It is said that television and media brought about new problems that are evident in the modern day and age. Mostly, these influences are harmful in relation to violence and people’s general behavior, which is characterized as careless, destructive and unpredictable.
In reality, there is a great difference and separation between the violence that is seen on TV and that in real life, as people will not become aggressive if their character is not based on aggression.
For a long time, there has been a debate that violence in the media causes more aggressive behavior in the person. There have been numerous studies, but the evidence is somewhat controversial. The majority of people believe that the causation of violent behavior by media is exaggerated. The social theorists suppose that people learn by modeling and imitating behavior.
There have been experiments where such imitation would be tested with children as participants. It has yielded imprecise results (Wells, 1997). Further studies and experimentation have not established any particular correlation because of the control variables being too fluid.
An important concept in movies and media is that they constantly remind the viewer that it is only the authorized people, like police officers and other authorities, are allowed to use violence as a last resource. In many instances, there is added humor, even though it does not diminish the violent and dangerous nature of the situation where a person is killed or their life is threatened.
In general, it is possible to assume that a person might get desensitized towards violence, blood, aggression and criminal behavior. It has been proven that the more a person is confronted with a certain stimuli, the more they will get used to it. This can be seen in many examples from real life (Casey, 2008).
Today, there are movies that show very gruesome and graphic scenes, and it is a fact that many people watch movies like “Saw” and it might make them more used to horror and blood. But people realize that it is a movie and a false, staged situation. A real life occurrence would be very different.
For example, if a movie does not have graphic images or scenes, it might create an idea of violence where people are controlled against their will or held hostage. From one perspective, it is said that the person will learn to like the violence and use it in real life. But a person’s character or individuality cannot learn to like a particular stimulus. If a person does not like to smoke, they will not get used to it by constantly smoking.
Or if someone likes a certain color or smell, a person cannot be made to like or unlike something. In the end, it is possible to see that there must be a link between violence and an already existing personal predisposition to it. The only people who will get affected by graphic violent media are those who require ideas in how to manifest own violent behavior.
From this perspective, it would be better if violence was excluded from media and movies. It can be left simple, as if when a person gets shot or hit, there are no close-ups to show the wound or any blood. It would be useful to promote that the only moral of the movies in relation to violence is that it is unlawful and unwanted by anyone. Most evidence supports the fact that there must be a predisposition towards violence.
It very much depends on an individual. A person who is kind and moral will not resolve to violence because it will conflict with their core moral beliefs, and no matter how often they see violence on the news or in movies, each time they will feel appalled and will not simulate such behavior (Freedman, 2002).
It is clear that a person, who resolved to violence, either grew up in aggressive circumstances where they thought that it was allowed or possible or they have some genetic malfunction. Majority of people are taught that violence is wrong and will not be tolerated by the law and society.
Modern civilized countries take every effort to make this as clear as possible and everyone, even the criminals, know that taking someone’s life or being aggressive towards someone is the highest crime and will be punished. Unfortunately, the evolving technology is becoming a greater part of human life. The 3D or hologram affects, not to mention virtual reality, can stimulate senses in ways that were not possible before.
There is very little evidence as to how the body and genetic information reacts and what it stores. There is a slight chance that a person who watches violence all their life and becomes desensitized to human pain and suffering, will record that information in genes and pass it on to the next generation (Holtzman, 2000).
In any case, there is always a limit as to violence on TV and its nature. The modern society wants to see more blood, which is evident from many movies, and the types of people that watch those movies are of specific character. But the general public seems unharmed by media, as it is too character specific.
Works Cited
Casey, Bernadette. Television studies: the key concepts. New York, NY: Routledge, 2008. Print.
Freedman, Jonathan. Media violence and its effect on aggression: Assessing the scientific evidence. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 2002. Print.
Holtzman, Linda. Media messages. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2000. Print.
Wells, Alan. Mass media & society. London, England: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1997. Print.
The TV show “Survivor” features an exciting contest where two groups of young people compete with one another while also encouraging disruptive inter-group conflict. This generates compelling drama and group dynamics where individual goals both correlate with and oppose the purpose of building an effective team. Nevertheless, group development and role separation processes are primarily similar to Tuckman’s model of development and Belbin’s team roles theory. The purpose of this paper is to identify the stages of group development processes as well as individual group roles, as shown in the first episode of season one of Survivor: New Mexico.
Team Composition and Group Formation Processes
At the beginning of the episode, the individuals were split into two teams, each comprising of 6 individuals (3 males, three females). The red team included Greg, Jeremiah, Alex, Anna, Carolyn, and Soraya. The yellow squad received the rest, which involved Noah, Daniel, Luke, Kate, Sophie, and Emma. Because this is the very first episode of the season, the groups had no prior knowledge or experience with one another, meaning that the predominant stages of group formation in the attack consisted of forming and storming. Tuckman’s stages of group development define the forming stage of the group as a period where members get to know and seek acceptance from one another. Due to the premise of the show, which involves elimination voting, seeking approval is of paramount importance. In the red team, it is possible to see alliances being formed from the get-go, with Alex and Jeremiah agreeing to look out for each other. In the yellow section, the same is done with Daniel and Luke.
The conflict part, or Storming, as identified by Tuckman, occurs by the end of the first contest. Although the groups did not spend enough time getting to know each other enough for conflicts to arise, the show introduces one artificially by forcing them to decide who is the most useless or dangerous member of the team. It is interesting to observe that the red team, which lost the contest and had to vote first, used the inter-player alliance to attempt to push Greg out based on his performance, whereas the yellow team is already scheming against Kate due to the fact that she seems sharp, competent, and “overqualified,” thus a threat to the others.
Role Separation
While it is too early to define role separation based on the first episode alone, it is possible to identify some of the lead players based on their actions. In the red team, the main driving force is comprised of an extrovert and an introvert – Alex and Jeremiah. Alex is the Shaper (SH) of the group – he is energetic, dynamic, and does not like laziness. From the first moments in the show, he coordinated the team to construct a shelter based on the materials available and the position of the Sun. Jeremiah is more of a team worker (TW), as he tends to follow Alex’s lead and gets along well with everyone.
In the yellow team, the two defined leaders are Luke and Kate. Luke is the face of the party; he is calm yet confident and seemingly prudent when it comes to strategy and planning. These qualities are attributable to Chairman (CH). His introverted counterpart in the team is Kate, who is stoic and stern yet very objective-focused. Her relative lack of outward empathy with others classifies her as a monitor evaluator. Although she does not seem to be a people person, her assessments are usually spot-on.
Conclusions
Typically, groups are being formed to accomplish a specific task, with the conflict generated within them not being intentional. “Survivor” forces a conflict of interest upon individuals, which causes development progression. Although only two stages were seen in this episode, group evolution will be more evident in the future. Belbin’s theory helped identify the leaders of the groups and their respective roles based on personality traits.
The television has been long called the “idiot box” by people and experts who believe that children who spend most of their time watching the tube do not get anything educationally nor physically beneficial for themselves. In my opinion, television watching could prove to be either detrimental or beneficial to children. But, that would all depend upon how the parents implement discipline regarding television watching time. Remember that anything in excess is considered harmful. Unfortunately, most parents, nannies, and caregivers consider the telly to be a highly effective method of controlling their wards. The mindless entertainment keeps their charges occupied, allowing them to attend to other chores. What they do not realize is that the children whom they entrust to the moving screen are at an impressionable age wherein they consider everything they see on television to be a part of reality because nobody is there to tell them otherwise.
Parents are usually very concerned about the amount of sexually or violence-oriented television existing on the airwaves. But, they do not try to limit nor screen the viewing habits of their children. We already know that sex and violence are stapled ingredients of most shows these days and that at least 61 percent will contain graphic and heavy violence. Statistics collated by Dr. Michael W. Smith for his article “Is TV So Bad For Kids,” which was published in 2002, gave horrifying statistics for how much violence we consciously expose our children to on a daily basis. He explained that according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, ” a child who watches three to four hours a day of non-educational TV will see about 8,000 small-screen murders by the time he or she completes grade school.” This means that our children waste about 15 hours a day watching television without really understanding nor asking their parents about what they are seeing. Television is a highly educational tool, and most children tend to believe everything they see on it because their logic and sense of reasoning do not really exist at such young ages.
In the year 2007, Dr. Aric Sigman authored a study that was published in the science journal Biology. He clearly listed at least 15 negative side effects that television viewing has on youngsters that range anywhere from short-sightedness, obesity, short attention spans, premature puberty, and in some severe cases, autism. Dr. Sigman shared that the only way to counter these dire effects is by “judiciously” allowing television watching time and calling the parent’s attention to the fact that they have been abdicating their parental responsibility of raising their child and will result in the worst kind of hands-off parenting. More disconcerting to me is the fact that an average six years old will have watched the equivalent of one year of unsupervised television and that unregulated viewing habits can cause the suppression of the melatonin hormone in the body, an important chemical that is necessary for the performance of the immune system and sleeps cycle.
Too much television watching also has severe negative effects on the psyche of a child. The violence he is exposed to causes inexplicable hostility, fear, anxiety, depression, nightmares, and post-traumatic stress disorders. How many times have we read about the horrifying school massacres that are enacted by seemingly nice kids who were being bullied in school? How many of them have decided that the best way to end the abuse was to do what they saw on television? Yes, loss of life is also a direct and horrific end result of too much television viewing. I believe that this is because there comes a time when children to are abused and bullied either at home or at school tend to tune out by watching television. This becomes their safe place, their best friend, and to a certain extent, their adviser about life as well. This goes on and on until such a time that they think to themselves that anything they see being done on television must be the right thing to do. Now, more than ever, it has become more important to regulate the television exposure of our children. There is enough sex and violence in the world, and the last thing we need is to have those vivid images influence the young minds who were born into this world as a blank slate, ready and willing to be written upon by the parents and other influential people. It saddens me that most of the information that gets listed on that slate is the wrong kind, the detrimental sort of information that will lead our children down the wrong road.
In the end, we all realize that television viewing is highly harmful to our children. But why do most parents choose to turn a blind eye to it? Then, later on, they cry out that they do not know why their children turned out a certain negative way? Television has existed for almost a hundred years now, and it will only continue to become a larger influence on the lives of future generations. The responsibility of limiting the negative effects of television watching will always rest on the shoulders of the parents. Therefore parents must make the extra effort to know the media their children watch and educate them regarding responsible television viewing.
Work Cited
Sigman, Aric. M.D. (2007). Children’s TV diet is more harmful than thought. news.com.au. 2008. Web.
Simmons, Dan. (2006). All work, no play harmful: TV passive, stunts imagination, early education experts say. LaCrosse Tribune.com. 2008. Web.
When most people think of personality, the first thing that they think of is the difference and the similarities, the types, and traits that people hold. Well, this is an important part of the learning of psychology since some of the characteristics differ from person to person. Personality typing is an instrument with various uses. It is precisely notable for its aid in the areas of personal growth and self-development. Through learning and understanding, the course of personality can be a hard course, at the same time the theories learned in personality type can be very powerful and satisfying. Learning one’s personality should be used as a definite tool to discover ourselves, rather than as a method for behavior excuse (Crowley, 1999).
We introduce Jung as an influential philosopher and the founder of analytical psychology, having Jung often considered as the primary modem and a well-known pioneer in the area of analyzing dreams. Jung’s ideas are regularly conversed and have been used in parts of the curriculum in the introduction to psychology. Jung sees that the only way to one becoming whole is only through individualism. He describes individualism as the process whereby the instinctive essentials of a person will be well incorporated into molding a round functioning being (Crowley, 1999). This can be simply described as the steadiness of character. Jung’s great influence and great work is seen through his work and was able to come up with a theory of life and the relations of different people to it. Jung believes that character creation is the key to understanding human nature. He defines it as the best probable expression for essentially something that is not known. Jung explains that a person with a strong (healthy) can realize tendencies within him- or herself and can be in a position to express them (Hothersall, 1995). This is a strong trait of personality since it helps him in the realization of their want, in this case, dreams, which they will work on to complete their personality.
When it comes to Freud Sigmund he has to categories the personality in three structures: the id, the self esteem, and the super ego. Where identity will hold up high in the ranking since this is the human source or a pool of all intuitive energy in their being. Though mainly Freud will argue that the id is completely unconscious and its contact with reality is very low. As one grows from one stage of life to the other they are faced with the demands and constriction of the reality of life that they are living in. therefore, a new structure of personality emerges-self esteem or ego. At this stage of life the ego could be molded or destroyed depending on the reasoning and decisions made are strongly dependant on this personality. Freud strong bases his argument that if possible and through good learning of the personality one should rely on the superego to make decision since the id and ego have no morality and they are out there for their exclusive satisfaction (Maslow, 1998). According to Freud structure of personality the superego is the moral branch of one’s personality. The superego would be equated with often what we call ‘conscience’ this personality of superego will always take into account whether something is right correct or wrong (Crowley, 1999). Though from time to time you might see that the id and the superego are making life for your self esteem rough, it is always important to listen to the inner being the ‘conscience ‘ and most often than not you will be relying on a good source for your decision.
Commonly referred to as “the theory of self personality,” the personality theories as presented by Carl Rogers are those that are concerned with the empirical evaluation of the psyche of the human being, demonstrating that the humanistic as well as the scientific approaches are compatible (Maslow, 1998). According to Rogers, it is possible to make the fundamental assumption that all human beings are driven to grow to optimal health and wellbeing, requiring their capability to be resilient and flexible even in the face of adversity.
For Rodgers self-actualization is an accepted process, yet it requires nurturance of a person that gives that kind of care (Hothersall, 1995). If self “self-actualization” is simply a natural process according to Rogers’ theory which may or may not be obvious, then why must it depend on a care giver to occur? He then argues his point from the angle that despite his inconsistency in individualistic prejudice he also understands that people cannot live alone but need others and we are radically dependant on other for their survival (Elkins, 2009). Rogers felt that the presence of unconditional constructive consideration is necessary for self-actualization. That is, human growth entails the experience of being principled and morally upright for oneself despite of the degree to which precise behaviors are approved or disapproved (Elkins, 2009). Conversely, self-actualization is displeased by “conditional positive regard” — when received it is reliant on either the positive or negative evaluation of a person’s conduct (Maslow, 1998). The presence of this conditional optimistic regard towards the individual’s personality directs to “conditions of significance, value and high esteem,” which, in turn, can lead to disconnection away from true feelings and, thus, to anxiety and risk, which will hinder self-actualization (Elkins, 2009).
Through all these theories and models, it is crucial to realize that no one person is fully made up of one specific personality. Additionally, most of these personality traits are composed of the genetic and hereditary factors as well as those that are concerned with the effects of the surrounding environment. As most of the above studies seem to depict a little bit of each, it is obvious that the personalities of different individuals vary from person-to-person, necessitating the shift from generalization to individualization.
TV Character
Jung
Freud
Rodger
Michael Douglas
Michael realized his dream of wanting to be an actor from his hereditary relations going all the way back to his grandfather. According to Jung his realization molded his character and built a personality making him an actor.
We can see Michael listening to his inner self “conscience” and following his instinct and become an actor.
Although Michael came from a background of actors, people can argue his influence in becoming an actor came from the family. We see him as self driven and wanting to be better than what his father had achieved.
Angelina Jolie
We see Angelina having a dream of becoming an actor after watching several movies. She enrolls into acting classes, but after a while she drops out of it. Two years down the line she resumes following her dreams. She realized she wanted to be an actor.
Although we see her make her first debut with his father as a minor, she later on, after about a decade decide to go back in to the industry,” listens to her conscience” after connecting with her superego and decided to follow her desires.
Angelina was self driven in the attaining her career goal. The father although an actor had separated with the mother and the mother dropped her acting career to take care of them. This left her to rely on the self belief that she can still be what she wants to be.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold has been a man of many faces, he realizes the changing of times and the dreams he should pursue and follow to attaining them.
He changing faces in careers portrays him as a man that is relying on a great structure of his personality that enables him to be anything he wants.
We can see Arnold as a self driven man by taking risks. He follows what he believes he can accomplish and does not stop until he gets it.
References
Crowley, V. (1999). Jung: A Journey of Transformation. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Elkins, D. (2009). Humanistic psychology: A clinical manifesto. Colorado Springs: University of the Rockies Press.
Hothersall, D. (1995). History of Psychology, 3rd ed. New York, NY: Mcgraw-Hill.
Maslow, A. (1998).Towards a psychology of being, 3rd ed. New York, NY: Wiley.
Caillou is an educational animated TV show that tells the story of a four-year-old boy named Caillou. The show portrays the process of his development and understanding of the world. Interested in his surroundings, the boy demonstrates a desire to interact with his environment. In addition to Caillou’s excitement with the world, the cartoon also depicts the process of the boy’s socialization. His family – mother, father, and sister Rosie – are not the only people he communicates with, as other kids and adults are also depicted. Caillou is an active, cheerful, and sociable kid. Still, it is essential to state that the whole show is made in such a way as to describe the common developmental and behavioral patterns of children at Caillou’s age. In addition, it shows some common real-life situations that can make the process of socialization easier and teach kids how to behave around other people. In this way, Caillou is a show that’s not only engaging to children due to its bright colors and interesting themes but also to psychologists, as it demonstrates the stages of children’s development and integration into their social environments.
Among the different aspects covered by the show, this paper will focus on one domain of children’s development: the emotional aspect. This domain will be viewed from the perspective of attachment theory, which explains relational bonding between parents and children and their impact on their children’s further emotional development. Seeking proximity is the foundation of the theory. Still, it is imperative to note that there are different ways of demonstrating attachment—from gestures and tone of voice to cognitive and language skills—and they change as a child grows. That being said, this paper will discuss examples that point to different aspects of the emotional development of Caillou and his relationships with other people (specifically Rosie, mom, and dad) with the aim of obtaining a better understanding of attachment theory and determining whether there are any disorders or disturbances in Caillou’s attachments.
Article 1 Summary: The Influence of Attachment on Development
This research study aimed at representing the fundamental ideas of attachment theory and reviewing their impact on parenting practices and, as a result, the development of a child. The focus was placed on different styles of attachment, such as secure, avoidant, and ambivalent; the attachment styles of both infants and adults; the different dimensions of temperament that determine predisposition to particular attachment styles; and children’s reactions to varying parenting styles, which in turn affect attachment (Hong & Park, 2012). In order to answer these questions, the authors conducted a thorough review of the existing literature on attachment theory, paying specific attention to different evidence-based sources. It is essential to note that Hong and Park (2012) did not choose any measurements to draw conclusions because their research was descriptive in nature and there was no need to conduct a separate investigation. Instead, the authors chose to summarize the findings of available studies. Reactions to treatment were the primary measurement throughout the paper.
To summarize the results of the article, the authors concluded that in the presence of a caring and sensitive style of parenting, which involves communication and positive emotions, children tend to develop positively and demonstrate secure attachment. They trust their parents as well as people in their nearest social surroundings and grow up open and eager to explore the environment. On the other hand, if parents ignore their children and are rude and angry in communication, their children are often afraid of caregivers, choose to avoid contact, and reject their help. In this way, their attachment style is either ambivalent (i.e. unstable) or avoidant. In similar cases, children face significant challenges in emotional development, cannot realize their full potential, and fail to fully develop their personalities (Hong & Park, 2012).
Article 2 Summary: Disorder of Attachments and Their Influence on Child’s Development
Attachment in the early years of childhood is the foundation for successful development and socialization during the maturation period of life. In this way, a child’s style of attachment affects his or her later life. For instance, the insecure attachment can have a detrimental impact on the personal and emotional development of a mistreated child, possibly leading to reactive attachment disorder (RAD). This condition is the focus of the second article under consideration, which explored the influence of RAD on human development. Just like the authors of the first article, Ohtaras (2015) performed a comprehensive review of the existing literature to study the impact of RAD on children without conducting any additional investigations and experiments. In this article, the effectiveness of socialization is the central measure.
According to the researcher, children under five years old make up the major risk group. Avoiding eye contact, exhibiting hyperactive behavior, taking no interest in people, and searching for playmates are just some of the concerns that might point to RAD (Ohtaras, 2015). As a result, RAD can have a detrimental impact on the socio-emotional, educational, and cognitive development of a child, leading to hyperactive behaviors in children under eight to twelve years old, which may evolve into psychiatric illnesses associated with high risks of morbidity in adults between 21 and 51 years old. The main conclusion of the article is as follows: it is critical to make an effort to establish secure attachment between parents and children in order to avoid the development of RAD. Moreover, if any of the concerns are identified in a child, it is crucial to eliminate them in order to protect the child from negative emotional states, limited interactions with social surroundings, and impaired cognitive and educational development.
Drawing Lines Between Research Findings and the Chosen Character
Both articles highlight material that is closely connected to Caillou’s development. For instance, it is possible to connect parenting style with Caillou’s form of attachment. His mother is responsive and open, and she pays special attention to answering all of his questions. As Caillou asks questions in the episode about drawing Christmas cards, she answers all of them, thus engaging him in the process of drawing cards. Moreover, when Rosie starts distracting Caillou from this exciting task, his mother decides to take her away and find another activity for the daughter (Caillou, 2016a). In this way, it can be said that Caillou’s attachment style is secure because he trusts his mother to solve his problems and conflicts with his sister. Indeed, he is a sociable, confident, and playful child – features that correspond to a secure attachment style (Hong & Park, 2012).
On the other hand, when Caillou is excited to help his dad clean up the yard from snow, his dad rejects his desire to shovel, pointing to the necessity of having breakfast first, and Caillou gets upset. The same is true about the morning Caillou has to wait for his father to finish a phone call and go to the bathroom before going to see Santa Claus at the local mall (Caillou, 2016b). Even though Caillou’s dad is caring, children might see such refusals in a different manner, thus developing an ambivalent attachment – either choosing another parent with whom to seek proximity or being avoidant with his father (Hong & Park, 2012). Nevertheless, as for now, Caillou’s attachment with both parents is secure. For this reason, it can be said that Caillou is unlikely to experience RAD, as he has never witnessed maltreatment, is sociable, does not avoid eye contact, and is interested in finding playmates and exploring his surroundings (Ohtaras, 2015).
Next Steps in Character’s Development
Based on the analysis of Caillou’s current stage of development, it is possible to speculate on the next steps of his personality growth. Because Caillou has a secure attachment with both of his parents, as well as grandparents, he is motivated to explore the world and has face-to-face interactions, and it is evident that there will be no disturbances in his future emotional development (Hong & Park, 2012). However, it is essential to note that interactions with adults do not always determine the trajectory of development. Regardless of having a positive foundation for further personality growth, Caillou is still a young child. When he gets older and goes to school, thus becoming more engaged in the process of socialization with peers, he may face some challenges like bullying or the unwillingness of other kids to communicate with him. Still, according to Ohtaras (2015), secure attachment with caregivers is the foundation for emotional self-regulation that will help the child cope with these issues. Overall, Caillou is most likely to become a happy child with normal emotional and cognitive development who is motivated to succeed in education and interactions (Ohtaras, 2015).
References
Caillou. (2016a, April 6). Caillou full episodes / 1 hour long compilation special / Brand new HD cartoon for kids. Web.
Caillou. (2016b, December 19). Cartoon | Caillou has Fun | Cartoons for Kids | Cartoons for Children. Web.
Hong, Y. R., & Park, J. S. (2012). Impact of attachment, temperament and parenting on human development. Korean Journal of Pediatrics, 55(12), 449-454.
Ohtaras, A. (2015). Reactive attachment disorder in children: Impacts on development, educational implications and the need for secure attachment. Journal of Student Engagement: Education Matters, 5(1), 2015, 28-38.
Writing and film as different forms of art often come together to front particular ideas which are easily denoted from the thematic structuring of the specific pieces that one is looking at. This essay seeks to show how the TV series 24 has ideas reflected in a poem titled Traveling through the dark and a song called the future.
To this end, a summary of the various seasons of the show will be illustrated in order to get a clear picture of what the entire show is all about. The main ideas which the authors of both the poem and the song are proposing will also be summarized and finally a link will be provided between the piece of literary work, the song and the television show.
Summary of the seasonal structuring of the show 24
The television drama 24 is a show based on a wide array of concepts mainly targeted at addressing social issues plaguing modern day America. The series which is now in its ninth season piloted with the lead character Jack Bauer trying to protect the senator of the country David Palmer from being assassinated by individuals who find both Bauer’s and Palmer’s involvement in the Balkan unacceptable. These hit men are out to frustrate Bauer and they even go to the extent of threatening harm to his family members.
In the second season, Bauer is challenged with the task of stopping a nuclear bomb before it explodes in Los Angeles essentially taking down the entire population. He is also tasked with the job of identifying the individuals behind the plot to detonate the bomb in the heavily populated city.
In the third season, jack Bauer needs to infiltrate the ranks of a Mexican cartel dealing in illegal drug distribution. The situation is complicated by the fact that he is also battling an addiction to heroine even as he seeks to recover a stringent strain of killer virus being sold by the gangs. In the meantime, Palmer is getting ready for general elections in which he intends to vie for the top seat in the country.
In the fourth season, Bauer has to protect the secretary of defense, Mr. James Heller and his (Heller’s) daughter from criminals intending to kill them. The story takes a dramatic turn when jack and the people he is supposed to protect are kidnapped by the terrorists. With Jack out of the way, the terrorists plot to unleash terror in the country but Jack puts all the necessary effort to stop them.
In season five, people all over the country save for a few close friends believe that he is dead. He is however forced to come out of his self imposed exile prematurely after some of these close friends are murdered mysteriously. He is actually accused of committing the murders and he is out to clear his name. As the story unfolds, the terrorist plot to release nerve gas into the air to front their agenda of protecting America’s interests in the Asian oil sources.
In the sixth season Bauer comes out of detention in China where he has been held for a period of twenty months. He is met with a crisis in the US occasioned by terrorists scheming to set off nuclear explosives and it is up to Bauer to do all that he can to avert this crisis.
The seventh season plays around events that occur when terrorists penetrate the security defenses of the US’s computer systems. The individuals responsible for this infringement are also linked to conflict in Sangala. It is further revealed that a number of government officials are involved in the conspiracy in the season that welcomes America’s first female president.
In the eighth season, Bauer is required to unravel a plot to murder the Islamic leader Omar Hassan. Russian extremists plan to take down Hassan as he holds peace talks with America’s president.
Analysis of the song The Future and the poem Traveling through the dark
Right from the outset, it is easy to conclude that the song The Future is about the apocalypse. The author of the song points out from the song the fact that at the end of the world there will be untold misery and suffering occasioned by the evil things that mankind does while on earth (Cohen N.p.).
This is according to the Christian point of view. The element of suffering has been given a lot of emphasis in the throughout the song with claims such as when the world comes to an end people will face suffering whose magnitude can only be equated to death. In later stanzas of the song, Christian religious aspects are introduced especially by the citation of the verse of the song that explains how God will judge the sinners and save those who followed His teachings.
While analyzing the part of the song that details the Buddhist notion of the apocalypse, the writer of this song summarizes this part as claiming that the future is already happening. The apocalypse from this point of view will only serve to illustrate to mankind how evil he has made the world. The writer of the song defines the apocalypse as the time when it will be revealed that mankind is not different from God.
From the poem Traveling through the dark the author informs the readers about the inconsistencies of life especially in modern days. The author of this poem isolates certain statements to show how life can be challenging especially for the men (Stafford N.p.). A conclusion is arrived at that the poem though pessimistic at first glance, serves to illustrate the disappointments in life.
The author of the poem for instance picks out the theme of loneliness which has been highlighted in the poem as well as the issue of failed dreams to further drive home his point. He identifies a point from the essay showing how difficult it is for most people to accept the bitter truths of life.
As a reader of the poem, it is very easy to come to the conclusion that the poem is a broad life metaphor. The author cites certain social issues and highlights them in the poem to give his argument substance. For instance we can pick a point from the poem which speaks of how life passes by way too fast to the extent that individuals would like to go back and relive it again.
Finally we can come to a conclusion that the entire poem just seeks to show how disappointments in life can never come to an end as long as an individual is alive. We arrive at this thought citing the way the poet has used the imagery of the river to show a flow in the sequence of life events.
Ideas expressed in the poem and the song which present in the show 24
The poem Traveling through the dark and the song The Future both emphasize strong points which can directly relate to the themes expressed in the show 24. The song highlights the manifestation of the apocalypse cannot be more wrong by focusing on the fact that man will get punished for evil deeds done on earth.
Though this is derived from the Christian point of view, it is evident from the show 24 that mankind is constantly planning the downfall of fellow human beings. Jack Bauer moves from one case to another all the time saving people from killing each other.
From the second season where Bauer manages to halt the detonation of a nuclear bomb to the third season where he halts the trade of killer viruses in underground markets, to the sixth season where he blocks extremists from once again setting off nuclear explosives, it is evident that man will get punished in the end for this sort of deliberate destructions.
The author of the song picks the Buddhist explanation that the apocalypse is happening here and now. It is clear from the show 24 that wrong deeds cannot go unpunished and that the truth will always set individuals free. Bauer is able to halt the actions of terrorists and other criminal groups plotting evil on innocent individuals.
Most of these culprits have their lives cut short as they are felled by bullets or are arrested. When Bauer is framed for the murder of his friends in season five, it is only when he goes out to seek the truth that he is cut loose. It also comes as a chance for the criminals to face their due punishment.
From the poem Traveling through the dark, it is easy to draw parallels between the poem and the television show 24. The author of the poem categorically points out that his work is on the regular disappointments that men face in their lives. Jack Bauer comes a lot of challenges in the never ending quest that his life has become. Sometimes the people that he is trying to save are the ones who turn on him and plot to get rid of him.
He is presented in the show as a very lonely person because he never gets proper time to settle down. The relationships he has especially with women are not quite meaningful because he often has to distant himself from individuals in order to protect them from attacks by terrorists and other criminals.
The metaphor of life’s challenges as a river presents in the series 24 in the sense that from the first season to the current ninth season, issues keep following Jack Bauer. For instance, even when he goes into hiding and everybody thinks he is dead, criminals manage to kill his friends and frame him for the murders forcing him back into the investigative field.
Conclusion
In conclusion it is worth noting that art is mainly based on thematic subjection. This is more so in writing and film where meaning can be achieved from a given piece of work if a proper analysis of the themes that the work is based on are clearly identified. This paper has shown how parallels can be drawn between a television show a piece of literary work and a song.
Works Cited
Cohen, Leonard. “The Future.” A-Z Lyrics.com. A-Z. Web.
The data collected for the current research is taken from the first four episodes of the Japanese TV drama 14 Sai no Haha or 14 Year Old Mother. The analysis is conducted on the basis of the expressions, language use, tone, emotions and other specific language characteristics used by the characters in the movie.
Much attention is paid to the main characters, the level of their education, their politeness and the ability to conduct conversations. The choice of words and expressions is analyzed as well. To be specific, the language of the four main characters is analyzed with the remarks to the use of words and expressions. Moreover, the issues which impact language and the choice of the patterns mentioned above are also considered in this research paper.
Miki, the main character of the drama, Tadohiko, her father, Satoshi, Miki’s boyfriend and Shisuka, Miki’s mother are the central subjects whose language is analyzed in this work. Moreover, some specific expressions and intonations of other students are going to be considered to stress the universality of language use by teenagers.
The data is collected with the stress on subjects’ age, their intelligence and education as these factors are considered to be the main in the choice of the words. The data collected for Miki’s language use and that of other students is important as it helps us check the impact of surrounding world on teenagers.
Using the data of Miki’s expressions and those of other students in the drama helps us make conclusions that teenagers are impacted by similar factors (Fong, 2010). Thus, the data gathered from the first four episodes is going to be practically supported.
The Method
The research is based on observation and data analysis. Four first episodes of the Japanese drama 14 Sai no Haha are going to be watched. While watching those episodes, we are going to check the intonations, tones, expressions, used words and word combinations of the main characters.
Having identified four main subjects, we are going to follow their communication through all the episodes, consider their impact on each other and their language use in different situations. Thus, much attention is paid to specific cases when Miki is involved in communication and to people she talks to. The same concerns others subjects of the research. The research participants use words and expressions while talking to classmates, teachers, parents, colleagues, etc.
These are considered to be the central issues for research while watching a drama. Intonation and pronunciation also play important role as these characterises of language are considered to impact the choice of words and are affected by the situation. We are going to watch the four first episodes and write down colloquial phrases used by the subjects chosen for data analysis.
Then, we plan to analyze the observed results with the identification of the number of used interjections, colloquial words, or, vice versa, highly intelligent words. All specific language is going to be gathered in particular groups and organized in a table with stating the intensity and frequency of being used by specific characters. This may help us understand the use of language by different social and age groups.
The Framework
The research methodology and especially the choice of the characteristics used for the analysis are gathered on the basis of the discussion conducted by Berns (2000). He pays attention to age, social groups, gender, education, and occupation. Making a sociolinguistic analysis of the language used by four identified subjects, the attention should be paid to sounds and pronunciation. Using the experience shared by Berns (2000), we have understood that people use their language.
Thus, they do not communicate in the same way all the time. Berns (2000) states that people constantly change their manner and styles in communication depending on situation and the main purposes they pursue; he is sure that people use different language style and expressions when they talk to “co-workers, neighbours and friends, interacting with clients, students or car mechanics, buying or selling a commodity, scolding or soothing a child; asking for help or giving an order; extending or declining an invitation; excluding someone from a conversation; or seeking identity with a speech community” (p. 556).
Therefore, using the mentioned framework, we want to prove that some people change their communication style while communicating in different situations. We also check the idea that depending on human social status, age, and the place of work, they use different language. Therefore, some conclusions drawn by Berns (2000) helped us state the research questions and identify the principles of the research.
Results
Miki
According to the plot, Miki is a student who runs a school radio program. Considering Miki’s intonation, it may be noticed that she is very emotional. Her reaction to the situations and the words is burst and impressive. Her tone is sharp even when she talks to her teachers and parents. She does not express her direct dissatisfaction or does not sound rude, but the tome she uses, the intonation she applies and the pronunciation of words she implements points at her age.
Her emotiveness is expressed via a number of phrases which are repeated consequentially, such as “I did it” (when Miki leaves school when classes are on), “Come” (when she wants to secure a puppy), “It’s okay” and “That’s me” (when a puppy is saved). Turning to the language she uses, it should be stated that short phrases, colloquial expressions and standard word-combinations dominate in her language.
The most common phrases she uses are as follows, “It’s fine”, “O-ouch”, “Yeah”, “It’s okay”, and “Kind of” are the phrases which support Miki’s communication during all the episodes. Moreover, she uses reduced forms of the words, like “coz’” in her speech. Moreover, Miki uses such colloquial expressions as “It’s stupid” or “It’s a big deal” (Ken, Chizu, Toya, & Noriyoshi, 2006). Looking at the situations and the use of language, Miki answers with short statements when she is nervous and when she talks to her parents or teachers. At the same time, she tries to remain speechless talking to authorities, which seems to be a cultural sign.
Satoshi
Satoshi is also a high-school student. He is one of those characters who prefer to remain silent. However, the phrases he uses are informative and always to the point. However, it is impossible to say that he is too intelligent and sincere. His phrases are often grammatically incorrect. The way Satoshi communicates can be considered via the following dialog he leads with Miki over the telephone:
Miki (M): Kiki-chan? It’s me.
Satoshi (S): You want something?
M: Kind of.
S: What is it?
M: Un, “What”, you say, nothing, really, but…
S: Sorry, my home tutor is coming
M: Ah, I see… (Ken, Chizu, Toya, & Noriyoshi, 2006)
This small phone conversation helps draw a number of conclusions. First of all, the age and the scope of knowledge the participants of the conversation possess are on the low level. Moreover, it is obvious that students lead the conversation as the specific vocabulary is used. Moreover, all the phrases used by Satoshi are monosyllabic. He talks interruptedly, without using long sentences. It shows that a person does not have wide vocabulary and the scope of his knowledge is too little.
Tadohiko
Tadohiko is Miki’s father. According to the plot he is a respected man who occupies a good position. However, his manner of communicating with clients and family differs greatly. Using such exclamations as “Hey” or “Eh” (Ken, Chizu, Toya, & Noriyoshi, 2006) he shows lack of intelligence.
His intonation in the family differs depending on the situation; he can be strict and funny, severe and kind. At the same time, talking to the clients, he is kind and even greasy, which is expressed in his way of talking. Even though that Tadohiko talks not that intelligent in the family circle, his grammar is perfect.
Shisuka
Shisuka is Miki’s mother. She uses long sentences which are full of sense. She rarely uses short statements and remark. Her manner of speaking reminds that of a lecture who wants to put as much sense in one sentence as she can. No matter who she is turning to, her phrases cannot be called meaningless. Shisuka’s speech is sometimes filled out with negations. It says about her hidden desire to avoid some specific situation, to refuse from understanding something important.
Returning to Shisuka’s way of speech, several sentences are going to be offered as the examples. Being informative, Shisuka’s sentences are grammatically correct. Here is a dialog between Miki’s father, Tadohiko, and Miki’s mother, Shisuka, to show the difference in their communication styles, even though their age and education is similar.
The situation is as follows, the mother is called to school. Parents do not know for sure what is going to be there, but they know that it is connected with the pregnancy of their daughter. This dialog perfectly discloses the characters of the participants of the communication, their reaction to stressful situations. Much information can be considered from the language itself, as well as the intonations the participants use.
F (Father): if the school’s found out, after all… it might be a simple course consultation, or a request for help with bazaar.
M (Mother): I guess not. Eh? There’s no other reason to be called in.
F: How can you… say with such a calm expression?
M: Panicking won’t change the situation, right (Ken, Chizu, Toya, & Noriyoshi, 2006)?
The monolog in the hospital, where Shisuka talks to her daughter about responsibility also deserves attention, “When raising a baby, there is no break. Look… There’s days off from schools or companies, right? But… with a baby there is none. Coz’ if you’re absent-minded for even a moment, it might die. It’s such a small, weak life. Can you raise one? As you are now, can you raise one?” (Ken, Chizu, Toya, & Noriyoshi, 2006).
Considering the information in this monologue from stylistic points of view, it is possible to notice many words with negative meaning (e.g. die, weak, absent-minded) and negations. Using those words and forms, mother wanted to impact her daughter mentally, on the consciousness level. This shows us that mother is a clever woman, apart from the father who cried on his daughter thinking that such behaviour would give any results.
Discussion
Dwelling upon the results of our research, we are going to rely on the information and results obtained in other specific research. To begin with, it should be mentioned that considering the use of language, intonation, and pronunciation, tone and vocabulary used in the conversations in the first four episodes from the series 14 Sai no Haha much information may be obtained.
Even without looking at people, only listening to their conversations, it is possible to say the age and social position, the level of education and the literacy of those who take part in communication.
The similarity in language used by father and daughter is observed. Both of them use too many exclamations, both of them apply the same words in the same situations, and similarly react to the events. This conclusion may be applied to the research conducted by Mancilla-Martinez and Lesaux (2011) who have proved that the vocabulary of children is formulated at home at the age of 4 years.
Three of four subjects used short phrases in their communication. Watt (2010) explains this by the impact of innovative technologies. Using the Internet as the means for communication, people get used to use short phrases which are easier for typing. Therefore, people do not notice how such way of communication comes into their lives.
Thus, being high school students, Miki and Satoshi use online communication like all students do it. Miki’s father uses the Internet for communicating as the part of his job. Working as a waiter, Miki’s mother got used to live conversations and short meaningless phrases are not met in her talk.
Gender also plays much in the conversations and the choice of the words. Considering the dialog between Miki and Satoshi presented in the results section, and other conversations, especially those which were held between Miki’s mother and a school director, it may be seen that women are more polite, their language is more affective, wile men prefer to operate with facts and strictly express their opinion.
The same conclusions are drawn in the research based on Chinese personal letters written by men and women (Cao, 2007). At the same time, individual, microsocial and macrosocial environment also impacts the choice of words (de Luna & Suberbiola, 2008). Language used at school before the whole class differs from that Miki uses when she quarrels with her friend, the quarrel also takes place at school.
Thus, when the whole class looks at Miki, she speaks in a polite matter, choosing the words which suits the situation and do not sound sharp. However, while quarrel because of a disk, girl used another language. The words were stronger and their negative meaning was directed at each other.
One of the main outcomes of this research is the possibility to draw a conclusion that home communication impacts students’ choice of words in classroom. Having a mother who expresses her thoughts strictly, with sentences full of meaning, Miki also tries to use this pattern in her communication.
This is seen during her radio program. At the same time, school influence is also noticed (Brown, Hammond, & Onlkama, 1997; Changying, 2010). Lovelace (2006) is sure that the differences in cultural patterns at school and at home may bring a number of problems in the choice of language and communication in general. However, watching the series, no specific differences were connoted. Vice versa, the similarity in attitude in the respect to many issues is observed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it should be stated that the research conducted on the basis of the Japanese television series 14 Sai no Haha or 14 Year Old Mother has shown that human choice of language depends on many factors. First of all, the situation plays much role. Appearing in various circumstances, people think differently, and the use of their language becomes purposeful.
Thus, to reach specific goals people use different constructions, intonations, and even grammatical forms. Moreover, the language depends from the gender. Women tend to express their feelings and ideas more emotionally, more polite, while men prefer to use factual language, without stylistic devices, etc. The language of teenagers is shorter and more impressive. The influence of innovative technologies is seen.
Therefore, the use of language in communication helps consider much about a person, his/her social status, education, etc. Further research should be conducted with the reference to the impact of human language by globalization, innovative technologies and media referring to the real-life situations. Much attention should be paid to the differences in the age groups of the subjects.
Reference List
Berns, M. (2000). Sociolinguistics. In Routledge Encyclopedia of Language Teaching & Learning (pp. 555-560). New York: Taylor & Francis Ltd / Books.
Brown, Z. A., Hammond, O. W., & Onlkama, D. L. (1997). Language use at home and school: A synthesis of research for pacific educators. Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, pp. 1-26.
Cao, X. (2007). The effect of age and gender on the choice of address forms in Chinese personal letters. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 11(3), 392-407.
Changying, L. (2010). Home Language: A Stigma or a Vehicle to Literacy? Literacy Learning: The Middle Years, 18(1), 26-40.
de Luna, I., & Suberbiola, P. (2008). Measuring student language use in the school context. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 21(1), 59-68.
Fong, E. (2010). Changing intergroup relations with Mainland Chinese: An analysis of changes in Hong Kong movies as a popular cultural discourse. Multilingua, 29(1), 29-53.
Ken, M., & Chizu, A. (Producers), & Toya, S. & Noriyoshi, S. (Directors). (2006). 14 Sai no Haha. [Television series]. Tokyo: NTV.
Lovelace, S. R. (2006). Cultural discontinuity between home and school language socialization patterns: Implications for teachers. Education, 127(2), 303-309.
Mancilla-Martinez, J., & Lesaux, N. K. (2011). Early home language use and later vocabulary development. Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(3), 535-546.
Watt, H. (2010). How Does the Use of Modern Communication Technology Influence Language and Literacy Development? A Review. Contemporary Issues in Communication Science & Disorders, 38, 141-148.
The high school football drama, Friday Night Lights, is a great piece of literary work. This is a great television drama, which reflects different literary characteristics, just like other literary works, such as poems, novels, short stories, paintings, plays, and others (Heffernan 1).
While there are non-literary works, they tend to be formal with clear structures and form, precise function, and style. This essay focuses on the use of characters, plot or episodes, and storyline to show that Friday Night Lights is literary.
Friday Night Lights has characters that meet qualities of other characters in works of literature. Characters are people in the narrative or the television series. The television series has round characters, who appear to be complex and experience several development and surprise audience. Characters vary from one episode to the next one.
However, the focus remains on the main character, the Panthers’ football coach Eric Taylor (Berg 1). The director creates a coach who must struggle to balance his roles as a father, his status as a coach for a demand fans, and his own ambitions. Another character is Tami Taylor, the coach’s wife. She becomes a principal at Dillon High School from a counselor.
In addition, Julie Taylor, the teenage daughter of the coach is also a central character in the series. However, it is only Tami and the coach who appear in all episodes of show. Tension sets in the family as Tami gets pregnant and gives birth to another baby. Julie rebels against her parents.
Players are also important characters in the television drama. Football players also change as the plot develops. For instance, Jason Street is the star quarterback who sustains a serious injury that would eventually get him out of the game and make him handicapped. Jason must struggle in order to adjust to his new life. Lyla Garrity also changes from a cheerleader to a youth leader at the church.
The television series depicts characters who struggle and develop to pick up new roles or responsibilities in their lives. Generally, the show depicts various characters of a small town, Dillon who must deal with several challenges in the contemporary American society associated with football. These characters must develop to handle family issues, life lessons, child issues, abortion, alcoholism, football and school funding, and poor economic progress and opportunities.
Friday Night Lights has five seasons, which present the plot of the drama. The plot of the drama is engaging to viewers. A plot presents incidents of the drama to viewers. It is the structure of the drama. Every episode in the drama has a ‘whole’ element of a plot i.e., beginning, middle, and end.
The beginning sets the pace for the rest of the drama. For instance, season one focuses on two crucial events, which are the rise of Coach Taylor to the position of the head coach and the injury of Street. These are events, which affect and lead the first season to its end. They show cause-and-effect chain in the drama.
This television series has complete plots to reflect unity of actions. In other words, all episodes structurally self-supporting in which all incidents are bound together through internal action and necessity, which lead to next incidents. However, this television series presents an episodic plot in which episodes succeed one another.
It is the events of the play, which tight the play together because they happen to the same characters, who appear in all episodes of the drama. For instance, in episode one, we have Coach Taylor who will take the team throughout the last episode four. One must recognize that events change in every episode. Nevertheless, they happen to the same coach and other characters who appear in all episodes. This brings element of unity in Friday Night Lights.
Finally, the plot of the television drama reflects elements of a certain magnitude in terms of length, intensity, complexity, and universal significance. Episodes or seasons in this television are not too brief. The director strived to include several themes in organic unity to enhance the richness and artistic value.
For example, in season four, the Coach struggles with undesirable players and dilapidated ground. Vince Howard reflects youth challenges in society and justice while a character like Matt Saracen struggles to find a balance in his life. The episode also reflects grief and loss as Matt struggles to come to terms with the death of his father in Iraq.
This episode also shows how Tim Riggins has developed to a reliable and focused character from a hopeless alcoholic. At the same time, the play has universal significant and meaning to many viewers. Hence, the drama is able to capture and hold emotions of viewers.
The storyline of Friday Night Lights reflects that the work is literary. The director uses a story arc to present the storyline. A story arc applies in a running storyline with episodic plots. It was common in television series, films, or other comic books. The story director explores story details in several episodes and seasons. It is a common method, which drives drama in a story.
The storyline is able to attract several viewers and develop fans who follow and discuss different episodes. The development of the storyline raises questions among viewers. For instance, in season two, viewers may wonder whether Coach Taylor would ever return to Dillon after taking a new role as an assistant coach TMU. At the end of the episode, viewers will find a solution to their question as the coach goes back to Dillon.
As the storyline develops, viewers also raise questions whether several economic, social, racial, and political challenges that afflict Dillon would end. Viewers also appreciate the importance of football Dillon because it is able to hold the community together. Still, curious viewers would understand how football or sports could highlight social and economic challenges in American societies where football is core.
The essay has used characters, plot, and storyline to illustrate that Friday Night Lights is a television series that meets all qualities of a literary work. The process of writing a literary drama is intense, intricate, intuitive, and intimate and sometimes emotional, yet it requires a balance between all these agents of literary styles. The story uses round characters who develop and change as events in the drama unfold.
Viewers identify with these characters as they confront and struggle to overcome their daily challenges, desires, and anxieties to change and win. The plot, through episodes and seasons, artistically puts events of the story together for viewers while the storyline maintain coherence of all episodes that make Friday Night Lights.
Works Cited
Berg, Peter, dir. Friday Night Lights. 2006. Film.
Shuga is a three-part television drama targeting the young people (19 – 30years) in Kenya. The drama series has been on air since 2009 and has been media hyped and seriously marketed on radio, television and outdoor (screen adverts, billboards and banners). The program has mainly focused on a group of young friends who are students in local universities, and who tries to explore the complexities of love, sex and money. The television series shows sexual behaviour including sexual involvement which has “numerous partners, sexual exploitation, and alcohol abuse” making young people more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS among other sexually transmitted diseases (Hopkins 10). The series has been filmed in Nairobi, and it is aired in three main television stations. These stations are Kenyan citizen, Nation Television (NTV) and Kenya Television Network (KTN). “The series aims to lift the lid on the reckless sex lives and loves that many Kenyan youths and their partners live” (Hopkins 10). It highlights key issues that cause spread of HIV/AIDS and the stigma involved with it. It also focuses on alcohol and drug abuse as some of the factors that have influenced or cause moral decay among the Kenyan youths. The series has gained popularity although among youths as well as adults.
Factors of Influence on Kenyan Youth
The drama series is based on three aspects, Love, Sex and Money. These three seem to be pivotal in influencing behaviour of Kenyan youths on day to day live. It focuses on how youths live a complicated live pegged on the three issues. Although the series focuses on university students, the behaviour is spread among all the youths in general. The key issues that come out in the series are dangerous sex involving multiple partners, unsafe sex, the need to know ones HIV/AIDS status, and stigma associated with being positive(John Hopkins 19). It also emphasizes on influence of money and loose life that youths are engaging in on day to day life ending up exposing themselves into dangers of contracting HIV/AIDS. According to survey conducted on the impact of HIV/AIDS in the Kenyan education, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is generally higher in the urban areas by average of 11-12%.While most AIDS deaths occur between the ages of 25-35 among men, among 20-30 years (GoK, 14). If this statistics are anything to go by, then it is the high time that television series like Shuga should be highly produced and watched.
Subsequently, a survey was conducted by the Johns Hopkins University (22) with the aim of determining how many Kenyan youths had watched Shuga. The results of the survey showed that 60% of Kenyan youth had watched Shuga, Others had heard about it from their peers and hence awareness of the same is high among youths. Those who had viewed confirmed that they knew the main messages, and “could identify lessons to be learned. The study also showed that about 50% of groups of viewers interviewed had discussed characters and messages with close friends, and peers with the aim of gaining more understanding on what the series is all about. They have also talked about it with family and acquaintances”. The study shows that very few (about 15%) took time to discuss the characters and message with their spouses or sex partners. It also reveals that over 90% of Kenyans thought that the show had positively influenced their perspective about love, sex and money and has impacted greatly on their thinking and behaviour on the same issues. The study also show that more people were now more than willing to take HIV testing voluntarily after watching the series (GoK 22).
HIV/AIDS Problem for Young People
The television series “Shuga”, aims to provoke and initiate talks and open discussion about the dangers of HIV/AIDS among peers, relatives and partners. It also enlighten viewers on how to live positively if infected and how to protect yourself and others from the infection as well as reducing stigma the HIV/AIDS infected persons. The series stresses on the reality of HIV/AIDS and the use of protection such as condom among sexually active youths, safe sex, healthy living, and effects of excessive alcohol consumption on our health and life in general. All through the series, different characters are brought into play to portray some of the challenges that young people go through in higher institution of learning and society as a whole.
It also casts characters that engage in risky pre-marital sex with random persons they meet in clubs and entertainment joints where they happen to spend most of their time which is health risk behaviour. Other characters include cheating husbands, predatory male relatives, and unfaithful love relationships among youths. Shuga highlights and aims at addressing challenges of sex, money and love in the Kenya society in an entertaining way, without losing the focus on the message. The study by Johns Hopkins research team reaffirmed the effectiveness of Shuga, and its influence on behaviour change in relations to HIV/AIDS among university students and common youths in the society (Johns Hopkins, 28).
Overall, the content of Shuga is informative on sexual and social issues affecting the life of youths in Kenya, educative on love, money, safe sex and HIV/AIDS, the characters and context is localized, the themes are issues that affect the Kenya youth everyday’s life, quality production and entertaining. As a viewer or listener of any media, McQuail (213) assets the reason for media existence is to educate, inform, entertain and act as a watchdog in the society. In this case, Shuga has taken the role of media to the Kenya youth and society at large and has greatly influenced the society on thinking about sex matters. There before, very few parents, partners or peers could discuss HIV/AIDS freely, but after the introduction of Shuga, things have changed. The effects of Shuga as proved from John Hopkins survey is an indication of the role the media plays in shaping the attitudes and perceptions of viewers. Just as, Davin (98) insists that regular viewing of an ongoing series enhances viewers’ identification with program. Since, the viewer assesses the advantages and disadvantages of various actions, engages with the story, discusses the storyline and feels more involved. The feeling of involvement has been found to increase attention and comprehension (Celsi and Olson, 88).
According to Bandura (77), apart from peer and parental role models, media is of particular importance in shaping cultural attitudes and behavior. Baran (214) has suggested that audiences decode or interpret media texts in ways that are related to their social and cultural circumstances. Gerber et al (178) notes that television is the chief creator of synthetic patterns (entertainment and information) for the most heterogeneous mass publics history, including large groups that have never shared in any common public messages. Additionally, Livingstone (17) concluded that a role for the viewer is introduced in having to make the causal inferences between motives, actions, and consequences.
Works Cited
Baran, S., J. Introduction to mass communication: media literacy and culture (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. 2010. Print
Baran, S., J., & Davis, D., K. Mass communication theory: foundations, ferment, and future (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth CENGAGE Learning. 2009. Print.
Celsi, R.,L., & Olson J., C., The role of involvement in attention and comprehension process. Journal of consumer research, 1988: 210-224. Print.
John’s Hopkins, Evaluation of HIV/AIDS prevention and education campaign,(2010). Gerbner, G., Gross, L., Morgan, M., & Signorielli, N. Living with television: The dynamics of the cultivation process. In J. a. Bryant (Ed.), Media effects: advances in the theory and research. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum. 1986. Print.
Livingstone, S. Making sense of television: The psychology of audience interpretation (2nd ed.). London: Routledge, 1998. Print.
McQuail, D. Mass communication theory (5th ed.). London: Sage Publications. 2005.Print.
Government of Kenya (GoK), The impact of HIV/AIDS on education in kenya, and the potential of using education in the widest sense for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDs, Nairobi, Government Press, 2000. Print.
This essay aims to analyze several stressful issues, raised in such TV series as ER and their relevance to the present-day health care system in Canada. In particular, it is necessary to discuss the episode Viable Options, and the questions, explored in this film, namely 1) the consumerism of Medicare and the relations between physicians and patients; 2) the distribution of medical services and the criteria for decision making; 3) the disclosure of diagnosis and ethical dilemmas, faced by medical workers. On the whole, these are the problems, which practitioners have to resolve on a daily basis, not only in Canada but all over the world.
The consumerism of the health care system
As it has been mentioned before, the most important question, discussed in Viable Options is the consumerism of health care system. In order to substantiate this argument, one should first briefly summarize the plot of this episode, at least one of the storylines. Dr. Covac is forced to determine which of the patients will get the only available kidney. One of them is a relatively well-to-do person, whereas the other is poorly insured. Covac decides in favor of the latter, and soon he is suspended. It is not a gross exaggeration to claim that health care in Canada has become highly commercialized and subsequently this gives rise to many adverse consequences and even incites medical workers to break their ethical principles, which is undoubtedly not acceptable.
Probably it would be more prudent for us to refer to some works, dedicated to this problem, for example, to the research article: Consumer Access to Health Care: basic right 21st century challenge, written by Mary Jones. The author analyzes the peculiarities of Medicare in Canada and the United States, because it is possible to draw some parallels between them. Her overarching thesis is that in the present-day community, there are certain layers or strata of society that are not able to get recourse to qualified medical services. Additionally, she states that medical institutions and authorities are not trying to alleviate the situation in any way (Jones, 2000, p 224). According to her, the consumer approach to such a sphere is ethically off-limits, because, it makes practitioners assume prejudiced attitudes toward some of their patients and spoils the overall image of the profession. As for this issue, we may take a closer look at the statistical data, indicating that the image of a medical worker has suffered a considerable blow, and some people do not assume a very favorable position toward the representatives of this profession, just because the relations between them have taken a different course and become more mercantile (Ramsay, 2004, p. 388).
Naturally, one cannot deny the fact that the services of the medical workers are chargeable, but is it really permissible to transform the hospital into some kind of shop, or supermarket, affordable only for very few? In this respect, we can mention Crag Ramsays book Health Care Reform and the Law in Canada. The scholar also claims that the consumer approach in the medical system creates a vast chasm between profit and non-profit clinics. Certainly, it can be partly ascribed to insufficient financing and lack of government support. The author believes that at present medical institutions are left to their own devices and are compelled to develop certain strategies for surviving. As a result, the relations between the physician and the patient have undergone a drastic change. They have become more commercialized as if between the buyer and seller. In his belief, the most tragic thing is that every physician who deviates from this rule is treated as some outcast. Such behavior has been eloquently described in Viable Options. The ideas, expressed in this film seem to be well-grounded that even though any would-be physician may be very reluctant to admit this fact.
The distribution of medical services
It is quite possible for us to single out another question, which is closely intertwined with the previous one; we should primarily speak about the distribution of medical services and criteria or principles of decision making. Traditionally, it is believed that there are guidelines for such situations and any practitioner must adhere to them in all circumstances. One of them is justice. At first glance, such a statement may seem rather commonplace, and self-evident. Nevertheless, this issue has always been a subject of heated debate. What are the criteria for decision-making? How can we decide who needs medical resources most? It should be kept in mind that Dr. Covac decided in favor of a poorly-insured man just because he was in urgent need of operation any delay could prove fatal. However, this decision was not approved by the administration of the hospital. At this point, we may suggest the problems of Medicare in the United States are strikingly analogous to those ones in Canada.
On the whole, one has to acknowledge that unfortunately this episode is quite evidence-based and it is possible to draw numerous examples that currently, health Medicare in Canada leaves much to be desired. We may elaborate this argument by the observations, made by one of the students in the emergency department. There is no necessity to name this medical institution, yet the event appears almost outrageous. He saw a person with a heavily injured hand wait in the line for a considerable amount of time because he was underinsured. Moreover, no one was willing to assist him. The thing is that such cases are not singular and they can be observed throughout the country.
The disclosure of diagnosis
As far as ethical dilemmas are concerned, we may speak another very important moment in the episode. It also explores the relations between the physician and the patient. Dr. Chen is inclined to tell one of the patients that her father suffers from Huntington’s Disease (practically a terminal illness), but Mark opposes this idea and prevents his colleague from disclosing the diagnosis. Scholars and physicians have not come to an agreement as to this question. On the one hand, the patient and his or her relatives have the right to know the truth, and it is the duty of a doctor to provide accurate and concise information, he or she must not conceal or distort the facts. But sometimes, this rule is not quite applicable because the disclosure may inflict severe emotional trauma and lead to unpredicted complications. One cannot provide any guidelines for solving this very complicated because much depends on the specific circumstances and we cannot make any generalizations. Perhaps, a practitioner should first remember such principles as nonmaleficence (do not harm). We should always take into consideration the possible aftermaths of the disclosure, if it may only hurt the patient or make his or her life intolerable, probably some facts should be concealed or at least not fully revealed. This issue has always been animatedly discussed by many practitioners and some of them insist that there really the facts must never be kept back, for example in Japan, the physician is obliged by law to tell all the truth to the patient whereas in Canada or the United States there is practically no legal interpretation (Veatch, 1997, p 88). In Viable Options, the filmmakers only compare opposing views on this question and show how medical workers may approach this question.
Conclusion
To conclude, the ER episode Viable Options reflects certain issues, which have become rather urgent, namely, the consumerism in the health care system and its adverse consequences. Despite the fact that the action takes place in the United States, similar cases can be observed in Canada as well. The scholars argue this phenomenon transforms the relations between the patient and physician, which now reminds the interactions between the buyer and seller. Such conditions may force a practitioner to violate the rules of his or her professional ethics. he impacts of consumerism only begin to manifest themselves yet even at this moment it can be observed that this phenomenon gradually undermines the functioning of the health care system. Apart from that, this episode illustrates the distribution of health care services and the decision-making process in a medical institution. Moreover, we may speak about the choice between the disclosure and concealment of information to the patient. There is no general pattern for solving this problem, except for the principles of nonmaleficence. The questions that we have analyzed here are vital for the Canadian Health Care system as well as for any other.
Bibliography
Crag Ramsay (2004). “Health Care Reform and the Law in Canada: Meeting the Challenge”. American Review of Canadian Studies, (34), pp. 386-390.
Joa Pric Boase (1996). “Health Care Reform or Health Care Rationing?”. Canadian-American Public Policy, (26), pp. 1-28.
Mary Gardiner Jones (2000). “Consumer Access to Health Care: Basic Right 21st Century Challenge”. Journal of Consumer Affairs (26), 2, pp. 221-227.
Robert M. Veatch (1997). “Medical ethics”. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.