . In add-on, determination devising become faster, more regular and more complicated in schools of in the present twenty-four hours. In order to do determinations under such state of affairs, taking and roll uping informations that is ceaseless, up-to-date and that can be accessed quickly and analysing and utilizing this information is a committedness. Success of school development surveies are often depends on informations based determination devising, though School direction information systems give information and a diverseness of studies from the database in order to data professionally in this side. increased school rules, supported determinations on the phase of control and planning, improved the power of learning plans, facilitated student-teacher communicating, enlarged the accomplishment between instructors, facilitated methodical and uninterrupted information transportation to parents, and increased communicating with more establishments and the cardinal organisation. Information systems were on a regular basis used in mundane work and directors and instructors did non hold adequate instruction on the system. Directors and instructors pointed that while school direction information systems had encouraging effects on appraisal of efficiency of the school, advancement of utilizing beginnings, high quality It is cleared as we can see communicating and information engineerings have increasingly more had a function on the behaviour of schools. During this epoch, a batch of things have been spooked and written about the significance of computing machines. The mock-up of this research, which targets to look and to calculate out thoughts of directors sing managerial information systems, is review theoretical account. ( MIS ) more frequently than non is everlasting. The categorization, on the other manus, consists of certain clerical informations that is obliging for a portion stage and either restructured or simple from the System as it becomes antique duologue sandwiched between Antitrust Division ( ATR ) and the province certification and proceedings way is long-lasting on the material of chronological proceedings and their temperament. point of you they required long clip information times gone by and easing do research on chronological affairs that connected to present affairs, Antitrust Division ( ATR ) expects invariably to be delighting to the oculus the consecutive statistics in this reservoir, rather than file awaying and taking it from the organisation. legal action and Judicial Activities– include activitiesAntimonopoly divider ( ATR ) Intranet, Appellate Docket System, , station and Complaint Tracking System, national Non-Merger Tracking System against the jurisprudence Case Sentencing agreement, , trade and industry Analysis Group Working designation, Field Office Matter Tracking System, Hart-Scott-Roding Tracking System, financially feasible scrutiny Group path System lawmaking Tracking System, subject Tracking construction. The of import mission-based information gave to MIS is conveying together, set aside, class, stored, and air as-is. MIS applications encompass dealing ground the information non comes foremost an affiliated start day of the month ) and distinct format ground digital numerical Numberss safety steps Number ) for institute and support in the sequence. The preponderance of the in sequence in the organisation in bend System Safety screensUser cogencyAs declare old, the system is limited for usage by the fiscal forces, so merely people from the Financial Control section. Besides, while its usage is merely finance exact, others sections have nil to make with it. Having said that, there are watchwords for the terminal users ; hence watchwords make certain safety and control.Physical entreePhysical entree is made limited by locked waiter suites, sign-in sheets, etc.Function securityDevelopers Register FunctionsDevelopers can necessitate parts of their Prophet Forms codification to look up an sole map name, and so take some action based on whether the map is accessible in the current duty.Developers registry maps. They can besides register consideration that passes values to a map. For illustration, a signifier may keep informations entry merely when a map consideration is passed to it.Normally, developers describe a bill of fare include all the maps accessible in an application ( i.e. , all the signifiers and their securable sub maps ) . For some applications, developers may specify extra bill of fare that restrict the application ‘s functionality by excluding specific signifiers and sub maps.As developers define bill of fare of maps, th ey typically group the sub maps of a signifier on a sub map bill of fare they associate with the signifier.Assumptions/Risk AssessmentPremises support the base of the solution. Premises includeLibrary houses a certain minimal figure of transcripts of the same book for interest of many borrowers.Library utilizations original books/CDs.Library does non rede users to copy CDs/DVDs onto their computing machines.Library restricts the most figure of borrow able points for different users.Library waiter runs a version of Windows runing system.Client systems support.NET Framework.User has basic computing machine cognition and knows how to search/find information in the cyberspace.User has a well-bred cyberspace speed to run the on-line solution.Functional SpecificationInitially when the solution is host in the waiter, decision maker histories are setup. These decision makers manage the waiter. First clip users can transport on with simple hunt but those who want to borrow books necessitate to sign-up for this installation. They can so sign-in anytime for seeking, borrowing or returning books. They can besides see their profile pages, history of their minutessEnd-to-end solutions ability We handle turnkey undertakings, and have built, managed and supported our clients IT systems crosswise the value concatenation — substructure, applications and concern procedures.This is how we work:A Customer Services ( CS ) unit designs and builds the IT substructure and web.A Systems Integration ( SI ) unit builds up applications and integrates them across diverse hardware and package platforms.Our IT-Enabled Services ( ITES ) unit manages developed applications and digitisation activities.Our Education and Training unit grant IT instruction and preparation to users.Wide sphere expertness and technological competencesWe have proven expertness in a broad scope of applications, includingReal-time systemson-line systemsentrenched systemsprocedure controloperation processingcontemplation processinginformations communicationsnetworkingparallel architectures,E-commerce engineerings and e-governance applications.Considerable resource pool with diverse accomplishment setWe attain t his with the aid of our resource pool of applied scientists trained in assorted engineerings, with immense sphere cognition and diverse accomplishment sets. With 3,718 workers, more than 21 % have more than ten old ages of work experience. We besides have a large capableness pool that works on emerging engineerings and competence countries. We have a unflawed educational profile ; every bit many as 30 % of our workers have postgraduate grades. We besides carry out considerable research into emerging engineerings and competency countries at our state-of-the-art, ISO 9001-certified R & A ; D Centre in Hyderabad, India. That is what gives us an perimeter in complex, high engineering undertakings. The Systems Integration Business Unit ‘s all four parts are at Level 5 ( optimising degree ) of the SEI ‘s Capability Maturity Model ( package ) .Healthy and Strong client relationshipsCMC ‘s client orientation and service civilization lead to digesting bonds with clients. Our diverse value proposition and service civilization, attached with our path record of winning service bringing, are reflected in our long-standing client relationships with dominant participants inUp stepManagement Information System ( MIS ) is presently being upgraded for web-based maps. The front-end will be ASP, and the database is being upgraded to Oracle 9i.Strong pointA enthusiastic group drawn from experts in H2O resources, irrigation direction, fluid mechanicss, and hydrology, works for the drawing, development and execution of the canal irrigation direction systemCMC has broad sphere cognition and apprehension of the process, policies every bit good as the operational and administrativ e direction composing and manner of irrigation sectionsExperienceTo plan, developed and implemented a Management Information System in India, funded by the World Bank.Feasibility surveiesFeasibility surveies to detect the functionalities required in an MIS, and to construct up a model for an information systemClient listIrrigation Department, Government of MaharashtraMaharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation ( MKVDC ) , PuneDepartment of Information Technology, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of IndiaDiscussionHarmonizing to the result of this survey which was sing the use of School Management Information Systems in primary schools and which mean to make up one's mind the point of views of the school directors associated to direction information systems, it was experienced that the figure of computing machines was non sufficient and there was merely one computing machine joined to Internet in about all of the schools. Besides, in a little f igure of of these schools, there was a web page of the school. Study which was conducted by the Pelgrum ( 2001 ) in 26 states and by Mentz and Mentz ( 2003 ) in the schools of South Africa, it was seen that one of the most common hurdlings of the applications of direction information systems was the inadequacy of the Numberss of the computing machines. Due to this ground, it can be said that there was an of import substructure job of the acknowledgment of school direction ‘s information systems in today ‘s schools. As Greg roseola stated ( 2004 ) the uniformity with technological betterments increased with the pattern of engineering. For that ground, it is mandatory to supply pedagogues chiefly school directors with sufficient technological opportunities to do them accept and travel with the betterments. The jobs encountered show the necessity that the applications of information system should be done in the range of a utile plan. Besides, there is a critical difference among the schools in footings of holding these engineerings. This unfairness makes us believe that there is some inequality connected to the use of these engineerings ‘ chances non merely for the director and instructors but besides for the pupils. This state of affairs shows that there is a possibility of coming face to face with the job which is discussed extensively and called â€Å"digital division† non merely countrywide but besides in the schools in the similar state. In add-on, it was seen that there are still some school directors and adjunct school directors who do n't hold a computing machine in their suites at the schools in the range of this survey. In the center of the school directors and adjunct school directors who have a computing machine in their suites, some of them use a computing machine without an Internet contact. Besides there are some schools whose instructors do non hold the chance of doing usage of the information engineerings. This is besides is seen that The Ministry of Education ‘s nonsubjective ( MEB, 2002 ) which is providing each staffroom with at least two computing machines ; providing counsel service, library, school directors with Internet entree in order to speak with the cardinal and provincial offices and besides for the pattern of direction has non been achieved yet.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Building Trust Within a Group

Building Trust within a Group Mgt/521 When working in teams I have found that team members have to earn trust from one another. It helps that everyone in the group has the same goal and in the end wants to achieve the same things. Trust is built when everyone is engaged and there is plenty of communication and involvement from each team member. There has to be a lot of give and take. Trust is built starting from small assignments and each individual doing their part. Trust can easy be lost right away if someone in the group is not participating to achieve the end goal. It is important to keep trust among team members by staying involved, communicating, and working together. The weight of the team projects must be evenly dispersed throughout team members. If one team member is going more than others, trust can be lost. Trust is very complex and has multiple layers. Although trust is a major factor in interpersonal relationships, there has been relatively little research done on the topic. Trust emerges and changes in situations that are difficult to observe and study, such as in â€Å"strain test† situations (Holmes, 1981). Strain test situations are when on individual’s outcomes is dependent on his or her partner, but the actions that would promote the individual’s own interests differ than what would benefit the partner. I think this goes back to the give and take scenario and doing what is best for the group, not just one individual. References Holmes, J. G. (1981). The exchange process in close relationships: Micro behavior and macro motives. In M. J. Lerner & S. C. Lerner (Eds. ), the justice motive in social behavior (pp. 261–284). New York: Plenum. Current Directions in Psychological Science, (2007, Oct 01); 16(5); p264 5p.

Event project management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Event project management - Assignment Example Operations going down in an event ought to be executed efficient and effective. According to (â€Å"Events Feasibility and Development†, 2011), event project management has to develop an excellent strategy that will ensure events do meet their objectives as stated. However, some objectives do contradict with the mission of an event this should not be the sole reason for an event failure. Models have been developed to assist event managers in the process of planning. Planning for an event go beyond the literary word and involves a series of activities ranging from been awarded permits by relevant authorities to the closure of an event. A well informed and experienced event manager should always be aware of the possibility of activities planned for an event failing, and therefore, proper fall-back plan should be in place to salvage the moment. It has been argued that all over the years that an event cannot be rated as successful either by a brilliant plan or execution but how th e event ends is what can be used to gauge (Burke, 2011). Adoption of models like events management body of knowledge (EMBOK) and Event Plan and Archive Review System (EPRAS) can assist in event planning. Both are useful tools for event to be successful, however, conflict arises on how one model prefers planning and execution ought to be done. Therefore, it would be wise to incorporate elements that are applicable to a planned event from the two models, so as to achieve objectives of the events. In every organization, it must be guided by values that are deemed to be controlling the flow of operations within the organization. The group is geared towards St. Patrick’s Day parade. It is in it preparation stage, putting all pieces together waiting for the event that will be going down in March. As a team, principles guiding the activities should be in place. For instance, the team should hold a couple of meetings to air and share new

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

I coundn't decide yet. Could you decide Research Paper

I coundn't decide yet. Could you decide - Research Paper Example Lacks died after eight months, but her cells live, the first cell line to survive, cultured in vitro at the Hospital’s laboratory for cervical research and since then literally immortal (Brodwin 2000 54-57). Those cells are still being cultured today and are used for research on cancer, AIDS, various other diseases and gene-related studies. In the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Lacks’ children grieved at the fact that others made a multi-million industry of their mother’s cells while they are living a life of poverty (Skloot 2010). Despite the medical benefits brought about by HeLa, there are those who believe that an ethical breach occurred when Lacks cells were used for research without her and/or her children’s knowledge and consent. According to Anders Nordgren, dialogue, which includes informed consent, is central to ethical research. There is an unwritten agreement among the research community that a research must always be preceded by the consent of the subject concerned (2001 p 128). Informed consent, which involves disclosure, understanding, voluntariness, authorization, and precondition (Nordgren 2008 p. 128), is merely in keeping with the right of a person to privacy, one of the rights mentioned by the 9th Amendment to the Constitution. In the case of Pavesich v New England Life Insurance Company 50 S.E. 68 (Ga. 1905), the Court concluded that the right to privacy is an independent right under a state constitution (Schultz 576). Moreover, modern trends in ethical research suggests the significance and impact of informed consent to the entire family lineage of the individual whose cells are being made a subject of research (Lea et al 1998 p.91). The elements of disclosure and understanding requires that a person must be notified and recognize the various aspects of the research, such as its

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Why Scientific Management Has No Relevance Today Essay - 11

Why Scientific Management Has No Relevance Today - Essay Example The paper tells that scientific management is irrelevant in the current society because unlike in the past, workers are more intelligent today. This is because they know their values in the workplaces. Consequently, they consider any processes that seem to challenge their worth as self-deprecating. When scientific management was still relevant, employees were offered the fiscal rewards only. This is because workers valued economic rewards during that time. However, most organizations increase their productivity by controlling all factors in the  workplaces  as well as maintaining the social health and development of the workers in today’s organizations. Furthermore, this management approach is not applicable today because its principles are authoritarian. This is because they assumed that only managers were accountable for decision-making because organizations did not trust the employees’ competence in decision-making in the past. According to Taylor, the increase i n the organizations’ productivity relied on the divisions between the workers and experts or managers. Additionally, he also believed that managers should always direct the workers. This method negatively influences the workers’ motivation and satisfaction in the  workplaces. The modern organizations increase their productivity by involving all the organization’s participants including the employees in the decision-making process. This motivates the workers because it makes them feel worthy of the organization. Additionally, it makes them feel respected by the organizations. Such respected workers usually work to their highest potential because they become loyal to the organization. Moreover, the piece rate payment systems used in the scientific management is not effective today because organizations center on superiority rather than the capacity to increase the customers’ satisfaction and the organizations’ competency.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Research methods (Evangelistical literature) Essay

Research methods (Evangelistical literature) - Essay Example Epistemological assumptions begin with an inherent suspicion of the knowledge basis of the concept or product. They want to understand and interpret everything in a framework of methodology Conventional science is based on 'rational positivist' thought. This includes the presumptions that there is a 'real world'. Data can be gathered by observing it This data is factual. It is truthful and unambiguous. The 'post-positivist', 'interpretivist' philosophy, on the other hand, asserts that these assumptions are unwarranted, According to this philosophy 'facts' and 'truth' are a wild supposition and 'objective' observation is impossible, and that the act of observation-and- interpretation is dependent on the perspective adopted by the observer. Interpretivists criticise even the physical scientists for the narrowness of their assumptions. Their criticisms hold some truth particularly strongly in the social sciences, where the objects of study are influenced by so many factors. These factors are extremely difficult to isolate and control in experimental laboratory. This builds up to a requirement that multiple interpretations of the same phenomena must be allowed for, and that no truth is attainable. An organization which depends solely on ontological beliefs has to at some point embrace epistemological assumptions to survive. So it sells faith' - the very basis of the philosophy of being. Evangelistical literature or material is published and marketed to influence people of ontological belief into their way of life. Since ontological assumption is based on positivism, the belief that everything being is good, the positivist approach quite easily gets affected by such marketing ventures. To them pictures of God or human beings in reverence, Biblical stories...To them pictures of God or human beings in reverence, Biblical stories and incidents hold an incredible position of awe. be made attributable to the purpose of collection. Similarly, the data collated in terms of cases individuals or groups runs the risk of the age factor being misrepresented which amounts to a great deal of confusion. In such a scenario greater credence is given to the written word.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Challenges of ESL Students in American Universities Essay

Challenges of ESL Students in American Universities - Essay Example International students face more challenges than local students. Most of the ESL students, if not all, feel a sense of helplessness due to the lack of proficiency in the English language. Most ELS students come to the United States with some knowledge of the English language but not the culture or the college life. For international students that come to the United States after completing high school, it is especially difficult since the academic structure of colleges and universities is completely different than high school. ESL students are given strict deadlines and significantly higher standards compared to high school standards. Something must be done to accommodate international students if the assertion that the transfer learning is effective is to be considered true. â€Å"Classes for ELS students should be interactive with group discussions, role plays, and with problem-solving skills† (Sulliman 41). It is something that is not always seen in classes. The U.S history or Psychology are good examples of classes that are typically lectures followed by tests that are scheduled throughout the semester and a final paper. Crosson says that â€Å"collaborative effort is needed on the part of all staff members, teachers, and administrators to see to it that ELLs and ESL instructions are fully integrated components of the schools’ culture and curriculum† (Crosson 1). A good fit culture is very important for it to be a good fit between student and university, but ideally in a collaborative environment as discussed above.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Saving the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Saving the world - Essay Example Notably, a vast majority of the tiger population is indigenous to the southeast and far-east Asia (Chundawat et al. 1). Due to continued conflict between tigers and humans, at least three subspecies of tigers are presently extinct while the remaining subspecies are under threat of extinction. In fact, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified the remaining six subspecies of tigers as endangered with at least two subspecies being termed as critically endangered and on the brink of extinction (Chundawat et al. 1). Saving tigers is of critical importance since tigers are magnificent creatures, which are renowned for their ferociousness and prowess, and act as a major attraction to the wild scene. Consequently, tigers enhance revenue levels of the tourism industry (Dinerstein 510). The beauty and power inherent in the tiger species is beyond doubt. Tigers play an integral role in maintaining equilibrium in the ecosystem. Tigers are a significant link in the food chain, thus play a crucial environmental role. The tiger is an emblem of wilderness and typifies the well-being of the ecosystem. Therefore, saving tigers is tantamount to conserving the entire wilderness ecosystem. Tigers play a vital role in maintaining the health of the wilderness ecosystem since they represent top carnivores at the peak of the food chain. Consequently, the removal of such a top carnivore from the ecosystem can negatively impact the equilibrium of the ecosystem, for instance, by causing a marked abundance of herbivores within the food chain (Karanth et al. 173). Tigers, alongside other notable carnivores such as lions and leopards act as a pivotal control mechanism for herbivores in the wild. The habitats formerly set aside for tigers have reduced quite dramatically as a result of continued human intervention (Sanderson et al. 2). As a consequence, the global tiger population has diminished dramatically over the course of one century. In most countries, tig ers have been hunted for their body parts and skin, which are sold on the international black market. The international trade of tiger parts is presently a multi-billion dollar industry, which extends across all continents. At least one century ago, there were approximately 100,000 wild tigers; however, today, there are only about 3200 wild tigers (IUCN 1). Today, there are more tigers in captivity, for instance, in Texas, than there are wild tigers in their indigenous land (Asia). If the present trend ensues, the tiger population will dwindle and tigers will soon join animals such as mammoths on the extinct species list (Karanth and Sunquist 260). Current conservation efforts targeted at saving tigers are proving to be relatively ineffective since wrong practices such as poaching of tigers continues in the wild. In addition, if efforts to save the species fail, future generations will be unable to appreciate the majesty of these creatures as the only evidence of tigers will be foun d in museums. Furthermore, if tigers become extinct, they will subtract a significant part of the food chan, ultimately creating a lack of balance in the wild. Saving the existing tiger population is quite feasible, especially considering the urgency with which conservers are seeking and employing innovative ways of saving the species

Friday, August 23, 2019

Outline the Soviet Union's response to the rise of fascism in the Essay

Outline the Soviet Union's response to the rise of fascism in the 1930s and explain the signing of the MolotovRibbentrop Pact - Essay Example As a member of the League, Moscow participated in the imposition of sanctions on Italy after Mussolini's invasion of Abyssinia in October 1935 (Parker, 1974, pp. 293-332), and called for action against Hitler's invasion of the Rhineland in March 1936. In contrast, following Hitler's election in 1933, Germany withdrew from the League of Nations and began to rearm. Throughout the 1930s, Berlin embarked on an aggressive foreign policy which included marching into the Rhineland, intervening almost immediately in the Spanish Civil War, declaring the Anschluss in March 1938, and threatening invasion of the Czech Sudetenland by September. During this period, the British public also learnt of the persecution of the Jews and other minorities within Germany. What was known about Stalin's purges was equally abhorrent. Yet, much had occurred to suggest to any objective observer of the international situation that Nazi Germany was in fact Britain's greatest threat. Despite this, members of the Conservative Party in particular continued to 'believe Nazis on the whole are more conservative than communists and socialists'. On Aug. 23, 1939 Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin agreed to what became known as the Nazi-Soviet nonaggression pact. With that, Stalin made World War II possible. Assured that he was protected from Soviet counter-aggression in the East, Hitler invaded Poland a week later, Sept. 1. (Beichman, 1999, 19) The signal that something was up between the two totalitarian powers had come some four months earlier but European chancelleries overlooked it. For on May 3, 1939 came the startling news that the Soviet Foreign Minister Maxim Litvinov had resigned "at his own request." Litvinov, of Jewish origin and strongly anti-Nazi, had been replaced by Vyacheslav Molotov. His ethnic origins would not embarrass Hitler in dealing with communists. Until the official announcement of the Nazi-Soviet pact, few believed such an agreement possible, especially the Communist Party leaders in the United States and the rest of the world - because the Soviet Union had posed as the dedicated leader in the fight against fascism. When Berlin and Moscow announced on Aug. 20, 1939 the signing of a trade treaty and newspaper dispatches began hinting about a further strategic alliance, communist spokesmen denounced such speculation as fascist in inspiration. They had every reason to disbelieve such a story because, after all, the Comintern line the world over was to seek a united front with the democratic West against fascism in the name of "collective security." Ignored was the editorial in Pravda Aug. 21 that the trade treaty "could be a serious step toward a further improvement of relations, not only economic but also political, between the USSR and Germany." But newspaper speculation about the Nazi-Soviet alliance turned out to be correct. From Soviet archives we have now learned that on Aug. 19, 1939, Stalin told the Soviet Politburo that if a world war should follow a Nazi-Soviet pact it would only serve to strengthen Communist Parties in France and Britain. Stalin then accepted Hitler's suggestion that a German delegation

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Harmful Things Essay Example for Free

Harmful Things Essay Mobile Dont put your mobile closer to your ears until the recipient answers, Because directly after dialing, the mobile phone would use its maximum signaling power, which is: 2watts = 33dbi. Please Be Careful. Please use left ear while using cell (mobile), because if you use the right one it may affect brain directly. This is a true fact from pollo medical team. 2) APPY FIZZ Do not drink APPY FIZZ . It contains cancer causing agent. 3) Mentos Dont eat Mentos before or after drinking Coke or Pepsi coz the person will die immediately as the mixture becomes cyanide. Please fwd to whom u care 4) Kurkure Dont eat kurkure because it contains high amount of plastic if U dont Believe burn kurkure n u can see plastic melting. Please forward to all!!!!!!!!! !! News report from Times of India 5) Avoid these tablets as they are very dangerous * D cold * Vicks action- 500 * Actified * Coldarin * Co some * Nice * Nimulid * Cetrizet-D They contain Phenyl- Propanol -Amide PPA. Which Causes strokes, and these tablets are banned in U. S. 6) Cotton Ear Buds Cotton Ear Buds (Must read it) Please do not show sympathy to people selling buds on roadside or at Signals.. Just wanted to warn you people not to buy those Packs of ear buds you get at the roadside. Its made From cotton that has already been used in hospitals. They take all the dirty, blood and pus filled cotton, wash it, Bleach it and use it to make ear buds. So, unless you want to become the first person in the world to get Herpes Zoster Oticus (a viral infection of the inner, middle, and external ear) of the ear and that too from a cotton bud, DONT BUY THEM! Please forward to all this may be helpful for Someone.. . Please forward to all your near and dear Ones.!

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The article by Joachim Wambsganss Essay Example for Free

The article by Joachim Wambsganss Essay The article by Joachim Wambsganss discusses the nature and functions of gravitational lenses that both help and challenge our understanding of the celestial bodies in the universe. As the author rightly puts it, the sky is filled with many mirages and mysteries to be explored. The gravitational lenses make the universe into a palace of glasses where one images reflects into multiple images creating an illusory effect. It is curious to know the nature and functions of these gravitational lenses that both help and defy our understanding of the universe. . Gravitational lensing is a budding and promising area of study in astronomy. It helps astronomers to study the dark matters in the universe. It is also useful to investigate the structure of quasars, black holes and find earth like planets around other stars. Â  Gravitational light deflection was identified and accepted, though not accurately. Einstein was doubtful about it though he predicted that a foreground star could magnify the image of a background star as a result of gravitational lensing. More optimistic was the Swiss-American astrophysicist Fritz Zwicky with his predictions on lensing effects of galaxies. At last the speculation came to an end in 1979 when astronomers actually saw evidence of lensing. Generally light that comes from a celestial body goes straight. But when there is any object in between it deflects and the deviation causes many distortions to what we see in the space. It is interesting to note that any thing that possesses mass can serve like a lens. It need not emit light on its own. Four consequences of gravitational lensing are identified. They are: 1.Change of Position, 2. Magnification and Demagnification, 3.Deformation, 4. Multiplication. The perceptible location of star or galaxy changes because of the deflection of gravitational light Secondly, it is also possible to see the magnification of brightness of a star or quasar because of the deflection of light. Sometimes the light demagnifies. Thirdly, galaxies can appear long-drawn-out into arcs or bananas because of the deflection of light. Finally, the multiple images are the result of strong gravitational lensing. How Lensing Works The gravitational –lens system has three components embedded in the space. The distance source of light, an intervening mass that acts as a lens and an observer on the earth are the three which form a straight line. The distant source of light could be a star, quasar, or galaxy. The intervening mass that acts as a lens can be anything from a planet to a black hole. Light travels through the shortest distance, and it need not be a straight line always. Sometimes it can travel through a curve as well. The light bends when it reaches the curved space near a cosmic body. The degree of deflection depends on how close the rays get tot the body and on the mass of the body. The deflect ion angle is directly proportional to the mass and inversely proportional to the closest distance. Gravitational lenses are different from ordinary lenses in many ways. The ordinary lenses have a well-defined focal point whereas the gravitational varieties produce focal lines or surfaces. The typical gravitational lens also causes light rays to experience smaller deflections. The gravitational lensing is achromatic. When the lens system is asymmetric, i.e. when source, lens and observer are not in alignment, the lens has an oblong mass distribution – and the resulting ring breaks up into discrete variegated images. The lens magnifies different parts of the source by different amounts and the highest magnification occurs at caustic. When the alignment is very far off or the lens mass distribution is very spread out, the lensing is very weak. With the discovery of double quasar Q0957+ 561 gravitational lensing became an observable science. So far 64 double, triple and multiple quasars have been found. The CLASS (Cosmic Lens All-Sky Survey) project has mapped more than 10,000 radio sources and 17 multiply imaged systems. To identify whether it is real quasar or an illusion, observes have developed a checklist. They see whether the quasars lie at the same distance, whether their spectra is similar, whether there is any potential lens between the observer and the quasar and whether the brightness of each quasar fluctuates in the same way. When the galaxy lens is spherical it can distribute the light of background quasar or galaxy into a ring or circle called Einstein ring. About a dozen such rings are found. The important application of quasar lensing is to measure Hubble constant, which is a measure of size and expansion rate of universe. Multiple quasars can give insight into cosmological parameter called cosmological constant. It is essential to explain why the expansion of universe appears to be accelerating. The more is the expansion accelerated, the bigger the volume of space. Cosmological constant can not be more than 62 percent of the energy density of the universe. If the density is more, there could be more number of quasars. It supports smaller values of the cosmological constant. Quasars are unsteady by their nature and they tend to brighten and then dim on their own. Â  To distinguish microlensing fluctuations and intrinsic variability astronomers monitor multiple quasar systems. Â  In 1989 astronomers confirmed five multiple quasar systems. They conclude that innermost parts of quasar are hotter and bluer than outer parts. If lens is not single galaxy, but a cluster of galaxies then the image can be a kaleidoscope of strongly distorted arcs and arc lets. Studies on clusters of galaxies reveal that clusters are dominated by unseen dark matter. On an extremely large scale, the vast galaxy clusters of matter tend to be powerful lens. The wide spread shearing of galaxy images support the view that universe is giant cobweb of matter interspersed with voids. The article also focuses on MACHOs and Extra solar planets. MACHOs are collection of rogue planets, dead stars or black holes. However research says that the entire dark matter cannot be made entirely of MACHO. It also notes that stellar mass black holes may cause microlensing events. Stellar microlensing can even detect planets and the extra burst of brightening that might have been caused by planet candidates. Thus, the article ‘Gravity’s Kaleidoscope’ narrates interestingly how the study of illusions can lead us to the discovery of truth relating to celestial bodies in the universe.

Social Psychology Theories and Prosocial Behaviour

Social Psychology Theories and Prosocial Behaviour Using social psychology theories, discuss the situational factors that affect the likelihood that people will engage in prosocial behaviour. What is the evidence for these effects, and how might changes in our society affect the likelihood of people acting prosocially? Introduction Societies strive for more social cohesion and better integration of members in the community, to foster wellbeing; thus it is important to study ways of achieving better interpersonal relationships. Research indicates that some situational factors increase prosocial behaviour in society. According to Dovidio et al (2006) prosocial behaviour is influenced by biological, psychological, and environmental and social factors. â€Å"Prosocial behaviour is voluntary behaviour intended to benefit another. Thus, it includes behaviours such as helping, sharing, or providing comfort to another† (Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs, 2007, p.1). In addition, Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs (2007) argue that prosocial behaviour is important for the quality of close relationships and interactions with other individuals and groups. People in groups help each other more in time of need or distress, and societies need people to help each other in order to successfully have a healthy and pea ceful society. This essay would explain three social psychology theories; the need-to-belong theory, the self-categorization theory, and the sociometer theory. These theories would be discuss with research about situational factors that affect the likelihood of prosocial behaviour, and how societies could increase these probabilities. Social Psychology Theories Three psychology theories are examined in order to discuss the situational factors that affect the likelihood that people will engage in prosocial behaviour. According to Fiske (2012), these theories are linked with social core motives: these need-to-belong theory is linked to the social need to belong, and reflect the reasons why people want to be part of groups. Secondly, self-categorization theory is related to the social motive of understanding people’s motived for sharing social accounts. Thirdly, sociometer theory is associated with the social motive of self-enhancing where people assert themselves. Need to belong theory Baumeister (2012, 3) claims that humans’ minimum need for forming and maintaining social relationships drives human behaviour, emotion and cognition. The need to belong to groups makes people follow social norms and to act accordingly to social standards, in order to feel accepted and integrated into the community. Several studies observed that excluded people are more likely to engage in aggressive, non-cooperative, and disruptive behaviours. For example, excluded minorities result in less academic performance, more prone for violence and crime, and lack of engagement in prosocial activities (Baumeister, 2012, p.30). Also, Baumeister claims that the government has the duty to make more social connections because of the increasing individualism, decreasing social connections, and continuing small families and relationships. Therefore, the need to belong theory could suggest that people are more likely to act prosocially in order to feel included in the society. Self-categorization theory (SCT) Turner and Reynolds (2012, p.3) clarify that the self-categorization theory explains in what circumstances people perceive themselves as individuals and as members of groups, and its repercussions. Groups change people’s behaviours and attitudes in accordance to expected behaviours in order to maintain their membership in the group. The group impact on member’s attitudes and behaviour depends on the level of internalization of belonging to a group (Turner and Reynolds, 2012, p.15). The authors suggest that it is possible to change core people’s features by altering the norms, values and beliefs that delineate that particular group. They suggest to use social identities to foment cooperation within subgroups, and deeper integration to a group (Turner and Reynolds, 2012, p.24). Sociometer theory Sociometer theory claims that people’s actions are based in protecting and increasing their value in relation with others, therefore enhancing the probabilities of acceptance in society (Leary, 2012, p.3). It has been suggested that through evolution human begins have been able to survive because of living in supportive groups. Acceptance and affiliation of these members facilitated natural selection over those members who did not follow the norms nor values of the community, and who were rejected (Leary, 2012, p.12). People with low self-esteem also lower their value in relation with others, and this could lead to depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug problems, and other troublesome behaviours. (Leary, 2012, p.13). In addition, according to the sociometer theory, there are three problems related with dysfunctional behaviours. First, rejection creates negative feelings in people, and foster abnormal interpersonal behaviour, usually creating depression, anxiety, and hostility. Second, people normally strive higher relational value with desirable social means, but rejected people are more prone to be involved with deviant groups because their standards are lower. Third, people ineffectively accepted make distances and devalue themselves in relation with other individuals, and lower their self-esteem, increasing their probabilities to engage in problematic behaviour, such as drug abuse, and violence (Leary, 2012, pp.22-23). Situational Factors and Prosocial Behaviour There are many situational factors that affect how people act prosocially. For example, people are more likely to engage prosocially if the cost of helping is low, if the person is attractive, if there is no one else who could aid, if they are in a good mood, and if they have been exposed to prosocial models (Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs, 2007, p.2). In addition, personality also plays a role; for example, shy people are more likely to help others in a situation where they won’t be exposed. (Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs, 2007, p.3). Furthermore, Firske (2001) claims that the presence of bystanders can interfere with prosocial behaviour in a negative way. Regarding the need to belong theory, people who have been exposed to prosocial models reflect the importance of following societal norms in order to feel included. Secondly, SCT says that they can change people’s attitudes and beliefs if it is changed in their group; therefore, based on the situational factors mentioned above, people can be taught about the bystander effect to diminish its effect, and to encourage helping others disregarding their mood, appearance of the victim, and the cost-calculation. This would foster a more harmonious society, where people help each other with less trivial impediments. Finally, the sociometer theory would suggest that people would engage more in prosocial activities if they are included in society, and feel valued in regards to others. Prosocial Behaviour According to Dovidio et al (2006) prosocial behaviour is influenced by biological, psychological, and environmental and social factors. Biological: Trivers (1971) introduced â€Å"reciprocal altruism†, where people are more likely to help others because of the probabilities of receiving their help, thus increasing their survival opportunities. For instance: identical twins (sharing 100% genes) are more likely to help each other than fraternal twins (share 50% of genes) (Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs, 2007, p.3). According to the need-to-belong theory, reciprocal altruism could be a societal norm in the community, therefore people would engage in this behaviour to feel accepted. SCT would suggest that reciprocal altruism could be internalized in new groups in order to foster prosocial behaviour. The sociometer theory would claim that reciprocal altruism contributes to the acceptance of the group, therefore member would help more others. Social learning and cultural influences: from childhood people are taught social norms, such as the norm of reciprocity and the norm of social responsibility (De Cremer van Lange, 2001). Several parenting skills of providing support, prosocial values, and behaviours of helping others tend to foster prosocial behaviours in children (Krevans Gibbs, 1996). Limitation: cross-cultural variations in helping. Some evidence are: Robert Hampson (1984) claims that status in the peer group is associated with the level of group acceptance and type of prosocial behaviour. In addition, Francesca Gino and Sreedhari Desai (2012) argue that childhood memories produce moral purity, which elicits to greater prosocial behaviour. Furthermore, Authoritative parents’ models are linked with teaching prosocial behaviour to their children (Roy F. Baumeister Kathleen D. Vohs, 2007, p.3) According to the need-to-belong theory, parents would teach social norms and skills of prosocial behaviour in order to feel part of the community. Secondly. SCT suggests that these norms can be internalized to groups and subgroups in order to increase social cohesion, and prosocial behaviour. Finally, sociometer theory would claim that parents teach these social values in order to increase the relational value of their children compared with others who do not help. Empathy and Altruism: both empathy and altruism could stimulate prosocial behaviours (Batson, 2006). Some evidence is: firstly, some argue that prosocial behaviour is always based on selfish reasons. For example, people help to enhance their mood or to avoid negative feelings. (Eisenberg, 2007). Secondly, Batson et al. (2007) concluded that empathy produces altruistic motivation to help others and is independent of egoistic motivation. Thirdly, Findlay et al. (2006) claim that more empathic children are link to greater prosocial behaviour. Fourthly, Simpson Willer (2008) argues that prosocial behaviour happens even when there are not reputational incentives. Finally, Nancy Eisenberg et al. (1989) argue that sympathy partially facilitates prosocial dispositions in early stages and it is consistent overtime. According to the need-to-belong theory empathy and altruism could be practiced in order to feel part of society. SCT would suggest that altruism and empathy could be internalized in the values of groups, and increase prosocial behaviour. Finally, the sociometer theory would claim that empathy and altruism would be use to increase member’s relational value to others, and to be more accepted in society; therefore people would practice them more if they were more suggested to society. Conclusion The need-to-belong theory, the self-categorization theory and the sociometer theory explain the psychology behind why people act prosocially, which is mainly based on being part and influence by a group, and feeling accepted and integrated. These social psychology theories could be applied in prosocial behaviour research, including biological, social learning and cultural influences, empathy and altruism, and situational factors. These studies suggest that several factors, such as parenting, socialization, level of empathy, altruism, mood of people, among others, play an important role in internalizing prosocial values in society. There are high probabilities of increasing the probabilities of prosocial behaviour with teaching people their importance for belonging into the community.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Neural Cells as Harmony Detectors :: Neurology Brain Essays

Neural Cells as Harmony Detectors The issues of harmony have notably low profile in the current AI research. Meanwhile, when it comes to brain architecture, harmony plays the central role. As we hope to demonstrate in this essay, neural cells act primarily as local harmony detectors. On a less local scale, the consensus is that perceptions correspond to certain stable periodic patterns of neuron firing. A harmony-based architecture would probably be more successful than current AI paradigms. It would help here to recall the basics of neuron firing theory. In the rest state neuron membrane typically has electrochemical polarization potential of 70 millivolts. When the firing impulse comes to the neuron from another neuron via the corresponding synapse (the site of their connection), this polarization potential changes, typically by 1-2 millivolts or less. If the polarization potential decreases beyond the threshold of approximately 60 or 55 millivolts, the neuron fires, otherwise the polarization potential tends to rapidly relax to the original rest level of 70 millivolts. Hence, when the reception of an impulse via a synapse decreases the membrane polarization potential of the receiving neuron, we call this synaptic connection excitatory, because the decrease of the polarization potential makes it easier to fire for our neuron. Otherwise, the synaptic connection is called inhibitory. Because the reception of an impulse changes the polarization potential by at most 2 millivolts and because the polarization potential tends to rapidly relax back to 70 millivolts, the neuron can fire only if it receives several (from 4 to more than a dozen) impulses via excitatory connections simultaneously or in a very quick succession. Hence the neuron works as a detector of several excitatory impulses coming almost simultaneously. So we can say that the neuron detects the harmony between its incoming impulses. Now we shall turn to learning mechanisms in the brain, and observe that the local learning (on the level of one neuron) is directed towards detecting this harmony even better. As we have noted, the reception of an impulse changes the polarization potential usually by 2 millivolts or less. The actual value of this change is usually called synaptic strength. This value is not constant, but changes with time. This ability of synaptic strength to change is the key mechanism of neural learning and is called synaptic plasticity. The most typical rule of synaptic plasticity for excitatory connection works approximately as follows. If a neuron fires shortly after receiving an excitatory impulse (i.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Got Coal? :: Research Essays

Got Coal? In this essay, I hope to inform the reader about the variations in Pennsylvania’s coals, explain the differing methods of coal mining, and provide insights into the use of coal. Although Pennsylvania’s coal reserves have dwindled, coal is still one of the major energy forms used for electric power generation. Widespread use of alternative energy forms have not yet taken place, although this is an area that needs to develop further, if we don’t want to exhaust our current reserves of fossil fuels. Currently, Pennsylvania is the fourth largest coal producer in the United States. More than 69.5 million tons of coal were mined in the state in 1995. Anthracite and bituminous coal are the two types of coal that are mined in Pennsylvania, and they are classified as hard coals. (â€Å"Coal†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Anthracite is the hardest coal type and contains close to 90% carbon, more than any other coal type. When burned, anthracite emits only a very small amount of smoke. It is used in domestic and industrial applications. Bituminous coal is the most widely used coal in the United States. The uses for this coal type are generating electricity, making coke, and space heating. It is mined mostly in the Appalachian Mountains (â€Å"Clean†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). The heating value and the specific gravity (the weight of a particular volume of coal) vary with coal rank. Low-volatile bituminous coal has the highest heating value. The heating value of anthracite is somewhat lower. In the same manner, specific gravity increases with increasing rank (Edmunds 15). Underground, open-pit, and auger mining are the three ways of extracting coal from the ground. Until recently, the room-and-pillar method was the most widely used. In this method, large â€Å"rooms† of coal were excavated and â€Å"pillars† were left in place to hold up the roof. This method is not very efficient, as only 50-60% of the coal can be recovered, the rest is left in the pillars and is effectively lost (Edmunds 16). The longwall method has been increasingly used by larger companies.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Negotiating Reality: Studying Neurons In Denial :: Biology Essays Research Papers

In comparing the articles I read to research this paper, I noticed a distinct dichotomy between the ways in which the phenomena known as anosognosia was approached, a kind of binary: psychological versus neurological. The former seem to me, though not quite magic, to have that same hint of abstraction, whereas the latter are much more functional and conceptually conceivable...that is, they are hypotheses which are solidly rooted in the neurobiology of the brain, hypotheses which are falsifiable and, therefore, more salient than those which make obscure references to unknown and unobservable psychological processes. The implications which neurobiological hypotheses, if shown to be accurate, would have are many; before exploring them, however, I shall first discuss this "denial of illness," (3) which is in itself fascinating. Anosognosia is a disorder occurring in about 5% of patients who have had a stroke affecting the right side of their brain (6), in particular the right parietal cortex, causing left hemiplegia (paralysis of the side of the body opposite to the affected side of the brain). Its characteristic feature is the inability, or, some would say, unwillingness of patients to perceive their own paralysis, and in extreme cases, that of others. It is important to note that anosognosia occurs only when the right side of the brain is involved; the effects of damage to the left hemisphere are, as shall be explained later, quite different (1). Dr. Vilayanur Ramachandran of UC San Diego has made anosognosia one of his primary foci of research and has proposed intriguing, neurological hypotheses as to what might be going on in anosognosiacs' brains. In his research, he has found that anosognosiacs do not deny paralysis merely because their brain damage causes them to be inattentive to the left side of their body; when attention is drawn to a paralyzed limb, by asking patients to perform simple motor tasks, for example, anosognosiacs will either assert that they are indeed carrying it out (when they obviously are not) (1,2,4,5,6) or make up stories to explain it away, claiming, for example, that their arthritis is acting up and that they therefore don't feel like doing it (1,2). In many cases, patients refuse to recognize the paralyzed limb as their own, accepting the bizarre and irrational implications such a statement brings with it (e.g., the limb belonging to a relative, their doctor having three arms) as quite normal (1) .

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Balance Based Literacy: Is it the Best Solution?

Literacy has become an important consideration in the field of education. To address literacy problems, educators (Strickland, n. d. ; Frey et al. , 2004) use the Balance Based Literacy Program, which specifically stresses the use of varied approaches to teaching literacy. According to California Department of Education (as cited in Frey et al. , 2004), the term balanced literacy originated in California in 1996. This was made into a curriculum in response to low reading scores of students on a national examination. It promotes the concept that reading and writing must go hand in hand to promote literacy.In contrast to using a specific approach to teaching literacy such as Phonics Approach or Whole Language Approach, Balance Based Literacy combines these approaches and more in order to ensure meeting the goal of literacy. Believing that every student has the capability to learn how to read and write, Balance Based Literacy allows students to achieve a certain literacy level through a combination of approaches relevant to their ability. The literacy model established with balance allows students to plan their own personal progress, and attempt new techniques in learning, with the support of teachers and resources.Based on Frey et al. (2004), many authors believe that combining a balance of teacher-directed instruction and student-centered activities is the most effective way of teaching literacy. In addition, Asselin, and Pearson (as cited in Frey) believe that Balance Based Literacy must include elements of community, authenticity, integration, optimism, modeling, and student control and connectedness. Activities incorporated in Balance Based Literacy include reading and writing aloud, shared reading and writing, guided reading and writing, and independent reading and writing. According to Mrs.Stewart’s Kindergarten Web site, one model of Balance Based Literacy being employed nowadays is the Literacy Collaborative Model. This comprehensive model is desig ned to provide a school-wide approach to improve reading and writing. This model includes a wide range of individual, small-group, and large-group reading and writing activities (Literacy Collaborative Web site). One component of Balance Based Literacy is Reading and Writing Aloud. In Reading Aloud, students learn the language through acquisition. It supports the idea that language is acquired, thus students are asked to read aloud a text to other students.By doing such, the read language registers in the mind of the students, making them learn the language. However, beyond the purpose of learning, the goals of Reading Aloud are to promote enjoyment and emphasize the uses of print (Mrs. Stewart’s Web site). It exposes the students to the uses of printed materials, and develops discussion skills by motivating them to ask questions during the activity. During Reading aloud, students do not need to view the read text. The focus is not on the content of the text, but what the stu dent reads or explains about the text.The selection for such activities may be fiction or nonfiction, or it can be a narrative, or a picture book Another component of Balance Based Literacy is Shared Reading. During Shared Reading, students reformulate ideas from the context. Either the teacher or a proficient student reader reads to the class, while the rest of the students are invited to join in the reading. One important component of shared reading is an enlarged text which is readable by all children. The text used may contain songs, poems, charts, or lists created by the teacher or developed with the class during shared writing activities.During the reading, the teacher or student reader points to or glides a locator on the reading material to guide the students in reading. This is to draw students’ attention to the print in order to promote familiarity with words in the text. Shared reading activities involve multiple readings of books over several days. During the init ial reading, the teacher emphasizes reading for enjoyment while subsequent readings are done to increase participation, and teach vocabulary, ideas, author’s style, and intonation patterns.Through repeated readings of a particular text, children become familiar with word forms and build up recognition of words and phrases used in the text (Bridge, Winograd, & Haley; Pikulski & Kellner, as cited in Frey et al. , 2004). The third reading component of Balance Based Literacy is Guided Reading. In this kind of activity, students are given more chances to express their ideas and feelings through inquiry. As such, it requires more student participation. In most cases, students are grouped together according to their level, and asked to read a text appropriate to their reading ability.In this case, the teacher needs to carefully identify each student’s level to ensure proper assessment. The fourth reading component is Independent Reading. This activity allows the student to ch oose from a wide variety of texts. It aims to make students become confident, motivated and enthusiastic about their ability to read. Considered as an advanced approach to reading, this activity makes use of skills learned during the Reading Aloud, Shared Reading, and Guided Reading activities. The writing components of Balance Based Literacy also ensure variety in the application of approaches and resources.One component is the Shared Writing activity. In this activity, the teacher and the students together decide to write a text in which the teacher acts as the scribe. The activity requires discussion of what they are writing about, and modeling of the teacher on the board how the text should be written. The students are asked to verbally interact with the teacher before, during, and after the activity to help make connections. The second writing component is the Interactive Writing activity. In this activity, either the teacher and the class, or students in groups collaborate to write a material.The students articulate the words or sounds that they are about to write, and discuss with the teacher or group mates what they are writing about. The third component is the Guided Writing or Writing Workshop. This intends to allow students to spend time daily to write about things that interest them. Students are guided to experiment with a variety of genres. The ultimate goal is for students to develop a style of their own, and apply previous learning. In addition to the writing activity itself, the teacher offers a whole class session, small group lesson, or a conference where students can learn and share their written output.The fourth component is the Independent Writing. This activity allows students to write independently by choosing their own topic and genre. By letting them write freely, students develop the natural habit of writing, thereby making them improve along the process. In this kind of activity, teacher evaluation is set aside in order to promote creativity. The components of Balance Based Literacy are directed toward a common goal: to ensure effective strategy in teaching literacy. They support basic literacy theories introduced in the past such as the constructivist, interactive, and experiential theories.Encompassing these theories, Balance Based Literacy may be viewed as a holistic approach to literacy instruction. Taking from the behaviorist theory of B. F. Skinner, the Constructivism theory believes that all knowledge is constructed through a process of reflective abstraction (Huitt, 2003). In the constructivist classroom, the learner is presented with opportunities to construct new knowledge in addition to prior knowledge and experience. In particular, Reading Aloud and Shared Writing support this theory. As students read and write aloud, they learn new sounds and vocabulary, and benefit from the sharing done by their classmates.Interactive Reading and Writing anchor on the Interactive theory. This theory believes tha t learning is best attained through interaction with others. As discussed above, during Interactive Reading and Writing, students are given the opportunity to listen to other’s ideas. All the components mentioned above support the experiential theory. This theory purports that learning will best occur through individual experience. By asking students to read and write aloud, express ideas in interactive activities, and read and write on their own, teachers promote experiential learning as the very basis of their instruction.Although many educators believe in the effectiveness of Balance Based Literacy Instruction, some authors see disadvantages in its application. For instance, Wren (n. d. ) suggests that the needs of the learners must be the first consideration when designing an appropriate program of instruction. He claims that instruction should be patterned to the needs of the learners and not specific of one approach or a balance of many approaches. Another issue regardi ng application of Balance Based Literacy is the specific focus it gives on reading and writing.This tends to neglect other skills such as speaking and listening, which are also important aspects of literacy. To mitigate problems arising from this neglect, the teacher should incorporate speaking and listening resources as tools for reading and writing instruction. For example, instead of focusing on printed materials, guided writing could use listening resources as motivation activities. Furthermore, technological resources should likewise be used to promote a holistic approach. Conclusion Balance Based Literacy has been considered by many as an ideal program to teach literacy.Given its whole rounded and comprehensive approach to reading and writing, it purports not just base learning but mastery of skills in the target areas. In addition, the activities it introduces provide a way to monitor the progress of students, and allow them to experience learning in various ways. Studies val idating the effectiveness of Balance Based Literacy have found its applicability to young learners. However, not much has been said about its applicability to adult learners who are more in need of a balanced instruction.In this regard, it is highly recommended to conduct research on the applicability of the said program of instruction among adult learners. References Balance overview. (n. d. ) Retrieved March 19, 2008, from http://projectcentral. ucf. edu/Past%20Initiatives/BALANCE/index. html Dorothy S. Strickland (n. d. ) Balanced Literacy: Teaching the Skills and thrills of reading. http://teacher. scholastic. com/professional/teachstrat/balanced. htm Frey, Bruce B. , Steve W. Lee, Nona Tollefson &Lisa Pass. (2004). Balanced literacy in an urban school district. Retrieved 17 March 2008, from http://people. ku. edu/~bfrey/balancedliteracy.pdf Kolb, David A. , Richard E. Boyatzis & Charalampos Mainemelis. Experiential learning theory: Previous research and new directions. Retrieve d March 20, 2008, from http://www. learningfromexperience. com/images/uploads/experiential-learning-theory. pdf Literacy collaborative: Our purpose. (n. d. ) Retrieved March 19, 2008, from http://www. literacycollaborative. org/about/characteristics/ Martha Manson French, M. (1999). Planning for literacy instruction: Guidelines for planning and instruction for literacy. Retrieved March 19, 2008, from http://clercdev. gallaudet. edu/cc/Products/Sharing-Ideas/planning/guidelines.html Root, Cathy (n. d. ) Balanced : Reading and writing in the first and second grade classroom an internet-based treasure hunt on balanced literacy. Retrieved March 18, 2008, from http://www. swlauriersb. qc. ca/english/edservices/pedresources/balancedlit/balancedliteracy. htm Thelen, Jeff. (n. d. ). A balanced literacy program for the upper elementary grades. Retrieved March 19, 2008, from http://curriculum. edenpr. org/~jthelen/languagearts/a_balanced_literacy_program. htm Wren, Sebastian. (n. d. ) What do es a balanced literacy approach mean? Retrieved from http://www. sedl. org/reading/topics/balanced. html

Friday, August 16, 2019

Portfolio Requirements Essay

Section A Now, in no more than a one page Word document (aim for around 500 words), create a new list, once again prioritizing the MDGs and targets from development you would like to see in your country. However, this list should not only be the original list that you placed in the Discussions: it should also incorporate the replies you got from your peers and the Discussions that took place in the rest of your group. Include on this one page an explanation of how you arrived at your final list, by referring to the replies you got from your peers and the Discussions that took place in the rest of your group. It is also important that in this page, you explain your view on how you compare â€Å"happiness† to increased economic wealth. Submit your one page Word document via the Assignments tool. Section B In no more than a one page Word document (aim for around 500 words), create a new set of answers. However, this list should not only be the original list that you placed in the Discussions: it should also incorporate the replies you got from your peers and the Discussions that took place in the rest of your group. Also incorporateinto this one page some additional information that you were able to add to your answers by exploring the Internet – don’t forget to include the web addresses of the pages where you gathered this information. Submit your one page Word document via the Assignments tool. Section C Students who successfully complete this assignment will be able to present critical arguments around ICTs for development projects and demonstrate their capabilities related to engaging with textual and numerical data to present information in a presentation format. Locate any project where ICTs were applied in contexts such as those described in this chapter, in your local community, own city, province or country, or elsewhere in the world and/or that you have been involved with. Ensure that you identify the following aspects in your case study: 1. Title  of the project 2. Website address(es) that provide information about the project 3. Introduction & Background, including details on the project Rationale (what was the reason for the project/why was it needed?) Start date, duration (this far) and status (ongoing, completed, etc.) 4. A description of the project, including details on The ICT4D solutions that was used in the project The strengths and weaknesses of the project 5. You could also add things like Major partners Major stakeholders Who initiated the process? Who were the target beneficiaries? Who were the service providers? How did the initiative work? Was there a local champion (some-one from the local community who represented the interests of that community)? Create a PowerPoint presentation of no more than 8 slides that provide the information as detailed above. Submit your presentation via the Assignments tool. Section D Portfolio Section D: Ethics, Copyright and IPR in Computer labs In the normal course of their teaching duties, several lecturers have reported finding pirated software improperly installed on the computers in the computer labs. Lecturers also found that students have copied and pasted materials from various Internet resources into their own assignments and reproduced them as if they were their own. This, they find, is a common problem among their students. Before taking a decision on what should be done, lecturers asks you, as students, for your inputs to decision-making. Submit your answers to the following questions in either a one page Word document (aim for around 500 words) or a PowerPoint presentation of no more than 8 slides in the Assignments tool: 1. What are the ethical and IPR issues that the faculty are confronted with? 2. What are the steps that the faculty should  take to address the ethical and IPR issues? 3. If you were the student who copied and was caught for plagiarism, what are the consequences you would expect?

Deviant Behavior Essay

One man having more than one wife can be a deviant behavior depending on the country and a person’s beliefs. Polygamy is considered normal and lawful in many countries, but it is outlawed in the United States. The people that believe in it say that monogamy is not natural and it oppresses the social structure. Those against it, say it is a religious offense, or that it violates a spouse’s right to intimacy. The Mormon belief is that polygamy is holy and was practiced commonly in ancient times. Having more than one wife is not only natural it is expected in most cases. However in other societies, some believe it is not only wrong but it’s also against the law. The law can be tricky at times especially when it involves religion because as long as a man is following the Mormon faith he can have more than one wife I think. The majority of incarcerated people live below the poverty level because they can’t afford to hire a good attorney and have to settle for the one appointed to them. However, those with money and power can buy just about anything, whether it’s a good lawyer, or to bribe people in high places. The deviant behavior of the powerful is generally considered to be their business and would normally be ignored by society. Someone who is less powerful would have to accept it and deal with whatever punishment they are given. If the wealthy and powerful are lucky enough, they will do a short Federal prison time. The less fortunate go straight to jail or prison. For example, if an average person gets pulled over for a DUI, they will usually get their liscense suspended, serve 30 days or so in jail, and have large fines to pay. A person of power will most likely be able to post bond within a few hours and pay court fines as soon as they can.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Evolution of the Nation & the Civil War Essay

The end of the Civil War brought about political and economic reform to the United States. Reforms in the Reconstruction Period were passed to foster and maintain economic activity, creating industries and expanding businesses, contributing to the boom of Industrial Revolution in the country. Years of political clout and debate remarkably laundered constitutional amendments for the black man’s rights (Oberholtze, 1917). Inventions paved the way to the development of new industries such as telecommunication, transportation, electricity and construction. The discovery, access to and processing of raw materials -facilitated by technology- allowed products to be transported from manufacturing factories to populated areas for distribution. Such enterprise development measures were supported by the improvement of the transport and communication system via paved roads, bridges, canals, railroads and the telegraph. New jobs were created to cater to the needs of the fast growing economy and population. Enormous infrastructures were built to accommodate the growing city dwellers and workers. Increase in profits of manufacturing industries encouraged a steady influx of immigrants working in the production lines (Engerman, 2000). Competition and increasing market goals forced companies to expand trade and operations in other countries, imperialism’s objective. Altogether, technological advancement, cheap labor and availability of capital led to America’s heavy industrialization. This period of rise and fall largely contributed to America’s development into a superpower. However, as a young nation, America was set back with undesirable impacts of industrialization. As production staff volume increased, conflict between workers and management grew. Industrial achievements due to aggressive marketing of manufactured goods and increased foreign trade introduced more white collar jobs facilitating corporate operations. Management and administrative work were better rewarded than assembly-line work, providing better opportunities for educated and powerful who came to enjoy lucrative lifestyles; while creating inequalities of wealth, discontent and rousing uprisings from laborers who formed unions to pursue their rights. Marxist leaders helped reshape capitalist thought and corporate laws. Growing market demand meant increasing supply needs leading to resource exploitation in some areas leaving irreparable damage to the environment. Concern for increased production overshadowed the seemingly abundant resources. Even large corporations who came to have leverage in policy-making used their power to generate more profit. Developments in transportation made it easy for people to move about creating a melting pot of US residents and migrants, gave way to explosion of population in urban areas, forming cities. The attraction of immigrants made uprisings in social injustices -competition and aggression- between old American settlers versus the new immigrants. Urban legislators targeted services to win the votes of increasing foreign workers maligning the democratic electoral process. Too aggressive amassing and building of wealth and power triggered the economic crash of 1873 when the government’s major investment bank, financer of government reconstruction loans and the Northern Pacific Railroad, crashed (Bancroft, 1902). For many years, new business management styles were practiced by corporations, every time cleaning up failed ventures with hopefully better alternatives. Many times, the finance and investment sector failed but lessons were dealt with outmost concern for capital and development-oriented sources. As population grew in cities, people moved to occupy the western territories. Development gradually followed increasing the number of states joining the union. At the same time, America had growing concern for the rapid growth of the British Empire. Following British example, America colonized territories and expanded the home base and also the market for its produce. American industrialists pushed for westward progression, integrating the continent-wide unified market reducing production cost and increasing value per output of production enabling American working class to earn higher than counterparts across the globe. Higher wage was initially purported by higher bid of wage levels experienced in the pre-industrialization era using slave-labor and eventually sustained by capitalism during the reconstruction period despite the increase in laborers and economic conflict many years after. Nevertheless, the labor force and farmers suffered greatly being dependent on businesses that supported their sources of income (McElvaine, 1993). The years of depression was a roller coaster ride for most corporate giants who still reap the most benefit even during economic downfall. During World War I, America tapped the international market (McElvaine, 1993). They penetrated into countries that did not have resources for food production. US production increased to cater to the needs of incapacitated economies. With its strong capitalist foundation, the US took advantage of World War I devastation across Europe and Japan (Olson, 1988). Forced to reduce trade barriers, Europe, Japan and their colonies were opened to globalization, with efforts initiated by American powers. Development of farm machinery automated farming practices and increased US production. The US became the world’s foremost producer of agricultural products in power economies like Europe and Japan were destroyed. The downside, farmers became all the more dependent on new businesses offering loans, transportation, equipment manufacturers and middle men who facilitated crop entry into international markets. Though, when the war ended, competition became stiff forcing America to make internal changes to beef up industrial efforts. This led to the development of advertising and marketing strategies encouraging people to consume. People wanted to get away from the prolonged depression and rode with the bandwagon, buying what advertisers offered. A mass culture of consumerism proliferated. This was made possible even for people who would not afford through the credit system, promoting instant access to commodities and luxuries and deferring payment with terms (McElvaine, 1993). Many US bankers reached across the globe and lent European countries for post war reconstruction. Economic instability after war did not go along US banks’ objectives and increased the risk of non-payment of loans. This would eventually lead to the Great Depression affecting businesses and communities worldwide. The entire financial industry suffered leading to property and business closures (Olson, 1988). The imposition of higher taxes on imports caused local markets to patronize locally manufactured goods. However, other countries retaliated by imposing high taxes on US exports, resulting in less foreign trade profits and eventually less power in international market penetration (McElvaine, 1993). The growing rate in stocks investment of major industrial companies caught the attention of many. Stock buying became a trend, relying in the belief that this will make people rich. The Stock Market Crash of 1929 marked the domino economic disruption made vulnerable by unequal distribution of wealth and banking problems. Renewed global strategy in achieving international trade through humanitarian and democratic efforts became America’s initiative to promote global security. Priority was also given to secure citizens through provision of social welfare. State-governed economic planning organized nationwide industrial regulations to propel the rise from the Depression. Powerful American businesses have lobbied for rights in exploring resources in other countries despite conservative and anti-colonialism proponents in US government limited US economic expansion. However, open trading between economies leveled the playing field in production and markets. The Progressive Era marked a turning point of US imperial power into a more humanist and democratic torch bearer in an effort to resolve the problems and issues brought about by industrialization and urbanization. Leaders focused on long-term goals, core values and implementation of development programs. Reformists, including President Franklin Roosevelt in the New Deal, sought to end monopolies, destroy political corruption and lessen the gap between the affluent and poor. Through the New Deal, authorized nationwide assistance to socio-economic development of individuals. Agencies were set up to provide employment, regulate mortgage and housing conditions, administered social security, consumer rights and raised funding for education, food and drug safety. Concerns of the working and business class were brought together (Mintz, 2006). Progressive ideologies affected political, social and cultural movements in the local and eventually made impacts on international human rights revolution and the initiation of international governing bodies to secure international relations in politics and economics. Radical changes in international standards and relationships were fostered. The UN and the NATO was founded in 1945 and 1948, respectively. The US became stronger despite its diversity. Operation Breadbasket was launched to increase employment of cultural minorities. From its indistinguishable character, America’s economic, social and technological transformation continues to awe the world. Today, its mandate for democracy and freedom still thrive and inspire other nationalities. References Bancroft, H. (1902). The Financial Panic of 1837. The Great Republic By the Master Historians Vol. III. Retrieved 11-5-2008 from http://www. publicbookshelf. com/public_html/The_Great_Republic_By_the_Master_Historians_Vol_III/thepanic_ce. html Engerman, S. and K. Sokoloff. (2000). Technology and Industrialization, 1790-1914. In The Cambridge Economic History of the United States, Vol. II. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. McElvaine, R. S. (1993). The Great Depression: America 1929-1941. Three Rivers Press. Mintz, S. (2006). Learn About the Progressive Era. Digital History. Retrieved 11-5-2008 from http://www. digitalhistory. uh. edu/modules/progressivism/index. cfm. Oberholtze, E. (1917). A History of the United States since the Civil War, Vol. 1. Macmillan. Olson, J. (1988). from World War I to the New Deal, 1919-1933. Historical dictionary of the 1920s. New York : Greenwood Press.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Arab Spring Complete Research Work

Syed Muhammad Jalal Ud Din Asad Shah SMC Ba 5 (Journalism) Course Instructor Ma’m Rida Sohail International Mass Media and its Impact Mid-term Assignment – Arab Spring 16/11/2012 Introduction The Arab Spring, referring to the chain reaction of revolutions in the Arab world, is considered to have begun in Tunisia when a small produce seller lit himself on fire to protest the government taking away his job.Some say that this event, coupled with enough pressure from outside media sources, sparked the revolution of the younger generation in Tunisia that overthrew their prime minister, Mohamed Ghannouchi; others argue that the area was ripe for revolution thanks to the infusion of democracy in Iraq. Regardless of the initial cause, this single countries act started a snowball effect of democratic revolution that has rolled its way through Bahrain, Egypt, Yemen, Lybia, in a few smaller instances in other countries. Detailed Summary of â€Å"Arab Spring†On 17th December 2010 something occurred in the small Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid that should lead to a so-called â€Å"revolution†. On that day, a desperate Tunisian teenager, who tried to support the livelihood of his family with his vegetable stand there, lit himself. Again and again he was bullied and also harassed by the behaviour and conditions of the Tunisian police in this village. His self-immolation happened one year ago and he died of his injuries. This sad act sparked major protests by angry and frustrated young people in Egypt.Some followed Muhammad Buazizi example and also committed suicide after his sad death. The first so-called revolution in the Arab world has been triggered. Whether this â€Å"revolution† has been really triggered all alone from within Egypt by this sad act should be questioned. It wasn’t the first demonstration against the rise of food prices, but those protests were not able to overthrow the dictator. This changed with these protests in spr ing 2011. One should consider that these developments around these demonstrations have been driven from the outside, too.For example, the name of Former U. S. diplomat Jeffrey Feltman appears repeatedly in connection with these so-called revolutions in the Middle East. The events in Tunisia spilled over to other states and for example, the Tunisian dictator quickly left his homeland to find asylum in Saudi Arabia. Some say a bit too quickly. Even before the wave of â€Å"revolutions† (â€Å"Arab Spring†) reached Egypt, this interesting wave reached the both states Morocco and Algeria. Again, the people took to the streets in protest against rising food prices and against the corruption within the country.Of course, the people in Algeria and Morocco also protested against the injustice. Finally, the demonstrations in Egypt began on 25th of January. These protests in Egypt were primarily socially motivated demonstrations, in which the people wanted to give vent to their anger. Triggered by the financial crisis (U. S. is mainly to blame for this) the food prices and housing prices also increased in the Arab countries. Where the foreign/western countries did not intervene, the demonstrations disappeared again. Take a look at Algeria.It seems that nowadays hardly anyone reminds about Algeria that there people also protested against the government and that these demonstrations were brutally dispersed or even mowed down. It seems that the Western governments decided secretly that an Algeria under the lead of Bouteflika is safer for Europe than an Algeria, which is ruled by Islamists. Some experts of the Middle East talk about the beginning of these demonstrations and revolutions about an â€Å"Islamic revolution† (even Islamistic revolution) which is masterful ignored by the West till today.The West even ignores these statements about an â€Å"Islamic revolution† gladly. However, the results of the first elections in Tunisia and Egypt spea k for themselves: In both countries the Islamists have gained extremely more power and influence. Not surprising at all. For example, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt supported and still supports the protests against the power of the Egyptian military. It sometimes seems that the Muslim Brotherhood also forces chaos within these protests because it might be useful for their goals.Not to mention that the Muslim Brotherhood offered people money to vote for them at these elections in Egypt. A wonderful example of the democratic sense within the Muslim Brotherhood. Sure a lot of people are able to recall the 11th February. The Egyptian dictator Mubarak resigned at this day and handed â€Å"all† the power to the Western-backed military. At the moment, the Egyptian military clings to the power in Egypt and the Egyptians are not able to reach a break to rest after their â€Å"revolution†. But this revolution in Egypt was not the last revolution of this â€Å"Arab Spring† in 2011.The Yemenis were encouraged by the events in North African countries and started to take to the streets, also to demonstrate against their Yemeni government. Shortly before this outbreak of â€Å"revolution† in Yemen, the people were again humbled by the corrupt government and the proposed constitutional amendment, which would keep the Yemeni leader Saleh for some more years in office. The frustration of the Yemenis erupted finally. As far as we know, the Yemenis always have demonstrated in a peaceful manner against the government and military.The bloodshed started as the clan of Sheikh Ahmar began to act against the Yemeni government to enforce the interests of the clan and this Sheikh. After a longer period of a back and forth and a long stay in Saudi Arabia, Saleh finally agreed to the proposal of the Gulf Cooperation Council and left his post in Yemen. Nobody exactly knows the future of Yemen. What is only certain to say is that the near future won`t be easy for the country and that you are actually able to call Yemen a failed State. Yemen always was a â€Å"forgotten† country and the situation within the country is really getting worse.The Libyan revolution should not necessarily carry this title of a â€Å"revolution†. Viewing at Libya it is indeed clear that foreign countries supported those â€Å"rebels† to overthrow the ruler Muammar Gaddafi. Not to mention the clear statements about the events in Libya by independent journalists like Lizzie Phelan and others. Although both Western countries, France and Italy, extolled the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi until early 2011 and both governments did everything in motion in order to impress the leader in oversee, it was above all France, which quickly forgot about the alliance and any agreements.It seems that the huge fear of an independent and more powerful Africa and a Libya with major projects was behind the intentions of the Europeans and the Americans. Some would al so say that this was behind the intentions of the West to destroy the structure and plans of this country. Not to mention the huge amount of important mineral resources, of course. The armed rioters were celebrated as rebels and supplied with arms and money by the West / NATO. First they helped to pass the Libyan city of Benghazi as a liberated ity to the rebels and afterwards they started a war, based on lies, to determine the fate of the finally murdered Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. After Muammar Gaddafi’s assassination and the capture of his son, Saif al-Islam, it suddenly became very silent about the situation in Libya. It seems that they want to prevent, that the Western population learns something about this false revolution in Libya and above all, they want to create time to bury all corpses of innocent. So that there won`t turn up any unpleasant questions. The truth is sometimes very brutal. Libya is now exploited and finally ruled by al-Qaeda and CIA related people .Also people in Bahrain were at the beginning of this year encouraged by the events in other Arab countries and they went on the streets to protest. The majority Shiite population wanted to achieve more equal rights and above all, that the Bahraini opposition will lose their status as mute puppets in the government. In Bahrain, it was a brutal crackdown of the â€Å"peaceful demonstrations† by the government. And all words, which U. S. President Barrack Obama had about these violence by a regime, was a gentle criticism that the Bahraini ruling family should not act brutally against demonstrators. But this was not enough.The Bahraini ruling family asked for help with the crackdown of protesters and the friendly Saudis delivered tanks and their soldiers to â€Å"bring down† the demonstrations in the neighbouring state. After all, no one really outraged about that and no one spoke about a â€Å"humanitarian intervention† in Bahrain or even in Saudi Arabia. It`s a h ypocritically world, isn`t it? The reporting on the brutal events in Bahrain has been suddenly discontinued. They remained silent. The West and others did not want to risk, that the Bahraini ruling house loses its power. After all, the United States of America own an important military base in Bahrain.Furthermore, they couldn`t risk, that the Shiites in Bahrain are really successful in receiving more power and also co-determination in the country, because this would mean that the Iranian influence is increasing in Bahrain. Nothing, what the West really wants. If there will be a resume about the so-called Arab Spring in these days, it seems that nobody is going to mention Bahrain just as Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait The Saudi king tried to bribe his people with money, to buy it finally. But this strategy has not worked especially in the east of Saudi Arabia, on the border to Bahrain, where many Shiites live.Especially in this region a lot of Shiite people were constantly on the s treets to show their protest. By a new fatwa, which declared such demonstrations against the ruling family in Saudi Arabia as un-Islamic, this known ruling family has created an almost free rein in the suppression of the demonstrations. Of course, such a fatwa is used to ban protests against the ruling family in Saudi Arabia and to justify crackdowns of protests. Also such a fatwa does not seem to be very Islamic finally, but that’s nothing new in Saudi Arabia. The fool’s freedom for the Saudi ruling house is intensified by the looking away of the West.Who wants to lose Saudi Arabia as a partner in these days? After all, there are still many sources of oil which can be exploited. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia is a good partner of the West in the fight against Iran – though this country is not necessarily a true friend and ally of the West. Saudi Arabia has a very strong interest to keep the power of Iran limited and to take care with every option that the power of I ran doesn`t increase. After all, it is often about the supremacy of Sunnis and Shiites in the Arab-Islamic world. Saudi Arabia isn’t interested in losing its (religious? power/influence to Iran. At the beginning of this year 2011 there were also demonstrations and violent clashes between protesters and the police in Jordan. The people protested for a new government. The Jordanian prime minister was replaced. The frustration of the Jordanian people is still palpable and there, but you do not hear anything any longer about Jordan. They do not want to take the risk to overthrow a Sunni ruler – especially not in a country where the majority of the population is actually Palestinian. It would not be foreseeable, which reaction would be triggered.So while the West deliberately keeps silent about some regions, they are running on full speed when it’s about other countries which are not the â€Å"favourite children† of the United States, other countries and organ izations. One of the best examples is Syria. In Syria, the demonstrations began relatively late and were fuelled from outside. Not to mention the financially and other support for the Syrian opposition groups within and abroad by the United States – this support started already by the Bush administration and is still continued under the administration of Peace Nobel Prize-†owner† Barrack Obama.The demonstrations in Syria began peaceful, although foreigners were smuggled into the country to force violent situations within those protests. The peaceful protests were soon stopped because of this. The arming of several bunches of extremists, Islamists and criminals did the rest. The weapons were smuggled in quantities beyond the borders of the country – even before these demonstrations in Syria have started. A not to be underestimated role in the so-called â€Å"uprisings† in Syria may have played the comeback of an U. S. ambassador to the U. S. embassy ( Damascus) in February this year.Of course, this comeback of a questionable U. S. ambassador to Syria was also helpful with the policy against Syria This â€Å"Syrian unrest† is happening since nine months – although it is said that there is a horrible crackdown of protesters by the Syrian army and security forces. Not to mention that a real â€Å"unrest† looks different to the real events within Syria. But in favour of Western policy it is sure useful to sell these events in Syria to the Western population as a â€Å"peaceful unrest† of â€Å"peaceful demonstrators†, who just want freedom and democracy.The Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should be overthrown, without any foreseeing of the consequences. It is easy to see these attempts of overthrow the Syrian government and President in connection with the â€Å"Foreign Policy† of America, Israel and probably (mainly? ) AIPAC. It is written on the flags of America to protect Israel, which th e U. S. President Barrack Obama again made clear in the last days. Because of this and the powerful AIPAC lobby within the USA, they have on their agenda to destroy the so-called â€Å"Axis of Evil† – despite the probably consequences.An upcoming President of the United States needs a huge financially base to become president and he also needs the support of such Lobbies and positive opinions about his attitude to Israel. Real independence is sure something different. If you destabilize Syria, an important supply line between Iran and Hezbollah is interrupted. But the West has made up its plan without Syria, which still holds well against all sanctions, propaganda and lies of Western countries, organizations as the NATO and questionable media. But it is in the stars how long Syria will survive this.What is sold as â€Å"Arab Spring† is absolutely a huge lie. A lie, what is becoming increasingly obvious, especially after the Islamists won the non-independent & qu estionable elections in Egypt and Tunisia. A lie, which has the end, that the bloody crackdown on Shiite protesters in Bahrain and the situation and events in countries such as Jordan and Algeria are simply not included in the so-called retrospective analysis. A hypocritically sale of the so-called â€Å"Arab Spring† – a recapitulation, which is more than blind in one eye. A lie by which a war was fought in Libya (and there are still clashes, of course).With tens of thousands of casualties – with a big thanks to NATO and Western interests. Whether one can still speak of a â€Å"spring† is more than questionable. The Arab states became puppets of the West, even more than already in the past. The West has tried to use his influence and how this failed â€Å"Arab spring† will going to end will be sure turn out in future. The West still missed to reach all goals yet, because the government in Syria is still not collapsed and the majority of the Syrian population supports the President Bashar al-Assad and the promised reform process.Also the Iran is far too powerful to attack it, without fearing huge consequences. There still other Arab states where dictators are in power. The West just seems to be blind or is this behaviour a confirmation of the imperialistic lies and propaganda? If you want to sell the so-called â€Å"Arab spring† as a real pro-democracy movement of the Arab youth, then you should not keep simultaneously the dictators of the Gulf States, Jordan, Algeria and Morocco in office and power. The Arab Spring is a farce, which has plunged many countries into chaos.These countries will have to fight with the consequences for the next decades. The problems, why the Arab youth mainly protested on the streets, are still there – everywhere. The acts to solve these problems of the Arab youth and societies are not even started yet if you consider Iraq, which is served as an example of democracy in this region; yo u quickly recognize that this supposed democratic government is much more corrupt than the former dictator. How the Arab population and primarily the Arab youth are going to handle this is unclear.Maybe more â€Å"Arab springs†, maybe more victims and wars. Probably. One is clear – the Arab neighbours have been weakened and this is one of the main goals of Western interests, Imperialism and also of Zionism. It is said a picture explains better than 1000 words, but when picture muddle up with words then the following appears The Nature of the Arab Spring The Arab Spring is the name that has been given to the recent wave of protests and political unrest in the Arab region of the world.This phenomenon began with the Jasmine revolution in December 2010 that overthrew the authoritative Tunisian government and has spread to neighbouring countries including Egypt, Syria and Libya. The Arab Spring has exhibited a common demand for democracy and civil rights from the nations in volved and has already lead to revolutions in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and has caused political changes across many other Arab Countries. Shifting political attitudes and values regarding democracy amongst the Arabs can be seen in the following graphNote the Democracy preference and Reject strong Leader in the Middle-East column. This survey was taken a year before the Arab Spring. The data it shows predicts remarkably well the opinion of the Arab people and was a sign of things to come. The findings have undoubtedly been correlated with the events of 2011. What is ironic is the high preference for democracy in Middle East compared with Eurasia and the fact that Middle East & North Africa region had the lowest democracy index rating (3. 43, 2010) according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (2010).This highlights another great disparity between the desire of the people and the reality. Arab Spring and the youth It's often said revolutions eat their young, but rarely has it been such a feast. On the streets of Tunis and across the Middle East, the young revolutionaries have been taken aback. A movement that spread on Face book, Twitter and YouTube is today being run by a generation that lived without computers most of their lives. Now, if the Arab Spring fails to incorporate the younger generation, it could meet the fate that so many revolutions do – leaving out those who first sparked change TunisiaThe democratic process in Tunisia is very encouraging. Regime change took place almost with no victims compared with Egypt, Libya and Syria. The elections brought to government a moderate, enlightened Muslim party, which raised the fears of secularists but is trying by all means to assure its opponents that it is open to sharing power, accepting peaceful transition of power through the election polls and building a civil state. Morocco and Algeria The king of Morocco went far beyond that of Jordan. He does not have to deal with similar delicate internal elements .As a matter of fact, he started a process of internal conciliation several years ago, and trying to preempt a revolution in his country, he allowed a reformed constitution to be legislated in May 2010, and free democratic elections on Nov. 25 of that year. The Islamic movement won the majority as expected, but the change is taking place peacefully though seriously. The change will have an impact on Morocco’s relations with its neighboring Arab countries. A positive improvement in relations with Algeria is developing.If this continues, it will allow for opening the borders between the two countries, which have been closed for 17 years. The Arab Spring is changing the way of thinking among the new regimes. The political climate between Morocco and Algeria will have an impact on resolving the dispute over the Western Sahara. This may allow for the resurrection of the Maghreb Union, which was created in 1989 but crippled as a result of deteriorating relations between Algeria and Morocco. Elections are scheduled in Algeria for 2012, and the regime promises free and democratic elections.If this happens, and it most probably will, it will add a new dimension to the reform movement in North Africa. Syria The Syrian version over the protests is similar to that of the rest of the world in that the larger, general class of the country, in this case the Sunni Muslims, are protesting the rule of the elite sect, the Alawites in Syria – including the current President Bashar al-Assad, due to the apparent disparity between classes. The protests began in mid-March but have escalated as Assad backed down for original promises of peace-talks and reform and has begun to oppose the protests with force.The situation has since escalated as military members, once members of the elite sect, have begun to defect to the protestor's side, putting the country on the brink of civil war. These latest developments in Syria and the rest of the Arab Spring are important because they prove that international accountability can, in fact, produce large-scale change in a country. When enough people or media outlets that carry enough weight get behind even a single person that is willing to stand up to the injustice, enough momentum can be generated to cause institutional change.The average American must care because we are a part of that momentum. If the average citizen lacks care, the media lacks support over certain topics, and international accountability and pressure loses its power. The Arab Spring reminds us that individual people with the courage to generate change have power if a watching world is willing to respond. By staying up to date and active in the discussion of these events, the average American too can have a part in great change for millions around the world. Egypt What where the students’ goals? The Egyptian revolution began on the 25th of January.Tens of thousands of marchers occupied Cairo's Tahrir Square to protest against Preside nt Hosni Mubarak and his government. Egyptians had been growing angrier over a number of issues including government corruption, rising prices, poverty, and social seclusion. The major point leading to the revolution was the overthrowing of the Tunisian government by fellow Arabs. As the demonstrations in Egypt grew more violent, protestors rallied behind a common goal, the complete overthrow of the President Hosni and his government. How did they communicate? The protestors consisted mostly of young â€Å"tech-savvy† Egyptians.On January 28, in an attempt to prevent the protestors from communicating, the Egyptian government shut down internet access and some mobile phone services were shut down in certain areas. This only fuelled public anger with the government demonstrators begin using non-wireless dependent devices to communicate. Through fax machines, land lines, and radio broadcasts, the protestors have been able to still coordinate their movements and get information o ut of the country. What were their activities? Isolated pockets of protest erupted into country wide demonstration on January 28 as thousands protested the government in Tahrir Square.They were met with repressive opposition by police forces (Asser). The government responded to the protests by shutting down all internet providers in order to cut off communication among the protestors. This only fuelled public anger. Protestors turned to land lines connections, fax machines and in some cases dial up connections through foreign nations such as Sweden and France to spread information (Daily Mail Reporter). Quickly, police forces melted away and the army was called in to keep the peace. On February 1st the demonstrations in Tahrir Square had terminated into the â€Å"March of The Million. Looting soon became rampant through the streets and neighbourhoods set up armed night watch groups to protect their homes. The protestors had been relatively non-violent, but on February 2 pro-governm ent demonstrators marched in Tahrir Square to meet the anti-government forces. The Scene soon erupted into violence as both sides began throwing stones and petrol bombs. Since then, the anti-government Forces erected barricades around Tahrir Square and voiced their refusal to leave until President Hosni Mubarak finally stepped down from power (Asser). Were they successful? The Protestors were successful.Under mounting pressures, President Hosni Mubarak resigned from presidency, finally ending his nearly 30 year rule. Power was then given over to the military which began drafting a new government and constitution. What has happened most recently? Since the resignation of President Mubarak, power has been given to the military which has dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution. The military said that it would give up control after a parliamentary election in the fall and a referendum was released in March for the public to vote and ratify amendments to a new constitution.Si nce then however, the military has-been blamed for slowing the pace of democratizing the nation and remaining loyal to the core of President Mubarak’s government, leading to fresh protests in the recent months. In august, Hosni Mubarak was brought into court to be tried for the deaths of those who died in the protests. In October, the military released a statement saying that an election would be held for parliament in November followed by a separate election for president. The military also announced they would now retain power even after the elections in order to see the transfer to democracy through.The Parliament will play a subordinate role to the military council for the time being until the new government is fully established and a new constitution is ratified, a process which might last until 2013. At the moment the future of Egypt has promising potential, but is still unclear. What would I have done? I would have joined the protestors in the streets. I love that I li ve in a democracy and if I lived in country like Egypt that limited my rights, I know I would jump at a chance to change things.However, if I heard that looters were out, I think would go home and help be part of a neighbourhood watch to protect my friends and family because I feel that they should come first before government. Libya What were the goals of the students? The major protest credited with starting the revolution was a demonstration held in the city of Benghazi. The protestors were angry over the imprisonment of a human rights activist named Fethi Tarbel. Tarbel openly spoke out against the government, especially in regards to the 1996massacre at Abu Salim prison where more than a 1,000 prisoners were executed.The protestors were met by police forces that used water cannons to break up the crowds and eye witnesses reported that police were driving their cars at high speeds into the crowds. The situation quickly erupted into an anti-Gaddafi protest that spread to neighbou ring towns. Public anger over the nation’s rampant unemployment, poverty, civil rights violations, and lack of free speech fuelled the protests which demanded an end to Gaddafi and his regime. How did they communicate? Revolutionaries had to be careful about communicating online because the government was monitoring sites like face book, twitter and other social networking sites.Some groups adapted and began using Mawada, one of the biggest dating sites in the Middle East, to secretly recruit new members and communicate. They would pose as couples on Mawada and swap coded messages to each other disguised as poetry and love letters. For the most part however, Libyans did not embrace the internet for communication as Egypt and Tunisia did in their revolutions. According to Nasser Wedaddy, a civil rights outreach director for the American Islamic Congress, Libyans were very afraid of the government monitoring the internet.What got information spread around was actually people ou tside of Libya who, free from Libyan jurisdiction, were able to take what photos and videos were uploaded and spread them around the media, creating much of the support for the anti government forces. What were their activities? The protests that began in Benghazi evolved into a revolution and soon rebel forces consisting of civilian recruits and army personal that had defected made the city of Benghazi their base and quickly forced all security forces out of the city.Riots spread to neighbouring cities and rebel forces burned down police stations and seized local radio stations to spread propaganda against the government. Pro Gaddafi forces moved to open war with rebel forces, engaging in ground assaults and bombing raids. Anti-government rebels were forced to retreat from the better armed pro-Gaddafi forces. Due to attacks on civilian targets, the western nations of the world gave their support to the rebel cause and began launching air raids on government strong holds and militar y groups.With military advice and equipment provided by NATO forces, the rebels began slowly advancing on the capital of Tripoli and held the city of Misrata in western Libya which was under heavy siege. After months of little progress, the rebels pushed forward with a new offensive and captured Tripoli. The rebels established the National Transitional Council which was recognized as the new legitimate government of Libya. Rebel forces went on to capture the rest of the loyalist held cities which finally resulted in the death of Gaddafi. Were they successful?The rebel forces were successful. In their last major offensive, which took place from August 13to October 20, they captured the capital city of Tripoli and all other cities still held by loyalist forces and on the 20th of October Gaddafi was finally killed in a rebel attack on his strong hold Role of Women As the world hurries to analyze and understand the events of the ‘Arab Spring’ of 2011, numerous factors will be considered, most of them highly relevant and perhaps with more of a demonstrable effect on events than the levels of female subordination.It is for this very reason that it is necessary to conduct research into the effects of female subordination. There has been talk of women’s rights in the context of the uprisings of the different Middle Eastern and North African countries, but there needs to be real, in depth analysis of the relationship between the treatment of women and the changes occurring in societies as a whole. In analysis of the events that occurred in 2011, I expect there will be much made of the nature of the previous regime, the personal styles of each of the dictators, and the economic situations of the countries, including the role of resources.I strongly believe that the factors, as well as the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, the threat of terrorism and the presence of oil, are factors that affect women acutely and intensely, and that we can learn more abo ut these different factors by examining them through the lens of the treatment of women. While it is difficult to establish whether it is a case of causation or not, there is a strong correlation between the treatment of women and the repression of society as a whole. Studying the way women are affected in these situations will provide further insight into societies and prospects for the future.I have proposed analysis of specific events with the aim of developing this line of analysis further. I propose examining the relationship between the subordination of women and the level of protest experienced in varying countries knowing that it is possible that it the relationship I have predicted may not be accurate, but secure in the knowledge that it will lead to a better understanding of the factors shaping the situation in the Muslim world and potential developments in the future.It is my hope that this research would contribute not only to the study of women’s rights and the i mportance of gender equality, but also to the field of democratization studies as we observe countries that uphold the rights of women making successful, peaceful transitions to consolidated democracy. The â€Å"Social media revolutions† We have seen so far what the most important phenomena on the Arab Internet were in the years before the revolutions. But when it comes to gathering people, fast-paced communication, and – ultimately – performing a revolution, both blogs and forums are fundamentally flawed.Here comes the unique role of modern â€Å"actual† social media – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc. , with their widespread and mass usage, free access and equal rights. Through social networking sites, a single message – regardless if it is a manifesto, the date, time and place for a gathering or a video showing defenceless citizens killed by the army – can reach thousands of people within minutes, each and every one of them being abl e to express their opinion on the matter, gives a suggestion or share an idea, everybody being able to become an activist and organizer.As far as it is possible – because they are in many cases very intertwined – I'll try to examine separately the role played by the different channels of the social media online ecosystem. Facebook Facebook is, probably, the biggest site on the Internet now – it is almost as frequently visited as Google’s search engine page; as of September 2011, it is confirmed to have as many as 800million accounts (which is more the 1/10 of the entire human population).Naturally, it is the most popular social networking platform in the Middle East and North Africa as well for example, Egypt alone has more than 7 million Facebook subscribers; in Tunisia they form a rough 1/5 of the population of the country, and that ratio is typical for most of the countries, with the exception of Libya, where there are only around 50,000 accounts (this fact can be attributed to the heavy censorship and restrictions by the country's previous regime).This figures are the main reason why Facebook was the most important communication tool in most of the Arab spring revolutions; even though it is impossible to say that the access to the social network per se has become the reason for the revolution, it is completely impossible to tell the story of events preceding and following the iconic January 25th 2011 without accepting the crucial role that Facebook played in them. The driving force of these events is much older, and it was encoded in the very nature of the Egyptian pre-revolution regime and social structure of the country.However, it is safe to say that the revolution itself was sparkled in, and with some reservations, by Facebook. That revolution revolves two â€Å"pages†, one created in protest to the murder of Khalid Said, tortured and killed by Egyptian police for posting materials exposing corrupt officials – â€Å"We are all Khalid Said†, which is English-speaking and for that reason has drawn to itself not only Arabs, but many western supporters of the Egyptian cause, and â€Å"The April 6 youth movement†, which is in Arabic; the second is far older and originally emerged around a protest action in 2008, but kept its popularity.Combined, at the time of the protest, the two major groups consisted of more than half a million people, which grew literally in a few days after they were founded. Basically, there were no events that directly preceded the protest of the 25th; there was just an idea for a peaceful demonstration that circulated through the community pages; the rally itself was simply the act of moving the anti-government protest from the online world to the physical one.That was the very role played by Facebook – it was where the protest brewed, and when it was ready to move on the streets, it managed to gather some 50,000 people on the very first day, due t o the good organization and widespread information on the social network.The follow-up of that event did not differ from any other people's uprising – more and more attended every next protest, clashes with the police and the army occurred, and, ultimately, the Mubarak government was overthrown. The important and new parts here are the methods of organization and spreading of information, which amplified and facilitated the process of overthrowing the regime.Egypt is the most clear example of the use of Facebook during the Arab Spring, it being the place where the ideas and organization grew; in Tunisia, for example, as the first country to start the chain of revolutions, no such simple and differentiated organization existed; of greater importance there was the online presence of the members of an informal group called â€Å"Takriz†, who have been doing their activist work online for the past 10 years, and just embraced Facebook as a new operational space, very useful when it comes to rapidly sharing information and reaching a broad audience.Members of this group even admit that the organizations of football club supporters were equally important to Facebook groups and â€Å"Facebook activism†. The crucial importance of Facebook is very well expressed in the words of one of the members of Takriz: â€Å"Facebook is pretty much the GPS for this revolution. Without the street there's no revolution, but add Facebook to the street and you get real potential. For that reason, when the drastic event which could be used as a pretext for mass protest activity happened – in this case, the self-inflammation of Muhammad Bouazizi – the organization was already laid, the contacts were already built and the signal for the protest was given, they grew extremely fast. Here, if not on the same scale, it served exactly the same role it did in Egypt – a public sphere in which to discuss new ideas and find followers, n organizational net work to coordinate common actions, as well as a source of inspiration, proof that the activist is not alone in his quest. In the Middle Eastern countries in which anti-government protests are now ongoing organization through Facebook is not such a common phenomenon: the only example is Syria, where the biggest protest group (in Arabic) has no less than 320. 000 members, and it is updated hourly with information, pictures and videos from the protests.In Bahrain and Yemen the groups are negligibly small and not much visited; in these cases the fact must be kept in mind that the revolutions here are more isolated and involve much less people than those in Egypt, Tunisia and Syria, and the use of Facebook is not so widespread, so the need for an online public sphere is not so acute. Twitter Twitter is a completely different social network; where Facebook has complexity and many different ways to communicate and organize, Twitter has only one – simplified messages shared with the entire world, no preferences given.While Facebook can hold an entire manifesto, Twitter is limited by its 140 characters for a single message (called â€Å"tweet†); it has no pictures or video service by its own but is forced to use third-party applications to achieve that functionality. For these reasons, even though it is the second biggest social network in the world, it has only a fraction of Facebook’s user count. The Arab countries make no exception: there are only 5 million Twitter users, and almost half of them are from the UAE that is the primary reason why it was never used as a primary tool for organizing protests or gathering supporters â€Å"in the field†.Yet, Twitter played an equally important role in the uprisings. Due to its simplicity, this network is extremely well-suited to use through smart phones and mobile devices; usually the content of user profiles is updated on hourly, if not minutely basis. For that reason, while Facebook was used in the long-term planning and announcements, Twitter was the â€Å"in-the-field† tool, which allowed fine coordination between the protesters. Furthermore, an even more important role played by Twitter was bringing information on the protests outside the countries where the uprisings took place.One of the first things the regimes did when the revolutions started was to suppress all possible media channels and prevent the proper covering of the events. For example, the reporters and crew of Al-Jazeera, which is deemed to be the biggest, and actually one of the few truly independent broadcasting media in the Arab World, were forbidden to enter the country the moment when the unrests started, and for that reason the television had to rely entirely on a network of â€Å"credible and reliable† people, who had previously assisted the media, tweeting and updating information from the scene of events on minutely basis.Thus, these â€Å"twitters† turned out to be the key so urce of information for the covering of the protests and the development of the events; in Tunisia, for example, reporters of many media were allowed free passage only after president Bin Ali stepped down. Finally, Twitter was also the place where all the supporters of the Arab Spring uprisings throughout the world were exchanging news, opinions and analyses; #Egypt (with reached over a 1 ? million mentions only in the first three months of 2011) was the most used hash tag for 2011, which denotes the events in Egypt as the most discussed topic worldwide.So, Twitter was also the place where the news was spread, and keeps being spread even today. It also served as platform of the liberation campaigns, which were previously carried mainly by blogs – a fresh example comes from October 2011 when Twitter was the main space where the campaign â€Å"Alaa took place†; it called for the liberation of an Egyptian blogger who was â€Å"held for questioning† by the temporary military rule for more than two weeks, but at the end was released under popular pressure. YouTubeThere is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words; if that is true, then a video is worth a thousand pictures. There is a reason why YouTube's own search engine is second only to Google’s in terms of daily searches, and videos can sometimes reach over a few million views in a few days – the so-called â€Å"viral video† phenomenon. Video materials from the period before and during the Arab Spring period make no exception to this rule: they accumulated a lot of attention. Technically, we can separate the videos from the period into two different categories.One is what I would call â€Å"propagandist† videos: usually very graphic videos, depicting actions of the regimes, like torture, murder of civilians, bribery etc. , which were distributed and uploaded by activists aiming to raise awareness of both the Arab public and the world audience about these issues ; an iconic example here is the story of Khalid Said himself ,who was dragged out by the authorities from an Internet cafe, while he was uploading a video showing a government official taking bribe.Often, such videos were driving force powerful enough to organize mass protests, unite and focus the will of the crowds – a good example of that is Syria, where, in the end of May, a video was uploaded to YouTube showing â€Å"The corpse of a 13-year-old boy who appears to have been sexually and physically tortured by Syrian security officials†. On the very next day, mass protests of women and children broke out in the entire country, ultimately leading to a counterattack by the Syrian army, which took 15victims, and thus escalating the conflict.A similar example comes from Tunisia: a video from the days following the beginning of the revolution, showing â€Å"Kasserine's hospital in chaos, desperate attempts to treat the injured, and a horrifying image of a dead you ng man with his brains spilling out, filmed by a medical student working in the hospital. The footage was so graphic that according to a member of Takriz â€Å"That video made the second half of the revolution† Rallying large number of people shocked both by the state of the patients and care offered in the state hospital and the brutality of the government attempts to suppress the protests.The popular videos from Egypt represent the other case, or what I call â€Å"journalistic â€Å"videos: footage from the protest itself, used as a channel of spreading information about the uprisings outside Egypt itself, which have gained relatively big popularity on YouTube; for example, a hobbyist video of the first day of protest has been watched over 600. 000 times, and even simple political analyses of the current situation made inside the country have reached over 300. 000 views.Such videos were also the main source of footage for many media, since those were prohibited from enter ing the â€Å"hot zones† or the countries whatsoever and taking any recordings of the events. That also worked the other way around – YouTube was the only way protesters could access the news coverage and analyses made by various media, which were otherwise banned in their countries, for example Al-Jazeera or BBC Miscellaneous The three websites discussed above are the channels with the biggest significance for the Arab Spring; it is impossible to enumerate all the various sites and connections used during the revolutions.Photographers, both media-employed and hobbyists, shared photos on sites like Flickr and 500px; discussions were carried out on boards like 4chan, and personal communication was carried out via peer-to-peer online services like Skype etc. Conclusion for Social Media While reviewing the role of social media in the Arab Spring, one fact is obvious – it is an over-exaggeration to state that â€Å"the media is the massage†. Regardless of the amplifying effect that social media gave to all that took place, the events were invariably based on a real-world fact which reverberated in the virtual space.Still, there are at least three main functions which social media performed during the Arab revolutions 1. ) Public sphere – it was the place where ideas were discussed, information was spread and through which public awareness was raised in the first place 2. ) Organizational space – it was where the uprisings were planned and an invaluable organizational tool during the protests; 3. ) Information source – it was the only way information could â€Å"leave† the countries and reach the world publicity and conventional media.The significance of social media consolidated by the fear with which they were treated by the pre-revolution regimes. Each of them, at some point, tried to sever the access to such sites, ultimately blocking the entire Internet access or even stopping cell phone service (in the c ase of Egypt). The regimes were afraid of a medium which they could not control, and, in the end, their fear turned out to be well-grounded: the dictators were ousted by the wrath of their peoples, â€Å"amplified through Facebook†.My personal opinion is that the Arab Spring is not going to be the last â€Å"Social network revolution†. There is a good reason why the leading figure of the unrests now taking place in Russia after the parliamentary elections, Alexei Navalny, is a well-known oppositional blogger, and the organization of the protest took place in Facebook; so did that of the currently popular â€Å"Occupy†¦ † movements happening all over the world. Who knows where the opposition is brewing the next uprising in their twitter personal messages†¦ The Ultimate Conclusion The Arab Spring was not a surprise.The surprise was why it took so long to come. Many reasons came together to produce these drastic developments: the refusal of the regimes to accept the principle of the transition of power through elections and their insistence on a monopoly on power, as well as corruption, poverty, unemployment and the marginalization of youth and ethnic groups. The young generation, which represents 70% of the population, was the common element in leading the revolutions in these countries, whereas the aged ruling leaders of these countries belonged to only 7% of the population.And finally, the collective awareness, as witnessed in Tunisia when a young man protested by setting himself on fire and when a youngster died in a police station in Egypt brought masses to the streets. Arab dictatorships ruled with an iron fist and disgraced their own people to the extent that their arrogance went far enough for them to believe that they could pass their reign by inheritance to their sons. Their countries’ resources were exploited as their own and were shared between their family members, relatives and friends, while their people were l eft in poverty and underdevelopment.The U. S. and Europe knew the reality of these regimes, but for their own interests cooperated with them and turned their eyes from their severe violations of human rights and democratic values. The Arab Spring cannot be compared with the European Spring in Eastern European countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Eastern Europe’s culture, mentality and proximity to Western European countries enabled a smooth change and transition there, while these elements do not exist in the rebelling Arab countries.We all know the results: Arab dictators in Yemen, Libya and Syria declared, â€Å"It’s either me or to hell with them† and launched a war against their own people. The war in Syria is still on; no one can predict its results, but one thing we can be sure of: The people broke the barrier of fear and came out in a massive protest that will not be turned back. Masses went out to the streets and public squares in a peaceful protest and civil disobedience. But the rulers confronted it with excessive power and violence, which led to a violent reaction from protestors, pushing some of them to seek foreign intervention.No one can predict where these revolutions are heading. They all are speaking about democracy, free elections, dignity, justice, human values, etc. But translating this into reality is another issue. So far, Libya, Yemen and Egypt have proven that this will not be an easy task. The U. S. and Western European countries fear a real change in the rebelling Arab countries which may threaten their interests and concerns, and are trying to contain these revolutions.The fact that these Arab countries control the world’s largest oil reserve, located in a central strategic junction between the three continents of Europe, Asia and Africa, and that any change may threaten the future existence of Israel can explain this. Many fears are expressed now by Arab intellectual circles about the fate of these revolutions which raised so many hopes in the beginning but soon faded as result of bloodshed, destruction and failure to make the transition to democracy smoothly and within a reasonable amount of time. The Arab Spring may not blossom soon.Good governance, transparency, democracy and rule of law have not been realized yet. Hatred and suspicion of the intentions of Western countries is growing. Conspiracy theories have become a fashion. Past experiences with the West and its relations with the former regimes are not forgotten but instead strengthens the fears that what’s going on is a new return of colonialism with new faces and new regimes. The Arab people have tried Western methods and values, and their bitter memories about their past cooperation with the former regimes are still fresh. The U.S. , the supposed leader of democracy, is losing its credibility due its double standard policy— calling for democracy and human rights for one people and denying it to another, by supporting the Israeli occupation and denying the Palestinians’ right to statehood. The recent position in the Security Council against Palestine’s membership in the UN is used as strong evidence of the U. S. ’ biased position against the Palestinians. The Arab revolutions are inspiring revolutions worldwide — even against the corruption and failure of the Western economic system.The double standard policy of the West, together with the failure of the Western system, discourages Arabs from adopting Western values, and has made them focus on the necessity of change. This change, for many people, could be achieved only by adopting the modern pragmatic Islamic approach. The Islamists seem to be the future. Whatever the U. S. or Europe may try to do to hinder this development, it will not succeed. Replacing the dictators of the past with new ones with the blessings of the West will not survive for long. The masses have learned their lesson and wil l not give up until they achieve their rights. S