A Social Family Institution in India

Location: India has an area of approximately 3,287,580 sq. kilometers. It serves as a border to the Bay of Bengal the Indian Ocean, and to the Arabian Sea located to its west. Directly north of India are the Himalayas, the world†s biggest mountain range. India also serves as a neighbor to several different countries. Myanmar and Bangladesh located to its east, China, Nepal and Bhutan to the north, Sri Lanka to the South, and finally Afghanistan and Pakistan on the northwest. Topography: India is separated into 4 main regions, these are the Ganges, Indus Plains, Desert zone, and the Southern Peninsula. Physiologically India is divided ten times. A senior male usually heads families in India. In the senior males household a family can be very large. The senior male†s family can include his unmarried children, married children alongside their wives and kids, unmarried younger brothers and sisters, and married brothers with their wives and children. It is common however for families to separate once the father dies. This idea of family is true for both nuclear family and extended family. As already stated above the size of a typical Indian family is very large. The senior male is responsible for providing the financial assistance to the family while his wife takes care of the house. She assigns chores to all of the females in the household. The Elderly are taken care upon dearly by their family members. The marriage traditions in India have been in existence for a very long time. The have a long and important set of rules that are carefully followed by most. A marriage arrangement is a big responsibility for the parents of both the female and male. A marriage is arranged based primarily on religion, family wealth, and the hope for a good biological reproduction. Marriages in India are no different than in most of the countries around the world. It is a very special event for the bride and grooms family and friends. For both the male and the female marriage is a big change not only socially but mentally as well. Only once married is one truly considered to have made the transition to adulthood. Married couples display a strong for male children. Males are desired more because of financial contribution the may supply for the family. Girls on thew other hand are some times viewed as very big liabilities, The more one has the more liable one is. They are viewed as very expensive to support and require very expensive dowries once they are married. Families that have many girls and very few or no males are in great danger of experiencing financial disaster. The roles played by males and females in the Indian society have a very strong presence. Their roles have changed very little in the last couple of decades. Males are the dominant sex in the society. Females have very little power or control over their lives. The male†s main role is to provide financial stability. India†s educational system is one that is very similar to that held by the British. It consists of five levels of education. Level one is preprimary, followed by primary (which in the American system would equal grades 1-5), middle class (middle school), secondary (9 and 10 grades), and finally higher levels (11 and 12 grades). India s governments is currently working very hard to make the peoples education a top priority. The Indian government supplies the people with free education, even with free education only about half of the children attend school. It is viewed by the Indian people that it is more important for the males to attend school than it is for the females. Out of the 50 Indian population is illiterate, 66% of these are females. Higher education in India is not very big. Out of all of the people that attend primary and secondary education less than 10% go on to higher education. It†s popularity however is increasing greatly compared to past years. India†s collegiate system is divided into three. One of these three types is the religious college. These are colleges found by politicians and by wealthy families. They did this in order to gain popularity amongst the people. Government colleges constitute the second type; these are colleges that are found on the outskirts of big cities. They lack private investments and are therefor founded by the government. The third type is called Professional colleges. These are colleges that mainly receive both government and private aid. Professional colleges are the beset of colleges to study carriers such as medicine, engineering etc. 2-India Literacy rate is very high in numbers but very low in percentages. They have over 400 million people that can read but this constitutes only about 56% of the population. 1- India runs its government under a constitution created in 1949. The president of India is elected by the parliament and serves a term of five years. The Prime Minster of India is also a very powerful man in this country. It is said that he has more power than the president. Lok Sabah, otherwise know as the Lower House of Parliament is controlled by the ministers. The federal Parliament consists of no more than 250 members. The President appoints twelve of them and most of the others are appointed by their state. The Lower House has no more than 545 members. Just like the president they serve terms that last fore five years. In case of a national emergency the president can overrule any state government.

Baroque and Classicism

The Baroque style in art that flourished in the seventeenth century is characterized by â€Å"intense emotions, monumental decors, and even a kind of artistic sensationalism (Hunt, Martin and Rosenstein 473). † It is a movement that was heavily embellished and very complex, primarily because it wanted to evoke a strong sense of emotion from the viewer. The artists who subscribed to this particular movement â€Å"embraced dynamism, theatricality, and elaborate ornamentation, all used to spectacular effect, often on a grandiose scale (Klein 649). The term itself is believed to have come room the Portuguese word barroom, which referred to an irregularly shaped pearl. It somewhat fitting, as baroque sculptures, particularly, have many complex textures as part of their ornamentation. A prime example of the baroque style in sculpture is the work of Italian sculptor Giant Lorenz Bernie, Ecstasy of SST. Teresa of Г?vial. The sculpture is distinctly baroque, first in terms of its form. Looking at the sculpture, it is easy to see how diverse the visual textures are in Bering's work. The large, thick folds of the clothing of SST.Teresa contrasts with the lighter, thinner texture of the clothing of the angel piercing her with an arrow. These textures are also clearly discernible and different from the smoky texture of the cloud below, the smooth, porcelain-like skin of both SST. Teresa and the angel, and the ordered rays representing God behind the primary figures. This diversity in textures is a manifestation of the baroque style's obsession with ornamentation, as the complexity it creates is almost overwhelming to the viewer. Another aspect of Bering's work that exemplifies the baroque is its whitetail presentation of emotion.The choice of the subject matter is already lends itself to such theatricality, since the sculpture is depicting the SST. Teresa in one of her trances after her conversion to Catholicism after the death of her father, which she describes as being caused by â€Å"the fire-tipped arrow of divine love that an angel had thrust repeatedly into her heart (Klein 654). † The emotion on her face as rendered by Bernie is one of an almost sexual climax, on display for everyone to see. This equation of an orgasmic, painful pleasure is a means to let the viewer understand on hysterical terms the transcendent experience of the divine.Only the baroque style, with its emphasis on emotion can capture and manifest such a state. Classicism is an art movement that was also popular during the seventeenth century, but more so in France, compared to the primacy of the baroque in Italy. It was espoused by the French king, Louis XIV as the preferred style for French artists. Classicism reflected the ideals of the art of antiquity: â€Å"geometric shapes, order, and harmony of lines took precedence over the sensuous, exuberant, and emotional forms of the baroque Hunt, Martin and Rosenstein 510). It recalls the classical period, whic h in the arts refers to the traditions of the Greeks and the Romans. There is a stronger emphasis on symmetry and straight lines in classicism, which embody the order and reason prized among artists that subscribe to this movement. The work by French artist Nicholas Poisson, Discovery of Achilles on Gyros, is an excellent example of classicism. Looking at the forms in the painting, it is easy to see how ordered everything is. There is a dominance of straight lines, not only in the classical architecture depicted behind Achilles and his sword, but also in the poses assumed by the figures.The arms of the women are carefully positioned to create straight lines. The use of color is also very harmonious and ordered, as Poisson uses complementary colors of blue and orange to make the clothing pop out. The skin tone of the all the women are also clearly fairer than that of the men, so as to make the viewer clearly recognize differences in gender. There is a distinct lack of emotion in the painting, as the facial expressions of the figures are very stoic and subdued.

Marketing Plan for White Appliances Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Marketing Plan for White Appliances Inc - Essay Example White Appliances Inc. primarily focuses on meeting the needs of the high-income customer segment and this strategy will call upon the company to serve customers across the various income segments including the lower-income segment. This study has identified that the company’s positioning strategies should focus on differentiating the company’s products from the other products variety provided by competitors. The pricing strategy identified also allows the company to launch its brand in the market and build relationships that promotes the customer-business relations this study has used push strategy to optimize use of the available distribution channels. This strategy will help the company to offer distributors some generous discounts that would enable them achieve the objectives of giving the distribution channels incentives. This study has done market intelligence to analyze customers and competitors and has also conducted micro and macro environment analysis using SWO T and PEST analysis. Creating product awareness and improving customers’ knowledge about the product are important in achieving the desired market presence. Background of the company White Appliance Inc. is one of the international companies in America that manufacture and markets its appliance products globally. Microwave ovens are one of the company’s product lines with production plants in United States and in Asia. White Appliances Inc. Produces and markets its products to high-income customers across its global market. ... 16). Microwave products refer to the cooking devices that help in both cooking and reheating of food by passing the foods to be heated through electromagnetic radiations that emanate from all directions. Company’s situation analysis Goals: White Appliances Inc aims at penetrating microwave oven market in India cutting at all prices segments. The company has mainly focused on high price segment but it has established the need to cut across all other market segments (Mills 2002, p.3). The company also aims at increasing its market share in India; currently the company has very limited market presence. White Appliances Inc. also looks forward to changing consumer conceptions about microwave in the market. Focus: the main focus of White Appliances Inc. is to penetrate Indian market at all price levels by shifting consumer conceptions or mindsets concerning microwave ovens and also by educating customers on the usage of microwave in cooking and reheating of food (Cateora et al 2009 , p. 43). Corporate culture: White Appliances is committed to manufacturing and marketing of superior products ranging from scooters to soda pop to kitchen appliances. The company is innovation driven and it corporate culture has also exhibited reliability, high quality and excellence. The company is committed to meeting customers’ needs and in this regard it has focused on improving the understanding of customers about their products. The company is sensitive to customers’ views and its uses the views to determine customers’ satisfaction (Mohr et al 2009, p. 5). Strengths of the company: the company has familiarized itself in the Indian market as seen in the high-models developed for the Indian market.

Art of America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Art of America - Research Paper Example This painting was done between 1503 and 1506 (Mayhew, 46). Leonardo Da Vinci connected pyramid structure to place the woman tranquilly and basically in the place the fine art. Her neck, face and breast glow with the same magnitude of the light that forms her hands. The light is therefore able to give a number of surfaces and underlying geometry of circles and spheres. The woman is depicted sitting upright while folding her arms, which is a sign of her held posture. It is only her gaze which is well directed to the observer and this gaze seems to welcome the observer in silence. This woman appears very alive in a very unusual measure. It can be deducted that there is an intimate conversation between the lady and the observer (Jeanne). This paint became more famous when it was stolen and then recovered. It was believed that it had been lost forever, but after two years it was recovered after one of the employees had stolen

Strategy- Energy Firm Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Strategy- Energy Firm - Assignment Example However, the case of BP oil shows that firms seek to reduce cost at the expense of ethical actions hence the observed problem (Tencati & Perrini, 2011). The strategies of the company are to incorporate the additional cost of meeting ethical requirements and corporate social responsibility in the final price to the consumer. Competitive strategies in various industries have gone beyond pricing. The cost of production remains a key factor in a firm’s profit level. Ethical concern is cost related and remains a competitive dilemma among companies. Although the cost of corporate social responsibility affects the profits, it has long term benefits as far as market share is concerned (Tencati & Perrini, 2011). For profit companies can effectively balance ethical practices with competition. The consumer community is aware of the ethical practices hence significantly influence the performance of the firm. This was evident when the world frowned against the BP oil over its environmental degradation on the spill. This means strategic costing and fair pricing would help address market size in the long run and compete favorably. The situation of BP oil would have been averted if the management had considered the high cost environment care option. The CEO would have opted for the expensive casing pipe as this would help reduce the risk significantly (Tencati & Perrini, 2011). It is evident that the wrong decision cost the firm its global image and subsequent slump in sales. The situation would have been prevented by insisting on ethical standards as a long term consumer focused

Superstructure Work Package Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Superstructure Work Package - Essay Example The building comprises of ten storeys, with all those above the ground providing office accommodation. There is also a ground floor, as well as, a high basement with a height of 7.5m. The latter provides space for a parking lot, loading bay and plants. Vehicles gain access to the basement through two vehicle elevators. The building has a centrally placed atrium, which extends from the ground floor to the tenth level, where it is covered with a glazed roof. The Point’s perimeter or circumference light well allows natural light to get to all floors including the ground floor, in addition to providing ventilation to the plant areas in the basement level. Work Package and Innovation under Scrutiny Even though the building’s perimeter light well and facades proposed by the architect bring light to all above ground levels, they do not constitute a comprehensive cooling and ventilation system. Additionally, the lighting mechanism does not cater for the basement level, thus dep riving plant areas sufficient light for growth. For these reasons, therefore, more considerations have to be accounted for, in order to enhance sustainability, technical performance and aesthetics, as per the client’s requirements. ... The Point on the local environment as well as on the potential occupants; which will make it possible to analyze the new developments in the design, operation and construction of this tall building. The available opportunities will be the need of assuring the client continuous dynamism provided that The Point requires superlative conditions for its operations. In order to achieve this, the building’s management is supposed to make sure that the demand for office space will be met. Further, tall office buildings like the Point have become increasingly essential as a result of the proficient utilization that they make on the limited land that is available. This is not only in Paddington, but it should be implemented in London as a whole. There is urgency for more office accommodation but there are problems that are experienced in such a situation. The problem being experience is in the sustainable development which is the principal parameter of action, and noting that, The Point has not exhausted all possible sustainability strategies. The construction, design as well as the operation of The Point, representing tall building has failed in conforming to new the legislation demanding installation of understandable sustainability procedures. Performance Standards The principal design worry for numerous tall buildings is fixed on their operational effectiveness instead of the environmental impact. A new balance needs to be struck between these two factors. Inefficient energy is also another concern. Speculative developers do not have any interest in other people’s building because they only want to maximize on their revenue that enhance environmental issues which will ultimately save energy and the tenants will incur much more on energy payment. The lifecycle assessment

Biology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biology - Research Paper Example Therefore the hypothesis is that "Light deprivation during fetal development and infancy affect the brain function during adulthood". Since this experiment cannot be performed on humans, we need to test this hypothesis in rat model for light deprivation. There will be three sets of experiments, viz., 1. Light deprivation of mother during fetal development (pre-natal). 2. Light deprivation after birth (post natal) for 6 weeks. 3. Light deprivation during fetal development and after birth (both pre-natal and post-natal). Pregnant mothers will be either reared in dark. The pups born to these mothers will be either grown in dark (group 3) or normal light cycle, i.e., 12 hours light followed by 12 hours dark (group 1) for six weeks. Alternatively, pregnant mothers will be reared in normal light and the pups born to these mothers will be reared in dark for six weeks (group 2). All other variables like room temperature, humidity, access to food, quality of food and water will remain constant. After six weeks, the animals will be tested for learning behavior, by a T-maze. In a T-maze, the reward (food) can be placed at on e end and the hungry rat is allowed to choose the arm several times. The number of trails it takes the animal to choose the correct arm gives a measure of its learning capability. Atleast 6-8 animals will be tested in each group and the number of trails recorded.

The Global Reporting Initiative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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Compare the electric cars to the hybrid cars Assignment

Compare the electric cars to the hybrid cars - Assignment Example Hybrid vehicle was developed to replace the use of electric vehicles. More electric vehicles are being developed as a result of power and battery management. The concerns about reduction of greenhouse emission of gasses and increasing prices of oil has led to the creation of more and more models of electric cars such as Tesla, Frisker, Karma and Toyota RAV4. Electric and hybrid cars may attract the same kind of customers even though they differ in a number of ways. Studies have shown that wealthier and younger people purchase electric vehicles compared to those who buy hybrid cars. Electric cars are considered more expensive than hybrid vehicles because of the expensive technology employed in the designing the cars. Hybrid vehicles such as Prius have existed for a long time on our roads unlike the electric model that is still new to the market, luxurious and attractive to the people. Hybrid cars utilize more than one sources of power in locomotion. The vehicle combines electric motors and internal fuel combustion energy (Antony, 50). An example of a hybrid vehicle is Toyota Prius. Electric cars, on the other hand, utilize electrical energy as the only energy source. Electric vehicles use electricity that is considered cheaper while hybrid vehicles utilize both gasoline and electric energy. Gas is expensive as a result of the rising cost of fuel in the world. With proper power management system in cars such as Karma and Toyota RAV4 which utilize electricity as an energy source, it will cost less to drive in such cars than using a hybrid car (Voelcker, 69). Hybrid cars, on the other hand, use gasoline that is considered environmentally unfriendly. Due to the current global warming as a result of carbon emission, pressure is for companies and countries to put up measure that will prevent greenhouse gasses from being emitted into the atmosphere. Electric cars are, therefore, one of the options in a

Compositing Visual Effects process from Pre-production to Post Thesis

Compositing Visual Effects process from Pre-production to Post production - Thesis Example Digital methods have been integrated in motion picture production to create special effects. Special effects credits usually involve physical effects that have been created through artificial, mechanical as well as pyrotechnic methods. Special effects can be used to create explosions, snow, fire and other effects that may be required during filming (Casinghino, 2010). Digital compositing is a technique used in the film industry to combine parts of separate images to create a single image. Many techniques continue to develop in the film industry that are used to create special visual techniques especially in feature films. Matte shots, chroma key which entails blue screen and green screen technique as well as front and rear projection are some of the technological advancements in the film industry. Data analysis was carried out through self-observation as this allowed the perceiving visual information in Avatar, Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and Underworld: Evolution in g reat detail. Self-observation was the preferred choice as it allowed room for rewinding and forwarding of the films for keener observation without any inconveniences. Information in the three feature films greatly contributed to the perception of movement, general categorization as well as layout of scenes. Data analysis through self observation provided an understanding of the large changes that occurred in most visual scenes. Self observation enabled in creation of taxonomy of special effects in feature films and related them to different techniques applied during pre- production filming as well as post-production. 4.2 Avatar Different techniques have been applied in creation of Avatar as specific fields of expertise have been applied on special tasks to develop special visual effects. Various advanced techniques have been applied into the movie, for instance, compositing, camera match- move, matte painting as well as multi- pass rendering. Avatar has a combination of 3D technolog y and stop motion and this ensured the movie contained massive shots of visual effects. Each single frame in the movie was developed in a stereoscopic- 3D technology which shows that two cameras were used in shooting live action scenes or creation of right and left views in creating computer generated imagery. Nuke and Ocula have been used in filming the movie to composite and make corrections that aroused in the live action stereo shoots. Ocular plug-ins for Nuke was a very valuable toolset for Avatar as it was used to combine the digital image sequences and the geometrical models to develop stunning visual effects. These toolsets can lead to the formation of various visual effects that range from the invisible to the overwhelming. Compositing entails application of various processing operations to image sequences like images generated by a computer as well live action shots to create a convincing and captivating end result in a movie. Use of toolsets in creation of the movie allow ed for wide and complex inter-connections of a variety of images and geometrical operators. The toolsets allowed the images in avatar to have the Red Green Blue components as well as other useful components such as scene depth, highlights on computer generated imagery objects and motion estimation. Toolsets used in creation of avatar added to the flexibility of the effects as they made it possible for the movie to accommodate complex processes, for

Twilight in delhi Essay Example for Free

Twilight in delhi Essay The term Absurd is essentiallyimpregnated with various human conditionsand situations arousing absurdity and is necessarily present in the post world war generation. Life has become bitter sweet or „life in death and death in life? to the coming generation. This human predicament sprouted its spears during 1920s, developed during 1940s and perpetuated in the later world. This very notion wasenchanted, transported and sometimes devastated by the intellectualsof this world such as T. S. Eliot, W. B. Yeats, Existentialists, Expressionists, Surrealists, and Absurdists of the 20th century. And Waiting for Godot is central sun round whom all the absurdist notionsmove. Ittranscendentstime and hasthe cosmicsignificance even after 60 years ofits publication. Itinsinuates modernismand perpetuates postmodernismthatisnothing but â€Å"too much with us; late and soon, getting and spending, we lay waste our lives before it. † Really in the midsty of then terminologicalmayhem, Absurd is best identified withWaiting for Godot with its sense of nothingness in life. Lapis Lazuli -An International Literary Journal (LLILJ) 29 Key words: Absurd, Existentialism, Surrealism, and Post modernism. ThetermAbsurd is essentiallyimpregnated withvarioushumanconditions and situations arousingabsurdityand is necessarily present inthe postworld wargeneration. Lifehas become bitter sweet or„lifein death and deathinlife? to the coming generation. This human predicament sprouted itsspears during 1920s, developed during 1940s and perpetuated inthe laterworld. This verynotionwasenchanted, transported and sometimes devastated bythe intellectualsof this world. Ontheone hand T. S. Eliotbeautifully mirrored theinnerabsurdityofthemodernworld in his magnum-opus The waste land (1921), and Samuel Beckett in his master piece Waiting for Godot (1955), on the other. Superficially Abusrd means ridiculous, but literally it means „Sense having nonsense? or „having everything hath nothing?. That is considered absurd is actually anti- traditional andavant-garde,henceis ridiculed. But originally itssignificancelies in itscrude reality. WhenEliotrepents for spiritual sterility in themodernworld, which isfulloffuryand mire, Absurd dramatists were preparing a suitable platform to expose the absurdity of modern man? s life. Absurd dramatistsevenopted the absurd formto expose theabsurdityinits mosteffectiveway. Thisincludesthewriters ofbothdramaand prose fiction;and themostsignificantofthemare French Jean Genet and Eugene Ionesco, Irish Samuel Beckett, English Harold Pinter, American Edward Albee and others. Both mood and dramaturgyofabsurditywere anticipated intheir works. Theywere also supported byfewothermovementslike expressionism, and surrealism, alongwith fewotherforcefulworks ofFranz Kafka (TheTrial, Metamorphosis). Thiscurrent movementemerged inFrance after the world was second, asa rebellionagainstessentialbeliefs and values oftraditional culture and traditionalliterature, whichhad the belief that-„What a piece of work is a man? How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty! In form and moving how expressand admirable! In apprehensionhowlike a God! The beauty ofthe world! The paragon of animals?. (Hamlet: 47) Theorizing the Absurd: Waiting for Godot SixtyYears After 30 But afterthe 1940s existentialist philosophy byJean- Paul Sartre Ablert Camus opined human being as an isolated existant, cast into an alien universe, having a fruitless search for purpose and meaning and proceedingtowardsnothingness. They believe that:- Its an odd world Full of allthings absurd Most ofit obscure Unseen and unheard. (Brainy Quotes) Thisvery absurdityhas been beautifully penned byAlbert Camus in his â€Å"TheMythof Sisyphus? (1942) as â€Å"Ina universe thatis suddenly deprived ofillusions and oflight, manfeels stranger. Hisis anirremediable exile This diovrce between man and hislife, the actor and his setting; truly constitutes the feeling of absurdity. † (13) and as EugeneIonesco added fire to the fuel by statingthat- â€Å" Cut off from his religious, metaphysical, and transcendental roots, man is lost, all his actions become senseless, abusrd and useless†. (A Glossary of the Literary Terms: 1) Thisvery notionseemssimilartothefollowing lines byS. T. Coleridge,ofhisfamousballad Rime of the Ancient Mariner. â€Å"Water-water every where Not a drop to drink†. (Coleridge: 14) SamuelBeckett(1906-89), the mostcelebrated author ofthisvein, isanIrishauthor, writing inFrenchand thentranslating hisownworks into English. His beginning lies inthe breakdown of traditional values. His prominent and dominent theme, hence is man? s alienation and search forself;which is the prevailing mode of modernman? slife. His works showthe dusk ofmodernismand dawnofpost-modernismand so washonored withNobelPrize for Literature Lapis Lazuli -An International Literary Journal (LLILJ) 31 in1969. As we bid adieuto onestar, we welcome the other ata transitionalpoint, in the same way the publication of Waiting for Godot in 1955, was the appreciated transitional presence on the stage, which bid adieu to themodernism and welcomed post-modernism. ThetermPostmodernism designates „ too muchwith us; late and soon,getting and spending, we laywaste ourlives before it.? Thefounder of this termis Charles Jencks, buthas beenbeautifully defined by Dick Hebdige in Hiding in the Light as: The collective chagrin and morbid projections of a post- War generation of babyboomers confronting disillusioned middle age, the „predicament? of reflexivity†¦ the collapse of cultural hierarchies, the dread engendered by the threat of nuclear self-destruction†¦ a sense (developing onwho youread)of„ placelessness? or theabandonmentofplacelessness(criticalregionalism). Waiting for Godot beautifully designates all these paraphernalia of postmodernism through a vague and nebulous word as well as term of terminological mayhem „absurd?. The play has proliferated at anexceptionalrate overthe lastsixtyyears becauseitdealswiththenotionof man? s existence in this futile world. The playWaiting for Godot portrays an image of man? s existence, which evenafter60 yearsofitspublications seems quite real. Todaymanhas gained material advancement but inner triviality or fragility is still lurking upon his self. The play is a modern allegory of post-war man in a godless, dimensionless and meaningless world. recently Syrian Army attacked on Damascus suburb with chemical weapons, after the Nato? s attack on Yugoslavia and the suffrage in Iraque. Here the lines of W. B. Yeats seems quite applicable, when he says that Turning and turning inthewidening gyre, The falcon can not hear the falconer? Things fall apart;the center cannot hold, Mere anarchyis loosed upon theworld, The blood dimmed tide is loosed and everywhere, The ceremony ofinnocence is drowned. (The Second Coming) Theorizing the Absurd: Waiting for Godot SixtyYears After 32 Waiting for Godot formulates a definition of man that transcends the time. The plays that follow it are also pre-occupied with the feeling typical of our times. All that Fall (1959), a radio play, describes man? s frustration and absurdity. Kropp? s Last Tape (1958) is concerned with the perfect realization of Beckett?s idea of â€Å"human isolation. † Embers (1959) is a monologue of an old man who is haunted by the memory of the past and feels used, confused, and abused. Happy Days (1961) stages the irrationality of human existence without purpose and order. Beckett? s world bears a close resemblance to Camus? s world depicted in The Myth of Sisyphus. Universe suddenly divested of illusions and lights, man feels an alien, stranger. His exile is without remedysince he isdeprived of the memoryofa losthomeor the hopeofapromised land. Camus? s book appeared in 1942, i. e. , during the World War II. The development of the feeling ofthe absurd passesthroughfour stages: (1) First one recognizes the meaninglessness oflifewhichis shocking. Second isliving inconflict between intention(innervoice) andreality. Thethirdistheassumptionofheroic dimensions through living the conflictand makingithis God. The fourthand finalstage consists inthe conscious affirmationthatnothing happens in lifein reality. The sense ofanguish at the absurdityoflife is the theme oftheplays notonlyofSamuelBeckett, but ofAdamov, Ionesco and Genetalso. Asimilarsense ofthemeaninglessness oflifeisalso thetheme ofdramatists, like Sartreand Camus. Butthereis a difference. Thetheatreofthe Absurd abandonsrational devices whereasSartre and Camus expressthenewcontentinthe old convention. MartinEsslin comments on the plays of Beckett is apt, apposite, and appropriate: Beckett? s plays lack plot even more completely than otherworks of the Theatre of the Absurd. Instead of alinear development, they present their author? s intuition of the human coordination by a method thatis essentially polyphonic, they confront their audience with an organized structure of Lapis Lazuli -An International Literary Journal (LLILJ). 33 statements and images that interpenetrate each other and thatmust be apprehended in their totality, rather like the different themes in a symphony, whichgain meaning by their simultaneous interaction. (The Theatre of the Absurd: 44-45) Waiting for Godot is now recognized as a contemporary classic. It was written in 1948, since thenithas beentranslated into manylanguages and performed all over the world. Themost remarkable thingabouttheplayisitsunconventional design. Theplayis apparently haphazard. Butactually it isan extraordinarily powerfulplayin which form and meaning are skilfully blended. The coreofa good playis actionorhappenings, here the verypurpose oftheplayis to say that nothing happens -nothing really happens in human life. Waiting of Godot is thus a paradox. Itisa drama of inaction. Asmanisusually ignorantabout hisrealpurpose in life and he lives inhope ofsome revelationinfuture. We justhangaround waitinglike thetramps or rushmadly aboutlike Pozzo in search of some purpose. We try to get a purpose and orderinthat world whichsteadfastly refusesto evidence either. Waiting for Godot is having four characters, who are not four distinct personalities. They are rather generalized images of allâ€Å"mankind†(109) whichinLucky? s phrase, â€Å"isseento waste andpine wasteand pine† (73). Theyrepresent aview ofmanas a helpless victim of his life. Non-specific settings are a common feature of Beckett? s drama. The stage -space intheplayisabsolutelybare. â€Å"Itisindescribable. Itis likenothing. Thereis nothing. There is a tree† says Vladimir (117). Strange happenings (sudden rise of the moon, sprouting of leaves), strange characters and their irrational behaviour suggest abstract quality of this setting. The text describes itas void ornothing. Thewhole plot, whichis actuallyabsentmoves round thewaitingofthat personwhose identity, is evennotsure. Vladimirand EstragonwaitforGodot, whose arrivalissupposed butalways suspended as modernmanwhatever wishes to do or achieve, scattersinsilence. Now, united we Theorizing the Absurd: Waiting for Godot SixtyYears After 34 do notstand butfallinthisfutile world. Eventhoughtlessnesshasbecome the source oftrouble. Thefollowing discussionmade by Vladimir and Estragon beautifully designates it: We are in no danger of thinking any more†¦ Thinking is not theworst. What is terrible is to have thought. (1954: 62-63) Eventually the grace of Beckett? s Waiting for Godot pruned the modern man? s body and soul alike. Even after sixty years of its publication, we designate its significance and relevance both thematically and stylistically. Really whena manpassesthroughexcess deprivationand hopelessness, whether he commits suicide or tries to take revenge but absurdity even does not allows either. Works Cited Abrams, M. H. AGlossaryofLiteraryTerms. India:ThomsonBusinessInternationalIndiaPvt. Ltd. 2006. Print. Beckett, Samuel. WaitingforGodot. NewYork: Grave Press. 1954. Print. Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus. Harmondsworth: PenguinBooks. 1975. Print. Coleridge, S. T. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. India: Anmol Publication. 2009. Print. Esslin, Martin. The Theatre of the Absurd. New York:Doubleday. 1961. Print. Hebdige, Dick. Hiding inthe Light: On Images and Things. London: Routledge. 1988. Print. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. India: Atlantic Publishers and Distributors. 2001. Print. Lapis Lazuli -An International Literary Journal (LLILJ) 35 Bio-note- Vijay Kumar Rai, Research Scholar,Dept. of English, DDU Gorakhpur University e-mail-Vijaykumar. [emailprotected] com.

The Importance Of Accuracy And Fluency

The Importance Of Accuracy And Fluency Accuracy and fluency are two key components of second language acquisition. In todays world, it seems that learning the usage of grammar and focusing on accuracy are emphasized by many language students over fluency. This topic of accuracy and fluency has been a controversial issue that has been discussed for many years. Although some formalists argue that learning a language means learning forms and rules, some activists take a different view and claim that learning a language means learning how to use a language (Eskey, 1983). Thus, this essay will argue that accuracy is not necessarily more important than fluency. It depends on learners needs and the purpose of instruction in second language acquisition. In order to demonstrate this, this essay will first focus on the importance of accuracy and fluency in English learning and show that they are both essential by looking at two different teaching methods. Second, it will turn to discuss both accuracy and fluency in term of learner goals, learner variables and instructional variables. Third, it will suggest what language teachers should do to deal with the issue and find the right balance between them. The importance of accuracy and fluency In this section, it will be argued that both accuracy and fluency are needed in second language acquisition. There has been much discussion about these two components, with arguments put forward in support of either one of the other. However, it will be shown that neither component is useful without the other. Early teaching methods promoted accuracy over fluency. For instance, the Grammar-Translation Method has been used by language teachers for many years. It is the traditional style of teaching method emphasizing grammar explanation and translation (Cook, 2001). In such a method, it is important for students to learn about the form of the target language. The role of the teacher is the authority. Students merely do what the teacher says and learn from the teacher, and many students consider that correct answers are essential. If they make errors or do not know an answer, it is the teachers duty to supply them with the correct answer. However, accuracy cannot be regarded as enough in language learning. According to Larsen-Freeman (2000), in the Grammar-Translation Method, the language that is used in class is mostly the students native language. In this case, there is much less attention to second language speaking and listening. When it comes to speaking and listening skills, fluency needs to be taken account in language learning. For this reason, other methods have emphasized fluency in language learning. It is clear that these approaches are built on learning the use of language not on learning the usage of it. For example, compared with the Grammar-Translation Method, Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) emphasizes the process of communication rather than just focusing on language forms (Larsen-Freeman, 2000). Since the concept of CLT places an emphasis on fluency, errors of form can be seen as a natural outcome of the development of communication skills. Another argument in favour of fluency is the implementation of language in an authentic environment. In the real world, language is mostly used to express feeling and thought (Eskey, 1983). When there is a purpose to exchange meaning, fluency is the key element during communication. While communicating with each other, foreign language learners often encounter the difficulty, that is, what they know how to say does not achieve their communicative intention. In order to bridge the gap of such discrepancy, learners may use communicative strategies, such as prediction to make the communication successful. This is because if communicators are in the same context, one may predict what the other is going to say next. For example, before the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, taxi drivers in Beijing were trained in order to obtain English speaking ability so that they could communicate with foreign tourists fluently. In this situation, although the taxi drivers were poor at grammar rules, they still can communicate with foreigners. This is because the driver can predict where the foreign passenger will go since their destination may be related to the Olympic Games. In this case, although some grammatical errors exist, communicators can still understand each other because they are in the same context. When listeners can not understand what speakers mean, they usually predict the following conversation and provide immediate response with speakers in the process of meaning negotiation. However, it must be remembered that the achievement of this level of communicative competence does not mean an equal one of grammatical competence (Eskey, 1983). As Eskey (1983: 319) claims, fluency in a language is no guarantee of formal accuracy. A realistic concern is that focusing on fluency may cause the significant effect on accuracy. According to Eskey (1983: 319), rewarding a learners fluency may, in some cases, actually impede his or her achievement of accuracy. For example, in order to get meaning across, language learners find the words, but they either pronounce them wrongly or put them together inappropriately. Such problem happens due to the fact that they can speak English continually but express themselves poorly. Thus, although accuracy is not enough by itself, it is still considered as necessary in language learning. Although learners can still communicate the message to make sense without correct form, it can not be denied that in order to use the language, learners still need to be able to convert linguistic forms into the ability to actually use then. Therefore, when using CLT approach, correcting for accuracy will still be offered by teachers. Although prediction in communicative context may benefit successful communication, fluency is not enough in this circumstance. Without accuracy, misunderstanding may occur because of misspelling, poor pronunciation and grammatical structures. It is therefore clear that as language teachers, both fluency and accuracy must be equally concerned in teaching students to use a language. The elements towards focusing on accuracy and fluency As the first section has mentioned, both accuracy and fluency are needed in the process of language learning. In this section, it will be argued that although these two components are equally necessary, there are three elements that may influence focus on them. The first element to consider is learner goals. It is suggested that many ESL teachers facilitate their students to develop communicative competence to really use the language for authentic purpose. Nonetheless, what students learn from the teacher may not be the outcome that the teacher supposes them to acquire. For example, if Thai children learn English in a rural Thai village, the outcome of language achievement may not all be positive. This is because these children do not need to use English as a tool in their daily life. In contrast, if Thai children learn English in order to sell products to foreigners, then there may be concern about a purpose for communicative competence. Moreover, if they want to pursue higher education in England, accuracy needs to be focused in language learning. Therefore, it seems that the need for accuracy and fluency relates to what goals learners want to achieve. It is considered that learner variables are also a key element which influences the focus on accuracy or fluency. According to Celce-Murcia (1985), a strategy guideline is provided to assist teachers in determining what degree they ought to focus on form in their own classes. In his study, learner variables include age, proficiency level and educational background. It is noted that every individual learns in different ways. Compared with adolescents and adults, young children seem to be more holistic in learning a concept instead of doing apparent analysis. This is because they are too young to analyse the structure of a language. Therefore, if young ESL learners are taught, it is most likely that little grammar instruction is needed. However, if the students are adolescents or adults, focusing on form may be more important. It is also suggested that education level is relevant to focus on accuracy or fluency. This is because teaching learners with preliterate level differs from teaching ones with literate level. If adults are at the level of beginners with little formal education, then focusing on form will be less important while fluency is the top priority. On the other hand, if the learners are at the intermediate or advanced level and are well educated, accuracy may be required and it may be necessary for the teacher to provide some feedback relating to form correction in order for them to make progress. Therefore, focusing on accuracy is not enough, fluency still needs to be concerned in terms of learners age, proficiency level and educational background. Moreover, instructional variables can be seen as the third element, which includes skill, register and need. It is suggested that the need of focus on accuracy and fluency also changes according to the purpose of the instruction. For instance, according to Celce-Murcia (1985), when the teacher is teaching receptive skills, such as listening or reading, the emphasis on form will be less important, since these skills require competence primarily in word recognition. Nevertheless, this does not mean accuracy can be neglected, because when knowing grammatical structure, learners can build up logical connection between sentences, which facilitates both listening and reading comprehension. On the other hand, if the teacher is focusing on productive skills, such as speaking and writing, then formal accuracy will become an essential concern. In addition, it has to be remembered that fluency is still needed for communication purpose. This is because if the teacher is offering a conversation class which purpose is for learners to really use the language to communicate with others, then fluency will be emphasized. Furthermore, if the learners immediate need is survival communication, formal accuracy is less focused. On the other hand, if the learner wants to use the language in a professional field, such as writing an academic essay or being a diplomat, then a high degree of formal accuracy is essential. The higher the stakes, the more likely that accuracy will be important (Eskey, 1983: 318). Therefore, it is clear that both accuracy and fluency are needed and whether focusing on accuracy or fluency depends on learner needs and course objectives. Approaches of finding balance between accuracy and fluency a) Course design and needs assessment Based on these three elements mentioned above, it is suggested that teachers should find the right balance between accuracy and fluency. Eskey (1983) argues that: Teachers must be prepared to deal with students who know grammar rules but can not speak the language fluently; likewise, they must also be prepared to deal with students who are fluent but not accurate (Eskey, 1983). In order to balance accuracy and fluency in language learning and teaching, it is suggested that both these components need to be taught in the process of learning situation. Thus, in this section, it will suggest methods of keeping a balance between accuracy and fluency in term of course design and needs assessment. It has been argued that many language learners have learned grammar rules, but when they want to express themselves, they do not have enough authentic experience of using languages (Celce-Murcia, 1985). Such result may be due to the fact that teaching materials does not provide learners with the context relevant to the communicative situation. In order to solve this problem, Celce-Murcia (1985) suggests an integrating grammar instruction into a communicative curriculum providing purposeful task-based discourse samples. For example, for the general purpose language learners, their beginning level course may start with teaching grammar-meaning correspondences, such as present tense versus past tense. By giving the time frame, students can easily distinguish the difference between these two tenses. After that, students are then taught grammar-function correspondences, such as the tone of must is stronger than need to. As soon as these two basic levels have been established, the teacher can offer discourse-level grammar, such as use of conjunctions. In this case, students not only acquire the grammar rules which focus on accuracy but also apply it for purposeful discourse which focuses on fluency. By this course designed to integrate form, meaning and content, it is possible for learners to balance accuracy and fluency in the communication (Celce-Murcia, 1985). However, there is a simple question about why learners need to balance accuracy and fluency. The answer to this question relates to English for specific purpose (ESP). According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987), courses should be designed to meet learners needs. This may suggest that language teachers should note which learners need more attention on accuracy or fluency. To achieve this goal, for instance, teachers need to gather information about learners needs on accuracy and fluency and identify their target situation by using questionnaires, interviews, observation and informal consultations with learners before a course. Having done this, teachers analyse strategies required to cope in target situation, and then create syllabus which is a document saying which aspect needs more effort on accuracy or fluency. After that, select and design materials to focus on these strategies in syllabus. Finally, after teaching the materials, teachers establish evaluation procedures to test lear ners acquisition of accuracy and fluency (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987). b) Evaluation and feedback In this section, it will be argued that course design and needs assessment are not enough. The evaluation and feedback afterwards from learners can also help teachers find the right balance between accuracy and fluency. Evaluation can be defined as a whole process of action which begins with decision of information gathering and ends with change in current courses or influence on future ones (Dudley-Evans and St John, 1998). According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 145), an ESP course, after all, is supposed to be successful. This is because it is designed for particular learners to achieve particular objective with language level of accuracy and fluency. There are two levels of evaluation. The first one is learner assessment. Students performance is assessed at strategic points, such as at the beginning and at the end of the course. This is because ESP concerns with the necessary skills for particular learners to carry out communicative tasks. This kind of assessment enables teachers to determine how much focus on accuracy and fluency is needed (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987). As ESP teachers, they need to consider if the objectives are too ambitious for learners. If so, the learners initial language competence may be overestimated. For example, a teacher designs a syllabus by analysing students needs. Students are expected to present written work and make an oral presentation in accurate English. After teaching, the teacher may find that serious weakness in grammar leads to unclearness of students oral presentation. Although the course contains the objectives of achieving certain level of accuracy and fluency, perhaps students achieve more on either one of them, and then students will require more specific help by teaching both accuracy and fluency used in the context relevant to their needs. The second one is course evaluation by learners. This helps teachers to demonstrate how well the course actually meets a particular educational aim. Therefore, evaluation not only reflects learners performance on accuracy and fluency during the process of learning but also shows how effective students feel the course was. In this case, if they feel the ESP course fails to meet their goal, then there must be something wrong with course design or methodology. It is therefore clear that both learner and course evaluation have a similar function in providing feedback on the ESP course (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987). Moreover, the feedback of the learning outcome is essential not only for students but also for teachers. This is because feedback reflects students learning achievement on accuracy and fluency and the effectiveness of teaching. Therefore, how to evaluate learning and teaching to obtain feedback is important to teachers. In order to find the balance between accuracy and fluency, evaluation and feedback are essential not only at the beginning of the course but also after the instruction. Conclusion In conclusion, although accuracy has been emphasised by many language students, as the three sections mentioned above, it can clearly be seen that both accuracy and fluency are important at different needs for different people of different priorities. Despite the fact that some arguments show that accuracy is essential for learners to acquire linguistic form to produce the language, this is not enough. Fluency is still needed considering the language implementation in an authentic environment. This essay has suggested that both accuracy and fluency are needed in second language acquisition. Whether to focus more on accuracy or fluency depends on learners needs and course objectives. Therefore, language teachers can find the right balance of accuracy and fluency by using an ESP approach to design courses relevant to the needs and objectives. Thus, these courses can maximise the effects of teaching and learning through evaluation and feedback. Although ESP can solve this problem, teachers ability to design the course should be taken into consideration. Therefore, it is suggested that teacher training program is certainly necessary and the real development may be made in the future.

Qualitative aspect of drug action

Qualitative aspect of drug action Qualitative aspect of drug action Schild plot Schild plot: Schild plot is defined as pharmacological method of receptor classification. By using schild plot dose-effect curve for an agonist is determined in the presence of various concentrations of a competitive antagonist for its receptor in the presence of agonist i.e. equilibrium dissociation constant is calculated. The experiment is carried out for series of dose ratios for a given effect. For example the ratio of the dose of agonist (A) to produce a specific effect (e.g.,half maximal effect) in the presence of the antagonist (B) to the dose required in the absence of the antagonist (A) is calculated. This is determined for several doses of antagonist and then log ((A/A) -1) versus the negative log B is plotted. If the regression of log ((A/A) -1) on -log B is linear with a slope of -1, then this indicates that the antagonism is competitive and by definition the agonist and antagonist act at the same recognition sites. If the slope of the regression is not -1, then by defini tion the antagonist is not competitive or some other condition is in effect. This might include multiple binding sites or pharmacokinetic interactions. Agonist: Agonist is a drug which has both affinity and efficacy. Antagonist: Antagonist is a drug which has affinity and zero efficacy. Affinity:Affinity is a property of a drug; it measures how tight a drug binds to a receptor. To bind to a receptor a functional group of the drug should bind to the complementary receptor. The binding capacity of the drug defines the action of the drug. Efficacy: Efficacy of a drug can be defined as ability of drug which activates the receptor to produce desired effect after binding. Affinity and efficacy are explained in the equation as: K+1 ÃŽ ± A + R AR* Response K-1 ÃŽ ² K+1 B + R BR No Response K-1 Where A is agonist, B is antagonist, K+1 is association rate constant for binding, K-1is dissociation rate constant for binding ÃŽ ±- Association rate constant for activation ÃŽ ²- Dissociation rate constant for activation By using law of mass action affinity is explained as B + R BR Drug free receptor drug-receptor complex At equilibrium KB = [R] [B] KB = Equilibrium dissociation constant [BR] Hill-Langmuir equation: this equation explains drug occupancy [RT] = [R] + [BR] If [RT] = Total number of receptors then by substituting this in law of mass action equation [RB] = [B] [RT] KB + [B] By this equation it is determined that drug occupancy (affinity) depends on drug concentration and equilibrium dissociation constant. Equilibrium dissosciation constant: EQUILIBRIUM DISSOCIATION CONSTANT (Kd) : It is the characteristic property of the drug and the receptors. It is defined as the concentration of the drug required to occupy 50 % of the receptors. The higher the affinity of the drug for the receptors lower is the Kd value. Mathematically Kd is k2/k1 where k2 is the rate of dissociation of the drug from the receptor and k1 is the rate of association of the drug for the receptor. Receptor (R) and Drug (D) interact in a reversible manner to form a drug-receptor (RD) complex. Where R = Receptor D = Drug (L for ligand is sometimes used in these equations) k1 = the association rate constant and has the units of M-1min-1 k2 = the dissociation rate constant and has the units of min-1. k2 is sometimes written as k-1. If an agonist binds to the receptor, then the interaction of the agonist (D) and the receptor (R) results in a conformational change in the receptor leading to a response. If an antagonist binds to the receptor, then the interaction of antagonist (D) and receptor (R) does not result in the appropriate conformation change in the receptor and a response does not occur. For drugs that follow the law of simple mass action the rate of formation of the complex can be defined by the following equation d[RD]/dt refers to the change in the concentration of [RD] with time (t). Note: the square brackets refer to concentration. This equation indicates that the rate at which the drug receptor complex (RD) is formed is proportional to the concentration of both free receptor (R) and free drug (D). The proportionality constant is k1. The rate of dissociation can be defined by the following equation -d[RD]/dt is the decrease in drug-receptor complex with time This equation indicates that the rate at which the drug-receptor complex (RD) dissociates back to free drug and free receptor is proportional to the concentration of the drug receptor complex. The proportionality constant is k2. When the drug and the receptor are initially mixed together, the amount of drug-receptor complex formed will exceed the dissociation of the drug-receptor complex. If the reaction is allowed to go for a long enough, the amount of drug-receptor complex formed per unit time will be equal to the number of dissociations of drug-receptor complex per unit of time, and the system will be at equilibrium. That is equilibrium has occurred. Equilibrium can be defined as or k1[R][D] = k2[RD] This equation can be rearranged to give Kd is the dissociation equilibrium constant. Kd has units of concentration as shown in the following equation. Simple competitive antagonism: simple competitive antagonism is the most important type of the antagonism. In this type of antagonism the antagonist will compete with available agonist for same receptor site. Sufficient antagonist will displace agonist resulting in lower frequency of receptor activation. Presence of antagonist shifts agonist log dose response curve to right. A schild plot for a competitive antagonist will have a slope equal to 1 and the X-intercept and Y-intercept will each equal thedissociation constantof the antagonist. This can be explained in equation as: Occupancy for agonist [RA] = [A] OR [A]/ KA [RT] KA+ [A] [A]/ KA +1 In presence of competitive antagonist (B) [RA] = [A]/ KA [RT] [A]/ KA + [B]/ KB + 1 Occupancy reduced according to [B] and KB To obtain same occupancy, must increase [A] to [A`] r = [A] / [A] = [B] / [B] Schild equation: r = [B] / KB +1 Where r depends on [B] and KB Applying log on both sides log (r-1) = log[B] log KB Aim: The main aim of the experiment is to measure the equilibrium dissociation constant (KB) for atropine at acetylcholine muscuranic receptors and to determine the drug receptor interactions. Objectives The main objectives of the experiment are as follows Ø To measure the equilibrium dissociation constant for atropine at acetylcholine muscuranic receptors Ø To demonstrate the reversible competitive antagonism of atropine at acetylcholine muscuranic receptors Ø To determine the equilibrium dissociation constant (KB) for atropine at acetylcholine muscuranic receptors by using schild plot. MethodIsolation and mounting of Guinea-pig ileum in organ bath Guinea-pig was first sacrificed and then the ileum was collected and transferred into physiological salt solution maintained at 370C. The food particles present in the ileum was expelled out through running Krebs solution through the lumen. Then tissue was tied with a thread at both the ends where one was tied to the mounting hook and the other was attached to the transducer. 1) Preparation of serial dilutions of drug The drugs used in the experiment were acetylcholine (Ach) and atropine. To determine the simple competitive antagonism of atropine at Ach muscuranic receptors serial dilutions of Ach were carried out. Ach was given as 110-2M and from the above concentration of the drug the following concentrations were prepared to the organ bath concentration such as 110-6M, 310-6M, 110-7M, 310-7M, 110-8M, 310-8M, 110-9M and 310-9M Ach. Then atropine was diluted to 110-8M (organ bath) from the given 110-2M concentration. 2) Determination of Organ bath concentration The volume of physiological salt solution (pss) was 20 ml, and each time the volume of drug introduced into organ bath was 20Â µl.Therefore if 20Â µl of 110-2M drug was introduced into the organ bath then it gives 110-5M organ bath concentration. Mathematical calculation of organ bath concentration: In organ bath we have 20ml of pss which is equal to 20103 Â µl of pss, if 20 Â µl of 110-2 M Ach was introduced then the organ bath concentration 20Â µl→XM 20ml→10-2M = 20 Â µl x 10-2 M 20x 103 Â µl = 110-5M (organ bath concentration). The isolated guinea- pig ileum was mounted onto the organ bath and set up for recording isometric tension of the tissue using chart software in a Mac book. Step-1 Calibration of the experimental apparatus: The chart 5 software was calibrated and the sampling rate was adjusted to 10 samples per second with a maximum input voltage to 10 mV. The baseline was set to zero and then trace was started from the baseline zero then the force transducer was calibrated by placing 1 gram weight and after the calibration the trace produced was stopped for the moment to convert the units of tension into grams by selecting the trace produced previously. Step-2 Sensitisation of preparation: To check the viability of the tissue a response of suitable height was obtained by adding a little high concentration of the drug. Here in the experiment an appreciable recording was noted at 110-7M Ach. Step-3 The time cycle followed to construct a concentration- response curve was 0 seconds to add the drug concentrations 30 seconds to empty the organ bath and refill with fresh physiological salt solution 180 seconds next drug concentration was added to the organ bath. Concentration Response Curve: By making use of the above drug concentrations a concentration response curve was constructed according to the provided time cycle. 1) 20 Â µl of 110-9M Ach was added into the organ bath at zero seconds at is allowed to stand for 30 seconds, then after 30 seconds the organ bath was emptied and refilled with pss. Pss was allowed to stand for 180 seconds. During the wash period if the peak does not return to the base then it was washed twice or thrice to make sure that all the drug dissociates from the receptors before the next addition of the other drug concentration. Each concentration was repeated twice or thrice until the two consecutive responses were reported with the same peak height. 2) By following the procedure and time cycle, the concentration response curve was constructed with different concentrations of acetyl choline such as 110-9M,310-9M, 110-8M, 310-8M, 110-7M, 310-7M, 110-6M and 310-6M Ach (organ bath concentration). Step-4 Equilibration of Acetylcholine receptors with acetylcholine After step-2 the preparation was washed several times until the peak returned to the base line. Then atropine (110-8M organ bath concentration) was added to the preparation and then set aside for 40 minutes to allow atropine to equilibrate with acetylcholine muscuranic receptors. Step-5 Concentration response curve in the presence of atropine The concentration response curve with acetylcholine was repeated again in the presence of atropine by following the time cycle and procedure, which was same as same step 2.Therefore in step 3 with each addition of acetylcholine concentration atropine was added simultaneously. Step-6 Analysis: i) The graph pad prism in the Mac book was used to plot concentration response curves in the absence and presence of atropine. Log concentration (acetylcholine) Vs response in grams ii) From the above plot EC 50 values of acetylcholine in the presence and absence of atropine were obtained. Then the distance between the two curves control and response for the atropine presence was denoted by ‘r, where ‘r was called as shift. iii) The shift was calculated mathematically as r= EC 50 of response in the presence of atropine EC 50 of Ach in the absence of atropine iv) From the value of the shift, schild plot was plotted as log concentration of atropine presence against log(r-1). v) From the schild plot the dissociation constant KB for atropine at acetylcholine muscuranic receptors was determined. Results: As explained above in the procedure serial dilutions of acetylcholine was added to the organ bath, where Ach has produced concentration dependent contractions of the guinea pig ileum as shown in the fig 1. As shown in 1 the serial dilutions of acetylcholine are added into the organ bath from 110-7M to 310-6M Ach. Here in the trace it was clearly shown that contractions produced by the acetylcholine have been increased with respect to the concentrations. In step-2 the preparation was washed and added with 110-8M atropine and set aside for 40 minutes to equilibrate the acetylcholine receptors. In the trace it is clearly shown that, the contractions produced by serial dilutions of Ach from 110-8M to 310-4M in the presence of 110-8M atropine. When Trace 1 and Trace 2 are compared it is evident that the contractions produced by Ach alone (trace 1) were greater than the contractions produced Ach in the presence of atropine (trace 2) which proves the simple competitive antagonism by atropine at muscuranic receptors. A graph is plotted to the log concentration response curve produced by Ach alone against Ach in the presence of atropine. (graph is attatched to the report) From the graph it is known that with the increase in the concentration of Ach, response have been increased when compared to Ach in the presence of atropine and also there is a shift towards right which shows the simple competitive antagonism produced by atropine. From the results produced by Ach alone against Ach in the presence of atropine the fractional difference which is called as shift can be obtained as follows Mathematical Calculation shift ‘r = EC50 of response after atropine (or) in the presence of atropine EC50 of control (or) Ach in the absence of atropine = 2.5110-6 = 8.36 3.0 x10-7 r-1 =8.36 -1=7.36 log(r-1)=log (7.36) =0.86 Partial dissociation constant (PKB) or PA2 is measured to confirm the simple competitive antagonism, where pKB values play an important role in classifying receptors. Therefore PKB =log(r-1) -log [atropine] =0.86 -log (110-8) =0.86 (-8) =0.86+ 8 =8.86 From the above results log EC50 values for control (Ach alone) and Ach in the presence of atropine were given as 3.0e-007 and 2.51e-006 respectively. This shows the molar concentration of Ach which produces 50% of the maximal possible response is higher than the molar concentration response produced by Ach in the presence of atropine. If the antagonist is competitive, the dose ratio equals one plus the ratio of the concentration of antagonist divided by its Kd for the receptor. (The dissociation constant of the antagonist is sometimes called Kb and sometimes called Kd) MathType Equation A simple rearrangement gives: MathType Equation Here we have plotted a graph with log (antagonist) on the X-axis and log (dose ratio -1) on the Y-axis. If the antagonist has shown simple competitive antagonism then the slope should be 1.0, X-intercept and Y-intercept values should be both equal the Kd of the antagonist obtained. If the agonist and antagonist are competitive, the Schild plot will have a slope of 1.0 and the X intercept will equal the logarithm of the Kd of the antagonist. If the X-axis of a Schild plot is plotted as log(molar), then minus one times the intercept is called the pA2 (p for logarithm, like pH; A for antagonist; 2 for the dose ratio when the concentration of antagonist equals the pA2). The pA2 (derived from functional experiments) will equal the Kd from binding experiments if antagonist and agonist compete for binding to a single class of receptor sites. From 5 and 6 it is evident that no concentrations of atropine have showed competitive antagonism perfectly. Therefore from the above results it is known that the concentrations of atropine has not shown simple competitive antagonism fairly. Discussion: Reversible competitive antagonism: The binding of drug to a receptor is fully reversible which produces a parallel shift of the dose response curve to the right in the presence of an antagonist. The mechanism of action of acetylcholine at muscuranic receptors: In various gastrointestinal smooth muscles, acetylcholine and its derivatives produce contractions by activating muscuranic receptors. It is generally assumed that the M3 muscuranic receptor plays a key role in mediating this activity. The M3 receptor is coupled preferentially to Gq-type G proteins, resulting in the activation of phospholipase C (PLC) and the formation of ionositiol trisphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG) which are likely to participate in muscuranic receptor-mediated smooth muscle contractions. IP3 causes Ca2+ release from intracellular store and can also mobilize Ca2+ secondarily through Ca2+-sensitive or store-dependent mechanisms. DAG, via activation of protein kinase C, phosphorylates various proteins and can directly activate non selective cationic channels. From the above results the value of shift obtained was 0.378 which denotes the simple competitive antagonism produced by the concentration of atropine used (110-8 M).From the value of shift the pKB value was calculated as 8.4.If atropine has shown simple competitive antagonism then the value of pKB should be equal to 1-X intercept. Therefore pKB=1-X intercept =1-(-8.86) =9.86 We got value of pKB as 8.86.Therefore pKB is not equal to 1-X intercept. Therefore the concentration of atropine (110-8M organ bath concentration) used by our group has not shown simple competitive antagonism effectively. The literature value of pKB is given as approximately 9 and we have obtained the value of pKB as 8.86 which does not fit with literature value. Therefore from the above observations and results i can conclude that a little more high concentration of atropine may serve to produce complete simple competitive antagonism by atropine at acetylcholine muscuranic receptors.

A Tale of Two Cities Essays: The French Revolution :: Tale Two Cities Essays

France and England in A Tale of Two Cities - The French Revolution   Introduction   In the eighteen-fifties, Charles Dickens was concerned that social problems in England, particularly those relating to the condition of the poor, might provoke a mass reaction on the scale of the French Revolution.   In a letter written in 1855, for example, he refers to the unrest of the time as follows:   I believe the discontent to be so much the worse for smouldering, instead of blazing openly, that it is extremely like the general mind of France before the breaking out of the first Revolution, and is in danger of being turned †¦ into such a devil of a conflagration as never has been beheld since. (qtd. in I. Collins 42)   At the beginning of A Tale of Two Cities (1859), Dickens once again expresses his concern. The novel opens in 1775, with a comparison of England and pre-revolutionary France. While drawing parallels between the two countries, Dickens also alludes to his own time: "the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only" (1; bk. 1, ch. 1). The rest of the chapter shows that Dickens regarded the condition to be an 'evil' one, since he depicts both countries as rife with poverty, injustice, and violence due to the irresponsibility of the ruling elite (1-3; bk. 1, ch. 1). As the novel unfolds, however, England becomes a safe haven for those escaping the violence perpetrated by the French Revolution. In this paper, I shall argue that A Tale of Two Cities reflects the popular confidence in the stability of England in the eighteen-fifties, despite Dic kens's suggestions at the beginning. A Tale of Two Cities thus becomes a novel about the England and the English of Dickens's time. And yet, many people today would believe that the novel is essentially about the French Revolution, which brings me to my second point. If in the nineteenth century the novel served to affirm the stability of Britain, in this century it has been greatly influential in the formation of the popular image of the French Revolution, mainly thanks to film and television adaptations. The purpose of this paper is to look at the popular reception of the novel from the time of its first publication in 1859 to the nineteen-nineties.

Alternative Medicine Essay -- Doctors Treatment Illness Papers

Alternative Medicine Although "Alternative" or "Complementary" medicine has been kept on the fringes of the medical sciences in the past, it is becoming increasingly more popular, and more reputable. Alternative medicines are those medical systems which are not taught to or practiced by most conventional medical doctors. Alternative medicines seemingly have always existed, changing and conforming to the current climate of society. There seems to be an almost endless number of alternative medicines, each with their own method of gaining perfect health. Often people who are dissatisfied with conventional medicine turn to alternative medicine for their medical needs. Many similarities link the diverse extremities of alternative medicine. These links define alternative medicine, but also help explain why they remain so controversial. They are characterized by a lack of unbiased, scientific testing, the belief in a vital force that cannot be explained scientifically, and a lack of strict regulation ensuring c ompetency and consistency among practitioners. Although these similarities exist a distinct separation must also be made between two types of alternative medical systems. The first type includes those that have "strong intellectual foundations and time tested methods of maintaining health and curing diseases" (Micozzi A48). These have established training and practice procedures and large numbers of practitioners and patients. Micozzi includes homeopathy, herbal treatment, chiropractic medicine, traditional osteopathy, and traditional Chinese medicine (acupuncture) in this first type of alternative medical systems. These are contrasted with what he refers to as "magic bullet" treatments which are usually for a specific dise... ...ailable: http//www.doubleclickd.com/theramessage.html [1996, Nov. 16]. Langone, John. "Challenging the Mainstream." Time. 148.14, 40-44, Fall, 1996. Magner, George. Chiropractic: The Victim's Perspective. Prometheus Books. Amhearst, New York: 1995. Marwick, Charles. "Time for New Head, New Approach at OAM." JAMA. 272.23, 1806-8, Dec 21, 1994. Micozzi, Marc S. "The need to Teach Alternative Medicine." The Chronicle of Higher Education. 42.9, A48, Aug. 16, 1996. Miller, James. "Critical Thinking of the Treating of Diseases: How to Avoid Quackery." Lecture Notes. The National Center for Homeopathy. (No date). Homeopathy: Natural Medicine for the 21st Century [Online]. Available: http://www.healthy.net/pan/pa/homepathic/natcenhom/ [1996, Nov. 16]. Young, James Harvey. American Health Quackery. Princeton University Press. Princeton, New Jersey: 1992. Alternative Medicine Essay -- Doctors Treatment Illness Papers Alternative Medicine Although "Alternative" or "Complementary" medicine has been kept on the fringes of the medical sciences in the past, it is becoming increasingly more popular, and more reputable. Alternative medicines are those medical systems which are not taught to or practiced by most conventional medical doctors. Alternative medicines seemingly have always existed, changing and conforming to the current climate of society. There seems to be an almost endless number of alternative medicines, each with their own method of gaining perfect health. Often people who are dissatisfied with conventional medicine turn to alternative medicine for their medical needs. Many similarities link the diverse extremities of alternative medicine. These links define alternative medicine, but also help explain why they remain so controversial. They are characterized by a lack of unbiased, scientific testing, the belief in a vital force that cannot be explained scientifically, and a lack of strict regulation ensuring c ompetency and consistency among practitioners. Although these similarities exist a distinct separation must also be made between two types of alternative medical systems. The first type includes those that have "strong intellectual foundations and time tested methods of maintaining health and curing diseases" (Micozzi A48). These have established training and practice procedures and large numbers of practitioners and patients. Micozzi includes homeopathy, herbal treatment, chiropractic medicine, traditional osteopathy, and traditional Chinese medicine (acupuncture) in this first type of alternative medical systems. These are contrasted with what he refers to as "magic bullet" treatments which are usually for a specific dise... ...ailable: http//www.doubleclickd.com/theramessage.html [1996, Nov. 16]. Langone, John. "Challenging the Mainstream." Time. 148.14, 40-44, Fall, 1996. Magner, George. Chiropractic: The Victim's Perspective. Prometheus Books. Amhearst, New York: 1995. Marwick, Charles. "Time for New Head, New Approach at OAM." JAMA. 272.23, 1806-8, Dec 21, 1994. Micozzi, Marc S. "The need to Teach Alternative Medicine." The Chronicle of Higher Education. 42.9, A48, Aug. 16, 1996. Miller, James. "Critical Thinking of the Treating of Diseases: How to Avoid Quackery." Lecture Notes. The National Center for Homeopathy. (No date). Homeopathy: Natural Medicine for the 21st Century [Online]. Available: http://www.healthy.net/pan/pa/homepathic/natcenhom/ [1996, Nov. 16]. Young, James Harvey. American Health Quackery. Princeton University Press. Princeton, New Jersey: 1992.

Teenage Abortion Essay -- Abortion Essays Research Papers

The subject of teenage abortion, is an emotionally charged one. The two major groups are completely opposite in their beliefs. Rather than discuss the emotional views of those groups, I have chosen to research, write, and conclude based on factual material, concerning teenage abortion. A discussion of abortion as a definition is explained medically, and in a small part the emotional effects on the participant. I have chosen to report in a factual not an emotional manner. The direct definition of abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by loss or destruction of the fetus before birth. ("Abortion") There are two types of abortion, spontaneous and induced. (Emmens 7) Spontaneous abortion occurs in the first trimester (first three months) of a pregnancy. (Emmens 7) This type of abortion is more commonly known as a miscarriage. (Emmens 7) "Miscarriages are usually attributed to an abnormality to the fetus." (Emmens, 7) Induced is the other type of abortion, the one creating a wide spread controversy throughout the United States and many other parts of the world. (Emmens, 7) Induced abortion is a procedure intended to terminate a suspected or known unwanted pregnancy. ("Abortion") The fetus is forced out of the uterus causing it to die. (Emmens, 7) There are only a few different ways that an induced abortion is performed. The most common technique is known as vacuum aspiration. ("Abortion") During the procedure the embryo or the fetus and the placenta is drawn into a tube by vacuum pressure. ("Abortion") Vacuum aspiration along with the other methods of abortion, are usually performed in the first trimester. ("Abortion") The procedure for second trimester abortion is a more risky and complicated procedure. ("Abortion") Thirty six percent of all teenage women who become pregnant choose to terminate their pregnancies by having abortions. (Meier,49) There are many reasons why teenagers decide that abortion is the best option for their own specific situations. "Some say they aren't ready for the kind of changes a baby would bring to their lives." (Meier,46) The top three reasons, teens and grown women alike, choose to have an abortion are: 1. A child would change the lives of all involved, drastically, in ways that many are not ready to handle. 2. A feeling of immaturity. 3. Financial problems, only to be made worse if a youngster was involved.(Planned)... ... to parental physical or psychiatric illness and/or drug and alcohol abuse. (Planned) Many are also frightened of what might be said and done to them. "There is evidence that teenagers who do not involve their parents believe, that involving their parents would not be in their best interests or are trying to protect their parents." (Planned) A strong majority of the teens having abortions already involve parents even if not required to do so by law. (Planned) Allowing teenage girls to have abortions is allowing them to go on with their lives. To pursue the many hopes and dreams of their childhood. It is allowing them to continue to be a child instead of raising one. As for the entire subject of teenage abortion, I am absolutely 100% pro-choice. I believe any women, young or old should have the right to choose, without legal strings attached. I would suggest a process of guidance be made available, should a women so choose. My thoughts are, an adult, maybe not a parent, but a pers on of legal age, should be available to give guidance because they care, not because they are bound to do so by law. In conclusion I do not believe Government should intrude in such personal matters. Teenage Abortion Essay -- Abortion Essays Research Papers The subject of teenage abortion, is an emotionally charged one. The two major groups are completely opposite in their beliefs. Rather than discuss the emotional views of those groups, I have chosen to research, write, and conclude based on factual material, concerning teenage abortion. A discussion of abortion as a definition is explained medically, and in a small part the emotional effects on the participant. I have chosen to report in a factual not an emotional manner. The direct definition of abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by loss or destruction of the fetus before birth. ("Abortion") There are two types of abortion, spontaneous and induced. (Emmens 7) Spontaneous abortion occurs in the first trimester (first three months) of a pregnancy. (Emmens 7) This type of abortion is more commonly known as a miscarriage. (Emmens 7) "Miscarriages are usually attributed to an abnormality to the fetus." (Emmens, 7) Induced is the other type of abortion, the one creating a wide spread controversy throughout the United States and many other parts of the world. (Emmens, 7) Induced abortion is a procedure intended to terminate a suspected or known unwanted pregnancy. ("Abortion") The fetus is forced out of the uterus causing it to die. (Emmens, 7) There are only a few different ways that an induced abortion is performed. The most common technique is known as vacuum aspiration. ("Abortion") During the procedure the embryo or the fetus and the placenta is drawn into a tube by vacuum pressure. ("Abortion") Vacuum aspiration along with the other methods of abortion, are usually performed in the first trimester. ("Abortion") The procedure for second trimester abortion is a more risky and complicated procedure. ("Abortion") Thirty six percent of all teenage women who become pregnant choose to terminate their pregnancies by having abortions. (Meier,49) There are many reasons why teenagers decide that abortion is the best option for their own specific situations. "Some say they aren't ready for the kind of changes a baby would bring to their lives." (Meier,46) The top three reasons, teens and grown women alike, choose to have an abortion are: 1. A child would change the lives of all involved, drastically, in ways that many are not ready to handle. 2. A feeling of immaturity. 3. Financial problems, only to be made worse if a youngster was involved.(Planned)... ... to parental physical or psychiatric illness and/or drug and alcohol abuse. (Planned) Many are also frightened of what might be said and done to them. "There is evidence that teenagers who do not involve their parents believe, that involving their parents would not be in their best interests or are trying to protect their parents." (Planned) A strong majority of the teens having abortions already involve parents even if not required to do so by law. (Planned) Allowing teenage girls to have abortions is allowing them to go on with their lives. To pursue the many hopes and dreams of their childhood. It is allowing them to continue to be a child instead of raising one. As for the entire subject of teenage abortion, I am absolutely 100% pro-choice. I believe any women, young or old should have the right to choose, without legal strings attached. I would suggest a process of guidance be made available, should a women so choose. My thoughts are, an adult, maybe not a parent, but a pers on of legal age, should be available to give guidance because they care, not because they are bound to do so by law. In conclusion I do not believe Government should intrude in such personal matters.

My Ambition Is To Become a Collector

MY AMBITION IN  LIFE Life affords no higher pleasure than that of surmounting difficulties, passing from one-step of success to another forming new ambitions and seeking them gratified. – Samuel Johnson In the life of mankind one has his own dreams and wishes. The dreams transform in to vibrant thoughts concerning about his career and future. No one can exactly predict what role he has to play in the society as the World is a play stage and all people are just performers in that center-stage. Ambition doesn’t need to be made of sterner stuff. It is an exaggeration of your dream and thoughts of how you want to be in your life. My ambition is to become an IAS officer. Though I know that the magnitude of civil services exam is tough but still I feel it is a challenge to relish upon. IAS – Indian Administrative Service sounds and preludes a sense of pride in the minds of the selected candidates. To lead a district/bunch of villages is not a simple joke and every time you need to be on your toes, manage crisis and you need to be a decision maker as well as an efficient leader. The very wish of me becoming an IAS officer is infused by the social evils that prevail in the society. The sufferings faced by poor and the destitute ignite the spirit in one’s self and instigate the proceedings. Every one should at least have access to basic amenities like food, shelter, clothing etc. Nothing can be changed in a day’s time, but it is possible only by the cumulative efforts of all people. If India is to become a super-power, she needs to get out of the webs of poverty, unemployment, social inequality and communal riots. So why IAS I don’t want to myself lie between the cobwebs of matrimony and job. Indeed I want to contribute something for the nation for her progress and development. India is in urgent need of youths who are determined for the sake of the nation. IAS officer to some extent can spur a change in the lives of people under his control. The task doesn’t end here and one needs to devote his soul to the nation building politics. The infusion of young blood in politics will surely have a great impact in the development of our nation. Ambition affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege than the raising of the next generation. India is one of the most corrupt countries and this evil pegs her at the developing nations list. My ambition constitutes the dream of living and dying in a   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Developed India – 2020†. The positions in the IAS service vary from the powerful Cabinet Secretary to the District Collector. My ambition doesn’t and shouldn’t aim and hitch my vision for the highest cadre. Instead I feel fortunate and proud to be an IAS officer to serve the needy and the deprived in the modern â€Å"Information Era† based society. Education for all, abolition of castes, creed and religion, Prevention of social exploitation, abolition of social evils, weeding out corruption, improving infrastructure and basic facilities and these things stand for prior action. It is definitely a challenge for a young man to lead in such circumstances. Life is all about taking up challenges and at the end of the day/outset it is all about how well we fared at that moment/instant. My ambition is the vision of developed India -2020 dreamt by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and to transform his dreams into reality. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the whole world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. Since then midnights have passed, but we are still asleep. Now the time has come to redeem our pledge. A country with glorious history and uncertain future. The certainty depends on the young Turks†¦Dream of becoming a super-power will remain a dream if we fail to wake up from slumber. An ambitious dream of a Developed India be envisioned by our dreamzz†¦

Impact of Media on Socio-Cultural Values and Social Institution in Indian Society

The media, known as the fourth pillar of democracy, has a huge impact on the society. The effects are of course, positive as well as negative. Media is such a powerful tool that it literally governs the direction of our society today. It is the propeller as well as the direction provider of the society. Opinions can change overnight and celebrities can become infamous with just one wave by the media. The growth of media as an industry has accelerated over the past few years with new forms such as DVD and the internet changing the way we, the audience, consume and receive media.In an interdependent and globalized political world, the challenge of the media is to provide extensive coverage of global politics and to examine the impact of these influences in specific national contexts. The mass media has a role to influence socio-political and cultural settings. Numbers of researchers have been conducting studies worldwide to investigate what they might contribute to an understanding of the economic and other factors that influence mass media, and how the media in turn influence the political climate and the democratic process in modern democracies.Mass media is considered one of the principal agents for societal development, democracy and good governance. Media critics claim that at times mass media has not played the role that it should have played and have played in the hands of few vested interests. The researchers have also pointed out that mass media influence vary from country to country depending upon socio-political and cultural settings. There are many different theories about how mass media influence people's attitudes, worldview, and behavior.The mass media is considered to be the backbone of democracy that influences sociopolitical developments. However, there is a growing concern that the mass media in many countries is not fulfilling these functions properly due to inherent socio-cultural barriers. These days, there are already numerous types of Mass Media. This includes Audio recording and reproduction (records, tapes, cassettes, cartridges, CDs), Broadcasting Media (Radio, Television, Cable) Film (Cinema, DVDs), Digital Media (the Internet, Mobile Phones, Satellite), Publishing or the Print Media (Books, Newspapers, Magazines) and Video games.Today we are going to discuss five types of media. They are as follows: 1. Newspapers 2. Magazines 3. Yellow pages 4. Radio 5. Television 6. Internet Out of these, Newspapers, TV, Radio are traditional modes of mass media whereas Magazines, Yellow pages and Internet are modern modes of mass media. Explanation of the different types of media with the advantages and disadvantages: Newspapers: Newspapers are one of the traditional mediums used by businesses, both big and small alike, to advertise their businesses.Advantages Disadvantages †¢ Allows you to reach a huge number of people in a given geographic area †¢ You have the flexibility in deciding the ad size and placement withi n the newspaper †¢ Your ad can be as large as necessary to communicate as much of a story as you care to tell †¢ Exposure to your ad is not limited; readers can go back to your message again and again if so desired. †¢ Free help in creating and producing ad copy is usually available †¢ Quick turn-around helps your ad reflect the changing market conditions.The ad you decide to run today can be in your customers' hands in one to two days. †¢ Ad space can be expensive †¢ Your ad has to compete against the clutter of other advertisers, including the giants ads run by supermarkets and department stores as well as the ads of your competitors †¢ Poor photo reproduction limits creativity †¢ Newspapers are a price-oriented medium; most ads are for sales †¢ Expect your ad to have a short shelf life, as newspapers are usually read once and then discarded. You may be paying to send your message to a lot of people who will probably never be in the mar ket to buy from you. †¢ Newspapers are a highly visible medium, so your competitors can quickly react to your prices †¢ With the increasing popularity of the Internet, newspapers face declining readership and market penetration. A growing number of readers now skip the print version of the newspaper (and hence the print ads) and instead read the online version of the publication. Magazines:Magazines are a more focused, albeit more expensive, alternative to newspaper advertising. This medium allows you to reach highly targeted audiences. Advantages Disadvantages †¢ Allows for better targeting of audience, as you can choose magazine publications that cater to your specific audience or whose editorial content specializes in topics of interest to your audience. †¢ High reader involvement means that more attention will be paid to your advertisement †¢ Better quality paper permits better color reproduction and full-color ads †¢ The smaller page (generally 8 ? y 11 inches) permits even small ads to stand out †¢ Long lead times mean that you have to make plans weeks or months in advance †¢ The slower lead time heightens the risk of your ad getting overtaken by events †¢ There is limited flexibility in terms of ad placement and format. †¢ Space and ad layout costs are higher Yellow Pages: There are several forms of Yellow Pages that you can use to promote and advertise your business.Aside from the traditional Yellow Pages supplied by phone companies, you can also check out specialized directories targeted to specific markets (e. g. Hispanic Yellow Pages, Blacks, etc. ); interactive or consumer search databases; Audiotex or talking yellow pages; Internet directories containing national, local and regional listings; and other services classified as Yellow Pages. Advantages Disadvantages †¢ Wide availability, as mostly everyone uses the Yellow Pages †¢ Non-intrusive Action-oriented, as the audience is actually lo oking for the ads †¢ Ads are reasonably inexpensive †¢ Responses are easily tracked and measured †¢ Frequency †¢ Pages can look cluttered, and your ad can easily get lost in the clutter †¢ Your ad is placed together with all your competitors †¢ Limited creativity in the ads, given the need to follow a pre-determined format †¢ Ads slow to reflect market changes Radio: Offers a wide range of publicity possibilities. It is a mobile medium suited to a mobile people.It reaches the bedroom and breakfast table in the morning and rides to and from work in the car, lulls us to sleep at night and goes along to the beach, to the woods and on fishing trips, a flexibility no other medium can match. Advantages Disadvantages †¢ Radio is a universal medium enjoyed by people at one time or another during the day, at home, at work, and even in the car. †¢ The vast array of radio program formats offers to efficiently target your advertising dollars to narro wly defined segments of consumers most likely to respond to your offer. Gives your business personality through the creation of campaigns using sounds and voices †¢ Free creative help is often available †¢ Rates can generally be negotiated †¢ During the past ten years, radio rates have seen less inflation than those for other media †¢ Because radio listeners are spread over many stations, you may have to advertise simultaneously on several stations to reach your target audience †¢ Listeners cannot go back to your ads to go over important points †¢ Ads are an interruption in the entertainment.Because of this, a radio ad may require multiple exposures to break through the listener's â€Å"tune-out† factor and ensure message retention †¢ Radio is a background medium. Most listeners are doing something else while listening, which means that your ad has to work hard to get their attention. Television: A medium that permits the use of the printed world, spoken word, pictures in motion, color, music, animation and sound effects all blend into one message, possesses immeasurable potency.Television has become a dominant force, the primary source of news and entertainment and a powerful soapbox from which citizens protests can be communicated to the nation and the world. This medium has greatly altered national election campaigns and has diminished the role of the political parties. Events made large by TV shape public opinion worldwide. Advantages Disadvantages Television permits you to reach large numbers of people on a national or regional level in a short period of time †¢ Independent stations and cable offer new opportunities to pinpoint local audiences †¢ Television being an image-building and visual medium, it offers the ability to convey your message with sight, sound and motion †¢ Message is temporary, and may require multiple exposure for the ad to rise above the clutter †¢ Ads on network affiliates are concentrated in local news broadcasts and station breaks †¢ Preferred ad times are often sold out far in advance Limited length of exposure, as most ads are only thirty seconds long or less, which limits the amount of information you can communicate †¢ Relatively expensive in terms of creative, production and airtime costs Internet: The Internet or the World Wide Web is indeed a wonderful and amazing addition in our lives. The Internet can be known as a kind of global meeting place where people from all parts of the world can come together. It is a service available on the computer, through which everything under the sun is now at the fingertips of anyone who has access to the Internet. Advantages Disadvantages E-mail: E-mail is an online correspondence system. With e-mail you can send and receive instant electronic messages, which work like writing letters. Your messages are delivered instantly to people anywhere in the world, unlike traditional mail that takes a lot of time. †¢Access Information: The Internet is a virtual treasure trove of information. Any kind of information on any topic under the sun is available on the Internet. The ‘search engines’ on the Internet can help you to find data on any subject that you need. †¢Shopping: Along with getting information on the Internet, you can also shop online.There are many online stores and sites that can be used to look for products as well as buy them using your credit card. You do not need to leave your house and can do all your shopping from the convenience of your home. †¢Online Chat: There are many ‘chat rooms’ on the web that can be accessed to meet new people, make new friends, as well as to stay in touch with old friends. †¢Downloading Software: This is one of the most happening and fun things to do via the Internet. You can download innumerable, games, music, videos, movies, and a host of other entertainment software from the Internet, most of which are free. Personal Information: If you use the Internet, your personal information such as your name, address, etc. can be accessed by other people. If you use a credit card to shop online, then your credit card information can also be ‘stolen’ which could be akin to giving someone a blank check. †¢Pornography: This is a very serious issue concerning the Internet, especially when it comes to young children. There are thousands of pornographic sites on the Internet that can be easily found and can be a detriment to letting children use the Internet. Spamming: This refers to sending unsolicited e-mails in bulk, which serve no purpose and unnecessarily clog up the entire system. These are the different types of Mass Media in this 21st century, the global generation era where digital globalization is taking place perpetually, and the forms of Mass Media is increasingly widespread and expectantly procreating. M edia technologies are becoming an important aspec t of today’s society. Each and every day, people interact with media of many different forms. Media is commonly defined as being a channel of communication.Radio, newspapers, and television are all examples of media. It is impossible to assume that media is made up of completely unbiased information and that the media companies do not impose their own control upon the information being supplied to media users. Since many people use media very frequently, it is obvious to assume that it has affects on people. According to the text book Media Now, â€Å"media effects are changes in knowledge, attitude, or behavior that result from exposure to the mass media,†. This leaves us with many unanswered questions about media and its influences.While resurgent India seems to be high on the global media agenda, powered as it were by the economic boom, the national media too has witnessed exponential growth. Tracking this growth in a meaningful perspective is imperative since its s pread and reach have been mired in socio-political and cultural barriers. The complexities that limit the growth of the Indian media story are based on a heady mix of poverty, bias, economics, and the inherent trappings of a religious philosophy that find echo in the fatalistic suppositions of Hinduism.With minimal impact to change the state of the nation, the barriers that come in the way of the free flow of information need to be tackled with more alacrity and awareness, lest the growth gets sucked into the vortex of its own limitations. The advertisement-driven consumerist mooring that is propelling the flawed Indian info-age communication story seems to be a pointer in this direction. Media’s impact on society can be judged from three perspectives – social, economic and political. Social Impact: ) Generating awareness on various social evils like dowry, female foeticide and infanticide etc. this has led to the decline in the incidence of them 2) Bringing into focus any atrocities faced by weaker sections of the society. This has brought in a sense of security to the weaker sections. Majority groups fear to do any harm to them. In the long run this will bring peace and tranquility among communities. 3) Generating awareness on good practices like health, hygiene, nutrition etc thereby improving the living standards. ) Media is responsible for the success of green revolution in India during 60's by popularizing the usage of high yielding varieties, fertilizers, pesticides and other farm management techniques. Green revolution has improved the living standard of poor by enhancing their incomes. Many new entrepreneurs from weaker sections of the society emerged. This has enabled them to rise in the social ladder and stay on par with the so called upper castes. 5) Media is responsible for generating pan India identity and enabling people to loosen their parochial and narrower identities. ) Media has been showing in new employment opportunities that are available in the market. This has enabled a common man with requisite skills to grab them. 7) Media is responsible for sensitizing our administrators on various issues. 8) Media is responsible for spreading in latest fashion visa-a-versa dressing style, cosmetics, hair styles etc. Variation of Music: India is made up of several dozen ethnic groups, speaking their own languages and dialects; as a result, folk music plays an essential role in uniting people of the same dialect group who may be far apart geographically.An example is the folk music of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Bhojpuri music. It serves as a means of communication as the lyrics of the songs often cover recent cultural changes and events; as well as religious content. Television & Drama: The television and print revolutions have granted access to these forms of media to the masses across India. Villages often have their own newspapers and access to television is readily available to the majority. Bollywood cinema is n ot restricted to the urban community and is in fact highly popular with the rural masses.Changes in forms of media & communication Cassette & Compact Disks: In Cassette Culture, Peter Manuel tells how a new mass medium, the portable cassette player, caused a major upheaval in popular culture in the world's second-largest country. The advent of cassette technology in the 1980s transformed India's popular music industry from the virtual monopoly of a single multinational LP manufacturer to a free-for-all among hundreds of local cassette producers. The result was a revolution in the quantity, quality, and variety of Indian popular music and its patterns of dissemination and consumption.Impact of Television:- It is nearly impossible to establish the precise number of people with access to a television set in â€Å"the poor world †, as James Murdoch, chief executive of STAR TV Group told a cable conference in India; due to the fact that individual cable subscribers sometimes pass on the service illegally to an entire neighborhood. â€Å"Moreover, in parts of the developing world, large numbers of people often crowd into one house or cafe to watch television, a factor that is hard to quantify†. Caste Line:-Caste lines have been blurred in the quest to gain access to information; which in itself is not a bad thing. Television watching, especially in the rural areas has become a communal event and it is not uncommon for TV owners to position their television sets such that they are facing the open door; allowing members of other caste groups to sit outside the home and enjoy the shows . Similarly, in villages where there is one common, government-provided television set, members of the village gather around to watch communally.This is especially the case for religious programs as well as those related to agriculture. Indian Norms:- Other than changing the social structure and norm, the media revolution has also contributed to the disintegration of so-cal led ‘Indian norms'. Movies such as â€Å"Monsoon Wedding† are an ideal demonstration of the culture shock faced by many young Indians today. There is a chasm between traditional values of chastity and dressing conservatively and the TV values of stylish and often skimpy dressing and more liberal values, including dating before marriage and other ‘western norms'.Differences between Culture and the Dominant Social Paradigm:- Culture, exactly because of its greater scope, may express values and ideas, which are not necessarily consistent with the dominant institutions. In fact, this is usually the case characterizing the arts and literature of a market economy, where, artists and writers have been given a significant degree of freedom to express their own views. Just as traditions have gone ‘out of fashion’, it seems that many beliefs have done so as well.Television has reached a stage where even religious discourse is broadcast, negating the need for te mple visits and religious-social gatherings. Infrastructure and the mass media influenences that it has brought with it have created a culture where person to person interaction has nearly stopped. Information is relayed to us through media channels, radio, television, books and newspapers. Lack of Credibility The first inherent barrier is the lack of credibility on the part of mass media in putting up typical examples of life style, consumerism and public behavior.By subtly promoting and supporting the â€Å"me, mine, myself† culture, the mass media have managed to alienate themselves from the bulk of society. The expectation of any major impact of mass media messages on the society at large is futile. Media technologies are becoming an important aspect of today's society. Each and every day, people interact with media of many different forms. It is impossible to assume that media is made up of completely unbiased information and that the media companies do not impose their own control upon the information being supplied to media users. Philosophical disregard of moralsThe general Hindu Indian philosophy makes people believe that salvation lies at individual level, and practicing daily prayers, rituals, fasts, penance, attending religious discourses etc. can help people atone for whatever wrongs they have done or are perceived to have committed. Mass media are still not central to people's natural behavior but remain an external influence, never internalized and experienced. Mass media are perceived as an entity doing its job (of spreading information, news, messages, entertaining and so on) whereas people in general go about their lives.Impact on Agriculture and Family Planning Movement On the agriculture front, the mass media impact played a significant role in taking forward the message of high-yielding agricultural practices. â€Å"Green revolution†, a nationwide campaign to increase food grain production to help India become self-sufficient in food, was lauded across the media and its gains were discussed at length. An evaluation report prepared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in 1994 and quoted by M. R.Dua says: â€Å"Television has positively been useful in increasing knowledge regarding new farm technology. The farmers who viewed television programs gained more or less the same amount of knowledge irrespective of age, education and farm holding†. Dua also quotes another study by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (IARI) having â€Å"convincingly shown the effectiveness of television in imparting technical information to farmers â€Å"television has proved to be effective in creating a favorable attitude among farmers to adopt recommended practices and in inducing their actual adoption. Impact of Advertising Among all mass media constituents, advertising has a noticeably greater impact than news and entertainment media as evident by the immediate impact of good or b ad advertising on FMCG sales. Huge popularity of ad punch lines (doondhte reh jaoge meaning you'll keep looking for the stain, safedi kii chamkar, meaning the lightning of whiteness, both hugely popular punch-lines of advertisements for detergent cake and powder), glaring appearance of hoardings of popular brands in villages and small townships.There is apparently an eagerness to follow advertising messages and a reluctance to follow social impact messages. Studies conducted by market research organizations have also indicated that there is a positive impact of media exposure particularly that of television on consumer behavior. Increased rationality in consumer's decisions due to media contact is proved irrespective of the place where the media are induced. How does mass media influence young people? The media makes billions of dollars with the advertising they sell and that we are exposed to.We buy what we are told to be good, after seeing thousands of advertisings we make our buy ing decisions based on what we saw on TV, newspapers or magazines to be a product we can trust and also based on what everyone else that we know is buying and their decision are also based on the media. These are the effects of mass media in teenagers, they buy what they see on TV, what their favorite celebrity advertise and what is acceptable by society based on the fashion that the media has imposed them. There are some positive and negative influences in young people.Here is a positive influence example, if there is a sport that is getting a lot of attention by the media and gains popularity among your friends and society, you will more likely want to practice the sport and be cool with all your friends. The result is that you will have fun with your friends and be healthier because of the exercise you are doing. However a negative influence in teenagers is the use of cigars by celebrity movie stars, the constant exposure of sex images, the excessive images of violence and exposu re to thousands of junk food ads.Young people are in a stage of life where they want to be accepted by their peers, they want to be loved and be successful. The media creates the ideal image of a beautiful men and women and tells you what are the characteristics of a successful person are, you can see it in movies and TV. It’s a subliminal way to tell you that if you are not like them you are not cool yet so it’s time to buy the stuff they buy and look like they look. Another negative influence in teenagers that has grown over the last years is anorexia and obesity.There are millions of adolescents fighting obesity, but at the same time they are exposed to thousands of advertisements of junk food, while the ideas image of a successful person is told to be thin and wealthy. Also more women are obsessive with losing weight even when they are not obese; there are many thin women that want to look like the super models and thin celebrities so they engage in eating disorder s which lead to severe health issues and even death. Conclusion: Other than dress; many other aspects of culture have been sacrificed in favour of western influences.Folk music and travelling singers have given way to cassettes and compact discs; nautanki shows have dissolved under the pressure and competition brought forth by television and cinema. The traditions of storytelling have also taken a back seat due to cassette playbacks of discourses and the ease with which printed material is cheaply available. Economic Impact: 1) Media is responsible directly for providing employment opportunities and thereby increasing the living standards of the people. 2) Media spreads awareness of a new product launched by a company through advertisements and product reviews.This will increase the demand of industrial goods thereby promoting industrialization and increase in GDP. India's language newspapers enjoy a relatively new entrepreneurial prowess. A mutually convenient relationship between the owners and capitalists keeps a financial balance between local/regional and national spheres in both private and public sectors. â€Å"Like coral in a reef, newspapers grew and died in a process inseparable from the creation of a ‘public sphere' in the classical liberal sense.Individual proprietors sometimes brought to their newspapers a crusader's zeal for a particular cause or a diehard's loathing for a rival† (Jeffrey 105). The Second Press Commission in 1982 tried to liberate the press from the monopoly houses. In 1995 the Audit Bureau of circulations had 165 newspapers as members, with a combined circulation of about 16 million copies a day. The top ten newspapers control roughly 50 percent of daily circulations in all languages. Bennett Coleman and the Indian Express own roughly 20 percent of daily circulations.While capitalists sustained national newspapers, the big houses, Dalmias, Jains, Goenka et al. , monopolized and corrupted free journalism. The family and caste controlled small newspapers regionally maintain their freedom from big monopolies, thriving on their loyal supporters in north and south India. Diversity of ownership is reflective of cultural variation in India's multilingual landscape. Twenty-one newspapers control two-thirds of all circulations. Inevitability of Poverty & a Feudal MindsetA large percentage of people are still not well-off enough (according to 2001 census figures, the population living below poverty line is a worrying 26. 10 per cent) to enjoy the fruits of free mass media. Concerns for a stable job and a decent living are more important for them as compared to any message against a social evil reaching them through the mass media. In this situation, anything else may be immaterial to him, even if it is a positive message about availability of free educational facilities for children of underprivileged classes.A feudal mindset continues to prevail among people across the socioeconomic strata. While the s uper-rich treat the upper middle class with contempt, the latter reserve the same treatment for those below the hierarchy. This manifests in people's attitude towards the media as well. Those who are slightly better off, would never bother about what the mass media say (except perhaps the commercial announcements or advertisements). Strongly Self-Centered Lives Material growth in the last two decades has led to dilution of values within family and in society.Becoming successful in their own small way–even if it is a petty roadside stall selling vegetables–is what matters. And to that end, messages on how to make lives better matter little. For example, if the roadside stall is an encroachment on a road and even if the mass media reports scream daily that those encroachments are a punishable offence, the stall owner is unmoved. He continues to sell his ware at the same spot and even if forcibly removed one day, he comes back the next day. The authorities, too, tire of t his game of hide-and-seek and give up.We can see such sights all across the Indian towns and cities. In a general atmosphere that of lax rules and where one can get away with offence has made the people become more selfish than they naturally are. The erosion of authority of law and establishment and the general lack of a culture of punishment have added to this environment of general disregard for ethics. Mass media, again, have a limited role to play in making people change their attitudes. Impact of Television on the Indian Population.Ever since the advent of modern communication technology that has allowed people around the world to communicate ever so easily, the world itself seems like a smaller space. Broadcasting is an especially effective manner through which millions of people are able to become unified on the basis that they are common recipients of a particular message. One of the most powerful transmitters of these messages is of course the television; programs of which can be seen around the world to serve many purposes.In most contemporary societies, television is a highly influential medium of popular culture and plays an important role in the social construction of reality. The effects of television should therefore be recognized as having the ability to alter social, economic and political situations in its places of propagation and beyond. I will be exploring these cultural shifts in detail pertaining to India, a developing nation undergoing a grand cultural shift in part due to the rapid growth of satellite television in the 1990’s and its programming.Television is unlike any other medium of mass communication in that its social effects are prominent, and able to prompt substantial change. The strong cultural influence of television on developing nations can therefore be linked to the following factors as outlined in the book â€Å"Media and Social Changes: the modernizing influences of television in rural India. † First, tele vision programming is easily accessible and inexpensive, which is mainly due to the fact that Indian television is sold inexpensively around the world after profits in its home market have already been made.Television’s potency is also a result of its broad scope and diversity of programs which therefore makes it appealing to almost anybody. Yet another reason for television’s mass appeal is its benign presence, which allows viewers to be in control of what they watch, how much they watch and when to watch it. Ultimately, it is these factors that propel the reliance on the medium which has the power to inflict many societal changes in developing nations such as India.Through the examination of diverse groups in India such as rural villagers, youth, women and the middle class, I intend to illustrate the vast social and cultural changes taking place in a culturally rich country, in large part due to the relatively recent popularity of television throughout the country. A ccording to statistics the population in India was: In 2000, it was 1,003 million people. In 2001, it was 1,019 million people. In 2002, it was 1,050 million people. In 2003, it was 1,060 million people. In 2004, it was 1,080 million people. In 2005, it was 1,094 million people.In 2006, it was 1,110 million people. While almost 75 percent of India’s one billion people live in villages, their thoughts and actions consequently have a large influence on the country’s social, political and economic state. One of the most prolific changes in village life which can be linked directly to the influence of television is rise of consumerism in rural India. Just as we are enveloped with advertisements and endorsements which propel us to purchase that which we deem necessary, the same is true in rural India in which such things as blue jeans and hand cream have become necessities.Villagers themselves acknowledge this growing need: â€Å"I want many things that my parents never ha d. I want a motorcycle and a nice colour TV; I want to eat mutton once a week instead of three times a year†. Through this illustration, it is evident that needs are certainly growing and it is due to television and advertisements that the economically dependent third world is now being internally pressured to make shifts that may not be financially possible yet incredibly desirable. Another growing desire of the rural Indian population is to become urbanized, leading to a shift in behavior and relationships.Not only do these villagers want to mimic the representations of their urban counterparts by changing their attire and consumer goods, their attitudes are also altered as a result. Such phenomenon can be seen as a positive shift which allows modern attitudes to flourish, through which more sensitivity and emotion are finding their ways into the rigid caste system and competition, therefore adding sentimental value to various relationships. In the case of rural parts of dev eloping nations, mediation may also be useful as a way of educating villagers about their own country.The programs that are seen by the villagers are those which are produced in India yet reflect a Western undercurrent of values and lifestyles. The rural audience is therefore able to learn about other parts of their own country, which is useful due to the fact that many do not venture far from their village for touring purposes. Although touring the country may not be prioritized, with the glamorization of urban life through the media, many villagers are moving to urban centers in search for a better life. The mplications of such a shift are obvious in that the villages that are being abandoned are at a disadvantage, yet the urban cities have nothing to gain other than more overcrowding. Although the middle class in India is generally more urbanized and therefore more in touch with the globalizing effects of media, they resemble the villagers in terms of the effects of television on their daily lives. While villagers are enticed with what is outside their village, the urban middle class is able to see the correlation between the foreign and national trademarks. Multinational companies consistently attempt to associate their products with signifiers of the Indian nation, for instance through sponsorship of the Indian Olympic team in the 1996 Olympics or through more subtle references to specifically Indian conditions such as the monsoon season†. While conglomerates such as Pepsi and Coke are striving to merge the Indian identity with their brands by sponsoring sporting events and relying on Indian celebrity endorsements, the Indian audience fails to see that what they see as sponsorship for India’s pride is actually a mere scheme to boost consumerism.It is therefore evident that just as the rural class is becoming increasingly commoditized, the middle class urban population is no different. Although many televised advertisements tug on the national ized heartstrings, many direct correlations are also made between Indian cities and North Indian or European ones. In this sense, the existence of the Indian city dwellers is being justified on the basis of their city’s comparison to Western cities. It is through these processes that Indian’s are made to feel that they are being recognized, but the concern is whether this recognition is strong if it is formulated through comparison.While many of these discrete messages are being transmitted through television and advertisements, they are transforming into ideals; and, just as the rural population is in search for an urban setting, the urban dwellers are looking towards Western societies for opportunity. According to static’s result India spends so much for their TV advertisements. In 2002 US $718 million was spent out of US $ 37,682. In 2003 US $848 million was spent out of US $ 44,413. In 2004 US $ 899million was spent out of US $ 51,812. In 2005 US $1,034 mill ion was spent out of US $ 61,478.In 2006 US $1,189 million was spent out of US $ 67,672. The effects of commercialism cannot be underestimated. Today’s children are besieged by manipulative commercial messages day in and day out, on TV, and even at school. Companies hire psychologists to help them target children and manipulate them; this is called the â€Å"art of whine-making. † The bombardment of commercial messages has created a sense of chronic dissatisfaction in children and, many psychologists think that is has contributed to the increase in teen depression. In terms of programming, television shows are either Indian or Indian imitations of them. Programs targeted specifically at the middle class are often characterized by a hybridized language which combines Hindi and English. This mixture, termed ‘Hinglish’ by the popular media, combines Hindi and English in different television shows†. Through this very example it is evident that Westernize d ideals are seeping into Indian mainstream media through the use of television. Moreover, an important shift to consider is that while English is becoming increasingly predominant, the non-English speakers are being marginalized and degraded in their own home country.Secondly, the predominance of Hindi as the main language on television weakens the diverse languages spoken in India which have contributed to its cultural heritage for centuries. One of the most prominent examples of the hybrid of Indian and Indian culture is through the phenomenon of MTV and youth culture in India. â€Å"The two main foreign-owned music television channels operating in India, News Corporation’s Channel [V] and Viacom’s MTV have followed a market strategy of aggressive â€Å"Indianization. This has taken the form of programs featuring Indian film songs and music videos†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Although it may hold true that television which is geared towards youth may support Indian entertainment , these channels directly model the Indian versions of them; therefore, enforcing a global Indianized culture upon middle-class Indian youth. Consumerism is extremely prominent among this group due to the cultural icons represented through music videos and advertisements, along with their parent’s willingness to support such spending.This seems to hold true as a characteristic of youth culture across the globe, which raises the question of whether this global identity was created to homogenize this particular group. Yet another concern that satellite television and its growing Western influence has brought about is the generational reformation of these viewers. â€Å"†¦ graduate students of classical dance and mainly Telugu Channel [V] viewers and say that they have frequently experienced discomfort (and so have their parents)because of the growing trend of obscenity in Telugu film songs (including nudity, suggestive body movements, and â€Å"double-meaning† lyri cs). Families were once able to enjoy programs without any discrepancy among parents and children, the ever growing influence of Western ideology that ‘sex sells’ in the media has transgressed into the Indian market, and led to reformation of the family unit, creating obvious distinctions between tastes. The new trends in television broadcasting may therefore effectively deconstruct the family unit as the Western ideals transgressing through Indian television are slowly creating gaps within the home.Some young viewers of these provocative music videos seem to think that due to their promiscuous nature, that these television programs are also being aired in the West; however, it is this misconception that demonstrates the young Indian’s desire to be recognized by its Indian counterparts. This ideal requires placing cultural regulations on the backburner, meeting and enjoying Westernized standards and masking them with an overarching Indian identity, all in a subco nscious attempt to escape that very identity. Study has shown Television viewing occupied 10. 9% of an adolescent time that is about 12 hours per week. 0% of this viewing occurred at home, 73% was done with other family members including 7% with grandparents, uncles, or aunts. This indicates that TV viewing is a typical family activity. Adolescents’ rates of viewing were correlated with mothers’ rates of viewing, with rates for both higher when mothers were unemployed. Adolescents’ TV rates were also correlated with fathers’ rates and with fathers’ type of unemployment. Study has prove, during TV viewing adolescents reported lower than average challenge, worry, and paying attention and higher than average choice, clam and relaxation.In short TV viewing of the middle class Indian youth is a relaxed antidote to the stress of the day that they share with their families. Television has a major impact on toddlers it influences their viewing habits throu ghout their lives. Since toddlers have a strong preference for cartoons and other programs that have characters that move fast, there is considerable likelihood that they will be exposed to large amounts of violence. Children do not become full-fledged â€Å"viewers† until around the age of two-and-a-half. As toddlers, they begin to pay more attention to the television set when it is on.They develop a limited ability to extract meaning from television content. At the age of eight, children are more likely to be sensitive to important moderating influences of television content, and will not become more aggressive themselves if the violence they see is portrayed as evil, as causing human suffering, or as resulting in punishment or disapproval. However, they are especially likely to show increased aggression from watching violent television if they believe the violence reflects real life, if they identify with a violent hero, or if they engage in aggressive fantasies.One major group which television watching has effected is the age group between 5-13 years of age. Television violence is accompanied by vivid production features; preschoolers are predisposed to seek out and pay attention to violence—particularly cartoon violence. It is not the violence itself that makes the cartoons attractive to preschoolers, but the accompanying vivid production features. With this preference for cartoons, preschoolers are being exposed to a large number of violent acts in their viewing day.Moreover, they are unlikely to be able to put the violence in context, since they are likely to miss any subtlety conveyed mitigating information concerning motivation and consequences. Preschoolers behave more aggressively than usual in their play after watching any high-action exciting television content, but mostly after watching violent television. Television watching and physical activity both are related to obesity. However this has been investigated mainly in children. Te levision viewing takes up 10. % of an adolescent’s time (about 12 hours per week) study proves. Children get glued to the television and do not exercise. They watch one program after another without giving them self’s a break. They do not even have half an hour to do any kind of physical activities. This finally results in obesity. Political Impact: 1) Media has been bringing out corrupt practices practiced by our political leaders. This has enabled people to make more rational choices when electing their representatives. 2) Media has been a major force in mobilizing people during elections. India is the cradle of human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, grandmother of legend, and great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only† -Mark Twain Yes, indeed the most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are in India. We are the worldà ¢â‚¬â„¢s largest democracy and an emerging force in the field of communication, science and technology.After combating recession, India is back on the path of growth and development but with challenges ahead like Carbon Emission reduction, Reforms in Judiciary, Progress of the Industrial sector etc†¦ In this scenario an analysis of the towers of strength of India will provide a strong basis for realizing our opportunities and threats in the future. Mass Media has always played a vital role in the functioning of democracy in India and exploring into these avenues will definitely play a major role in solving the problems pondered upon India. Background:On 26th January 1950 when the Constitution proclaimed India as a â€Å"sovereign socialist secular democratic republic†, the word democracy became a part of us. From then on Religion, Caste, Population, Development, International issues, Education, Poverty, Corruption, Economy, Politics†¦anything happening in our nation was linked with Democracy. A vibrant democracy attracts and filters-in the most competent ones in our country to govern and eliminates the not- so -competent. Truly, democracy in India is wider than the beautiful description of Abraham Lincoln-It is lot more than a form of government of the people, for the people and by the people.The role of democracy in India is to fulfill the dream of every true patriot in India i. e. to live in a â€Å"Great India†, a strong and prosperous one. On the other hand portraying the life of Indian people the media won the hearts of millions in India. Enjoying complete freedom the media took up the responsibility to make people aware of everything going around them whether it is good or bad. It is not amusing that the only thing in India which is trusted by everyone is Media. Even Mass Media has travelled a long way from the late 1700’s and far beyond the era of Radio Broadcasting.Mass Media in India had to resist immense pressure from t he government to be what it is today. The press had to face oppression during the freedom struggle as it was being successful in carrying out its duty to create a feeling of nationalism among the people during that time. Today in terms of Media, India is the second largest market in the world for newspapers, 18th largest country in broadband Internet users and 8th in the list of countries by number of television broadcast stations.All of this achieved when Media has been free and independent with only few regulatory bodies at the realm. THE ROLE OF MASS MEDIA IN INDIAN DEMOCRACY: Every man needs food, clothing, healthcare and shelter for his physical survival. Similarly communication is regarded as an indispensible factor for the social welfare of people. In this 21st century every individual is keen to be updated with the latest developments in all walks of life. It is here where the mass media comes into the picture which aims to reach out to a very large audience.It carries out i ts functions through advertising, marketing, propaganda, public relations and political communication. Mass media is now considered as an effective tool for advocating business and social concerns. But what role does media and information play in a democratic society need to be examined as there is still a dispute regarding the significance and magnitude of mass media in Indian society. Every citizen is entitled to have free access to the knowledge and information they require.The democratic political system depends on the efficient, accurate, and complete transmission of social, political, and cultural information in society People should be able to discuss matters of public interest with their equals in order to influence the actions taken in our nation. This ensures genuine participation of individuals in matters of public interest which is in fact the essence of democracy. Thus mass media forms an integral part of democracy as it contributes to those factors that are intrinsic t o genuine democracy.Democracy believes in the empowerment of individual and media facilitates it through communication and ensures freedom of expression and freedom of conscience. Democracy and mass media are the two essential components of Indian life. It has accomplished the task of transforming the lives of the people. But to what extent has Indian lives progressed and what advancement has the nation achieved is a matter of concern. Like every coin which has two sides the effects of mass media in Indian democracy has brought in serious advantages as well as disadvantages.We need to understand the role and functions of media in our nation and the significance of media in democracy. There is a need to analyze mass media and democracy in relation with each other to comprehend the impact of these core aspects. AN OPTIMISTIC APPROACH: A democratic society permits freedom of speech and expression. We Indians have the freedom to think, freedom to write, freedom to discuss with others, f reedom to explain, freedom to criticize and freedom to dissent. Democracy demands the fulfillment of every citizen’s right to expression.Media facilitates the process of empowerment of individual by providing an arena for public debate and by reconstituting private citizens as a public body in the form of public opinion. Nowadays, media provides a platform for every individual to exercise his right of being heard. Innovative talk shows and public discussions organized by the media is now playing a major role in the enforcement of the right of freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19(a) of the constitution. Media in India has tried every possible means to satisfy the democratic ideals.For example, during elections voters are educated and informed to the point where they are able to understand the most important political issues. During all these years the Indian mass media has successfully performed the following functions: †¢ Supporting objective news and informative programs so that people can make quick decisions. †¢ Cultivating alternative media, so that multiple voices and opinions will be heard. †¢ Mobilizing popular participation in the transition process. †¢ Multiplying the impact of transition activities by disseminating information on successful local peace and participatory efforts.Let it be any natural calamity or any other disaster we find our reporters there risking their lives to give us information regarding the events taking place in every nook and corner of the world. There are many instances of Media turning out to be real investigators in cases like the murder of Jessica Lal, Priyadarshini Matoo case, Best Bakery scandal etc. If the media didn’t take the initiative to bring out the truth before the public then justice wouldn’t have prevailed. The efforts of the media are always concentrated towards lifting the veil to ensure righteousness in society.It uses effective techniques lik e sting operations, opinion polls etc to portray the reality. Whether it is newspaper, television or internet the objective of every media is to collect, analyze, verify and present information regarding current events, trends, and various other issues of this democratic nation. Democracy believes in protecting the rights of the citizens and limiting the powers of the government. It intends that no one should be discriminated on the basis of their race, religion, ethnic group, or gender. It directs that no one should be arrested, imprisoned or exiled arbitrarily.No one in a democratic society should be denied their freedom without a fair and public hearing by an impartial court. No one may be taxed or prosecuted except by a law established in advance. The idea of democracy lays in the fact that no one is above the law, not even a king or an elected president. Above all the law is fairly, impartially, and consistently enforced, by courts that are independent of the other branches of government. The contribution by mass media for upholding the above principles of democracy in our society is remarkable.WHEN MONEY RULES OVER MORALS: â€Å"Tell me, why is the media here so negative. Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why? † -Dr. Abdul Kalam This observation made by our former President is very true. It is a very sad fact that every morning we have to begin our day with negative news.Indian mass media often has a tendency to exhibit gossip, scandal and violence. The aim of mass media is to sensationalize every piece of information rather than sensitizing them. The Media is usually focused on the lives of celebrities and reality shows instead of concentrating on events of national importance. The lack of media literacy among the pubic also makes matters worse. With the increase in the number of competitors in mass media nowadays we find that a wide range of topics are being discussed among the public.The common man and the celebrities express their opinion, but usually there is no measure taken after that. The issues discussed become stale and after a week a new storyline creeps in bringing in hope and opening up a new avenue. Gone are those days when preferences were given to the selection of news. Media does not believe in newsworthiness anymore. There is a wide opinion among people that media is no more interested in creating citizenship. At times media fails in its duty to provide public sphere for dialogue and interaction among the citizens.Political parties started their own channels to highlight their achievements and political news was more about personalities than about their ideologies. In the absence of serious debate, voters are left with paid political propaganda containing only meaningless slogans making them disinterested and cynical about politics and losing faith in demo cracy. Forgetting its responsibility to educate the masses media is busy transforming citizens into spectators by offering them pure entertainment. What happened in most of the cases is that Global Competition and profit motive made media forget about democracy.The interests of the advertisers did not coincide with readers, listeners and viewers. Advertisements occupied the pages in newspapers. Media was concentrated on promoting an event or a latest movie which is yet to be released so as to increase its box-office collection. If media was left with the option of choosing between either its functions or its survival it would have chosen the latter. Democratic values and principles were to be buried if advertisement rules media Money ruled over morals and media was no more interested in veracity. CONCLUSION:After analyzing the role of media in our democratic society we have come to the conclusion that all these years since its establishment the mass media has worked for the progress and development of our country. All its activities were concentrated to see a fully fledged democratic Indian society. But observations also prove the fact that mass media nowadays prefer to sensationalize news. Media is losing interest in promoting democratic values and principles. Mass media corporations are now concerned about improving the financial position of their organizations.If this continues India can never fulfill its dream to be a developed nation by 2020. So the question arises: What next? Well first we need to realize the fact that the problem is neither with the media nor the democratic principles. Media gives us entertainment because we demand it. Media cannot be blamed alone for its depicting people’s preferences. So first the attitude of the public should be changed. We should not be bothered about timely pleasure instead our focus should be on long term projects which would take our country to new heights. If you are given the opportunity to express what you want from the media†¦ ust think for a while and then decide what you really want. If the media also tries to sensitize news and takes initiative to accomplish its social responsibilities then no one can stop our country from being a strong powerful democratic nation. I nformation on the latest happenings reaches people in just a matter of minutes. The vision of media reaches even the remotest corners of the country and makes sure that everyone is aware of what is going on in the country. The easy and swift availability of any given information makes media one of the most reliable sources for forming public opinion.It bridges the gap between the leaders and the masses by becoming their channel of communication. It brings into open the innumerable achievements that are going on in the country. Media gives ordinary people the power to reach out to the society as a whole. It can make heroes out of ordinary men. The media acts as a deterrent on corrupt practices and keeps a chec k on the working of the government. Media has significantly promoted social causes like literacy, health management, anti-dowry practices, discouraging female feticide, AIDS awareness, etc.Media can adversely affect the thinking capability of individuals and instill negative or destructive thinking patterns in the society as a whole. As already said before, media has the power to form and alter opinions. This means media can portray an ordinary thing so negatively that it may force people to think or act in quite the opposite way. Media glorifies violence and contains graphic descriptions or images. When viewed by the vulnerable portion of the society, i. e. , the children, it can have grave effects on their upcoming and thinking patterns.The media can sometimes go out of the way in advertising or glorifying certain issues. Usually, a bad or detrimental message is packaged in a glorious way and is made accessible to the public. Movies that depict filthy rich thieves who don’t bat an eyelid before killing someone or extorting someone and the getting away with it, sure give entertainment to people. At the same time, it encourages them to act in a way that promises adventure and thrill in life. This way, media glorifies the bad aspects of people and encourages them to act in forbidden ways.One particular article which examined the portrayal of women in Indian television states, â€Å"Although many of the programs continued to relegate women to the role of either the glamorous host or the traditional housewife, there were many examples of non-traditional roles for women. † Whereas traditional roles are still portrayed, and certain qualities are equated with feminism, the diversity in female roles can be viewed as an indication that women now have choices to fit into those roles that appeal to them. Through television, a range of options are presented, therefore reflecting the potential flexibility of women’s lives.The concern that arises in th is case is the harsh reality of Indian culture that is caught between two contradictory gender role portrayals which may either promote female independence, or discourage it altogether. It is therefore important to consider those women who desire liberation, and are held back because they don’t coincide with traditional norms and expectations. In recent years, viewers of Indian film and television have witnessed a shift from portrayals of females as innocent and subordinate in nature, into independent sexual beings.While India’s strong traditional heritage has always been significantly characterized by the traditional roles of women as homemakers and mothers, the portrayal of women on television has challenged this ideal, and therefore cultivated a new perception of womanhood for the Indian woman. â€Å"In the 1990s, the Indian ideal of female beauty changed to become more aligned with the Western concept of ‘thin is beautiful’. This change can be unhealt hy because the average female Indian body type generally includes large hips. It is therefore evident that the increasing popularity of Western norms through television can be equated with the changing attitudes of Indian females and their bodies. The concern here is obviously the potential damage these ideals may inflict upon the health and self esteem of women exposed to such figures. The very concept of woman has been revolutionized by the integration of Western ideals and practices that are seeping into Indian-produced television. Conflicts are therefore surfacing which pertain to the issues of female identity.Similarly, with the recent uproar of music-based television, Indian youth culture is flourishing into an ‘Indianized’ group which depends on Western ideals to propel their tastes. This consequently, is creating drifts within the nuclear family structure, and producing a generation gap. The urban middle class, as well as rural villagers are also affected in tha t they now utilize commodities as a signifier of rank, and these commodities are determined by conglomerate advertising through mainstream India television. Socially, one of the greatest problems plaguing India today is the consequences of Indianization.Indian’s have eroticized the culture of India to such a degree where they do not realize that they are constantly consuming high priced merchandise at the expense of their own enriched diverse culture. The Indian economy is so motivated by the capital gain from multinationals that they often try to counterbalance the impact of the western images by enforcing radical Nationalistic themes. The growing popularity of television in all parts of India is therefore making way for a homogenized Indian culture whose cultural identity is becoming ever so fragil