How Does the Body Maintain Acid-Base Balance?

How Does the Body Maintain Acid-Base Balance? It is important to regulate chemical balance or homeostasis of body fluids. Acidity or alkalinity has to be regulated. An acid is a substance that lets out hydrogen ions in solution. Strong acid like hydrochloric acid release all or nearly all their hydrogen ions and weak acids like carbonic acid release some hydrogen ions. Bases or alkalis have low hydrogen ion concentration and can accept hydrogen ions in solution. Acidity or alkalinity of a solution is measured by pH. (1) Regulation of Acid-base Balance Body fluids are maintained within a narrow range that is slightly alkaline. The normal pH of arterial blood is 7.35 and 7.45. Acids are continually produced during metabolism. Several body systems including buffers, the respiratory system and the renal system are actively involved in maintaining the narrow pH range necessary for optimal function. Buffers help maintain acid bases balance by neutralizing excess acids and bases. The lungs and the kidneys help maintain a normal pH by either excreting or retaining acids or bases. (1) Hydrogen ion concentration of body fluids Hydrogen ions are continually being added to the body fluids as a result of metabolic activities. To maintain a constant (H+) in the body fluids, input of hydrogen ions must be balanced by an equal output. On the input side only a small amount of acid capable of dissociating release H+ is taken in with food. Most hydrogen ions in the body fluids are generated internally from metabolic activities. Normally hydrogen ions continually being added to the body fluids from three following sources: Carbonic acid formation. The major source of H+ is through H2CO3 formation metabolically produced CO2. Cellular oxidation of nutrients yields energy with CO2 and H2O as end products. Catalysed by the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, CO2 and H2O from H2CO3 which then partially dissociates to liberate free hydrogen ions and HCO3-. Reaction The reaction is reversible because it can go in either direction, depending on the concentration of the substances involved. Within the systemic capillaries, the CO2 level in the blood increases as metabolically produced CO2 enters from the tissues. This drives the reaction to the acid side, generating H+ as well as HCO3- in the process. In the lungs, the reaction is reversed: CO2 diffuses from the blood flowing through the pulmonary capillaries into the alveoli from which it is expired to the atmosphere. The reduction in CO2 in the blood drives the reaction toward the CO2 side. Hydrogen ions and HCO3- form H2CO3 which rapidly decomposes into CO2 and H20 once again. The CO2 is exhaled while the hydrogen ions are incorporated into H2O molecules. When the respiratory system is able to keep pace with the rate of metabolism, there is no net gain or loss of H+ in the body fluids from metabolically produced CO2. When the rate of CO2 removal by the lungs does not match the rate of CO2 produ ction at the tissue level, the resultant accumulation of CO2 in the body leads to an excess or shortage of free H+ in the body fluids. Inorganic acids produced during the breakdown of nutrients. Dietary proteins and other ingested nutrient molecules that are found abundantly in meat contain a large quantity of sulfur and phosphorus. When the molecules are broken down, sulphuric acid and phosphoric acid are produced as by-products. Being moderately strong acids, these two inorganic acids dissociate to a large extent which releases free H+ into the body fluids. In contrast, the breakdown of fruits and vegetables produce bases that neutralize the acids originating from protein metabolism. Organic acids resulting from intermediary metabolism. Numerous organic acids are produced during normal intermediary metabolism e.g. fatty acids are produced during fat metabolism and lactic acid is produced by muscles during heavy exercise. These acids partially separate to produce free H+. Hydrogen ion generation normally goes on as a result of ongoing metabolic activities. (1) Buffer systems Buffers prevent too many changes in pH by removing or releasing hydrogen ions. If excess hydrogen ions is present in body fluids then buffers bind with the hydrogen concentration which minimizes the changes in pH. The acidity of a buffer is immediate but limited in capacity to maintain or restore normal acid-base balance. The pH of blood plasma is around about 7.3-7.4. The pH of urine is 7 which are neutral but it can be more but certain factors can make the pH of urine go up or down. The pH of mucus can vary from organ to organ with a pH of 6.9 to 9. Lymph has a pH of 7.4 and saliva has a pH of 7.4 (2) The phosphate buffer system Phosphoric acid changes quickly into dihydrogen phosphate (H2PO4-). The dihydrogen phosphate is an excellent buffer since it can either grab a hydrogen ion or reform phosphoric acid or it can give off another hydrogen ion and become monohydrogen phosphate (HPO42-). The figure shows that in an extremely basic condition, monohydrogen phosphate can even give up remaining hydrogen ion. If H2PO4- is in acidic solution, the reaction above will go to the left and if the H2PO4- is in a basic solution, the reaction proceeds to the right. Therefore the phosphate buffer system can accept or donate hydrogen ions depending on the solution it is in. (2) The protein buffer system Protein themselves act as buffers. Proteins are made up of amino acids and amino acids have a central carbon with four groups off of it. These four groups are carboxyl group (COOH), an amino group (NH2), a hydrogen atom and an à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Rà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ group. The carboxyl and amino groups are what enable proteins to act as buffers. (2)aminoac.jpg (21060 bytes) The carboxyl group is attached to the amino acid central carbon; C-COOH. In the figure there is a carboxyl group off to the left. The carboxyl group consists of a double bond to one of the oxygen and a single bond to the hydroxyl group. The important part of the carboxyl group is the hydrogen atom within the hydroxyl group. Round about neutral pH the carboxyl group is actually COO- instead of COOH. If the protein finds itself in a more acidic solution, the carboxyl group will be able to take on the extra hydrogen ions and return to COOH configuration. (2) The amino group is attached to the amino acid central carbon; C-NH2.the amino group is shown at the right hand side of the diagram of the amino acid above. Round about neutral pH the amino group is NH3+ rather than just NH2. It actually tends to carry an extra hydrogen ion at a normal pH. Then if a protein finds itself in a more basic environment, it amino group on its amino acids can actually release their hydrogen ions and return to NH2. Amino acids can accept or donate hydrogen ions making them excellent buffers. Any given proteins typically have hundreds of amino acids so proteins make superb buffers and they are found in high concentration in intracellular solutions. (2)protbuff.jpg (23396 bytes) The carbonic acid system In blood plasma, the carbonic acid and hydrogen carbonate ion equilibrium buffers the pH. In this buffer, carbonic acid (H2CO3) is the hydrogen ion donor (acid) and hydrogen carbonate ion (HCO3-) is the hydrogen ion acceptor (base). Carbonic acid plays an important role as a buffer in maintaining pH in blood plasma. H2CO3(aq) http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/arrowdbl.gifH+(aq) + HCO3-(aq) The buffer functions in the same way as the phosphate buffer. Additional H+ is consumed by HCO3- and an additional OH- is consumed by H2CO3-. If pH falls below normal value, a condition called acidosis is produced and if the pH rises above the normal value, a condition called alkalosis is produced. The concentrations of hydrogen carbonates ions and of carbonic acid are controlled by two independent physiological systems. Carbonic acid concentration is controlled by respiration that is through the lungs. Carbonic acid is in equilibrium with dissolved carbon dioxide gas. H2CO3(aq) http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/arrowdbl.gifCO2(aq) + H2O(l) An enzyme called carbonic anhydrase catalyses the conversion of carbonic acid to dissolved carbon dioxide. In the lungs, excess dissolved carbon dioxide is exhaled as carbon dioxide gas. CO2(aq) http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/arrowdbl.gifCO2(g) (4) The pH Buffer system The buffer systems guard against sudden shifts in acidity and alkalinity. The pH buffer systems are mixtures of the bodyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s own naturally taking place weak acids and weak bases. These weak acids and bases exist in balance under normal pH conditions. The pH buffer systems can work chemically to reduce fluctuations in the pH of a solution by regulating the amount of acid and base. The most important pH buffer system in the blood involves carbonic acid which is a weak acid formed from the carbon dioxide dissolved in blood and bicarbonate ions which is the corresponding weak base. Carbaminohaemoglobin is a compound of haemoglobin and carbon dioxide and it is one of the ways in which carbon dioxide can exist in the blood. 15-25% of the carbon dioxide is carried in the blood this way. When carbon dioxide binds to haemoglobin, Carbaminohaemoglobin is formed which will lower the haemoglobins affinity for oxygen via the Bohr Effect. When there is no oxygen, unbound haemoglobin molecules have a greater chance of becoming Carbaminohaemoglobin. The Haldane effect relates to the increased affinity of de-oxygenated haemoglobin for H+ offloading of oxygen to the tissues therefore results in increased affinity for the haemoglobin for carbon dioxide and H+ which the body wants to get rid of which can then be transported to the lung for removal. The veins which carry deoxygenated blood back to the right atrium of the heart appear bluish due to the distinctive blue colour of carbaminohaemoglobin. How acid-base balance is maintained including the role of the kidney and lungs as means of excreting excess acidic or basic ions The lungs and kidneys are two major systems that work on a continuous basis to help regulate acid-base balance in the body. In the biochemical reactions above, the process are all reversible and go back and forth as the bods needs change. The lungs can work very quickly and do their part by either retaining or getting rid of carbon dioxide by changing the rate and depth of respirations. The kidneys work much more slowly. They take hours and up to days to regulate the balance by either excreting or conserving hydrogen and bicarbonate ions. Under normal conditions these two systems work together to maintain homeostasis. The amount of acidity or alkalinity blood possesses it important. When the level of acidic compounds in the body rises then the body acidity increases to through increased intake, production or decreased elimination. When the level of basic compounds in the body falls through decreased intake, production or increased elimination. The body uses different mechanisms to co ntrol the bloods acid base balance. Role of the lungs: the release of carbon dioxide from the lungs is a mechanism the body uses to control blood pH. Carbon dioxide is mildly acidic and it is a waste product of metabolism of oxygen. Waste products such as carbon dioxide get excreted into the blood. The blood transports carbon dioxide into the lungs where it is exhaled. As carbon dioxide mount up in the blood the pH of the blood decreases which means acidity increases. The brain controls the quantity of carbon dioxide that is exhaled by monitoring the speed and depth of breathing. The amount of carbon dioxide that is exhaled increases the breathing to become faster and deeper. Bu adjusting the speed and depth of breathing the brain and lungs are able to regulate the blood pH minute by minute. (3) Role of Kidneys: the kidneys are also able to affect blood pH by excreting excess acids or bases. The kidneys have some capacity to change the amount of acid or base that is excreted but because the kidneys make these modifications more slowly than the lungs do, this compensation can take several days. (3)

Symbolism In the Oyster And The Pearl :: essays research papers

In William Saroyan's play The Oyster and the Pearl there is a lot of symbolism. The theme of the play is to take it easy and relax and life will be much happier. Harry Van Dusen is a barber that has a philosophy of "Take it easy." He tries to spread his philosophy by talking to people when he is cutting their hair. It was almost as if the haircuts were just a way of getting people in the barbershop to talk. The hats that Harry wore symbolized the attitude that he was in. The sea symbolizes life. The name of the small town that the story takes place in is called O.K.-by-the-Sea. That name symbolizes that life isn't perfect but by taking it easy it can be more fun. Vivian McCutcheon is a new school teacher that does everything "by the book." She just tries to fit in. This is symbolized by her wanting a poodle haircut. She didn't really want one but she was trying to be like everyone else. Harry knew this and that is why he would not give her the haircut. Harry's ph ilosophy is superior to Vivian's philosophy of fitting in. This is shown by how much happier Harry and everyone else that lives by his philosophy is than Vivian.All the little things in the story have symbolism too. The bottle of sea water stands for the details of life that have to be looked for. Clay and Clark Larrabee symbolize the problems and difficulties that occur in life. Two of the most important symbols in the story are the oyster and the pearl. The oyster symbolizes obstacles that must be overcome to get to hope(the pearl). Beach combing represents looking for the obstacles to get to hope. The pearl is hope. When Clay found the oyster he thought there was a pearl inside.

The Loss of a Life Partner Essay -- Relationships Grief Death Love Ess

The Loss of a Life Partner Introduction Feelings of loss are very personal because only the person involved in the loss knows what is significant to them. People commonly associate certain losses with strong feelings of grief. The solitude is always agonizing, especially for someone who has never lived alone. Many people lose their spouses each year. Because the modern society has few mourning rituals other than the memorial service, they may find themselves alone and disconsolate just when they are most in need of comfort. Different Kinds of Loss Loss of one’s partner can be due to various reasons including:  · Death of a partner/Bereavement  · Serious or dilapidating illness of a loved one If you—or your loved one—has become sick or injured, expect a number of physical, emotional and financial changes in your life. Coping with these changes can be very difficbrt, even overwhelming at times, but the following strategies may help:  · Relationship breakup/Separation Relationship breakup. This involves losing a partner from a problematic relationship. Although it might seem easier to lose a partner when the relationship has been difficult or unsatisfying, the feelings of dissatisfaction can make the survivor vulnerable to guilt and second thoughts. When he/she remembers the best times of the relationship, self-blame can convince the individual that if he/she had done things differently, they could have had good times. The grief then can be colored easily by regret and guilt. If the survivor's friends and family are aware of the difficulties in the relationship, they may expect the person to quickly move on and they may not support her process of grieving. We have a cultural prohibition about speaking ill of the dead. Because of this prohibition, the survivor may find no opportunity to talk about the different aspects of her experience because only the positive aspects are acceptable. Also, if she wants to begin a new relationship, she may have difficulty cultivating a positive identity as a partner because of the negative experiences with her lost partner. Bereavement Bereavement triggers a normal, natural, healthy process that often leaves the victim/bereaved partner feeling far from normal, natural and healthy. Indeed it can leave you feeling quite mad, suicidal, or even like harming others. Feeling like it for a period of time is one... ...u can. Something as simple as a home-cooked casserole or cookies is not only helpful, but it also lets people know that you care about them.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Help a bereaved person to make plans for getting through special occasions such as the first Christmas without his or her spouse. The anniversary of a loss, either a death or divorce, is an especially sad time.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Do not try to minimize grief  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Talk about your own losses There's no question about it that loss is a necessary and painful part of life. But perhaps what matters most is that there are ways in which those who love you can help you say good-bye, and deal with loss. It is very difficult to think about what do when you are experiencing a loss, or want to help someone else who is. Often, even trying to make sense of loss is a daunting task for a person to do alone. BIBLIOGRAPHY Fisher, Bruce. Rebuilding: When Your Relationship Ends. Impact Publishers, 1990. Kilne, S. Nathan, MD. From Sad to Glad. G. P Putnam’s Sons. Toronto. 1994 Shaw, Eva. What to do when a Love One Dies: A Practical and Compassionate Guide to Dealing with Death on Life’s Terms. Dickens Press, California. 1994

Nine Learning Experiences Ages 3-5 Essay

To advance physical and intellectual competence I provide numerous activities to enhance these qualities in the children that I teach. In the area of physical, my goal is to make sure the students are given many possibilities to participate in large motor activities daily. I make this fun by joining them while they are playing. I encourage them to do activities that encourage running and jumping. We play tag, hide and seek, and their favorite game â€Å"Mr. Fox what time is it†. When the weather does not permit us to go outside we have free play inside the gymnasium. We are able to use tricycles, play basketball, and build using pipes and blocks. We also do a unit on how to keep our bodies healthy. This is where we get the parents involved so they can learn what they can do at home with their children. We send home a chart that gives them opportunities to be physically active and they turn this chart in at the end of the unit. Then as a class we discuss what we did with our families. To promote intellectual activities I provide numerous materials that they can use and I rotate them occasionally so they are not bored with it. For example, in our art center the children are exposed to many different types of materials. They have various types of paper and paints as well as recycled material that they can use to sculpt their own art. Our class is also exposed to music of many different cultures. We play music throughout the day and one day a week we have a music class outside of our classroom. As a preschool teacher I keep up with what is new and promote these findings during our learning experiences. I provide many avenues for children to find who they are and respect who others are.

Costa Rica Essay

Costa Rica is a very beautiful country and very independent. Costa Rica gained its independence from the Spanish in 1821 but still was mooched off of by Agustin de Iturbide in his Mexican Empire. Easter in Costa Rica is known as Semana Santa. On July 25th they have Guanacaste day, which is the celebration of the annexation of Guanacaste to Costa Rica in 1824. August 2nd they have Virgen de Los Angeles Day. Which celebrates the Patron saint of Costa Rica. This is one of the most important religious celebrations. On September 15th they celebrate Independence Day in Costa Rica. On October 12th they celebrate Dia de la Raza (Columbus Day). Lastly on December 25th they celebrate Christmas Day, which are Family-oriented celebrations. Costa Rica’s flag has tons of symbolism involved stating with the colors. The white stripe represents peace and honesty, the blue stripe represents vigilance, truth and loyalty while the red stripe represent hardiness, bravery, and strength. The emblem on the flag contains the volcanoes and their coat of arms. Costa Rica’s number one economic resource is coffee and bananas. Costa Ricans live just like we do in the U. S. A. Costa Rica and the United States of America get along quite well. Of course there has been a few bump in the road but nothing bad enough to make us hostile. We are good friends because we help each other out by buying each others products and such. Costa Rica and its relations with other countries are exquisite right now. They have been apart of the international community and have been neutral to most countries for quite some time. Of course it may be hostile to a few countries but everyone seems to have enemies. This country is said to be very beautiful so if I had the time I would gladly visit it and spend a few days on the beach. Things are cheap there and I can be cheap so it would work out great. This country is a very beautiful country that makes its money off of very natural things and I think that is very good. I think the people are nice and the amount of festivals and holidays they have is very cool.

Political Communications Essay

The power or ability of the media to influence people and the society is an undeniable reality. In fact, media is not to be underestimated as proven by the implications it has created among people and within their way of living. It is through this reason or principle that the media is regarded as something that is too powerful and which can be paralleled to the power of God. In particular, since the print and broadcast or electronic media have control over their respective public, its influence has apparently been considered as similar or equal to the Creator’s authority. However, while it is a true fact that the media encompasses almost everything in today’s modern world, it is also a reality that the industry could never be described as the second God. This is because God is above everything and that nothing or nobody can correspond to Him. Additionally, although the effects of media are indisputable, it should be realized that God is still supreme among the whole things and that nothing or no one comes next to Him. It is, therefore, under this principle that media should never be compared to the power of God and that whatever theory claiming otherwise should not be taken as the whole and acceptable concept. Ultimately, the media and all other things are nothing without God hence it is totally unwarranted to compare and place it next or even regard it as the second God. One concrete manifestation of the said improper and erroneous consideration is the principle created by Western theorist Tony Schwartz and as depicted in his book titled â€Å"Media, the Second God. The work done by Schwartz (1983) is nothing but a disillusioned idea about the power of media, electronic media in particular. While it is, in a way, acceptable that both print and broadcast media impacted people and the manner of living, it is totally illogical to compare or even consider media as the second God. In fact, the author has evidently failed to strengthen his idea. This is primarily for the reason that God is the highest or absolute among us and of all the things around us. Hence, Schwartz and his book can be taken according only to its merit or the fact that media is influential and definitely affects people and the society in general but its concept about media as the second God should definitely not be considered and accepted as an utmost premise. Media, the Second God – an Overview The Schwartz book explores media’s mounting power or influence in the fields of medicine, learning, industry, political affairs and beliefs and daily living of people. He distinguished electronic media as the â€Å"received media† while print media as a â€Å"perceived medium† (Schwartz, 1983, p. 1). In differentiating between the two, Schwartz emphasized that skill and education are essential for the public to recognize and accept perceived media while almost all people appreciate received media. The author explained that the contemporary world tends to the appreciation of the received media because of the increasing effect of electronic media in the manner how people carry out their lives. This particular age of reception manifests people dependence with the telephone, television, radio and other forms of electronic media. He added that the significant implications of electronic or received media are evident with the notable changes in the areas of â€Å"business, communication, education, statesmanship, and every other area of life† (Schwartz, 1983, p. 17). Schwartz further wrote that the advent and increasing influence of electronic media has proven its essence as the new media. Additionally, the power of the electronic media is supported by the authors with the ways how broadcast commercials or advertisements work among people and into their lives. In fact, electronic media has nearly removed the nature of door-to-door salespersons. This is because the radio and television as well as other forms of electronic media are able to get across the feelings, manner and value of products being promoted (Schwartz, 1983, p. 43). Schwartz also presented in his book how a telephone polling system, which is another form of electronic media, created an impact or changed people’s perception about the necessity of police protection against crime and eventually saved the John Jay College of Criminal Justice from closure (Schwartz, 1983, p. 1). Moreover, Schwartz has stressed the influence of electronic media with its social functions or the services it has offered not only to people but to the society as well. The book is ultimately recalled with its depiction of the incredible expansion of the telephone device as an absolute form of electronic media due to its tremendous influence into the lives of the people. Media, the Second God – a Critique In analyzing the Schwartz book, one is likely to experience a sense of depression because of the author’s apparent utopianism. Simply put, Schwartz’s idea of the growing purpose or role of the electronic media, particularly the telephone device, seemed too disillusioned or unrealistic. In particular, it is totally illogical and even less reassuring to discover when the author stated that the telephone device is on the rise as an instrument or another tool of electronic media in the field of education. In fact, his admission that the development of telephone seems to be gradual already contradicted his position that the devise is growing. The said disclosure also deserted Schwartz claim that the said device is an effective tool of learning primarily because of the apparent defect of the telephone. Even Schwartz’s claim that a number of students benefited from telephone-based classes failed to prove the effectivity and power of the telephone as a means of education. In short, it is unbelievable to state that an instruction about telephone is as convincing as an efficient method of learning. Damaging and Unproven Claims Schwart’s consideration of the media as the second God is subjected to the author’s many falsehoods as well as damaging and unsupported statements. An incredible claim by Schwartz is his statement that he was able to teach around the world even without leaving the luxury of his office through the use of the portable conference telephone. This is because despite the advancement of the electronic media, particularly the telephone device, it is still subjected to or not totally free from interruptions or technical obstacles. Hence, while the said statement tends to be probable, it is not the case all the time. At the highlight of the book’s chapter titled â€Å"The Incredible Expanding Telephone,† the author’s amusing tale about his American Museum of Natural History’s Laserium experience apparently sabotaged himself. It was a totally lame excuse when he said that while appropriately structured utilization of the telephone device has the ability of giving many important and useful services, it is still susceptible to problems as its poor plan may lead to telephone failure. Again, this time Schwartz contradicted and exposed himself to criticism. The author’s above manifestations of self-sabotage represent his usual characteristics as a highly-acclaimed sound designer, producer or creator of promotional advertisements or commercials and telecommunications teacher at New York University. Schwart’s self-sabotage is further proven by another bungle which he wrote in an earlier chapter of the book titled â€Å"The Electronic Classroom. In the said chapter, he extolled on the possibilities of working on recorded items as a form of education aid but again failed. This is because Schwartz offered the following simply as his solid proof of evidence: sound of family members fighting with each other, a walking manic depressive and a telephone dialogue, which he previously taped, with a person planning to commit suicide. Unfortunately for the readers, the said examples of Schwart’s self-sabotage were clearly depicted in the book. Either intentionally or not, the author and his work already lost its efficiency and credibility because Schwartz failed to prove or support his idea that the media, electronic media in particular, is the second God. This is because, unparalleled to God who is perfect, media has its flaws. As regard his other consideration of media as the second God, Schwartz’s once more not succeeded in his another declaration that refined or high-quality and efficient electronic advertisements can definitely sell substandard merchandise on a limited period. This claim has totally contradicted electronic media’s commercials about cigarette products which the author himself praised regretfully in the book. In fact, even his self-tribute chapter on how he envisioned and organized the fight which eventually saved the John Jay College was another proof of his personal destruction. This is because the author again fell short of bringing up any issue of essence or importance regarding the reason behind why the said educational institution is really important to be kept. Resemblance of Respect for God Notwithstanding the above stated flaws, the public may be able to contemplate what is really appealing and motivating about the Schwart’s book. One manifestation of such interesting quality and which is worthy to note is how strongly the people’s outlooks concerning the media certainly remind the readers of our admiration and high esteem for God. Additionally, due to the undeniable influence and assistance of the electronic media, people in post literate or deprived societies are better educated than people of the previous history accounts. Another manifestation of the book’s resemblance of respect for God is the fact that similar to our worship to the Creator, people and the society have high esteem about the need to protect and preserve human life. This is the reason why people in the countryside are too much worried about the proliferation and gravity of street crimes in other areas as what the electronic media is presenting. This is also due to the inclination of people to associate themselves with the people of other societies which they see on television or hear on radio. Media as Provider of Information, an Argument The last thing that is unacceptable to Schwart’s claims is his dispute that due to the overwhelming pieces of information which is accessible to people through electronic media, particularly television, the necessity to learn or specifically to write and read is not that immediate compared to before the arrival and development of the electronic media. With a benefit of the doubt, the author may not have intended this claim as a justification of illiteracy or an assertion that the skill to write and read has not benefits. However, he once again did not succeed in satisfactory stressing that in spite how much people grasp the manner of view and sound or noise due to advance contact or experience of the electronic media, there will still be difficulty in assessment and communication not unless people have learned and are able to write and read. One concrete manifestation of the said argument is Schwartz himself. This is for the reason that there could be a link between his usually disordered, self-conflicting claims and lines of reasoning as well as his automatic and ripped-ridden works. In fact, if not of too much criticism, the author may be literally depicted based from his own claim when he wrote that he led the class for school students who are regarded as â€Å"poor readers and poor listeners† (Schwarts, 1983, p. 128). This observation may be disputed by Schwartz himself especially taking into consideration his surprising power at influencing electronic reflections where even the power of verbal confidence may not be necessary to let the public have a glimpse of the author’s severe yet unproven perspectives and statements. Conclusion There have been many works exemplifying and proving the power or influence of the media to people and the society in general but the Schwartz book is certainly not one of them. This is because of the apparent misleading writing scheme and unsupported concepts presented by the author. While, in a way, he succeeded in imparting to the public the truth about the ability of the media, particularly the electronic media, to affect people and their way of living, his confusing or disillusioned ideas and claims are proof that nothing or no one can equal to God’s level. Schwartz was totally wrong in conveying the idea that the media is the second God for the simple reason that no other entity can be placed next to God, much so paralleled with Him. A critical analysis of the Schwartz book exposes the ineffectivity of the author in his approach to convey his ideas and eventually make the public agree. Additionally, the book unfortunately showed its inadequate and unproven content as well as the substance of the author’s line of thinking. In effect, Schwartz failed in whatever objective he has in doing the book. This is because his intentions are not met and eventually turned out to be futile efforts. The book is nothing but a collection of unsupported concepts and disenchanted theories. Schwartz’s approach or style is not well-founded and convincing simply because of the fact that his main idea that media is the second God is an outright contradiction of the existing view that there is nothing next or even equal to God. The topic about the power or influence of media is definitely relevant or that the material itself is appealing or that the writing style and quality somehow corresponds to the body of literature of that period. However, these good points were immaterial because the author and the book failed in the accuracy or reliability of thoughts organization. This is aside from the fact that majority of the contentions presented by Schwartz were unsupported. For this, it can be construed that the book is generally not valuable to be provided with attention and relevance. Ultimately, Schwartz and his work can be held liable for insinuating the principle that media is the second God precisely for reality that media is a creation of man who, in turn, could not be created without the power of God.

Dick Hebdige’s work Subculture: The Meaning of Style

Dick Hebdige’s work Subculture: The Meaning of Style has had a great impact within the area of cultural studies as it manages to take the preceding theories of subculture one step further, and to pinpoint the differences between culture and subculture as well as to decipher the â€Å"the hidden messages inscribed on the glossy surfaces of style† (Hebdige, 18). Hebdige follows on the tracks of semiology as theorized before him by Saussure and Roland Barthes and tries to read and interpret the signs and the language of the subcultures that emerged in Great Britain after World War II, such as the punks, the mods or the skinheads.Also, he is inspired to a great extent by Levi-Strauss’s structuralist anthropology. What is really significant about Hebdige’s works though is that he applies the purely theoretical frame that had been constructed by the preceding authors directly to the different styles which appeared as forms of subculture. Thus, he tries to interp ret the outer signs which were displayed by each of the groups, from the punks to the skinheads, and reveal their social and cultural meaning.He uses clothing and hair styles, types of music or dancing and so on, as part of the language of the subcultures, in which the actual social meanings are inscribed. Thus, according to Hebdige although the social classes were said to have disappeared after the Second World War, they were actually simply transformed into ideological divisions from the mainstream. The classes thus formed were subcultures, that is, ‘marginal discourses’ which opposed the general tendency of the anonymous culture existing at that point in time:â€Å"It has become something of a clichà © to talk of the period after the Second World War as one of enormous upheaval in which the traditional patterns of life in Britain were swept aside to be replaced by a new, and superficially less class-ridden system [†¦] Nonetheless [†¦]class refused to disa ppear. The ways in which class was lived, however – the forms in which the experience of class found expression in culture did change dramatically.The advent of the mass media, changes in the constitution of the family, in the organization of school and work, shifts in the relative status of work and leisure, all served to fragment and polarize the working-class community, producing a series of marginal discourses within the broad confines of class experience. †(Hebdige, 54) As Hebdige emphasizes, the subcultural styles formed their own rhetoric by means of a certain way of living and of an ostentatious appearance, as a response to the particular cultural, social, political circumstances of the time.In brief, it can be said that these subcultural styles were a form of protest to the anonymous culture. Although sometimes their rhetoric, as in the case of the punks, was intentionally baffling and consciously aiming at meaninglessness, to the point that it seemed to  "work against the reader and to resist any authoritative interpretation,†(Hebdige, 89) it formed nevertheless a coherent symbolic order in itself.The subcultural groups represent, in Hebdige’s view, responses to the â€Å"contrary mythology of class†, that is, to the way in which class was alternatively proclaimed as gone and then reaffirmed by the media: â€Å"Rather the different styles and the ideologies which structure and determine them represent negotiated responses to a contradictory mythology of class. In this mythology, ‘the withering away of class' is paradoxically countered by an undiluted ‘classfulness', a romantic conception of the traditional whole way of (working-class) life revived twice weekly on television programs like Coronation Street.The mods and skinheads, then, in their different ways, were ‘handling' this mythology as much as the exigencies of their material condition. They were learning to live within or without that a morphous body of images and typifications made available in the mass media in which class is alternately overlooked and overstated, denied and reduced to caricature. †(Hebdige, 55) Thus, Hebdige sees subcultures as homogeneous and coherent forms of rhetoric, which go beyond the merely desire to shock the public opinion.In fact, as he theorizes, all the parts of the systems of symbols that make up a particular style are homologous, and they can be said to be as coherent as a’ whole way of life’: â€Å"In Profane Culture, Willis shows how, contrary to the popular myth which presents subcultures as lawless forms, the internal structure of any particular subculture is characterized by an extreme orderliness: each part is organically related to other parts and it is through the fit between them that the subcultural member makes sense of the world.For instance, it was the homology between an alternative value system (‘Tune in, turn on, drop out’), halluci nogenic drugs and acid rock which made the hippy culture cohere as a ‘whole way of life’ for individual hippies. †(Hebdige, 123) As Hebdige remarks the subcultures were actually strong constructs, which were usually meant as a response to a crisis situation, as is the case of the punks at the end of the 1970’s, whose rhetoric mimicked the chaos of the English social and economical life.The violent and obscene style was in fact a language in itself, in perfect accordance with the way in which swore or spoke: â€Å"There was a homological relation between the trashy cut-up clothes and spiky hair, the pogo and amphetamines, the spitting, the vomiting, the format of the fanzines, the insurrectionary poses and the â€Å"soulless,† frantically driven music. The punks wore clothes which were the sartorial equivalent of swear words, and they swore as they dressed — with calculated effect, lacing obscenities into record notes and publicity releases, i nterviews and love songs.Clothed in chaos, they produced Noise in the calmly orchestrated Crisis of everyday life in the late 1970 s[†¦]†(Hebdige, 125) Hebdige thus highlights the identity of language and style within the subcultural rhetoric. The punks for instance functioned as a current in which the meanings were not even fixed as such, although the general meaning behind the style was that ‘the forbidden is permitted’, as Hebdige comments: â€Å"If we were to write an epitaph for the punk subculture, we could do no better than repeat Poly Styrene's famous dictum: ‘Oh Bondage, Up Yours!’ or somewhat more concisely: the forbidden is permitted, but by the same token, nothing, not even these forbidden signifiers (bondage, safety pins, chains, hair-dye, etc. ) is sacred and fixed. †(Hebdige, 125)The subcultures were thus a way of subverting the anonymous, mainstream currents trough a form of stylistic rhetoric. The main discontents with the contemporary world were thus displayed by means of dress or discordant music for example, aiming at a deconstruction of traditional concepts or cultural facts.The subcultural styles didn’t target necessarily the values of a certain society, as it is usually believed, but rather those notions and cultural patterns that they found as incoherent and contradictory. They were actually an abstract embodiment of the outside chaos, and not a chaotic response to order, or a protest against order. Also, the subcultural streams aimed at emphasizing otherness and difference and their adherents were intentionally posing as aliens to society and wearing masks so as to avoid any categorization or prescribed identity:â€Å"They [the punks] played up their Otherness, ‘happening’ on the world as aliens, inscrutables. Though punk rituals, accents and objects were deliberately used to signify working-classness, the exact origins of individual punks were disguised or symbolically d isfigured by the make-up, masks and aliases which seem to have been used, like Breton's art, as ploys ‘to escape the principle of identity. ’ †(Hebdige,126) Another very important characteristic of the subcultural movements is, as Hebdige notes, the fact that they strived to confuse the usual divisions of race, gender and chronology by combining them in their style.The boundaries between the white and black cultures are progressively erased through the borrowings that the white cultures made from the black ones in their style: â€Å"[†¦] it is on the plane of aesthetics: in dress, dance, music; in the whole rhetoric of style, that we find the dialogue between black and white most subtly and comprehensively recorded [†¦]†(Hebdige, 96) The subcultures proceeded to mix up the separate elements of the mainstream culture, attacking thus the idea of identity and opening the way to difference and otherness:â€Å"Behind punk's favored ‘cut ups†™ lay hints of disorder, of breakdown and category confusion: a desire not only to erode racial and gender boundaries but also to confuse chronological sequence by mixing up details from different periods. †(Hebdige, 128) The important thing to note therefore is that in Hebdige’s theory the subcultures were deviations from the anonymous culture, aiming at decentralizing some of the most rooted concepts and ideas of society, and at establishing a new different order outside the stereotypes of society. All this was done through style, ranging from music to dressing and all the other means of expression.Style works therefore as a system of signs, as a text that must be read to grasp the meaning behind it. Obviously, Hebdige’s work deals with the subcultures in the modern epoch, after the Second World War. Therefore, there have been attempts to take his study further, so as it may capture the way in which subculture is manifested in postmodernism. Although the main subcultures that Hebdige discusses- the punks, the teddy boys, the mods, the skinheads, the Rasta men and so on, lost their force or even disappeared, some subcultural groups still exist today, although their structure seems to be different from that of the modern subcultures.The styles in the contemporary world are, to a great extent, the products of postmodernism and therefore imitate its main tenants, its fragmentation and hybridization. There are no longer entirely compact, coherent or well delimited subcultures like those identified by Hebdige, therefore the concepts he proposed remain mostly valid for the historical period he analyzed in his work. His approach is very enlightening for any cultural studies inquiry but it should be modified or continued so as to comprise the contemporary phenomena.