Concept of Data Management

Avon, Mary Kay and Estee Lauder Resume Animal Testing

Avon, Mary Kay and Estee Lauder Resume Animal Testing In February of 2012, PETA discovered that Avon, Mary Kay, and Estee Lauder had resumed animal testing. The three companies had each been cruelty-free for over 20 years, but since China requires cosmetics to be tested on animals, all three companies now pay for their products to be tested on animals. For a short while, Urban Decay also planned to start animal testing but announced in July of 2012 that they would not test on animals and would not sell in China. While none of these are completely vegan companies, they have been considered cruelty-free because they did not test on animals. Urban Decay takes the extra step of identifying vegan products with a purple paw symbol, but not all Urban Decay products are vegan. Testing cosmetics and personal care products on animals are not required by U.S. law unless the product contains a new chemical. In 2009, the European Union banned cosmetics testing on animals, and that ban went into full effect in 2013. In 2011, U.K. officials announced an intention to ban animal testing of household products, but that ban has not yet been enacted. Avon and Animal Testing Avons animal welfare policy now states: Some select products may be required by law in a few countries to undergo additional safety testing, which potentially includes animal testing, under the directive of a government or health agency. In these instances, Avon will first attempt to persuade the requesting authority to accept non-animal test data. When those attempts are unsuccessful, Avon must abide by local laws and submit the products for additional testing. According to Avon, testing their products on animals for these foreign markets is not new, but it appears that PETA removed them from the cruelty-free list because PETA has become more aggressive advocates in the global arena. Avons Breast Cancer Crusade (funded by Avons popular breast cancer walk) is on the Humane Seal list of approved charities that dont fund animal research. Estee Lauder Estee Lauders animal testing statement reads, We do not conduct animal testing on our products or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law. Mary Kay Mary Kays animal testing policy explains: Mary Kay does not conduct animal testing on its products or ingredients, nor ask others to do so on its behalf, except when absolutely required by law. There is only one country where the company operates – among more than 35 around the world – where that is the case and where the company is required by law to submit products for testing – China. Urban Decay Of the four companies, Urban Decay had had the most support in the vegan/animal rights community because they identify their vegan products with a purple paw symbol. The company even distributes free samples through The Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics, which certifies cruelty-free companies with their Leaping Bunny symbol. While Avon, Mary Kay, and Estee Lauder may have offered some vegan products, they had not specifically marketed those products to vegans and did not make it easy to identify their vegan products. Urban Decay had planned to sell their products in China, but received so much negative feedback, the company reconsidered: After careful consideration of many issues, we have decided not to start selling Urban Decay products in China . . . Following our initial announcement, we realized that we needed to step back, carefully review our original plan, and talk to a number of individuals and organizations that were interested in our decision. We regret that we were unable to respond immediately to many of the questions we received, and appreciate the patience our customers have shown as we worked through this difficult issue. Urban Decay is now back on the Leaping Bunny list and PETAs cruelty-free list. While Avon, Estee Lauder, and Mary Kay claim to oppose animal testing, as long as they are paying for animal tests anywhere in the world, they can no longer be considered cruelty-free.

Assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Assignment 1 - Essay Example The chief executive officer is Tim Armstrong (AOL, Inc. 2013). The company is committed to conducting operations in ways that conserve the environment through reduction of energy consumption in computer servers, implementing energy-efficient data centers, reduction in carbon footprint, green building, and recycling of plastic bottles, toner cartridges and aluminum cans (AOL, Inc. 2013). The company has strengthened communities through employee volunteers, donation of computer labs, empowering consumers like users of Huffing post, supporting the advertising partners like through AOL network and advocating for internet integrity and safety (Benn and Bolton, 2011). The company has a diversified workforce that caters for wide range of interests and needs (AOL, Inc. 2013). In addition, the compensation is fair and employment practices prohibit discrimination (AOL, Inc. 2013). However, the company must increase resources committed to social responsibility activities by at least 10 percent of the annual revenues and use at least 5 percent of the profits in promoting internet safety and integrity values. The primary stakeholders have a direct interest in AOL, Inc decision-making and operations and include shareholders, customers, government, creditors, employees, strategic advertising partners, and communities (Benn and Bolton, 2011). The secondary stakeholders have an indirect interest in AOL, Inc operations and include labor unions, the media, competitors, advocacy groups, and research centers. The primary stakeholders are either positively or negatively affected by the decisions of the management while the secondary stakeholders are not directly affected by the actions of the management (Benn and Bolton, 2011). The primary stak

Mechanisms determining Temperature of the climate Essay

Mechanisms determining Temperature of the climate - Essay Example ave expressed high sense of will power towards the combating of climate change, their major problem has been on the specific steps to take in implementing the various policies that are suggested among climate change advocates. As a step towards solving this problem, this report is targeted towards drafting a policy that will be well defined in the strategies and principles. This is to say that the major component of the policy report will be to spell out the policies and ways of implementing them in a language that will be eaily understood by all users of the policy. Again, the policy in itself will aim at curbing the dangers associated with climate change. Further on, the various mechanisms that determine temperature in climate change will be highlighted so that needed solutions can easily be identified and worked towards. The report has been done in such a way that all terminologies that relate to climate system are defined in detail to make understanding of the report easier. In the subject of physics, we see natural and artificial mechanisms of work, involving the flow of particles and other objects. Because in the climate change, there is the flow of energy, we can generally describe the climate system as also being physics. Box (n.d) notes that â€Å"The Earth’s climate, at both global and regional scales, is the result of dynamic balances in the flows of energy, when averaged over sufficiently large time and space scales. Here, the major energy being referred to is heat energy. Most commonly, the time frame for measuring this equilibrium is twenty-five (25) years. On a global perspective, the climate system is determined on regional basis such as for countries. The mechanism that goes to play in labeling a particular region with a particular climate is a measure of the whether that has existed there for a number of years. In this direction, the Met Office (2010) explains that â€Å"climate is the average weather we expect over a long period of time.† It must

Research approach and strategy analysis

Research approach and strategy analysis In this chapter researcher has presented the problem of the research and empirical analysis has been done primarily with the in depth interviews and also used secondary literature for back up. This chapter will start with research method followed by the philosophy applied for the research. Research approach and strategy are further discussed, which will be applied during the data analysis. Researcher has further discussed the data collection method, used for the findings and discussion. Finally, concluded with the ethical constraint and limitations of research in the research. This research investigates the causes of employee in the Indian call centre industry. Formulating and clarifying the research topic is the starting point of your research project (Ghauri and Cronhaug, 2002). The Indian call centre industry is facing a huge challenge of employee turnover today which is effecting the growth of call centres in India and also loss of revenue. The HR managers have implemented various strategies to retain employees. But, still the employee turnover is at peak and in this competitive industry, its critical to find out the key reason for turnover and the present strategies in practice by the managers to reduce the turnover. Thus, the purpose of the study is to look at the key factors of turnover and best practice to minimize it, by addressing following questions: Identify the factors leading to employee turnover in the Indian Call centre industry. Find out how Recruitment and Training can contribute to Turnover. Establish the issues faced by Call centre Managers in India due to turnover. Find out the effective retention strategies by HR Managers in India. Establish whether there are any other best practices or innovative ways to reduce the employee turnover. Research Method Researcher has followed the Onion process illustrated by (Saunders et al, 2003) to start the research with the best possible outcome. F:Powerpointpe_ukPE083-SaundersFinal_FilesGifch04C04NF001.gif Source:  © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2006 Researcher has used the onion process as the research method and has followed the pattern judicially through out the chapter. The researcher has started the chapter with the outer part of the onion which is research philosophy. Here researcher has tried to explain the philosophy which he is going to use in the research. Secondly, the research approach is been discussed to find out the correct approach for this research. Researcher has gone to the next layer by discussing the research strategy followed by time horizons. Data collection method is done in the last phase of chapter and have disclosed the appropriate method used in the research. Research Philosophy The research philosophy depends on the way you think about the development of knowledge(Saunders et al, 2003). Many authors have discussed and defined research paradigms. To Guba (1990, p.17), a research paradigm is a basic set of beliefs that guide action. Research paradigm helps in understanding the investigation better as business and management researchers we need to be aware of commitment towards philosophy we make through our choice of research strategy. Johnson and Clark(2006) argues that the important issue is not so much whether our research should be philosophically informed, but it is how well we inform are able to reflect upon our philosophical choices. Corbetta (2003, p.13) presents a list of research paradigms as follows: Explanation Understanding Positivist Post-positivist Interpretivist There are two main paradigms named positivism and Interpretivism. Positivism was originated in nineteenth century, by French and English cultures and the further development was steered by the French culture (Corbetta, 2003).Positivists adopt the positive stance of the natural scientist(Saunders,2003). Corbetta (2003) says positivist paradigm is the study of social reality utilizing the conceptual framework, the techniques of observation and measurement, the instruments of mathematical analysis, and the procedures of the natural sciences. Positivism is a epistemological position that advocates the application of the methods of the natural sciences to the study of social reality and beyond(Bryman,2008). The methodology is highly structured so that replication can be facilitated. (Gill and Johnson, 1997 cited by Saunders et al,2003). Interpretivism emerged with the criticism of positivism, from researchers. The first criticism attack was made by German philosopher who said they are non homologous to the natural sciences, (Corbetta, 2003) and hence its not possible to separate researchers from their critics. Interpretivism helps in understanding the difference between humans in our role as social actors. Weber (1904, cited by Corbetta,2003) brought the concept of Verstehen into sociology which was more inclined toward objectivity rather than subjectivity of social science both in terms of general nature and value judgment. The Interpretivists aim at exploring the complexity of social phenomena with a view to gain interpretive understanding(Collins and Hussey,2009). Interpretivism overlooked the positivism approach towards subjectivity and used objectivity approach, built on the interpretations of individuals to understand the society. This opened the new era of sociological research with positivism being the forme r, the study of everyday life.(Corbetta,2003). In my case The research in planned to explore, what are the key reasons for employee leaving the organization and what can be done by HR managers to reduce the turnover. The researcher has chosen the Interpretative philosophy as the research has to deal with social issues. It has the elements like working culture within the organization, employee dissatisfaction and relationship with the management, this research aims to locate some complex social issues. The researcher conducts the in depth unstructured interviews observing the participant response to gain the understanding of research. The researcher feels Interpretivism is the most suitable method to do the further research. Research Approach According to Saunderss (2003), Deductive and Inductive are two main approaches which can be practised. Even though it does not hold any practical value, researcher argues that inductive approach owes more to Interpretivism and deductive approach to positivism. Inductive approach is generally is a bottom up approach and deductive approach is vice versa. Inductive approach starts with observation, then analyzing the data and finally developing the theory of the outcome. Deductive approach is in scientific research most of the time where you already have collected data, consequently you develop a hypothesis and decide whether to accept or reject and finally come to the conclusion with the statistics and data.(Burns and Burns,2008). It involves development of a theory that is subjected to a rigorous test and the attempt is made to verify the revised theory by going back to the first step and repeating the whole cycle(Hussey and Hussey, 1997 cited by Saunders et al,2003). Deductive theory is been criticized because of its rigid methodology that does not permit alternative explanations.(Saunders et, al). http://peoplelearn.homestead.com/induct.gif Inductive Approach http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/Assets/images/deduct.gifhttp://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQPzzir_nrIG4DS8apIXFhnySI_50Xo_nLyJa72skH2eFRV9ezgGwhttp://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQPzzir_nrIG4DS8apIXFhnySI_50Xo_nLyJa72skH2eFRV9ezgGw Deductive approach Source :(Burns and Burns,2008) In Inductive approach, researchers look into the empirical observation and draw the conclusion based on it and in Deductive approach the conclusions are made through logical reasoning. The researcher argues that inductive approach in not 100% sure about the conclusions because it is based on the empirical observation, the other approach may not be true in reality, but it is logical (Gauri and Grenhoug, 2005). The inductive approach strength is that without an understanding the human interpretation in this social world, you can make a cause-effect link between two variables.(Saunders et al,2003). Hussey (1997cited by Saunders et al,2003) says deductive approach is a dominant approach in the natural sciences where law provides the basis of explanation, permit the anticipation of phenomena, predict their occurrence and therefore allow them to be controlled. However, the science philosopher Popper (1959, cited by Gauri and Grenhoug,2005) argues though there is no such thing as objective observation and thus since theories can never be proven to be true, they can only be proven to be false. Inductive approach is generally related to the qualitative research and the deductive approach to quantitative research. Quantitative and Qualitative are the two main research methods (Blaikie, 2004). Quantitative research is generally concerned with the measurement and qualitative do not. (Layder,1993, cited by Gauri and Grohaug 2005). In qualitative research we are inclined towards the meaning and interpretation of the functioning of organization, social environment and relationships unlike in the latter where the findings arrive with statistical methods. The main difference between these research methods is not the quality but the pattern, they follow, it also depends upon the different perspective and the objective.(Gauri and Gronhaug,2005). The researcher has used the combined approach for the research as it gives the best outcome possible and gives more advantage to the research.(Saunders et al,2003). Qualitative Research phenomenological inductive holistic subjective/insider centered process oriented anthropological worldview relative lack of control goal: understand actors view dynamic reality assumed; slice of life discovery oriented explanatory Quantitative Research positivistic hypothetico/deductive particularistic objective/outsider centered outcome oriented natural science worldview attempt to control variables goal: find facts causes static reality assumed; relative constancy in life verification oriented confirmatory   Source: Cook and Reichardt (1979) http://qualitativeresearch.ratcliffs.net/1.htm In my case In order to answer the research queries, research has to understand the human behaviour and the functions. Data collected from small number of carefully selected samples on relevant issues can be sufficient in this case (Patton, 1990, cited by Gauri and Gronhaug, 2005). It was not possible to float the questionnaire across the call centre due to lack of time and availability. Therefore, researcher has conducted in depth interviews with the team member and managers of different call centres. The interviews are done via telephone because it was easily accessible and saves cost. Also it can be done in less amount of time and quickly. The only draw back is the researcher would not be able to witness the non-verbal behaviour because the interviews are not face to face interview. Researcher has tried to get the data of the research through value, needs and feeling of the employees by asking them open ended questions. The researcher has used simple and understandable language and has been c hoosy with the terminology. This will be a qualitative research in which researcher will provide the result on the basis of interviews. As researcher has also used literature to guide the questions, used combined method approach is used to get a better result. Research Strategy According to Saunders et al (2003), research strategy will be a general plan of how you will go about answering the research questions(s) you has set. It will give you a clear picture of your strategy being applied on the case and will give you a clear objective of your research question also will tell the specific source considering the constraints like access to data, time, location, ethical issues etc. There are different strategies which can be used depending on your research method: experiment, survey; case study; grounded theory; ethnography action research; cross sectional and longitudinal studies; exploratory, descriptive and explanatory studies. These strategies can be used according to the need of the research and cannot be limited to one strategy, if the research demands, researcher can use multiple strategies. (Saunders et al, 2003). In my case The researcher uses the exploratory strategy in order to meet the objective of the research. The strength of exploratory study helps you to give a strong backing to the finding by clarifying it and getting close to the objective. The researcher has conducted semi structured interviews and has covered the questions through in depth interviews. Also few of the questions have been omitted and added as per the need of the interview. With the growth of natural science philosophers became increasingly aware that a deductivecan only bring out what is already implicit in its premises, and hence inclined to insist that all new knowledge must come from some form of induction.(Stebbins, 2001). The qualitative data and inductive approach has been approached to enhance the interpretation of data. Time Horizon There are two types of time horizons, Cross sectional and longitudinal. Cross sectional is generally referred as snap shot because it is conducted in a short period of time and Longitudinal is when a research is done through over a period of time, it is also called Diary. In my Case Due to constraint of time, researcher had to take a snapshot at a particular time. The interviews are conducted over a short period of time using the qualitative method and whilst taken the cross sectional study. The cross sectional study is being approached to get the result for the research. The key factors for turn over and its resolution is calculated by conducting face to face interviews over a limited period of time. (Saunders et al, 2003). Data Collection It is very important that a successful research project must be based on high quality though process and research design must be based on flow of logic and number of assumptions which must be able to stand up to the closest scrutiny.(Saunders et al,2003). The research population for this study entails different managers from different companies. There are HR managers and operations managers being interview from the senior management including the Team Leaders. Also different team members from different call centres were picked to make sure there are no biases. (Saunders et al, 2003). Using Primary Data through Interviews Semi Structured Interview An Interview is purposeful discussion between two or more people(Kahn and Cannell, 1957 cited by Saunders et al, 2003). Due to the shortage of people to fill the questionnaires, researcher has attempted to contact the potential interviewees by conducting semi structured interviews. According to Ghauri and Gronhaug (2005),To be able to run the interview efficiently and without any disturbances, the researcher needs to know the respondent, his background, values and expectations. Keeping all this in mind, researcher has tried to fulfil all the expectations. Interviews are often considered the best data collection methods and can be done vial mail, telephone or in person. Interviews Interview by phone Personal Interview Interview by mail A typology of interviews Source: Ghauri and Gronhaug(2005) The researcher has conducted all the interviews via telephone and recorded it due to time and constraint; otherwise researcher had to go to India to conduct the face to face interviews. Researcher was able to gather valid and reliable data for the research question and objective through these interviews. Through semi structured interview, researcher covered the set of questions with the interviewees. Researcher preferred semi structured interview because it was in expensive and the database to sample was not huge, also it gave freedom to use the question according to need of the situation. Researcher has prepared open ended questions and has made two different sets. The first set is made for the team members and has two different scenarios, first being the current job and the second is on the previous job experience if applicable. The second set of questions is for the managers which will discuss the impacts of turnover and the best practice which can be implemented in Indian call centre industry. When you are undertaking an exploratory study, or a study that includes an exploratory element it is likely that you will include qualitative research interview in your approach (Cooper and Schindler, 1998). As researcher have talked to interviewees to find out the reason of turnover(Why do they leave) and also what can be done to minimize it?, basically their beliefs and behaviour in respect to turnover, the exploratory compliments the semi structured interview very well by adding value to it. The researcher has ensured the quality of the primary data was unbiased and reliable. The researcher has tried be unbiased while conducting the interviews with both managers and team members ensuring there is no hierarchy biases. Researcher has ensured that the interviews were compiled in short period of time keeping the constraint of time in mind. It took just 3 days to transcript the interviews and making sure that data was valid and accurate. Also interview had taken the permission before hand from the interviewees and did send the voice recording for their reference. This has omitted the possibility of data being misplaced or misused in a short period of time.(Ghauri and Gronhaug,2002). The interview questions are included as a part of Appendices (Appendix A and B). Access to Data Researcher got the access to interviewees by emailing the research questions to the employees and the managers in the Indian call centres. As researcher has 5 years of working experience working in the same industry, it was easy to approach the managers and the team members for the interview. They all are the inbound call centres with different customer service processes. Researcher managed to conduct interview with 5 managers from different call centres and 7 team members from different call centres again. All the interviews lasted between 30 to 45 minutes and the permission was taken by the interviewees. Interviewees are from Wipro, American express, SITEL India and V care, all these companies are the leading call centres in India. The interviewee is conducted with the operations manager, training head and HR manager from 4 different call centres in India and team members participated from 5 different call centres. All the participants are Indian, 11 male and 2 female have particip ated in the interview. The managers and team members are mostly graduates who have pursued their education from different universities. Most of the employees participated are from Gurgaon, India which is the main hub of call centres. The interviewee in the research will be abbreviated as Interviewee A, Interviewee B, Interviewee C, Interviewee D, Interviewee E, Interviewee F, Interviewee G and Interviewee 1, Interviewee 2, Interviewee 3, Interviewee4, Interviewee5 as employees and the mangers respectively, with their opinion based on the interview questions. Using Secondary Data Researcher has used the primary data as the main source, but has also referred to some of the journals for better insight. The secondary data has collected to compare with the interviews to make the base even stronger and has added value to the research. In this research, qualitative secondary data has been studied which comes under the category of compiled data, which has helped to get an inference on the turnover in the India Call Centre Industry. The author has assured that the secondary data collected is from repute cites and the data is absolutely valid and reliable. Qualitative Data The research study is analysed on the basis of qualitative data in a well planned manner and the approach is inductive, therefore the qualitative data will reflect the inductive approach. (Robson 2002 cited by Saunders et al, 2003) has said the qualitative data are the characterized by their richness and fullness based on the level of exploration of the subject, whilst researcher has concentrated in the qualitative data, which remains the key factor for the research with the interpretation of data. Researcher has used the exploratory strategy among the different methods to find out the result. The strategy adopted is Interpretivist, semi structured and inductive type of qualitative analysis.(Saunders et al,2003). In my case Researcher has taken in depth interviews with the managers and the team members of the different call centres through semi structured interviews. Secondary data has also been used marginally in order to back up the primary data. Researcher has conducted the first phase of interview with team members to find out the key factors of turn over and then with mangers to find the best practice to minimize the turnover through qualitative data. Research Methodology Overview The summary of the research methodology is categorized below for reference. Phase Method Research Philosophy Interpretive research philosophy Research Approach Combined approach inductive and deductive Research Strategy Exploratory method Time Horizon Cross sectional which includes indepth interview with different call centre managers and team members. Research Data Collection methods Semi structured interview and secondary data Ethical Constraint Wells defines Ethics in term of a code of behaviour appropriate to academics and the conduct of the search. It is important that the interviewees be aware of the transparency of the data. They should be mad aware of, for what purpose the interview is being conducted and to what extend will that be used for the academic purpose. The research should keep the ethical constraint in mind and without harming the research population to humiliation. (Saunders et al,2003). In my case Researcher has given ethics the highest priority to ethics as it can lead to integrity issue. Researcher has assured that the data provided by the respondents are kept confidential as per the laws of Call Centres and have hidden their original identity. Researcher had to face constraint while getting the interviews done with the managers of different call centre. The researcher has assured that all the interviews were recorded over the phone and has kept it with him securely as it is confidential. Researcher has also pre informed the purpose of interview to the Managers and the team member. However they have been assured that the names used will be different due to integrity issue and will be used only for the academic purpose. Limitations of Methodology The major limitation of the research is the time constraint and the availability of interviewees. The researcher wanted to go to India, personally to conduct the interviews, as the research is based on the Turnover in Indian call centres. Due to time constraint, researcher had to take interviews over the phone in a limited period of time. Also, due to less availability of interviewees, researcher could not conduct the surveys, but had to settle with the in depth interviews. The researcher has taken interviews with manager of reputed call centres and also with number of team members. Grix, J.(2004) The foundations of research. Palgrave Macmillan. Saunders, M., Lewis, P., Thorn hill, A(200) Research Methods for Business Students 5th ed. Essex: Pearson education limited Corbetta, P(2003) Social Research: Theory, Methods, Techniques. London : Sage publication Collis, J., Hussey, R.(2009). Business research A practical guide for undergraduate and post graduate students. 3rd ed Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Burns, R., Burns, R(2008). Business Research Methods and Statistics using SPSS.London: Sage publication Gauri,P., Grenhoug, K(2005)Research Methods in Business Stuidies. England: Pearsono Education limited Blaikie, N(2004) Designing Social Research. Cambridge Polity press. Stubbins, R(2001)Exploratory Research In The Social Sciences.[online]. Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=enlr=id=hDE13_a_oEsCoi=fndpg=PR5dq=exploratory+research+quatationsots=NjPGX3EDxKsig=ROhiiChNXY2ssFUEN_0DfQrmzvA#v=onepageqf=false

A Wrinkle in Time :: essays research papers

Meg Murry - The book's heroine and protagonist, a homely, awkward, but loving high school student who is sent on an adventure through time and space with her brother and her friend Calvin to rescue her father from the evil force that is attempting to take over the universe. Meg's greatest faults are her anger, impatience, and lack of self-confidence, but she channels and overcomes them, ultimately emerging victorious. A Wrinkle in Time is the story of Meg Murry, a high-school-aged girl who is transported on an adventure through time and space with her younger brother Charles Wallace and her friend Calvin O'Keefe to rescue her father, a gifted scientist, from the evil forces that hold him prisoner on another planet. At the beginning of the book, Meg is a homely, awkward, but loving girl, troubled by personal insecurities and her concern for her father, who has been missing for over a year. The plot begins with the arrival of Mrs. Whatsit at the Murry house on a dark and stormy evening. Although she looks like an eccentric tramp, she is actually a celestial creature with the ability to read Meg's thoughts. She startles Meg's mother by reassuring her of the existence of a tesseract--a sort of "wrinkle" in space and time. It is through this wrinkle that Meg and her companions will travel through the fifth dimension in search of Mr. Murry. On the afternoon following Mrs. Whatsit's visit, Meg and Charles Wallace walk over to Mrs. Whatsit's cabin. On the way, they meet Calvin O'Keefe, a popular boy in Meg's school whom Charles considers a kindred spirit. The three children learn from Mrs. Whatsit and her friends Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which that the universe is threatened by a great evil called the Dark Thing and taking the form of a giant cloud, engulfing the stars around it. Several planets have already succumbed to this evil force, including Camazotz, the planet on which Mr. Murry is imprisoned. The three Mrs. W's transport the children to Camazotz and instruct them to remain always in each other's company while on their quest for Mr. Murry. On Camazotz, all objects and places appear exactly alike because the whole planet must conform to the terrifying rhythmic pulsation of IT, a giant disembodied brain. Charles Wallace tries to fight IT with his exceptional intelligence but is overpowered by the evil and becomes a robot-like creature mouthing the words with which IT infuses him.

History of Talk Radio Essay

What do we know about the history of talk radio? Has talk radio been successful in helping Americans deal with cultural changes?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout history, radio has been a major source of communication where we were able to hear the latest news and current events of the time period. Through wars, depression, Presidential debates and changing times we were able to turn on the radio and listen to a radio talk show that panned in on these events.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We were able to hear discussions that offered opinions in which we could either agree or disagree and radio talk shows provided a means by which we could be informed on the latest news and events, even before television existed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     [1]â€Å"Can We Talk: The Power and Influence of Talk Showsâ€Å" by Gini Graham Scott†, offers that â€Å"both radio and TV have grown up at a time when America and the whole world have been going through an unprecedented period of turmoil and technologic upheaval.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Radio, came of age after World War I during the 1920’s and 1930’s, when America was transformed from an isolationist power focused on material growth to a member of a world community which experienced major growth to a member of a world community which experienced major cultural changes and a worldwide depression.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Political forums continue to be a part of talk radio programming in the past and present. In the past, before telephones were invented there was no easy way to communicated with radio personalities, but when telephones emerged, call-in talk radio shows evolved and offered a means to communicated with the radio personalities which made talk radio so much more interesting than before, especially where politics was concerned.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We were able to listen to the opinions of the public on political issues, not just the ones from radio personalities on the talk radio programs. [2] David Barker, Author of the book, â€Å"Rushed to Judgment: Talk Radio Persuasion, and American Political Behavior,†Ã‚   talks about call-in talk radio shows and delves into the question, â€Å"is political talk radio a thing of the past.† Barker says â€Å"some have asked whether this new medium can serve as an agent of deliberative democracy, spurring Americans to form pseudo-communities, where policy choices are debated in an open forum, thus bringing American politics closer to a democratic ideal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     We often wondered if talk radio programs would fade in popularity and just become a thing of the past times.   More than ever talk radio has boomed since Howard Stern came on the scene with his outrageous behavior, with comments that were so bold that his personality grabbed the attention of America.   He talks about everything from women to politics and doesn’t stifle his views on either.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Now is a good time to evaluate the effects of political talk radio because the medium is no longer a fad and shows no signs of fading. Talk radio offers a setting for new media to be discussed, while people can listen from the convenience of their homes or automobiles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Given the prominent place of talk radio stations in most markets we have now had the time to critically evaluate the effects of a medium that is not disappearing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Are news trends changing on talk radio? [3]The website, that answers this question is   www.pbs.org/now/politics/talkradio.html. It shows that â€Å"News trends are changing.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     A recent poll showed than an increasing percentage of younger Americans get their news from late night television, and a December 2002 Gallup Poll showed the percentage of Americans who got their news from talk radio has nearly doubled since 1995, from 12 percent to 22 percent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Was AM talk radio popular by the 1980’s? [4] â€Å"By the 1980’s, AM radio was close to death.†Ã‚   Most listeners had tossed it on the trash heap of technology in favor of FM’s clarity for music. It was Rush Limbaugh who reinvigorated AM radio and gave it a new purpose, paving the way for many talk show hosts who collectively resurrected a bandwidth most were all too happy to ignore.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Religious stations have always been around, in talk radio history?   [5]Soul Talk is a weekly one-hour radio show that has been broadcasting continuously since February of 1996 on Koop 91.7 FM, in Austin Texas. This is just one of many of the religious programs that have broadcasted since radio first arrived on the scene and strong religious beliefs have maintained its stance with Americans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Soul Talk articulated spiritually from a pluralistic, universal perspective with relevance to current and social and moral issues. The show offers a venue for listeners to share their sacred and ethical beliefs at the radio table, to be encouraged and spurred to action through positive expressions of faith, in a playful setting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"What’s Cookin’ with Soul Talk Radio? A Spiritual Feast to leaven the world Soul† can be located at www.soultalkradio.com/.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How much do we know about early talk radio? [6] Early radio news was usually nothing more dramatized documentary of events. Live recordings were unheard of and technology difficult if not impossible. Rather than simply report events, radio producers felt dramatizing the events would bring the news home more effectively.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By 1928, Roy Edward Larsen was the General Manager of Time Magazine. It was Larsen, who, as Circulation Manager, increased sales of the magazine from 25,000 to 200,00 in a few short years. Media theorist, Marshall McLuhan, referred to Larsen as an electric man, sensitive to the latest modes of communication and its impact on society. Larsen involved Time in radio as early as 1924 with a sustaining quiz program called Pop Question. Then in 1928, in cooperation with Time’s Radio Executive, Fred Smith, he began issuing throughout the country over 33 stations daily release of ten minute news briefs drawn from the pages of Time, Larsen called News Casts. The following year they supplemented these News Casts with electrical transcription dramas, ten minutes in length, called News Acting which featured professional actors and sound effects of current news.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What was one of the first talk radio programs? In the year, 1931, â€Å"The University of Chicago Roundtable† broadcast by NBC, where University scholars engaged in intellectual discussion and the show slightly resembled the late phenomenon of talk radio.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Archives, provide talk radio shows from the past.[7] The archives are back! Thanks to the technical wizards of World Talk Radio, all previous shows are once again available for your listening.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   World Talk Radio brings you the most renowned Civil War experts and entertaining enthusiasts ever assembled. Check the archives each week for a new and captivating exploration of politics, personalities, and military campaigns.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Civil War Talk Radio is provided to listeners by World Talk Radio and the show host and guests. There is no charge to listen or download, but all contributions and donations are said to be welcomed. You can make contributions at, Contribute to Civil War Talk Radio, Civil War Talk Radio, World Talk Radio, www.worldtalkradio.com/show.asp?sid=150   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Talk radio has come a long way in history to finally being capable of displaying and discussing photography.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   [8] Photo Talk Radio â€Å"Where you can really see photos on the radio†, the dynamic internet talk show for everyone interested in photography hosted by Howard Lipin and Michael A. Garcia Cr. Photographer, providing you the best information and ideas anywhere to help you make your photography more enjoyable and better than ever.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With nearly 60 years of day-to-day photography experience between them, Howard and Michael bring Photo Talk Radio alive with practical hands-on, simple to understand, â€Å"How Do I Do That? tips and in depth interviews with photo industry leaders and photographers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Their mission is to keep you informed, inspired and coming back for more. In the ever-changing world of photography, Photo Talk Radio, †The Worldwide Voice of Photography†, and the place â€Å"Where You Really Can See Photos On Radio† is the go-to resource for everyone interested in photography from the enthusiast to the pro.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Photo Talk Radio, World Talk Radio, www.worldtalkradio   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Talk Radio shows have been a part of a stage for political opinions, not excluding the war with Iraq.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   [9] This week should be remembered for beginning the fifth year of the war in Iraq and for the halting efforts of one chamber of Congress to make Year 5 the last. But, right now, Washington is delighted to be distracted by a new crisis in full boil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It’s not the controversy over health care for veterans. That one blew up in late February and grew rapidly to national proportions before receding. It will be back, but for the moment it has to become a subject of multiple investigations and editorial hand-wringing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   [10] Many books feature information on talk radio such as a book written by Eric Bogosian, â€Å"The Essential Bogosian : Talk Radio, Drinking, in America, Funhouse and Men Inside.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Author writes, â€Å"Reading Talk Radio today is confusing. First of all, there are two Talk Radios: The play and the film.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Eric Bogosian also says, â€Å"Talk Radio was not based originally on any radio personality.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite its title, Talk Radio is not an in-depth, researched, generic documentary. There is no radio station set up like the one in the play. Instead, he wanted to use the format, one few people had any sense of in 1987, as a launching pad to talk about egos and the mass media in general. He loved the notion of this vast landscape of people, the callers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He goes on to say, â€Å"I had listened to numerous talk-jocks, particularly Bob Grant and Gary Dee and drew from my pre-teen experience of the legendary Alan Burke and Joe Pyne, two TV talk guys from the sixties with razor blades for tongues. But, when the movie came out, the strangest thing happened, a new guy had showed up and was making big waves soon after the movie came out; his name, of course; Howard Stern.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Radio talk shows have provided entertainment for ourselves and our ancestors and I couldn’t imagine not being able to turn on my radio to listen to a group of people discussing the latest issues or simply just an off-the-wall subject, for the sheer thrill of entertainment purposes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Talk radio will always be around and with satellites on the scene, radio is becoming even more popular than ever with more and more money being spent on new and updated radio systems and monthly and yearly subscriptions. Scott, Gini Graham, 1996, â€Å"Can We Talk?, The Power and Influence of Talk Shows† Insight Books, Inc. Barker, David, 2002,â€Å"Rushed To Judgment: Talk Radio Persuasion and American Political Behavior† Columbia University Press 2007, Now, Talk Radio, Politics and Economy, www.pbs.org/now/politics/talkradio.html Deitz, Corey, 2004, Right Wing Conservative Talk Show Hosts, Bashing AM And FM What’s Cookin’ With Soul Talk Radio? A Spiritual Feast To Leaven the World Soul, www.soultalkradio.com/ March of Time, www.otr.com/march.html Contribute to Civil War Talk Radio, Civil War Talk Radio, World Talk Radio, www.worldtalkradio.com/show.asp?sid=150 Photo Talk Radio, World Talk Radio, www.worldtalkradio Elving, Ron, 2007, Gonzales: A Timely Distraction For aAll Sides? NPR, Watching Washington, www.npr.org/templates/story/story/php?storyId=9030022 Bogosian, Eric, 1994, â€Å"The Essential Bogosian: Talk Radio, Drinking in America, Funhouse and Men Inside†, Theatre Communications Group, From Author’s Notes, p.3 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]