Emergence of Critical and Cultural Theories Essay Example for Free

Emergence of Critical and Cultural Theories Essay Culture : the learned behavior of members of a given social group. Cultural studies: Focus use of media to create forms of culture that structure everyday life. Political economy theories: Focus on social elites use of economic power to exploit media institutions. 2 There are microscopic interpretive theories that focus on how individuals and social groups use media to create and foster forms of culture that structure everyday life. These theories are referred to as cultural studies theories. There are macroscopic structural theories that focus on how social elites use their economic power to gain ontrol over and 3 Cultural Theory: Theories openly espousing certain values and using these values to evaluate and criticize the status quo providing alternate ways of interpreting the social role of mass media. Those who develop critical theories seek to initiate social change that will implement their values. Political economy theories are inherently critical but some cultural studies 4 Critical theories often provides complex explanations for this tendency of media to consistently do so. E. g: some critical theorists identify constraints on media practitioners that limit their ability to challenge established authority. They charge that few incentives exist to encourage media professionals to overcome these constraints and that media 5 Critical theory often analyzes specific social institutions, probing the extent to which valued objects are sought and achieved. Mass Media and the mass culture have been linked to a variety of social problems, they are criticized for aggravating or preventing problems from being identified or addressed. A common theme in critical theories of media is that content production is so constrained 6 Consider for example, the last time you read news about members of a social ovement that strongly challenged the status quo? Why were the college students who protested against the Communist Chinese government in Tiananmen Square heroes of democracy and those in American anti-war hippies and radicals? Stories about movements imply problems with 7 controntation. Movement leaders demand coverage ot their complaints and they stage demonstrations designed to draw public attention to their concerns. Elites seek to minimize coverage or to exercise spin control so that the coverage favors their position. How do Journalists handle this? How should they handle it? Existing research indicates that this coverage almost always degenerates movements and supports elites. 8 Critical theory: Strengths: 1. Is politically based, actionoriented. 2. Uses theory and research to plan change in the real world. 3. Asks big, important questions about media control and ownership. 9 Weaknesses: 3. When subjected to scientific verification, often employs innovative but controversial research methods. 0 Rise of Cultural Theories in Europe: Despite its long life in American Social Science, the Limited Effects Paradigm never enjoyed great popularity in europe. European social research has instead been characterized by what U. S. Observers regard as grand social theories. Grand Social Theory: Highly ambitious, 1 1 In Europe, the development of grand social theory remained a central concern in the social s ciences and humanities. Mass society theory gave way to a succession of alternate ideas. Some were limited to specific nations and others spread across many countries. Some of the most widely accepted have been based on the writings of Karl Marx. Marxist theory influenced even the theories that were created in reaction against it. Marxist ideas formed a foundation or touch stone for most postworld War II european social theory and research. 12 Cold War politics colored much of the U. S. Response to it. Ironically, in the 1970s and 1980s, at the very time that Marxist failed as a practical guide for politics and economics in Eastern Europe, grand social theories based on Marxist thought were gaining increasing acceptance in Western Europe. 3 MARXIST THEORY: Marxist Theory: Theory arguing that the hierarchical class system is at the root of all social problems and must be ended by a revolution of the proletariat. Karl Marx developed this theory in the latter part of the nineteenth century during one of the most volatile periods of social change in Europe. In some respects, his theory is yet another version ot mass society theory- but witn several ve ry important alterations and additions. 14 He identified industrialization and urbanization as problems but argued that these changes were not inherently bad. Instead, he blamed ruthless robber baron capitalists for exacerbating social problems because they maximized personal profits by exploiting workers. Marx argued that the hierarchical class system was the root of ll social problems and must be ended by a revolution of the workers or proletariat. He believed that elites dominated society primarily through their direct control over the means of production (i. e. , labor, factories, land) which he referred to as the base of society. 15 But elites also maintained themselves in power through their control over culture, or the superstructure of society. He saw culture as something that elites freely manipulated to mislead average people and encourage them to act against their own interest. He used the term ideology to refer to these forms of culture. To him, ideology operated much like a drug. Those who were under its influence fail to see how they are being exploited. In worst cases, they are so deceived, that they actually 16 undermine their own interests and do things that increase the power of elites while making their own lives even worse. Marx concluded that the only hope for social change was a revolution in which the masses seized control of the base the means of production. Control over the superstructure -over ideology would naturally follow. He saw little possibility that reforms in the super structure could ead to social evolution, or if it could, that -that transformation would be very slow in coming. Elites would never willingly surrender POWER. Power must be taken from them. Little purpose would be served by making minor changes in ideology 17 without first dominating the means of production. Neomarxist Theory: Contemporary incarnation of Marxist theory focusing attention on the super structure. The importance that Neomarxists attach to the super structure has created a fundamental division within Marxism. Many neomaxists assume that useful change can begin with peaceful, ideological reform rather than violent revolution in which he working class seizes control of the means of production. 18 Some neomarxists have developed critiques that call for radically transforming the superstructure while others call for modest reforms. Tensions have arisen among scholars who base their work on Marxs ideas over the value of the work being done by 19 the various neomarxist schools. Textual Analysis and Literary Criticism: Modern european cultural studies theories have a second, very different source a tradition of humanist criticism of religious and literary texts that is referred to hermeneutics. Hermeneutics: the interpretation f texts to identify their actual or real meaning. 20 -humanists who worked to identify and preserve what came to be known as the literary canon a body of the great literature. The literary canon was part of what was referred to as high culture, a set of cultural artifacts including music, art, literature, and poetry that humanists Judged to have the highest value. 1 the level of culture to enable even more people to become humane and civilized. Over the years, many different methods for analyzing written texts have emerged from hermeneutics. They share a common purpose: to criticize old and new cultural ractices so that those most deserving of attention can be identified and explained and the less deserving can be dismissed. This task can be compared with that of movie critics who tell us which films are good or bad and assist us in appreciating or avoiding them. The primary difference is that movie critics are typically not committed to promoting higher 22 cultural values; they only want to explain which movies we are likely to find entertaining. THE FRANKFURT SCHOOL One early prominent school of neo-marxist theory developed during the 1930s at the University of Frankfurt and became known as the Frankfurt School. 3 Two of the most prominent individuals associated with the school were Max Horkheimer, its long time head, and Theodor Adorno, a prolific and cogent theorist. Horheimer and Adorno were openly skeptical that high culture could or should be communicated through mass media. Adorno argued that radio broadcasts or records couldnt begin to adequately reproduce the sound of a live symphony orchestra. He ridiculed the reproduction of great art in 24 magazines or the reprinting of great novels in condensed, serialized form. He claimed that mass media reproductions of high culture were inferior and diverted eople from seeking out (and paying for) the real thing if bad substitutes for high culture were readily available, he believed too many people would settle for them and fail to support better forms of culture. The Frankfurt School has been criticized along with other forms of traditional humanism for being too elitist and paternalistic. By rejecting the possibility of using media to disseminate 25 high culture, most ot the population was ettectively denied access to it Many ot the schools criticisms of media paralleled those of mass society theory and had the same limitations. The Frankfurt School eventually had a direct impact on American social research because the rise of the Nazis forced its Jewish members into exile. 26 During the period of exile, however, Frankfurt School Theorists remained prodductive. They devoted considerable effort, for example, to the critical analysis of Nazi culture and the way it undermined and perverted high culture. In their view, Nazism grounded on a phony, artificially constructed folk culture that had been cynically created and manipulated by Hitler and his propagandists. 27 Nazism helped them envision the Germany they longed to see a unified, proud ation with a long history of achievement and a glorious future. As they rose to power, the Nazis replaced high culture with their pseudofolk culture and discredited important forms of high culture, especially those created by Jews. 8 DEVELOPMENT OF NEOMARXIST THEORY IN BRITAIN: Dunng the 1960s and 1970s , two important schools of neomarxist theory emerged in Great Britain. British Cultural studies and political economy theory. British cultural studies combines neomarxist theory with ideas and research methods derived from diverse sources including literary criticism, linguistics, anthropology, and history. This theory has attempted to trace historic elite domination over culture, to criticize the 29 social consequence of this domination and to demonstrate how it continues to be exercised over specific minority groups or subcultures. British cultural studies criticizes and contrasts elite notions of culture, including high culture, with popular, every day forms practiced by minorities. The superiority of all forms of elite culture including high culture is challenged and compared with useful, valuable forms of popular culture. Hermeneutic attention is shifted from the study of elite cultural rtifacts to the study of minority grouped Lived culture. 30 Graham Murdock(1989) traced the rise of British cultural studies during the 1950s and 1960s. Most important theorists came from the lower social classes that were the focus of the movies. The British cultural studies critique of high culture and ideology was an explicit rejection of what its proponents saw as alien forms of culture imposed on minorities. They defended indigenous forms of popular culture as legitimate expressions of minority groups/ A dominant early theorist was Raymond Williams, a literary scholar who achieved 31 Notoriety with his reappraisals of cultural development in England. Williams ideas were viewd with suspicion and skepticism by many of his colleagues at Cambridge University. Toward the end of 1960s and into the 1970s, Williams turned his attention to mass media. He was more broadly concerned with issues of cultural change and development as well as elite domination ot culture. 3 repackaged as popular, mass media content. If there were to be genuine progress, he felt, it would have to come through significant reform of social institutions. The first important school of cultural studies theorists was formed at the University of Birmingham, during the 1960s and was led by Stuart Hall. Hall (1982) was especially influential in directing several analyses of mass media that directly challenge limited effects notions and in introducing innovative alternatives. Building on ideas developed by Jurgen Habermas(1971 , 1989) and Williams, Hall argued that mass media liberal -democracies can be best understood as a pluralistic public forum in which various forces struggle to shape popular notions about social reality. Pluralistic Public Forum: In critical theory, the idea that media provide a place where the power of dominant lite can be challenged. British Cultural Studies: Strengths: 1 . Asserts value of popular culture 2. Empowers Common Man 34 3. Empowers minorities and values their culture. 4. Stresses cultural pluralism and egalitarianism. Weaknesses: 1. Is too political; call to action is to subjective 2. Typically lacks scientific verification; is based on subjective observation. 3. When subjected to scientific verification, often employs innovative but controversial research methods. 35 Unlike traditional Marxists, Hall did not argue that elites can maintain complete control over this forum. In his view, elites dont need that power to advance their interests. The culture expressed in this forum is not a mere superficial reflection of the superstructure but is instead a dynamic creation of opposing groups.

Parents are Teachers. :: essays research papers

Many people think that those who are the best teachers in their life are parents. However, I disagree with that statement. I will give reasons for my point of view. In my opinion, there are many factors that bring us up. First of them are parents, who are the great authority for whole our life. Certainly, this is the parent`s contribution to teach us the rules and main lines of conduct. Thanks to them and the contact, which they try to make between themselves and their child, we know how to be good people. However, there is something that allows us to become aquinted with different situations and the world faster and also more painful. What I mean is life. In my opinion, a person learns the most from their own mistake. The parents give us only the bases for our later development. The life, in turn, teaches us how to behave and react on different situations, which not always are nice and full of positive stress. It helps us to get to known to many situations. During our, sometimes very complicated life we acquire some knowledge, which we are not able to get from books and the Internet. From time to time, it is very hard to accept the situations and troubles, with which we have to cope. But, we can be sure - from our experience - that there will be always time to rest and reconsider our life's decision one more time and then we will have a chance to change something. Furthermore, I claim that the nice method to learn and understand more is to have close friends and try to talk to them about the situations, which are not easy neither for us nor for them. It can give us the opportunity for clearer thinking about the world and all circumstances that meet us. Parents are Teachers. :: essays research papers Many people think that those who are the best teachers in their life are parents. However, I disagree with that statement. I will give reasons for my point of view. In my opinion, there are many factors that bring us up. First of them are parents, who are the great authority for whole our life. Certainly, this is the parent`s contribution to teach us the rules and main lines of conduct. Thanks to them and the contact, which they try to make between themselves and their child, we know how to be good people. However, there is something that allows us to become aquinted with different situations and the world faster and also more painful. What I mean is life. In my opinion, a person learns the most from their own mistake. The parents give us only the bases for our later development. The life, in turn, teaches us how to behave and react on different situations, which not always are nice and full of positive stress. It helps us to get to known to many situations. During our, sometimes very complicated life we acquire some knowledge, which we are not able to get from books and the Internet. From time to time, it is very hard to accept the situations and troubles, with which we have to cope. But, we can be sure - from our experience - that there will be always time to rest and reconsider our life's decision one more time and then we will have a chance to change something. Furthermore, I claim that the nice method to learn and understand more is to have close friends and try to talk to them about the situations, which are not easy neither for us nor for them. It can give us the opportunity for clearer thinking about the world and all circumstances that meet us.

A Synopsis of the Documentary Live Nude Girls Unite Essay

Live Nude Girls Unite The film â€Å"Live Nude Girls Unite† is a documentary recorded by the exotic dancers themselves that takes their audience on their journey as they try to unionize their jobs. The dancers were fed up with the treatment and minimal pay they were receiving for their performances. They were not assigned a lawyer but had a negotiator that helped them with their bargaining agreement. These exotic dancers were not disrespected by their costumer’s but also by their employees. Dancers were not allowed sick days and sometimes lost their jobs because of their inability to find another look-a-like dancer to fill their slot. I think the unionization of the sex workers was a viable idea. These dancers deserve the same benefits many other employees receive such as sick pay, health insurance, and respect from their management. Because sex workers are usually stereotyped as sluts, society believes their work should not include benefits. Since they had many people against their request to form a union, it took them many months of negotiating to receive minimal benefits, but it was the start of a new revolution for other sex workers across the country. As word began to spread about the newly formed union in San Francisco, the formation of unions began to spread all over. Numerous exotic dancers now receive benefits through their employers and are getting the fair treatment they deserve. They are protected from unlawful dismal from their jobs and racial discrimination when it comes to who works certain shifts. If the sex workers had no taken a stance to improve their working system many would still be treated unfair.

Foreign Policy Judiciary Politics Essay

1. Although the power of the national government increased during the early republic, these developments often face serious opposition. Compare the motives and effectiveness of those who opposed the growing power of the national government in TWO of the following: Whiskey Rebellion, 1794 Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, 1798-1799 Hartford Convention, 1814-1815 2. To what extent did the Jeffersonian Republican’s of economic boycott in the years 1807 – 1812 affect the new nation? 3. To what extent was the early United States foreign policy a primarily defensive reaction to actual or perceived threats from Europe? Evaluate with regard to United States foreign policy on TWO major issues during the period from 1789 – 1815. 4. Analyze the contributions of TWO of the following in helping establishing a stable government after the adoption of the Constitution John Adams Thomas Jefferson George Washington 5. Explain the influence of TWO of the following on the U.S. decision to go to war in 1812. Embargo policies of Jefferson and Madison British impressment of American seamen Settlers’ conflicts with Native Americans Expansionist goals of the war hawks 6. Compare and contrast the political and economic views of the Hamiltonian Federalists and the Jeffersonian Republicans. When, why and how did the differences between the two parties blur? 7. Evaluate the relative importance of domestic and foreign affairs in shaping American politics in the 1790s. 8. â€Å"Since the treaty of Ghent addressed none of the issues for which the United States had fought, the War of 1812 has no positive consequences for the American nation. Assess the validity of this statement 9. To what extent was the Election of l800 aptly named the Revolution of l800? Respond with reference to 2 of the following areas Economics

Writing tips for nurses, Nursing Standard - Emphasis

Writing tips for nurses, Nursing Standard Writing tips for nurses, Nursing Standard Being a capable wordsmith may not be what you signed up for. But clinical nurses are spending more and more of their working day on writing tasks. Rob Ashton of Emphasis gives six tips on how nurses can become better writers. A well-presented document, a clear and succinct email, a precise and persuasive report all go a long way to ensure nursing maintains professional standards. This makes sense, as good writing skills equal good communication a prerequisite for effective nursing. Just as nursing requires dedication and practice, so too do effective writing techniques within the clinical setting. One Identify your target audience. To write effectively, you have to understand the needs of the people you are writing for. Think of the variety of audiences you have to communicate with as a practitioner such as patients, other nursing professionals, physicians. Then think about how you communicate differently to each. If its a report for a healthcare organisation, find out the ethos of that organisation. If its for a nursing manager, do they need to be informed or persuaded or both? Two Overcome the fear of the blank page. Break through writers block by: establishing the purpose of your writing and what you hope to achieve using mind maps or spider-grams to get ideas flowing creating a defined timeframe with deadlines and milestones writing in incremental bursts if youre faced with a lengthy document Focusing on your readers needs but (crucially) forgetting about their possible judgements of the work. If youre really stuck, set an alarm for five minutes hence, then tell yourself you only need to write until it goes off. After all, how bad can five minutes be? What youll probably find is that you speed up as the time starts to run out, giving you the energy to burst through the block. But if that doesnt happen, stop at five minutes, give yourself a ten minute break, then set the alarm for another five-minute session. Two or three short sessions like this are usually enough to cure the block. These apply to most writing tasks, including proposals for improvement projects, reports, patient records, staff references, memos and even emails. Three Keep going until you have a complete working draft. Forget about perfection for now. Organise the relevant information on separate piece of paper (such as with a mind map see above), then write. Only when youve finished should you revise and edit. Even the greatest writers work from a rough, first draft. Make sure you plan first though, as a stream of consciousness can be very difficult to disentangle once youve written it. To help with the final edit, ask yourself if youve addressed all your pertinent issues, especially problems, action and results. Four Dont dress it up. Florid language and great swathes of rhetoric wont impress a busy board member, nursing manager or worried patient who wants to read only the salient facts. Time is of the essence in a clinical workplace, so clear, direct communication is key. Present your message clearly from the start in a straightforward style that will keep your audience interested. Five Dont be lax in your report writing. Computerised report templates may have made the task easier but they are no replacement for courtesy and good grammar. Never make shortcuts in punctuation and spelling, and make sure the facts are correct. Get someone else to look over the document if youre unsure of its accuracy. Six Be honest. If you dont understand the subject matter, the chances are those reading it wont either. Dont mask your lack of understanding with unnecessary jargon. If youre working collaboratively on a report or proposal, for example ask for help. With written communication now so much a part of clinical nursing, these tips and a little practice should give you the confidence to handle any writing task. A little time spent perfecting the process now will leave you more time for other pressing responsibilities in the future. Rob Ashton is Chief Executive of Emphasis, the specialist business-writing trainers.

Working (Entirely) from Home

Working (Entirely) from Home You might want to make the switch to freelancing entirely from home if you’re, for example, disabled like me, or you’re reclusive and prefer life behind the keyboard. Here’s how you can run your freelance writing business from home: Choose the right jobs. Some jobs (like travel writing) can’t do without travel: Skip those. Other times editors may make an exception if you explain your situation. Freelance career boards like Problogger and Writers’ Job Board are rich sources for jobs. Cold pitching magazines and blogs is another. Also consider working remotely as a copywriter or editor; look at classifieds like Gumtree, Indeed, Linked-In and Freelancer. Avoid the mills and scams. Many work from home writing jobs online are outright scams or content mills with terrible rates. Things like make money now and 2,000 words at $5 total should set off alarm bells. Scammers like these are rife on sites like Freelancer and best avoided. Real work is found Set your schedule. Plan for work not to interfere with your home life, and the other way around. People will assume you have more free time, so make it clear to everyone when you will be working. It’s hard not to ‘take your work home ’, so know when to switch off, too. Plan your calendar with scheduling software like Thunderbird, EasyAppointments or OpenLava Your house is your office. Dedicate at least one room to work as your office. Minimally include filing cabinets, a bookshelf, desk, comfortable chair, and clear lighting. Think ergonomically; everything comfortably within reach. Decide if you will see clients or interviewees in your home and keep the office neat. Consider the background when you’re interviewing via webcam, including noise. A plain color wall-back with little audio disturbances like wind or electronic hum is ideal. (See Hope’s office background here.) Business expenses change. As a from-home freelancer, your business expenses change. Your rent (or mortgage) pays for your office, and you’ll spend less on items like travel expenses and client dinners but more on utilities and phone plans. Keep track, most importantly for your filing tax returns but also to maintain awareness of where your money is going so you can make informed choices. Privacy and safety. Be sure that people won’t show up at your house unannounced. Never share your address or images of your house and family online. Rent a post box for business correspondence. Stalkers can happen. Consider basic security like a panic button or set your laptop up as a security camera for little to no cost with iSpy or Rear View Mirror. Interviewing remotely. You can conduct most interviews remotely ((whether interviewing someone for a story or being interviewed yourself), via secure email like ProtonMail, phone, webcam or VoIP (like Skype, Appear.in or ooVoo). Ask your source which is best for them, and be flexible for the one who wants to interview you. Double-check technology with a test-run and buy a decent headset and speakers. Logitech, AKG and Sennheiser are good brands. Record and file interviews with permission using software like MP3 Skype Recorder, Automatic Call Recorder (for Android) or Audacity for PC. Working online. Project management tools and cloud services instantly connect you and those you work with. You can upload documents, send messages and upload schedules across the board, and it’s great for keeping track of interviewees and co-workers. basecamp.com/ taskworld.com/ dropbox.com/ Making the switch to a home base? It’s really not as hard as you might think: all it takes is a couple of changes to your routine, and then, of course, a â€Å"do not disturb† sign for the office.

Practical Risk Management with in Information Technology Project Research Paper

Practical Risk Management with in Information Technology Project Management - Research Paper Example In order to control and manage risk, method and techniques are defined briefly in this article. The definition of Project Management as per the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide is â€Å"a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result and the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements.†(Monoharan & Mansor, 2012). There are nine sub categories in project management out of which four are considered as the most important areas. The remaining four is assisting area and one is a general area. These areas are divided as: Scope management: management of work in order to complete the project. Time management: management of time needed to accomplish task on time. Cost management: management of budget regarding cost effective project. Quality management: All the requirements are satisfied and implied. Human resource management: management of employers for their effectiven ess. Communications management: gathering information regarding project. Risk management: recognizing and answering to risks. Procurement management: outsourcing goods and services. Integration management: interlinks all project knowledge areas instantaneously. In order to lead a fruitful project, the Project managers need to shine in each of these nine areas. 2 The Project Management Process Project managers manages the project in a systematic way or method, however, various project management techniques are available that can be used. Likewise, activities that are included in the PMBOK for the definition of the project are â€Å"components of work performed during the course of a project† (Vida, 2012). The primary activities of the project management process are mentioned in the book called as Whitten & Bentley’s Systems Analysis and Design Methods. The book demonstrated negotiation of the scope, identification of tasks, estimation of durations of the tasks, specific ation of dependencies, managing the efforts of the team, resource assignment, controlling the project progress, monitoring the project progress and lastly, assessment of the project results and experience. Scope negotiation is a critical part of any project that needs management. Likewise, the scope of the project is associated with the working that is required to deliver the product or end result with the requirements of the customer. Project failure occurs due to creeping of the scope that transpires in case of some addition of features and functions regardless of the factor that impacts the end result of the project. Moreover, failure of the projects also occurs due to ambiguous or confusing requirements of the customer. If the scope of the project is not clearly defined, there is a high percentage that the outcome of the project will not satisfy project stakeholders as well as the customers. 3 The Importance of Project Risk Management Information Technology Project Management is a methodology or set of technique that is implemented for identification, analysis and countering risks throughout the project lifecycle and supporting every aspect of meeting the requirements and objectives of the project (Schwalbe, 2010). Moreover, Oracle White Paper pressures over the significance of project risk management and states that, â€Å"Projects are becoming increasingly more complex and costly,