The use of current cultural ideas and beliefs Essay Example for Free

The use of current cultural ideas and beliefs Essay The media today has learned that the use of current cultural ideas and beliefs is a strong way to get the consumers attention as well as get their point across. Marketing firms, networks, and production companies have learned that if they culturally relate their product or story to the public, then that would attract more viewers and attention, which in return is money for them. There are many different examples of how marketing firms do this, but is there a movie, show, ad, or song that is just for entertainment only. It is very hard to find a part of the media that is Entertainment Only and not trying to portray a part of our cultural beliefs. The media has a way of portraying what they believe is a problem or their side of an issue. This procedure can sometimes cause the wrong impression or idea within a persons mind. This is not just in the news media; this is also in music, movies, or books. There are many different types of media. The media can range from music, movies, television, books, newspapers, etc. The area that I believe shows the least amount of issues is the music industry, and more specifically the country music industry. Cultural imperialism is defined as the cultural aspects of imperialism. Imperialism, here, is referring to the creation and maintenance of unequal relationships between civilizations favoring the more powerful civilization. Many scholars employ the term, especially those in the fields of history, cultural studies, and postcolonial theory. The term is usually used in a pejorative sense, often in conjunction with a call to reject such influence. Cultural imperialism can take various forms, such as an attitude, a formal policy, military action, so long as it reinforces cultural hegemony. The term emerged in the 1960s. and has been a focus of research since at least the 1970s. Terms such as media imperialism, structural imperialism, cultural dependency and domination, cultural synchronization, electronic colonialism, ideological imperialism, and economic imperialism have all been used to describe the same basic notion of cultural imperialism. Definition Various academics give various definitions of the term. American media critic Herbert Schiller wrote: The concept of cultural imperialism today [1975] best describes the sum of the processes by which a society is brought into the modern world system and how its dominating stratum is attracted, pressured, forced, and sometimes bribed into shaping social institutions to correspond to, or even promote, the values and structures of the dominating centre of the system. The public media are the foremost example of operating enterprises that are used in the penetrative process. For penetration on a significant scale the media themselves must be captured by the dominating/penetrating power. This occurs largely through the commercialization of broadcasting. Tom McPhail defined Electronic colonialism as the dependency relationship established by the importation of communication hardware, foreign-produced software, along with engineers, technicians, and related information protocols,that vicariously establish a set of foreign norms, values, and expectations which, in varying degrees, may alter the domestic cultures and socialization processes. Sui-Nam Lee observed that communication imperialism can be defined as the process in which the ownership and control over the hardware and software of mass media as well as other major forms of communication in one country are singly or together subjugated to the domination of another country with deleterious effects on the indigenous values, norms and culture. Ogan saw media imperialism often described as a process whereby the United States and Western Europe produce most of the media products, make the first profits from domestic sales, and then market the products in Third World countries at costs considerably lower than those the countries would have to bear to produce similar products at home. Downing and Sreberny-Mohammadi state: Imperialism is the conquest and control of one country by a more powerful one. Cultural imperialism signifies the dimensions of the process that go beyond economic exploitation or military force. In the history of colonialism, (i. e. , the form of imperialism in which the government of the colony is run directly by foreigners), the educational and media systems of many Third World countries have been set up as replicas of those in Britain, France, or the United States and carry their values. Western advertising has made further in roads, as have architectural and fashion styles. Subtly but powerfully, the message has often been insinuated that Western cultures are superior to the cultures of the Third World. Cultural Imperialism Culture is not static; it grows out of a systematically encouraged reverence for selected customs and habits. Indeed, Webster’s Third New International Dictionary defines culture as the â€Å"total pattern of human behavior and its products embodied in speech, action, and artifacts and dependent upon mans capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations†. There is today a heightened sense of connectedness and familiarity with people, events and cultural ways of living in distant places due to the capabilities brought about by the advancements in information and communication technologies. The television in particular global media, have not only made it possible but also fairly easy the interaction with other cultures through the availability of global communicative networks and social structures. These media organisations not only support but make it possible to bring distant images and content from one part of the globe to another within seconds. These immediate mediated experiences have led to the reduction in distance between individuals, society and nation states in terms of both time and space. Inadvertently, this process plays a significant role in cultural globalization by providing an extensive transnational supply of cultural media products from an international media culture and presents a challenge to existing local and national cultures. The proponents of cultural imperialism and media imperialism have long argued that global media with their continuous supply of western-based cultural content and their extensive structure promote a restructuring of cultural and social communities in developing countries. As such, global media is purported as having a crucial role in cultural globalization with their tendency toward homogenizing communities. Nevertheless, to assume cultural globalization as replacing the local ways of living is to presuppose the lack of resilience and creativity on the part of local cultures and also to overstate the role of the media technologies in shaping societies. It cannot be denied that of late there is an ever-growing increase and tendencies toward the consumption of transnational economic and cultural products. It is inevitable that the future years will see a greater struggle between the tensions toward globalization and the attempts to maintain and consolidate national communities. Media may have either a temporal or spatial bias, either making communication more durable over time or expanding the space across which communication may take place. The scope of such a bias can shape social, political and cultural relations as well as institutions. The development of communication technologies in the past few decades shows a tendency for spatial bias, resulting in greater ease in reaching remote parts of the world and crossing visible and invisible barriers. As a result, new communication technologies have proven effective in closing gaps in communication by ignoring national or communal boundaries as well as social differences. The consequence of adopting a new communication technology often goes beyond its basic function as a communication tool. Quite often, controversy arises over the impact of new technologies, which have been described as tools both to strengthen and weaken democratization, and both to liberalize and control the information flow. Excessive generalizations about the impact of media technologies, such as techno-positivism, techno-neutralism and techno-negativism, often fail to take into account various differences in social environments in which the technologies operate. Comments The issue of cultural imperialism emerged largely from communication studies. However, cultural imperialism has been used as a framework by scholars to explain phenomena in the areas of international relations, anthropology, education, science, history, literature, and sports. Censorship is a growing issue in Malaysia as it attempts to adapt to a modern knowledge-based economy. Malaysia has one of the worlds strictest forms of media censorship, with nearly a hundred movies banned in this decade alone on the pretext of upholding morality. The Internet however remains unfettered in line with upholding civil liberties and maintaining democratic spaces. In 2010, Malaysia was ranked 141st in the Worldwide Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders. It was also given a Partly Free status on the Freedom in the World report by Freedom House in 2008. On the Freedom in the World index, graded on a scale of one to seven, with one being the most free and seven being the least, Malaysia obtained four points for both political rights and civil liberties. Unlicensed use or possession of a printing press is illegal under the Printing Presses and Publications Act of 1984. Journalists are frequently given guidelines by the Prime Ministers Office when reporting sensitive issues, and media self-censorship is encouraged. The Film Censorship Board of Malaysia is the government agency responsible for granting licenses to the films for viewing. Malaysias censorship guidelines started out relatively lax. The guidelines were tightened in 2003 amid rising Islamic conservatism: kissing scenes and cleavages were censored, nudity and sex scenes were cut, and many movies were banned altogether. Censorship guidelines for local movie productions were subsequently eased in March 2010. After the negative reactions towards the censoring of an article concerning the 2011 Bersih 2. 0 rally, in mid-August 2011, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak stated that media censorship is no longer effective and that the government will review its current censorship laws. In today’s digital society, the increasing use of the internet had penetrated into many aspects of the civil society worldwide. One of the usages that are of concern is the emergence of social media in public discourse. The social media provides citizens with a medium that is relatively easy to access and free from government control. As such it becomes a space for public opinion expression, sharing of information, criticizing the status quo and voicing concerns on matters of personal and public interest. This study is interested in describing the potential role of the social media in breaking the hegemonic dominance of the mass media in Malaysia. Malaysians ability to communicate in real time in a borderless world with the aid of communication technology had redefined space and time where immediacy and transparency in global connections is heightened (Palmer, 2007). Access to information benefits the citizenry, as it would enable them to obtain as much information as possible to make appropriate decisions on matters of importance to them. Access to information also means access to sources in the Internet that may be placed by normal citizens who have their own views on current issues.  Participation here means the rights of citizens to air their views, their grievances and placing their stand on issues. Social media also encourage active discussions of issues. Conclusion The social media in a way functions like that of a normal mass media, containing information that is newsworthy to citizens. It enables the flow of information that is freer, more diversified and more immediate. This is said to be the equilibrium function of social media as it enables active citizens that are denied access of information to set up their own medium such as blogs and thus enabling others to have access to the information contained in them. Access to citizen information is the participative function of the social media. Citizens, through their ability to form information centers, to transmit information, and to share information, will feel a sense of participation in society particularly in the political discourse. If they have an opinion toward a certain issue they would get others to sympathize with them in efforts to win them to their side. It is also a forum for citizens who share the same perspectives to â€Å"gather† and interact without actually meeting face-to-face.

Intestinal Neoplasia Model Essay examples -- Biology,

The mammalian intestinal tract is structurally a tube that is divided into two segments: the small and large intestine. The inner wall consists of a simple epithelium called mucosa, which is responsible for the processing and absorption of nutrients (Sancho et al., 2003; Barker et al., 2008). The small intestine epithelium is folded into finger-like protrusions, called villi, directed toward the lumen; the valleys are invaginations into the sub-mucosa and are known as the crypts. In the large intestine, the mucosa lacks villi, and the crypts invaginate deep into the sub-mucosa. There are four distinctive, differentiated cell types in the mucosa to mediate the functions of the intestinal epithelium: enterocyte (EC), goblet cells (GC), enteroendocrine (EE), and Paneth cells (PC) (Radtke and Clevers, 2005; Barker et al., 2008). ECs are absorptive, and the others have secretory function. The epithelium renews its cells after every 4-5 days and is fueled by proliferative stem cells residi ng at the bottom of the crypt. In mammals, swallowed food passes through the esophagus to the stomach, where food accumulates and digestion proceeds; it then moves to the small intestine for nutrient absorption and later to the large intestine for further nutrient, water and electrolyte absorption. Finally, it reaches the rectum and anus for excretion (Thompson and Malagelada, 1981). Like mammalian intestine, Drosophila intestines also have similar tissue architecture and physiological function (Rubin, 2007). Developmentally, both the mammalian gut and Drosophila midgut are of endothelial in origin (Kedinger et al., 1987; Tepass and Hartenstein 1994). They comprise an epithelial monolayer of columnar or cuboidal cells called enterocytes. To maximize i... ...gle (E blast cell) lineage, is made of 20 cells arranged to form a tube with a central lumen. Each of these cell pairs forms an intestinal ring (II-IX int-rings). The most anterior intestinal ring (int ring I), is made of four cells. The apical surfaces of the intestinal cells carry numerous microvilli. In C. elegans, intestine carries out multiple functions that are executed by distinct organs of higher eukaryotes. The primary function of intestinal cells seems to be digestive since they secrete digestive enzymes (e. g. cysteine protease, endodeoxyribonuclease) into the lumen and take up processed material and nutrients. Intestine also seems to be a large storage organ since it contains a large number of assorted storage granules (White J., 1988)). The intestinal contents are excreted to the outside via a rectal valve that connects the gut to the rectum and anus.

Jeffersonian Republicans vs. Federalists

In regards to the United States constitution, Jeffersonian Republicans have been known as strict constructionists who had a narrow interpretation of the constitution following it to an extreme power. This was in opposition to the Federalists who had often followed a loose construction policy. And to a certain extent, the characterization of both of these parties was for the most part accurate during the presidencies of both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Though these parties stay pretty true to popular beliefs, with Jeffersonian Republicans being strict and Federalists being loose, at time this was proven to be in fact false.Thomas Jefferson and the Jeffersonian Republicans had become widely known as a strict constructionists even prior to the election of Jefferson. This is shown in a letter that Jefferson wrote to his colleague, and future cabinet member Gideon Granger which shows his true support for power to the states (Doc A. ) The letter states his strong feelings against t he power that the federal government held because he was fearful that if the federal government gained too much power and the states had too little power, then we would almost be creating a monarchy in the United States like Great Britain had done.Another prime example of his ideas of stronger state governments were stated in his letter to Samuel Miller in 1808 (Doc B. ) Jefferson firmly believed that he had no business in involving himself with religious activities as president as the Constitution had made no mention of such activities and therefore followed his strict construction principle by delegating those powers to the states. However, though Jefferson was a man who was mostly stuck to his principles of strict construction, there were often times were he would abandon his beliefs for what he believed was better for the nation.A prime example of such was during the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson had to make the final call on whether or not to take this giant mass of land and do uble the size of the United States, though he faced one major problem. Nowhere in the constitution did it state that Jefferson could solely purchase land for the country without consent, which forced him loosely interpret the constitution and use the â€Å"elastic clause† because this was believed to be necessary and proper for the nation.During Madison’s presidency, he also was able to stick to his principles of Jeffersonian Republicanism to a certain extent. In 1817, James Madison had addressed Congress following his vetoing of an Internal Improvements Bill due to his views of strict construction (Doc H. ) He believed that though this bill would in some respects help the country, the president was not given direct consent by the constitution to create roads and canals and control commerce.His belief in strict construction had forced him to make the ultimate decision of vetoing the bill. Henceforth, though Jefferson and Madison did mostly follow closely to the beliefs that Jeffersonian Republican party were founded on, they did not fully carry them out with some actions not corresponding to the initial ideals. The Jeffersonian Republican party was not the only party that had to wiggle their way around their initial ideas as the Federalist party was also partially facing difficulties at times.In 1814, when Congress was discussing a conscription bill that would enforce a draft of all men into the army, Daniel Webster (federalist) had violated his loose construction policy in an effort to fight this bill (Doc D. ) Webster had argued that nowhere in the constitution was it stated that a draft could be created and if such a law was passed, Congress would also have the power to create a dictator as well.Though he did believe in the idea that all Americans followed that went against a dictatorship, he abandoned his federalist ideas of loose construction in order to avoid a draft, even though it may have been â€Å"necessary and proper†. Federali sts were also having troubles in their party when they publically made their troubles clear during the Hartford Convention in 1815 (Doc E. ) Federalists had almost clearly trashed their party ideas and sided with the Jeffersonian Republicans when in many of their remarks they had called for a weak central government.For example, when the Embargo Act was destroying the American economy, the Federalists wanted to take away power from Congress by creating an amendment which would take away all embargos and any trade with any foreign country without a two-thirds majority of both houses. Usually they would be against this as they believed in a strong central government, but they completely contradicted themselves at the Hartford Convention making no progress and eventually the downfall of the Federalist party.Therefore, the Federalists had an extremely hard time staying true to their own ideals. The Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans had developed a polar opposite view of the const itution and government. One had devoted their views to strong state government and the other to strong central government. Jeffersonian Republicans (led by Jefferson and Madison), though wanting to stick to their ideas, faced much adversity when wanting to remain strict constructionists.Yet fortunately for them they proved the characterization of their party to be for the most part accurate. The Federalists did face much more problems as they would often contradict themselves and abandon their policies of loose constructions as shown during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison. It is almost impossible to follow a party’s principles to an extreme extent, as seen by both parties, so it is necessary for both to adjust to find a balance that would ultimately benefit the people of the nation.

A Wild Tongue And Frederick Douglass - 912 Words

In the Daily Gazette, Micaela Baranello states that Diane Anderson, a Swarthmore Education professor, emphasized, â€Å"The importance of realizing that just because students speak outside of the dominant discourse does not mean they are deficient, but rather that they are different† (Baranello). This demonstrates that if someone is different somehow, it should not degrade them, and that is what both Gloria Anzaldua in How to Tame a Wild Tongue and Frederick Douglass in Learning to Read explain in their texts. Even though Anzaldua promotes language identity while Douglass encourages an overall education, they both promote social justice and tolerance through the role of literacy. In her passage, Anzaldua claims that language is an identity. She stresses the importance of how people who speak Chicano Spanish are viewed as inferior due to it not being a real language. Anzaldua reveals that â€Å"repeated attacks on [their] native tongue diminish[es] [their] sense of self† (532). Being criticized by the language one speaks causes a low self-esteem and a misconstruction of identity. It can lead a person to stop or hide the usage of their language thus suppressing one’s self. She highlights the discrimination of Chicanos, so people are aware of it therefore encouraging tolerance and social justice. Anzaldua argues that â€Å"until [she is] free to write bilingually and to switch codes without having to always translate. . .[her] tongue will be illegitimate† (533). This shows how truly sheShow MoreRelatedThe Value Of Wisdom And Experiences1339 Words   |  6 PagesHe claims that as a kid, he reminds himself that he is a â€Å"smart Indian boy† even though it is not recognized on a reservation or even if non-Indian teachers believe that Indian children are stupid. Similarly, in â€Å"Learning to Read and Write,† Frederick Douglass demonstrates that slaves are entitled to have the same rights to learn about reading and writing as any other Americans. He testifies that his masters, including his fellow slaves believe that slavery and education were not compatible. MoreoverRead MoreThe Joy Of Reading And Writing : Superman And Me, By Sherman Alexie1359 Words   |  6 Pagesclaims that as a kid, he reminds himself that he is a â€Å"smart Indian boy† even though it is not recognized on a reservation or even when non-Indian teachers believe that Indian children are stupid. Similarly, in â€Å"Learning to Read and Write,† Frederick Douglass demonstrates that slaves are entitled to have the same rights to learn about reading and writing as any other Americans. He testifies that his masters, including his fellow slaves believe that slavery and education were not compatible. MoreoverRead More Social and Legal Definitions of Slavery Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave3974 Words   |  16 Pagesrose. (Douglass 112, chapt. 10) In Chapter 10 of Frederick Douglass Narrative of the Life of... an American Slave, Douglass describes an important incident in which he forces backward the standard master-slave hierarchy of beating privileges against his temporary master, Mr. Covey. The victory proves for Douglass a remarkable source of renewed yearning for freedom and of self-confidence; as he rose physically, standing up to fight, he rose in spirit. Covey did not have Douglass in the senseRead MoreThemes Of The Fireside Poets2095 Words   |  9 Pagesmaterials. The slaves of the south, in this era, were the backbone for producing the crop. The Triangular Slave Trade assisted with the supply of slaves here. Slavery ?seemed? fantabulous in the south, but morally incorrect. Abolitionist like Frederick Douglass were steadily rising. Authors started ascending and gaining fame for this country for the first time. The poets started receiving as much fame as the Europeans across the sea. Although the Fireside Poets were the first American poets to gain