Development system Essay Example for Free

Development system Essay Over much of the twentieth century, the foremost edges of economic development and growth were mainly identifiable with sectors distinguished by varying degrees of mass production, as expressed in large-scale machine systems and an unrelenting drive to product standardization and cost cutting. all through the mass-production era, the dominant sectors evolved through a progression of technological and organizational changes focused above all on process routinization and the exploration for internal economies of scale. These features are not particularly conducive to the injection of high levels of aesthetic and semiotic content into final products. Certainly, in the 1930s and 1940s many commentators with supporters of the Frankfurt School (Adorno, 1991; Horkheimer, 1947) being among the most vocal expressed grave misgivings concerning the steady incursion of industrial methods into the globe of the cultural economy and the concomitant tendency for multifarious social and emotive content to be evacuated from forms of popular cultural production. These doubts were by no means out of place in a framework where much of commercial culture was focused on an enormously narrow approach to entertainment and disruption, and in which the powerful forces of the nation-state and nationalism were bend in considerable ways on creating mass proletarian societies. The specific problems raised by the Frankfurt School in regard to popular commercial culture have in definite respects lost some of their urgency as the economic and political bases of mass production have given way before the changes guided in over the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the new economy started its ascent. This is not to say that the modern cultural economy is not associated with a number of staid social and political predicaments. Although it is also the case that as commercial cultural production and consumption have developed in the major capitalist societies over the last few decades, so our aesthetic and ideological judgments concerning their underlying meanings have lean to shift. The rise of post-modern social and cultural theory is one significant expression of this development. Creative Industries Policy and the Reason of Shift in Terminology â€Å"The idea that cultural or creative industries might be regenerative was the result of changes in the cultural-industries landscape that were themselves in part the product of cultural policy shifts – when cultural policy is understood in the wider sense, to include media and communications† . One other key aspect also goes unnoticed in Hesmondhalghs book, which is that the sector itself, the ostensible object of both academic and policy discourse does not distinguish itself in the term cultural industries at least not instantly. Some are simply unaware of how their activities relay to a range of disparate occupations and businesses. Some are clear in their refusal of the terminology and the company with which they are thus grouped. Certainly, one of the key arguments of the policy advocates is that this sector lacks a essential voice, it needs to convey its demands, needs to become self-conscious as a sector, needs to present itself with the consistency of other economic groups, needs, therefore, to co-operate in its own building as policy object (OConnor, 1999a). If an necessary part of this discursive operation is the dismantling of fixed oppositions between economics as well as culture then this has to be about the self-perception, individuality (and identification) of cultural producers the inculcation or adoption of a new kind of what Nigel Thrift calls embodied performative knowledge but can as well be seen as a form of habitus (OConnor, 1999a, 2000b). â€Å"The notion of culture is constructed through a number of intersecting discourses providing particular means of mobilising the notion and defining its object. These discourses are selectively emphasized to frame cultural (industries) policies† . The cultural industries discourse then is not just policy making but is part of a wider shift in governance, and needs a new set of self-understandings as part of the key skills in a new cultural economy (OConnor, 2000b). In this sense those apprehensive to advocate cultural industry strategies could be seen as a species of cultural intermediaries.

natural supplements :: essays research papers

OUR HEALTH AND FREEDOM OF CHOICE IS THREATENED†¦ An alarming development in the health industry has seen the spread of fear among the public regarding natural therapies. So much so, that the US, Australian, UK and Canadian governments are suggesting new legislation designed to remove natural health products from our shelves or to brutally regulate access. The question is, are Natural Supplements a Safe Form of Medicine? Only three recorded deaths have ever been associated to vitamins, two of which are debatable and one which was a known overdose of vitamin A, taken to intentionally kill. Although on the other hand, doctors have admitted to around 18000 fatalities per annum in Australia that are caused by pharmaceutical drugs. Herbal remedies were used safely by all ancient civilizations for thousands of years, and proved to have beneficial effects. Historically, pharmaceutical drugs are the (very profitable) newcomers on the scene. In reaction to the PAN Pharmaceutical fiasco, there has been wide spread hysteria amongst the Australian community. In May 2003, PAN was served with a â€Å"class one† removal of all products from shelves after products caused death. 1600 products with no adverse reactions reported were eliminated from the shelves of all pharmacies around the country, most of these being natural supplements. How this logically follows the problems caused by one purely synthetic, chemical, pharmaceutical product (there was nothing natural about â€Å"Travacalm†) has yet to be explained. Following the humiliation that PAN Pharmaceuticals endured, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has assembled a Close Door Committee made up of representatives and pharmaceutical industry peoples from the TGA. This group will release new proposals for the Australian community and the health industry and these suggestions don’t look good. A key member in the TGA, Prof. Alistair McLennan, is famous for his comment on the subject: â€Å"We shouldn’t support the complementary medicine (industry) or subsidise it. It’s a bit like subsidising the tobacco industry or the gambling industry.† Australia aren’t the only ones coming down on natural supplements like a tonne of bricks, but England and the majority of Europe are doing the same. A law on all conventional medicines is being initiated. Continuing to be on the market is getting harder and harder, all herbal and natural products must have been on the legitimate market for 30 years or more (15 of which must have been in Europe). Of course the end product is no more independent producers and retailers but most importantly no new movements in the herbal industry.

Can Prejudice Ever Be Eliminated Essay

Can prejudice ever be eliminated? What exactly is prejudice? Contrary to popular belief, prejudice is not the same as discrimination, even though both terms are usually tossed into the fray together. Prejudice refers to the prejudgment; where people make assumptions or decisions even before being aware of the relevant facts. On the other hand, discrimination refers to the treatment or distinction in favour or against a particular person, group or class. That being said, prejudice would certainly be much more widespread in societies all over the world as compared to discrimination. After all, prejudice can manifest in a society in various different ways, such as racism, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) violence, hate crimes and gender bias just to name a few. In Singapore, we are fortunate to not have to witness heinous crimes based on peoples’ prejudice against others with the government’s tough stance against such acts. This and other examples may just provide the slim chance of which the abolishment of prejudice in society may become a reality, as further discussions would attempt to show that prejudice may possibly be eradicated. Firstly, prejudice is actually not part of human nature, which is contrary to popular belief. A German social psychologist, Hofstatter, had suggested in 1954 that prejudice against members of other groups represents a â€Å"normal† phenomenon of human social life and that no one is free from this attitude. This would be an extreme conclusion as the absence of prejudice among young children show that prejudice is not innate, but learned. Children are brought into the world without bias and thus learn from those with close relations to them, learning their parent’s ethnic attitudes and even from the media. For example, the idea of white superiority and racism may have been implied in the American comedy â€Å"Friends†, where the entire cast are white people. Secondly, true to the Herd Mentality, societal pressures cause individuals to succumb other people’s prejudices. Media and other people in our lives shape the way we think. In order to conform to society and thus ‘fit in’, individuals would begin to formulate personal opinions based on the information obtained from social circles, family and of course, the media. Should these factors be subject to change, it would be possible to alter the mindset of the individual with respect to his or her prejudices. Thirdly, the lack of personal interaction with the group in question would undoubtledly lead to prejudgements. For example, the Israel and Palestinian hostilities are fuelled by the underlying prejudices among Israelis against Muslims and Palestinians against Jews. The closed border between Israel and Palestine just adds fuel to the fire, as the younger generations grow up with the predetermined mindset that people across the border were savage monsters, even if that was not the case. If people actually sat down around a table and got to know each other before they had the chance to judge each other, then there would be much less prejudice in the world today. When it comes to actually attempting to abolish prejudice thinking, there are certain aspects worth considering, namely the society, the individual, the government and the family. One way in which prejudice can be eliminated is through the education of young minds in schools. As previously mentioned, young children are not prejudiced against anyone and would thereafter pick up such prejudices from society. By teaching these children be open to multiple points of view and not be biased against certain people and viewpoints, we would then be able to prevent prejudicial thinking. This was demonstrated by Jane Elliot and her books â€Å"A Class Divided† as well as the documentary â€Å"The Eye Of The Storm† illustrates her famous â€Å"brown-eyed/blue-eyed† exercise. When utilised properly, education would have a powerful effect on young children. Another way in which prejudice can be eliminated would be through the family. Traditionally, individuals would spend the most amount of time with their parents. In these changing times, however, more and more parents are unable to spend time with their children and teach them the right moral values due to long working hours and school hours. Recently, the State Of The Family Report for 2011 found that the average number of hours that parents spend with their children was 29 hours per week. With less time to spend with their children, how would parents cultivate moral values and in their children? Furthermore, the conservative nature of Singapore households prevents seemingly sensitive topics from being brought up. Topics such as the LGBT community and feminism are seldom brought up, due to the reluctance of parents to fully explain the situation to their children. All these factors limit the role of parents when it comes to the teaching of moral values and mindsts. After all, not everything in life can be taught in a classroom. The government can also play a vital role in ensuring the abolishment of prejudice in society. The Singaporean government is playing a vital role in ensuring racial stability in Singapore. By ensuring that racist and insensitive comments are dealt with appropriately, it sends a message to the younger generation that being prejudiced is against the country’s morals and values. Furthermore, policies implemented by the government can help the financially troubled and close the income gap. This is just one of the ways that the government can step in to reduce prejudice from an economics point of view. Lastly, the thinking of the individual plays a very important part in the abolishment of prejudice. Individuals need to filter out the material that they encounter such that there are able to identify the right from the wrong. One good way of doing this would be through religion. Religion is able to provide a so-called ‘moral compass’ where religion will point the individual in the right direction, away from the prejudiced thoughts. Of course, as much as religion would be able to provide a moral foundation for the individual, it would also be a mistake to delve into the depths of extreme forms of religion, where words are twisted from their true meaning and the whole point of using religion as a moral guideline backfires. Prejudice may or may not be eliminated from the face of the Earth, we cannot tell presently. As prejudiced as the world may be as of now, with gay marriage legalisation being strongly protested and religious conflicts all over the world today, it is very difficult to believe that prejudice can be eliminated in our lifetime. However, as previously mentioned, should we take a collective approach in teaching the younger generation to live without prejudice, then the elimination of prejudiced thinking may just become a reality in the future.

Collection of Classic Christmas Poems

Classic Christmas poems are a joy to read during the holiday season. They offer a glimpse into how Christmas was celebrated in the decades and centuries of the past. It is likely true that some of these poems have shaped how we view and celebrate Christmas today. As you snuggle beneath the Christmas tree or before the fire, browse some of the poems gathered here for your holiday reading and reflection. They may inspire you to add new traditions to your celebration or even to take up your own pen or keyboard to compose your own verses. Christmas Poems from the 17th Century The traditions of the Christmas season in the 17th century combined the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus with baptized versions of pagan solstice revelries. The Puritans tried to rein it in, even to the extent of banning Christmas. But the poems from these times tell of holly, ivy, the Yule log, mince pie, wassail, feasting, and merriment. William Shakespeare, Lines spoken after the ghost’s exit from Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 1 (1603)George Wither,â€Å"A Christmas Carol† (1622)Robert Herrick,â€Å"Ceremonies for Christmas† (1648)Henry Vaughan,â€Å"The True Christmas† (1678) Christmas Poems from the 18th Century This century saw political revolutions and the Industrial Revolution. From the bucolic list of gifts of fowl in The Twelve Days of Christmas, there is a transition to more somber issues of war and strife in Coleridges A Christmas Carol. Anonymous,â€Å"The Twelve Days of Christmas† (1780)Samuel Taylor Coleridge,â€Å"A Christmas Carol† (1799) Christmas Poems from the 19th Century St. Nicholas and Santa Claus became popular in the United States in the 19th Century and A Visit from St. Nicholas popularized the elements of nocturnal rounds of gift giving. The poem helped crystallize the image of a chubby Santa Claus with a sleigh and reindeer and arrival on the roof and down the chimney. But the century also has Longfellows lament about the Civil War and how the hope of peace can survive harsh reality. Meanwhile, Sir Walter Scott reflects on the holiday as celebrated by a baron in Scotland. Sir Walter Scott, â€Å"Christmas in the Olden Time† (from Marmion, 1808)Clement Clark Moore (attributed to him—but more probably written by Major Henry Livingston, Jr.),â€Å"A Visit from St. Nicholas† (first published in 1823, likely written in 1808)Emily Dickinson,â€Å"’Twas just this time last year I died† (#445)Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,â€Å"Christmas Bells† (1864)Christina Rossetti,â€Å"In the Bleak Midwinter† (1872)Robert Louis Stevenson,â€Å"Christmas at Sea† (1888) Christmas Poems of the Early 20th Century These poems are ones worth setting aside some time to muse over their meanings and lessons. Did the oxen kneel at the manger? Who gave the poet an unseen kiss under the mistletoe? What is the worth of a field of trees if not to be cut down for Christmas trees? What brought the Magi and other visitors to the manger? Christmas can be a time for contemplation. G.K. Chesterton,â€Å"A Christmas Carol† (1900)Sara Teasdale,â€Å"Christmas Carol† (1911)Walter de la Mare,â€Å"Mistletoe† (1913)Thomas Hardy,â€Å"The Oxen† (1915)William Butler Yeats,â€Å"The Magi† (1916)Robert Frost, â€Å"Christmas Trees† (1920)