An Interpretation of Horace’s Art of Poetry Essay

The epistle from Horace’s Art of Poetry was not merely a guide for good literature, but it was a sophisticated writing that displayed his principles and wisdom, and the contemporary Hellenistic influence on the Romans. Horace’s profound work clearly asserted his position as a literary master. Throughout his letter to Piso, he was able to make his description interesting and explanation convincing. He exhibited his expertise in literature by presenting detailed guidelines to write proficiently. Among his suggestions, he stressed precision, good iambic lines, and proper literary styles and formats. He also emphasized on the importance to strive for unity, as the writing would lose strength without coherence. If he were not a master at literature, he would not be able to discuss the technical details in depth. Furthermore, Horace was not only a man with distinguished achievements, but he was also a man with great principles. With many people yearning for success, he described Rome as â€Å"a nation greedy just for fame† (129). He criticized the Romans for being indulgent and materialistic. Since everybody was so absorbed in earning money, he asked, â€Å"what poems can we expect to write worth coating with protective oils and storing in fine wood?† (129). To Horace, money was not the primary motivation to pursue his writing career, and that explained why Horace rejected Augustus’s offer to become his secretary, which was an honorable position for a freed man. With his great virtues and morals, Horace was undoubtedly one of the best poets in the Roman Empire. Horace’s writings revealed the dominant Hellenistic influence. They were eloquent and highly intellectual, much nearer to that of the scholarly Greek writers of the Hellenistic period. He showed that he possessed deep knowledge of the Greek literature, since he often referred to Greek writers and to their plays. In his letter to Piso, he used Homer’s Odyssey as an example of great literature. â€Å"Make your models Greek,† as Horace declared, â€Å"and turn their pages nightly; turn them daily too† (127). This indicated his fondness of the Greek models. In addition, he mentioned that poets â€Å"[sung] about Italian themes in tragedies and comedies attired in Roman clothes† (128). Evidently, Hellenism had impacted not only Horace, but also the contemporary poets. By observing how Hellenism had revolutionized the  theoretical thinking of the poet of Rome, one can conclude that the impact of Hellenism was unquestionably prominent. Horace’s work of art demonstrated his expertise in writing, as well as the Hellenistic influence on Roman writers. Horace declared, â€Å"To flee vice is the beginning of virtue, and to have got rid of folly is the beginning of wisdom.† And Horace’s wisdom had presented new insights to the ancient Roman Empire. In studying Horace’s polished writings and distinguished qualities, scholars can further investigate how Greek culture had progressively integrated itself to the ancient Roman’s lives. J. Atchity, Kennedy. The Classical Roman Reader. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997

The Reality of Imagination

The Reality of the Imagination Rebecca Smarcz Poetry is a dichotomy of imagination and reality. It requires metaphors and abstract symbols as representatives of the poet’s imagination. These metaphors and symbols are depicted through concrete images in order to correlate with the reality that the reader and poet exist in. According to Roy Harvey Pearce’s essay Wallace Stevens: The Life of the Imagination, Stevens refers to himself as an â€Å"exponent of the imagination† and â€Å"As poet, he [Stevens] is†¦an ‘exponent of the imagination’†¦But, as human being, he finds that he must hold the imagination to concrete reality† (Pearce 117).Pearce, along with many other critics, believe that the diverging relationship between an imaginative world and reality is one of Stevens’ biggest concerns and struggles in his poetry. This battle between imagination and reality existed for Stevens in poetry as well as in his everyday life. In a letter to Ronald Lane Latimer in March 1937, Stevens wrote, â€Å"I have been trying to see the world about me both as I see it and as it is† (Beckett 117).This struggle between imagination and reality is extremely apparent in Stevens’ poetry, specifically in Evening Without Angels and A Fading of the Sun, both of which were published in the 1936 volume Ideas of Order. Stevens contrasts images of light and dark, sun and night, in Evening Without Angels and A Fading of the Sun in order to illustrate a dichotomy between imagination and reality as well as truth and individual perception.While Stevens establishes a strict opposing relationship in the beginnings of these specific poems, by the conclusion of each of the poems he recognizes that both imagination and truth are necessary components of art and life by the uniting imagination and reality as complements of each other, rather than divergent elements. He uses poetry as a medium to address the relationship between i magination and truth, and these poems are no exception. In the very beginning of A Fading of the Sun Stevens directly calls upon the audience to question the extremity between light and dark, and in turn, the conflict between imagination and reality.He begins with, â€Å"Who can think of the sun costuming clouds,† which directly asks the audience to imagine (Fading 1). The verb â€Å"to think,† while it can also convey an action dealing with factual knowledge, Stevens clearly uses it in this circumstance in an imaginative sense by the sun image he asks the audience to think of. The sun implies bright, openness, and light; therefore, it serves as a symbol for the imagination. With imagination there is room for interpretation and variations among individual imaginations.The double meaning of the verb â€Å"to think,† the factual versus the imaginative meaning, inherently adds to the struggle Stevens faces regarding imagination and reality when he writes poetry. Fu rthermore, Stevens establishes an opposing relationship between light and dark throughout the first three stanzas of A Fading of the Sun. In the first stanza Stevens calls upon the audience to imagine â€Å"the sun costuming clouds. † The image of the sun â€Å"costuming,† masking, or covering up the clouds is unrealistic and the reader can only rely on his imagination to picture this image (Fading 1).The sun can never cover up the clouds because of their location in the earth’s atmosphere; they are always in front of the sun. Furthermore, due to their density and chemical makeup the sun’s light will always be muffled when it tries to penetrate even the thinnest cloud. If the audience does go along with Stevens’ image of the sun masking the clouds, they imagine a scene in which they can only see the brightness of the sun with no shadows or darkness, just pure light, pure imagination.However, with this intense sunlight, â€Å"people are shaken† (Fading 2). Here, Stevens comments on the issue of poetry and life only having imagination, completely excluding truth and reality. People are uneasy with too much sunlight and imagination, with no reality to balance it out. In contrast to poetry and life having too much sunlight and imagination, Stevens also negatively remarks upon life and poetry being solely centered on darkness and reality. Darkness implies truth and definiteness because there is only one color with darkness: black.There is sureness in this color, there is no room for other interpretations, there is just black, just darkness, just reality and truth. Too much darkness causes people to â€Å"cry for help† and makes their bodies â€Å"grow[s] suddenly cold† (Fading 5, 7). People become lifeless and succumb to unhappiness when there is no imagination in their lives. With this opaque darkness â€Å"The tea is bad, bread sad,† ultimately, Stevens implies that imagination is like sustenance for the mind (Fading 8). Food gives energy to the body and is necessary for survival just as imagination is necessary for survival.Stevens tarnishes tea and bread in order to relate how the body becomes tarnished when it is only surrounded by reality and when humans exists without imagination. Without food â€Å"people die;† therefore, without imagination they cannot live their lives to the fullest (Fading 10). Moreover, Stevens affirms that it is impossible to be happy â€Å"without a book. † He states that it is a lie â€Å"If joy shall be without a book† (Fading 11). Here, Stevens uses the book as a symbol for art, poetry, and imagination. Life without art and imagination will be dark and unhappy; it is like a sky without sun.Imagination needs to be a part of poetry and life, but although this may be true for Stevens in these first stanzas, Stevens eventually settles upon the notion that reality must be a component in poetry and life as well. Stevens searches for a balance between light and dark, imagination and reality, in this poem and in life and he finds that balance in the last stanza. Stevens erases his prior negative outlook on the diverging relationship of imagination and reality by creating an image of the sun and night working together.The â€Å"pillars of the sun, / Supports of night† is a direct reference to Stevens’ realization of the harmonizing combination of imagination and truth (Fading 16-17). The sun symbolizes imagination while the night represents reality. With these sun pillars supporting the night people live a full life with tea and wine that are good and bread and meat that are sweet. Stevens creates this image of the sun and night transcending their opposing differences in order to establish the idea that imagination and reality are important parts to life and poetry.When Stevens combines the image of the sun, representing imagination, with the night, symbolizing reality, â€Å"The wine is good. The bread, / †¦ is sweet† (Fading 18-19). Although Stevens also refers to tea and meat as being edible and good with the unification of imagination of reality, he forces the reader to focus solely on the wine and bread images by placing the wine and bread in the same line of the poem. Stevens’ inclusion of the wine and bread images seems to be a clear religious reference to Jesus Christ in which Jesus offers his body and blood to his disciples in the form of bread and wine.When Jesus offered these gifts to his disciples his disciples needed faith and imagination to truly believe that these real, tangible items were indeed the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This idea that faith is needed in order to transcend the reality of these items correlates with the relationship between imagination and reality that Stevens addresses throughout this poem. Furthermore, with any religion, there is a necessary balance between faith, imagination, and belief, with reality, certainty, a nd truth. An individual must believe in his faith of the afterlife but he must also not ignore the reality of his life on earth.This last stanza supports Lucy Beckett’s claim of â€Å"Stevens’ constant devotion to reality, his belief that the phrase ‘the truth of the imagination’ has a meaning only with respect to the imagination’s relation with reality. † Although Stevens’ poetry is largely based in his imaginative world, Beckett notes that Stevens realizes his â€Å"responsibility† as a poet to balance imagination and reality (Beckett 42). Stevens’ even states in his essay ‘Effects of Analogy’ that when writing poetry The poet is constantly concerned with two theories.One relates to the imagination as a power within him not so much to destroy reality at will as to put it to his own uses†¦The second theory relates to the imagination as a power within him to have such insights into reality (Beckett 43). In A Fading of the Sun Stevens uses his power as a poet to combine reality with imagination and he faces the same task in Evening Without Angels. Stevens, once again, addresses the relationship between imagination and reality in his poem Evening Without Angels and immediately calls attention to the natural separation between imagination and reality in the beginning lines of the poem.He opens the poem with the question, â€Å"Why seraphim like lutanists arranged / Above the trees? † directly placing seraphim, or angels, on a separate level from the trees (Evening 1-2). Stevens immediately creates this image of separation between imaginative beings, seraphim, and the trees, which represent the earth and reality. He creates this separation between imagination and reality in this first stanza in order to set up the conflict between the two components throughout the poem, and then, just as he does in A Fading of the Sun, concludes the poem with the complementary combination of bot h imagination and reality.Furthermore, Stevens directly questions the audience in these opening lines in order to force the audience to wonder why there has to be a separation of imagination and reality in poetry and in life. In other words, Stevens sparks a wondering in the audience in the beginning of the poem and throughout the poem brings the audience on journey to discover the true balance of imagination and reality. Stevens continues to question the dichotomy between imagination and reality by issuing the question in the third stanza, â€Å"Was the sun concoct for angels or for men? (Evening 10). Here, the sun is representative of the imagined world, specifically heaven. Stevens questions whether the imagined world is only reserved for imagined things, like angels, or if men can be a part of the imagined world as well. Later on in the poem, Stevens declares that men, indeed, â€Å"are men of sun;† they are part of the imagined world (Evening 14). However, before Steven s comes to this realization he wants the audience to think about man’s place in the imagined world.After he questions whether the imagined world is for men or for angels he states, â€Å"Sad men made angels of the sun, and of / The moon they made their own attendant ghosts† (Evening 11-12). From this passage, Stevens seems to be affirming his pro-imagination stance. When men only place angels, or imagined things in their imagination, instead of incorporating imagination into their own human reality, they become unhappy. Again, Stevens utilizes the image of the moon in order to symbolize reality; therefore, when men do not have any sun or imagination in their lives, they become ghosts in their reality.Ghosts are translucent figures without any substance to them, so without imagination men exist in their reality without any substance; they are empty beings. Therefore, in order to have substance in poetry and in life imagination must be included. In a letter that Stevens wrote to Latimer in 1936 he states, â€Å"There is a point at which intelligence destroys poetry† (H. Stevens 20). Intelligence, fact, truth, and reality, according to Stevens, obstruct and hinder the imagination that exists in poetry. Stevens, when writing poetry consciously limited reality’s influence and focused on the art of imagination.However, while imagination is obviously important to Stevens, just as he does in A Fading of the Sun, he also stresses the importance of a balance between imagination and reality in the last few stanzas of Evening Without Angels. He discusses how â€Å"The motions of the mind† often times â€Å"Desire for rest† (Evening 21, 24). Stevens associates these â€Å"motions of the mind† with â€Å"Light† while the need for rest is associated with darkness, clearly implying that the imagination needs to be muffled by darkness, or reality (Evening 20-21).Here, Stevens clearly establishes his â€Å"devotion to rea lity† (Beckett 42). But, it is not until the last few lines of the poem that Stevens demonstrates the importance of a balance between imagination and reality. In the last lines of Evening Without Angels Stevens creates the image in which imagination becomes truth. Stevens writes, â€Å"Where the voice that is in us makes a true re- / sponse† (Evening 34-35). The voice is a symbol of the poetic voice inside the poet as well as the imaginative voice that lives inside of each individual.Through his poetry Stevens uses his poetic voice as a tool to unite imagination and reality. Finally, Stevens concludes the poem by creating the juxtaposition of the sun and moon: â€Å"Where the voice that is great within us rises up, / As we stand gazing at the rounded moon† (Evening 36-37). Again Stevens attributes sun-like qualities to the imagination by giving it the motion of rising up. Then, he combines the imaginative world and reality by placing the individual in a dark sett ing, staring at the moon, which is a symbol for reality.Stevens connects the imagination to the rising of the sun in order to make the audience aware that the sun and moon, although they are opposites, do indeed complement each other. Everyday the sun rises and then it sets, allowing night to start, indicating reliance upon one another. If the sun does not rise and set the moon will not be seen. Sister M. Bernetta Quinn explains in her essay, Metamorphosis in Wallace Stevens, that Stevens’ poetry â€Å"deals with the concrete, the particular; philosophy, with the abstract† (Quinn 69).Throughout his writing, Stevens stresses that imagination and reality are both necessary components of life and poetry. He is able to come to this conclusion by the act of poetry writing, in which he incorporates metaphors and symbols as representatives of his imagination. These metaphors and symbols are grounded in concrete images and reality in order for the audience to be able to unders tand and relate to Stevens’ imagination and create their own imaginative world through his writing. Work Cited Beckett, Lucy. Wallace Stevens. New York: Cambridge UP, 1974.Print. Pearce, Roy H. â€Å"Wallace Stevens: The Life of Imagination. †Ã‚  Wallace Stevens. Ed. Marie Borriff. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1963. N. pag. Print. Quinn, Sister M. Bernetta. â€Å"Metamorphosis in Wallace Stevens. † Wallace Stevens. Ed. Marie Borriff. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1963. N. pag. Print. Stevens, Holly. Souvenirs and Prophecies: The Young Wallace Stevens. N. p. : Alfred A. Knopf, 1977. Print. Stevens, Wallace. The Collected Poems of Wallace Stevens. New York: Vintage, 1990. A Fading of the Sun & Evening Without Angels. Print.

Audit Of A Financial Statement Samples

The auditing standard ASA 240 is associated with the responsibilities of the auditor associated to fraud in audit of a financial statement. Particularly, the scope of auditing standard expands on ASA 315 and ASA 330 in respect to risk of misstatement because of fraud. Misstatement in financial statement might arise either because of fraud or error (Aicpa 2017). The distinctive factor amid the fraud and error is whether there is underlying action which lead to misstatement of the financial statement is deliberate or not deliberate. According to the Australian auditing standard fraud is regarded as the wider concept. The auditor is generally concerned with the fraud which causes material misstatement in the financial statement. Even though auditor might suspect or in rare circumstances recognize fraud the auditor does not make the lawful determination of whether the fraud has eventually happened. The primary accountability for preventing and detecting fraud relies on those that are charged with the governance and management of organization (Li, Simunic and Ye 2017). It is vital for the management to place a high stress on reducing the opportunities of reducing fraud and deterring fraud that may persuade an invidious to commit fraud due to the probability of detecting and punishing. The auditor enters much expanded ground to detect the fraud. An auditor performing the work of audit in compliance with the ASA is accountable for attaining sufficient reassurance that the financial statement that are taken as the whole is free from material misstatement originating from fraud or error (Bozkurt 2014). Because of the inherent disadvantages of audit there are risks that are unavoidable since some of the material misstatement of financial statement should not be detected, even though the audit is sufficiently planned and executed in compliance with Australian auditing standards. The auditor is responsible for assessing the correctness of the accounting policies used and appropriateness of the accounting estimations disclosures that are made by the directors. The auditor is accountable for identifying and evaluating the risk of material misstatement relating to the financial statement due to error and fraud and conduct an audit procedure that are responsive to the risk. The auditor is accountable for assessing the overall demonstration, construction and content of the financial report along with the disclosure whether the financial statement provides an underlying evidence of transactions that attains fair presentation (Shah 2017). At the time of obtaining the reasonable assurance the auditor accountable for upholding professional skepticism during the audit. The auditor is responsible for communicating with the directors concerning the matters, prearranged scope and timing of audit with significant findings from audit. This comprises of identifying the significant deficiencies in the internal control which the auditor is required to identify during the audit.   Ã‚   In context of the current case study of ABC learning an evidence of overstatement of revenues were noticed. In context of the revenues it is held that the auditor of ABC has failed to derive sufficient and appropriate audit evidence for numerous fee revenue (Kassem and Higson 2016). This ultimately resulted in significant amount of material overstatement of the ABC revenue. Furthermore, the items originating from the provision of childcare services were erroneously categorized since the revenues resulted in overstatement of the ABC revenues. The audit report of ABC learning suggests that there was incorrect treatment of the development revenues. The ASIC notes that the revenues transaction was not considered as revenue derived through the provision of childcare services (Ma’Ayan and Carmeli 2016). On classifying the normal revenues as the transaction the users of the monetary reports enabled them to consider developer’s fees as the recurring revenues that originated from the provision of child care services. Therefore, any kind of attempt made to value the childcare centres were useless. Evidences from the audit report suggest that the revenues were not disclosed in a manner which clearly indicated that were recurring and resulting from the provision of child care services. The critical assessment suggested that payment formed the part of scheme that was artificially designed to inflate the profits (Fazli et al. 2014). The auditor was unsuccessful in obtaining the adequate audit evidences in respect of the accurate bookkeeping treatment for numerous fees which resulted in significant amount of material misstatement of the ABC proceeds. Among the other auditing issues surrounded the ABC learning was that the auditor has failed to get the adequate evidences to enable a sensible knowledgeable auditor to determine that ABC was a going concern.   At the time of getting reasonable assurance the auditor is required to maintain the professional skepticism all through the audit. Fundamentally, ISA 200 necessitates the use of professional skepticism as the medium of improving the ability of the auditor to recognize the risk of material misstatement and respond to the risk recognized (Soh and Martinov-Bennie 2015). Professional skepticism is closely associated with the essential ethical deliberations of the auditor fairness and liberation. Professional skepticism is associated with the implementation of professional judgement by the auditor. If an audit is conducted without using the professional skepticism then it may not result in high quality audit. Consequently, implementing the professional skepticism must assist in assuring that the auditor does not overlook the unfamiliar circumstances or undertake incorrect assumptions at the time of ascertaining the audit response.    As the part of audit procedure in compliance with the Australian auditing standard the auditor is required to exercise proficient decision and maintain the professional skepticism all through the audit procedure. As the part of audit the auditor is required to make accounting estimates (Pitt 2014). The accounting estimates requirements include fair valuation of accounting estimations. This comprises of noteworthy assumptions made by management in establishing accounting estimates and reviewing the decisions that are made by the managers for management in creating an accounting estimates. Another requirement of professional skepticism is that the auditor must review the management’s assessment of going concern and whether the plans of management are feasible or not. This is especially vital in the circumstances where there prevails significant amount of doubt over the capability of the organization to continue as the going concern (Klassen, Lisowsky and Mescall 2015). The auditor on the other hand are under the obligation of fulfilling the requirements of related party relations and disclosure. For an auditor it may be difficult in getting the information of the related parties since the information might be confined to the management meaning for which the auditor might have to remain dependent management to recognize all the related parties. The auditor is required to remain sceptical at the time of assessing the business underlying principle behind the related party’s transaction. Furthermore, the professional skepticism requirements of the auditor also include paying considerations on laws and regulations (Bowlin, Hobson and Piercey 2015). The auditor is required to remain alert all through the audit process for reflecting that there may be instances of suspected non-compliance with rules and regulations. Unless it is found that the auditor has the sufficient purpose to believe the conflictions the auditor might accept the records and documents that are genuine. If there are situations that forces the auditor to believe that the document might not be authentic or the conditions in the document have been altered but not revealed to the auditor (Quadackers, Groot and Wright 2014). Where the responses to the enquiries of the management or the person that are charged with the governance are not consistent then the auditor should investigate the inconsistencies. Auditors are regarded as the vital gatekeepers who are dependent upon to offer assurance and market confidence in the quality of the monetary statement. The ASIC constantly place their focus on auditor’s importance for implementing professional skepticism and getting the sufficient audit evidence to assist their conclusions (Cohen, Dalton and Harp 2014). It is necessary that auditors implement correct skills, experience and skepticism in recognizing and responding to the risks by obtaining audit evidence and judging the areas as going concern. In context of ABC learning it is understood that the auditor failed to sufficiently perform his duties as auditor. The auditor failed to obtain suitable evidence of audit relating to appropriate accounting treatment for numerous fees that resulted in overstatement of ABC revenue. The auditor failed to classify the items of income. This resulted in consequences that items from the provision of childcare services were not correctly categorized as revenue and led to overstatement of ABC revenue. The auditor further failed to enable that ABC was the going concern and lacked professional skepticism in supporting his opinion that the financial report of ABC was free from material misstatement (Brazel et al. 2016). The auditor failed to create audit procedure to deal with the evaluated risks and failed to adequately document the testing that was undertaken relating to fraud risk. The auditor failed to use the professional judgement and lacked professional skepticism while auditing ABC learning financial report.    As evident the code of ethics for professional accountants lay down the ethical requirements for professional accountants. To act in the interest of public a professional accountant should observe and comply with the ethical requirements. As evident in the current case study of ABC learning the major reason that contributed to the collapse of ABC learning was the ethical issues (Klein 2015). The chief ethical issues led to the downfall of the ABC learning was the lower payment of wages to the employees in order to incur lower cost and more amount of profits that enables them to attain the competitive advantage in the corporate world. This misstatement in the financial report by the auditors is regarded as one of the major ethical issues. Section 110 of the code of ethics requires an accountant to follow the principles of integrity in order to impose the obligation on all the professional accountants to act in a straight forward manner (Press and Woodrow 2018). Integrity also refers to the fair dealing and truthfulness. To capture the market, share and gain more profit ABC learning gave their employees a lower rate of wages and was found to below the Australian standards. The accountants of ABC failed to discharge their obligation with integrity and provided inappropriate accounting reports relating to cash flow and business model. Another ethical issue that contributed to the fall of the ABC learning was the significant ethical and moral lapse in the share that was floated by the company when the CEO engaged in the related party transaction. The ethical issue in the case of ABC learning revolves around the deception to the shareholders as the shareholders have invested money on false pretence. The management of the ABC learning failed to act in compliance with the section 130 related to professional competency and due diligence (Ma’Ayan and Carmeli 2016). The maintenance professional competency and diligence encompassed the responsibility of acting in agreement with the requirements of obligation carefully and on timely manner. Unearthing claims arising out of the insufficient revelation, related party transactions and mis-administration have contributed to the ethical downfall of the organization.      Another ethical reason that was responsible for the downfall of the ABC learning was the lack of objectivity. Section 120 of the code of ethics provides that the accountants must not compromise their professional or business judgement because of the unwarranted effect on others (Pitt 2014). The accounting misstatement of financial reports rotates around the deceiving the shareholders regarding the overall position of the organization on false pretence have evidently contributed to the collapse of the ABC learning. The accountants did not provide true financial and position of the company to the stakeholders. This enable the company to remain exposed to the situations impair objectivity. As evident from the study above the major reason that contributed to ABC Learning downfall was the financial discrepancies. The in appropriate financial management such as high debts and abnormal acquisition attributed to main discrepancies in the financial information. The inflated value of the assets and increased valuation offered wrong information to the shareholders that was not approved by the AASB. The auditor’s failure in reflecting the company as the going concern with lack of professional skepticism in responding to accounting risk contributed to the company down. Conclusively the underlying fact states that management of company was ineffective in controlling the fortunes of ABC learning.   AICPA, 2017.  Statement on Auditing Standards, Number 126: The Auditor's Consideration of an Entity's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern  (No. 126). John Wiley & Sons. Bowlin, K.O., Hobson, J.L. and Piercey, M.D., 2015. The effects of auditor rotation, professional skepticism, and interactions with managers on audit quality.  The Accounting Review,  90(4), pp.1363-1393. Bozkurt, O., 2014. The Effect of Internal Audit Procedures and Auditors’ Responsibilities on the Independent Audit Decision.  Research Journal of Finance and Accounting,  5(1), pp.26-33. Brazel, J.F., Jackson, S.B., Schaefer, T.J. and Stewart, B.W., 2016. The outcome effect and professional skepticism.  The Accounting Review,  91(6), pp.1577-1599. Cohen, J., Dalton, D. and L Harp, N., 2014. The Effect of Professional Skepticism on Job Attitudes and Turnover Intentions within the Audit Profession. Fazli Aghghaleh, S., Muhammaddun Mohamed, Z. and Ahmad, A., 2014. The effects of personal and organizational factors on role ambiguity amongst internal auditors.  International Journal of Auditing,  18(2), pp.105-114. Kassem, R. and Higson, A.W., 2016. External auditors and corporate corruption: implications for external audit regulators.  Current Issues in Auditing,  10(1), pp.P1-P10. Klassen, K.J., Lisowsky, P. and Mescall, D., 2015. The role of auditors, non-auditors, and internal tax departments in corporate tax aggressiveness.  The Accounting Review,  91(1), pp.179-205. Klein, G., 2015.  Ethics in accounting: A decision-making approach. John Wiley & Sons. Li, Y., Simunic, D.A. and Ye, M., 2017. Do Auditors Care About Clients’ Compliance with Environmental Regulations? Evidence from Environmental Risk and Audit Fees. Ma’Ayan, Y. and Carmeli, A., 2016. Internal audits as a source of ethical behavior, efficiency, and effectiveness in work units.  Journal of business ethics,  137(2), pp.347-363. Pitt, S.A., 2014. International standards for the professional practice of internal auditing. Press, F. and Woodrow, C., 2018. Marketisation, Elite Education and Internationalisation in Australian Early Childhood Education and Care. In  Elite Education and Internationalisation  (pp. 139-159). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. Quadackers, L., Groot, T. and Wright, A., 2014. Auditors’ professional skepticism: Neutrality versus presumptive doubt.  Contemporary accounting research,  31(3), pp.639-657. Shah, M.K., 2017. THE IMPACT OF VARIOUS RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE AUDITORS IN CONTEXT OF INDEPENDENCE AND IMPARTIALITY: A PERCEPTION OF ACCOUNTING PROFESSIONALS.  Journal of Commerce & Accounting Research,  6(4). Soh, D.S. and Martinov-Bennie, N., 2015. Internal auditors’ perceptions of their role in environmental, social and governance assurance and consulting.  Managerial Auditing Journal,  30(1), pp.80-111. With a decade's experience in providing essay help,

Breast cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Breast cancer - Essay Example All these issues of giving importance to early screening, bringing into public the success stories of breast cancer survivors, raising money to help deprived sufferers, etc, etc are being carried out as part of Pink Ribbon breast cancer awareness campaign. This campaign is the subject of the article, Pink Ribbon Fatigue written by Barron H. Lerner, a physician and medical historian, in New York Times. However, the article looks at the negative side of this awareness campaign, by discussing how the Pink Ribbon campaign is not doing enough to solve this public health issue, as there are no major constructive actions or follow-ups. As stated by the author of the article, although the Pink Ribbon campaign has been a â€Å"spectacular success†, particularly in its attempt to bring recognition and importantly funding to the breast cancer cause, sizable sections view there is not much practical steps. â€Å"Pink ribbon paraphernalia saturate shopping malls, billboards, magazines, television and other entertainment venues†¦The pervasiveness of the pink ribbon campaign leads many people to believe that the fight against breast cancer is progressing, when in truth it’s barely begun.† (Lerner). This has led to growing impatience among some critics, who are deriding the â€Å"pink ribbon culture† as just another publicity exercise or marketing gimmick carried out with the aid of pharmaceutical companies, who have vested interests in them. The main grouse of these critics and which is turning breast cancer into a major public health issue, is that, awareness is not translating into actio n to cut down on the number of victims, and also not enough actions are being taken to alleviate the problems of the current sufferers, with wrong or main focus only on the survivors. The National Breast Cancer Coalition, a highly visible activist group based in Washington, D.C. has also taken a swipe at pink culture â€Å"and go beyond awareness into action to end breast cancer.†

The Critique of a Published Research Article Essay

The Critique of a Published Research Article - Essay Example Research is not a novel filled with literary illusions, but rather it is an activity filled with search and solution. The primary criteria for good scientific research writing are accuracy and clarity. The first step toward clarity is good organization that permits readers to read the report as they would any coherent narrative. Empirical research, in particular, is at the core of many fields of study. Because of the nature and importance of empirical research, it is essential that researchers have the necessary skills required to conduct objective empirical research projects specifically related to their topics of study. Furthermore, research results should be based on observed and measured phenomena; results should be derived from knowledge, from actual experience rather than from theory or belief. An essential ‘ingredient’ would be the article and/or abstract that would allow the reader to scan the article for a quick overview of the topic of discussion, or to locate specific information by turning directly to the relevant section of research interest. The purpose of this assignment is to provide critique in respect of the published empirical research article; ‘Collaborative Learning Enchances Critical Thinking’. More specifically, the empirical research project focused on the analyses conducted to demonstrate and confirm the benefits and enhancement of students’ ability to learn as a result of collaborative learning when compared to individual learning.

Violation of Human Rights by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - Sri Research Paper

Violation of Human Rights by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - Sri Lanka - Research Paper Example The number of internally displaced people is also still high as many people fear the recurring of attacks if they are to go back without the security being given to them. Many have as a result escaped to India. The restrictions of the government on humanitarian aid have hampered the provision of basic needs to the displaced people and many people die in the camps as a result. Many observers have cited that there is still a climate of fear in the country and that there are crucial human rights that are still being violated .There are several feeble rights in the country that are still being violated. The judicial system is manipulated by the government officials. Privacy rights of citizens are being infringed by the government and in many instances it has spurred the denial of human rights- right to fair public trial, right to privacy, right to freedom of speech, right of press which is allegedly the poorest in all democratic countries, right of assembly and association. Journalists that are critical of the government have reportedly been harassed by public authorities (Report by the international crisis group, 2007). In addition, the government has hindered the operations of several non-governmental organisations. Official corruption especially in election law violations has raised concerns where the presidential and parliamentary elections are nothing bu t fair. Politically, the president has made amendments in his favor. The specific human rights abuses with regards to the universal declaration are several. Human rights have been under siege before and after the war. The cease fire exists only in name as the country has still not recovered from its human rights crisis. Everyone should be given equal dignity and rights (article 1), no one should be discriminated by the basis of their sex, race or color (article 2), the right to life liberty and security (article 3) has been undermined. The declaration asserts that people should not be subjected to torture (article 5) neither should they be held unlawfully (article 6). People affected should be compensated by a national tribunal for having his acts violated (article 8), and according to article 10 everyone must have a fair hearing. Unfortunately, Sri Lanka has not taken these rights into account to put them in to practice. Actually almost all rights have been violated and even worse no tangible actions have been done. As a result social progress and th e general standard of life have deteriorated (universal declaration charter). Generally the human rights in the country are weak. There is violence against people on the basis of their sexual orientation where women are discriminated. Trafficking in persons and child abuse/ child labor are another rights that have been violated

THE VARIOUS TYPES OF SPREADSHEET PROGRAMS Essay

THE VARIOUS TYPES OF SPREADSHEET PROGRAMS - Essay Example The success or failure of a business institution depends solely on the way it handles accounting. Accounting systems are responsible for analyzing and monitoring the financial condition of companies, preparation of documents necessary for tax purposes, providing information support to many other organizational functions, and so on. The origin of spreadsheets is primarily in the context of accounting applications having major uses with cashflow analysis, budgeting and planning. Its origins began primarily in the context of accountancy applications, which to this day still represent one of the spreadsheets major uses with cashflow analysis, budgeting and planning typical of such applications. Indeed, despite its versatility and use across a range of academic disciplines, the spreadsheet is largely viewed as a business tool with applications covering general administration, sales and marketing, manpower analysis, resource allocation, operational analysis and strategic planning, to name a few [2]. The spreadsheets are used both by highly skilled specialists to generate complex business reports as well as by beginners for routine low-level applications who are unaware of the real potential of spreadsheets. Earlier research by Pemberton and Robson (1995) concluded that, while the spreadsheet has become a natural feature of the business landscape, extent of usage is only one, albeit limited, performance measure with which to illustrate spreadsheet proliferation in business. In many cases, claims of expertise revolve around only the simplest of features, often at the lower end of the skills hierarchy [3]. Evolution of spreadsheets: Spreadsheets came into market in 1979 with the introduction of VisiCalc, the software allowing personal computer users the flexibility to perform simple operations without recourse to a mainframe computer. However, the specific term â€Å"spreadsheet† dates back with its earliest

Current topic 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Current topic 2 - Essay Example This will pose a barrier because it will be difficult to convince them beyond doubts that the existing policies are of no use, or there are better alternatives. Policy change may not only entail existing ones, but also those policies being proposed of implemented. For example, NYC schools are providing birth control to students who are requesting the service in the school health clinic (Edelman & Fagen, 2012). This policy is not good for students because of some reasons. First, providing birth control pills and condoms to students who are under 18 years means endorsing sexual behavior among students. Therefore, this health policy will be encouraging immorality among students where sex is allowed provided it does not end up in pregnancy. Even though the local department provides these services, it will be doing so illegally because birth control services are meant for adults. There is, therefore, no justification for the policy to be implemented in school even though there is somewhere else where students can access such services (Guttmacher Institute, 2012). If money were not an issue for students, it would still remain unethical to have free birth control in a school environment. The act cannot be justified under any circumstances because bi rth control among teenagers or students in school will never be a universal

Wk 3 Several areas where trafficking has continued to flourish Essay

Wk 3 Several areas where trafficking has continued to flourish - Essay Example rengthened the All-China Women’s Federation to work in partnership with the International Labor Organization [ILO] to sustain the anti-trafficking awareness and prevention campaigns. The success of this move by the Beijing Administration is exemplified by the fact that three million people were reached (Yik-yi Chu, 40-42). Nigeria has also concerted a lot of effort to carry out awareness and educational campaigns through an array of awareness programs, by liaising with NGOs such as Action-Aid International Nigeria, Access to Education for Children, Alliances for Africa and The African Project Foundation. However, like its counterpart China, Nigeria has realized stunted success in this quest. This is partly because the awareness programs have failed to specifically target specific populations that are most vulnerable. To effectively fight human trafficking in China, it is important that the Beijing Administration empowers rural areas where poverty is more profound, yet poverty goes hand-in-hand with human trafficking. The government also needs to make legislation that clearly defines human trafficking and prescribes the legal penalty that an offender should serve. Nigeria needs to also make legislation which clearly defines human trafficking and the legal penalty that should accompany it. It is also expedient that Nigeria: fights at eradicating its poverty levels; strengthens its institutions [especially Nigeria’s criminal justice system]; and reconsiders its anti-trafficking awareness and educational campaigns so as to reach proper target

Hi Tech Programs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hi Tech Programs - Research Paper Example The role of government is a hope for the success of the EHR in the forms of mandates, subsidies and policy directives (Wulsin and Dougherty, 2008). The use of electronic health record is more common in USA as compared to other countries. National Coordinator office in USA published the regulation related with HER’s objectives. These standards stated purpose of the HER system in terms of objectives like the list of patients for medication, and incentive payments. Governments’ standards are same for the hospital management and physicians. There are 20 standards for hospitals and 21 standards for the physicians (Gray et al., 2011). Physicians, clinicians and hospital management can earn more money if they treat the patients on Medicaid or Medicare. The Electronic Health Record provides the forum to all players in health management sharing the medications, problems, allergies and their test results. Responsibilities include as the security of individual patients’ data in terms of the test results’ codification (Halamka,

A Taste of Honey Essay Example for Free

A Taste of Honey Essay Act two, scene one is an important part of the play because Jo is near the end of her pregnancy and Helen comes back to visit her but only because Geoff had asked her too. Previously in the play Helen had married Peter and had gone to live with him, Jo got engaged to a black boy in the Navy, she became pregnant but he didnt come back after going away with the Navy. Jo didnt have a very good relationship with her mother and they had moved about a lot as Helen ran every time she couldnt pay the rent. Jo met Geoff who is a homosexual. He hasnt had sexual relations with a man but he knows he is gay because he has had liaisons with other men. Jo has left school and was going to work in a pub part-time. The play is A Taste of Honey and I am doing part of Act two scene one where Jo, Helen and Geoff are the main characters. This play is mainly set in Jo and Helens flat where the time is around the 1950s. Helen and Jo werent very well off so the flat is in a poor condition. It is dirty and there is a lot of dust. The house looks like it is uncared for because clothes are on the floor and the bed isnt made. It is a comfortless flat. If I was in the audience I would see the settee in the middle of the flat with Geoffs bedding on it, to the left of the stage would be Jos unmade bed it might have some clothes lying untidily on top of it. To the right I would see the kitchen, the sink full of dirty plates and cups, and there would be lots of things scattered about the kitchen sides. In this section of the play the characters use actions in different ways to portray their emotions and feelings. For example: at the beginning of this section Geoff says Let me kiss you this lets us know that Geoff likes Jo as more then a friend unfortunately she does not feel the same way. This is shown when she struggles as Geoff forces himself on her. Another show of Geoffs feelings towards Jo are when he asks her to marry him, Jo just dismisses the idea and tells Geoff Im not marrying anybody. When Helen arrives she tries to be motherly towards Jo but Jo doesnt really want to know as Helen hasnt really been there for her whilst she has been growing up. I dont think she understands why Helen suddenly wants to be a proper mother so Jo starts an argument by saying what blew you in as soon as Helen comes in to the room. But Helen still tries to by friendly by asking about Geoff, she also tries to change the subject at that point when Jo asks her how she came to know about her pregnancy she replies Come on, arent you going to introduce me to your boy friend? Who is he?. I think at that point Helen hadnt come to argue with Jo and had come to see if she was alright. When Jo and Helen are angry they both speak their mind and tend to shout when arguing. Jo talks in a steady voice and when speaking to Geoff she talks in a soft voice but her voice is stern when she is speaking to Helen as I feel she is resentful towards her. Helen talks to Jo as if she regrets having her and wishes shed aborted her like all the others, in this scene though Helen starts off friendly but finishes by chasing Jo around the room trying to hit her. Geoff is the calm one; he doesnt stand up for himself much but tries to protect Jo. When Geoff is told to do something he does it without complaining. This play is important to theatre history, as it was the first play ever seen about real life and the problems that came with it like poverty, racism, teenage pregnancies and homophobia. This play had them all in. At the time this play was written Britain was just recovering from shortages and rationing, the rationing ended in 1952. Housing was scarce so many people had to live in flats even if they could afford better and bomb sites were still derelict. Shelagh Delaney was the author of this play and she was 19 years old when she wrote it. It was written in 1956 and censorship from the stage was removed in 1963. A Taste of Honey is what you would call a kitchen-sink drama because it is based on real life, problems, poverty and the working class.

The Persuading Effects In Political Media Politics Essay

The Persuading Effects In Political Media Politics Essay The mass media in the Philippines, being the universal source of information, contributes a great influence on our thinking and behavior. This term paper will focus about the impact of media coverage on elections and how it persuades the electorates behavior. My purpose is to explore the effects of mass media on political power in the Philippines and to show how the media simultaneously disrupt and defends the status quo including the advantages and disadvantages during election campaigns. The first part of this paper will provide and support the ideas of how a fair election is measured in a democratic country. It will also focus on the medias substantial role on the voting behavior that will contribute towards a greater understanding of mass media in our country. The second part deals about the past situation of the media which concerns the different election frauds, corruption, and violence. I will also add an overview about the medias monopoly and commercialism. But among these, t he most favorable part is the emergence of the new media through the use of the introduced technology. I will also discuss how the different forms of media campaigning using various campaign strategies through TV ads, polls, debates and others can persuade the voters. Furthermore, this term paper will also argue about the effect of money on election results, whether it is an advantage or a disadvantage to the political candidate. Lastly, I hope to show that communication and persuasion works between the media and the public, that we and others can also influence the media. How to measure a fair election In a democratic country like the Philippines, where universal and equal suffrage is a must, the media plays a significant and substantial role for the development of the society. The media is responsible for ensuring free, fair and equal elections. To make a democratic form of government possible, essential conditions are required. For a country to be democratic, they must secure universal and equal suffrage. The political system must entail recognition of protection of civil liberties and rights. The freedom of speech from candidates and political parties must not be restricted. Enforceable laws must be implemented to prevent election fraud and vote tampering. It must be ensured that an electorates choice of party or candidate cannot be used against him or her by secret ballot voting. (socyberty.com, 2009) But in general term, it can be said that the people must be the highest form of society. The role of media before, during and after elections The fact that the media plays a great role in lives is well known, but its role as a political tool is also well rooted in the political systems. During times of elections, which are seen by many as the hallmarks of democratic political system, the media are expected to undertake very specific roles. It is a clichà ©, but media as the voice of the public, in the course especially of elections, must be able to inform, educate, enlighten and involve the electorate. Brandt, Hughes, and Rasmussen (2006), have discussed the major tools needed by the media in a fair report and coverage of the elections. They have to provide a platform and forum for controversial societal debates. The news media play the vital role in a democracy of providing the public information on which they can base their decisions on public issues. They have the duty to criticize undemocratic behavior of politicians, to educate the general public in respect of democracy, and to secure a fair and balanced coverage of elections. The watchdog function of the media is especially crucial during times of electoral campaigns and elections themselves. More importantly, the medias role is to scrutinize the candidates and parties and expose on the same issues and to give voters enough information to compare their positions. The media must report what the parties and candidates are saying, even if it does not reflect issues the people want to address (pp. 14-19). If the media coverage in the press and television is not free, fair and equal, the results may be prejudiced. Political discussions cannot be avoided in the print media, political stories are aired on television every day, commercial radio airs political news every hour, and paid political announcements are encountered in all media during campaigns. Candidates use of the media can have a strong impact upon those who make up their minds about candidates during the campaign. It is within human nature to believe what is told to us. We tend to believ e the media because research is done by them and they are a main source of information. The media remains important since they are the means by which people obtain current affairs both inside and outside of the Philippines however bias it may be. Overall, the media are always present with new stories on political activities. The new media The entrance of the modern era meant the advent of modern technology accessible to the public. For the first time in history, the Philippines embraced technology and transformed greatly the electoral system of the country during the May 2010 elections. The Philippine elections have frequently been marked by allegations of widespread cheating and other electoral malpractice. It was a subject to criticism since the security of the electoral process and its capacity to preserve the sanctity of the ballot and the will of the electorate was put to question. It has always been a manual process from voting to the canvassing of results with the local and national positions. Consequently, we have had hurdled so much because of the slow and tedious process. But due to the advanced technology available in the modern era, the Filipinos most awaited election was taken to another level. Generally, the automated election fulfilled the promise of speed but complaints and controversies remained (Meis burger, 2010). Many Filipinos until now were not sure whether the new process worked well enough to hold credible elections. Even automated election provided high security, there were still computer experts that bombarded the whole system or hacked the computers and manipulated the results. And I think that it is actually possible that cheaters came from the people who developed the system. Unfortunately and ironically, the press, despite of the intense focus on the new voting machines, failed to highlight critical problems during Election Day. But in my own opinion, the main problem we encountered during the May 2010 automated election was transparency. People were not able to see the actual process of counting the votes and several doubted if the results are really correct. Reporting on the first automated election also posed new challenges to the media. The press had to be alert to new kinds of problems as well as to keep the coverage on the day itself interesting. But it was obv ious from the first hours of coverage that the television networks were clearly prepared to resort to the magic of technology to keep audiences tuned in. The media is intensely influential in the present days systems of domination. Because the majority of the public does not in fact hear political speeches, witness activities, or observe actions of leaders, they depend on the media to exhibit the news in an accessible form. It becomes easy to comprehend how vital the media is, and what will be the effects of the news on the society whenever it is presented. Even a little change of news has the potentials to greatly influence public opinion (people.virginia.edu). Dirty Politics: Bias Media and Corrupt Candidates On the further side of the media, television has been with us for more than thirty years (Del Mundo, 1986, p. 10). By any standard, thirty years is long enough to develop a meaningful mass medium. Although in the past, the role of media is not as great as it is today. During an election, it was not surprising to see the media being harnessed to serve the politicians who held media power. Rocamora, for instance, concluded that Cheating is a well-developed art in Philippine elections. Local Politicians are adept at manipulating the process from beginning to end. (Rocamora, 1998, p. 23). So having no doubt, the media with its own weaknesses, would most likely practice bias electoral processes. Corruption in the media industry is a fact, and it is worst during elections. There is a general feeling about the political bias of the media that it is too negative. They place an importance on finding out what is wrong, but do not tell the complete picture about what is being done. There are in deed media networks that are owned by families who are biased in favor of certain candidates. We can see this prejudicial act most often when the media had begun to be very one-sided in terms of reporting the news. The media should be obligated to tell the truth and not manufacture or elaborate stories, even if it does not sound as good. It has and will continue to destroy the careers of some and make the careers of others. Even though most of the television news stations are owned by wealthy individuals, they should not be so biased. The media and the politicians only want us to see what a perfect world we live in, so they tend to hide the truth or work their way around it. But that is not always the case; sometimes desperate politicians are simply exaggerating when they condemn the alleged bias of the media. They tend to highlight the critical views reported by the media but they overlook the balanced presentation of facts in news reports. Another unjust intervention was experienc ed by the media during the Marcos era. Independence of the media has always been viewed with admiration everywhere in the world. But in 1972 to 1981, when martial law was declared during the regime of President Marcos, media monopoly started. Not just one agency was organized to do the job. Thus, the media suppression of the Marcos era restored the powerful and influential appetite of the public for news. But unfortunately, until now, the medias authority, security and freedom was not completely fulfilled (Del Mundo, 1986, pp. 77-89). Moreover, the recent Maguindanao massacre would be the worst example of election-related violence, wherein many members of the press and media was killed and abducted. Therefore, these malpractices and bad connotations simply imply the common term dirty politics which I think is not fair because politics must always be understood in a larger context. And talking about the status quo, generally it is the media that is bias and the politicians that are c orrupt. Defining a CAMPAIGN In the course especially of elections, we cannot exclude the fact of the emergence of inevitable frauds and intense violence. Every now and then, the media conclusively reports about the most compelling issues and irregularities related to elections, especially during the campaign period. A campaign is the period right before citizens make a real political choice. Campaign activity is more likely to register on voters minds as the Election Day draws near (Brady, Johnston Sides, 2004, p.2). According to Brandt, Hughes, and Rasmussen (2006): Most parties make their leader the centre of attention so voters who like the leader will vote for the partys candidates. So the partys election campaign is composed of speeches, party rallies and press conferences featuring the party leader. But the medias job is not just to repeat all the words spoken by the leaders. There should also be information in the news story about where the speech was given and how many people were there and what was the reaction of people in the streets, and what did political opponents say. Voters deserve to know so they can compare and decide for themselves. (Brandt, Hughes, and Rasmussen, 2006, p. 16). Ultimately, political ads and campaigns can affect who will win the election. As is true of other types of human relationships, first impressions can be very important as voters form their opinions about political candidates. Research on election decisions suggests that candidates use of the media can have a strong impact upon those who make up their minds about candidates during the campaign. They can affect what the voters know, whether they will vote, whom they will vote for and why they will vote for that person. In general, people already have their own ideas when they view television, read newspapers, or log on to websites. To a man, the campaign staffs of politicians agree that the three requisites for a successful campaign are: media, machinery and money. (Coronel, Chua, De Castro, 2004, p. 123) The media as a form of campaign strategy Television campaigns come from various forms. It can be a form of commercial, debates, speech, press conference, polls or interviews which are aired on local television news broadcasts, talk shows and even game shows. The television commercial, the most powerful form of advertising is the most interesting and most complex kind of political advertisement. It is the main way that modern campaigns communicate with voters. It can give you as the electorate an idea of how trustworthy candidates are, how they communicate or connect with the people, how they behave under stress, how they sell their program and what do they stand for. According to a study made by Coronel, Chua and De Castro (2004), The Arroyo and Lacson campaigns were most successful than the others in getting their spins across. This was because they had more sophisticated media strategies and handlers. They had a clearer idea of the message they wanted to project and made sure that this message was successfully conveyed th rough the media. (p. 21). Through TV ads, the audiences who are watching their favorite television programs will have a chance to meet the candidates and there is a possibility that they can recall them since they are shown in every commercial break. The advertiser will create another image of the candidate to make them appreciated and accepted by the target audience. The use of informal words, the inclusion of popular song and dance, the color, social issues, and the representation of peoples age, gender, profession and religion are very useful for the ads recall (Encabo, 2010, pp.11-12). In a survey conducted by Fonbuena. Rufo and Tabunda (2008), during the campaign period itself, respondents were asked to name political advertisements on television that they could recall. An ad was considered correctly recalled by a respondent if the respondent was able to identify the candidates in the advertisements that they recalled. Political ads are effective in converting voter awareness i nto actual votes for the candidates to the extent only that these ads incredibly project an image of the candidate as one who will effectively address the issues and concerns of the electorate. Studies show that commercials and debates aired right before Election Day have the most effect on undecided viewers (pp. 27-28). Voters who have already formed their opinions are hardly influenced by the media to the point of changing their minds. But as defined by House, Ludwig and Stratmann (2009), advertising need not to be truthful in deceptive campaigns. Both types of candidates engage in campaign advertising claiming that they are of high quality. Hence, they define advertising as deceptive when a low-quality candidate advertises that he is high-quality (p. 6). Opinion polls, on the other hand, are mostly used by political parties to discover what issues a representative sample of voters think is important. As defined by Lange (1999), voting intention polls indicate the popularity of political parties/candidates, show ratings, and suggest the outcome of elections. Parties will sometimes change their campaign promises because opinion polls reveal what will be more popular (pp. 49-50). People always say in polls, they do not like negative campaigns but voting records seem to indicate that they are affected or influenced by them. Opinion polls also influence voters because voters like to know what their neighbors are thinking and may decide to vote the same way. As such, poll results could increasingly frame the coverage of the election campaign. Exposure to polls may serve to increase a general interest in voting in the public, but there is little to demonstrate a change in voter intention, which is what we call bandwagon effect. Opinion poll s are only a brief sample of peoples opinions at the time they were asked. Polls cannot predict how opinions and votes will change if voters learn new information. Polls should not become the lead story everyday because they may influence voters to follow popular opinion rather than think for themselves. Lange (1999) observed that debates have advantages and disadvantages, but on balance seem positive. On the negative side, it has been argued that mandatory debates would circumscribe the candidates freedom to run campaigns as they wish that it is not always possible to have all party leaders participating and that debates tend to spotlight the party leaders too intensely. On the positive side, debates allow the candidates to face the public directly, they have been shown to heighten citizens interest in elections and their levels of information, they are a means of enabling the public to make a direct comparison of the candidates, and as such are a useful supplement to the normal news coverage (pp. 28-29). Aside from the old traditions of advertising, the innovative transformation of the society was considered as a milestone in the electoral system. I am not just talking about the May 2010 automated elections, but it is about how social media is changing the face of democracy through the use of different social networking sites in campaigning for a political party or candidate. Generally, traditional media and new media worked together for a more comprehensive coverage of the 2010 Philippine Elections. Rafter (2009) for example, stated that, the internet has assumed an increasingly important role in political communications and has provided new ways of communicating political messages with the public. Traditional concerns about television and radio political advertising are equally applicable to the Internet but there is no debate about regulating political content on the web (p.29). TV news stations also marked a milestone in media history when they reported election updates in real t ime using the new media. They even used the Facebook and Twitter to post news updates and reports about the election. Most of the Social Media websites which have had a major worldwide impact on Internet usage and thus perceived international impact, like YouTube, Flickr, Blogger, WordPress, Google, Wikipedia, Myspace, Facebook and Twitter (eGovernment-Symposium, 2009, p. 7). As predicted by some experts and scholars, it is probably only a matter of time before everyone will be able to vote over the Internet. Still, for those who create and air ads, the bottom line is the bottom line. The intended effect of political advertising or paid media is to win political battles by creating and delivering biased messages. Informing and engaging the public outside of ones supporters, when and if it occurs, is a by-product or secondary effect of the effort to win political battles. Does money wins elections? But the most intriguing factor that affects the decision of the electorate is the presence of money. Rocamora (1998), observe that for a candidate to win Philippine elections, they have to spend three times: once to get nominated, second to garner votes, third to get his votes counted, added to, and those of his opponents subtracted (p. 27). According to political scientist Ciyde Wilcox, money matters most when the candidates are least known to the voters, when they do not receive a lot of news coverage, and when paid advertising, which, of course, is expensive, can bring recognition and enhance images (Wayne, 1992, p.52). As I have said, the ads play a big role in the entire campaign. The earlier the ad is aired, the earlier the candidates rating goes up and the earlier the candidate can shift to conversion. Indeed, this means paying a longer period for advertisement slots. The cost of political campaign is rising and rising fast. The use of other modern technology has also increase d expenditures. One 30-second ad can cost a candidate from P34,000 to P243,000, depending on the station and the time slot. These costs are already slashed by 30 percent, the legally mandated discount for candidates (Fonbuena, Rufo, Tabunda, 2008, p. 61). But because of factors such as popularity and acceptability, campaign budgets may still vary from candidate to candidate. If a candidate is already popular, a lesser amount can be allocated for election paraphernalia. The amount a candidate spends will largely depend on the style of his/her political strategies. Literally speaking, before a sensible person joins a political fray, he/she should check his/her wallet first. Elections are indeed expensive affairs. Radio and television appearance, newspaper advertising, travel for the candidate, mailings of campaign materials, maintaining a network of campaign offices, taking polls, and raising money itself all cost a great deal of money. The notion that the side with more money has a better chance of winning is very common. Lack of budget for the campaign can be solved through public and private funding. The ability to raise money is not only a matter of wealth but also of being able to attract funds from others. Way before the campaign period, funds can already be raised. It is obviously important for a financially challenged candidate to seek and accept whatever material support they can find. Sponsored activities like a ball, a concert, a movie premier, T-shirt sales, and bazaars can be organized. But most campaign donations would not come in until a candidates showing becomes strong during the campaign period. Their contributions serve as insurance money, an investment they hope to draw from in the future. Another source, though largely unreported for obvious reasons, would be gambling and smuggling operations that seek the protection of the politicians. According to Co, Lao, Sayo and Tigno (2005), potential candidates who do not have the financial resources and backing to undertake a campaign have a little chance of winning (p.98). But apparently, I beg to disagree that financial outlays can guarantee victory in elections. Although the money spent might still serve as a good index to electoral strength, the candidates and parties with the most money did not always win. Money however is only one factor. And even when relatively honest people do win, they have to spend so much money to campaign that they invariably become corrupt in order to recover their expenses or to return the favor of financial backers. Wayne (1992) stated that, theoretically, campaign spending should have a greater impact on the nomination process than on the general election, and on the beginning of the process than at the end (p. 51). Whether or not money determines campaign victors, it exerts an enormous influence on elections. Heard (1960), notes that the ef fect of money in politics is probably more certain in determining who the candidates will be than in determining the outcome of the elections. Although the main goal of those who sponsor political advertising is to win elections, advertising can also in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uence what citizens know about candidates and public policy and how engaged citizens are in their own governance. And, as discussed above, in in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uencing what voters know, ads can in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uence whom voter choose (Goldenstein, Ridout, 2004, p. 211). The impact of media on the electoral system The overwhelming power of the mass media is something that we accept as fact. We are dependent on media for information. Media have become our connection to the real world. Indeed, there have been a lot of contributions media has made in politics, particularly during elections. The availability of media coverage during elections from the nomination period to the canvassing of votes, keeps the public informed of all the crucial events that occur during the elections. In the present times, it has gained a greater importance than how it was in the past. Filipinos much more now than ever in the past, rely on the mass media in deciding whom to vote and which issues are important. There is a hunger for information and citizens are much more attentive to media reports during elections than in other times. It has thus gained more influence over the voting behavior of the electorate and greater power in altering the opinions of the people. During campaigns, bad publicity can mean almost certa in death to a promising political career to a politician. No matter what good things a person has done in the past, if the media decides to publish the bad, their chances are blown. Population as a whole also recognizes the large role the media plays in their lives. They are well aware that the press plays the most dominant role in determining which issues and events are considered significant (Brandt, Hughes, Rasmussen, 2006, pp. 15-17). Conclusion The medias role in politics is even more significant. They help shape the political culture, and have the power to make a candidate appealing or repulsive. The media can also lead the general public to misunderstand the actions of one particular political group, and as a result, other political parties have to face a difficult political situation. Encabo (2010) concluded that politicians and advertisement producers believe that advertising allows candidates to reach even the uninterested and unmotivated citizens like those who are not paying attention in news reports, debates, and other campaign event (p.20). The media is primarily needed to fix itself to reporting on politics, not shaping it. The media should not have the bias of the nation, but should offer information to allow ideas to form liberally and independently. The nature of the impact of the media coverage is perhaps most dramatically evident in peoples awareness of the candidates and the consequences for how they vote. I n the coverage of elections, media fulfills different roles. This includes informing, enlightening, and educating the electorate, providing a platform and forum for controversial social debates, forming public opinion, and serving as a watchdog on the side of the citizens. Among these roles, the duty of informing the electorate is the primary and the other roles are only ancillary and fall under this primary role. The media has also the ability of affecting the behavior and decision making of the electorate. Many factors are to consider in determining the voting behavior of the electorate; and though there is no certainty on the extent that media affects the decision making process of the electorate, media is one of the few things that can count heavily on affecting and changing the opinions and decisions of the electorate. Apart from persuading the electorate, the media can also persuade the political candidates. The media influence the decision and actions of politicians and offic ials, change their priorities and can reduce their ability to control events. Another thing to consider in the influence of media in elections is the campaign financing that is required of candidates in order to afford the media resources necessary for advancing the campaign. The costs on campaign financing have escalated primarily due to the fact that it is expensive to employ media resources. However, though it is expensive, but because it is believed to be the most effective medium of campaigning, it is the least likely expense in campaign financing to be cut. The high costs of campaign financing pose problems for less affluent candidates. It is a disadvantage for the poor candidate who does not have the necessary resources necessary to run a campaign which will be able to employ media as one of its medium of advertisement. Because of this, the integrity of the electoral system of a democratic nation such as the Philippines becomes flawed. People, based on democratic theory, shou ld have equal opportunity to run for office regardless of economic status. But because of the high costs imposed by media on running a campaign, this is hardly true. There is therefore a need for the strict implementation of campaign finance laws during elections so as not to put an advantage on the wealthy and a disadvantage on the less affluent candidates. The media plays a crucial role in the realization of this goal. Through these insights, it is therefore true that media persuasion does not only work between the media and the public, but logically speaking, we and others can also influence the media. Both positively and negatively, the mass media contributes a great factor in affecting the decisions of the electorate because it exercises a powerful role in the electoral processes by informing and educating the public. Bibliography (books and e-books): Brady, H.E., Johnston, R., Sides, J. (2006). The Study of Political Campaigns. United States: The University of Michigan Press. Brandt, T., Hughes, T. Rasmussen F. (2006). Coaching Manual for Media Support during Elections. Denmark: International Media Support. Co, E.E.A., Lao, M.E.J., Sayo, M.A., Tigno, J.V. (2005). Philippine Democracy Assessment. Manila: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES). Coronel, S.S., Chua, Y.T., De Castro I. (2004). Cockfight, horserace, boxing match (why elections are covered as sport): lessons learned from the 2004 campaign coverage. Quezon City : Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Del Mundo C. (1986). Philippine Mass Media: A Book of Readings. Philippines: Communication Foundation for Asia. eGovernment-Symposium (2009). E-Society and E-Democracy. Berne, Switzerland: Amazee (www.amazee.com) and IDHEAP (www.idheap.ch). Encabo, E.A. (2010). The Filipino Language and Culture in Political Advertisement. San Diego State University: Language Acquisition Resource Center. Fonbuena, C., Rufo, A., Tabunda, A.M.L. (2008). Selling Candidates: Political Ads in the 2007 Senatorial Elections. Quezon City: Public trust Media Group Inc. Goldstein, K., Ridout, T.N. (2004). Measuring the Effects of Televised Political Advertising in the United States. Washington: arjournals.annualreviews.org. Houser, D., Ludwig, S., Stratmann, T. (2009). Does deceptive advertising reduce political participation? Theory and evidence. Washington: George Mason University, Interdisciplinary Center for Economic Science. Hufilena, C.F. (2006). How to Win an Election. Quezon City: Ateneo School of Government Center for Social Policy. Lange, B.P. Ward, D. (2004). The Media and Elections: A Handbook and Comparative Study. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Lange, Y. (1999). Media and Elections. Europe: Council of Europe Publishing. Meisburger, T. (2010). Will Automated Elections in the Philippines Increase Public Confidence?. Asia: The Asia Foundation. Rafter, K. (2009). Political Advertising: The Regulatory Position and the Public View. Ireland: Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, Media Research Scheme. Rocamora, J. (1998). Philippine Political Parties, Electoral System and Political Reform. Quezon City: Philippines International Review. Wayne, S.J. (1992). The Road to the White House: The Politics of Presidential Elections. New York: St. Martins Press Internet sources: http://socyberty.com/organizations/the-responsibility-of-the-media-in-conducting-free-and-fair-elections/#ixzz1Do4Q79RP. Retrieved February 25, 2011, 01:53 am. http://www.people.virginia.edu/~lkr8v/politics.htm. Retrieved February 25, 2011, 02:33 am.

Korean Culture In The 21st Century

Korean Culture In The 21st Century Korean culture has the most powerful influence in the 21st century today. The uses of social media have effectively shown how music from all around the world, like K-pop, can be shared and provide a platform to steer their endeavors to go international. In the beginning stages of K-pops arrival, the use of social media to circulate its musical content was a very fan-lead movement. It has seen how integral the use of the Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube is to display a heightened reality full of cute, seductive, and skilful talents. Record companies set up official Youtube channels for their artists and companies to create a presence. Television also plays an important role in this overall attitude of being thin. K-pop which means Korean popular music, is a musical genre consisting of dance, electronic, hip-hop, rap and others elements which originating in South Korea. K-pop has grown into a popular subculture among teenagers and young adults around the world. Basically, those k-pop singers are showing the perfect figure in their music video. In todays society of stick thin K-pop star and celebrity is emerging focus on obesity, so it is no wonder that more and more people have eating disorders. In fact, the celebrity focuses on being thin because the camera adds at least ten pounds. However, a plus size k-pop singer is uncommon. This sends a message to girls and young women that thin are beautiful and it may cause them not to satisfy with their current figure. In the result, it may lead them to having anorexia nervosa, and are they the potential patient? Research Problem In the most of the society nowadays, towards the exposure of the K-pop music culture, females are very particular on their body size especially being extremely thin is the desire that will never disappear. In order to fulfill the desire, it makes females have the tendency to reduce their meals irregularly and even more serious was highly restrictive eating. A report from Sutter Health network (2003) shows that more than 90% of people who affected by anorexia nervosa are adolescent and young women. This group of adolescent and young women are exposed to K-pop music very oftenly. Moreover, according to the report from U. S. NEWS (2010), it shows that approximately 1 out of 200 western women who are disordered eating are between 15- 24 years old. From the above reports, it indicates that, females who are suffering from anorexia nervosa are averagely at the aged between 15 to 24 years old adolescent and young women. The highly percentage of adolescent and young women have eating disorder , which affect them to pay more attention on their body weight to maintain a distortion of body image. As shown in National Associated of Anorexia Nervosa And Associated Disorders (2012), there are many people with anorexia nervosa see themselves as overweight even they are starved, they will control themselves to achieve the thinness they want. Since the population of eating disorders among female adolescents are increasing, a survey will be conducted to find out whether the K-pop music culture has influenced anorexia the female adolescents to suffer from anorexia nervosa. Purpose of the Study To examine whether females between 15 to 24 years old are influenced by the K-pop culture about their body outlook and figures. To find out the frequency of female adolescent expose to Korean popular music. To examine whether females adolescent who frequently exposed to Korean popular music, are they satisfied with their current body weight. To find out whether females adolescents have taken their meals regularly after they exposed to Korean popular music. Research Question Does the K-pop culture influence the females between 15 to 24 years old perception about their body figures? Significance of Study The study of the impact of K-pop music culture towards the anorexia nervosa among the female adolescents can be a guide for them to test whether themselves are diagnosed in anorexia nervosa. A summary from Renfrew Centre Foundation for Eating Disorders (2002) shows that 20% of people suffering from anorexia nervosa will prematurely die. Another summary from the same resource shows that 70 million individuals are affected by eating disorders worldwide. From the summaries above summarized that people have less awareness about anorexia nervosa. In fact, they do not know that eating disorder is the main symptom that enough to prove an individual to be diagnosed in anorexia nervosa. Therefore, this study is to raise awareness of anorexia nervosa and also to help the female adolescents prevent from anorexia nervosa. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Mass Communication Theory Advertisers often emphasize sexuality and the importance of physical attractiveness in an attempt to sell products, but researchers are concerned that this places undue pressure on women to focus on their appearance. In recent survey by Teen People magazine, 27% of the girls felt that the media pressures them to have a perfect body, and a poll conducted in 1996 by the international ad agency Saatchi and Saatchi found that advertisement made women fear being unattractive or old. Researchers suggest advertising media may adversely impact womens body image, which can lead to unhealthy behavior as women and girls strive for the ultra-thin body idealized by the media. The average women see 400 to 600 advertisements per day, and by the time she is 17 years old, she has received over 250,000 commercial messages through the media. Only 9 of commercials have a direct statement about beauty, but many more implicitly emphasize the importance of beauty-particularly those that target women and girls. One study of Saturday morning toy commercials found that 50% commercials aimed at girls spoke about physical attractiveness. Others studies found 50% of advertisement in teen girl magazines and 56% of television commercials aimed at female viewers used beauty as a product appeal. This constant exposure to female-oriented advertisements may influence girls to become self-conscious about their bodies and to obsess over their physical appearance as a measure of their worth. We are affected by what we see on television programs. Studies have shown that womens dissatisfaction with their bodies is related to what they see in the media. Girls and women are most affected by the sexual images of their favorite celebrities they see on television. A growing number of these women are also addicted to extreme dieting, exercise which can lead to psychological disorders, low self-esteem, and even death. Women are exposed to celebrities who are Photoshopped in the media and it affects the way they see themselves. They think they are not attractive and skinny compared to celebrities. However, this contradicts reality considering that Korea has the lowest obesity rate among OECD (organization for economic co-operation and development) countries and Koreans are a lot slimmer than people in other developed countries. Because of the importance of obtaining an ideal body shape in our society, many women go on a diet. However, the results are eating disorders or and an unh ealthy lifestyle. 2.2 The thin ideal is becoming a trend in our society. According to the latest survey by the Korean Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, almost two in every woman suffer from undernourishment with intentional starvation being the main cause. In the 2007 report, 48.7% of teenagers were on a diet, with 65.3% of females restricting their eating. However, if this kind of extreme diet persists, people can have conditions such as hair loss and depression to bulimia, constipation and anorexia. Even celebrities are not immune to eating disorders. For example, in Korea, the late model Kim Yoo Ri, received lots of stress because of dieting. After going on an extreme diet, she developed anorexia and eventually died. Not just in Korea, but also around the globe, lots of women including celebrities suffer from illness from extreme diet and exercising such as Isabelle Caro from France. In conclusion, the media plays a large role in the way women view their bodies to the point of dieting. Women frequently compare their bodies to those they see around them, and researchers have found that exposure to idealized body images lowers womens satisfaction with their own attractiveness. One study found that people who were shown slides of thin models has lower self-evaluations than people who had seen average and oversized models, and girls reported in a Body Image Survey that very thin models made them feel insecure about themselves. In a sample of Stanford undergraduate and graduate students, 68% felt worse about their own appearance after looking through womens magazines. Many health professionals are also concerned by the prevalence of distorted body image among women, which may be fostered by their constant self-comparison to extremely thin figures promoted in the media.75% of normal weigh women think they are overweight and 90% of women overestimate their body size. Dissatisfaction with their bodies causes many women and girls to strive for the thin ideal. The number one wish for girls ages 11 to 17 is to be thinner, and girls as young as five have expressed fears of getting fat. 80% of 10 year old girls have dieted, and at any one time, 50% of American women are currently dieting. Some researchers suggest depicting thin models may lead girls into unhealthy weight-control habits, because the ideal they seek to emulate is unattainable for many and unhealthy for most. One study found that 47% of the girls were influenced by magazine pictures to want to lose weight, but only 29% were actually overweight. Research has also found that stringent dieting to achieve an ideal figure can play a key role in triggering eating disorders. Other researchers believe depicting thin models appears not to have long-term negative effects on most adolescent women, but they do agree it affects girls who already have body-image problems. Girls who were already dissatisfied with their bodies showed more dieting, anxiety and bulimic symptoms after prolonged exposure to fashion and advertising images in a teen girl magazine. Advertisements emphasize thinness as a standard for female beauty, and the bodies idealized in the media are frequently atypical of normal, healthy women. In fact, todays fashion models weigh 23% less than the average female, and a young woman between the ages of 18-34 has a 7% chance of being as slim as a catwalk model and a 1% chance of being as thin as a supermodel. However, 69% of girls in one study said that magazine models influence their idea of the perfect body shape, and the pervasive acceptance of this unrealistic body type creates an impractical standard for the majority of women. Some researchers believe that advertisers purposely normalize unrealistically thin bodies, in order to create an unattainable desire that can drive product consumption. The media markets desire. And by reproducing ideals that are absurdly out of line with what real bodies really do look like. The media perpetuates a market for frustration and disappointment. Its customers will never disappear. writes Paul Hamburg, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Havard Medical School. 2.3 Eating disorders on the increase in Asia Thirty miles south of the border with starving North Korea, young women in the South Korean capital are starving themselves, victims not of famine but of fashion. Dr. Si Hyung Lee has seen this dark side of affluence and modernity. He remembers best the patient who died of respiratory failure: She was a pediatricians daughter, said Lee, director of the Korea Institute of Social Psychiatry at Koryo General Hospital in Seoul. Her father and mother were both doctors. But her parents failed to realize that their teen-ager suffered from anorexia nervosa until it was too late to save her. Anorexia nervosa was a disease almost unheard of in Korea a decade ago. In fact, if Asia is a reliable indicator, eating disorder is going global. Anorexia is a psychiatric disorder once known as Golden Girl syndrome because it stuck primarily rich, white, well-educated young western women was first documented in Japan in the 1960s. Eating disorders are now estimated to afflict one in 100 young Japanese women, almost the same incidence as in the United States, according to retired Tokyo University epidemiologist Hiroyuki Suematsu. Over the past five years, the self-starvation syndrome has spread to women of all socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds in Seoul, Hong Kong and Singapore, Asian psychiatrists says. Cases also have been reported though at much lower rates in Taipei, Beijing and Shanghai. Anorexia has even surfaced among the affluent elite in countries where hunger remains a problem, including the Philippines, India and Pakistan. Doctors in Japan and South Korea say they also have noticed a marked increase in bulimia, in which patients gorge themselves, then vomit or use laxatives to try to keep from gaining weight, sometimes with lethal consequences. Experts debate whether these problems are caused by Western pathologies that have infected their cultures via the globalized fashion, music and entertainment media, or are a generic ailment of affluence, modernization and the conflicting demands now placed on young women. Either way, the effects are unmistakable. According to Dr. Ken Ung of National University Hospital in Singapore, he claims that appearance and figure has become very important in the minds of young people. Thin is in, fat is out. This is interesting, because Asians are usually thinner and smaller-framed than Caucasians, but their aim now is to become even thinner. A weight-loss craze has swept the developed countries of Asia, sending women of all ages. In Hong Kong, 20 to 30 types of diet pills are in common use and in Singapore, where the anorexia death of a 21 year old, 70 pound student at the prestigious National University, dieting itself has become a fashion statement. South Korea is perhaps the most interesting case study since, until the 1970s, full-figured women were seen as more sexually attractive and more likely to produce a healthy sons, said Dr Sing Lee, a psychiatrist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who has written extensively on eating disorders. When I was a kid, plumper than average women were considered more desirable, they could be a first sons wife in a good house. He said. But standards of beauty have changed dramatically in the 1990s with democratization, as South Koreas government decontrolled television and newspapers, allowing in a flood of foreign and foreign influenced programming, information and advertising. The be slim trend starts earlier now, even in elementary school. Said the institutes Dr. Kim Cho. Dieting by growing teen agers often leads to inadequate calcium intake and weaker bones. Kim is worried about an increase in osteoporosis cases when this generation of girls reaches menopause. The dieting will also result in weaker physiques and lessened resistance against disease, she said. South Korea Korean psychiatrist Dr. Kim Joon Ki, who spent a year in Japan studying eating disorders, said the increase in eating pathologies over the past few years has been phenomenal. Before I went to Japan in 1991, I had seen only one anorexia patient, Kim said. In Japan they told me, Korea will be next, so you should study this now. And sure enough, they were right. Kim said he has seen more than 200 patients, about half of whom were anorexia and half bulimic, in the 2 years since he opened a private eating disorder clinic. Lately I have so many calls that I cant even give them all appointments, he said. But Kim said his new book on eating on eating problems, I want to eat, but I want to lose weight is selling poorly. Readers attention is still focused on dieting, not on eating disorders, he said. Dieting is not only trendy, its necessity for many Asian women who want to fit into the most fashionable clothes, some which are only made in one small size which is equivalent of an American size 4, said Park Sung Hye, a fashion editor at Ceci, a popular montly style magazine for 18 to 25 year old women. They make just one size so only skinny girls will wear it and it will look good, Park said. They think, we dont want fatty girls wearing our clothes because it will look bad and our image will go down. As a result, If youre a little bit fatty girl, you cannot buy clothes, she said. All of society pushes women to be thin. America and Korea and Japan all emphasize dieting. In the articles she writes on how to diet, she cautions readers against excess, warning, A models body is abnormal, not normal. Park said young Korean attitudes toward food differ from those of their elders, who remember hunger after World War Two and the old greeting, Have you eaten? and fat as a sign of prosperity . Now skinny means you are wealthier, since everyone can eat three times a day, Park said. 2.4 Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia literally means loss of appetite (Medline Plus, 2003), however, with anorexia nervosa, loss of appetite rarely accompanies the restricted eating, dangerously low body weight, distorted body image, and intense fear of being fat (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000, Halmi, 2005). Individuals with the disorder are frequently hungry and preoccupied with food, but deny the sensation of hunger as a way of establishing control over their bodies (Hobbs, Johnson, 1996). The result is a complicated and potentially deadly illness that has the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder (The Renfrew Center Foundation [RCF], 2002). Someone with anorexia may look very thin. They may use extreme measures to lose weight by making themselves throw up, taking pills to urinate or taking diet pills. In fact, they will not eating or eating very little and they will weigh the food and counting calories. Anorexia nervosa constitutes a major health care problem (Becker, Grinspoon, Kilbanski Herzog, 1999), It has been described as one of the most common chronic illnesses among young females today (Touyz Beumont, 2001) and Anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder predominantly affecting adolescent girls (Hoek van Hoeken, 2003). Approximately 95% of those affected by anorexia are female, most often teenage girls. In the U.S. and other countries with high economic status, it is estimated that about one out of every 100 young women has the disorder. Research suggests that the prevalence of anorexia nervosa (AN) has been increasing, especially since the 1960s (George, 1997). For women, the lifetime incidence of the eating disorder is 0.9%, and for men is 0.3% (Hudson, Hiripi, Pope, Kessler, 2007). The incidence among young women aged 15-19 has been recorded as high as 135.7 per 100,000 per year, and the rate of incidence among adolescent girls living in Western societies appears to have been rising steadily throughout the latter half of the previous century (Lucas, Crowson, OFallon, Melton, 1999). Furthermore, research undertaken at the turn of this century suggests that the disorder is sub-clinical in up to 10% of young women aged 16-25 (Walsh, Wheat, Freund, 2000). Risk factors for anorexia include being more worried about, or paying more attention to their weight and shape. Generally, they will have a negative self-image, having certain social or cultural ideas about health and beauty. They will also have an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even when she is underweight. One of which is that people affected with this disorder are 15% below their healthy body weight and have a body mass index (BMI) less than 17.5 (Psychiatry: GPs should be vigilant for eating disorders, 2009). Probably, they have a body image that is distorted and refuse to admit the seriousness of weight loss. There are several physical effects of anorexia other than the obvious loss of weight can be seen. Anorexia can cause slow thinking and poor memory. Patient also will feel depression and fatigue. It will also cause dry, yellowish skin and brittle nails. Fine, downy hair grows on the face, back, arms, and legs. Despite this new hair growth, loss of hair on the head is not uncommon. Besides that, it will also cause tooth decay and gum damage. It will also cause the patient dizziness, fainting, and headaches. People with anorexia might also develop trouble maintaining a consistent body temperature and they will get cold easily. In addition, according to Dan W. Reiff, he said that In our clinical practice we surveyed over 1000 people with clinically diagnosed eating disorders. We found that people with anorexia nervosa report 90 to 100 percent of their waking time is spent thinking about food, weight, and hunger; an additional amount of time is spent dreaming of food or having sleep disturbed by hunger. People with bulimia nervosa report spending about 70 to 90 percent of their total conscious time thinking about food and weight-related issues. In addition, people with disordered eating may spend about 20 to 65 percent of their waking hours thinking about food. By comparison, women with normal eating habits will probably spend about 10 to 15 percent of waking time thinking about food, weight, and hunger. CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Subjects The survey was conducted by using the cluster random sampling. The survey form was distributed to 100 students. 35 students from Tunku Abdul Rahman College, Penang Branch Campus, 35 students from Disted-Stamford College and 30 students of Penang Chinese Girls High School. The survey form only distribute to female students who are aged between 15-24 years old. 3.2 Research Design This research is aims to examine whether female adolescents are influenced by the Korean popular music culture among the female adolescent between 15 to 24 years old. The data of the survey was collected by using quantitative research method. the survey questions was designed accordingly to meet the research objectives. The survey consists of 14 questions. First part of the survey was designed to know about the demographics of the participants to find out whether the participants themselves are underweight or overweight. The second part of the questions was designed to find out the frequency of the female adolescent exposed to Korean popular music. While the following part of the questions was designed to examine the satisfaction of the body weight among the female adolescent who exposed to Korean popular music. Last part of the survey questions was designed to find out whether the female adolescents have taken their meals regularly after they exposed to Korean popular music. A PILOT test was conducted was conducted on a sample size of 15 students from Tunku Abdul Rahman College, Penang Branch Campus. The Pilot test was carried out to test the accuracy requirement to meet the research objective. 3.3 Research Materials In order to find out the body weight of the female adolescent between 15 to 24 years old are underweight, overweight or at the average desirable weight. Body Mass Index(BMI) measurement formula has been using as a calculator. According to the World Health Organization(2008), BMI is the standard reference for the obesity test. Throughout the survey, pen, pencil and papers have been using to fill up the survey form. 3.4 Research Procedure The survey questionnaires were only distributed to the female students who were taking meal in the canteen of the institutions of Penang Tunku Abdul Rahman College, Penang Disted- Stamford College and Penang Chinese Girls High School. 100 set of survey questionnaires were distributed to three institution. CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS 4.1 Hypotheses Throughout the survey, the objective of the survey is to examine whether females between 15 to 24 years old are influenced by the K-pop culture about their body outlook and figures. The data were collected from three institutions which is Penang Chinese Girls High School, Penang Tunku Abdul Rahman College, and Penang Disted-Stamford College. The exact sample size is 100 people. 35 students from Tunku Abdul Rahman College, 35 students from Disted-Stamford College and 30 students from Penang Chinese Girls High School. The sample size was divided into 2 categories. 15 to 18 years old students are from secondary school which falls under 1 category while 19 to 24 years old falls under another category which is the students from tertiary education level. The following chart shows the results of the demographics of the participants. 4.2 Standard Reference of Body Weight Chart 4.2 Body weight of the participants through Body Mass Index (BMI) Based on the chart 4.2, from the first category which the participants are aged from 15 to 18 years old, there are 20% of the students were underweight, 1% of student was at the average weight and 9% of the students were overweight. From the another category, the participants were from 19 to 24 years old. There are 30% of the students were underweight, 35% of students were at average weight and 5% of the students were overweight. 4.3 Frequency of the Exposure to the Korean popular(K-pop) music Chart 4.3 Frequency of the Exposure to the K-pop music Based on the chart 4.3 above, it shows the frequency of the female adolescents exposed to the K-pop music. 12% of the underweight students exposed to K-pop music less than 2 times per week, 24% of students exposed to K-pop music more than 4 times per week, 6% of the students exposed themselves to the K-pop music everyday and 8% of the students never exposed themselves to the K-pop music. The students who are at average body weight, there are 13% of them exposed to K-pop music less than 2 times per week, 15% of them more than 4 times per week, 5% of them watch it every day and 3% of them never expose to K-pop music. 4.4 Satisfaction of body weight among the female students who exposed to Korean Popular(K-pop) music Chart 4.4 Satisfaction of body weight among the female students who exposed to Korean Popular(K-pop) music There are 38% of underweight students are not satisfied with their current body weight while 12% of them satisfied with it. Students who are at the average weight, 28% of them dissatisfied with their body weight while 8% of them satisfied with their current body weight. Students who are overweight, there are 11% are not satisfied with their body weight while only 3% of them are satisfied with their body weight. Overall of the percentage, there are 77% of the students are not satisfied with their current body weight. 4.5 Do the Students Reduce the Number of Meals Chart 4.5 The actions of the students take on their meals to become their favourite Korean Celebrities According to the chart above, students who are underweight, there is only 2% of them have reduce their meals while the rest 48% are not. 35% of the students who are at average weight have not reduce their meals while only 1% has reduce her meal. While the overweight students, only 3% of them have reduce their meals and 11% of them are not. 4.6 Outcome of the Satisfaction of the Weight among the Students Chart 4.6 The Impact of the Korean Popular(K-pop) music towards the anorexia nervosa From all the charts shown above, there is 77% of the students are not satisfied with their current body weight after they exposed to the Korean Popular music. While 23% of the students are satisfied with their body weight. The majority of students were influenced by the Korean Popular music about their body figures. CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION 5.1 Summary of Results After the survey was conducted, based on the result of the satisfaction of the body weight among the participants, majority of the participants, after they exposed to the Korean popular music, they do not satisfied with their body figures. The conclusion is there is an impact in Korean popular music towards the female adolescents. But based on the findings on the actions that whether they will reduce their meals in order to become to Korean celebrities they favor. After all, the outcome is although there is an impact in Korean popular music towards the female adolescents but the majority do not reduce their meals to become the Korean celebrities that they admire. From the survey, the results also shown that majority of the underweight female adolescents are not satisfied with their current body weight even their body weight are under weight according to the worldwide standard reference, Body Mass Index(BMI). The answers found in the survey questionnaire was they wish to be slimmer. They also stated that they want to be thin is because they want to be more beautiful. It shows that Korean popular music has a great impact to influence the teenagers nowadays to have the perception that to be extremely thin is the trend todays. Korean popular music is not the main factor that cause people choose to suffer from anorexia nervosa. There is other factors behind it. In the future, a result is hopefully to be conduct with other factor like advertisements. During the survey was conducted, a new idea was brought from the surrounding of the locations and the people. As this survey was only targeted at female but there was a lot of male students pass through. They are even more interested to know more about the Korean popular(K-pop) music compared to some of the females. It indicates that K-pop is not only influence females nowadays but also males. Males have started to admire the Korean celebrities and tend to imitate them. In the future of the research, the research of the target group might target at male students which is quite new to the society today. Due to the advancement of the technology today, children before entering to nursery or kindergarten, they have already exposed to the media almost every hours. Especially parents whom are also the favourite adopter of new technology such as smartphone, tablet and etc, their children will expose to the media more. Expose themselves to the media has already become one of the routine in daily life. In a nutshell, a research should be conduct in future should also target at the children.