Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Communication Bachelor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Communication Bachelor - Essay Example The whole societal forces have seen a shift as a result of development in the area of communications. Different theories have also been put forward with respect to communications and as the time passed by theories evolved to cover new aspects and in recent times they now expand to media and its role in the whole process of communication. Different theoretical models were put forward and the earliest model was a simple sender-channel-message-receiver model also known as transmission model. Most communication textbooks, including public speaking, begin with the transmission model of communication. Even today, it remains a valuable introductory model. This particular model was a straight chain and was not in the form of loop. So later, modifications added the concept of feedback, leading to a loop. Further developments in the theoretical models added dimensions to the role of receivers adding that receivers normally selectively perceive, interpret and retain messages. Shannon and Weaver put forward their theories in 1949 and their model was considered very important in further developments. Again in their model communication was considered as a linear, one-way process but they also made a difference between source and transmitter, and receiver and destination. So instead of single function they noted that there are two functions at the transmitting end and two at the receiving end. Criticism hurled at the model presented by Shannon and Weaver was the ignorance of the fact that communication process is often endless while they suggested a definite start and finish to the communication process. Decade of 50s brought in its wake further advancements for model-building, as fields of sociology and psychology developed. USA was the first country where the science of communication developed. Gerbner was among few who recognized the transactional nature of much communication that is the "intersubjectivity of communication". Additions to the earlier single chain or transactional communication model changed and experts started considering communication a matter of negotiation and cannot be predicted in advance. Later on developments of mass media, press, films and radio and political changes further accelerated mass communication research. Hence the focus shifted from communication to mass communication. As mass communication became important, different new models began to refer specifically to mass communication. Westley and Maclean were among earlier experts who put forward their views emphasizing the significance of audience demand rather than just the communicator's purpose. The decades of 1960s and 1970s saw the concentration moving away from the effects of the mass media on opinions, behavior and attitudes, and began to converge on the long-term and socializing impact of the mass media. Some were of the opinion that the audiences in this whole media game are active that is they can adopt or reject the guidelines offered by the mass media. However, another group considered audiences the victims of the media resulting in a suspicion of the mass media that continued through the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in relation to news selection and presentation. With further changes in the communication arena the boundaries separating mass communication
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Effect of Ocean acidification upon ability to adapt to climate change Research Paper
Effect of Ocean acidification upon ability to adapt to climate change in Nereis species - Research Paper Example These pH levels range from 6.6-7.3 in the CO2 vents that exist in Ischia (Calosi, et al, 2013, 1208). Nereis zonata also has the ability to survive in low pH areas, if conclusions made after research on the relationship between Nereis Zonata and the level of organic enrichment of the sea-water holds (Murphy & Measures, 2014, 442). Imaging of Nereis succinea subjected to increased pH indicates that the pH of the porewater depended on the size of the organism, the rate of irrigation and the profile of the burrow (Davidson, 2013,17). Before the introduction of variations in the pH, the Nereis diversicolor indicate a mean pH of 7.73. This internal pH is the same when compared to the other individuals in the same species (Calosi, et al, 2013, 1221). With differences in the pH, the individuals of the Nereis genus undergo some changes. With high salinity, they tend to lose energy. However, the Nereis Succinea loses more energy when compared with the Nereis diversicolor (Davidson, 2013, 19). However, with a drop in the salinity, the Nereis succinea loses considerably less energy compared to Nereis diversicolor. The P. dumerilii loses even less energy compared to all the others, because of its ability to survive under extremely low pH levels in the CO2 vents (Sommer, et al, 2000, 283). There is a notable and consistent difference in the effect that p CO2 has on the metabolic rate between the tolerant and sensitive species of polychaete. The patterns of response as observed after research may have been arrived at through either adaptation or acclimatization. It is a fact that organisms may have the ability to change their physiology through phenotypic plasticity, also known acclimatization (Armstrong, 2013, 593). For the P. dumerilii, acclimatization takes place through selecting genotypes that have a link with phenotypes that possess the best ability to
Monday, October 7, 2019
Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Marketing - Assignment Example The SWOT analysis represent the analysis of factors of strength, weakness, opportunities and threats that are existing in the marketplace with regards to the characteristics of the organization. It is highly relevant to say that the strength and weakness can be categorized as internal factors of evaluation for an organization. On the other hand, the issues of opportunities and threats are categorized as external factors and are always analyzed with regards to the happenings and influence coming from the external environment (Pride and Ferell 33). In very layman terms, marketing can be explained as an activity which comprises of the process of value generation, value communication, value distribution and value delivery to the consumers. Marketing is often represented as the activity which comprises of smooth application and integration of the 4Ps of marketing like product, place, promotion and prices (Pride and Ferell 4). Matching the 4Ps of marketing with the equation of value, it can be said that product represent value generation, place represents value distribution, promotion represents value communication and price represents value delivery and capture. It is very important for a business to implement the various variables of marketing in the right time but in a new and innovative manner so as to leverage the maximum amount of competitive advantage that can be extracted for the business. ... crucial activity in any business, since it plays the lead role in communicating the values of the company or organizationââ¬â¢s products or services to the desired set of clients and customers. For the purpose of sustaining in the market, it is very important for a company to focus on its revenue earning strategy and thereby develop a significant competitive edge. It can be said in direct link up that for the purpose of generating a steady cash flow process, it is imperative that the organizationââ¬â¢s products and services attain high sales volume in the market place. It can be said that for the purpose of selling a product or service, having a proper and effective STP strategy is highly important. STP which denotes segmentation, targeting and positioning helps the organizations in a market place to focus on the process of aiming the right set of customers. Talking in a more simplistic manner, it can be said that the segmentation of a particular set of population helps the com panies to identify the right group of customers who have the needs to buy the particular line of products and services. The method of targeting represents the process of aiming the right set of identified customers by the firms to attain a significant growth in sales of the firmââ¬â¢s products and services. The picture provided below represent various kinds of segmentation strategy employed by the firms. Source: Pride and Ferrell 160 It is highly imperative to mention that in this stage, the strategic decision makers of the company tries to identify the potential buyers for the firmââ¬â¢s products and services, while analyzing their individual consumer behaviour as well as demographic profile and purchasing power capacity. Finally, while discussing on the factor of positioning, it can be highlighted that
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Assignment Literature Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Assignment Literature Review - Essay Example Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a procedure that is performed on the person in cardiac arrest. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation involves rescue breathing to enable provision of oxygen to the individualââ¬â¢s lungs and chest compressions to keep the individualââ¬â¢s blood circulating (Medline). Although the practice of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is over two and a half centuries old (CPR Stats and Facts, AHA) but still majority of the people in America are not able to perform it properly and this is the reason that the survival rate from Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is low. Peer-reviewed literature suggests that the quality of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitations performed in-hospital is also inconsistent. It is worth mentioning that American Heart Association had made recommendations for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiac Care (ECC) in 1974, 1980, 1986 and 1992 and the European Resuscitation Council in 1992, 1996 and 1998 then in 2000 the International Guideli nes for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiac Care, ââ¬Å"Guidelines 2000â⬠were finalised and these were evidence based (American Heart Association, in collaboration with the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation, 2000). Extant published literature has listed the following major drawbacks in traditional Cardiopulomnary Resuscitation (Murthy & Hooda, 2009): 1. Bystanders are more willing to perform chest-compression-only resuscitation for a person who unexpectedly collapses an approach that all agree is dramatically better than doing nothing. 2. Interrupting chest compressions for ventilation during cardiac arrest decreases survival. 3. Positive pressure ventilation during CPR for cardiac arrest increases intra-thoracic pressures, which decreases venous return to the thorax and subsequent perfusion of the heart and the brain. One of the leading practitioners has commented that despite its long standing existence, it is a serious problem that 70ââ¬â 80% of bystanders who witness cardiac arrest are unwilling or unable to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (Ewy G , 2007). Furthermore, it has been suggested that Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation may be good for patients with respiratory arrest. In light of this it is said that a new system of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation called Cardiocerebral Resuscitation (CCR) or Continuous-chest-compression CPR (CCR-CPR) or chest-compression-only CPR or Cardiac-only Resuscitation, specially for out of hospital cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation in adults (Ewy, 2003). The main change in Cardiocerebral Resuscitation with respect to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is that in the case of Cardiocerebral Resuscitation the chest compressions are administered nonstop. Numerous studies and significant peer-reviewed research has supports Cardiocerebral Resuscitation (CCR). This effort of devising Cardiocerebral Resuscitation was based on the studies carried out by other researchers in the past. Such studies were aimed at performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation with chest compressions alone (Hallstrom, Cobb, Johnson, & Copass, 2000). A team of researchers have posited that in the case of realistic model of out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest, continuous chest compressions without assisted ventilations resulted in significantly better 24-hour postresuscitation neurologically normal
Friday, October 4, 2019
Environmental Issues and the Industrial Revolution Essay
Environmental Issues and the Industrial Revolution - Essay Example Checking all the angles and dimensions of a revolution is the name of the game, but Industrial Revolution analysts forgot to examine the most important of all dimensions ââ¬â environment. Various sorts of pollutions such as contamination of water, ozone layer destruction, etc. are making headlines everyday, which is an alarming situation (Hobsbawm, 1999). Following are the three most environmentally negative impacts of the Industrial Revolution. Forests and Trees Demolition Due to the Industrial Revolution, deforestation is taking place, which has led to a very disastrous scenario. Forest trees and natural resources are consumed in the industries for production, thus demolishment of trees is taking place massively. Forests and trees are responsible for consuming the carbon dioxide gas and produce oxygen which is necessary and essential for human beingsââ¬â¢ survival. Now because of deforestation, cutting of trees is making a colossal negative impact on the environment. Wildlif e is also immensely affected through it, which can lead to finish wildlife too (Mayumi, 1991). Contaminated Crops Lal (2004) illustrated that impure water waste which comes out from the industry either goes into the sea or in the fields, hence making crops and food items polluted and contaminated. Food items radically are not healthy enough, and it also spreads various diseases in humans. Most of the factories were established in the countryside with an idea not to pollute cities, but instead, it started polluting crops. Impure water wastage is the core reason of unhealthy fruits and vegetables availability in the consumer market and this situation prevails due to the unplanned Industrial Revolution. Air Pollution Industrialization gave humans beneficiary cars and motorbikes so that they could travel distances in minutes, but everything comes with a price; air pollution is the biggest price which humans are paying for this technological advancement. Air pollution has disturbed human beings in several ways and it is the major reason of the damage in the ozone layer. Due to impure gas exhaustion from the vehicles, air becomes polluted, causing diseases such as lungs cancer, asthma etc. Pressure horns of the vehicles mentally affect humans, which causes tumor and various mental diseases. Cities are affected the most due to air pollution (Seinfeld, 1986). Environmental Actions in U.S The Industrial Revolution effects were later discussed among individuals, environmentalists and analysts, who were quite distressed after watching tremendous destruction of the environment in the world due to this revolution. NGOs have taken this issue very seriously and demanded governments to set rules and regulations for environment protection. Consequently, various actions started in order to save the environment through 1880s, but in 1950s and later, these actions reached their peak due to the occurrence of various environmental issues. Therefore in 1970, Government of U.S had to come up with a refined environmental action legislation which intended to protect the environment of the country. This was a big move indeed, but its practical implementation throughout the country was the main issue. Industrialists were not pleased from the verdict as it brought several limitations on them (Dunlap & Mertig, 1991). Establishment of Laws Arbuckle and Miller (1976) demonstrated that the outrageous appeals from environmental act
Sustainability of Singapore as a Sports Tourism Hub Essay Example for Free
Sustainability of Singapore as a Sports Tourism Hub Essay 1.Introduction 1.1.Purpose To present an overview of the latest sporting developments in Singapore and evaluate Singaporeââ¬â¢s sustainability in enhancing Singaporeââ¬â¢s position as a sports tourism hub in Asia. 1.2.Objectives -Discuss the recent infrastructures constructed for Singaporeââ¬â¢s sporting industry -Identify recent initiatives by the Singapore Sports Council -Highlight key inaugural sporting events held recently -Discuss the advantages of having Singapore as a sports tourism hub -Discuss limitations faced in the long run and some measures being taken -Determine Singaporeââ¬â¢s sustainability in the long run 1.3.Definition 1.3.1.Sports Tourism (Higham, 2004) All forms of active and passive involvement in sporting activity, participated in casually or in an organized way for non-commercial or business/ commercial reasons, that necessitate travel away from the home and work locality. 1.3.2.Sustainable Tourism (Higham, 2004) Tourism which is in a form which can be maintained its viability in an area for an indefinite period of time. 1.4.Overview of Sports in Singapore Singaporeââ¬â¢s position in the regional sporting arena has been an area of consistent improvements over the years. The outstanding performance from our aspiring young athletes during the Asian Youth Games in 2009, clinching a 4th on the medal tally further proved Singaporeââ¬â¢s prowess in sports in this region. With several state-of-the-art sports facilities and structures being constructed in the region, Singapore has been keeping itself up to date with the sports in the region and providing venues for such activities. The upcoming major summer games, Youth Olympic Games 2010 (YOG 2010) will beà held in Singapore as well, with examples of infrastructural and government support examined in the report. 1.5.Method of Investigation This report is an assessment of research gathered through magazines, official and government websites, annual reports, news articles and books on sports tourism till 9th February 2010. An email correspondence had also been established with Ms Rachel Chan, a staff of HiVelocity who are the organisers for local events like Sundown Marathon, Aviva Ironman 70.3 and Menââ¬â¢s Health Urbanathlon. 2.Local Sports Tourism 2.1.Latest Infrastructure Developments 2.1.1.Tampines Bike Trail Constructed in 2007, the 60-hectare trail will be used for BMX and Mountain Bike (MTB) during the Youth Olympic Games. It has been recently upgraded to make it more technically challenging. Since then, it has hosted several regional MTB events like the Phat Tyre Sunday Mountain Bike Race, Bike Asia 100 and the Eneloop Mountain Bike Carnival. 2.1.2.Singapore Turf Club (STC) At its new location next to Kranji MRT Station, the STC is an exemplary architectural centrepiece of a racecourse, with a roof structure inspired by a horse in motion. It houses several grandstands with exclusive and unobstructed viewing for public, privileged cardholders and invited guests. With a range of FB, viewing galleries and event rooms, the STC is capable of holding large scale equestrian events. 2.1.3.Marina Reservoir The Marina Reservoir, opened in Nov 1 2008, was part of Singaporeââ¬â¢s plan in diversifying its water supply by recycling waste water and desalinating sea-water. Being the largest reservoir, it is able to host a variety of water sports including rowing and canoe-kayaking with the Gardens by the Bay; a new park next to the reservoir providing an excellent vantage point. 2.2.Recent Initiatives SSC has recently launched a nationwide movement called ââ¬Å"Letââ¬â¢s Playâ⬠. It encourages all Singaporeans to be involved in sports in all ways, emphasizing on increasing the ease of involving oneself in sports through playing, cheering or volunteering. The SSC had also launched collaborated with the URA to construct more public parks, park connectors, open communal areas and exercise corners to encourage exercise locally. The implementation of the Dual-Use Scheme, which opens school fields to the public and the opening of Singaporeââ¬â¢s largest integrated complex in Jurong West with sports facilities and instructional courses complete with retail and food outlets are also part of SSCââ¬â¢s efforts to go all out in making citizens live healthily. The establishment of an online lifestyle interactive portal; singaporesports.sg on 6th May 2008 aims to entertain, inform and educates. With a calendar of sporting events, forums, blogs, news on the local and international sports scene, volunteering opportunities as well as a membership system to enjoy discounts and offers at partner establishments. 2.3.Sporting Events 2.3.1.Asian Youth Games The inaugural Asian Youth Games was held in Singapore between 29 June 2009 and 7 July 2009. It has attracted about 1,300 top juniors, aged 14-17 from 45 National Olympic Councils competing in 9 sports with the aims to build good relations within the Asian community. 1,100 participants were housed in the Games Village at Swissotel The Stamford which is centrally located. Organised by Singapore Sports Council and Ministry of Education, there is indeed strong funding and support from the government for this event. The event venues for the 9 sports have also been selectively chosen for their standards. However, the Games were impended by the cloud of the H1N1 influenza which had infected members of the Hong Kong and Philippines football team. Stringent measures were taken by the Olympic Council Asia toà ensure early identification and isolation. 2.3.2.Aviva Ironman Triathlon 70.3 The Ironman triathlon was founded in 1978, with the half-ironman distance of 70.3 miles introduced in 2006. The Singapore version was formed in 2007 which was also a qualifying event for the Foster Grant Ironman World Championships in Clearwater Florida USA. This was an incentive for elite and aspiring elites to come to compete in this race. Since then, several veteran and uprising world champions have been featured in Singaporeââ¬â¢s version. In the recent 2009 series, 45% of the 1,500 participants were foreigners with high spending power as proven by the race fees of about $375 per registration. 2.3.3.Menââ¬â¢s Health Urbanathlon (MHU) On the 31st January 2010, 1,500 participants gathered at Marina Square for the inaugural Singapore edition of MHU which saw participants completing 8 obstacles over a distance of 12.5km. First held in Chicago and in Britain, the novelty of this race emphasises on the one of a kind obstacles in an urban setting. 19% of the participants were foreigners. 3.Singapore as a Sports hub 3.1.Advantages 3.1.1.Increased arrivals The direct beneficiaries of this effect include airlines, hotels, food and beverage establishments, tour agencies and the organisers of the race itself. In addition to this, the accompanying families of participants generate revenue through shopping and spending leisure time at tourist attractions. Overseas sponsors and media representatives are also invited to grace the event with their presence and more money would be spent attending to their comfort and enjoyment. Maintenance and repairs of equipment are in demand, with foreigners more willing to spend on purchasing of spare parts and quick fixes. 3.1.2.Increase direct media presence and popularity During major events like the Youth Olympic Games 2010 and Formula 1 Grand Prix, there would be increased media coverage and international focus. Live or replayed telecasts would show emphasis on the race in progress, with the skyline and background infrastructure gaining attention apart from the race. During the 2008 F1 Grand Prix, the line up in the circuit park included entertainment from Zouk DJs, Bob Marleyââ¬â¢s Wailers, Dim Sum Dollies and the Coyote Ugly girls, accompanied by established FB food stalls. Trees around the circuit park were used as part of a visual art project called Humanature. All these were done to maximise spectator experience, in turn projecting Singapore in a positive light on the world stage, with the skyscrapers of the city in the background, and eye catching structures like the Esplanade standing out. All these would invigorate the viewersââ¬â¢ senses whether watching overseas or on site and might increase interest to visit Singapore to see these attractions. 3.2.Limitations 3.2.1.Land Scarcity Scarcity of land and other resources has been a constant challenge faced by Singapore. Therefore Singapore has always placed emphasis on sustainable development and land-use. Ways of optimising the use of natural resources include sourcing for alternative usages for materials or facilities. An example of the land with multiple uses would be the International Convention Centre at Suntec City Singapore. This multi-purpose indoor convention and exhibition centre has hosted the many huge events and meetings. It would also be used for several sports like boxing, fencing, handball, judo, taekwondo and wrestling during the Youth Olympic Games. However, the challenge would be maximising the potential of land space for multiple land-use in the future, to enhance the potential for larger events to take place in Singapore. 3.2.2.Lack of manpower Volunteers, performers, cheerleaders, referees are some of the essential roles needed to be filled for a sporting event on a big scale to be successful. In Singapore, the Ministry of Education is supporting schools to change curriculum times or test schedules during the Youth Olympic Games. A twinning programme has also been created to pair schools up with the different countries participating in the Games, to learn more about the country and hosting them when they arrive. These activities and initiatives would definitely ease the organisersââ¬â¢ job in integrating the overseas participants into the community and give students a chance of making new friends and learning about different cultures. Students would also be encouraged to volunteer themselves in the event and be excited of being part of it. 3.2.3.Global Financial Crisis The recent economy crisis had caught the world by surprise and resulted in the weakening of economies, Singapore was affected as well. However, good corporate governance and foresightedness had led to the quick rebound of the economy. However as construction costs had surged during the crisis, SSCââ¬â¢s plan of building a sports hub by 2010 to 2015. As such, Singapore is unable to host the 2013 Southeast Asian Games as initially planned. 3.3.Sustainability Sports tourism has been identified as a fast growing industry, with new sports and games being created and flourishing over the recent years. With its current collection of world class sporting venues, Singapore is indeed suitable for hosting large sporting events, logistically and socially providing support. The government has been supportive throughout the organisation of sporting events, with the Mr Teo Ser Luck, Minister of Community Development, Youth and Sports being particularly involved in events like Asian Youth Games and Youth YOG 2010. He has been a part of several initiatives, like the collaboration with ITE to provide customised volunteer training for YOGà 2010, the MindChamps Youth Athlete 3- Days Programme sponsored by Singapore Sports Council for the 100 local athletes at $2,800 per student. Sponsorship has been very successful for the Youth Olympic Games 2010, with Samsung recently announcing its sponsorship of 5,000 smart phones for athletes and officials. With 21 domestic sponsors and 9 international sponsors as of 6th Feb 2010, Singapore has proven its reliability and capability and gained the sponsors trust. More importantly, Singapore has been able to foresee challenges faced ahead and plan for its future. The Urban Redevelopment Authority has successfully planned for the use of the city as a circuit for the Formula 1 Grand Prix race track. This feat would not be possible without dedicated research and continuous improvement after each year. Since then, the track has been used for events like Run Singapore 2009 and the upcoming Chingay Parade Singapore 2010. The Marina Reservoir has further proven URAâ⬠s capability and commitment to sustainable development. With the construction of the barrage, the Marina Reservoir is now the 15th water catchment area and the largest thus far. Not only will Singapore be less reliant on other countries for water, more activities like dragon boating and power boating previously unsuitable could now be conducted there. However, the Singapore Sports Council has not fulfilled some of its promises made, like the construction of the Sports Hub and Changi Race Track , initially scheduled to be completed, had been delayed due to rising construction costs and lack of finance. This inconsistency on the governmentââ¬â¢s part had led to losing the chance of hosting the 2013 SEA Games. As the sporting scene evolves with speciality and novelty events like the Aviva Ironman 70.3 and Menââ¬â¢s Health Urbanathlon, space and support has to be given to encourage organisers to increase its capacity. The past 3 editions of Aviva Ironman 70.3 had their registrations capped at 1,500 and a full participation for all years, with 45% of participants being foreigners in the 2009 edition. More locations has been added to the list, with the approval of more road closures like the East Coast Parkway Expressway and the Ayer Rajah Expressway during the cycling leg of Aviva Ironman 70.3 in 2008 and the usage of the urban setting in the city for the Urbanathlon. 4.Conclusion Singapore, strategically located within South-East Asia and surrounded by sea, has established a good reputation as being easily accessible and suitable for business dealings and trade. With a high standard of living and a socially responsible government, Singapore has managed to remain competitive through changing times and braved though health threats and economic crisis. The government has been keeping the nation increasingly involved in sporting events and keeping the infrastructure in Singapore suited to the needs of specific sports and with multiple uses. The recent events hosted in Singapore include the F1 Grand Prix, Asian Youth Games 2009, Singapore Marathon and Aviva Ironman 70.3. Each successful event held in Singapore, the publicity and exposure to the global stage would propel Singapore as the destination to be for sports, business and leisure. Singaporeââ¬â¢s position would be enhanced as a tourism hub, with world class athletes gathering for major events as well, attracting supporters from different countries. This would definitely enhance Singapore as a tourism destination with multiple offerings, with sports tourism adding on to the long list of available options. The sustainability of Singaporeââ¬â¢s sports tourism has thus far been successful with the efforts from the government and public sector, with various ministries working hand in hand through health threats and compromising with schoolââ¬â¢s schedules to make the students available during the YOG period. With the continuous effort and improved consistency of relevant agencies, sports tourism would be a potential market which would flourish in the near future.
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Postmodernism in London Architecture
Postmodernism in London Architecture Reflective Summary The video was produced to critically examine the concept and spatial pattern of London as many cities in one. We took a postmodern urbanism view using iconographic place making analysis. It must be stated that the term postmodernism in itself is a highly debated topic (Crook, 1992). There exits much debate about whether the conditions described as postmodern are at all unique and new, or if said conditions even exist (Best and Kellner, 1992). For us, the very debate surrounding the term is evidence enough that as embedded researchers we must consider the ideas associated with the term. Thus, the term has become an indispensable name for a way of thinking about urbanism, which clearly concerns us. The video showcases how social and urbanism intersect and the concept of postmodernism in London. The video incorporates hard and soft features of the city, focusing on eight key aspects of urban ecology, economic, religious, tourist, education, retail, sports, and political. Expanding on th e concentric zone theory by the Chicago School, we detailed social spaces of London that could iconically define the city on their own. I focused on London as an educational city. My initial approach was to examine and detail Londonââ¬â¢s education system as a whole, but quickly realized this was too ambitious. So I decided to only include the higher education institutions. Higher Education students make up 4.7% of Londonââ¬â¢s total population of 8.17 million estimated in the 2011 Census. In 2013 Londonââ¬â¢s universities attracted over 100,000 international students, and 62,000 from the rest of the UK; additionally, 24% of all international students in the UK were studying in London (London Higher, 2013). Through my research I found this to be quit a task as well, since London has approximately 40 higher education institutions. I had to narrow down what would be the most iconic institutions for my video, and decided the oldest institutions would be the most iconic. So I research the three oldest institutions, Kings College Founded in 1829, University of London Founded in 1836, and London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) Founded in 189 5. These schools have a long history and distinct architecture which I thought was important to the overall project. The universities were all centrally located in the heart London with the tourist spaces a short distance away. This posed some difficulties in the ease of access, since the only viable transport seemed to be the subway. So I planned accordingly, first starting with Kingââ¬â¢s College. Kingââ¬â¢s College is organised into nine academic schools, spread across four Thames-side campuses in central London. I decided to film on the Strand Campus, which is the founding campus of Kings College. Once I began filming I started by detailing the architecture, and spaces within the campus. The most prominent building on the campus was the Somerset House East Wing. This was contrasted by the postmodern architecture of the entrance to the main reception building, and remodelled facade facing Strand St. (See Plate 1). This mix of architecture was interesting, and a good example of defined periods in English history. I started with architecture because contained within each of these two buildings is the respective ideologies of neoclassicism and postmodernism (Jencks, 2002). The architecture provides a clear example of the visual aesthetics associated with each movement, and a concrete reflection of the culture and economic conditions from which it arises. Walking around the ca mpus I had the feeling of exclusion, as the area was gated and there was a stark difference in the social aspect of the space, and social aspect outside the gate just a few meters away. In contrast, LSE less than a block away has a feeling of inclusion and openness. Plate 1. Contrasting architecture of Somerset House East Wing, and the main reception building. The London School of Economics and Political Science campus at Clare Market and Houghton Street in Westminster was my second filming location. The openness of the campus is due to its ownership of adjacent buildings, creating an almost continuous campus between Kingsway and the Royal Courts (See Plate 2). The architecture was modern, and walking through the campus felt like walking on a regular London street. However, there were spaces of student culture, which felt different and unique from off campus. These spaces had various arts, student made posters, and seating areas. There is current renovation occurring at the school that may be postmodern, but is not visible. Plate 2. LSE campus at Houghton St. and Aldwych. The third and final site filmed was the University of London (See Plate 3). London is the second-largest university by number of full-time students in the United Kingdom, with around 135,000 campus-based students (London Higher, 2013). The main criticism of urban ecology is that it neglects the role of culture in its analysis of the social structure of a city. Another criticism is that the theory is overly simplistic, taking no account of class, race, gender and ethnicity (Best and Kellner, 1992). When filming on this campus I decided to address this by taking a social approach, and filmed the cultural aspects of the students in the campus spaces. Although the campus is relatively open like LSE, there is a feeling of exclusion when walking through the space. In and around the university the student culture is very apparent. The demographics of the students were diverse with no sign of a dominate race or sex, creating a multi-cultural space. Additionally the local shops in the area ca tered to the students, indicating a symbiotic relationship with the students driving the economy in the area (Clarke, 2003). Plate 3. University of London campus at Gower St. As the finished film was put together we begin to see that postmodernism is not purely an aesthetic style, but something more. This something more includes cultural and economic conditions. More precisely, Postmodernism names a change in the cultural and economic conditions that help to constitute the western world. References Best, S. and Kellner, D. (1992) Postmodern Theory: Critical Interrogations, New York, Guilford Publications Clarke, D. (2003) Consumer Society and the Postmodern City, London, Routledge Crook, S. (1992) Postmodernization, London, Sage Dear, M. and Flusty, S. (2002) Spaces of Postmodernity, Oxford, Blackwell Gane, N (2002) Max Weber and Postmodern Theory, London, Palgrave Jencks, C. (2002) The New Paradigm in Architecture: The Language of Post-modern Architecture. 7th ed. New Haven: Yale University Press Kaplan, A. (1988) Postmodernism and its Discontents, London, Verso London Higher (2013) Students In Higher Education Institutions 2012/13 ââ¬â London Region, From http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_pubstask=show_pub_detailpubid=1Itemid=286 accessed on 02 Feb 2013 McKible, A. (2002) Space and Place of Modernism, London, Routledge Minca, C. (2001) Postmodern Geography: theory and praxis, London, Blackwell
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