The Impact of Audience Fragmentation on Public Service Broadcasting

Introduction Over the past few decades, media audiences have experienced fragmentation in many countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia partly because of increase in media choices. Audience fragmentation and media polarization are common in today’s generation dominated by technology and the new media.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact of Audience Fragmentation on Public Service Broadcasting specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Audience fragmentation is caused by media proliferation, which makes the broadcast opportunities more diverse posing a challenge to media providers and advertisers. The media proliferation means that the media content, once a preserve of specific outlets such as public broadcasters, is now available in all platforms, which results to a more participatory and fragmented audience. While this may be good for democratic development, it presents major ch allenges that affect mainstream media financially (Benkler 32). Society and audiences in many countries are changing in line with the developments in media technology, the new media, and the internet. In Australia, the audience is increasingly becoming fragmented particularly with regard to television viewing. In 2009, about 84% of all Australian households were audience of free-t-air TV, which, however, was shared with three other major stations (FreeTV 12). Audience fragmentation in Australia has arisen due to increase in the number of commercial channels. By the end of 2010, the number of free-to-air channels grew sharply with the licensing of six additional government-sponsored and commercial television channels further contributing to audience fragmentation (FreeTV 9). Public broadcasters have responded quite positively to the changing media environment. Radio stations, television networks and other content providers have rapidly shifted their services to involve the internet. At the same time, public broadcasting has adopted more personalized services and products to meet the diverse needs of the consumer in a fragmented society (Murdock 54). Despite the stiff competition occasioned by media proliferation, public broadcasting is best suited in delivering and receiving content that informs, entertains, and educates a fragmented society through the new media and the internet in line with its original mission and therefore public broadcasting is still necessary even in the face of audience fragmentation and proliferation of media outlets.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Principles of Public Broadcasting The commercial broadcasters often offer programs that propagate their commercial interests. In contrast, public broadcasters’ mission is to offer a balanced programming that focuses on public and governance affairs while being politically ne utral and non-commercial (Tomaselli 31). However, with the recent advancements in technology and the emergence of the new media, which has led to audience fragmentation, public broadcasters appear to compromise their initial mission. Among the principles of public broadcasting is its quest to be universally accessible and have a universal appeal (Tomaselli 34). By integrating technology like digital Audio broadcasting (DAB) into public broadcasting, public broadcasters have been able to increase their reach in most countries. In Australia, DAB digital radio is broadcasted in five major metropolitan areas with the community radio sector shifting to digital broadcasting to increase accessibility (Free TV 12). Public service broadcasting should be available to everyone regardless of his or her geographical location. In Australia, a digital community radio was launched on May 2011, to offer a broad range of digital content and increase accessibility of public broadcasting (CBAA). Unlike commercial broadcasting, which is governed by commercial and advertising interests, public service broadcasting plays a crucial role in dissemination of unbiased information to the public. It offers a forum for public debate on issues affecting the people, which enable people to make informed choices. In this way, public service broadcasting allows people to express their opinions on contentious issues and in the process fosters cohesion in the society. Public broadcasting also empowers citizens owing to its programs that cover governance and political issues (Tomaselli 39). This phenomenon enhances the quality of life of individuals and social groups can participate in issues affecting their economic and social lives. Public broadcasting, therefore, offers actual and unbiased information, which promotes free opinion formation as compared to other commercial broadcasters and this trend makes public broadcasting necessary in the society even in the wake of audience fragmentation and media proliferation. Public service broadcasting also takes into account the interests of the minority within the society with an intention of promoting social cohesion. The central issue, however, is whether public broadcasting can be detached from government interests given its source of funding.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact of Audience Fragmentation on Public Service Broadcasting specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Public broadcasters are expected to exercise independence from political interference or commercial interests. However, absolute independence is often difficult in practice. In addition, the public broadcasters need to emphasize on quality programming instead of multi-channeling, which is common in commercial broadcasting to support the programs. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) increased the number of channels, which has affected the quality of its programming and stretche d its resources (Frangopoulos Para. 2). Public Broadcasting and the New Digital technologies The technological developments have made it easier for both the media providers and the users to move across the media platforms. Digital technologies have led to the new media commonly referred to as â€Å"social media†, which also has contributed to audience fragmentation. These include social networks like Face book, video sharing media such as You Tube and search engines such as Google and iTunes (Webster 371). The social media, unlike the traditional media, aim at increasing their popularity and in the process attract more audience. To achieve popularity, many of the social media compete for audience by offering attractive user-friendly options to attract the attention of the users. Unfortunately, the attention of the public is limited and scarce. The focus of the new media is to catch the attention of the audience as the prerequisite for attaining their social and economic objec tives (Davenport and Beck 65) and this has led to the proliferation of the social media further contributing to audience fragmentation. However, integration of public broadcasting and social media allows the public to debate on national issues more effectively. The media users also contribute to audience fragmentation as they usually choose the media products they prefer. The user preferences are reflective of their attitudes, their needs, or tastes. The audience can opt to remain loyal to a particular genre provided by a given media or sample a diverse range of media genres. Users preferring a particular genre especially with regard to news lead to a highly focused audience known as â€Å"gated communities† or â€Å"enclaves†, which lead to audience fragmentation (Iyengar and Hahn 112). The users are expected to understand the media environment in which they operate.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the proliferation of the media outlets especially the digital media makes perfect understanding of the digital marketplace almost impossible. In addition, the diversity of the media products makes informed user choice difficult. Users cannot even be sure of which brand would provide the desired gratification and therefore have to sample different media outlets. Public broadcasting offers better means through which the public perceives and addresses public affairs through digital technology and the new media forms, partly because public broadcasting, owing to its focus on public affairs, enjoys a higher level of public trust than the commercial broadcasting. In addition, public broadcasting focuses on universal accessibility and therefore, the new technologies offer a platform to increase its reach in line with its mission. Forms of Media Fragmentation The proliferation of media outlets like channels and websites or media products as music or movies play a significant role i n audience fragmentation termed media-centric fragmentation. Under media-centric fragmentation, the media providers are arranged from the most popular to the least popular using data derived from monthly visitors or total sales reached in a month conducted by independent providers (Anderson 54). In media-centric fragmentation, the audiences are spread across many media outlets. In Australia, rationalization of the audience is high and continues to increase because of restrictions that prevent multi-channeling. By 2009, free-to-air TV (FTA) had an estimated audience of 84%, which it shared with three other commercial TV stations (FreeTV 16). In 2011, three national TV channels, three more channels that are commercial and Pay TV have entered the market. However, government restrictions prevent multi-channeling involving FTA broadcasting (FreeTV 13). This has contributed to audience fragmentation as users and advertisers migrate to other media including the new media. Despite the conti nued fragmentation of the audience, public broadcasting remains a reliable means of promoting social cohesion while promoting diversity of culture. The public broadcasting works is even more useful in a fragmented society as the individual needs of social groups and community public service broadcasters address minorities more effectively. Fragmentation at micro-level involves the distribution of each individual’s use of media across many providers. People become specialized in their patterns of media use by becoming concentrating on a certain class of media products or media outlets that deliver the desired services. In addition, under the micro-level fragmentation, the characteristics of the audience e.g. age or gender is common. The audience relies on subsets of the available media, at a micro-level, on a daily basis to obtain relevant information in the complex media environment. The public broadcasters through its range of educative and informative programs can attract a ll different segments of audience as they discuss political, economic, and social issues affecting their lives. Another form of audience fragmentation relies on a macro-level way of perceiving audiences based on the media they use. This approach can identify the audience for a particular media outlet and by doing so; it is easier to determine how the public attention is spread across the media environment. The macro-level fragmentation can evaluate channel loyalty and audience flows within the media environment (Napoli 67). According to Webster, analysis of the media environment which indicates that users do not spend a lot of time in gated communities but rather sample a variety of media products to satisfy their needs (378). The Future of Audience Fragmentation In spite of audience fragmentation caused by interactions between media providers and users, public broadcasting remains an important source of media products. According to Webster, most media users do not spend much time i n niches or gated communities nor does typical users consume particular media products only, rather most of them range widely across the media outlets as they search desired media products (381). The audiences may appear highly fragmented but they do not stay long within the niches or gated communities. Majority of the users have rather varied media repertoires, which are specialized subsets of media that provide desired media products at particular times. This implies that the micro-level and macro-level fragmentation have no much impact on the consumption patterns of the audience. In fact, the public prefers to associate and debate public affairs. The public broadcasting offers an ideal platform for citizens to be informed on national issues and contributes to national development. Moreover, despite relying on different media repertoires, users can still get the same products and the traditional media remains a preferred source of quality media content. The popularity of the media providers is fundamental to the future distribution of audiences across the media environment. Anderson beliefs that the many media offerings or choices offered would contribute to audience fragmentation in the future (181). Frank and Cook, on the other hand expect that high concentration of the audiences will continue to be experienced in the digital media as compared to other forms of media (56). Moreover, in the digital media, because of differential quality of the digital media products, there will be less audience fragmentation. Due to the diversity of the digital media products and the social nature of the digital media, it is likely that the digital media will become more popular than the traditional media. Audience fragmentation is not likely to be high in digital media as the quality of media products is not normally uniform. Assuming the prices are fairly the same, the audience choices would gravitate towards the digital media that offers high quality choices. As Caves no tes, most content providers and the users alike tend to prefer high quality media products if they can afford them (33). Digital media provides a platform for providers and the users to access high quality services on demand, which effectively reduces the available choices and concentrates the audiences around the best media options thus reducing audience fragmentation. The social nature of the digital media consumption makes digital media more desirable. Through social media networks like Facebook, You Tube, and Twitter among others, few programs, or sports events contribute to live audience debates on various topics, which the public broadcasting service can use to propagate its mission. The social networks also allow simultaneous media use especially alongside television viewing. Twitter and Facebook allow conversations on a virtual space, which concentrates the audience on these networks as they discuss topics they find noteworthy. Since the digital media products are more diver se, the users rely on recommendation systems that guide their consumption. While the media recommendation systems may vary across the media environment, they are mostly directed at promoting the popular media products or media outlets relying on the information on what other have chosen (Webster 389). Nevertheless, the digital products, the media outlets, or their content only varies slightly. The major concern about audience fragmentation is its economic impact on advertising as companies find it difficult to reach the intended market due to audience fragmentation. Contrary to these concerns, fragmentation, and the large number of media channels actually allows practitioners to reach a large number of audiences and can even provide access to additional audience. In order to maximize reach, advertising should be carried out across multiple media channels (Ephron 19). A study conducted by Newstead to establish the strategies of maximizing reach to the Australian market, found out tha t, extending the media coverage coupled by distribution over a wide range of media during advertising increases reach efficiency of between 2-46% (Newstead 76). Despite the proliferation of media outlets, the media outlets offer more or less similar content, which makes public broadcasting even more reliable as a source of information. Conclusion It is evident that the proliferation of commercial media outlets has influenced public broadcasting in many ways. However, public broadcasting in many countries remains the appropriate means of promoting public interaction. Due to competition from commercial broadcasters, public broadcasting has adopted different broadcasting methods involving introduction of diverse programs tailored for specific social groups, more interactive programs that make use of the new media, and introduction of appealing media content. In addition, public broadcasting has made use of digital technologies to promote accessibility in line with its mandate. All this has translated to public broadcasting playing an important role particularly with regard to promoting social cohesion. In conclusion, public broadcasting is still necessary even in the wake of recent proliferation of media outlets and audience fragmentation. Works Cited Anderson, Craig. Free: The future of a radical price. New York: Hyperion, 2009. Benkler, Yunus. The wealth of networks: How social production transforms  Markets and Freedom. New Haven, CN: Yale University Press, 2006. Caves, Richard. Switching channels: Organization and change in TV broadcasting.  Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2005. Community Broadcasting of Australia (CBAA). â€Å"Sidney Community Radio Digital Launch†. 2011. 3/6/2011. Web. Davenport, Tim, and Beck, Julie. The attention economy: Understanding the new  Currency of business. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2001. Ephron, Eric. â€Å"More Weeks, Less Weight: The Shelf-Space Model of Advertising.†Ã‚  Journal of Advertising Research 23.1 (1995): 18-23. Frangopoulos, Angie. ABC’s purpose lost in 24-hr transmission, 2010. Web. Frank, Rodger, and Cook, Peter. The winner-take-all society: Why the few at the  Top get so much more than the rest of us. New York: Penguin, 1995. FreeTV. Industry Report: 2009 Year in Review. FreeTV Australia. 2010:9-16. Iyengar, Steve, and Hahn, Kim. â€Å"Red media, blue media: Evidence of ideological Selectivity in media use.† Journal of Communication 59.1 (2009):110-115. Murdock, Grace. Citizens, consumers, and public culture. London: Routledge, 1992: Napoli, Peter. Audience evolution: New technologies and the transformation of media  Audiences. New York: Columbia University Press, 2011. Newstead, Kim. Best-practice media scheduling a practical application. Adelaide: University of South Australia. 2010. Tomaselli, Robin. â€Å"Public Service Broadcasting in the Age of Information Capitalism.†Ã‚  Communicare 8.2 (1989): 27-41. Webster, Gor don. â€Å"Beneath the veneer of fragmentation: Television audience Polarization in a multichannel world.† Journal of Communication 55.2 (2005): 366-389. This essay on The Impact of Audience Fragmentation on Public Service Broadcasting was written and submitted by user Jaylen Ochoa to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on The Truth Hurts!

said, but that person still gets the point. A harmless lie and a hurtful truth are alike one another in that both will eventually cause pain. Both of the two painful possibilities can be helpful to a person. On one hand to be told the truth you can potentially fix or rework the problem. When told a lie it could be helpful in that you won’t overreact or become upset. A hurtful truth is a truth that is told to you that is distressing. This kind of truth may cause a stinging sensation but with calm rational thinking and plenty of forgiveness it will subside within a few days. Sometimes a hurtful truth is exactly what a person needs t... Free Essays on The Truth Hurts! Free Essays on The Truth Hurts! Ouch! The truth hurts, or would a lie hurt worse? Many a time people say they want to know the truth, but if that truth inflicts pain is it still worth it? When you have food in your teeth and a friend lets you know do you thank them, or do you wish they had kept their mouth shut. Although, when they told you, you where quite possibly embarrassed, it passed. In the long run you should have been grateful. Your friend saved you from a potential worse embarrassment to come. Many things are much more important than a miniscule amount of food stuck between the crevices of your teeth. These are the things that make the question on saving a person from pain and inflicting it unintentionally a hard one to answer. A harmless lie is an untruth told for some reason to accomplish one thing or another. A type of lie told about the size of a fish that was caught but â€Å"got away.† A person might also tell a fib to keep another person from pain. Say that person A tells person B that person C has an ugly haircut. When person C asks person B what person A told person B, it would not be in person B’s best intentions to tell person C the truth. Person B could say that person A said that person C’s haircut was ok but that they liked it the way that it was before. Thus, person B protects person C from the harsh words said, but that person still gets the point. A harmless lie and a hurtful truth are alike one another in that both will eventually cause pain. Both of the two painful possibilities can be helpful to a person. On one hand to be told the truth you can potentially fix or rework the problem. When told a lie it could be helpful in that you won’t overreact or become upset. A hurtful truth is a truth that is told to you that is distressing. This kind of truth may cause a stinging sensation but with calm rational thinking and plenty of forgiveness it will subside within a few days. Sometimes a hurtful truth is exactly what a person needs t...

The Therac-25 and Its Accident Investigation Case Study - 2

The Therac-25 and Its Accident Investigation - Case Study Example the principal of accelerating electrons so as to create high energy beams that can be used to destroy any cancerous cells without affecting the other surrounding non- cancerous tissues. For shallow tissues, accelerated electrons were enough to treat them but for the deeper ones, the electrons beams have to be converted into X-ray photons. The machine consisted of hardware and software that helped the machine run. The software also monitored the functionality status of the machine and turning on the beam. It was also responsible for turning off the beam and detecting any malfunctions. The software was responsible for running most of the machine functions in conjunction with the hardware. This therefore means that any small bug in the software will lead to malfunctioning of the machine. The software for running the Therac-25 was not extensively tested before it was deployed for use. This was due failure to follow proper system development and implementation practices. Also the programmer didn’t provide enough documentation about the machine and software errors that could guide operators on when there is malfunction and what to do. The operators therefore were in the dark most of the time despite the machine displaying various error messages as they thought was normal. The hardware that was used to measure the dosage always provided a wrong dosage reading when it as overloaded. Instead of providing a high reading instead it displayed a low reading when it was actually so high. Another defect was how the machine was made to be operated. The machine was made that the operator and the patient were to be in separate rooms to minimize effect of radiation to the operator. Therefore in case there was any overdose and the patient complaining, the operator could not hear it. Also the operator could not ascertain whether the patient was in the right position every time. This was risky and costly assumptions that lead to the occurrence of the accidents. Therefore, software

Reviewing and evaluating financial management processes Essay

Reviewing and evaluating financial management processes - Essay Example The manager takes effective measures in controlling the budgets of the organization so that the cost does not exceed the estimated budget. The allowable cost helps in determining the allowability, reasonableness and allocability of costs for the managers. Cash management and compliance of the organization are supervised under the surveillance of the manager of the organization for better performance.Matching available resources to planned activities.The four main financial records are the trading account, the profit and loss account or the income statement, the balance sheet and the cash flow statement of a company.   These financial records provide accountability, reliability and can even be used as legal evidence while taking decisions regarding the concerned organization. The financial records are tool which can constrain the individuals from engaging in corrupt practices. Conversely, the financial records can protect an innocent of false accusations. Implementation of the recor ds management control is a must for the effective financial management process of the organization. The purpose of preparing financial performance report for the organization is to bring forth the core information which would otherwise be obscured, highlighting of significant items and relationships between them, enhancing comparability and improving the understandability of the financials of the organization.The timing of the financial report is as important to the organization as that of the financial information.... Conversely, the financial records can protect an innocent of false accusations. Implementation of the records management control is a must for the effective financial management process of the organisation.2 Answer 3 The purpose of preparing financial performance report for the organisation is to bring forth the core information which would otherwise be obscured, highlighting of significant items and relation between them, enhancing comparability and improving the understandability of the financials of the organisation. Even the stability and the riskiness of the organisation can well be determined from the financial performance report of the organisation.3 Answer 4 A person can verify the accuracy of the financial management report by4: Reviewing the financial documents in a comprehensible manner Monitor the preparation of budget of the organisation Calculate realistic funding needs and identify the appropriate sources Matching available resources to planned activities Establishing a centralized database of information Ensure that all data are consistently reported amongst subsidiaries Making executives accountable for the financial reports by personally verifying their accuracy. For example: The audited financial report of a company projected in the company’s annual report portrays the present financial condition of the company. This annual report is issued for all the stakeholders of the company who takes the decision of investment after going through the financial report of the company audited by some external auditor. Answer 5 The timing of the financial report is as important to the organisation as that of the financial information. Timing has great influence in the financial reporting of an entity which constraint the official information

Social Networking And Uncertainty Reduction Theory Psychology Essay

Social Networking And Uncertainty Reduction Theory Psychology Essay The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between social networking and uncertainty reduction theory having the focus on how this theory is related to social attraction and uncertainty reduction in a social media situation. Previous research suggests that as uncertainty decreases the threshold of information increases. Results suggest that (popular media personnel are a large rold in womens media usage, social comparison tendencies, and body image). A discussion of findings in comparing social networking and uncertainty reduction follows the results.   Ã‚   With the advancing technology of the Internet, members of the community are being exposed to social networking. It was four years ago that I remember Facebook becoming a thing of the future and MySpace a thing of the past. The data doesnt deny that Facebook has come to dominate social networking in the US and over took Myspace in 2009 (Owyang, 2010). With the advancement of social networking, the Uncertainty Reduction Theory is becoming more applicable to everyday life as well as everyday encounters. For example, imagine walking into an unfamiliar situation then suddenly becoming filled with uncertainty about the people that surround you as well as the area that you are in. With this example, you are likely to become more reserved and not as willing to open up to your peers unless they do so first. It is this case for the social networking in an unfamiliar world otherwise known as the world wide web.    While researching this topic, I came across the phenomenon of social networking and uncertainty reduction. In doing the research, I found repeatedly that with the increase of communication between strangers, uncertainty decreases. However, I also found that Charles Berger, Uncertainty Reduction Theorist, developed 8axioms to describe how uncertainty reduction unfolds.   Although extensive research has been done on Bergers theory, there are many doubts about his views on uncertainty and the methodology in which he goes to reduce it. With the development of social networking being on the rise and the relationship to the amount of information that is revealed, there is a need for further research on these topics. Therefore, the purpose of this paper it to explore the relationship between social networking and uncertainty reduction theory. The paper will be organized around a discussion of relevant literature, methods, study results, discussion, and future research. Literature Review   Ã‚   This project covers two variables: social networking and uncertainty reduction. Many surveys have been conducted to further discuss the online statistics on these two variables. The following topics will report on previous findings on these two variables. With the phenomenon of uncertainty reduction, there are two different ways of describing the theory: either by the eight axioms or by describing it as passive, active, or interactive as forms of seeking information from the other person. Positive or negative reinforcement of certain behaviors can have an impact on other people who are witnessing these behaviors and their reinforcements whether it is positive or negative aid in the increase or decrease of uncertainty. Rationale With the increasing popularity of social networking as well as the convenience, there is a need for further research on social networking and uncertainty reduction. With the growing problem of Internet safety, further research is needed to be done on how to meet new people online in a safe fashion. Therefore, this research project examines the relationship between social networking and the amount of information that is revealed in an online setting. Research Question R.Q. 1: What is the relationship between uncertainty reduction and strangers meeting online. R.Q. 2:   What is the threshold of information revealed in an online setting opposed to an in person? Methodology The goal of the present investigation is to explore the relationship between social networking and uncertainty reduction theory. The study is organized around a survey questionnaire. The methodology will be organized around a discussion of participants, measures, procedures, and analysis. Participants The participants were comprised of 100 male and females ages 19-25. A convenient random sample of 40 participants came from online surveys while the other 60 were randomly passed out around the University of Tennessee-Knoxville library and Communication Classes. Measures After determining the questions for the survey, a likert-type scale was used to have a uniform guide for the scale used ranging from 1-5 and 1 being Strongly Disagree to 5 being Strongly Agree. The survey questionnaire was comprised of 15 questions centered on the following topics: Facebook, MySpace, and Chatroulette. To ensure that the answers were closed-ended, neutral questions. To measure the amount that each participant spends social networking on the specified sites, Facebook, MySpace, and Chatroulette, questions were tailored around asking the amount of time spent chatting or video chatting. However, to measure the participants uncertainty in an online setting, questions were designed to reveal the amount of information that each participant revealed in each given setting. For a view of the complete survey questionnaire, please refer to Appendix A. Procedure Surveys were sent out online and handed out in person at the Universitys library. The participants were first informed that the survey was completely voluntary and they would in no way be tied to their responses. After agreeing to complete the survey, the participants were given a survey of 17 questions and of the 17, one asked age and the other asked biological sex. The other 15 questions were close-ended, neutral questions to measure the amount of social networking and uncertainty reduction. The 40 participants that were asked in an online setting were asked through a posting on Facebook so their participation in the survey was completely voluntary. The remaining 60 were randomly approached in the University library and asked for their corporation and a few minutes of their time to fill out the survey questions. Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In analyzing the participants answers to the survey questions presented, a likert-type scale was used. In using the likert-type scale, using a scale of 1-5 having 1 be Strongly Disagree, 3 being Neutral, and 5 being Strongly Agree. The survey questions were divided into 3 different categories which pertained to Facebook, MySpace, and Chatroulette. In choosing to separate the survey questions into 3 different categories, I found that I could differentiate between the amount of information that is shared for the 3 types of social networking cites listed. I found that by using the closed-ended questions from a neutral standpoint helped in putting the data into similar groups to find a correlation across the participants responses. Results The goal of the present investigation is to explore the relationship between social networking and uncertainty reduction.The following information reports on the results of the study. The results are based and answered on the research questions. The survey questions were placed into three different categories for evaluation. The three groups are Facebook, MySpace, and Chatroulette. Questions 1-5 report on Facebook and the trust developed in an online setting, 6-10 report on Chatroulette and the amount of information each participant revealed to a stranger only if they did so first, and 12-15 report on MySpace and if they reveal more information to strangers online or face-to-face. The themes and patterns found pertaining to Facebook were as follows: The themes and patterns found pertaining to Chatroulette were as follows: The themes and patterns found pertaining to MySpace were as follows:    Discussion The goal of the present investigation was to explore the relationship between social networking and uncertainty reduction theory. This study posed two research questions regarding social networking and the amount of personal information given to a random stranger to see if there was a direct correlation in the amount of information revealed by the online stranger.   The following information reports on the patterns and themes found in participants responses to close-ended, neutral survey questions. A major theme Participants responses regarding social networking among the three categories given showed ___ variation. Most participants revealed that they Study of Limitations and Future Directions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are several limitations that pertain to this study. The participants were predominately male in a 60/40 ratio. With these results it could be misleading because women typically reveal more information than do guys and having a participant bank of mostly males could affect the findings. Also, I found that in doing my poster presentations as well as handing out survey questions, some people were unfamiliar with Chatroulette and what it does.   However, after explaining the concept, most people were very interested in giving it a try. Another limitation is that all participants were found in the same city. Possibly if participants were gathered from different geographic locations, they would be more familiar with the Chatroulette concept. Also, participants ages ranged from 19-25 where as someone younger may be more technologically advanced or more seasoned in the online advances.    While this study of social networking and uncertainty reduction was only a survey, I feel that if this study were to be replicated, doing an exploratory analysis would help because it is looking at a qualitative perspective. This way by interviewing each participant, you could ask more specific questions if they were unfamiliar with one of the concepts. Appendix A Social Networking and Uncertainty Reduction Theory Survey By receiving this survey, you are participating in a study involving the purpose to better understand peoples behavior in finding information about their views on social networking sites and the amount of information they reveal to online strangers. For the following items please answer with the best of your ability. Do you identify as:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   à ¢- ¡   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Male à ¢- ¡   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Female What year were you born? __________ Directions: Please indicate the answer that best indicates how you feel about Facebook and online strangers. 1.) I typically enjoy meeting new people online.    Strongly Disagree  Ã‚  Ã‚   1   Ã‚  Ã‚  2  Ã‚  Ã‚   3  Ã‚  Ã‚   4   Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strongly Agree 2.) I usually meet new people through Facebook. Strongly Disagree   Ã‚  Ã‚   1   Ã‚  Ã‚  2  Ã‚  Ã‚   3  Ã‚  Ã‚   4   Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strongly Agree 3.) Typically when I meet new people face-to-face, I reveal personal information if they do so first.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strongly Disagree   Ã‚  Ã‚   1   Ã‚  Ã‚  2  Ã‚  Ã‚   3  Ã‚  Ã‚   4   Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strongly Agree 4.) I am skeptical of meeting people in an online setting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Strongly Disagree   Ã‚  Ã‚   1   Ã‚  Ã‚  2  Ã‚  Ã‚   3  Ã‚  Ã‚   4   Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strongly Agree 5.) I almost always trust the information that I receive online from strangers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strongly Disagree   Ã‚  Ã‚   1   Ã‚  Ã‚  2  Ã‚  Ã‚   3  Ã‚  Ã‚   4   Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strongly Agree Directions: Please indicate the answer that best indicates how you feel about Chatroulette and online strangers. 6.) I usually meet new people through Chatroulette.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Strongly Disagree   Ã‚  Ã‚   1   Ã‚  Ã‚  2  Ã‚  Ã‚   3  Ã‚  Ã‚   4   Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strongly Agree 7.) I typically never trust any information given by a stranger online.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Strongly Disagree   Ã‚  Ã‚   1   Ã‚  Ã‚  2  Ã‚  Ã‚   3  Ã‚  Ã‚   4   Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strongly Agree 8.) I typically reveal personal information such as name, age, and biological sex in the initial interaction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Strongly Disagree   Ã‚  Ã‚   1   Ã‚  Ã‚  2  Ã‚  Ã‚   3  Ã‚  Ã‚   4   Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strongly Agree 9.) I typically reveal personal information such as a picture, e-mail address, or a phone number in the initial interaction.   Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Strongly Disagree   Ã‚  Ã‚   1  Ã‚  Ã‚   2   Ã‚  Ã‚  3  Ã‚  Ã‚   4  Ã‚  Ã‚   5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Strongly Agree   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   10.) I prefer to get information from the stranger I meet online before I reveal any information about myself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strongly Disagree   Ã‚  Ã‚   1   Ã‚  Ã‚  2  Ã‚  Ã‚   3  Ã‚  Ã‚   4   Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strongly Agree 11.) I prefer to meet strangers online through video chatting.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Strongly Disagree   Ã‚  Ã‚   1   Ã‚  Ã‚  2  Ã‚  Ã‚   3  Ã‚  Ã‚   4   Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strongly Agree Directions: Please indicate the answer that best identifies how you feel about Myspace and online strangers. 12.) I usually meet new people through MySpace.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Strongly Disagree   Ã‚  Ã‚   1   Ã‚  Ã‚  2  Ã‚  Ã‚   3  Ã‚  Ã‚   4   Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strongly Agree 13.) I almost always question the information I receive from the online stranger.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strongly Disagree   Ã‚  Ã‚   1   Ã‚  Ã‚  2  Ã‚  Ã‚   3  Ã‚  Ã‚   4   Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strongly Agree 14.) I have faith in the information that I receive from the online stranger.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strongly Disagree   Ã‚  Ã‚   1   Ã‚  Ã‚  2  Ã‚  Ã‚   3  Ã‚  Ã‚   4   Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strongly Agree 15.) Typically when I meet new people face-to-face, I reveal personal information.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strongly Disagree   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1   Ã‚  Ã‚  2  Ã‚  Ã‚   3  Ã‚  Ã‚   4   Ã‚  Ã‚  5  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strongly Agree

Colonialism and Imperialism in Heart of Darkness and A Passage to India

It is best to analyze the works, Heart of Darkness and A Passage to India, applying the historical and cultural conditions of the society in which they were produced. The relations between groups and classes of people that imperialism sets up, and that these two works explore, starkly reveals the contradictions within capitalism in a way that a similar piece of fiction set within one culture and dealing with characters from that culture alone cannot. Prior to the analysis however, I would like to give a brief, pertinent explanation of the Marxist approach to the analysis of literature and of the terms I will be using. After years of study and research, Karl Marx published the first volume of his monumental Das Kapital in 1867. In it Marx presents his theory of the materialist conception of history in which the economic base of a society gives rise to and interacts in a dialectical way with the societal superstructure of culture, law, religion and art. Among other things, Das Kapital traces the historical development of industrial capitalism as arising out of feudalism, predicts capitalism's further evolution, and sets forth theories of class structure and class struggle. It also critiques the methods by which industrial capitalism organizes the means of production so that capital and labor are separated and held by distinct and antagonistic groups within the society. This separation overwhelmingly benefits the holders of capital, politically and economically, to the corresponding detriment of those who sell their labor. Though this is by no means an adequate summary of Marx' ideas and contribution s, my aim is to provide this simple theoretical framework within which to focus on more particular elements of Marxist theory. Fo... ...ieve that imperial rule, if inevitable in the short run, was an inglorious enterprise that deformed both those who ruled and those who submitted" (153). I believe that Joseph Conrad and E. M. Forster were two such artists and that the two works in question reflected their growing awareness of imperialism as an "inglorious enterprise" whether this was consciously expressed by the author(s) or not. This study will also attempt to tease out the ways in which each work both supports and subverts the imperial mission and its ideology and I will also speculate to a certain extent as to how these contradictions in the works reflected contradictions in the society in which they were written. Works Cited: Conrad, James. Heart of Darkness and Other Tales. Great Britain, BPC paperbacks ltd. 1990. Forster, E.M. A Passage to India. Neew York: Harcourt Brace, 1984.

Aaliyah: an Angel Back to Heaven

Aaliyah: An Angel Back to Heaven When I was younger, I looked up to my older sister a great deal. Anything that she did, I wanted to do. She was like my hero, or that cartoon character ever child wanted to go up and be like. When my sister and I were growing up, we listened to a lot of music and watched a lot of cartoons, but only because she wanted to. My sister, Christine, had a favorite rapper and singer. Now her rapper choice I thought was great but he wasn’t my favorite. Christine, or sometimes Tine, favorite rapper was Tupac Shakur.Though we did not agree on the same rapper, we did however, agree on our favorite singer together. We both chose an artist by the name of Aaliyah Dana Haughton. The first time I heard her music I fell in love. Aaliyah D. Haughton was born on January 16, 1979 in Brooklyn, New York. She was one of the best recording artist of her time. I loved her voice and her style. She wasn’t the girly type of R&B singer that was mostly seen. She had h er own style and that is one of the things I loved about her. Another thing I loved about her is that her song spoke truth and had real meaning.She didn’t just make a song to try to make a hit. Aaliyah related to the emotions of her fans and connected people with her. Because of this, she was loved by so many different types of people. Though Aaliyah was a beautiful and talented artist, she did not get to have a long life legacy. After shooting her last video, â€Å"Rock the Boat†, in the Bahamas, she got on a plane and left to head back to the U. S. On Augusta 25, 2001, that plane did not make it to the United States. Because they were in a rush to get back home, because they finished the video shoot early, they had to get on a smaller plane with all of their luggage.Instead of landing on an airway back in the states, the plane crashed approximately 200 meters away from where it took off. The plane crashed killed everyone aboard, including my favorite singer Aaliyah. My sister came home and turned on the television. That’s when I saw it. I saw the plane burnt to black ash and people cleaning up the debris. The headline flashed, â€Å" Aaliyah killed in plane crash. † I was so heart broken. I couldn’t believe she was gone. I felt like I lost apart of me. Ever since that day, I never had a favorite singer. I felt like that place was reserved for her.People around the world knew she was special. They said she was just an angel here for a short time. She had to be sent back to heaven. This tragedy made a great impact on my life. It made me realize that even at a young age, commayou could leave this world. I have three older sisters but I only spent time trying to get close to one. That was my sister Christine, who I looked up to the most. After this accident, I started to bond more with my other two sisters. With this I also begin to bond more with my nieces, nephews, parents, and my younger cousins.Though Aaliyah was not a part of my own family, I felt like she was a family member I lost. She did more than entertain with her music. She was a role model for me. I loved her poise, her style, the way she talked, and just even the things she was about. Even though I did not know her personally by meeting her, I felt like I knew a great deal about her from her music and the things I use to read about her. Even though I was only eight years old when Aaliyah died, it impacted my life a great deal. Though I did not get to meet her personally, her death made me realize things at a young age.Of course I knew that everyone was to die, but that would happen when they were real old. It never occurred to me that young people died everyday until her death. Even at a very young age, it made me realize, though it had been preached in church, that everyday is not promised. When I started to bond with my family more, there were less problems and more laughter. I even helped my mother’s and father’s side of the family bond more. This has changed my life greatly, because I have such a great support system now. Though her death was a tragedy, it brought joy into my life and my family.