Searching for ideology in spite of Media Essay Example for Free

Searching for ideology in spite of Media Essay As individuals, we constantly struggle to find a balance between personal opinion and societal compliance; between our personal value systems and what society in general regards as acceptable, or at least what it wants us to believe. However, some would agree that the influence that media exerts on our psyche can upset such a balance. Every individual aims to be unique and original with their reasoning, but the odds are stacked against them as streams of media flow with such a prominent impact on societal ideology. The effect of the media is significant and far-reaching. Everywhere, the media encroaches upon our ideologies and everything that we hold sacred and changes it in ways that we are often unaware of. Holding on to our personal ideologies in the face of media is swimming upstream against resistance and the irresistible currents of change. Indeed the media has been a powerful force in influencing people’s perceptions, and by extension, their actions as well. Business, politicians, and showbiz personalities pay huge sums of money to media firms in order to create an image or change an existing one. Politics in particular, has been making use of the media to generate public support for certain policies. As an economic force the media has been used by Western nations to trespass into Third World Cultures and impose their own Western views and in effect promote Western goods. The westernization of these countries has led to the destruction of the many elements of native cultures. Similarly, the media infringes upon our system of values and we are never the same. With the greater outpouring of media coming from the United States, advertisers, writers and even politicians of other countries are forced to swim upstream against certain influences from a society that preaches to a larger audience than it can actually support. A trend is emerging in the presentation of media products which Sony has described as ‘global localization’: the structuring of media products designed for certain cultural consumption or presentation, which are assembled without particular concerns for national cultural heritage or tradition (Thussu 21). Of course it must be said that media per se is not the culprit. It is a neutral instrument that can be used both for good and bad ends. The capacity of media to effect positive or negative effects on an individual or a given society depends on the people using the media as a very powerful tool to advance their own, often selfish causes. As such, this paper intends to look at how the media is being used as a tool primarily to promote political and economic agendas. Ideas on Ideology Ideologies refer to a set of beliefs of ways of living that structures the way we see things and act upon accordingly. These ideologies often act below the surface and are the driving force that determines our actions of a daily basis. Ideologies are products of the culture that people were exposed to. In the realm of the social sciences, ideology is perhaps one of the most difficult to define because of its highly complex nature (Bailey 4). Regardless of the difficulties of the concept, we all have some functional grasp of our own ideologies, and it serves as the framework with which we perceive the world at large and by which we base our decisions and value judgments. In terms of society, the word ideology basically makes the connection between ideas and the kind of society that we have (Bailey 23). This implies that a society is the realization of the collective thoughts or ideas of a people, and as such, can also be changed by the same token. For sociologist, ideology refers to ideas that are actually forwarded and manifested for the very purpose of effecting change. These ideologies are ideas or beliefs applied in the public realm; abstract made real. As such, every political entity has a set of ideologies that form the basis of its platform and policies. This paper uses the term ideology in a more general sense; ideology as the set of beliefs and values that buttress an individual and how such ideologies change in the face of media manipulation. As such, these ideologies are the main targets of media as they endeavor to convince people to change their beliefs and value systems.

Impact of Computers on Education :: Technology Technological Papers

Impact of Computers on Education Computers have had a large impact in education. There are many things that are done differently in schools now and that goes for all age groups. Computers can really help a teacher in many positive ways. If it were not for computers, there would be many helpful things that would not be in school, for example if it were not for computers we would not have calculators, we also would not have electronic overheads. Schools would not have been really updated what so ever if it were not for computers. Computers help children in many different ways. They can increase motivation and self esteem, they can help with technical skills, they can help complete more complex tasks, and they can help with many other great things. Computers are what make students of 2002’s education different from the education of students of 1955. We learn all that they learned but more thanks to computers. We are allowed to dig deeper into the source and find more information on what we are learning because of the internet. Computers are changing lives of students more and more everyday, and this will keep happening until the end of time. Computers have changed the roles of teachers and also the roles of students. When students use computers to communicate with others, they are in an active roll rather then the receiver of information of the teacher, or a textbook. The student is always making a choice of how to make or obtain information. Computer use allows students to be actively thinking about information, making choices, and carry out skills, than what is usually said in teacher-led lessons. The teachers roll also changes. The teacher is no longer the center of attention. They may just play the roll of the launch pad, meaning they provide project goals, and give guidelines and resources. Because of the teachers new role it really makes the students have to think more, and become a little more independent. Computers are a great impact for the roles of teachers and students. Computers not only change the way the classroom is taught in education. Computers also can increase motivation and self esteem. The most common and nearly worldwide reported effect on students was motivation. The kids that don't necessarily star can become the stars. Impact of Computers on Education :: Technology Technological Papers Impact of Computers on Education Computers have had a large impact in education. There are many things that are done differently in schools now and that goes for all age groups. Computers can really help a teacher in many positive ways. If it were not for computers, there would be many helpful things that would not be in school, for example if it were not for computers we would not have calculators, we also would not have electronic overheads. Schools would not have been really updated what so ever if it were not for computers. Computers help children in many different ways. They can increase motivation and self esteem, they can help with technical skills, they can help complete more complex tasks, and they can help with many other great things. Computers are what make students of 2002’s education different from the education of students of 1955. We learn all that they learned but more thanks to computers. We are allowed to dig deeper into the source and find more information on what we are learning because of the internet. Computers are changing lives of students more and more everyday, and this will keep happening until the end of time. Computers have changed the roles of teachers and also the roles of students. When students use computers to communicate with others, they are in an active roll rather then the receiver of information of the teacher, or a textbook. The student is always making a choice of how to make or obtain information. Computer use allows students to be actively thinking about information, making choices, and carry out skills, than what is usually said in teacher-led lessons. The teachers roll also changes. The teacher is no longer the center of attention. They may just play the roll of the launch pad, meaning they provide project goals, and give guidelines and resources. Because of the teachers new role it really makes the students have to think more, and become a little more independent. Computers are a great impact for the roles of teachers and students. Computers not only change the way the classroom is taught in education. Computers also can increase motivation and self esteem. The most common and nearly worldwide reported effect on students was motivation. The kids that don't necessarily star can become the stars.

“My Son the Marine” by Frank Schueffer Essay

The story â€Å"My Son the Marine† Is written by Frank Schueffer. The reason for this paper is to identify weather or no to author used logos ethos or pathos in the story. The story took place on a summer day. One day after high school a young boy decides he wanted to join the military. The young boy talks to almost all of the military recruiters except one. Later that afternoon there was a knock on his door from the one military branch he did not visit, The United States Marine Corp (USMC). The boy was taken by the appearance and demeanor of the two marines at his door. After his talk with the marines he decided that is he was to join the military he would definitely join the marine. The boy’s father could not understand his decision. he thought it was a waste of his son’s talent and could envision his soft son the one that like poetry would be tough enough to handle the mental, physical and emotional aspects of the journey to becoming a Marine . Later in the story the father starts to understand the question of why his son wants to join the USMC. The logos of this story is shown when the father changes his mind set from, my son couldn’t possibly be a Marine to thinking of his son as a Marine. â€Å"Did he have it in him to become a Marine? I knew that john’s idea of a good time was to curl up in front of the fireplace and rereading his favorite bits of The Hobbit.† To a parent worst fear is that there children will try something that is out of the area of knowledge and the child gets there hope up only to fall short of their goals. â€Å"When his son parade in†, a tall Marine† every parent dreams that there children will succeed. There are only a few examples of ethos; one was shown when the father was over thinking his son’s decision to join the military. â€Å"Why the hell was John going into the Marines†? The other example  of ethos, which is more profound, is the last par t of the story but certainly no least when the father hangs up the phone from talking to his son. â€Å"I stared at the television there were fire-fighters cops and military personnel struggling to find survivors and thousands dead. I felt deeply frustrated being able to do nothing. At least I knew that I could look the men and women in uniform in the eyes. My son, after all, was one of them†. The author did a great job of building repore and empathy for the father in the story. The author was able to use creative use of words to set the tone or mood of the father’s confusion about his sons need for to become the â€Å"few the proud a Marine†. The tone that was created was soft, protective, and thoughtful. And showed a change in tone and mode when the fathers son finally graduated and became a Marine The story, in conclusion, is a heartfelt story of a man and his son. It concerns the journey off what parents go through when saying goodbye to their children as they set off in unknown and unchartered territory. The pride the parents feel when their children suc ceed is exponential. The author wss able to capture the heart sting of the reader. Although the author used false logic to almost convince the father that his son was destined to fail. Works Cited Scueffer, Frank. My Son the Marine. Reading Literature and writing assignements 4th ed.

Police Officers And Law Enforcement - 1864 Words

Despite some police officers might use authority to frighten and approach others in any way they like, there is still a great amount of officers that do live up to the standard to serve and protect others. Police officers are often needed to reinstate order and regain the compliance from very hostile situations. Police officers are sometimes required to use force that is not considered excessive or the possibility of being accused or seen as brutality. We can see that the media focuses greatly on these issues of appropriate extents of force and deadly force that is used by law enforcement. Society has always been observing law enforcement through the lens of a microscope and focusing on the negative light that has been shedding over†¦show more content†¦The relationship with the community, groups with special interests, and also politics may play a great portion in the configuration of these changes. Several centuries ago, common law was divided into three special classifications: felony, treason, and misdemeanor. In those times felonies were punishable by death. During the seventeenth century, when a police officer was conducting an arrest, they were regulated to exercising deadly force as a last resort (Littlejohn, 1984). During the nineteenth century, the same rule was still being enforced. The last resort rule began to diminish towards the end of the nineteenth century. Currently police officers have other tools availa ble that allows them to resort to under different circumstances. Even though there are many different police departments and different agencies, they are all pretty much guided under the same rules regarding deadly force and it’s use. Annually, data concerning law enforcement is collected in a Uniform Crime Report, but it does not gather information on recent acts a police officer can do (Burghart, 2014). Limited intelligence is exposed about police violence. There are many real life situations that we have observed on the news and in the media. The law demands that the federal government must accumulate data on police shootings, but there is no obligation that a police department has to do so (Fisher, 2014). The