Bone Conduction Technology Impact

Bone Conduction Technology Impact Gabrielle Lau Erin Topping The worlds sounds can be perceived acoustically and as vibrations. Acoustic transmission, also known as air conduction, is sound that travels through the external ear. Through bone conduction, sound waves are transmitted to the inner ear by the cranial bones without traveling through the air in the ear canal (Oticon Medical). Audiologists take advantage of these two principles when creating hearing aids for the deaf and hearing impaired. Traditional acoustic air conduction hearing aids treat and amplify noise appropriately to the user through the ear canals. Unlike air conduction, bone conduction involves bypassing the ear and resting on the bony prominence of the skin. Vibrations travel through the bones and into the cochlea where sound, including acoustic, is interpreted. Despite air conduction succeeding bone conduction in the hearing aid industry, bone conduction technology offers many potential uses and enhanced safety. Inventions such as bone conduction sunglasses and headphone s allow users to immerse themselves in music without muting environmental sounds. Their ears would be open to hearing car horns and hollers, thus preventing many injuries and deaths that were initially caused by earphones blocking surrounding sound (Hsu, University of Maryland). Moreover, scientific studies have also supported the concept, that bone conduction technology causes less damage to the ears than ear buds (Monks, The Audiology Foundation of America). Bone conduction oriented hearing, as compared to air conduction oriented hearing, is a form of sound transmission that has greater potential for a wider variety of uses. Air conduction oriented hearing is the standard sound transmission of the anatomy of ears. Sound travels through the ear canal, and next translated into vibrations by the eardrum. These vibrations then transmit through three tiny bones called the anvil, hammer, and stirrup in the middle ear which amplifies the sound. Lastly, the sound enters the cochlea lined with fluid and thousands of tiny hair cells that will transform the sound vibrations into electrical signals for the brain to interpret. Acoustic hearing aids have technologically advanced tremendously with each aid handling miniscule microphones, processors, and receivers (Townsley). Sound is picked up through the microphone then processed into the specific hearing range of the user. For example, an air conduction hearing aid would pick up sound and strengthen high or low pitched noises to fit the hearing of the patient. Air conduction hearing aids benefit individuals suffering from cochlear damage, where the hair cells that st imulate hearing certain frequencies to the auditory nerve have deteriorated. Bone conduction oriented hearing involves bypassing the external ear and transmitting sound via the bones of the human body, preferably the skull. There are two types of bone conducting hearing aids, bone conduction bands and bone anchored hearing aids. Unlike bone conduction bands, bone anchored hearing aids involve penetrating the skin by surgically implanting a titanium abutment to the mastoid (Oticon Medical). A microphone sound processor latches to this implant in order to directly transmit sound as vibrations to the skull (Townsley). Bone conduction bands consist of a microphone, processor, and elastic band. These two mechanical components latch to the band that is worn around the patients head. The bone conduction hearing aid provides a solution to those with profound hearing loss with sensorineural damage, single-sided deafness, or atresia, a birth defect where individuals are born without an ear canal. This option of hearing has gained most recognition from its ability to he lp the common condition, single-sided deafness. Individuals who suffer such, have an impaired ability to detect the direction of sounds and to separate background noise to make sense of speech (Townsley). To avoid feelings of social isolation and exclusion from this, patients use specifically bone conduction hearing aids to regain consciousness of the position of sound and its source. Moreover, bone conduction hearing aids are used during hearing tests to uncover whether a patient suffers external or sensorineural ear damage (Townsley). The use of air conduction is constant for those with normal hearing. Individuals with unobstructed external ear pathways and normal sensorineural function will automatically hear all sounds acoustically. Air conduction technology encompasses all appliances that allow individuals to hear sound. These include hearing aids, speakers, headphones, speaker implanted into cars and computers, etc. A magnitude of technology utilizes air conduction sound transmission, but the functional purpose of creating sound has not since presented any different potential uses. Though bone conduction technology has been around for centuries, modern developments have shown the magnitude of its use. Ludwig Van Beethoven, born in the late 1700s, utilized sound bite principles to compose music after he threw a temper tantrum, fell over, and stood up to realize he had lost all hearing. By biting on a special rod attached to the soundboard on a piano that he could bite, Beethoven allowed musical vibrations to transfer to his jaw to increase his perception of the sound.(Ealy 143) Bone conduction technology has since advanced as a safety precaution for secret military operations and daily activities. British Aeorspace Systems constructed bone conduction inspired helmets allowing soldiers to hear comms over the loudest battlefield noises and bone phones, ear pieces to use for silent communication (Wood). The documented navy SEAL raid that killed Osama Bin Laden stated the vitality of bone phones for that mission (Owen). The fundamentals of the bone phones have shift ed to also accomodate citizens. In a study conducted by the University of Maryland, it concluded that 70% of all transportation accidents involving earphones led to death. The creation of bone conduction headphones henceforth came about. To promote situational awareness, users can listen to music through a headpiece that firmly sits transducers in front of the ear, on the cheekbones. Hollers and honks from surrounding cars will be heard by the user because their natural hearing sense is no longer depleted by an ear phone. Moreover, certain cell phone companies have begun to develop a bone conduction microphone. For busy men and women who must take calls on the go, but struggle to make their responses apparent and environment non-apparent to their recipient, this speaker will directly pick up the vibrations of their voice simply by resting on their head and transferring it to the phone to process and link to the recipient end. These products have been manufactured into articles of cl othing that can be worn on the head such as baseball caps and glasses. These developments prove that bone conduction technology is advancing into uses beyond the hearing impaired. Additionally bone conduction has been utilized as a marketing gimmick. In the summer of 2015, a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in South Africa hoped to increase its relevance through creating a modern indoor entertainment system. With the growing number of unsigned musical artists and the fact that KFC was not a record label, the fast food chain decided to create record tables (Chase and Brandt). They took advantage of bone conduction principles by engineering tables where customers would place their elbows on the table and cup their hands on their ears to get a musical treat (Chase and Brandt). This high-tech addition yielded outstanding results in business increased the average dwell time of the customer in store and widespread social media hype about the innovation as well as overwhelmingly positive feedback about the experience (Chase and Brandt). Bone conduction has created a new form of advertisement in an exciting and interactive way that it has been introduced into the public t ransportation systems in Munich and North Rhine-Westphalia. In 2013 Sky Go, a mobile streaming service, enhanced the glass windows of trains to transmit messages through bone conduction to passengers who lay their head on the window. This glass emits high frequencies that the brain processes into words heard by no one else on the train except for those who also have laid their head on the window. Information on weather, music, and advertisements transmitted into the commuters heads. Despite a Sky Go representative, Susanne Keyzers, claiming passengers were surprised but enjoyed this new form of advertising, on camera reactions prove that bone conduction may not be the best fit for transit advertisements. Several passengers looked shocked then angry for not being able to shut their eyes for nap while leaning against a window (Dicker). Though bone conduction has introduced an entirely new dimension to the world of advertisement, manufacturers must recognize the line between voluntary interaction and invasion of privacy. For its invasive characteristics, the talking window has opened an aspect of marketing known as guerilla advertising. Outside of practical and marketing use, bone conduction technology has also made strides in the recreational and comfort fields. Aquatic sportswear companies such as FINIS Incorporated have developed underwater headphones, dubbed the Neptune headphones, through the use of bone conduction principles. This recent innovation mimics the way whales and dolphins communicate underwater (Smith) by transferring sound as vibrations from an mp3 player to small pieces latched over the cheekbones. The music plays as if inside the users head, giving this new headphone a surreal (Smith) reputation. Another company that hoped to take advantage of bone conductions potentials uses was Google. In 2013, Google created its first Google Glass prototype, a glasses gadget that could provide information to its user instantly by being closer to the human senses (Warr). Essentially computer glasses, these gadgets included a bone conduction speaker to transfer information to the user regarding camera use, inter net information, map directions, or music. Due to its still continuing development, the Google Glass has never been sold to the public. The head Glass coordinator, Tony Fadell, spoken out that several versions of Google Glass are being made for different situations. Currently, an Enterprise Edition exists which aimed at businesses in healthcare, manufacturing, and energy industries. And beyond that, bone conduction has become a player in the comfort industry. Integrated Listening Systems built a Dreampad bone conduction pillow in 2014 (Kooser). The Dreampad consisted of several bone conduction speakers fitted into all sort of pillows to help sing users into a pleasant slumber. Their target audiences encompassed those diagnosed with insomnia and those who wish to listen to music or audiobooks to sleep while their bed buddy may prefer complete silence. By using a very subtle sound bone conduction based approach, the Dreampad soothed people to sleep. The expanse of bone conduction tech nology from underwater workouts to inducing sleep, highlight its many uses as compared to air conduction technology. Not only does bone conduction offer a new take on leisure items, it also has become a vital part of entertainment experiences for the deaf community. Recently, the world famous DJ Martin Garrix and the soda brand 7Up teamed up to create a Concert for the Deaf. In cooperation with Fake Love, Martin Garrix and 7UP created a concert for the deaf that utilized a variety of tactile experiments and features to give participants the experience of feeling their music (Meadow). The project involved the construction of numerous vibrating speaker cones and padded flooring, revolving around bone conduction principles, so that the deaf attendees would be able to interact and physically feel the music around them. Visuals were paired to water experiments that the music itself brought to life, creating a completely seamless and encompassing audio and visual experience(Meadow). The designers of this concert created plexi-glass boxes with a thin base level of water. Attached to the bottom, were light s and vibrating speaker cones that vibrated the water at different frequencies. These vibrations accompanied the visual projections and ultimately the beats played by Martin Garrix. Some attendees were also fitted with Subpac-like backpack systems that conveyed bass throughout the body (Meadow). The project thoroughly utilized bone conduction principles in order to gear a musical concert to an all-deaf audience. Though the vibrations could not be perceived as sound because of the audiences complete auditory deafness, the vibrations could be picked up by the bones of the human body in rhythms recognizable to the brain. And the results succeeded expectations. People of all ages who had never heard a sound in their entire lives or for many years enjoyed a night of electronic music and dancing to beats that literally flowed through their bodies. Bone conduction technology can create new inventions, but it can also be a fundamental principle in creating life experiences that yield lastin g amounts of joy and happiness. Some may argue that although bone conduction technology offers a spectrum of uses, its quality does not permit it to reach full potential. Many online reviews of bone conduction inspired works such as Google Glass or the Dreampad are negative. Users usually feel dissatisfied with the vibrational sound being muffled and unclear, and for certain developments, users find them physically unappealing. A recent popular review on the Dreampad gave credit for its impressive technology but derailed it for its limited application (Lovejoy). It also detailed the false sense of the Dreampads efficacy by discussing its limited research. The Dreampad advertising site claimed to have had performed a study with Columbia University. However, the study in its entirety included twenty-nine people with only ten actually using the Dreampad pillow. Additionally, Lovejoy noted that the bone conduction music was almost painful to listen to and that the given podcasts were both muffled and quiet even at maxi mum volume. But, this demonstrates only one heavily studied and documented opinion. For the Google Glass, a plethora of complaints and criticisms arose. Initially this invention held highly regard, being named one of TIME magazines Best Inventions of the Year as well as receiving an astounding number of pages in several popular magazines, being referenced in popular television shows, and even premiering on the runway for New York Fashion Week. But within a year it began its descent into infamy. Its initial exclusivity made it far more desirable and idealized in society. Once technology reviewers got a hold of a pair and both tested and deconstructed it, Google Glass met its downfall. Major criticisms revolved around the weak bone conduction sound system, abysmal battery life, its plague of cyber-bugs, and limited use (Bilton). Google Glass recording abilities made it banned from bars, movie theaters, and casinos. Despite bone conduction technologies good intentions to thrust humanit y into the possibilities of the future, its overall quality has kept it from truly progressing. Clearly, bone conduction offers a great variety of uses. However, it is not necessarily the better option compared to air conduction both in quality and health. As stated earlier, bone conduction inventions have faced excessive criticism concerning the sound quality and whether or not it is effectively portraying sound to those with hearing disabilities. A common misconception, is that bone conduction is a less risky form of headphone and therefore healthier. Headphones that are bone conduction oriented will pass sound through the skull and straight to the bones of the middle ear to the cochlea. Likewise, sound that is transferred through air conduction will pass through the ear canal, ear drum, middle ear bones, and the cochlea. Either way, both still put the hair cells of the cochlea at risk when playing loud music. Listening repeatedly to loud volumes will lead to damage of the cochlea no matter what kind of hearing technology. Air conduction and bone conduction principles have led to a vast amount of advancements in many aspects of life; innovations in hearing, traffic safety, the work place, and even personal comfort. The limits of acoustic sound application stem from the primary purpose of giving off sound for those of normal hearing. As compared to bone conduction, air conduction does not offer as many potential uses or variety of applications. Through the developments of bone conduction headphones, military helmets, glasses, tables, and even pillows one can truly see the possibilities of bone conduction. And beyond tangible objects, bone conduction has played a role in ensuring the safety of pedestrians and bikers and creating impactful memories of hearing and feeling music. Although there are currently many shortcomings, I believe that bone conduction technology has the promise of making countless technological advances in the future. Bone conduction oriented hearing, as compared to air conduction ori ented hearing, is a form of sound transmission that has greater potential for a wider variety of uses. Bone conduction technology has massively expanded in its uses. Now reaching far beyond the hearing aid market it was originally intended for; headphones that help ensure safety, and pillows that play silent music to help the user fall asleep. It has greatly transcended the cell phone company market by offering new ways to add clarity and efficiency to calls. Bone conduction has even reached the battle field, by being implemented into military helmets. Soldiers can now clearly receive and understand orders from their commander over the blasting sounds of cannons, guns, tanks, or aircrafts. It has also become greatly useful in secret operations. By having a slim bone conduction piece attached to the arm, agents are able to communicate silently in the most physically unobvious way: without any headpiece or audible sound. And after defense, bone conduction has been monumental in helping the deaf hear. In a recent concert and commercial put on by 7 Up Soda, the public was able to see how bone conduction speakers and platforms were able to transmit sound to deaf individuals so that they may enjoy a full on visual and physical musical experience. But despite its success and high regard by society, it does have its own shortcomings. Users of bone conduction products have found much fault in its quality as well as its overall efficiency. Reviews on the Google Glass and Dreampad yielded not the most gentle remarks. Critics also point out the use of bone conduction as guerilla advertisement, specifically in the talking window campaign in western Europe. Its invasion of privacy and improper application by Skygo have somewhat downscaled the popularity of bone conduction. However, seeing the amount of things it can do and accomplish, the multiple inventions made, I have believe that the future of bone conduction technology is promising. The potential uses bone conduction technology has are boundless, and I believe will be vital in the development of future inventions and dis coveries. Works Cited Bilton, Nick. Why Google Glass Broke. The New York Times. The New York Times, 04 Feb. 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2017. Chase, Pete, and Adam Brandt. Sound Bite Interactive Record Table. Best Ads on TV. YUM Brands. 20 July 2015. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. Dicker, Ron. Train Window Ads Vibrate Into Ear Via Bone Conduction As You Lay Head Against Glass (VIDEO). The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 03 July 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2017. Ealy, George Thomas. Of Ear Trumpets and a Resonance Plate: Early Hearing Aids and Beethovens Hearing Perception, Vol. 17, No. 3 (Spring, 1994), pp. 262-273, University of California Press. 27 Nov. 2011. Print. 01 Feb. 2017. Greer, Ray. Bone Conduction Headphones: Safety and What to Know. Best of Life Magazine Co. 16 Feb. 2016, pp. 15-20. 01 Feb. 2017. Hsu, Christine. Serious Injuries and Deaths Caused by Headphones Have Tripled Since 2004. Injury Prevention (2012): n. pag. Medical Daily. University of Maryland, 17 Jan. 2012. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. Kooser, Amanda. I Let a Bone-conduction Pillow Sing Me to Sleep. CNET. N.p., 25 Nov. 2014. Web. 16 Feb. 2017. Lovejoy, Ben. Review: Dreampad, the Bluetooth Pillow Speaker with Impressive Tech but Limited Application.9 to 5 Mac. 13 Jan. 2017. Web. 16 Feb. 2017. Meadow, Matthew. Martin Garrix Proves He Has A Heart Of Gold In Emotionally Charged New Video. Your EDM. LLC, 18 Mar. 2016. Web. 09 Mar. 2017. Monks, Kieron. Bone Conduction: Get Used to the Voices in Your Head. CNN. Cable News Network. 29 May 2014. Web. 16 Feb. 2017. Oticon Medical .How Bone Conduction Hearing Systems Work. How Bone Conduction Works. Oticon Medical, n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2017. Owen, Mark, and Kevin Maurer. No Easy Day: The Autobiography of a Navy SEAL: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden. NY, NY: Dutton Penguin. 2012. Print. 01 Feb. 2017. Smith, Jennifer. Incredible Underwater Headphones That Transmit Music to Swimmers Ears by Vibrating Sound through Their Cheekbones . Daily Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 30 Sept. 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2017. Townsley, Christopher. Professional Audiologist Interview. Personal interview. 30 Jan. 2017. Warr, Philippa. Google Glass to Use Bone Vibration Instead of Traditional Headphones.WIRED UK. WIRED UK, 23 May 2016. Web. 16 Feb. 2017. Wood, Anthony. Army Helmets Could Soon Feature Bone Conduction Comms. New Atlas Latest News. Shutterstock. 10 Sept. 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2017.

Alternative Media, Youth and Civil Society

BIOGRAPHY OF Dr. Govind Ji Pandey Filmmaker, college professor, social activist Dr. Govind Ji Pandey was born in Varanasi in 1972. Studied at BHU, Varansi and received his doctoral Degree in Journalism from MG Kashi Vidya Peeth, Varanasi. Acted in many films and worked for promotion of Bhojpuri Films in Purvanchal. Dr Pandey taught students of Masters Course at MGKVP before he moved to Delhi as Lecturer (Electronic Media), in MBICEM, a college affiliated to GGSIP University. Here he taught BJ(MC) students for six years. During his stay in Delhi he supervised various small research projects of students.He taught Video and Radio Journalism,Production, and supervised around five hundred audio and audio-visual production of students. Some of the films supervised by him got prize in prestigious film festivals like Jeevika, Vatavaran, Misce-en-scene etc. Dr. Pandey is author of a book ‘Television Journalism and Programme Formats’. At present he is working as a Reader (Mass Com munication) at BB Ambedkar University, Lucknow. He is teaching PG students and guiding research scholars for their Ph. D thesis at BBA University. Alternative Media, Youth and Civil Society Dr. Govind Ji Pandey Associate Professor, Dept. f Mass Comm & Journalism Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Univrsity, Lucknow Email- [email  protected] com Mob. 0919198915357The pen is mightier than the sword, and the alternative media may become mightier than the mainstream media. This is not a mere conjecture the process has already begun. The alternative media has emerged as a key player in promoting the cause of marginalized section of the society, an alternative voice of people and reflecting reality. The neglect of underprivileged and browbeaten by mainstream media, suppression and manipulation of information by government and media industry has posed a evere threat to the right to freedom of speech and expression of the members of global civil society. In the backdrop of the great danger posed by the media and political-economical nexus, a new development has given hope to millions around the world, of reuniting and creating an alternative source of information which is free by all means. The past few decades have shown us the path of creating a multi polar world and the advent of new media will create a world with multiple sources of voices.The information will come from those who are not only consumers of it, but producing it as well. The recent technological developments have reduced the cost of production dramatically. The speed of internet has increased with the development in the data transmission technology. This development has provided in the form of new media, a very strong tool of communication to challenge the monopoly of traditional mainstream media. The alternative media particularly Internet and Community Radio have changed the way we were consuming the media products.Now the consumer is no more a passive receiver of the media content but involved in the pr ocess of collection, selection and dissemination of information. There is a large number of people who believe that media can be used as a tool for social change. The large number of people involved in developing and disseminating information can be a great source of information for hundred and thousands of people all across the world. The information flow can not be stopped by the governments and now it has taken a global shape. Things happening at far of places now started affecting local governments.The recent case of Iran where the Iranian Government stopped the flow of information by putting many journalists behind bars and blocking television and slowing down internet speed could not restrict the flow of information. People used their mobile phones and cameras and put videos and audio of the various acts of Government for viewing and it became instant hit. A global opinion was formed and it affected the Iranian Government as well. It shows the strength of the alternative sourc es of information in shaping the modern world. The present study is an attempt to analyze the time people devote in creating media content.The continuous up gradation of information which has changed the social and economical condition of the consumers, in particular the youth studying in various universities in India.. The objectives of research are : 1)To understand the time youth devote for creating and consuming the media content; 2)to analyze the various tools used for content creation and reception by students; 3)to compare preference given to the medium for the content creation and consumption; 4)to analyze nature and type of content created by the students: 5)to observe social change in student community.The research study aims at highlighting the characteristics of alternative media, civil society, with the help of theoretical discussions and finally the relevance of concepts related with alternative media, civil society and youth have been analyzed through the following re search hypotheses: RH 1) Internet is the most preferred medium among youth. RH2)University students are actively participating in the social campaigns promoted through various social network sites. RH3)The most preferred tool for content generation is mobile phone. RH4)New media has changed information creation and consumption behavior of students.Methodology: For the analysis of above mentioned objectives and hypotheses a sample of 300 PG students of various departments of three universities from Lucknow, UP, India, were selected and their opinion on the various issues were taken. For this purpose an interview schedule was constructed. The students were selected through non-probability sampling method and equal representation was given to male and female students. Civil Society: Jurgen Habermas’ founded the notion of ‘public sphere,’ in which he discussed about a model of rational communication and rational critical debate.While explaining this kind of public sp here he said that, ‘private people come together as a public and they engage the state on various matters of public interest with reasoned argument. ’ As Habermas stressed, the public sphere has been in a permanent state of transformation as underlying social and economical conditions have changed. Though we have many views about civil society but we were not able to provide a single definition of civil society which is unanimously supported by all the scholars. The most recent one given by Mary Kaldor in his essay written in the book Global Civil Society 2007/08 talks about civil society, as the edium through which social contracts or bargain are negotiated between the individual and the centers of political and economic authority. Civil society is a process of management of society that is bottom- up rather than top down, and involves the struggle for emancipatory goals. Till 1989, the definition of civil society was territorially bounded. The concept of civil society was prevalent in some parts of Europe and America. The developments that have started around the world in early part of seventy and continued through eighties and nineties strengthen the democratic movement in Asia, Africa and other parts of the world.It is very clearly stated that to have a vibrant civil society you need established dem ocratic rights of electing public representatives, an independent judiciary and separation of legislative from executive. Media’s Role in a Civil Society The control of media by large business houses who are governed by the state bureaucracies and commercial motives has created an environment where the power has come under one head which is a dangerous sign for a democratic country like India.The UNESCO report on various aspects of communication and society provided eight following functions of mass media; i)dissemination of information ii)socialization iii)motivation iv)promoting debate and discussion on public issues v)education vi)cultura l promotion vii)entertainment and viii)integration. The objective of these functions were to provide complete information to the public so that they can form opinion and participate in the democratic process i. e. debate and discussion which ultimately guarantees their freedom of speech and expression.There is an immense danger to the freedom of speech and expression in the form of control and manipulation of information by state and private media industry. The control of mainstream media has come from various quarters and in variable forms. The fourth pillar of democracy has been hijacked by the various governmental and non-governmental organizations. Main stream media is no more the voice of people and is in a total disconnect of the real India. The mainstream media is serving the interests of minuscule minority and totally neglecting the real issues.If we analyze the issues that have been the centre of debate and discussion on various television channels and in print media we wil l hardly see an issue that is affecting the masses or talking about the marginalized section of the society. The mainstream media is obsessed with the glamour and politics, real developmental issues are vanished from the scene. What is Alternative Media? Michael Albert (2004) attempts to define alternative media in his manifesto, ‘what makes alternative media alternative’? As he writes ‘ An alternative media institution does not maximize profits, does not primarily sell audience to advertisers for revenues, is structured to subvert society’s defining hierarchical social relationships, and is structurally profoundly different from and as independent of other major social institution, particularly corporations, as it can be many segments of civil society are politically motivated communities promoting numerous causes and holding various versions of democracy.John Ehrenberg (1999) â€Å" A democratic sphere of public action that limits the thrust of state pow er. Alternative media enable and encourage empowerment and leanring outcomes may take place in either formal or informal education settings. UNESCO report on alternative media says: ‘ These are the kinds of consciously political and social demands by groups for whom alternative communication is but another facet of their need to contest hegemonic structures and forms to create an new social and cultural reality for themselves. (UNESCO, 1993,p. 16) Advent and Type of Alternative Media The monopoly of information control and ownership by the government, political and economic elites given them a lot of power to manipulate information.The newspapers and television channels have been driven by the commercial motives and the news about the poor and the marginalized were shifted to the inner pages. The global civil society felt a need of having alternative media which can connect with the rural, is committed to the poor and the oppressed and report the truth. The alternative media w as present during the media boom but did not take proper shape. Just after the internet revolution now, it came in to prominence. Some of the alternative media that have created and posted great challenge to mainstream media are following: 1)Interne Newspaper 2)Blogs 3)Social Networking websites )Mobile phones and Pager services 5)Independent documentary/Video filmmakers 6)Community Radio 7)Visual Radio 8)Ham operators 9)Small Newspapers and Magazines 10)Newsletters, brochures, handbills, pamphlets, posters, etc The development of alternative media gave ordinary citizens power to publish articles, upload videos and display photographs. It gave birth to a new kind of journalism which is public journalism. In this type of journalism public is producer, editor, reporter and consumers of the content. It has reduced the gate keeping authority of the traditional media. Role of Alternative Media 1)An alternative voice of people:It has a great role to play in shaping up a global civil socie ty and free world. With the advent of internet and use of advance technology in mobile telephone industry the local issues have all the potential to become global that to within a very little time. The recent experience of the governments of China and Iran attempting to control the internet has led to a strong underground movement. The authorities blocked the flow of information by putting journalists in jail and tried to stifle the flow of information but the internet gave people the much needed voice and forum which is hard to contain by the governments. )A forum for marginalized section of the society: The main stream media is catering to the need of affluent in the society. The marginalized section of society is hardly finding place in the main stream media. The voice and problems of the socially weaker class is unreported and unrepresented. Here alternative media can play an important role in highlighting the problems of poor and marginalized communities. The small community ne wspapers, community radio, television broadcast blogs, posters etc. can help the people overcome neglect by mainstream media to highlight the atrocities, faults in bureaucratic and other institutional setup.Marie Trigona, in his book â€Å"Argentina's Community Media Fights for Access and Legal Reform†, she explores Argentine groups that have emerged to produce alternative and independent media for television, radio and video in an effort to counter lack of access to marginalized communities in mass media. 3)Global public sphere: The world is shrinking and the nation state boundaries have disappeared in the contemporary societies. Any issue that is related with a particular country might become global within no time, curtsy new media. This is not merely a hypothesis but global reality.One of the biggest examples is â€Å"Batti Band Campaign†, such was the impact of this campaign that through out the world people came out in support of it and now it is a global phenomen on. And this is not the only example of this type there are many examples where global opinion was generated in support of many campaigns and world governments were forced to accept global opinion. This is how new technologies have reinvigorated a sense of transnational public sphere and strengthened global civil organizations movements and provided platform for sub cultural groups and common man. )Free expression and social activism: Alternative media is playing an important role in social learning process by providing easily accessible content to common man. In many developing and developed countries it is working as agents of social change. Denis Mc Quails in his democratic media participant theory suggests that media content should not be controlled by the Government Institutions and political organizations. Members of Civil Society should have their own media and it must promote the interest of common man.This can be achieved only when we have multiple sources of information an d communication where one can easily access and disseminate information. Recently in India, a controversy involving a union minister and a commissioner of a government body, started off from a social network site twitter, and within no time public opinion was formed. The public opinion was so strong that government accepted resignation of minister and the commissioner was forced to step-down. This shows the strength of the new media and the public opinion generated through it.Now no government can neglect opinion of civil society. Alternative Media and Youth No country can deny the importance of youth in nation building process. The involvement and participation of youth in decision making process not only strengthen the democratic process but also contributes to their personal development. In India, almost 55% population comes under this category who is also frequent users of new media technologies. The world’s youth population, Ages 15to 24, will become more and more concen trated in Africa and Asia.By 2050, the number of youth will have risen from just under a half billion in 1950 to 1. 2 billion. According to a recent study done by the Internet ; Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), there are 471 million mobile phone subscribers, out of which 127 million have their own Internet ready mobile device. But of these 127 million users who have mobile phones with Internet capability, only 12 million have used the Internet on their devices and the number of active mobile Internet users is just 2 million.But â€Å"industry experts† quoted on Business Standard claim that there are over 500 million mobile phone subscribers and due to the decline in prices of Internet-enabled handsets, there are about 10 million mobile phone Internet surfers, much more than the 2 million reported by the IAMAI. This shows the potential of this media and those who are using it are mainly youth in all parts of the world. Not only this, the change brought in by the technology has given youth many different tools for content generation.One of the most important tolls is mobile phone which is used for video, audio, still photo recording and putting them on internet using various social network sites like twitter, U tube, face book etc. The information reaches to millions of users across the globe and global opinion is generated on various issues of public interest. In Indian universities, youth devote a lot of time for content generation and dissemination. In the study conducted in three universities of India following conclusions were drawn: Table 1 Time devoted for internet surfing 0-1 hour1-2 hour2-3 hour3-4 hourMore than 4 hourMale1832602515 Female2654401515 Total44861004030 Surveys conducted in several countries in the world show that the internet addiction in on rise. In China the number of young Internet addicts had soared to 24 million by 2009, almost double the figure for 2005, It is very much evident from the data that youth particularly in the Indian university have been devoting a lot of time in content generation and dissemination on internet. Overall, 71 million users accessed Internet in year 2009, with 52 Million â€Å"active† users who accessed it atleast once in a month.If we look at global users on internet India is on 4th position but it may change very soon the moment it will reach to the rural population of the India. PositionCountryInternet Users Million 1USA220 2CHINA210 3JAPAN88. 1 4INDIA81 5BRAZIL53 ( Source: Internet ; Mobile Association of India(IAMAI) and IMRB. ) In India the growth of internet is mainly in urban centers and school ; college students itself contribute to more than 44% of all Internet usage that happens in India – Overall 72% of young people access Internet on regular basis. Table 2 Most popular tool for content generation Video cameraRecorderStill ameraMobile phone Male1068126 Female446136 Total141014262 Mobile is the most popular medium for content generation. Not only is that mobile a very popular mode of internet surfing among youth in India but the trend is more or less same across the globe. The Opera Mini, most widely downloaded mobile application has released the number of Mobile Internet usage.The report is quite significant in terms of mobile internet usage in the world. Following are the top 05 countries in Opera Mini Usage: 1. Russia 2. Indonesia 3. India 4. China 5. Ukraine ( Source: Internet ; Mobile Association of India(IAMAI) and IMRB. Table 3 Most preferred medium for news and entertainment TVRadioNewspaperInternetFilm Male2515207515 Female2636245410 Total51514412925 The information and communication behavior of the students have shown significant change in regard to the medium they use for news and entertainment. In a research study conducted by World Association of Newspapers (WNA) on Decoding Youth as News ; Information Consumers found that young people are spending less time with traditional media and more with new media. Same is t he conclusion drawn in the data mentioned in the table three. Young participants said that usage of new media (i. e. , computers, mobile phones, the internet, and MP3 players) is increasingly taking up time participants would have spent with traditional media, though this time is obviously restricted in countries where the digital divide remains a strong barrier. Despite this, many participants say they would like to spend more time with newspapers and other traditional sources of information. Contrary to stereotype, many young participants remained respectful of traditional information sources and few dismiss them as obsolete. † (Source: World Association of Newspapers)Table 4 University students are actively participating in campaigns promoted through social network websites YesNo Male9555 Female46104 Total141159 The data shown above clearly indicating that youth is engaged in social reformation with the help of alternative media. Social Networking Sites (SNS) are young peop le? s spaces – and engaging with young people here is meeting young people where they are at. The recent example of Batti Band Campaign that got momentum through the SNS is one of the many examples where young ones created awareness and it is now a well established campaign.There are many other cases in India which generated and garnered a lot of public response and support through social networking sites. Ruchika Girihotra, Jessica Lal, Nitish katara, etc. are some of the cases that are highlighted through these websites and ultimately proved to be a very strong campaign which generated a huge support for victim’s family and put pressure on the state authorities to act for justice. Table 5 Do you think alternative media has changed your information and entertainment behavior YesNo Male12624 Female13020 Total25644Youth information behavior is a complex process of interplays among various factors, such as young people’s cognitive status, identity formation and va lue negotiation, and social interaction within a context. Here the data indicates that youth in India has significantly changed their information and entertainment behavior. More than 85 % of the samples were of the opinion that they have witnessed significant change in their media content consumption. The new media has taken over from the traditional media which includes radio and television.On the basis of the analysis of data collected with the help of interview schedule the following conclusions can be drawn: 1)Youth in India is spending a lot of time using internet and other alternative means of communication. The main stream media will have a tough competition in the form of alternative media. 2)Internet is the most popular medium among youth and mobile phones are the most preferred medium for content generation and uploading of data. 3)Social networking sites have become a very important platform for common man.The social issues raised with the help of the social networking s ites are getting good response from the netizens and global public opinion is very easily formed. 4)The global civil society has found a new and alternative platform for raising their voices. Alternative means of communication have become a very strong tool to form global opinion. Now the local governments are finding it difficult to stop the flow of information. 5)The world is now fast becoming multi polar and multiple sources of communication in the form of small and alternative media have given a strong platform to the marginalized communities and socially deprived class. )It is very much evident from this study that mobile phone is the most popular medium for content generation and dissemination of information among youth in India. They upload data to various social networking sites and actively participating in the social campaigns promoted through it.Reference: 1)Kaldor Mary, Global Civil Society, 2007/08 2)Tufte Thomas, Youth engaging with the World: Media, Communication and Social Change, The International Clearinghouse on Children, Youth and Media’s Yearbook 2009. 3)The Hindu, Role of Alternative Media Stressed, 2010. )TOI, Friday, June19, 2009, Editorial. 5)Trigona Marie’ Alternative media is alive and well all over Latin America. (Argentina), 2009. 6)Casey Bernadette and others, Key Concepts in Television Studies, Routledge, Newyork. 7)Rayner philip, Media Studies, Routledge, Newyork. 8)Branston Gill, The Media Students’ Book, Routledge, Newyork. 9)Waisanen Don J, A citizen’s guide to democracy inaction, Southern Communication Journal, Volume 74/Number 2/April-June 2009 10) world population data sheet 2009. 134 Million 11% Asia/ Pacific

Critical Consciousness An Understanding Of Power,...

Critical Consciousness According to Lum (2007) critical consciousness â€Å"is a process through which people come to an understanding of power, empowerment, and oppression. Developing critical consciousness is a two-step process that involves learning to perceive social, political, and economic contradictions and action against oppressive elements†. Experiences throughout life assist in the multiple identities that people have. It is important to â€Å"understand people through their construction and enactment of their multiple identities† (Lum, 2007, p.48). In order to understand the diversity of a person, social workers need to: 1. Approach every interpersonal helping practice relationship with an awareness of who you are as a cultural self and what you have to offer as a helping person. 2. Equalize the power relationship between you as the professional worker and the client as the vulnerable individual so that you both become persons in the eyes of the other. 3. Find out what is similar and common between you as the worker and the person as the client and affirm the similarities and commonalities. 4. Explore the differences between the worker and the client, respecting and learning from them, and incorporate these unique features in the relationship. 5. Address the multiple identities of the client and relate them to your multiple identities as the worker, understanding where they came from and how they are formed in the beings of two people. 6. Understand and respect how eachShow MoreRelatedStructural and Postmodern Social Work Theories2765 Words   |  12 PagesCritical social work theory does not hold one single definition; rather it refers to an expansive range of theories that a share similar orientation. Critical social work is committed to working with and for oppressed populations to achieve social transformation. Critical social work recognizes that large scale social processes Ââ€" namely those associated with class, race and gender Ââ€" fundamentally contribute to the personal and social issues social workers encounter in practice (Healy, 2001). TheRead MoreThe Theory Of Empowerment Theory3634 Words   |  15 Pages3.2.3 Empowerment Theory The concept of empowerment is of increasing interest to researchers, practitioners and citizens concerned about mental health issues. In some respects, empowerment is a new buzzword. As Edelman (1977) has noted in relation to language and the politics of human services, sometimes new language is used to describe the same old practices. Others believe that empowerment language can actually lead to raised awareness (Rappaport, 1986). Regardless, a growing number of peopleRead MoreThe Systemic Symptoms Of Poverty Americans Essay1533 Words   |  7 Pagesstruggle with food insecurity, the most vulnerable population being households with children, single parents, and minorities (USDA, 2013). There is varying research driven opinions for understanding and surviving poverty; unfortunately, the limited available research on the larger systematic mechanisms for oppression is troubling. When searching, these systemic symptoms of poverty are most transparent within communities. A large number of the population holds experience to some degree of people whoRead MoreWomen s Roles Of Reproduction1466 Words   |  6 Pagesfrom the motherhood and marriage obligations. Conversely, other lesbian authors such as Audre Lorde and Adrienne Rich utilized writing, speeches, and poetry in linking women’s oppression and heterosexuality. These rhetoricians asserted that heterosexuality is an unavoidable institution that is aimed at perpetuating men’s power across race and class. In Lorde’s (1984) Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches and Rich’s (1980) On Lies, Secrets, and Silence, these rhetoricians examined how classicism, racismRead MoreDifferent Types Of Adult L earning1744 Words   |  7 Pagesskills empowerment. The model emphasizes that tacking action against some exploitation in the society will promote emancipatory learning. The effort of promoting emancipatory learning in the society brings adult educators into conflict with some of the philosophical believes about adult education. For instance, the philosophy of Bwith assumed that a learner’s life expectancy plays a key role in an individual learning process. He based his constraints on development of critical consciousness of a studentRead MoreFemale Chauvinist Pigs : Women And The Rise Of Raunch Culture1671 Words   |  7 Pagesthey work in male dominated and cut-throat worlds. To succeed, they ultimately have to become ‘one of the boys’ or otherwise come across as uptight. Levy’s highly critical of Sex and the City, Carrie in particular, because she ‘rarely evaluated her own happiness’ and instead ‘measured men’s interest’ which is a ‘flawed guide to empowerment.’ It was a source of sex education, an insight into the fashionable American woman, and covered important subjects I’d never considered before, like abortion. AnRead More South Asian Women Essay2227 Words   |  9 Pagesthousands years ago, continue to be oppressed by a dominant group of men. These women suffer further oppression through the strict adherence to cultural garb. Still today, media and educational system portray South Asian women as self-sacrificing, faithful to the family, and submissive to men. 1. Identify and understand the vulnerable population. Various theorists under the umbrella of critical social theory believe that all subordinate groups are oppressed on personal, cultural and institutionalRead MoreAnalysis Of Patricia Hill Collinss Critical Race Theory726 Words   |  3 PagesThe contributions of female thinkers have generally been overlooked thought-out the years, even though they have an understanding of theory and society similar to their male counterparts. There are many women who have made a major contribution to the development of modern day sociology. Patricia Collins is a well-known sociology professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her work focuses on several issues concerning issues with feminism and gender in the African American community. SheRead MoreEmpowerment and Strengths-Based Perspective: Social Work Essay4769 Words   |  20 PagesEmpowerment and a strengths perspective which support the development of innate abilities and recognize differences in a positive manner are also helping social workers increase the individual client’s capacity to learn to use his or her own systems constructively More than a simple linguistic nuance, the notion that social workers do not empower others, but instead, help people empower themselves is an ontological distinction that frames the reality experienced by both social workers andRead MoreConflict And Social Behavior Perspective1718 Words   |  7 Pagesperspective play an important role in Dasani’s life (Hutchinson, 2015). The reader will have a better understanding of the perspective through examples in Dasani’s life. This paper will conclude with a reflection of the writer’s future profession in the social work field. Conflict Perspective Defined Conflict perspective is seen through the lens of someone who has power and seeks to oppress people with less power, sometime through discrimination or control (Hutchinson, 2015). Individuals who are not in the

Media Images Of Disability Cause The Disability Community

It s always been my belief that media images of disability cause the disability community some of its most serious and persistent problems... ~Prof Beth Haller, of media disdat Images of disabled people being depicted in a negative light go back at least as far as the Old Testament, where having a disability meant that you had done something to anger G-d. Disability was equated with sin (Shapiro). In the New Testament you got another choice-you could be cursed or possessed by evil (Shapiro, 1994 p. 30). This view perpetuated to the time of Shakespeare, where he gave his Richard III a hunchback (even though the real Richard III did not have such a disability) in order to make him seem more evil. Today, films such as Peter Pan and†¦show more content†¦These are all very bleak images of disability. Especially, I thought, since it was 2006. They painted a very meager, maybe worthless, existence. Although I had not heard of the term until just recently, it was very clear to me that night that to those in the room, to be someone with a disability meant to be a Tiny Tim. That is the term (named after the character in Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol) dis ability advocates coined to articulate society s view that people with disabilities (PWDs) are childlike, dependant, and in need of charity or pity (Shapiro, 1994 p. 14). Most people, I think, inherently feel sorry for PWDs. They feel like we must be suffering or that we are incapable of taking care of ourselves and making our own decisions (Johnson, 2003; Shapiro, 1994). Even if one of us is successful, like historian Paul Longmore who has a PhD and has written several books, but just happens to have gotten polio as a child and has to use a ventilator at night, we are still pitied. [Once, a stranger] approached him [Paul Longmore] on the street and said, ‘If I were you, I d kill myself (Shapiro, 1994 p 39). The image of the Tiny Tim gained popularity in the 1940 s and 50 s when charities focused on finding cures for disabilities such as polio. They realized that pity opens wallets, so they began poster child