Speech Coaching Essay Example for Free

Speech Coaching Essay Problem Definition Communication, particularly oral communication is an essential skill, maybe more now than ever. With all of the electronic communication, good oral communication should stand out. Justification for Problem Definition Communication skills simply do not refer to the way in which we communicate with another person. It encompasses many other things the way in which we respond to the person we are speaking, body gestures including the facial ones, pitch and tone of our voice and a lot of other things. And the importance of communication skills is not just limited to the management world, since effective communication skills are now required in each and every aspect of our life. We can measure the importance of communication skills in the business sector when we take a look at job advertisements. There is little chance that you will come across an advertisement which does not mention that candidates should have good communication skills. List of Alternative course of action . Hiring a speech consultant. 2. Onsite communication and speech training. 3. Online or remote communication and speech training. Evaluate Alternatives 1. Conduct in house training sessions. First we have to hire employees with high effective communication skills, with this the amount of investment in the communication training should be minimized, then to conduct a periodic and regular in-house sessions and workshops to develop and enhance their communication skills. . Communication training for all employees. Communication training will help business to grow, essential communication skills training is required to be provided to all employees, but more advanced levels of training should be provided to front liners and executives, as effective communication skills are important for business continuity and growth. The company will invest a lot in this training but most probably will gain the benefits of this investment. 3. Communication training for leaders and front liners. Provide top notch communication skills training for company’s leaders, who are expected to train and mentor their subordinates on how to communicate effectively. Providing this kind of training to front liners will help improving business and grow sales figures. Conclusion Recommendations First and third solutions are recommended to be conducted along with each other’s to help have better communication across the company and with external parties.

Investigating Islamophobia in the Daily Mail

Investigating Islamophobia in the Daily Mail Islamophobia is defined in the dictionary as being: hatred or fear of Muslims or of their politics or culture. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11th and the London 7/7 bombings amongst others, some say islamophobia within the media has increased significantly. This work intends to discuss the coverage of Muslims and the religion of Islam as a whole within the middle market newspaper The Daily Mail and explore whether publications such as the Mail are representing the Muslim race in a negative light. Ones interest in the subject matter involved is one that has derived from what is seen, amongst others, as bad journalism; middle market and tabloid newspapers inaccurately reporting issues concerning races such as Muslims. On a daily basis one can pick up a newspaper these days and spot numerous flaws, incorrect language or overall representation of a religion such as Islam. Also, a personal affliction or view in the area is the way in which Muslim communities within the UK are slowly being isolated and are being criticised collectively for the actions of a small population of the religion. When exploring the relationship between the modern West and the East, one should look upon the concept of Orientalism. Saids (1978) work draws on the concept of us and them: Orientalism is never far from what Denys Hay has called the idea of Europe, a collective notion identifying us Europeans as against all those non-Europeans (Said, 1978: 7). This notion refers to the historical manufacturing of Eastern beings as alien, the Other, by the West. It is the negative portrayal of extremist Islamic images within frameworks such as the Mail that progresses, as Halliday (1996)(remember reference for this!, see notebook [2]) suggests, this myth of confrontation that pardons the West of any need to excuse its enmity towards the East and religions such as Islam. Before this paper looks at effects of the theory of islamophobia, it is worth evaluating the polarity of the term itself. Whilst some could say the branding of the term can draw attention to the issue for positive means, further comprehensive literature on the subject and enquiries commissioned (e.g. 1997 Runnymede Trust, Islamophobia: A Challenge for Us All), there is a flipside. Academics have inferred that this is just another, more refined form of new racism according to many sociologists. Sociologist Professor Gerard Delanty describes the use of the term islamophobia: It is rooted in mainstream hostility to migrant workers and asylum-seekers, and is based to a considerable degree on ethnocentrism and xenophobia à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ on ignorance and fear of the other' (Delanty: Conference, see notebook for full reference[1]). Delanty is saying here that the categorisation of the idiom of islamophobia could be creating a new form of acceptable racism. The UK media industry is said by some to be institutionally racist: This racism is rooted in the countrys imperial past, with feelings of racial superiority and crude nationalism now deeply embedded in the dominant culture. (Keeble, 2009: 175) 2 per cent of the NUJ membership was black, Asian and Arab in the first media-industry wide survey in 1995 by Anthony Delano and John Henningham. Comparing this alongside the national ethnic minority population percentage of 5.26 percent at the time, and it does speak volumes. My research will include a plan to address this view and explore how far or to what extent this reflects an islamophobic nature within newspapers such as The Daily Mail. However, to discuss how deep rooted this patriotism, or national feeling of superiority over other races goes would be discursive from the intended discussion of the titles topic. The role of a national newspaper such as the Mail needs to be highlighted to display the contextualising link between islamophobia and the public. The fact that a familiar newspaper offers a sense of identity and possible security to its regular readers is an important contextualising factor when considering questions of race and ideology. (Ferguson, 1998:175) Considering middle market newspapers such as The Daily Mail and Express along with the tabloids represent more than two thirds of the national daily readership figures (1997 survey: do footnote for this), this is a first base argument for explaining the negative (potential) effect of the press on the masses. A matter to take in to consideration is the recent resignation of Daily Star journalist Richard Peppiatt, on the grounds of the papers islamophobic content. Albeit a personal letter to the Daily Stars proprietor Richard Desmond, the letter highlights a wide range of anti-Islamic features in the everyday characteristics of national newspapers such as the Star and Mail and labels the former as anti-Muslim propaganda. The letter does refer to how closely the content of the Star is to the Mails through criticism of how the newspapers editors build a newspaper from cut-and-paste-jobs off the Daily Mail website. Where he admits to stirring up a bit of light-hearted Islamophobia himself on the basis that this was in his professional duties at the Star, his disapproval of this demonization is prevalent throughout. He refers to a story the paper published concerning the condemnation of taxpayer-funded Muslim-only public toilets: I was personally tasked with writing a gloating follow-up declaring our postmodern victory in blocking the non-existent Islamic cisterns of evil (Peppiatt, 2011). This could just be seen as one individuals personal attack on a proprietor and therefore not have much worth but it does relate to, and support the theory of institutional racism within the British media. For the proposed intentions of this paper, it is worth noting the presence of Muslims within Britain. In the 2001 UK Census the population of Muslims from all ethnic groups within Britain was just short of 1.6 million (insert reference to table of figures in appendices here). The age old argument from many anti-immigration supporters is that the Muslims within Britain do not attempt to immerse themselves within British culture or our way of life, owing to increased tensions between the two cultures. Figures show that nearly half (46.4%) of all British Muslims now living in England were born in the country. It could be said that those Muslims who came to the country as adults (first generation) are grateful for the chance to live in a more open society and therefore more willing to integrate themselves within our culture. The sooner Western societies such as Britain aid this process of integration with the likes of first generation Muslims, the better. As the younger (3rd and 4th) gen eration of Muslims born in England grows, we could see Muslim communities become increasingly ostracised due to young Muslims anger towards the role of the West in Muslim lands and issues such as islamophobia within the media becoming more customary. It is also worth presenting the PCC editorial guidelines with regards to discrimination: The press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to an individuals race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or to any physical or mental illness or disability. The second part of the guideline refers to the details of those minority groups and how one should avoid inclusion (of those details) unless necessary to the story. The way in which newspapers such as the Daily Mail steer their content around these guidelines, in order to include xenophobic views will be explored later in the literature review. As this paper explores the surrounding themes of discrimination and false representation within the media and directs them towards the influence of a certain publication, it is important to draw from relevant history of the Daily Mail. Some would say the newspapers prejudice against religions such as Islam is a product of its deep-set DNA shown via the papers sympathetic views of Nazi Germany during the war period. The first joint proprietor and owner Lord Rothermere was known to be a friend and supporter of both Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler and praised the Nazi regimes accomplishments, which directed the Mails political stance and was consequently used as propaganda by them. Lord Rothermere published quotes such as: the minor misdeeds of individual Nazis would be submerged by the immense benefits the new regimes already bestowing on Germany (Rothermere, 1933), as well as printing headlines such as Hurrah for the Blackshirts (Mail, Jan 1934). The Mail was also sympathetic to Osw ald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists. The support for this group was withdrawn after violence at a BUF rally in Kensington Olympia in 1934, which displays the potential harmful influence of newspapers on the masses. Muslims within Britain have struggled with issues of integration and racism ever since there was an increased focus of attention from the media on the Iranian Revolution of 1979 (Asad 1990, see references in muslim britain book). Television screens across the world showed three million people celebrating on the streets of Tehran when Ayatollah Khomeini, known for his support of hostage takers and his calling for the death of British citizen Salman Rushdie, came out of exile; a disconcerting image for most Westerners. The Salman Rushdie affair in 1989 demonstrated the degree to which the media and British Muslims who protested against the books (The Satanic Verses) publication became emotionally unhinged (Parekh 1992, see same book + ref) over the issue. The book deeply offended Muslims and ignited debate on blasphemy laws and freedom of speech. Other historical events have all played a part in what Huntingtons (1996) thesis describes as a clash of civilisations, these being: The Gulf War (1990-1), the genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1993-6), the Oklahoma bombing (1995), the Taliban in Afghanistan (1997-2002), Grozny and Kosovo (1999), the recent Palestinian Intifada (since September 2000) and the War on Iraq (2003) (Abbas 2005: 14). These events have and the media , some say (Huntington 1996) widened the gulf between East and West, Islam and Christianity and amplified the theory of Orientalism. (maybe do a little on September 11 attacks here) This paper intends to explore and discuss the different factors owing to the islamophobic content displayed in the Mail and how far it is damaging the representation of Muslim communities within Britain. It would be pointless to explain how islamophobic reporting increased or decreased over the past decade or so as it would be plain to see the increases in islamophobic content around the times of terrorist activities. One will analyse contributing factors such as the origins of islamophobia, the identification of islamophobic content, how closely does that content abide by editorial guidelines and the effect on Muslim communities through critical discussion of the topic and data analysis. The reason as to why one thinks this subject is important and would be of interest to others is the increasing multi-cultured population of Britain. As more ethnic minorities such as Muslims continue to live in Britain, increasing tensions towards people of a particular race can only put more strain on an already weak relationship with Muslim communities. The purpose of the paper is to critically evaluate and characterize publications, specifically The Daily Mail and its role in reinforcing or articulating racism, and in damaging ethnic cultural identities. The ways in which these issues are to be addressed and analysed will be explained through my research and its content analysis. Literature review The aim of this chapter is to identify themes relating to the title topic from previous published literature and critically analyse those premises. The intention here is not just to identify those relating themes, but to analyse, criticise, interpret and evaluate those themes in connection with supporting or opposing the underpinning arguments of this paper. Over the past decade or so there is has been an increase in the amount of writing, due to rising concerns from Muslims worldwide, explaining how discourses such as newspapers in Western media are misrepresenting ethnic minorities such as Muslims through presenting a negative image of Islam. My research will however focus on the Daily Mail in particular, portraying negative stereotypes, and the effects those portrayals have, on Muslim communities within Britain. In summary, this chapter will draw from prior literature and examine the complex structures and strategies of news reports and how they affect the interpretations of reade rs. How much does the role of publications such as the Mail play in the reproduction of racial and ethnic inequality in British society. Some of the earliest writing relating to British newspapers such as the Mail portraying Islam as a threat to Western interests comes from Teun van Dijks: Racism and the Press. The issue of immigration within British newspapers is one that allows anti-Muslim voices to be heard, subjectively criticising the rise in the multiculturalism of Britain: The Mail specifically focuses on alleged abuses of British hospitality, and calls for stricter immigration rules. It does not hesitate to publish, with apparent approval, overtly racist statements by right-wing politicians who claim that without further curbs on immigration Britain may become the worlds dustbin. (Van Dijk, 1991: 96) What Van Dijk is inferring is that through government policies concerning issues such as immigration, any right-wing anti-immigration views from politicians or people within the public eye will be published by the Mail with the noticeable support of the paper. Whilst highlighting the political stance and nationalistic nature of the publication, a defence for the paper would revert to free press every time. The earliest and most relevant research in this topic area has also been carried out by Teun Van Dijk. His work in the collection of empirical data surrounding the press and issues of race is a starting point for anybody analysing institutional islamophobic contents effect on British Muslims. Van Dijk started this foundational research in plain content analysis of British newspapers, analysing content such as the repetition of certain words used in headlines in attempt to rouse certain meanings from them. He describes the repetitive use of certain topics of discourse such as black and race and how they are dealt with by the press as semantic macro structures. These global, overall meaning structures of a text consist of a hierarchically arranged set of macro-propositions, which are derived from the meanings (propositions) of the sentences by way of macro-rules. These rules reduce the complex information of the text to its essential gist. (Van Dijk, 1991: 72) Van Dijk is correct in some ways in saying that the prevalence of such vocabulary would suggest that the discursive agenda of newspapers is entrenched in concerns with race. In his book Representing Race, Robert Ferguson agrees there are some uses of Van Dijks research: It would seem from this as though the media are enganged in an endless process of reproducing already existing prejudices and stereotypes. The extensive content analysis which was undertaken by Van Dijk also demonstrated that ethnic minorities and anti-racists are systematically associated with conflict, crime, intolerance and unreliability.' (Ferguson, 1998: 130) The flaws in Van Dijks research are that using empirical data, or strictly content analysis, to develop an understanding of representation can somewhat distort the power of ideology in newspapers text or framing. However, without being blatantly racist, newspapers such as the Mail through concepts of normality can still give strength to negative representations. (Maybe use this paragraph in methods) The detrimental representations of Muslim asylum seekers to Britain, in publications such as the Mail, are highlighted in Arun Kundnanis The End of Tolerance. Phrases such as we have to look after our own people first, a regular idiom in the Mail, gives strength to the inherent belief within Britain that we cannot satisfactorily provide for ourselves, never mind foreigners or them as well. Thanks to the opportunism of media and politicians, asylum seekers and migrants had been made in to potent symbols for the loss of a nation-state that once belonged to its people and afforded them certain privileges as citizens. (Kundnani, 2007: 65) This argument is stating that through newspapers persistence in covering issues of economy and well being, the Mail amongst others, tend to shift the blame of these national problems on to asylum seekers, from communities such as Muslims, for increasing the population and adding to pre-existing problems such as rises in unemployment. The only critique of this concept adding to the misrepresentation and islamophobic nature of the Mail, is that this problem spans over a huge area and is historically embedded within a nations way of thinking. My research aims to uncover the day to day anti-Islamic features of the Mail and expose the problems of intentional or institutional racism that could potentially be fixed. In some ways, previous literature has explained that events such as 9/11 and other Islam related terrorist activities give acceptance to emerging islamophobic voices or views within the media. Chris Allens chapter in Muslim Britain: Communities under pressure, highlights the enabling of publishing extreme right views on terrorists religions without backlash. In the wake of Baroness Thatchers condemnation of Muslim leaders in the Times, insisting that all Muslims as a homogeneous group should share responsibility for the attacks (4 October 2001). The Telegraph days later published an article entitled This War Is not about Terror, Its about Islam (7 October 2001). This article sought not only to praise Baroness Thatchers stance, but also confirm that Western fears were justified because some three-quarters of the worlds migrants in the last decade are said to have been Muslims (these) escapees, victims, scapegoats, malefactors and sleepers are awaiting their moment. (Allen, 2005: 61) Jonathan Birts chapter in Muslims in Britain also agrees with this post 9/11 islamophobic reaction from the press without simply analysing the textual content of a newspaper: After 9/11, the more prejudicial media comment portrayed British Muslim communities, and especially their young men, as a dangerous and unpatriotic fifth column, which were sympathetic to anti-West resistance and, indeed, the use of violent terror. Mass communications today shape and order these Islamophobic moral panics and the reactive defence to them. (Birt, 2009: 217) Here, we can see Birt is agreeing that post terrorist activities, the media is allowed to give a free press voice to racist views and opinions without fear of backlash from media regulators. The defect in analysing the islamophobic nature of publications such as the Mail surrounding terrorist actions is that it is to be expected. There is bound to be a bad press reaction to national identities and religious viewpoints, how far the negative portrayal of those identities goes without trepidation of media regulators punishment, is an issue that needs to be addressed. The British Journalism Review (March 2006) argues that the same harmful representation of Muslims within the media is the same for other terrorist groups such as the IRA. One can see similarities between views of Catholics from Ulster in the 1980s and Muslims today, that religious affiliations trumped all other affiliations: In Britain and the United States the popular line was that if you were a Catholic, you probably supported the IRA. Today, if you are a Muslim, the popular line is that you are probably anti-western or fundamentalist. This is not to say that journalism was and is responsible for these views, but rather that de-contextualised coverage did and does little to throw cold water on old stereotypes. The closest literature relating to the topic title comes from Elizabeth Pooles Reporting Islam: Media Representations of British Muslims. The book analyses the current situation regarding the image of Muslims by tracking the development of this form of new racism from earlier works. Poole says that the theme of immigration as a problem has now transferred to Muslims (van Dijk 1991), due to, as Lueg (1995) says a population explosion in the Middle East. British Muslims and their homogeny to other Muslims become the feared fifth column within (Runnymede Trust 1997). This combined with the discussion of numbers of people invading the country depicts aspirations of taking over the world, not seeking asylum. The combination of the hostile threat and movement of Islam promotes the idea that it needs to be managed in a way that allows varied prejudicial practices to continue (Poole, 2002: 47). What Poole is saying is that a plain dislike of the notion of Islam cannot be seen as the central feature of hostility towards Muslims. Attitudes to Muslims derive from a mixture of xenophobia and racism whereby newspapers such as the Mail can discuss or mainly criticise some of the practices of Islam without being seen to be unashamedly prejudice towards Muslims. Another adjoining piece of literature that many academics have drawn from when discussing this topic, is Edward Saids Covering Islam: How the media and the experts determine how we see the rest of the world (1981). Said argues that the siege of the American embassy in Iran in 1981 and its media coverage initiated an increased attention and portrayal of Islam with danger, militancy and anti-Western sentiment. The text examines the genesis and ramifications of the medias monolithic images of Islam and reveals the twisting of fact that underlies objective coverage of the Islamic world. Said says the application of a Western ideological framework or an ethnocentric way of seeing (Dahlgren and Chakrapani 1982: 45) has meant we see a domesticated Islamic world or those aspects considered to be newsworthy (Said 1981: 27). This has created a dichotomy between the West and Islam whereby the West is seen as judicious, civilized, developed and superior, and Islam as abnormal, undeveloped and in ferior. There are a small number of published journals that closely share the intentions of this paper. Diane Frosts Islamophobia: examining casual links between the media and race hate from below (2007) analyses the media reporting on recent and ongoing terrorist attacks in Britain and the effect on Muslim communities. The paper discusses islamophobic tendencies within British tabloids and their connections with government policies and violence that concerns religion. Whilst it highlights the medias promotion of moral panics such as problems of asylum and race, it is saying British tabloids breed on these moral panics, going further than the threat that is actually presented. Thus, the media have represented Muslims as a collective problem who threaten the very fabric of British society as supporters of al-Qaida and potential suicide bombers. They are the folk devils of the twenty first century (Diane Frost 2008 find out how to reference journal). It is worth noting that there are strong links between increased anti-terror legislation and other government measures and the way in which publications such as the Mail criminalise Muslim communities when reporting on such measures and legislation. This type of research will be considered in the methods section of the paper. Ian Hargreaves writes a piece in the New Statesman that demonstrates the negative coverage of immigration from the Mail in relation to fuelling racist attitudes. He says: It is not that I view with cynicism the Daily Mails efforts to achieve balance in its reporting of racial issues. Rather, I think the paper is misguided in discounting the encouragement its asylum coverage gives to racist sentiments (Hargreaves 2000). Reverting back to the theory that newspapers such as the Daily Mail have colonial instincts and an anti-foreigner viewpoint established within its DNA, Hargreaves is trying to say that these publications are not intending to be racist; they simply believe the types of stories concerning Islam being published are due to the public-interest factor. Christopher Allens journal discusses the dangerousness of the concept of Islamophobia in analytical relation with the findings of the Runnymede Trust Report (1997). The reports findings concluded that Islam is inherently seen as other to the West, reinforcing the them and us dualism. Taking this in to consideration, Allen says we should not be surprised to see such headlines as The Daily Mails offering, Fanatics with a death wish: I was born in Britain but I am a Muslim first. Here the Mail is merely reiterating those beliefs that are lodged at the heart of Islamophobia (Allen 2008: 4). The intention of this chapter was to identify underpinning theories, themes and issues published in previous literature in order for readers to understand the intentions of the research and findings that will be developed in the methods and data analysis. Methods and methodology This chapter will discuss the research that this paper will be carrying out, the reasons for using those methods and what results are to be expected. The most appropriate methods will be discussed along with their advantages and limitations, with ethical considerations ensured so that the data is collected in an ethical way. Previous research philosophy approaches to the medias role in the reproduction of racism are mainly content analytical; quantitative studies picking out the use of stereotypical words, phrases or images used when representing ethnic minorities (see, for example, Van Dijk 1991, 1997). This discourse analytical method systematically describes different structures and tactics of text in relation to a social or political framework. The method enables for the identification of focus on certain topics in a semantic analysis form as well as allowing examination of the overall organisation of news reports. Essentially this means discourse may thus be studied as the crucial interface between the social and cognitive dimensions of racism (Cottle 2000). So, publications such as the Mail as a discourse in the social practice of racism can be seen as a main source for peoples racist views/beliefs. According to Berger (1998: 23) content analysts assume that behavioural patterns, values and attitud es found in this material reflect and affect the behaviour, attitudes and values of the people who create the material. The advantages and reason as to why this paper will be adopting a similar style of research is there is no technology or major funds necessary and it has been known to lead to fundamental changes in the practices of an institution, profession and society as a whole. Another method of research that will be employed is that of conducting surveys to gauge the attitudes and opinions of Daily Mail readers on the subject of Islamic and Muslim issues. This will be cross referenced with readers of other newspapers to see if there is differing attitudes toward issues concerning Muslims, and of the role of The Daily Mail in these perceptions from people who read different newspapers. This intends to highlight the negative effect a newspaper has on readers views of a religion such as Islam and the race of Muslim. One could condemn this research method data saying the views of readers are only the views of the reader and not the publication, how far those views are affected by the discourse would be research that is virtually impossible, or not possible within the means of this author. (Explain the inductive approach to research with reference here) For the content analysis of the Daily Mails inciting of racial hatred, the content that will be analysed will be the amount of articles within a time period of 6 months the issue of Islam and Muslims is reported on in a negative manner. Albeit a personal opinion, a list of examples of this negative portrayal type of article is provided in the appendices. These are articles presenting Muslims and the religion of Islam as a problem and their difficulties with conflicting issues within British society. The research will compare the amount of times within a 6 month period these types of articles concerning Islam are presented in the Mail against how many times an article concerning the neo-Nazi anti-Muslim group The English Defence League (EDL) is shown. This will hope to demonstrate a correlation between increased amounts of Islamic coverage at a certain time with articles on/activities of the EDL. With regards to the questionnaires that will be collected, the scope and design need to be established. The scope or amount of participants that the research intends to gather are as follows; 150 readers of The Daily Mail and double that amount, 300 of readers of all other newspapers. As the research method employed to gather this amount of data means standing outside a busy newsagents (W H Smiths in Lime Street Station, Liverpool) and asking people who have bought newspapers to answer a short survey, to attempt to gather any more than that provided would be take a considerable amount of time and effort. As people are normally quite reluctant to take part in surveys due to time constraints the survey will not ask for some of the standard demographic information such as age; gender; nationality; ethnicity; religion etc. The questionnaire will ask what newspaper the participant reads, usually a quick and easy question to answer when the people who I will be asking have just recently bo ught a newspaper from the newsagents and will realise this is what my questionnaire is concerning. The questions will then be presented by me reading the statement and asking their opinion on that statement from a spectrum of answers, these being: strongly agree; agree; neutral; disagree and strongly disagree. This method does not force a yes or no answer that some participants may be reluctant to give considering the invasive nature of the questions. At the same time it could be considered to be avoiding leading questions. Where the participant may realise the questions are intended to produce certain types of generalisations so they would answer accordingly for the purposes of the research, they have some form of choice in which to express their opinions. These two forms of quantitative and qualitative research are used in order to arrive at a degree of triangulation when forming the findings and conclusions of the data collected. The two types of research methods that this paper will be employing will be that of content analysis within a theoretical framework and surveys conducted. The aim is to achieve a form of triangulation in which to infer meanings from when analysing and evaluating the collected data. Data, analysis and discussion Conclusion

The Electromagnetic Waves And Spectrum

The Electromagnetic Waves And Spectrum The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. The electromagnetic spectrum of an object is the characteristic distribution of electromagnetic radiation emitted or absorbed by that particular object. The electromagnetic spectrum is a continuum of all electromagnetic waves arranged according to frequency and wavelength. The electromagnetic spectrum extends from low frequencies used for modern radio to gamma radiation at the short-wavelength end, covering wavelengths from thousands of kilometres down to a fraction of the size of an atom. The long wavelength limit is the size of the universe itself, while it is thought that the short wavelength limit is in the vicinity of the Planck length, although in principle the spectrum is infinite and continuous. The sun, earth, and other bodies radiate electromagnetic energy of varying wavelengths. Electromagnetic energy passes through space at the speed of light in the form of sinusoidal waves. The wavelength is the distance from wave crest to wave crest (see figure below). Light is a particular type of electromagnetic radiation that can be seen and sensed by the human eye, but this energy exists at a wide range of wavelengths. The micron is the basic unit for measuring the wavelength of electromagnetic waves. The spectrum of waves is divided into sections based on wavelength. The shortest waves are gamma rays, which have wavelengths of 10e-6 microns or less. The longest waves are radio waves, which have wavelengths of many kilometres. The range of visible consists of the narrow portion of the spectrum, from 0.4 microns (blue) to 0.7 microns (red). RANGE OF THE SPECTRUM EM waves are typically described by any of the following three physical properties: the frequency f, wavelength ÃŽÂ », or photon energy E. Frequencies range from 2.4ÃÆ'-1023 Hz (1 GeV gamma rays) down to the local plasma frequency of the ionized interstellar medium (~1kHz). Wavelength is inversely proportional to the wave frequency, so gamma rays have very short wavelengths that are fractions of the size of atoms, whereas wavelengths can be as long as the universe. Photon energy is directly proportional to the wave frequency, so gamma rays have the highest energy (around a billion electron volts) and radio waves have very low energy (around femto electron volts). These relations are illustrated by the following equations: Where: c = 299,792,458 m/s is the speed of light in vacuum and h = 6.62606896(33) ÃÆ'-10à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢34 J s = 4.13566733(10) ÃÆ'-10à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢15 eV s is Plancks constant. Whenever electromagnetic waves exist in a medium with matter, their wavelength is decreased. Wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, no matter what medium they are travelling through, are usually quoted in terms of the vacuum wavelength, although this is not always explicitly stated. Generally, EM radiation is classified by wavelength into radio wave, microwave, infrared, the visible region we perceive as light, ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays. The behaviour of EM radiation depends on its wavelength. When EM radiation interacts with single atoms and molecules, its behaviour also depends on the amount of energy per quantum (photon) it carries. Spectroscopy can detect a much wider region of the EM spectrum than the visible range of 400 nm to 700 nm. A common laboratory spectroscope can detect wavelengths from 2 nm to 2500 nm. Detailed information about the physical properties of objects, gases, or even stars can be obtained from this type of device. Spectroscopes are widely used in astrophysics. For example, many hydrogen atoms emit a radio wave photon which has a wavelength of 21.12 cm. Also, frequencies of 30 Hz and below can be produced by and are important in the study of certain stellar nebulae and frequencies as high as 2.9ÃÆ'-1027 Hz have been detected from astrophysical sources. - The Spectrum of Electromagnetic Waves While the classification scheme is generally accurate, in reality there is often some overlap between neighbouring types of electromagnetic energy. For example, SLF radio waves at 60 Hz may be received and studied by astronomers, or may be ducted along wires as electric power, although the latter is, strictly speaking, not electromagnetic radiation at all (see near and far field) The distinction between X and gamma rays is based on sources: gamma rays are the photons generated from nuclear decay or other nuclear and sub nuclear/particle process, whereas X-rays are generated by electronic transitions involving highly energetic inner atomic electrons. Generally, nuclear transitions are much more energetic than electronic transitions, so usually, gamma-rays are more energetic than X-rays, but exceptions exist. By analogy to electronic transitions, muonic atom transitions are also said to produce X-rays, even though their energy may exceed 6 mega electron volts (0.96 pJ), whereas there a re many (77 known to be less than 10 keV (1.6 fJ)) low-energy nuclear transitions (e.g. the 7.6 eV (1.22 aJ) nuclear transition of thorium-229), and despite being one million-fold less energetic than some muonic X-rays, the emitted photons are still called gamma rays due to their nuclear origin. Also, the region of the spectrum of the particular electromagnetic radiation is reference-frame dependent (on account of the Doppler shift for light) so EM radiation which one observer would say is in one region of the spectrum could appear to an observer moving at a substantial fraction of the speed of light with respect to the first to be in another part of the spectrum. For example, consider the cosmic microwave background. It was produced, when matter and radiation decoupled, by the de-excitation of hydrogen atoms to the ground state. These photons were from Lyman series transitions, putting them in the ultraviolet (UV) part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Now this radiation has undergone enough cosmological red shift to put it into the microwave region of the spectrum for observers moving slowly (compared to the speed of light) with respect to the cosmos. However, for particles moving near the speed of light, this radiation will be blue-shifted in their rest frame. The highest energy cosmic ray protons are moving such that, in their rest frame, this radiation is blueshifted to high energy gamma rays which interact with the proton to produce bound quark-antiquark pairs (pions). This is the source of the GZK limit Radio Waves: whose wavelength range from more than 104 m to about 0.1m, are the results of charges accelerating through conducting wires. They are generated by such electronic devices as LC oscillators and are used in radio and television communication systems. Radio waves generally are utilized by antennas of appropriate size (according to the principle of resonance), with wavelengths ranging from hundreds of meters to about one millimetre. They are used for transmission of data, via modulation. Television, mobile phones, wireless networking and amateur radio all use radio waves. The use of the radio spectrum is regulated by many governments through frequency allocation. Radio waves can be made to carry information by varying a combination of the amplitude, frequency and phase of the wave within a frequency band. When EM radiation impinges upon a conductor, it couples to the conductor, travels along it, and induces an electric current on the surface of that conductor by exciting the electrons of the conducting material. This effect (the skin effect) is used in antennas. EM radiation may also cause certain molecules to absorb energy and thus to heat up, causing thermal effects and sometimes burns. This is exploited in microwave ovens. Microwaves: The super high frequency (SHF) and extremely high frequency (EHF) of microwaves come next up the frequency scale. Microwaves are waves which are typically short enough to employ tubular metal waveguides of reasonable diameter. They have wavelengths ranging from approximately 0.3m to 10-4 m and are also generated by electronic devices. Because of their short wave lengths, they are well suited for radar system and for studying atomic and molecular properties of matter. Microwave ovens are an interesting domestic application of these waves. It has been suggested that the solar energy could be harnessed by beaming microwaves to the earth from a solar collector in space. Microwave energy is produced with klystron and magnetron tubes, and with solid state diodes such as Gunn and IMPATT devices. Microwaves are absorbed by molecules that have a dipole moment in liquids. In a microwave oven, this effect is used to heat food. Low-intensity microwave radiation is used in Wi-Fi, although this is at intensity levels unable to cause thermal heating. Volumetric heating, as used by microwaves, transfer energy through the material electromagnetically, not as a thermal heat flux. The benefit of this is a more uniform heating and reduced heating time; microwaves can heat material in less than 1% of the time of conventional heating methods. When active, the average microwave oven is powerful enough to cause interference at close range with poorly shielded electromagnetic fields such as those found in mobile medical devices and cheap consumer electronics. Infrared Waves: have wavelengths ranging from approximately 10-3m to the longest wavelength of visible light, 710-7m. These waves, produced by molecules and room temperature objects, are readily absorbed by most materials. The infrared energy absorbed by a substance appears as internal energy because the energy agitates objects atoms, increasing their vibrational or translational motion, which results in a temperature increase. Infrared radiation has practical and scientific applications in many areas, including physical therapy, IR photography and vibrational spectroscopy. The infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum covers the range from roughly 300 GHz (1 mm) to 400 THz (750 nm). It can be divided into three parts: Far-infrared, from 300 GHz (1 mm) to 30 THz (10 ÃŽÂ ¼m). The lower part of this range may also be called microwaves. This radiation is typically absorbed by so-called rotational modes in gas-phase molecules, by molecular motions in liquids, and by phonons in solids. The water in the Earths atmosphere absorbs so strongly in this range that it renders the atmosphere effectively opaque. However, there are certain wavelength ranges (windows) within the opaque range which allow partial transmission, and can be used for astronomy. The wavelength range from approximately 200 ÃŽÂ ¼m up to a few mm is often referred to as sub-millimetre in astronomy, reserving far infrared for wavelengths below 200 ÃŽÂ ¼m. Mid-infrared, from 30 to 120 THz (10 to 2.5 ÃŽÂ ¼m). Hot objects (black-body radiators) can radiate strongly in this range. It is absorbed by molecular vibrations, where the different atoms in a molecule vibrate around their equilibrium positions. This range is sometimes called the fingerprint region since the mid-infrared absorption spectrum of a compound is very specific for that compound. Near-infrared, from 120 to 400 THz (2,500 to 750 nm). Physical processes that are relevant for this range are similar to those for visible light. Visible light: It is the most familiar form of electromagnetic spectrum the human eye can detect. Light is produced by the rearrangement of electrons in atoms and molecules. The various wavelengths of visible light, which correspond to different colours, range from red (ÃŽÂ »=710-7) to violet (ÃŽÂ »=410-7). The sensitivity of the human eye is a function of wavelength, being a maximum of 5.510-7m. This is the range in which the sun and stars similar to it emit most of their radiation. It is probably not a coincidence that the human eye is sensitive to the wavelengths that the sun emits most strongly. Visible light (and near-infrared light) is typically absorbed and emitted by electrons in molecules and atoms that move from one energy level to another. The light we see with our eyes is really a very small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. A rainbow shows the optical (visible) part of the electromagnetic spectrum; infrared (if you could see it) would be located just beyond the red side of the rainbow with ultraviolet appearing just beyond the violet end. Electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength between 380 nm and 760 nm (790-400 terahertz) is detected by the human eye and perceived as visible light. Other wavelengths, especially near infrared (longer than 760 nm) and ultraviolet (shorter than 380 nm) are also sometimes referred to as light, especially when the visibility to humans is not relevant. If radiation having a frequency in the visible region of the EM spectrum reflects off an object, say, a bowl of fruit, and then strikes our eyes, this results in our visual perception of the scene. Our brains visual system processes the multitude of reflected frequencies into different shades and hues, and through this not-entirely-understood psychophysical phenomenon, most people perceive a bowl of fruit. At most wavelengths, however, the information carried by electromagnetic radiation is not directly detected by human senses. Natural sources produce EM radiation across the spectrum, and our technology can also manipulate a broad range of wavelengths. Optical fiber transmits light which, although not suitable for direct viewing, can carry data that can be translated into sound or an image. The coding used in such data is similar to that used with radio waves. Ultraviolet light: These cover wavelengths ranging from approximately 410-7 to 610-10m. The sun is an important source of ultraviolet (UV) light, which is the main cause of sun burn. Sunscreen lotions are transparent to visible light but absorb most of the ultraviolet light. The higher a sunscreens solar protection factor, or SPF, the greater the percentage of UV light absorbed. Ultraviolet rays have also been implicated in the formation of cataracts, a clouding of lens inside the eye. Most of the UV light from the sun is absorbed by ozone (O3) molecules in the earths upper atmosphere, in a layer called the stratosphere. This ozone shield converts lethal high energy UV energy into IR radiation, which in turn warms the stratosphere. Next in frequency comes ultraviolet (UV). This is radiation whose wavelength is shorter than the violet end of the visible spectrum, and longer than that of an X-ray. Being very energetic, UV can break chemical bonds, making molecules unusually reactive or ionizing them (see photoelectric effect), in general changing their mutual behaviour. Sunburn, for example, is caused by the disruptive effects of UV radiation on skin cells, which is the main cause of skin cancer, if the radiation irreparably damages the complex DNA molecules in the cells (UV radiation is a proven mutagen). The Sun emits a large amount of UV radiation, which could quickly turn Earth into a barren desert. However, most of it is absorbed by the atmospheres ozone layer before reaching the surface. X-rays: They have wavelengths in the range from approximately 10-8m to 10-12m. The most common source of x-rays is the stopping of high-energy electrons upon bombarding a metal target. X-rays are used as a diagnostic tool in medicine (a process known as radiography) and as a treatment for certain forms of cancer as well as for high-energy physics and astronomy.. Because x-rays can damage or destroy living tissues and organisms, care must be taken to avoid unnecessary exposure or over exposure. X-rays are also used in the study of crystal structure because x-ray wavelengths are comparable to the atomic separation distances in solids (about 0.1nm). Hard X-rays have shorter wavelengths than soft X-rays., Neutron stars and accretion disks around black holes emit X-rays, which enable us to study them. X-rays are given off by stars and are strongly emitted by some types of nebulae. Gamma rays: After hard X-rays comes gamma rays, which were discovered by Paul Villard in 1900, these are the most energetic photons, having no defined lower limit to their wavelength. They are electromagnetic waves emitted by radioactive nuclei (such as 60Co and 137Cs) and during certain nuclear reactions. High-energy gamma rays are a component of cosmic rays that enter the earths atmosphere from space. They have wavelength ranging from approximately 10-10m to less than 10-14m. Gamma rays are highly penetrating and produce serious damage when absorbed by living tissues. Consequently those working near such dangerous radiation must be protected with heavily absorbing material such as thick layers of lead. They are useful to astronomers in the study of high energy objects or regions, and find a use with physicists thanks to their penetrative ability and their production from radioisotopes. Gamma rays are also used for the irradiation of food and seed for sterilization, and in medicine they are used in radiation cancer therapy and some kinds of diagnostic imaging such as PET scans. The wavelength of gamma rays can be measured with high accuracy by means of Compton scattering. Note: There are no precisely defined boundaries between the bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. Radiations of some types have a mixture of the properties of those in two regions of the spectrum. For example, red light resembles infrared radiation in that it can resonate some chemical bonds. Application Areas of Electromagnetic Waves Electromagnetic Waves in the modern world have led to evolvement of many advanced communication systems some of them are radio, television, radars, etc. We would now focus on how these electromagnetic waves which carry energy and momentum are used in various applications round the globe. TELEMETRY Telemetry is the process of making measurements from a remote location and transmitting those measurements to receiving equipment. The earliest telemetry systems, developed in the United States during the 1880s, monitored the distribution and use of electricity in a given region, and relayed this information back to power companies using telephone lines. By the end of World War I, electric companies used the power lines themselves as information relays, and though such electrical telemetry systems remain in use in some sectors, most modern telemetry systems apply radio signals. An example of a modern telemetry application is the use of an input device called a transducer to measure information concerning an astronauts vital signs (heartbeat, blood pressure, body temperature, and so on) during a manned space flight. The transducer takes this information and converts it into an electrical impulse, which is then beamed to the space monitoring station on Earth. Because this signal carries information, it must be modulated, but there is little danger of interference with broadcast transmissions on Earth. Typically, signals from spacecraft are sent in a range above 10 10 Hz, far above the frequencies of most microwave transmissions for commercial purposes. RADAR Radio waves can be used to send communication signals, or even to cook food; they can also be used to find and measure things. One of the most obvious applications in this regard is radar, an acronym for RAdio Detection And Ranging. Radio makes it possible for pilots to see through clouds, rain, fog, and all manner of natural phenomena-not least of which is darkness. It can also identify objects, both natural and manmade, thus enabling a peacetime pilot to avoid hitting another craft or the side of a mountain. On the other hand, radar may help a pilot in wartime to detect the presence of an enemy. Nor is radar used only in the skies, or for military purposes, such as guiding missiles: on the ground, it is used to detect the speeds of objects such as automobiles on an interstate highway, as well as to track storms. In the simplest model of radar operation, the unit sends out microwaves toward the target, and the waves bounce back off the target to the unit. Though the speed of light is reduced somewhat, due to the fact that waves are travelling through air rather than through a vacuum, it is, nonetheless, possible to account for this difference. Hence, the distance to the target can be calculated using the simple formula d = vt, where d is distance, v is velocity, and t is time. Typically, a radar system includes the following: a frequency generator and a unit for controlling the timing of signals; a transmitter and, as with broadcast radio, a modulator; a duplexer, which switches back and forth between transmission and reception mode; an antenna; a receiver, which detects and amplifies the signals bounced back to the antenna; signal and data processing units; and data display units. In a monostatic unit-one in which the transmitter and receiver are in the same location-the unit has to be continually switched between sending and receiving modes. Clearly, a bistatic unit-one in which the transmitter and receiver antennas are at different locations-is generally preferable; but on an airplane, for instance, there is no choice but to use a monostatic unit. In order to determine the range to a target-whether that target be a mountain, an enemy aircraft, or a storm-the target itself must first be detected. This can be challenging, because only a small portion of the transmitted pulse comes back to the receiving antenna. At the same time, the antenna receives reflections from a number of other objects, and it can be difficult to determine which signal comes from the target. For an aircraft in a wartime situation, these problems are compounded by the use of enemy countermeasures such as radar jamming. Still another difficulty facing a military flyer is the fact that the use of radar itself-that is the transmission of microwaves-makes the aircraft detectable to opposing forces. MICROWAVE OVENS The same microwaves that transmit FM and television signals-to name only the most obviously applications of microwave for communication-can also be harnessed to cook food. The microwave oven, introduced commercially in 1955, was an outgrowth of military technology developed a decade before. During World War II, the Raytheon Manufacturing Company had experimented with a magnetron, a device for generating extremely short-wavelength radio signals as a means of improving the efficiency of military radar. While working with a magnetron, a technician named Percy Spencer was surprised to discover that a candy bar in his pocket had melted, even though he had not felt any heat. This led him to considering the possibilities of applying the magnetron to peacetime uses, and a decade later, Raytheons radar range hit the market. Those early microwave ovens had none of varied power settings to which modern users of the microwave-found today in two-thirds of all American homes-are accustomed. In the first microwaves, the only settings were on and off, because there were only two possible adjustments: either the magnetron would produce, or not produce, microwaves. Today, it is possible to use a microwave for almost anything that involves the heating of food that contains water-from defrosting a steak to popping popcorn. As noted much earlier, in the general discussion of electromagnetic radiation, there are three basic types of heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation. Without going into too much detail here, conduction generally involves heat transfer between molecules in a solid; convection takes place in a fluid (a gas such as air or a liquid such as water); and radiation, of course, requires no medium. A conventional oven cooks through convection, though conduction also carries heat from the outer layers of a solid (for example, a turkey) to the interior. A microwave, on the other hand, uses radiation to heat the outer layers of the food; then conduction, as with a conventional oven, does the rest. The difference is that the microwave heats only the food-or, more specifically, the water, which then transfers heat throughout the item being heated-and not the dish or plate. Thus, many materials, as long as they do not contain water, can be placed in a microwave oven without being melted or burned. Metal, though it contains no water, is unsafe because the microwaves bounce off the metal surfaces, creating a microwave buildup that can produce sparks and damage the oven. In a microwave oven, microwaves emitted by a small antenna are directed into the cooking compartment, and as they enter, they pass a set of turning metal fan blades. This is the stirrer, which disperses the microwaves uniformly over the surface of the food to be heated. As a microwave strikes a water molecule, resonance causes the molecule to align with the direction of the wave. An oscillating magnetron causes the microwaves to oscillate as well, and this, in turn, compels the water molecules to do the same. Thus, the water molecules are shifting in position several million times a second, and this vibration generates energy that heats the water. RADIO COMMUNICATION Among the most familiar parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, in modern life at least, is radio. In most schematic representations of the spectrum, radio waves are shown either at the left end or the bottom, as an indication of the fact that these are the electromagnetic waves with the lowest frequencies, the longest wavelengths, and the smallest levels of photon energy. Included in this broad sub-spectrum, with frequencies up to about 10 7 Hertz are long-wave radio, short-wave radio, and microwaves. The areas of communication affected are many: broadcast radio, television, mobile phones, radar-and even highly specific forms of technology such as baby monitors. Though the work of Maxwell and Hertz was foundational to the harnessing of radio waves for human use, the practical use of radio had its beginnings with Marconi. During the 1890s, he made the first radio transmissions, and, by the end of the century, he had succeeded in transmitting telegraph messages across the Atlantic Ocean-a feat which earned him the Nobel Prize for physics in 1909. Marconis spark transmitters could send only coded messages, and due to the broad, long-wave length signals used, only a few stations could broadcast at the same time. The development of the electron tube in the early years of the twentieth century, however, made it possible to transmit narrower signals on stable frequencies. This, in turn, enabled the development of technology for sending speech and music over the airwaves. THE DEVELOPMENT OF AM AND FM. A radio signal is simply a carrier: the process of adding information-that is, complex sounds such as those of speech or music-is called modulation. The first type of modulation developed was AM, or amplitude modulation, which Canadian-American physicist Reginald Aubrey Fessenden (1866-1932) demonstrated with the first United States radio broadcast in 1906. Amplitude modulation varies the instantaneous amplitude of the radio wave, a function of the radio stations power, as a means of transmitting information. By the end of World War I, radio had emerged as a popular mode of communication: for the first time in history, entire nations could hear the same sounds at the same time. During the 1930s, radio became increasingly important, both for entertainment and information. Families in the era of the Great Depression would gather around large cathedral radios-so named for their size and shape-to hear comedy programs, soap operas, news programs, and speeches by important public figures such as President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Throughout this era-indeed, for more than a half-century from the end of the first World War to the height of the Vietnam Conflict in the mid-1960s-AM held a dominant position in radio. This remained the case despite a number of limitations inherent in amplitude modulation: AM broadcasts flickered with popping noises from lightning, for instance, and cars with AM radios tended to lose their signal when going under a bridge. Yet, another mode of radio transmission was developed in the 1930s, thanks to American inventor and electrical engineer Edwin H. Armstrong (1890-1954). This was FM, or frequency modulation, which varied the radio signals frequency rather than its amplitude. Not only did FM offer a different type of modulation; it was on an entirely different frequency range. Whereas AM is an example of a long-wave radio transmission, FM is on the microwave sector of the electromagnetic spectrum, along with television and radar. Due to its high frequency and form of modulation, FM offered a clean sound as compared with AM. The addition of FM stereo broadcasts in the 1950s offered still further improvements; yet despite the advantages of FM, audiences were slow to change, and FM did not become popular until the mid-to late 1960s. SIGNAL PROPAGATION AM signals have much longer wavelengths, and smaller frequencies, than do FM signals, and this, in turn, affects the means by which AM signals are propagated. There are, of course, much longer radio wavelengths; hence, AM signals are described as intermediate in wavelength. These intermediate-wavelength signals reflect off highly charged layers in the ionosphere between 25 and 200 mi (40-332 km) above Earths surface. Short-wave-length signals, such as those of FM, on the other hand, follow a straight-line path. As a result, AM broadcasts extend much farther than FM, particularly at night. At a low level in the ionosphere is the D layer, created by the Sun when it is high in the sky. The D layer absorbs medium-wavelength signals during the day, and for this reason, AM signals do not travel far during daytime hours. After the Sun goes down, however, the D layer soon fades, and this makes it possible for AM signals to reflect off a much higher layer of the ionosphere known as the F layer. (This is also sometimes known as the Heaviside layer, or the Kennelly-Heaviside layer, after English physicist Oliver Heaviside and British-American electrical engineer Arthur Edwin Kennelly, who independently discovered the ionosphere in 1902.) AM signals bounce off the F layer as though it were a mirror, making it possible for a listener at night to pick up a signal from halfway across the country. The Sun has other effects on long-wave and intermediate-wave radio transmissions. Sunspots, or dark areas that appear on the Sun in cycles of about 11 years, can result in a heavier buildup of the ionosphere than normal, thus impeding radio-signal propagation. In addition, occasional bombardment of Earth by charged particles from the Sun can also disrupt transmissions. Due to the high frequencies of FM signals, these do not reflect off the ionosphere; instead, they are received as direct waves. For this reason, an FM station has a fairly short broadcast range, and this varies little with regard to day or night. The limited range of FM stations as compared to AM means that there is much less interference on the FM dial than for AM. In the United States and most other countries, one cannot simply broadcast at will; the airwaves are regulated, and, in America, the governing authority is the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC, established in 1934, was an outgrowth of the Federal Radio Commission, founded by Congress seven years earlier. The FCC actually sells air, charging companies a fee to gain rights to a certain frequency. Those companies may in turn sell that air to ot

The Black Death Essay -- essays research papers

The Black Death   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Considered one of the worst natural disasters in world history, the Black Death came through Europe in 1347 A.D. It ravaged cities and town, causing a death to the masses, and no one was considered safe. The Plague is any epidemic scourge or calamity for which remedies are difficult to find, and according to the encyclopedia, plague is a common term for a disease of rodents that occasionally cause severe human infection. Named for the black spots that appeared on the victims’ skin, the original disease originated from Oriental Rat Fleas and black rats. It first infected Mongol armies and traders in Asia, and then began moving west with them as they traveled. There was no natural immunity to the disease, and standards of public health and personal hygiene were nearly nonexistent. It is believed that if people had not fled to nearby cities in hopes of escaping the plague, it might not have ever spread like it did. In the end, it passed through Italy, France, England, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Finland, and even up to the island of Greenland. City dwellers were hit the hardest due to the fact of crowded streets and the lack of sanitation. Up until the mid-15th century, recurrent epidemics prevented the recovery of Europe’s population to pre-plague levels. The Black Death was an important turning point for the history of Europe. This time was â€Å"the beginning of the end of the medieval period and the start of a social transformation of the continent.† The social and economic impacts of the plague were so huge, economics, politics and the European society would never be the same again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The plague took on three different forms, each with its own unique way of killing. The most common, bubonic, was considered the mildest form, with a mortality rate of thirty to seventy-five percent. A person with this would be seen with enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, arm and groin regions, with headaches, nausea, body aches, and a high fever. The pneumonic plague was the second most commonly seen form of the Black Death. Only five percent of its victim’s survived, infecting the lungs, causing a person to cough and vomit blood. The least common form, but most deadly, with a one hundred percent death rate was the septicemic plague. Even today, if a person were to come up with this form of the... ...omes fell, resulting in the piles of accounts which survived the period of the Black Death. Many villages and hamlets were deserted and never inhabited again. Feudalism seemed to end with the coming of the Black Death, and many believe the two are directly related. Feudalism is known as the system of service in return for a grant of land, burdening the peasant with many obligations to his lord. The payments involved in feudalism were to be paid upon entering any land holdings, marriage, death, or any other occasions by which the individual lord and peasant agree. The plague seemed to speed up this process by dramatically reducing the number of peasants, and communication accelerated the matter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Landlords tried their best to keep a cap on the rising wages and changing social ambitions of the peasants, but there was too much chaos in the system at the time. Lords and peasants were both looking for the highest wages they could possibly take. Because of this, no matter who you were before the plague hit Europe, anyone who survived the plague, additional wealth from the rise in wages and accumulated holdings of land hold by plague victims was in store.

My Memories :: essays research papers

These are some of my memories that I can remember clearly. Some are from a very long time ago and some are quite resent. I have three, some parts of them are bad memories and other parts are that good that I’ll never forget them. One of my earliest memories was when I was about 3 or 4 and lived in a small house in Warrington. It was a hot sunny day and I was out in the garden playing football with my friend Joe. My Mum, and Joe's Mum, were both in the house having dinner together because they had not seen each other for a while. Me and Joe were both seeing who could do the most kick-ups. When it was my turn, I kicked the ball too far and it landed in next doors garden. I walked over to have a look if I could see it. As I was walking over I could see some thing in the bush, I then realized it was an action figure. So I ran to get it, but before I got there, Joe had already beaten me to it. I tried to snatch of him but he kept hold tight, like a dog with a bone. We were fighting and arguing over it for about 2 or 3 minutes. Then all of a sudden he let go and I went flying through the air. I then ended up landing on the concrete out side the back door and smacking my head on the floor. The pain rushed to my head and I started to feel dizzy. It felt like some one had put my head in a vice and tightened it slowly. There was no blood but there was a huge bruise on the back of my head. I started to scream as loud as I could and both of our parents came rushing out of the back door to see what was going on. The brui se lasted for a week or so and I didn’t talk to Joe for a month or so. Another one of my memories was when I was around 10 years old. My Dad had a friend who was doing up an old motor bike out of scrap parts. At the time all I wanted was a motor bike, and I begged my Dan to buy it of his friend. My Dad asked his friend if he would sell the motor bike after he had got it working.

Marketing Analysis of Blizzard Entertainment Essay

Blizzard Entertainment ® is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software. After establishing the Blizzard label in 1994, the company quickly became one of the most popular and well-respected makers of computer games. By focusing on creating well-designed, highly enjoyable entertainment experiences, Blizzard has maintained an unparalleled reputation for quality since its inception. Blizzard’s track record of back-to-back number one selling games spans more than a decade, and with blockbuster hits such as World of Warcraft ®, Warcraft ® III: Reign of Chaosâ„ ¢, Diablo ® II, and StarCraft ®, the company has earned several consecutive Game of the Year awards. In addition, Blizzard’s online-game service, Battle.net ®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active users. The high-quality products based on Blizzard’s games have also proven popular and garnered much critical acclaim. These products include action figures, novels, manga, board games, pen-and-paper role-playing games, apparel, and the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game, which is a bestseller in its category. Extending the reach of its game universes even further, Blizzard is currently at work with Legendary Pictures, the studio behind the feature films Batman Begins, Superman Returns, and 300, on a live-action Warcraft movie. The reason that the Blizzard became so successful on making games is that the company interacts with the customers. Firstly, all the staff of Blizzard are the game lovers, they know what is hot, and what the customers want to play and see. This will help the company knows the target market better, also give a direction for gaming development. For example, in the early 90s, when the real-time strategy games came out, Blizzard launched their Warcraft I, and quickly became popular. After the success of Warcraft I, the company launched Diablo I during the 1998 to 2000, this created the new generation of the third person role-play games, which has copied by other companies in the last ten years. Secondly, after the Blizzard’s big success of the Diablo and Warcraft, the company still wanted innovating its products and services through analyzing gamers’ information, the survey questions were posted on its homepage and other big software media, such as computer gaming world, PC gamer and computer life. They were hearing from the Diablo and Warcraft fans for their thoughts of developing new games, and what they want the next games to be. Then the glory days of Blizzard has came—— the Starcraft had launched in late 1998, and became the best real-time strategy game in the 19th century, because the game was perfectly balanced for the 3 species battle in the galaxy. Blizzard could not achieve this without analyzing what the customers want and the data which collected from the gamers. Thirdly, Blizzard is a computer games maker and also providing online gaming servers for the players, such as World of Warcraft and Starcraft. The objective of relationship is more like the cross-selling, once the games are launched by the company; they are going to the market through the dealers such as: Best Buy, Future Shop and also through online shopping, directly from the Blizzard company homepage. Furthermore, Blizzard develops and publishes its own games, then provides them into the market, so they save a lot of avoid selling its games through a publisher like EA Games. Finally, the Blizzard has achieved its success by connecting with the customers; both analyze the data from customers and hire professional gamers giving ideas for the future development. It became more and more important for the company’s marketing in the nowadays.

Report consisting of local, regional and national teams in football Essay

My local, regional and national football team is Tranmere Rovers FC; they currently have 26 members of their first team, which is managed by Ronnie Moore. They play in the Coca-Cola Football League One, which is basically the 2nd division excluding the premiership. In 1999, the sports market was valued at around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½4.17 billion, an increase of 4.9 per cent on the 1998 value. This means that football on its own makes nearly a quarter of the sports market now. The most successful avenue has been in the form of replica clothing and football shirts. This particular commercialisation of sports increases revenue for teams and is one of the major sources of income. A perfect example of this would be when Real Madrid bought David Beckham from Manchester United for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½20 million plus. This was a very high transfer price but Real Madrid were very clever because they knew that they would earn millions of pounds from replica kits bought because they had Beckham playing for them. Most premiership clubs now have superstores attached to their grounds where supporters can buy merchandise. Clubs can also expand their retail business to other countries, the top teams in the world have stores in Asia where football is very popular, even more so when they have Asian players in their team. Ji Sung Park who plays for Manchester United would have made them millions of pound in revenue from fans in Asia buying replica kits. Football over the past decade has become more and more about money. Teams who earn promotion to the Premiership can expect to earn up to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½30 million through TV revenue and sponsors. The top teams who compete in continental competitions such as the Champions league can expect to earn as much as à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½20 million more. The lower leagues do not have the luxury of this amount of money but they do receive TV revenue, but this is split between the leagues and is much lower than the à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½30 million expected from premiership teams. Because Tranmere Rovers are a professional side, they can sell their replica shirts in the retail sector. These are priced at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½39.99 for the home kit and à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½39.99 for the away kit and provide a considerable amount of revenue. Ticket sales are also another form of income that football clubs rely on, many of the top teams can earn as much as à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 million per game dependent on the size of their ground. Main Stand Adults à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½18 Young Persons (17-22) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½13 Seniors (60+) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10 Juniors à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5 Paddock / Johnny King Stand Adults à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½16 Young Persons (17-22) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½11 Seniors à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½8 Juniors à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5 Kop Stand Adults à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15 Young Persons (17-22) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½8 Seniors à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½8 Juniors à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5 In 2006 Tranmere average attendance was 7,211 in league one. Their estimated gate receipts for a home game would therefore be à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½129,798. In league 1 they play 23 home games so an estimated à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2,985,354 a season is made from gate receipts. For the Financial year ending 30 June 2006 the club operated at a pre-tax profit of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½397,662. Advertising is another important financial investment that Tranmere Rovers use to increase revenue. The advertisement that is available around the ground is as follows; Perimeter board – à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1,500 per season Half page adverts in match day programs – à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1,000 per season Full page adverts in match day programs – à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2,000 per season Player sponsors – à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½300 Webpage advertisement – à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½300 per month (à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3,600) per year Match day sponsor – à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1200 for 16 guests Match ball sponsor – à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½160 Tranmere can expect to make an estimated à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12,760 from advertising each year through each individual offer. Sponsorship is a very important factor in the overall turnover in most professional football teams and Tranmere is no different. Tranmere rovers employ many individuals to help with the daily running of the club, organising events, finance, sponsorship, and many other duties to help with the squad. The club is run by these individuals; Chairman – Lorraine Rogers Chief Executive – Mick Horton Finance Director – Richard Hughes Associate Director – Tony Adams Associate Director – Norman Wilson President – Peter Johnson They employ a further 24 people that work behind the scenes at the club as well as the reserve team and youth team. Local Rugby The local rugby team I will discuss is Widnes Vikings, they currently have 29 first team players who are manages by Steve McCormack, they have 30 first team members in their squad In comparison to football, there is a lot less money involved in rugby league. But teams such as Widnes Vikings can still make money through advertising and merchandise. They compete in the National league 1 which is a division below the Super league. When they were relegated from the super league in 2005 they decided to remain a professional side rather than switch to amateur, this resulted in the club being in debt because they failed to achieve promotion to the super league. On 29 January 1999 Halton Borough Council took over responsibility for the entire Stadium, both financially and managerially. This was necessary as the joint venture companies arrangements were not performing as expected. This plunged the club into even more debt. Halton stadium can now hold 13,350; Widnes Vikings only have an average attendance of only 6,500. This is much lower than other clubs in the league and one of the main reasons could be the ticket prices. A season ticket can be up to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½224.00 A normal match day ticket can be à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½16 This is much higher than other clubs in the league and this could explain the low attendances. Merchandising is also a major part of the Vikings revenue. They sell replica kits in many sport shops, these shirts cost up to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½20-à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½30. Another avenue for revenue is advertising and TV revenue. Sky sports 1 regularly show live Widnes Viking’s games during the season. The money from TV revenue is a much needed source of income for rugby league sides. The main people who run the club and deal with the business are as follows: Chief Executive: Peter Barrow Operations Manager: Patrick Cluskey Head Coach: Steve McCormack Assistant Coach: Andy Haigh Under 21’s Coach: John Stankevitch Under 18’s Coach: Dave Banks Strength & Conditioning: Andy Haigh Player Performance Manager: John Foran Community Manager: Martin Davidson Community Development Officer: Rob Calland Bibliography www.widnesvikings.co.uk www.tranmererovers.premiumtv.co.uk www.wikipedia.co.uk Task B There are 3 different sectors that I will look at and how the organisation of sport is dictated. Voluntary Sector The voluntary sector is the largest sector for participation for sport in Britain. Most amateur clubs, like Sunday league football clubs are run on a voluntary basis and some voluntary clubs own their own facilities, but most of the amateur clubs hire out to train in. The facilities that these clubs hire out are usually hired from the public sector and this gives the voluntary clubs the chance to play sport. The voluntary sector is also linked to the private sector because they can have sponsorship from the private sector. The voluntary sector is funded by the members of there own club, for example in a football team you have to pay a signing on fee, pay for training facilities and pay match fee’s which usually covers the cost of team kit and the fee for the referee. Clubs can also apply for money grants from 4 different sources, which are the national lottery, national governing bodies, government and local authorities. Public sector The public sector is split up into 2 different governments which are central government and local government and each of these have many different jobs to do for sport. Local government invests à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.1 billion a year on British sport and focuses on providing equitable access to sport and recreation facilities and different opportunities for the public. Central government in funded by taxes, VAT and it also receives money from the national lottery. Its role in sport is to develop policies, passes laws, funds sports councils, which are UK sports council and then one sports council each for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Central government also distributes lottery money which then can be divided out to many plans, such as providing grants and to local governments. Central government has a different number of departments that are responsible for sport and they are the department for culture, media and sport (UK), the Northern Ireland of education and Welsh and Scottish offices. Private sector The main aim of the private sector is to provide a service for its customers and members while at the same time making a profit for the company. Individuals invest their own money in facilities. There are only 2 reasons why the private sector provides sports facilities and they are to make a profit off sport and to make a profit on their own investment. The areas private sectors are involved in-active sport (tennis, fitness suites), spectator sports (stadiums for football) and sponsorship. The private sectors, such as football clubs may run football camps involving the public sector to set it up with them, or football clubs might invite voluntary clubs to their training facilities and show them round the stadium. Money in football has increased dramatically since the introduction of the FA Premier league in 1992. The main reason for this is the TV revenue the teams earn by their games being aired live on TV, usually on Sky sports on Setanta sports. This is illustrated by the figures shown by Deloitte, club revenues of over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.4 billion in 2005-06 while is 2007/2008 it is expected to be above à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.8 billion. With the new three year deal Sky will pay à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.314 billion for 92 games and Setanta à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½392 million for 46 games. Foreign TV rights will produce à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½625 million in revenue whilst Internet and Mobile Phone revenue will be à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½400 million. The top club in Premiership will receive à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½50m (including prize money as well as TV revenue) compared to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½30.4 million with the current deal. The new deals will, by a significant margin, provide the Premier League with the second richest set of television contracts negotiated by any sports league in the world. This is a lot of money for a business that started out in public schools in the late 80’s, and there are a lot of drawbacks for the fans because of the media and the sponsorship deals such as: Rule changing Because the game is watched by millions of fans all around the world, on certain channels that have paid millions of pounds to be able to show, they can have the influence to change the rules. In 1994 the golden goal was introduced, this meant that if the game went into extra-time, the first team to score a ‘golden goal’ would therefore win the game. It was introduced to the game to stimulate offensive tactics and flair by teams and effectively reduce the number of penalty shoot-outs.