Angela McRobbie’s Analysis of Jackie Essay

This essay will be exploring Angela McRobbie’s analysis of Jackie and why the magazine has seen a new found popularity in recent years. Jackie was a popular British weekly teenage girls’ magazine published by Scottish company D.C. Thomson which was published from 1964 up until 1993. It was named after the children’s author Jacqueline Wilson who worked for D.C. Thomson at the time. The magazine was most popular with girls in the age range of 10 to 14. Before Jackie made its debut, magazines aimed at teenaged girls were normally romance orientated comic strips such as Mirabelle, Romeo and Valentine. Although Jackie did indeed feature romantic stories, they were not the main focus of the magazine. Features that had normally previously featured only in women’s magazines such as problem pages, fashion pages, reader’s true life stories, and hair and beauty advice were now introduced to a teenage population. Indeed Jackie was written by the women’s magazine department of D.C. Thomson rather than the one focused on children’s comics such as The Beano and The Dandy. Taking all this into consideration, it could be argued that Jackie provided the blue print for the modern teenage girl’s magazines. In her analysis, McRobbie says she feels that Jackie tapped into the biological nature of teenage girls, when they start to become more curious about their changing bodies and start to show an interest in the opposite sex. The Cathy and Claire problem pages were a popular feature with readers of the magazine, and many problems readers wrote in with mainly focused on boys and other common problems that come hand in hand with growing up. McRobbie believes that one purpose of the magazine was to prepare girls for the â€Å"brief flowering† period that many young working class women in that time had before marriage – but after they had just left school and started work – and so had freedom and a disposable income to go out with their f riends to pubs and dances and buy adult items such as clothes and make-up. Richard Hoggart discusses this period in his analysis of working class teenage girls in his book The Uses of Literacy. One feature Jackie was famous for was its photo stories that provided a stepping stone to fame for celebrities such as Fiona Bruce and Hugh Grant, which were usually of a romantic nature, in the style thought to appeal to the young women of the target audience. These provided girls with a romantic ideal which McRobbie discusses in her analysis of the magazine, McRobbie believes that young girls are conditioned to seek romantic based  relationships instead of sexual ones and that romantic stories like the ones that featured in Jackie and other magazines aimed at teenaged girls at the time helped to reinforce this. Again, these can seem comically clichà ©d and dated by the standards of today. In fact, one of the reasons that Jackie may have regained popularity is that this style of article, although probably reasonable at the time written, seem almost laughable and maybe also politically incorrect by today’s standards (for example one article featured in The Best of Jackie Annual on ways how to attract boys suggests that a girl should try sitting on a park bench â€Å"looking tearful†, and a fashion feature refers to plus sized girls as â€Å"fatties† and very slim girls as being â€Å"stick like†). To many people in 2012, these almost seem like satire. Indeed, on the popular bookselling website Amazon, The Best of Jackie Annual and it’s spinoffs such as Dear Cathy and Claire – The Best of Your Favourite Problem Page can be found under the sub-category â€Å"Humour†. A feature that can be found in The Best of Jackie Annual, which had previously been published as a part of an actual Jackie Christmas annual, on how to survive Christmas parties advises the readers to be wary of drunken bosses and uncles making passes at them. This is disturbingly mentioned in a casual and almost light hearted fashion, like it is a common occurrence to be expected, and perhaps even tolerated. The idea of a girl so young being put in a vulnerable position with a much older man, especially one who is in a position of authority or a relative, would be unlikely to be treated in this fashion today. This article may appear humorous to some people in a dark way, simply because it is so shocking and highly inappropriate by today’s standards. Another reason why Jackie may have seen a new increase in popularity is because older women, who would have been readers of Jackie in the past, may want to look back at their youth and remember a much simpler time before they had children to worry over, bills to pay, jobs (or lack of them) and mortgages. Looking back on the past is something which has always been very popular with people and becomes more common during times of economic recession, like the one Britain (and Europe in general) has been struggling with in recent years. There are numerous discussions on the internet in forums with older women talking fondly about their experiences and memories of reading Jackie. When Jackie stopped being published in 1993, D.C. Thomson realised a new magazine aimed at teenaged girls called Shout,  which could possibly be seen by some people as a rebranding of Jackie. Shout is still being published today and I compared a recent copy of Shout from May 2012 to a copy of Jackie from June 1981. Both magazines feature a celebrity on the front cover, with Shout having Cheryl Cole and Jackie having Adam Ant, and both also have tampon adverts on the back covers. A similar layout to that which Jackie used, and which McRobbie discusses in Jackie: An Ideology of Adolescent Femininity, is used in Sh out. Problem pages, fashion pages, celebrity gossip, hair and beauty advice, â€Å"pin-ups† of attractive male celebrities, horoscopes and reader’s true-life stories all feature in both magazines, although there are clear generational differences in these articles between the two magazines. Advice given in the problem pages of Shout is more concerned with more serious issues such as sex and alcohol abuse and also offers career advice. In the days of Jackie’s popularity girls were not often encouraged to stay on to do further education after the compulsory school leaving age and usually got married at an age which would be considered very young today, whereas today many girls go on to go to college and university and choose to put off marriage and having children to a later stage in life, if they opt to at all. Jackie also contained sewing and knitting patterns, which are things which are no longer common hobbies with teenaged girls today. This is likely due to fashionable clothing being sold cheaply in supermarkets and high-street stores such as Primark and Asda. The popularity of teenage magazines is currently on the decline, with many once popular magazines no longer being published. This is possibly due to the fact that the features of teenage magazines such as celebrity gossip, hair and beauty tips and updates on the latest fashions are readily available on the internet. Even if a young girl finds herself in need of advice there are now websites such as Yahoo Answers, Girls Ask Guys and Answerbag where she will be able to get (possibly dubious) responses to her question quickly from a variety of people across the world and there is also websites set up by charities offering advice on more serious matters such as abuse, bullying, drugs and sexual health. It is also worth having a brief look at the context of the magazine’s existence, with the early-mid 1960s being a reasonable period of progress in Britain. In the nation of Labour leader Harold Wilson’s â€Å"white heat† † (Sandbrook, 2005:737) – a nation still getting over the war, but  proudly (if cautiously) advancing in what historian Dominic Sandbrook called â€Å"a new era of creativity and progress† (Sandbrook, 2005:737)– it is only natural that Britain’s young women would have a need for their own entertainment and place for advice. While it is true that this is not the intended focus of the essay, such a background should not be ignored, and may go some way towards explaining the magazine’s eventual demise(arguably, rebranding) in the very different world of the 1990s.

Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster

The Space Shuttle Columbia was the second space shuttle disaster and the first shuttle lost on land happened on February 1, 2003. In this mission, six American astronauts and Israel's first spaceman died when the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated 200,000ft above Texas. They are David Brown, Rick Husband, Laurel Clark, Kalpana Chawla, Michael Anderson, William McCool and Ilan Ramon. Rick husband is the Columbia's commander was a US air force colonel recruited to the space program in 1994. He made his first flight in 1999; last week's was his second.William McCool is the Columbia pilot was on his first flight. A naval commander and test pilot, he was selected for the space program in April 1996, and trained at the Johnson space centre. Michael Anderson is one of only a handful of African-American astronauts, Anderson had logged 211 hours in space before the Columbia disaster. A USAF lieutenant-colonel, he joined Nasa in 1994. Kalpana Chawla is an experienced astronaut who made her f irst flight on STS-87 in 1997. David Brown was a military flight surgeon before joining the astronaut corps.Laurel Clark joined Nasa in the same year as Brown, and was trained as a space flight surgeon. Lastly is the Ilan Ramon, an Israeli air force colonel, Ramon was his country's first astronaut. He took part in the 1973 Yom Kippur war and the 1981 bombing raid that destroyed an Iraqi nuclear reactor. With the Columbia accident, not only has the nation lost a four-billion-dollar shuttle, seven outstanding astronauts and priceless experimental results, it has also lost confidence in manned space flight and space exploration. February 1, 2003 was a sunny day.It was the perfect day for the Columbia shuttle return to earth. Everyone at NASA was excited for their return because the shuttle would bring back a lot of useful information from the 16 days mission. No one suspected tragedy will happen. At around 9am, the shuttle lost contact with NASA. The mission controllers thought it was a temporary problem because of the shuttle reentry into the atmosphere and also the temperature sensors on the inboard and outboard elevons (A control surface on an airplane that combines the functions of an elevator and an aileron. on the left wing had stopped functioning minutes before. NASA start to recognize something unusual happened when several 911 calls were made by the residents in Texas, Arkansas and the Louisiana area. The space shuttle Columbia and her seven crewmembers were lost. Immediately after losing of the shuttle and the seven crewmembers, NASA stopped all shuttle operations at Kennedy Space Center. They collected all the remains piece of the Columbia shuttle and grid on the floor of the Reusable Launch Vehicle Hangar.The Columbia Reconstruction Project Team attempted to reconstruct the bottom of the orbiter as part of the investigation into the accident. The engineers found that a 20-inch piece of hardened insulation foam breaking off the main fuel tank and hitti ng the shuttle’s left wing during the launch on January 16th. They asked the top shuttle managers for outside agency assistance, but the request was denied. This is because the shuttle managers concluded that there was no safety concern due to the foam’s impact and decided to let the mission continue. Other possible causes were pilot mistake and space debris.After investigations continued in the next few weeks, some molten aluminum debris from the shuttle’s wing structure, as well as molten steel debris, had been found. When the engineers eliminated the other possibilities, they began to focus on the foam from the external tank only. When the shuttle reenters the atmosphere, the temperature on its surface can reach nearly 1649oC. So the Thermal Protection System (Various materials applied to the outer structure protect the orbiter from excessive heat) on the shuttle is critical. There are four different materials in the space shuttles Thermal Protection System ( TPS).There are high-temperature reusable surface insulation (HRSI) , low-temperature reusable surface insulation (LRSI), felt reusable surface insulation(FRSI), and reinforced carbon-carbon composite (RCC). The HRSI cover the high surface temperature reaches between 649 and 1260oC. The LRSI cover the low surface temperature reaches between 371 and 649oC. For another 2 materials are used in small amounts. Due to the temperature during reentry exceeds 1260oC at the nose cap, chin panel, forward external tank, and wing leading edge panels and T-seals, the RCC was break down.For reuse purpose and to prevent oxidation, the outer layer of the RCC is converted into silicon carbide in a furnace filled with argon with a temperature cycle up to 1649oC. The main reason of the shuttle to break down is because the foam from the bipod of the external tank was shed, and struck the shuttle’s left wing during the launch. It had damaged the wing’s leading edge RCC structures which allow ing reentry plasma to penetrate and disintegrate the underlying aluminum, damaging the wing’s structure.The foam of the bipod ramp is BX-250, polyurethane foam applied with CCF-11 which is used to cover outside of the tank to prevent ice and frost on the surface. The foam is to reduce the weight so it made by light material. The engineers couldn’t believe that such a light material could damage the wing of the shuttle. Thus, some research had done by the Southwest Research institute. They used a compressed air gun to fire a foam block of similar size and mass to that which struck Columbia and at same estimated speed.To represent the leading edge of Columbia's left wing, RCC panels from Enterprise and from NASA stock, along with fiberglass mock-up panels, were mounted to a simulating structural metal frame. In the final round of testing, a block fired at the side of an RCC panel created a hole 41 by 42. 5 centimeters (16 by 17 in) in the protective RCC panel. The tests clearly show that the foam could cause visible crack on the tested RCC panels. These cracks could lead the shuttle breakup during reentry. The final report of the Columbia Accident Investigation was released on August 26th, 2003.It concluded that this tragedy was caused by technical and organizational failures. The foam problem of the bipod area has existed for years, and NASA engineers have looked at a variety of ways to correct it. The report indicated that the space shuttle should not have been launched with this problem extant. The report further proposed that, although the shuttle had always returned to earth safely after the foam hit the wing during previous shuttle flights, the managers at NASA should not have rejected the engineers' requests to make sure Columbia's wing was not damaged this time.Finally, it suggested that NASA should have had a backup plan for fixing the shuttle in space and insuring the crew's safety if they found out the wing was badly damaged. On 26th Jul y 2005, a shuttle discovery was launched. NASA had formed an independent Return to Flight (RTF) panel to monitor its preparations. There are 7 out of the 26 RTF panel members issued a minority report prior to the launch. They questioning if Columbia’s lessons had been learned and also expressing concerns about NASA’s efforts.During launch, a large piece of foam separated from the external fuel tank, but fortunately did not strike the shuttle, which landed safely 14 days later. The shuttle fleet was once again grounded, pending resolution of the problem with the external fuel tank insulating foam. Reference: Columbia space shuttle disaster 2003. World news. http://www. guardian. co. uk/gall/0,,888045,00. html Space shuttles thermal protection system (TPS). US Centennial of Flight Commission. http://www. centennialofflight. ov/essay/Evolution_of_Technology/TPS/Tech41G2. htm Final report of Columbia Disaster. Columbia Accident Investigation Board http://caib. nasa. gov/ N ASA’s Space Shuttle Program: The Columbia Tragedy, the Discovery Mission, and the Future of the Shuttle. Marcia S. Smith Resources, Science, and Industry Division. Updated by January 4, 2006. fas. org/sgp/crs/space/RS21408. pdf Lessons Learned from the Columbia Disaster. Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS). www. aiche. org/uploadedFiles/CCPS/†¦ /Presentation_Rev_newv4. ppt

How Potato Chips Are Made

The Manufacturing Process * 1 When the potatoes arrive at the plant, they are examined and tasted for quality. A half dozen or so buckets are randomly filled. Some are punched with holes in their cores so that they can be tracked through the cooking process. The potatoes are examined for green edges and blemishes. The pile of defective potatoes is weighed; if the weight exceeds a company's preset allowance, the entire truckload can be rejected. * 2 The potatoes move along a  conveyer belt  to the various stages of manufacturing.The conveyer belts are powered by gentle vibrations to keep breakage to a minimum. Destoning and peeling * 3 The potatoes are loaded into a vertical helical screw conveyer which allows stones to fall to the bottom and pushes the potatoes up to a conveyer belt to the automatic peeling machine. After they have been peeled, the potatoes are washed with cold water. Slicing * 4 The potatoes pass through a revolving impaler/presser that cuts them into paper-thin slices, between 0. 066-0. 072 in (1. 7-1. 85 mm) in thickness. Straight blades produce regular chips while rippled blades produce ridged potato chips. 5 The slices fall into a second cold-water wash that removes the  starch  released when the potatoes are cut. Some manufacturers, who market their chips as natural, do not wash the starch off the potatoes. Color treatment * 6 If the potatoes need to be chemically treated to enhance their color, it is done at this stage. The potato slices are immersed in a solution that has been adjusted for pH, hardness, and mineral content. Frying and salting * 7 The slices pass under air jets that remove excess water as they flow into 40-75 ft (12. 2-23 m) troughs filled with oil.The oil temperature is kept at 350-375 °F (176. 6-190. 5 °C). Paddles gently push the slices along. As the slices tumble, salt is sprinkled from receptacles positioned above the trough at the rate of about 1. 75 lb (0. 79 kg) of salt to each 100 lb (45. 4 kg) of ch ips. The Manufacturing Process * 1 When the potatoes arrive at the plant, they are examined and tasted for quality. A half dozen or so buckets are randomly filled. Some are punched with holes in their cores so that they can be tracked through the cooking process. The potatoes are examined for green edges and blemishes.The pile of defective potatoes is weighed; if the weight exceeds a company's preset allowance, the entire truckload can be rejected. * 2 The potatoes move along a  conveyer belt  to the various stages of manufacturing. The conveyer belts are powered by gentle vibrations to keep breakage to a minimum. Destoning and peeling * 3 The potatoes are loaded into a vertical helical screw conveyer which allows stones to fall to the bottom and pushes the potatoes up to a conveyer belt to the automatic peeling machine. After they have been peeled, the potatoes are washed with cold water.Slicing * 4 The potatoes pass through a revolving impaler/presser that cuts them into paper -thin slices, between 0. 066-0. 072 in (1. 7-1. 85 mm) in thickness. Straight blades produce regular chips while rippled blades produce ridged potato chips. * 5 The slices fall into a second cold-water wash that removes the  starch  released when the potatoes are cut. Some manufacturers, who market their chips as natural, do not wash the starch off the potatoes. Color treatment * 6 If the potatoes need to be chemically treated to enhance their color, it is done at this stage.The potato slices are immersed in a solution that has been adjusted for pH, hardness, and mineral content. Frying and salting * 7 The slices pass under air jets that remove excess water as they flow into 40-75 ft (12. 2-23 m) troughs filled with oil. The oil temperature is kept at 350-375 °F (176. 6-190. 5 °C). Paddles gently push the slices along. As the slices tumble, salt is sprinkled from receptacles positioned above the trough at the rate of about 1. 75 lb (0. 79 kg) of salt to each 100 lb (45. 4 kg ) of chips. Potatoes arrive daily at manufacturing plants.After they are checked for quality, they are stored at a constant temperature unfil they are processed into potato chips. Some manufacturers treat the potatoes with chemicals to improve the color of the final product. To make the chips, potatoes are fried in either corn oil, cottonseed oil, or a blend of vegetable oils. Flake salt rather than crystal salt is used to season the chips. * 8 Potato chips that are to be flavored pass through a drum filled with the desired powdered seasonings. Cooling and sorting * 9 At the end of the trough, a wire mesh belt pulls out the hot chips.As the chips move along the mesh conveyer belt, excess oil is drained off and the chips begin to cool. They then move under an optical sorter that picks out any burnt slices and removes them with puffs of air. Packaging * 10 The chips are conveyed to a packaging machine with a scale. As the pre-set weight of chips is measured, a metal detector checks th e chips once more for any foreign matter such as metal pieces that could have come with the potatoes or been picked up in the frying process. * 11 The bags flow down from a roll. A central processing unit (CPU) code on the bag tells the machine how many chips should be released into the bag.As the bag forms, (heat seals the top of the filled bag and seals the bottom of the next bag simultaneously) gates open and allow the proper amount of chips to fall into the bag. * 12 The filling process must be accomplished without letting an  overabundance  of air into the bag, while also preventing the chips from breaking. Many manufacturers use  nitrogen  to fill the space in the bags. The sealed bags are conveyed to a collator and hand-packed into cartons. * 13 Some companies pack potato chips in I O cans of various sizes. The chips flow down a chute into the cans.Workers weigh each can, make any necessary adjustments, and attach a top to the can. Quality Control Taste samples are ma de from each batch throughout the manufacturing process, usually at a rate of once per hour. The tasters check the chips for salt, seasoning, moisture, color, and overall flavor. Color is compared to charts that show acceptable chip colors. Preventing breakage is a primary goal for potato chip manufacturers. Companies have installed safeguards at various points in the manufacturing process to decrease the chances for breakage. The heights that chips fall from conveyer belts to fryers have been decreased.Plastic conveyer belts have been replaced with wide mesh stainless steel belts. These allow only the larger chips to travel to the fryers and the smaller potato slivers to fall through the mesh. Byproducts/Waste Rejected potatoes and peelings are sent to farms to be used as animal feed. The starch that is removed in the rinsing process is sold to a starch processor. The Future Potato chips show no sign of declining in popularity. However, the public's increased demand for low-fat foo ds has put manufacturers on a fast track to produce a reduced-calorie chip that pleases the palate as well.In the late 1990s, Proctor and Gamble introduced olestra, a fat substitute that was being test-marketed in a variety of products, including potato chips. Food technicians are using computer programs to design a crunchier chip. Upper- and lower-wave forms are fed into the computer at varying amplitudes, frequencies, and phases. The computer then spits out the corresponding models. Researchers are also working on genetically engineered potatoes with less sugar content since it is the sugar that produces brown spots on chips. Potatoes arrive daily at manufacturing plants.After they are checked for quality, they are stored at a constant temperature unfil they are processed into potato chips. Some manufacturers treat the potatoes with chemicals to improve the color of the final product. To make the chips, potatoes are fried in either corn oil, cottonseed oil, or a blend of vegetable oils. Flake salt rather than crystal salt is used to season the chips. * 8 Potato chips that are to be flavored pass through a drum filled with the desired powdered seasonings. Cooling and sorting * 9 At the end of the trough, a wire mesh belt pulls out the hot chips.As the chips move along the mesh conveyer belt, excess oil is drained off and the chips begin to cool. They then move under an optical sorter that picks out any burnt slices and removes them with puffs of air. Packaging * 10 The chips are conveyed to a packaging machine with a scale. As the pre-set weight of chips is measured, a metal detector checks the chips once more for any foreign matter such as metal pieces that could have come with the potatoes or been picked up in the frying process. * 11 The bags flow down from a roll. A central processing unit (CPU) code on the bag tells the machine how many chips should be released into the bag.As the bag forms, (heat seals the top of the filled bag and seals the bottom of t he next bag simultaneously) gates open and allow the proper amount of chips to fall into the bag. * 12 The filling process must be accomplished without letting an  overabundance  of air into the bag, while also preventing the chips from breaking. Many manufacturers use  nitrogen  to fill the space in the bags. The sealed bags are conveyed to a collator and hand-packed into cartons. * 13 Some companies pack potato chips in I O cans of various sizes. The chips flow down a chute into the cans.Workers weigh each can, make any necessary adjustments, and attach a top to the can. Quality Control Taste samples are made from each batch throughout the manufacturing process, usually at a rate of once per hour. The tasters check the chips for salt, seasoning, moisture, color, and overall flavor. Color is compared to charts that show acceptable chip colors. Preventing breakage is a primary goal for potato chip manufacturers. Companies have installed safeguards at various points in the ma nufacturing process to decrease the chances for breakage. The heights that chips fall from conveyer belts to fryers have been decreased.Plastic conveyer belts have been replaced with wide mesh stainless steel belts. These allow only the larger chips to travel to the fryers and the smaller potato slivers to fall through the mesh. Byproducts/Waste Rejected potatoes and peelings are sent to farms to be used as animal feed. The starch that is removed in the rinsing process is sold to a starch processor. The Future Potato chips show no sign of declining in popularity. However, the public's increased demand for low-fat foods has put manufacturers on a fast track to produce a reduced-calorie chip that pleases the palate as well. In the late 990s, Proctor and Gamble introduced olestra, a fat substitute that was being test-marketed in a variety of products, including potato chips. Food technicians are using computer programs to design a crunchier chip. Upper- and lower-wave forms are fed int o the computer at varying amplitudes, frequencies, and phases. The computer then spits out the corresponding models. Researchers are also working on genetically engineered potatoes with less sugar content since it is the sugar that produces brown spots on chips. Read more:  http://www. madehow. com/Volume-3/Potato-Chip. html#b#ixzz2LGhArQvs

Men an Endangered Species Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Men an Endangered Species - Essay Example This threatens the productivity of men in the near future if the trend continues. The major reason is that men are consuming a lot of estrogen from plastic liners of cans, some paints, and even soy-based foods (1). Another explanation for the threatened extinction of men is that there is lose of testosterone and a significant rise in estrogen as men age. When men start producing more estrogen, which is the main female sex hormone they are likely to become more feminine or womanly. On the contrary, as a woman age there is an equal fall of their hormones levels hence little or no major changes. The rise of estrogen levels and the falling testosterone in older men could also explain why there is a sudden attraction to members of their own sex even if it had not occurred before. This premise implicate that as older men become more feminine, there is an increase in susceptibility of the extinction of the male species (Parker, 2). Several studies also indicate that there is a threat for th e extinction of the Y chromosome, which majorly determines the male sex. These studies deem that the Y chromosome had approximately 1,400 genes on it three hundred million years ago, and presently it has only got 45 left (Perloe, 2). Possibly significant genes from the Y chromosome will adopt habitation on another chromosome (3). In the 1970s, scientists developed a method of separating X and Y-chromosomes from sperm. The assertion behind its development was to make couples naturally choose males (the Y chromosome). This trend however becomes the opposite since 2 to 1, selects baby girls over baby boys (Baehr, 2). However, the only reason why scientists are not sure if men are susceptible to... This paper analyzes in detail the various reasons as to why men are an endangered species. Some of the reasons that men are susceptible to extinction are scientific, while others are sociological. Scientific reasons, assert the possibility of gradual extinction of the male chromosomes, while the sociological reasons deem the loss of social roles. The major reason why men are an endangered species is that of loss of the reproductive power. Several studies indicate that men are increasingly having reduced sperm count due to various environmental toxins. The toxins that make men infertile include Teflon, pesticides, plastic, cosmetics and hormones found in food. In addition, some men, especially in many parts of Africa are vulnerable of loosing their reproductive potential due to taking illicit homemade brews. There has been extensive research and several debates concerning the susceptibility of extinction of the male species. Proponents of this premise assert that there is overwhelming evidence that support this connotation. These reasons include the gradual extinction of the Y chromosome, reduced sperm counts as well as rise in estrogen levels in older men. Other reasons include the loss of social and reproductive roles by men due to increased awareness of women and artificial forms or fertilization respectively. Moreover, other chemicals that mimic the effects of estrogen for instance 'Xeno-Oestrogens accelerate this susceptibility.' These chemicals are present in most of the common products that men use presently.

Winston Churchill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Winston Churchill - Essay Example Churchill served as a Member of the British Parliament between 1900 and 1905, before proceeding to serve as the Colonial Under-Secretary between 1905 and 1908. As the Colonial Under-Secretary, Churchill was the midwife the Transvaal Constitution. This was a watershed in British politics since it determined race relations among Britons and served as the genesis of recognition of the rights of blacks in Britain to participate in politics (Younger, 134, 135). In a separate wavelength, it is important to appreciate the contributions that Churchill made during his tenure as the President of the Board of Trade, during the time between 1908 and 1910. This was the time he was out of Parliament: from 24 April 1908 to May 1909, Churchill was out of Parliament. As the President of the Board of Trade, Churchill successfully made milestones in labor dispute mediation; made arbitrations in court; conducted and facilitated labor exchanges; and set the minimum wage for workers. The setting of minimum wage for workers improved people’s socio-economic welfare and increased Britain’s overall domestic purchasing power. Another way in which Churchill influenced British politics, criminal justice systems and socio-economic welfare is by championing for key reforms (in the relevant sectors) when he was the Home Secretary. This took place between 1910 and 1911. Within this time and in this capacity, Churchill successfully championed for the Home Rule for Ireland, the Strike intervention and Prison reforms. Churchill also sponsored the passage of the Insurance Act and the Labor and Shop Acts. As if the foregoing is not enough, Churchill also made immense contributions in Britain’s military progress. In this light, because of his impeccable performance in military, Churchill rose up through military ranks and the culmination of his progress was him serving as the First Lord of the Admiralty from 1911 to 1915 (DEste,

Libertarianism and Liberalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Libertarianism and Liberalism - Essay Example Liberalism and libertarianism stress on the freedom of a common man (Vallentyne, 2012). This means that both the concepts are convictions in defense of people’s right of living their lives. This conviction completely rejects the idea of control over people’s will to live freely. In case of consideration of an example, it will not be incorrect to mention that it’s a person own choice to select his passion and interest, make use of his own wealth in his own favorable interest etc (Gaus & Courtland, 2011). Libertarianism and liberalism has been confiscated many times by critics for the debate of applicability on ethical grounds. Both the concepts are underlying with people’s choice of acting within a society (Gaus & Courtland, 2011). However, some claims that both the concepts cater the aspect of inappropriate manipulation of the concepts by people stealing and involved in criminal activities. It should be noted that both the concepts embrace the ideals of social and ethical responsibilities of citizens towards state (Vallentyne,

Impact on management science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Impact on management science - Essay Example To answer this question it is necessary to examine the nature of HRM and its role in strategic organizational development and planning. Whilst top management must always accept the need for innovation there is still the decision as to which opportunities it wishes to develop in relation to its resources and those it chooses not to pursue. An effective business strategy depends upon the successful management of opportunities and coordination of HR in order to create a competitive advantage. Taking into account that HRM is not an independent part of business, it is possible to assume that HRM is a strategic activity aimed to respond effectively to changes and business transformations. The basis strategic HRM is that every manager is given a clear idea of the results expected. The human resources function is now highly specialized and perhaps can be said to be at the centre of conflict between labour and capital. They in effect operate on the 'boundary' between the workforce and the organization. Human resource management is that part of the process of management that is concerned with the maintenance of human relationships and ensuring the physical well-being of employees so that they give the maximum contribution to efficient working. It is obviously closely related to the management process as a whole and each functional manager and supervisor applies the principles effectively. Departmental managers, by effective leadership, ensure human resources policy is adhered to and department activities are successfully carried out. Michael Armstrong (2003) proposes the following definition of HRM: " the concept of HRM could be regarded as a philosophy governing how employees should be treated in the interests of the organization. But this philosophy can be applied in many different ways and there is no single model which can be used to describe HRM (p 23)" A logical approach to the consideration of this function is to look first of all at the problem of overall company organization and manpower planning, then the operations necessary to implement the plan, that is, recruitment and selection, training and development, and wage and salary administration. Other aspects of human resource management include industrial relations and the law of employment, welfare and safety, and other employee services. The importance is that the process of HRM is extremely important and continues to advance rapidly and change becomes imperative. When an organization develops a highly committed work force, coupled with enlightened management, its self-managed multifunction teams will be able to take on the challenges of the future (Price, 2004). Driven Forces of Strategic Intent to Planning Social Change as a Driven Force of Strategic Intent in HRM Social change creates new HR policies and training needs. For example, as more people travel abroad and experience the high levels of customer service in North America and the Far East they become more demanding in their expectations for customer service at home. As a further example, in society women's right to occupy jobs at the highest levels in companies and institutions. Both these examples indicate the need for HR training, the first in customer care skills and the second in management skills for women. In this situation, training is a strategic tool of the entire organization realized

Romantic music in Renaissance painting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Romantic music in Renaissance painting - Essay Example Another purpose of Romantic music was that it had non-musical influences. Changes and events that occur in the society such as discoveries, ideas, inventions, attitudes and historical events which will affect the music at all the time. For instance, by early 19th century the industrial revolution was in fully effective and it had a great effect on music. One effect was that there were great improvements in the mechanical valves. This meant that due to the innovative instruments music could be played with more simplicity and easiness. Also the instruments became more reliable. Development in music was also caused by increase of middle class. Composers previously lived on the benefaction of the aristocracy. The audience was small most of the times and the music was only composed by people who had music knowledge and the upper class ones. On the other hand romantic composers wrote mainly for public festivals and concerts, they had large audiences. Nationalism was another theme during Ro mantic era. For instance, Jean Sibelius is mainly read to represent the Finland nation which was rising during that period and which was expecting to gain freedom one day from the Russians. Another example of musical nationalism which is well seen in the productivity of the romantic ages is where Joseph Machlis states that`` Poland’s struggle for freedom from tsarist rule aroused the national poet in Poland.† The development of Renaissance painting is an odd age in the history. It is not only that the time.

Utilization research for congestive heart failure education program Proposal

Utilization for congestive heart failure education program - Research Proposal Example Different intervention strategies have been identified that can help in management and treatment of the CHF. Although different interventional strategies exist, there seems to be increase in readmission, and numbers of CHF continue to go up. This calls for identification and innovation of more suitable intervention strategies that give appropriate results. In this perspective, educational interventional strategies have been identified as the primary strategies that can be used to reduce prevalence of CHF. With education, patients, together with stakeholders involved, are likely to acquire knowledge, skills, tools, and experiences that in long-term are likely to be beneficial in promoting awareness of CHF, hence contributing to management. This research proposal provides for educational interventional strategy and explores the effectiveness of the strategy. In addition, planning, implementation, evaluation, and decision-making processes are evaluated and analyzed, hence their efficacy in contributing to success of educational programs. On overall, for educational programs to promote awareness about CHF, the research proposes for adoption of integrated educational interventional strategy that also facilitates consultation and participation. These aspects make educational interventional strategy appear as the most efficient way of addressing the rising cases of CHF. Utilization Research for Congestive Heart Failure Education Program Background Cases of the heart failing to perform effectively have become more prevalent and pronounced in the modern world. As a result, a medical condition known as heart failure, which is believed to affect many people in USA, has emerged (Heart Failure Society of America, 2011). Heart failure (HF) is today viewed to be an important public health issue that faces the health care system. Heart failure, popularly known as the congestive heart failure (CHF), can be described as a condition where the sufferer is unable to experience sufficient blood flow in the heart, which in turn makes it difficult to meet the physiological needs of the body (Chen and Zieve, 2011). Causes of heart failure are myriad but can be connected to issues of lifestyle and dietary, as well as medications. Although the prevalence of heart failure problems are today more pronounced in the society, it has been observed that majority of people wh o have been affected by the disease are still unaware of the condition (Heart Failure Society of America, 2011). This has largely been associated with lack of knowledge many sufferers have, where symptoms associated with the disease are mistaken for normal signs of advancing in the age (Heart Failure Society of America, 2011). For instance, HF is associated with signs like feeling tired and experiencing frequent short breath, which majority of older patients may think constitutes signs of their advancing age. Therefore, this calls for effective diagnosis, which will help in determining the disease in an individual and subsequently being able to determine the course of treatment and management of the disease. The prevalence of the disease is more pronounced in the modern world, and this has led to accelerated efforts aimed at identifying the best methods that can be used to treat and manage the medical condition. Problem Identification By the

Protest and the Press Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Protest and the Press - Essay Example Portrayals of the news with sociological, political, sometimes economic and even humorous twists are included. Simultaneously, the protesting community may come up with more shocking and unconventional forms of protesting all the time. Consequently, the question of representation is crucial. The example of the Bed-in concept developed and applied in real life as a functional publicity by John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono in 1969 constitutes the very essence of such ambivalence. In general, the decade of the sixties is especially known for being turbulent times which led to self-reflections and reinterpretations in a variety of spheres. Media and press were becoming more and more engaged in processing information and opinions across society answering to the cultural interests of, quite frequently, competing social groups and minorities. At the same time, the media coverage formulated opinions and outlooks on especially vexing and controversial issues from which the readers could draw and sometimes even unconsciously adopt such views as their own. Among many social-political problems of the 1960s in the US was the war in Vietnam which was faced with a public disapproval mostly because it was considered to be futile, immoral and unnecessary. But there was also a considerable pressure put on the American as well as other western societies to adhere to certain patriotic standards - if not for the sake of national pride then at least for the common good of the d emocratic world. Definitions of patriotism and responsibility for the country were erected along the process. Such stability was not easy since the 1960s generation is still considered the most rebellious and innovative so far. John Lennon, an English songwriter, singer, musician, graphic artist, author, peace activist and one of the founding members of the legendary band The Beatles, was an icon of the generation. He channeled his fame and penchant for controversy to successfully protest against the Vietnam War in the late sixties and his performance, so-to-speak, became of almost historical significance. During the Vietnam War, in 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono held two, week-long Bed-ins, as a radical form of protest against the unpopular war. Although physically away from the United States they still managed to make a significant contribution to the anti-war state of opinion with the help of the print press and electronic media. However a music star's engagement in political life was at that time a rather rare phenomenon therefore most newspapers and magazines mocked the absurdity of his undertaking which only reinforced the Bed-in's rock-and-roll identity. The couple decided to use their wedding as the opportunity to express their solidarity the peace-loving community of the world staging a week-long Bed-In for peace in Amsterdam in 1969 during their honeymoon. However, when they could not follow the Amsterdam Bed-In with a similar event in the U.S. due to John's precarious visa eligibility at the time, they chose Montreal across the Canadian border as the next venue for their unusual project. Lennon told the reporters that his marriage was bound to make headlines anyway, so why not turn the occasion into what he called 'an advertisement for peace' (Charlesworth 1976) The atmosphere of this interview and the introductory comment were written in a sympathetic tone.

Public Relations Research Essay Example for Free

Public Relations Research Essay Education is a 501(C) 3 nonprofit corporation that exists to serve the shared interests of public agencies, businesses, teachers, community organization, and individuals disturbing or using environmental education (EE) materials and programs. It is a neutral and objective source of information related to EE in Colorado and a voice for EE’s important role in the balance between societal needs and environmental quality. As a statewide member organization, CAEE has over 850 members from across Colorado including teachers, students, information educators, public agency employers, and retirees. CAEE is a national leader in innovative, state-of-the-art approaches to statewide capacity building for EE resources. More than 500 organizations, engaging thousands of staff and volunteers, are providing EE programs and services. The organization faces two problems: 1) image awareness and 2) funding. The organization faces a lack of image awareness for the following reasons: 1) with the large number of diverse organizations and flexible staff and volunteer participants it is difficult to create a unified brand image; and 2) with a staff of from 2 to 4 members as the only consistent representatives for CAEE, their image tends to define CAEE. Therefore, the organization needs to create and communicate a consistent message for CAEE to enhance its image and increase members and partners with their one of their primary target audiences-K-12 educators. The CAEE has the following image/brand elements, but it needs a wider public and media exposure to generate image awareness. Current Brand Images: †¢ CAEE Logo, which is used on all advertisements and promotions †¢ CAEE is prominently displayed on its website and all e-mail addresses †¢ CAEE has a Facebook page CAEE’s positioning is weak, since many EE providers that are members of CAEE are often very involved, however, there is a major EE provider sector that is unaware of the benefits of CAEE’s services. In addition to the EE community, CAEE has not been effective in reaching those outside the EE community such as funders and legislators. The CAEE’s second problem is funding, since it continually struggles with a precarious financial situation. The major source of CAEE’s funding comes primarily from grants and corporate sponsorships. Therefore with a down turn in the economy CAEE’s funding. There are two cases that relate to the CAEE’s problems of image awareness and consistent corporate funding. They are both Cause Branding cases from Cone, Inc. I selected these case studies from Cone, Inc. , because it is a pioneer and leader in Cause Branding. They utilized extensive research, analysis, and strategy development. In 2010, Cone, Inc. conducted a Cause Evolution Study. In the study, they found that despite the downtown in the economy over the previous two years, nearly 64% of American companies responded well to the social and environmental issues that emerged during the recession. The following is an overview of their research findings: 83% of Americans wish more products, services, and retailers they use would support causes. 88% of consumers have a more positive image of a product or company when it supports a cause they care about. 90% of consumers want companies to tell them the ways they are supporting causes. With respect to Cause Branding in specific industries, the study found that consumers are looking beyond the usual candidates, the ones the find on stores shelves to those with recognized environmental footprints such as the following industries.

Health and social care Essay Example for Free

Health and social care Essay We are now living in an ageing society and so health and social care will play a part throughout our life course in one way or another. I shall start the main body of my assignment by providing an explanation of what is meant by the life course. I will then move onto my experiences of adulthood and of using health and social care services, showing as I go how block 1 has helped me to critically reflect upon these and the outcome. Critically reflection means that I will analyse, challenge and question within this assignment. I will also show the different methods of reflection to explore my life course and show how important reflection can be in health and social care setting. After reflecting I will discuss other aspects from within the learning guides. I then will come to the end of the assignment with a brief conclusion. The term life course is made up of expected age related events throughout life, that are traditions within a society. These life courses can change in different cultures. These events within a life course can affect how people live which is called life course perspective, by understanding a person’s life course, we can use it to provide appropriate support and provision. In learning guide three, open university, five principles by Bengston et al (2005), occur within the life course perspective; by discussing these we have a better understanding of the life course, ‘It establishes a common field of inquiry by defining a framework that guides research in terms of problem identification and formulation ’, (Bengston et al, 2005, Chapter 1). The first is called linked lives, which is how our lives are affected by others, they have are very influential, especially family. The second is time and place, it discusses how things such as historical events, living in a time of economic decline for example, The Great Depression, can restrict certain opportunities and shape who people are and become. The third is timing, this consists of the timing of specific events within a person’s life that may or may not fit in within society’s norm of when the event should happen such as education and having children. The fourth is make hoices about what to do and have plans, it is about agency, how they plan their life, have influence over it and can continually assess if it is going to plan. However I feel that this can be critiqued as still there are arranged marriages, controlling relationships, forced prostitution, all of these have little agency over their life as well as many other cases. The fifth and final one is life-long, this shows that ageing is not just an older stage of life but is happening to all of us, it is a life-long process and events can determine the outcome of later life. Applying these to health and social care settings can help complete a picture of an individual’s life, I will also apply some of the five aspects to my experience. To critically reflect on my own experiences I had to figure out which parts of my life would be relevant. At the end of my reflection I will show how these examples changed my values and ethics and also now what I expect from health and social care professionals. The three types of reflection by Barker (2010, p. 122) cites (William 2001) within learning guide one, open university, are probably the best method to help reflect on my first experience. The first type of reflection by Barker is content reflection this consists of what happened. What happened is that I had a swift transition from childhood to adulthood as I became a mother at sixteen. The second part of reflection is process reflection which is why it happened. It happened because at the time I felt older than my years and to show my parents and friends how grown up I was, I got pregnant. The third part is called premise or critical reflection which shows why it happened and the judgement for it. As a teenager all I cared about was my feelings and nobody else mattered it was what I wanted and so I made sure it did. I was treated as a social outcast by certain family and was also treated in a very patronising manner by the GP and other health care professionals such as midwives, throughout my pregnancy and early motherhood. By drawing on this as an experience I wanted to show that my values back then were selfish and all about me and becoming a mother this changed my outlook by making my child my priority and I used this as a strength to prove the professionals wrong and that I would make a good mother regardless of my age. I realise now that a lot of judgements were made because this was not classed as society’s norm also shows the second principal of time and place as I was classed as the modern youth culture. I also feel that if the professionals had taken the time to understand my life course as discussed within learning guide three, open university, they would have understood why I had taken this course of action. ‘When people don’t do what seems to be the obvious, sensible, rational thing to promote their own health and wellbeing, it can be tempting to characterise them as ‘awkward’, ‘irrational’, ‘their own worst enemy’ .. (Open University, LG 3. 2). I feel that this sentence sums up how I was treated, and the assumption of me by the health professionals. I chose this to show that I still had the rights to be treated as any other mother to be and not as a social outcast from a modern culture. I wanted also to bring in that this may also be classed as an ethical dilemma for certain members of staff as they may feel uneasy dealing with a teenage mother to be. Ethical dilemmas often arise in health and social care as mentioned in learning guide five. I will be using the three suggested methods of reflection by Rolfe et al (2001), (LG1, open university), for my next experience. The first method is what the situation is, looking into any problems and any feelings about it. This situation is that I was diagnosed with Sero-negative arthritis at 25, I was devastated, I had two children by this point to look after and an abusive partner who was no help. The second method consists of so what, I took this to mean, what was learnt and any thoughts about the situation. At the time I was understandably upset but I had very good family and friends to help, shows the importance of linked lives. I had to very nervous of going back to the judgemental professionals that I’d dealt with earlier, they were not very informative and I was placed on a waiting list to see a specialist. The attitudes of the professionals was that I had been diagnosed, deal with it basically. The third method is now what, what needed to be done, improve my understanding. I researched as much as I could, realised it usually affected people between 40 – 50 so learning this I felt old showing the fifth principle by Bengston et al, that ageing happens to us all, I was suffering from what I thought was an older persons illness. I kept going back to the GP time after time pushing my way up the waiting list, showing them research of what can happen without early treatment to ensure I was seen to as quickly as possible, this caused a little conflict between myself and the GP as I felt I knew more than they did and they did not like that fact. I feel that reflecting back on this again the health professionals and the care I received was poor. I eventually had care by rheumatology staff who looked at my age and would assume that I was not suffering as bad as the others, I was let down by the health service as a whole. I also wanted to show that they were not taking into account my quality of life was going to suffer if I wasn’t treated effectively. Chronic illness is discussed also as a biographical disruption. Biographical disruption is an event outside your expectation of your life course that is unwanted or not expected. Being diagnosed with Sero-negative arthritis definitely fits in with this analogy, in fact a paper was written discussing how chronic illness as biographical disruption, ‘My contention is that illness, and especially chronic illness, is precisely that kind of experience where the structures of everyday life and the forms of knowledge which underpin them are disrupted. , (Bury, Chapter 5, Reader). Using another method of reflection by Schon (1983), (LG1, Open University), I will explore my third and last chosen experience. The first is reflection in action which is how it sounds by using past experience, knowledge to guide you. Although I am now in a happy relationship, I was once in an aggressive and violent relationship for ten years and it affected my every aspect of my life from my confidence to new relationships. By using this type of reflection, although until reading this type of reflection I had not even realised I had done it, I used my previous relationship to ensure that I would be treated like a woman in my new relationship. The second is called reflection on action this is basically thinking back on what actions we took after the event. I had left after an incident which had needed a police visit and so social services had been notified because of the violence to ensure the children had not been involved and I found them very judgemental of the fact I had stayed for so long in an abusive relationship. I showed social services that I had asked for support for me and children by an external organisation as soon as I left and that I was aware we would need it. Social services told me that we would need to work together to ensure that the action I had taken was sufficient and that all the steps necessary to ensure that we were all supported were taken. At first Social Services were quite rude and intrusive by I realised that it was their job to be intrusive and once I let my guard down with them, I actually found that they were there to help. I anted to show this as an experience because I was brought up with strong family values and ethics so I stayed in the relationship because I did not want a broken family for my children even though looking back now I know that it was the wrong thing to do. I also feel it must be hard for social care providers to sometimes understand my reasoning for staying as my family values when their values may have been different causing the initial tension. I realise now that sometimes even though you were raised with certain values and ethics sometimes yours and your families’ welfare takes priority. I also wanted to show that that the fourth principle by Bengston et al is not always possible, throughout this relationship I had no autonomy, in a controlling environment you can only do what you are allowed to do and not everybody has the chance of breaking free. The quality of life, for me and my children was also affected, I have taken an extract to show my point that, ‘There are objective qualities too, and some of these, such as sufficient nutrition, a non-hazardous environment, and a long and healthy life are universally, or virtually universally uncontroversial as components of quality of life. (Phillips, chapter 3, Reader). Within the quote it mentions a non hazardous environment which is the opposite of what we were living in. By reflecting about the above experiences, and others not mentioned, I feel that I have had a difficult life course but because of them I feel I have built up resilience. My experience of adulthood started a lot earlier than was planned, it was not an easy option but I adapted well. Adulthood did not really get easier for me until recently where I found my independence and was safe away from harm. With my experiences of adulthood not being so great, I would say that I feel a lot older than I am, if I bring in positive ageing or successful ageing which was discussed in learning guide two then I would say I definitely do not fit that description the next quote helps explain why. ‘Successful aging is more than the absence of disease, important though that is, and more than the maintenance of functional capacities, important as it is. Both are important components of successful aging, but it is their combination with active engagement with life that represents the concept of successful aging most fully ’, ( Rowe and Kahn, 1997, Open University). I am more aware of my ageing process since being diagnosed at such a young age of sero-negative arthritis but as it is not life threatening I feel I have a long time left yet until the end of my life. I also think that because I made the decision to leave my abusive partner that my quality of life has dramatically improved if I had stayed in that environment I feel that I would not be here now to talk about it. My values and ethics have been influenced by a lot of my experiences over the years and have definitely altered. My values and ethics consist of what is good for me and the children, if I am happy and content then they will benefit it means that I can also now offer a more open, respectful and secure upbringing. I am now going to bring my assignment to an end by summing up my conclusion. With the experiences that I have mentioned within my assignment you can see that my interaction with the world of health and social care has been quite eventful. I have been faced with professionals who have judged me and made assumptions and also who have made me feel inadequate but I was also helped by social services and feel stronger because of that so I am unsure of how to sum up the field of health and social care as it covers such a wide aspect within our life courses. If there was more training provided in understanding life courses and offering person centred care then I feel things would improve but in a time of economic decline I cannot imagine that the funding for this would be available. I do feel that there will always be prejudices within the health and social care profession and that their personal values and ethics may also always play a part in the way they offer support. (

Implementing Curriculum Changes in the Classroom

Implementing Curriculum Changes in the Classroom Introduction Much research on curriculum development has been done in different fields of education. It has uncovered both successes and failures. Research on educational innovations reveals many problems which result in non-implementation of planned innovations. These include the problems of inadequate knowledge of implementation, and lack of awareness of the limitations of teachers and school administration, etc. (Pink 1989; Fullan 1992; Fullan and Hargreaves 1991). Recently, the literature in the field of ELT has reported innovations in the implementation of new teacher roles, new practices, new materials, etc. Most principles for innovation are derived from English-speaking countries and transferred throughout the world. For instance, the learner-centred, communicative approach which originated in British ELT has been recommended almost everywhere. Although some reports mention the success of such innovations, others have concluded that many problematic implementation issues emerge from a dir ect transfer, after it has been put into use worldwide, such as in China (Burnaby and Son 1989; Anderson 1993; Hui 1997), Indonesia (Tomlinson 1990), Greece (Karavas-Doukas 1995), Hong-Kong (Carless 1998), and Libya (Orafi 2008), etc. However, the knowledge and understanding of what is involved in effecting innovation in many projects has been investigated mostly by their change agents. Many ELT innovation projects reported in the professional literature are designed and examined by their authors as leading change agents, not by end users, i.e. teachers (e.g. Gray 1990; Jarvis 1992; Tomlinson 1990; Barmada 1994; Guariento 1997; Markee 1997, etc.). In those projects, the authors/reporters design, introduce, and monitor the process of implementation. To finding out how best to teach the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing as well as grammar and vocabulary. The development of so many methods has been a response, according to Richards and Rodgers (2001:7-9), to the changes in the kind of proficiency (e.g. oral vs. written) that learners are thought to need. In the 1970s, in particular, there was a major shift to learners need for communicating in a second language away from a focus on grammar and translation. This shift was crucial, especially for foreign language learners who leave school unable to use their foreign language in actual communication. So, FL countries adopted this shift to communication to satisfy their students needs for fluency. As English became a lingua franca by the 1990s it was seen as necessary to teach it for communication as it became the mostly taught foreign language worldwide (Gebhard, 2006; Carrick, 2007). The teaching of English as a second (ESL) or as a foreign language (EFL) started to become important after World War II. A great demand for English courses by immigrants, refugees, and foreign students took place in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and Australia (Richards, 2001:23). When English was introduced in schools, it was first introduced at the secondary level in 1950s. But, since the application of the Communicative Approach/Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in national curricula after the publication of Wilkinss book Notional Syllabuses (1976) educationalists/researchers in many countries have observed that students can not communicate as well as expected after leaving secondary school, with eight years of English, as they start their university study (e.g. Al-Mutawa, 1994; Tang, 2002). According to Al-Mutawa and Kailani (1998:I) English language has enjoyed a considerable role in the fields of business, industry, technology, politics, education, medicine and many other professional fields. According to Saleh, more attention is required from EFL teachers to students EFL teachers on teaching them how to communicate in the target language effectively. This requires that the traditional methods, the classroom learning activities and the learning environment have to be changed to correspond with the latest developments and changes in views on ELT represented by the communicative approach (2002:1). Because of the above reasons, English language syllabus of Libyan secondary schools has been changed lately as a response to these developments. The new English programme in Libyan secondary education aims to enable students to: i) achieve a reasonable proficiency in listening and speaking English at a sensible speed, reading simple texts with comprehension and writing about a simple subject or incident; ii) develop their interest in learning English so that they can learn effectively by themselves; and iii) improve their knowledge and have access to foreign culture (UNESCO 2002 reported in Al-Buseifi 2003:4). It has been investigated that some classroom teachers who teach EFL at secondary schools in Libya are traditional and not in harmony with the principles and objectives of the communicative approach upon which the new curriculum has been based. Teachers are faced with some difficulties in implementing the new curriculum. Therefore, some problems have been appeared, for example; teachers use their native language extensively and use only very little English during the lesson. Teachers talk a lot whereas students talk very little. Teachers need to be well trained. Class-time and size are not suitable. Appropriate materials and group-work activities are needed. This study aims to investigate some EFL teachers in Libyan secondary schools to determine the extent of their effectiveness in achieving the desirable objectives of the new curriculum. It specifically investigates and describes the following: How far does the new curriculum filter down into EFL classrooms in Libyan secondary schools? What are the methods that Libyan secondary school teachers use in teaching English as a foreign language? How do Libyan teachers implement the new curriculum (CLT) in teaching EFL? What difficulties may face Libyan teachers in implementing the CLT approach? To what extent are Libyan teachers qualified in communicative language teaching? Since the language curriculum of Libyan secondary schools has been changed lately and has been based on the communicative approach. The EFL teachers who teach this new curriculum should be based on the principles and objectives of the communicative approach. In fact, most Libyan EFL teachers got used to apply the Grammar Translation Method (GTM) with its traditional views and objectives, so they may encounter some difficulties when changing their method especially if they have not been previously trained. This topic is important to investigate because I have noted that it is still a controversial issue between researchers and teachers. The main emphasis is to know whether teachers are using the new curriculum in order to enhance the students basic knowledge of English and competence to use English for communication. In other words, it is to investigate EFL teachers at Libyan secondary schools to find out whether they have changed their method in parallel with the change in the curric ulum and how it is implemented. In order to achieve more understanding about these issues, this study attempts to discuss the curriculum innovation in Libya with reference to communicative language teaching which is implemented in the new curriculum. More attention is given to teachers, they are regarded as having the main role in any innovation. This study is divided into five chapters. In the first chapter, there will be the introduction, the research hypothesis, the research question, the purpose and the significance of the research. Chapter two will be focused on the literature review which include; definition of innovation, its theory and its aim. Background of the context, EFL in Libya, CLT, its development, and its principles. Some factors related to the adoption of the new curriculum (CLT), e g; teachers role, teacher student interaction, student-student interaction, teacher training, methods of teaching, materials and testing criteria. Third chapter will be the methodology. The methods of collecting data will be discussed, there will be a review of how data will be collected, who are the participants, how many, where, how, when, all these questions will be answered in this chapter. Chapter four will be about the results. The results will be discussed in chapter five. Conclusion and recommendations will be discussed i n chapter six. This study will provide an opportunity to enrich theory and practice of CLT in a non-native English speaking setting. It deals with an important issue in the field of teaching as a foreign language which is related to the teaching methods that is used by teachers. To achieve this purpose this research has been carried out. Literature Review Curriculum Innovation It has been widely noted over many years that the low degree of success of educational innovations is mainly caused by the failure of the innovators who were unable to make use of the extensive theoretical literature on innovation (Havelock and Huberman 1977; Barmada 1994). They also did not adopt the appropriate innovation strategies (ibid.). Both White (1987) and Barmada (1994) identify two areas of expertise in which all innovators should be equipped: an understanding of innovation issues and expertise in the management of innovation. The Meaning Of Curricular Innovation It has been defined by Markee as following: â€Å"Curricular innovation is a managed process of development whose principal products are teaching and/or testing materials, methodological skills, and pedagogical values that are perceived as new by potential adopters† (1997: 46). According to Hall and Hewings, teachers roles are seen as implementers, and sometimes regarded as adopters, students are clients, and materials designers are suppliers (2001: 119). Curriculum Innovation Versus Theory: Vrooms expectancy theory (1964 in Morrison 1998) from business explains the instant effectiveness of the use of rewards and sanctions. Expectancy theory is based on the assumption that people will involve themselves in change if they expect it to bring about personal benefits (Morrison 1998:132). It is argued that the more benefits people perceive, the greater willingness they will have to be involved in the projects of change (ibid.). These perceived benefits, such as financial benefits, job security, and promotion opportunities, etc. are assumed to be an effective motivator to improve job performance. However, any change often requires additional time, energy, and finance, etc. If the adopters do not think the advantages of an innovation will outweigh its costs, it may not be easy to persuade them to accept it. From management theory point of view, and according to (Everard and Morris 1990), by addressing the â€Å"interrelated sensing systems†, we can understand how educati onal managers effect change. They are; policy making, development, controlling, liaising and doing (Markee 1997:49-51). Teachers do not see themselves having part in curriculum innovation, although the definition given above indicates that teachers have a primary role in innovation. This phenomena has been indicated by many researchers that â€Å"curricular innovation entails a mix of professional, academic, and administrative change† (e. g; Bowers 1983, 1987; Crocker 1984; Lee and VanPatten 1990; Straker-Cooke 1987; White 1988). â€Å"Managers must therefore enhance an organizations capacity to innovate through organization development† (Markee 1997: 51). It seems that teachers have many tasks particularly that related to their classrooms. Thus, all participants in language teaching should given part in innovation to be managed (ibid.). The New Curriculum (Clt) In Efl Countries: Attempts to introduce communicative language teaching (CLT) into EFL contexts on EFL countries own initiatives and through international aid projects have encouraged many innovations in L2 education. In general, such innovations have had a low degree of success (Brindley Hood, 1990), and implementing CLT worldwide has often faced difficulty (Anderson, 1993; Chick, 1996; Ellis, 1994, 1996; Gonzalez, 1985; Kirkpatrick, 1984; Sano, Takahashi, Yoneyama, 1984; Shamin, 1996; Ting, 1987; Valdes Jhones, 1991). Difficult as many EFL countries are still striving to introduce CLT hoping that it will improve their English teaching. Some researchers have strongly advocated the adoption of CLT in EFL countries and recognized the difficulties these countries face in adopting CLT (Li, 1984; Prabhu, 1987). Burnaby and Sun (1989) report that teachers in China found it difficult to use CLT. These difficulties include the context of the wider curriculum, traditional methods, class sizes and schedules, resources and equipment, the low status of teachers who teach communicative rather than analytical skills, and English teachers deficiencies in oral English and sociolinguistic and strategic competence. Andersons (1993) study of CLT in China reported such hurdles as a lack of properly trained teachers, a lack of appropriate texts and materials, students not being acclimatized to CLT, and difficulties in evaluating students taught by way of CLT. Sano et al. (1994) point out that the Japanese students they studied generally did not feel a pushing need to use English, so that the goal of communicative competence seemed too distant for them. All these difficulties seem to apply to Libyan context too. Karavas-Doukas (1995) gives a report in which the curriculum developers in Greece tried to implement the communicative approach to English teaching/learning using textbooks containing communicative components. However, Karavas-Doukas indicated that teachers lack of understanding of the methodological principles underlying the new materials was one of the impeding factors that finally let to the non-implementation of this innovation. The Greek teachers had changed to new materials, but they tended to implement the intended communicative activities as controlled grammar practice exercises and did not create the opportunities of real communication in their classroom. They did not realize the new role of teachers and students associated with the CLT approach, so they still acted as knowledge-transmitters, rather than facilitators (ibid.). Much research has been conducted discussing the communication problems encountered by Arab learners in most of the Arab countries; particularly in Libya. This fact has been clearly explained by many researchers, e. g. Abdul Haq (1982), Harrison, Prator and Tucker (1975), Abbad (1988), Wahba (1998), Saleh (2002) and Orafi (2008). The students in Jordan, for example, learn English in their home country where the native language is Arabic. The only way to learn English in Jordan is through formal instruction, i.e. in the classroom where language teachers are native speakers of Arabic. There are general screams about the extended degeneration of the standards of English proficiency of students among school teachers, university instructors and all who are involved with English language teaching. The results of the studies conducted in Jordan lead to the conclusion that the goals set by the Ministry of Education are desirous and have not yet been reached (Rababah, 2005:181). In Yamen, the situation is almost the same as in the other Arab countries. Abbad (1988) acknowledges the weakness of Yameni learners of English, and adds that â€Å"in spite of the low proficiency level in English of most applicants, they are accepted into the department.† This is what happens in most of the Arab university. English language departments accept high school graduates without understanding their proficiency level and whether or not they will be able to administrate a program of English studies. Therefore, Arab learners of English find it difficult to communicate freely in the target language. This may be due to the learning environment which some umpire to be inappropriate for learning a foreign language. This is obvious in Jordan where the formal language of communication is Arabic (Rababah, 2005:182). What happen with other countries can be applied on Libyan context, because the situation is almost the same. According to Saleh (2002) and Orafi (2008), although the new curriculum is introduced in Libya since 2000, the students in Libya still cannot communicate in English or express themselves. They cannot speak English freely inside and outside schools as well. Therefore, they cannot use English in real life situation. ELT In Libya: In the 1980s the focus of English language teaching in Libya was on grammar and reading comprehension. Lessons were characterized by oral drills, memorization of vocabulary, and reading aloud. Arabic was widely used in English lessons by teachers and students. During the late 1980s, as a result of political tensions between Libya and the West, the teaching of English was banned from schools and universities across the country. In the 1990s, this status changed to the positive and new curriculum was introduced in 2000 (Orafi, 2008: 244). The new curriculum recommends that †³English be used as much as possible by the teacher and students in the classroom, as the aim is for the students to communicate effectively and fluently with each other and to make talking in English a regular activity†³ (ibid:245). It was argued that learners learn a language through the process of communicating in it, and that communication that is meaningful to the learner provides a better opportunity for learning. New classroom techniques and activities were needed, new roles for teachers and learners in the classroom. Instead of making use of activities that demanded accurate repetition and memorization of sentences and grammatical patterns, activities that required learners to negotiate meaning and to interact meaningfully were required. The purpose of education is seen as based on careers, examination passing and recall. Understanding, applying ideas, creativity, questioning is all devalued. The idea of school education as a way to unlock potential seems missing and the students appear to appreciate that (Orafi 2008). The teachers role is largely that of transmitting information in an efficient and effective manner to their students. The teachers have little insight in the role of their subjects in the development of students. They are ruled by the demands of society, with its dependence on examination success for gaining access to over crowed and want more time for students to be able to think. However, they have little clear idea of the nature and role of understanding and the idea of seeing their subject in terms of wider life is largely absent (Al-Buseifi, 2003). Although improving the educational system is a priority for the education authorities in Libya, the educational programmes still suffer from shortages in facilities such as computers, laboratories, and information networks, a lack of qualified teachers, and the use of traditional methods of teaching (Khalifa, 2002). This could be due to the fact that the central focus is on increasing the quantity of schools and institutes rather than improving the quality of teaching and learning outcomes. The Situation In Libyan Secondary Schools According to Orafi (2008), ‘the main problem at present of education in Libya is the quality of education. The need to build so much in order to educate so many in a short time creates the classical dilemma of quality of education versus quantity education. In fact, this problem is not the problem of Libyan education only but is a problem common to many developing countries. Classrooms in Libyan secondary schools are regarded crowed. Most of classes are consisted of at least thirty students. Every student has his own seat from the beginning of the year to the end of it. It is difficult for teachers to go freely through the class. Also it is not easy to work in groups, and to deal with all the students. This problem has been discussed by Richards (1996:146) who states that; †¦the majority of large class teachers created, within their large class, a smaller class of students in the front only. They seemed happy to teach this ‘smaller class of students in the front and ignored the students at the back†¦ There is frequently not enough equipment and facilities at some schools (e.g. computers and laboratories). Classes are often large with an inadequate supply of teachers. ‘The examination system emphasises the rote recall of information and holds great power over the learners at key times of the year (Orafi 2008:243). English Textbooks In Libyan Secondary Schools (3rd Year) The textbook comprises of; subject book, skills book and work book. The materials are organized into two semesters; 12 units per semester, with 22 lessons in each unit. The lessons are divided between the three student books as follows: subject book; 10 lessons per unit, skills book; 9 lessons per unit, and work book; 3 lessons per unit. Subject Book; the main purpose of this book is presenting information and related vocabulary. The main purpose of the reading and listening texts in the Subject Book is to impart knowledge about the subject concerned and present associated vocabulary. The final two lessons in the Subject Book present one or more pieces of writing. Skills Book; the main purpose of the Skills Book is presentation and practice in the four skills. Workbook; its purpose is written consolidation of grammar points from the Skills Book. Students are often referred back to the Skills Book to find examples or to check their answers. Occasionally, vocabulary items are also practiced in the Workbook, and there are sometimes pair work and role-play activities (Phillips et al 2002). Implementing innovation as organizational development: The concept of innovation as organizational development is well described in Markees two-in-one innovation: primary innovation and secondary innovation (1997). Markee relates the dimension of organizational development to ‘secondary innovations in contrast to ‘primary innovations, i.e. changes in teaching (and/or testing materials), methodological skills, and pedagogical vales (ibid: 53). In the dimension of primary innovations, innovation intending to introduce new materials, new teaching procedure, new teaching roles or technology, etc. will also involve changes in skills and values. Markee argues that primary innovations cannot be achieved without the implementation of secondary innovations. Markee exemplifies the notion of two-in-one innovations in a project conducted in an American university. This project not only introduced the task-based syllabus into classroom, but also implemented administrative and academic innovations for organizational development. For instan ce, by means of the development of communication channels (e.g. staff meetings, seminars, and orientations, etc.), participants at all levels obtained a complete understanding of the innovation. By means of the development of the teaching programs, teachers were well trained and became better informed. The outcomes showed that the administrative and academic development not only facilitated the implementation of the new syllabus, but also brought about organizational development. Development of the institutional change capacity is largely neglected due to ‘lack of awareness of the limitations of teacher and school administration or knowledge about how to implement the project (Pink 1989 in Fullan 1992). Through the process of organizational development, the implementers, including the management and teachers, focus on the processes and contents of change, learning to develop the capacity to implement change as organizational development. Only when the management and teachers a re assisted to build up their change capacity, is there an opportunity for ‘change as organizational development (Morrison 1998). 5. The curriculum innovation and the role of the teacher Rodgers in Richards (2001:104-105) discussing implementation of a communicative syllabus in Malaysia points out that: While the curriculum innovation has been failed in some places, it has been succeeded in others (i.e. Malaysia). In Malaysia the situation is different and the new curriculum has been managed to achieve its goal, because in Malaysia all the concern parts are shared in innovation (Richards 2001: 104-105). It is clear that these parts should be included in any decision for innovation. In Libya no one of these has taken part in the innovation, except the decision makers (Orafi 2008 :245). In England according to Woods and Jeffrey (2002:25) teachers have seen their role reduced to a list of â€Å"competencies and performativities†. This has produced teacher uncertainly as their role as professional has been reduced to that of a technician. In Libya, the teacher is often seen in similar terms, teachers in Libya do not usually influence curriculum change; it is the responsibility of the government to do so. Teachers must merely understand the requirement of students, know the syllab us, and be able to use appropriate teaching methods. Another important responsibility of the teacher is to help students to process new material in meaningful ways in order to encourage its storage in long-term memory in such a way that it is understood and is related to previous knowledge. However, the aim is that the learner makes sense of life and can use and apply knowledge in meaningful ways (Hussein, 2006). Orafi (2008) investigated teachers practices and beliefs in relation to curriculum innovations in English language teaching in Libya. The study was conducted with five Libyan secondary school teachers using classroom observation and interviews. He concluded that there was a mismatch between the teachers practice in the classroom and the principles of the curriculum because of the influence of their beliefs. 6. Methods of teaching EFL in Libyan secondary schools English is taught with the sole aim of passing exams and moving to the next stage. The learning process is largely viewed as mechanical habit formation. That is, the teaching process is dominated by teacher questions, the selection of students to respond, and the demonstration of examples on the board for students to imitate and repeat chorally. Some Libyan teachers still doubt the value of communicative activities because they believe that vocabulary and grammar rules must be the starting point in learning any foreign language, unlike when acquiring a first language. They think that students should be provided with large amounts of vocabulary and grammar rules to be memorized, and then they can start thinking of introducing various activities to practice the language (Al-Buseifi, 2003). These beliefs reflect their practice in class, where traditional methods of teaching such as the grammar translation method and the audio-lingual method are dominant (Orafi, 2008). Because the new cu rriculum is based on the CLT, I should turn to give sight on the CLT approach: 7. Communicative Language Teaching Communicative Language Teaching has had a major influence on language curriculum development. First, curriculum development has become much more complex. Whereas twenty or thirty years ago, the point of departure for curriculum development tended to be restricted to the identification of the learners current level of proficiency, with the development of communicative language teaching and the insight that curricula should reflect learners communicative needs and learning preferences. (Nunan 1996:20) Communication between student and student influences many ways. It can enhance or hinder learning. Students learn from communication through discussion or by talking about tasks. Communication can take place between a teacher and students. Therefore, appropriate communication skills are required, by keeping in mind the sensitivity to students, their level of understanding and judgement (Dillon and Maguire in Sussan 2005:105). What Is Communicative Language Teaching? CLT has been defined by Canale and Swain (1980:33) who point that: With respect to teaching methodology, it is crucial that classroom activities reflect, in the most optimally direct manner, those communication activities that the learner is most likely to engage in†¦ Furthermore, communication activities must be as meaningful as possible and be characterized (at increasing levels of difficulty) by aspects of genuine communication such as its basis in social interaction, the relative creativity and unpredictability of utterances, its purposefulness and goal-orientation, and its authenticity. Communicative language teaching (CLT) is typically seen as an approach to language teaching (Richards and Rodgers2001). It is based on the theory that the main purpose of language use is communication. With the aim of developing learners communicative competence (Hymes 1971). In other words, its goal is to make use of real-life situations that requires communication. What Is Communicative Competence? Communicative competence is defined as the capability to discuss and command apposite social behaviours, and it needs the active commitment of the learner in the construction of the target language (Canale and Swain 1980; Celce-Murcia et al 1995; Hymes 1972). Four dimensions of communicative competence are recognized; the knowledge of grammar and vocabulary (Linguistic competence); the capability to say the apposite thing in a confident social situation (sociolinguistic competence); the capability to begin, insert, add to, and extent a conversation, and the capability to do this in a regular and logical manner (discourse competence); the capability to communicate effectively and recover difficulties caused by communication collapse (strategic competence) (Richards and Rodgers 2001:160). Terms usually used to point to aspects of CLT contain ‘process oriented, ‘task-based, ‘group work and discussion and ‘learner-centred teaching. Communicative Language Teaching points to both processes and goals in classroom learning (Savignon, 2002:162). Berns (1990:104) states that in CLT; Language teaching is based on a view of language as communication, that is, language is seen as a social tool which speakers use to make meaning; speakers communicate about something to someone for some purpose, either orally or in writing. Obviously we can notice that CLT can be seen as a way of teaching in which the application of communicative activities and the foreign language attempts to advance students competence of knowing and sharing different knowledge. It centres on the aspect that learning is assisted in a purposeful, real situation where activities are achieved with the teachers directions. The definitions also hint that in order to carry out CLT successfully particularly in the EFL context; we are as EFL teachers need to improve our communicative competence, and need to have knowledge about the culture of the foreign language in order to teach the students. Our English proficiency, beliefs, attitudes will affect the implementation of CLT. Background Of CLT Communicative language teaching came into existence in the 1970s as a result of Hymes (1972), the work of the Council of Europe (Halliday 1975, the writings of Wilkins 1972, 1976, and Van EK Alexander (1980). Wilkinss document (1975) where he defined notions i.e. concepts such as time and place, and communicative functions such as requesting or apologizing, which was developed into the book National Syllabuses (Wilkins, 1976), influenced the development of CLT (see Mitchell, 1994; Richards and Rodgers, 2001; Howatt and Widdowson, 2004). CLTs roots can ultimately be traced back to Chomskys criticism of structural linguistic theory (1966). Chomskys ideas about linguistic competence, the innate knowledge of the linguistic system of the language, called Audio Lingual Method (ALM) into question based on the idea that lea

The 1960s :: American America History

The 1960s Mr. Basiuk is the person I chose for my interview. Rather than immigrating to Canada, Mr. Basiuk was born in Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1936. He was educated in high school to the north end of Winnipeg at St. John's Technical High School. He spent two years altogether in grade 10 and 11 then attended five years in the University Of Manitoba and graduated as an electrical engineer. Unfortunately, he was not able to find a job in this profession in this area, and therefore began his career as a teacher; and has been teaching for the last thirty years. Interview Who was in political power and how affective was he in accomplishing his goals? I wasn't really interested nor paid much attention to politics, therefore I cannot answer this question. What things did you want to see changed by the government? What sort of problems did the government face and how were they solved? I wanted to see the government have more concern for the poor people. Things such as Medicare, OHIP, and pension plans. The government faced many problems, one of the most toughest, I think, was the deep recession occurring in the 60's. What special events or figures were most significant to you? Name some of the social trends you took part in. Well, I didn't have any hero's or someone to look up to until later on in my 20's when someone invited me to Montreal to watch a folk singer called Pete Seager. From this time on, I became really dedicated and interested in music and this really influenced my life. I was a teacher than, so I didn't really take part in social events, yet there was a building north of Jarvis called Yorkville and teenagers would usually gather there to dance and have fun. I would occasionally go to that place. State the differences in fashion from the 60's and today. Which music group or band did you enjoy listening to? What types of dances did you enjoy? First of all, teenagers and especially woman would wear clothes with more colour and beads. Bellbottoms were in back at that time. There are certain people who wear lots of flowers and turned out to be called the flower power. This name was given because they believed that being "nice" to others would help change the country-so they gave many people flowers and asked them to be their friend. The 1960s :: American America History The 1960s Mr. Basiuk is the person I chose for my interview. Rather than immigrating to Canada, Mr. Basiuk was born in Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1936. He was educated in high school to the north end of Winnipeg at St. John's Technical High School. He spent two years altogether in grade 10 and 11 then attended five years in the University Of Manitoba and graduated as an electrical engineer. Unfortunately, he was not able to find a job in this profession in this area, and therefore began his career as a teacher; and has been teaching for the last thirty years. Interview Who was in political power and how affective was he in accomplishing his goals? I wasn't really interested nor paid much attention to politics, therefore I cannot answer this question. What things did you want to see changed by the government? What sort of problems did the government face and how were they solved? I wanted to see the government have more concern for the poor people. Things such as Medicare, OHIP, and pension plans. The government faced many problems, one of the most toughest, I think, was the deep recession occurring in the 60's. What special events or figures were most significant to you? Name some of the social trends you took part in. Well, I didn't have any hero's or someone to look up to until later on in my 20's when someone invited me to Montreal to watch a folk singer called Pete Seager. From this time on, I became really dedicated and interested in music and this really influenced my life. I was a teacher than, so I didn't really take part in social events, yet there was a building north of Jarvis called Yorkville and teenagers would usually gather there to dance and have fun. I would occasionally go to that place. State the differences in fashion from the 60's and today. Which music group or band did you enjoy listening to? What types of dances did you enjoy? First of all, teenagers and especially woman would wear clothes with more colour and beads. Bellbottoms were in back at that time. There are certain people who wear lots of flowers and turned out to be called the flower power. This name was given because they believed that being "nice" to others would help change the country-so they gave many people flowers and asked them to be their friend.