Changes in Higher Learning Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Changes in Higher Learning - Research Proposal Example This implies that there are the great emphasis and increased focus on what specific majors translate to in terms of a job. The increased concentration on careers that follow after college education has led to an abandonment of some majors, mainly arts, which cannot be easily related to the desired careers. As a result of this abandonment, institutions have also started changing and focusing more on professional majors. According to Breneman’s research, many art colleges were shifting attention and focusing more on professional fields (Baker, Baldwin and Makker 2012, para. 4). This implies that some majors may totally be forgotten in the future if this shift continues. The shift to professional fields could be greatly be attributed to economic changes and need for more finances. Liu, et al. argued that many students are more concerned about well-paying jobs hence increased focus on a qt professional job as opposed at arts that may arguably be seen to basically provide meaningful philosophies of lift. in Baker, Baldwin and Makker 2012, para.5). Zernike echoes this basing her argument on a survey carried out by the University of California that showed a great shift of focus on comparing student’s goals in 1971 and 2009. â€Å"In 2009, 78 percent of freshmen students were more focused on wealth while only 48 percent were after meaningful philosophy as opposed to 1971 where only 37 percent were focused on wealth while 73 percent were focused on meaningful philosophy† (2009, para.7).  

Cause and Effects of the invention of the Handphone Essay

Cause and Effects of the invention of the Handphone - Essay Example ated with using its sister-appliances – the telephone that had to be used within an area having a landline, and the carphone that involved using a device that was specially designed and fitted into automobiles. In both cases, the telephone users were forced to use the devices only when in close proximity to them {either at home/workplace or in the automobile}. The second cause was the bulky size of the telephone and carphone. People needed to have a smaller, lighter device that could be carried around easily. The third cause was the troublesome before and after subscription activities. Applying for a landline telephone is a lengthy process involving filling in bulky application forms, visiting the telecommunications office and waiting for subsequent installation visits by their technicians. For carphones, there is the hassle of ensuring that the chosen model fits correctly into the vehicle. Telephone or carphone bills have to be paid on time to ensure that the service is not t erminated. The fourth cause was that there was no text message that could be referred to; users of the telephone and carphone were constrained to limit their message to words, many of which are bound to be forgotten once the conversation ended. The last cause was the danger of being involved in car accidents due to diversion of attention caused by carphone conversations. The invention of the handphone has had several effects on society. First of all, people are able to benefit not only from communication via conversations, but in many other ways. The handphone has several other services such as Short Message Service {SMS} for exchanging text messages, email, packet switching to gain connection to the Internet, Bluetooth, games, camera with video recording and Multimedia Messaging Service {MMS} that can send and receive photographs and video clippings. Secondly, there is no restriction to using the handphone; it can be used in all areas where there could be no communication earlier, such as

Quota Printing Essay Example for Free

Quota Printing Essay The best things in life are free. However, anything that is provided without any controls attached should impose a certain degree of responsibility. This will ensure that the overall efficiency of the right can be maximized by all individuals concerned. In the case of the free printing abuse in the library, the best possible resolution is to implement an individualized imposition of responsible printing instead of simply making the facility available without limitations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One possible solution for the problem is to implement a quota for printing per student. Each enrolled individual will have to register first in the database in which they will have to input their complete name and student number. Afterwards, the library can impose a printing system which will allow each student to avail the first 50 to 100 pages (depending on the decision of the library) of printing free for the entire semester. The next pages thereafter shall be charged a definite amount of at least about five cents per page as noted in the article. This way, the students will have the responsibility to only use their free pages of printing in an efficient way which will help them become responsible. Moreover, five cents worth of printing page is still reasonable for any student’s budget allowance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For the concern of having to wait long queue of printing, the library can install one more printing machine in the library. Because of the great savings in resources (paper, electricity, ink) and the possible accumulation of budget coming from the 5c/page beyond quota charges, is it possible to purchase another equipment to make printing faster for all the students who want to request for a printing job. Of course, the same implementation ruling should be provided to the second printer which will be connected in the single student user database for the number of printed page monitoring.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is always an exciting experience to acquire something without any charges. But sometimes, it is inevitable to encounter inconsiderate individuals who would only want to abuse something that is free. In order to resolve this problem, it is always necessary to impose a definite restriction in free services to help each user become responsible. A simple limitation rule can greatly help a free system effective.

The World Today As A Unipolar Society

The World Today As A Unipolar Society The world is a complex and dynamic with almost endless combinations of events leading to different outcomes. Sovereign states, multinational corporations, NGOs, militias, terrorists, regional and global organisations, media outlets and rogue states affect global relations. Environmental changes, natural disasters, regional and inter-state conflict, economic instability, migration and demographic changes are a fraction of the events that add uncertainty to the path of future global relations. So can we neatly categorise this multifarious world? Gordon Allport said categories are nouns that cut slices through our environment. This applies to all things, not simply to a persons nationality or skin colour. From birth we learn to categorise the world, to drop items or situations into buckets that broadly meet its features. This helps us process complex information without being utterly overwhelmed. Regarding world order; no two situations are alike but we are able to apply the basic constructs to a polar system. There are those who argue for unipolarity, multipolarity and nonpolarity. This essay will assess each of the arguments in turn and, in conclusion, you will be presented with an opinion based on those arguments. In 1939 the international system was multipolar with France, Germany, Italy, Japan, USSR, UK and US as the major global powers. This balance of power led to a total war between two alliances with two superpowers emerging, the USSR and US. From 1945 these two superpowers were engaged in a political and military standoff, the Cold War, which despite its deadly potential delivered a degree of stability to world order. The collapse of the USSR in 1991 left a period of uncertainty that saw the US take the role as global hegemon. This power shift has been ongoing since well before WWII, even before Carl von Clausewitzs days in the multipolar early 19th century, and above all this demonstrates the dynamic and ever shifting nature of the international system of power. Unipolarity can be defined as a system in which a single power is geopolitically preponderant because its capabilities are potent enough to preclude the formation of an overwhelming balancing coalition against it  [1]  . To suggest that a unipolar state must be capable of achieving all its goals, everywhere, by itself is nonsense  [2]  . If this were the case there would never have been a unipolar state on the global stage. There have, of course, been unipolar powers; America is the most recent and the best example but the Roman Empire, the Mongol Empire and Chinas Han Dynasty are other examples. There is no stomach for anything other than US hegemony on Capitol Hill. The US has dominated since the end of the Cold War with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. An entire generation of Americans has grown up knowing nothing apart from US hegemony and they are not keen to lose it. Following the end of the Iraq War there was no flurry of US innovation to try and prevent future Iraq wars; there was instead a shift in the doctrinal approach of the Pentagon towards counter insurgency and more money spent on equipping the military to fare even better in future Iraq wars. Key factors defining superpower status are military, economic, political and technological. An economically strong US has built a military, unmatched in terms of the size of its technologically advanced forces. The US Navys fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 navies combined.  [3]  China and India have larger armed forces than the US but the US has more forces stationed overseas (460,000 is 146 countries). It has the most technologically advanced weaponry in the world, spending almost as much on defence as all other nations combined  [4]  . This ability to project power globally is significantly unmatched by any power in the world and this gives the US a more prominent place at the international table. Of the four key factors, military power is the most relevant to maintaining US global hegemony but even US culture has migrated around the globe. MTV, CNN, Coca Cola, McDonalds, Disney and Hollywood are but a few US brand names in what is known in some camps as th e McDomination Effect. The US enjoys a unique geographical advantage, having allies on each of its borders; Canada, Mexico (an uneasy ally but a strong trading partner), and the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Other states tend to have their ascent to superpower status blocked by their neighbours. The huge margin between the US and its nearest competitors may have reduced in recent years but it remains. Furthermore there is no other single country that can compete with the US in all areas of power. Yale historian Paul Kennedy claimed the US would suffer from imperial overstretch but, in such awe of US success in Afghanistan in 2002, he wrote nothing has ever existed like this disparity of power; nothing. The notion of overstretch is largely ill founded as the potential final nail in the coffin for the US; unlike Great Britain, France and Spain before it, the US does not crave territory, almost before they put boots on foreign soil they are looking for an exit strategy  [5]  . The commonly held view is that unipolarity is unstable, mainly due to the tendency of other states to seek counterbalance and inevitably cause conflict. In this case, however, there are no power enemies that are seeking to directly counter the US. Indeed, following the September 11 attacks India, Pakistan, Russia and even China have revised their foreign policies regarding the US. Even North Korea may be entering back into dialogue in April with the US over dismantling its nuclear programme. Which other countries enjoy the ability to disregard the international system without retribution? Not only disregard the system but draw their allies along with them, such as with the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Cases of torture of terror suspects, the last invasion of Iraq, not signing up to the Ottowa Treaty (despite being a P5 member of the UN Security Council), the Highway of Death massacre in Iraq; the list is extensive but the point remains that the US remains at the head of the international table despite multiple infringements of international law or, in the case of the Ottowa Treaty, setting a poor example to the international community. Charles Krauthammer coined the Unipolar Moment in the early 1990s and in 2002 he suggested that moment had become the Unipolar Era. Since 1990 however, the US has been at war in the Middle East, Somalia, Haiti and Bosnia in the main. It has suffered a disastrous presidency under Bush and financial meltdown following the collapse of the sub-prime market. In addition it has suffered a major terrorist attack, a catastrophic diversion of attention from Afghanistan to Iraq regarding WMDs and has suffered a moral own goal by practising torture and violating human rights, specifically the authorised use of waterboarding by CIA personnel on US terror suspects. Financially the country is a shell following Bushs presidency; he took office with $120 billion in reserve and left a deficit of $1.2 trillion eight years later. In every dimension other than military power the distribution of power is shifting, moving away from U.S. dominance. That does not mean we are entering an anti-American world but we are moving into a post-American world, one defined and directed from many places and by many people  [6]  . Many argue, most notably Richard Haass, that the unipolar moment is over, that sovereign states have lost the monopoly on power in a world now dominated by dozens of state and non-state actors, each with a significant amount of power. In todays world, states are challenged from above, by regional and global organisations (UN, NATO, IMF and WTO), from below by militias and terrorist groups (drug cartels, Al Qaeda, CIRA and Hezbollah) and from the side by NGOs (Amnesty International, the Red Cross and Greenpeace) and the media. The six major world powers are joined by global, regional and functional organisations that wield tremendous power; consider OPEC for example. In this nonpolar environment, mechanisms for providing solutions to world problems are becoming multilateral in nature and not state driven. Recent meetings at the UN have been held including government departments, UN agencies, NGOs, pharmaceutical companies, foundations, think tanks and universities  [7]  . Military might does not equate to effect. The events of 11 Sep 01 demonstrate that a small organisation with minimal funding and manpower can strike a devastating blow to a powerful state. The events since have shown that, even with the full prosecution of its power, the US has been unable to bring the war on terror to a satisfactory conclusion. Power and influence have become less synonymous in recent years due, in part, to the decline of the US on the world stage but also to the growth in stature of other states and non-state actors. The increase in production and consequential consumption of fossil fuels has seen substantial funds flow to oil producing countries. These countries have enjoyed the benefits of these profits and are now rising in power and influence themselves. The success of the US machine has contributed to its own downfall. The dollar is in decline, worldwide talks are taking place regarding the cessation of trading in the dollar for oil; already many global exchan ge holdings are now in other currencies.  [8]  The emerging BRIC and Middle Eastern countries are discussing alternative currencies for international reserve. Globalisation is a major factor in the global diffusion of power. In both the physical and the virtual world, borders have become more porous over the last 20 years and therefore less susceptible to state control. In the same way that states have increased in their ability to succeed financially and technologically, non-state actors have matured in the same way. This, coupled with more porous borders in a smaller world has enabled far more actors to exert their influence around the globe. Terrorist groups communicate worldwide via internet, move funds electronically via internet and move members internationally via a high tech worldwide air bridge. Media groups such as CNN and Al Jazeera distribute current footage of war zones across the world that has not been subject to government censorship; many non-western countries receive instant footage in their native language, not subject to western control. US primacy has been challenged and found wanting. The dollar is in decline and countries are regularly able to resist US petitions (Pakistan, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and Zimbabwe most recently). Other states have grown significantly (including China, Brazil, India, Russia and Saudi Arabia) and there has been a great deal of backlash to Americanism. Despite the decline of US hegemony, no state has stepped up to the plate to take on the role of hegemon. This, combined with globalisation, has led to a unipolar world. So what of multipolarity? Irans rise to nuclear power seems inevitable; supported by both Russia and China, financially and in the UN, the US appears powerless to halt Irans nuclear progress. Irans accumulation of wealth shows no sign of waning, especially as it holds three fifths of the worlds oil reserves and two fifths of the worlds natural gas reserves. Russia has made a massive comeback under Putin. It holds half of the worlds supply of nuclear weapons and has the third largest gold and foreign currency reserve in the world. There is heavy reliance on Russian oil and gas supplies across the continent and, with the financial crisis pushing investors to liquidate assets into oil, gold and other commodities, Russia benefited greatly in recent times. China has also rapidly risen as a diplomatic and economic power; at current rates the country will lead the US in GDP by 2050. Despite its unusual peaceful rise to power, compared with Britain, the US, Japan, Germany and Russia before it, China may be prepared to support Russias objection to a possible US anti-missile shield in Europe by use of military power. China has been one of the first to move into Africa, capitalising on untouched oil and mineral reserves. Also there has been a direct challenge to the US might via cyberspace; Chinese hackers have repeatedly compromised Pentagon computer security, rendering entire systems inoperative. India is another rising power and a nuclear power. It too has very good relations with Russia and China, who has given financial support. Unfortunately India suffers with a similar problem to the EU in that it is a multi-faceted entity that faces challenges from within regarding a single voice and unity in aim. Further to this it is hampered in its quest for hegemony in South Asia by Pakistan who, although significantly weaker in conventional terms, possesses a nuclear capability. Brazil has made a meteoric rise in power in recent times. Already a mineral rich country it has recently discovered extensive oil reserves offshore and has signed a multi-billion dollar military technology sharing deal with France. It sits under the US security umbrella and has no serious threats from its neighbours and does not seek to be a military power but an economic one. Vast swathes of land have been made fertile and the country now leads the world in the exports of many foodstuffs and is the second highest producer of ethanol in a world looking for alternative fuels. The Muslim world is increasing in power across the world. Birth rates in Muslim countries are increasing and the availability of medical services is improving this gives rise to longer life expectancy coupled with a larger young population. With the concentration of fossil fuels in Middle Eastern countries and the financial benefits that brings we can expect to see increase in the effect of the Muslim world on the west. This may take the form of states increasing in production and becoming more powerful but there is a chance this could mean increased migration to the west. The US remains primus inter pares but is no longer hegemon. It now relies on more imports and is able to export less (exports of goods and services grew by 12.0% in 2008 to $1.84 trillion, while imports increased 7.4% to $2.52 trillion  [9]  ). Meanwhile other countries are growing at increasing rates (China grew 9.6% in 2008 compared with 1.1% in the US  [10]  ). Chinas GDP growth may be increasing but it is unlikely that spending on defence will come close to the US. The poor majority Chinese population will continue to sap economic growth. EU GDP may be in excess of the US and its armed forces may be great in number but the union is not yet truly unified and the region is suffering an ageing population. Japan too is suffering an ageing and shrinking population. India is making huge advances in its economy but suffers from a bureaucratic system with little in the way of infrastructure. Russia could be seen as a possible contender again, although it is challenged from within by a declining population (falling at about 0.5% per year since 1991  [11]  and internal challenges to its government. The most recent example of nonpolarity is Iran. With the surge in oil prices Iran has accumulated wealth and power and is now seemingly aspiring to join the nuclear family. Despite its protestations, the US is unable to turn the tide without significant help from other states and organisations to assist with sanctions or to block access to nuclear technology and materials.  [12]  Iran now has the ability to exert influence over OPEC, which in turn could significantly affect the US. There is no doubt that the US still leads the world in the power stakes but its place at the top has become more unsteady in recent years. Iraq and Afghanistan have cost a considerable amount to fund and have turned opinion against them around the globe. US intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan has seen its national debt rise to over $250 billion; this coupled with the recent sub-prime market crash has seen the US economy weakened considerably. Hence the accumulation of wealth elsewhere in the world has a more marked effect. GDP growth differentials are reducing. The EU already beats the US GDP by some considerable margin and both Japan and China are closing the gap The world today But polarity is not a binary phenomenon. The world will not stay unipolar for decades and then suddenly, one afternoon, become multipolar  [13]  . The US remains primus inter pares more powerful in more areas than any other country. This does not mean, however, that it remains at the top of a unipolar system; Iran is a case in point. Success in the US has fed many other countries around the world, particularly oil producing states. China has benefited from US trade and with all While the concept of categorisation discussed at the beginning of this essay has clear benefits, we cannot simply assign one of the given categories to the world today. Unipolarity has been a reality since the collapse of the Soviet Union but the unipolar moment is truly over. The US does not have the ability to act with impunity or support any longer. There is a definite case of imperial overstretch, given its financial position, with the war on terror. Heavy economic and financial reliance on China sits paradoxically with the US position regarding Russia, Iran, India (opposed as it was to the Indian nuclear testing programme) and, more irritatingly, Chinese cyber war. There may currently be no state that is directly challenging the US on the global stage but the door of opportunity is certainly open for others to pose a threat to the US if conflict is provoked. While it is true that globalisation has increased the power of non-state actors to have an effect on the world stage, they are only able to apply pressure to sovereign states. Ultimately the sovereign states retain the real power, the combination of military might, geopolitical influence, economic power and technological advancement. Other actors play a key role in making the system work and providing solutions to global problems (global warming, financial crises, conflict prevention and so on) but the state remains king on the world stage. Multipolarity is re-emerging as nation states amass wealth, technology and increase cooperation through globalisation. There is possibility of conflict arising from this situation, especially with the Middle Eastern situation and with various states opposed to the US and its foreign policy. The reality would appear to be that we are in a transition phase between two elements of polarity, those being the unipolar world of the post Cold War era and the multipolar world of the future.

James Joyces Araby - Araby as Epiphany for the Common Man Essay

James Joyce's Dubliners - Araby as Epiphany for the Common Man Joseph Campbell was one of many theorists who have seen basic common denominators in the myths of the world's great religions, Christianity among them, and have demonstrated how elements of myth have found their way into "non-religious" stories. Action heroes, in this respect, are not unlike saints. Biblical stories are, quite simply, the mythos of the Catholic religion, with saints being the heroes in such stories. The Star Wars film saga is, according to Campbell, an example of the hero's maturation via the undertaking of a great quest. Though it is a safe assumption that many of today's film makers are unconscious of the extent to which their narratives approach biblical parallels, Joyce spent his career turning seemingly simple stories into veiled recantings of biblical and mythical experience. "Araby" is a case-in-point. Like Luke Skywalker, the boy in "Araby" certainly reaches a maturation of sorts while undertaking a quest. Joyce takes accurate and mundane details of Dublin li fe and elevates them into a grand mythical pattern, targeting a moment of departure and awakening for the boy. Joyce's function in equating mundane experience with heroic experience is to propose that the potential for epiphany--the hero's realization of a certain truth--is not exclusive to saints alone, but exists in all people. In order to so, Joyce must declare a relationship between the ordinary and the sublime. The ordinariness of the boy's story is apparent. On one level, it is a simple story about the kind of unrequited "puppy love" that strikes most boys of his age. The details of the setting come from real Dublin--North Richmond Street and Westland Row Station--and depict ... ...t chooses to go to the temple, Orpheus chooses to go to Tartaros. Joyce made his own choice: to leave Ireland, and the result is a lifetime's body of work that demonstrates great insight. It is a good guess that this insight came from a realization Joyce himself may have had--his own epiphany, if you will--illustrating the extent to which the pattern of journey and realization found their way into his life as well as his work. Work Cited Joyce, James. Dubliners. New York: Washington Square Press, 1998. Works Consulted Schwarz, David R. Dubliners: Complete, Authoritative Text with Biographical and Historical Contexts, Critical History, and Essays from Five Contemporary Critical Perspectives. Ed. David R. Schwarz. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin’s Press, 1994. Werner, Craig Hansen. Dubliners: A Pluralistic World. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1988. James Joyce's Araby - Araby as Epiphany for the Common Man Essay James Joyce's Dubliners - Araby as Epiphany for the Common Man Joseph Campbell was one of many theorists who have seen basic common denominators in the myths of the world's great religions, Christianity among them, and have demonstrated how elements of myth have found their way into "non-religious" stories. Action heroes, in this respect, are not unlike saints. Biblical stories are, quite simply, the mythos of the Catholic religion, with saints being the heroes in such stories. The Star Wars film saga is, according to Campbell, an example of the hero's maturation via the undertaking of a great quest. Though it is a safe assumption that many of today's film makers are unconscious of the extent to which their narratives approach biblical parallels, Joyce spent his career turning seemingly simple stories into veiled recantings of biblical and mythical experience. "Araby" is a case-in-point. Like Luke Skywalker, the boy in "Araby" certainly reaches a maturation of sorts while undertaking a quest. Joyce takes accurate and mundane details of Dublin li fe and elevates them into a grand mythical pattern, targeting a moment of departure and awakening for the boy. Joyce's function in equating mundane experience with heroic experience is to propose that the potential for epiphany--the hero's realization of a certain truth--is not exclusive to saints alone, but exists in all people. In order to so, Joyce must declare a relationship between the ordinary and the sublime. The ordinariness of the boy's story is apparent. On one level, it is a simple story about the kind of unrequited "puppy love" that strikes most boys of his age. The details of the setting come from real Dublin--North Richmond Street and Westland Row Station--and depict ... ...t chooses to go to the temple, Orpheus chooses to go to Tartaros. Joyce made his own choice: to leave Ireland, and the result is a lifetime's body of work that demonstrates great insight. It is a good guess that this insight came from a realization Joyce himself may have had--his own epiphany, if you will--illustrating the extent to which the pattern of journey and realization found their way into his life as well as his work. Work Cited Joyce, James. Dubliners. New York: Washington Square Press, 1998. Works Consulted Schwarz, David R. Dubliners: Complete, Authoritative Text with Biographical and Historical Contexts, Critical History, and Essays from Five Contemporary Critical Perspectives. Ed. David R. Schwarz. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin’s Press, 1994. Werner, Craig Hansen. Dubliners: A Pluralistic World. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1988.

An American Jew :: essays papers

An American Jew In this large city of ours situated on big spinning ball, inside a vast galaxy, and even larger universe. We sometimes tend to leap out into the unkown embracing and fearing life on other planets, when we can not embrace life or learn not to fear life on our own planet. We as a society have formed our own barriers when those placed upon us have been removed. We rarely see mixed neighborhoods outside of large cities. Even in our own borough we can see this; for example Borough Park is mostly Religious Jews, the area surrounding Brooklyn College is mostly black, and Gerritsen Beach is mostly Italian. When someone who doesn't belong in a community invades that community, that community then will fear and reject the invaders. The community is like the indiginous people of an island, when the island recieves its first visiter from the outside, the indiginous people fear the visiter and fear the change they may bring. My family was the first Russian family to move to an all Italian neighborhood, I was told to go back to where i cam from "damn rooskies", the children used to yell and taunt my sisters and myself. They would scream go back to Russia eventhough we had never been there. But soon I made freinds with a local girl who accepted me for me, not for being Russian, but for being Diana. My parent's didn't want me to get involved with the wrong kids and they also feared my friendship with people of different backgrounds. But our families began to talk and then we went over to each others houses for dinner and pretty soon, we were having block parties and backyard BBQ's. We weren;t Russian anymore, and they weren't Italian we had met somewhere in the middle. My mom now makes an amazing lasagna and the Laura's mom (the girl I befriended) makes a great Chicken Kiev. We didn't belong to any one class, our neighborhood was no longer Italian and it didn't become Russian it just was. It was just a neighborhood, no classification, just a middle class neighborhood, it was gray. Gray is that color inbetween black and white, its not black, and its not white, its just in the middle. If you think about there are a lot of colors like that; take pink for example its a mix between red and white, its not red and its not ehite, its just in the middle its just pink.

Culture and Prime Time Television Essay

â€Å"Cultural studies is a critical approach that focuses attention on the role of the media as a principal means by which ideology is introduced and reinforced within contemporary culture. One of the central tenets of cultural studies is that the media promote the dominant ideology of a culture† (Silverblatt, 98). Primetime television, programming on television that airs between the hours of 7-10 p. m. central standard time, is one of the outlets that culture uses to deliver values; therefore, some of the shows that air on primetime television are a true reflection of dominant ideology/culture. Cultural studies and media literacy theories help to explain how this is evident in the messages delivered through many of the shows that air on primetime television. A few reality shows that reflect the dominant American culture/ideology are Keeping up with the Kardashians, America’s Next Top Model, and Run’s House. Keeping up with the Kardashians is an American reality television show that airs on primetime television. It documents the lives of the Kardashians and the Jenners. The Kardashians include Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, and Robert. They are the children of the late Robert Kardashian. The Jenners include Bruce, Kylie, Kendall, and Kris. Bruce and Kris Jenner are the parents of this blended family. Keeping up with the Kardashians became a major hit from inception. The show offers its audience the opportunity to learn more about the Kardashians. The show reveals secrets about the family that the audience wouldn’t otherwise know. For instance, it allowed the audience to learn details about scandals that took place in some of the Kardashians’ lives before they became famous. In addition, the show offers its audience the opportunity to share the family’s rise to fame. While Kim Kardashian is the most popular person on the show, many of her siblings are beginning to share the spotlight as a result of being on the show. â€Å"The imposition of an ideology within a culture is referred to as hegemony. Critical theorists like Stuart Hall argue that the worldviews presented through the media do not merely reflect or reinforce culture but in fact shape thinking by promoting the dominant ideology of a culture†(Silverblatt, 99). While keeping up with the Kardashians was more than likely created as a means of making money for both the producers and the family, the show probably has more of an effect on society than it believes that is does. On the current season of the show, Kourtney Kardashian is trying to get pregnant with her second child by Scott Disick, her first son’s father. Because Kourtney is famous and she and Scott are not married, the audience may begin to think that it is okay to have kids out of wedlock. This type of behavior seems to be becoming a dominant ideology. While this type of behavior occurs in our society, it was never accepted as freely as it is now. On another note, the shows does offer the conquer worldview where â€Å"striving for success is often portrayed as a test of personal resolve, requiring discipline, sacrifice, and commitment† (Silverblatt, 111). On Keeping up with the Kardashians, Kris, Kim, Kourtney, and Khloe work very hard to be successful. They are very disciplined, committed, and driven for success. They sacrifice having relationships and time with family to pursue their dreams. This is not a dominant ideology in our culture. While hard work, commitment, and discipline equal success in American culture, not too many people will sacrifice being away from their families, especially their husbands for success. Keeping up with the Kardashians can also be viewed as a contest worldview. This means that the show suggests through the characters’ actions that â€Å"success is a sport, in which people compete against one another† (Silverblatt, 111). On the most recent episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians, Kim becomes very competitive to a point where she bets Kourtney $10,000 to play her in a game of chess. This bet was raised after Kim had already lost the first game of chess and had to become Kourtney’s maid for a day. As stated on the show, Kim’s drive to be the best, even in here career, makes her a very competitive person. On top of being very competitive, she is also a soar loser. She uses her gains as a way to measure her success against her sisters’ success. The contest worldview reminds me of the American phrase, â€Å"keeping up with the Jones. † Some people live to be like someone else and to have just as much or more than the next person. Keeping up with the Kardashians, as the name implies seems to think that society wants to be on their level in terms of success and fame. In a society and culture were possessions and wealth tend to define you, there is no wonder why the show is a huge hit. Unfortunately this is a part of the American culture; however, it is not a dominant ideology. America’s Next Top Model is another popular reality television show that airs on primetime television. The show was the first show of its kind that offered teenagers and young women the opportunity to compete on national television to become America’s Next Top Model. The show was a huge success from inception and quickly became one of the highest rated shows on network television that appealed to a wide audience of females ranging from age 18-34. By inviting America into the lives of beautiful models, the modeling industry, and beauty and fashion, America’s Next Top Model entered the market as a force to be reckoned with. While America’s Next Top Model emerged as a reflection of American culture, in many ways it also began to shape American culture. It became America’s new trendsetter, beauty expert, modeling mentor, and entertainment. Each season of America’s Next Top Model offers its audience 9-13 episodes with 10-14 contestants competing for the title of America’s Next Top Model. A contestant is eliminated on each episode of the show, which steepens the competition as the season progresses. To provide the audience with a more realistic feel for the industry, America’s Next Top Model offers drastic makeovers, personal life experiences of the contestants, gruesome challenges, traveling ventures, and extravagant living arrangements. Beauty is a huge part of the show as implied by the title of the show, but talent along with ambition plays a major role as well. According to Silverblatt, â€Å"the personal values of the media communicator are interwoven with membership in a number of subcultures based upon gender, ethical/racial identity, stage of life, and class which operate according to separate value systems. In order to identify a value system operating in a media production, it is of paramount importance to define its culture† (Silverblatt, 109). It is evident that America’s Next Top Model shares an American culture. Not only does the producer, Tyra Banks, share this same American culture, but she also shares other subcultures with her audience, which includes gender, stages of life, and race. Analyzing characters is a strategy that Silverblatt addresses as a way to identify the value system operating within media presentations. â€Å"Heroes and Heroines embody those qualities that society considers admirable. Heroes generally prevail in media entertainment programming because they embody the values that are esteemed within the culture† (Silverblatt, 109). Both Tyra Banks and the contestants of America’s Next Top Model signify beauty and talent, which are qualities that most women would love to have. These girls signify what our culture defines as model material and thus a reflection of a dominant ideology. They are tall, slim, have flawless skin, and are beautiful. These are qualities that some of the audience may either possess or admire in the contestants. â€Å"Successful media figures are in control, free to determine their own fates† (Silverblatt, 111). The contestants on the show are determined to be unique, to stand out from the crowd, and to win the title. They know that their fate on the show and for their life thereafter depends on their determination to win. These are roles that are shared by most Americans. American culture suggests that fate is in the hands of the beholder; therefore, this aspect of the show is a reflection of a dominant ideology. This implies that whatever happens in life is the sole responsibility of the individual and that success comes with being confident and in control. Run’s House is yet another American reality television show that airs on primetime television. The show introduces America to Reverend Run, also known as Run DMC, as a minister, his family, and his family life. Run’s House focuses on Reverend Run as provides parenting to his family of five children which range in age from age 8 to 21 with his loving wife, Justine. Viewers get a see Reverend Run in action as this hands-on, very involved, hip-hop gone minister dad negotiates everyday parenting challenges from the birds and the bees to helping with homework. Run’s House is a perfect example of American culture as we know it. This family of seven that consists of five children and a mother and father in the home prays together, eats together, and participate in family activities and trips together. While the children of the show still get in trouble for misbehaving or getting bad grades, they respect their parents. They seem to honor the values that they are taught and work hard to keep their parents proud. On one particular episode of the show, the audience learned that Vanessa and Angela were still virgins at age 18 and 21. In this same episode, the girls mention that they are going to wait until they are married before they engage in sexual activities. This is a lesson that is taught to many, but carried out by fewer. While this seems to be far from the norm in current day society, his aspect of the show could shape culture and have a huge impact on the younger audience who admire Angela and Vanessa. Run’s House seems to fit the Physical Ideal worldview which means that the family is admired because of the role that they play in this society. Reverend Run and his family seem to still be grounded with â€Å"old fashion† values in a society and culture where that seems to be fading, temptations are ever increasing, and infidelity is accepted. Some families no longer eat at the table together; nevertheless, pray together. In addition, some children are being raised in single family homes where the mother works most of the time. Living in a home where there are two parents that have vested interest in their children’s lives and that seem to be happy makes this family a physical ideal that most people would admire and would love to have. â€Å"Cultural studies and media literacy theories help to identify dominant ideology in media which includes primetime television† (Silverblatt, 98). The three reality television shows listed above are either deeply embedded in American culture or either shape it. For the most part, Keeping up with the Kardashians and America’s Next Top Model for the most part are both a true reflection of the contemporary dominant ideology. Run’s House on the other hand is s reflection of the modern ideology. The role that Reverend Run’s family plays in this society is more similar to Leave it to Beaver which aired in the 70’s and was very appropriate for that time. While the show had high ratings, it is not the norm compared to other reality television shows that air on primetime television.