Personal Values And Prejudices In Social Work

Personal Values And Prejudices In Social Work For this assignment I will explain personal values, prejudices, ethical dilemmas and the impact they have had on social work practice by reflecting on one of my beliefs and how I had to challenge myself to overcome it. Using Marxists and Feminists views of oppression I aim to identify, recognise, respect and value diverse individuals for which I will give an example of which happened to me and how I had to challenge discrimination towards others. I will also discuss theoretical frameworks to tackling oppression and discrimination by using the PCS model and how people can become empowered through groups, advocacy or legislation. Personal values, Prejudices, Ethical Dilemmas, Conflict of Interest and their impact on Social Work Practice A value is something that concerns someone or a belief they hold, this determines how a person behaves, values do not determine if something is said whether it is right or wrong in todays society. However, a persons beliefs can affect how they behave towards others. Prejudice is a term which has rather negative connotations and is normally taken to mean a hostile attitude towards a person or group (Billingham et al. 2008. Pg. 196) One of my values and a prejudice of mine is that any job I am employed in will eventually go to people working in a foreign country, especially India. This all stems from when I worked for a third party credit card processor, after giving them nine years of service I was going to be made redundant and my job would be actioned from people in India. For the next two months I would have to train people from there all the applications I was currently or had worked on. This gave me a dilemma do tell them all the information I knew or just some of it? I had to be professional, so I gave them as much information on the applications for which I knew about, I even created user guides to aid with the training and they could use when I had left the company. When talking to the people I found that we had things in common with each other and they were saddened that a person would lose their job. It wasnt their fault I was being made redundant but the companies in which we worked for. I had successfully challenged the new belief that had risen from a sad situation. Values are only as good as the actions they prompt (Preston-Shoot, 1996. Pg 31) When working with people from other countries I will need to put my own values and prejudices aside, as everyone deserves help and advice in their lives no matter where they come from in the world. If I fail to put my values and prejudices aside whilst working with them it will affect the help they will receive from me, I need to be open minded to all cultures. Thompson (2005) explains that there is a need for genuineness (congruence) to be achieved in social work, that a positive working relationship between service user and social worker is needed based on trust and respect for each other to develop. Identify, Recognise, Respect and Value Diverse Individuals Thompson (2006) describes discrimination as to identify a difference and is not necessarily a negative term. But when used in terms of legal, moral or in a political sense it is referred to as being unfair e.g. being unfairly treated for your sexuality or ethnic origin. If this occurs it can lead to a person being oppressed. When looking at oppression from a Marxists view DAmato claims that people are oppressed because of the class in which they live in, that women, homosexuals or people of non-white skin are subordinate to the Bourgeoisie and Capitalism is needed in society as it shapes and depends on oppression for its survival. Marxists argue that if racism, sexism or homophobia was to be embraced it will mean that a capitalist government would need to be overthrown and that oppression is essential to the struggle of socialism. From a Radical Feminists view Zeiber (2008) argues that women are oppressed within the patriarchal system, that marriage and the family are a result of capitalism. Holmstrom (2003) speaks about Socialist Feminism, agreeing that women are oppressed by the dominance of men and of the economic inequality because of the positions of power males have within society. I work on a farm where we often have Polish as well as British people working there. One year a colleague was making cruel jokes towards the Polish people, as others were making fun at their culture, and their Catholic beliefs were wrong. I could see that something was wrong, so I spoke to them; they told me they felt they were being discriminated against and started to feel very oppressed because they were not British. Then I spoke to my manager about the situation which was happening and he left me to deal with. I had to think about how I was going to approach it so both parties would be happy with the outcome. So I asked the perpetrator to come outside and talk with me. I told him that the Polish people were unhappy the way in which he was treating them. He was shocked as he thought they were all having a laugh with each other. It was hard for me to confront the perpetrator as it was my father, a man I looked up to. Reflecting on what had happened I knew I had said the correct things to my father as they continued to work with each in harmony, not wanting to offend each other, enabling a good working environment for all. Discrimination can be found in institutions like the church, prison or by a person in a position of power. It can be covertly actioned by using disguises like the Klu Klux Klan in USA wear masks concealing their identity or overtly actioned like apartheid in South Africa or the BNP in Britain. Theoretical Frameworks for Understanding Discrimination and Oppression Thompson (1997) shows how oppression can be analysed using the PCS model and there are three levels: Personal (P) an individuals views e.g. prejudice against a group of people. Cultural (C) shared values between others, what is wrong or right, this in turn forms a consensus. Structural (S) how oppression of society is formed through institution who support cultural norms personal beliefs e.g. religion, media or government. Here is an example of the PCS model in action: P: Young man in the club you work at makes offensive and derogatory comments about a gay man who attends also. He says that gay people are not natural or normal. C: Gay people largely repulse the community around him, and many of the community members are involved with the local church, holding firm views about sexual morals. S: Popular tabloid media berates the abnormal activities of gay people. Religious leaders of all faiths support the instatement of laws to stop equal rights for gay people. Legislation is passed by parliament that compromises the rights of gay, lesbian and bisexual people. There is an overwhelming consensus of power used in all forms of structural life. (Wood, J. 2001) By using the PCS model it can help a person build an idea as to why others act the way they do e.g. the stereotype of a teenager wearing a hood, you believe they are trouble makers because of what the media have reported, but not every teenager is out for trouble. Another theoretical framework to tackling oppression and discrimination is through empowerment. By empowering someone means to enable a person to gain control over and taking responsibility for own their actions. The Humanistic approach by Carl Rogers (1959) encourages people to become empowered. As student social workers we are taught about empowering the service user, to focus on their strengths and to work together as equals, we also need to safeguard vulnerable people, to take into account a persons economic, political and cultural background at the same time. Groups also work to empower people as they offer support and if they act as one they can become powerful. An example of this is from the Times Online dated June 13th 2007 How football made us (see attachment 1), by forming a football team for mentally ill patients they each became empowered able to do things on their own without having help from others. Make use of Strategies to Challenge Discrimination, Inequality and Injustice There are strategies in place to help educate people about inequality, discrimination and injustice such as advocacy and legislation. As social workers we need to support and speak up for individuals that face being oppressed or discriminated against. By using advocacy to represent those who are unable to speak up for themselves. E.g. have learning or communication difficulties. Walker (2008) advises that advocacy has it strengths but also has its weaknesses. Strength from using advocacy are: People who have been socially excluded from mainstream society gain a voice, when a service user has a social worker who listens can be given confidence to speak for themselves, thus growing in self confidence and social workers can learn and understand more on how it feels to be disempowered when listening to a service user. But the weaknesses are: there is a danger that the social worker can put their own views forward and not those views of the service user, the advocate can take over, thus the service user can become disempowered and the social worker may find that by using advocacy it can put them in conflict with the organisation in which the work for, their loyalties can become split. The legislation in place is to help and protect people against inequality and discrimination, for example: Equal Pay Acts 1970 1983 prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sex relating to pay and terms of contract. Race Relations Act 1976 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, colour, nationality or ethnic origin. Later amended in 2000 to include a duty on public authorities in carrying out their duties to have due regard to eliminate unlawful discrimination and to promote equality. (Brayne et al, 2010. Pg. 89-90) The British Association of Social Work (BASW) has a code of ethics relating to how social workers must become more cultural aware. Paragraph 4.1.6 (pg. 49) states that as a social worker you will: Recognise diversity among cultures and then recognise what the impact of their own cultural ethnic identity can have on others. Gain working knowledge and understanding of service users ethnic and cultural affiliations and the values, beliefs and customs associated with them, even though the service users may be different. Communicate effectively in a language in which both parties will understand, if needs be then by using an independent interpreter. By using the tools I have learnt through the course I will be able to challenge discrimination, inequality and oppression, I will be more open minded to people that need help from social services and no matter what their cultural background is I will be able to use this knowledge successfully. Words used 1622

The Inaccessible Inner Life of Wakefield Essay -- Wakefield Stories Es

The Inaccessible Inner Life of â€Å"Wakefield† â€Å"All these—all the meanness and agony without end I sitting looking out upon, See, hear, and am silent.† –Walt Whitman We are presented with a piece of gossip of a man named Wakefield who leaves his wife for twenty years to live in a house the next street over. If this story were workshopped in a present-day fiction writing class, it would be argued that this story has interesting elements but is not, as a whole, an interesting story-- that the story lies within Wakefield’s motivation for leaving or within the reaction of Wakefield’s wife upon the return of her presumed-dead husband, or that the point of view ought to be reconsidered in order to tell the full story. Much of contemporary fiction attempts to tell the story that satisfies the collective urge to know another human being entirely, to finally understand another person’s story. The story of â€Å"Wakefield,† however, admits in the Puritan vein that the story we all want to know is actually unknowable, and can only be imagined. Through examining the whims of others in fiction, the meaning that can be extracted, however universal it may seem coming from the voice of the narrator, is in the end a projection out of our own selves. â€Å"Wakefield† is not about the narrator, the curious plotline, or even about Wakefield himself. â€Å"Wakefield† is about the telling of these things. The first sentence presents the entire plot of â€Å"Wakefield,† obtained from â€Å"some old magazine or newspaper,† stating from the beginning that the story that follows is not only based on heresy but is, in fact, entirely heresy itself. Why would a reader continue reading when the ending is spoiled in the first line and the story is admittedl... ...ng in our lives, and we prove it by finding meaning in his. With his grand conclusion, the narrator warns us that if you step outside the norms of a system, you may become the Outcast of the Universe. But what is it that really makes Wakefield the Outcast of the Universe? Perhaps every man is the Outcast of the Universe when the community attempts to interpret his whims. Why write a story that cannot be told? Why read a story that cannot be told? To feel as though one can tell a story, that one can read a story and be one with a narrator, to feel united, and yet to know, on some level, that we all are Outcasts of the Universe. It is both terrifying and comforting to realize that the community, united and whole, in which we pretend to reside, is in fact a faà §ade for the community of outcasts that struggle to find meaning in one another in order to survive.

Alienation in Kafkas The Metamorphosis Essay -- Kafka Metamorphosis E

Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis In German, the word Kafka uses to describe Gregor Samsa's transformation is ungezieter, which is a word used by the Germans during his lifetime in reference to the Jews. The literal English translation is "monstrous vermin." Kafka uses Gregor's family to show how inhumane society can be. In The Metamorphosis, Kafka uses his experiences to create much of Gregor's life. He indicates that Gregor's family only saw him as a means of survival before the change and took advantage of him. After the change the family is unable to communicate with him because they are blinded by his outer appearance. Kafka's life of alienation directly relate to his development of Gregor Samsa, the outcast son who Kafka symbolically turns into a huge, repulsive creature.Kafka pulls much of his personal experience into the writing of this book. Kafka was a German-speaking Jew in a society where Jews were oppressed. He pulls this into the writing of the book showing Gregor's employer expecting more of him because he is a Jew. The company does not trust him, even though he has not missed a day of work in five years, and a chief clerk comes to check on him . Had this been a German employee, the company would not have so quickly questioned his absence. Kafka also had a rough time dealing with his family because he renounced his Jewish heritage and did not live up to the expectations of his domineering father. Kafka implies that Gregor's father to father feels the... Alienation in Kafka's The Metamorphosis Essay -- Kafka Metamorphosis E Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis In German, the word Kafka uses to describe Gregor Samsa's transformation is ungezieter, which is a word used by the Germans during his lifetime in reference to the Jews. The literal English translation is "monstrous vermin." Kafka uses Gregor's family to show how inhumane society can be. In The Metamorphosis, Kafka uses his experiences to create much of Gregor's life. He indicates that Gregor's family only saw him as a means of survival before the change and took advantage of him. After the change the family is unable to communicate with him because they are blinded by his outer appearance. Kafka's life of alienation directly relate to his development of Gregor Samsa, the outcast son who Kafka symbolically turns into a huge, repulsive creature.Kafka pulls much of his personal experience into the writing of this book. Kafka was a German-speaking Jew in a society where Jews were oppressed. He pulls this into the writing of the book showing Gregor's employer expecting more of him because he is a Jew. The company does not trust him, even though he has not missed a day of work in five years, and a chief clerk comes to check on him . Had this been a German employee, the company would not have so quickly questioned his absence. Kafka also had a rough time dealing with his family because he renounced his Jewish heritage and did not live up to the expectations of his domineering father. Kafka implies that Gregor's father to father feels the...

America’s Working Poor Response

Tens of millions of men and women in America struggle because they are stressed out about not making enough money even though they are working as hard as possible. In her book Nickel and Dimmed, Journalist, Barbara Rehiring writes about her research working as a minimum wage employee attempting to get by in Americas tough economy, she describes in depth the struggles that the minimum wage workers suffer through and she witnesses them first hand as she goes under cover and works these Jobs herself.Middle class Jobs are being replaced by low income bobs, the people in these Jobs are referred to as â€Å"the working poor†,and are not able to make ends meet at the end of the month. People in America working minimum wage Jobs struggle on a daily bases to get by, this causes them anxiety due to their lack of a health care plan, living situations, and injuries that occur at work. Health insurance premiums are rising and some employers no longer offer this benefit, the low wage worker s are the ones that are particularly affected by this major issue.Employees without health coverage, are unable to get preventative care r proper treatment for an illness, may become sicker later on. In chapter one of her book â€Å"Serving in Florida† Rehiring describes her co worker Sail's situation, â€Å"Gall, for example,†¦ Is supposed to be on the company health plan by now, but they claim they have lost her application form and to be beginning the paper work all over again. So she spends $9 a pop for pills to control the migraines she wouldn't have, she insist, If her estrogen supplements were covered. (27) Without the company behind them, employees will end up paying more for Individual health coverage than their employers would have paid to put them on group coverage. Similar to Rehearing's situation, Morgan Spurious and his flange Alex attempt to survive 30 days living of a minimum wage salary, as n the TV episode â€Å"30 days: Minimum Wage†. In the ep isode there Is a scene where Splotch's hand Is Injured and swollen because of the manual labor he is doing. Due to the lack of medical Insurance he chooses to try out a free clinic provided by the community for the low Income families Instead of the emergency room.Once he Is there he realizes that getting checked by a doctor wont e so easy since there Is so many people In line and the clinic only takes the first twenty. He then has to resort to the emergency room where he Is charged more that he can afford to pay because of his low Income. Even though the communities attempt to help the working poor, not everyone Is available to take advantage of the benefits. While there Is no easy solution to the problem of health Insurance, It Is obvious that leaving employees on their own to find Insurance, rather than Glenn them the benefit of group rates, Is not the solution.America's Working Poor Response By carpenter kook â€Å"Serving in Florida† Rehiring describes her co worker Sail 's situation, â€Å"Gail, for she spends $9 a pop for pills to control the migraines she wouldn't have, she insist, if employees will end up paying more for individual health coverage than their there is a scene where Splotch's hand is injured and swollen because of the manual labor he is doing. Due to the lack of medical insurance he chooses to try out a free clinic provided by the community for the low income families instead of the emergency room.Once he is there he realizes that getting checked by a doctor wont e so easy since there is so many people in line and the clinic only takes the first twenty. He then has to resort to the emergency room where he is charged more that he can afford to pay because of his low income. Even though the communities attempt to help the working poor, not everyone is available to take advantage of the benefits. While there is no easy solution to the problem of health insurance, it is obvious that leaving employees on their own to find insurance, r ather than giving them the benefit of group rates, is not the solution.

Aka Anta! Aka Anta

She was beautiful to last. One day, when she was taking a stroll, she met a young prince who happened to pass by. The prince was very handsome. When she first saw the prince she felt a strong sensation for him. So did the prince for her. They exchange pleasantries and search each other's feelings out. Everyday from then on they would go out together, until one day the prince revealed his true feelings to the princess. So since the princess had long et her heart for the prince, she didn't hesitate anymore and at once accepted his love for her.One afternoon after their usual walk together, the two engaged in a most intimate conversation under the sweet-scented plants kept by the princess. â€Å"Marring Magna†, how lovely your flowers are, but the flowers in our kingdom are far more beautiful and fragrant. None of those here could compare with them. † â€Å"Really? Tell me where your kingdom is? † â€Å"Yonder in those parts where no mortals can go. After a little w hile more, the prince bade goodbye with a sad look in his face. This prompted Marring Magna to ask the prince the reason why. â€Å"Well it's because the prince couldn't find the right words to explain himself. Well, because of what? What seems to be the trouble? † the princess kept skins, suspecting something was wrong. â€Å"l must return home, if not, I will not be able to return home to our kingdom anymore. I want very much to bring you along with me, but such is not permissible. Your kind is not allowed in our kingdom. Thus, farewell, my love. † â€Å"Come back tonight will wait for you here in the garden. Please, you'll come back? ‘ â€Å"I'll try, Marring Magna,† the prince promised. It was close to midnight when the prince came. He was greeted by the princess who waited for him inside the garden.They talked for hours and hours. Their conversation almost touched on every subject. All the time, the princess wrapped herself tightly around the arms of the prince, never letting go. Suddenly, the prince stood up and announced, â€Å"l must leave at once, Marring Magna! It's about midnight. If don't depart at once I won't be able to return home. Stay put. But I want you to remember you're the one love,† as he threw a gentle kiss on the petal lips of Marring Magna. The princess tried to stop the prince as she grabbed his arms with all her might.She could not bear the fact his lover would abandon her. While tugging at each other, suddenly the prince disappeared and left his arms behind held teen the palms of Marring Magna. The princess was shocked at this that she runs quickly to a corner of the garden and buried the arms. A few days after, there sprouted a strange plant on the spot where she buried the arms. It had wide leaves but no branches. A few days more, the tree shed flowers, everyday thereafter, she would visit the plant. Then a few days later, it bore fruits in the place of its flowers.The fruits came in bunches, eac h bunch looked like fingers set side by side and laid parallel to each other. These became known as the first banana fruits in the world. A very long time ago, in what is now the town of Cantina in Racial, there lived a woman named Jamaican who was well-known not only to the people of her native town but also to those of the neighboring towns. She was greatly admired for her beauty and wealth as she belonged to a rich family. But above all, she was very much loved and was highly respected by everyone for she possessed a king and generous heart.Charity was something inborn in her. Even as a little girl she would give kindly to each and every beggar who would pass by their house to ask for alms. She would also often go out of her way to invite the poor children in the trees to the house and let them play with her toys. As she grew up, she continued on with his charitable acts. It became a usual scene every Sunday morning when she came home after mass to see a long line of beggars, wai ting for her at the foot of the stairs. With open hands and an understanding heart, she would see to it that their needs are attended to.She would personally hand in food, toys, clothes, money and the like according to what each of them would ask from her. Her goodness was very much appreciated by her town mates who made her more endeared to them. Unfortunately, Jamaican was not as lucky in love as most other beautiful omen her age were who got married and had children. She didn't fall in love again when her first love got sick and died. She remained an old maid even after her parents have both died and was left alone in the house. Instead, she devoted her time and wealth caring for the needy.To openly express their gratitude and respect she truly deserves as would be fitting to one as elderly a woman she has come to be regarded, people began addressing her as â€Å"Aka Anta† – â€Å"Aka† woman and â€Å"Anta† which is short for Jamaican. Altogether, â₠¬Å"Aka Anta† became more than just a name; the name itself became a symbol of â€Å"salvation to the needy†. One Christmas day, like all previous Christmas, many poor folks flocked to the home of Aka Anta for the usual yuletide giveaways. Short of their expectations, Aka Anta was not by the open window for the first time in years.They called out to her but there was no reply, nor did anyone come to the window. They tried altogether to call out to her several times, but again there was no response. Anxious and all that, a number of them decided to enter the house if anything was the matter. As the door opened, they see Aka Anta lying on the floor. Certain she was dead, the women began to scream, the men made the sign of the cross. There followed loud weeping as they affectionately cried out her name, â€Å"Aka Anta! Aka Anta†. The more they were moved to tears when they noticed the gifts lying on the floor Aka Anta had prepared for them. x

The Re-Emerging Russian Superpower

The tensions between Russia and Ukraine at the start of the year have generated renewed analytical interest in Russia’s re-emerging position as a superpower, driven chiefly by its actual, or potential, domination of the global supplies of energy. Along with its role as a swing supplier of oil (enabling it to manipulate the balance of power between OPEC and the industrialised consumers), the episode has highlighted Russia’s position as the pre-eminent supplier of gas. Russia controls a third of global proven gas reserves, with Gazprom already becoming the dominant supplier in the EU and Turkey, in addition to Russia’s â€Å"near abroad†, including the energy-hungry Ukraine. However, the drivers of Russia’s potential for becoming an energy superpower are not limited to its own resources. An additional factor is Russia’s near monopoly over the Central Asian export infrastructure, which remains unbroken by the single Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline (in operation since May 2005). Furthermore, it has been pointed out that the continued instability in the Middle East (which some argue has been deepened, rather than reduced, by the US invasion of Iraq) has boosted Russia’s position as the aspiring centre of energy geopolitics. Add to this several other key factors  ­ such as the long-term outlook for high energy prices, the limited ability of the US and EU to diversify their supply sources and Russia’s growing ability to play a China and/or Iran â€Å"card† both in energy and geopolitics  ­ and the picture that emerges is one of a global energy superpower, capable in many ways to counter the might of present-day sole superpower  ­ the United States. Furthermore, there have been significant signs that this re-emerging superpower also means business in the military sphere. Russia has recently commissioned a new generation of missiles (Topol-M), capable of fitting a nuclear warhead and able to evade current US anti-missile defence systems. While not signalling a return to a Cold War style arms race, this development suggests Russia is no longer willing to refrain from a bit of old fashioned sabre rattling, when it feels the need to do so. At the same time, Moscow has notified those who need to know of its determination to protect its vital strategic interests. While not seeking to become the exclusive great power player in the former Soviet Union, Russia has let it be known that it does not regard Western interests in the region as being on par with its own. It will therefore resist Western incursion in the area deemed incompatible with the pursuit of legitimate economic and political objectives. In practice this boils down to the promotion of anti-Russian regimes in the region, through so called â€Å"colour revolutions†. Thus, in an unusual move, Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Ivanov has written in The Wall Street Journal that the Kremlin’s key objective is the prevention of Western-fomented regime changes in Russia’s â€Å"near abroad†  ­ the CIS.

Internet a Tool of Modern Age

Mass Media Society Abstract This paper shows the problems of mass media. Mass media is absolutely important for our life. However, as much as mass media plays an important role in our society, it causes some serious problems. Mass media makes citizens recognize misjudgments by distorting the truth. Most serious problem mass media can affect extreme power to our society. Mass media has been developed more and more as society has grown, becoming centralized authority in our society. Exaggerated contents of mass media affect bad sides to people-especially teenagers.Some people tend to believe mass media absolutely, so it is also becomes a problem. Television, internet, and advertising, nowadays, the most important medium of mass media brings some problems to each other, so these are issue in society which people have to solve. Mass Media Power The more society has grown, the bigger the market of mass media has been developed. Hibbert (2006) defined in the book  the power of media  t hat mass media is all part of television, radio, Web sites, newspapers, magazines and books. They deliver information to the public (p. 6).People can meet and understand their society through mass media. Before 1960s, mass media was not public. Some citizens could know how their society and economy were moved according to newspaper. Since 1970s when television was invented, the market of mass media has been developed. Now, most fields of mass media were created, so we can meet mass media really easily not only on the streets but also at home. We are living under the effects of mass media. However, this development of mass media brings some problems in our society as two sides of the same coins.Mass media crisis has rear up secretly because most media organizations do not want to be revealed to their problems frankly. Problems Mass media affects all fields such as politic, economy, government, culture and society. Almost all countries have their own problems of media. The most seriou s problem of that media is mass media can bring confusion of people value. For example, mass media is to make people agree their ideas or thoughts in terms of propaganda. The meaning of propaganda is â€Å"a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behavior of large umbers of people† (Propaganda, 2008). Find out how our expert essay writers can help you with your work†¦ Actually, this word was meaning of the things to be spread. However, now most people may know the word of propaganda is some information which is false or emphasizes one part of a situation, normally used by a government or political group according to Nazi propaganda (Bytwerk, 2005). Taylor (2001) revealed how Hitler implanted his ideology in their citizens: In 1933, Adolf Hitler appointed Minister for Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels.Goebbels had spread a lot of propagandas, contained the ideology of Hitler and Nazi. All journalists, writers, and ar tists were needed to register with one of the Ministry's subsidiary chambers for the press, fine arts, music, theater, film, literature, or radio. The Nazis believed in propaganda as a vital tool in achieving their goals. Adolf Hitler was impressed by the power of Allied propaganda during World War I and believed that it had been a primary cause of the collapse of morale and revolts in the German home front and Navy in 1918. Broadcasters and journalists required prior approval before their works were disseminated.Along with posters, the Nazis produced a number of films and books to spread their beliefs. (pp. 162-163) In the U. S. and South Korean government also by emphasizing red complex to their citizens through mass media like radio or newspapers, the governments make their citizens recognize the hostile attitude about all policies of socialism while they justifies their policies (Kang, 1997). These things are absolute examples of mass media’s problem. In addition, as mark et of mass media has been developed much, the authority of mass media has grown also.The power of mass media has been centralized too much, so it exercises extreme influence over any government. The contents of mass media have been contained exaggeration and violence more and more. This mass media makes people tend to believe absolutely. Mass media has strong authority in our society. Mass media became one most important way for people to deliver information since mass media has been developed. We can get a lot of information and knowledge easily through mass media like newspaper, magazines and books. Actually, there is no way for us to take new information except through mass media.Therefore, mass media could have great authority among our society. You can get expert help with your essays right now. Find out more†¦ Television Television is one of the most important media of mass communication. Common people may watch television at least one hour every day. Some people usually meet news through television and others may want to watch dramas or variety shows. We can watch a lot of programs according to our tastes through television. Nielsen media research (1998) reported: â€Å"Television was introduced to the U. S. A. t the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. After two years, the Federal communications Commission licensed and approved the first commercially available television stations. In 1950, about 9% of American homes had TV sets. Since 1985, television ownership has been about 98%† (cited in Bushman, 2001, p. 477). Since television was invented, media became very popular in our life. Now almost all families have television at least one at home. Television has developed since 1930th  as amazing invention can give people a lot of information and enjoyment visually and audially both.Most Americans watch television for 3 to 5 hours per day (Horvath, 2004, p. 378). As much as television has become famous to people, it causes many problems too. The violence of television’s programs has very serious effects. In television programs, we can easily see a recurrence of a case. It causes imitative crimes. Brandon Centerwall (1993), a professor at the University of Washington reported that from 1945 to 1974, 93% of the murder rate has been increased. It shows that television teaches violence, and it also makes people be unconcerned about violence.It can also cause antisocial actions. Television can bring addiction, which is one problem appeared since mass media was developed. TV addiction is similar with other addictions like drugs addiction or gambling. Especially TV addiction is bad for children. â€Å"A child who watched two hours of television a day before age three would be 20 percent more likely to have attention problems at age seven compared with a child who did not watch television† (Christakis, 2004). Television programs are contained to the violent acts and sensational contents more and more by pursuing commercial value.Moreover, they also maintain that television is forcing simple thoughts. Television gives us a lot of information but they can just give that. Viewers just can accept television’s information we cannot communicate with television. It is sure that the invention of television brought great development in our society. However, as the market of broadcast has been bigger, programs in television has been contained more violence and exaggerated. These things give children and teenagers bad effects, so all broadcast need to adjust their program contents. Internet Thatcher and Goolam (2005) said in their journal:The number of people using the internet has grown exponentially since the emergence of World Wide Web about ten years ago. No one is exactly sure how many people have online access. According to NUA Internet Survey (2002), it was estimated the number of internet users is approximately 600 million people in 2002 (Nua Internet survey, cited in Thatcher ; Goolam, 2002, p. 767). The popularity of the WWW, combined with the pervasiveness of computer technology in general, means that people are becoming increasingly reliant on technology and the Internet to conduct their day-to-day and work activities. p. 767) Although internet appeared as a new medium of media and it formed new society, internet is not mixed with society where we live, so it caused many problems. We can accept tremendous information via internet because people in all over the world could share their information on network. However, as much as there is a lot of knowledge, in internet there is also information not true and useless. Also, since internet was popularized, many illegal crimes have been happened through internet. These crimes committed through the use of computer are called cybercrime.Cybercrime is â€Å"a real and growing problem that costs governments, businesses, and individual computer users millions of dollars annually and that facilitates many of the same cri mes committed in real space, such as identity theft and the trafficking of child pornography, only on a larger scale† (Jones, 2007). The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) revealed the U. S. A. lost about 240 million dollars from online crime during 2007: Find out how our expert essay writers can help you with your work†¦ Financial losses from online crime reported to U. S. uthorities reached a record high last year, topping nearly 240 million dollar. Taking into account unreported crimes the real figure is likely to be much higher. Auction fraud and other forms of cybercrime reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center were up 40 million or 20 per cent from those reported in 2006. The IC3 received 206,884 complaints about internet crimes last year, more than 90,000 of which were referred to law enforcement agencies across the U. S. IC3, which serves as a clearing house for cybercrime, is a joint operation between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center.A lthough internet auction fraud was the most widely reported complaint to the IC3, other problem areas included non-delivery of purchases and credit card fraud. Computer hacking attacks spam and child abuse on the net formed the subject of other complaints. Commonly reported scams involved the purchase or sale of pets, cheque fraud, email spam, and online dating fraud. The report provides evidence that the U. K. is fast catching up with the U. S. in being a hotbed of cybercrime. Despite the fact that the IC3 study is supposedly a national US annual report, the UK is the source of 15. per cent of the crime reports, significantly ahead of other cybercrime hotspots such as Nigeria (Leyden, 2008). It is also commonly happened to be invaded person’s privacy and personal information on network. According to a survey of 1,000 U. S. adults conducted by TNS Sofres on behalf of digital-security company Gemalto (2008), about 60% of Americans are concerned about stealing their account pas swords when they bank online, and 38% do not believe online payments (cited in Swartz, 2008). Advertising Advertising is a part of mass media.Market of advertisement has been developed as much as we can see an advertisement per one minute. Nowadays most products make up of advertisement because each product has to be sold in infinity competition society. Now customers live in the flood of advertising. From the moment of opening eyes to going to bed, people are connected with advertising through television, radio, newspapers, magazines and catalogs. Human Communication research (1998) shows one adult can contact to 3,000 advertising during one day and he or she can memorize just 10 out of 3,000 (cited in Kim, 2000, p. 4). The market of advertisements has been developed. However, the problem of advertisements are inherent in function of information, entertain and persuasion, so they may not only make people’s life style changed but also promote decadent culture like alcohol, ci garette and sex. You can get expert help with your essays right now. Find out more†¦ Ellickson et al (2005) studied about how much advertising will affect to adolescents: Ellickson and other authors examine the relationship exposure to different forms of alcohol advertisingand subsequent drinking among U.S. adolescents and assess whether exposure to an alcohol and drug prevention program mitigates any such relationship. The sample includes 3111 seventh-graders drawn from 41 South Dakota middle schools, and they are exposed to television beer advertising, variables were constructed for four types of alcohol advertising – television, in – store displays, magazines and concession stands. The result of this experience is several forms of alcohol advertising predict adolescent drinking; which sources dominate depends on the child's prior experience with alcohol.Forty-eight percent of the non-drinkers in grade 7 qualified as past-year drinkers by the spring of ninth gra de, indicating a substantial amount of initiation over the period examined. (pp. 235-246). Like this, advertising affects to people, especially adolescents a lot. Actually advertising has a great of influence on customers and society. For example, there is a study that skinny models in advertising cause eating disorder of women and girl, so some countries took measures to ban ultra-skinny models from their catwalks (Diderich, 2007).People can meet the extreme number of advertising everyday, so advertising has to be made without exaggeration and fiction. Janese Heavin (2007) who is the Tribune’s staff, wrote the article about a study: University of Missouri-Columbia research said that looking at pictures of flawless models in fashion magazines can make even the prettiest women feel downright crummy. Laurie Mintz, associate professor of education, school and counseling psychology in the MU College of Education said most women know intuitively or subconsciously that when they lo ok at magazines they will feel badly about themselves.The study validates what women know in their own experiences but assume it is just theirs to deal with. Spearheaded by graduate student Emily Hamilton, who used the project to earn her master’s degree, the study asked 81 college women to rate how they feel about their appearance, from facial features to chest size. Some of the women were then asked to view magazine advertisements that used fashion models to sell products. Others looked at ads that showed products with no models.Those who saw the images of fashion models later reported having a more negative body image, regardless of their own attractiveness. This study shows women were equally affected by the images. It is been commonly believed that larger women or women struggling with eating disorders feel worse after seeing pictures of models, but the latest study indicates the images are bad for everyone. In conclusion, people have to be careful when accepting mass me dia’s information.There are not simple solutions to solve the problem of media. These problems of mass media like television, internet and advertising have bad effects on people especially the perfection of self during childhood. People should try to accept right information through mass media. Therefore, they need to improve critical thoughts for filtering correct acknowledge. Critical thinking might be helpful to accept which information is needed to us. Critical thinking is â€Å"mental processes of distinguish, analysis and evaluation.Critical thinking is a form of judgment, specifically meaningful and reflective judgment. Using critical thinking one makes a decision or solves the problem of judging what to believe or what to do, but does so in a reflective way† (Critical thinking, 2008). People have the right to criticize and punish media which is to destroy our emotion and ethics. People have to improve power of judgment. If people have ability to control informa tion in this information-oriented society, they may have precedence over other people who do not have.Need an essay? You can  buy essay help  from us today! Custom essay QUOTE ORDER a custom essay Please rate the quality of this essay: Good Neutral Poor Struggling with your essay? You can get your essay custom written by an expert in your subject area. Fully researched and referenced, the perfect model answer†¦ Get a quote here Share & download: Print Download Email Request the removal of this essay. Find out how UK Read more:  http://www. ukessays. com/essays/media/mass-media-society. php#ixzz2QiFaMPxA