Factors other than technology that influenced military innovation Essay

Factors other than technology that influenced military innovation during the Interwar Period - Essay Example Europe was immensely affected by the devastation of the First World War while North America affected by the great depression in 1929. The worldwide depression contributed to the growth of Nazism in Germany which resulted in World War 2. The military technology of the interwar period provided ample promise for innovation, but did not determine the state of change. In many cases state of the art technology would not support operational concepts developed by military visionaries. (Williamson Murray, Allan R Millet, p.342) Civilian timidity, insufficient intelligence, and lack of political guidance contributed immensely to the lack of military innovation during the interwar period. Civilian participation is important in political and technological processes. In Britain military professionalism countered civilian curiosity; the committee system diffused arguments and sharpened pessimism rather than encouraged debate on defence options. (Williamson Murray, Allan R Millet, p.361) The general public during this period was not aware of the importance of military innovation. They had many other things to discuss like the depression, and they never took military innovation as a serious thing. They were already witnessed the drastic results of a world war and they thought the military innovations may result in another world war. The civilians concluded that the military operations are for destructive purposes only and they failed to recognize the need of defence and such attitudes of the civilians retarded the military innovation process. In the United States, civilian-military political collaboration arose in the institutionalized conflict between the Presidency and Congress over domination of military policy. (Williamson Murray, Allan R Millet, p.362) The political leaders also kept different views on the need of military innovation. Because of these conflicts among the parliamentary members, the most of the military innovation processes failed to get the

Investigatin a ski jump Essay Example for Free

Investigatin a ski jump Essay Aim:To investigate how the starting position of a ski jumper affects the horizontal distance travelled in the jump. I will not take air resistance, friction and other various type of energy lost into account, however in practical I have to keep in mind that they do exist and cause variation in my results. Introduction Ski jumping is a sport event that involves a steep ramp and a landing zone, where the skier has to travel as far as possible after leaving the ramp horizontally. When the skier is in motion in the air and the range it reaches is what I am investigating. This motion is called the projectile motion and the displacement, velocity and acceleration of the projectile are all vector quantities. Each of these can be placed into vertical and horizontal components. In my experiment, I will create a similar model of the ski jump using a plastic curtain rail as the slope and model the skier as a particle, in this case, a ball bearing. Diagram This is a diagram of the basic equipment setup This investigation has much room for expansion on the original above setup. The accuracy can be improved using a combination of more sensitive measuring equipment and a more accurate measuring setup. B 1. The friction between the ball and the curtain rail, along with the air resistance are neglible, therefore, will not be accounted for in this experiment. 2. The ball bearing is taken as a point, as the motion of a rolling ball differs from anything else. 3. Gravity does not affect the horizontal velocity Prediction/Hypothesis I have based my prediction on the calculated formula R=V(4hH). Ball Bearing Object that models skier as a particle Meter Ruler Will be used to measure the range (x) travelled by the ball and the height (h) of the starting position. Measurements recorded in metres. Set square To make sure the height obtained is perpendicular to the table G-Clamp This will clamp the curtain rail to the table Table Where the slope will be placed on and clamped to Sand Tray This will be placed on the floor in the spot where the ball will land, leaving its mark. Method Variables Controlled Variables Constants Launching position Height of table. Acceleration due to gravity Time of flight Mass of ball Velocity 1. Test all equipment to make sure there are no problems and also test the sensitivity of the sand tray. 2. Set up appartus as show in diagram. 3. Check all apparatus are set up correctly and clamps are tightened securely 4. Using the meter ruler mark the 1st height at which the ball will be dropped from. In my case, I am recording 8 different heights ranged 0. 20m 0. 55m. Each within a 0. 05m interval. 5. Using the set square against the height, the exact position of the ball is determined. 6. The ball is manually held in place at the desired height and released, allowing the ball to roll down the ramp and off the edge of the table, landing on the sand. 7. The distance from the edge of the table to the mark made in the sand is measured and then recoded. 8. This is process is then repeated untill all results have been collected. Safety Precautions There are few minor risks in doing this experiment, which with careful setting up and appropriate behaviour, can be avoided. These are: When bending down to record measurements of the range, it is possible to bas your head coming up. Simply be aware of your surroundings. Having a sand pit on the floor can prove to be an obstruction to passers-by and can be a hazard of tripping over. I will make sure there are no obstructions by the landing zone when in practise. The ball bearing is heavy enough to cause injury to anyone if hit by it. Keeping distance should prevent this. Data interpretation Alongside doing the experiment I will plot a graph. This will allow for any correlations to be spotted early on and then further predictions to be made. It will also allow the investigattion of anomalies. Therefore drawing a graph alongside the experiment allows for greater scientific accuracy and better end results. Sensitivity The sensitivity of this experiment is concerned with by the accuracy of the equipment available. For example, a much more accurate measuring device can be used to distinguish to an accuracy of i 0. 1mm, but the ruler markings are only accurate themselves to i 1mm. Therefore, this creates a small error and show that to get the best out of the results, the most accurate equipment should be used in all situations. Accuracy. The accuracy of this experiment can be improved in a number of ways: When reading the ruler the eye must be at the same level as the object, otherwise an incorrect value will be seen. The range measuring ruler must measure from the point the ball leaves the ramp, which in this case is the edge of the table. This means that it must be accurately aligned under the table, this can be achieved using a plumb line. It is facing directly downwards, allowing the ruler to be placed directly under the point at which the ball leaves the ramp. There may be a small error in the position of the plumbline of about i 2mm. The sand in which the ball drops into may be uneven and the mark made when the ball strikes the sand may prove to be difficult to measure precisely. A travelling microscope could be used to measure the precise impact with the sand. But considering the level of accuracy used throughout the rest of the experiment, this would be an inefficient method. Results Height h/cm Height Distance x/cm Distance xi /cmi xmean H/m /cm2 1st 2nd 3rd Mean 1st 2nd 3rd Mean 1st 2nd 3rd. There were no anomalous results recorded in this experiment Error in distance x To calculate the positive error in x, the Xmean value is taken away from the Xmax value. To calculate the negative error in x, the Xmiin value is taken away from the Xmean value. Distance xi /cmi xmean xmax xmin Positive Error Negative Error Analysis From looking at the graphs, a positive correlation between the squared value of the range and the height the ball is dropped from can be seen, although points vary from the line of best fit. The results prove that the equation is correct and that the range of a ball does depend mostly on the height it is dropped from and the height the ball leaves the ramp. The formula (Ri =4Hh) states that an increase in the drop height, h, increases the range of the ball. The results have proved this and my prediction to be correct. However, the percentage at which the graphs agree to this equation is: H = 92cm 4H = 368cm (expected) Gradient of distancei graph = 192. 3 (experimental) Expected gradient = 368 192. 3 x 100% = 52. 3% agreement. 368 Conclusion In conclusion the experiment occurs the following way: The ball is released with high gravitational potential energy as it rolls down the slope, this energy is converted into kinetic energy, the higher the drop height, the longer the ball is travelling down the slope, so more energy can be transferred giving more kinetic energy and hence more speed when the ball leaves the ramp. From the results it is also seen that there are other factors that affect the range as the gradient was smaller than expected. The equation is correct, but the only part that could affect the results in this way was the assumption that all energy was transferred. The transfer is likely to be less efficient than assumed, 100% energy transfer from potential energy to kinetic energy is extremely unlikely. The energy can be lost in a variety of ways which are the limitations. Limitations Air resistance is an important limiting factor as it would have the most affect on the results. This was not counted for when doing the experiment and therefore has some affect on the results. As the ball moves through the air, the air itself is putting up a resistance against the ball, lowering its speed, and its distance travelled. Air resistance is dependant on the size of the object, as the larger the object the more air it has to push to the side. It also depends upon the speed at which the object is travelling, as an object travelling at faster speeds has to push aside more air in the same time. This effect can be used to explain the slight curvature at the top of the graph. This is because the ball is travelling at higher speeds (because it is being dropped from greater heights), with more air resistance acting upon it due to the higher speeds, causing it to cover less distance. Evaluation The trend of the graph 2 is a very clear with a positve correlation. There can be three different ranges of the line of best fit but I have only drawn the most obvious one. The 1st line of best fit can be drawn from the origin through the top ends of the error bars, whereas the 2nd can be drawn through the bottom ends of the error bars. However, due to the error bars being so small, it will be very difficult to show these 3 lines together. The accuracy and sensitivity of the apparatus leaves a minor error in the results giving a range of different values for that particular result. Ie. At a height of 5cm, the mean result was 31. 33cm. However this can actually be smaller or bigger than this value considering the errors in apparatus. The position of the plumbline to mark the the edge of the table will have an estimated i 2mm, having to join 2 meter rulers together will have an estimated i 1mm and judging the landing position of the ball will also have a i2mm effect on the results. In total the range of values for the results will be i 5mm. Therefor the range of values for 31. 33cm would be 30. 83cm 31. 83cm. Percentage error I will take the maximum result of the range and calculate the percentage error based on the uncertainty values. % error of range, x, 93. 33cm i 0. 5cm 0. 5cm i 93. 33cm x 100% = 0. 53% The values are vastly small and so are not worth considering. Improvements If this investigation were to be repeated, there are a few things I would like to change. Firstly, I would ensure to take more care that the above factors were fully compramised and minimised. Furthermore, I would take a much larger range of results to provide a more reliable end result, taking fairness of the experiment into account much more seriously. Finally, I would use a much more accurate range of apparatus to get the most accuracy in my results. For example, a specialised light gate can be set up at the end of the ramp to dictate the exact speed at which the ball leaves the ramp. This could then be considered with the mass to calculate the kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy and hence the total energy loss. Bibliography Salters Horners Advanced Physics Various web pages for research.

Person Centred Approach for Depression

Person Centred Approach for Depression SOCIAL THEORIES FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE A REFLECTIVE REPORT ON GROUP POSTER The main purpose of the report is to demonstrate an understanding social work theory for practice person-centred approach in relation to adults with depression; the target audience is social work students. According to Teater (2010:1) theory â€Å"helps to predict, explain and assess situations and behaviours, and provide a rationale for how the social worker should react and intervene.† Therefore social work theory for practice is defined â€Å"as a set of ideas used to guide practice and which are sufficiently coherent that they could if necessary, be made explicit in form which is open them to challenge.† Payne (1997:150) held the view that for a social work theory to be successful in achieving its result it required three elements, perspective, an explaining theory and a model. Teater (2010:4) emphasised that social workers may combine learning theory with social learning theory to work with a service user, as theory informs practice. Payne (2002:270) stated that â €Å"a theory cannot be evaluated only in relation to its ideas and effectiveness, because the ideas have a historical and social context and effectiveness is judged according to particular institutional requirements.† When my group met each group member gave suggestions of what theory they thought would be a good idea we decided to create a poster on Person-centred approach. The title of the poster was â€Å"A person-centred approach in relation to adults with depression: a guide for social work students. The purpose of developing this poster was to inform and educate social work students about Person-centred approach in a relation to adults dealing with depression. To have an understanding of my role and contribution to the group it is essential to review the process of how the team formed. The group formed not as a result of choice but as a result of random selection but with consideration of where we lived as this would make it easier to come together. The formation of the group made me realise that I did not have a choice in deciding who I would work with but despite that I was happy with my group and we worked well to complete the task at hand. The group was small and consisted of 4 people 3 females and 1 male and with different experience and educational background. A group can be defined in a many different ways which relate to function, membership for instance why people join and whether membership is voluntary and its goals and eventual purpose. Cartwright and Zander (1968) describes the group â€Å"as an aggregate of individuals standing in relations to each other, the relations exemplified will depend on or determine the kind of group, whether it is a family, an audience, a committee, union, or crowd†. Hogg et al (2005) defined a team as â€Å"a group of people organised to work interdependently or cooperatively to complete a specific or accomplish a purpose or goal†. On reflection it is essential to note that my group was a task centred one because it was purely set up in order to complete the task at hand. Basically the group had collectivism this relates to â€Å"a world view based on the idea that the group needs and goals are more important than any individual†. We worked to complete the task and went through Bruce Tuckman groups develop through five basic stages: Forming – apprehension, Storming – conflict, Norming – status and role attainment, performing – goal striving and accomplishment, Adjourning – disbanding or re-organizing (Thompson 2010: 92). No one had been nominated as leader but there were two definite leaders who took on the role of deciding what task each of us should do. This occurred as a result of the two feeling that they were going to take on more, we let them take the lead due to their willingness to undertake the greater part of the task. Despite this I managed to take charge when it came to the title and how information was displayed. Due to the lack of clear leadership this meant that we did not always meet up and there was no time to rehearse before presenting to the class. Each team member was given a task to complete but due to lack of clear roles and responsibilities and we got on to complete the task at hand. According to Thompson (2009:160) â€Å"good practice is based on partnership, team work and good communication amongst all members†. It was essential to create positive group dynamics as this would aid the relationship between the team members, as such the relationship had to be constructive as well as productive (Lafasto Larson 2001). Belbin (1996:64) stated â€Å"that an approach to human relationships in work groups, in which each individual has a defined role†. In this case there were two people that were the leaders and they were dominant in making decisions without consulting the rest of the team. In relation to team roles I took on the role of resource investigator Belbin (1981: 84) describes this as a person that is very optimistic. I endeavoured to relay my opinion in order to contribute and make corrections as expected by the group but to my work was disregarded in my absence. There are a number of issues that can affect a good group dynamic and for our team it was poor communication, different information would be passed on yet after meeting the other teams had done something differently. This factor I believe affected my performance and others as well. For instance we emailed each other what our ideas but the two leaders were negative towards my suggestions and the responded in a way that demonst rated decisions had been made already. Furthermore not all members received updates due to not being linked in so there was missed information, at the time of presenting suggestions on how it should be done were ignored this was annoying and evoked some strong emotions. Unfortunately it was late to resolve this issue I felt strongly that decisions were made without critical analysis and this was a direct result of lack of leadership. When we started to develop the poster we recognised that we had limited time, space and therefore we decided to develop a poster that was precise, concise and easy for the social work students and service users to understand. The purpose was to inform and provide an understanding of about the social theory for practice and also how well it works with service users. It was also essential for the design and colour scheme of the poster to be practical. According Fook et al (2007:54) states that â€Å"depending on visual workshops students or people are more likely to remember colourful presentations and are drawn to them†. The poster was good it described the social work theory for practice and was clear and precise on the subject matter, but despite this I felt that the poster should have been more about the social work theory for practice than the subject depression. The arrangement of information was sufficient considering the information that had to be gathered but it would have been better to have less information on the poster. The poster illustrated clearly that the service user was the expert of their own recovery and this in turn empowered them in making good choices, this evidently highlights the advantages and disadvantages of the person-centred therapy. Trevithick (2012: 91) emphasised that social workers should work with service users holistically in order to get a better understanding of their life. Service users and carers express that the most essential quality they would appreciate from social workers is understanding and patience. This I believe was as a result of the fact that social work theories and service policies vary in their assumptions on the nature of service users, their problems, society and role of social workers. Whittington et al (1995:27) states that â€Å"when a social worker makes sense of a problem or issue he or she also makes certain assumptions†. This is subjectivist philosophy and works with free will. It deals with insider’s view, self determining ways and human nature for instance dealing with the relationship that the client has with the social world around them (Stepney et al 2000). The poster did not illustrate the advantages of the usage on the therapist this was due to limited space and only focusing on the service user. For instance a therapist may not feel weighed down while working with a service user who is aware and more positive this will empower the therapist as well as the service user. Rowe and Llic (2009) stated that â€Å"posters are brilliant way of tran sferring knowledge and suitable form of educational publication†. He further emphasised that people are more likely to be drawn to visual elements of a poster than the subject or content and it was essential for the author to include their name in order to effectively convey the educational subject matter. As a student social worker I have to critically analyse and appraise the social work theories there are six critical criteria’s namely; Subjectivist- objectivist = philosophical position, Theories of society= provides an explanation, Research and research evidence= provides evidence and credibility to theories, Ethics and theories of social justice =provides understanding against the BASW codes of ethics and values, Service user and carers perspective=an insider perspective and Model of practice= theories are in context. There are six theories in social work practice namely psychodynamic theory, Social learning theory, Theory of moral reasoning, systems theory, conflict theory and theories of cognition. The person-Centred approach was adopted work of the psychologist Dr Carl Rogers (1902-1987),the approach was psychotherapy and counselling. He believed that â€Å"the basic nature of the human being, when functioning freely, is constructive and trustworthy†(Rogers 1961:94). The Person-centred approach (PCA) â€Å"is an emotional and psychological approach to the person a ‘way of being’, from which perception of self, reality and behaviour may be reorganized. Its underlying principles are â€Å"the primacy of the actualizing tendency, the assertion of the necessity and sufficiency of the therapeutic conditions and the realization on the part of the therapist – of a non-directive attitude† (Rogers 1947). According to Thorne (1991:36) â€Å"one of the limitations of person-centred approach resides not in the approach itself, but in the limitations of particular therapists and their ability or lack of it to offer their service users the required environment for transformation and development†. Thorne on the other hand unreservedly accepted that in his own experience, there are particular kinds of service users who are unlikely to be much helped by the approach. Furthermore Christopher (1996:22) concurred that â€Å"there are sincere attempts to understand our own motivations, theories, service users are best achieved through considered and critical dialogue and reflection.† Nevertheless person-centered approach is very relevant in social work practice and this approach as â€Å"a psychosocial approach takes into account that people have both inner worlds and outer realities but the way we perceive the world sometimes differs from the way others see it† (Coulshed Orme, 2012:108). Trevithick (2012:124) stated that â€Å"person-centred approach was a well researched psychological approach that is based psychoanalysis-Freud (1856-1939), behaviourism based on theories of Pavlov (1927), Watson(1970),Skinner (1974)etc and humanistic psychology Carl Rogers(1902-1987) and Maslow (1973).† An internet search on PsycINFO revealed 612 educational journals on person-centred therapy of these 411where peer reviewed journals the data was gathered from a range of groups, ages and genders. The bulk of the studies demonstrated that person-centred approach is essentially effective in getting results with service users to transform their lives. There is research evidence on the use of person-centred approach or therapy in mental health settings with adults, children and older people. It is essential to note that despite the fact that it has been used in cognitive behaviour therapy has also shown that it is a successful implement. There are a number of other approaches for instance pharmacological, psychodynamic and psychoanalytical evidence has shown that as a course of action it is short term but it is better to have intervention than non at all. The observed research, analysis as well as other types of research are vital in appraising the social work theory for practice. Orme e t al (2010:159) stated that â€Å"when one finds research or peer reviewed journals there are questions to be asked for instance who owns the research and what their objective is†. In conclusion the making of the poster was a new experience for me but helped provide clarity on group dynamics, theory of practice related to the poster and social work practice.â€Å"The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work.†(BASW 2012) APPENDIX 1 REFERENCES BASW 2012 Code of ethics Belbin, R, M. (1993) Team Roles at Work, Oxford; Heinemann Christopher, J.C. (1996) Counselors’ inescapable Moral visions Journal of Counseling and Development, 75, 17-24. Coulshed, V and Orme, J. (2006) Social work Practice, 4th Edition, and Palgrave Macmillan. Fook J and Gardner F (2007) Practising critical Reflection, A Resource Handbook, Open University Press. Healy, K. (2012) Social work methods and skills, the essential foundations of practice Palgrave Macmillan. Hogg, Micheal A, Vaughan, Graham, M. (2005) Social Psychology 4th Edition Pearson, Prentice Hall. Howe, D. (2009) A brief introduction to social work Theory.Basingstoke; Palgrave Macmillan. Orme J and Shemmings D (2010) Developing research based social work practice, Palgrave Macmillan. Payne, M. (1997) Modern social Work Theory, 2nd Edition, Basingstoke Macmillan Payne, M. (2005) Modern social Work Theory, 3rd Edition, Basingstoke Macmillan Rogers, C. R and Russell, D.E (2002) Carl Rogers: The Quiet Revolutionary – An Oral History. Roseville, CA: Penmarin Books Stepney P and Ford D (2000) Social Work Models, Methods and Theories, A framework for practice, Russell House Publishing. Stogdon C and Kiteley R (2010) Study skills for social workers, SAGE publications. Thompson N (2009) Understanding Social Work, 3rd edition, Palgrave Macmillan. Trevithick P (2012) Social Work Skills and Knowledge, a practice handbook, 3rd edition, Open University Press. Wilson K, Ruch G, Lymbery, M and Cooper A (2008) Social Work, An introduction to contemporary Practice, Ashford Colour Press Ltd.

SURREALISM AND T.S. ELIOT :: essays research papers

Surrealism is a dangerous word to use about the poet, playwright and critic T.S. Eliot, and certainly with his first major work, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ". Eliot wrote the poem, after all, years before Andre Breton and his compatriots began defining and practicing "surrealism" proper. Andre Breton published his first "Manifesto of Surrealism" in 1924, seven years after Eliot's publication of "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock". It was this manifesto which defined the movement in philosophical and psychological terms. Moreover, Eliot would later show indifference, incomprehension and at times hostility toward surrealism and its precursor Dada. Eliot's favourites among his French contemporaries weren't surrealists, but were rather the figures of St. John Perse and Paul Verlaine, among others. This does not mean Eliot had nothing in common with surrealist poetry, but the facts that both Eliot and the Surrealists owed much to Charles Baudelaire's can perhaps best explain any similarity "strangely evocative explorations of the symbolic suggestions of objects and images." Its unusual, sometimes startling juxtapositions often characterize surrealism, by which it tries to transcend logic and habitual thinking, to reveal deeper levels of meaning and of unconscious associations. Although scholars might not classify Eliot as a Surrealist, the surreal landscape, defined as "an attempt to express the workings of the subconscious mind by images without order, as in a dream " is exemplified in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." "Prufrock presents a symbolic landscape where the meaning emerges from the mutual interaction of the images, and that meaning is enlarged by echoes, often heroic," of other writers. The juxtapositions mentioned earlier are evident even at the poem's opening, which begins on a rather sombre note, with a nightmarish passage from Dante's Inferno. The main character, Guido de Montefeltro, confesses his sins to Dante, assuming that "none has ever returned alive from this depth"; this "depth" being Hell. As the reader has never experienced death and the passage through the Underworld, he must rely on his own imagination (and/or subconscious) to place a proper reference onto this cryptic opening. Images of a landscape of fire and brimstone come to mind as do images of the two characters sharing a surprisingly casual conversation amid the chaos and the flame. The nightmarish theme continues as the reader explores the wet, cold and hostile streets of the city, a city which seems to many readers to be on the verge of reality, without ever crossing the line.

Media events as holidays of mass communication

The authors introduced media events as â€Å"the holidays of mass communication.† They introduced the topic to the readers by citing recent examples of what can be treated as media events. From a general overview of the nature of such events, the authors then move towards providing the readers with a view of what can be liked to media events. As such, they described media events as â€Å"television ceremonies† or â€Å"festive televisions†, thereby pointing out that media events resemble the main characteristics of being festive, being akin to a celebration, and much more like that of a very big event for the mass media. After providing the readers an overview of the description of media events through finding events that have features akin to such, the authors then set the grounds for the detailed description and analysis on the nature of media events. Such was done through the establishment of the nature of television genres. So as to provide the readers a clear delineation of the uniqueness of television from the other media tools, the authors introduced the concept of television genres. The authors pointed out that in the same way that films and print publications are classified, television shows also have their own genres. However, the ways by which the genres of the movies and print publications are classified, differ from the pattern that television genre classification follows. Television genres are not classified according to those features used in film genre classifications such as themes, plots, cinematography, setting, characterizations, and other elements present in the film.   However, as stated by Newcomb, the first person to attempt to classify television genre, â€Å"television as a medium imposes an element of familism on each of the genres which it has inherited from the other media of popular culture.† Despite such characteristic however, the classification process for television genres does not also follow the genre categorization followed by print publications such as the text, the angle of the story, and so on. As such, among the mentioned classifications of the television genre which the authors mentioned are the news and the soap operas. In the later part of their article however, the authors discuss the nature of media events in relation with its similarities and difference from news and the soap opera. The first difference of media event from other television, as cited by the authors was the fact that media events are not routine. They are not akin to the broadcast news shows where a specific pattern is followed as to when the television anchors will appear and report and which segments will come after another. In the case of media events, they comprise a wide range of events- it may be a wedding of a Royal prince, an impeachment trial of the President, the death of a prominent star, or any significant event that may demand utmost attention and interest from the public. Also, media events are delivered as spontaneous events were anything can happen. The authors also cited that media events demand and receive focused attention. They described media events as akin to an ultimate â€Å"life shocker or stopper†, where the media men will somehow dedicate their time and effort to a single event while the rest of the news- whatever relevant event that can be considered as such- will be taken as a secondary priority. As such, media events are also described as something which will then demand the attention of the public as well. Also, the authors pointed out that media events interrupt the routine and they intervene with the normal flow of broadcasting. They cited examples where the normal line of shows was altered so as to give way to the broadcasting of media events. Such act then emphasizes the importance of the media events over the other television genres. This characteristic of media events is then overemphasized when in some cases; regular broadcasting is ultimately suspended so as to cater to the media events. Another important feature of media events that the authors pointed out was the fact that such are delivered in a monopolistic manner most of the time. As such, one can be able to determine that something is a media event when its broadcasting invades all the television channels. Media events are also unique because, as the authors stated, they happen live and the events are transmitted as they occur. This presents a major difference from news and other television shows such as soap operas where the show is recorded. The authors also point out that media events call for outside reporting. By this, we mean that mass communication is delivered from a different venue- depended of the media event itself. As such it is delivered not from the usual studies where mass communication is much controlled and monitored. However, it contrast of its being unique, the authors also site a feature which makes it similar to the other genres- the fact that media events are often pre-planned. This means that the events are announced and advertised before it actually happens. Overall however, the authors note that the main differences of the media events are the fact that they are presented with reverence and ceremony. In this case, we can see that the authors failed to mention the relevance of such unique characteristics- what does these attributes mean, and what are its impact to the viewers and to the whole mass media industry as well. However, the authors made important notes to ponder as they stated why such television genre should attain academic attention. Among the many reasons they have stated are as follows: a. Media events attract large audiences. Since the media events are delivered in a way that is highly interest catching, the viewers cannot resist but be attached to such. However, there are some points when the fact that it has large audiences makes the event qualify as a media event. Regardless of this chicken-egg scenario however, media events should be studied because it provides impending effects on a large group of public viewers. b. Media events make us realize the potential of electronic media technology. As stated earlier, media events are delivered outside the studio, they are also not routine and as such, they serve as a challenge not only for the media personnel but for the mass media technology as well. Such moments test the efficiency and the limits of such. c. Media events make us realize that the media has the power to form its own social network. The ability to form a unique social network is seen as more and more people are inclined to be part of the media event. This social network does not only involve the mass media personnel and the actual attendees of the event, rather it involves all of those who get hooked to their televisions just to watch the media event. d. Media events interrupt our life patterns. By life patterns, we mean not only that of the usual television shows, but the routines in the lives of the viewers. Instead of going to social parties or watching movies, or playing golf, the viewers who get glued to watch media events does otherwise from their planned day to day activities. e. Media events show the art of journalism and television broadcasting. Such events give everyone the glimpse of journalism and broadcasting not just at work, but as challenged. These events how the mechanics of true journalism and demand the most of it as well. f. Media events give the people a view of the past and the future. By this, we mean that media events sometimes demand an elaborated check on the past so as to find historical links to the important event. Aside from that however, media events also allow us to assess the development of television, in accordance to its relevance to the life of the television viewing society. Overall, the authors introduced the nature of media events by linking it with other events that we are more familiar with. After the overview, a through description of media events is delivered as its similarities and differences to other television genres are explored. Towards the end, the authors then establish the importance of media events and the need to study such. References: Dayan, Daniel and Katz, Elihu. Media Events: The Live Broadcasting of History (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1992) Media Event. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. (Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000)

Discuss why food services are the most commonly outsourced function in the business Community

Discuss why food services are the most commonly outsourced function in the business Community Food services are the most commonly outsourced functions in the business community for several reasons. To start with, it is important to appreciate the fact that the preparation of food is a very involving task and if at all businesses are to provide their employees with nutritious and healthy meals, then they need to leave this work to professionals. In addition, once the business community has outsourced the food services function, it can now be able to concentrate on its core business activities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss why food services are the most commonly outsourced function in the business Community specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This helps to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of business functions. Moreover, food service departments in organizations are required to adhere to various federal nutritional guidelines and because of the lack of professionals in the business community, bu sinesses risk failing to comply with these rules. This means that the business community can face prosecution by the federal government for violation of the rules. In order to avoid such problems, outsourcing becomes the most logical thing to do. Describe the advantages of outsourcing food services to a management Contractor When a business community decides to outsource its food services function to a management contractor, there are a number of benefits associated with such a decision. To start with, such a decision will more than likely reduce the operational costs of the business in question. This is because a lot of resources usually go to the process of acquiring, processing, preparing, and serving food. Such process requires money and when the company outsources these functions, it can save on some of these expenses. In addition, food services do not constitute a core process of a business community, unless it is in the hospitality industry. Therefore, the company is likely t o record improve efficiency in its operations because all the resources of the firm are directed towards achieving its core objectives. The business community is also likely to save on the money that would otherwise have been spent in the purchase of new food equipment, as well as in replacing other equipments. In this case, the outsourced company has to assume this new role. This also goes for the salaries and wages of the employees working at the food services department in a business entity. Once a management contractor has been tasked with the responsibility of providing food services functions to a business entity, he has to pay his own workforce. Therefore, the company is able to save on employee salaries. Explain the unique aspects of food service operations that drive these Advantages Unlike the production of other products, foodservice is characterized by certain unique characteristics and these can affect the decisions made regarding production and services. To start with, there are certain peak periods when the demand for food tends to be high (for example during lunch, supper, and breakfast).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In between the demand is somewhat erratic. Also, the demand for food can be affected by competitive events or time of the year and this can result in the modification of food production to suit the demand. We also need to note that food production is by and large, labor intensive, often requiring unskilled and skilled labour. At the same time, the perishable nature of food means that there is need to have professionals handling food during production, while preparing it, and during serving. A change in food production can also affect the menu planning. The aforementioned unique aspects of food service operations are therefore the driving force when a business entity decides to outsource the food services functi on to a management contractor and in the process, it can benefit from the associated advantages.