Autism is a common health problem in children. Achieving early diagnosis is still a challenge leading to delayed treatment. Many scholars have tried to establish clinical manifestations of the disorder to help in the making of early diagnoses. Rozenkrantz et al. (2015) conducted a research study that explored the link between this disease and olfaction in young children, which can assist clinicians to make early diagnoses. The findings of this study that is published in the Current Biology show that conducting a sniff test alone can detect not only the presence but also the severity of autism in young children.
Summary of the Journal Article
The study aimed at exploring the association between olfaction and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Researchers recruited eligible children who had no acute respiratory infections or organic smell disturbances that could interfere with the sense of smell. The control and ASD groups had 18 participants each; 17 of the participants were boys (Rozenkrantz et al., 2015). Apart from gender, other factors were controlled including parental education and age. Before recruiting the participants, the study sought approval from the Israeli National Helsinki Committees and the Assaf Harofe Medical Center, which was granted (Rozenkrantz et al., 2015). When seating in front of computer monitors to view cartoons, children were exposed to both unpleasant and pleasant odors. The pleasantness was rated on a six-point visual analog scale (VAS) with a sad and happy face meaning unpleasant and pleasant respectively. Butyric acid and rotten fish were unpleasant odorants while the pleasant ones were phenyl ethyl alcohol and herbal essence.
The results indicated the presence of a link between olfaction and ASD. Children in the control group had an adult sniff response within 305 microseconds after the onset of the odor while those in the ASD group had altered responses because they sniffed equally regardless of the odor valence (Rosencrantz et al., 2015). Sniff response variations were consistent irrespective of the perception of smell leading to 81% correct ASD classification using the sniff response alone (Rosencrantz et al., 2015). Furthermore, it was found that ASD severity was coupled with increasingly aberrant sniffing but not motor impairments. These findings reveal that the sniff test can reveal both the presence and severity of ASD in young children. The researchers, therefore, concluded that the findings unearthed an ASD marker that denotes the link between the disease and olfaction, which directly links impairment of internal action models and impaired social abilities.
Importance of the Topic
The link between autism and ASD can impact professional practice in a positive manner. However, the general population can misuse this information. Health professionals can utilize the research to enhance the process of diagnosing the disease in young children who cannot speak because the test requires only facial expressions and a sense of smell. Such a thing can add value to the treatment of the disorder. However, the general population can use this information to label all children with altered sniff responses as ASD cases even without considering variables like respiratory infections. Rozenkrantz et al. (2015) excluded children who had smell disturbances or acute respiratory infections because they could alter normal sniffing responses. Such a thing means that people can even label non-ASD children as individuals with the disorder. This labeling can attract negative attitudes to both ASD and non-ASD children who display sniff response abnormalities.
Conclusion
The link between ASD and olfaction can be used in diagnosing young children with autism. Normally, young children have a typical adult-type sniff response to different types of odors. However, children with ASD do not distinguish between pleasant and unpleasant odors. Clinicians can utilize this information in making diagnoses of the disorder to enhance early treatment. However, the acquisition of the same information by the public can have adverse consequences.
Reference
Rozenkrantz, L., Zachor, D., Heller, I., Plotkin, A., Weissbrod, A., Snitz, K.,&, Sobel, N. (2015). A mechanistic link between olfaction and autism spectrum disorder. Current Biology, 25(14), 1904-1910.
After I conducted online research to find an interesting resource related to the topic of intimate relationships, I decided to focus on the phenomenon of abusive relationships. Therefore, I chose a scholarly article by Murray et al., entitled Turning Points: Critical Incidents Prompting Survivors to Begin the Process of Terminating Abusive Relationships (228). It is a peer-reviewed article published in The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families. Thus, the resource could be considered credible, reliable, and valuable. The article can be accessed online through its DOI:10.1177/1066480715573705.
Brief Overview of the Resource
The article under discussion is dedicated to the topic of abusive relationships. In particular, the authors strive to understand which factors influence the persons decision to leave such relationships. It is proposed by Murray et al. that one of the most critical yet insufficiently investigated factors are turning points, which are experienced by the victims of abusive relationships (228). The authors define the turning point as the transitional event, or a situation that significantly changes the paths of the individuals life (Murray et al. 228). A profound literature review is conducted in the study and the identification of 6 principal types of turning points, which are retrieved in the process of qualitative research among 123 respondents.
The Rationale for Choosing the Resource
Further, it is essential to discuss the rationale behind choosing this particular resource for the assignment. Primarily, the reasoning for my choice can be formulated as follows: the problem of abusive relationships, being considerably widespread in contemporary society, is often paid insufficient attention. Moreover, it is possible to state that victims of such relationships are often stigmatized by their family members, relatives, counselors, and society at large.
Therefore, it is interesting for me to investigate an academic resource on this topic. The chosen area of concern directly relates to my educational trajectory since the problem of abusive relationships is within the scope of social studies. Also, it should be stated that people often underestimate the possibility of engaging in abusive relationships, and thus it is crucial to extend the knowledge about this issue.
The Impact of the Resource on Positive Changes
I should note that I am not engaged in any abusive relationships now, and thus the necessity to leave an abusive partner is not substantive for me. However, through the investigation of the article, I found out that it is vital to change the attitude toward the victims and survivors of such relationships. I acquired a more profound understanding of the dynamics of abusive relationships and the reasons why people tend to stay in such relationships. Thus, my attitude was positively changed.
Building Successful and Healthy Relationship
It is also essential to mention that the information retrieved from this article could also be used to build successful and healthy relationships. As it was already suggested, people often underestimate the probability of engaging in such relations. Moreover, abuse is not always manifested in the form of physical violence, but mental and psychological pressure is also its distinct forms. Therefore, the understanding of how abusive relationships are formed and developed makes it possible to avoid abusive people as well as engaging in abusive relations.
Work Cited
Murray, Christine E., Allison Crowe, and Paulina Flasch. Turning Points: Critical Incidents Prompting Survivors to Begin the Process of Terminating Abusive Relationships. The Family Journal, vol. 23, no. 3, 2015, pp. 228-238.
The ideas introduced by Ryan and Jetha (2012) go against the conventional perspectives on human sexuality. First of all, the authors suggest that people are non-monogamous. While marriage is traditionally regarded as the fundamental condition of male-female relationships and the nuclear family as the core unit of the society, some features, such as sexual dimorphism, extra-pair copulation, and so on, indicate the contrary. Another important tendency derives from the denial of the importance of the marriage institution. It is shared parenthood which implies that all members of the community participate in raising others children and treat them as their own. The given behavioral tendency is largely associated with the early, pre-agricultural people and shows that the unselfish attitude to sex is natural for people. Ryan and Jetha (2010) consider that with the advancement of the social structure, humans started to oppress their natural instincts in order to preserve the current convenient patterns in the distribution of resources and privileges (and sex, in particular).
It is possible to say that the predilections discussed by the authors should be acknowledged because it seems that the conventional views on human sexuality contribute to social inequality of genders and sometimes may cause unnecessary distress in individuals. In the Western tradition, marriage is always synonymous with sexual exclusivity. Moreover, partners usually have intentions to stay together for a long time, if not forever. The deviation from the given model, e.g., cheating on the mate with another person, or legal separation of spouses, etc., is frequently criticized, especially in case the woman is the one who does not adhere to the prescribed behavioral norms. By acknowledging the natural sexual instincts and trying not to oppress them that much, society may gain a chance to become more wholesome, eradicate unfair social practices and double standards.
Bodily Pleasure and Interpersonal Violence
According to James Prescott, the presence of bodily pleasure in the persons life may interfere with the development of propensity to violence in him or her (Ryan & Jetha, 2010). The researcher claims that positive body experiences are especially important during the early, formative period of life because, at the given developmental stage, the psychological and behavioral patterns are formed in individuals. Depending on the degree of exposure to violence or pleasant sensory experiences, the person develops either violence-seeking or pleasure-seeking behaviors. In this way, it is true to say that deprivation of bodily pleasure leads to an increased propensity to violence.
Violence is an intentional expression of aggression, damage, or injury to individuals. In some cases, aggression may serve as a natural mechanism of self-protection. However, when the aggressive and violent state of mind becomes a norm of living, one may rather call it a pathological condition. Multiple research findings suggest that the deprivation of bodily pleasures and sex may lead to hypertrophy of the natural instincts to the degree when a person cannot control his or her own behavior and, as a result, becomes violent to others. Thus, the practices associated with sexual deprivation in society may be correlated with the overall rates of crime, interpersonal conflicts, and even organized warfare.
The evidence summarized in the book reveals that in primates whose sexual activity is frequent, the level of aggression is significantly low (Ryan & Jetha, 2010). Moreover, since they are not exposed to intense stress, they do not participate in intragroup conflicts as often as the primates are associated with low sexual activity. The given observation applies to humans as well. For instance, in armies, men are deprived of female company, and it may be one of the methods to direct their natural instincts into violent forms of behavior.
Based on the provided arguments, it is possible to conclude that society should change the current oppressing attitudes to sexuality and educate young individuals on the risks of deprivation of bodily pleasure. Only if a favorable and supportive informational and social environment will be created, the violence related to sexual oppression and abuse may be reduced.
Reference
Ryan, C., & Jetha, C. (2012). Sex at dawn: How we mate, why we stray, and what it means for modern relationships. New York: Harper Perennial.
Environmental factors have varying effect on every individual family. In this paper, the researcher has developed an Ecomap and Genogram to help identify the relationship between Mr. Smiths family and the environment. The relationship between the family and environmental forces is defined based on energy flow and strength. The aim is to help identify areas where improvements may be necessary to improve the relationship. The improvement will help promote a positive environment for the family.
From the two diagrams developed above, it is clear that this family consists of a husband, wife, and two children. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are late thirties and both are gainfully employed. Their eight year old daughter is healthy, but their five year old son is sick. He is suffering from sickle cell anemia. His condition has forced the parents to look for ways of ensuring that their child is always safe both at school and at home. Based on the interview, Mrs. Smith has made arrangements to come from work early in the evening when the son is leaving school to take care of him.
The two parents have a strong relationship with family members, their employers, friends, and the social worker who has been monitoring the condition of their child. They have received immense support from the three groups since their child was diagnosed with the disease two years ago. Family members have been visiting the family regularly to monitor the condition of the child and give them moral and financial support for the childs medication. The family friends have also been doing the same. This has encouraged the family and convinced them that their child may come out a winner in the battle against this acute disease (Wright, 2013). The employer, especially Mrs. Jane Smiths boss, has been very understanding. She allowed Mrs. Smith to change her schedule at work to allow her to leave early to attend to her child. The social worker provides professional support to the family about the childs condition and how to take care of him.
The relationship between the family and their church is weak. This is so because they minister at their church once told them that the condition of their child was a direct punishment from God for their lack of support to churchs projects. The two parents have a tense relationship with the school because they feel the relevant teachers are not giving their child the special care he deserves. This tension has caused additional stressors to the parents besides having to deal with the fact that their child is suffering from a life-threatening disease (Kaakinen, Coehio, Steele, Tabacco, & Hanson, 2015).
To change the negative forces of environment, the family will need to face the stressors with the aim of improving them. The first step may be to change their place of worship. The minister seems to be interested in financial benefits he can get from the family. They should seek spiritual nourishment elsewhere. The parents should also visit the school and address their issue to the management. They should explain to them reasons why they feel their child needs special care. In this case, nursing intervention should focus on eliminating stressors directly resulting from the condition of the child (Craft-Rosenberg & Pehler, 2011).
References
Craft-Rosenberg, M., & Pehler, S. (2011). Encyclopedia of Family Health. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 51(2), 195.
Kaakinen, J., Coehio, D, Steele, R., Tabacco, A., & Hanson, S. M. (2015). Family health care nursing: Theory, practice, and research. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.
A good relationship is based on love, trust, respect, honesty, and all the virtues that human beings need to co-exist. For instance, when people respect each other then great relationships are formed since respect builds a strong foundation in any relationship. If these virtues are not honored, then this becomes the beginning of ruining a good relationship. Conventional minds have always limited their interpretation of the word relationship and love to romantic relationships only. However, this perspective is only one among the many types of relationships that exist. In this paper we examine relationships of all aspects bringing together mutual friends, intimate relationships, or even between family members. All of these relationships are based on the aforementioned virtues whose absence ruins a relationship. Another aspect or perspective that is possible but not covered in this paper is negative relationships that are based on complete opposites of these virtues. Such a relationship is common among enemies.
It is through communication that relationships are formed; therefore this communication should be used appropriately to sustain the formed relationships. Human beings communicate using language and it is through language that relationships are sustained or ruined. Good relationships are ruined if the involved parties do not use the appropriate language. This reflects the virtues that are needed to co-exist. For instance, if one respects someone, he/she will use the correct language to communicate. Lack of proper communication technique results in fights and break up. Inappropriate language includes using remarks that are hurtful to the other person. Again communication is crucial in any relationship, as it is through it that strong bonds are formed. Therefore the appropriate language should be used; if not then this becomes one way of ruining a good relationship. For instance, negative comments will ruin a good relationship. Negative comments bring negative feelings in the. Healthy language should be used in the relationship as this will help to develop healthy feelings, compliments, encouragement, support should be given to avoid the downfall of relationships. This clearly shows that if communication is poor in any relationship, then this is the very first step in ruining a good relationship. Not only is communication should be healthy, but also constant. Marriage and relationship counselors have always quoted the absence o communication as the major factor contributing to partners falling out. Lack of communication can be facilitated by distance where partners are far away from each other. If in the process of remaining away from each other they do not update one another of their well-being or the general situation of affairs on ones end, then trouble starts brewing.
Another way in which one can ruin a good relationship is by being ungrateful. Everyone wants to be appreciated and if this is not done, then the bond existing between partners in a relationship is threatened. Every person should feel loved and cared for and this is only possible if people learn to appreciate each other and the little things that make them special and unique. For instance, when people in a relationship concentrate on the negative qualities of their partners, they tend not to notice the good qualities and be grateful. To have a good relationship people should give attention to the good qualities of their partners. But if one wants to ruin a good relationship then they should not be grateful. We take a situation where one concentrates on the things that nag them about their partner, and then they will have nothing positive to say about them. In return, one will concentrate on the undesirable qualities of the partner and this will result in less love, appreciation, kindness and will result in a bad relationship. So if one wants to ruin a good relationship, they should be ungrateful to their partners. This is because it is human nature to feel loved, wanted, appreciated, and special. Children are the best example we have who pinpoint the necessity of appreciation and being grateful for their achievements. In doing so, we dispel the fear of loneliness and lack of self-worth. Any relationship with this kind of quality cannot be a good relationship and therefore cannot last for long.
Another way of ruining a good relationship is by treating your partner as an unequal partner. In any healthy relationship, each partner should be treated equally and should be able to contribute equally in any decision-making. This refers to the virtues mentioned earlier, that is each partner should be treated as a worthy entity. For one to ruin a good relationship, he/she should stop treating the partner as an equal partner and start making decisions without consulting the other partner. This situation will result in feelings of being treated as an inferior partner in the relationship. A healthy relationship involves the parties involved discussing every situation that affects their lives. So if one wants to ruin a good relationship, then he/she should start making decisions without consulting the other person. This kind of situation will ruin a good relationship because one person will feel less important. And therefore if one feels less important, he/she will feel less loved, cared for, wanted, respected, and special. These feelings cannot sustain a relationship let alone a good relationship.
As stated earlier a lot is required to sustain a good relation and a good relationship can be ruined by very minor things which are quite important in any relationship. For instance, being grateful helps in building a good relationship. If people are ungrateful, then they cannot co-exist, this is because we all have weaknesses, no one is perfect, so if people concentrate on the imperfections, then great relationships are ruined. People should learn to appreciate the relations that they have and learn to live with their weaknesses. Good relationships are ruined by people living with the virtues that are required of human beings. If these virtues are not honored then good relationships are ruined.
Relationships between a doctor and a patient have a great impact on the healing process and well-being of a patient. A set of pre-established rules and expectations directs the course of doctor-patient interactions. There may be some overlap in these interactions with those involving friends and family, but one factor, in particular, differentiates helping relationships from social relationships.
A helping relationship is established for the benefit of the healed, whereas kinship and friendship relationships are designed to meet mutual needs. In particular, the doctor-patient relationship is established to help the patient achieve and maintain optimal health. A successful helping relationship between doctor and -patient represents a different order of interaction than that which occurs in a friendship. This is not because of any superiority in the doctor but because of the mutual trust and the responsibilities for assisting others that characterize true professional relationships. It is possible to talk of the narrative structure of biomedical experienced of healing which stipulates the way of treatment and control it.
The outcome of the doctor-patient interaction depends on the doctors ability to engage the patient in decision-making and share the control and power in the relationship. Doctors build their communication skills by studying and practicing techniques, trial-and-error, observing role models, experience, and gaining comfort with the use of their own intuition. Patients are satisfied when their health care needs have been met and the sense that they have been cared for.
Doctors feel a sense of accomplishment when their interventions have had a positive influence on their patients health status and when their conduct has been competent and caring. Doctor-patient relationships may be a mutual learning experience, but in general, the goals of therapeutic relationships are directed toward the growth of clients. Each party wants to maintain a sense of personal competency and control. Doctors may gently and indirectly encourage the patients participation in problem-solving, whereas a direct order in such a situation would be considered impolite and inappropriate.
A complicated balance between considerations of facework and politeness and the necessity for client involvement point to the need for further research to supplement successful intuitive strategies that are difficult to teach. Doctors understand the importance of tact in engaging the patients participation. Patients who have a clear understanding of their health problems, as well as what they and their nurses can do about them, will expend less energy worrying and more energy doing something constructive. Validation invites the collaboration that is essential for successful patient change.
The trust developed from working together is likely to increase the accuracy and validity of the database, enriching the foundation for the rest of the healing process. Doctors and patients both know something about health and illness in general and about the individual patients health concerns in particular. Patients have definite notions about what has made them ill and what might improve their health; in turn, nurses have their own views, based on their knowledge and beliefs about what will help their patients. Doctors can help reverse this apathy and listlessness by encouraging patients to be partners in their own health care.
This means appreciating the worth of patients and calling on their strengths. Doctors need to be informed about the differences in the choice of providers and services covered by managed care providers to assist clients in the selection and in proper procedures for reimbursement.
In sum, communication and interaction between doctors and patients have a crucial impact on the healing process and perception of illness and health issues. Since doctors spend more time with patients, it is particularly important that doctors realize that both communication and culture are inextricably connected to health care. Besides having different ideas, doctors and patients also have preferred ways of observing their worlds and making decisions about what they see.
References
Fadiman, A. (1998). The Sprit Catches you and you Fall Down: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 1 edition.
Alfredo James Al Pacino, widely known by his stardom name Al Pacino , is a prominent Hollywood actor, known for his villain roles in numerous outstanding films such as The Godfather, The Devils Advocate, The Recruit, Oceans Thirteen, and many more. Al Pacino is the symbol of the entire epoch, introducing new values to modern people, and promoting them in a very charismatic way. In the following paper, his relationship to social values will be discussed.
The historical moment, during which Al Pacino is famous, is rather prolonged. His success time came, beginning from his roles in The Godfather sequel. One of the most historically remarkable films in his career was Cruising (1980) (Fig. 1). In this film, Al Pacino stars as Steve Burns, a policeman who is ordained to find a vicious killer, cruelly murdering homosexual men.
Figure 1
Viewers have different opinions about his personages real attitude to homosexuality, but it can be said for certain that this role by Al Pacino is very significant in attracting wide publics attention to the issue of homosexual behavior.
In his broad filmography, Al Pacino represents a variety of social norms and ideals. If to return to Cruising movie, it is necessary to state that in it, the actor promotes social values and standards that tend to oppose homosexuality rather than support it. For example, he is shown as the man in love and sexual relations with a woman. In addition, certain hints from the movie plot suggest that he is the very killer, who murders homosexual men because of their sexual orientation. His role caused a vigorous response in the written press and song industry. Mostly, famous people promoted ideas, rejecting homosexuality as the reason for serious diseases extensions such as AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, and a kind of corrupting the nation.
Although there are no significant ideological conflicts, embodied by Al Pacino in his films, a few of them can be still found. For example, in The Recruit (2003), the actor seems to defend Russian ideology in the secret activity of his character. During this period, the other actors address similar ideas in their personages. The other ideological conflict is often seen in Al Pacinos roles in such movies as The Godfather, The Devils Advocate, and Oceans Thirteen. The essence of this conflict is in promoting criminal values and money acquiring against moral values such as loyalty, friendship, honesty, and trustfulness. Al Pacinos villain roles in those movies present a row of serious moral and ethical issues to the audience. Of course, he is not the only actor, addressing this moral conflict in ones work. Among such actors are also Robert De Niro, Andy Garcia, Vincent Cassel, and many more.
In conclusion, it should be stated that Al Pacinos relationship to social norms can be seen in different films as an ambiguous matter. Particularly, films such as Cruising represent him as the promoter of traditional values such as love between men and women. The other films, where he plays villains, show him as a corrupted man, trapped by criminality, passion for money, and fame.
Bibliography
Barnard, Timothy. Hollywood. In American Masculinities: A Historical Encyclopedia, edited by Bret E. Carroll, 212-16. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2004.
Piirto, Jane. Film and Film-Making Gifted. In Encyclopedia of Giftedness, Creativity, and Talent, edited by Barbara Kerr, 357-59. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2009.
The selected real life event was the news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, also referred to as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, has decided to step back from the royal duties. The story was covered in both digital and traditional media outlets due to the impact it was expected to have. The story was first released in late February with media outlets stating that the couple would do their last official duty on 31 March 2020 (English, 2020). One of the reasons why this particular news was selected was the history of how the media reported the couples relationship with the royal family, the manner in which the news was released, and the repercussions of the same. It is critical to note, as English (2020) explains, that Meghan and Harry have suffered negative publicity, with much of this directed to Meghan due to the fact that she is not of royal blood. The additional fact that Harrys mother, the late Princess Diana, had also suffered under the weight of her responsibilities and expectations of a royal made the split from the royal family more interesting.
This essay will analyze the media content surrounding the news based on a collection of secondary sources. As mentioned, the news was covered across various media platforms such as both local and international TV, newspapers and radios; and also digital platforms. All these platforms are aimed at reaching different types of media users. In particular, the essay will analyze media content relating to the assumed reasons for the split between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the royal family. Several academic studies will be used in this analysis to bring out a clear picture of the bias that was used in the selected media content. Qualitative analysis will be used to analyze the theoretical/scholarly literature and will focus on culture, bias, and acceptance. The justification for this is the fact that the story had personal implications to a young family as well as traditional and political to two of the worlds largest countries both in size and economy. Additionally, the framing theory will be used to explain how the media perceived and presented their form of reality to the public.
Literature Review
Schildkraut and Gruenewald (2019) argue that framing of messages is critical in shaping how the target market perceives and interprets information. There are several reasons why media outlets frame their messages differently according to Maalej (2019). The first is for agenda setting, which is defined as the manipulation of relevance that is placed on information for public consumption. Using this reason, one can argue that different media outlets can have the same story but use different words and tones to reach out to their readers based on what they want those readers to believe (Cohen, 2015). Agenda setting has mainly been used for political reasons (Protess & McCombs, 2016). In various countries, media is used to reach out to different people with texts meant to manipulate their reasoning to vote for a specific person. Guo and McCombs (2019) give the example of Cambridge Analytica, a media consulting company, that has been accused of interfering with elections in different countries using the same approach. According to Fink, Hausmann, and Di Minin (2020) framing has also been used in digital media outlets to shape how people react online.
Critically, the evaluation of human relationships, whether political or social, can also be affected by framing. Hansen and Cox (2015) explain that different forms of human interaction can be shaped by how the media perceives those said relations. According to Moghaddam (2017), this has mainly affected political relationships but can also affect social ones. For example, friendships between political leaders can be used to communicate good international relations regardless of whether there are policies to this effect. King-ORiain (2019) goes further to argue that even though people think of migration as the complete movement from one part to another, marriages offer an interesting look into the concepts of migration. The study focuses on the marriage of Price Hillary and Meghan Markle in regards to the framing of messages about their relationship in the media. According to Jarrett (2017), marriage into the royal family often meant that one had to marry a fellow royal. In the event that a royal member wants to marry someone who is not considered to be of royal blood, he or she has to ask for permission from Her Majesty the Queen. Princess Margaret, the Queens sister was also meant to marry a soldier, but could not acquire permission from the Queen for the same. This example just goes to show how marriage is not only viewed as sacred but also important for the sanctity of the throne and royal family.
Media Content Analyzation
The media content that was analyzed was collected from various digital media outlets. It is important to note that even though the news story was also released via traditional media, for the purpose of this assignment, only the online versions will be analyzed. Some of the outlets where the media content was pulled from include Washington Post, PBS, The Guardian and The Sun among others. there are various rationales that can be given on why the selected media content was preferable for the assignment. The first is the fact that the story raised a lot of interest among the public. Apart from the two countries involved (where the couple was coming from), other parties were also deeply involved in the growth of the story. Additionally, there are parties that were invested in how the story was told rather than the impact of the story itself. First, the fans of Meghan Markle (as she was an actress before her wedding to Prince Harry) were an integral audience for the news. Secondly, international players also followed keenly in order to anticipate any political fall-outs that would have been experienced in case the split was not amicable. a second rationale for the media content selected is that it was widely reported across different types of media. The news was reported in local news outlets all over the world, not just in the US and the UK.
Since all the media content used was found online, all the data was collected digitally. Critically, all the information used in this study was collected from secondary sources and a proper citation was used to give credit to the owners of the information. The collected information was sourced online using various search engine optimization strategies. For instance, the use of keywords proved useful in attaining the information needed. whereas there are few studies that have fully analyzed the marriage between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and their split, there are numerous studies on marriage within the royal family.
It is important to note that Meghan Markle was not considered a royal at the time of her marriage to Prince Harry. In fact, newspaper, TV and digital media platforms argued that she was not best placed to marry a Prince. According to blogs such as News Talk and The Sun, Meghan did not fit within the royal family. For example, the newspaper The Sun insisted on calling Meghan, former reality star (Kavanagh & Pemberton, 2019) instead of her official title.
The issue of race has also been used in media content revolving around Meghan and Prince Harry. It is interesting to note that US-based media focused more on the issue of race in the royal family compared to UK media content. For example, PBS stated that suspected racial bias in the royal family put the UK at a crossroads (Vinopal, 2020). Additionally, Hatzipanagos (2020) of the Washington Post argues that social class and title were not enough to protect Meghan from racism in the UK. It is assumed that this racism was not only from the UK citizens but also from the royal family (Nicoll, 2019). English (2020) goes further to suggest that racism, and the failure to report the racism among media outlets in the UK, led to the decision to split from the royal family.
Concerns about the role the death of Princess Diana played in the relationship between Prince Harry and the royal family have also been used to explain the predicament they found themselves in. Mulkerrins (2020) argues that Prince Harry felt that his wife was being treated in the same manner as his mother. Due to the fact that Princess Diana died when Harry was young, Nicoll (2019) believes that Prince Harry felt that even though he could not protect his mother, he was in a position to protect both his wife and child from the negativity associated with the royal family.
It is critical to point out that the split from the royal family also had political implications between the US and the UK. The first political implication was revealed by the media when President Trump, the President of the US did not receive an invite to the royal wedding (Yeginsu, 2018). Media outlets reported that although Meghan and Prince Harry wanted to invite former President Obama and First Lady Michelle, they could not because they did not want to invite current US President, Donald Trump (Yeginsu, 2019).
Qualitative content analysis was the chosen method of data analysis in this study. the approach allows one to interpret and describe themes and events. This was the best approach due to the fact that all the data that was used for the study was from secondary sources. One of the advantages of qualitative content analysis is that it focuses on communication in its entirety. This means that it focuses on text, images and even videos as documented. Secondly, the approach allows for the inclusion of cultural and traditional practices that might affect the study. In this case, this strength of the approach is particularly important due to the numerous traditional practices of the royal family. The approach was also appropriate for this study because it is the best approach for assessing human interactions.
Results
As mentioned previously, the frame theory will be used to analyze the results collected. The theory can be defined as an approach that analyzes how individuals, groups and societies organize and perceive information. An analysis of information from the Washington post in regards to the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry shows that the media outlet was more positive compared to The Sun about the future of the couple. When Meghan married Harry in a much-watched ceremony in 2018, dozens of articles were published about what her biracial identity meant to black women in Britain and the U.S. alike , which is an excerpt from Vinopals (2020) article on PBS.
Secondly, an analysis of articles from The Independent shows that they focused more on the differences between Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton, who is married to Prince William and is the Duchess of Cambridge. Both of these results show how framing can affect how messages are perceived by audiences. The Washington Post has a larger audience in the US and used its framing to either show that the UK was not open in terms of race or that Meghan Markle had proved to the world that love conquers all. These two messages are framed in a way to show how the US is superior to the UK both in terms of how far the US has come in regards to racial bias and also how they are more accepting than the UK. The two examples are given also show how culture and political interests can affect the framing of messages on media outlets. The Independent, which has a larger audience in the UK compared two women based on the fact that one was born in the UK and the other was not. However, the analysis also shows that the differences highlighted by the Independent touched on the difference in race between the two women. On the other hand, the bashing of European culture by the Washington Post was meant to prove that the US was more superior to the UK.
An analysis of media content between media outlets in the US and those in the UK also revealed the different cultures between the two countries. Articles on the split between Meghan and Prince Harry and the royal family in the US revolved around the unaccommodating nature of the Europeans. On the other hand, media outlets in the UK focused more on the lack of importance of family traditions among US citizens. To the UK citizens, Meghan and Harry broke from an old family tradition and more blame was put on Meghan than Harry for the decision. The differences in culture and tradition as framed by both media companies in the US and the UK also revealed the difference in values. Media outlets in the UK suggested that the values of US citizens were too modernized with no sense of attachment. On the other hand, media outlets in the US suggested that the values of Europeans were too archaic with no room for personal development and health. For example, this excerpt from Hatzipanagos of the Washington Post shows the different ways they chose to frame their messages: Royalty, social class could not shield Meghan from racism in Britain (Hatzipanagos, 2020). On the other hand, one article from the Guardian reported that Meghan received twice the criticism compared to Kate. A number of the pieces associate Meghan and her family with drugs and violence. These include articles that make claims about her nephews involvement with drugs, as well as claims that guests were given party bags of cannabis at Meghans first wedding, (Duncan & Bindman, 2020).
Discussion
The representation of the marriage between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry can be compared with previous literature on the marriage between Prince William and Kate Middleton. Crucially, Kate Middleton is also not of royal blood, just like Meghan. During the first year of their marriage, she was also heavily criticized due to the fact that she did not know much about royal tradition. Additionally, she was framed as a media-hater as she sued various media firms for taking pictures of her and her family. Although UK media still criticizes the future Queen consort, the arrival of Meghan changed the way the media referred to Kate Middleton.
One practical lesson that can be learnt from all this is that framing of information is highly dependable on the outcome the sender would like to receive. In media, the most controversial stories sell. Therefore, in the case of the UK and the US media outlets and their differences in framing, one can argue that both media outlets understood the kind of content that would entice their audiences. It can be argued that the media used different strategies to communicate with their different audiences. However, a recommendation based on agenda setting would be that media outlets in both the US and the UK synchronize their framing methodologies in order to reach target audiences on the opposite markets. This would have led to more favourable outcomes as more of their individual media outlet content would have been consumed.
References
Cohen, C. B. (2015). Press and foreign policy. New York, NY: Princeton University Press
King-ORiain, C. R. (2019). How the Irish became more than white: Mixed-race Irishness in historical and contemporary contexts. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 2-6. Web.
Maalej, D. (2019). Media agenda-setting and framing in the Second Gulf War. London UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishers
Moghaddam, M. F. (2017). The SAGE encyclopedia of political behavior. New York. NY: SAGE Publications
Nicoll, C. (2019). Harry and Meghan: Life, loss, and love. London, UK: Hachette Books.
Protess, D. & McCombs, E. M. (Eds.). (2016). Agenda setting: Readings on media, public opinion, and policymaking. New York, NY: Routledge
Schildkraut, J., & Gruenewald, J. (2019). Media salience and frame changing in the coverage of mass shootings: A comparison of ideological and non-ideological attacks. Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 19(1), 62-89.
College years are often associated with roommates and relationships between them. Those who went to college have lots of funny stories to tell. In fact, it is really important to get ready for several years spent with a complete stranger who can become one of your closest friends.
If you are going to share your room with a roommate, you should first consider different types of roommates that can come into your life. Basically, there are three larger groups of roommates: boring grinds, carefree party-goers and ideal roommates (who are perspective life-time friends). Of course, it is important to note that one can hardly find a 100% grind or party-goer, as students often combine the features of the three groups.
First, it is necessary to consider peculiarities of grinds. Grinds are students who are absorbed by their studies. They spend most of their time in libraries, labs, classes, conferences, workshops, etc. They hardly ever talk to their roommates as they are reading most of their time.
These students usually know a lot in spheres of their interest, but they know little or nothing in other spheres. Such students cannot be exciting interlocutors. You can hardly rely on them as they can forget about you during one of their experiments or surveys.
Thus, if the features of the grind prevail in your roommate, you should not wait for a funny company or a very reliable friend. You can obtain some help in your studies, of course, if you are lucky enough to have the same subjects as your roommate has.
As for party-goers, they are totally different. They are great interlocutors when it comes to some general topics. They also know how to kill time. They are very funny and amiable. Nonetheless, you should not wait for a great conversation on some scientific, political, historical (and so on) topic.
They are too concerned with entertainment to learn anything else. They cannot be that reliable as well. They are too carefree to remember all those important things you may happen to tell them. Therefore, if you obtain such a roommate, you can address him/her when you feel like having fun. Do not think this roomie can help you with your studies.
Finally, an ideal roommate is a student who combines features of a grind and a party-goer in the ideal ratio. This person can help you in all areas of life. For instance, you can help each other with your studies. You can go to parties together.
You can count on each other in various situations. In fact, you can become really good friends. Thus, if you are lucky to have such a roommate, you can be sure your college years will become unforgettable.
To sum up, roommates can be divided into three major groups: grinds, party-goers and ideal roomies. A grind can become a kind of shadow who is never here. Party-goers can become those who get you into trouble. Ideal roommates can become your lifetime friends. You should choose a particular behavioral pattern for a particular roommate.
Of course, it is important to remember that pure representatives of the three groups can hardly be found, as there are different nice and mean people among those groups. However, you should remember that no matter what kind of the roommate you get, this person will definitely remain in your memory or even in your life. By the way, try to be an ideal roommate as they definitely get to Heaven.
Capability approach was developed within the terrain of economics in the 1990s (Phillips, 2014). The model is based on the principles of well-being and equity. It is stressed that people should be able to do what they want in their lives and be able to reach their goals. The approach has earned a significant attention and it has been applied in many areas. As far as education is concerned, the capability approach can also be utilized.
Capability education is also based on the principle of people wellbeing. This approach presupposes the focus on peoples values and their capabilities as well as their longings. When applied to education, this approach enables people to consider their opportunities and analyze their desires as well as their ability to reach the goals set (Phillips, 2014). This approach enables students to estimate the risks associated with their learning and make the right educational decisions. Importantly, freedom of the individual is valued most and, hence, students are free to choose learning objectives and methods. At that, they are also responsible for taking into account their learning outcomes.
It is clear that capability approach is closely linked to heutagogy. Heutagogy is also based on the principle of freedom of the individual (Hase & Kenyon, 2000). The focus is also made on the learners opportunities and abilities. A great deal of responsibility lies on the learner. Both approaches put to the fore the learner and his/her determination to study. The educators role in both approach involves guidance rather than instruction. The educator also helps the learner to find the best approaches or set achievable goals. However, the learner is the one to make decisions. It is possible to note that heutagogy and capability approach set similar standards in adult education and can potentially make the learning process more efficient.
Article review
Wang, V.C. X., & Sarbo, L. (2004). Philosophy, role of adult educators, and learning: How contextually adapted philosophies and the situational role of adult educators affect learners transformation and emancipation. Journal of Transformative Education, 2(3), 204-214.
The article in question is written by Wang and Sarbo. Victor Wang is a professor at California State University. He has written various works on education, educational leadership and so on. The article dwells upon transformational learning theory. Wang and Sarbo (2004) provide a brief analysis of transformative learning theory and the way transformational theory can be applied in the contemporary education. The authors provide a review of major findings of theorists and practitioners. Wang and Sarbo (2004) stress that educators develop their teaching and learning philosophies that affect the way they see the teaching and learning processes. At that, the researchers emphasize the need to use a contextual approach and change or adjust theories to make teaching and learning effective. Notably, the researchers argue that reflection is one of the most important components of effective learning and, hence, adult learners should be able to reflect on their learning goals and methods as well as their achievements.
The major conclusions of the researchers can be formulated as follows: educators have to adjust their philosophies to make their teaching more efficient and they should also encourage and train adult students to reflect on their learning (including their goals, achievements, methods and so on).
These conclusions are valid and valuable. Students as well as environments are often very different and it is impossible and inefficient to apply one method and philosophy in many settings. Apart from this, it is also important to encourage adult learners to self-reflect. They should be able to understand what they are doing right and what they can do better, what they really need and what they can achieve, what motivates them to learn harder and so on.
It is possible to note that the transformational learning can compare to traditional approaches, as the learning paradigm is still the same (Daniels, Lauder & Porter, 2012). The difference rests within the terrain of the focus, which is located on a different agent, the learner. However, the educator is still necessary in the teaching process as he/she guides and assists the learner. Importantly, the educator teaches adult learners how to self-reflect and self-develop to become more autonomous.
The major strength of the article is its comprehensiveness. Wang and Sarbo (2004) consider major roles and philosophies of educators. This can help educators self-reflect and understand the philosophy they use. This brief description of philosophies may help educators to understand that they can be changed and adjusted to the needs of learners. However, the article lacks for specific examples of how exactly philosophies can be changed. It could be beneficial to provide real-life examples to illustrate the way educators effectively use and change their philosophy. This would tie theory and practice and will show that the method can be effective in real-life settings.
As for questions to the approach, it is possible to analyze ways to develop self-reflection skills in detail. It is quite unclear what aspects has to be put to the fore during such instruction. It is also important to pay more attention to motivation as the researchers admit that even though adult learners are often characterized by intrinsic motivation, some may lack for it. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors that affect adult learners motivation and some methods to motivate adult learners.
Case Study
The case study in question unveils issues associated with such concepts as family, development, education (Cadman & Cameron, 2015). For me, this was a very valuable experience as I managed to apply certain theories to analyze the case. One of major things that impressed me was concerned with adult development theory. Clark and Caffarella (2011) note that adulthood is the highest level of functioning. It occurred to me that the girl was adult while her mother was still (psychologically) in her teens as she was absolutely irresponsible. When working on the case, I also noticed my focus on communication and strategies used. I believe communication is crucial in all spheres and, as seen from the case, stakeholders involved often failed to communicate their ideas, desires, fears and so on properly. I have to admit that I have not paid such attention to communication before. I was more concerned with outcomes of some situations while now I always try to understand how chosen communication patterns affected the outcomes.
I believe I will use this experience to teach adult students in the future. It is important to draw adult students attention to the way they perceive information or the way they analyze it (Vockell, n.d.). I will also encourage them to analyze their progress and identify factors that affected their development. This experience is also valuable as I may ask students to think about maturity and give their own definitions of adult development. Brain development is another aspect where this experience can be helpful. I will focus on such concepts as peoples attention and information processing. As for aging, I can encourage students to contemplate on their own cognition in the future.
Clark, M.C., & Caffarella, R.S. (2011). Theorizing adult development. In W. Filho & D. Carpenter (Eds.), An update on adult development theory: New ways of thinking about the life course: New directions for adult and continuing education (pp. 3-9). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.
Daniels, H., Lauder, H., & Porter, J. (2012). Educational theories, cultures and learning: A critical perspective. New York, NY: Routledge.
Phillips, D.C. (2014). Encyclopedia of educational theory and philosophy. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Vockell, E. (n.d.). Educational psychology: A practical approach. Web.
Wang, V.C.X., & Sarbo, L. (2004). Philosophy, role of adult educators, and learning: How contextually adapted philosophies and the situational role of adult educators affect learners transformation and emancipation. Journal of Transformative Education, 2(3), 204-214.
