Through a Computer Display and What People See There Communication Technologies and the Quality of Social Interactions

Introduction: Communication Technologies Come to the Rescue It is hard to deny that communication technologies play a great role in the lives of billions of people all over the world. With the rise of technology and the surge of innovations that have opened new possibilities for communication between the people in different parts of the world, ordinary live conversation seems to have faded into the background, making more room for new means of communication.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Through a Computer Display and What People See There: Communication Technologies and the Quality of Social Interactions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Because of the current fascination with technological advances and the active use of the latter, people are rapidly losing the skills of live communication, which is likely to lead to a number of difficulties in socializing, both concerning people’s personal life and bus iness affairs. Reaching for the Most Remote Corners of the World: The Positive Aspects One of the most obvious advantages of communication technologies is the fact that with the help of the latter, one can keep in touch with the people who live miles away, which would be completely impossible without the recent innovations. Therefore, it can be concluded that with the help of the current developments, the distance between the subjects of communication is no longer a problem, not to mention the fact that new forms of media have offered the methods for distanced learning (Atkin 71). However, there are still a lot of issues about communication technologies that need to be revisited. Getting Lost in the Virtual Reality: Where Technologies Fail Losing touch with the real world is the hazard that everyone has talked about; ironically enough, even the new forms of media that the given problem concerns have been used to discuss it. Indeed, with the growing impact of social network, people s eem to be losing the skills of live communication, which is likely to lead to considerable problems in future. Moreover, frequent use of technology as a communication tool can lead to negative social effects, such as the need to stay anonymous (Levi 262). Hence, the threat of deindividualization becomes much more tangible: â€Å"The members of virtual groups are more anonymous. This leads to what psychologists call deindividualization, which is the loss of self-awareness and evaluation apprehension caused by feeling anonymous† (Levi 262). It is worth mentioning, though, that the latter concerns rather online chatting than the use of mobile phone or social networking. Humans vs. Machines: Concerning the Probable Prospects Hence, it seems that technologies will definitely be of great help in providing high-quality means of keeping in touch. However, it still must be admitted that technologies will never be able to replace personal contact, while they should not.Advertising Looking for essay on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Partee, live communication is essential for people: â€Å"We humans need personal contact to communicate values† (Partee ix). It is clear that once the current communication technology takes over the world, the tradition of personal conversation will disintegrate into a mess, since people will most likely lose the necessary skills required for a live conversation. Another Means to Raise the Stakes: Technologies Have a Chance One must give credit to the developers of the modern communication technologies, though; it is clear that, when used reasonably, these technological advances can help greatly. Therefore, it can be assumed that, when used with due care, communication technology will not make people less sociable, but will help them keep in touch despite the distances between them (Shih and Hung, 67). About Use and Abuse: A Reasonable Solution to the Pr oblem To balance out the use of live and virtual communication, it is necessary to realize what the current technological advances offer (Konijn, Utz, Tanis and Barnes 19). Therefore, it is necessary to consider such innovations as mobile phones, smartphones, computers, etc. not a substitute for live communication, but an additional opportunity to get in touch with the one who is currently not available in person. With such an approach, it can be expected that technological advances will be used as a complementary communicational tool, and not as the only possible one. Conclusion: Looking for a Compromise It is hard to ignore the fact that communication technology in many aspects is very helpful, since it provides chances for people to arrange something concerning not only their personal life, but also their business issues, which means that communication technology development boosts business processes. With all due respect for the engineers who have provided the humankind with the existing technologies for even more efficient communication, one still has to admit that in many ways, the given technologies kill the tradition of live conversation slowly, but steadily. Since technologies have become so fully integrated into people’s lives that rejecting thee technologies means losing a huge chunk of their lives, at the given stage, a compromise between virtual and live communication must be provided. Therefore, technologies must be used only when the alternative method of communication is not available.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Through a Computer Display and What People See There: Communication Technologies and the Quality of Social Interactions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Works Cited Atkin, David J. â€Å"Communication Technology and Social Change: Theory And Implications†. New York, NY: Routledge, 2007. Print. Konijn, Elly, Sonya Utz, Martin Tanis and Susan Barnes . â€Å"Mediated Interpersonal Communication†. New York, NY: Routledge, 2008. Print. Levi, Daniel. â€Å"Group Dynamics for Teams†. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, 2011. Print. Partee, Morris H. â€Å"Cyberteaching: Instructional Technology on the Modern Campus†. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2002. Print. Shih, Timothy K and Jason C. Hung. â€Å"Future Directions in Distance Learning and Communications Technologies†. Hershey, PA: Idea Group. 2007. Print. This essay on Through a Computer Display and What People See There: Communication Technologies and the Quality of Social Interactions was written and submitted by user Layla Pope to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Power of Celebrating Victories - and What Youre Missing if You Dont

The Power of Celebrating Victories - and What Youre Missing if You Dont How good are you at celebrating victories? Even little ones? Lex Ishimoto had every reason to believe, even assume, that he would be given a coveted ticket to the â€Å"So You Think You Can Dance† Academy.[1] Lex is one of the most qualified candidates who has ever auditioned for this show. He has been dancing since the age of seven, competed in countless dance competitions, and trained extensively in hip hop, modern, and ballet. At age 15, he received a rare offer to train with the American Ballet Theater – and turned it down. He played Billy Elliot on Broadway, and performs with the famous Travis Wall’s Shaping Sound Dance Company. Lex took a risk. He danced an improvisational routine rather than a choreographed one. He received a standing ovation from the judges and was given a ticket straight to the Academy. Unexpected Celebration! I honestly thought it would be reasonable for Lex not to be surprised or particularly excited about getting his ticket. Really, it was a foregone conclusion. And personally, when I am 99% sure I am going to reach a result, I often don’t exhibit a lot of emotion when I get it. I just don’t think it’s a big deal. But Lex looked almost like a little boy running out to the street with his ticket in hand, not quite knowing what to do with his excitement. Here’s a video that includes his response to his victory. The quality is not great, but it’s the best I could find (please Google Lex Ishimoto YouTube if you’d like to view a better-quality video of the performance itself): I was struck by my own thoughts about celebration as I watched Lex do his little victory dance. Here’s some of what went through my head: I’m so glad he celebrated. I feel better because he celebrated! I bet people around me would feel better if I celebrated more. I can celebrate things even if they seem small to me. Guess I don’t have to sit around waiting for big victories. Maybe Lex celebrated because he risked doing an improv routine. He challenged himself and it could have backfired, but instead it paid off. I often feel true excitement when I take a risk and it pays off (and sometimes even when it doesn’t). I should write a blog about this. Hmmm†¦ I wonder what the research is on celebration? That last bullet prompted me to do some Googling. Here’s what I found about why it’s important to celebrate, even small victories – especially in the workplace. (See 7 Reasons It Always Pays to Celebrate Small Victories and Here’s why you should throw yourself a party the next time you reach a goal.) Some Benefits of Celebrating Victories: Positive reinforcement. People are motivated to perform better when they celebrate, and are celebrated for, their wins. Celebration creates future success. Fun. Celebrations make life – and work – fun! We work hard to achieve what we achieve, and it’s important to allow ourselves to be joyful for what we’ve done, rather than quickly move to the next thing. Marking progress. When you celebrate consistently, you create markers of where you’ve come from and where you are now. Keeping this perspective will motivate you to keep going, set even bigger goals, and clarify the direction you want to go. Confidence. Getting outside acknowledgment is one thing, but choosing to celebrate a victory for yourself is ultimately a more sustainable way to build confidence and joy. Yes, we get to create our own joy! It’s infectious. Celebrating yourself can create joy and satisfaction in others, particularly the people who helped you reach your goal. It will encourage them to join you too! Plus, you’ll start celebrating others more when you intentionally give props to yourself. I realize there might be some naysayers out there who think reveling in your wins will make other people feel bad. I would suggest you stop worrying about them and surround yourself with people who will rejoice with you! Gratitude. Much has been written on the benefits on gratitude. Celebrating victories is a powerful way to give thanks for what you have accomplished. Remember, you don’t need to have big wins to find cause for celebration. Today I expressed joy when I received a meaningful compliment. I’m celebrating that a friend took me up on my offer to come over and use my WiFi when his was down. I’m celebrating that I went to the first meeting of an Entrepreneurs group at 6am this morning. And I’m celebrating that I made it through 10 rounds of a challenging circuit at the gym. In a moment, I will give myself some love for writing my blog on Thursday night, three days before I usually sit down to do it. There are so many things to inspire joy in life if you look for them. What can you take time to celebrate today? [1] â€Å"So You Think You Can Dance† is a dance competition and TV show where dancers with a range of experience compete, first to get into the Academy, then to the Top 20, and then to win the competition. Winners must not only become fluent in dance styles including ballet, modern, jazz, hip hop and Bollywood, but they must also exhibit a compelling range of emotion on the dance floor.

How did Slavery become a powerful Institution in America Essay - 1

How did Slavery become a powerful Institution in America - Essay Example Lastly, all nations desired conquest for exploring new opportunities. The European rivalries that existed in the New World were an accumulation of conquests that were desired by the imperialistic nations in Europe. From the dawn of the 15th century, European nations such as Portugal, Spain, Netherlands and France begin to establish their dominance. In the 18th century, the British and French fought for dominance over the "New World". These nations desired conquest because of power, wealth, and opportunities. The civil war was one of the bloodiest war fought that continues to leave a dark impression throughout the course of the US History. It is impossible to point just one factor that justified the actions of the Civil War Soldiers. However, it was evident that the growing demand led many plantation owners for suitable land. Additionally, the growing demand for cotton was overwhelming. Moreover, this huge boom in agricultural economies in the Deep South was detrimental as it caused huge divisions and expansions which created a huge movement of slaves. Conducive research indicates that the growing demand for cotton led many plantation owners further west in search of suitable land. Moreover, the invention of the  cotton gin  by Eli Whitney enabled south to be more prosperous via cotton. As a matter of fact, this invention was crucial as it revolutionized the cotton industry by increasing fifty-fold the quantity of cotton that could be processed in a day. It was clear that this mechanization changed the efficiency of how cotton was produced, which meant that the American labor force needed expansion. This caused a greater influx of slave labor. First and foremost was the fact that the Soldiers in North wanted to keep the nation united. The notion of South’s separation from the Union was an idea that the North clearly could not digest. In addition, Lincoln’s

Financial analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial analysis - Essay Example The succeeding years thereafter showed an optimistic trend implying an adjustment in the operating system. It can be noted that it was in late 2003 that Verizon innovation were observed immediately the year after as seen on the total net income of 2004. Assets over the five-year period remain at almost the same level while the total liabilities are decreasing, with a slight increase in 2005, suggesting a good overall trend. ratio by 2002 shows that the company has begun acquiring better investments and a considerable increase in earnings. Return on investment shows a positive trend over a five-year period with the same noted decrease in 2003 because of the transition in Verizon’s marketing strategy. 2005 was constant and remain within the normal range of 0.5 to 2.0 (reuters.com). The low and steady current ratio proves a standard cash payment system since the company is service-oriented, with the consumers paying on a monthly basis (Rosenbush 58). Total debt/equity and long-term debt/capital ratios show that the company’s financial resources are stable and strong enough to pay both the short and long-term debts that it has incurred. The gradual decrease in both debt ratios also suggests that Verizon is able to manage the payment of its debts properly over the years, implying a steady growth in earnings during this period. Sprint Nextel Corp. and AT&T Inc. are some of Verizon’s competitors in the telecommunications industry (Rosenbush 58). Figure 2 presents a comparison of the profitability of Verizon against its competitors from 2001 to 2005. This shows that over a five-year period, Verizon has been competing with AT&T for the market shares. Sprint Nextel Corp. has negligible effect in terms of competitiveness with the other two companies. The graph suggests that Verizon was only able to out-run AT&T beginning on 2004. This

Pros And Cons Of Devolving HR Roles

Pros And Cons Of Devolving HR Roles Human Resource Management (HRM) has become more global and strategic and hence of higher importance to any organisation. Although many companies have recognised it, few are practicing many things in order to make their management of human resources more effective especially working more closely with the line managers. The success of an organization depends heavily on effective Human Resource Management practices and the competency of its human resources. Excellent companies recognize that human resources are their number one asset. This is true in the dynamic organization or industry. Therefore, employees must be adequately trained and retrained to ensure that their knowledge, skill and competency remain relevant and useful. It is a fact that the primary concern of an organization is its variability and hence its efficiency. One of the most distinguished management scientist, Tom Peters mentions in his book, In Search of Excellence using Hewlett Packard (HP) as a successful organisation that has implemented good use of line managers using HRM functions to become successful. He states, Although most top managements assert that their companies care for their people, the excellent companies are distinguished by the intensity and pervasiveness of this concern. He continues to describe this by giving various examples which are interesting to consider. According to him, eighteen out of twenty HP executives that were interviewed spontaneously claimed that the success of their company depends on the companys people-oriented philosophy. It is called the HP Way. It is the tradition of treating every individual with consideration and respect and recognising personal achievements. Dave (co-founder Packard) also believes in this philosophy. The dignity and worth of the individual is a very important part. A philosophy that has been a driving force in the organisations success is, First there should be highly capable, innovative people throughout the organisation second, the organisation should have objectives and leadership which generate enthusiasm at all levels. People in important management positions should not only be enthusiastic themselves, they should be selected for their ability to stimulate enthusiasm among their associates. The introduction to the revised corporate objective statement concludes: Hewlett-Packard should not have a tight, military-type organisation, but rather give people the freedom to work toward overall objectives in ways they determine best for their own areas of responsibility. In short, the most extraordinary trait at HP is uniformity of commitment, the consistency of approach and attitude. Wherever you go in the HP empire, you find people talking product quality, feeling proud of their divisions achievements in that area. HP People at all levels show boundless energy and enthusiasm (In search of Excellence Page 242 -246) To summarise, the philosophy behind this example is that the excellent companies emphasise the philosophy that says, in effect, respect the individual, make people winners, let them stand out, treat people as adults (In search of Excellence Page 277) Many researches in the recent years have highlighted the importance of line managers within HR processes. They carry out various duties of HR functions especially recruitment and selection and undoubtedly play a significant role in guaranteeing that employees are motivated, productive, competent and parallel with the business strategy as well as making sure that the organisation complies with the relevant laws and regulations. A line manager is responsible for an employee or a work group to a higher level of management line who is generally in the lower layer of the management hierarchy and the employees who report to him/her do not themselves have any managerial responsibility. One may find that occasionally a line manager may not have formal management education because he/she is generally promoted from within. The common management duties of a line manager may include as follows: People management Measuring operational performance Organising work allocation and rotas Monitoring work processes Dealing with customer/clients Line managers can play an important role and can assist the process of the revitalisation of an organisation with enhanced customer focus and staff performance. They ensure employees are motivated, productive and competent, and aligned behind the business strategy. They are also vitally important in making sure that the organisation complies with relevant laws and regulations. The people and performance research carried out for the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) by a team at Bath University (Hutchinson, 2003) found that the line managers played a vital role in terms of implementing and enacting HR policies and practices. They found that where employees feel positive about their relationship with their line managers they are more likely to have higher levels of job satisfaction, commitment and loyalty which are associated with higher levels of performance or discretionary behaviour. Discretionary behaviour is defined as that which goes beyond the requirement of the job to give extra performance which can boost the bottom line. Line managers also play the strongest part in structuring peoples actual experience of doing a job. According to an online survey of 121 organisations, collectively employing almost a quarter of a million people, shows that four in five (80.2%) organisations have devolved responsibilities such as managing flexible working requests and handling grievance and disciplinary procedures to line managers over the past few years. And two in three predict the role of line managers will take on even more HR functions over the next few years. (Williams, 2008) Also, another interesting finding was that the line managers claimed to be satisfied with the HR responsibilities that have been devolved to them and are keen to take on activities that relate explicitly to the development of their team. Most line managers report working closely with their HR counterparts and see the configuration moving towards a partnership. The line managers main concern is that a lack of support from HR during the delivery of the service can detract from the overall effectiveness. They also note that junior level line managers are likely to feel less supported by HR and comment that it is merely their high level position that drives the HR-line partnership in their situations. (Susan Whittaker, 2003). The role of line managers in both public and private organisations has changed quite significantly in recent years. The line managers have been allocated more responsibilities and are accountable not only for budgeting and allocating of resources, but most importantly for people management issues as per Hoogenboorn Brewster (1992.). According to some sources such as Storey (1992: 190), he argues that line managers may well be playing a far more central role in labour management than HR personnel. Whereas another source, Hales (2005) traces the greater involvement of line managers in HR issues to two developments. He argues that the line managers have been taking on the role of a coach , conductor or a leader of a highly motivated team as a result of the spread of Human Resource Management and the adoption of more participative forms of management concerned with securing high performance through commitment rather than control. Human Resource Devolvement has led to line managers acquiring middle management functions and becoming mini-general managers accompanied by the loss of supervisory functions downwards to work teams. It is hence more appropriate for line managers to take responsibility for people development since they operate alongside the people they manage and therefore it is argued that that their reactions are more immediate and appropriate (Whittaker and Marchington, 2003). Indeed, across Europe, Larsen and Brewster (2003: 229) suggest, there is now a widespread drive to give line managers more responsibility for the management of their staff and to reduce the extent to which personnel or HR departments control or restrict line management autonomy in this area. Initial research indicates some positive support for line manager HR involvement. Hutchinson and Purcell (2003) found that line manager involvement in coaching, guidance and communication positively influences organisational performance. Likewise, a case study of line manager involvement in HR in the NHS by Currie and Proctor (2001) found that line managers are important contributors to strategic change when provided with discretion in implementing HR strategies within their own work groups. Whittaker and Marchington (2003) maintain that line managers increasingly welcome HR responsibilities and are prepared to take them on as they add variation and challenge to their work. Gibb (2003) argues that requiring line managers to be more involved in the HR issues may also lead to a transformation of managers own attitudes towards HR, organisational change and thus a transformation of human relations at work (Gibb, 2003). By increasing line manager involvement in HR, it is argued that better workplace conditions will result as line managers have better understanding than specialists of the type and range of interventions needed. In this pursuit, line managers are assisted by more effective and user-friendly human resource information systems, new technologies and Human Resource call centres, making it possible for line managers to handle some HR work without the assistance of Human Resource Department. It is seen that a speedy resolution of conflicts and lower rate of employee turnover is possible by moving Human Resources responsibilities closer to employees through line managers. Indeed, providing greater authority to line managers and encouraging greater initiative taking may address a long-standing criticism levelled at HR departments; namely a lack of appreciation of the immediacy of the line managers problems (Harris, L, Doughty, D. Kirk, S. (2002). According to Maxwell and Watson (2006), business partnerships between HR specialists and line managers have emerged as the dominant model for Human Resources operations within organisations. Similarly, Ulrich (2005) outlines the role of HR Strategic Partners as working alongside line managers to help them reach their goals by crafting strategies to maximise productivity through alignment of corporate resources to these goals. We can hence understand that devolving HR responsibilities to line managers offers a number of benefits to organisations. A greater freedom to HR specialists to engage with strategic issues is provided enabling them to forge closer relationships with line managers and a partnership model towards managing employees is developed. Similarly, line managers understand and appreciate the complex nature of dealing with the employee issues and become more encouraged and involved in everyday workplace management tasks. However, line managers have pointed various issues concerning HR involvement despite the above mentioned benefits of participating in HR activities. It will obviously increase their workload by getting involved in HR tasks. Increased workload leads to feelings of incompetence among line managers and reluctance to take responsibility for devolved HR activities. Indeed, this has led to feelings amongst some line managers of being dumped upon (Renwick 2003: 265) or pushed upon to take new HR responsibilities (Harris, L, Doughty, D. Kirk, S. (2002):) due to a climate of fear and mistrust driven by HR. The experience and ability of line managers to take responsibility for HR issues may present a major barrier to devolvement. Both Whittaker and Marchington (2003) and Hailey, V.H., Farndale, E. Truss, C. (2005) suggest that line managers skills and competence in HR practices may be limited and a lack of training in this area will undoubtedly affect a line managers overall effectiveness. I ncapability and misunderstanding of HR practices on the part of line managers will prevent the organisation from developing a strong learning culture (McCracken and Wallace, 2000) with McGovern et al. (1997) arguing that a lack of training may lead to inconsistencies in implementing organisational HR policies potentially exposing the organisation to lawsuits and employment tribunals. Their research though, indicates that management development is not a priority for the top management and reliance on the notion of trial-and-error is prevalent in organisations. Furthermore, the failure of organisations to take a long-term developmental view is exposed by a reluctance to set aside a specific budget for training and the belief that management development is the individuals responsibility. Many line managers get under pressure to meet operational targets, and often struggle to fulfil their people management duties. This is partly because they are not equipped with the tools, skills and knowledge they need to be effective. As a result, managers sometimes effectively abdicate responsibility for aspects of people management. A commonly used phrase is thats HRs job often tends to be heard a lot in many companies whether relating to employee development, managing an individuals performance or dealing with absenteeism issues. Recent research involving nearly 3,000 employers by the Work Foundation and the Institute for Employment Studies found that organisations with a comprehensive, structured approach to people management, covering areas such as recruitment, development plans and employee appraisals, perform better than those without, as indicated by higher profits per employee, higher profit margins and ultimately higher productivity. Sometimes its easy to be critical of managers, but often theyre not properly equipped to be effective. Investment in management training requires clearly set-down policies and procedures. There appears to be lack of clear guidance and easily accessible information, its not surprising that many line managers response when an issue arises is either to pick up the phone to HR or to ignore the problem and hope it would goes away or transfer responsibility to someone else. It is interesting but to be fair to line managers, sometimes part of the problem may also lie with the HR department itself. For all the talk about wanting to devolve more responsibility to the line, in practice HR professionals are sometimes reluctant to trust line managers to manage. They are unwilling to give managers the tools and information they need to do the job effectively: after all, knowledge is power, and by being the gatekeepers of all information relating to employees, policies and processes, HR may feel that it has power. This is clearly not in the long-term interests of the HR function. HR teams must realise that if they are to fulfil their potential and be true partners to the business, then they need to trust their managers with the day-today stuff. This doesnt mean being unsupportive but continued support to line managers to assist them with responsibility for the way that people are managed. It does mean defining strategies and policies and then putting in place the frameworks and the systems that enable managers to take accountability for the day-to-day execution but in a controlled, informed and effective way. Line managers must aim to be more accountable whereas HR professionals being more strategic could assist when working together. Better solutions are needed to support key people management processes and its likely that intelligent use of technology is likely to represent at least part of the answer. Technology-based services offer organisations the potential to give much greater support to their line managers, but in a highly cost-effective way. Line managers can be given tools to walk them through common processes, access to comprehensive information about their employees, guidance on how to manage effectively, and prompts when tasks or actions are due all accessed via a single web-based service. In view of the above, making line managers responsible for the delivery of HR can be complex. Line managers may not possess the required skills needed to implement HR initiatives and may feel ill-equipped or insufficiently trained to accept responsibility for day-to-day HR tasks. Devolving HR responsibilities may also represent a lack of appreciation of the workloads, time pressures and overall priorities of line managers threatening the overall standards of HR delivery across the organisation and diminishing the value of HR. It is found that getting line managers involved in HR tasks is a step towards achieving a more strategic, value-added approach to managing employees. Line managers play an important position in the organisational hierarchy and can directly affect the quality of front-line services. It will greatly increase the existing pressures of excess workload and the need to deliver on short-term priorities by devolving line managers with HR responsibilities. It will also mean the requirement of display of a higher level of HR competency by the line managers which calls for the need for high-quality training programmes for line managers to ensure that they feel confident in discharging their new HR responsibilities. Such training may help organisations avoid costly litigation and damage to their public reputation. HR professionals must engage with line managers and develop a partnership to bring about a speedier resolution to workplace conflicts by allowing line managers to seek guidance and advice whenever required thereby making line managers more responsible for HR. Table 1: Pros and Cons of Devolving HR roles to Line Managers Pros Cons Increase speed of decision -making Line management responsibility for people issues Local management accountability Potential cost savings Strategic role for central HR/IR Short lines of communication Lack of time to perform HR duties Increase in line managers workload Additional costs of training managers Increase in grievances/tribunal cases Potential for HR/IR to be marginalized People management not considered to be part of the line managers job

Have North Americans Stopped Caring Essay

In Chapter 7 of Interest-Group Participation in American Democracy, an online source, an interest group is defined as an â€Å"organization or association of people with common interests that engages in politics on behalf of its members† (190). Since people cannot directly participate in governance, they associate themselves with groups that aim to change the political landscape. According to the same source, the rights of individuals to form such groups are protected by the Constitution (213). In spite of this, there seems to be a decline in participation of these groups. This paper aims to explain why. One of the factors that caused the said decline may be attributed to the dominance of the elite in political campaigns. In the past, citizens who share a common goal volunteered their time and energy to these endeavors. Today, campaigns require mammoth financial backing up to fund campaign activities opening doors for big corporations and the wealthy to make hefty contributions. The bottom line in the political industry is this: financial capital – the wherewithal for mass marketing – has steadily replaced social capital – that is, grassroots citizen networks – as the coin of the realm. † (Putnam, 39 – 40) An increase in cynicism is another cause for the decline in participation. According to Morris P. Firiona, people feel that only the â€Å"extreme voices† are heard leaving the â€Å"moderate middle† a couple of steps behind (395-425). Firiona also asserts that the transparency in the workings of the government showed people how messy policy making can get (Firiona, 395-425). However, it is important to note that the disillusionment is not completely depleting participation. Interest-Group Participation in American Democracy argues that the advancements in technology allow individuals to get involved without needing to go out to the streets to proclaim what they believe is right (204). With just a few clicks on the internet, current events unfold before the readers eyes. Discussion and blog sites are avenues which people take to express their thoughts and sentiments. These non-traditional means of participation are more convenient and less energy-consuming. These are popular especially among the youth who, according to Warren E. Miller and J. Merrill Shanks, have grown apathetic compared to previous generations (69). The dominance of certain groups such as the elite and the extremists, the increase in distrust in the government, and the waning of youth involvement are only some of the reasons why there is a decline in participation. This does not mean that citizens have stopped caring. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, non-traditional means of contribution is gaining momentum in this modern age.

The impact of ozone depletion

The ozone is a thin bed of triatomic O molecules located within the ambiance which is capable of absorbing deadly UV ( UV ) radiation from the Sun. Ozone occurs of course within the stratosphere, and it accounts for approximately 90 % of the entire ozone molecules in the ambiance, compared to the tropospheric ozone which forms a major air pollutant and histories for only10 % . Ozone bed in the atmosphere extends vertically up to about 50Km, and there are about 12,000 ozone molecules per 1 billion molecules of air, while less measure exist in the troposphere of about 20-100 molecules per billion molecules of air. Stratospheric ozone is formed through a uninterrupted complex procedure of photochemical reaction affecting the splitting of O molecules into two O atoms by solar energy and each atom farther combines with O molecules to bring forth ozone. Because the procedure is sunlight dependant, more ozone is produced at lower latitudes due the concentration of high solar radiation around the equator ; as such ozone is continually produced and destroyed in these complex chemical reactions. The planetary distribution of ozone depends on conditions such as the handiness of Br and Cl in the ambiance, high solar strength and latitudinal location that favour the production of the molecules. Without this bed, UV-B radiation when making the Earth is capable of damaging works and animate being tissues, increasing the hazard of wellness jobs such as skin malignant neoplastic disease in worlds every bit good as destructing both tellurian and aquatic ecosystems. Depletion of the ozone has been observed over the old ages due to the release of chemical substances into the ambiance by worlds. In 2005, scientists have observed the addition in ozone depleting substances ( ODS ) which consequences to the cutting of this protective bed over Arctic and Antarctic poles by about 30 – 50 % , and a planetary mean decrease of about 3 – 6 % compared to the pre – 1980 degrees. The procedure of depletion begins with the release of the ozone depleting substances ( ODS ) such as Cl and Br and CFCs ( CFCs ) largely from human beginnings. These gases farther accumulate into the ambiance for some clip depending of their occupant times and so transported to the stratosphere through perpendicular commixture. These non-reactive gases are farther converted into reactive compounds by UV radiation, so chemical reactions takes topographic point to destruct the ozone bed. Finally, these gases are transported back to the troposphere where they are re moved through precipitation. Climate alteration and ozone bed depletion are interlinked because ozone itself is a nursery gas and together with other ozone consuming substances such as Br ( Br ) and Cl ( Cl ) contribute to planetary heating. Therefore any alterations in the atmospheric concentration and distribution of ozone will hold important impact on the planetary clime system. Release of these ( ODS ) substances including C dioxide and CFCs has a chilling consequence on the stratosphere. This chilling consequence favours the chemical reactions in Cl and Br thereby lending to the formation of Polar Stratospheric Clouds ( PSC ) , a status that consequences in the depletion of ozone. Surveies have proved that the lessening in stratospheric ozone observed over Antarctica led to alterations in the interactions between the stratosphere and the Earth. These alterations alter the atmospheric circulation peculiarly the North Atlantic oscillation ( NAO ) , which in bend has an consequence on fluctuation of clime around the Atlantic. Depletion of the ozone has another important consequence on the planetary biogeochemical rhythms which has profound consequence on the clime system. Increase in the sum UV-B modifies the C rhythm by impacting the consumption of CO2 by workss during photosynthesis, every bit good as C storage in workss tissues as biomass. Because the tellurian ecosystem serves as a net sink for C, alterations in the sum of UV radiation is capable of upseting the photosynthetic and respiration procedures which link the atmospheric C and tellurian C consumption and release. Within the tellurian ecosystems, certain works species become more susceptible to increased UV radiation, therefore cut downing their ability to gaining control and shop atmospheric C dioxide. Furthermore, a alteration in the UV radiation increases the rate of productiveness of dirt micro beings such as fungi thereby increasing the rate of C release from biomass decomposition. This accelerated bend over clip of C through this procedure of exposure debasement or exposure transmutation decreases the storage capacity of the dirt as a major C sink, as such lending to planetary heating. Scientific projections from theoretical accounts suggest a major displacement in planetary ecosystems from ice chest and wetting agent to warmer and drier conditions in response to climate change-UV interaction. Another of import linkage between ozone depletion and clime alteration is the change of the marine biological pump of atmospheric C dioxide into the ocean underside under the influence of UV radiation. Coloured dissolved organic affair ( CDOM ) nowadays in aquatic primary manufacturers which is utile in absorbing UV in the ocean undergoes exposure decoloring under higher dosage. Thereby ensuing in the loss of the pigment and accordingly let more UV incursion into the ocean and cut down the ability of aquatic workss to repair C during photosynthesis. Besides, thermic stratification of ocean Waterss occur as a consequence of increased CO2 from human- induced emanations decreases mid-water O around the deepness of 200-800m, which affect C consumption by the oceans. This stratification impact perpendicular commixture of substances such as bromocarbons found in tropical Waterss. Under the influence of UV, certain ozone consuming reactive groups such as Br oxide ( BrO ) are produced. Conversely, clime alteration besides has a important influence on ozone bed depletion. This influence may either accelerate or slow the ozone procedure of recovery. Climate alteration induces the formation of Polar stratospheric clouds around the high latitudes which when exported to mid-latitudes bring forth farther depletion of the ozone around such countries. Surveies have shown that radiative forcing from planetary heating may assist the ozone to retrieve because it tends to cut down the formation of such clouds that interact with gases in the ambiance to destruct the ozone. Evidence was observed in the decrease in the loss of ozone over Antarctica between 2001 and 2004 during the spring period. Since ozone depletion is the chief cause of decrease in temperature of the stratospheric ozone by about ( -0.17 & A ; deg ; C/ decennary ) , addition in the emanation of Green House Gases ( GHG ) into the ambiance will hold a warming consequence thereby change by reversaling this loss. Re actions affecting compounds of halogen are straight affected by UV-B and clime alteration. Halomethane emanations attributed to climate alteration react with UV-B and accordingly modulate ozone handiness in the ambiance. Climate alteration induced addition in temperature stimulates the release of methyl bromide and methyl iodide from certain species of workss under the influence of UV radiation. Besides, clime alteration consequence in the change of the planetary hydrological rhythm by increasing the rate of precipitation and eutrophication of organic C into rivers and watercourses from land. Mineralisation of this organic stuff takes topographic point under the influence of UV to foster release C into the ambiance and contribute to planetary heating. In add-on, planetary heating caused by human-induced addition in Nitrogen oxide ( NO ) , Carbon monoxide ( CO ) , and Methane ( CH4 ) from shrub fires increases the rate of production of ozone in the troposphere. As such planetary heating may increase the sum of aerosols nowadays in the ambiance which later affects the rate of ozone photolysis by about 6-11 % . Other natural factors lending to climate alteration such as volcanic eruption and fluctuation in sun-spot activity affect ozone bed depletion. Because ozone depletion in the stratosphere is formed under the influence of solar energy, any addition in the sum of radiation coming from the Sun will increase the sum of ozone in the ambiance. Variation in the 11-year Sun topographic point activity indicate an ascertained addition and lessening in ozone concentration with matching maximal and minimal solar rhythms severally. Furthermore, The Brewer-Dobson circulation is responsible for the conveyance of sulphur gases from volcanic eruptions into the stratosphere. The go uping subdivision of this circulation conveyance gas from the Torrid Zones upwards while the falling subdivision return the gases back to the troposphere in the high latitudes. Volcanic eruptions besides release sulphate gases into the ambiance. These gases significantly cut down the rate of extension of incident radiation from the Sun and diminish the production of ozone. Other natural factors such as the release of methyl bromide into the ambiance from rice cultivation deplete the ozone and therefore increase the incursion of UV radiation. There is a strong relationship between UV radiation, C and N cycling which has a important clime alteration deductions. Increase in UV can impact the N rhythm through alterations in the rate of organic affair decomposition of N incorporating compounds through nitrogen arrested development. Nitrogen compounds such as ammonium hydroxide and nitrate are continuously cycled within the biosphere in series of complex procedures. Dissolved organic Nitrogen ( DON ) reacts with UV radiation to interrupt it down into more soluble ammonium compound through the procedure of photoammonification. All these procedures determine rates of C consumption and decomposition in the planetary C rhythm. Report from the World Meteorological Organisation ( WMO 2003 ) indicate feedback mechanisms from increasing H2O vapor into the ambiance, which increases the handiness of odd-hydrogen extremist that leads to ozone depletion by upseting N and Cl rhythms. Within the marine ecosystem, hydrolysis of Br and I takes topographic point by photolysis reaction in the ocean to bring forth ozone consuming substances. Marine phytoplanktons like algae found in tropical Waterss emit halogen compounds into the troposphere. Besides, the interaction between UV-B radiation and the sulphur rhythm contribute to climate alteration. Pollutants such as dimethyl sulfide ( DMS ) and carbonyl sulfide ( COS ) are emitted as aerosols that have chilling consequence on the ambiance. Climate alteration can besides impact the extension of planetal moving ridges into the ambiance ( Rhind et al.,2005a ; 2005b ; Scott and Polvani, 2004: Scott et al. , 2004 ) . Climate theoretical accounts suggest a important impact of clime alteration on troposphere-stratosphere interaction. Surveies by Rhind et Al. ( 2001 ) estimated in approximately 30 % in this interaction resulted from duplicating of C dioxide sum in the ambiance. Appraisal by Scaife ( 2001 ) shows a decadal addition of approximately 3 % as a effect of clime alteration. All these interactions have profound consequence on the conveyance of ozone depleting substances into the stratosphere every bit good as their remotion from the stratosphere back to the Earth surface. In order to minimise or extinguish the impacts of ozone bed depletion, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed in 1987, and so came into force in 1989. Under this understanding, assorted states that signed up the pact pledged to cut down the production and ingestion of harmful halogen gases.This decrease mark begins with the decelerating down the production and so their eventual stage out through the usage of replacement gases. The usage of ozone friendly Hydrochloroflourocarbons ( HCFCs ) was adopted to replace the usage of CFC-12 in the industry of refrigerants and froth devising agents. The Montreal Protocol has successfully achieved a decrease in the concentration of Cl in the planetary ambiance in the late twentieth century. Another of import accomplishment is the decrease in the production of methyl trichloromethane and Chlorofluorocarbons to a close zero degree at the planetary graduated table. Towards the terminal of this century, substances such as methyl chloride and methyl bromide are expected to be eliminated from the ambiance due to the projected stabilization and subsequent decrease in their production. Complete recovery of the ozone to pre 1980 degree is expected under rigorous conformity to the Montreal Protocol by the center of this century, with slower recovery rate predicted by computing machine theoretical accounts around the â€Å" Antarctic ozone hole † . In decision, human induced clime alteration and ozone bed depletion are closely inter-related. With ozone depletion worsening the rate of planetary warming while clime alteration continues to consume the ozone. Therefore necessary steps must be taken under the Montreal and Kyoto Protocol commissariats to cut down the emanation of ODS and other green house gases in order to salvage the planet from effects of farther warming effects on human wellness and the environment.