Friday, April 3, 2020

Influence of Media on Teenagers free essay sample

Invariably, this powerful influence shapes the ways in which viewers or participants perceive the world and their own place within that world. Given that teenagers are often highly impressionable and subject to such influences, this survey will consider the effects of media on this particular age group. Specifically, the survey will consider the ways of media influence on teens and at the end, solutions for the problems related to them. Key words: The mass media, teenagers, influence, televsion, internet, facebook, shaping opinions REZIME Mediji vrse ogroman, skoro normativni uticaj na zivote ljudi, zena, omladine i dece. To utice, posebno medju tinejdzerima, na nacine na koje se pojedinci i grupe oblace, razgovaraju, ponasaju i misle. Mediji u formi filmova, televizije, radija i stampe, kao i novi elektronski medij komunikacije na internetu, pomazu povezivanju pojedinca sa drugim u svetu. Bez izuzetaka, ovaj mocni uticaj oblikuje nacine na koje gledaoci ili ucesnici dozivljavaju svet i svoje mesto u okviru tog sveta. We will write a custom essay sample on Influence of Media on Teenagers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page S obzirom da je tinejdzere veoma lako imresionirati i da lako podlezu uticajima, ovo istrazivanje ce razmotriti efekte medija na ovom uzrastu. Konkretno istrazivanje ce razmotriti nacine uticaja medija na tinejdzere i na kraju resenja problema vezanih za njih. Kljucne reci: mediji, tinejdzeri, uticaj, televizija, internet, facebook, oblikovanje misljenja 1 The mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are used for mass communication, and to the organizations which control these technologies. Since the 1950s, in the countries that have reached a high level of industrialization, the mass media consisting of cinema, radio and TV has a key role in political power. The mass media plays a significant role in shaping public perceptions on a variety of important issues, both through the information that is dispensed through it and through the interpretations it places upon this information. It also plays an important role in shaping modern culture, by selecting and portraying a particular set of beliefs, values, and traditions (an entire way of life), as reality. That is, by portraying a certain interpretation of reality, it shapes reality to be more in line with that interpretation. The mass media consists of the internet, television, newspapers and radio. The Internet is significantly more influential than any other media. It is nearly twice as influential as TV and eight times more influential than traditional print media. The mass media is good for socializing and important in reporting people essential information and news, but it very often wastes people time and distracts their attention. The mass media has a huge influence on people of all ages but teenagers are exposed to mass media more than any other adults are. In lack of interesting places for socializing and leisure activities, teenagers turn to social networks which are more available and cheaper than other ways for searching companionships. The internet is absolutely the winner when we talk about the influence of media on teenagers. The other media like TV and newspapers are less but also present in teenagers’ proportion of daily activities. During this period of growing up, they try to talk, dress and behave like popular TV and music stars. They choose which group of people to belong to, and friends to hang out with. If you want to keep in step with modern technology, it is almost impossible to resist the need to join Facebook, Twitter or MySpace Teenagers ignore their studying and sport activities in exchange for sitting in front of their computers. Their body does not develop and grow properly and they often have health problems. Teenagers’ views on things, attitudes and opinions change a lot too. They copy styles of famous people and sometimes forget who they really are. They try to look like celebrities but they do not know how to get good marks at school. The internet imposes a model of style, behaviour, attitudes and fashion and that makes children look alike and act similarly. When you walk down the street, you can see many teens wearing the same clothes. Rich children slur poor ones and that becomes very normal in teen societies. As we can see, the influence of media on teenagers is very big and it probably goes in the wrong direction. What is more, it has a very painful and harmful effect on growing up What should we do or better still, what is necessary to be done to stop the negative influence of the mass media on teenagers? Is it too late? We must do something before it gets too late. Sport and science must become our priorities and they must be promoted more than nowadays so that teenagers can become more interested in them†¦ That will change their attitudes and the way of thinking and in that way their way of life will be changed a lot. 2 Everyone has their own entertainment Every teenager has his own activities and things he loves doing in his free time. There are too many leisure activities and the choice is big. They can read, play computer games, watch TV, go for a walk, run, or surf the Internet. Their period of growing up is specific because every activity becomes boring to them after some time of doing it. Because of that, teenagers tend to do something new all the time. What they will choose depends on the character of each child. The survey showed that: Walking and sports are very good for children’s health and proper physical and mental growth. In this respect, boys are better than girls are. Walking and sports are favourite pastime for them. 57% of them love doing sports and going walking. On the other hand, only 27. % of girls prefer physical activities as their favourites. Every third girl and every fourth boy choose chatting on the internet or texting their friends as their free time activities. Also 24. 5% of girls and 7% of boys like wasting their time watching TV. I must notice that it is too much wasted time and it is unhealthy, too. Chatting on the Internet and texting friends is never and can never be the same as hanging out with friends in the park or o n the football pitch. Reading, which should be the most popular, is the last on the teenagers’ list in this statistics. Namely, only 13% of boys, the same as girls, like reading. Everything is good, but in moderation. I stronlgy believe that parents must try to spend more time with their children and try to find what the best is for them. Teenagers’ leisure time is stolen by the mass media As it is already mentioned, the influence of media on teenagers is very big. They spend too many hours being entertained by the mass media. Today when technology has rapidly progressed an average student must use modern devices because if he does not do that there is no future for him. Some boys and girls spend more than 10 hours per day being entertained by the mass media, which is, everybody agrees, too much. Some of them spend even more than 70 or 80 hours, which becomes their obsession. That might sound strange but examples like this really exist. In my school more than 40 % of girls do not know how many hours per week they spend being entertained by the mass media. Statistically speaking â€Å"only† 17. 5% of boys gave the same answer. 3 17% of girls and 16% of boys are entertained by the mass media less than 20 hours. Three of ten girls and one of five boys spend about 25 hours trying to do not know find some fun on TV or surfing the less than 20 net†¦. Merely 14% girls spend more than 35, but 47% boys spend more than 35 about 25 hours being entertained by the mass more than 35 media. In my opinion that is too many hours per week of â€Å"socializing â€Å"with the mass media per week. Teenagers who waste their time doing stupid things can find something more useful for them and their surrounding. Certainly, there can always be something that they can do instead and that can be useful. For example, teenagers can organize an association for helping the environament, or some groups of support, or go out and help people in need. Hours per week The mass media’s effects We live in a society that depends on information and communication to keep moving in the right direction and do our daily activities like work, entertainment, health care, education, personal relationships, travelling and everything else that we have to do. If we want to be well informed and have friends, we must be over exposed to the mass media. Unfortunately, that can make people do some things before they think about that and that can often change their life How does the mass media affect teens? The media effects on teenagers can be different. Sometimes it can help us and give good advice, but I am afraid, there are more negative things that teenagers can adopt by spending too many hours entertained by the mass media In my research about half of the repondents answered that the mass media has more positive than negative effects on them. On the other hand 40 % of students said entertaining media causes more negative ones. There are some positive and negative influences on young people. Here is a positive influence example: if there is a sport that is getting a lot of attention by the media and gains popularity among your friends and society, you will more likely want to practice that sport and be cool with all your friends. The result is that you will have fun with your friends and be healthier because of the exercise you are doing. 4 One of the most positive effects of media today is the ease with which teenagers have learned to embrace technology – be it the computers, Internet or the ipods. The teenagers have no phobia for technology. Media has also contributed to increase the overall awareness of teenagers about their surroundings. In addition to this, media has also resulted in enhanced overall knowledge and understanding of curriculum subjects owing to the vast information resources that the media has to offer. If managed properly, media can be effectively used to generate awareness amongst teenagers about issues like sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, drugs, alcohol and smoking. These are the negative effects of mass media on teenagers they buy what they see on TV, what their favorite celebrity advertise and what is acceptable by society based on the fashion that the media has imposed on them. TV, newspapers or magazines promote bad ones to be products we can trust and also based on what everyone else that we know is buying, and their decision is mostly based on the media. In adittion to this, one of the most profitable business is serving calorie food in the media, which is tasty and almost all of us love it, even though it can be very harmful to our health. Another negative influence on teenagers that has grown over the last years are anorexia and obesity. There are millions of adolescents fighting obesity, but at the same time they are exposed to thousands of advertisements of junk food, while the ideal image of a successful person is told to be thin and wealthy. Moreover, more women are obsessive with losing weight even when they are not obese. There are many thin women that want to look like the super models and thin celebrities so they engage in eating disorders which leads to severe 5 health issues and even death. The answer to my question about teenagers’ becoming lazy, aggressive, too skiny or obese because of the mass media was not surprising more than 85 percent declared that teens can fall under such an influence of the media. Apart from that, about half of respondents said the mass media does not influence their lifestyle in the sense of changing their eating habits and perception of the ideal body image. However, 80 % of the interviewed underscored the role of the media in cahanging habits in nutrition and their personal style, as well as the perfect body look. Moreover, when we watch TV or a movie, we usually see many images of violence and people hurting others. The problem with this is that it can become a traumatic experience especially with our children, as we see it more and more. Our kids that are starting to grow and are shaping their personality, values and beliefs can become aggressive or they can lose a sense of reality. In the past years there have been some cases of kids carrying a gun at school and even hurting others with it. Those kids have been linked to excessive use of violent video games and war images. In my opinion the way to stop or prevent bad and negative influence of the media is to learn how to use it safely. Teenagers should set aside a part of their day for noneducational media, such as TV, and keep the rest of the day separate. They should also respect their limit and do not go over it. In my opinion, young people shouldn’t spend more than one or two hours in front of a screen — TV, computer and movies — each day. Everyone ought to be able to separate fiction from reality in the media and use their own judgment. Using knowledge about media will help teens to stay safe and healthy as well. And a message to all the yound people: Just because you are growing up in the world run by media does not mean you have to be one of the medias statistics! How big is the role of the mass media in shaping up your opinion? Too many teenagers are exposed to the mass media. While they watch TV or spend time on facebook, they â€Å"absorb† other people’s opinions and start looking up to different ‘celebrities’. Teenagers change their attitudes and behaviour, too. There are several more negative media effects on teenagers as well. The amount of excessive violence in media – be it the television, movies or the video games, tends to increase aggressive tendencies in teenagers. The amount of celebrities created by the media causes many children to make irrational demands for designer clothing, accessories and other perks of the celebrity life that they are exposed to. Glorification of unhealthy habits like smoking, drug abuse and alcohol can encourage these habits in teenagers, which can permanently scar their lives. 6 Only 2% of girls and 4% of boys admit that they surely shape up their opinions while they are exposed to the mass media. 29% of girls and 43% of boys disagree that they form opinions under the influence of the mass media. They say that there is no way that they do this. Every third girl and every fourth boy believes that the mass media play an important role in shaping up their opinion. In addition to this, some of them or 2/5 girls and 3/10 boys think that it depends on what kind of shows and programs they watch or sites on the Internet where they surf. I am sure that it does not matter what people in the mass media say, every teenager ought to have his own opinion and attitudes and to be unique in everything they do. In my opinion, each person is individual and should not try to be someone else. Teenagers should believe in themselves because only in that way will they achieve what they dream about. Homework is not as funny as the media is The days of children coming home from school, eating homemade lunch and cookies and then going outside to play with their friends until it is time to do homework are gone. Today, older children are often home alone after school. As a result, they sometimes are tempted to spend their time being entertained with video games, watching television, downloading music and chatting on the Internet instead of doing their homework and more active leisure activities. These temptations are all competing for childrens time at the expense of their education, health and well-being. Teenagers spend about 6 hours at school. They should also study at home and do their exercises and practice. Their parents sometimes give them house chores so sometimes boys must mow the lawn or girls must do the washing up or iron clothes. Actually, do teenagers do their obligations and chores? Do they have time for any of their obligations and duties after the whole day spent in front of the TV or surfing the Internet? The statistic is devastating. More than 60% girls and 50% boys neglect their studying in favour of being over exposed to the mass media. Every fifth girl and every fourth boy do not do what they should do almost every day and disregard studying. It is shocking to find out that only one of ten girls and one of five boys rarely waste their time being exposed to the mass media. Furthermore, 12. 5 % girls and 11% boys neglect their studying. As we can see boys and girls have the same habits, which are, unfotunately, wrong. It should be clear to everyone that good results at school cannot be achieved without hard work and practicing at home. In my opinion, teenagers should try to realize what is more important, turn off their computers and TVs and start studying. Face -to-face is not â€Å"cool† Relationships with others are at the heart of adolescent experience. Young people are concerned with making and keeping friends, and they invest a great deal of energy in group social life in order to do so. They place a lot of importance on belonging, on being included and on being part of a group. Group affiliation not only supplies emotional security, but also is a source of status and reputation with motivational properties. Thus the group context of social relations assumes a centrally important place in personality development during the adolescent years. 7 Due to the speed of life, the day of 24 hours is short and in the absence of time, young people, in order to meet their need for company of others, must find a way to keep in touch with the people around them. Social networks are an ideal solution for this problem, but in many cases that leads to the formation depending on the chat, and send messages with friends. Also ignored are the old forms of communication and often face-to-face conversations are being neglected today. New media such as the internet and cell phones are not only easily accessible, but also cooler than for example writing letters. Sometimes you can hear from teens that that ways of talking are old-fashioned and not interesting. Of all respondents 60% said that the popular media are better than those who are left behind. On the other hand, one of five teens thinks that the face-to-face communication is normal feature of the human race. However, when asked whether a conversation over a cup of coffee can replace the chat on the internet 4 / 5 students stated that this is impossible and it is better to talk about the problems ’live’ with a friend or someone who will listen and understand you. I do not know how this is possible, but it is obvious that teenagers grab these new media as a modern way of communication, but they still know that what they are doing is wrong. Social networks are increasingly spreading among the young ones, but I hope that they will soon realize what the best for them is. Reading, who cares about that? Reading books was very popular in the past†¦ Students had to read school books and every child had to read books at home†¦ There was no TV and reading was the only way to have some fun†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Romeo and Juliet†, â€Å"20 000 leagues under the sea† and â€Å"Don Quixote† are some of the most famous books in the world†¦ They were read a lot up to about 20-30 years ago, but now some children have never even heard of these books. This might seem funny, but when you ask a teenager about some famous writer and he does not know to tell you anything about him, you will realise how big this problem is. In addition, you should know that they will think you are crazy when you can ask something like that†¦ That simply is not cool†¦. The survey conducted in my school showed that: 17% of girls and 33. 5% of boys never read books recreationally which I think is so bad for them†¦Books are very important because by reading them we not only increase our vocabulary but also our knowledge and knowledge is the food for the mind and soul. Two of five girls and one of five boys read books often†¦.. and 21. 5% of girls and only 10% of boys read books hardly ever read. 24% of girls and 37% of boys sometimes read books. 8 I wonder how students can improve their knowledge without reading. It is hard to say. When we read we learn new things and we find what we are interested in or what we would love to do. Reading also increases our ability to imagine and we become more creative. The statistics suggests that books are not very popular and interesting for children. I think teachers should talk to students and try to explain them that reading as well as travelling broadens our horizons. TV and the Internet can also play a great part in popularising reading among teenagers. Playing sport is healthy Many teens in high school go for sports. A lot of them try one sport or another because they think it will make them popular or get them more dates. While this may seem like a silly reason, there are lots of other benefits of sports that teenagers may overlook. Here are some reasons: With TV, movies, computers, and video games becoming more and more popular, it has become so much easier for teens to be by themselves rather than going out with friends. Kids used to hang out in parks or drive around town; now they just sit at home. Getting teens into sports gives them the opportunity to go out and socialize. While they may not find a new best friend, they will learn how to interact and work as a team; something they will find useful later in life. One of the biggest problems in our society today is obesity, and it is not just a problem with adults. More and more kids are becoming overweight. Joining a team sport will help teens get out and get some exercise without feeling pressured to lose weight or get in shape. Plus, if he or she sees that their physical condition is causing them to under-perform, they may be motivated to do other activities to get healthy. By the time when children reach their teenager years they will know the direction and be encouraged to continue developing a healthy style of living. In my school 3/5 of examined said that they play some sport and most of them are boys. It is a big problem because more than 60% girls do not love and play any. Most of the students who said they play sports emphasized that they do that because they love it and it is healthy 9 and helps them to stay fit and slim. This is good for their life and I think they should carry on and make their peers do the same. Something about the most popular social network Facebook Facebook (stylized facebook) is a social networking service and website launched in 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. As of January 2011, Facebook has more than 600 million active users. Users may create a personal profile, add other users as friends, and exchange messages, including automatic notifications when they update their profile. Additionally, users may join common interest user groups, organized by workplace, school or college, or other characteristics. Facebook is the most popular social network in Serbia too. Some kids spend more than 7 hours per day on Facebook. I asked pupils in my school what teenagers would do in case facebook stopped to exist. Most of them said that they would do nothing or would not know what to do. There are some students who think that it would be a very big, bed, global problem because millions of users would be disappointed, nervous and fall into depression. But, there are those who hope new facebook will appear soon so that they can move to other social networks. Some respondents said life would go on and they would study more, hang out with their friends, and pay more attention to reading. If this ever happens, young people will have a chance to turn to a healthier way of life and growing up. Conclusion How would teeangers imagine an ideal day without mass media? There is a wide range of activities they can do. Students said that they would turn to sport, walking around the town, hiking, having barbecues, reading, studying more and they were really creative while thinking about that.

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Capitonyms Are Separate Cases

Capitonyms Are Separate Cases Capitonyms Are Separate Cases Capitonyms Are Separate Cases By Mark Nichol Some words, in a class called capitonyms, have distinct meanings or senses when they are capitalized as opposed to generic senses. Writers should take care to render these words as appropriate to the context. Among capitonyms are several words denoting astronomical bodies. For example, one writes that Earth is orbited by the Moon and in turn orbits the Sun. However, when we refer to the surface soil of that planet, or employ an idiom such as â€Å"down to earth,† the proper form is earth. Likewise, if we write about the planet’s satellite or the star around which our world orbits, but from the terrestrial perspective, we generally lowercase the names for example, â€Å"The moon is full tonight† and â€Å"The sun passed behind the clouds.† (References to moons and suns beyond our solar system are also lowercased.) Geographical capitonyms include arctic, often capitalized in reference to Earth’s northern regions but generic when referring to cold temperature or mood (Antarctic, by contrast, is generally styled as a proper noun), and alpine, which is capitalized only in reference to the Alps, in Europe. In politics, such words as democratic, republican, conservative, liberal, socialist, and communist, generic references to concepts of political thought that serve as nouns and adjectives, are capitalized when referring to a political organization or a member of such an organization. The treatment of god depends on whether one refers to a deity in general or to that of the Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism). In philosophical or religious contexts, words for qualities such as truth and beauty are often capitalized to signal the significance of the conceptual connotation. Another religious term that may or may not be capitalized is mass, referring to a religious ceremony. It is often capitalized when referring to a specific religious ceremony (for example, â€Å"High Mass†) but is lowercased in generic references to such events (â€Å"He performed several masses†), as is the word when it refers to the unrelated meaning of physical phenomena. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:25 Subordinating Conjunctions"Owing to" vs "Due to"Shore It Up

Friday, February 21, 2020

Management Accounting - World Class Manufacturing Essay

Management Accounting - World Class Manufacturing - Essay Example Current trends emphasize world class manufacturing (WCM) which highlights maximum manufacturing efficiency in businesses, and customer and workforce satisfaction. WCM is regarded as "manufacturing systems which demonstrates best industry practice( World Class Manufacturing)." Accordingly, a world class manufacturer is a firm which displays excellence in key competitive points like quality, price, delivery speed, delivery reliability, flexibility and innovation. Its main features is the utilization of a total quality management (TQM) approach, highly flexible and motivated workforce, Just-in-Time (JIT) manufacturing philosophy, and the pursuit of satisfying customers at a global level. Consistent with the goal of a world class manufacturer, TQM denotes a set of management practices within the organization which are implemented to ensure the quality of products and services offered. The primary goal of TQM is the production of commodities which consistently meets or even exceeds customer requirements. This feature of world class manufacturing emphasizes process measurement and controls to pursue continuous improvement (John Stark Associates 2000). However, TQM does not just involve the production system or processes of the company but embraces the whole operation of a manufacturing business. Implementing TQM involves modifying the whole organization as it has strong bearing on the culture, attitude, and organization of the company. TQM culture requires the unmatched quality in all aspects of the company's operations "with things being done right first time, and defects and waste eradicated from operations (John Stark Associates 2000)." Important aspects of TQM incl ude customer-driven quality, top management leadership and commitment, continuous improvement, fast response, actions based on facts, employee participation, and a TQM culture (John Stark Associates 2000). A flexible and highly motivated workforce is another essential feature of WCM. As discussed above, WCM as opposed to the traditional manufacturing implements a totally innovative approach in operations which has a huge impact on employees. WCM needs a flexible workforce as these employees will not handle production in the traditional assembly line. WCM often requires teams which work together to finish an output. Specialization of jobs is often displaced in WCM replaced by "job enrichment." This new approach is intended to eliminate boredom and lessen employee dissatisfaction. Job enrichment is geared to "expand the scope of the job with a greater variety of tasks, vertical in nature, that require self-sufficiency (Mione 2005)." Thus, in WCM it is imperative that employees are flexible to take on a more responsibilities. Motivation is also increased as jobs are "enriched" and employees become are empowered. Motivation, in turn is a great factor in the success of WCM. In this new manu facturing approach, employees need to be motivated to excel in their job to produce the best job results. A highly flexible and motivated workforce results into a high quality product which is the main goal of WCM. JIT is a manufacturing philosophy which aims to

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

DFQ Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DFQ - Term Paper Example differential equation and its significant contribution to the cooling of temperatures, which is one particular area of interest as far as the subject of real life situations, is concerned. Additionally, it is imperative to note that the first order differential equation that will be applied in determining the rate, timing and quantity of temperature cooling is an ordinary differential equation of first order. A first order differential equation conforms to the linearity of ordinary differential equations since the derivative part of the equation exists in the first degree (Abell & Braselton, 2004). As a result, the general representation of a first order differential equation of linear type can be represented by the following formula, Where dy/dx is the derivative part, P and Q are referred to as continuous functions of the variable x. in addition, X and y represents variables that are subject to manipulation. The above-mentioned formulation is the standard form of a first order linear differential equation, thus, the derivative solutions of such equation, first takes into consideration the re-writing of any equation in standard format before working on it in terms of derivation (Abell & Braselton, 2004). Moreover, if a differential equation contains coefficients preceding the derivative part, it is recommended that the coefficients be divided throughout the equation to ensure uniformity. When the derivative is preceded by a constant or any other variable they must be divided through the whole equation to obtain the standard form of the ordinary differential equation (Abell & Braselton, 2004). The analytical solution represents the general solution of the equations and it is imperative to note that it contains arbitrary constants, which can only be calculated, if there is the presence of initial value problems (Abell & Braselton, 2004). Therefore, the solution can be given by the following set of equations The numerical solution of a first order differential

Monday, January 27, 2020

Impact Of Dei Verbum In Roman Catholic Church Religion Essay

Impact Of Dei Verbum In Roman Catholic Church Religion Essay Throughout the history of Christianity, the church has convened a number of councils in order to clarify teachings, address problems, or enact reforms. In many instances, these councils have resulted in momentous turning point in the course of Christian church history. These councils also attempt to respond to the urgent needs of the emerging generation during this modern era. The general councils began in Nicaea in 325, convened at intervals throughout the first millennium and the medieval period, struggled with the age of reformations to the modern world, with a total of 21 councils convened in the span of more than 1600 years. Unlike other councils before the modern era, the opening of Vatican councils seemed to create new perspectives for the Roman Catholics especially in more specific areas on their beliefs and practices. Vatican II was reopened in 1962 by John XXIII which it stunned many by his actions. Shortly after ordination as the pope in 1949, John XXIII believed the church ought to look at the state of the world in order to meet the impending needs of the people. With that, preparation lasted for almost four years and the entire council stretched across four autumns until the 16 documents were completed. In the process, there are two majors camp of people, one who were called the conservatives disputing the fact that the church needed no change at all and the convening of Vatican II was not necessary. The church is self-sufficient and to avoid that happened during the Enlightenment period, the ideal way is to insulate itself behind a powerful structure that would claim to have all the answers. While others were keen to see a new millennium coming forth through Vatican II and Christians from other denominations such as the Lutherans, Episcopalians, Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Quake rs were cordially invited. This was a revolutionary move by the Pope John XXII. Although, John XXII did not manage to see through the council, his post-decessor Pope Paul VI continued this council and brought it to completion.  [2]   Among all the various key documents of Vatican II, Dei Verbum (DV) (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation) could be considered one of most well received and a foundational component on Catholics thinking on revelation, exegesis and the use of the bible in the Roman Catholic Church. Hence, to what extent does the DV theological idea applied in the 21st century context? Therefore, it would be attempted to present the impact of DV in the current and local context.  [3]   Looking at the rear mirror of church history, there were tremendous issues surrounding the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) especially during the medieval period. Probably the first threat to the divine revelation came from Marcions denial of the Scripture and the nature of God appeared in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Shortly after this, the Gnostics came into the scene whereby they typically claimed to have secret revelations from Jesus, incorporated new systems of beliefs which are inconsistent with the Church. Consequently, the Catholics became more restrictive in the availability of the scripture to the people. RCC believed that God revealed Himself to the people through Jesus Christ. On the other hand, RCC viewed these divine revelations as being originally transmitted primarily by oral means (Sacred Tradition) and later by written means (Sacred Scripture). These Scared Tradition Scared Scripture were additional to the bible. With this emphasis, the bible is not con sidered to be the exhaustive, comprehensive teaching of the Christian Faith. Rather, Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture together are considered the integral source of divine revelation, as explained in the new Catechism of the Catholic Church: Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, then, are bound closely together and communicate one with the other. For both of them, flowing out of the same divine well-spring, come together in some fashion to form one thing and move towards the same goal. Each of them makes present and fruitful in the Church the mystery of Christ, who promised to remain with his own always, to the close of the age.  [4]   With this notion, RCC tend to weigh more heavily on the catechisms as compared to the bible. For this reason, translation and transmission of the bible was not placed on emphasis. Besides this reason, extensive manpower and efforts required to recopy the text. RCC was fearful that the bible could be stolen and abused by individuals. Hence, the reproduction of this decreased during the middle ages and people generally do not have access to the bible.  [5]  The bible basically played a subordinate role in the lives of the believers. Ecclesiastical authorities restricted people to access scriptures and normally reserved for certain level of bishops.  [6]   With the introduction in DV through Vatican II, Scared Tradition was stated as not being static and unchanging but constantly developing through the guidance of the Holy Spirit to a fuller and deeper understanding of the truth. This ongoing of development does not mean the truth but rather the grasping of the truth by the believers.  [7]  Thus, DV call the RCC to return to the main source which is the bible. Like most of the sixteen documents, Dei Verbum was carefully, even passionately considered, but in many ways the subject of Revelation was exceptional, being fundamental to Vatican II in several respects.  [8]  Joseph Ratzinger mentioned that it is important to note that only Scripture is defined in terms of what it is: it is stated that Scripture it the word of God consigned to writing. Tradition, however, is described only functionally, in terms of what it does: it hands on the word of God, but it is not the word of God  [9]   As such a new movement brought forth many renewed faith within the Catholics and their access to proper understanding of the Scriptures.  [10]  The Council then laid down new direction which promoted the reading and studying of biblical texts in a new way. The manner through which Catholics gained new access to the Scriptures was at least the five following ways. Firstly, the Catholics are able to hear the preaching of the word in the communitys vernacular. Before Vatican II, the priest celebrated Mass in Latin with his back facing the people, making the action of the Mass seem far away. It was easy for the faithful to fall into the role of spectators. Now the assembly is more actively engaged, helping us to experience all of us celebrating the Eucharist with the priest. Vatican II liturgy mentioned that the members should be full, conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations (#14).  [11]  This phenomenon occurred during the 4th century when St Jerome was com missioned by Pope Damasus I to translate to the Latin language and by 13th century, it became the commonly used translation in the Roman Empire.  [12]  With that, most of the masses were conducted in Latin where the indigenous languages were ignored in this situation. Consequently, the nominal people would have minimum understanding of the passage. By and large, the language Latin was not well received in most part of the community and shortly after, the language seemed to be lost. Also, since this is not their native language, the believers would find it difficult to understand and make sense of it. With DVs proposal of using indigenous languages, the believers were able to understand the message preached. According to the Catholic leader, he mentioned similar phenomenon in the RCC in Singapore and how this new dimension added life within the Church and more people are eager to hear the message.  [13]  It appeared that in the past, most people attended the mass because of a form of obligation and doze off during the proceeding. The many reasons given were that they do not understand the meaning of the message. With this new initiative, the preaching became more relevant at least the native language to the local context. Secondly, there was a change in the form of sermons from just a regurgitation of the bible to homiletical preaching: From a liturgical format to a homiletically manner. DV recognized that biblical exegetical plays an essential and positive role in the understanding of the bible. Moreover, it would add substance to the delivery of the message and allow the revelation to fill human hearts more and more  [14]  The efficacy of the word of God depends on the careful preparation and delivery of the message on the pulpit; this requires good training. Efforts were placed in making the sermon digestible and applicable. Therefore, the use of preaching has been increasing to bring a biblical message into the hearts of believers, but sadly, it is not yet universal. In the local context, there seemed to be more of such homiletical preaching occurring among the RCC.  [15]   Next is the liberty for personal bible study by the individual Catholic. This is something uncommon before the Vatican II as the bible is known as the authoritative and scared text, where only the bishops, the academics or scholars were able to read and make interpretations of it. The effects of releasing the Holy Scripture to all were seen from the Protestants movement whereby numerous interpretations arise within the short span of time.  [16]  Besides, it might appear that the bible is not scared enough that only the bishop has the access to it. Thus, the availability of the bible to Catholics became restricted due to the theological, social and also various heretical religious movements. Looking in retrospection, Vatican II created some impact in this area whereby Catholics are able to access to the bible in their native language allowing the Logos and Rehma word of God to be spoken during their devotional time. From a unidirectional reception to a bidirectional, believers are able to directly communion with God through the bible. The Church today encourages its members to make use of new methods of Scripture study and to cherish the Scriptures. Catholics are growing in their understanding of the Bible through the benefits of historical research, literary analysis and archaeological findings. Church documents wisely steer Catholics away from literal-minded approaches and from reading the Bible as if it were a science or history textbook. Since Vatican II, there is fairly widespread of the RCC participation in bible study groups, often advance by Ecclesial movements such as the Neo-catechumenate and the monastic tradition of  Lectio divina. It is sometimes ecumenical in nature whereby the study with Protestants or the Jews and they almost always find both enlightening and enriching. This action was illustrated in the DV 6 (no. 22) if these translations are produced in cooperation with the separated brethren as well, all Christians will be able to use them  [17]  that encouraged the RCC to make peace with the Protestant Bible Societies and work with them. Although there have been a longstanding hostility, full collaboration between the Catholic Biblical Federation and the United Bible Societies was soon established, bringing a notable increase in production of vernacular versions all over the world.  [18]   Similar collaboration has developed with publishers of daily bible reading aids such as the Bible Reading Fellowship, though in this country, at least, nothing seems to check a lamentable decline in general knowledge of the Bible.  [19]   As such, bible study became a central activity of the reformer groups which sprang up especially among the poor. More often than not, it was their daily reading of the bible that brought light into their own situation which was the main cradle of liberation theology.  [20]  In the local context, similar trends were observed in Singapore as well where such practices mushroomed. Many RCCs instituted bible study within the congregations on a regular basis where the believers examine the scripture. Such phenomenon was not evident before Vatican II. With this, Catholics became more familiar with the bible and equipped to defend their faith.  [21]   Finally, the last trajectory, posed a more complex issue to be addressed. It is the formal and scholarly pursuit of biblical study in the academy. Although the goal of academic study is to enable the deepening understanding of the Scripture, the methodologies employed might be deliberately bracketed faith. Since, most Catholic biblical scholar adopted certain methodologies from the Protestants colleagues, they might realized some incompatibility of the certain traditions practiced in the Catholic Church to deviate from the original intention of the Scripture. However, such rigorous academic study facilitated the understanding of the bible from a more holistic manner (theological, cultural, social and context). Consequently, some Catholics started to realize that certain doctrines seemed to be inconsistent with the Holy Scripture and some abandoned certain practices in the Catholic faith. Conversely, some others turned away from the Catholic faith and embraced the Protestant beliefs.à ‚  [22]  Also, many lay leaders are able to learn the bible from a theological angle, able to defend their faith. In Singapore, there are many such theological training evolving within the different Roman Catholic Churches and programme were developed to educate and trained lay ministers.  [23]  Growing numbers of lay women and men are attending theology schools, leading and/or joining Bible study groups and reading an array of solid articles or books on the subject. Priests and religious are no longer the only Scripture experts. Therefore, it is evident in RCC that such changes are happening now and hopefully will be ongoing. Since Vatican II, many speculations about the impact were raised, and it seemed there is an effect of change in the RCC circle as being more biblical, and personal faith; returning back to the original intent of God. Although, many of us were too young to think of Vatican II except as history, this phenomenon caused an effect in the universal church especially in the Catholic circle. According to the RCC in Singapore, many of the believers started getting more involved and serious in studying the bible. In this sense, it also means that wave from Vatican II remain active in both the academic and among the people of the RCC. Although some changes were seen in the RCC, it is heartbreaking to see the overwhelming cases of sex abuse scandals within the RCC, which caused a stir among congregations. Questions were raised regarding the credibility of these priests and the role of the scripture in their lives and casted doubts on the transformation in the RCC due to Vatican II. In conclusion , with the inception of Vatican II, there has been a vast enrichment of the lectionary for Mass and the readings for daily prayer of the Church and made a tremendous impact in the RCC. Hopefully this will continue to fulfill its original intention by Pope Paul XXIII when he convened the pastoral council.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman Essay -- essays research papers

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman begins with a note from the editor, who is a local schoolteacher near the plantation where Jane Pittman lives. He has long been trying to hear her story, and, beginning in the summer of 1962, she finally tells it to him. When her memory lapses, her acquaintances help fill in the spaces. The recorded tale, with editing, then becomes The Autobiography of Miss Jane. Jane Pittman is born into slavery on a plantation somewhere in Louisiana. Jane is called "Ticey" during her days as a slave and has no parents; her mother died as a result of a beating when Jane was a child, and Jane did not know her father. Until she is around nine, Jane works in the Big House caring for the white children. One day toward the end of the war, some fleeing confederate soldiers arrive, followed soon after by some union soldiers. While being served water by Jane, one Union soldier named Corporal Brown tells Jane that she will soon be free and can then visit him in Ohio. He tells her to change her name and offers her that of his daughter, Jane Brown. After the soldiers leave, Jane refuses to answer when her mistress calls her "Ticey." The mistress later beats Jane until she bleeds, but Jane insists that her name is now Jane Brown. Because of her obstinacy, Jane is sent to work in the fields. On the day of the Emancipation Proclamation, Jane's master frees them all. On the same day, Jane leaves the plantation with a group of ex-slaves. They have no idea where they are going, but a woman named Big Laura leads the way. Jane wants to go to Ohio to find Corporal Brown. The first morning away, a group of "Patrollers," local white trash who used to hunt slaves, comes upon them and kills everyone but Jane and a very young boy Ned, whom they did not find. Jane and Ned then continue on their own, still headed for Ohio. They meet many characters on their trip, all of whom tell Jane that Ohio is too far and that she should go back to her plantation. Jane's obstinacy persists for a few weeks until she and Ned are completely exhausted from walking. Finally they catch a ride with a poor white man named Job who lets them sleep at his house and takes them the next day to a plantation run by Mr. Bone. Mr. Bone offers Jane a job, but only pays her the reduced rate of six dollars a month (minus fifty cents for Ned's schooling) because sh... ...but one night he goes to her house and asks her to marry him anyhow. After she tells him that he is not thinking straight, he returns home and commits suicide. Tee Bob's stepfather intervenes after the suicide so that Mary Agnes is not imprisoned or killed in revenge for Tee Bob's death. In a conversation with Jane, he describes that they all killed Tee Bob because of their adherence to racial regulations beyond which Tee Bob could see. In the final chapter of the book, Jane describes a boy named Jimmy Aaron, whom the whole plantation hopes will become the "one" who will save them all. Eventually, Jimmy gets involved in the civil rights movement. After several years away from the plantation, he returns home and plans an act of civil disobedience followed by a protest at the courthouse. First a young girl is arrested for drinking from a white water fountain. On the day that they all are to march to the courthouse in protest, however, Jimmy is shot dead. The crowd who was planning to march had already gathered when they hear the news. With the assistance of one young black man, Jane bravely encourages the people to march and takes the lead even though Jimmy is already dead

Saturday, January 11, 2020

10 Mary St

Peter Skrzynecki’s 10 Mary Street is a poem portraying a family’s process of integrating into the Australian community. The concept of belonging is explored, particularly belonging within the family and culture, and through this, Skrzynecki exemplifies the importance of establishing connections to attain the security and stability essential to people’s lives. Skrzynecki establishes the notion of belonging within the family through his portrayal of the family routine and the nurturing nature of the parents.The family’s daily routine is described as â€Å"like a well-oiled lock† and emphasised through the use of enjambment. The simile suggests a functional family comfortable and established in their nineteen-year settlement in the community. The nurturing nature of the parents is characterised by the â€Å"tended roses and camellias/ Like adopted children. This simile suggests that the garden is personified as family member and indicates the tenderne ss of the parents. The poem’s persona is rather thoughtless in his treatment of the garden, highlighted by his ravages â€Å"like a hungry bird†.The notion of cultural belonging is portrayed through the image of the house and its memories. The house symbolises the cultural identity of the family and the personification of â€Å"its china-blue coat†¦Ã¢â‚¬  suggests the family’s pride in maintaining their home, similar to caring for a family member. The memories are described as â€Å"heated discussions/ And embracing gestures/†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This use of sensory imagery and cultural allusions â€Å"Kielbasa, salt herrings,†¦Ã¢â‚¬  suggests the cultural connections kept by the family despite immigrating to Australia.These connections are undermined by the demolition of the house, described as â€Å"inheritors of a key/ That’ll open no house/†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This indicates the loss of cultural identity kept in their house and suggests that belo nging is an intangible and important concept. The â€Å"key† ironically represents Australian citizenship, however instead of acceptance in society, the family feels anxious and insecure as a result of their lack of belonging, indicated by the negative connotations of â€Å"pulled down†.