How to Correct Bow Legs Essay Example for Free

How to Correct Bow Legs Essay Virasana Variation Virasana, or hero pose, is effective in treating flat feet and knock knees. This variation will help those with knock knees. Start by standing on your knees, then sitting down on your heels. Place a yoga block between the heels and sit on it. Make sure the knees are pointing straight forward and not touching each other. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds. Block Between the Thighs While standing, place a yoga block between the thighs as close to the pelvis as possible. Bring the feet as close together as possible and relax the inner thighs. Hold the pose for up to three minutes. This pose positions the legs in the opposite position of knock knees, bow-legged, which makes it therapeutic in correcting the original condition. Warrior 2 Pose Against a Wall Warrior 2 pose can help strengthen the knees if performed with proper alignment. Perform this pose against a wall or with the guidance of an experienced teacher to ensure proper alignment. In a standing position, bring the legs 4 feet apart and stretch the arms out to the side. Turn the right toes to the right and deeply bend the right knee. Activate the arches and keep the right knee touching the wall. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side. Downward-Facing Dog Pose with Block To perform this variation of downward facing dog pose, you will need a yoga block. While standing, place the block between the thighs and position the feet hip-width distance apart. Lower the hands to the ground and form the body into a V-shape. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.

What do visual hallucinations tell us about the nature of consciousness Essay Example for Free

What do visual hallucinations tell us about the nature of consciousness Essay The term ‘hallucination’ is difficult to define. There is a fine line between a ‘hallucination’ and an ‘illusion’. A hallucination differs from an illusion in that illusions are a product of misinterpretations of external stimuli whereas hallucinations need no such requirement making them an entirely internal process. A true hallucination can also be distinguished from a pseudo-hallucination in which the individual can recognise that what they’re seeing or hearing is not real. Hallucinations are also different from voluntary mental imagery, in that the thought has not uncontrollably forced itself onto our minds. Slade and Bentall (1988, cited in Blackmore, 2010) provided a working definition of a hallucination: â€Å"Any percept-like experience which (a) occurs in the absence of an appropriate stimulus, (b) has the full force or impact of the corresponding actual (real) perception, and (c) is not amenable to direct and voluntary control by the experiencer.† Hallucinations are frequently associated with schizophrenia. In result, those who hallucinate hesitate to come forward due to fear of being labeled crazy. The Society for Psychical Research’s ‘Census of Hallucinations’ is one of the first attempts to study hallucinations in the general population. 1684 people from 17,000 said they had previously suffered from a hallucination. It was found that visual hallucinations were more common than auditory hallucinations, and hallucinations where generally more common in females, with the most common type being a vision of a person (Blackmore, 2010). One general model of hallucinations is the ‘neurophysiological dissociation’ theory proposed by Marrazzi (1962, as cited in Slade 1976). He found that LSD produced inhibition of the association areas without affecting the primary visual cortex. He proposed that hallucinogenic drugs have their effect by producing a functional dissociation between the receiving cortex and the association areas. This loss of control of the latter over the former is responsible for the hallucinatory experience. A similar theory to Marrazzi is the ‘perceptual release’ theory, which was first proposed by Hughlings Jackson who believed that hallucinations were a result of loss of control of one area of the brain over the rest. More generally, he argues  that memories and internally generated images are naturally inhibited by information from the senses, and so such information is released when the sensory input is disrupted. Such a process tends to happen to people who indulge in sensory deprivation tanks, or to blind or deaf people. West (1962, as cited in Slade 1976) further developed the perceptual release theory to account for a whole range of percept like experiences, including hallucinations. The central beliefs of West’s theory is first, percept-like experiences are based on neural traces, templates, or engrams which are the permanent record of memories in the brain, secondly these templates/engrams are woven into the basic material of fantasies, dreams and hallucinations, and lastly, this reorganised experience is prevented from emerging into consciousness by the presence of external sensory input. The release of the reorganised experience can occur when there is sufficient arousal to permit awareness, combined with impairment of a sensory input. The perceptual release theory differs from Marrazzi’s theory in two main ways. Firstly, perceptual release theory, in placing arousal level as a central concept, assumes that subcortical structures play an important role, whereas Marrazzi’s t heory limits the area of dysfunction to structures within the cortex itself. Secondly, the perceptual release theory emphasises the disequilibrium between external sensory input and internal input from within, whereas Marrazzi does not (Slade, 1976). The perceptual release theory places strong emphasis on external sensory input, which has been supported through research demonstrating that interruption of the senses induces hallucinatory experiences. The best way to induce hallucinations, or where they occur the most, is through sensory deprivation. Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) is a common condition among people who have lost their sight in which they suffer visual hallucinations. Many studies have looked at the syndrome in order to provide a better understanding of visual hallucinations. One study exhibited a 64-year-old blind woman suffering from complex visual hallucinations (McNamara, Heros, Boller, 1982). It was found that neurosurgical removal of a large suprasellar meningioma helped remove her hallucinatory experiences. Such a case study provides evidence that hallucinations are related to both a  sensory deprivation and an impairment in CNS functioning. Another study claimed that, through looking at patients suffering f rom CBS, the hallucinations were due to an interruption in the visual association areas of the cerebral cortex. The researchers suggested that hallucinatory experiences could terminate on improving visual function or addressing social isolation (Menon, Rahman, Menon, Dutton, 2003). Deprivation of hearing can also induce hallucinations. Sometimes the deaf hear hallucinated sounds – they may even hear whole orchestras playing. Various case studies have demonstrated such a claim. Miller and Crosby (1979) found an 89-year-old woman experiencing the onset of musical hallucinations with longstanding progressive hearing loss. These hallucinations were well-formed perceptions of religious hymns and were nearly constant. Another study of a 52-year-old man proposed that the cause of musical hallucinations where due to progressive hearing loss and a result of sensory deprivation (Raghuram, Keshacan, Channabsavanna, 1980). Berrios (1990), through looking at a sample of 46 subjects experiencing musical hallucination, concluded that musical hallucinations were more common in females, and age and deafness seemed to play an important role in their development. Studies looking at CBS or hearing loss are consistent with the claim that hallucinations can occur as a result of an interruption in sensory input. However, studies have also addressed possible consistencies between hallucinations. There is no limit to the variety of hallucinations, although some common features have been identified suggesting a consistency that reflects underlying sensory processes. Such common features include spirals, concentric patterns, wavy lines, and bright colours. These similarities were investigated through studying the effects of mescaline, a hallucinogenic drug (Kluver 1926, as cited in Blackmore, 2010). It was found that brightly coloured images occurred, with a tendency to take on four forms. The first was gratings and lattices, the second was tunnels, funnels and cones, the third was spirals, and the fourth was cobwebs. These forms seem to be evident in hallucinations caused by drugs, fever, and more. The reason for such consistency lies within the map ping between patterns of the retina and  the columnar organisation of the primary visual cortex. Concentric circles from the retina are mapped into parallel lines in the visual cortex, with spirals, tunnels, lattices and cobwebs mapping onto lines in different directions. Inhibition is the cause of lines of activation in the visual cortex, and hallucinogenic drugs, lack of oxygen, certain diseases all affect inhibitory cells causing an excess of activity that can spread. In result, such consistent hallucinations occur similar to that of the four forms (Blackmore, 2010). However, there are also complex visual hallucinations in which the individual suffering from CBS/schizophrenia could see more concrete images such as monsters. In conclusion, research into hallucinations has provided a better understanding of the nature of conscious perception. Hallucinations have provided an interesting test case for theories on the mechanisms of conscious perception. In result the conscious experience without a stimulus provides a very useful case for consciousness research. Studying hallucinations is therefore extremely beneficial, as it has helped provide a window into imagery, imagination, and mental representation. References Berrios, G.E. (1990) Musical hallucinations, A historical and clinical study. BJP, 156, 188-194 Blackmore, S. (2010). Consciousness. An Introduction (2nd edition). Hodder Arnold. Hammeke, T.A. McQuillen, M.P. Cohen, B.A. (1983) Musical Hallucinations associated with acquired deafness. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 46, 570-572 McNamara, M.E. Heros, R.C. Boller, F. (1982) Visual hallucinations in blindness: The Charles bonnet syndrome. International Journal of Neuroscience, 17, 13-15 Menon, G.J. Rahman, I. Menon, S.J. Dutton, G.N. (2003) Complex Visual Hallucinations in the Visually Impaired: The Charles Bonnet Syndrome. Survey of Ophthalmology, 48, 58-72 Miller, T.C. Crosby, T.W. (1979) Musical hallucinations in a deaf elderly patient. Annals of Neurology, 5, 301-302 Raghuram, R. Keshavan, M.D. Channabasavanna, S.M. (1980). Musical Hallucinations in a deaf middle-aged patient. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 41, 357. Santhouse, A.M. Howard, R.J. Ffytche, D.H. (2000). Visual hallucinatory syndromes and the visual brain. Brain, 123, 2055-2064 Slade, P. (1976) Hallucinations. Psychological Medicine, 6, 7-13

Continuous Emission Monitoring System

Continuous Emission Monitoring System Continuous Emission Monitoring System (SO2 Measuring on Emission Gas). Â   CE 2.1 In this career episode report, I would like to describe my experience in Continuous Emission Monitoring System designing. CEMS systems are used for measuring flue gas for oxygen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide to estimate the combustion control in industrial monitoring purpose. Nowadays it is considered as a standard to meet with various emission standards. Factories are operating CEMS system continuously to get the emission records and submit these data to respective state/federal authorities. BACKGROUND CE 2.2 Chemtrols is one of the leading solutions providers in Process Gas Analytics, Environment Safety and Emission Monitoring, Flow Measurementation, Chemical analysis and Automation, Instrumentation solutions, Data Handling and Fire safety Systems. It is a technology innovated company operated by a group of professionals having high technical abilities and proven project management track records. There are skilled teams to handling small to large assignments; they will deal numerous stages of the job such as design, procurement, integration, checking, troubleshooting, commissioning and maintenance. They successfully implemented many projects in various industries like Steel, Oil Gas, Cement, Power, Chemicals etc. as a specialized solution provider. CE 2.3 On 2010, I was assigned as the Senior Project Engineer of continuous emission monitoring project for Saint Gobin Glass Ltd. It was a prestigious moment for me working with Chemtrols since the projects were the first of its kind in Chennai India to measure the SO2 emission from the burning of flare stacks. The main objective of the proposed project included to designing of analyzer system, preparation of material specification, assembly with the analyser, calibration, testing, timely delivery and site supervision of complete analyzer package. I was assigned to reviewing the customer specification and inquiries to provide the feedback whether the facility was able to handle the job. I conducted multiple technical discussions with the customer to getting approval on documents, introducing changes/improvement to finalize the design before starting the fabrication. Due to various specific requirements from the customer during engineering stage, I had re-examined a lot of factors to achieve client requirements. Each and every time I have submitted a report to my supervisor about the cost, quality, functionality and schedule which were affected in the design. CE 2.4 I had performed the following activities to successfully complete the proposed project, I analyze the project requirement/purchase order and clarified the technical queries that have been pending during sales stage. Also defined the scope of work and materials to supply. I was authorized to generate the specification of materials required for the system and procure the same with the help of procurement team. I was assigning jobs to other team members those who involved in this project such as draftsman, production supervisors, fabricators, fitters, helpers, and electricians. I was responsible for scheduling the drafting team for preparing the engineering drawings. I prepared the weekly project status and monthly progress report to the organization as well as the customer for evaluation. These reports help me to review the project progress, budget and time schedule. I was conducted regular meeting with other team members to analyze the progress of individuals task and effectively deal all issues and difficulties to achieving the targets. I was frequently communicated with the client to confirm the design, quality, and progress of the jobs. I lead the team having engineering, fabrication, production and testing for the Analyser systems. I was started to compare similar equipment from different manufacturers based on project requirement. It helps me to measure the differences between price, quality, and reliability of it. I was rectified errors and mistakes made during engineering/fabrication and conduct an inquiry among my team to understand causes. After completion of each milestone, I conduct a group discussion session with my team members for an analysis about the same and guide them to achieve the next goal. CE 2.5 I have given the organizational structure of the proposed project in Fig 1 Fig 1: Organisation Structure of the Project 2. PERSONAL WORKPLACE ACTIVITY CE 2.6 Initially, this project was considered as a standard CEMS application similar to refinery flue gas stack. When I go through the detail of the project specification, I understood that it was totally dissimilar with refinery applications. The customer wants to measure Sulphur dioxide (SO2) gas content in the emitted gas to the atmosphere, then the measured SO2 reading to be recorded and submitted to State Pollution Control Board in a particular format suggested by them. As per State Pollution Control Board guideline, the SO2 range must be at least 2% lower than the limit. CE 2.7 After a lot of communication with the customer, I take an initiative to visit customer place with the project manager for a site survey to get a clear understanding of the site condition. I arranged a technical meeting with customers maintenance team. During the discussion, I understood more about the process and how it is non-identical with the emissions from other industries. There is a lot of highly dangerous gasses produced from the factory during normal operation. This is the cause of generating some corrosive gasses and acid upon contact with moisture. This gas is very harmful to human being and which may lead to blindness and other critical diseases. Due to the corrosive nature of this compound, I decided to use Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tubing and glass materials for the project instead of stainless steel tubes. Normally stainless steel tubes and fittings are used in analyzer system. All other components of the system such as Sample Probe, Sample Heat Tracer Line, Sample gas cooler, flow meter, tubes and tube fittings are also checked for the suitability to this application. CE 2.8 In addition to this, I carried out an in-depth study of all the industrial standards and statutory regulations relevant to the project. I did research through manuals, journals, technical documents, consult my colleagues and seniors those who are expert in such application. With the support of this knowledge, I take it as a challenge to get customer appreciation. I choose appropriate equipment and materials according to my calculations. I take safety and accuracy as my first consideration of designed objects. Also, I consider geographical aspects of the proposed site location, maintenance provisions, and accessibilities, emergency precautions of the designed object. I provide very easy and simple methods for the installation and operation of equipment. So my system was very user-friendly and even a non-skilled person also can understand easily. My job mainly involved the following activities: Prepare standard detail material list (BOQ) for analyzer system include the quantity of materials with part numbers and brand (such as the analyzers, valves, heater, cabinets, tubes with fittings, electrical components, junction boxes, calibration gas, control relay etc). Design the schematic of sample condition system which involves necessary functional requirement at a lower cost. On basis of this, I prepared the complete drawing of analyzer system such as general arrangement, electrical wiring, logic, control and safety features of the analyser system. Produce the necessary technical calculation for the system such as sample transportation time, wake frequency, utility consumption, and phase calculation. Compose the quality related documents such as quality assurance plan, inspection test plan, factory acceptance test procedure and site acceptance test procedure. I inspected the major component at manufacturers workshop and witness the performance of the same. I included different ways of environmental protection and fire safety measures. I estimate which equipment is to be reconstructed and which one should be replaced by the new equipment. All these documents are submitted to the customer for approval and get their acceptance before starting the procurement activities. I clarified various queries raised by the customer and get their acceptance with slight modification. All components were procured as per the project requirement. I was closely monitoring the purchase activities to ensure that all materials shall be suitable for the project and under the proposed costing. Also, review the material receipt to confirm that the received materials are in usable condition. We had supplied Stainless steel probe to the customer to withstand at a temperature about 500 Degree C and provided additional arrangement on the probe to filter the HF for sampling. I specially designed a sample probe for this project. Also, introduce a new fully customized sample gas cooler made with glass coil to avoid any corrosion in the future. If we used stainless Steel cooler, then it is corroded and damaged within a week time. Similarly, I supervis ed the production and testing activities to finish the project at the scheduled time period. I have scheduled my works always because I have to work with several disciplines at the same time. My schedule always helps to balance my works and concentrate my subordinate group on time. I provide necessary information to other engineers involved in this project from different departments. Submitted all design basis to an assigned certifying authorities to get approval. CE 2.9 Around one month before the scheduled factory acceptance test, the customer informed that there are some changes in process parameters at the sample take off point. They provided a new specification having a huge change with the existing parameters. I noticed that there is a huge amount of moisture content and solid particles in the new sample. As a result of this, sample transportation line will chock (block) within a week and our analyzer system will not provide any result. All designing activities are finished and around 75% of fabrication was finished. I requested the management to hold all the fabrication activities until I finish the basic calculation with the new specification provided by the customer. I did the lag time calculation, phase calculation, wake frequency calculation and utility consumption within one day and proposed some modification on the existing design. After consulting with the project manager, I shared the action plan with our customer and get the acceptanc e from them to proceed further. Then we restart the production and testing activities. CE 2.10 I did the following design changes to ensure that the analyzer system will work at the site without any issues. The inner diameter of the sample tube is increased to 10mm instead of 4mm to avoid blockage. Due to sample tube size change, sample transportation time also increased from 56 seconds to 152 seconds. I implement a high capacity pump on the transportation to maintain the project specified sample transportation time (less than one minute). Implement an automatic air cleaning (30 seconds in every two hours) facility on the sampling line. Install redundant filter arrangement nearby the sample tapping point. As a result of this, Client can do the maintenance on each filter without disturbing the analyzer system. Maintain the temperature of transportation line around 20 Deg C above the dew point to avoid the contamination (water formation) at sampling line. Provide a moisture removal system nearby analyzer to resist the passage of water content to the analyser. With the above-mentioned changes, factory acceptance test was performed on the scheduled date and shipped the system to the site. As a result of this hard work, I managed to finish this project a couple of days before the scheduled closing date. The supplied system was successfully installed and commissioned at the customer location. Our team work was highly successful. CE 2.11 I strictly follow the customer specifications at all times of engineering and preparing technical data sheets very carefully. This technique was assisting me to avoid the cost over-runs and bring forth a consistency in the progress of project execution. After site completion, I concluded all my learning point from this project. I arranged an internal meeting with my team for a project closing discussion and prepared the project closure report. The technical competency within our design team increased. I had done a detailed examination of a lot of equipment and materials to perform the best design. I was coordinated with different disciplines of customer liaise the modifications and changes both technically as well as commercially. SUMMARY CE 2.12 In Conclusion, I had contributed myself to complete this Analyser System with extra activities, spend more personnel time to finish. The customer was very much appreciated for this work and they also had a learning point from this project because they already procured similar Analyser system from other supplier and failed within 2 months of operation. After 1 year operation, I received a received a feedback from the customer that the equipment is working fine. These kinds of projects are very beneficial for me to become competent in terms of taking care of other subdivisions, clients, and domains. I was learned the techniques to manage all difficult situations arising at different stages of the project. Clear up this kind of situation improve my managerial and technical skills in scheduling, supervising, monitoring and execution of big projects. I got vast experience in my career during my tenure with this company. During this period, I understood Instrumentation Engineering in depth and got a lot of opportunities to do what I had learned from my course.

ee cummings :: essays research papers

E. E. Cummings   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Edward Estlin Cummings was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on October 14, 1894. There were three important events in his early life that had effects on him and how he got famous. Additionally there were three things during his later life. Lastly there were three major events in his life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  E. E. Cummings parents were extremely intelligent people that were very well educated. This had an influence on how he started poetry because he mom encouraged him to write all the time as a child and to express himself through it. He completed a B.A. degree at Harvard University in 1915, which is where he got his first poems printed in the Harvard Monthly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  E. E. Cummings later life was a little more complicated. Following his imprisonment during World War I. He had his first book of poems published on his accounts. In 1925 he wins the Dial Award and begins to write for Vanity Fair. This started his career in writing. He died in 1962 after enjoying 12 popular books published of his poetry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Three major events in E. E. Cummings life are as follows. The most important in many peoples’ opinion was his mother’s influence, she had forced him to do many things that helped him have a vast knowledge of proper English. This also led him to attend Harvard University. Another was the unfortunate event that led to his capture in World War I. He was kept in isolation with one other person for three months. This led to the publishing of his first book based on these experiences. Finally there was his third marriage. After trouble and turmoil throughout his first two, this last one was his final and they stayed together until death. That led him to much happier poems and writing.

Software Patents in Western Europe :: Software Technology Patent Paperes

Software Patents in Western Europe Introduction The world is becoming smaller and smaller. It’s a catch-line clichà © anyone who is familiar with the internet has heard a thousand times. Email provides nearly instant communication across the globe, massive files containing every imaginable piece of information are transmitted in the blink of an eye, and the World Wide Web makes it all accessible to the common individual with moderate computer skills. There is no denying it, just like the IBM slogan, the internet has changed the way the world does business. One key to doing business is the patent. Meant to reward and encourage innovation, the patent gives the creator of an idea or invention a temporary monopoly on their product. This grants small businesses a foothold in a market that would otherwise be dominated by giant corporations. Thus patents give life to competition, the cornerstone of capitalism. However, with the advent of the computer industry the issue of patenting software programs has become an intense debate. These intangible sequences of ones and zeros are coveted like gold and in some cases are the very livelihood of numerous businesses. The State of Affairs in Western Europe There are two camps in Europe battling out the issue of software patents. On one side we have â€Å"Brussels technocrats and technology giants such as Microsoft, SAP, and Nokia, all of which insist that Europe must do more to protect intellectual property or risk compromising its global competitiveness.†1 The basic argument of this side is that patents are necessary if Europe wants to compete with U.S. and Chinese innovation. On the other side of the debate there is â€Å"an army of economists, left-leaning politicians, and programmers such as Linux creator Linus Torvalds†1 who present the argument that â€Å"software patents are a creativity-crushing weapon wielded by multinationals to bash [startups].†1 The open-source community, which produces software without patents for all people to use, is particularly strong in Europe. It is their opinion that software patents put programs under lock and key and they would like to see Europe reject software patents c ompletely. For the past two years the European Union has been working to stiffen its existing patent laws while balancing the sometimes conflicting requirements of its 15 members. However, the process was upended in September when â€Å"the European Parliament -- under heavy last-minute lobbying by open-source advocates -- unexpectedly approved a draft law that effectively banned all software patents.

Hatchet :: essays research papers

Within reading the first few pages of Hatchet, I knew I was going to enjoy the book. Hatchet was a story about bravery, courage, and strength. I enjoyed reading this great novel by Gary Paulsen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story begins when Brian, a thirteen-year-old boy, is traveling on an airplane. Brian is from the city, and is traveling to Canada to visit his Father. The setting is in the Canadian wilderness and is most important because Brian’s adventure would have been impossible in a city. Brian was very upset about his parents separation, but was excited to be visiting his father. However â€Å"The Secret,† as Brian refers to it, is always in the back of his mind. Brian has seen his mother with another man. He wants desperately to tell his father, but knows his father would be crushed. I think that this situation is something that could happen in real life. Brian is totally distraught. If I were in his place, I would be also. But instead of worrying about telling my father, I think I would be worrying about confronting my mother with the situation. I would feel I needed to stop the affair before my father did find out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Brian’s trip is very unexpectedly interrupted, when the plane’s pilot has a heart attack. Brian tries to continue the flight, with help from men over the radio. Unfortunately, the radio dies, and the plane runs out of gas. I think this part of the story, is very unrealistic. If the plane were supposed to make it all the way to the destination, why would it suddenly run out of gas? Also, why would the radios suddenly become broken? I realize this was the whole point of the novel but it doesn’t seem realistic.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Brian then spends exactly Fifty-four days by an L-shaped lake. He faces many conflicts. He is put in a situation like the â€Å"Survivor† television show. He needs to find a way to survive, unlike on the show, by himself. He needed protection from the weather, so he built shelter. He was hungry, so he hunted for food. He discovered how to catch fish, rabbit, and discovered bushes of nuts. He also had a bad encount er with â€Å"Poison berries,† as he called them, which made his stomach sick. Brian also had encounters with wild animals, such as, a porcupine, and a moose. Brian needed warmth, so he made fire, without any matches.

What Is the Relationship Between Social Change and Changes in Space and Time?

What is the relationship between social change and changes in space and time? Illustrate with examples drawn from at least two of : changes in cities, changes in media, changes in intimacy. In looking at the relationship between social change and changes in space and time. We first require understanding of what social change is. Sociologists from every school of thought agree that social change is inevitable within our society. Social change is a highly diverse debate that has been analysed by theorist’s looking at the effects of social change on society. Anything that is socially constructed can be altered. Little changes are triggered by larger changes taking place. Urban life changed and progressed toward an industrial society. Space and time has been reordered. The working day was determined by the seasons, and by the amount of daylight there was. This however has changed, and the working day is now structured around clock time. Space within the home has changed. With family units not as large as previously had been and the availability of better housing conditions, families do not spend the same time together. In looking at some of the theories that have been documented with regards to changes in media and changes in intimacy we begin to acquire an understanding of how sociological change has had an impact. The new media phenomenon holds a lot of potential for benefiting society. â€Å"Belonging to a digital culture binds people more strongly than the territorial adhesives of geography† (Mackay pg. 123) Many who are not able to use conventional methods of communication are given an outlet whereby they can. Many are unable to visit places of interest to them and ICTs host many features allowing people to view and learn about places they would in most cases not be able to physically visit. â€Å"Internet communities – which are seen as binding people together in some sort of common culture in which imagined realities are shared† ( Hugh Mackay pg. 159) The new ICTs can also be contested in that with having no physical contact can leave individuals feeling alone, isolated from others and could produce a desire for the physical presence of others. Together, today’s networks constitute a new form of society† (Hugh Mackay pg. 141). Internet does not alienate between creed, colour, ethnicity or disability and therefore it can be suggested that this multicultural society brings with it a form of social structure and community without any prejudice. There is no stigma attached to it. Castelles views the new technological devices of our society as the beginning of a rev olutionary change. Globally the new forms of media have transformed the ways of communication and the availability of information. Timeless time and the space of flows† (Hugh Mackay pg. 141). By this he means that with new technology being made available there is no longer a need or reason for waiting time to exist. Everything is instantaneous, and can be acquired at the touch of a button. Snail mail has been replaced with e-mail. We are able to access many things at any time of the day or night. Also there is no physical space taken up. Cyberspace allows the exchange of all forms of information without the requirement of physical documentation. If the nineteenth century was the age of the telegraph and telephony, and the twenty – first century becomes that of biotechnology, it is not necessarily the case that the intervening era of late modernity is to be conceived as the ‘information age’† (Golding pg. 129) Golding does not agree with Castells view that there is a revolutionary change taking place due to the development of ICTs. His view is that social changes throughout the years are due to evolutionary developments. â€Å"Brief history of the electric telegraph shows that significant reordering of time and space began long before the internet† (Mackay pg. 142). He suggests that communication with others via e-mail hosts the same enthusiastic doctrine as is held by those wishing to write in the conventional way. Also the enthusiasm held by the introduction of ICTs was just the same as had been with the invention of the semaphore telegraphs. â€Å"In the future, it is claimed, ICTs will unlock the door to a society of unlimited resources. The plentitude of the information economy will end deprivation and need. † (Golding, pg. 130). Golding does not foresee this happening as the use for ICTs will always require manufactured upgrades and money being spent to ensure the running of them. The only form of media that he views as having ‘consistently high penetration’ (Golding pg. 130) is television. The cultural imperialism thesis looks at the media expanding throughout the world. It is generally assuming that the exportation of different cultures from West to East is not beneficial within society. Schiller denotes that this approach is pessimistic. â€Å"Cultural exports not only restrict other countries’ development of their own production industries, but also, quite insidiously, manipulate and shape cultural values. (Mackay pg. 145). He does not believe that any good can come from knowledge being shared in this way. There is in his view, an adverse effect on different cultures generated by this method. Negroponti is optimistic about the introduction of the media sources. Internet allows us to have access to anything at any time of night or day. Everything in his view will flourish. He sees those entering the sector will grow and get better with time as the creation of new technologies advances through time. It has become easier to communicate with each other regardless of location. There has been an increase in dating sites which can be accessed at any time and by anyone. There has been a transformation from traditional conventional ideologies about what is termed intimacy. Due to media there are many more public arenas for the discussion of both personal and public relationships. â€Å"Cyberspace offers the possibility of the increased development of personal relationships in an apparent disembodied space† (Woodward pg. 191). There are fewer secrets held within the boundaries of relationships. This generates a freedom of self in a way whereby people can decide their identity. It can be suggested that this manner of communication allows those within society to talk openly about their lives as the information given is received by a faceless audience. This however does not always prove to be a beneficial factor as there is a threat of undesirable people choosing to become part of a society they would not ordinarily live within the realms of. There is no threat as to ones true identity, no questions require truthful answers. Intimate relationships were at one time kept secret from the public domain what went on behind closed doors stayed there. â€Å"Selling – point is the minutiae of the daily lives and personal relationships of the rich and famous†( Woodward pg. 186). Magazines make the most profit when they are selling stories about celebrities and the scandals associated with them . Giddens â€Å"transformation of intimacy† (Woodward pg. 201) shows that there has been a change socially within the realms of intimacy. He looks upon marriages as only being beneficial to the participating partners for as long as they gain fulfilment from it. He sees an increase in equality within marriages. â€Å"Relationships between women and men which aspire to the pure relationship are more equal, with men as well as women being concerned with the emotional quality of the relationship and being prepared to make investment in this form of intimacy† (Woodward pg. 201)Another factor suggested by Giddens is what he denotes as â€Å"Plastic sexuality† Women can decide if they want to reproduce and by what method they want to reproduce by. They are free to enter into sexual relationships without the threat of becoming pregnant. â€Å"This search for personal satisfaction through intimate relationships leads to greater reflexivity. † (Woodward pg 202. ) Giddens does not however, document accounts of those within ethnic minorities, or make reference to relationships whereby intimacy is achieved without closeness for example with the use of prostitution, thus not holding true to his assumptions on pure relationships. Intimacy can be between friends, it does not always involve partners having a sexual relationship. Lynn Jamieson believes that inequalities still remain within society. As she states â€Å"There are significant disjuncture between public and private stories about personal relations, especially in the context of the more optimistic variants of idealized discourses of transforming intimacies. (Woodward pg 203. ) Unlike Giddens she does not see equality within partnerships. Material circumstances account for much of the unhappiness that exists. Divorce rates are still high and in the majority of cases are instigated by the women. Another factor that challenges Giddens theory is that she suggests domestic violence is still concurrent and therefore shows the depths to which inequalities lie. In conclusion, we can see that social change has altered the organization of society. â€Å"Changes in the boundaries between public and private space. These boundaries are not fixed in time and space but are continually being redrawn and transgressed† (Woodward pg. 186). People adapt to changes and accustom themselves to their presence. From looking at the changes within space and time we can see how there has been a move from rural to industrialised society to the developing technology. We as a nation are aware of what is happening globally and it is easy to contact and communicate with others worldwide. We can acquire information about almost anything that interests us. There are no longer boundaries or space that can stop interaction with others. Time is no longer a barrier. Although there lies many debates and questions regarding social change the only thing that can be agreed upon is that there will always be changes within our society. Reference: Hugh Mackay cited in â€Å"Social Change† edited by Tim Jordan and Steve Pile, Open University Press, Milton Keynes 2002 Kath Woodward cited in â€Å"Social Change† edited by Tim Jordan and Steve Pile, Open University Press, Milton Keynes 2002 Lynn Jamieson, @From â€Å"the family† to sex and intimacy (1998) cited in â€Å"Social Change† edited by Tim Jordan and Steve Pile, Open University Press, Milton Keynes 2002 Word Count: 1550 approx