USA Sports Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

USA Sports Law - Case Study Example Sports torts are "legal actions taken against professional athletes, teams, organizations and other parties in the sports field for a civil wrong done against and individual" (Epstein, 2008). In this case, Vikings will be accused of a tort against one of their spectators, Johnny Sharman. What Sharman will be fighting for is a recovery of the medical expenses incurred and other associated losses. This is because the injury was caused by the negligence on the part of Vikings. The courts may decide that Vikings owed a duty of care towards the fans that were attending their matches. Because Vikings breached that duty, the courts may rule that the defendant is liable to the damages that were caused by this negligence. There is the aspect of fans expectations. Sharman and his father, when they came to the field, expected to be protected from injuries arising from other spectators. It was the duty of the security agents of the club to refuse entry to the field fans who were drunk and who were liable to causing injuries to their fellow fans. This expectation may nullify the waiver on the back of the ticket. This expectation, though not stated on the ticket, was implied, or can be referred to as an officious bystander. The defence of Vikings will be that al fans "assumes the risk" of being injured during a game. This is expressly indicated on the back of the ticket, and a purchase of the ticket equals acceptance of the terms. As such, Vikings is partially liable or not liable at all. Sharman was negligent because he was not drunk, yet he went and sat together with drunkards who were likely to cause damage in the sport. Conclusion Vikings is either partially liable or not liable at all in this case. It is not fully liable given the fact that they had taken the precautions of erecting the wire mesh and inserting the waiver clause on the ticket. Sharman is partially or fully liable because the ticket indicates that he is liable, and he went to sit with drunkards. Question Two: Billy Rogers' NBA Draft Legal Memorandum Your recent problems, as Billy Rogers and an athlete at State University, stem from the fact that you are unable to attain the relevant academic qualifications for the forthcoming NBA draft. Your bane has been the refusal by the New School to admit you for the independent degree program, whereby you could have acquired a degree and qualified for the draft. It is my understanding that you have made three trials, all to no avail. It is only after the third trial that you became aware of the alleged irregularities with which your application was handled. Allegations of plagiarism and dropping of some topics from your dean led to the school admission officials' overturning of the decision

Race or color Essay Example for Free

Race or color Essay â€Å"To live anywhere in the world today and be against equality because of race or color is like living in Alaska and being against snow†. This famous observation of William Faulkner sums up the present attitude of the people towards discrimination based on color. It is hard to believe that a few decades earlier, unimaginable atrocities have been meted out against a particular section of the society just because their skin color was considered inferior. The real life story, â€Å"Warriors don’t cry† written by Melba Patillo Beals highlights the invincible hurdles faced by a group of ten black students just to acquire a basic education on par with the other students. The events narrated in the book from chapter 12 to chapter 20 leaves one stoned about the heartless abuse that these children had to undergo. A separate army consisting of 1200 soldiers is employed to ensure the safety of these ten children on the first day of their school. Despite this arrangement, there is violence and a threat to the children’s lives, thanks to the fanatic hatred of the segregationists towards the black people. Braving all odds, Melba and her friends continue their education in the school, but every day they are tormented with abuses and unfair treatments even by the school authorities. These chapters give heart-wrenching details of the physical and mental violence against Melba and her friends. Even though a few white girls were sympathetic to Melba’s situation, they could not help her because of threats from the segregationists. It is difficult to believe that even the school authorities did not help their cause. They discriminated against her by excluding her from all festivities and events. Even on her birthday, when Melba defended herself from violence, she was suspended for attacking the whites. After reading the horrible and terrifying accounts of Melba, one cannot avoid admiring the grit and perseverance with which she and her friends pursued their education. After reading these chapters, I felt relieved and thankful for the fact that such discrimination is not existent today. The first African-American president of The United States, Mr. Obama is a proof of this advancement.

Child Obesity Media And Technology Children And Young People Essay

Child Obesity Media And Technology Children And Young People Essay The topic of this research is looking into child obesity and whether it gives cause to come under child neglect laws. This will be done in a literature review format incorporating interviews to look at fact and opinions on the matter. The results provide a complex over view and debate the topic thoroughly, taking into consideration affecting factors. Yes, child obesity can be neglect if a parents have persistently ignored guidance and failed to seek needed help. It can also be no as not every child obese case gives cause to be considered neglect and it is extremely rare. Obesity is a condition in which weight gain has reached the point of seriously endangering health. While some people are genetically more susceptible than others, the direct cause of obesity in any individual is always an excess of energy intake over energy expenditure (Chambers and Wakely, 2002: X). The issues arisen from criminalising child obesity being under the law of child neglect will be critically discussed in this dissertation. Obesity is a major concern in the UK, proven to potentially shorten lives by up to 9 years, health professionals are starting to express their worries of parents outliving their children as a consequence of the health problems that accompany obesity (Kellow, 2011). Some of the possible health implications of child obesity are: diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis (Sullivan, 2004 and Heaton-Harris, 2009). In 2010 20% of boys and 17% of girls aged 11-15 could be described as clinically obese, with 14% and 15% aged between 2-10 being obese. From 1995 child obesity has risen 6% for boys and 3% for girls (reference). This would make nearly 1 in 5 of all children not just overweight, but a t the point of serious health issues (Health Survey for England, 2010). It is already said to be costing the UK  £2 billion annually (Kellow, 2011) and estimated to increase to  £50 billion annually by 2050 if trends continue (Butland et al. 2007). The increase in child obe sity has sparked a moral panic about the concern for childrens health driving the government to do more to protect children from becoming obese. Obesity is defined by BMI which stands for body mass index. BMI is calculated by dividing a persons weight (in kg) by their height (in meters). To be classed as obese a persons BMI would need to be over 30, and to be classed as morbidly obese, which is extreme cases of obesity the BMI would need to be 40 or above (Chambers and Wakely, 2002). This is not what you expect to be talking about when discussing children, as the stereotypical image of a child is healthy and happy, getting plenty of exercise and being fed properly. However, Heaton-Harris (2009:14) provides an opposite portrayal, saying Obese children are less active than the average pensioner. She then goes onto explain that overweight children will get out of breath after 5 minutes due to the additional strain on the heart to pump excessively around the body, which is too large and demanding oxygen rich blood. It is clear from the statement that Heaton-Harris (2009) argues that obese children are very disadvantaged and unfit. Children are vulnerable and dependant on parents and guardians and it is their duty is to make sure their children are healthy and happy. Ford-Martin (2005) says that children learn by example and that as a parent or guardian you are their primary role model. The parents or guardians of children struggling with obesity are therefore failing their children as the child is severely unhealthy and is at risk of severe health problems. It currently can become a child protection issue if children are allowed to eat excessive amounts of food, or have a seriously unbalanced diet (Grady, 2012). In extreme cases children can be removed from parental or guardian care by the court due to the affecting factor, children being obese. The fact that children sometimes need protection from parents if they are obese is interesting and leads onto the discussion whether this should also be a punishable offence. As it stands the definition of child neglect is, a persistent failure to meet a childs basic physical and/or developmental needs. Neglect includes failing to provide for a childs health, education, emotional development, nutrition, clothing, shelter, safety and safe living conditions, and includes exclusion of the child from the home and abandonment. It is different from poverty, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), because it happens when there is failure to provide the resources to meet a childs needs if those resources exist or should be available (Bovarnick online, 2007). This definition explains under current statute what would be classed as child neglect and as you can see this covers a very wide spectrum. Although it does say failing to provide for a childs health (Bovarnick online, 2007).This could allow child obesity to fit into this category. Although generally the main focus of child neglect is failure to provide a child with something not allowing children excessive amounts of something. The question this dissertation sets out to answer is whether or not child obesity presents the scope to be punishable by law under child neglect statute. The aims are to establish how much blame is on the media, technology and parents to establish whether or not it is justifiable to hold them responsible for the obesity state their child/children are in. This question will be looked at through current literature and interviews to see what people think about the issue also. The first chapter discussing the role media and technology play on the obesity state of the youth in the UK. The second chapter puts forward the debate on whether or not parents should take the main responsibility of their childrens obesity state. The third and final chapter deliberates the on-going debate on the issues of child obesity being a form of child neglect taking into consideration both of the discussed issues presented in the previous chapters. The impending investigation takes the format of a literature review, which incorporates interviews also. There is extensive literature on the topic of child obesity in the UK which is taken advantage of in the format being used to answering the question set out. As well as gathering qualitative data from interviews to get opinions and see if they back up the literature found. Chapter 2: Methodology The methods section is the most important aspect of a research paper because it provides the information by which the validity of a study is ultimately judged (Kallet, 2004:1129). 2.1: Research design and rationale Child neglect and child obesity are both current issues and can both impose health problems to children. It is an on-going debate whether child obesity should come under child neglect laws which can hold parents or guardians responsible and therefore punish them for the obesity state their child/children are in. These two topics for investigation are strongly linked and consequently showing a need to investigate them together and answer the question whether child obesity should be criminalised. The methodology used to conduct this investigation into child neglect and child obesity is mainly library based research but incorporated into the research investigation is a short interview to compare with the literature based findings. The methodological approach needs to fit the purpose and the question being researched. Therefore justification for the methods used in any research being conducted needs to be established (Kumar, 2011). This is also backed up by Robson (2002), who articulates the data collected by the researcher in any topic is dependent on the particular research question and aims. Winstanley (2009) and Saunders et al., (2007) state there are two categories research can be separated into; primary research and secondary research. According to Sorenson (2010) the difference between the two is how the research is gathered: primary research is collected by the researcher whereas secondary research is carried out using already existing data. Secondary data according to Bryman and Bell (2007) and Zikmund (2003) is when, documents by other researchers are analysed by people most commonly not involved in the collection process. This allows experience and knowledge to be drawn from other academics which may be vital to the subject area being discussed. This paper is at an under-graduate level making expert knowledge and expertise crucial in making the paper of value in the academic world. Zikmund (2003) also draws attention to the lower cost, which is also a main advantage over primary data which can be expensive. Saunders et al. (2007) comment that secondary research allows a wide range of information to be gathered such as: quantitative, qualitative, descriptive and explanatory data. However every form of data collection comes with weaknesses. Secondary data may provide a lot of good quality information but may not link entirely with the given research questions and aims providing no value towards further research; this is something researchers need to consider. In a lot of instances it can be near impossible to find sufficient information (Zikmund, 2003). Also if pre-existing data is relevant, credible and specifically what the researcher needs to discuss time and effort designing and collating new research maybe a waste of the researchers time. Secondary research was the main data collection method chosen as it seemed the best choice to answer the question on whether child obesity should or is criminalised. When talking about a debate that already exists it is paramount to include current literature, especially when this issue is a current governmental and political matter. With an abundance of existing research in this area, secondary data collection was the easiest method and the most appropriate main form of data collection. However the weaknesses pointed out do need to be noted as secondary data can provide such a wide scope of data and most of it may be irrelevant and only relevant data needs to be discussed, this will be discussed in more detail under the inclusion/exclusion of data. The debate on criminalising child obesity is a current one in the academic world however this dissertation took a new direction, by adding interviews as there would have been no point carrying out something that had been done before. The secondary data gathered was in the form of a library based dissertation also known as a literature review. This is the main source of information being used to discuss the issues of child obesity and whether criminalising it is appropriate and considers: journals, newspapers, reports, textbooks, abstracts, media sources both electronically and in hard copy format (Hart, 1998). Hart says that a literature review is The selection of available documents on the topic, which contain ideas, data and evidence written from a particular standpoint to fulfil certain aims or express certain views on the nature of the topic and how it is to be investigated and the effective evaluation of these documents in relation to the research being proposed (1998: 13). Literature reviews are seen as very important and as Aveyard (2010: 6) explains them to be like jigsaw puzzles as you piece each part of the puzzle (piece of literature) together to give the reader the overall picture. Therefore playing an important part allowing all relevant information on a given topic to be in one place at the same time, this brings to light conflicting academic works to be seen together which may have gone unnoticed before. This type of research can also incur new insights to be drawn as a result of re-analysing previous sources. However Aveyard (2010) notices they are useful but in order to be reliable they need rigour and structure. The idea is not to find literature to back up the desired answer but to open-mindedly collate information to reach and answer on a predefined question. This is very important as literature reviews permits the overall picture to be seen and therefore hopefully eliminating bias so the researcher needs to adhere to this and this why it is vital that a systematic approach is taken. Hart (1998) establishes that literature reviews need to present all available documents on the chosen topic not just selected few to give the reader everything to make up their mind. This poses a difficulty as the resources available to an under graduate student will not allow a team of researchers and there are time constraints. This is why a systematic approach will be adhered to but may not reach the exact same criteria a fully funded and resourced literature review will. To present information to allow a reader to reach his/her own conclusions on the predefined question, whether childhood obesity should be criminalised, it will be thoroughly researched selecting only relevant information. The systematic approach used key terms (Appendix 2: 54) to search the library data base at Buckinghamshire New University and the internet. This was systematic do uncover any relevant literature which ensured everything relating to the topic was read and if found useful was then included in the discussion. However this is not the only form of data collection being used as primary research is also being used in the form of interviews which shapes the literature already in circuit to cater directly to the needs of the question and objectives giving and already existing topic area a new direction. The dissertation aims to uncover not only current issues and debates but peoples attitudes and thoughts which are only possible if opting to incorporate primary data also that adds value to the issues being presented. The interview questions were formed around the literary findings, which then allowed the literature and interviews to be compared and discussed. Interviews were conducted as part of the research which is one of the main methods of gathering primary data; permitting data to be brought together that has not been gathered previously. Ghauri et al. (2005) highlights one of the main advantages of using primary research methods is the data is going to be relevant as it is specifically gathered to the specialised research area, this is also backed up by Zikmund (2003). Being able to shape the data being gathered to suit the needs of the study allows consistent information to be provided. Saunders et al. (2007) points out that a main limitation to primary research is interviewee and interviewer bias when using focus groups. The research in this study does not involve focus groups for this exact reason to decrease the chance of bias. However the interviewees and interviewer were criminology students and may present a bias for that reason. Having bias makes it less reliable which affects the validity and also makes it hard to generalis e results, this is something to be taken into consideration for this study. Nevertheless this is a valid point and makes the study less reliable but not an easy issue to overcome given the ethical restrictions and materials available for the study. The library based element and the interview section are both focusing on qualitative data, however there will be some secondary data featured in the form of quantitative statistics jotted throughout. Bryman (2001: Page number) describes qualitative research to be a strategy that usually emphasizes words, feelings, perception, and qualitative research tends to be concerned with words rather than numbers. The point of the dissertation is to look into the perception people have and the way society see child obesity and what they think in regards to it being criminalised. Hoepfl (1997) stated that qualitative research allows data to discover the meaning of events rather quantitative using numbers to establish facts. Qualitative data provides the means to find out what peoples attitudes and intentions are about fundamental topics (Ghauri et al, 2005). This permits researchers to broaden knowledge and insight in their chosen topic. This is very useful and one of the main reasons interviews were picked was to develop an understanding of whether obesity is seen as criminal as it will give an insight to peoples opinions on the issue as well as comparing it to current literature available. Interviews were chosen as they have potential to gain rich and insightful data (Robson, 2011). Sarantakos (1988) highlights the main advantages of interviews are: there flexible and adaptable, they directly ask the questions and can assess non-verbal behaviour, which can sometimes reverse the meaning. Robson (2007) also highlights that direct face to face interviews have advantages as you can measure the seriousness which participants take the exercise and you get a higher response rate as it is harder to say no. Although Sarantakos also points out that there are disadvantages such as biases are hard to rule out and that interviews are very time-consuming considering the time it takes to transcribe interviews. Interviews were picked from this study to gage an understanding of what people thought about childhood obesity as from interviews you can directly ask the questions you need answered. It was tailored to the topic of the dissertation which allowed the discussion of both literatu re and the data found in the interviews. Interviews not only helped to gage an understanding and present data for discussion but as it was done whilst the literature was being gathered it showed areas that were in need for research to cover the topic of child obesity. For example, in one interview the topic of illnesses and diseases that can make you obese was discussed about bringing to light this new area to be included. The interviews will be carried out on two separate days with 5 interviews on one day and 5 on the other. All interviewees were handed a leaflet (Appendix 3:55-56) to inform them that the interview will remain anonymous and that they can stop at any time and this leaflet is then signed by each interviewee to ensure consent is present. Participant numbers will be used when discussing in the main paper and no names will be included within the dissertation to keep identities confidential. There will also be a verbal introduction read out to participants to ensure consistency (Appendix 4: 57). 10 students will be asked the same three questions in the same order. Interviewees will be both genders but all over the age of 18 attending Buckinghamshire New University. They were interviewed in a rentable room in the library of Bucks New University. All interviews were recorded on a Dictaphone and transcribed after all participants had completed the interview. The interviews will be structured a nd based upon four questions (appendix 4: 57). Interviewees were asked to explain their answers in as much detail as they could. A main advantage of the research design is that it incorporated both secondary and primary research by being a library based review including short interviews to compare and possibly back up the literature based findings. The disadvantages of just doing one form of research will be minimised as you will decrease the disadvantages of doing primary or secondary by using both. For example a main disadvantage of using primary research is researcher bias which can still occur but will be compared to other literature on the same topic so this will be minimised, this makes the results found in the dissertation a higher validity. 2.2: Data Analysis 2.2.1 Library Based Research A library based search is an analytical overview of literature on a given topic. In order to present the literature found in from the library search it was thoroughly studied and then broken down into the three chapters. They were broken down into chapters to specifically analyse each section of information uncovered giving the direct access to then compare to the interview findings. 2.2.2 Interviews Gibbs (2007) describes coding as the direction you take when analysing your data, where you systematically link together similar theories and descriptions. Robson (2011) explains the importance of thematic coding has to drawing points of interest out of data. Thematic coding was used to analyse the data gathered from the interviews as the reason they were carried out was to gage what people thought about child obesity. The interviews consisted of peoples thoughts and ideas and being able to dissect the meaning of these gives value to the data collected and transforms it to a functional format, this is then used when discussing the issues that arose. Being able to identifying general themes from the interviews was necessary in understanding more about the phenomenon. It was especially useful in pin pointing specific areas in need for discussion as child obesity is a broad topic; this was how the chapters were chosen. There were a lot of advantages to thematic coding such as: flexibility, being easy to pick up, within reach to those with little or no experience and it allowed key features to be summarised which then made it easy to remark on in the chapters. However the main disadvantages these were: being flexible it gave the potential for a broad range of data which could then be confusing to interpret and use and that coding may be limited to description or exploration and not very focused towards interpretation (Robson, 2011). Robson (2011) then goes onto describe the five phases to thematic coding: the first phase is familiarising yourself with data, the second phase generating initial codes, the third identifying themes, the fourth constructing thematic networks and the fifth and final phase integration and interpretation stage. Miles and Huberman (1994) mention that there are more than one stage to coding the first level is attaching labels to groups and the second putting the initial themes into a smaller amount of themes. 2.3: Inclusion/Exclusion of Criteria Research materials included in the research investigation would need to be from the UK and information from other countries or discussing other countries will be excluded as the points will not be as relevant, unless it specifically addresses the UK or is used in a comparative style. Another crucial point is the date period which is something the researcher should be aware of (Zikmund, 2003). If a publication was older than 10 years it is not likely to still be of importance, however in the case of childhood obesity it seems to be a newly mediated topic which can mean that all information is still of relevance. So literature that is older than 10 years will only be included if it seems to still be of significant importance or a pivotal point for discussion. Chapter 3: Child Obesity, media and technology Of course, with the important role comes responsibility, the media must operate in an ethical and responsible way (Browne, J, 2011, online). This chapter looks at the part media and technology play in the child obesity epidemic. The media cannot be punished for neglecting children as they do not owe the same duty of care parents do, establishing how much the media affects the problem of obesity nevertheless will benefit the overall argument. It can be broken down into three categories, firstly the rise in technology, which has increased sedentary activities among youths. Secondly, with the issue of child obesity increasing this has led to an upsurge of media coverage on the issue (Kim and Wills, 2007), the ways in which the issue is portrayed may too affect child obesity. Thirdly studies have shown that advertising of junk foods may be directly linked to the increase of child obesity, and has been a topic of much discussion in recent years. It is important to remember that not only are media there to inform but they aim to educate and entertain and are getting paid so it is important to remember they may have hidden agend as (Melville-Brown, 2007) as well as their aim being to publicise health problems not rectify them. 3.1: Literature Findings 3.1.1 Sedentary lifestyles amongst youths The involvement children have with physical activity has noticeably decreased over the past 20 years. Dr Watkins (cited in Cole and Kmietowicz, 2007:334) stated that free range children have been replaced with battery reared children reared in cyberspace, and thats the reason for the epidemic of childhood obesity. This highlights that the increased participation in sedentary activities, that are more readily available for the children of today, play a huge role in their lives and may impact on the statistical increase of childhood obesity. The changes in lifestyle that causes lack of physical exercise and the consumption of more high in fat foods are thought to be major influences to obesity, even when taking into consideration genetic causes that are coming to light more and more (Warren et al., 2003). What are the pin point changes in society that caused this change in lifestyle? We now live in an instant culture (Heaton-Harris, 2009). Children in todays society spend their time pl aying video games and socialising on the internet rather than meeting face to face. It is these sedentary pursuits that allows children to do little exercise and encourages them to snack more. Ford Martin (2005) found that 92% of children had a home gaming system and the average time a day children spend in front of a media screen is 6 and a half hours. It is no wonder that child obesity is on the rise and physical activity is at an all-time low among young children. It is starting at such a young age as a Kaiser family foundation study (cited in Ford-Martin, 2005) found that a third of all children aged six and younger had their own televisions in their bedrooms. The children of today do not know anything different than sitting down in front of computers and televisons. It is not that sedentary activities are what children are most commonly engaging in.   It is worrying because it is replacing physical exercise of  youth  altogether  (Ofcom, 2004). Ofcom (2004) emphasise that there is a correlation between watching television, poor diet, poor health and obesity with children and adults. Steinbeck (2001) links the decrease in physical activity to the increase of child obesity; Biddle, Gorely and Stensel (2004) believe this to be true also. It would appear to attempt overcoming the child obesity epidemic children need to lessen their time involved in sedentary activities and partake in more physical activities. 3.1.2 Media Coverage Rodgers (2009, online) believes there is currently a panic surrounding child obesity in the UK with this sudden rise of media attention. Marsh and Melville (2011, online) describe moral panics as an exaggerated social reaction to something embraced by the mass media, which is caused by the activities of certain groups and/or individuals. This becomes the source of major public concern that amplifies the panic surrounding such activities. The TV series Jamies school dinners (2005), presented by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, made a huge impact on child obesity, the media coverage on the topic and public perceptions. The Chef uncovered that 97% of school children were getting a totally unbalanced diet on a daily basis and this needed to change for the benefit of childrens health. A nutritionist on the series explained that the current school dinners lacked fruit, veg and vitamin C which are crucial in forming immunity (Jamies School Dinners, 2005). The TV series not only changed the public perception, more importantly led to changes by the government to ensure children had healthier school dinners. The Department for Education (2013), explains the governments current stance that there are strict nutrient-based standards that all schools in England need to comply with. This includes food and drink that can be obtained throughout a school day. The Government clearly state that they take the issue of healthy school dinners seriously, as it can affect childrens willingness to learn, behaviour and eating habits for life. The Schools Food Trust (2007, online) is a document that sets out the compulsory standards the Government insisted on that needed to be in place by September 2009. A 2011 article in the Sunday Observer shows that since the positive change to healthier school dinners that there has been an increase in not only learning as test results show but absences have dropped by 14% (Boffey, 2011). The media therefore has positive effects as well as negative. The media has seen to be useful for informing people about child obesity and helping to overcome the epidemic, as Jamie School Dinners is a prime example. However the media is widely known to provide misconceptions, which could worsen the issue. As it has been discussed child obesity is prominently featured in the media. When an important issue such as a childs health is at stake it is important that the issue is honestly portrayed ensuring it can be dealt with effectively. An argument is that the media portray only the extreme cases of obesity as that would be shocking news stories (Winterman, 2012). This then leads people to think that to be obese you would need to be extremely obese which may be cause for confusion and misunderstanding. As shown when half of parents underestimated the size of an obese child which implies that the media maybe the cause of this dangerous misconception (Winterman, 2012). If parents are misinformed by the media this could have life threatening affects for children who are obese, especially if it encourages the parents to believe that their children are not obese and do not take much needed action. It has also been noted that prime time TV shows about obesity, that dominate popular channels, give the wrong impression about obesity also. Boyce and Inthorn, (2007) studied programmes that were dedicated primarily to obesity, and came to the realisation that the shows directed blame on individuals generally rather than a public health issue. They tended to give the impression that it was down to self-control and discipline of the individual, with weight control being easily attainable as a result. The study also found that the programmes failed to improve levels of knowledge on obesity as it used shame and humiliation to persuade people to lose weight not knowledge. Jones (2006) backs this relaying that lack of correct information is a key problem. Rees et al. (2011) interviewed children about obesity, and they also shared the opinion shared by most TV programmes on obesity and thought if a child was obese they were to blame as it was something the media made out to be controllable . This false idea that obesity is easily controllable is wrong and may cause a lot of bullying in schools. 3.1.3 Advertising Its not just TV programmes that are thought to be affecting the ideas around child obesity; also adverts for unhealthy food are being blamed for the increase in child obesity (Carvel, 2003). It had been established beyond reasonable doubt that advertising of unhealthy products influences what children not only eat and drink but also the brands they prefer. Boyce, (2007) agrees that advertising is widely seen to encourage unhealthy consumption, particularly with children, as food is the most frequently advertised product on childrens TV. Coon and Tucker (2002) conducted a literature review into journal articles and concluded based on their findings that children exposed to advertising were significantly more likely to opt for advertised food products than those not exposed. Ofcom (2004) provided research also to suggest that there is a direct link to childrens food choices and advertisement. The report written by Barclay (2011) expresses clearly the governments stance, which indicates that they strongly agree junk food adverts encourage childrens ill health. From July 2007 such adverts were not restricted but totally banned from childrens TV by Ofcom, in what one would presume

The Internet Destructive Or Developmental Force Media Essay

The Internet Destructive Or Developmental Force Media Essay Today, we have access to the most remarkable modes of communications. The Internet is one such mode that functions as a powerful and compelling technology. With the advent of the Internet, more people are educated. We turn to the Internet to communicate ideas and learn about current events; the information is literally at our fingertips. The online world may be reshaping our brains and affecting our critical thinking process. Critical thinking is defined as the capacity to reflect, reason, and draw conclusions based on our experiences, knowledge, and insights (Taylor). The Internet is a tool that is built on the capabilities of the people who are using it. Thus, the Internet is developing societys ability to think clearly and rationally, as more and more people are communicating ideas, understanding connections, and evaluating arguments. The access to the information is advancing society. Ever since our origins of the cave, new technology has resulted in panic. We must accept that an y major technological advancements will result in social and cognitive changes. The influence of the Internet will continue rising and our new abilities cannot be put back in the box (Bavelier et all). Thus, harnessing and understanding the benefits of the Internet is important to the development of society. By channeling learning and communication around the world, the Internet poses beneficial impacts on educational and social aspects of society. Since the Internet allows instant and uncontrollable transmission of information, many scholars and critics claim that the Internet is a destructive force that is dumbing us down. Our world is strongly influenced by digital media. With the rising influence of the Internet, the news industry is pressured to constantly produce news. Therefore, some claim that the Internet is leading to false reporting. In addition, critics claim that false rumors spread through social networking sites, including Twitter and Facebook. However, the aforementioned claims are not legitimate enough to undermine the positive impacts of the Internet. Although experts in this field, such as Nicholas Carr, argue that access to technology is making our generation less intelligent, we must take into account the changing, fast-paced world that we live in. Psychologists argue that around 1900, there was a similar fashion for hysterical warnings of nervous disorders and the weakening of the brain supposedly triggere d by technological advances (Schmundt). As a result, the first intelligence test was developed in 1905. The current methods of the academe must adapt to modern technological innovation, such as the Internet because there is no turning back; the Internet is developing new ways of thinking and interacting. Current practices of our educational institutionsand workplacesare a mismatch between the age we live in and the institutions we have built over the last 100-plus years (Davidson). We must start to think differently about human capacity and intelligence. It is important to take into the account that as with food, the effects of technology will depend on what type of technology is consumed, how much and for how long (Bavelier et all). The internet is helpful, but like any form of technology, excessive use of it creates reliance and dependency that prevents us from improving ourselves. Everyday, a countless number of people throughout the world benefit from using the Internet, whether for work or pleasure. The positive impacts of the Internet overpower the negative effects. The Internet is a developmental force in society that provides us a means to communicate, entertain, and collaborate with people all around the world. The Internet is a driving force in creating a new idea of intelligence. Using a search engine, we can type in our search query and the search engine delivers relevant information within seconds.Web browsing also requires additional types of mental processing evaluating hyperlinks to make navigational decisions and filtering photos, videos and menus (Bavelier et all). While using these resources on the Internet, we activate more areas of our brain than we do while reading text (Bavelier et all). In files that contain tremendous amounts of content, the Internet allows us to focus and analyze the bits of information for their usefulness and relevance. The more pieces of information we can access and the faster we can extract their gist, the more productive we become as thinkers. Historians and scientists suggest that technology does not change the brains fundamental abilities (Bavelier et all). In fact, psychologists explain that technological developments have not changed the foundati ons of brain structure and organization. In other words, the advent of the Internet has not resulted in new brain structures. However, the Internet does affect the connections in the human mind by manipulating the flexible cognitive behavior of the brain. The brains [are] learning, benefiting from practice and experience (Bavelier et all). Childrens immediate environment determines the kind of attention that they develop (Taylor). A global trend that is widely recognized is that IQ levels are rising. From one generation to the next, children are performing better on IQ tests (Schmundt). The Internet is transforming culture and creating new knowledge. In addition, it fosters creative opportunities for individuals and collaborating groups. For example, Wikipedia serves as a source of creativity and knowledge that bridges the gap between experts in particular fields and ordinary individuals. The Internet puts us in touch with limitless resources across the world, providing us with fres h perspectives. The new technologies stimulate children to thrive on their imaginations and ideas. The Internet is not making us dumber. To say the least, it is leading us to imagine a new concept of intelligence. The importance of the Internet in education is undeniable. Access to the Internet allows for deeper understanding and greater knowledge of a subject. Thinking is plastic and adapts to the environment (Schmundt). The Internet is not creating a less intelligent generation; the generations are just learning in new ways, as they are constantly being exposed to technological resources, such as the Internet. Sociologists refer to those who identify the Internet as a serious societal worry and source of addiction as moral panics (Szalavitz). Young people are simply adapting to a world that is faster-paced and influenced by the online world and digital media. The fact that students use the Internet as their main source of information demonstrates that the way students think, learn, and process information is changing (Hall). Children today live in one of the most distracting, and at the same time, stimulating environments yet, constantly being exposed to new technologies. They should not be penalized for finding new technology more interesting than what is taught in the classrooms. In order to provide todays generation with the skills to contribute to society, we must reflect on the changing face of corporate America, which calls for educational practices to be revolutionized. The Internet is revolutionizing education. Encyclopedia Britannica, the worlds encyclopedia, serves as a source of free, accessible information. Documents are searchable online, instead of looking up table of contents or indexes in books. Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes (Carr). The Internet serves as an effective, useful, accessible storage of information. The plethora of educational resources, available with the click of a button, allow students to immerse themselves in knowledge. The Web has unlocked the keys to a worldwide virtual school, potentially leveling the playing field for students around the world (Myers). We m ust incorporate different types of technological resources, such as the Internet, into the curriculum for it is not wise, nor beneficial to use systems and standards from the past as a basis for the future, with regards to education. The Internet is a source of education that is changing and developing the academe in order to make it all-encompassing and on par with todays society, economic aspects, and cultural standards of society. Universities and corporate America consists, largely, of digital natives (Hall). In other words, young people are being raised in a society that is inundated by the immediate access to vast amounts of information on the Internet. The increasing use of the Internet has led to educational concerns, focusing on the danger of brains being shaped differently. However, a study demonstrated that the online world is actually conducive to learning and communicating idea effectively. Through the use of new technologies, students network their learning in remarkable ways, such as creating learning applications for their iPods. The current methods of the academe are not beneficial to all children; we must start to think differently about human capacity: the idea that smart people are academically successful is feeding the production line mentality of society. Standardized testing and streamline education is not taking advantage of potential geniuses. Instead, these public education techniques ar e impeding the development of amazing divergent thinkers. Incorporating the Internet and other technological resources into the curriculum will help todays children be on par with the heightening standards and technological demands of society. A professor teaching a class based on learning and the Internet assigned students a term paper and a blog response. He found that the students online responses were better than the ideas in their papers. Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies show that Internet searches activate a larger network of brain areas than does simple text reading (Bavelier et all). Encouraging thinking and collaborating online was demonstrated to maximize brain activity. While some argue that Internet dumbs people down, the blogs did not contain the jargon, stilted diction, poor word choice, and rambling thoughts that the traditional papers exhibited (Davidson). On the contrary, the blogs depicted less plagiarism and more concrete, genuine responses. Clearly, the Internet allows students to express their ideas elegantly, unpretentiously, and effectively. In order to prevent personal similarities from interfering with the cultivation of innovations, online chats, blogging, and teleconferencing are critical to an institutions success. Groups of people, including professors and students, can actively collaborate via multiple channels, fostering more dynamic team interaction. Blogging websites, online discussion forums, and social networking sites are rising platforms for expression and communication. Through social networking sites, the Internet helps bring people together in vast numbers and provides a conduit for expression. Educational systems have been quite constant over the years, hardly adapting to new, modern times. However, recently, professors and students have began using social networking sites to collaborate, reinforce, and teach curriculum. Blogs provide channels for people to communicate ideas and evaluate arguments. Analysis and response to world events allow people to share their their opinions and thoughts, often leading to debate. In addition, social networking sites allow people who share mutual goals to create clubs and organizations. In order to prevent personal similarities from interfering with the cultivation of innovations, online chats and teleconferencing are critical to an organizations success. Sociologists, who study the so cial forces, such as the Internet, that structure society and influence behavior claim that the shifting culture calls for technology and the Internet to play an increasingly essential role in society (Albison). Critics should analyze sociological factors, such as the fast-paced world that we live in before deeming the Internet a destructive or developmental force. Politics could be described as the study of the exercise of power. The Internet and social has led to empowerment and civic participation. To say the least, individuals and groups are empowered in an era of digital media. The new tools of social media have reinvented social activism (Gladwell). Social media is creating a new style of revolution, where the traditional relationship between political authority and popular will has been upended, making it easier for the powerless to collaborate, coordinate, and give voice to their concerns (Gladwell). Although critics argue that bloggers may replace traditional news organizations, bloggers do not possess the skills required for investigative reporting (Rogers). The free flow of information and ideas, which the Internet allows, is necessary for progressive societies. At the same time, the Internet allows us to connect with people throughout the world. For those who are suppressed, the Internet presents means to circumvent government restr ictions. In fact, the 2009 Moldova revolution was called the Twitter Revolution because of the crucial role of Twitter in organizing the groups. Blogs allow people to openly share their perspectives and respond to others views on conflicts, whether it be gun violence in America or tension in the Middle East. Movements originating on Facebook or Twitter may often lead to people making a difference in society. By channeling communication around the world, the Internet serves as a developmental force, as it poses beneficial impacts on educational and social aspects of society. The Internet has been able to open so many different channels of information that are accessible to us, as a populus. This benefit definitely outweighs the potential harm that people think it could cause. Online platforms of expression and communication, such as blogs, allow people to openly share their perspectives and receive responses from others. This results in people analyzing their perspectives and thought process. Groups of people, including professors and students, can actively collaborate via multiple channels, fostering more dynamic team interaction. The online world is bridging the gap that once existed between experts and ordinary individuals. More people are able to achieve deeper understanding and greater knowledge of a subject, with access to the Internet. While analyzing sources on the Internet for th eir validity and relevance to the topic or issue at hand, we use more regions of our brain than we do while reading text. The current methods of the academe and workplace must change in response to major technological advances, such as the Internet, for digital natives are entering universities and corporate America. The Internet allows for unified communities and shared knowledge, which without we as a society would not have achieved technological and sociological advancements present today. We should harness and develop the new concept of intelligence in order to advance society, for the advantages that the Internet poses on our world definitely outweigh the disadvantages.

Analyzing Social Class and Humanity in Samuel Becketts Waiting for God

Analyzing Social Class and Humanity in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot and Seinfeld Typically, the relationships between theatre and film are encountered--both pedagogically and theoretically--in terms of authorial influence or aesthetic comparisons. In the first method, an instructor builds a syllabus for a "Theatre and Film" course by illustrating, for example, how Bergman was influenced by Strindberg. In the second method, the aesthetic norms of the theatre (fixed spectatorial distance and stage-bound locations) are compared to those of the cinema (editing and location shooting) to determine which art form is better suited (or "superior") to which material. My work proposes a broader view of the theatre-film interface, one that relies on intertextuality as its interpretive method. I believe it is valuable-both pedagogically and theoretically-to ask broad questions about the aesthetic, narrative, and ideological exchanges between the history of theatre and contemporary film and television. For example, this paper will study how the "Chinese Restaurant" episode of the sitcom, Seinfeld, intertextually reworks Samuel Beckett's modernist play, Waiting for Godot. In each text, characters encounter an existential plight as they are forced to wait interminably, and thus confront their powerlessness at the hands of larger social forces. As a pedagogical matter, this connection encourages the students to see academic culture in the guise of having to read Beckett's play for my course, not as foreign and alienating, but instead as continuous with their understanding of leisure activities like watching sitcoms. As a theoretical matter, this in tertextual connection allows important ideological matters to come into bold relie... ...ng it in light of Godot, we can appreciate something much more fundamental, that Seinfeld is every bit as humanitarian as Godot because it shows how our human frailties militate against our desire to end all human contact with others. Any critic who out-of-hand dismisses the sit-com as trash should for this reason alone be thoroughly distrusted, because the desperate communitarian cultural function of the sitcom has been completed ignored. I suggest that there are reasons we watch sitcoms that are not all reducible to the notion that we are stupid, cultural dupes. Seinfeld, as well as Waiting for Godot, offers us insights into what makes us human. At some basic level, this is a compelling explanation for why we care to watch television as much as it is for why we go to live theatre. Works Cited Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. New York: Grove P, 1954.

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest :: essays research papers fc

QUESTION Was Forman compelled to change the point of view in his adaptation of One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest? ANSWER Forman was compelled to change the point of view in adapting the book into a film. REASONING A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the book Chief Bromden’s thoughts go from stark reality and understanding to dreams and visions which would be difficult for an audience to follow. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The confusion created by the Chief’s switches from reality to fantasy is possible in literary form due to the amount of detail and analysis, which can be put down on paper. However, this is impossible for a director to capture the same understanding and depth in a two-hour film. C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chief Bromden’s thoughts and hallucinations, which are the narration in the book, are erratic and crazy when not compared and elaborated. In a film, it is not always possible to clarify on the type of details found in the book. D.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is not enough time nor is it possible to elucidate into the amount of detail which Ken Kesey goes into in the book. This is due to the fact that Chief Bromden starts out playing deaf and dumb and even when he does begin to talk it is not in great amounts or details. In order to capture the heart of the story a director would have to use a broader narration, which a diverse audience could understand. E.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A book allows for great amounts of details due to the depth of words and the imagery they can evoke in a readers mind. There is not enough time in a film for all the detail of a book to come out and explain every single character to an audience, which needs to be constantly entertained to keep their focus. CITATIONS This is an autobiographical reference to how Ken Kesey came to write One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and the processes, which made it realistic and fantastical at the same time. â€Å"But also at the same time Bromden is an unreliable witness he is also an extremely reliable one. We feel he tells us the truth about McMurphy; in fact, he tells it with such penetration and insight that it has a consistent and coherent shape and meaning for us. The combination of hallucination and truth in the narration is a notable stylistic accomplishment. Fact and fantasy alternate, but the reader has no difficulty distinguishing one from the other, and thus they successfully complement each other.

Classical vs Baroque Era Music

Baroque PeriodMusical texture during the Baroque period was also polyphonic and/or homophonic. Composers used melodic patterns to evoke certain moods. The use of text depiction continued. Rhythmic and melodic patterns are repeated throughout the composition. With the addition of instruments and the development of certain musical techniques such as basso continuo, music during the Baroque period became more intriguing.Composers during this period were more open to experimentation and improvisation. Major and minor scales and chords were used during this time. Baroque music has unity of mood throughout the composition. Rhythm is also more constant. Rhythmic and melodic patterns tend to be repeated, although beats are more pronounced and there are also pitch changes within a composition. Even the dynamics tends to stay the same for most of the piece, but sometimes there is also an alternation of dynamics.Classical PeriodThe themes within a movement of a Classical composition have more c ontrast of mood and it can change either gradually or suddenly. The rhythm is more flexible and there are at times sudden pauses and changes in beats. Music is more melodic and often homophonic. A change in dynamics is gradual. The piano became a popular instrument during this period and composers showcased the instruments’ capabilities. This period also signaled the end of the basso continuo. Instrumental compositions usually had 4 movements and each movement may consist of 1 to 4 themes.SimilaritiesIn both the Baroque and Classical periods, composers were strongly tied to, connected to, and employed by the court of a Royal or Noble family of some sort, or a church. Mozart was employed by the Emperor of Austria, and Bach was employed by several different chapels in his lifetime. These wealthy patrons, establishments or families usually provided  for the composers welfare and lifestyle.Baroque and Classical music both share basic functional harmony that is not very adventur ous in modulation, however, the mid to late Classic period begins to show signs of harmonic exploration to a wider degree. Some Baroque progressions are not commonly found in Classical music, however.Forms of the Baroque laid ground for many periods to come. Techniques and styles were not forgotten as the Classical period came to noticeable rise around the death of Bach. Composers still wrote famous and striking operas, concertos, masses, and sonatas Aspects of Classical era opera are: all of the words are sung, the style of singing must be powerful enough to project the words and music throughout the opera house, words are often not in English, and the plots of operas are usually shortened, because more time is required to express a thought in music than simply speaking.Also, Classical opera requires the suspension of realities that affect any drama. For example, a change of scene most likely means that a large amount of time has passed between these two scenes within the opera. Th e purpose of Classical opera is not to imitate reality, but rather heighten it to a degree that is not bound by logic. It appeals to the imagination of the audienceThe music of an opera consists of recitatives, arias, and choruses. The chorus usually participates on stage from behind the main characters.Several traditions exist about the type of voices and the characters portrayed. The heroine and hero usually a soprano and tenor, and the villain or authority figure is often a bass.Two types of operas were important during the Classical period: opera seria and opera buffa. Opera seria was the traditional tragic opera that often featured stories about ancient Greek and Roman heros and gods. Opera buffa (comic opera) was filled with fun and frivolity. It was written in  vernacular languages, and used humorous dialogue and sometimes included popular tunes.Homophonic texture was mostly used, with only occasional counterpoint. New forms developed for individual movements: sonata-allegr o, theme and variations, rondo, and minuet and trio.Niccolà ² Piccinni, Christoph Willibald Gluck, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were three well known opera composers during the early Classical era. Famous pieces that they wrote included: La buona figliuola, Orfeo ed Euridice, and La finta giardiniera, respectively.