International Finance

Question : What is the Internatinol Finance With Example ? Answer : Introduction In the modern world, there are various types of organizations that functions and manufactures goods and services. The organizations that perform in the global economy aim to make profit and establish a strong share of the market. The performance of the firms operating in the market has an impact on the global and the national economy. There are various methods that are used in order to evaluate and analyze the economy. Forward Premium Puzzle is one such model that is instrumental in evaluating the economy with respect to the interest parity. This model is closely associated to the failures that are discovered from the uncovered interest parity to embrace and the occurrence of the forward rate bias (Tanamee 2014). The current paper therefore, concentrates on the puzzle of forward premium and tries to explain the concept and the possible explanations to this puzzle. The paper will highlight the definition of the model and critically explain the puzzle of forward premium. Discussion Definition of Forward Premium and Associated Concepts The forward premium puzzle relates to the uncovered interest parity failures and the effect on the rate of forward bias. The puzzle of forward premium is the result that the puzzle tries to highlight in an inappropriate direction for the movement towards the ex post in the spot exchange rate. The parity of interest that is uncovered explains that if the interest parity that is covered holds, then the forwarded discount and therefore, the differential in the interest, requires to be unbiased forecaster of the change in the ex post in the rate of spot, estimating any rational expectations(Boudoukh, Richardson and Whitelaw 2016). The puzzle that is associated with the forward rate is shown by the clue that the rate of forward does not reveal an unbiased prediction of the spot rate of the future. In order to rectify the terms and the concept, it is essential to explain the rate of forward at the time t for a deal to take place during the time k as Fkt and the spot rate during the time t as St..Furthermore, assume the subjective estimation of the spot rate during the time as t+k, is on the basis on the information upon time t, be explained as t (St+k). If it is predicted that for the time being rational expectations, like, Et(St+k). Therefore, the equation should be expected as: St+k= Fkt + ut+k. It is seen that the error term is an Expectational Error. In practical, the regression estimates does not discover a regression coefficient of unity, even though the pointy estimate is usually not statistically and crucially are posted away from the posited value (Coudertand Mignon 2013). Another problematic component of these regressions are that the forecasted regression term of error often displays a correlation that is serial, disrupting the rational expectations hypothesis. Therefore, the forward premium puzzle can be recognized by estimating that the error is log ordinarily allocated, thereby (1) can be rectified as: St+k= 0 + 1 fkt + ut+k. It is seen that in the null hypothesis, 1= 1, and 0 is permitted to balance some continuous that impounds some Jensens Inequality terms. There are various factors due to which the forward premium puzzle is essential for survival even when the capital is faultlessly portable with respect to the covered interest parity criterions like: (1) the absence of validity of the rational expectations hypothesis; (2) problems related to econometric implementations; and (3) the presence of premium of an exchange risk. As explained in depth in the entrance of Interest Rate Parity, forecasts the equations making use of the values for k that ranges up to a year usually cast-offs the unbiasedness limitations on the parameter of slope. For example, the survey undertaken byYu (2013) discovers that an average estimate for of -0.88. The paper provided by Londonoand Zhou(2016) reveals that the result is relevant for more current time that extends to the year 2000. They even reveal that the bias have a habit of decreasing at horizons that are longer. Validity of the rational Expectations Hypothesis It is significant to recollect that uncovered interest parity is accurately explained as associated to estimated depreciation, is not examinable. The prediction of the standard UIP regression equation is dependent on the methodology of rational expectations that is shown an equation. It is evident that dependence upon the predictions of mean zero errors of expectation is by no way unprovocative. In various paper, Farhi and Gabaix(2015) show that standards tests for UIP yield surprisingly unique results when one makes use of the survey-based measures of depreciation of exchange rate. They discover that the numerous variations of the forward discounts reveal to be associated to expected depreciations, rather than a risk premium that is time varying, thereby providing credibility to UIP. () reveal the fact that it is problematic to discard UIP for a vaster currency sets, when making use of the predictions given by the Currency Forecasters Digest (CFD) even though there are some hints of a risk premium at the annual horizon. () construe various results as coming from a broader currency sets- they investigate 17 currencies as opposed to 6 or so investigated by Vasilyev, Busygin and Busygin(2016)- where the predictions of faultless substitutability of the instruments of debt has chances to be hold. The authors have concentrated that discarding of the hypothesis of rational expectations does not always mean that one has to accept the scheme that the representatives are irrational. It may be conceivable that the agents are substantially gaining knowledge about the economic atmosphere so that their predictions are biased for a lengthy time-period. Recently,Narayan and Sharma (2015) have included incomplete processing of information, crucially a transaction cost rationale for unbalanced rebalancing of portfolio and this is a factor due to which forward premium puzzle is existent. Djeutem(2014) plea to the microstructural and institutional factors to determine the existence of surplus returns is an associated but an approach that is distinct. Econometric Issues Ho and Mo(2016) determines the deviations in the long and short-horizon. The authors even pleaded to a monetary reaction function that is responsive to the changes in the rate of exchange and making the interest rate internal in the sense of economy. However, it is not clear that these approaches can be useful in explaining the negative coefficients that have been collected. There are broad types of econometric issues that has even been examined. da Costaet al. (2016) debate that there is non-linearity in the relation among the forward discount and the spot rate. It is seen that when forward discount is higher in the absolute value, then the forward discount can be able to point at the correct direction. When the forward discount is minimal, it usually directs to a wrong way as the transaction costs are higher in relation to the potential gains. Risk Premium Interpretation The most actual determination why the forward premium estimates the inappropriate path of the progress of the exchange rate is due to the fact that the risk premium covers a wedge between the actual changes and the forecasted changes. It is a challenge to model a risk premium. The process of portfolio balance that concentrates on the stocks of the external assets, was primarily introduced in the modelling of the risk premium. However, due a vast failure to discover any relation between the ex post risk premium and stocks of external assets led to the conclusion of this mode of research. There has been resurrection in the consumption based approach of risk premium by pleading for more bizarre preferences. Snaith, Coakley and Kellard(2013) reveal that while implementing the aversion of first order risk may lead to negatively sloped coefficients and the relative extent of the changes in the exchange rate and the risk premia are not possible for matching. Recently there has been a model that has been forwarded byTanamee (2014) where the ad hoc external habit preferences related to the cost of trade, which may lead to a large risk premia. The combination of the various costs and rigidities reveals to be an useful approach for deterring the reason why the forward discount specifically points in the inaccurate direction for the transformation in the ex post exchange rate. Conclusion The current paper explains that the puzzle of forward premium, that is existent in the economy that associates to the failure of interest parity that is uncovered. It is essential for the survival of puzzle of forward premium in the economy as it reveals the empirical results that the currency is predicted to rise when the nominal interest rate of a concerned country exceeds the foreign interest rate. The forward premium puzzles reveal that the economic theory advices that if all the currencies are similarly risky, then the investors would look for higher rate of interest when the value of the currencies are predicted to decrease. Forward premium puzzle will definitely evaluate the currency rate that will be influential improving the economy of the country concerned and will be useful in finding out the coefficient of regression. This puzzle is one of the significant model of the economy and with time changes are in Reference List Boudoukh, J., Richardson, M. and Whitelaw, R.F., 2016. New evidence on the forward premium puzzle.Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis,51(03), pp.875-897. Coudert, V. and Mignon, V., 2013. The forward premium puzzle and the sovereign default risk.Journal of International Money and Finance,32, pp.491-511. da Costa, C.E., Jesus Filho, J.D. and Matos, P., 2016. Forward-premium puzzle: is it time to abandon the usual regression?.Applied Economics,48(30), pp.2852-2867. Djeutem, E., 2014. Model uncertainty and the forward premium puzzle.Journal of International Money and Finance,46, pp.16-40. Farhi, E. and Gabaix, X., 2015. DP10334 Rare Disasters and Exchange Rates. Ho, T.W. and Mo, W.S., 2016. Testing the Persistence of the Forward Premium: Structural Changes or Misspecification?.Open Economies Review,27(1), pp.119-138. Londono, J.M. and Zhou, H., 2016. Variance risk premiums and the forward premium puzzle. Narayan, P.K. and Sharma, S.S., 2015. Does data frequency matter for the impact of forward premium on spot exchange rate?.International Review of Financial Analysis,39, pp.45-53. Snaith, S., Coakley, J. and Kellard, N., 2013. Does the forward premium puzzle disappear over the horizon?.Journal of Banking Finance,37(9), pp.3681-3693. Tanamee, D., 2014.Forward Premium Puzzle(Doctoral dissertation, University of Kansas). Vasilyev, D., Busygin, V. and Busygin, S., 2016. Testing and Interpreting Uncovered Interest Parity in Russia.Economic Policy,4, pp.35-55. Yu, J., 2013. A sentiment-based explanation of the forward premium puzzle.Journal of Monetary Economics,60(4), pp.474-491.

Study 1 for aP free essay sample

The dermis contains blood vessels, nerve ending, and epidermally derived cutaneous oranges such as sweat glands, sebaceous glands and hair follicles. The last layer is Hypodermis this layer is composed primarily of loose dead skin. The fat layer provides cushioning and insulation for underlying organs. 2. Briefly describes the extent of damage seen in first-degree burns, second-degree burns, and third degree burns. First degree burns only epidermis is damaged and skin is red and swollen. Second-degree burns epidermis and upper dermis are damaged. Third-degree burns destroys entire skin layer; burned area is painless and the burn is gray-white or black. 3. Why was the girl relatively pain-free when she woke up? Due to having third-degree burns on 15% off her body and since third degree burns are painless her body was probably numb and in shock as well. Since the second degree burns aren’t as deep she may feel pain in these areas because the nerves are still intact. We will write a custom essay sample on Study 1 for aP or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 4. Explain why this patient’s blood pressure was so low and her heart rate was so high upon arrival at the emergency room. Due to the burns she lost her water tight protective covering and significant shift of water from her blood stream due to having low blood volume her heart has to work harder (high heart rate) to try and pump more blood. 5. Why was it important to immediately administer intravenous fluids to this girl? She will need IV fluids to replace the fluid she lost due to the burns covering her body. She could go into shock without them and then her organs will not get blood and body will slowly start shutting down. 6. What is a broad-spectrum† antibiotic, and why did she need it? Do bacteria normally colonize healthy skin? Due to the skin being burned so badly and it being open to all kinds of bacteria forming a broad spectrum should take care of any infection she may get. She would get them topical and IV to make sure she was protected both ways. 7. Why was skin-grafting necessary in this patient? (why not just let the skin heal on its own) Due to the skin being severely damages it’s going to take a long time to heal. The skin graft will help prevent infection and speed up the healing process. 8. Describe the series of events that occur in skin, which is healing with the help of a skin graft? The skin will have to first have all of the dead and burned skin removed and topical antibiotics will be placed on to prevent infection then the graft will be placed over the skin to reduce the infection and shock risks and the skin will slowly start healing on its own. 9. Why are bedridden patients at risk for developing decubitus ulcers? Due to the patient being bedridden and immobile they often lie in the same position for long periods of time without being moved and the pressure on the skin can cause a sore and infection. If left untreated can cause serious problems and may result in surgery. 0. Why did the patient lose so much weight despite being on a very high-calorie diet? Do to the major trauma her body needs the calories to try and keep up with the functions to help her body heal. If anything she would probably need double her normally calorie intake to help in this process. 11. What long-term problems may the patient have as a result of extensive scar tissue formation over her trunk and right elbow? The long term scar tissue on her thoracic region may result in breathing problems later in life as well as the scar tissue on her elbow may limit mobility.

Personal Experience with Teen Pregnancy

Personal Experience with Teen Pregnancy Free Online Research Papers For my senior project I chose to do it on something I had personal experience in, such as teen pregnancy, which in this paper I have to have 7 different sources, and many facts. As for many teens having sexually intercourse is a scary thing, but ever scarier than that is finding out that you might be pregnant. This has never been an uncommon thing, but as I found out on womenshealthchannel.com/teenpregnancy there has been a decrease in it from the year 1991 through the year 2005. Studies showed that in 1991 60 out of 1000 teenagers became pregnant, and in the year 2005 40.5 out of 1000 became pregnant.They also showed that approximately 1/3 become pregnant in their teen age years, but it also states that more than 80% of those pregnancies are unintended and unintentional. Using different races for example Hispanic women had the highest birth rates in 2006, which showed 83 out of 100 became pregnant, but African Americans had the most dramatic reduction in that year only 23% became pr egnant. A different study showed that 25% of teen girls who give birth become pregnant and have another child within two years. As I found on pregnantteenhelp.org there are different options for these pregnant, when they find out that they are in fact pregnant. The first option would be to keep the baby and raise it themselves, which is the option I myself chose. Another option for the teens would be to carry the baby full term, and give it up for adoption. Even then the teen has the choice of having an open adoption which mean that they would receive pictures and letters knowing how the child is, and what they look like. or the have the choice of having a normal closed adoption which means they would have no contact what so ever with the child, or with its adoptive parents. The other option is to have have an abortion, which means to fully terminate the pregnancy. A recent study on abortion showed that more than 25% of women when they find out they are pregnant have and abortion, but that is just for the percentage of the world, as for when it comes to the United States nearly 40% of women have abortions. Mo re than 52% of abortions are obtained by women who are under the age of 25. Another study showed that teenagers are more apt to have a late abortion. Although in my own opinion I believe that abortion is wrong, and that it should be all together banned, because there are too many people in this world who cant have children, and would love to have one, even if it would mean that they would have to adopt someone elses. According to the Washington Post the teen birth rate nationally feel 30% from the year 1991 all the way to 2002. They stated that if it had not dropped during that decade, 1.2 million more children would have been born to teenage mothers in the United States. Another good reason that it dropped would be that 460,000 would have been living in poverty due to being born to a teenage mother, and 700,000 would have been born into a single parent home, most likely only have a mother and no father. Adolescents who become pregnant at an early age, if they decide to keep the baby, are more likely to drop out of school, which in return leads to lower paying jobs for the parent, which in most cases drives them into trying to find other ways to provide for their children, even if it would mean doing it illegally. Also young mothers are less likely to marry which would mean that their children would be raised in a home with only one income, and probably no support from the other parent. Even if t he to teens decide not to stay together, the mother is offered the right to collect what is called child support from the father, but in order to do that they have to have proof the child does in fact belong to them. Which in most cases a court will order a DNA Test to ensure that it is true. During my research I found in People Magazine that almost 750,000 girls ages ranging from 15-19 years old get pregnant each year. Although most people look down upon teen parents most dont really understand about all the pressures that we face today. Even though most schools say they want a sex free zone for their students it never really happens, because no one ever actually enforces the policy. As in my case I can remember walking down the hallways in school, and on a regular basis I could see people kissing and groping each other like its nothing, and some teachers just stand by like its nothing. Even after a historic 14 year decline in teen pregnancy in the year 2006 the birth rate increased by 3%, which is not good at all. More than half pregnant teens today choose to take the responsibility, and keep their babies. Roughly only 1/3 decide to terminate their pregnancy, 2% choose adoption, and about 14% miscarry. Studies have also shown that only 1/3 of teen mothers finish high sc hool, and get their diploma. As for myself Im going to graduate, and then take college courses online, so that I can be with my son. Family Corner stated that teen pregnancy rates are much higher in the United States than in many other developed countries. The Unites States are twice as high as in England and Wales or Canada, and are nine times as high as in the Netherlands or Japan. Which is really saying something, due to the fact that they are all fairly large countries, and are very high populated countries. They also said that 8% of 14 year olds, 18% of 15-17 year olds, and 22% of 18-19 year olds become pregnant each year. I myself am in the 18% of girls, considering that im 17 years old, and Im nearly 5 months pregnant. 20% of those who have sexual intercourse become pregnant, although there are ways to prevent it, they dont always work, for example a comdom can bust, or may even have a pin hole, and you would never know that it was there. Most girls get put on birth control, but even then they still arent fully safe from getting pregnant, even though they may think that there in a .1% chance of them gettin g pregnant it could still happen, that is why they should still use a condom, and make sure they dont skip any doses of their birth control, also they should use a spermicide that night and the next day as well. Many people think that pregnancy is wonderful, but ther are so many bad symptoms and complaints such as the following: preeclampsia, spotting, sleep problems, varicose veins, vaginal pain, vaginal discharge, yeast infections, urinary frequency, umbilical hernia, acne, chloasma, stretch marks, shortness of breath, sciatica, hip pain, pounding heart, pelvic pain, carpel tunnel syndrome, nose bleeds, bleeding gums, morning sickness, leg cramps,hemorrhoids, heart burn, indigestion, headaches, dizziness, gestational diabetes, fatigue, exhaustion, constipation, breast pain, breast leakage, braxton hicks contractions, blurry vision, back pain, diastasis, and anemia. These are all things that I found thanks to Parents which is a magazine for parents, and expectant parents. Although Im sure I will feel these symptoms and complaints sometime during my pregnancy so far I have only had the following: morning sickness, dizziness, braxton hick contractions, leg cramps, back pain, and breast pain. I must say that I havent really enjoyed being pregnant, its not because of the baby, its just that constantly feeling sick or dizzy just isnt fun at all. One thing that I have definitely enjoyed about being pregnant is feeling the baby move for the first time, it is such a weird, but wonderful feeling all at the same time. I found my last facts from Baby Center which gives you all sorts of different fact on pregnancy and babies. Some people believe that having a baby is easy, well it may have been 50 years ago, but now there are so many things they need, and so much you have to do before they get here. Here are just a few of the things you do while pregnant: go to a O.B. doctor to make sure everything is good with the baby during your pregnancy, have ultrasounds to to let you see how your baby is developing during your pregnancy, pick out names, have a baby shower, make the baby a room of its own that has only the things for the baby, pick a theme for its room, choose a hospital to go to when you go into labor, pack you and the baby a bag for when you go to the hospital, and wash everything you get for the baby so that nothing will break it out or irritate its sensitive skin. When you go into labor, there are some complications that all women should be aware of such as these: breech birth, cesarean sec tion, inducing labor, labor augumentation, macrosomia, preterm labor and birth, uterine rupture, and vaginal birth after cesarean. So these are all the facts that i found on teen pregnancy. Research Papers on Personal Experience with Teen PregnancyInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesEffects of Television Violence on Children19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseCapital PunishmentHip-Hop is ArtResearch Process Part OneMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia

Revising E-mails and Podcasts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Revising E-mails and Podcasts - Essay Example There have been many famous authors on this podcast like Joe Abercrombie  and Kristian Nairn  . I have been a great fan of your podcast Sword and laser as it is the cardinal tool in my learning of science fiction and fantasy literature but there are some improvements which can elevate the performance of your podcast; I sincerely recommend the following with kind suggestions. The first thing which should be diminished from the podcast is the reading session that is provided to the audience in which they read and then the review is started in order to inculcate the audience on the board to have their interest but the situation is different than the perception. The audience should be shown a short video summarizing the theme of the book or the hosts themselves should summarize the theme of the book for the audience and it will be enough to give them a touch about the book that is going to be reviewed and the show time will be saved in this way. The interest of the audience will also be developed because many people are only interested in the salient details of the book, not the in depth study. The podcast will become more interesting and to the point by adapting this improvement and more time can be spent on the review and analysis of the book. The other improvement which is needed in the podcast is the active participation of audience. People cannot ask the questions to the authors and just listen to them whereas in order to sustain the interest and interaction of the podcast, it is really necessary that the audience can pose questions to the writrs. The podcast allows the questions to the authors only from the active members. The third improvement is the types of questions which the hosts ask. Many a times, they asked irrelevant questions and the author of the book seemed to be frustrated. The hosts should be instructed to focus the questions on the topic (52 Podcasts, 2013). I went back

How does the main protagonist in a christmas carol change throghout Essay

How does the main protagonist in a christmas carol change throghout the text - Essay Example I will be analyzing all the social, historical as well as cultural features that can be found in the text, too, and also the problems mentioned in the book which are similar to today’s multi-cultural society. The protagonist of this book is Ebenezer Scrooge who, in the beginning is, shown as an old, ‘tight-fisted hand at the grind- stone’ man who is ‘a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!’. Bob Cratchit works for him but Scrooge pays him a paltry sum which is not enough for him to bring up his large family. Scrooge is ‘self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.’ (Dickens, 1843, p. 4) He does not like any celebrations, particularly Christmas, nor does he like having happy people around him. One of the most frequent adjectives used by Scrooge is ‘Humbug!’ (Dickens, 1843, p. 7). His personality undergoes a drastic change once the Ghosts of the Past, Present and Yet to Come visit him in his d reams. At seeing himself end up as a lonely person abandoned by all during all three of these, he wakes up a changed man, promising to ‘honour Christmas in (his) heart, and try to keep it all the year’. (Dickens, 1843, p. 125) He calls himself ‘as happy as an angel †¦ as merry as a schoolboy ... ... He has used adjectives very appropriately in the first stave to give the reader a sense of the characters and the setting. He also uses onomatopoeia to emphasize on emotions as well as the sounds: ‘Clash, clang, hammer; ding, dong, bell. Bell, dong, ding; hammer, clang, clash.’. (Dickens, 1843, p. 129) The reader would also notice the use of similes so one can compare the situation to something ‘Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.’ (Dickens, 1843, p. 3) When describing Scrooge, Charles Dickens uses the weather elements to show what his character is like and even his facial structure: ‘The cold within him froze his old features †¦ He carried his own low temperature always about with him †¦ and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas †¦ No wind that blew was bitterer than he ....’ (Dickens, 1843, p. 5) Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is thought to be a novella by many. These are usually fictional, narrative stories which are not too long in length and the plot is not too diverse, but mostly focuses on a particular plotline, the endings usually suggesting a change. The story is in first person which makes the reader believe that it is the author Dickens himself who is the narrator of the book, an omniscient narrator to be precise. Using the first point of view allows him to capture the readers’ interest, allows them to believe that they are a part of the story. The narrative form also lets the reader to feel what is happening in the novella. There is a great deal of imagery one comes across in the book so one can have a vivid picture of what exactly is going on. It helps give a greater impact of the setting and the

The Social Context of Death and Dying

The Social Context of Death and Dying Introduction Using course materials from Death and Dying, I will discuss the idea that death is something to be feared. I will use course material from Block 1, The Social Context of Death and Dying, focusing on units 1 and 2. I will provide evidence of arguments for and against this notion and consider other attitudes of how these views are formed by society. I will also illustrate my answers using materials form the course website, reader and audio activities. I have also incorporated some personal and professional experience. in an attempt to illustrate my points. Death is portrayed and discussed in various ways by people from all walks of life, their upbringing and religious views can have an impact on how they perceive death. As discussed in Block 1, one indicator that death is something to fear is our use of language. This anxiety is demonstrated in the euphemisms individuals use when describing or explaining a death. For example when undertaking activity 1.1, Explaining the meaning of death, (Block 1, unit 1, pg 1). I discussed my first experience of death. I recall having to explain to my youngest sibling that our mother had died. My sister was 8 years old and I sat her down and spoke firstly about angels and the stars. I went on to tell her that God had decided he needed mum to be an angel. I couldnt bear to use the word dead as I was struggling with mum being dead and was of the view that using the word ‘dead would have been too painful and therefore spoke about angels to make it less emotive. Since then I have experienced the dea th of other relatives and friends and find that I will use euphemisms such as, â€Å"passed away† or â€Å"gone to a better place†. I have also heard myself use phrases such as â€Å"kicked the bucket, however, this is usually when referring to someone I didnt really know. A number of examples are provided in block 1 in relation to euphemisms used to describe what occurs after death. Spiritualist and Mediums use words such as â€Å"crossing over† or â€Å"passed over† as they see the death as the beginning of a journey from this world to what they describe as the ‘spirit world. Komaromy (2005) spoke of how she found that whilst exploring how death and dying were managed in care homes, was â€Å"frequently met with difficulty over the use of words ‘death, ‘dying and ‘dead† (Block 1, unit 1, section 1.2, pg 13). It would appear the fear of using these words were not necessarily from the residents themselves but by those who cared for them. The beliefs instilled in people from a young age from their family, educational professionals and religious sources as well as their personal experience of death can often have a profound impact on how they perceive death and dying. Roman Catholics appear comfortable when speaking about death as they see death as a momentous event that should not be feared. Catholics believe in life after death, stating the soul leaves the body and will normally spend a period in Purgatory and when the soul is cleansed of the temporal consequences of sin they will enter heaven. However some anxiety remains, as for many, there is uncertainty of how long their soul will remain in purgatory. â€Å"They do not fear the next world, but rather the passage, the crossing over..† (Toscani, et al(2003), OU course material, website). Professor Douglas Davis research highlighted that gender plays a significant role in the belief in life after death in contemporary British Society. He states that women are far more likely to believe in an afterlife, than men, with a ratio of almost 2:1. He informs 30% of the population with a similar gender imbalance believe the dead remain among us and have had contact in one form or another with their loved one. (Audio1, activity 1.8, Identity and Belief). This I would argue is based on a persons knowledge of the deceased and is linked to their sense of identity and the need to continue the link with their loved one, which in turn may offer comfort and peace of mind to those who are bereaved. People also seek comfort through contact with the dead via spiritualists and mediums, in an effort to communicate with loved ones. Justine Picardie describes this as attending a social gathering of the dead (Picardie in Making Sense of Death and Dying and Bereavement: An Anthology, pg 198, E arle, et al). Research and studies regarding the beliefs and views of individuals in life after death vary from person to person depending on their religious or non-religious beliefs. For example the article â€Å"Life at the end of Life: beliefs about individual life after death and â€Å"good death† models a qualitive study† Toscani, F., et al, highlights two different models and arguments regarding death and what would be classed as a â€Å"good death†. The attitudes and assumptions depend on whether the individual is a believer or non-believer but even then there can be conflicting opinions between faiths. Tibetan Buddhism describes in great detail the process of death and the passage over. Tibetan Buddhists are encouraged to read â€Å"The Tibetan Book of the Dead† and when an individual is dying, there is a common conception that it is good to read this book to the dying person. â€Å"By understanding the death process and familiarisingour self with it, we can remove fear at the time of death and ensure a good rebirth† (Death and Dying in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition, Hawter; V.P internet source: Buddahnet.com). In contrast, Seventh-day Adventist beliefs regarding death are totally different from those of other religions. Adventists believe that people do not die nor do they go to Heaven or Hell. It is their belief that the individual â€Å"goes to sleep and will rise again on the Day of Judgement†. (Kormaromy, 2005, Block1, unit 1, section 1.2, pg13). By this they mean the person will remain unconscious until the return of Christ. The views of atheists vary, although the consensus is that there is no life after death, that when we die, we die, and that is it. â€Å"If I am, death is not; if death is, I am no longer: why, then, fear death?† (Toscani,et al(2003), OU course website, pg 8). This does not mean that atheists do not have a fear of death, like believers there are similarities with regards to how they will die and where they would like to die. I worked with a family whose child was dying. When trying to support the family through this difficult period they spoke of feeling angry at individuals who had questioned why they were not in church praying. They informed me that as far as they were concerned that when their child died that was the end. They stated their only fear was that their child would die alone if they left his side. The management of death and dying has changed over time. French Historian, Phillipe Aries claimed that in the Middle Ages people appeared more optimistic with regards to death, as they acknowledged death as part of life, as it unavoidable. The death affected not only the family of the deceased but the community as a whole. With individuals being assigned particular roles, for example, preparing the body for burial, announcing the death and it was customary to view the body of the deceased. Death was a common occurrence and this may explain why death was seen as inevitable and therefore not feared. Aires argued that after the 19th century death in western society was hidden and following the First World War, death became a taboo subject and was no longer seen as a natural process of life. (Block 1, unit 2.2, pg 38). The explanation for this could be that it was due to what we know as the ‘nuclear family era? Norbert Elias (1985) would argue that in todays society the role of preparing the deceased has been taken over by funeral directors who offer a wide range of services to the family. This includes collecting and preparing the body for burial or cremation. In my own recent experience of the death of my son, the only duty the funeral director could not undertake was to register the death. Elias argument â€Å"is that dying people are now more isolated than in the past† (Block 1, Unit 2.2 pg40). It should be noted that some traditions continue, for example, the viewing of the deceased remains within many faiths be it within a church setting or funeral directors chapel of rest, although this is usually by family and close friends. This could explain why Aires theory that death after the 19th century did not have an overall impact on the community but rather than on a smaller network, family and friends. German Sociologist, Norbert Elias (1985), (Block 1, unit 2.2, pg 40) challenged Aires ideas, that in the past, death was accepted as being a natural process. Elias claimed death was painful as life was much shorter and more dangerous. Conclusion Perhaps the idea of life after death allows us to cope with what can only be seen as a natural fear as the alternative, non-existence is unimaginable and we are psychologically inept to deal with this. Therefore we need to ask the question is death something feared by all? Is this a hypothesis or could it be that for many individuals, especially, those in old age or with a terminal illness that death could be the beginning of something better. It can therefore be argued that whilst individuals and society have diverse opinions regarding death and what happens to them when they die, the majority do have a fear of how they will die. For example being alone, suffering pain, dying young or, being forgotten.

Reference to two South African examples Essay

In at least one point in the day, every-one finds themselves tuned into one broadcast station or another, be it radio or television Be it for entertainment, relaxation, to be informed or merely a means of escapism. For whichever reasons it is, radio and television play an active role in our everyday life whether we are aware of it or not. Using South African examples, this assignment seeks to discuss two radio and two television genres. It is virtually impossible to discuss the issue genre before defining this term. Both the Oxford dictionary as well as Creeber (2001), defines ‘genre’ as â€Å"type† or â€Å"kind†. Genres allow for the types or kinds of things to be categorised. For example in radio broadcasting, there are various different programs aired, such as talk shows, music shows, news broadcasts, drama shows and so on. Each of these shows are categorised into a particular genre based on their characteristics. The two radio genres that will be discussed are talk shows and music shows. The phenomenon of genre is not exclusive to radio and television alone. In fact according to Greeber, â€Å"it [genre] has played an important role in the study of literature, theatre, film, television and other art and media forms† (Creeber, G: 2001 pg. 1). Radio-Talk Genre Radio stations like ‘SAFM’ and ‘702’ are almost entirely dedicated to the genre of ‘talk show’ however almost every radio station incorporates this genre if not at least for a few minutes. The success of talk shows lie in participation by the audience. The audience is urged to call into the radio station and either view their opinion on the topic of discussion or pose questions to either an officiator or a panel. On ‘SAFM’ for example, there was a program entitled â€Å"The Life and Times of Dr. Bayers Nordea†. The show was as the title implies, discussing and talking about Dr. Nordeas’ life. The show hosted family, colleagues and friends, who spoke about his life. Listeners also got the opportunity to add their comments, thoughts, as well as pose questions to the panel. The show was also officiated by the host or disk jockey (D. J) of the show, who not only directed most of the discussion, but also made sure that the show, ran smoothly. The nature of talk shows is such that the audience phones in either agreeing or disagreeing to the topic or question being discussed. This opens the door for others to voice their opinions. According to Barnard (2000), â€Å"phone-in †¦encourages a free flow of opinion and conversation within the safety of an artificially created community† (Barnard, S: 2000). With out this element, the talk show would be deemed unsuccessful. Talk shows do not follow a particular protocol, meaning that any topic can be addressed. The mere action of a D. J. posing a question relating to any topic and receiving feedback from the audience constitutes the genre of talk show to be exercised. As any topic makes way for talk shows, it is common to find small inserts of talk show, even within a primarily music radio station. Highfeld Stereo is an example of a South African music radio station. It is common to find a situation where a D. J. poses a question and opens the lines to receive feedback. The D. J is thus officiating a talk show, within a music show. Listeners of talk shows however, are required to concentrate on the discussion if they are to understand what is being discussed, thus ones attention cannot divert from one thing to another. For example, one cannot talk to a friend on the phone, as well as remain focused on the discussion. Radio-Music Genre. Although there is audience participation in the music genre, it differs from that of the talk genre. Regarding music radio, the audience is urged to call in to send dedications to friends or loved ones, choose songs they wish to hear, or vote for their favourite song rather than voice their opinions on a matter. Music as a genre is not so clear-cut like talk shows. Within the music genres, there are sub-genres, where by music is categorised according to style. Rock, rave, hip-hop and pop would all be examples of sub-genres of the music genre. The music genre requires less attention from the listener to be focused on the show. Namely, the listener can do various other activities without loosing out on the entertainment. For example, while driving a car and focusing on the road, or while working at ones desk, one can continue to listen to his or her favourite song and not be side tracked. Unlike the talk genre where if one was driving a car and focusing on the road they would more than likely loose track of what was being discussed-alternatively, they would possibly have an accident. As the genre implies, the emphasis in music shows is in fact music. Therefore it is common to find very little talking by the D. J. and more music being played. The show usually consists of popular songs in the specific sub-genre being aired. This genre also usually has a top 40 show, where the 40 most popular songs are aired. This is commonly known as â€Å"contempory hit radio† (Tomaselli/de Villiers: 1998). 5FM radio station for example has the ‘Coca-Cola Top 40’ music show which is aired every Sunday morning from 10:00- 14:00. Other radio stations like ‘East Coast Radio host the ‘Top 10 at 10’ show, which airs the 10 most popular songs every Tuesday night at 22:00. These songs which make it onto the ‘top 10’ or ‘top 40’ lists, are songs which have been voted for by the public. Jacaranda FM in contrast to the mainstream radio stations of say 5FM for example would air music of a different sub-genre, however one would still find the most popular tracks of that specific sub-genre being aired, as well as ‘top 10’ shows occurring. In the music genre, the D. Js primary job is to play music and possible talk a little bit about the artist of the track, rather than being an officiator or a mediator of discussion, as is found in talk radio. Television-Documentary Genre. As the term documentary implies, these shows are usually fact based and require research to be done on the particular topic being showed. Events are documented by a team of researchers and aired to the public. An example of a documentary would be found in the SABC 2 show â€Å"50/50†. This is a documentary program that focuses on various aspects of the wild life. Documentaries however could focus on a variety of topics, including an event, person or idea. As the emphasis of documentaries is on information, enlightenment and facts, viewers usually watch documentaries as a means of being informed, rather than being entertained. The nature of documentaries is such that each episode is fully formed and has a definite conclusion – even if left as an enquiry for the viewer to think about what they have just viewed. This allows the viewer to evaluate their knowledge of the topic against that of the show. Documentaries are also not usually serial form, as would be the case in a sitcom for example. Rather, they tend to be self-contained episodes with definite endings. Documentaries usually also adopt a narrative structure & psychological relationship of the viewers to the program. The viewer is often addressed directly, in order â€Å"to persuade the actual person watching at home that he or she is the â€Å"you† to whom the addresser is speaking† (Allen,C: 1992 pg. 118). This also keeps the viewer interested in the show as well making them feel as if they actively involved in what is going on. Due to the fact that documentaries are not entertainment focused and are rather a means of transferring information, events, people or animals being documented are portrayed as realistically as possible. Animals, which are filmed in the â€Å"50/50† program, for example are filmed in their natural environments, rather than in zoos, in order to give the viewer the most realistic experience. As they are based on real occurrences, documentaries, unlike entertainment programmes such as sitcoms, do not focus as much on a specific plot. Television-Soap Opera As soap operas were originally targeted at the female audience (Brown, M: 1994), it is not surprising to find that many of the central characters within this genre are women. More importantly, they are strong, powerful and influential characters, rather than the stereotype housewife women. SABC 3 airs the soap opera â€Å"Isidingo†. Charel de Villiers and Leigh Haynes are two examples of strong, powerful and ambitious characters that play central roles in the show. It is important for these kinds of characters to exist, in order for the audience to which the show is targeted at to be able to relate. â€Å"They [women] recognise some of there own identity in this product created by the media† (Brown, M: 1994). People watch soap operas for a number of reasons. The fact that they are entertaining, allows the viewer to unwind, relax or escape from the stresses from every day life, for the duration of the show, as the audience get lost in the reality of the program (Anderson, M: 2004). Viewers could also be using the decision-making techniques and outcomes of the soap opera to â€Å"work through† their own issues (Anderson, M: 2004). â€Å"Isidingo† is an example of a program that deals with AIDS-an issue that the whole of South Africa is facing; it also provides solutions in the form of Nandipe-a married women infected with HIV. Her positive attitude allows her to live a productive life. Viewers may see Nandipe as a role model. Those viewers infected with HIV may in fact even echo her actions in order to try and increase productivity in their own lives. Characters in soap operas are usually found in the form of â€Å"multiple characters† (Brown, M: 1994) meaning that characters emphasize the group over the individual (Brown, M: 1994 pg 53), thus many people can relate to one specific character. This also makes way for viewers to find similarities between themselves and various other characters rather than one particular character. Brown believes that rather than relating to characters in soap operas, viewers â€Å"implicate† themselves to various characters, meaning that the viewer will see similarities between a particular character, or even characters, but when the character acts in a way that the viewer does not agree with, or feel comfortable with, the viewer will distance him or herself from the character (Brown, M: 1994). Soap operas adopt a visualization style, which gets the viewer to focus and identify with a specific character (Brown, M: 1994 pg. 53). On a radio talk show for example, a TV viewer called in with the opinion that the â€Å"Isidingo† villianess, Cherel de Villiers should be punished, as if the viewer could not differentiate between reality & fiction. (Anderson, M: 2004). Apparently actors who play villainous characters are shunned offset by the public (Anderson, M: 2004). It is not only the relatable characters and entertaining style of soap operas that keep the audience hooked. It is also the continuous open-ended nature of episodes, set in the present and containing a number of alternating story lines which gives the audience sense of continuous pleasure (Brown, M: 1994, pg. 58). The fact that soap operas resists narrative closure, meaning that the story is continuous and never ending, means there is always hope for the future (Anderson, M: 2004). Thus viewers will continue to watch future episodes in order to come closer to seeing what will happen at the end (which never really comes). â€Å"John Davies (1984)†¦ suggests about soap opera viewers that once ‘hooked’, they vacillate between their need to know, or the pleasure of anticipation† that keeps viewers watching (Brown, M: 1994). In discussing two radio and two television genres with reference to two South African examples, it is evident that the complexities and intricacies of various broadcasts and genres are not as simple as one would imagine. As seen above, various genres and broadcasts draw in different audiences, and evoke various different responses in the viewer or listener. As technology continues to move forward, where will these broadcasts find themselves in the future? For now though, radio and television will continue to play an active part in almost all of our lives. BIBLIOGRAPHY Allen, Robert C. 1992. Televisions modes of address & the social context of T. V. viewing. In Channels of Discourse, reassembled. 2nd ed. Edited by Robert C. Allen. London: Routledge. Anderson, Muff. Soapies mirror SA’s soul. Mail & Guardian. 24 March 2004. Barnard, S. 2000. Studying Radio. New York: Arnold Hodder. Brown, Mary Ellen. 1994. Ch. 3: Soap opera and women’s talk: The pleasure of resistance. Thousand Oaks: Sage. Creeber, G. (ed. ). 2001. Introduction: What is genre? In Creeber, G (ed),The television genre book. London: British Film Institute, 1-7. Teer-Tomaselli, R and de Villiers, C. 1998. Radio: Theatre of the Mind. In De Beer, A (ed). Mass media toward the Millennium. Pretoria: Van Schaik, 147-175.