Racism and Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Racism and Media - Essay Example n the aspect of not being living- rather, it is an integral part of it and therefore utilizes the pool of knowledge in society, or in other words, common sense. The media’s role in informing how African Americans are viewed by white Americans has been very key. One does not need to look far to see the images of violence, drug use and substance abuse that have now come to be associated with African Americans. They are everywhere in the movies for instance. You need a villain who will be finally beaten and imprisoned to make the hero look good, find a black guy, give him a gang, and a number of guns, and you have your story (Rooney, 2007). Typical example in the movie ‘the second chance†. African Americans too have come to be associated with poverty. They are portrayed as â€Å"these people who are doing everything to make the ends meet and yet whatever they do, regardless of their efforts is not nearly good enough†. For instance, in Tyler Perrys movie Good deeds, the lady cannot do anything to save her family which she cares about from poverty and is highly in need of a knight in shining armor, who shows up later in the film and fortunately for this film, happens to be an African American. The media does not only perpetuate the inferior view of African Americans contrary to white Americans by use of negative roles ascribed to these people in films, journals and books, also, through giving their white counterparts a nearly infallible view, presenting them as educated, wealthy and focused people, while not saying anything of their counterparts. It is true that you do not just inform by the things u say but also those that you do not. In conclusion, the media has and will continue to portray a negative view of African Americans. It communicates values, norms, beliefs and behaviors of members of the dominant society, which is the white American in this case (Rooney, 2007). As long as the small percentage that owns the business is of the dominant society,

Factors Affecting Cross Culture Communication Cultural Studies Essay

Factors Affecting Cross Culture Communication Cultural Studies Essay Holliday, Kullman and Hyde (2004) assert that the term `culture refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such an activity some significance. It includes technology, art, science, as well as moral systems and the characteristic behaviors and habits of the society. Different human societies have different cultures, and the personal culture of one individual can be different than another one. Intercultural is the philosophy of exchanges between cultural groups within a society. Intercultural communication is about how people from different countries and different cultures interact with each others; and how they behave, communicate and perceive the world around them. And effective intercultural communication involves understanding both ones own linguistic and cultural identity and that of the people with whom one is communicating. In that, cultural identity has a very important role. The following is a discussion about how issues of identity affect commu nication between people from different languages and cultures. Nationality identity can greatly affect the effectiveness of communication. Different nationality means different in cultures and in most cases languages. People from different countries tend to have different ways of understanding the world around them. It affects the way people think and behave in different situations. People who have different nationalities are likely to have different ways to exchange information and perform various activities that are unique to their countries (Lyerly 1997). This may lead to misunderstanding when people from different countries trying to communicate with each others. Regional differences create even more cultural gaps between human. Thus its effect on communication is even significant than that of nationality. The differences in geography, environment and culture are often too large that people tend to suffer from severe cultural shocks when they travel from one region to another. And that is the main force that affects the efficient communicati on between people from different nations and/or region. Ethnicity identity is another major force that may contribute to the effectiveness of communication. Due to the different of the ability to understand and gain information of people, there are gaps in how different person understands the same piece of information. And that created the two groups of people: the haves and the have-nots. As for that, it is important to take the issue of ethnicity into account in order to improve the effectiveness of communication between these two groups of people. Holley (2008) stated that ethnic groups are identified by common culture, language, religion, and/or ancestral origins. He also argued that there are no internationally agreed upon ethnic categorizations because history often plays a role in what aspects are considered most important for ethnic identity. That is, history is usually the major factor that defines ethnic identity. Language is arguably the most important element of communication. Language is mean, in which the content of the communication is transferred and received. Or as Samovar, Porter McDaniel (2008) put it: Language is the medium through which a culture expresses its world view. Language is also considered as a communication tool that needs to be learned and used effectively in order to achieve successful intercultural communication. And if language is a tool then culture may be considered as the environment that has all the effects on language. Because of that, culture is, in many circumstances, what defines the meaning of language. That is why, in some situations, the same word can bring different meanings due to the differences of cultures. The matter is even worse when two cultures talk in different languages. In this case, a translation tool is needed, however the potential of misunderstanding is also raised as a word translated between two different languages between two different c ultures may result in totally different meaning. For that, language and culture must be thoughtfully considered in intercultural communication. Or as Sarbaugh (1988) concluded the most important element in effective intercultural communication concerns language. Community is the starting point of identity. Every community has its unique traditions, values, and norms. Communities provide a wealth of organized and deep rooted information, which builds from countless interactions of various socio-political, socio-economic, and socio-cultural attributes that occur over time (Kriesberg 2003). This understanding becomes the property of that particular community and plays an important role in shaping the identity structures of its members. The emergence of various communities, such as professional, academic, and virtual has provided the opportunity for individuals to acquire diverse knowledge by assuming membership in these communities. The interaction of various sub-identities of an individual through his/her membership in different communities continuously shapes the learning, thinking, and perceptual environment, which forms the nature of experiences, value preferences, and knowledge arrangements. This intricate and complex system of socializati on shapes the identity of a person. The role of communities in shaping the personalities of its members depends on the nature of the knowledge that is organized in its socio-cultural traditions. Analysis of an individuals community affiliations can enable the researchers to comprehend the role that community specific knowledge plays in forming the identity. Consequently study of community memberships of an individual can help us to understand the identity dynamics of a person; furthermore examination of community knowledge can shed more light on social interaction process. According to Kriesberg (2003) community knowledge, individual knowledge, and identity are the three constructs that need considerable attention in order to broaden and deepen our understanding of the relationship between a person and the community. Social class has been one of the key elements that directly affect communication since the dawn of time. Social class is to some extend still creating boundaries between human, thus creating obstacles in effective communication (Holliday, Kullman Hyde 2004). The conflicts between the rich and the poor, management and working class were often created by those misunderstanding in communication. People in different social class used to be significantly affected so much that they naturally create a barrier to prevent communication with other social class. It is perhaps in many ways shared the same properties with religion differences. Religion identity is sometimes improving communication where it shares a similar interest. It is also the main cause of conflict when its interest is not satisfied by those of different religion. Throughout history, people always keep trying to solve these significant differences; however, the conflicts with the core causes still remain intractable for man y societies until even now. This issue may only be solved if we can change the core of how human perceive and understand the world. In current society, men and women have the chance to work together more regularly and more personally than before. As traditional male-dominated societies diminish, a dynamic communication emerges where women and men have the same goals and equal chances to pursue and archive their goals (Pinto 2000). While the communication between men and women benefits from this fairness, there are still many information and signal of behavior have to think about, and it is important not to let sexual category identity issues hold up with effective communication. Many research have been devoted to the idea that women and men communicate very differently in fact, it is sometimes stated that women and men communicate so differently from one another that they must have perceived the world from absolute different perspectives (Pinto 2000). The communication between men and women seems to be stable and equal day by day. For example, both men and women can be positive, outgoing, task-focused, or sentim ental. The important point to think about, conversely, is that men and women sometimes identify the same messages to have different senses. Age is of course one of the most important matters that affects intercultural communication. Its role is somewhat similar to gender. People tend to think differently when they are getting older. The more time they spend living, the more experiences they have and the clearer they see through conflicts. This is even true when it comes to multi-cultures. The young generations always have different ideas and the ability to take risks. The older generations see things more thoughtfully and are more cautious when facing new problems. That is why, in my opinion, even come from totally different cultures, the old peoples ways of thinking is, to a great extend, similar. However, it is required the flexibility of the young to cope with cultural differences. To sum it up, the balance between the old and young are need to be balanced out in order to achieve an effective intercultural communication. Identities can greatly affect the communication between people from different languages and cultures. How people think about who they are and who and what others are profoundly influences the effectiveness of their communication. Their sense of identity and conceptions of each other contribute to their understanding of the world around them. Whether and how identities affects the communication depends on their particular qualities. There are different sources of identity which lead to unique understandings of the people and how they think and behave in their world. Thus the communication between people is often suffered by these differences of understanding. To know, understand and use the uniqueness of different groups of people will greatly improve how people communicate with each others.

Women, Sport, and Film :: Sociology Norms Society Essays

Women, Sport, and Film There are two sides to every coin. This is something to keep in mind when examining the topic of gender in sport. Specifically, I am speaking of the costs and benefits of a male or female entering a sport in which he or she is not traditionally accepted for their gender. The two sides to this concept lay not only the individual's sacrifices as the underdog, but also in the benefits the individual encounters on his or her adventure into uncharted territory. Of course, it is a struggle for the individual to become accepted by the sport world, and also the general public. It can be an uphill battle in order for him or her to even be able to participate initially. On the other hand, upon crossing the gender boundary, the individual can earn great recognition. This brings the concept to another level; there are cultural benefits that arise from an individual entering a non-traditional sport for their sex. Three movies that we viewed in the first half of this course have served to demonstr ate the individual costs and benefits involved when women become involved in sports that are not traditionally accepting of the female sex. After close analysis of "Girl Fight", "Pumping Iron II", and "Personal Best", effects that these women have on the female culture as a whole, to this day, become clear. In the movie "Girl Fight", Diana struggles as a female boxer living in the inner city. Because of the abnormality of her involvement in this typically male dominant sport, Diana has a hard time adjusting to the scrutiny she gets from her surrounding culture. This brings up the first social cost she stumbles upon due to her choice. She must remain secretive about her new found love for the sport of boxing. She is excited to have found a coach, a gym, and an outlet for her energy, however she is silenced by the fear of being shunned by her friends and peers, and worse, her dad and brother. As she (inevitably) progressively gains skill in the sport, it becomes harder for her to hide her excitement, and so she invites her best friend and other peers to one of her boxing matches. Another individual benefit for Diana is a social one. By being the only girl involved in boxing, she has potential boyfriends and opportunity for friendships and loves surrounding her.

Western states

1. Earthquakes occur in various part of United States. The earthquakes that occurred across the country ranges in magnitude and the date of occurrences. Earthquake with highest magnitude that was recorded in history occurred in Alaska while the one with lowest magnitude occurred in the Idaho area of United States. From the national seismic hazard maps (2008) shows that certain area of united states are more prone to attack while some areas have moderate probability and while some region are at a lesser probability of occurrence.Western states such as California, Nevada, Oregon and Arizona are at higher risk of earthquakes while regions such as South Dakota, Wisconsin and Minnesota are at the lowest risk of earthquake occurrences. Those at moderate risk include Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. The relative probability risk of earthquake occurrences ranges from the low risk central and northern region to the moderate region of some of the eastern states to the highest risk of the weste rn states or region. 2.On the map, the color of Houston Texas is relatively grayish showing that this region is at a lower risk or probability of earthquake occurrence within the next fifty years. 3. Data from the USGS in regards to the latest earthquakes in the world (showing that of the past 7 days in terms of their magnitude and the date of occurrence) indicate that distribution of earthquakes around the world is not even. The map shows 208 different earthquakes in relation to the time of occurrence and their magnitude.Regions such as the western part of the USA, the area of Alaska, Northern part of South America, some northern and eastern parts of Australia and the southern part of Asia shows earthquake experiences that are within the range of 5-7 magnitude and they can be felt. Around the some part of central Asia there are some scattered distributions of earthquakes which are of lower magnitudes and most are not usually felt. 4. The details of the earthquake that occurred on t he southern American continent are as follows; magnitude 5.0, location 12. 100 degree S, 75. 338 degree W, PERU region with location uncertainty of Horizontal +/_ 13. 5 km (8. 34); depth +/- 3. 4km (2. 1 miles). The earthquake occurred on Saturday, August 01, 2009 at 23:07:04 UTC. 5. I’m never going to be willing to live in those regions with higher probability of earthquake simply because â€Å"prevention is better than cure†. Having considering various social, environmental and economic impacts on the lives of people being affected by earthquake, I will never consider living in such red regions. 6.In situation where I’m forced to live in such areas I will consider some of the precautions that can help me and family to prepare and prevent ourselves from being affected by such disaster. Some of what I can do to help my family prepare for such situation includes the use of the USGS resources which helps peoples and family prepare for earthquake events. The resour ces that have been found to help in such situations are categorized into the following; †¢ How can I plan ahead for an earthquake †¢ What emergency supply do I need †¢ What to do during an earthquakeIn order for me to help my family prepare for such an event in the future if eventually I was forced to relocate to the red areas are as follows; I will make sure each of my family member knows what to actually do no matter wherever they are during an earthquake such as establishing a meeting point where we can reunite after afterwards, find out the preventive measure or plan by the children schools for an earthquake attack, and remember that transportation may be disrupted during the event hence there is a need to keep supplies whenever there is chance to do so.I will also try as much as possible to prevent any form of fire outbreak that might worsen the situation. This will be achieved by turning off all the units that can lead to leakage and subsequent fire incidence. I will immediately locate the fire and police station or any available emergency facilities for any rescue. I will also talk to my neighbor in preparedness for an earthquake so for us to know what we can do to help each other during and after an attack. I will also take special training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid processes. 7.The list of the most destructive earthquakes that occurred in the world are the earthquake that occurred in Pakistan in 2005 and that which occurred at Eastern Sichuan, China in the year 2008. The earthquake at Pakistan recorder about 86000 while that of the china recorded about 87,587 deaths. There are several missing bodies during both events and thousands of people became homeless after the events. This list of most destructive earthquakes shows that science is yet to be able to predicts or control earthquake because if they have the power or knowledge to do so, we ought not to have massive destruction like the two most recent earthquakes. 8. Seismograms is the seismological tool that scientist has been able to create to detect rumbling of the earth which usually indicate events going on within the earth layers and also the magnitude of a particular earthquake. What can be consider to be the main motivation for developing seismograms is the understanding of what lead to earthquakes that is the faults and the shakings that occurred within the ground which subsequently causes earthquake. They develop this tool so as to be able to detect this shakings and measure it magnitude. 9.This geological energy is different from biological in the sense that movements of the blocks within the earth result in the conversion of energy caused by the friction into the heat energy which subsequently contributes to the earthquakes while biological energy (which is measured in terms of calorie ) are usually derived from the chemical energy and not the frictional energy. The two forms of energy are similar in the sense that they can be con verted to heat energy. References Lisa,W. (2009). â€Å"The Science of Earthquakes†. Earthquake Hazard Programs Retrieved August 2, 2009 from http://earthquake. usgs. gov/learning/kids/eqscience.php USGS, (2009). â€Å"earthquake preparedness†. FAQs Retrieved August 2, 2009 from http://earthquake. usgs. gov/learning/faq/? faqID=79 USGS, (2009). â€Å"Earthquakes with 50,000 or More Deaths†. Most Destructive Known Earthquakes on Record in the World Retrieved August 2, 2009 from http://earthquake. usgs. gov/regional/world/most_destructive. php USGS, (2009). â€Å"National Seismic Hazard maps-2008†. Retrieved August 2, 2009 from http://gldims. cr. usgs. gov/nshmp2008/viewer. htm USGS, (2009). â€Å"Earthquake Facts â€Å". Earthquake Hazard programs Retrieved August 2, 2009 from http://earthquake. usgs. gov/learning/facts. php

International Terrorism – the World’s Greatest Challenge Today

Today the threat of terrorism is becoming more and more serious. Terrorism is considered the greatest threat against the safety of the world, and especially the USA, today. The extent of the terrorism has increased significantly over the last couple of years, since the terrorist attacks against the US on the 11th of September 2001. After these attacks former president of the US, George Bush declared a war against terrorism. There are various opinions about what can be defined as terrorism. Because there are so many situations that can be defined as terrorism, it is be very difficult to find an exact definition. Many countries have different definitions, and the definitions have also changed over the years. Not even the UN has managed to agree about one common definition. In short we can say that terrorism is some sort of attack at civilians to achieve a political goal. Terrorism has existed for many centuries, but in the last couple of years the attacks have become more extensive and the devastations has become greater. In the future scientists expect that the terrorists will carry out actions with weapons of mass destruction such as chemical, radiological and biological weapons. The war on terrorism is a global campaign led by the USA. The goal is to fight international groups that are considered to be terroristic. They especially focus on radical Islamic terror groups, such as the Al-Qaida. Today the war on terrorism goes on in countries such as Afghanistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Iraq, and Israel. Many human rights organizations have criticized the war on terrorism because they think it in many cases can lead to violations of the human rights. Around the globe there are various terrorist organizations, all with different goals and reasons for their terrorist-activities. The most known group today might be the Al – Qaida which origins form Afghanistan, but has become an international organization. The Al-Qaida became known after the terrorist actions on the 11th of September 2001 when 4 airplanes were hijacked. Two of them were flown into the two main buildings of the World Trade centre in New York. One airplane was crashed into the Pentagon, and the last airplane crash-landed in a field in Pennsylvania. After these attacks the USA decided to attack Afghanistan. The leader of Al-Qaida is Osama Bin Laden who has been hiding from the US troops ever since the war started. The reasons for Al-Qaida’s actions are based on the Islamic â€Å"Sharia† – laws. They want to fight the states they consider a threat against Islam, and especially the USA and Israel. The Al-Qaida leaders encourage all Muslims to kill American citizens, both military and civilians. We can separate the terrorist actions into two main groups; local and international terrorism. Local terrorism consists of actions such as suicide missions, car bombings and so on. International terrorism is actions where the citizens and/or territory of several countries are affected. There are many situations that can lead to the use of terrorism. Terrorism can occur in both poor as well as wealthy countries, and in both democracies and states under different kinds of dictatorship. However, terrorism is most likely to occur in countries that are characterized by poverty and oppression. People in poor countries might feel like they are subjected to an unfair distribution of the world’s wealth. Poverty is claimed to be an underlying part of all the causes of terrorism. Terrorism is a global issue that has to be fought globally. Organizations like the UN, NATO and the EU have the war against international terrorism as their highest priority. The UN is currently working on a convention that can be an important part of handling terrorism. They have also established a strategy on how we can fight the terrorism. But we still have a long way to go, and the world might never be completely terror-free. However, if we work on preventing planned terrorist-actions and focus on improving the circumstances that lead to terrorism, the amount of terrorism could be decreased significantly.