Introduction

Mass media denotes a section of the media specifically envisioned and intended to get in touch with a very large audience such as the population of a nation or state. Examples of media include newspapers, magazines, books, televisions radios and the internet. Media serves various purposes such as advocacy for both for business and social concerns, entertainment, and public service announcements. Mass media advocate through advertising, marketing, spreading propaganda, public relations and political communication and entertains through performances such as acting, music and sports (Carrie & Bonds, 1999). Some of the negative characteristics of mass media include the inability to transmit tacit knowledge, manipulation of large groups of people through its outlets, biasness and its inability to act as peoples’ watchdog (Gerbner et al, 1986

Media Effect Theories

Cultivation theory

This theory was developed by George). The population covered by media consists of people with diversified characters, opinions, education backgrounds, and religion to mention but a few whose influence through the mass media is variable. Several theories have been formulated to explain the effects of mass media on its audience. In this paper, the writer will discuss the influence of media on people in relation to these theories. The writer assumes that the society has bestowed great trust in the mass media and relies heavily on it for information creating a scenario whereupon the media easily influences them to think differently.  Gerbner and its fundamental claim is that persistent and long-term exposure to television content has little but measurable effects on the perceptual worlds of audience members (Gerbner et al, 1986). Gerbner further claims that heavy television viewing creates an exaggerated belief in a “mean and scary world” and that television has surpassed religion as the key storyteller of our culture (Gerbner et al, 1986). The theory is most famous for its applications to the correlations between media violence and violent behavior. According to Gerbner, the children, elderly, African-Americans, Latinos, women and the less educated are often the victims of television violence.

Television is not a reflection of the world but a world in itself and a sort of modern day religion. People cultivate perceptions of reality from television. They make assumptions about others, places and things from fictional sitcoms, soap operas, dramas and television news. From fictional sitcoms, people tend to take the fiction in them seriously and even go to an extent of reflecting them on their life (Gerbner et al, 1986). From watching soap operas, they take the stage acting as if it were a real life situation; many envying to live the ‘movie superstar’s life’ forgetting that it is only stage managed. Dramas have similar effect too while the effect of the news is variable with its content (Entman, 2006).  For instance, news showing people striking or demonstrating for their rights ends up spreading the message that striking and demonstrating are the solutions to oppression (Zucker, 1978).

The repetitive nature of television’s mass-produced messages and images also forms the conventional symbolic environment that people base their perceptions in. Most of television programs are commercially designed to be watched by nearly everyone in a moderately nonselective fashion, a strategy for widening their target audience group (Bryant & Zillman, 1986). Television cultivates from childhood, the very predispositions and preferences that used to be acquired from other primary sources like parental counseling. This is largely contributed by the continuous absence of parents to preoccupy children with other activities and to monitor their television watching habits (Bryant & Zillman, 1986). Children who watch violent television programs such as wrestling end up being violent and aggressive in schools as well as being prone criminality that exposes them to the wrong side of law in latter life. They grow seeing incidences of violence in these programs and the effect of such viewing is gradual. At first, they may not be influenced much but as time elapses, they unconsciously start engaging in violent activities when faced with some situations. Their minds are already corrupted so that they see violence as the only option that can solve their problems better. In fact, in 1993, at a conference of the National Council for Families and Television, it was estimated that ten percent of the violence in the United States could be attributed to television (UCLA Center for Communication Policy, 1997). Incidences of television violence forms a necessary part of plot and character development of thought accurately portraying real life and it is responsible for actual violence in society (UCLA Center for Communication Policy, 1997).

Social action theory

This theory was developed by Anderson and Meyer and claims that media audience who are neither hapless nor passive, participate enthusiastically in mediated communication; constructing meanings from the content they perceive. The theory views communication interactions in terms of actors’ objective, receivers’ interpretation and the message content (Anderson & Meyer, 1988). According to this theory, the communication process does not deliver meaning; rather it constructs it. Each communication act generates at least three potentially different sites of this construction from where meaning arises. These sites are the intentions of the producer, the contents’ conventions and the receivers’ interpretation (Johnson, 2005).

Reasoning today is influenced by the media rather than platonic ideas (Bourdon, 2000).  Usually, the media is the most trusted institution with fanatical following and whatever it reports, supports or rejects is taken as the stand of the society. For example, during campaign periods to elect leaders, the media can tactfully influence the voting pattern by either showing positive or negative bias towards a specific candidate or party (Wanta & Miller, 1996). The society has become lazy and passive and in turn waits to be spoon-fed with information by the media regardless of its validity. This is why such pertinent decisions that would have been made by personal rational judgment such as voting are positively influenced by the media to influence the pattern of voting.

Mass media unifies and invigorates conversations (makes them uniform in space and diversified in time) of the society by giving its audience conversations of the day whose subject changes every day and every week (Bolter & Grusin, 2000). This is done tactfully, directly and behind the scenes thereby controlling and influencing the thoughts and actions of the society at large. For instance, if a leader differs in opinion with the media, the media can hit back at him by initiating and invigorating a conversation directly aimed at discrediting that leader and making him unpopular. The effect of this is that a bad image of this leader is created on people’s minds and people start perceiving him as a bad leader. On the contrary, such leaders may be carriers of effective ideas but due to such action, the general perspective of the society effectively coined and affixed by the media to disregard the leader. This can have and effect of causing major steps backward in development. Positively, the act of unifying and invigorating conversation especially on matters affecting the general society like environmental degradation, changes their attitude towards the topic and in turn they can be more responsible. The general effect therefore is to align people’s thoughts to react negatively or positively in society under the influence of media machinations.

Agenda- setting theory

In Maxwell McCombs’ and Donald Shaw’s (theorists of the agenda-setting theory) explanation, agenda is “not what to think, but what to think about” (McCombs & Shaw, 1972). Agenda-setting theory’s vital axiom is salience conveyance, or the ability of the mass media to transmit importance of items on their mass agendas to the public agendas. Agenda-setting theory contrasts with the selective exposure hypothesis of cognitive dissonance, reaffirming the press power while maintaining the freedom of an individual (Kiousis & McCombs, 2003 Mar). The theory aligns well with social judgment theory and is consistent with a “use and gratification” approach to television viewers’ motives (and dependency theory) (Kiousis & McCombs, 2003 Mar). Agenda- setting theory shows how the media influence public opinion, necessarily not by supporting one view over another, but by laying emphasis on certain issues in the public sphere.

When mass media choose what stories to consider newsworthy and how much space and prominence to give them, they create a large influence on their audiences. The influence results from the pictures which the media creates in audience members’ mind eye by setting an agenda for what people should think about and the importance order of these thoughts. For example, one host of a radio talk show admitted that his listeners have got to talk about what he is talking about or they risk ever getting off-air (Craft & Wanta, 2005). There develops a correlation between the media story covering rate and the extent at which people take that story important. Actions surrounding the ‘Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal’ are excellent examples of agenda-setting in action. During this historic event, the media was ever-present. By placing full page, color articles and top stories on news programming, the media made it clear that Americans should place this event as important issues. Some believed Clinton should have been impeached, and others thought otherwise. Therefore, the media was not extremely successful in telling people what to think on this issue, but most Americans did believe that was an important issue for a long period of time. Agenda- setting theory has evolved beyond the media’s influence on the perceptions of the public on issues salience to political candidates and corporate reputation. The theory is now being utilized in political campaigns, political advertising and debates, business news and corporate reputation, business influence on federal policy, role of groups, legal systems, trials, public opinion and audience control to influence the society into thinking their line (McCombs, 2005).

Media dependency theory

This theory was developed by Ball-Rockeach and De-Fluer and holds to the opinion that audiences depend on media information to attain goals and meet needs (DeFleur & Ball-Rokeach, 1989). Social institution and mass media systems interact with audiences to create interests, needs and motives in person. The degree of media dependence is influenced by the number and centrality of information, functions which include entertainment, education, social cohesion and government monitoring. Also influencing media dependency is the social stability whereby in cases of instability, reliance on the media increases (DeFleur & Ball-Rokeach, 1989).

People depend on media information to meet certain needs and achieve certain goals. However, this dependence is not equal through all the media (DeFleur et al, 1992). Those with great desire to understand the social world better, rely on the mass media for information. The mass media plays a vital role in the way they think since information obtained has a direct influence on their thinking. They can be able to relate their encounters with whatever they have learnt. Their decisions are to a greater degree a function of obtained knowledge (DeFleur et al, 1992). From the media, people can learn more about different cultures enabling them to understand those cultures better and change any cultivated perception that could have existed before. Out of this, their way of thinking is indirectly modeled by the media. During large-scale social crises such as war, for example, the societal dependency on the media increase dramatically. People incessantly rely on mass media exclusively for information and this gives mass media an upper hand in influencing their thinking about their allies and opponents in the war. If the mass media sees no need of generating panic, it can decide to censure contents likely to arouse panic. This is exemplified in the war on terror where sections of the media have openly been biased to the Arab communities and continuously associated them with the axis of evil in former president of the US, George W. Bush’s terminology.

Conclusion

Mass media forms an integral part of any society and plays an important role of spreading information. In the course of executing its duties and functions, mass media influences the society relatively depending on the audience it reaches. Factors such as age, sex, education background and exposure inform this degree of influence. The press may not be successful always in telling people what to think, but it has stunningly succeeded in telling its readers what to think about. Individuals differ on their need for orientation. Need for orientation is a blend of the individual’s interest in the topic and uncertainty about the issue. The higher levels of uncertainty and interest produce higher levels of orientation need. So the individual would be noticeably likely to be influenced by the media broadcasts. According to cultivation theory, televisions dictate character development with those having long time exposure to it having the greatest impact. In social action theory, the media directly influences the society reasoning by constructing meaning in its contents. The agenda setting theory reaffirms the press power while maintaining individual’s freedom. Lastly according to the media dependency theory, audiences depend on media information to attain goals and meet needs. Although mass media has negative influence to its audience, it is unfair to condemn or acknowledge its merits solely. The society on its part is to blame for ignorance and laziness in quest for the truth other than accepting everything from the media as the gospel truth. It has bestowed great trust in the mass media and relies heavily on it for information creating a scenario whereupon the media easily influences them to think differently.  It is practically impossible to do away with mass media considering its positive contributions. What is appropriate is to be more conscious, rational and critical to avoid especially negative media influence, most of which is out of ignorance.

List of References

Anderson, J. A., & Meyer, T. P. (1988). Mediated communication: A social action perspective. Beverly Hills: Sage.

Bolter, J. & Grusin, R. (2000). Remediation: Understanding new media. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

Bourdon, J. (2000). Live Television is Still Alive. Media, Culture & Society, 22(5), 531-556.

Bryant, J. & Zillman, D. (1986). Perspectives on media effects. Eds. Hilldale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Carrie, P & Bonds, J.(1999).Cultivations of Reality Through Television. University of South     Carolina

Craft, S., & Wanta, W. (2005). U. S. public concerns in the aftermath of 9-11: A test of second-level agenda-setting. International Journal of Public Opinion Research 16(4): 456-462.

DeFleur, M. L. & Ball-Rokeach, S. (1989). Theories of mass communication. 5th Ed. White Plains, NY: Longman.

DeFleur, M. L. et al. (1992). Audience recall of news stories presented by newspaper, computer, television and radio. Journalism Quarterly, 69: 1010-1022.

Entman, R. M. (2006). Framing public life: Perspectives on media and our understanding of the social world. Political Communication, 23(1): 121-122.

Johnson, S. (2005). Everything bad is good for you: How today’s popular culture is actually making us smarter. (New York: Riverhead (Penguin).

Kiousis, S. & McCombs, M. (2003). Agenda setting study: Agenda setting effects and strength. MT Journal Nr. p. 142.

McCombs, M E. & Shaw, D. L. (1972). The agenda-setting function of mass media. Public Opinion Quarterly 36(2):176-187.

McCombs, M.E. (2005). A look at agenda-setting: Past, present and future. Journalism Studies 6: 543-557.

UCLA Center for Communication Policy. (1997). The UCLA Television Violence Report 1997. Online. Retrieved 01 April 2009 from <http://www.digitalcenter.org/webreport95/intro.htm>

Wanta, W. & Miller, R. (1996). Sources of the public agenda: The president-press-public relationship. International Journal of Public Opinion Research. 8(4), 390-402.

Wober, J. M. (1988). The use and abuse of television: a social psychological analysis of the changing screen. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Zucker, G., Gross, L., Morgan, M., & Signorielli, N. (1986). Living with television: The dynamics of the cultivation process. In J. Bryant & D. Zillman (Eds), Perspectives on media effects (pp. 17-40). Hilldale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Zucker, H.G. (1978). The variable nature of news media influence, 154-72. In Ruben, B., Ed. Communication Yearbook 2. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Books.

To set the ball rolling , it is a fact that no American can ever ignore, that  the economy of the United States has been moving to lower levels as days go by, every effort has therefore been employed by the relevant administrative bodies in order to help revive the otherwise sinking economy.

When the Current President, Mr. Obama was taking over power, among some of his greatest duties was about the financial or rather economic level of the United States. In a bid to achieve this, he injected several policies into his government among them being the Keynesian policy. This policy involves the government inducing job creation and also cutting down on the tax for the middle class individuals and rising tax for the upper income groups. Americans have so much concern about this harboring mixed feeling with respect to the same so that no one owns any surety as to whether the newly signed Obama’s Stimulus Package is going to be of any help to the nation. Some bodies and also individuals have risen to oppose the step citing that it is a wrong headed approach and also that it may not work. The discussion that is yet to be put down below will be comparing the opinions of different bodies or individual with respect to the matter in question. It is basically a debate between Keynesianism and the Chicago school within which there are individual who have aired their opinion about the government’s step.

The bigwig behind the philosophy of Keynesianism is John Maynard Keynes. He is considered the most undisputable and influential western Economist of the twentieth century. He has always in all his works laid a very strong emphasis on the nature and role of uncertainty in economic thought and this in actual sense makes the main theme in his writings.

The particular book which contains the information we would use to set the debate brings together a wide array of experts such as Gay Tulip Meeks, Sheila Dow, Karl Polanyi, John Kenneth Balbraith and John Davis. All these individuals analyze and criticize such themes as Keynesian probability and uncertainty, the foundations of Keynes’s economics and the relationship between Keynes’s earlier and later thought. The book though is readable, and comprehensive.

In his theory, he argues that full employment cannot be sustained through capitalism without any specific and productive intervention of the government with the inequitable distribution of wealth and income being its other failing. The theory also shows opposition to the classical story that the decision to save more lowered the rate of interest thereby making ore investment projects profitable.

The theory played an important role in giving a social function to the kind of people who Keynes referred top as rentiers, who owned most of the assets in the capitalist economy, such assets were only possible because the rentiers were willing to defer consumption of their wealth. The philosophy is also about the money blanket, a situation where the entrepreneurs made their decisions concerning investment. These decisions are made after comparing the marginal inefficiencies of capital across a range of projects with the money rate of interest, according to the policy; all projects which had their marginal inefficiencies below the standardized rate were not attempted. Within his policy, Keynes therefore suggested an alternative step to be taken; he employed pervasive uncertainty which was a fact of capitalist life Wealth holders valued money which was referred to as a security blanket which allowed deferment of decisions as to where to put wealth. The interest rate was a consequence of the equilibrium between the supply of money and its demand for these speculative purposes, the information is found between the sections (196-199) of the material on his philosophy.

A major determinant of the marginal inefficiencies was future sales expected by entrepreneurs based on the present sales, it was applied thus, a fall in the marginal sales could thereby depress the MEC and in turn cause cumulative falls n investment and consumption, through such standards and tests, the picture of a highly volatile and demand-deficient economy was portrayed. With such obvious results, it is therefore possible to make the right intervention in order to revive the economy because the discovery that the demand for most of the products is low the right entrepreneurial measures can be taken for in stance, advertisement in order to fuel the demand for the products. A successful exposure of the products would lead to increased sales which also would do great good to the economic level of the nation.

One of the implications though is that the growth of capital and hence investment and employment is held back by a low propensity to consume this can be further described as thriftiness.

Out of all these we can now bring out the proper outline of what the theory or policy is all about, Keynesianism is a macroeconomic theory whi9ch is mainly based on the ideas of the twentieth century. The theory argues that some of the decisions made by the private sector sometimes lead to inefficient macroeconomic outcomes and in such a case advocates for policy responses by the public sector which also includes monetary policy actions by the central bank  and fiscal  policy actions by the government and this would help in the stabilization of the output over the business cycle, this serves as one of the merits that might have led to the implementation of this theory in the current government to help recover the drowning economy. In this theory, some micro-level actions of individuals and firms can lead to aggregate macroeconomic outcomes in which the economy operates below the potential of its output and growth. While other economists believed in Say’s law that supply creates its own demand, Keynes on the other hand asserted in his theory that aggregate demand for goods might be insufficient during economic downturns and this in return lead to high rate of unemployment and losses of potential output, he therefore argues that the government could employ the use of policies in order to increase aggregate demand thus increasing economic activity and reducing unemployment and deflation. Keynes argued that the solution to depression was to stimulate the economy, or induce people to invest following two approaches, reduction in interest rates and government investment in infrastructure. This also has got a notable advantage in that the investment by the government injects income which leads to more spending in the general economy which in turn stimulates more production hence more income. The total increase in the economic activity will also increase the confidence in investment.

A central conclusion of Keynesian economics of precisely Keynesianism is that in some cases, no strong automatic mechanism moves output and employment towards full employment levels.

This conclusion though conflicts with the economic approaches that assume a general tendency towards an equilibrium in the neoclassical synthesis which combines the theory discussed above and its concepts with a micro foundation, the conditions of general equilibrium allow for price adjustments to achieve this goal. It is due to the fact that certain concepts of the theory conflict the general business trends that there arose the parties that criticized.

The following are some of the contrasting view that other economists gave with respect to the theory discussed above. Most of the critiques were from the other prominent writers and economist who had a strong connection in one way or the other to the Chicago school, one of the most dominant of the critics being Friedman Milton. Although starting from a theoretical base featuring strong Keynesian roots, Friedman devised a policy frame work that turned Keynes on his head. With the deliberate guidance of the financial market expectations featuring as one key innovation in his practical thought, Friedman developed a counter scheme that reduces monetary policy to a pure auto-pilot regime leaving no independence to the central bank that is supposed to be neutralized in this way this is contrary to the concepts that are in the theory of economics.

Out of the changes made by Friedman, a new approach to the monetary policy has been devised which has gradually brought modern monetary theory back into the real world. Still in a bid  to bring out the true contrast between Keynesianism and the ricardian thought, more specifically due to the in put of competent economist like Milton the following comes out, Instead of rejecting macro-measurements and macro-models of the economy, the monetarist school embraced the techniques of treating the entire economy as having a supply and demand equilibrium. However, because the Fischer Equation of Exchange, they regarded inflation as solely being due to the variations in the money supply, rather than as being a consequence of aggregate demand. They argued that the “crowding out” effects discussed above would hobble or deprive fiscal policy of its positive effect. Instead, the focus should be on monetary policy which was largely ignored by early Keynesians hence raising the controversy.

Another influential school of thought was based on the Lucas critique of Keynesian economics. This called for greater consistency with microeconomic theory and rationality, and particularly emphasized the idea of rational expectations Lucas and others argued that Keynesian economics required remarkably foolish and short-sighted behavior from people, which totally contradicted the economic understanding of their behavior at a micro level. New classical economics introduced a set of macroeconomic theories which were based on optimizing microeconomic behavior, for instance real business cycles.

Keynesian ideas wee also criticized by the Australian economist and philosopher, Friedrich Hayek. Hayek criticized Keynesian economic policies for what he called their fundamentally collectivist approach, arguing that such theories, no matter their presumptively utilitarian intentions, require centralized planning, which Hayek argued leads to totalitarian abuses. Keynes seems to have noted this concern, since, in the foreword to the German version of the ‘The General Theory of Employment Interest and Money’, he declared that “the theory of aggregated production, which is the point of ‘The General Theory of Employment Interest and Money, nevertheless can be much easier adapted to the conditions of a totalitarian state than the theory of production and distribution of a given production put forth under conditions of free competition and a large degree of laissez-faire.

Another criticism leveled by Hayek against Keynes was that the study of the economy by the relations between aggregates is fallacious, and that recessions are caused by micro-economic factors. Hayek claimed that what starts as temporary governmental fixes usually become permanent and expanding government programs, which stifle the private sector and civil society. Keynes himself described the critique as “deeply moving”, which was quoted on the cover of the Road to Serfdom.

In conclusion, most of the merits and demerits of the economic steps discussed above have been placed within the various consequences but  one very obvious advantage that would come with the implementation of the policy is that the government is given room to deal with economic problems facing the United State  on more direct grounds rather than going through the long process of using the business markets because in such protocols, more damage would have been realized by that tome a solution will have been  attained. The current administrative policies would also help in increase production, creating more job opportunities for the citizens, increasing their income and subsequently improving their standards of living. This brings about the confidence in investment which in turn in creases the economic activity. On the other hand the policies put forward by the government may still not be efficient enough in combating the high rate of unemployment which still remains a big bother, unemployment also leads to poverty and other filthy vices in the society which sweeps away the security of the citizens.

Nationalization of the banks would at the same time fix the members of the public to specific modes of transaction and business activity under specific economic rules binding them to  particular  levels, this gives no room for expansion and flexibility, can discourage investment and ultimately, it can lead to the reduction in the economic level the United States Of America.

America as a home of two categories of people has two ideology related parties. These parties include the democrats and republicans. The democrats compose of minority groups who are mainly the poor and blacks among others while the Republicans are mainly for Americans. Immigration to America is both legal and illegal. This has lead to changes in demographic patterns and cultures a whole. The country registered the highest number of immigrants in the year 2006. This was the highest of all the world countries. Previously there had been gender imbalances amongst the legal immigrants where men dominated up to around the 1990′s when women showed up. Currently the immigrant population is characterized by a population aged between 15-34, married and at times the divorced couples.

Legal immigration has been generally accepted in the United States than illegal because of the willingness of the government to provide the services to the affected individuals. Based on the American economy and political status, immigration has been attributed to bring both positive and negative effects. According to my opinion, immigration should be allowed to America since there are important achievements that have resulted as result of immigrants to the country. Let’s consider some of the associated effects outlined below.

For instance, immigrants have increased and still it is projected to increase the numbers of American population (associated with low birth rates) thus has helped maintain the increasing trends. Immigration has also increased the growth of the American economy because of cheap labor that has increased productivity and the low value of consumer goods and services which are produced by immigrants as well as low salaries of those owing capital. On the other hand these immigrants have turned to be innovative and creative. Through this they have been producing services which were non-existent before thus more government revenue has been realized. This has minimized unemployment to American workers. These could be the only benefits that have positively built America as a whole.

Negative effects have also been realistic. Social integration has not also been realized through the interaction between the immigrants and Native Americans. This has strengthened racial segregation amongst the immigrants and between the Native Americans and the immigrants. There have been increased conflicts and riots in various settlement sites and urban centers, as what used to exist before. Conflicts between the Koreans and blacks as well as Black Latinos and African Americans which were evidence in the recent past are still persistent. Political ideologies also differ, depending on the different immigrants that who have varied ideologies, thus impacts to social norms and religious practices. Take an example of the dominant two major parties that are dominant the Democratic and the Republican parties that rose from groupings of immigrants and Americans respectively.

On health matters, immigrants have posed a challenge to the United States health services. Because of poor backgrounds the immigrants fail to meet the expenses in the public health sector during the emergency cases. Note that these being the only means for the survival of immigrants (inexpensive), it strains the government to budget for the allocation of funds. High rates of diseases spread  in the country has been proved to be the consequence of immigration, Tuberculosis  rates for instance are high amongst immigrants than the native Americans As well HIV/AIDS was brought to the country by immigrants. With increased number of people there is a likelihood of having water stress that can cause poor sanitation, thus contagious diseases.

Crime as a vice has the possibility to increase with more immigrants because of unemployment situations, barriers in the language and uncertainties threatening the lives of foreigners. Population pressure on the environment is yet another impact on environment. Consider the settlement houses established for accommodation, landfills in cities, deforestation and overexploitation of resources such as water just to mention a few .All these are likely to degrade the environment.

Education system has been challenged by immigration in the following perspectives: discrimination in class, language diversities and of course culture differences. This result to complexities in the educational planning: teacher training, resource allocations and distribution of learning institutions.

On my opinions immigrants should be allowed to the United States because, one the government is concerned with rights of both Native Americans and the immigrants .United States is a developed country, well endowed with resources and better technology that can be utilized by both groups of inhabitants. For instance, the free public health services have helped increase survival rates of immigrants. But these immigrants should be under legal qualifications. The allocation of public social services such as health, urban planning and waste dumping and economic activities and employment opportunities to the skilled and unskilled individuals to equal balance the two groups will be made easier. Legal registration will also enhance efficiency in establishing the strategies aimed at social and political integration in all sectors of the economy, environmental problems and solving crime rates. This is because the government will be aware of the size and growth rates of its citizens at a particular period of time in the country.

Depending on the current economic crisis, the United State should accept 150,000 immigrants and 50,000 refugees. In fact, economic crisis globally is challenge to the state because of climate change, diminishing sources of energy and increasing number of political instability in most countries. All these have reduced productivity in industry, agriculture and m manufacturing as a whole. The detrimental effects are hitting the developed countries too.

Due to increasing demand of labor and skilled workers in various industries, production and even in Jua kali sector, the immigrants should at least have a skill that will help built the American economy. Emphasize on policies on immigration for employment is really applicable in this context. This could be through creativity and innovations of machinery, equipment or substances that is cheap and affordable to all individuals of the same social classes. Note that as more individuals buy products, more income from taxes and revenue is realized, thus greater economic development. Even for the unskilled workers, whose roles are domestic workers, at a cheaper price indeed will help savings amongst the Americans for investments.

The current approach of the United States that is used to provide citizenship that is how one has developed interest in America and one related to family bondage is a crucial way for America to have a manageable number of immigrants. More emphasize should be on legal issues especially the 1990 immigration act which emphasizes the value of the family. The state should allow only stable married couples to settle in the country. This will help minimize population growth that is on the increase as divorced and unmarried having obtained settlement tend to remarry or marry and care for their families. If for example one has divorced and has left child in the home country, and can remarry, with the divorcee will bring his or her children to the United States; then there will be increase in the number of households. This means if one hundred of the immigrants can do so, the population will be likely to triple. With time the children will have their children .In a nutshell, there is a likelihood of creating pressure on available social facilities so to speak. For youths, it is necessary to admit them for particular purposes such as pursuing education or a given contract.

As compared to other legal issues based which stresses on steps to minimize crimes, this could be the best approach. Due to the fact that immigrants will be admitted depending on the available job opportunities, will minimizing unemployment factor resulting to criminal offences as seen among the immigrants or Native Americans. Again the gender should be a crucial point to note in the registration immigrants because both sexes have a role to play in the development of a nation.

The policy discussed above is the best according to my opinion as compared to the one of acquiring a visa. The policy states that once an individual has a visa he or she is legible to be accommodated to the United States, and is in a position of investing in business or any other short term activity and returning back to the home country. There is a possibility of having mass illegal immigrants, particularly entrepreneurs. Consider the complex procedures of following up the victims. Even with use of employers to obtain the illegal workers is a complicated and high rates of injustice might be realized as employers upon identified competent employees, is hard for them to accept the decline in productivity by losing the employee. This makes the policy ineffective, hence creating more social-economic problems. The policy of resettling the refugees is also tricky because many immigrants who may not be refugees may have a chance to use that excuse to obtain the citizenship illegally. This can be illustrated by analyzing the reasons that make one a refugee or not. Some people have as a result taken cover to be refugees yet they are indeed not refugees.

The determination of degree of influence of media on human thinking can be studied with the help of the already existing theories addressing media effects in a limited and partially satisfactory manner. The extent of the influence may vary from one individual to another. The non conclusive nature of the problem widens the scope of existing and future research in a considerable way. There are in general four established theories related to media effects. The theories are as follows: 1. Cultivation Theiry, 2. Social Action Theory, 3. Agenda Setting Theory and 4.Media Dependency Theory.

Cultivation Theory was propounded by George Gerber. The theory talks about the small but measurable existence of media subject to long term exposure to it. The theory is mainly for viewing the television. The television being the most widely used media nowadays, the study covers a broad section of population.  The study has confirmed the perceptual change is related to long term exposure to television. Heavy viewing is related to the perceptual deviation from the real world. The real world being in general a challenging one, a considerably long term watching of the television can initiate the formation of a utopic idea about life. The lack of real life obstacles makes it a psychological tendency to develop such things. It is referred as a case of development of escapism in non rigorous sense. The story telling role of television is promptly acknowledged in the theory. (Livingstone, 16) The theory says that it has replaced religion as the leader in story telling. Actually the change in taste of common people has a very important role in it. It is also important to note why and how TV gets this level of attention.  The dominance of TV over the other forms of media can be well explained on the basis of the related advantage an audio visual media gets over the rest. Since the person exposed to it is receiving a multi-channel reception, the impact on the person is well expectedly higher than the other forms of single channel media. The effect of long term and long period TV viewing had non uniform effect on the population. So the effect of the media is not only related to the duration of viewing and listening but also the demographic and socio economic factors of the people exposed to it. (Bryant, Jennings and Zillman Dolf, 43)  Demographic factors include age, gender and related information and socioeconomic factors include financial and other social accepts. It has been found that the poor, who cannot get access to most of the factors to enjoy in the society, get negatively affected in a larger way. The difference in their real world and what they see in television or other audio visual medium is so vast that in most of the cases they fall prey to do something to equalize the two without thinking about law and order. Their well anticipated low education and other factors work as catalysts in this case. The effect of media on the population differs within the same social subgroups. Considerable amount of difference has been found in the same subgroup of people with different level of television exposure. (Chandler)

Social Action theory developed by Meyers gives certain weights to the receivers’ expose to the media also. The basic concept lies in a faith of the receivers, at least partial, selection making potential.  What intention the creator has, what is the related convention of the object and most importantly how it is being accessed by the receiver -all these are important in this theory. Agenda setting theory, proposed by Macworld and Saw gives relatively more power to the media over the receiver. According to this theory, the media can strategically influence the thinking process. The effect of media can be studied from the angle of ‘what to think about’ rather than ‘what to think’. So the domain of thinking can be influenced by the media in a way of selective coverage of news. Strategically covering the present, recovering the previous issues and focusing on the future, media can definitely kindle and rekindle public memory and hence can affect the sense of decision making mainly related to politics or other matters of mass importance. (Perse, 26)

Media dependency theory raises questions on the potential of media regarding the creation of need. It also enters the domain of asking the possibly of people’s exposure to the media to full fill their needs. The basic assumption of the theory is based on the concept of need. Agents’ exposure to media is seen from the angle of need. The people will be exposed to the media to satisfy their need and the media has the strategic potential to fulfill the same. The potential to create needs, the potential to fulfill needs and assuming this need is the force that brings together the social agents and media on the social stage of interaction-these are the foundation of media dependency theory. On the basis of these the theory has widen the acknowledgement of media in the area of consumer behavior and market research. (Perse, 80)

The role of media in the context of the way people think can be explained with the help of these theories. The fundamental difference in various theories lies in the different sets of assumption on which these are formed. Since the assumptions are not true always and more importantly few are right and few are not at a given point of time, it is not possible to get a definite answer by the single application of any of these theories. The problem can be of two types.  One or few assumption of one theory can be true and the rest may be false or two mutually conflicting assumptions of two different theories may be true at one point of time and may found to be wrong at another point of time. The changing nature of the response process is the primal reason behind this problem.  A particular group of theories gives high importance to the influencing power of media. The other group of theories shows considerable faith in the selection making potential of the receivers. Media dependency theory brings the two extreme concepts on a common platform and explains some vital issues.Considering media as an integrated powerhouse of collecting design and distributing information, important enough from different points of view cannot rule out the non negligible effects of it on the society. The effect on society refers mainly to the impact on the way the people think. The way of thinking can be operationally split into components like ‘what to think’, ‘what to think about’, ‘why to think’ and ‘how long to think’.   We can start thinking about anything depending on our individual capacity of thinking. The strategic importance lies in the way of thinking about any particular topic or thing. The question lies in the possible role of media in crafting this situation or problem specific way of thinking.  Men being the receptors, absolutely no impact of media is practically impossible or unacceptable even considering their individual level of decision making. The way individual level of thought process will get affected by media coverage will depend on individual level of absorption and rejection level. Personal level of absorption and rejection level considerably depends on preexisting level of competence of the person. The level of individual competence again depends on previous level of thought processes. So the non recognition of media impact in an absolute manner rules out the development of socio-economic thought process. The other types of thought process relevant to very personal level may be influenced by impact of media depending on the cultural orientation of the person. This is an extreme and very rare case and considerable in a very limited sense. So the impact of media on individual level or even group level is not constant in magnitude. It is a continuous process of acceptance, analysis and even possible rejection. People with low level of ingenuous information processing, interpreting and situational retriving, reinterpreting and possible rejecting potential will continue to get affected. The persons with above average level of the aforesaid qualities will continuously practice the other qualities in addition to absorption. So in general the impact will get slender in due course of time and cannot cross some individual level of threshold. This threshold is determined by the innate quality of the person (After all there exist at least few things that cannot be injected). Formation of various media houses with different level of social, political and ideological inclination is the practical proof of this. So the impact of media is a slow but gradually decreasing impact on individual level of thought process. The level will never mathematically come down to zero due to continuous social exposure of the individual. In the extreme case the person will develop alternative thought process, most possibly with like minded thinkers to ensure alternative media coverage in order to propagate his or her own thought process. In most of the practical cases, the common population with average level of reflexive maturity is bound to get affected by media at a considerable level. (Gentile and Sesma)

In the initial stages of the life processes of an individual, Cultivation theory is most relevant. Since at the initial stages of life, individual level of selection making capacity is considerably low, impact of media is intense. In the later stages of life, social exposure of an individual grows. Increase in social exposure opens the doors of alternative thought process. People gradually hold a number of mutually inclusive and mutually exclusive opinions. This generates the need for selection. Selection at the individual level is not possible without help of individual level thinking. This is the starting point of Social Action theory – recognition of the decision making potential of the receivers. This situation demands the ability of selection and rejection. So it can be said that exposure to mutually contradictory opinions generates the need of selection. To fulfill this need   people come again to media with an expectation of getting a solution. This is the reflection of media dependency theory. The purpose for which individual will come to the media can be partially affected by the ‘agenda setting’ behavior of media. The reason behind this partial nature can be explained again by Social Action Theory. Agenda setting theory explains the possible ways in which media can craft the world it covers. This way it can definitely affect the possible set of choices at the individual level. Any purposefully designed selection set will affect the entire thought process. The effect will vary and this variation can be explained through social action theory. So the way people think gets affected in a multistage manner. The entire dynamics is yet to be unearthed. A combination of the existing popular theories can give a relatively more satisfactory answer.

Works Cited

Bryant, Jennings and Zillman Dolf, Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2002

Chandler, David, “Cultivation Theory”, retrieved on March 31, 2009 from: http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/cultiv.html

Gentile, Douglas A. and Arturo Sesma, “Developmental Approaches to Understanding Media Effects on Individuals”, retrieved on March 31, 2009 from: http://drdouglas.org/drdpdfs/106027_02.pdf

Livingstone, Sonia, Making Sense of Television. London: Pergamon, 1990

Perse, Elizabeth, Media effects and society, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001

Introduction

The wind energy has already been a long established technology. There are various hindrances to this technology however that made it unattractive for residential and industrial usage. The rise of the oil prices in today’s environment however meant that the alternative energy sources have to be explored. This paper is meant to give an analysis on the technical feasibility of the wind power and to overcome the flaw of the wind power source which is the unpredictability of power generation. The use of the hydro generator is included in order to eliminate this flaw. The resulting calculations are shown to provide a point of examination and also basis for further improvements in the idea proposed. The financial returns to the project is also indicated to give an idea of how desirable the project will be to the household owner that will invest in this power source.

Considering a water turbine of electrical power of 5W (Values taken from fig 2. of a manufacturer’s water turbine products.) The water flow of about 44 liter/sec is required through a pipe of 170mm in diameter flowing from a 21 m head.

The electrical demand of an average household might be within the reach of the wind turbine to supply but the level of supply is not constant. In addition to this, the demand for the electrical power reaches a high level of power at certain time and then drops suddenly. This presents the average household user with power stability concerns. This is the reason why wind power system is paired with the hydro electric generation system in order to act as a stand-by power source as well as extra power input when there is no power coming in actively from the wind turbine. The hydro system is also intended to absorb the excess wind power at certain times. The overall effect is intended to be able to absorb the excess energy generated at certain times there is ample wind power.

The nature of hydro power generation however is affected greatly by the ability of the wind powered turbines to pump the water to the elevated heights of the reservoir. The efficiency of the turbine motor as well as the power produced by the wind turbine itself will have to be considered in order to arrive at the approximate amount of the water needed to be stored so that there is plenty of power available when the demand for electricity suddenly jumps right back. The efficiency of the pump as well as the tube used to pump the water back to the water tank is also a big factor in the smooth flow of the whole system.

Now regarding the power generated from the wind turbine we note that with wind speed of 5 m/s (average in the area) we get from 5 kW wind turbine ( Fig 6) an output of approximately 23.94kWh which is more than the estimated average household consumption of about 11kWh – 16 kWh per day on an average household. The number of kilowatt hours generated can increase in proportion to the wind speed and therefore does not necessitate the purchase of a bigger wind turbine. The household user can either add one more turbine or choose a bigger turbine only when financially constrained.

Figure 2

Pumps: Data taken from Wilo manufacturing featuring stainless steel water pumps intended for boosting pressure. Ideal for elevating the water from water reservoir to the elevated water tank intended for storing the excess energy generated at off peak energy usage by the household.

Wilo-Comfort-Vario COR-1 MVIE/GE

For the purpose of the water power system, the pump with a rating of 5.5kW is chosen since this is the closest value to the maximum rating of the wind turbine at 5kW. It will ensure that there are no wasted energy coming from the wind turbine. It has the nominal size of PN 16 with a range of 3-400V to be generated. It is suitable for use in the fluctuating power generated by the wind turbine.

The exact design of the electronic circuit for the rectifier to produce an output of 50V at the end is displayed below. The source ac power is assumed but the resulting output is done by theoretical calculations. Any changes in the input will mean corresponding changes output as well but the design is applicable to the various changes in the power supplied by the wind turbine.

This is the circuit design intended for the rectifier when the ac power supplied by the wind turbine comes in. It is intended to stabilize the power output to that of 50 V in order to be consumed as regular power intake by the target household.

The design of the wind and the water turbine system in order to provide a smooth power supply to the house is displayed below. The variable values that are used in the system is merely to indicate a possible situation and is intended for illustrative purposes only and not a fixed calculated system.

Energy conversion scheme

The idea of the renewable energy supply for the house is to integrate both the wind and the hydro power generating system to provide the energy demands of an average household. The kind of set-up desired is to use the excess power generated by the wind turbine in converting it to potential energy. The potential energy generated by the wind turbine is in the form of elevated water at a suitably sized water tank. The hydro generating system will then kick in when the demand for electricity is so great that the wind turbine is not capable of handling it or when it is totally lacking. The hydro power generation system will complement the wind turbine system in gathering the excess energy at certain periods of time where there are sufficient air movements and supplying the lacking amount when there is no more wind activity in the area.

The electrical power generated by the wind turbine is passed through a charge controller to smoothen out the fluctuating AC current. These are necessary in order to prevent the batteries from being damaged by wildly fluctuating power values generated by the wind turbine. The electrical energy is then stored in the batteries. The excess amount of energy will be conveniently stored in the batteries and the demand for electricity in the house is then derived from the batteries. The electricity from the batteries however has to pass through an electrifier because the power need of the household is in the form of a direct current. The electricity coming from the batteries are in alternating current phase. All of these figures are based on the 5m/s wind speed that the area can generate.

The hydro power system on the other hand is designed to be started by the owner or through an automatic control system that detects the lack of power from the batteries in cases where the wind power has died down. A gauge that will be set at a certain limit monitoring the power levels of the batteries are going to set the trigger to open the valve from the main water tank reservoir to start the hydro power generation. The water released is then going to create the electrical power that the household will need at a particular time.

There is another water reservoir at ground level only. This is used to supply the water to the main water tank at an elevated height at the start of the installation as well as in cases where the water has been lost in the tank through various reasons. This water reservoir will also hold the extra water to be pumped to the elevated water tank when they are triggered by the control mechanism in the elevated water tank detecting a low water level and with the wind turbine operating continuously. These two conditions are necessary in order to trigger the water pumping action because there is no sense in pumping water to the water tank if the wind turbine is not operating as this will drain the power residing in the batteries already. The water tank is only used to store the excess energy and not to fill it at all times in the middle of power consumption by the household. The second condition is merely common sense. The water tank has to indicate the low level of water to start the water pump since it will be a waste of precious energy if the water pumped up overflows due to excess amount already present in the elevated water tank.

Design considerations

Batteries ability

Assuming the average electrical load in the house to be 14kWh(typical for an ordinary household) and the batteries to have supply ability for 3 days (72 hours), we therefore need batteries of capacity 14kWh x 3 = 42kWh as total capacity of the batteries.

There are batteries from various manufactures rated at10.8kW/h and another development by Gm for cars that can possibly be used for the wind system is capable of storing 16kWh.

These batteries are ideal for the range of energy storage demand the wind turbine can possibly generate.

In the 10.8 kWh batteries, we can have two rows of the batteries connecting two at each line. The total capacity of the four batteries will reach 43.2 kWh but the little extra is advantageous than having less capacity intended for the 3 day supply of the house.

The newly developed battery of GM on the other hand is only going to require three batteries to exceed the requirement of 42kWh. The total capacity of the three batteries will be at 48kWh which has a nice margin of surplus capacity. The choice of the surplus capacity of the batteries is entirely up to the owner of the house of course. The consideration might also be heavily influenced by pricing since the technical considerations have already been met or exceeded.

Batteries Charging Time

Assuming that the wind speed in the area is at 5 m/s, we get a power at the approximately 23.94kWh which is roughly 1000W per hour. The current flowing in the batteries is approximately 1000W/24V=41.67A

The charging time for the batteries that are rated at 10.8 kWh is then derived.

The computation is 450Ah/41.67A = 10.8 hours. The length of time required to charge the batteries are therefore very satisfactory since it will not even take half a day to fully recharge the batteries. This means a lot of convenience for the part of the household owner since they are ready for use at any time within short notice.

If the new revolutionary battery with the capacity of 16kWh is used then the computation is as follows. 16000W/50V = 320A

The charging time is 320Ah/41.67A = 7.68 hours. This is even better as there are only three batteries to exceed the supply storage of the house good for three days already.

In both cases, the capacity expressed in kWh is also assumed to be the same value that is the output of the device when used to simplify the calculations.

Energy Analysis

The basic assumption for this is the 5m/s wind speed that can be the reasonably attained in a wide area for the majority of the product purchasers. Since we can theoretically acquire a power generation of 1kW per hour, then it would translate into 8.640Mega Watts on a per year basis. This figure is considered as the average consumption amount of an average household by the Iskar turbine manufacturer.

Hydro system

The hydro system on the other hand is designed to take the place of the wind turbine generator when there is no wind for the time being. The values taken from the Figure 2 indicates that the 5kW unit with 21 m head needs a flow of 44 liter/s through a pipe that is approximately 170 mm in diameter.

44 ltr/s = 0.044 m³/s = flow rate through the pipe

140 m³ = water tank capacity

11kW = water pump power rating

We will assume a reservoir of 140 m³ for the water tank that will be used for hydro power generation. The time it will take to finish filling it up with the water using the pipe size and the flow rate that was assumed in the previous calculations is shown below.

Time in seconds = 140/.044 = 3181.81 seconds

Time in hours    = 3181.81s/60/60 = 0.8838 hours

The hydro system will offer power of 5.5 kW for 0.88 hours

Therefore 5500w/48 V = 114.58 A for 0.88 hours

The hydro water generator will offer 114.58 A x 0.88 = 100.83 Ah

So this means that the hydro system will be filled with water at less than an hour considering all

Of the assumptions are correct. The next step is the power needed to pump this water up to the water tank. Since the water pump can work using 5.5 kW with a power rating of 11kW, the hydro system will then be expected to provide power of 11kW for 0.88 hours through the activation of the floating mechanism or the charge controller when it senses the batteries are having low amounts of power.

This energy will be more than enough to supply the house needing an assumed power of 10A.

100.83 Ah/10 = 10.83 hrs this is the length of time that the hydro power can supply electricity to the house before it also goes out. At this time, it is expected that the wind turbine will have picked up wind in order to generate new electricity.

The produced energy of 5,500W for the length of 0.88 hours = 4.84kWh is very satisfactory since the power consumed by a household is approximately 1000W per hour only. This number however means that the household has a very short time for extra power coming from the water turbine. The tank either has to be increased or the wind turbine’s capacity increased to end up generating more potential energy for the household.

Calculations for pumping the water up the water reservoir

The water pump that is connected to the water tank is intended to work only when the water level of the tank is already low enough and there is enough wind power still running. The pump will not work even if the level is low if there is no wind turbine continuously running since it means that the batteries will be drained by the household anyway without replenishment from the wind turbine. Using the assumed values that we have above, we arrive at the following calculations to determine the probable length of time to finish filling up the water tank reservoir.

All units are in m³ in regards to flow rate and the tank capacity.

The results shows that the tank can be filled up in about 4 days less but this also means that the power to be supplied by the wind turbine has to be at the 11kW range. We will use this calculated figures first to determine whether the calculated situation will be realistic.

This will be used later in the paper to decide what kind of wind turbine to use and if the environment can produce the desired power realistically.

Early conclusions

The 0.55kW rated pump consumes energy of 0.85 kW (from the manufacturer’s data).

The energy consumed by the pump therefore for 93.33 hours is 93.33 x .85= 79.33 kWh

The electrical energy produced from using the water in the elevated tank system with

140 m ³ to fill is 4.84 kWh

Therefore the energy waste inherent within the system is:

79.33 – 4.84 = 74.49 kWh as waste energy

The projected financial cost of the project is at:

The total cost of the project is at $34,650 for a single installation.

Assuming that the electrical cost per kilowatt hr is 16.02 cents, and the power generated by the wind turbine in a year is 8.74 Megawatts the following is calculated.

This means that the return on money is roughly 40.4 percent per year. It will take just a little bit of two years to get the money back spent on the wind power. This is a very good investment in terms of the length of time it takes to regain the money invested.

References:

Energy Information Administration, Electrical costs

http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/table5_6_a.html

GM, 16kWh Batteries, Chevrolet Volt Battery Packs Will Be Manufactured by General Motors in the United States

http://www.gm.com/experience/technology/news/2009/battery_011209.jsp

Improvements to the Iskra wind turbine, (2008)

http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/2240AB52-FC02-4B57-9DC7-9116B978B043/0/063231.pdf

Trademe, Batteries 10.8 kW (24v 450A), (2008)

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Business-farming-industry/Other/auction-202089676.htm

Wilo, water turbines, (2009)

http://www.wilo.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/gb-en/layout.xsl/424.htm

Battery, Cyber power CP685AVR UPS – 685VA/390W AVR 8-Outlet RJ11/RJ45 Compact Design EMI/RFI USB by Cyberpower

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=cyberpower+550va&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=3172186845&ref=pd_sl_95xzuiwmx5_b

William Blake is one of England’s most famous literary figures. He is remembered and admired for his skill as a painter and poet. Blake was the Romantic artist, whose artwork became part of the wider movement of Romanticism in late Eighteenth and early Nineteenth century in European Culture. William Blake’s art and ideas represent a tested vision of life.  In the Twentieth century, Blake has been renowned as a highly original and important artist and as a member of an enduring tradition of visionary artists and philosophers, an individualist, a libertarian, and an uncompromising critic of orthodoxy and authoritarianism. William Blake was probably the most singular of the English romantics. His paintings are radiant, imaginative, and heavily symbolic, indicating the spiritual reality underlying the physical reality. In his many works of painting, Blake gradually defined a complex personal mythology in which godlike characters he called Zoas symbolize the divine aspects of the human psyche or soul. Blake’s traditional Christian beliefs were modified by a fascination with Mysticism and what is often considered to be his anticipation of the Romanticism unfolding around him. . Blake’s valuable work is recognized with extraordinary depth and ability. It explains artistic, emotional, visionary, Christian beliefs and transcendental views of reality. This paper presents argumentative synthesis about Blake work and supporting Blake’s contribution in the field of literature.

Blake’s own theory is rooted in his declaration that poetry, painting, and music are the three powers in man of conversing with Paradise of which the expulsion from Eden had not deprived him. The reflection of nature and of all perishable things in art was the creation of uninspired men, who fell back on memory to fill its absence. His apprenticeship to engraving under Basire had taught him that drawing is the foundation of pictorial art, and in his Public Address written about 1810 but never printed, Blake defined painting as “drawing on canvas”, and engraving as “drawing on copper”, definitions to which he was moved by the softer school of Schiavonetti, Bartolozzi, and Angelica Kauffman which was coming into vogue in his day Burdett, 1926, Pg: 106). Blake, at least, considered that he had produced a coherent system. Once having achieved this, he was not content to keep it to himself, and just as he drew job recounting his experience to his daughters, showing them the way of salvation, so he attempted to spread his teaching among all. As Blake expressed it, “Every mortal loss is an immortal gain”(Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1939, Pg: 3). Shortly afterwards, in a vision or trance, occurred the first dream dictation of a series which continued throughout Blake’s life.

It is true that Blake shared with the antiquaries of his age far-fetched notions of the origin of British civilization, which they traced back to the Druids and connected with the lost Ten Tribes; but Blake, while accepting such theories, was chiefly concerned in adapting them for symbolic purposes. Blake himself, after his earlier revolutionary enthusiasm had subsided, was a pacifist.  In his Public Address he records the current criticism of his work to have been: “he can conceive but he cannot execute”( Burdett, 1926. Pg: 103). Proponents squabble that Blake in Public Address, disdainfully refers to the “Smears & Dawbs” of what he calls “False Art.” In A Descriptive Catalogue, Blake describes clarity good and bad art. He stated, “The grand style of Art restored in FRESCO, or Water-color Painting, and England protected from the too just imputation of being the Seat and Protectress of bad (that is blotting and blurring) Art” (Bruck 1988. Pg: 57-68)

Many readers are familiar with Blake’s prophetic works such as Milton or Visions of the Daughters of Albion or The Book of Urizen, which emphasize understanding of human importance. They responded with more or less distress that these fantasies point out to typical phenomena. After analyzing the ideas of Blake, few critics would accuse him of being mundanely reality bound in his visual or poetical arts, who, would openly admit to having seen anything like the frontispiece to Europe or Plate 6 of Jerusalem (King , 1991, Pg: 214-15). People who read Blake’s poetry and observe visual creations consider that both works rely on a mixture of the unfamiliar with the familiar concepts. Reader believes that they encounter familiar, which is not to say apparent, symbols and names from the Bible, but it can be kept off balance by the presence of new and strange names like Ahania, Enitharmon and Los. Even exclusively within the context of his own works, readers repeatedly come across similar faces and imagery, but, alienating enough, placed in apparently different contexts (Burdett, 1926. Pg: 103).  This criticism was a convenient way of expressing the fact that, while Blake was capable of executing anything that his imagination conceived, he was entirely at the mercy of his theory of inspiration, and worked without pause whether he happened to be inspired or not. His theory and his practice suffered because he left no room for second thoughts, and anything “done in the heat of his spirits” was justified (Burdett, 1926. Pg: 103). To refute this criticism, it is evaluated that William Blake’s novelty in engraving techniques reflects the brilliant synthesis of visual and poetic art in the “Songs of innocence” (Blake, 1996, Pg: 55-65). Blake always interpreted Bible literally according to its spiritual sense.  Perhaps in all his writings there is no more complete or eloquent expression of his fundamental ideas than that contained in the prose passage addressed to the Christians which may be found in Jerusalem. According to Blake, “I know of no other Christianity and of no other Gospel than the liberty of both body and mind to exercise the Divine Arts of imagination , the real and eternal world of which this vegetable universe is but a faint shadow, and in which we shall live in our eternal or imaginative bodies, when these vegetable mortal bodies are no more” (Burdett, 1926. Pg: 104). One author can declare him a Gnostic and later a pantheist, but these are two distinct heresies. Blake himself was quite convinced that he had a message to proclaim.

In the Terence Allan Hoagwood, Jerusalem, which is considered important deep text of Blake’s work, it is difficult to understand because its author wishes to exercise his readers’ minds, to provoke their faculties to activity. Such arousal is common to all prophecies. Blake termed it mental war.  In his work, visionary aestheticians had supplied specific strategies for achieving this goal, and Blake adopts these strategies as well. One is calculated obscurity, and Blake has locked his vision in dense and difficult form. As Hoagwood states, Blake wanted to inflame his audiences into thought. Blake is referred to as artists specializing in irritation. Blake’s prophetic aesthetics clearly work to disrupt the smooth flow of reading and force reader to reconsider the material at hand. These techniques, as applied in these and other works, create as alienation effects. Just as the “presentation” of multiple roles by one actor in “The Measures Taken” reinforces person’s awareness that the play is, exactly, a presentation, and, through this awareness, forces acceptance or rejection of actions and utterances to take place on a conscious plane. Blake’s techniques described by Hoagwood forces people to step back from his presentation with reference to both text and illustration and rouses faculties to activity (Smith, 1990. Pg: 157-178). Although most of his readers judge Blake as a poet of romantic period, actually he goes beyond the stereotype of the traditional romantic poet. Harold Pagliaro advocates that Blake not only involved in the romantic era of preoccupation with morality but also actually went beyond most of his contemporaries in embracing vulnerabilities to death. One author can declare him a Gnostic and later a pantheist,   but these are two distinct heresies. Blake himself was quite convinced that he had a message to proclaim (Garnett , 1893, Pg: 30). It can be said that Blake had a miraculous insight into current economics, politics and culture, and was able to distinguish the effects of the despotism of church and state as well as what he considered the arid philosophy of a rationalist view of the world.

William Blake, the great predecessor to the Romantics, was a revolutionary and visionary artist and his work represented a decisively new direction in the course the Visual Arts. Blake may have played a critical role in the modern Western World’s conception of imagination. The specialty of William Blake’s work is that he uses numerous literary techniques and devices to articulate his thoughts. He created such literary work because he was a creative thinker, fully conscious of the realities and complexities of experience, particularly the poverty and oppression of the urban world where he spent his valuable life. He was criticized by means of the language of the Bible, which were his own specially created mythology and the extraordinary combination of text and image in his illuminated books. Many people voiced that the dominant philosophy of his work, which believed that a narrow view of sense experience, could facilitate people to understand everything that there was to be known, including God. Blake’s own visionary experiences showed him that rationalism ignored important dimensions of human life which would enable people to hope, to look for change, and to rely on more than that which their senses told them. His belief that humanity could overcome the limitations of its five senses is perhaps Blake’s greatest heritage. While his perspective was once perceived as merely aberrant, it now seems to have been incorporated into the modern definition of the terms. Even today, his artistic and poetic creations are valued in British culture.

Work- Cited

Berlin Isaiah, The Roots of Romanticism. Editor: Henry Hardy 1999.

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King, James. William Blake: His Life. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1991. Pg: 214-15.

Osbert Burdett.William Blake; Publisher: Macmillan. Place of Publication: New York. 1926. Pg: 103-107.

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Introduction

The rapid expansion of international trade from mid twentieth century has fundamentally brought on board the advantages of inter-business relationships when predicting the regional outcomes of market activities, this involvement has become somewhat huge. The need for reliance among organizations during various industrial processes such as manufacturing and distribution has led to the emergence of a comprehensive and concrete structure that defines their interrelations, though not definite in any sense, it almost resembles the structures governing the corporate themselves. Recently, much attention has been directed towards the study of such structures and how effective they are in understanding of product markets concept.  For instance, China is by far the largest manufacturing and consuming economy of both local and foreign commodities, consequently the Chinese government has given special importance on strategic instruments as a way of reducing environmental impacts of both the local and global economic activity. The commodity chains analysis has helped countries like China in creating a system of activities that are structured to study and analyze the environmental impacts and the importance of sharing responsibilities with other trading partners in the event of commodity marketing. (Gereffi,G. 1994).

This paper seeks to analyze the methodologies applied in an attempt to understand product markets, the challenges of the methods applied and the reason why sector matrix is increasingly providing an alternative to the study of related projects. The sector matrix provides a wide variety of economic analysis that is relatively easy to examine because it is able to compare national sources and provides huge data that can be compared against one another. Sector matrix also provides the single most comprehensive source data available. In view of this it is imperative to analyze the fundamentals of products markets and the reason for its diminishing preference.

Commodity Chain Analysis

The rationale behind commodity chain analysis is to determine the social and environmental impacts of production and supply chain activities of various commodities with the aim of facilitating and establishing a long term management of commodity chains not only locally but also globally. The commodity chain concept uses the approach of sustainability impacts which provides an approach that is fundamental in its own unique sense.

In the global arena, Global commodity chain analysis is based on the impacts of politics on the economy and how political affiliations determine and direct market outcomes. The study of commodity chains tends to study and explain how production is organized, and how trade and consumption has been globalized in the world economy. Viewing the product chain in this approach makes it rather easy because it is seen as a combination of processes whose main goal is arriving at the finished product.  The concept directs its attention towards the socio-economic relations between nations, which rely on the characterization of commodity chain as being either producer oriented or buyer oriented. It mostly includes the analysis of four basic elements of the chain which include the input-output structure which follows commodities as they move along the chain until they become finished products, the specific geographical locations where the various processes occur, the political and social relations that govern the operation of supply along the chain, and the various institutions outside the commodity chain that exerts influence on the action taken along the supply chain for instance government policy. Gereffi,G. 1994).

The structure of commodity chains analysis gives a lot of information concerning the global structure of production and the global economy. As a result it represents a fairly credible source for the stakeholders involved in production and distribution of commodities both locally and globally. The processes involved in commodity marketing are very complex and involves factors like the origin of the commodity consumed by the market, the various stages involved in the refining of raw materials and the final destination of the commodities. As Jean- Paul Rodrigue(2009) puts it, the commodity chain analysis includes a sequence of processes ranging from extraction of raw materials, the assembly of intermediate products to the distribution to the final consumer market. ( Jean-Paul, Commodity Chain Analysis. 2009).

Jean-Paul divides the complex processes involved in several perspectives, looking at this helps in understanding where the weaknesses of commodity chain emanates from. The levels include:

Transactional perspective: this area looks into how the management of commodity chains and it involves the processes of decision making and the management of transactions.

Comparative perspective: analyses the quality of the elements of commodity chains and how value that is added at each stage determines the competitiveness of the commodity.

Functional perspective: looks into the physical processes that commodities undergo during their distribution which includes capacity constrains in distribution which include: modal, intermodal and terminal effectiveness.

Looking at Jean-Paul’s analysis reveals that this type of analysis is only able to view at the distribution of commodities from a single perspective at a time. For instance the above analysis only centers on transportation and cannot divert and look into other areas such as political interrelations between nations, geographical or environmental factors. Commodity chain does not provide for a way to interlink the above aspects at a given time.

Limitations of commodity chain analysis become more apparent at the global level where the processes become more complex. The GCCA (Global Commodity Chain Analysis) has always been specifically directed towards providing a critical assessment in commodity chain and has therefore provided comfort. However, the fundamental requirement of a clear and comprehensive quantitative data on the trade flows and the environmental impacts of specific practices along the supply chain, creates limitations for the GCCA because it is a major pre-requisite for issues like effective environmental management. (Von Moltke, Konrad and Onno Kuik 1998).

The GCCA’s concentration on the social and economic relationships along supply chains provides a critical basis for the development of strategic market-based and regulatory policy by allowing targeted application of policy to the commodity chain context. The most important challenge facing thorough appliance of GCCA is that many of its most important concepts, such as the role of politics in product marketing cannot be effectively quantified. As a result most assessments tend to be qualitative, making consistency and comparability difficult to ensure.

The Ecological Footprint which was developed in Canada by Mathis Wackernagel and Willam Rees during the 1990s also provides a methodology for determining the environmental impact of economic activity as a function of geographic area. The basis of the footprint approach is established on the idea that it is able to provide a comparison between the resource demand of a particular area or population with the corresponding resource availability. In essence, the footprint involves translating of resource utilization into a quantitative estimate of the land area required to supply such resources.

The automobile industry provides a good example of a producer-driven chain, with several production systems that entail thousands of firms including parents, subsidiaries, and subcontractors.   All of these systems are too complex to be sufficiently analyzed using commodity chains. In an example provided by Gerrefi( 1999), the Japanese automobile industry had an average of 170 first-tier, 4,700 second tier and 31,600 third tier in the 1980s (Hill 1989). Florida and Kennedy (1991) established that this Japanese auto industry reorganized many of their country’s supply networks in North America. Furthermore, Doner (1991) went on to explain that this reorganization was extended to nations in the East and South East Asia. In view of the producer driven commodity chains have been to some extent successful in establishing a division of labor in East Asia through its study of internationalization of the US.

The Sector Matrix Analysis

Every scientific system of analysis usually has limits. The commodity chain system of analysis is not out rightly wrong, but the limitations it offers have given way to the sector matrix analysis. For instance chain analysis only works well for simple consumable goods like foodstuffs which require complex structures during their distribution, but need no additional infrastructure or services once they have been distributed. However, for complex products like pharmaceuticals which require complex infrastructures in form of healthcare and vehicles which require motoring and consumes a large proportion of domestic expenditure, the use of commodity chain analysis is rather myopic. This argument does not confine the applications of sector matrix to a few complex commodities, because its applications has widened due to the accompaniment of many commodities nowadays with services.

In their Book, “Breaking the Chains? A sector Matrix for motoring, Julie, F., Colin, H., Sukhadev, J. and Karel,W. provide an alternative to commodity chains in form of sector matrix by looking at the limitations of commodity chains in the motor industry. They argue that Gerrefi’s( 1996) views supply in simplified linear terms while assuming that demand is the reverse relations with product distribution chain. This alternative method is viewed in terms of activities such as motoring or healthcare where products such as cars and ethical drugs are consumed together with a lot of other services depending on consumer preferences and require a variety of other infrastructure. Julie, F et al base their general argument on a demonstration of the advantages of the Sector Matrix analysis of the motoring industry and the commodity chain consideration of the same industry as a car industry. They first argue that that the word industry has been previously used out of context by looking at it from commodity chain point of view. They provide an example for instance, where it is difficult to categorize a company that manufactures rear window for cars as being a separate industry altogether or a sub-industry within the motor industry. The Sector matrix provides a definition which effectively accommodates the two; an industry is a group of products associated by a common technology or supply or distribution channels.(Julie, F.  et al 1998)

Looking at China which is home to the third most huge connector region globally where the total connector sales totaled about $7.022 billion in connector sales in the financial year of 2007 it is easy to reveal the complexity of market processes and as a result the limitations of commodity chain in such a huge market. The manufacturers involved in the Chinese connection market are about 60 with 40 of them being major manufacturers. The processes involved these kinds of market are not only complex but also huge. Therefore viewing them in a linear fashion will not only take a lot of time but would create room for numerous errors. (Electronicas.Ca. Conducting a Market analysis).

The sector matrix analysis is governed by demand from firms and household outside the sectors which enables an organization to gather enough profits to be able to sustain its employees and allow for cost recovery. These surpluses can then be injected to other sectors of firms which operate at both the national and international level. Following the logic concept of viewing at only the commodities, not only at the substitutable finished products but also the complementary products that go along with the finished products which form part of what is required by the consumers will direct the view to a much broader sense of commodities and services. The result would not be commodity chain but a vertical and horizontal matrix. In the motor industry, this fact will shift the concentration to viewing the marketing of vehicles in terms of motoring. The relations on the side of the consumer will depend on the patterns of income as well as the subsequent distribution of demand.

In the motor industry supply interactions arises from the re introduction of nearly new second hand cars which are being sold at a discount with a first owner who will hold for less than two or three years which is normally the period for private owners, this scenario clearly presents itself in the UK motor industry. Traditionally, car firms sold cars at a discount to their own workforce and passed demonstration models to dealers. New cars are alike in the sense that expenses never end on purchase but goes on in form of expenses. (Julie, F.  et al 1998)

Conclusion

The sector analysis provides an efficient and complex analysis of commodities which is able to put together both complementary and competing goods and services. The sector matrix rather than providing an alternative to the commodity chain analysis provides for methodologies that complement the limitations of commodity chain analysis.

References

Barnet, J. & Müller, E. (1974). Global reach: The power of the multinational corporations. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Cardoso, F. H., and Faletto, E. (1979). Dependency and development in Latin America. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

Dicken, P. (1998). Global shift: Transforming the world economy, 3^rd edition. New York: Guilford Press.

Doner, R. F. (1991). The Industrialization of the Automobile firms in Japan and Southeast Asia. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

Evans, P. B. (1979). Dependent development: The alliance of multinational, state, and local capital in Brazil. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Florida, R. & Kenney, M. (1991). Transplanted organizations: The transfer of Japanese industrial organization to the United States. American Sociological Review 56, 3: 381-398.

Frank, A. G. (1967). Capitalism and underdevelopment in Latin America: Product marketing York: Monthly Review Press.

Fröbel, F., Heinrichs, J., and Kreye, O.  (1981).  The New International Division of Labor.  New York: Cambridge University Press.

Gereffi, G. (1994). ‘The Organization of Buyer-Driven Global Commodity Chains: How US Retailers Shape Overseas Production Networks.’ In G. Gereffi and M. Korzeniewicz (eds.), Commodity Chains and Global Capitalism. Westport: Greenwood Press.

Gibbon, P (2000). Global Commodity Chains and Economic Upgrading in Less Developed Countries Centre for Development Research, Copenhagen.

Jean-Paul, (2009) Commodity Chain Analysis.: processes involved  in commodity distribution.

Julie, F.  et al (1998). Breaking the Chains? A Sector Matrix for Motoring, Vol 3. Overseas Publishers Association. 1998.

Raikes, Phillip; Michael Friss Jensen, Stefano Ponte (2000). Global Commodity Chain Analysis and the French Filiere Approach: Comparison and Critique, Centre for Development Studies, Copenhagen.

Von Moltke, Konrad and Onno Kuik (1998). Global Product Chains and the Environment, Institute for Environment Studies, Amsterdam.

Von Moltke, Konrad and Onno Kuik (1998). Global Product Chains and the Environment, Institute for Environment Studies, Amsterdam.

www.elctronica.ca. . Electronicas.Ca. Conducting a Market analysis. Visited on 24^th March, 2009.

Introduction

Driving under the influence of alcohol has already caused tens of thousands of vehicular related accidents and deaths in the country. According to the DUI Foundation (2008), approximately witnessed 17, 600 people died in traffic crashes involving alcohol in 2006. This accounted for more than 40% of all traffic deaths (DUI Foundation, 2008). The scenario is alarming to the public since intoxicated drivers are not only risking their own lives but also the safety of other people: their passengers, other drivers, bystanders etc. While not all traffic accidents and deaths are caused by drunk driving, J. Jacobs (1992) stressed that it is important to keep in mind that “drunk driving is a type of irresponsible behaviour that occurs in the context of a transportation system that experiences staggering property and human losses” (Jacobs, 1992, p. 15). S. Valle (1986) wrote that the presence of alcohol in highway accidents have escalated beyond anyone’s expectations since 1904. Citing a research on drunk-driving incidents from 1979 to 1980, Valle (1986) quoted that in just one year 24,000 to 27,500 people were fatally injured. This represented 55% of all vehicular accidents that happened during the said years. But this was not a complete data. Valle (1986) said that the record did not include incidents that involved the black community.

Because the statistics of drunk-driving related incidents are increasing, driving under the influence of alcohol it has become a predominant problem in American society. In response, one of the organizations formed by the government is the National Commission against Drunk Driving (NCADD). The commission “conducts research on the effectiveness of drunk driving countermeasures, serves as a national clearinghouse for innovative model programs and their dissemination, tracks the current status of anti-drunk driving laws and developments, and works closely with private industry and corporations to extend the anti-drunk driving message throughout the workplace” (as cited in Robin, 1991, p 14). Hence, the NCADD is a necessary organization for the diminishing of drunk-driving related incidents and the implementation of programs for safer highway driving in the country.

Brief History of Anti-Drunk Driving Programs and Organizations

Prior to the creation of the NCADD, the federal government conducted their first large-scale effort to control drunk driving in 1970. G.D. Robin (1991) wrote that it was the year when the Department of Transportation invested over $88 million to fund the Alcohol Safety Action Programs which were experimental in thirty-five communities across the country. The program was aimed to increase apprehensions of drunk drivers while increasing counseling and education for drivers. However, the programs were not successful enough. In evaluation the ASAP’s did not show any modest success as a whole. Robin (1991) quotes:

For example, studies comparing arrested drivers who were offered treatment and education with drivers given standard penalties showed little difference in subsequent re-arrest rates and/ or accident involvement. (Robin, 1991, p. 9)

When the federal funding ran out, the ASAP was discontinued; the discontinuance was also triggered by the lack of public support at the time for anti-drunk driving programs until a significant incident happened on May 3, 1980. Candy Lightner’s daughter was killed by a drunk driver. At that time, U.S. laws did not impose heavy sanctions on drunk driving. Robin (1991) commented that the driver Clarence Busch did not receive the maximum sentence because the court considered his alcoholism as a mitigating factor in the accident, although he was already convicted four times in six arrests for alcohol-related offenses. Thus, led by Candy Lightner, the MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) was launched. The MADD became “the driving force behind the movement to reform drunk-driving laws, to encourage societal intolerance of drunk drivers, and to alter the benign attitudes of prosecutors and judges toward the offense and the offenders.” The MADD was able to get the government on their side. At state level, the local government in California passed a new law in 1981 imposing a mandatory term of up to four years for repeat offenders and minimum fines of $1375. At the federal level, the MADD, together with other non-government organizations like the RID (Remove Intoxicated Drivers) was instrumental in the creation of the Presidential Commission on Drunk Driving and the passage of the 1984 National Minimum Drinking Age act, all during the Presidency of Ronald Reagan. The Presidential Commission on Drunk Driving recognized the severity of intoxicated driving incidents and recommended that a permanent nongovernment organization be established to ensure a continuing effort to combat drunk driving. This led to the establishment of the National Commission Against Drunk Driving whose principal purpose is to assist the states, local governments and the private sector in implementing the recommendations of the Presidential Commission on Drunk Driving (Robin, p 10-11).

Necessity of the National Commission Against Drunk Driving

The NCADD is necessary for the reduction of highway accidents and deaths. Yes, it is true that not all accidents are related to drunk driving. There are other factors involved in a traffic incident. For example, a driver may be driving beyond the speed limit, or he simply was not alert in observing emerging danger like cyclists, pedestrians, children playing or other vehicles on the road. Also, harsh weather conditions like hail, snow, and rain, cause numerous road accidents. Distractions like loud music or using a mobile phone are proven to be causes for such incidents. Other factors to be considered are vehicular malfunctions, although these seldom cause accidents due to advancements in technology. It is important to understand that most of the factors mentioned above are beyond the driver’s control. Emerging dangers on the road or poor weather conditions are always unpredictable. The same goes with malfunctions in the vehicle. However, distractions caused by loud music inside the car or using a mobile phone can be place squarely on the driver’s direct responsibility. Now if these can distract the driver, alcohol can do greater distraction in driving. It is a common observation that drunk drivers are very liable to commit errors or drive rashly. Since human nerves usually get numb when intoxicated with alcohol, drunk drivers can both get reckless and unstable in the highway. This is the reason why every state in the country has established laws against drunk driving and preventive programs. However, the government cannot do it all. Like the ASAP in 1970 which was discontinued because of lack of support from American citizens, any government program will not do much good without the participation of the public sector. This is the reason why the President’s Commission on Drunk Driving made provisions for the establishment of the NCADD. The commission would act as watchdog for the government and for the people to ensure that every sector involves in ensuring public safety are doing their job. A good lesson can be learned from the efforts of the MADD. Had they not spoken against the lenient traffic laws and penalties, the government during President Reagan would not have looked into the issue. J.R. Nerad (2008) writes that there is substantial progress made in reducing drunk driving incidents over the past twenty years. And the crusade launched by the NCADD has a positive effect. Nerad (2008) wrote:

From 1982 to 2000, the number of traffic fatalities involving alcohol decreased 34 percent, from 25,165 to 16,653. The number of drivers in fatal crashes with a blood-alcohol count exceeding 0.10 decreased 38 percent, from 16,793 to 10,408. That’s a big deal. Think of it: nearly 10,000 people escaped death at the hands of a drunk driver in the most recent year for which we have statistics, 2001, versus the experience in 1982. Nerad (2008)

The numbers speak for the necessity of the NCADD. When they were in full operation, drunk-driving related incidents dropped. The problem is that the fight against drunk driving has stagnated. According to the NCADD the statistics of 2001 show that government and public efforts against drunk driving has not been that vigorous as of the preceding years. NCADD Chairman Robert Stempel (1997) commented:

The fight against drunk driving has simply stalled, and it’s time to jump-start it. Each year since 1994, alcohol-related traffic deaths have hovered between 16,000 and 17,000, while the percentage of highway deaths that have been alcohol-related has stagnated at about 40 percent” (As cited in PRNewswire, 1997).

Indeed, the NCADD needs to step up its efforts in fulfilling the mandate given by the Presidential Commission. The present government needs to be alerted, and the local police supported in ensuring the safety of the public. Further, those involved in the beverage industry are to be reminded again to be responsible in conducting their businesses. Above all, the public needs to be warned against the dire consequences of drunk driving, like fatal accidents or death, and heavy sanctions imposed by the law. Moreover, new drivers need to be educated on responsible driving and everybody should be conscious enough to report a suspected drunk driver to the police. Yes, the government and the public have their share of responsibility. But someone has to focus their efforts on the fight against drunk driving. Based on the diminished number of incidents during the active days of the NCADD, the said commission needs to engage itself again. They are needed by the country in times when lives of innocent victims are wasted because of the irresponsible actions of drunk drivers. John Moulden (1997) former president of the NCADD, said it correctly:

This unrelenting epidemic of death and disabling injury on our highways is totally unacceptable. We need renewed political leadership and action at the federal level and in every state and community if we are serious about curbing this most frequent violent crime. NCADD’s members and supporters are eager to work with our government leaders and all concerned citizens to reengage the nation once again in bringing down the drunk driving death toll. (As cited in PRNewswire, 1997)

In summary, the National Commission against Drunk Driving is necessary for diminishing drunk-driving related incidents and the implementation of programs for safer highway driving in the country. The commission have done a good work until they became stagnant in 1994. But accidents caused by drunk driving are increasing again. Hence, the action of the NCADD is again needed by the present American communities and the future of public safety in our country.

References

DUI Foundation. Related Accidents and Injuries. Retrieved February 26, 2009 from             http://www.duifoundation.org/drunkdriving/accidents/

Jacobs, J.B. (1992). Drunk Driving: An American Dilemma, 2^nd Edition. IL: University of          Chicago Press.

Nerad, J.R.(2008). Has the War on Drunk Driving Stalled? In Driving Today. Retrieved            February 27, 2009 from http://www.drivingtoday.com/features/

archive/drunk_driving/index.html

Robin, G.D. (1991). Waging the Battle Against Drunk Driving: Issues, Countermeasures, and    Effectiveness. CA: Greenwood Press

PRNewswire (1997). Preliminary Highway Death Statistics for 2001 Show Fight Against

Drunk Driving Has Stalled. The Accident Reconstruction Communications Network. Retrieved February 27, 2009 from http://www.accidentreconstruction.com/

news/apr02/042402a.asp

Valle, S.K. (1986). Drunk Driving in America: Strategies and Approaches to Treatment. New    York: Haworth Press, Inc

While many authors focus on human nature and survival, White Fang is a story about another type of survivor, a wolf pup.  White Fang’s mother, in order to survive, is required to kill for food in the harsh wilderness of North America.  During a major famine, the she-wolf is required to kill for food, ultimately including the members of the pack she runs with.  With his mother dying not long after she has White Fang, he becomes the lone survivor.  The bulk of the novel is the tale of White Fang and his struggles from childhood to maturity.

White Fang was written by Jack London.  Jack London is a well known writer who not only wrote White Fang but also the legendary The Call of the Wild.  The main conflict in all of his stories is that of survival and natural conflict.  Born in Southern California in 1875, Jack London was primarily a self-educated man, having spent much of his youth in the Oakland public library.  Before beginning his writing career in the late-1890s, London spent much time on the wrong side of the law, including a month-long stint in a prison in Buffalo, New York on a charge of vagrancy, and a period of time in Alaska, attempting to gain wealth by participating in the Klondike Gold Rush.

Like many writers, London struggled at first, receiving very little pay for his literary efforts.  London had, however, timed his entry into literary work well.  The late 1890s saw the beginning of inexpensive magazine publishing.  London’s career blossomed in this environment, combined with his treatment of writing as a serious, professional business.  Many consider London’s business approach to writing as marking the birth of the first, true “professional” writer.

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The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the third book in the Narnian Chronicles.  In this book, Lucy and Edmond are staying with their cousin Eustace Scrubb while Peter and Susan are away.  Lucy, Edmond, and Eustace are all dragged into a painting of a ship and lands in the waters of Narnia next to the Dawn Treader who is captioned by Caspian X also known as Prince Caspian. They set out to find the seven lost lords of Narnia, and therefore starting an adventure of a lifetime.  Lucy and Edmond are happy to be back in Narnia, though Eustace is a bit weary as this was his first time in Narnia.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, written in 1950, was C.S. Lewis’ third written Chronicle in the Narian Epic.  Chronologically speaking, however, Dawn Treader would have occurred fifth in the series, taking place shortly after Prince Caspian as Caspian sets sail to find the seven Lords of Narnia who where exiled during his uncle’s rule. This out of sequence phenomena exists in the novels due to the fact that as one was completed, Lewis would discover another novel still floating in his head, screaming to be unleashed upon a world eager for any vestige of post-WWII hope for mankind.

In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Lewis chooses to keep only a handful of characters from the prior novels.  Notably absent are Peter and Susan Pevensie, the older brother and sister.  Lewis instead introduced a cousin, Eustace Scrubb.  Eustace is an almost contemptible rogue, seemingly bent on making life unbearable for his cousins and caring for no one but himself.   Dawn Treader is a story about the transforming effect Narnia has upon young Eustance who, in the words of C.S. Lewis, “you’d never know him for the same boy.”  Eustance’s mother, however, doesn’t see his transformation as positive, reflecting how in real life our efforts at self improvement are often viewed by those around us as anything but improvement.

Essays on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader can also include analysis of ethical consequences.  On the second island, Eustace gives into temptation when he finds the lair of a dragon that was slain, becoming a dragon himself, consumed by his own greed.  Only through the wisdom of Lucy is Eustace’s true personae recognized, preventing him from being slain by the other crew members.

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