The Great Injustice of College Athletics free essay sample

However, the rise in fame of professional sports began to take its toll as players began demanding more and more from their owners. When the great depression hit people no longer had the luxury of paying to watch games. This was the birth of collegiate athletics on the center stage for unlike professional sports teams, colleges could offer athletes something priceless in return; an education. The deal was simple, one all expenses paid college education in return for exclusive rights on every move the athlete made. From the naked eye it would appear the athlete was receiving a fair trade. However, if you look closely enough you will see that the day these athletes sign their name on the dotted line they are condemning themselves to contract that is almost identical to an artist without creative control or rights to his own music. Across the country college sports have become a massive enterprise and have truly changed from competitive fun to a full on multi-billion dollar business. We will write a custom essay sample on The Great Injustice of College Athletics or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page While many people believe that college athletes, in particular college football and basketball players, are spoiled and unworthy of what they’ve been given, the reality is that these athletes do a great deal for their schools. Division 1 football and basketball players are placed under direct physical and mental harm, do not have the time for a job because they are forced to devote so much time to their sport, bring in millions of dollars to their universities and deserve to be better compensated for their efforts. Now I am not lobbying for colleges to be able to pay players however much they want to because that would destroy the sport considering only the richest university would ever land good recruits. However, it seems fair that college basketball and football players should receive at least a tiny slice of the profits that they reel into the school. In my opinion somewhere between 10 to 20 thousand dollars a year would be a reasonable stipend for these athletes. At first thought that number might seem somewhat outrageous, but consider that the minimum wage salary of a full time job is $15,080 (UC Davis). I know personally that there is no possible way for a football player to obtain a job while in season and extremely difficult in the off season as well. In a typical day a player will spend two hours lifting, four hours of practice and film, and then on top of that the player is a full time student. It is understandable that other student-athletes deal with similarly busy schedules; the difference is that they are not working for an organization that makes a profit. Whereas one could consider most student-athletes similar to volunteers, football and basketball players are in fact employees. They are solely responsible for bringing in money and yet are not equally compensated in return. It is obvious that football and basketball players bring in millions of dollars to the universities that they attend, but few people actually understand the vast inequality in distribution of the money. According to the New York Times football and basketball bring in over 6 billion dollars of revenue each year (Nocera). Colleges collectively spend 800 million dollars a year paying for football and basketball scholarships and other subsequent costs to players such as travel, uniforms, etc. (Wilbon). This means that the players responsible for everything are only receiving 13. 3% of the profits that they bring in. These universities are cash cows and are taking the money other people are earning. Fans do not go to games to watch the university, or to see the coaches, rather they go to the games to watch the players perform. Then, to think that these athletes, who are publicly scrutinized and criticized and take all the blame for each game they lose, are only given a meager 1/8th of the money they earn is outrageous. Not only is it unfair that the people making the money get less than 14% of the revenue but it is actually somewhat unconstitutional. I do not want to say it is a form of slavery because obviously that would be an exaggeration, but it is the closest thing to it. In accordance with the profession sporting rules, these players are required to spend three years out of high school before they can enter into the NFL and at least one year before entering the NBA. These athletes are literally forced into â€Å"working† for the universities and in return receive the smallest slice of the pay. It would be one thing if athletes had the opportunity to â€Å"take it or leave it† in terms of accepting a college scholarship, but it is something else entirely when the athlete has no other choice. They are not choosing to go get an education; they are accepting the fact that it is their only opportunity to continue playing the sport they love. People falsely assume that these college players are stupid and ungrateful for an education when they perform poorly in school. However, from the perspective of a young athlete, a college scholarship is not an opportunity but rather a sentence. In a prison the goal is to reform a criminal by teaching him skills and then sending them on their way. If you were to be sent to a prison can you honestly say you would work as hard as you possibly could to improve yourself? No, you would do the bare minimum and just get the most enjoyment out of your time and get out of there. By taking away an athlete’s right to choose a college education they lose sight of the value of a degree and thus there is little importance geared towards acquiring an education. The NCAA passed a ruled restricting any and all college athletes from receiving any sort of endorsements or sponsors of any kind. That might be acceptable if it was not for the fact that there is no rule preventing colleges from accepting millions of dollars in endorsements each and every year. Not only is it incredibly hypocritical and wrong but it also happens to be illegal to take credit and money from another person’s trademark. Yet colleges continue to rack up enormous amounts of money due to advertising, none of which is ever seen by the players responsible for the endorsements in the first place. Many opponents of paying college athletes are likely to say something to the extent of, â€Å"So what? They should be grateful that they get a free college education when so many other students are forced to pay their own way or go without. While on the surface a statement like this might seem fair, it cannot be taken seriously because of the forgotten fact that those players have earned that money. Nobody would tell Bill Gates, â€Å"Hey I know you earned 100 billion dollars but you only need 1 million cause that is already more than everyone else has. † In fact, people view the success of billions such as Bill Gates as admirable and well desired. The America n society idolizes and obsesses over the dream of working hard and striking it rich. And yet so many people are quick to judge athletes saying they are ungrateful for what they have been and in no way desire more. It is as if people assume athletes have not worked hard for the position they are in. While it is true that a certain part of athleticism is genetic, it is also true that athletes work incredibly hard each and every day to maintain top physical condition which is no easy task. A good point made in the New York Times was that these colleges are bringing in so much money but they do not even have to spend any of it on marketing or advertising or any other expenses (Nocera). This means that the universities are literally just pocketing all the cash for themselves and paying for their school buildings and other people’s salaries and scholarships with it. Another opposing argument would be to say that it is not fair to the other sports that football and basketball already get the nicest facilities and would get paid money others would not. However, the opposition fails to realize some key points. Football and basketball are the only sports that â€Å"pay their own way† and every other sport draws over 90% of their funds from the football and basketball programs (Wilbon). Therefore, they have absolutely no right to ever get mad at these programs because without the football and basketball teams their scholarships and funding would completely disappear. An ESPN analysis and co-host of PTI put it when by saying, â€Å"Not everything is equal, not everything is fair. The most distinguished professor at the University of Alabama wont make $5. 9 million in his entire tenure in Tuscaloosa; Nick Saban will make that this year. So I dont want to hear that its unfair to pay the quarterback of Alabama more than all the sociology students in the undergraduate college† (Wilbon). Does it not make sense for the people who buy the cake to get the biggest slice or get to take home all the leftovers? There is obviously enough money to provide for all the sports programs and also more than enough left over for the college to reap it in. For many college athletes who come from poor economic backgrounds, the money given for scholarship and living expenses is not enough to survive. AJ Enno, a former student-athlete, commented on his experience with college payment by saying, â€Å"As a former college student, I can attest that universities dont always deposit the loan money when they should† (Enno). Not only are players not having their needs met but the funds they receive are often late and difficult to get. According to NCAA regulations schools are allowed to pay a maximum of $1000 per month for student living expenses. However, the greater majority of schools do not pay their athletes the full stipend per month as it depends on many variables, such as academics and program requirements, to qualify for full compensation (Ramachandran). Even if athletes are paid the full $1000 per month this amount of money is not likely to come close to covering all expenses. The average cost of room and board for a college student is roughly $8,193 annually or $1,024. 13 per month (Cost of a Public Education). Therefore, college athletes are already being paid insufficient funding from the get go and these expense do not even include things such as gas or spending money. AJ went on to say, â€Å"[Athletes] dont have the money to pay rent, eat or keep their cars filled with gas to get around off campus. If I were in the same position and someone came along and said theyd pay me so much monthly for free autographs or tickets to a game, I wouldnt hesitate to accept that offer† (Enno). The reason that so many recruiting violations occur is not because these athletes are greedy, but rather they are only trying to survive like any human being naturally would. Eddie George, a member of both the college and pro football hall of fame said, â€Å"They need to have more money to do more things off the field. There’s definitely a need for kids to get paid more to live a quality of life like a regular student, who can have a job, because (a football player) can’t have a job, except in the summer, and that’s heavily regulated. It makes a quality life very difficult† (Rallo). For a long time there has been a false public perception that collegiate athletes live these easy going, spoiled lives. For those who know the real story about the everyday grind of a college athlete, also know that this is far from the truth. Though there are some concerns with college players abusing the money that they receive, this will not be the case because they will only be given a small increased share of the money. Furthermore, if they are given money now it would teach them to be responsible and thrifty with the funds they receive so they will be better prepared for the large amounts of money they receive if they make it to the professional levels. Approximately 60% of NBA players and 78% of NFL players declare bankruptcy or are under financial stress within two years of retirement (Schalter). According to Schalter, it is the â€Å"horrific spending habits, bad investments, generosity and child support can put the wealthiest athlete into the poor house† (Schalter). Considering the majority of these go from scraping their way just to get by in college to all the sudden having millions of dollars at their disposal, their spending habits are more than likely to get out of hand quick. Also, the rates of shady recruiting and bribing players will go down because players will not feel the need to pick up extra cash just to get by. All in all, paying athletes just a little bit more today may help athletes handle themselves better tomorrow when they are paid a greater amount. Athletes should be treated more like employees and less like voluntary serfs. In accordance with a recent study done in September of 2011, it was found that the fair market value of an average college football player is $121,000 per year, while the average basketball player would be worth $265,000 (Frommer). While it may not be a good thing to pay athletes the full amount of their market value while in college, universities could at least put the money into a savings account for players after they graduate so they are not left completely stranded the day football is over for them. The report also argues that playing Division 1 football and basketball is a full-time job citing that players in the Football Bowl Subdivision (D1) reportedly spend 43. 3 hours per week during the season in athletic time commitment, while Division I men’s basketball players reported 39 hours a week in season (Frommer). Division I football and basketball players are putting in more time than the standard 40 hour work week and yet are still living in poverty according to the federal poverty guideline of individual students (Frommer). While college athletes struggle just to get by, many of their coaches are receiving million dollar contract deals. It makes it difficult to play for someone who makes millions of dollars more than you, but does that mean coaches work harder than their players? While it may be somewhat true that coaches have a greater amount of responsibility for wins and losses, athletes go through just as much mental trials combined with physical exertion that coaches do not have to endure. They also have to do so while being a full time student and living up to academic standards that are in fact higher than normal students. Even more outrageous is the fact that some football coaches bonuses alone are worth more than the entire shortfall, or extra 10-20 thousand dollars college players should be paid, in athlete scholarships (Frommer). Colleges obviously have the sufficient funds to pay their athletes a fair wage if they wanted to, but since there is no one to regulate or keep them in check they essentially rob their players. More than just the daily routine of exhaustion that collegiate athletes are put through; they are also put in the line of direct physical danger. With new found evidence on concussions and brain damage it has been found that the average life expectancy of an NFL player is between 53-59 years old as compared to the average male of 73 years old (Campbell). While it is true that NCAA players have shorter careers than those in the NFL, the fact that players lose up to 30 years off of their life from playing the sport means that the time spent playing college ball undoubtedly contributes at least somewhat to that statistic. It is likely that any college football player will lose some time off of their life due to repeated blows to the head and yet the NCAA offers no compensation or pension for athletes later in life. This means that athletes are essentially putting their lives in direct danger, risking permanent injuries, and doing all this for essentially the pay of a minimum wage job. Considering that only 2. 4% of college football players will have the opportunity to play in the NFL (Easterbrook), many athletes spend the best years of their lives dedicating themselves to a program and a university that shows them little love or care in return. In addition to the physical danger college athletes are subject to, they are also put in direct position for public and media scrutiny. With the average college athlete being just 18-22 years old it is almost horrific as to the amount of criticism and humiliation players are subject to. Take for instance the Boise State kicker two years ago who missed a field goal that would have won a game sending the school to a BCS bowl. It is estimated that the missed field goal cost the university $8 million dollars in would be bowl money (Gaines). As a result of the miss, the kicker fell subject to public humiliation few people could ever imagine. The kicker even received death threats over social media sights such as Facebook and twitter. Yet had this player made the field goal when called upon and won the university nearly $8 million in revenue would he have ever seen a dime of that money? No, he would not have been given a penny so it would seem that college athletes are able to suffer all the negatives of being in the public spotlight and yet shared in no part of the reward. Fans are so quick to judge and criticize athletes at any moment that they show human weakness or make a mistake and the NCAA does nothing to protect the players but rather encourages the behavior as they force players to mandatory press conferences following games and practices. No human being is perfect and yet it would appear that sometimes student-athletes are held to impossible standards. They are expected to be these selfless teammates who only play the game only because they love it more than nything in the world, and anyone who deviates from expectations are immediately criticized and humiliated to lengths that nobody wants to go through. Players will say that they block it all out and that it does not affect them but that is far from the truth. No person can fall subject to criticism of others and not be affected by it no matter how hard they try. These athletes put themselves directly into harm’s way knowing that there will be both physical and psychological consequen ces of their time playing for many years to come after they hang up their jerseys. College football and basketball players do all this for the reward of living in poverty according federal regulations. Sometimes we forget that it is not just a game but rather a full time commitment to a business. A 6 billion dollar business only willing to pay its most valuable employees a small fraction of the money they are responsible for bringing in. Perhaps it is not the athletes who are selfish, despite the constant perception of the media, but rather the schools and institutions who claim their goal is to educate and help all their students. Upon in depth analysis it is easy to see that the true goal of these universities and the NCAA as a whole is actually money, and they will do anything to fatten their pockets. Still the average person will often complain over and over again about how spoiled athletes are and yet we refuse to acknowledge that we are the ones paying their salaries and scholarships. Therefore, it is obviously somewhat deserved if we are willing to continue to pay for them to entertain us. But the question we all have to ask ourselves is who are we really paying? Are we paying the colleges to provide us with entertaining on Saturdays during the fall or during March Madness? Are we paying the other sports that have scholarship athletes? No, we are paying to watch the football and basketball players at the collegiate level to perform for us. And should that not be who the money goes to then†¦the people we are paying to see. ? Works Cited Campbell, LaMar. For Retired NFL Players, Most Challenging season Just Beginning. CNN. N. p. , 08 Sept. 2011. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. . Easterbrook, Gregg. Two Misconceptions in CollegeA sports. ESPN. com. N. p. , n. d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. . Enno, AJ. NCAA. Bleacher Report. N. p. , n. d. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. . Frommer, Frederic. Should College Athletes Be Paid? As Much as $1M Says New Report. Should-college-athletes-be-paid? -As-much-as. N. p. , n. d. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. . Gaines, Cork. Nevada Lost Nearly $1 Million By Beating Boise State. Business Insider. N. p. , n. d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. . Lewis, Guy. The Be ginning of Organized Collegiate Sport. page 224. American Quarterly Nocera, Joe. Heres How To Pay Up Now. The New York Times. The New York Times, 01 Jan. 2012. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. . Rallo, Curt. College Football: George Thinks Athletes Should Be Paid. South Bend Tribune. N. p. , 22 July 2012. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. . Ramachandran, Vasant Should College Athletes Get Paid? Should College Athletes Get Paid? N. p. , n. d. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. . Schalter, Ty. NFL. Bleacher Report. N. p. , n. d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. . The Cost of a Public University Education. About. com Young Adults. N. p. , n. d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. . UC Davis Center for Poverty Research. What Are the Annual Earnings for a Full-time Minimum Wage Worker? N. p. , n. d. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. . Wilbon, Michael College Athletes Deserve to Be paid. ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, n. d. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. .

American States With the Highest Teenage Abortion Rates

American States With the Highest Teenage Abortion Rates In a nation where abortion remains legal despite ongoing legal and legislative debate, which states have the highest rates of teenage abortion? A 2010 report by the Guttmacher Institute compiled teenage pregnancy and abortion statistics in the United States. These state by state statistics show a dramatic decrease in some states while others moved up a little on the list. However, as a whole, the U.S. teenage pregnancy and abortion rates have declined dramatically in recent years. 10 States With the Highest Teen Abortion Rates The available 2010 data for abortions among women aged 15 to 19 is ranked by state. The rate reflects the number of abortions per thousand women in this age range.    Rank State Abortion Rate 1 New York 32 2 Delaware 28 3 New Jersey 24 4 Hawaii 23 5 Maryland 22 6 Connecticut 20 7 Nevada 20 8 California 19 9 Florida 19 10 Alaska 17 More Teen Pregnancy  Statistics and Analysis Overall, of the 614,410 teenage pregnancies reported in the U.S. during 2010, 157,450 ended in abortion and 89,280 in miscarriage. From 1988 to 2010, the abortion rate for teens dropped in every state with many seeing a 50 percent reduction or more. In 2010, 23 states reported an abortion rate in the single digits. Its also important to note that the majority of pregnancies and abortions involve 18- and 19-year-old women. The District of Columbia is the only place in the report with more abortions reported in the 15 to 17 range than in the older group. Yet, D.C. does not count in state rankings. The states with the lowest abortion rates in 2010 were South Dakota, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Utah, Arkansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Texas. Each reported that fewer than 15 percent of teen pregnancies ended in abortion. However, that does not account for state residents who sought an abortion in neighboring states. Only three of the states above rank in the top ten states with the highest teenage pregnancy rates of young women age 15 to 19. They are Nevada (ranked seventh with 68 pregnancies per thousand); Delaware (ranked eighth with 67 pregnancies per thousand); Hawaii (ranked tenth with 65 pregnancies per thousand). The highest pregnancy rate in 2010 was in New Mexico, where 80 in every thousand teens became pregnant. This state ranks fourteenth in the abortion rate. Mississippi had the highest teenage birthrate, with 55 girls for every thousand. The Dramatic Decrease in Teenage Abortions According to this same report, in 2010, the teenage pregnancy rate dropped to a 30 year low (57.4 per thousand). It peaked in 1990 at 51 percent or 116.9 girls for every thousand. This is a significant decrease that has not gone unnoticed.   In a 2014  report also by the Guttmacher Institute, a 32 percent decrease was found in teenage abortions between 2008 and 2014. This follows the 40 percent decline in teenage pregnancies over this same period. There are many influences that are cited as causing this change. One is the fact that fewer teenagers are having sex in general. Among those teens that do have sex, there is an increased use in some form of contraception. The increase in sex education, as well as cultural influences, the media, and even the economy, are considered to have played a role as well. Source U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity. 2010. Guttmacher Institute.

How to Improve Your English Spelling

How to Improve Your English Spelling How to Improve Your English Spelling How to Improve Your English Spelling By Michael Addyson, a sixth grader who loves to write, asks, How can I learn to spell better? Thats certainly a worthy question, and over the years, weve given many suggestions for better spelling. I Before E, Except After C How Do I Become a Better Speller? Five Spelling Rules for â€Å"Silent Final E† The Six Spellings of â€Å"Long E† The Eight Spellings of â€Å"Long O† The Spellings of â€Å"Shun† But when young writers ask for advice on spelling or grammar, I always emphasize something else first. Spelling is not writing. Grammar is not writing. Writing is saying, in the clearest way you can, whats on your mind or in your heart. Despite what your teachers may be saying, poor spelling does not keep you from great writing. How do I know? Because people with dyslexia or dysgraphia have become successful authors, including Agatha Christie, John Irving, Avi, Jeanne Betancourt, and Fannie Flagg. And some of the most important writers of modern times couldnt spell. The greatest poor spellers Ernest Hemingway His reply when his newspaper editors complained about his bad spelling: Well, thats what youre hired to correct! He must have not been paying attention in school the day his teacher said, Drop the e and add ing, because he often spelled loveing and moveing. He often used and when he could have used a comma. He still got a Nobel Prize for Literature. F. Scott Fitzgerald His editors had to correct hundreds of spelling mistakes in The Great Gatsby, such as yatch, apon, definate, and critisism. He couldnt even remember how to spell the name of his best friend, who was Ernest Hemingway. One critic wrote, I have said that This Side of Paradise commits almost every sin that a novel can possibly commit: but it does not commit the unpardonable sin: it does not fail to live. William Butler Yeats He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1923, but he got poor spelling grades on his report cards, for words such as â€Å"feal† and â€Å"sleap. Unfortunately, his handwriting and spelling counted against him when his essays were graded, though he did well when he could read them aloud. He also had a habit of forgetting his school books. Winston Churchill Works such as the four-volume A History of the English-Speaking Peoples led to the 1953 Nobel Prize for Literature. But a childhood report card said, Writing is good, but terribly slow - spelling about as bad as it well can be. William Faulkner One editor remarked on his misspellings, faulty punctuation and accidental repetition. Before achieving the literary fame that led to the 1949 Nobel Prize, he worked two years as University of Mississippis postmaster in a stream-of-consciousness sort of way, editing the mail by throwing it out if he didnt consider it important. Jane Austen Her misspellings included â€Å"scissars† and at age 15, she titled a novel Love and Freindship (remember, I before E except after C). Later editors tamed her spelling, punctuation, and grammar, but according to Oxford University English professor Kathryn Sutherland, a new study of 1,100 handwritten pages of Austens unpublished manuscripts shows she had a better gift for dialogue than anyone had suspected, when editors didnt mess it up. The best way to learn spelling One reason that spelling in English can be so difficult is that our words come from so many different languages with different spelling rules. Thats why spelling bees can be so competitive. Spanish schools dont have spelling bees. Why bother? Spanish is always written phonetically, so any native Spanish-speaking child can correctly spell anything they can write. This is not true of English. The best way to learn to spell better depends on your own learning style. If you learn by hearing, spell words out loud, or have someone else do it for you. Sing the letters. Listen to the rhythm, and you may sense the rules behind them. Teach someone else. If you learn kinesically; that is, by movement, tracing words on paper or in the air may cement their correct spelling in your memory. Typing them will help too. If you learn by seeing, the more you read, the more your spelling will improve. Using a keyboard will help. Seeing what you just typed appearing neatly on the screen may trigger your right/wrong sensors more reliably than trying to read your handwriting. If you learn logically, organize your word lists by rule or family. Not all logic is verbal, and you can sharpen your unconscious spelling sense simply by putting all the words together that end with ed or start with eu. Strategies for better spelling It helps to learn basic spelling rules, but dont worry if you still make mistakes. After a two year study, Stanford University researchers determined that you would need more than 650 rules to correctly spell the 20,000 most common words in the English language. If you learned 300 rules, you might be able to spell half of them. Learn to spell words according to families; that is, in groups of similarly spelled words. In a spelling bee, to make the competition harder, the judges make sure that every word is different from the next. But learning to spell is not a competition, so spelling lists should be as easy to learn as possible with each word similar to the next. In a few minutes, a child can learn to spell take, rake, make, lake, bake, cake, sake, and wake. So when you study patriarch, you may as well learn arch, archive, archaic, architecture, archipelago, and archaeology at the same time. Simply seeing arch on that list might be enough reminder to spell the others correctly. Besides, getting question after question right makes a student feel good. Learn to spell words according to their etymology; that is, according to their language of origin. Many Arabic words begin with al (meaning the) while many Hebrew names end with el (meaning God). In words that came from Greek, the f sound is spelled ph. If you remember those word origins, you will never spell algebra as elgebra, Michael as Micheal, or photograph as fotograf. Though some people may judge you for your mistakes, success in life doesnt depend on good spelling. Fortunately, spellcheckers and friends can help. But when opponents criticized Andrew Jacksons spelling, the future U.S. President retorted, Its a poor mind that can think of only one way to spell a word. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Compared "to" or Compared "with"?How to Pronounce Mobile40 Idioms with First

Any thing realated to linguistics and teaching English as a foreign Essay

Any thing realated to linguistics and teaching English as a foreign language - Essay Example Littlewood (1983) noted "Learning refers to conscious process of internalizing a second language. Learning to use a second language freely is a lengthy and complex process. Different people have different criteria for learning language, few stress on accuracy (grammar, vocabulary, listening, written production etc.) while others on fluency (reading, phonology, spoken production, accent, etc.) but almost everyone agree that our primary purpose of language development is to be able to speak in the target language. However, in recent years the stress is on how to teach languages, which is increasingly guided by the dominant aim of promoting the learner's communicative competence. Similarly, all the recent definitions of language learning also involve communicative point of view by one way or another. "Language learning is a neutral response to communicative needs," says Littlewood (1983). The approach that needs to be taken according to is not all about sentence structure and vocabulary but "it must also involve an understanding of how people use these linguistic forms in order to communicate." suggested Woodhead; Miller; Oshea (1981). Bourges (1964) also claims that "some basic awareness of the total linguistic process" is very essential," otherwise students can never be competent to use the second language. There fore, the learners must be aware of the value of their learning and how will matter in all spheres of his life outside the classroom, in which it has to be written and spoken. English for what English is an international language. However, for most of the third world countries, it has a position of second language. At present, English is fast gaining grounds in Non-Western countries; most of them fall in 'developing' countries category. English is no longer a language of West but it has become a language of the person who uses it. Second language learning (English) has become a necessity to most of us, for some the reason is instrumental for others it is personal. Most of us, in this situation learn second language for instrumental purpose. Recently, it has been realized that most of the students will need second language for knowledge, societal, career, or entertainment's sake. River (1983) noted that "consumers are not only students, but also the society of which they are a part." Therefore, second language is one institution that learners must master in order to perform proficiently in other subject areas as well as in society. The main component, which makes English primary for learners, is that knowing a second language will more or less give surety of a better economic status. As job markets have become increasingly competitive now and it's not enough to know one language, since all the official work is done in English. For a perspective employee, English is a need and an added advantage to progress quickly by accessing any related knowledge through different channels. As River (1984) says "people's personal attitude towards the second language matters a great deal, as also a degree and nature of socio-economic demands for it." Spoken language is also required to keep the up social relationships. Colleges and schools have a role to perform since they introduce them to a wider

Reality TV (Black Musical Artist) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reality TV (Black Musical Artist) - Essay Example The reality television genre has really exploded since the original writers’ strike caused FOX to start airing episodes of â€Å"COPS,† and earlier, when PBS made its inquiries into the American family dynamic. In any case, it seems safe to say that reality TV is here to stay a genre, and is currently often being combined with the music industry, exemplified by the abovementioned African-American pop divas (and occasionally their siblings). Monica, perhaps most famous musically for her breakthrough single â€Å"Just 1 of Those Things,† can be found on reality TV on the BET network, in â€Å"Monica: Still Standing.† This is a show about female empowerment, struggle, and the ins and outs of the music industry. In the show, Monica struggles mainly with fame and the increasing expectations of her fans, although she also has to balance, as a modern woman, her career and her family. The show is very realistic about the drama Monica undergoes when she has to bala nce her personal life, her past run-ins with the law and dangerous people, and the present stresses of her fame. The show provides an empowering role model for African-American women, rather than focusing on a sexualized or objectified image of femininity. Also on BET, â€Å"Tiny and Toya† is another reality series focusing on a famous African-American female musician, Tiny, and Toya, who is the ex-wife of famous and currently-jailed rapper Lil Wayne.

Ethical Implications Of Image Manipulation

Ethical Implications Of Image Manipulation There are many arguments both for and against image manipulation in the media by the public. Groups argue that image manipulation contributes to eating disorders in both women and men and a general decline in self-worth. But opposing views suggest that image manipulation is a necessity for the upkeep of our idyllic view of celebrity culture, or is a form of art. Through my research, I will look at literature that may suggest that the use of image manipulation is negatively affecting our views of society and, in turn, what positive effects it is having too. When speaking about image manipulation, we need to think of the ethics involved. In a post about the ethics of image manipulation, Lodriguss says; When we correct, manipulate and enhance images in Photoshop, we must deal with questions of both ethics and aesthetics. (Lodriguss, 2006) What is ethical and what is not in terms of image manipulation? In what way are we manipulating the images, and is this for good or bad? There are a whole host of questions that can be asked, but we must focus our attention on whom the editing is affecting. When an image is edited, we are looking at two possible audiences who could be affected by the image; the subject and the people viewing the image. These two parties will each have different views about the editing that means the moral implications become entwined. When a reader picks up a magazine, looks at a billboard advertisement of a celebritys latest perfume release, or a fashion shoot, their view of the subject is most likely skewed. The editors of these publications often embrace imaging software and its editing features to better engage their target audience, and also to assist celebrities in keeping up their perfect image. Lucy Danziger, editor-in-chief of Self Magazine, has been quoted saying Yes, of course we do post-production corrections on our images. Photoshopping is an industry standard. (The Daily Mail, 2012) This was said about an image of Kelly Clarkson that was heavily altered. It may be seen by some that the editing of the image is ethically correct as it is maintaining a positive image of the artist. We have to remember that looks sell and in the dog eat dog world that is celebrity culture, does the digital world offer a safe haven for those who may need those few extra pounds shaved off? We have seen a strong example of how digital manipulation can help those that are being edited, but what about the audience that view and interpret the images? It is quite apparent that the editors of the media publications have an agenda when it comes to image manipulation. Maximising profit. A general understanding is that the public want to see the glam and glitz that comes with the size zero celeb. Its a form of escapism in the sense that the decoders may look at a magazine front cover and get lost in its world of designer gear and pocket sized pooches. But that escape from reality is short-lived, and the effects of over exposure from these edited images can be devastating. Young girls are exposed to between 400 and 600 media images per day. (Hawkins, 2012) With such a high figure, is it any wonder that there has been an outcry from charities, that support those affected by eating disorders, to ban excessive photo manipulation? The BBC say that the media is a powerful influence and we know how vulnerable some people at risk of eating disorders can be to its visual images in particular in a quote from Susan Ringwood of B-Eat. (British Broadcasting Corporation, 2010) Charities are getting angry that the media is allowed to digitally diet celebrities with no form of ethical guidelines that they must adhere to. However change may be on the horizon. The government are currently looking at reducing the amount of editing that institutions are allowed to put out into the mainstream public. They [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] want to keep computer enhancement and digital manipulation to an absolute minimum (eg red eye reduction, background lightening). (Herrin, 2011) The gov ernment have seen that the stream of unrealistic photos that plague the media is affecting the way some people view themselves, which is therefore having an effect on their own wellbeing. By creating an ethical code that institutions have to follow, they will be taking one step to safeguarding those at risk of influence. Early this year, a young 14-year-old girl named Julia Bluhm from Maine, USA, started a petition on the Internet to try and get teenage magazine Seventeen to print unedited photos of women once a month. Julia didnt think that she would get nearly the amount of signatures that she did, totalling up a staggering 84,000. This figure effectively illustrates how many young females believe that image manipulation has a negative influence on the youth of today. The magazine promises not to doctor girls body shapes or face shapes (Dieken, 2012) which means that it wont be reducing the waist size or the complexion of the young girls. Girls will now be able to read a magazine with accurate representations of their peers, even if it is only once a month. This was seen as a massive breakthrough in the media industry, with her crusade [leading] to a magazines commitment to change. (The Daily Mail, 2012) I believe that both the encoder and the decoder of media texts have valid arguments when it comes to the ethics of image manipulation. I think that the celebrity culture demands that those in the spotlight look their very best at all possible times, and the media make a positive contribution to that image remaining so. I do however believe that the repercussions of this editing take an over arching negative effect on those who view them. Young women should not have to be subjected to a bombardment of ultra skinny, perfect representations of women. If those images were mediated by the institutions to a set code of ethics, I believe that the representations of women and the ramifications would be much less negative and tarnished.

Kinship and the Inuit People

It takes a certain type of person to be able to survive the harsh freezing climate of the Arctic. The Inuit, descendants of the Thule have been surviving along the shores of the Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay, Davis Strait, and Labrador Sea for over 1,000 years. The kinship relationships among the Inuit people are very important to their way of life and survival. Every family unit consists of the nuclear family. This is the most common type of unit in a foraging society, such as the Inuit. The nuclear family is the mother and/or father and their children. Occasionally, the Inuit nuclear family will include a spouses’ widowed mother or father or a single adult sibling. The village will contain several other households sharing kin members. This is important because they participate in generalized reciprocity. Generalized reciprocity is a form of exchange where there is no expectation for the immediate return of an item or service in exchange for something else. The different households visit each other, share food, and work together to complete everyday tasks. During the seal hunting season, about 15 different households come to work together. This is very important because seals are used for more than just their meat. They use the sealskins for various things such as boot liners, waterproofing clothes, houses, and kayaks, and the blubber for household lighting. However, â€Å"whenever food was abundant, sharing among non-relatives was avoided, since every family was supposedly capable of obtaining the necessary catch. In situations of scarcity, however, caribou meat was more evenly distributed throughout camp† (Laird & Nowak, 2010, p 3. ). This generalized reciprocity helps to ensure the survival of the people in times of need. However, because it is not done all the time, there is little conflict. During times of scarcity, the Inuit people have practiced infanticide. One of the reasons they do this is so the older children or adults do not starve. However, it has been noticed that they prefer female over male infanticide. This is most likely because the boys will grow up to be the hunters. A few women do hunt, but it is considered the men’s responsibility. Women do contribute to the food by gathering grasses, berries, tubers, stems, and seaweed. However, because there is very little vegetation in the Arctic, women are not the main contributors of food. They process and prepare the meats the men bring home. Women are expected to take care of the children and the house. This is one of the closest similarities between our culture and theirs’. In our society, women are still considered the primary caretaker of children and elder family members. Women are expected to come home from work or â€Å"berry gathering† and prepare dinner. Women run the household chores such as cleaning and laundry. Inuit women clean and sew for the children and men, except when the men go away to hunt and have to do it themselves. In our culture, men sometimes help with household chores, such as cooking, although they have the option of ordering in. Our culture also practices generalized reciprocity. Families gather together to share meals and everyday chores. We go to visit other households to enjoy holidays and birthdays. Family members exchange gifts, foods, and just enjoy being together. Some families gather to help one another out like when we moved. My father-in-law helped by lending us his truck. There was nothing expected in return. The one thing we do not share with the Inuit culture is infanticide. Although I understand why they do it, I would not be able to. In our culture, the parents would end up in prison. We also do not place as much importance on the sex of the child. The only benefit of a boy would be the passing on of the family name. However, today women can decide to keep the family name and add on their husbands, instead of giving up theirs for his. Although our cultures have many similarities, they are also very different. Kinship relationships are important in every society, including ours and the Inuit. However, our survival is not dependent on these relationships, whereas the Inuit are. Without the kinship of the Inuit, they would not be able to survive the harsh winters of their environment. It does take a very special type of people to survive the Arctic. The Inuit have proved to be one of them.