Measuring Public Ratings’ Impact on Financial Condition

MEASURING PUBLIC RATINGS’ IMPACT ON FINANCIAL CONDITION OF MASS MEDIA COMPANIES IN THE PHILIPPINES: AN ANONYMOUS RELATIONSHIP A Thesis presented to the Faculty of the College of Business, Economics, Accountancy and Management De La Salle Lipa In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Business Management Major in Financial Management by Macatangay, Gladys Maralit, Joshua Montes, Jose Miguel Salute, Niel Patrick Acknowledged by Winnie D. Dimaano Thesis Adviser ABSTRACTThis study will aim to recognize the significant relationship of Public ratings/ media ratings to the subject mass media companies’ (ABS-CBN, GMA Network) financial condition and stock market performance for the years 2009-2011. The purpose of the study is to determine the companies’ public ratings/ media ratings for the years 2009-2011, to assess if there is a significant relationship between public ratings/ media ratings and the companies’ financial condition and stock market performance and to determine if public ratings/ media ratings have a significant effect on the companies.The public ratings/ media ratings will be gathered online through the websites of AGB Nielsen Philippines and Kantar Media. The researchers will be using secondary data collection technique in gathering information regarding the present study. The researchers will also use correlational research design to analyze the data. Descriptive design will also be used in the study. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii DEDICATION iii LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES ivLIST OF APPENDICES v Chapter 1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Introduction 4 Statement of the problem 5 Operational Framework6 Hypothesis7 Research Objectives 7 Significance of the Study 8 Scope and Limitation 9 Definition of Terms10 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Related Literature 11 Related Studies12 Synthesis 14 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Design 15 Respondents of the Study16 Locale of the Study16 Research Tools an d Instruments16Data Gathering Procedure17 Data Analysis and Interpretation17 BIBLIOGRAPHY20 APPENDICES Chapter 1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY This chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, statement of research objectives, significance of the study and the scope and limitations of the study. Introduction In the Philippines, one of the most influential systems of the society is media. Thus, this makes it one of the systems that the public knows the most and is familiar of.However, despite its familiarity, there are only few who are curious of how public ratings and public relations affect these companies’ financial condition in terms of its liquidity, solvency and stock value; and perhaps in the long run how it affects its profitability and revenue. In the past years, there have been two dominant Mass Media companies that are almost at par in terms of revenue in the country; The Alto Broadcasting System – Chronicle Broadcasting Network popularly known as ABS-CBN and the GMA Network (GMA), commonly signified to as â€Å"Kapuso Network†.These are major commercial television network in the Philippines owned and operated by the publicly traded Filipino media conglomerates. Public Ratings, in general has always been a part of these Mass Media companies’ way of showing their dominance over another and thus, the proponents came to an idea that perhaps public ratings have a significant effect on these companies financial condition and profitability ratio. The fact that these companies even spend large amounts of money to pay other market research companies to conduct a survey amongst the public is enough reason for the researchers to conduct a study about it.In general when conducting a study about Financial Management, it is common to have a study about the financial condition of a certain business or company concentrating only on one aspect of the company which is its financial statement. However, in this study the researchers would like to showcase the impact of public ratings to the financial condition of Mass Media companies in terms of its liquidity, solvency, and stock value and to prove if there is a significant relationship between these variables; as well as on its profitability ratio.Statement of the Problem This study will aim to recognize the significant relationship between mass media companies’ public ratings and financial condition from the year 2009 to 2011 here in the Philippines. The purpose of the study is to answer the following questions: 1. What are the public ratings of the two mass media companies in the years 2009-2011? 2. What are the companies’ financial condition/ performance in terms of: a. Return on Assetsb. Return on Equityc. Return on Investments 3.What is the Stock Market Performance/ Stock price of ABS- CBN and GMA network for the period 2009- 2011? 4. Is there a significant relationship between the companies’ public ratings and financial condition for the years 2009 to 2011? 5. What is the effect of public ratings to the media companies’ profitability and stock price performance? Operational Framework Hypothesis Ho1: There is a significant relationship between the media companies’ public ratings and financial condition. Ho2: Public ratings have a direct effect to the media companies’ stock market performance.Research Objectives It specifically aims to attain the following objectives: 1. Determine the public ratings of the two mass media companies in the years 2009-2011. 2. Determine the companies’ profitability ratios in terms of: a. Return on Assetsb. Return on Equityc. Return on Investments 3. Determine the Stock Market Performance/ Stock price of ABS- CBN and GMA network for the period 2009- 2011. 4. Determine if there is a significant relationship between the companies’ public ratings and financial condition for the years 2009-2011. . Determine the effect of public ratings to t he companies’ profitability ratio. Significance of the Study This study will be useful to numbers of sectors including the public, investors, brokers and traders, faculty, students and future researchers. For the publicThis study may introduce the value of public ratings to the public and may give them the idea that good public ratings does not only affect the media companies’ popularity or fame and its influence, but it also affects its financial condition in terms of its liquidity, solvency and stock value.For the investors This study is beneficial to the investors for they can have an additional basis in analyzing the past and the current financial condition of the media company they wish to invest at. The media companies’ public ratings would also help them analyze the which company profits more and which company gives greater opportunity for investment growth and diversification. For the brokers and tradersThis study is beneficial to the brokers and traders for they can have an additional basis in analyzing the companies financial health in terms of its liquidity, solvency and stock value.Thus, giving them basis for investment. For the facultyThe result of this study is beneficial for the professors to have a deeper understanding about what public ratings can really do to affect the financial condition of a certain company especially companies who directly concentrates on media usage for profitability. For the financial management students The result of this study is beneficial for them to learn more about the effect of public ratings which is commonly seen only as a basis for popularity.They can use it as a reference or guide to their study to further understand the factors that may affect a company’s financial condition. For the students and future researchersThe result of this study will serve as a reference to their finance courses. This will be useful to them by providing them essential details necessary in conducting thei r related studies. Scope and Limitations The study will focus on the significant relationship of public ratings to the financial condition of media companies in the Philippines in terms of liquidity, solvency and stock value.Specifically, the study will focus on public relations which may directly affect the public ratings of these media companies. Primary sources will be gathered by the researchers by visiting university libraries, reading articles and researches that are related to the study. Secondary resources will be also gathered via internet and finance websites These resources will prove that public relations have a significant relationship with public ratings. Furthermore, in determining the significant relationship between the variables (public ratings, liquidity, solvency and stock value), comparative analysis will be used.In order for comparative analysis to be done, the researchers gathered financial statements of both media companies from years 2009- 2011. The research ers also gathered the public ratings of these media companies that were gathered by market research companies that each media company has hired (Nielsen ratings and Kantar Media). Furthermore, the stock value for each company will be gathered. Definition of Terms Public Ratings Refers to media ratings issued by AGB Nielsen and Kantar Media market research firms in the Philippines that rate the subject corporations’ overall television viewer ratings.Chapter 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This chapter presented literature reviews related to the study. The section presents the writing of different personalities both foreign and local conducted by the proponents during their research which have been beneficial to the study. It involves reference materials and detailed facts stated by few people and pioneer in the field of investment that will serve as the foundation for sorting out and solving problems that may be encountered in the development of the proposed study.Literature an d studies presented in this study contained information, concepts, and findings that were contributory and fitting for the selection and development of the theoretical framework of the study. Synthesis was also created based from the gathered information and facts in literature and studies. Related Literature Public relations is now recognized as an important tool of management in production, distribution, and finance. â€Å"To have the people in your ommunity think well of you and your company, to win a measure of acceptance on the part of certain special publics, and lastly, as you devoutly hope, to gain some degree of recognition on the part of the general public. † is what media companies should do to gain better and more effective relations with the public. Related studies According to a book of Romeo P. Virtusio entitled â€Å"How to make it in PR: PR Veterans Tell Their Stories (2007),† Public Relations has a significant effect on Public ratings also known as me dia ratings.In this article the author emphasized that Public Relations is a significant asset to a company’s Public Ratings. The article also showed that there are long run relationships between the two, both directly affects each other progressively. A study conducted by a group of students from De La Salle University Taft entitled â€Å"Public Relations Firms in the Philippines and Their Life Cycle (2009),† explained that PR bears distinguishing marks for a company’s life as â€Å"failures† and â€Å"survivors. The study mentioned that Public Ratings can seriously affect a company’s orientation or leadership profile, vision, client management, financial management, preferences for innovation, and risk- taking propensity. Public Relation firms equally keep pace with the dynamic market and other forces to recognize the stage of decline which can trigger their demise, as in the case of defunct firms, and steer well through the known external envir onment/ public. This study also elaborated further the real effects of Public Ratings to companies. The operating relations firms are the survivors.They keep pace with the dynamic market and other forces in the known external environment, They keep abreast of their organizational life cycle by means of organizational blueprints for updates, interest in cultural orientation and judicious application of technological changes. Adaptation through selection is resorted to by the firms, so that alignment with the very satisfactory if not excellent business performance can be attained, to assure themselves of longer life cycle. It is in this regard that the applicability of the â€Å"Stewardship Theory† in management could be tested.The firms survive on the strength of their organization, systems and structures and competencies alone, which can prolong their life cycle. But even the masterful application of innovative management orientation and well- plotted strategy, which combines entrepreneurial orientation and stewardship, the resultant business performance still serve as a significant determinant of their life cycle. The â€Å"failed† firms are those whose management took for granted or ignored the essential requirements for a healthy and robust business concern.Deviations from the factors of entrepreneurial orientation and stewardship, and control of elements in the internal and external environments, generally lead to failures. An article written by Oscar S. Villadolid emphasized that in Public Relations, knowing the culture of the market, the set of beliefs and the value systems, traditions and ways of doing things, is what makes a strategy for good PR more effective. Mass Media companies will never get high media ratings if they do not do this. SynthesisThe studies and articles presented are closely related to the current study considering the different variables used. The primary focus was to determine the relationships between Public ratings also known as media ratings and the mass media companies’ financial condition. The studies presented assessed the significant relationship between public relations and public ratings. This helped in scrutinizing facts that are viable information to the completion of the study. Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHDOLOGY This chapter discusses the manner by which the study was conducted.The first portion shows the research design and the purpose of using such design. The second portion discusses the source of data and the third portion tells about the method of data analysis. It also discusses the ways in which relevant data needed for the research was collected and treated. Research Design This research paper will assess the relationship of public ratings and mass media companies found in the Philippines in terms of their profitability ratios mainly focusing on the companies’ return on assets, return on equity and return on investments for the years 2009 to 2011.The study will also focus on the companies’ financial condition that would help evaluate their performance in terms of solvency, liquidity and stock value. The study will use descriptive research design in order to analyze the relationship of selected mass media companies in the Philippines. Likewise, the correlational research design will be used to determine the impact of public ratings on the variables that were presented for the years 2009 to 2011. Respondents of the Study The subjects of the study would be the mass media companies specifically ABS-CBN and GMA Network that are listed under the Philippines stock market.Locale of the Study The study will be conducted in the Philippines specifically in Manila where the subjects are currently situated. Research Tools and Instruments The data that will be used for this study will be the public ratings posted by the market research companies hired to assess the ratings of ABS-CBN and GMA Network. Likewise, it shall use secondary data such as Finan cial Statement and Stock market performance. In order to assess the relationship between the variables mentioned, the researchers will gather the Financial Statements of these media companies for the years 2009 to 2011.Data Gathering Procedure The mass media companies’ data about profitability ratio and financial condition will be gathered through the use of information and communications technology by surfing the internet and researching through world-wide web. In addition, other data that will be used in this study will be collected through the references coming from the Library of the De La Salle University located at Taft mostly in the General collection and Periodical section. The researchers will also use secondary data collection technique in gathering information about the study.Secondary data will be derived from journal articles, manual/handbook and magazines as well as in the different educational, governmental and organizational websites for some related informati on about public ratings and mass media companies. Secondary data will also be obtained from related studies conducted for academic purposes. Data Analysis and Interpretation The researchers will analyze the data through the use of different methods for research. To test the relationship between the mass media companies’ public ratings, profitability ratio and financial condition, the correlational research design will be used.Moreover, the regression research design will be used to analyze and compare the financial statements of the media companies and their respective public ratings for the years 2009 to 2011. Descriptive design was also used in the study. Correlation analyses will be done to determine if significant relationship among the variables used in the study is present. The strength of the relationship among the variable will be interpreted using the following correlation equivalents: Table 1 Interpretation of Correlation Coefficient Values Correlation Coefficient V alue |Interpretation | |0 to 0. 10 |No correlation | |. 11 to . 30 |Weak correlation | |. 31 to . 50 |Moderate correlation | |. 1 to . 30 |Strong correlation | |. 71 to . 99 |Very strong correlation | The formula to be used will be: [pic] Where: n= number of pairs x, y are the number of the variables to assessed. Bibliography Romeo Virtusio P. 2007. How to make it in PR: PR Veterans tell their Stories. Filipino Book of Public Relations: 65-78. Branka Bugariska. 2013.Measuring Media Impact on Reputation: The Case of Telecommunication Companies in Macedonia. (available online:http://www. slideshare. net) Oscar Villadolid S, J. J Calero. 2007. How we dealt with Media. Filipino Book of Public Relations: 79-84. Davies, Gary et al. 2003. Corporate Reputation Management: The Key to Successful Public Relations and Corporate Communications. In: European Management Journal Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 201-212, April 2003 Doorley, John and Garcia, Helio Fred. 2007. Reputation Management: The Key to Suc cessful Public Relations and Corporate Communications. New York ,NY, USA: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Bell Hooks Views Higher Education is Important

The United States provides our society with the undeniable right to learn. The right to higher education is not limited to the middle and upper classes; it allows the less privileged, minorities, as well as both sexes, to receive an equal education. Two arguments which present interesting views on higher education are bell hook†s â€Å"Keeping Close to Home† and Adrienne Rich†s â€Å"What Does a Woman Need to Know? † Hooks views higher education with a concern for the underprivileged, whereas Rich views it with a concern for women. Of the two works, I personally do not agree with Rich†s argument. Bell hooks views higher education to be a time in which we find ourselves and learn more about who we are. This concept remains difficult on the underprivileged because they do not want to be known for their background. They see themselves as less privileged, and therefore want to keep this hidden from their new society. These students face many obstacles in their lives; college presents a whole new and much larger challenge. The transition is also hard on them. They want to fit in and hide their past, but at the same time, they do not want to lose sight of their upbringings. Hooks felt that she was an outsider in college, because she herself came from an underprivileged background, while most of her peers came from privileged backgrounds. Hooks states, â€Å"I did not intend to forget my class background or alter my class allegiance†(88), but she felt that in order to succeed, she must change who she was. Society, peers, and educators make assumptions that label the underprivileged and minorities as † ‘lower class† people† who have â€Å"no beliefs or values†(88). Professors expect these students to perform badly because of their past and their reputation in today†s society. The students are not given the fair chance other students receive. Knowing the way society portrays them, the students keep to themselves. Even after they prove to be serious and capable students, they are still looked down upon. Hooks, at first, thought that in order to succeed in college, she must change who she was, to blend in with her peers. She said many â€Å"believe that assimilation is the only possible way to survive, to succeed. (89). After going through the transition and facing these obstacles herself, hooks came to the conclusion that this was not the case. She has maintained close ties with her family, knows where she came from, and has succeeded in life. Hook†s essay tells us that you can maintain close relationships with home and still succeed. Not only are the underprivileged discriminated against, but women are too. One extreme feminist side, Adrienne Rich claims that women are not getting what they deserve when it comes to higher education. Rich states, â€Å"There is no woman†s college today which is providing young women with the education they need for survival as whole persons in a world which denies women wholeness†(45). This, of course, is all due to male dominance. Rich believes women are outsiders in man†s world. She wants women to keep their outsider†s view and not think like men when they are placed in a prominent position. The sense of male supremacy discourages women from performing at an equal level. This goes along with the idea that â€Å"feminist studies are ‘unscholarly,† ‘biased,† and ‘ideological†Ã¢â‚¬ (46). Rich claims that the education women are receiving is leaving them powerless and vulnerable. She believes â€Å"that without such an education, women have lived and will continue to live in ignorance of our collective context†(45). Because of male dominance over women†s education, the chance for women to be educated the way women should be educated is one that Rich believes does not exist. Because of Adrienne Rich†s extreme views and harsh tone towards men, I disagree with her view on higher education. Just as Rich, I do believe that women have the right to an education. Men do not have a hidden agenda to keep women powerless in the world as Rich implies. Despite the fact that this argument was given almost twenty years ago when women†s rights were a controversy, her view of women, even then, is a bit demeaning. Her comment that motherhood deprives women of their power is ridiculous. Clearly, bell hook†s â€Å"Keeping Close to Home† and Adrienne Rich†s â€Å"What Does a Woman Need to Know? display a view of higher education in which people are being discriminated against. The underprivileged, as well as women, continue to be taken advantage of in our society. The right to higher education is given to all persons – rich or poor, black or white, man or woman. Some fail to realize the importance of higher education as a step in the right direction. This opportunity is one that should and can be taken advantage of by everyone who wants badly enough to achieve success and lead a successful life.

Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Essay

Abstract Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems or also called as HCAHPS is a too and gadget for measuring and evaluating the amount of contentment and satisfaction a hospital has given to a patient. The results of these HCAHPS surveys help all hospitals across the country and the world by providing data about the preferences of patients and the quality of healthcare, operations and activities that they prefer. The information taken from these surveys will be made public, thus providing more information to the people and to the hospitals. Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems presents a standard level of hospital care and operation to all of the hospitals in our country and around the world.   Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, also known as HCAHPS, is a consistent, reliable and dependable survey device. It also has data collection methodology for use in objectively measuring and evaluating each of the patients’ perspectives of the hospital care and operation they have experienced. As of today, we know that almost all hospitals gather and collect information and data concerning patient satisfaction and contentment. Nowadays, our country has no nationwide or national standard designed for collecting and gathering this information that will facilitate and pave way for valid comparisons and assessments to be made across all hospitals and healthcare centers in our country or any given region. To be able to make matching and equivalent assessments and comparisons to back up consumer and patient preference and inclination, it is always very much essential to bring in and introduce a new, updated and acceptable standardized measurement approach to these matters. The survey is an intensive compilation of grouped questions that can be and should be integrated with modified and customized hospital items and operations. The integration of this assessment plan will pave way for the creation of a great number and high level information database which will complement and help out all the given data hospitals presently bring together and organize. This is done in order to maintain a high quality internal and in-house customer service and serviceability and quality-related activities and operations. There are three extensive and general goals that have molded and shaped the said survey. First of all, the HCAHPS survey is intended and planned to generate and create comparable data on patients’ perspectives of care. These perspectives permit objective, meaningful and unbiased comparisons between and among hospitals on any given topic, theme and/or subject matter.         Ã‚  These subject matters, topics and themes as we all know is very significant and important to the patient and consumer. Secondly, public reporting of the survey results is always planned out and agreed upon in order to produce incentives and benefits for hospitals that have been surveyed. One of the public reporting’s objectives is to further improve the quality of care that hospitals and healthcare centers give out to their patients. Thirdly, another objective of the public reporting is for it to serve and to develop public and community accountability and responsibility in health care and hospitals. This is done by overly-increasing the amount of transparency with which the quality and amount of hospital care and operations given to a patient or any person is equated in exchange for the public investment. Having all of these different goals, objectives and results in hand, the survey plan took a lot and will take a lot more of extensive, significant and noteworthy ways, .means and differentiated steps to improve, guarantee and assure the survey’s credibility, reliability, usefulness, practicality and most of all functionality. The main survey device and toll is composed of 27 unique and differentiatied items. There are two items which is aimed to sustain and uphold congressionally-mandated reports and information. There are also 18 substantive items that encompasses critical and vital aspects of the hospital experience are given and laid out for the patient to rate and comment about. Lastly there are four items to skip patients to suitable questions and there are three items to adjust and adapt for the combination of patients across hospitals. The HCAHPS is put under the careful patronage of the Hospital Quality Alliance. This group is a private and public partnership that consists of different major hospital associations. Members of these hospital associations range from private to public companies and people. References Forrester, R. B (1986). People, Healthcare and the Government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   New Jersey. Aurora Publishing. Enyinna, C. O (1998). Healthcare and the Law.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Utah. Victory Books Ltd.

Personal statement for pharmacy school Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

For pharmacy school - Personal Statement Example When I attended my first pharmacy workshop at UCI, I realized that pharmacy is the only profession that I wanted to adopt because it brings the best of me. Ever since, I conducted intensive research into the area, I was able to gain knowledge that helped me to identify the key areas for specialization in the field. Then, I attended pharmacy technician school because of which I received my technician license. This brought in-depth knowledge of pharmaceutical products and their formulas for me. By acquiring the license, I was able to apply for a job in a pharmacy. While working at the pharmacy, I came to realize that patients are not handled correctly at pharmacies, and they are being provided with pharmaceutical products, about which they do not have any information. Additionally, the work experience I gained at the pharmacy job helped me to determine that people lack basic knowledge of medicine that can be harmful for them (Veatch and Haddad 94). Since then, I decided to focus on hel ping the society by providing them quality and harmless pharmaceutical products. I realized that being a pharmacist brings a lot of responsibilities of people’s lives on a pharmacist. And that it is the duty of pharmacists to assist less fortunate patients who cannot afford to buy medicines. In addition, I also received a graduation degree from UCLA in biochemistry and attended workshops on cancer and its treatment in order to gain knowledge about pharmaceutical products and their formulas. The study of these areas further enabled me to strengthen my grip of the pharmaceutical industry and the formulas used to manufacture medicinal products. I have planned to open up a pharmacy where patients would be educated correctly about the medicines they are purchasing. I want to merge my mother’s herbal product business with my pharmaceutical business so that her dreams are fulfilled. Moreover, I want to reduce the cost that patients bear for each

Investigating Meaningful Teaching Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Investigating Meaningful Teaching - Essay Example 3). In inclusive classrooms, students with disabilities attend a regular class part of the day with resource room and other support services provided in the regular class. This can be considered as partial inclusion. However, during the recent times, the concept of full inclusion has been steadily gaining acceptance. The concept of full inclusion "maintains that a child with disabilities - even severe disabilities such as profound mental retardation - should be placed in a regular classroom for most or all of the school day" (Ayres & Meyer as cited in Kearney, 1996, "What is full inclusion" section, para. 1). The proponents of inclusion rationalize this concept on several grounds. First and foremost, inclusion is a right of all students. Students with disabilities learn social skills from their normally developing peers. Disabled students benefit from friendships and social relationships with non-disabled students and vice versa. Inclusion allows friendships among diverse students an d help children understand human differences (Price, Mayfield, McFadden & Marsh, 2000, Objectives section, para. 6). Placement of a child in a self-contained classroom involves removing the child from the general school population to work in a small controlled setting with a special education teacher (Mauro, 2009, Self-Contained Class section). Students in a self-contained class may work at different academic levels with different curricula, as they need different levels of specialization. Experiences, Observations and Opinions of Special Needs Educators A couple of teachers working with children with special needs in inclusive classrooms were approached and interviewed to learn their experiences and observations in working in that situation. According to them, special education is most meaningful and fulfils its purpose when children with special needs are capable of overcoming their shortcomings and become independent to the maximum extent possible by them. The same opinion was shared by educators working with children with special needs in self-contained classrooms as well. They recounted examples where children with some issues of dyslexia could be later on included in a regular classroom after initial training in the self-contained classroom. Another example was of a child with learning disabilities whose artistic skills were so encouraged that they could hold an exhibition of his works on the school grounds. His talent caught the attention of not only the students and their parents, but of the public and the media as well. Of course, the children's needs are at different levels and their likelihood of attaining independence is also varying. The teachers following both modes of education feel that they feel maximum satisfaction and contentment on seeing the evolution of a child with special needs to as close to a normally developed child as is possible by them physically, mentally and intellectually. This involves tackling not only academic and developmental issues, but also issues of social etiquette, propriety and decorum. What is most necessary here is being able to view a disabled child as a normal child with certain shortcomings and to

In what ways can 'childhood' and 'youth' be understood as social Essay

In what ways can 'childhood' and 'youth' be understood as social constructions - Essay Example The objective of this essay is to identify the different ways childhood and youth is because of social construction. The essay will mainly use Kehily’s book understanding youths. Kehily is one of the most popular sociologists in the world today. She has researched on many issues relating to childhood, youths, gender and sexuality. In the book Understanding Youths, she has used history and sociocultural approaches to prove that childhood is a social construction. The use of history and sociocultural approaches is important in her book since in part one, she talks about perspective. She has used past researches by other sociologists in trying to show the changes that childhood has undergone based on the time period, culture and the economic activities during the time stated. She has used Aries findings that in the 15th century, children even at the age of 5 years were free to do anything that the adults were doing (Classen, 2005, p. 171). This changed in the 16th century, where children were for economic purposes since they could work to boost the family’s income. During the industrial revolution, childhood changed since the law against child labor was introduced thus children suffered from separation with their parents. In 1950, childhood took another twist and it was the beginning of children being very dependent on their parents (Veerman, 1992, p. 58). The second part of Kehily’s book is self-identity; she has based her argument on the historical findings that childhood is different due to the social status (Kehily, 2007, p. 19). She claims that in the West; whose occupants were wealthy spoilt their children, this is different with the Western region where childhood had no meaning since their parents were poor thus they had to work. The third part of the book covers the activities and that the youths engage in thus gaining experience. She states that

Shamoon incident at Aramco Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Shamoon incident at Aramco - Case Study Example This was the first malware used by the hacktivism front and hence the company’s network was not in a position to handle the complexity of this virus. Indeed, unlike other malware whose impact cannot overcome the antivirus set in the company’s network, the technology used in Aramco was way below that of the hackers. The network system in Aramco offers security to theft of data but has no capacity to handle annihilation manifested by Shamoon. In addition, the company’s anti-hacking and firewall software is incapable to deal with such technologically advanced malware like Shamoon. Moreover, the company’s IT and computer systems policies require a review. Sadly, the network system of Aramco allows multiple users to access both unclassified and classified information at the same time, which jeopardizes the security of the system as seen in the Shamoon attack. In addition, Aramco’s network allows its employees and expatriate employees to run information s ystems and then divulge such information that acts as leeway to cyber-attacks. Indeed, the company needs to review and update its IT policies and computer systems for purposes of dealing with such complicated malware as Shamoon (Mashat, 2012, p.1). Otherwise, the ease to access, lack of proper authorization, and use of ancient anti-hacking and firewall software, jeopardizes the security of Aramco’s network system. How the Attack Happened One group of hackers has claimed responsibility over the Shamoon attack on Aramco. The group, Cutting Sword of Justice asserts that the cyber-attack took place beginning Wednesday, Aug 15, 2012 at 11:08 AM and was complete within a few hours (Fisher, 2012, p.1). Although, this information is not certain, there are clear indications that lead to this assertion. Indeed, in the same day after Cutting Sword of Justice asserted this, Saudi Aramco confirmed that part of its computer system used by its employees is under cyber-attack courtesy of a c omputer virus. Alternatively, several antivirus vendors Kaspersky Lab, Symantec, McAfee confirmed the existence of such a virus and named it Shamoon or Disttrack (Higgins, 2012, P. 16). Indeed, the hackers took the virus from another computer package and dropped it off in the Aramco’s computer system. We may need to define the details of this virus to reinforce our understanding on how this attacked happened. Shamoon or Disttrack is a legitimate software driver with a digital signature inside its package. Specifically, the virus is referred to as W32. Disttrack and ha distinct security components. Indeed, W32.Disttrack has a dropper that played a major role in creating and providing the original infection. Subsequently, the dropper significantly dropped other modules in initiating the attack. In addition, the W32.Disttrack has a wiper whose main responsibility in the attack was to destroy the network of target system, Aramco. Moreover, the wiper has the capability to enable u ser-mode applications to read and write to disk sectors of other systems (Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, 2012, n. p). As such, it is most applicable in overwriting the computer's Master Boot Record. Indeed, the wiper deleted all the existing drivers and overwrote the signed one in Aramco’s network. Most significantly, the W32.Disttrack entails a reporter, which was significant in reporting the success of the attack to the attacker. The reporter takes back all the details