The Influence of Computers, Interactive Games, and the Internet on a Essay

The Influence of Computers, Interactive Games, and the Internet on a Childs Multicultural Worldview - Essay Example 332). According to the author of the above article, parents ought to allow children make their own discoveries about other cultures as opposed to trying to make them understand. In a society where multi-culture exists, children have an opportunity to help reduce cases of stereotyping if only parents let them hobnob with other children. However, many times, parents tend to teach children about other cultures and in the process extend the discrimination to them. Teachers play a significant role in ensuring the maximum benefits of these games (Shaw and Linebarger, p.334). While there is a debate as to whether computers affect children negatively, Shaw and Linebarger claimed that there are some applications specifically developed for learning purposes. For instance, edutainment is an application created solely for learning purposes. Console and Apple games are others, which fit, in a similar category. In order for these games to be effective in the learning process, Shaw and Linebarger suggested that â€Å"games used in schools should present authentic challenges, allow exploration of alternative possibilities and consequences, imbue cultural appropriateness, and provide meaning and opportunities for reflection† (p.336). Notwithstanding this suggestion, the challenge has been on how to allow the children use the gadgets on their own. Shaw and Linebarger stated that for these gadgets to be useful, it is imperative for the children to be allowed to explore various cultures without having to worry about reprisal (p.337). The importance of this option is that it allows the children fully understand other cultures. Moreover, their own perceptions towards other cultures are normally challenged thus helping in cultural prejudices. However, in the midst of all these benefits of the games and other computer application lies the danger of children identifying themselves with the cultures in the games. Interestingly, children tend to identify themselves with these

Aural and spatial elements Essay Example for Free

Aural and spatial elements Essay Wertenbaker uses simple and minimalistic production design and uses her actors as her main resource to convey meaning and character especially as they are playing different gender or changing between convict and officer characters throughout. The few props are used to clarify meaning and are important in their own right along with costumes and set. She uses language and music to communicate with the audience and to create a specific atmosphere. Wertenbaker uses the movement or gestures of a character to emphasise a point or show character’s relationships. An example of this is Sideway in the first rehearsal, the stage direction â€Å"walking sideways, arms held high in a grandiose eighteenth century pose† this reinforces the idea of how uneducated the convicts are, as the audience can see Sideway has never seen a theatre production just has an idea of what it would be like. An example where gesture is used to communicate character’s relationships is in Act 1 scene 7 where Harry and Duckling are rowing, the stage directions for Duckling are â€Å"remains morose† and â€Å"doesn’t turn around† these are hostile actions as Harry is desperately trying to get her attention â€Å" Why don’t you look Duckling. † The audience can see that their relationship is unstable. The way Wertenbaker positions her characters on the stage is important in communicating status and character such as in Act 1 scene 11 when Major Ross and Captain Campbell enter, the convicts â€Å"slink away and sink down. † This shows that the convicts are afraid of the officers and they try and get as far away as possible from Robbie and become inconspicuous. The beginning scene has important use of positing, the convict are â€Å"huddled together in semi-darkness. † This gives an idea of how horrible the conditions were for the convicts during transportation. The officers are on deck above the convicts and in better conditions again showing status. This idea is kept throughout the play but gradually changes as the production of the convict’s play takes effect . Costume is used to communicate character, Governor Arthur Phillip’s costume would be grander and more decorative than the other officers and he has a higher status. The convicts would be wearing similar clothes but all slightly different such as Mary’s which would be covering her and suppressing her femininity because she feels guilty about what happened on the ship â€Å"I would have been less of a whore†. Sideway’s clothes would be over the top to show his flamboyant personality . All the costumes also have to be simple to allow quick costume changes as the actors multi-role. Wertenbaker’s set is very simple with only a few props. This is done to represent the bareness of Australia and how they have to create a new colony but have arrived with hardly anything. The set is also kept simple because there are 22 scenes and a complex set would take too long to change each time and therefore slow down the pace of the piece. Props are used sparsely but are very important in showing character’s situations. Example of this are the whipping equipment need in act 1 scene 1, they are used to clearly show the audience how the convicts were treated on the ships and the punishments. The play book is used throughout the play when the convicts are rehearing or talking about the play as this is one of the main themes of Our Country’s Good , however not many other books are used and this emphasises that the convict are uneducated and many can’t read. Ralph’s dairy and the picture of his wife are important props in showing his character. Ralph idolises his wife as something pure â€Å"I might kiss your picture as usual. † He uses his diary to write his thoughts showing he doesn’t feel he can talk to the other officers and is disturbed with the new land and behaviour of the convicts and officers. Food is mention throughout the play â€Å"if I was rich, I’d eat myself sick† but it is never used as a prop this highlights the lack of food in the colony. Wertenbaker uses gun shot sound effects at the beginning of the play in scene 3 Act 1, as the officers are shooting birds this reminds the audience that they have just arrived on a new land and are already destroying its nature and wildlife. The other sound effect Wertenbaker specifies in the play is drumming which occurs at the end In the last scene as the convicts go on stage, this symbolise a parade that a new colony might give as celebration. It also creates excitement for the play. The triumphant music of Beethoven’s fifth symphony is played at the very end as an introduction to The Recruiting Officer, this makes the audience happy and excited and reflects what the convicts would be feeling at that time. Other music Wertenbaker may want to be used during the play, especially the aboriginal scenes is didgeridoo music as this is a native instrument to Australia. The Language Wertenbaker uses shows character, an example of this is Liz’s monologue in Act 2 scene 2 where she use lots of slang â€Å"born under a ha’penny planet† this shows the audience she is uneducated. In contrast to Liz, Arthur is very educated and we can see this due to the literary and historical reverences he mentions when backing up an argument â€Å"In the Meno, one of Plato’s great dialogues. † This is a way that difference in education shows the split between convicts and officers. Language is also used to show change in characters, for example at the beginning Wisehammer is rough and has no hope for the future â€Å"alone, frightened, nameless in this sinking hole of hell†, however as the play progresses we actually see him as being one of the more educated convicts. â€Å"Abject: a man without hope. † In the last scene we see him thinking of the future and with restored hope â€Å"I’ll write a play about justice. † Our Country’s Good would be more suitable for a proscenium arch stage because it communicates the bareness of the new land as no-one is on the other side unlike a transverse stage. Wertenbaker wanted to use a cyclorama to symbolise Australia and this would need to be upstage and therefore would work best in proscenium as it has a back wall. The third reason is the convicts and officers could easily be separated and shown in their groups and more easily commutate status and power. The lighting is very important in staging the play. The lighting would of be harsh blues and yellows to represent the climate of Australia. This lighting is the most effective way of making the audience aware of the different climate and habitat of Australia and how hard it was for the convicts and officers to adapt to the change. The lighting would also be used to show night and day as some of the scenes are during the night, this would create an atmosphere for the piece. Wertenbaker chose to create an obviously theatrical piece of drama instead of a piece of realism because she wanted the audience to see the social message the play contained, how drama can reform and educate people. A theatrical piece is the most effective way to do this as it allows both the actors and audience to see the story from both sides of the colony due to the multi-rolling actors.

Never Lose Hope :: essays research papers

Never Lose Hope William Blake, born on November 28, 1757, in London is one of the greatest English poets. His work is studied today all over the world. One of Blake’s poems, â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper†, shows many signs of immortality. In this poem, immortality can only be reached by maintaining hope in a hopeless world and embracing happiness. An example of this is line 20: â€Å"He’d have God for his father, and never want joy†. Immortality is something people have chased for years and have never been able to capture. In Webster’s dictionary, immortality is stated as, â€Å"Not mortal, deathless, living or lasting forever.† In â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper†, Blake saw immortality in a different sense than Webster states. Blake saw immortality as happiness throughout life and the importance of hope.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Chimney Sweeper† is a great title for Blake’s poem. The title is a symbol representing the harsh life of a chimney sweeper and his life as a child. He states, â€Å"When my mother died I was very young, and my father sold me while yet my tongue†, (ln 1-2). This is saying that his mother died when he was young and his father gave him up. Blake’s unhappiness resembles being mortal in a sense that his unhappiness is like being dead. Blake has two meanings when he says, â€Å"So your chimney’s I sweep, and in soot I sleep†, (ln 4). This line denotes that he is an adult now with the responsibility of being a chimney sweeper. Blake is really saying that his childhood was terrible like the work of a chimney sweeper. Now Blake introduces a new character into the poem, which is Tom Dacre (ln 5). In the second stanza, Blake is stating the mortality, or unhappiness of Tom. The author’s tone changes for a moment in stanza two when he says â€Å"Hush, Tom! never mind it, for when your head’s bare, the soot cannot spoil your white hair†, (ln 7-8). The author has two meanings in these lines. The obvious is that he can’t have hair for the fact that his hair would be full of soot. The tone change comes in where the meaning is not so obvious. The tone up to line six is mournful. Lines seven and eight also have a mournful tone in the obvious state. They connote that Tom needs to keep his head up and not let his job get to him, or simply to keep hope alive.

My Genome, Myself

Amy Harmon is living normal and healthy life with one child in preschool, I assume that she is living a pretty good and pleasant life, still Amy feels attracted to the idea of knowing about her genome and how her health Is evolving through out her life. Amy Harmon Is telling us about the breaking technology with DNA, how It can reveal our future, and tell us if we have any heart disease or cancer, this will let us know our destiny and make us stop the eventually evolving cancer tumor in our body.These kind of tests only cost about 1,000 $ and one simple salvia sample, and that's it, Amy tells us that he feels addicted after Just three weeks of daily communion with her genes, it has become a natural daily routine for her, as normal as brushing our teeth every night and morning, Amy checks her account on the site â€Å"anadem† the site Is the start up company that deals with DNA and our genomes. His Is also the site Amy uses on a daily basis, actually hours every day, Amy is not only using the site to check out dangers that may appear in the future, but also things like temperament and regular behavior, to check all these DNA strips is like looking under the skin and see the robbers you wont see with your bare eyes, that's why the DNA test attracts people from every corner of the world. But what would you do when or if a very rare heart disease appears In your system that is Incurable, or something you can't work your way through, Like a skin disease or eye-problems, cancer, aids or many other dangerous disease.This is something Amy Harmon has thought about, she wont let her daughter look at her DNA strips, this is because she is afraid to find something that Is incurable and life threatening. Amy Harmon uses a very difficult and adult engage in this article, it makes the content much more serious then If the article was written In a childish way, the difficult words makes us automatically think that this Is a serious case and therefore we don't doubt the case.Another thing that makes the reader interested in thing topic, is that Amy uses very personal examples instead of using examples from other peoples life, the article is suddenly very close to our own life, we can understand her issues and we can also understand her addiction to the secret of our body. Many of the risks associated with genetic testing involve the ethical, legal emotional, social, and consequences of the test results.The result can reveal a very ugly and grim discovery witch not all people can deal with, I thank many people will get storage Trot Walton Day Knolling all sorts AT things Insane you, in worst case it can end in suicide witch would be gruesome. And many people won't be able to provide the same amount of work if they knew they are carrying a deadly disease with them, this would be fatal for a society, the system would have to ay for all the people who got sick and needed medical treatment and by this I mean mental sick.

Margaret Atwood Essay

I came across the quote â€Å"Context is all; or is it ripeness? One or the other†[1] when reading Margaret Atwood’s novel â€Å"The Handmaid’s Tale† for English. I didn’t give it much attention, because since I was 12, I had come to the conclusion that there was no such thing as a â€Å"fact† and every thought depended on other factors for it to be true. However in this essay I’m going to see if my original assumption was true or if there is a way to reach a truth through different branches of knowledge. I’m going to take the definition of â€Å"truth† from the dictionary, solely to have a base for which to compare the rest of the essay to; â€Å"A verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle†[2].Which means that that there are facts that are backed by evidence, such as; it is 14:24 (at the time of writing). However in this case we can apply Atwood’s ‘context is all’, and change it to â€Å"context is location†, as this scenario isn’t necessarily true, seeing that in Sydney the time is 22:25, therefore the truth can be considered relative. Relativism is a doctrine where there is no absolute truth; that truth is always relative to some particular frame of reference, such as a language or a culture[3]. Which brings up a paradox as if someone were to say â€Å"context is irrelevant† meaning the truth would remain a truth in every situation, it would contradict themselves, as that statement would be relative depending on the context. Francis Bacon’s Empiricism or otherwise known perception, is the process of arriving at the truth through sense experience.[4] People use their five senses to arrive at a truth, however depending on the context, the exact same senses can make that truth false. An example that happens to me frequently is; when I look at a shirt, to me it looks black, but then when I put it under a stronger light and look at it carefully it often turns out to be dark blue. It doesn’t mean the senses are â€Å"faulty† or can’t be trusted, but the observation; truth, arrived from the use of perception, isn’t congruent when the context is changed. Another very bizarre example that happened to me last year when I bought my new phone; is before purchasing it, I didn’t know of anybody that had one, but as soon as I had it in my pocket I started realising that a lot of people around me had it as well. Language is the use of characters, symbols, images and sounds as a means of communicating a message.[5] We assume that language is a truth, as we have a general consensus of the different characters, symbols, images and sounds in language. However once again the truth is challenged with the â€Å"context is all† axiom, where in certain cases the truth behind language doesn’t stand. My father told me the following example; when Vice-President Richard Nixon, at the end of the 1950’s was visiting Colombia, he used the commonly known â€Å"OK† hand sign, denoted with a circle formed by the thumb and the first finger, with the remaining three fingers outstretched, to which the Colombian people, thought they were being called assholes. Rene Descartes’ Rationalism is the use of reason, be it inductive or deductive to logically arrive at the truth.[6] Descartes used reason to arrive at his famous; ‘Cogito Ergo Sum’, I think therefore I am.[7] He was asking the question â€Å"How do I know I exist ?† and he deduced by no more than reason that it all boiled down to; I doubt that I exist, therefore I think, ergo I am.  When I first heard this deduction, it seemed to me that it was flawless. However I remember looking around the room I was in at the time; I realised that objects such as the chairs, tables and even trees to an extent, couldn’t deduce their existence like Descartes did, therefore according to his deduction they wouldn’t exist. Once again I came to the conclusion that context will undermine truth.

Articles of confederation.

Articles of confederation. ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATIONThe Articles of Confederation provided for the basic structure of American government from 1781. The articles bound states together, but this tie was so weak that central government was impossible. A national government should have the ability to enforce its authority, have a clear description of where the governing powers lie, a delineated leadership, and disposition of economic and foreign affairs. The Articles themselves were drafted at the beginning of the war, but all 13 states had to sign before they could be ratified.In July 1775, Benjamin Franklin presented Congress with the first written plan for a new national government, the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. Other plans also were introduced the following year, but it was not until June 11, 1776 that the Continental Congress appointed one committee to draft the Declaration of Independence and a second committee, composed of one delegate from each colony, to prepare a plan of confederati on.The Articles of Conferderation, ratified in 1781. ...A month later, the latter committee presented Congress with a draft constitution known as the Articles of Confederation. The committees constitution assigned broad powers to the new national government, including the authority to tax, to determine state boundaries, and to dispose of all other unsettled Lands for the general Benefit. The draft document also placed restrictions upon the authority of the states, divided national expenses proportionally among the states according to state population, and most contentiously granted each state delegation a single vote within a unicameral national Congress.Despite general agreement for the Declaration of Independence and a widespread recognition of the need to provision the military resistance against Great Britain, there was no immediate constitutional consensus concerning the terms of a new national government. Rather, during the next year and a half, state delegates discussed, deba ted and periodically attempted to amend...

I, Robot essays

I, Robot essays Asimovs world of I, Robot is indeed a legendary glimpse into the advancement of robotic science in all its glory. When this book was first written in 1950 I would have loved to have seen the book reviews and peoples reactions, as even today the books isnt outdated. There is a lot to learn from this author. Asimov was a visionary who saw the evolution of things in action and how it could be hampered: human possibilities and perils included. I, Robot is an intergalactic parable centered on robotic advancement and the fragile Laws of Robotics it is based on, and both the pursuit and the structure of the pursuit are in question. The characters throughout the story are faced with many mishaps, discoveries, and glitches with the robots they must test, try out and troubleshoot. Most of the mishaps are in the very logic or thinking process of these metal beings. Though limited, there seems to be a dawning of reflective consciousness, or rather the ability to understand the notion of I am which adds an increased complexity into keeping the Laws of Robotics workable and safe for humans. Somehow, some way these robots find ways around the laws, but are their attempts intentional? Has their logic evolved and we didnt know it? Is our notion of logic substandard? Or, are these machines gaining control over our lives, and we do not see it? Though quite entertaining, this book delivers a warning, which I hope in general scientists, heed. Our increase dependency on these machines seems to cloud our judgment, risks us becoming a subspecies and even start questioning our place and worth in lifes scheme. Give anything, including robots, consciousness and an ability to think for itself separately and in relation to its environment and you have the possibility of such being testing its will in that environment. Now isnt this also a law self-preservation -, which for most is the ...

How To Craft a Compelling Story - Freewrite Store

How To Craft a Compelling Story - Freewrite Store How To Write With Impact Whether you’re writing a short story, novel or a sales page for your website, keeping your readers hooked is your main goal. If you fail to hook them, you lose them - and not just in the short term. They’ll remember how underwhelmed they were by your writing - and probably won’t give you a second chance. To have a positive impact on your readers, you have to impress them with your skill. Compelling content that almost forces them to keep reading will stick in their mind long after they’ve finished reading - and they’ll want to come back for more. That’s the secret to building a loyal audience that will benefit you long into the future.   Writers - just like you - come to me frustrated because they’re not happy with their writing. It lacks that attention-grabber hook that propels you from writer to storyteller. It doesn’t mean you’re not a great writer. It doesn’t mean you should quit. It just means you need to develop the skills. How To Write With Impact Writing a compelling story isn’t easy - not even when you’ve been doing it for years. You have to work hard at it, then edit, refine and improve until it’s a polished piece that could almost reach out and grab your readers by their lapels. It’s a skill you develop and practice, not something that’s innate - which is why so many writers get frustrated by the process. Related: Story vs. Plot So, what makes a compelling story? What techniques do you have to use to grab your reader’s attention and keep them firmly on those writing hooks? There’s no magic formula for this kind of powerful writing, but there are some key ingredients. What’s more, they work for content marketing, business writing and blog posts just as well as they do for fiction. Crafting content that’s compelling is a truly transferable skill. Let’s dive into the top 1.Show, Don’t Tell Okay, so this old cliche is so tired and worn out I really debated about whether to put it in - but despite its overuse, it’s still important. When you’re trying to hook your audience, it’s no good telling them how your character feels. Showthem, with a description that’s loaded with opportunities for your reader to slip into your character’s shoes and immerse themselves in the story. Related: Show and Tell Rather than explaining to your readers, you’re giving them the opportunity to draw their own conclusions. Once they’re in your character’s shoes, you’ve started the process of making them care - and that means they’re much less likely to abandon the story early on. 2. Shock and Surprise Startle your readers with something they weren’t expecting. Marketers do this a lot - aiming for the shock factor - but it’s just as important if you’re writing a short story or novel. Make it truly shocking and unexpected and you’ll have your readers right where you need them. Related: Did you catch our April 1 'product launch'?   We encounter the unexpected every day - and how we respond is part of our learning process. Injecting something shocking into your writing keeps it real and (most) readers will be intrigued as to how the character handles what’s happened. Is it different from how your reader would respond? Is there something they can learn from this? The shock factor is a sure fire way to get your readers on the hook - because you’ve grabbed their attention. Now you just have to keep them on the hook. 3. Relatability Compelling writing is real, gritty, and doesn’t pull any punches. If you want to keep your readers on the hook, they have to be able to relate to what’s happening in your story. To master relatability, you have to know your audience inside out. What problems do they have? What in their lives causes them the most pain. If your reader encounters a character they can relate to, who has problems as they do, they’re automatically more engaged. Your readers care about the characters they can relate to. They don’t care about the characters they have nothing in common with. Far too often, the reason why you’re not hooking your audience is because you don’t fully understand them. 4. Raise The Stakes You’re writing about real situations (or situations that could be happening to your readers) - but that doesn’t mean you have to confine yourself to strict realism. Your readers have put themselves in your character’s shoes, been shocked by something, and can relate to the problem - so now you have to raise the stakes. What’s the worst thing that could happen to your character right now? Even if it’s not really likely, you have to raise your readers’ investment in the story you’re telling. You’re playing with their emotions now, and you can’t hold back. (Well, you could, but make it too ‘ordinary’ and your readers will slide right off the hook again.) When you raise the stakes, you create that edge-of-the-seat anticipation in your reader. You know, that feeling where you can’t put the book (or tablet, e-reader, magazine, whatever) down because you just have to find out what happens next. That’s exactly what you’re aiming for. 5. Mining The Depths Characters that your readers care about aren’t 2D cardboard cutouts. When you’re creating content - whether fiction or non-fiction - 2D cardboard cutouts aren’t going to get you the results you want. You have to bring your characters to life - so it feels like they’re living, breathing people bursting off the page. You bring your characters to life by creating layer after layer of details. To do that, you need to know everything about your character’s backstory (even if you’re just creating them for a digital marketing campaign!). I’ve had students tell me that it’s way too much effort for content marketing, and should only be for fiction, but it works for me and the results are worth the effort. It’s the little details that bring your character to life. Anchor them in real-life events that have enough detail to make it sound like you’re giving eyewitness testimony in the courtroom. Names, places, feelings, sensations, emotions - build the details until you start to feel like you are giving eyewitness testimony. 6. Make It Memorable Compelling writing leaves a lasting impression on your reader - which makes them remember you. Whether you’re a novelist or a social media marketer, your goal is to ensure that your reader remembers you. Compelling writing inspires loyalty in your readers, building an audience that is already primed to sign up for your mailing list or like your Facebook page. Making an impression on your readers isn’t easy when there are so many other writers trying to do exactly the same thing. You have to stand out. You have to get your hook so deep into your audience that they won’t be able to forget how your writing made them feel, or how your writing changed their life. One way to ensure that your readers remember you and remain firmly on your hook is to leave them with a feeling of unfinished business. Don’t resolve all of the conflicts in your story. Leave an unresolved thread that will be like a constant itch at the back of your reader’s mind. Refining Your Writing    Don’t expect your first draft to be a masterpiece of compelling writing. While some writers may be ready to publish after the second draft, most writers go through multiple drafts. I don’t put a number limit on my drafting process - I redraft until I’m happy that I’ve done everything I can. Sometimes it takes five drafts. Other times it takes fifteen. I’m a ruthless editor, too. Crafting compelling stories isn’t something you can do in an evening, sitting with your laptop on your knee in front of the TV. Cut out all the distractions and immerse yourself in your characters’ world. Distractions and interruptions only dilute the strength of your writing. Give your writing the dedicated time it deserves, and you’ll master the art of writing with an impact much more quickly.       About the author: Ariella is an experienced copywriter, editor, and digital marketing consultant. Driven by a passion for writing and content creation she takes pride in producing articles that deliver the latest information in an engaging manner and marketing campaigns that deliver exceptional results. Ariella has a BA (Hons) in English Language and Creative Writing (First), an MA in Theology and Ministry, and is a published author of three novels and a bestselling non-fiction book. A creative at heart, Ariella has 14 years’ industry experience and always aims to keep abreast of current trends and developments. She lives in the UK with her three beagles Zeke, Hope, and Sandy, who always make life interesting. How To Craft a Compelling Story - Freewrite Store How To Write With Impact Whether you’re writing a short story, novel or a sales page for your website, keeping your readers hooked is your main goal. If you fail to hook them, you lose them - and not just in the short term. They’ll remember how underwhelmed they were by your writing - and probably won’t give you a second chance. To have a positive impact on your readers, you have to impress them with your skill. Compelling content that almost forces them to keep reading will stick in their mind long after they’ve finished reading - and they’ll want to come back for more. That’s the secret to building a loyal audience that will benefit you long into the future.   Writers - just like you - come to me frustrated because they’re not happy with their writing. It lacks that attention-grabber hook that propels you from writer to storyteller. It doesn’t mean you’re not a great writer. It doesn’t mean you should quit. It just means you need to develop the skills. How To Write With Impact Writing a compelling story isn’t easy - not even when you’ve been doing it for years. You have to work hard at it, then edit, refine and improve until it’s a polished piece that could almost reach out and grab your readers by their lapels. It’s a skill you develop and practice, not something that’s innate - which is why so many writers get frustrated by the process. Related: Story vs. Plot So, what makes a compelling story? What techniques do you have to use to grab your reader’s attention and keep them firmly on those writing hooks? There’s no magic formula for this kind of powerful writing, but there are some key ingredients. What’s more, they work for content marketing, business writing and blog posts just as well as they do for fiction. Crafting content that’s compelling is a truly transferable skill. Let’s dive into the top 1.Show, Don’t Tell Okay, so this old cliche is so tired and worn out I really debated about whether to put it in - but despite its overuse, it’s still important. When you’re trying to hook your audience, it’s no good telling them how your character feels. Showthem, with a description that’s loaded with opportunities for your reader to slip into your character’s shoes and immerse themselves in the story. Related: Show and Tell Rather than explaining to your readers, you’re giving them the opportunity to draw their own conclusions. Once they’re in your character’s shoes, you’ve started the process of making them care - and that means they’re much less likely to abandon the story early on. 2. Shock and Surprise Startle your readers with something they weren’t expecting. Marketers do this a lot - aiming for the shock factor - but it’s just as important if you’re writing a short story or novel. Make it truly shocking and unexpected and you’ll have your readers right where you need them. Related: Did you catch our April 1 'product launch'?   We encounter the unexpected every day - and how we respond is part of our learning process. Injecting something shocking into your writing keeps it real and (most) readers will be intrigued as to how the character handles what’s happened. Is it different from how your reader would respond? Is there something they can learn from this? The shock factor is a sure fire way to get your readers on the hook - because you’ve grabbed their attention. Now you just have to keep them on the hook. 3. Relatability Compelling writing is real, gritty, and doesn’t pull any punches. If you want to keep your readers on the hook, they have to be able to relate to what’s happening in your story. To master relatability, you have to know your audience inside out. What problems do they have? What in their lives causes them the most pain. If your reader encounters a character they can relate to, who has problems as they do, they’re automatically more engaged. Your readers care about the characters they can relate to. They don’t care about the characters they have nothing in common with. Far too often, the reason why you’re not hooking your audience is because you don’t fully understand them. 4. Raise The Stakes You’re writing about real situations (or situations that could be happening to your readers) - but that doesn’t mean you have to confine yourself to strict realism. Your readers have put themselves in your character’s shoes, been shocked by something, and can relate to the problem - so now you have to raise the stakes. What’s the worst thing that could happen to your character right now? Even if it’s not really likely, you have to raise your readers’ investment in the story you’re telling. You’re playing with their emotions now, and you can’t hold back. (Well, you could, but make it too ‘ordinary’ and your readers will slide right off the hook again.) When you raise the stakes, you create that edge-of-the-seat anticipation in your reader. You know, that feeling where you can’t put the book (or tablet, e-reader, magazine, whatever) down because you just have to find out what happens next. That’s exactly what you’re aiming for. 5. Mining The Depths Characters that your readers care about aren’t 2D cardboard cutouts. When you’re creating content - whether fiction or non-fiction - 2D cardboard cutouts aren’t going to get you the results you want. You have to bring your characters to life - so it feels like they’re living, breathing people bursting off the page. You bring your characters to life by creating layer after layer of details. To do that, you need to know everything about your character’s backstory (even if you’re just creating them for a digital marketing campaign!). I’ve had students tell me that it’s way too much effort for content marketing, and should only be for fiction, but it works for me and the results are worth the effort. It’s the little details that bring your character to life. Anchor them in real-life events that have enough detail to make it sound like you’re giving eyewitness testimony in the courtroom. Names, places, feelings, sensations, emotions - build the details until you start to feel like you are giving eyewitness testimony. 6. Make It Memorable Compelling writing leaves a lasting impression on your reader - which makes them remember you. Whether you’re a novelist or a social media marketer, your goal is to ensure that your reader remembers you. Compelling writing inspires loyalty in your readers, building an audience that is already primed to sign up for your mailing list or like your Facebook page. Making an impression on your readers isn’t easy when there are so many other writers trying to do exactly the same thing. You have to stand out. You have to get your hook so deep into your audience that they won’t be able to forget how your writing made them feel, or how your writing changed their life. One way to ensure that your readers remember you and remain firmly on your hook is to leave them with a feeling of unfinished business. Don’t resolve all of the conflicts in your story. Leave an unresolved thread that will be like a constant itch at the back of your reader’s mind. Refining Your Writing    Don’t expect your first draft to be a masterpiece of compelling writing. While some writers may be ready to publish after the second draft, most writers go through multiple drafts. I don’t put a number limit on my drafting process - I redraft until I’m happy that I’ve done everything I can. Sometimes it takes five drafts. Other times it takes fifteen. I’m a ruthless editor, too. Crafting compelling stories isn’t something you can do in an evening, sitting with your laptop on your knee in front of the TV. Cut out all the distractions and immerse yourself in your characters’ world. Distractions and interruptions only dilute the strength of your writing. Give your writing the dedicated time it deserves, and you’ll master the art of writing with an impact much more quickly.       About the author: Ariella is an experienced copywriter, editor, and digital marketing consultant. Driven by a passion for writing and content creation she takes pride in producing articles that deliver the latest information in an engaging manner and marketing campaigns that deliver exceptional results. Ariella has a BA (Hons) in English Language and Creative Writing (First), an MA in Theology and Ministry, and is a published author of three novels and a bestselling non-fiction book. A creative at heart, Ariella has 14 years’ industry experience and always aims to keep abreast of current trends and developments. She lives in the UK with her three beagles Zeke, Hope, and Sandy, who always make life interesting.

Flexibility facilitates innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Flexibility facilitates innovation - Essay Example A great deal of attention has been given to the psychological research on the personality of highly creative people in comparison to the less creative people. Positive characteristics are deemed to be related to high creativity. Research has unveiled that the sensation- seeking trait, in terms of preference for new and different experiences and readiness to incur risk in order to experience such, leads to spontaneous flexibility (Georgsdottir, 2004: p 168: pag 2). Flexibility on the level of personality can further be reflected in the ability of creative individuals to merge opposite or conflicting traits. The dimension of cognitive style gives disparity between the explorers as individuals who demonstrate spontaneous flexibility in providing solutions to problems, and the assimilators as individuals who tackle problems in a rule- bound and more rigid way (2004: p 168: pag 3). It may be more advantageous and profitable to employ a universal processing style during commencement of a project, in order to identify the importance of novice merchandise in the marketplace, or to collect information from varied sources (Georgsdottir, 2004: p 169: pag 3). On the other hand, during the more content- based explanation of specific merchandise, after generation of an idea, processing locally is of great assistance. Creativity is a product of integration between an individual and cultural environment. Flexibility is a major characteristic of organizational culture. When the organizational structure is rigid with hierarchical model, corporate flexibility is low and managers make conservative decisions while desisting from risky procedures and thus suffocate creativity (Georgsdottir, 2004: p 170: pag 2). Adaptive flexibility in definition is the ability to conform to fresh methods and strategies to solve a problem because of failure in old methods, or redefining a problem so as to obtain an original solution (Georgsdottir, 2004: p 167: pag 2). The ability to

Pervasive Decision VA9-02166 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pervasive Decision VA9-02166 - Essay Example The use of words like "durable," "effective" or "meaningful" are only helpful when anyone wants to keep only question in mind (Oxman-Martinez et al., 2005), and hence the only test, that can be derived from the definition of Convention Refugee in Section 2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act does the claimant now have a well-founded and genuine fear of persecution? After considering all the circumstances, the young Tamil male faced in connection to fetching LTTE information by the Sri Lankan army, paramilitary agencies and the government, the claimant filed a claim of refugee status seeking protection from the mentioned forces of Sri Lanka (LaViolette, 2004). Section 97(1)(b)(ii) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act states that the protection is limited to the claimants who face some specific risks that are not faced generally by other people in or from the country and thus, the claimant is not a person in need of protection (Dauvergne, 2003). In this instance, even though the war of September 2006 is over and situation is different in Sri Lanka, that does not favor Refugee Protection Act, so the young Tamil man should receive protection (Kruger, Mulder & Korenic, 2004). The Members of the justice panel must take the new evidences under consideration available from the current year of 2009 where even though the situation is different, the situation of the young Tamil male is no different. Hence, the paramilitary agencies, Sri Lankan army and government officials need to reconsider their belief that the young male belongs to the LTTE group. Amnesty International Report 2010, pp. 301-303 and Item 2.3. United Kingdom (UK). 22 October 2009. Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Home Office. Report of Information Gathering Visit to Colombo, Sri Lanka 23-29 August 2009 (PDF, 215 KB). Oxman-Martinez, J., Hanley, J., Lach, L.,

Compare and Contrast the film Almos' a Man to the story A Man Who Was Essay

Compare and Contrast the film Almos' a Man to the story A Man Who Was Almost a Man by Richard Wright - Essay Example The setting of the film and story is a vital aspect to consider when going through the various aspects they bring forth. In both of the works, the setting or rather the conditions that the two live are very deplorable and are why they go through the suffering that they do. The setting in the story depicts poor conditions people were subjected too and the same is seen in the film, where Dave had to work and struggles to have an identity as he was treated like a child. In earlier days, people did not have any compassion and treated people that they thought were of ancient decent poorly (Brignano). Dave in the film and in the story by Richard Wright seems to have a common decent provided they were white. The only issue that made them different is the fact that they did not live in as appropriate conditions as their employers. Character is another important factor to incorporate in the analysis aiming at understanding the concept that the film and story bear. In the story and in the film, Dave has an attitude problem. This is depicted in both the film and story where Dave thinks that owning a gun will get him respect from people. In the film and story, Dave struggles with finding his purpose in the world and this can be explained further by the social differences that existed in society where whites were deemed superior and he felt that he had to have a purpose in the world. Symbolism in the story is that of poverty. Both the story and the film depict how Dave and others like him used to work for rich families in the fields so that they could have a place to live and support themselves. That was the time that slavery was at its peak. Many of the people that used to work at that time were very poor and did not have a place to live. This led to them getting work from the rich so that they could get enough money to go by. These rich families were very influential and rude to workers and thus the reason many of

Faulty Arguments in the Field of Herbalism, Natural Cures and Plant Coursework

Faulty Arguments in the Field of Herbalism, Natural Cures and Plant Medicine - Coursework Example The reasoning behind this phrase is poor because it insinuates that herbal products are safer, healthier, and has lower rates of toxicity compared to other medicinal drugs which is not true. It is also a dogmatic phrase which may be interpreted to mean that use of pharmaceuticals may result to harm. Andrew Weil, the mastermind and inventor of Arizona Center for Integrative medicine. He says ‘I did ethnobotanical study in South America, researching native uses for coca leaf, which most of us know only as the source of the isolated, problematic, addictive drug cocaine†¦if you look carefully at the coca leafs molecular array, you find 14 bioactive alkaloids, with cocaine in the greatest amount†¦Herbs like coca can "tone" the body and bring it back to homeostasis’. The source is The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-weil-md/why-plants-are-usually-be_b_785139.html. This is an illustration of a non-sequiter, appeal to authority, poor logic and faulty statistics. The reasoning behind it is poor since its conclusion doesn’t infer the premise. It also emphasizes on his expertise owing to convince the masses concerning his opinions. It also does not have firm deductions to the conclusions made. It also claims that a coca leaf has 14 bioact ive alkaloids but it does not give precise details how he obtained this data. David Kroll holds a doctor of philosophy in therapeutics and pharmacology. He coaches the public on organic commodities and botanical plants supplements. He says ‘Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, or thunder god vine†¦has a history of use as an anti-inflammatory herb. As with many traditional medicines, usage patterns do not necessarily indicate scientific validity. In fact, a Cochrane review published just last month on herbal therapies for rheumatoid arthritis indicated that the efficacy of thunder god vine was mixed. More concerning is that the herb had significant adverse effects in some trials, from hair

Police Policies and Evaluations Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Police Policies and Evaluations - Term Paper Example This makes it hard for the police to go against the generic plans that are already in place and go beyond the expected resources available to them so that they can respond to all citizen calls for service. The police have no say over their needs, policies, resource levels, as well as resource allocations because their field commanders are in charge of these processes (Chambliss, 2011). For example, police may need to respond to some citizen calls in areas that have high crime activity as speculated by the generic plans. The police already have a statistical analysis that tracks all emergency calls that shows them the hot spots of illegal activity. When the police receive these emergency calls, they many not respond immediately to the emergency calls because the generic plans requires them to try and monitor the localities by effectively using police resources so that they can wait for the right time for the police to generate the most momentous results instead of responding to every emergency call that they receive from high illegal activity areas (Rosenbaum, 1993). Another reason why provision of a rapid response to all citizen calls for service is not an effective use of police resources is because their tactical flexibility is relentlessly limited, for example, patrol, criminal investigations, and traffic. The police are deployed geographically and through functionality, and some officers can respond to some emergency calls while others cannot. If other police officers not expected to respond to such emergency calls, they may have to use extra resources, which the police department may not be able to cater for. A number of police officers are assigned radio cars and not all of them. Therefore only these police officers can respond to emergency calls because they are the only ones supposed to utilize such resources for emergency calls because if all police officers had radio cars, almost all of them would respond to one emergency call and that is ineffective use of police resources (Carr et al., 2007). Tight budgets and small police departments accountable for many groups of people are other reasons why provision of a rapid response to all citizen calls for service is not an effective use of police resources. If the police were to respond to all emergency calls rapidly, they might be using more than the resources assigned to them through tight budgets and a small number of policemen in the department. They might have to make emergency calls from high crime areas a priority compared to calls that might not have so much of an emergency. To the police, they will be using their resources effectively because the amount of resources that have been allocated to that department cannot cater for every emergency call that they receive. On the other hand, the citizens will feel that the police do not use their resources effectively or else they would respond to each and every emergency call even with limited resources (Research Management Associat es, Inc., 2004). Another reason why provision of a rapid response to all citizen calls for service is not an effective use of police resources is because some of the emergency calls made by citizens can be hoaxes or instances that the calls do not actually have to be checked out. Use of police resources requires to be accomplished at minimum costs or the resources should be utilized in the most dynamic and productive way probable. When some emergency calls go through to the police depart

Faulty Arguments in the Field of Herbalism, Natural Cures and Plant Coursework

Faulty Arguments in the Field of Herbalism, Natural Cures and Plant Medicine - Coursework Example The reasoning behind this phrase is poor because it insinuates that herbal products are safer, healthier, and has lower rates of toxicity compared to other medicinal drugs which is not true. It is also a dogmatic phrase which may be interpreted to mean that use of pharmaceuticals may result to harm. Andrew Weil, the mastermind and inventor of Arizona Center for Integrative medicine. He says ‘I did ethnobotanical study in South America, researching native uses for coca leaf, which most of us know only as the source of the isolated, problematic, addictive drug cocaine†¦if you look carefully at the coca leafs molecular array, you find 14 bioactive alkaloids, with cocaine in the greatest amount†¦Herbs like coca can "tone" the body and bring it back to homeostasis’. The source is The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-weil-md/why-plants-are-usually-be_b_785139.html. This is an illustration of a non-sequiter, appeal to authority, poor logic and faulty statistics. The reasoning behind it is poor since its conclusion doesn’t infer the premise. It also emphasizes on his expertise owing to convince the masses concerning his opinions. It also does not have firm deductions to the conclusions made. It also claims that a coca leaf has 14 bioact ive alkaloids but it does not give precise details how he obtained this data. David Kroll holds a doctor of philosophy in therapeutics and pharmacology. He coaches the public on organic commodities and botanical plants supplements. He says ‘Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, or thunder god vine†¦has a history of use as an anti-inflammatory herb. As with many traditional medicines, usage patterns do not necessarily indicate scientific validity. In fact, a Cochrane review published just last month on herbal therapies for rheumatoid arthritis indicated that the efficacy of thunder god vine was mixed. More concerning is that the herb had significant adverse effects in some trials, from hair

The Relationship Between Health, Healing, and Religion Term Paper

The Relationship Between Health, Healing, and Religion - Term Paper Example Different religions utilize different ideas about the healing. Some utilize the spiritual activities while some utilize the scientific approach and give medicines to heal a sick person. The medicine might come from the plant source or might be a modern medicine. The modern scientific community has taking interest in all the healing techniques that are utilized from the religious point of view and some of the religious activities considering the health and healing got importance due to the positivism towards the society and religion. In general, illness is the phase of a body or mind where it is unable to work in its capacity or body or mind is unable to perform that it has the capacity of. However, different religions views illness differently. In the Voodoo religion, the believers have believed that an illness is caused due to the evil or bad sprits or sometimes sprits of the family members. Voodoo has concepts that â€Å"lwa† are the sprits that make an interaction with the people and are able to cause bad thing to the people. In the Kung religion, illness is caused by the dead Kung, the dead ancestor of a person or sometimes gods penetrate the illness into the person (Kingsley 41). In this way, in this religion it is very important to cure and heal the sick to try best to make the person healthy. Shaman has also the similar conditions that consider illness a spiritual deal of the person. In the shamanism, people believe that there is an invisible world around us and invisible creatures are present around us that are sprits. The sprits are able to put illness in a person. Yoga involves the practices that are capable of making the disease away from the practitioner. The practitioners have the faith that certain forces that block the life can cause illness. How is it best addressed? In different religions the illness is expressed in different forms and sometimes it referred to as the spiritual illness. In the religion ‘Kung’ people give spec ial important to the sick because they believe that if the person dies of illness (Kingsley 42), he will spread the illness or give it to the other person. In the Voodoo, illness is paid a significant attention and 60% of the activity in the religion is to heal the person. In the similar way the yoga also addresses the illness in a proper manner and to remove it from the person’s body and soul special attention is required. Yoga is all about the methods that increase the blood flow in the body, increase the brain function and make the body flexible and healthy. The practices utilized in the yoga can help maintain the blood pressure and reduce the cholesterol that helps maintain the health of the heart and the lungs. What kind of healer is needed? In almost all the religion, some of the persons of the society work significantly to preach and heal the persons like the priests, which make give their lives to the religion to protect and preach the religion and make people underst and what their religion is. In the similar way, in all the religion people consider then sacred and they are the person who work to heal the persons. In Voodoo, the priesthood presents both is man and women and these persons heal the ill persons with some rituals, herbal medicines and now a day the scientific medicines. Houngan is the word for the male priest and Mambo is the name of the female priest. Similarly, a healer is required in the Kung to make the illness away from the people and he can be able to fight with the gods to pull the illness away from the person, in this way, a healer should be strong both mentally and physical. In the similar way, in Curandero’s healing mechanism, saints play the role of the healer. In

Multinational Expansion Of Companies Essay Example for Free

Multinational Expansion Of Companies Essay Ghe increasing multinational expansion of companies requires individuals who can perform effectively across national borders by handling cross national job assignments (Stahl Bjorkman 2006). Expatriates/international assignees are employees who work outside their national borders. A lot depends on human resource (HR) management in selecting appropriate workforce and rewarding them accordingly in company’s best interests. HR managers need to show expertise in choosing suitable personnel for international assignments based on employee’s personal characteristics, interests, overseas experience and the type international assignment. Moreover, it becomes the responsibility of HR managers to look after compensation packages, and compliance with regional work standards and government policies. Hence, it is necessary to review all these issues in detail to gain an idea on the role of HR professionals in relation to international assignees. Firstly, to understand the aspects of expatriate selection and functions, it is first necessary to review the reason for global expansion of companies and their requirements. Companies Go Global   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are various reasons for companies choosing international existence. They include increased pressure on costs, search for new markets, greater customer demands and product and service qualities, government policies, search and desire for technology development, worldwide communication and information flow, increasing global opportunities with interdependence of nations in trading blocs, integrating cultures and values leading to common consumer demands, availability of skilled workforce, decreasing trade barriers, and E-commerce (Briscoe Schuler 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This increasing globalization requires companies to look for employees with ability to operate at varied conditions. Accordingly, various criteria are set for the selection of international assignees. International assignees may be parent-country nationals (PCNs), host-country nationals (HCNs) or third-country nationals (TCNs) Selection of International Assignees   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Human resource (HR) managers have a major role in selecting international assignees. The highly followed selection process includes self-selection, creating a candidate pool, technical skills assessment and making a mutual decision (Frazee 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   HR management has to consider several criterion before selecting the candidates, such as candidate’s maturity, ability to handle foreign languages, possession of favorable outlook on the international assignment by the expatriate and his/her family (Briscoe Schuler 2004). Apart from these personal characteristics like health, desire for the assignment, individual resourcefulness and adaptability are very important.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   International assignees should have various qualities such as computer literacy, prudent negotiating skills, ability as a change agent, visionary skills and effective delegatory skills (Briscoe Schuler 2004). Functions of International Assignees   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The functions of international assignees may include all or any of the following areas depending on job responsibilities. Technical responsibilities Managerial responsibilities Cultural responsibilities such as interacting with local nationals and local communities In general, global long term assignments may vary between two and five years. In long term assignments employees are generally loaned to the host company by the home company (Mullaney 2007, p. 3). The position and seniority of the assignee often determine the nature of the assignment package. Executive assignees are seen as prominent members of the local management team, whereas assignees at manager level or below are credited with career development opportunity. An Insight on the Roles of HR Managers In the current globalization arena, the role of human resource (HR) personnel in relation to international assignments should be viewed in specific perspectives: human resource personnel and international assignees, and the role of past experience in dealing with diverse employees. Whatever the role is, the basic requirements are openness to people, flexibility, autonomy, and career motivation (Frazee, 1998, p. 29). Firstly, the phases in selection of international assignees can be described as self-selection, creation of a candidate pool, assessment of technical skills, and making a mutual decision. Firstly, the candidate has to self analyze whether he or she can be a global assignee. Moreover, the favorability of family and other conditions need to be evaluated. In selecting global assignees, it is better to opt for self-selection than traditional selection. While traditional selection in meant for choosing assignees by employers through various interviews and tests, self-selection promotes self-assessment of candidates and decide on whether or not to go for the next step for selection process (Frazee, 1998, p. 29). The factors of self-selection include personality and individual characteristics, career and family issues. According to Johns, in case of personnel who shift from another position to HR, the experience in past positions and the change of influencing abilities pertaining to the post may help perform better as a HR manager in dealing with employees from different backgrounds (as cited in Frazee, 1998, p. 52).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, HR managers do have a major role in proper orientation of global assignees and making them adjust with new environment. Moreover, HR personnel need to evaluate the costs associated with expatriate programs. Finally, they may have to deal with situations where employees may rise about differences in compensation between local and global assignees. Requirements of International Business Management in the Context of HR Professional in Working with International Assignees In my opinion, such requirements as workforce planning and staffing, training and health safety, and Crisis Management are the central issues of international business management in the context of HR profession when working with international assignees. The most significant subject for planning of training for international assignees is the importance of understanding the restricted culture and language. The organization of the compensation programs for multiple workforces around the world is a compound and not an easy work that is put into effect with the help of the balance sheet approach.   Health and safety practices vary among countries as per related laws in those countries. However, HR managers should understand and cope with business decisions that are concerned with strategies, health and safety systems, and different practices faced in countries that may have an impact upon workforces and employee relations between international assignees. So, the requirements include learning the laws, systems of working and understanding the cultures of the countries. Global HR activities that involve preparation, scheming, structuring, implementing, organizing, or developing may be unsuccessful if they are used without considering the differences in countries. Successful processes and systems that are used in one country may fail when they are used in the same way in another one. All the aspects of the international business have a human element. The human recourse management was underestimated for a long time, but its functions and roles, nowadays, are accepted to be one of the most important. Nevertheless, ‘the HR professionals must first learn the geography and characteristics of the field’ (Ohmae, 1990). Potential Involvement of International HRM   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the increasing human resource problems in the multinational companies due to increased global operations, it has become to necessary to redefine the scope and role of the human resource management.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   International HRM should be involved as a active partner in formulating global strategies. Necessary skills need to be imparted into senior HR professional through proper training. HR professionals should lead developing processes and activities involving emerging strategies (Briscoe Schuler 2004, p. 398). Companies should facilitate the development of global strategies by finding out the skills necessary for management and employees, and a major role should be played by the HR department in accomplishing it (Briscoe Schuler 2004, p. 398). Enhanced interaction is essential among line management, HR personnel and workgroups. Moreover, it is better to decentralize the functions of the headquarters IHR departments. Also, main HR departments should assign basic administrative responsibilities to venders with expertise in HR activities, as the main departments will need to deal with many growing global responsibilities (Briscoe Schuler 2004, p. 398). Expatriate Performance, Training and Interactions Joint ventures and foreign subsidiaries are usually structured and organized much like their mother companies; the only distinction is that they have both expatriate and local managers. That’s why the international business operations are more difficult and have more complex structure than the domestic business operations. Regardless of the effectiveness or availability of Performance Management (PM) tools, expatriate PM success depends largely on the manager and expatriate in question: how well they both understand, internalize, and accept PM, and how skillful they are in its implementation. To this end, appropriate PM training should be available for all expatriates, including their superiors. (Johnson 2003). The high level of the performance management of the expatriate leads to improvements in their careers and company’s development.   The performance management system that is used in the global business includes a lot of areas of international human recourse management responsibility, such as evaluating foreign managers and international assignees for pay increases. However, one of the most important obstacles to the successful administration and progress of these managers and international assignees is the regular require of recognition of the value of their overseas experience and expatriation, in general, and the casualness with which companies often evaluate these international assignees foreign performance. Certainly, big enterprises that have a lot of overseas assignees and many foreign subsidiaries say that ‘most (83%) do not use performance management to measure international assignees success. And many (35%) dont use any type of measurement at all.’ (Andersen 1999, p. 18) One of the most important factors that influences upon the international assignees’ performance is the performance appraisal system of the company. However the correct and effective system of the performance appraisals is not an easy task even in the native country. The knowledge and the skills that have to be developed by the international assignees differ a lot from the abilities of the workers of the company that is located in the native country should have.   The international assignee and other foreign managers have to increase and make use of the knowledge that is necessary for any managerial assignment without any doubt. The requirement for more number of highly qualified human resource personnel has resulted in the need to use larger numbers of foreign nationals. ‘Most multinational firms favor hiring local nationals for foreign subsidiaries, home-country nationals at headquarters, and, where a regional organization exists, a mix of foreign and home-country managers for regional positions.’ (Johnson 2003) Thanks to such method of international HR management the ethnic groups unite usually varies with the environment of a firms business and with the product strategy. So, the role of the staff that works at the native country diminishes in the case of lowering the importance of the area expertise. The principal subject for a large amount of companies in the management of their international assignment system is the arrangement of the competing interests of the firm, international HR management, and the international assignees and family. The business that is concerned about its globalization requires fast deed in order to produce innovative revenues, and to direct the expenses and threats involved with doing that. International human resource department requires adequate lead time to discover and choose successful international assignees. As Ohmae (1990) writes ‘they need a low enough case load of international assignees to be able to provide good service; they want to be able to apply an effective process for selecting and developing quality of international assignees candidates; and they desire to be able to apply a consistent policy of treatment of international assignees.’ International assignees themselves, and their families, need sufficient compensation for the individual and profession sacrifice they make while they relocate; they would like their family concerns to be given essential priority; and they look ahead to   be able to come back to a profession promotion that   takes benefit of their foreign practice. So, the way to success in the global operations is to satisfy the needs of companies and the needs of international assignees. The role of international assignees is very significant; because whether the business strategy will be clear and understandable all over the world depend on their working performance. In order to improve the results of the work there are a large amount of programs that consist of relevance, acceptability, sensitivity and practicality. The factor of relevance means that the HR manager and the worker should realize the relevance of their labor in the general activity and to evaluate the situation correctly. Acceptability is the right evaluation of the job from the side of the HR manager and the diligent execution of the duties by the expatriate. It needs to be seen as fair, reasonable, and accurate. Sensitivity is the attitude of the administration that includes taking into consideration cultural differences and adequacy in evaluating the business reality. The fact that the programs should be practical for the expatriates is also important. They should correspond to the business strategy and be not difficult to execute but not to simple. In this case there is a threat that such program will be done partially. These entire characteristics have to be implemented by the HR managers and need special attention. Compensation for International Assignees   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   International HR department has to create compensation packages that appropriate for employees and profitable to the companies. The components of a balance sheet approach that are helpful in determining expatriate compensation are described below. Home-country salaries International standard Regional standard Better of home or host policy Expatriate Failures The three main reasons for expatriate failure are inappropriate selection, inadequate preparation and the stress associated with expatriation (Enderwick Dunning 1994). Proper training of expatriates before giving international assignments is necessary to overcome failure. All in all, performance of international assignees depends greatly on proper selection and training. Moreover, appropriate compensation packages are necessary. Women as International Assignees   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Coming to the gender differences in international assignees, there are important aspects to consider. It has been observed that though the number of women employees is increasing over the years, they are not making a substantiate percentage in international assignments. To be precise, in spite of having 47% women workforce in the United States by 1998, only 13% to 14% were selected for international assignments (Varma et al. 2004). Also, in spite of having 30% female students in MBA programs in the US, only 14% are being selected by corporate America for international postings (Koretz, 1999).   Furthermore, the estimated number of female expatriates is between 2 and 5 percent only (Harris, 1993).There are multiple reasons for this scenario.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The important cause is the reluctance of management to send women employees abroad stating that they face more prejudice than men at the new workplace. Also, supervisor-subordinate relationship seems to be an important factor. It was found that female employees showed higher agreement with female supervisors than males (Varma et al. 2004). It becomes crucial, as most of cases require women to interact with male supervisors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Other related reasons can be explained such as over estimation of women’s problems at workplace by males, and lower availability of corporate development programs such as fast track programs, individual career counseling and career planning workshops for women. Further reasons include the traditional confinement of women to only certain job categories, socio-cultural issues of host countries and the problems of dual career couples. Conclusion In conclusion it is necessary to say that global HRM is more democratic than it was earlier. It provides employees with lots of opportunities and possibilities without paying attention to such factors as cultural characteristics or racial prejudices. Global HRM tries to present cultural diversity at all level of organizations. HRM model in public sector is characterized by lifetime employment, social cohesiveness and seniority wages. The vitality of organization is less important in the country that family ties and friendship. It is seen that GCC countries are not greatly influenced by globalization processes. Managers try to promote their relatives instead of teaching staff how to work. HRM model in the private sector is only on the evolution stage. It is still trying to find innovative ways how to manage the staff effectively. It is recommended for strategic human resource management of future to be characterized by cultural diversity and equal job opportunities for all people. HRM should use the concepts of globalization and labor division in order to achieve highest results. HRM should provide qualified employees with proper positions. Human resource managers should also have highest qualification and professionalism to achieve company’s goals and objectives. One more recommendation is to create more job places and to provide people with them. The cultural dimensions of power distance index, individualism, masculinity, uncertainly avoidance index and long-term orientation are necessary to be studied by the HR managers. The improvements of the programs that are aimed at the expatriate’s learning should include relevance, acceptability, sensitivity and practicality. As the result the production will increase as well as the organization’s revenue and profits. All in all, HR management has a great responsibility in company’s success pertaining to international assignments. They need to identify required personnel with adequate skills and experience to carry out international assignments. HR managers should plan proper reward packages to retain efficient employees on international assignments. Moreover, they need to adjust existing and adopt new policies in order to gain compliance with respective country’s policies and standards. Also, they are supposed to plan and implement relevant training for employees to perform effectively as international assignees. References 1998, ‘ROI on International Assignees’, HR Focus, Vol. 75, no. 3, p. S5. Briscoe, D. R. Schuler, R. 2004, International Human Resource Management, Second Edition, Routledge, London and New York. Budhwar, Pawan. Human Resource Management in Developing Countries. London:   Routledge. Chiavenato, Idalberto. 2001. â€Å"Advances and Challenges in Human Resource Management in the New Millennium†. Public Personnel Management, 30, pp. 17-25. Dunning, Joseph. 1999. Governments, Globalization and International Business. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Eaton, Jack 2000. â€Å"Transnational Companies, Globalization and Industrial†, Comparative Employment Relations, Cambridge, Polity Press. Enderwick, P. Dunning, J. H. 1994, Transnational Corporations and Human Resources, vol. 16, Routledge, New York. Frazee, V. 1998, ‘An HR Pro Forges a Well-rounded perspective’, Workforce, Vol. 77, no. 2, p. 52. Frazee, V. 1998, ‘No Common Thread in Expat Selection’, Workforce, 4, 4, p. 9. Frazee, V. 1998, ‘Selecting Global Assignees’, Workforce, 3, no. 4, pp. 28-30. Harris, H. 1993, ‘Women in international management: Opportunity or threat?’,Women in Management Review, 8, no. 5, pp. 9-14. Hofstede, Geert.1998. International and Cross-Cultural Management Research. Sage: Jean Claude Usunier. Iii, Edward E. Lawler. 2003. Creating a Strategic Human Resources Organization: An Assessment of Trends and New Directions. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Johnson, David. 2003. International Business: Themes and Issues in the Modern Global Economy. London: Routledge. Kim, Pan Suk. 1999. â€Å"Globalization of Human Resource Management: A Cross-Cultural Perspective for the Public Sector†. Public Personnel Management, vol. 28, pp. 27-37 Koretz, G. 1999, ‘A Womans Place Is..  :Men Frown on Female Execs Abroad’, Business Week, 3646, no. 28, p. 28. Less Available to Female than to Male Expatriates?’, Journal of Business Ethics, 43, no.  ½, pp. 125-136. Mullaney, E. 2007, ‘Global Mobility in a Brave New World’, International Assignment Perspectives, PricewaterhouseCoopers, pp. 1-54. Ohmae, K. 1990. The Borderless World. New York: HarperCollins. Rowden, Robert W. 1999. â€Å"Potential Roles of the Human Resource Management Professional in the Strategic Planning Process†. SAM Advanced Management Journal, vol. 64, pp. 22-28. Selmer, J. and Leung, A. S. M. 2003, ‘Are Corporate Career Development Activities Sims, Ronald R 2002. Organizational Success through Effective Human Resources Management. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Solomon, C. M. 1997, ‘Destination U.S.A.’, Workforce, pp. 18-22. Sparrow, Paul, Brewster, Chris and Harris, Hilary. 2004 â€Å"Globalization and HRM†, Globalizing Human Resource Management, Oxon, Routledge. Spring, Joel. 1998. Education and the Rise of the Global Economy. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Stahl, G. K. Bjorkman, I. 2006, Handbook of Research in International Human Resource Management, Edward Elgar. Varma, A., Stroh, L. K. Schmitt, L. B. 2001, ‘Women and International Assignments:   The Impact of Supervisor-subordinate Relationships’, Journal of World Business, vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 380-388.

An Overview Of Video Game Addiction Sociology Essay

An Overview Of Video Game Addiction Sociology Essay In this assignment, I will be talking about video game addiction, why do teenagers suffer from this. does this game addiction only affects teenagers? what are the causes and reasons that led them to be addicted? The term addiction is used in many contexts to describe an obsession, compulsion, or excessive psychological dependence, such as: drug addiction (e.g. alcoholism), video game addiction, crime, money, work addiction, compulsive overeating, problem gambling, computer addiction, nicotine addiction, pornography addiction, etc. The term addiction is also sometimes applied to compulsions that are not substance-related, such as problem gambling and computer addiction. In these kinds of common usages, the term addiction is used to describe a recurring compulsion by an individual to engage in some specific activity, despite harmful consequences, as deemed by the user himself to his or her individual health, mental state or social life. Or more broadly video game overuse, is excessive or compulsive use of computer and video games that interferes with daily life. Instances have been reported in which users play compulsively, isolating themselves from, or from other forms of, social contact and focusing almost entirely on in-game achievements rather than broader life events. There is no diagnosis of video game addiction, although it has been proposed for inclusion in the next version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Video game addiction is not included as a diagnosis in either the DSM or the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. However, effects (or symptoms) of video game overuse are similar to those of other proposed psychological addictions. Video game overuse may be, like compulsive gambling, an impulse control disorder. In 2007, the American Psychological Association reviewed whether or not video game addiction should be added in the new DSM to be released in 2012. The conclusion was that there was not enough research or evidence to conclude that video game addiction was a disorder. A report by the Council On Science And Public Health to the AMA cited a 2005 Entertainment Software Association survey[10] of computer gaming players, and noted that players of MMORPGs were more likely to play for more than 2 hours per day than other gamers. In its report, the Council used this 2-hour-per-day limit to define gaming overuse, citing the American Academy of Pediatrics guideline of no more than 1 to 2 hours per day of screen time. It may be worth noting that the ESA document cited in the Council report does not contain the 2-hour-per-day data. In a 2005 Toms Games interview, Dr. Maressa Orzack estimated that 40% of the players of World of Warcraft (an MMORPG) were addicted, but she did not indicate a source for the estimate. She may have derived the estimate from the informal survey managed by Nick Yee at the The Daedalus Project,[14] who notes that caution should be exercised when interpreting this data.[15] A 2006 lecture reported by the BBC indicated that 12% of polled gamers reported at least some addictive behaviours. The lecturer, Professor Mark Griffiths of Nottingham Trent University, stated in another BBC interview that addicts are few and far between. Michael Cai, director of broadband and gaming for Parks Associates (a media/technology research and analysis company), said in 2007 that Video game addiction is a particularly severe problem in Asian countries such as China and Korea. Results of a 2006 survey suggested that 2.4% of South Koreans aged 9 to 39 suffer from game addiction, with another 10.2 percent at risk of addiction. A 2007 Harris Interactive online poll of 1,187 US youths aged 8-18 gathered detailed data on youth opinions about video game play. About 81% of youths stated that they played video games at least once per month. Further, the average play time varied by age and sex, from 8 hours per week (responses from teen girls) to 14 hours per week (responses by teen boys). Tweens (8-12 year olds) fell in the middle, with boys averaging 13 hours per week of reported game-play, and girls averaging 10. Harris concludes that 8.5% can be classified as pathological or clinically addicted to playing video games, but did not explain how this conclusion was reached. Since the American Psychological Association decision in 2007, studies have been conducted at Stanford University School of Medicine related to video game play. Researchers found evidence that video games do have addictive characteristics. An MRI study found that the part of the brain that generates rewarding feelings is more activated in men than women during video-game play. In August 2005, the government of the Peoples Republic of China, where more than 20 million people play online games, introduced an online gaming restriction limiting playing time to 3 hours, after which the player would be expelled from whichever game they were playing. In 2006, it relaxed the rule so only citizens under the age of 18 would face the limitations. Reports indicate underage gamers found ways to circumvent the measure. In July, 2007, the rule was relaxed yet again. Internet games operating in China must require that users identify themselves by ID numbers. After 3 hours, players under 18 are prompted to stop and do suitable physical exercise. If they continue, their characters gain 50% of the usual experience. After 5 hours, their characters gain no experience at all. In 2008, one of the 5 FCC Commissioners, Deborah Taylor Tate, stated that online gaming addiction was one of the top reasons for college drop-outs. However, she did not mention a source for the statement, nor identify its position in relation to other top reasons. Excessive use of video games may have some or all the symptoms of drug addiction or other proposed psychological addictions. Some players become more concerned with their interactions in the game than in their broader lives. Players may play many hours per day, gain or lose significant weight due to playing, disrupt sleep patterns to play, play at work, avoid phone calls from friends and/or lie about play time. Relationships with family and friends, and performance at work or school, may suffer. Theorists focus on the built-in reward systems of the games to explain their addictive nature.[42][43] In reference to gamers such as one suicide in China, the head of one software association was quoted In the hypothetical world created by such games, they become confident and gain satisfaction, which they cannot get in the real world.[44] Researchers at the University of Rochester and Immersyve, Inc. (a Celebration, FL computer gaming Think-tank) investigated what motivates gamers to continue playing video games. According to lead investigator Richard Ryan, they believe that players play for more reasons than fun alone. Ryan, a motivational psychologist at Rochester, says that many video games satisfy basic psychological needs, and players often continue to play because of rewards, freedom, and a connection with other players.[45] Michael Brody, M.D., head of the TV and Media Committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, stated in a 2007 press release that there is not enough research on whether or not video games are addictive. However, Dr. Brody also cautioned that for some children and adolescents it displaces physical activity and time spent on studies, with friends, and even with family.[46] Dr. Karen Pierce, a psychiatrist at Chicagos Childrens Memorial Hospital, sees no need for a specific gaming addiction diagnosis. Two or more children see her each week because of excessive computer and video game play, and she treats their problems as she would any addiction. She said one of her excessive-gaming patients hasnt been to bed, hasnt showeredHe is really a mess.[3] Prevention and correction Some countries, like South Korea, China, the Netherlands, Canada, and the United States, have responded to the perceived threat of video game addiction by opening treatment centers. Because few clinical trials and no meta-analyses have been completed, research is still in the preliminary stages for excessive gaming treatment. The most effective treatments seem to be, as with addictions or dependencies, a combination of psychopharmacology, psychotherapy and twelve-step programs.

Different Types of Cancer and Their Treatments Essay -- Cancer Health

Different Types of Cancer and Their Treatments All living things are made up of cells. They are the smallest things that are capable of basic life-they take in nutrients when needed, they put out waste and they reproduce. Cells divide (reproduce) at least once during their life, sometimes dozens of times. Organisms rely on this, this is how they grow or repair themselves when they are damaged. A normal body has around 30 trillion cells. Permanent gene mutations are what cause cells to malfunction. When this happens several times to the same cell it can become cancerous. This can take many years in some cases. A cancerous cell reproduces at different rates, but eventually they overcrowd the normal cells and turn into a tumor. There are two types of tumors, benign and malignant. A benign tumor does not spread to other parts of the body, it stays in one place. Benign tumors are not dangerous and do not need to be removed, but if you would like to have it removed for appearance purposes or if it is uncomfortable it can be surgically removed very easily. A malignant tumor is a tumor that can spread to other parts of the body which makes them very dangerous. There are many different kinds of cancer and they all react differently to different types of treatments. Cancer cells can break away from a tumor and spread to other parts of the body. They usually spread through the blood or lymph systems. When this happens it is called metastasis. It doesn’t matter where the cancer spreads to; it is still named after the part of the body where it started. For example if the cancer started in the breast and then spread to the lymphatic system it is defined as metastastic breast cancer. A recurrence is when the cancer returns after someone has had treatments and appeared to be cancer free. Cancer can take years to develop so it is usually a few things that contribute to it. Scientists are not exactly sure what causes cancer but there have been studies that show that some people are more prone than others to develop it. One million people in the United States are diagnosed with cancer every year. In the United States 163 out of every 100,000 men develop cancer, and 110 out of every 100,000 women develop it.1 People of all ages develop cancer but it is more common in people 50 years old or older. Although we are not quite sure what causes cancer studies have... ...nt for lymphoma, because it so easily spreads throughout the body. Sometimes radiation therapy is used after chemotherapy to help prevent relapses. Several recent discoveries have improved treatment for lymphoma. These include, antibody therapy, which monoclonal antibodies are used to destroy lymphoma cells without as much damage to the normal cells. There is also a vaccine therapy, which helps stimulate the patients immune system to help fight off lymphatic cancer. These treatments are still experimental and very expensive. In patients who have reoccurring lymphoma, higher doses of chemotherapy or radiation may be necessary in an attempt to kill the cancerous cells. These treatments also destroy the blood producing cells in the patient’s bone marrow. This sometimes requires a bone marrow transplant. NOTES 1. Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2001 2. www.ucan.cc 3. Prostate Cancer written by David G. Bostwick M.D. Published by Villard Books in 1996. 4. Colorectal Cancer written by Bernard Levin M.D. Published by Villard Books in 1996 Call #: NF 616.99 5. Women and Cancer written by Carolyn D. Runowicz M.D. Published by Villard Books in 1999.

Career Goal

My long-run objective is to achieve a senior managerial position in a large multinational corporation that markets, or preferably manufactures commodities. I believe that on my way to achieve my goal I will express my talents and interests and contribute to society’s prosperity. Looking ten years back, I view my interdisciplinary experience in marketing management, political and public positions, and traveling as a part of the solid background that can generate a successful senior manager in a multinational corporation.FMS is one of the best business school in the country for developing general management skills and acquiring management tools in the marketing and consumption areas. Graduates gain excellent placement services and leading positions. . FMS has the qualities that best fit my expectations, objective. I wish to say, sincerely, that in my opinion FMS will completely fulfill my objective as well as give me a significant advancement towards achieving my long-term goal. Throughout my life I have observed two distinct career paths, my father's and my uncle's.My father completed his engineering degree and secured a government job in India, which he continues to hold to this day. My uncle's path began similarly; like my father, he earned an engineering degree. My uncle, on the other hand, continued his education by moving to the United States to earn an MBA, then started his own venture and became a successful businessman in Los Angeles. Evaluating their experiences helped me understand what I wanted from my life and create a master plan for my career. While I appreciate the excitement, flexibility, and independence my uncle has in his life, I value my father's proximity to his family and culture.I now realize that a career as an entrepreneur in India could provide me with the best of both worlds. With the objective of learning about business, I completed my bachelor's degree in Commerce and joined KPMG in the Audit & Business Advisory Department. I believed that a career with an accounting firm would serve me in two ways: first, by enhancing my knowledge of accounting — the language of business — and second, by providing me with an excellent introduction to the business world. My decision seemed to be a sound one; in my first two years at KPMG, I worked on a wide variety of assignments that not only strengthened my analytical and problem-solving skills, but also taught me how large businesses managed their sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution functions.After enjoying this productive and educational experience for two years, I decided I wanted greater opportunities than what the audit department could offer. Thus, when the Management Assurance Services (MAS) practice was established in India, the challenge of working in a new service line and the opportunity to help improve the risk management mechanisms of businesses influenced me to join it.In the last three years, I have improved risk management capabiliti es of clients by addressing strategic, enterprise and operational risk issues. I have also assisted the MAS practice in tailoring our international portfolio of services to the Indian marketplace by conducting risk management surveys, interacting with professionals in other developing economies, and conducting interviews with senior client management. Besides becoming skilled at process risk consulting, I have also significantly improved my project management and new service development abilities in the last three years.

Make Prejudice and Discrimination a Subject in School Essay

Because of the immigration in the world and the great assimilation that are in progress prejudices and discrimination are more important than never before. People need to learn from young ages that it doesn’t matter where you come from or what color your skin is, the only thing that matters is your personality and how you respond to other people. Yesterday, in Stockholm, I was talking to my cousin and she told me that I never should live in Tensta because, according to her, it’s a very dangerous place because it only lives criminals there. Personally I’m sure that the majority of the people in Tensta are normal, nice people that never have done anything criminal – it’s only her prejudices that say something different. I see every day how common prejudices are, my friends have prejudices, my family has prejudices and I, that see myself as a very prejudices free person, find sometimes that even I have some prejudices. Discrimination is unfortunately also common in our society. A while ago I read a study that professors at the Linnà © university in Kalmar had written and it showed that the majority of the companies in Sweden discriminated people with Arabic names. If there were two persons with exactly the same qualities and experience in the study, and one of them was named Martin Johansson and the other Abd al Hakim only the first would be called to an interview while the second would be sorted away immediately. But I think that it is easy to forget and that we have to remember that discrimination can work in every way – white against black, black against white, men against women, women against men, and so on. Therefore I believe that we have to work for a society that is equal on every scale. I think that a way to solve the problem with prejudices and discrimination is to make it a main subject in school. In that way every kid in Sweden would get information about and be able to discus prejudices and discrimination every week from the age of 6 to 16. I believe that information and knowledge are the key to everything, and in this case the key to an equal society without prejudices and discrimination.