Sociolinguistics free essay sample

It is the geographical boundary or delineation of a certain linguistic feature, e. g. the pronunciation of a vowel, the meaning of a word, or use of some syntactic feature. We will write a custom essay sample on Sociolinguistics or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Major dialects are typically demarcated by whole bundles of isoglosses, e. g. the Benrath line that distinguishes High German from the other West Germanic languages; or the La Spezia-Rimini Line which divides the Northern Italian dialects from Central ones. One of the most well-known isoglosses is the Centum-Satem isogloss. A major isogloss in American English has been identified as the North-Midland isogloss, which demarcates numerous linguistic features, including the Northern Cities vowel shift, the isogloss separates rather than connects points of equal language. An isogloss refers to a specific type of language border. It is the geographical boundary or delineation of a certain linguistic feature, e. g. the pronunciation of a vowel, the meaning of a word, or use of some syntactic feature. Major dialects are typically demarcated by whole bundles of isoglosses, e. . the Benrath line that distinguishes High German from the other West Germanic languages; or the La Spezia-Rimini Line which divides the Northern Italian dialects from Central ones. One of the most well-known isoglosses is the Centum-Satem isogloss. 1. In DIALECT geography, an area within which a feature is used predominantly or exclusively. Such a feature (phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic, lexical, or other) usually contras ts with some similar feature in adjoining areas. Thus, some native speakers of English pronounce /r/ after a vowel, as in barn, hard, car, while others do not: in the US this postvocalic /r/ is normally present in the Chicago area but absent in the Boston area. Such distinct areas are isoglosses. 2. More commonly, the line on a dialect map which bounds the area of a certain usage. In England, an isogloss that stretches from the mouth of the Severn to Portsmouth separates the area of initial spoken /v/ from that of /f/, as in vinger/finger, Vriday/Friday, the v-forms being south-west of the line. No two isoglosses coincide exactly; there is always a transition area of partial overlapping. Social dialect: Another important axis of differentiation is that of social strata. In many localities, dialectal differences are connected with social classes, educational levels, or both. More-highly educated speakers and, often, those belonging to a higher social class tend to use more features belonging to the standard language, whereas the original dialect of the region is better preserved in the speech of the lower and less-educated classes. In large urban centres, innovations unknown in the former dialect of the region frequently develop. Thus, in cities the social stratification of dialects is especially relevant and far-reaching, whereas in rural areas, with a conservative way of life, the traditional geographic dialectal differentiation prevails. Educational differences between speakers strongly affect the extent of their vocabulary. In addition, practically every profession has its own expressions, which include the technical terminology and sometimes also the casual words or idioms peculiar to the group. Slang too is characterized mainly by a specific vocabulary and is much more flexible than an ordinary dialect, as it is subject to fashion and depends strongly on the speaker’s age group. Slang—just as a professional dialect—is used mainly by persons who are in a sense bidialectal; i. e. , they speak some other dialect or the standard language, in addition to slang. Dialectal differences also often run parallel with the religious or racial division of the population. Regional dialect: A speech pattern that alerts the listener that you are from a specific region within the United States. It may include non-standard pronunciation, grammar, resonance, pitch, rate of speech, and differences in vocabulary. A few examples of regional dialects include the New York and Southern American dialects. A regional language is a language spoken in an area of a nation state, whether it be a small area, a federal state or province, or some wider area. Usually applies to the vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation characteristic of specific geographic localities or social classes. The vernacular is the informal everyday language spoken by a people. A dialect is distinguished by its vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation (phonology, including prosody). Where a distinction can be made only in terms of pronunciation, the term accent is appropriate, not dialect (although in common usage, dialect and accent are usually synonymous). A regional dialect is not a distinct language but a variety of a language spoken in a particular area of a country. Some regional dialects have been given traditional names which mark them out as being significantly different from standard varieties spoken in the same place. Some examples are Hillbilly English (from the Appalachians in the USA) and Geordie (from Newcastle upon Tyne in the UK). A standard language (also standard dialect, standardized dialect, or standardised dialect) is a particular variety of a language that has been given either legal or quasi-legal status. As it is usually the form promoted in schools and the media, it is usually considered by speakers of the language to be more correct in some sense than other dialects. Usually, but not always, based on the tongue of a capital city, a standard language is defined by the selection of certain regional and class markers, and the rejection of others. This is the version of a language that is typically taught to learners of the language as a foreign language, and most texts written in that language follow its spelling and grammar norms. standard written language is sometimes termed by the German word Schriftsprache A Standard languages arise when a certain dialect begins to be used in written form, normally throughout a broader area than that of the dialect itself. The ways in which this language is used—e. g. , in administrative matters, literature, and economic life—lead to the minimization of linguistic variation. The social prestige attached to the speech of the richest, most powerful, and most highly educated members of a society transforms their language into a model for others; it also contributes to the elimination of deviating linguistic forms. Dictionaries and grammars help to stabilize linguistic norms, as do the activity of scholarly institutions and, sometimes, governmental intervention. The base dialect for a country’s standard language is very often the original dialect of the capital and its environs—in France, Paris; in England, London; in Russia, Moscow. Or the base may be a strong economic and cultural centre—in Italy, Florence. Or the language may be a combination of several regional dialects, as are German and Polish. Even a standard language that was originally based on one local dialect changes, however, as elements of other dialects infiltrate into it over the years. The actual development in any one linguistic area depends on historical events. Sometimes even the distribution of standard languages may not correspond to the dialectal situation. Dutch and Flemish dialects are a part of the Low German dialectal area, which embraces all of northern Germany, as well as The Netherlands and part of Belgium. In one part of the dialectal area, however, the standard language is based on High German, and in the other part the standard language is Dutch or Flemish, depending on the nationality of the respective populations. In the United States, where there is no clearly dominant political or cultural centre—such as London or Paris—and where the territory is enormous, the so-called standard language shows perceptible regional variations in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. All standard languages are in any case spoken in a variety of accents, though sometimes one particular accent (e. g. Received Pronunciation in Britain) may be most closely associated with the standard because of its shared social or educational origins. In most developed countries, the majority of the population has an active (speaking, writing) or at least passive (understanding) command of the standard language. Very often the rural population, and not uncommonly the lower social strata of the urban p opulation as well, are in reality bidialectal. They speak their maternal dialect at home and with friends and acquaintances in casual contacts, and they use the standard language in more formal situations. Even the educated urban population in some regions uses the so-called colloquial language informally. In the German-, Czech-, and Slovene-speaking areas of middle Europe, for example, a basically regional dialect from which the most striking local features have been eliminated is spoken. The use of this type of language is supported by psychological factors, such as feelings of solidarity with a certain region and pride in its traditions or the relaxed mood connected with informal behaviour. . Code-switching is a linguistics term denoting the concurrent use of more than one language, or language variety, in conversation. Multilinguals, people who speak more than one language, sometimes use elements of multiple languages in conversing with each other. Thus, code-switching is the syntactically and phonologically appropriate use of more than one linguistic variety. Code-switching is distinct from other language contact phenomena, such as borrowing, pidgins and creoles, loan translation (calques), and language transfer (language interference). Speakers form and establish a pidgin language when two or more speakers who do not speak a common language form an intermediate, third language. On the other hand, speakers practice code-switching when they are each fluent in both languages. Code mixing is a thematically related term, but the usage of the terms code-switching and code-mixing varies. Some scholars use either term to denote the same practice, while others apply code-mixing to denote the formal linguistic properties of said language-contact phenomena, and code-switching to denote the actual, spoken usages by multilingual persons. In the 1940s and the 1950s many scholars called code-switching a sub-standard language usage. Since the 1980s, however, most scholars have recognized it is a normal, natural product of bilingual and multilingual language use. In popular usage outside the field of linguistics the term code-switching is sometimes used to refer to relatively stable informal mixtures of two languages, such as Spanglish or Franponais, or to refer to dialect or style-shifting, such as that practiced by speakers of African American Vernacular English as they move from less formal to more formal settings. Code-switching refers to alternating between one or more languages or dialects. It also occurs within a particular language. We use different forms of expression depending on the person we are speaking to and where we are speaking to that person. There are different degrees of formality and informality. Many times in English there is more than one way of pronouncing. Some people whose first language is English decide how they are going to speak by the context within which they are speaking. Code-switching is a term in linguistics referring to alternating between one or more languages or dialects. Code-switching is the practice of moving between variations of languages in different contexts. This article explains the history of code-switching, explores important literature on the subject, and discusses approaches to language response in the classroom. Code-switching is the practice of moving between variations of languages in different contexts. Everyone who speaks has learned to code-switch depending on the situation and setting. In an educational context, code-switching is defined as the practice of switching between a primary and a secondary language or discourse. In a diglossic situation, some topics and situations are better suited to one language over another. Joshua Fishman proposes a domain-specific code-switching model (later refined by Blom and Gumperz) wherein bilingual speakers choose which code to speak depending on where they are and what they are discussing. For example, a child who is a bilingual Spanish-English speaker might speak Spanish at home and English in class, but Spanish at recess. Code switching refers to the switching between two or more different languages in a single conversation. This occurs when a bilingual person uses both languages to communicate with another person. It happens consciously as well as sub-consciously. In most cases both the people in the conversation are conversant with both languages. The switch from one language to the other can last for a single phrase to a few sentences. The switch is made mainly due to the mood of the speaker or he/she might feel that a particular part of the conversation can be best conveyed by switching to another language. The switch might also happen because the person does not know the appropriate word or phrase in a particular language. Code switching happens very often in ethnic minority communities in different countries. E. g. It is prevalent in the Indian and Hispanic communities in the United States. Pidgin is often confused with code switching but it differs because it refers to the mixing up of two different languages in a single word. In 1977, Carol Myers-Scotton and William Ury identified code-switching as the â€Å"use of two or more linguistic varieties in the same conversation or interaction. † Scholars use different names for various types of code-switching. Citation needed] Intersentential switching occurs outside the sentence or the clause level (i. e. at sentence or clause boundaries). Intra-sentential switching occurs within a sentence or a clause. Tag-switching is the switching of either a tag phrase or a word, or both, from language-B to language-A, (common intra-sentential switches). Intra-word switching occurs within a word, itself, such as at a morpheme boundary. Patois is any language t hat is considered nonstandard, although the term is not formally defined in linguistics. It can refer to pidgins, creoles, dialects, and other forms of native or local speech, but not commonly to jargon or slang, which are vocabulary-based forms of cant. Class distinctions are embedded in the term, drawn between those who speak patois and those who speak the standard or dominant language used in literature and public speaking, They are synonymous, but patois implies that it is the dialect of a region or a group (such as thieves), differing in various respects from the standard language of the country. — ORIGIN French, ‘rough speech’. The slang or informal speech used by a particular social

Free Essays on Childhood Poverty In US

In America, the issue of childhood poverty is in need of one of the greatest humanitarian efforts in history. One in five children of America live in poverty, with percentages in New York and California reaching above 25%, and the states of Texas, Florida, Massachusetts and Illinois all are above the 20% marker. 10 more states fall in line with those mentioned previously(Schrerrer). Such a decline in the standards of living of our children is even more dire when compared to rates of other industrialized nations. Countries of western Europe have childhood poverty rates that are considerably less troublesome, and services that are offered to people in those countries reflect a different attitude towards those children in need of care they obviously cannot provide for themselves. The people of America use have a system known as welfare which is used to â€Å"cushion† those families that require aid, or lost a job. In other countries, benefit packages are considerably higher i n amount of money they provide, and in the wide array of services that are provided. We must examine the cause of these issues, and later on it will be shown relevant to the overall cause of childhood poverty in America. The first of these is the values and morals taught to us by our forefathers, which have perhaps the single greatest impact on our viewpoints today. We, as a culture, have many values that we utilize on a daily basis. These values are often the hardest to point out in members of our own culture due to the fact that our actions that are pertinent to this behavior are automatic. When compared to Values of other countries, apparent correlation can be made between the state of that countries youth and it’s core system of values. Another plausible reason for the grotesque level of children living in poor conditions in this country which is also directly related to values of a culture is the amount of and quality of care provided. This care can b... Free Essays on Childhood Poverty In US Free Essays on Childhood Poverty In US In America, the issue of childhood poverty is in need of one of the greatest humanitarian efforts in history. One in five children of America live in poverty, with percentages in New York and California reaching above 25%, and the states of Texas, Florida, Massachusetts and Illinois all are above the 20% marker. 10 more states fall in line with those mentioned previously(Schrerrer). Such a decline in the standards of living of our children is even more dire when compared to rates of other industrialized nations. Countries of western Europe have childhood poverty rates that are considerably less troublesome, and services that are offered to people in those countries reflect a different attitude towards those children in need of care they obviously cannot provide for themselves. The people of America use have a system known as welfare which is used to â€Å"cushion† those families that require aid, or lost a job. In other countries, benefit packages are considerably higher i n amount of money they provide, and in the wide array of services that are provided. We must examine the cause of these issues, and later on it will be shown relevant to the overall cause of childhood poverty in America. The first of these is the values and morals taught to us by our forefathers, which have perhaps the single greatest impact on our viewpoints today. We, as a culture, have many values that we utilize on a daily basis. These values are often the hardest to point out in members of our own culture due to the fact that our actions that are pertinent to this behavior are automatic. When compared to Values of other countries, apparent correlation can be made between the state of that countries youth and it’s core system of values. Another plausible reason for the grotesque level of children living in poor conditions in this country which is also directly related to values of a culture is the amount of and quality of care provided. This care can b...

Immigrant's success Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Immigrant's success - Essay Example The Ly family is a refugee family; but they own the neighborhood bakery which had earned a revenue of as much as $44 million now. Lester is a Cuban refugee who escaped successfully to America from Cuba by windsurfing. I believe they succeeded because they were hardworking, confident and purposeful. To succeed in America, one of the primary keys to success is to be hardworking. There are four points to ensure that an individual works hard. First, a hardworking person takes fewer breaks than others. For example, Lester worked at a windsurfing rental booth by day while attending high school at night. He was busy the whole day and took very few breaks to get more experience and knowledge. Second, hardworking people do more things than others. For instance, Fatemeh Mizbani started at 6:30 a.m. and called it a day at 5:30 in the afternoon. She not only worked longer than other teachers; but also spent her lunch break helping her students. This way, she earned her students and work matesâ⠂¬â„¢ admiration. Third, hardworking means the worker does not care about the kind of job they get. For example, Ly families worked as laborers, handymen, seamstresses, and house-cleaners. Because they did some low-paying jobs, they still earned enough money to start a new business. The last one was working hard to get a good education. For instance, Dr. Erick Miranda graduated from Harvard and then worked at the L.A. County/USC emergency medical center. His words showed the importance of hard work. He said, â€Å"No matter where you come from or how poor you are, there is a path open to you here.† But you need to work hard to get on that path. As evident, hard work assists in getting more knowledge or experience, as well as respect from others. Another key to success, aside from hard work, is confidence in oneself. In contemporary times, there are still a lot of hardworking immigrants who do not succeed because they do not have self-confidence. Every successful man is confid ent and those aspiring to succeed must determine the secrets to gain self-confidence. Confidence means that you believe there is always a road to success; as well as to believe in one’s powers, determination and persistence. When talking to people or demonstrating something to others, one must be confident so that people will trust one’s words or the products being endorsed. One should be able to prepare well through study or research. For instance, the 17 year old boy named Lester was able to escape to America by windsurfing for more than 80 miles. He escaped alone because he believed in his plan and his sailing skill and he succeeded. Consequently, by arriving in America against immense odds, he became famous because of his marvelous confidence. As such, confidence would enable one to achieve things that have never been tried before. Finally, by being hardworking and confident, there is only one more important thing that is needed: setting a goal. If one does not hav e a goal, one would not have any direction just like a waterweed which floats on the river. One must have a clear idea on the goal that is to be set. The goal is the most important thing one wants to do in the future. The goal is the terminal point in a race; so one should not stop trying to get it. If one stops for a while, other people who have the same goal might surpass and one might eventually lose. Goals that are to be set should be attainable. There is a big refugee family named Ly family who

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 16

Reflection - Essay Example It is at this point that one strongly believes in leaving some lessons learned throughout life’s journey which have been instrumental in attaining inner peace and happiness. For one, as a traveler, one observed that vast technological developments in the field of science have indeed paved the way for uplifting the welfare of mankind. Medical breakthroughs, for instance, in conjunction with discoveries that provided comfort and facilitated human interactions enabled men to enjoy longevity. However, it is not solely the objective of men to live longer; but more so, to improve the quality of life. This means that man should be able to discern the purpose of existence extend more than survival to encompass enriching the lives of those they encounter during their journey. They must have been able to provide an insight, shared knowledge, assisted in the development of skills or abilities, and added value to other people’s lives. This does not necessarily mean that only the ed ucated or those who pursued higher education are the only ones capable to improve another person’s life. One acknowledges that simple joys, anecdotes, even painful and challenging experiences provide relevant lessons that provide appropriate learning even to professionals in various fields of endeavors. Secondly, consistent with what various religions teach, it is the individual’s ability to reach tranquility, calmness, peacefulness through adherence to ethical, moral and legal standards posed by society. It is here that science and religion interconnect. As science likewise aims to discover means to alleviate pain, discomfort, and solutions to problems; the goal of religion, likewise, is to attain peace, salvation, eternal life. Science finds solutions to physical problems. Religion finds meaning to emotional and spiritual questions. Religion offers recluse through feeding the spirit with

Changes to Crime Rates in the UK

Changes to Crime Rates in the UK Crime has devastating consequences to the economic and social dimensions of any country. Unfortunately despite increased efforts to fight crime halting it seems to be impossible. Slack (2009) points out that official crime figures indicate that the country has the worst rate essentially for all types, or categories of violent crimes when compared to the United States and other countries that appear on the list of the most dangerous countries in the world. Hicks and Allen (1999, 5) indicate that the figure of homicides which include offences of manslaughter, murder and infanticide have doubled since 1960s however, the state that recorded crime fell considerably in the 1990s. They assert that the rising trend of crime that was reported began in 1954 seemingly declining starting 1992 when reported crime peaked. Nonetheless the British Survey reports show the 1990s estimates of unreported crime as standing at fifty six percent and thus making it unclear whether there was indeed a decline in the 1990s. Additionally the rate of crime might have not reduced since statistics show that the average prison population has been increasing since 1940s to approximately sixty five thousand in 1998. Nonetheless the police insist that the crime rates have been declining over the years starting that they did peak in 1995 but have steadily reduced since especially due to government efforts. Home office (2008) statistics also indicate crime rates peaked in 1995 but have since dropped by 42 percent. In 2009 police reports show that crime decreased by five percent when compared to 2007/2008 rates while BCS reports show no significant change in the rates. NIMS (2008) are however of the idea that the overall crime rates have been decreasing over the past few years although some years have experienced slight increases in the rates. In general from the reports it can be concluded that on average the rates of crime have slightly decreased. On the most recent figures, what percentage of all crimes recorded by the police do the following constitute: Murder? Rape? Theft? Car theft? 2008/09 provisional data by the police show 648 occurrences of homicide. This is the lowest recorded figure in the last twenty years. Attempted murders, whose figure stood at 621 in 2007/2008 decreased by approximately forty six incidences or seven percent in 2008/2009. While there was a decline in the homicide offences that involved sharp instruments by approximately 18 incidents, attempted murders that involved knifes rose from approximately 245 to 271 incidents. Generally, of all crimes that the police recorded in the period 2008/09 murder accounted for less than two percent of them. Police records also show that while sexual offences recorded a 4 percent drop women rape increased by 12,000 cases which translates to five percent. Additionally car theft accounted for thirteen percent of all the crimes committed in 2008/09 (Home Office 2009, 16). On the most recent British Crime Survey figures, what is the most commonly experienced form of crime? According to Home Office (2009, 16), British Crime Survey statistics present property crime as the most common misdemeanor experienced by individuals. Property crime accounts for nearly eighty percent of the crimes that were recorded by BCS. Nevertheless this current figure is still lower since the high or peak point in 1995. What is meant by clear-up rates? Tarling (2008, 148) explains that while crime rate refers to the total figure of crimes that the police recorded per 100,000 people, clear up rate is described as the percentage of crime recorded that is solved or detected by the police. Home Office (2009, 131) clarify that the clear up rates may not be definitive indicators or measures of the police investigative performance and thus need to be evaluated or interpreted with care. Give examples of variations in clear up rates between crime categories. What reasons might be given for these variations? According to Home Office (2009, 131) just like in the previous years there was a variation in the clear up rates for the distinct crime types in 2008/09. For instance there was a 95% clear up rate for drug offences but 11% for vehicle offences. Additionally while the clear up rates for burglary stood at thirteen percent, criminal damage rates stood at 14%, robbery at 21%, fraud and offences at 28%, sexual offences 31% and violence against persons 47%. One of the main reasons that have been given for these differences is the nature of crime. For instance drug offences which record the highest rate are easy to clear since they are relatively straightforward to handle; to deal with an offender in possession of such substances a warning may simply be issued to the delinquent. However the rates are much lower in offences against vehicles or burglary since the offences typically come to light much later or days after they have been committed and the offenders have disappeared from the crime scene. Crime mix and the methods that are put into use by the police to detect the various offences can also lead to a variation in the clear up rates. What is the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) and why is it important? The NCRS provides general rules and regulations for recording offenses and has been approved and adopted by police forces since 2002 in England and Wales. It requires that all incidents reports whether from witnesses, third parties or victims and whether crime linked or not need result in an incident report registration. The NCRS represents the government attempt to overcome crime recording variations and provide accuracy and consistency in data entry between police divisions and forces. It is also important since it is meant to provide reliable data that is used to measure and compare police divisions and forces performance creating room for improvements (Hallam 2009, 38-41). NCRS also allows a crime recording approach that is victim oriented allowing the forces to fairly serve the populace. Which groups in the population are most at risk of becoming victims of violent crime? The general characteristics of adults that are susceptible or are most at risk of being violent crimes victims has not changed over the years. Essentially the overall risk of one becoming a violent crime victim in the period within 2008/09 was reported as being approximately 3%. Reports also indicate that males were twice as likely as women to become victims of violent crimes. According to the BCS survey the figure for men that had fallen victim to such crimes a year before the analysis stood at about 4 percent compared to 2% for women. Therefore the risk is highest for men than women. In addition risk of facing violent crimes for men decreased as their ages increased. Risk levels were found to be less than 1% for men that were sixty five years and older while those aged between sixteen and twenty four had a risk calculated at 13%. Similar trends were observed in females although the risk rates differed, with those between sixteen and twenty four facing a risk of about 5%. The unempl oyed people risk of becoming victims to such crime stood at 7.6 percent while that of the employed people was recorded at approximately 3%. Unmarried males and females (7.6 percent), students (8.6 percent) and individuals with mixed ethnicity (7 percent) also showed a higher than average risk of becoming violent crimes victims (Home Office 2009, 47). In terms of age and gender, which groups in the population are most likely to be known as  offenders? Offenders are likely to be young and male in terms of gender. In half of the reported violent crimes the offenders were believed or found to be between sixteen and twenty four years of age. Additionally from eighty percent of the incidents male offenders were found to be the main culprits as compared to fourteen percent for their female counterparts. The probability of males committing crime was in fact higher for all crimes. As age increased it became less likely that individuals would commit an offense. While individuals between 16 and 24 had a 55% chance, those between 25 and 39 had a thirty percent chance while those that were forty years and older had a 13 percent chance of committing crime (Home Office 2009, 70). Compared with other countries, is the crime rate in England Wales high, low, or average? Reports by the United Nations and the European Union indicate that the UK has been ranked second based in terms of overall crime rates in the EU, with higher percentages of homicides than those in Italy, German, Spain and France (Slack, 2009). Furthermore the UK is fourth in burglary rates and fifth in robbery rates when compared to most of the western European countries. The UK basically records the highest absolute burglary figure in the EU actually with double the total number of offenses that are recorded in France and Germany. Moreover Britain has been named as the most violent nation in the EU. According to Slack (2009) there are 2034 offenses occurring in every 100, 000 people in the UK, Austrias figures stands at 1677, US 466, South Africa 1609 and Canada 935. The crime rate is therefore generally high when compared with the other countries (Slack, 2009). In comparison with other jurisdictions, is the use of imprisonment in England Wales low, high or average? The proportion or percentage of the population that is imprisoned in any country varies with the conviction rates, crime rates, prison sentences length and tendency to issue prison sentences as opposed to community service or fines. Despite the declining crime rates in the UK imprisonment rates have steadily increased leading to overcrowding in prison facilities. When compared to Japan, Australia, Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Austria, France, Spain and Canada the use of imprisonment in the UK is high (US BJS, 2005). Nonetheless when the compared to the United States, Singapore and Portugal, England and Wales use of imprisonment is average. According to BBC (2005) in every population of 100,000, 726 were in prison in the US, 142 in the UK and 58 in Japan in the year 2005.

Chapter 54 Essay

Chapter 54: Community Ecology Concept 54.1 Community interactions are classified by whether they help, harm, or have no effect on the species involved. 1.What is a community? List six organisms that would be found in your schoolyard community. 2.This section will look at interspecific interactions. Be clear on the meaning of the prefix! To begin, distinguish between intraspecific competition and interspecific competition. Give an example of each. Type of Competition Explanation Example Intraspecific competition Interspecific competition 3.What is G. F. Gause’s competitive exclusion principle? Give one example. 4.Define ecological niche. 5.Several species of Anolis lizards live in the same types of trees and have a similar diet. Discuss resource partitioning to explain how interspecific competition is reduced. (Study Figure 54.2.) 6.What is the difference between the fundamental niche and the realized niche? 7. Study Figure 54.5, and then explain what is meant by character displacement. (To do this, you will have to learn or review the difference between sympatric populations and allopatric populations. You will find this information in Chapter 24.) 8.Predation is a term that you probably already know. Can you give examples of some predator-prey combinations as listed below? Predator Prey Animal Animal Animal Plant Fungus Animal Bacteria Animal Fungus Example Plant 9.List three special adaptations that predator species possess for obtaining food. 10.List three ways prey species elude predators. 11.Compare the two types of mimicry. Type of Mimicry Batesian MÃ ¼llerian Description Example 12.What is herbivory? 13.Did you list any special herbivore adaptations for predation in your response to question 9? Or plant adaptations to avoid herbivory? List two adaptations for each category here. 14.Describe and give an example of each of the following interactions: Type of Interaction Description Example symbiosis parasitism commensalism mutualism 15.Which category above includes the other three? Note that other texts may define this term more narrowly. 16.Your text uses +/– symbols to indicate how interspecific interactions affect survival and reproduction of the two species. Use this notation for each of these interactions. Type of Interaction predation commensalism mutualism parasitism interspecific competition herbivory +/+, +/–, –/–, +/0 17.What is species diversity? What are its two components? Why is it important? 18.What does an ecologist summarize in a food web? 19.Know the levels of trophic structure in food chains. Give a food chain here, including four links that might be found in a prairie community, and tell the level for each organism. 20.Name every organism in the pictured food chain, and give the trophic level in the box. 21.According to the energetic hypothesis, why are food chains limited in length? How much energy is typically transferred to each higher level? 22.What is a dominant species? For the area where you live, what would be considered a dominant tree species? 24.Name one keystone species, and explain the effect its removal has on the ecosystem. 25.Explain facilitator or foundation species and give an example. You may omit bottom-up and top-down controls. Concept 54.3- Disturbance influences species diversity and composition 26. What is the intermediate disturbance hypothesis? Give an example of a disturbance event, and explain the effect it has on the community. 27.Ecological succession is the changes in species that occupy an area after a disturbance. What is the difference between primary succession and secondary succession? Concept 54.4 Biogeographic factors affect community biodiversity 28. Explain latitudinal gradients in terms of species richness. Where is species richness greatest? 29.There are probably two key factors in latitudinal gradients. List and explain both here, and put a star next to the one that is probably the primary cause of the latitudinal difference in biodiversity. 30.Explain what is demonstrated by a species-area curve. 31.Renowned American ecologists Robert MacArthur and E. O. Wilson developed a model of island biogeography. While the model can be demonstrated with islands, any isolated habitat represents an island. What are the two factors that determine the number of species on the island? 32.What two physical features of the island affect immigration and extinction rates? 33.Why do small islands have lower immigration rates? Higher extinction rates? 34.Closer islands have 35.What is the island equilibrium model? 36.Use this model to describe how an island’s size and distance from the mainland affect the island’s species richness. extinction rates and immigration rates. Concept 54.4 Community ecology is useful for understanding pathogen life cycles and controlling human disease 37.Let’s pull a couple of ideas from this section: What is a pathogen? 38.What is a zoonotic pathogen? List three examples. 39.What is a vector? List three examples.

Unit 26

Edexcel BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production Assignment Brief Television & Film | |Unit 26: Film Studies |Title: Analytical Approaches and Relationships between Films and | | |their Production Context | | |Year: 2013 |Group: Year 12 | |Assignment Handout: |Assignment Deadline: |Assessor: | | / /2013 |Draft Submission: / /2013 |G. Rushworth | | |Final Submission: / /2013 | | |This brief has been approved by: |Date: | |J. MacKay |Jan 13 | Context | | | |This unit aims to develop learners’ understanding of how films are created for specific audiences and how they make meaning for those | |audiences through an exploration of industry practices and the application of a range of theoretical approaches. The insights that | |learners develop will inform their future production work. | |Learning Outcomes: |Unit: | |Be able to apply different analytical approaches to films |26. 1 | |Understand the relationship between films and their production contexts |26. 2 | Useful Resources: | |www. imdb. com | |Film website with range of industry and film information | |www. empireonline. co. uk | |Possibly word’s biggest and best film magaizine with huge back catalouge of reviews/features | | | |There is a very large selection of DVDs available in Media Studies.Just ask a Media teacher to take a look. | +-+ |Task 1: Analytical Approaches | |PASS |Using the analytical approaches of genre analysis, content analysis and auteur theory, create a |? |P1 | | |detailed discussion of the gangster genre. | | | | | | | | | |You will look at the film Goodfellas, and extracts from The Godfather, Scarface, American Gangster| | | | |and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. | | | | |? | | | |Your discussion of the genre may be done as a 1400 word report, or as a fifteen minute Power Point| | | | |presentation with accompanying notes. | | | | | | | | | |In your analysis of the gangster genre you should also consider the following: | | | | | |? | | |Codes and Conventions | | | | |Iconography | | | | |Findings from both your content and textual analysis | | | | |Narrative structure | | | | |Audience Readings |? | |MERIT |In addition: | |M1 | | |Relevant examples that draw upon elements or details of the films studied will be given to support| | | | |what is said, but you will not describe these examples to show how they illustrate the point they |? | | | |support. In discussing codes and conventions in a genre analysis you might note: | | | | | | | | | |‘The knife is part of the iconography of the horror movie and is often the means by which the | | | | |victim is killed.In 12 of the 15 movies I studied for my content analysis a knife was used for at| | | | |least one of the murders and in five it was used for all of them. The other two common means of | | | | |killing were strangulation with a rope and with the bare hands. Knives have connotations of | | | | |slashing movements and gushing blood. The most famous example of this must be the shower scene in | | | | |Hitchcock’s Psycho. Being knifed to death is particularly frightening because you can see the | | | | |person killing you.It’s not like shooting, which is done at a distance and is a much more | | | | |cold-blooded way of killing. This is why the gun is the conventional weapon in gangster movies | | | | |like Scarface. ’ | | | |DISTINCTION |Ideas will be developed and points supported with arguments and well focused examples which are | |D1 | | |elucidated in such a way as to draw out of the example precisely what it is about it that |? | | | |exemplifies the point it illustrates. | | | | |Examples will refer to precisely defined elements or details of the films studied.In discussing | | | | |codes and conventions in a genre analysis you might note: | | | | | | | | | |‘The knife is part of the iconography of the horror movie and is often the means by which the | | | | |victim is killed. In 12 of the 15 movies I st udied for my content analysis a knife was used for at| | | | |least one of the murders and in five it was used for all of them. The other two common means of | | | | |killing were strangulation with a rope and with the bare hands.What | | | | |these methods all have in common is that they involve close bodily contact between the victim and | | | | |the killer, | | | | |which makes the murder more frightening, unlike shooting which is done at a distance and is a much| | | | |more | | | | |cold-blooded way of killing. This is why the gun is the conventional weapon in gangster movies | | | | |like Scarface | | | | |or war movies like Platoon, where the killing of Elias by Barnes shows how far apart they are | | | | |morally as well | | | | |as physically and Barnes’s act seems even more calculating because it is so careful and | | | | |deliberate. Knives have | | | |developed connotations through intertextuality that are specific to horror movies, such as | | | | |slashing mov ements | | | | |and gushing blood. In the most famous example of this – the shower scene in Hitchcock’s Psycho – | | | | |we never actually see the murderer, but we do see the movement of the knife repeated over and over| | | | |again, and the blood swirling down the shower outlet as though it is just water. ’ | | | Task 2 Relationship Between Films And Their Production Contexts | |PASS |Empire, an established film magazine, wants you to write an illustrative article (800 words) about| |P2 | | |Hollywood’s Goodfellas (1990) and Britain’s Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998). |? | | | |You can use your notes from task 1 to help you. Your article will look at the relationship each | | | | |film has with the production company and the factors that influence that relationship. | | | | | | | | |Your article should discuss the following: | | | | |Stars | | | | |Social issues | | | | |Regulatory bodies | | | | |Financial determinants | | | | |Distribution and Exhibition | | | | |Vertical and horizontal ntegration | | | | |Synergies between different films |? | | | | | | | | |You will ensure your article looks professional. You should add stills from both films, and use | | | | |appropriate font and layout. | | | |MERIT |You will talk about the relationships between production contexts and films, in such a way as to | |M2 | | |show why they are the way they are, or the effects they have on the films that are produced. |? | | | | | | | |Relevant examples that draw upon elements or details of the films studied will be given to support| | | | |what is said. | | | | | | | | | |Relevant factual information about production contexts will be offered although it will not be | | | | |used to support developed argument. | | |DISTINCTION |You will talk critically about the relationships between production contexts and films, justifying| |D2 | | |points |? | | | |made with supporting arguments or evidence. | | | | | | | | | |Yo u will draw out of an example precisely what it is about | | | | |it that exemplifies the point it illustrates.Material about production contexts will be well | | | | |researched and will refer to precisely focused elements or details of the film/films studied. | | | | | | | | | |You will provide full and extensive explanations and consistently provide arguments to support | | | | |points made. Relevant examples that draw upon elements or details of the films studied will be | | | | |given to support what is said. | | | |Guidance for this Assignment |Task |? |To achieve a PASS grade, the evidence must show that you are able to: | |P1 |Apply approaches to analysing films with some appropriate use of subject terminology |1 | | |P2 |Describe the relationship between films and their production contexts with some appropriate use of subject |2 | | | |terminology | | | |To achieve a MERIT grade, the evidence must show that you are able to: | |M1 |Apply approaches to analysing films cohere ntly with reference to detailed illustrative examples and generally|1 | | | |correct use of subject terminology | | | |M2 |Explain the relationship between films and their production contexts with reference to detailed illustrative |2 | | | |examples and generally correct use of subject terminology | | | |To achieve a DISTINCTION grade, the evidence must show that you are able to: | |D1 |Apply approaches to analysing films critically, supporting points with arguments and elucidated examples and |1 | | | |consistently using subject terminology correctly | | | |D2 |Comprehensively explain the relationship between films and their production contexts with elucidated examples|2 | | | |and consistently using subject terminology correctly | | | Tutor’s Feedback | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Referral – What the learner should do: | | | |Tutor’s Signature/Date |IV Signature/Date | | | | |Learner’s Feedback | | | | | | | | | | | |Learner’s Signature/Date | | | ———————– Grading Criteria: Text taken directly from criteria in BTEC guidelines