Business model canvas Creating a Value Proposition

Business model canvas Creating a Value Proposition WHAT IS A VALUE PROPOSITION?In simple terms, a value proposition makes a case for why a customer should pick one product over another, citing the unique value the product provides over its contenders.The Business Model Canvas value proposition provides a unique combination of products and services which provide value to the customer by resulting in the solution of a problem the customer is facing or providing value to the customer. This is the point of intersection between the product you make and the reason behind the customer’s impulse to buy it.   A product can have a single value proposition or multiple value propositions.Most start-ups fail to define their value proposition before they launch their products. This is because entrepreneurs tend to give too much credence to the ‘idea’ they have and run with it as opposed to exploring how this idea would actually perform in the market.It is important for a product to solve a problem in a unique way. The problem could be unwork able, unavoidable, urgent or underserved. On the other end of the spectrum, the need for your product or service could be blatant, critical, aspirational or latent. A blatant need, as the word suggests, is one openly voiced and expressed by the customer. A latent need, conversely, is one which the customer himself may not be aware of having. A critical need is an immediate need that the customer MUST have fulfilled.[slideshare id=22445632doc=20130603pioniergaragevaluepropositiondesigner-130604141640-phpapp02]ELEMENTS OF THE VALUE PROPOSITIONNewnessSome value propositions are based on the newness or novelty factor that they provide. This element usually comes into play for technology-intensive products.The telecommunications industry was spawned through the newness element. Originally the market for cellphones was very small but once the technology became more mainstream the market for the product expanded exponentially with increasingly advanced cellphones and smartphones being crea ted to take advantage of the telecommunications technology.PerformanceBetter performance has been the hallmark of many product offerings over the years with most industries managing to thrive for decades on improved performance versions of the same products. Intel doubles the speed of its chip every year, resulting in faster computers able to support much more sophisticated software.CustomizationThe modern consumer believes in self-expression and individualism. They expect the products they use to be an extension of their personality and a medium through which they can communicate their values and priorities to the world. Providing the option to tailor the product to the consumer’s preferences adds value for the customer. In recent times products have gained heavily on market share through utilizing concepts such as mass customization or customer co-creation. Where traditionally customization has resulted in prohibitively expensive products, today this option provides the opportun ity for customers to put their personal stamp on a product while still providing economies of scale.Nike lets its customers customize their shoes through NikeID on their website. A consumer can go online and create a completely original design with their preferred color palette, placement, color and size of the swoosh etc for their shoes. They can see what the end product will look like visually, play around with different permutations till they reach a result that suits their tastes and then order the final product when they are ready.Getting the job doneWhen a product helps a consumer or business reach the end goal, its value proposition is getting the job done. Rolls Royce is best known for the cars they make but one of their major value propositions is getting the job done through the jet engines they manufacture and service for Boeing as well as providing financing through leasing.A product whose value proposition is ‘getting the job done’ enhances the customer’s producti vity and helps the customer to focus on more relevant details.DesignMost clothing labels rake in a higher price tag because of the superior design they have. Prada charges top dollar for something as simple as a T-shirt because of the strength of its designs.Brand/ StatusDesign and brand/status can be clustered together because their appeal is quite similar. Just as people will show loyalty to a brand because of its design, people will also show loyalty to a design because of the perceived status the brand name itself lends to the owner or user.Almost everyone today owns and wears a watch on a regular basis but the brand of the watch could vary from your local watchmaker/ jeweler to the iconic brand Rolex. A Rolex is more than just a watch though, it is a statement that the wearer has money and status, since even a simple Rolex is exorbitantly expensive compared to regular brands.Ultimately a brand/ status intensive product will help the customer look and feel in control, important and part of the in-crowd.PriceOne of the most common elements a value proposition is based on is price. There are many companies that enter into the market with the premise that they are providing a product or service which is cheaper than the existing options in the market. However, organizations competing on price, or in some cases, even offering free services, usually have different business models to sustain the organization.One example is the spate of ‘no frills’ airlines that sprung up like Southwest airlines. Southwest offered fares equivalent to a bus-ride, however, in a complete about face from the traditional airline, they did away with all the extra services which formed the pomp and show traditional airlines charged a premium for. In doing so, Southwest opened air travel up to a section of the market which had been previously untapped; the common man.Cost ReductionProducts and services catered towards enhancing customer experience by reducing the cost a customer woul d ultimately incur cater to the cost reduction value proposition.Technology has played a great role in helping consumers reduce costs. One such example is Salesforce.com which allows customers to use a customer relationship management software for a fee, voiding the need for the customer to buy the software, hardware and install and run it, each action associated with a significant cost.Risk ReductionThe less risk associated with purchasing a product or service, the more value a customer derives from it. A reduction of the risk associated with a purchase provides peace of mind to a consumer. One example of this is the one year service warranty received when buying a used car. In the buyer’s mind, the risk of buying a second hand vehicle is diminished by the comfort of having the warranty.Essentially a product whose value proposition is Risk Reduction aims to make people feel safer, whether real or imagined safety, as well as guarantees a solution to a problem he/ she is facing for a time bound period.AccessibilityAnother key ingredient for an effective and robust value proposition is making a previously inaccessible product or service available to a consumer segment. Innovative technologies and variations in business models have both led to offering accessibility to unserviced customers. NetJets is a wonderful example of providing accessibility. The company allows individuals and corporations to have access to private jets, which has traditionally been cost prohibitive and therefore unavailable to many who did not have the cash reserves to afford this luxury.Convenience/ UsabilityProviding consumers with a product that increases their convenience or is characterized by ease of use is a very strong value proposition and one on which some companies have built empires and legends around. One example of this type of value proposition is Apple which through its iconic iPod provided consumers with a convenient way to listen to music and by pairing it with iTunes, increased the convenience factor significantly; since now users could easily search, download and play songs, all through one medium!DESIGNING A VALUE PROPOSITION © Entrepreneurial Insights based on the concept of Alex OsterwalderIn this article, we will explore, 1) what is a value proposition, 2) elements of the value proposition, 3) designing   a value proposition, and 4) a case study.WHAT IS A VALUE PROPOSITION?In simple terms, a value proposition makes a case for why a customer should pick one product over another, citing the unique value the product provides over its contenders.The Business Model Canvas value proposition provides a unique combination of products and services which provide value to the customer by resulting in the solution of a problem the customer is facing or providing value to the customer. This is the point of intersection between the product you make and the reason behind the customer’s impulse to buy it.   A product can have a single value proposition or multiple value propositions.Most start-ups fail to define their value proposition before they launch their products. This is because entrepreneurs tend to give to o much credence to the ‘idea’ they have and run with it as opposed to exploring how this idea would actually perform in the market.It is important for a product to solve a problem in a unique way. The problem could be unworkable, unavoidable, urgent or underserved. On the other end of the spectrum, the need for your product or service could be blatant, critical, aspirational or latent. A blatant need, as the word suggests, is one openly voiced and expressed by the customer. A latent need, conversely, is one which the customer himself may not be aware of having. A critical need is an immediate need that the customer MUST have fulfilled.[slideshare id=22445632doc=20130603pioniergaragevaluepropositiondesigner-130604141640-phpapp02]ELEMENTS OF THE VALUE PROPOSITIONNewnessSome value propositions are based on the newness or novelty factor that they provide. This element usually comes into play for technology-intensive products.The telecommunications industry was spawned through the ne wness element. Originally the market for cellphones was very small but once the technology became more mainstream the market for the product expanded exponentially with increasingly advanced cellphones and smartphones being created to take advantage of the telecommunications technology.PerformanceBetter performance has been the hallmark of many product offerings over the years with most industries managing to thrive for decades on improved performance versions of the same products. Intel doubles the speed of its chip every year, resulting in faster computers able to support much more sophisticated software.CustomizationThe modern consumer believes in self-expression and individualism. They expect the products they use to be an extension of their personality and a medium through which they can communicate their values and priorities to the world. Providing the option to tailor the product to the consumer’s preferences adds value for the customer. In recent times products have gaine d heavily on market share through utilizing concepts such as mass customization or customer co-creation. Where traditionally customization has resulted in prohibitively expensive products, today this option provides the opportunity for customers to put their personal stamp on a product while still providing economies of scale.Nike lets its customers customize their shoes through NikeID on their website. A consumer can go online and create a completely original design with their preferred color palette, placement, color and size of the swoosh etc for their shoes. They can see what the end product will look like visually, play around with different permutations till they reach a result that suits their tastes and then order the final product when they are ready.Getting the job doneWhen a product helps a consumer or business reach the end goal, its value proposition is getting the job done. Rolls Royce is best known for the cars they make but one of their major value propositions is ge tting the job done through the jet engines they manufacture and service for Boeing as well as providing financing through leasing.A product whose value proposition is ‘getting the job done’ enhances the customer’s productivity and helps the customer to focus on more relevant details.DesignMost clothing labels rake in a higher price tag because of the superior design they have. Prada charges top dollar for something as simple as a T-shirt because of the strength of its designs.Brand/ StatusDesign and brand/status can be clustered together because their appeal is quite similar. Just as people will show loyalty to a brand because of its design, people will also show loyalty to a design because of the perceived status the brand name itself lends to the owner or user.Almost everyone today owns and wears a watch on a regular basis but the brand of the watch could vary from your local watchmaker/ jeweler to the iconic brand Rolex. A Rolex is more than just a watch though, it is a sta tement that the wearer has money and status, since even a simple Rolex is exorbitantly expensive compared to regular brands.Ultimately a brand/ status intensive product will help the customer look and feel in control, important and part of the in-crowd.PriceOne of the most common elements a value proposition is based on is price. There are many companies that enter into the market with the premise that they are providing a product or service which is cheaper than the existing options in the market. However, organizations competing on price, or in some cases, even offering free services, usually have different business models to sustain the organization.One example is the spate of ‘no frills’ airlines that sprung up like Southwest airlines. Southwest offered fares equivalent to a bus-ride, however, in a complete about face from the traditional airline, they did away with all the extra services which formed the pomp and show traditional airlines charged a premium for. In doing so, Southwest opened air travel up to a section of the market which had been previously untapped; the common man.Cost ReductionProducts and services catered towards enhancing customer experience by reducing the cost a customer would ultimately incur cater to the cost reduction value proposition.Technology has played a great role in helping consumers reduce costs. One such example is Salesforce.com which allows customers to use a customer relationship management software for a fee, voiding the need for the customer to buy the software, hardware and install and run it, each action associated with a significant cost.Risk ReductionThe less risk associated with purchasing a product or service, the more value a customer derives from it. A reduction of the risk associated with a purchase provides peace of mind to a consumer. One example of this is the one year service warranty received when buying a used car. In the buyer’s mind, the risk of buying a second hand vehicle is diminished by the comfort of having the warranty.Essentially a product whose value proposition is Risk Reduction aims to make people feel safer, whether real or imagined safety, as well as guarantees a solution to a problem he/ she is facing for a time bound period.AccessibilityAnother key ingredient for an effective and robust value proposition is making a previously inaccessible product or service available to a consumer segment. Innovative technologies and variations in business models have both led to offering accessibility to unserviced customers. NetJets is a wonderful example of providing accessibility. The company allows individuals and corporations to have access to private jets, which has traditionally been cost prohibitive and therefore unavailable to many who did not have the cash reserves to afford this luxury.Convenience/ UsabilityProviding consumers with a product that increases their convenience or is characterized by ease of use is a very strong value proposition and one on which so me companies have built empires and legends around. One example of this type of value proposition is Apple which through its iconic iPod provided consumers with a convenient way to listen to music and by pairing it with iTunes, increased the convenience factor significantly; since now users could easily search, download and play songs, all through one medium!DESIGNING A VALUE PROPOSITION © Entrepreneurial Insights based on the concept of Alex OsterwalderWhen designing a value proposition we often use traditional tools and models instead of thinking outside the box or taking into consideration how much technology, businesses and consumers have evolved. Ultimately, we need to understand whether what an organization delivers actually matters or is it relevant to a customer’s needs.A value proposition can be more effectively designed by utilizing a value proposition canvas, which is essentially an equation of three key ingredients. First, the entrepreneur needs to understand the customer in its entirety by creating a customer profile through analyzing customer jobs, their pains and their gains. This is followed by a value map which clarifies the products and services offered to the customer, their pain relievers and gain creators. Finally a Fit will be achieved when a match is achieved between the Customer Profile and the Value Map.Products and ServicesIt is important in the beginning to do an evaluation of the products and services around which your value proposition is built.Products can be either tangible or intangible. They can also be characterized as digital or financial. When designing and evaluating your value proposition, it is crucial to get inside the customers head. A useful exercise would be to rank your product and services offerings in order of importance to the consumer. For this, the company needs to understand the appeal of the product. Is it a must-have for the customer because it fulfills a basic need? Or does it serve a functional, social or emotional requirement?Pain RelieversYour product or service must solve a problem the customer is facing. In essence it is relieving a chronic pain that the customer goes through on a regular basis and which no other product has been able to alleviate to the same degree. This pain could take the form of emotional stress, higher costs and increased risksAn effective way to evaluate your pr oduct is to analyze whether it generates lower usage of customer resources such as time, effort or money; Produces a positive change in the customer’s life by reducing his/ her frustration, monotony or boredom; resolve the challenges customers may face, reduce the chances of negative social stigmas and behaviors, reduce risks, alleviate stress, reduce chances of error, eliminate barriers between the customer and a possible solution etc.By ranking the intensity with which each of these pains impacts your customer and the frequency of their occurrence, an entrepreneur can build up a detailed analysis of the pain relievers the various products and services in his/ her repertoire represent for customers.Gain CreatorsIn this section, an entrepreneur needs to evaluate how the products and services in his portfolio lead to customer gains. An effective metric would be to understand how aspects of your products and services would enhance the customer experience by fulfilling his/ her expec tations and wishes and even going beyond to surprise and delight him/ her.The entrepreneur can analyze whether the product or service results in savings that delight the customer, has results that meet or surpass customer expectations, produce better results than the alternatives the customer is currently using, result in positive social relationships and status, fulfill a customer need and are easy to adopt, among other concerns.By ranking the intensity with which each of these gains impact your customers and the frequency of their occurrence, an entrepreneur can build up a detailed analysis of the gain creators the various products and services in his/ her repertoire represent for customers.Steps for using the FrameworkIn short, following are the main steps for using the framework effectively and efficiently;Jot down all the products and services in your portfolio which combine to make up your value propositionDescribe how your value proposition contributes to eliminate your targe t customer’s pain points. Separate sticky notes should be used for each pain relieverDescribe how your value proposition contributes a positive result for your target customer. Separate sticky notes should be used for each gain creator.Ultimately all three elements; products and services, pain relievers and gain creators should be ranked according to their relative importance to the target customer.Best practices Common mistakes when using the FrameworkBest PracticesList only the combination of products and services that directly provide value to the relevant customer segment.Pain reliever and gain creators list characteristics of your products and services that are of relevance to the target customers.Products and services will be of value to customers only if they match the target segment’s profile, pains and gainsIt is imperative for an entrepreneur to understand that no product or service will be able to meet all the pains and gains in a customer’s profile. Instead the en trepreneur needs to prioritize which pains and gains their product and service should match.Common MistakesMention all the products and services in  your portfolio regardless of the specific customer segment they target.Categorize your products and services as either pain relievers or gain creators.Add additional pain relievers and gain creators even if they don’t match the pains or gains in your target segment’s profileTry to resolve all pains or gains of the target segment.[slideshare id=9945937doc=customersegmentsandvaluepropositionforslideshare3-111030040451-phpapp01]CASE STUDYEvernote is an online company aiming to provide mobile professionals with the capability to take notes while they are on the move.The main webpage provides a detailed overview of how the product and its various features can help its target market store organize and interpret a seemingly random hodgepodge of information and data. The website makes the features of the service as well as the overall exper ience come alive for the consumers, helping them understand how they can benefit by using the service.The trifecta of the service features, the advantages of using Evernote and the overall customer experience are matched exactly to the customers wants, needs and fears. The company has also created further bifurcation of its customer segment so that each page is tailored to a specific kind of customer with the inherent benefits the customer can reap mentioned as well, creating a rudimentary level of customization.The website’s value proposition is a quick and simple tool that syncs easily with other platforms so sharing ideas is convenient.Products and ServicesOne workspace for allWrite everydayWork togetherGather researchFind everything fastShare your ideasStay in syncPain RelieversRemoves the need to carry notebooks, consolidated notes or other forms of data aroundRemoves the need for complicated slides during meetingsSingle place to save online material available on a topic of i nterestEconomically accessible for individuals without requiring a heavy investment in hardware or softwareGain CreatorsProvides a common working space for a team to share ideas and informationProvides access to freelancers, and individuals to a free service where his or her notes are backed up and available to him at a moment’s notice,Cost effective for individuals who can use the service for freeProvides tools that help customers effectively and efficiently plan and execute projects.

Liberal vs. Conservative Views on Teen Pregnancy - 649 Words

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Free Debt Advice For The Uk - 1696 Words

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How Has the High Point Furniture Market Uses Outsourcing Free Essays

I am writing to request your permission to research the benefits to implement Job resources and Job training programs at the Carson Stout Community Center in High Point, North Carolina. The increasing unemployment rates in the community have greatly impacted the developmental needs of the community. Majority of the immunity is unemployed individuals and families, whom are facing poverty issues. We will write a custom essay sample on How Has the High Point Furniture Market Uses Outsourcing or any similar topic only for you Order Now The need for Job resources and Job training programs presents a challenge for unemployed individuals of the community and the city of High Point. The city of High Point was formerly known as the, ‘World’s Furniture Capital. † The furniture and textile organizations produced numerous Jobs for our community but today, these furniture and textile organizations have been placed in other parts of the world due to globalization. When the organizations left High Point, many members of the community were left with no Jobs and no meaner of Income. The Carson Stout Community Center Is a perfect location because many unemployed individuals and families of the community use the services given by the center. Carson Stout Community Center offers a variety of services that help the community but do not offer programs that will allow Individuals to help themselves. Unemployed residents of our community have trouble seeking Jobs because they do not have knowledge about Job networking and/or they do not obtain required Job training. Failure to have no meaner of Income tends to make Individuals and families In the community rely heavily on government and community assistance. Also, with no Job or no meaner of Income, there has been an Increase In crime In our community. This puts a lot of stress on the community. POTENTIAL SOLUTION lob resources and Job training programs at the Carson Stout Community Center will equipment unemployed members of the community with knowledge of Job skills, training, and Job networking. These programs will: evaluate the persons’ strengths and weakness to determine what Jobs they will be successful In, provide skills and training for Jobs that require a certain skill or trade, provide resume writing and Interview seminars, and provide Jobs for the unemployed of the community. The community will benefit from providing Job resource and Job training programs at the Carson Stout Community for several reasons: It will decrease unemployment rates, lower the need for government and community assistance, the community will be more productive, bring barnacles and Individuals out of poverty levels, and lower crime rates in the communion TTY. This will create a win-win situation tort the community and the City of High point. To demonstrate how Job resources and Job training programs will benefit our community, I would to like to conduct research both internally and externally. Internally, I would like to survey the unemployed members and families of the community to understand their hardships and needs. Externally, I will gather information from Community Development Block Grant (JDBC), Community Development Organizations (COD), and Community-Based Job Training Grant (CABOT) and other community based grants to sponsor the Job resources and Job training programs at the Carson Stout Community Center. My preliminary research indicates data is available to support this proposal idea and to provide Carson Stout Community Center with the information it needs to make an informed decision. I have located organizations that have implemented Job resources and Job training programs to unemployed people and have gathered information from their experiences to apply to our situation. As a community leader, I sympathize with the members of the community who have lost their Jobs with the furniture and textile companies due globalization. Therefore, I am strongly committed to finding projects that will benefit the community and lessen the hardships of unemployment in the community. It is my pleasure, to search for ways to enhance and strengthen the community. By conducting this research to implement Job resources and Job training programs at the Carson Stout Community Center will help the community become self-sufficient. I look forward to meet with you to discuss this proposal. WSDL it be possible to schedule a meeting in the next couple weeks? Once again, it is my pleasure to conduct the research and prepare required financial information, and the pros and cons of a Job resource and Job training programs before our fiscal year begins. You can reach me at 336-965-6636 or via email me sheqwanad@gmail. Com. Thank you for your time How to cite How Has the High Point Furniture Market Uses Outsourcing, Papers

Taboo of Homosexuality and Same Sex Marriage Essay Example

Taboo of Homosexuality and Same Sex Marriage Essay Homosexuality and same sex marriage is one of the serious issue in our society. This essay summarize whether homosexuality and same sex marriage is still considered as a taboo or not. Taboo is any human behaviour that is normal for him/her but may not be for other. Hence, we could recognise taboo only at the time when we encounter other opposing our behaviour. Every society differs in its point of view regarding any sort of Taboo-defying behaviour. Hence homosexuality and same sex marriage is hotly debated between individuals that, should it be considered as a taboo or not?People tolerance to the behaviour like homosexuality and same sex marriage depends upon their on their present norm, values and belief system. Degree of tolerance depends upon various factors like cultural background, religion, sex, historical period and location. Media is one of the prominent factors that make people aware about any social issue. Moreover media covers any social report as their prime report. Hence there are various opinions toward media coverage upon this issue. This essay tries to summarize how media act upon this social issue and what kind of role does it play to create awareness in public.International communication has significant role to create bridge between various nations hence it is obvious that the communication between two or different nation will eventually bring sharing of social issues and make changes to it according to the demand of situation. To show the impact of international communication upon the social issue of a nation, this essay uses Australia as a case study. Essay mainly focuses on how the international communication creates a gradual improvement in the attitude of people and whole nation towards homosexuality and same sex marriage.This essay also address how cultural elements impact laws and opinion, hence it identifies what type of cultural influence may change attitude towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. INTRODUCTION Dr. Hutton Webster defined â€Å"Taboo are prohibitions which, when violated, produce automatically in the offender a state of ritual disability – taboo sickness- only relieve, when relief is possible, by a ceremony of purification†(Wallis, 1943). Any human act is not itself considered as a taboo until other society marked it as a taboo.Hence, we could recognise taboo only at the time when we encounter anything which we could think as a normal but it might not be normal for other. Every society differs in its point of view regarding any sort of Taboo-defying behaviour. Their degree of tolerance relies on their present norm, values and belief system. Those beliefs which were considered as a Taboo may be Taboo at past but not at present. Here, the same belief and norms of society is dealt whether homosexuality and same sex marriage is considered as a taboo or not.This is a vague opinion whether to consider homosexuality and same sex marriage as a taboo or not because it depends on how indi vidual tolerate it. Those who believe that homosexuality and same sex marriage as a right to freedom and every individual has a right to choose their partner to live their life may consider it is not a taboo. But other group may think that it could bring a bad impact to society and even to human race. Some argue that, there will be very frightening consequence of homosexuality and same sex marriage if proper rules and regulation is not made on time, it may affect human race and continuity to subsequent generation.In different society still homosexuality and same sex marriage is a concern which still raises several eyebrows. Regardless of yearly homosexual parades and the judiciary’s move to make homo sexual legal, the utterance still induce powerful comeback from the society. Social scientists are enormously fascinated by the emerging issue of homosexuality and same sex marriage (Ben-Ari, 2001; Herek, 2004; Jefferson, 2010; Lee, 2011; David A. Moskowitz, 2010). According to t he 3 studies of Haslam and Levy (2006), all of the reports are related with crucial importance in attitude about homosexuality.According to them, the 3 things are the belief that homosexuality is biologically based, indisputable, and permanent near the beginning life. It is the faith that is cross-culturally as well as traditionally common; and the faith that it holds a judicious, cautious behavior pattern with defining appearance. Similarly they indicate the faint but influential function of essentialist faith in presuming common attitudes to homosexuals but also the possible defensive function of these beliefs. (Haslam amp; Levy, 2006).In another study done by (Hewitt amp; Moore, 2002), those who believe that homosexuality is a genetically or biologically caused shows little or no negative attitude towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. But those who believe that it is not genetically acquired rather it is a habit developed in later of life as they choose it, may develop neg ative attitude towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. During the post World War II there was various civil right movements, along with other movement homosexuality also came into existence and gain a momentum(Hekma, Oosterhuis, amp; Steakley, 1995).In one of the study done by (Herek, 2004; Raja amp; Stokes, 1998), they found that attitude towards homosexuality and same sax marriage depends upon the gender also. They found that heterosexual female were more flexible and sympathetic towards lesbian and gay rather than heterosexual male. Hence the degree of homophobia not only relates to social norm and values but also to gender attitude which confirms at which degree they treat homosexuality and same sex marriage. Similarly, Lannutti and Lachlan also came to the same conclusion that heterosexual man and women differ in their attitude towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. Lannutti amp; Lachlan, 2007). This hypothesis was further extended by (D. A. Moskowitz, Rieger, amp; R oloff, 2010), and found that homophobia and gender are inter related i. e. gender may have a reasonable effects with the attitude towards homophobia. They presented a graph in which they correlate the relationship of homophobia and gender. Attitude towards homosexuality greatly varies between the different culture, historical periods and location. Different cultures have different norm and values which will verify whether homosexuality is appropriate or not. Since 1970s, various countries were tolerant towards homosexuality.Many people in Africa and Middle East were still denying to accept homosexuality and considered it as a taboo which was found by the The Pew Research Centers 2007 Global Attitudes Survey. Homosexuality and same sex marriage is getting more acceptable in Western Europe, New Zealand, Canada, Australia and United states. Similarly, though the acceptance could be a less majority many Latin American countries now accept homosexuality. Figure 2: Percentage of responder s that answered accepts towards homosexuality (Source: Pew Research Centers 2007 Global Attitudes Survey)CONTRIBUTION OF MEDIA TO ATTITUDE TOWARD HOMOSEXUAITY AND SAME SEX MARRIAGE Media has a prominent affect on any social issue. Media covers any social issues as their prime reports. In the same manner homosexuality and same sex marriage issue is covered by various media. How the society attitude is changing on the timely basis is covered by media. Bryati and Zillmann, 2009 present a view that though there are lots of debate going on how mass media effects public learning ability, scholars argue that mass media has prominent effect to particular issue, and attitude formation and change.There are various media awareness program in different nation and they give their view regarding the modern media like Television program and Movies whether these source of media are actually providing useful tips to the viewer or not. In the same sense, media awareness program frequently object that modern TV and Movies are providing positive feedback to sanitize the homosexuality and same sex marriage and try to hide or cover its filthy part. Nevertheless homosexuality and same sex marriage have created a great movement and achieve an enormous momentum in recent years in both media portrayal and participation in media production.The issue of homosexuality are tremendously dominant in all areas of media, covering production to consumption. Moreover, media is considered as useful tools in highlighting social issues like homosexuality and same sex marriage that they are invested in the political spot light. For example fight over gay marriage in California (Sean Sullivan, March 27 2013) regarding Supreme Court’s consideration of same-sex marriage in high-profile cases. Likewise, Media is always trying to show the gradual change in attitude of an individual towards homosexuality and same sex marriage.There are several homosexual people as a high-ranking media personality l ike Ellen Degeneres (host of one of daytime television largely admired program as well as reviewer on American Idol), Elton John (Grammy and Academy Award winning singer-songwriter), Jann Wenner (owner and publisher of Rolling Stone), David Geffen (billionaire co-founder of DreamWorks SKG), Rich Ross (studio chair of Disney). There are various popular shows in Television related to homosexuality like â€Å"Modern Family† and â€Å"The Office†.These shows are trying to give viewers a positive feedback regarding homosexual lifestyles and exhibit a growth of homosexuals in present culture. Not only TV shows but also various movies are pushing homosexuality as a desire of people is innate and we should show positive attitude towards homosexuals. The film â€Å"MILK† by Sean Penn won the Oscar of 2009 for his portrayal of gay right activist Harvey Milk. Similarly in the movie Phiadelphia which was an American drama movie of 1993 related to homosexuality and homophobi a won the various awards.This movie actually show how we treat homosexuals people in our society and try to push people out of this dilemma and make believe that homosexual people should be ranked in the same position as others. Though various research are conducted on sexual socialization, till we have little knowledge that how adolescence gain knowledge of about homosexuality. As well as how ethnicity and sex manipulate their awareness regarding homosexuality. In one of the research conducted by (Calzo amp; Ward, 2009) , they try to see the sights how parental, peer and media communication they frequently encounter about homosexuality.Their results showed that media addressed the topic homosexuality more frequently. IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION IN HOMOSEXUALITY AND SAME SEX MARRIAGE – AUSTRALIA International communication plays a vital role in changing attitude towards any social issues. Each nation see how other nation go with any social issue and try to be a part of the nation or they can give their opposite view regarding any social issue. Homosexuality and same sex marriage is a prominent social issue which every nation is facing at this time. There is gradual development in the acceptance of homosexuality.There are changing views and attitude towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. Countries like Norway, Argentina, Canada, Portugal, Urugay, Iceland, Netherland, Sweden, South Africa, Belgium, Spain and Denmark legally recognise same sex marriage nationwide. In USA only a minority people believes that being a gay or lesbian is sinful now — a change that a Southern Baptist-allied research group associated to President Barack Obamas changed opinion of gay marriage(Bob Smietana,2013). Culture is shifting from anti gay to acceptance of same sex marriage in USA.Though homosexuality has been illegal in most countries for many centuries, we can see the gradual acceptance of it and various nations began to implement legislative reforms which allow for certain consensual homosexual acts. In case of Australia, the majority jurisdictions have responded to this inclination and have legally recognized homosexual acts between consenting adults in some cases. In 1972 South Australia became the first Australian jurisdiction to decriminalize some homosexual acts. (Bull, M. , Pinto, Susan, Wilson ;amp; Paul, 1991). Further reforms were made and still continued in the area of homosexuality.The impacts of international communication are clear upon Australian law reform regarding homosexuality. Since the Australia was first settled by British in 1788, the law governing sexual behavior came from England. Every Australian States were inherited by the British anti-homosexual laws i. e. Act of 1898. In 1960s, Don Dunstan, Attorney-General in South Australia made an attempt to present the draft to decriminalize homosexual behavior but during the last hour he decided not to present the draft due to the lack of public support (Graha m Carbery, 1993).Australian criminal law stopped treating heterosexual and homosexual conduct differently in 2003. The main element in fetching the first 2 restructurings of South Australian’s anti homosexuality laws was the death of gay academic Dr George Duncan on 10th May 1972. It alerted public attention by this event which was extensive aggravation of homosexuals in Adelaide by police. If we start from 1700s, the first recorded death penalty for Sodomy was seen as guilt around 1828-63. Till 1969, it was a crime for men to engage in homosexual act in every state in Australia.In 1972 the first political activist, Gay liberation was initiated at the Sydney University. Homosexuality law reforms were passed in 1976 in Australia. Likewise in 1978 huge rally was conducted by homosexual commemorating the 9th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. New South Wales became the first state to pass the bill not to do partiality against homosexuals. Similarly, In 1984 Australian Medical A ssociations agree to remove the homosexuality from its list of illness or any mental disorder.Australian Capital Teritory (ACT) passes the Domestic Relationships Act; it was the initial authority which provides same sex relationships similar lawful status as heterosexual relation (gaytraveller. com. au). Till now Australia bans recognition of same sex marriage at federal level. All of the above mentioned histories regarding homosexuality and gradual development and acceptance of homosexuality at public and authority level are due to the influence of mass communication both at public and federal level.International communication creates a bridge between raising issue at different level and how other Nation responded to these issues. There are a long history on how Australian treated homosexuality and now how they are reforming their attitude and behavior regarding homosexuality. International communication has significantly raised the concern about homosexuality and made the governme nt compelled to make reforms in the laws which was on public interest. Despite the various countries had already accepted same sex marriage, Australia has not given full support same sex marriage.Still Prime Minister Gillard opposes the same sex marriage. Australian increment support for Gay marriage and international acceptance may bring changes towards the attitude of same sex marriage. It is obvious that changes should happen because the public support on gay marriage is outstanding and sooner or later it may happen. After the US President Barack Obama publicly endorsing same sex marriage in national television, there was a hope that Gillard may change her views regarding same sex marriage but it seems that Prime Minister Julia Gillard will continue to oppose gay marriage.There is not only national pressure from public or any social organization to accept homosexuality and same sex marriage. There are various international organizations which prepare certain criteria up to which level any nation can act upon any social issues. Though it is not compulsory to be under the rules of international organization, but still every nation has to be a part of international organization and follow its certain criteria. There was a claim by UN Human Right Commission that Tasmanian Legislation did partiality to homosexuals and hence it violated International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.Due to this Federal Government passes legislation, that gives public right to sexual privacy, which ultimately supersedes Tasmanian’s anti-gay laws (NSW Council for Civil Liberties). This is how international communication can create a situation to bind with certain condition and change attitude towards the social issues like homosexuality and same sex marriage. CULTURAL IMPACT ON HOMOSEXUALITY AND SAME SEX MARRIAGE There are various cultural element that may impact laws and public opinion that may influence attitudes towards homosexuality. Religion may play a significant role towards any social issues like homosexuality.Each and every person abides by their own religion and follows the code and conduct of that religion. Religion is an organized collection of belief system which when violated may be quite serious problem to any people social status. Homosexuality is still considered as a taboo in many societies, this may create a threat to homosexuals to show their inclination to homosexual behavior. For example in an Islamic Nation like Iran still homosexuality is considered as serious crime and their law orders the punishment of homosexuals acts by the death penalty(Gorton, 2002).People of western cultures are more likely to accept homosexuality than other cultures. Hence those cultures which have already accepted homosexuality may have affect on other culture to change their opinion towards homosexuality. Different religions have varying views in regard to homosexuality. Jewish, Christian, Sikh and Muslim cultures have generally recognized homose xual activities as wicked. However, Hinduism and Buddhism generally view homosexuality primarily from the viewpoint of its karmic effects, with different conclusions.While having a sight upon Australian religious affect upon homosexuality, it has still captured public negative attitude towards homosexuality though there is now large majority of people accepting homo sexuality and same sex marriage. Recently PM of Australia assured that religious groups they will have the freedom under a new rights bill to discriminate against homosexuals and others they deem sinners, according to the head of the Australian Christian Lobby (Jonathan Swan, Jan 16 2013).The Australian Christian Lobby and Catholic Australian Family Association, still get up against homosexuality and same sex marriage. However The Progressive Jewish community in Australia largely supports LGBT rights. In Australia religion plays a vital role that controls the activity of homosexuality. It is obvious that those who believ e religion as their sole source of civilization do not want to go against their religion and the views against religious institution and people. Hence still there are majority of people who believe homosexuality as wrong task.Not only religion but social control also influence heavily on public opinion towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. Internal social control like socialization and internalization of norms, values and beliefs play a significant role. External social controls like social media and media campaigns, moreover Politics, government rules, large organizations, embarrassment and stigma etc. also have a prominent affect on it. Australian Labor Party has come under a great deal of attack from LGBT for not fully supporting same-sex marriage (Luke Gaham 26 Sep 2012).This makes sense how political interference can create a situation to react to any social issues. As I had already discussed earlier about media, various campaigns and media shows about their affect on so cial issues, homosexuality, it is always trying to give public either its opinion regarding homosexuality or present public opinion of homosexuality and same sex marriage. In both case media campaign plays a vital role to control pubic attitude towards homosexuality. Social media like facebook, blog are increasingly showing increment in the popularity of homosexual and gay marriage.Media Release: Gay Marriage Rights in Australia (GMRA) reaches a historic 100,000 fans, which is one of the facebook page. This page is created to make public aware about LGBTIQ rights and to give people a clue how they can participate to establish a change in public negative attitude towards homosexuality. This page was created on May 2009, and now it is the most significant and powerful LGBTIQ right related facebook pages in Australia (gay marriage rights in Australia, www. facebook. com). There are various blogs about homosexual campaign where various fans provided their views regarding homosexuality.S imilarly different websites are on internet which periodically updated current affairs about homosexuality and how people are changing their views towards homosexuality. More over as discussed earlier there are different TV shows and movies which try to show the homosexuality as a normal practice and should be adopted by public. Educational institutes are also giving their proper attention in Australia to make homosexuality as a choice of public and hence should not be treated differently. CONCLUSIONIn the overall, Homosexuality is one of the major social issue which is hotly debated in various nation. Attitude towards homosexuality greatly varies between the different culture, historical periods and location. Media has a prominent effect on homosexuality and same sex marriage. It covers the issued related to homosexuality and make public aware about the pros and cons of homosexuality. This will eventually help public to understand homosexuality in depth and choose whether to accept it or not. On the whole media is always seemed to provide a better understanding of homosexuality.In Australia this issue is still debated. Though majority of public are accepting homosexuality as a normal behaviour still federal government has not given full right as hetero sexual couple have. Same sex marriage is not legally permitted in Australia. Australia as developed nation full of elite people is still lagging behind to solve this issue which may due to political and religious matter. But seeing the public acceptance of homosexuality we can predict that sooner or later this nation may allow same sex marriage.Last but not the least I have some of my opinion why homosexuality is so hotly debated issue and why this may be considered as a taboo in various parts of world. I think it might be an issue like homosexual cannot produce any children and as well as they are not being part of the way things are done. The way we perform marriage, our family, tribal devotion etc. were sign ificantly valued in prehistoric culture. So how any couple who cannot bear children can fit in this culture. Moreover, homosexuality is thought to be performed for only sexual pleasure and public believe it to be an immoral act.So in overall homosexuals were taken as the one who have not any contribution to society. Homosexuality won’t be taboo itself if people do not believe it as a sinful behaviour. People must believe that every human being should have a same right as other; no one is allowed to discriminate any one on the basis of sexual behaviour. Its sound so horrible that even people are sentenced death penalty after they are found to be homosexual which is itself a crime and even a great taboo for me. No one has right to take any one life on the basis of their sexual nature.If we believe that religion has a power to penalise any homosexual, I completely disagree that view because if god has created this world and people, it’s a wish of god to make any one homos exual or heterosexual.REFERENCES Ben-Ari, AT. (2001). Homosexuality and heterosexism: views from academics in the helping professions. British Journal of Social Work, 31(1), 119-131. Bob Smietana, January 11 2013, USA TODAY, Survey: Big drop in those who say being gays a sin, accessed on 16 April 2013 http://www. usatoday. com/story/news/2013/01/10/poll-minority-says-being-gays-a-sin/1825461/M. (2009). Contributions of parents, peers, and media to attitudes toward homosexuality: investigating sex and ethnic differences. J Homosex, 56(8), 1101-1116. Gay marriage rights in Australia, 3rd June 2011, Media Release: Gay Marriage Rights in Australia (GMRA) reaches a historic 100,000 fans, www. facebook. com, accessed on 17th April 2013 https://www. facebook. com/notes/gay-marriage-rights-in-australia/media-release-gay-marriage-rights-in-australia-gmra-reaches-a-historic-100000-fa/10150212436128560  Gorton, Don. (2002).Gay Rights in the Clash of Civilizations. (Essay). The Gay amp; lesbi an review worldwide, 9(1), 16. Graham Carbery, 1993, Towards homosexual equality in Australian criminal law: A brief history, Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives Inc, accessed on 16 April 2013   http://www. alga. org. au/files/towardsequality2ed. pdf Taboo of Homosexuality and Same Sex Marriage Essay Example Taboo of Homosexuality and Same Sex Marriage Essay Homosexuality and same sex marriage is one of the serious issue in our society. This essay summarize whether homosexuality and same sex marriage is still considered as a taboo or not. Taboo is any human behaviour that is normal for him/her but may not be for other. Hence, we could recognise taboo only at the time when we encounter other opposing our behaviour. Every society differs in its point of view regarding any sort of Taboo-defying behaviour. Hence homosexuality and same sex marriage is hotly debated between individuals that, should it be considered as a taboo or not?People tolerance to the behaviour like homosexuality and same sex marriage depends upon their on their present norm, values and belief system. Degree of tolerance depends upon various factors like cultural background, religion, sex, historical period and location. Media is one of the prominent factors that make people aware about any social issue. Moreover media covers any social report as their prime report. Hence there are various opinions toward media coverage upon this issue. This essay tries to summarize how media act upon this social issue and what kind of role does it play to create awareness in public.International communication has significant role to create bridge between various nations hence it is obvious that the communication between two or different nation will eventually bring sharing of social issues and make changes to it according to the demand of situation. To show the impact of international communication upon the social issue of a nation, this essay uses Australia as a case study. Essay mainly focuses on how the international communication creates a gradual improvement in the attitude of people and whole nation towards homosexuality and same sex marriage.This essay also address how cultural elements impact laws and opinion, hence it identifies what type of cultural influence may change attitude towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. INTRODUCTION Dr. Hutton Webster defined â€Å"Taboo are prohibitions which, when violated, produce automatically in the offender a state of ritual disability – taboo sickness- only relieve, when relief is possible, by a ceremony of purification†(Wallis, 1943). Any human act is not itself considered as a taboo until other society marked it as a taboo.Hence, we could recognise taboo only at the time when we encounter anything which we could think as a normal but it might not be normal for other. Every society differs in its point of view regarding any sort of Taboo-defying behaviour. Their degree of tolerance relies on their present norm, values and belief system. Those beliefs which were considered as a Taboo may be Taboo at past but not at present. Here, the same belief and norms of society is dealt whether homosexuality and same sex marriage is considered as a taboo or not.This is a vague opinion whether to consider homosexuality and same sex marriage as a taboo or not because it depends on how indi vidual tolerate it. Those who believe that homosexuality and same sex marriage as a right to freedom and every individual has a right to choose their partner to live their life may consider it is not a taboo. But other group may think that it could bring a bad impact to society and even to human race. Some argue that, there will be very frightening consequence of homosexuality and same sex marriage if proper rules and regulation is not made on time, it may affect human race and continuity to subsequent generation.In different society still homosexuality and same sex marriage is a concern which still raises several eyebrows. Regardless of yearly homosexual parades and the judiciary’s move to make homo sexual legal, the utterance still induce powerful comeback from the society. Social scientists are enormously fascinated by the emerging issue of homosexuality and same sex marriage (Ben-Ari, 2001; Herek, 2004; Jefferson, 2010; Lee, 2011; David A. Moskowitz, 2010). According to t he 3 studies of Haslam and Levy (2006), all of the reports are related with crucial importance in attitude about homosexuality.According to them, the 3 things are the belief that homosexuality is biologically based, indisputable, and permanent near the beginning life. It is the faith that is cross-culturally as well as traditionally common; and the faith that it holds a judicious, cautious behavior pattern with defining appearance. Similarly they indicate the faint but influential function of essentialist faith in presuming common attitudes to homosexuals but also the possible defensive function of these beliefs. (Haslam amp; Levy, 2006).In another study done by (Hewitt amp; Moore, 2002), those who believe that homosexuality is a genetically or biologically caused shows little or no negative attitude towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. But those who believe that it is not genetically acquired rather it is a habit developed in later of life as they choose it, may develop neg ative attitude towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. During the post World War II there was various civil right movements, along with other movement homosexuality also came into existence and gain a momentum(Hekma, Oosterhuis, amp; Steakley, 1995).In one of the study done by (Herek, 2004; Raja amp; Stokes, 1998), they found that attitude towards homosexuality and same sax marriage depends upon the gender also. They found that heterosexual female were more flexible and sympathetic towards lesbian and gay rather than heterosexual male. Hence the degree of homophobia not only relates to social norm and values but also to gender attitude which confirms at which degree they treat homosexuality and same sex marriage. Similarly, Lannutti and Lachlan also came to the same conclusion that heterosexual man and women differ in their attitude towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. Lannutti amp; Lachlan, 2007). This hypothesis was further extended by (D. A. Moskowitz, Rieger, amp; R oloff, 2010), and found that homophobia and gender are inter related i. e. gender may have a reasonable effects with the attitude towards homophobia. They presented a graph in which they correlate the relationship of homophobia and gender. Attitude towards homosexuality greatly varies between the different culture, historical periods and location. Different cultures have different norm and values which will verify whether homosexuality is appropriate or not. Since 1970s, various countries were tolerant towards homosexuality.Many people in Africa and Middle East were still denying to accept homosexuality and considered it as a taboo which was found by the The Pew Research Centers 2007 Global Attitudes Survey. Homosexuality and same sex marriage is getting more acceptable in Western Europe, New Zealand, Canada, Australia and United states. Similarly, though the acceptance could be a less majority many Latin American countries now accept homosexuality. Figure 2: Percentage of responder s that answered accepts towards homosexuality (Source: Pew Research Centers 2007 Global Attitudes Survey)CONTRIBUTION OF MEDIA TO ATTITUDE TOWARD HOMOSEXUAITY AND SAME SEX MARRIAGE Media has a prominent affect on any social issue. Media covers any social issues as their prime reports. In the same manner homosexuality and same sex marriage issue is covered by various media. How the society attitude is changing on the timely basis is covered by media. Bryati and Zillmann, 2009 present a view that though there are lots of debate going on how mass media effects public learning ability, scholars argue that mass media has prominent effect to particular issue, and attitude formation and change.There are various media awareness program in different nation and they give their view regarding the modern media like Television program and Movies whether these source of media are actually providing useful tips to the viewer or not. In the same sense, media awareness program frequently object that modern TV and Movies are providing positive feedback to sanitize the homosexuality and same sex marriage and try to hide or cover its filthy part. Nevertheless homosexuality and same sex marriage have created a great movement and achieve an enormous momentum in recent years in both media portrayal and participation in media production.The issue of homosexuality are tremendously dominant in all areas of media, covering production to consumption. Moreover, media is considered as useful tools in highlighting social issues like homosexuality and same sex marriage that they are invested in the political spot light. For example fight over gay marriage in California (Sean Sullivan, March 27 2013) regarding Supreme Court’s consideration of same-sex marriage in high-profile cases. Likewise, Media is always trying to show the gradual change in attitude of an individual towards homosexuality and same sex marriage.There are several homosexual people as a high-ranking media personality l ike Ellen Degeneres (host of one of daytime television largely admired program as well as reviewer on American Idol), Elton John (Grammy and Academy Award winning singer-songwriter), Jann Wenner (owner and publisher of Rolling Stone), David Geffen (billionaire co-founder of DreamWorks SKG), Rich Ross (studio chair of Disney). There are various popular shows in Television related to homosexuality like â€Å"Modern Family† and â€Å"The Office†.These shows are trying to give viewers a positive feedback regarding homosexual lifestyles and exhibit a growth of homosexuals in present culture. Not only TV shows but also various movies are pushing homosexuality as a desire of people is innate and we should show positive attitude towards homosexuals. The film â€Å"MILK† by Sean Penn won the Oscar of 2009 for his portrayal of gay right activist Harvey Milk. Similarly in the movie Phiadelphia which was an American drama movie of 1993 related to homosexuality and homophobi a won the various awards.This movie actually show how we treat homosexuals people in our society and try to push people out of this dilemma and make believe that homosexual people should be ranked in the same position as others. Though various research are conducted on sexual socialization, till we have little knowledge that how adolescence gain knowledge of about homosexuality. As well as how ethnicity and sex manipulate their awareness regarding homosexuality. In one of the research conducted by (Calzo amp; Ward, 2009) , they try to see the sights how parental, peer and media communication they frequently encounter about homosexuality.Their results showed that media addressed the topic homosexuality more frequently. IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION IN HOMOSEXUALITY AND SAME SEX MARRIAGE – AUSTRALIA International communication plays a vital role in changing attitude towards any social issues. Each nation see how other nation go with any social issue and try to be a part of the nation or they can give their opposite view regarding any social issue. Homosexuality and same sex marriage is a prominent social issue which every nation is facing at this time. There is gradual development in the acceptance of homosexuality.There are changing views and attitude towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. Countries like Norway, Argentina, Canada, Portugal, Urugay, Iceland, Netherland, Sweden, South Africa, Belgium, Spain and Denmark legally recognise same sex marriage nationwide. In USA only a minority people believes that being a gay or lesbian is sinful now — a change that a Southern Baptist-allied research group associated to President Barack Obamas changed opinion of gay marriage(Bob Smietana,2013). Culture is shifting from anti gay to acceptance of same sex marriage in USA.Though homosexuality has been illegal in most countries for many centuries, we can see the gradual acceptance of it and various nations began to implement legislative reforms which allow for certain consensual homosexual acts. In case of Australia, the majority jurisdictions have responded to this inclination and have legally recognized homosexual acts between consenting adults in some cases. In 1972 South Australia became the first Australian jurisdiction to decriminalize some homosexual acts. (Bull, M. , Pinto, Susan, Wilson ;amp; Paul, 1991). Further reforms were made and still continued in the area of homosexuality.The impacts of international communication are clear upon Australian law reform regarding homosexuality. Since the Australia was first settled by British in 1788, the law governing sexual behavior came from England. Every Australian States were inherited by the British anti-homosexual laws i. e. Act of 1898. In 1960s, Don Dunstan, Attorney-General in South Australia made an attempt to present the draft to decriminalize homosexual behavior but during the last hour he decided not to present the draft due to the lack of public support (Graha m Carbery, 1993).Australian criminal law stopped treating heterosexual and homosexual conduct differently in 2003. The main element in fetching the first 2 restructurings of South Australian’s anti homosexuality laws was the death of gay academic Dr George Duncan on 10th May 1972. It alerted public attention by this event which was extensive aggravation of homosexuals in Adelaide by police. If we start from 1700s, the first recorded death penalty for Sodomy was seen as guilt around 1828-63. Till 1969, it was a crime for men to engage in homosexual act in every state in Australia.In 1972 the first political activist, Gay liberation was initiated at the Sydney University. Homosexuality law reforms were passed in 1976 in Australia. Likewise in 1978 huge rally was conducted by homosexual commemorating the 9th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. New South Wales became the first state to pass the bill not to do partiality against homosexuals. Similarly, In 1984 Australian Medical A ssociations agree to remove the homosexuality from its list of illness or any mental disorder.Australian Capital Teritory (ACT) passes the Domestic Relationships Act; it was the initial authority which provides same sex relationships similar lawful status as heterosexual relation (gaytraveller. com. au). Till now Australia bans recognition of same sex marriage at federal level. All of the above mentioned histories regarding homosexuality and gradual development and acceptance of homosexuality at public and authority level are due to the influence of mass communication both at public and federal level.International communication creates a bridge between raising issue at different level and how other Nation responded to these issues. There are a long history on how Australian treated homosexuality and now how they are reforming their attitude and behavior regarding homosexuality. International communication has significantly raised the concern about homosexuality and made the governme nt compelled to make reforms in the laws which was on public interest. Despite the various countries had already accepted same sex marriage, Australia has not given full support same sex marriage.Still Prime Minister Gillard opposes the same sex marriage. Australian increment support for Gay marriage and international acceptance may bring changes towards the attitude of same sex marriage. It is obvious that changes should happen because the public support on gay marriage is outstanding and sooner or later it may happen. After the US President Barack Obama publicly endorsing same sex marriage in national television, there was a hope that Gillard may change her views regarding same sex marriage but it seems that Prime Minister Julia Gillard will continue to oppose gay marriage.There is not only national pressure from public or any social organization to accept homosexuality and same sex marriage. There are various international organizations which prepare certain criteria up to which level any nation can act upon any social issues. Though it is not compulsory to be under the rules of international organization, but still every nation has to be a part of international organization and follow its certain criteria. There was a claim by UN Human Right Commission that Tasmanian Legislation did partiality to homosexuals and hence it violated International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.Due to this Federal Government passes legislation, that gives public right to sexual privacy, which ultimately supersedes Tasmanian’s anti-gay laws (NSW Council for Civil Liberties). This is how international communication can create a situation to bind with certain condition and change attitude towards the social issues like homosexuality and same sex marriage. CULTURAL IMPACT ON HOMOSEXUALITY AND SAME SEX MARRIAGE There are various cultural element that may impact laws and public opinion that may influence attitudes towards homosexuality. Religion may play a significant role towards any social issues like homosexuality.Each and every person abides by their own religion and follows the code and conduct of that religion. Religion is an organized collection of belief system which when violated may be quite serious problem to any people social status. Homosexuality is still considered as a taboo in many societies, this may create a threat to homosexuals to show their inclination to homosexual behavior. For example in an Islamic Nation like Iran still homosexuality is considered as serious crime and their law orders the punishment of homosexuals acts by the death penalty(Gorton, 2002).People of western cultures are more likely to accept homosexuality than other cultures. Hence those cultures which have already accepted homosexuality may have affect on other culture to change their opinion towards homosexuality. Different religions have varying views in regard to homosexuality. Jewish, Christian, Sikh and Muslim cultures have generally recognized homose xual activities as wicked. However, Hinduism and Buddhism generally view homosexuality primarily from the viewpoint of its karmic effects, with different conclusions.While having a sight upon Australian religious affect upon homosexuality, it has still captured public negative attitude towards homosexuality though there is now large majority of people accepting homo sexuality and same sex marriage. Recently PM of Australia assured that religious groups they will have the freedom under a new rights bill to discriminate against homosexuals and others they deem sinners, according to the head of the Australian Christian Lobby (Jonathan Swan, Jan 16 2013).The Australian Christian Lobby and Catholic Australian Family Association, still get up against homosexuality and same sex marriage. However The Progressive Jewish community in Australia largely supports LGBT rights. In Australia religion plays a vital role that controls the activity of homosexuality. It is obvious that those who believ e religion as their sole source of civilization do not want to go against their religion and the views against religious institution and people. Hence still there are majority of people who believe homosexuality as wrong task.Not only religion but social control also influence heavily on public opinion towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. Internal social control like socialization and internalization of norms, values and beliefs play a significant role. External social controls like social media and media campaigns, moreover Politics, government rules, large organizations, embarrassment and stigma etc. also have a prominent affect on it. Australian Labor Party has come under a great deal of attack from LGBT for not fully supporting same-sex marriage (Luke Gaham 26 Sep 2012).This makes sense how political interference can create a situation to react to any social issues. As I had already discussed earlier about media, various campaigns and media shows about their affect on so cial issues, homosexuality, it is always trying to give public either its opinion regarding homosexuality or present public opinion of homosexuality and same sex marriage. In both case media campaign plays a vital role to control pubic attitude towards homosexuality. Social media like facebook, blog are increasingly showing increment in the popularity of homosexual and gay marriage.Media Release: Gay Marriage Rights in Australia (GMRA) reaches a historic 100,000 fans, which is one of the facebook page. This page is created to make public aware about LGBTIQ rights and to give people a clue how they can participate to establish a change in public negative attitude towards homosexuality. This page was created on May 2009, and now it is the most significant and powerful LGBTIQ right related facebook pages in Australia (gay marriage rights in Australia, www. facebook. com). There are various blogs about homosexual campaign where various fans provided their views regarding homosexuality.S imilarly different websites are on internet which periodically updated current affairs about homosexuality and how people are changing their views towards homosexuality. More over as discussed earlier there are different TV shows and movies which try to show the homosexuality as a normal practice and should be adopted by public. Educational institutes are also giving their proper attention in Australia to make homosexuality as a choice of public and hence should not be treated differently. CONCLUSIONIn the overall, Homosexuality is one of the major social issue which is hotly debated in various nation. Attitude towards homosexuality greatly varies between the different culture, historical periods and location. Media has a prominent effect on homosexuality and same sex marriage. It covers the issued related to homosexuality and make public aware about the pros and cons of homosexuality. This will eventually help public to understand homosexuality in depth and choose whether to accept it or not. On the whole media is always seemed to provide a better understanding of homosexuality.In Australia this issue is still debated. Though majority of public are accepting homosexuality as a normal behaviour still federal government has not given full right as hetero sexual couple have. Same sex marriage is not legally permitted in Australia. Australia as developed nation full of elite people is still lagging behind to solve this issue which may due to political and religious matter. But seeing the public acceptance of homosexuality we can predict that sooner or later this nation may allow same sex marriage.Last but not the least I have some of my opinion why homosexuality is so hotly debated issue and why this may be considered as a taboo in various parts of world. I think it might be an issue like homosexual cannot produce any children and as well as they are not being part of the way things are done. The way we perform marriage, our family, tribal devotion etc. were sign ificantly valued in prehistoric culture. So how any couple who cannot bear children can fit in this culture. Moreover, homosexuality is thought to be performed for only sexual pleasure and public believe it to be an immoral act.So in overall homosexuals were taken as the one who have not any contribution to society. Homosexuality won’t be taboo itself if people do not believe it as a sinful behaviour. People must believe that every human being should have a same right as other; no one is allowed to discriminate any one on the basis of sexual behaviour. Its sound so horrible that even people are sentenced death penalty after they are found to be homosexual which is itself a crime and even a great taboo for me. No one has right to take any one life on the basis of their sexual nature.If we believe that religion has a power to penalise any homosexual, I completely disagree that view because if god has created this world and people, it’s a wish of god to make any one homos exual or heterosexual.REFERENCES Ben-Ari, AT. (2001). Homosexuality and heterosexism: views from academics in the helping professions. British Journal of Social Work, 31(1), 119-131. Bob Smietana, January 11 2013, USA TODAY, Survey: Big drop in those who say being gays a sin, accessed on 16 April 2013 http://www. usatoday. com/story/news/2013/01/10/poll-minority-says-being-gays-a-sin/1825461/M. (2009). Contributions of parents, peers, and media to attitudes toward homosexuality: investigating sex and ethnic differences. J Homosex, 56(8), 1101-1116. Gay marriage rights in Australia, 3rd June 2011, Media Release: Gay Marriage Rights in Australia (GMRA) reaches a historic 100,000 fans, www. facebook. com, accessed on 17th April 2013 https://www. facebook. com/notes/gay-marriage-rights-in-australia/media-release-gay-marriage-rights-in-australia-gmra-reaches-a-historic-100000-fa/10150212436128560  Gorton, Don. (2002).Gay Rights in the Clash of Civilizations. (Essay). The Gay amp; lesbi an review worldwide, 9(1), 16. Graham Carbery, 1993, Towards homosexual equality in Australian criminal law: A brief history, Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives Inc, accessed on 16 April 2013   http://www. alga. org. au/files/towardsequality2ed. pdf

ACL Injuries in Athletes essays

ACL Injuries in Athletes essays The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) attaches the femur, which is the thighbone, and the tibia, which is the shin, together (northstar). A torn ACL is one of the most excruciating experiences in an athletes life. It is the first thing that comes to mind when they hurt their knee on the field; for many it is their greatest fear. A torn ACL can sometimes mean the end of an athletes career. It can mean losing the chance to get that scholarship for young athletes, and it can also mean the end of those million dollar paychecks for those who have gone professional. A torn ACL can result in numerous surgeries, months of vigorous exercise and rehabilitation, and a sufficient amount of pain. It requires complete patience, for pushing too hard can result in further, more painful injury. Even after all that, an athlete is not guaranteed he or she will ever be able to play sports again. The anterior cruciate ligament is the reason that the knee only has one pattern of movement. Instead of moving sideways and up and down, the knee only serves as a pivot for flexion (bending) and extension (straightening); it holds the tibia and femur in place (northstar). In the northstar web page it is stated that, The anterior cruciate ligament is one of the most important ligaments to athletes because of its main function, stabilization of the joint while decelerating. In other words, it is the reason that we can stop abruptly without our leg collapsing. Obviously this asset makes it an essential to have a functioning ACL while playing sports. It is an especially common injury in soccer, which is a game of constant abrupt stops. Not only is soccer a danger to the ACL because of its constant stops and starts, it is also a game of jumps, falls, and slide-tackles, which put a continuous stress on the ACL for the entire 90 minutes of the game. ACL tears are also more common in women . It is said that the reason for this is because women...

When Should I Take the SAT for the First Time

When Should I Take the SAT for the First Time SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.- Zig Ziglar It can be hard to decide when to take the SAT for the first time. Should you wait until junior year? Is the fall better than the spring? Should you only take it if you've studied geometry or read the top 100 classics in English literature? Since everyone's different, there's no blanket answer to the question, "When should I take the SAT for the first time?" Let's consider the most important factors in this decision so you can determine when to sign up for your initial test. First, what do most students do? 2 Typical SAT Test-Taking Schedules The College Board offers the SAT on seven test dates each yearinAugust, October, November, December,March,May, andJune. Below, we'll be looking at two ways you can schedule your SATs during your junior and senior years. Typical SAT Test-Taking Schedule #1 Here is a brief overview of the first SAT test-taking schedule: First SAT: October or November (junior year) Second SAT: March or May (junior year) Third SAT (if needed): August, October, or November (senior year) Many students prep for the SAT throughout their sophomore year and/or the following summer, and then take the SAT in the fall of their junior year. This means that popular first-time SAT test dates for juniors are in October and November. If your first test date is in the fall of junior year, then you realistically leave yourself with about two more test dates to retake the SAT if you want to improve your scores. This is because it takes time to prep and really see improvement. You could take the SAT again in the spring of your junior year (March or May) and a third time in the summer/fall of your senior year (assuming you have time to get your scores in before yourcollege application deadlines).At this point, you'll have reached your last chance to take the SAT and achieve your target scores. Typical SAT Test-Taking Schedule #2 If you're planning to take the PSATthe fall of your junior year, you might want to move your first SAT to the spring. Although this schedule gives you less time between SATs, it can still work well if you are productive and know how to manage your time. Here is an overview of this combined PSAT/SAT test-taking schedule: PSAT:October (junior year) First SAT: March or May (junior year) Second SAT: June or August (between junior and senior year) Third SAT (if needed): October or November (senior year) In this case, you'll want to squeeze in a second SAT the summer between junior and senior yearso that you can give yourself room for a third attempt in the fall, if necessary. Other Options for SAT Test-Taking Schedules Both of these testing schedules work well for a lot of students, but they're definitely not the only ways to work in the SAT. For some students, these two schedules mightfeel too limiting. Since you only have two or three chances, you might feel a lot of pressure on testing day that you wouldn't feel if you started earlier. Plus, there's always the possibility of a fluke testing day (meaning you were sick, tired, or simply unlucky with a question that left you stumped). For these reasons, or if you're someone who's prepping earlier in 9th or 10th grade, these typical schedules might not be the best ones for you. Let's look closer at why some students take their firstSAT even earlier than junior year. Why might the early bird catch the worm? 6 Reasons to Take the SAT Before Junior Year While the schedule mentioned above is typical for a lot of students, don't feel as if it's the only way to approach the SAT. Even if this is how your friends or older sister or brothertook the SAT, it may or maynot line up with your own personal schedule and goals. If it works with your test prep and leaves you enough testing dates to achieve your scores, then it's a solid and reliable plan. However, if any of the following six reasons resonate with you, you might want to sign up for an earlier test date. So why might you take the SAT earlier than junior year? #1: You Want to Prep Early Everyone's SAT test prep is going to vary based on theirown strengths, weaknesses, schedule, and goals. At the very minimum, though, all students should try to put in at least10 hours of focused test prep; this allows you toget familiar with the format and timing of the test. Realistically, you'd need to put in much more time over a sustained period to do well. A full study regimen might consist of around 100 hours. You could spread this out over a single school year by prepping for two to three hours a week, or start small and gradually increase your studying the closer you get to your test date. If you're prepping earlier than the summer before junior year and scoring decently on SAT practice tests,taking the real SAT would be a valuable testing experience.Essentially, you'll get a sense of what taking the actual test is like, from what you need to bring to how you feel leading up to and taking the SAT. On the flip side, I usually don't recommend taking the real SAT if you haven't done any prep. Some colleges want to see allof your SAT scores, so it might look bad to admissions officers if you have one SAT with a much lower score compared with those from other SATs you've taken. What's more, the College Board is alwayson the lookout for big fluctuations in scores.If you treat your first SAT as a throwaway test and then prep hard for your next one, you risk increasing your score bytoo many points and having the College Board withhold your scores to ensure you haven't cheated. This is rare, but something to consider in terms of the importance of taking every real SAT seriously and spending time studying for it. To sum up, if you're prepping for the SAT in 9th or 10th grade (or even middle school), you might move up this typical test-taking schedule a year or more by taking the SAT in sophomore year or earlier. #2: You Plan to Use Score Choice Another big factor to think about when signing up for the SAT is the Score Choice policies of the schools you're applying to. The College Board's Score Choice option lets you decide which SAT score reports from which test dates to send to schools.You can't send only section scores, but you can leave out certain score reports from sittings if you feel that they don't reflect your best performance. If you're planning to use Score Choice when you apply to college, you don't have to worry too much about how many times you sit for the SAT (as long as you don't have huge increases or decreases in your scores, as described in the previous section). Just make sure you understand the policies of your colleges. While it's a bit of a gray area, some schools require you to send all your scores across all test sittings, and expect you to be honest. By contrast, some schoolssuperscore SAT resultsbytaking the highest section scores across all dates.So if you do well in Reading on one date, Math on another, and Writing on a third, these are the section scores the colleges will use for admission consideration. Again, note that any big score outliers could raise red flags for schools. Some students use this superscoring policy to build up their SAT scores section by section.But why might superscoring lead you to sign up for the SAT earlier than junior year? You could build up your scores, section by section. #3: You Want More Test Dates to Build Up Your Scores If your colleges superscore SAT scores, you can use this policy to your advantage.How? You can use one test date to prep heavily for the Math section, another to focus on Reading, and the third to devote your energies to Writing. For obvious reasons, you shouldn't totally neglect any one section, but this strategy can help you prioritize your prep and hit your target scores on each SAT section, one test date at a time. Even if you're not using this superscoring strategy to take the SAT, you might want more test dates than the three or so discussed in the typical test-taking schedule. Simply put, by starting earlier, you'll have more chances to take the SAT. This puts less pressure on each test date, so if you're someone who experiences test-taking anxiety, this plan could help relieve some of those nerves. Plus, you don't have to freak out if you have a fluke test day! Overall, I don't recommend taking the SATmore than six times in total.Though you can technically take it as many times as you want, it'll start to be a waste of time and money, as well as look bad to colleges that don't use Score Choice. If you find yourself taking the SAT over and over, work on readjusting your approach to test prep, and figure out how you can make it more effective for raising your scores. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! #4: You Want to Align the SAT With Your Classes Besides being strategic about building your scores using Score Choice, you might have a strategy in which youline up the SAT with the courses you take in school. A lot of people think the SAT is less about course content and more about strategy- and they're not totally off base. The test is pretty different from most tests you take in school. While the timing and wording of the questions can be tricky, the concepts covered are really not all that advanced. You might have all the content knowledge you need to do well on the SAT well before junior year. Although strategy plays a large role in scoring highly on the SAT,concrete academic concepts are also key for doing well. You have to have a solid grasp of algebra and geometry, for example. You should also know how to analyze a passage, how to use key literary terms, and how to structurea cogent, well-supported essay. Many students cover the skills they'll need for the Math, Reading, and Writing sections before their junior year of high school. As a result, it could be helpful to study these skills in the context of the SAT and apply them by taking the test during your freshman or sophomore year. Some students even surpass the content they'll need for the SAT through their classes in school. If you're taking pre-calculus and trigonometry junior year, you'd have to look back at math concepts you learned in the past in order to do well on the SAT. Rather than get rusty with these skills, you might actually be better equipped to prep for and take the SAT in 9th or 10th grade- before your courses move beyond the content you need for the test. In a similar vein, some students might be in a good position to take an SAT Subject Test at the end of 9th or 10th grade when they've just studied a corresponding subject for a year, like US history or biology. You want to line everything up just right. #5: It Meets Your Personal Goals Besides lining up your test prep with your classes in school, it's important to consider and honor your own personal goals. Students' schedules and approaches to the SAT will vary depending on theirpersonal goals and commitments. Let's say you're incredibly busy throughout the school year with homework, clubs, and community service. Or maybe you're on a varsity sports team that takes up a lot of your free time. Reflect on your schedule and availability todecide which test dates make most sense for you. You might also be motivated to finish taking the SAT beforejunior year and the busy college application season. If your goal is to hit your target scores before you finish junior year, then this might be motivation to design your own individualizedtest-taking schedule. Overall, you are the best authority on your strengths, weaknesses, and goals, so feel confident that you're devising the best plan for you. #6: You're Competing for Gifted Programs The last reason that some students take the SAT earlier than junior year or even high school is to qualify for academic and talent competitions. In reality, the SAT is not just a test for getting into college- some academic programs and talent competitions require the SAT or ACT as entrance requirements. These are usually for students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. Some of these programs include BESTS at the University of Iowa, CTY at Johns Hopkins University, JBA at Truman State University, MATS at Northwestern University, and TIP at Duke University. Review: When Should You Take the SAT for the First Time? At this point, you should have a clearer sense of how to answer the question,"When should I take the SAT for the first time?" Most students are in great shape to take the SAT for the first time in the fall of junior year, and then again in the spring or following fall (of senior year) if they want to improve their scores. If you plan to take the PSAT, too, you might want to shift this schedule slightly so that you're taking your first SAT the spring of your junior year instead. However, some students might want to take the SAT earlier. Let's quickly review all the reasons youmight go with this option: You want to prep and get the SAT over with early You'll gain valuable test-taking experience and learn how to manage time and stress You'll leave yourself with more test dates you can use to build up your scores as needed You can line up the content of the SAT with relevant high school classes You can better meet your goals and more easily fit in a test with an earlier schedule You're hoping to qualify for a talent competition Once you've considered these six factors, you can then make a well-informed decision about when to take the SAT for the first time. What's Next? The best way to study for the SAT is to use official SAT practice questions. Download and take all official SAT practice tests here. If you're taking the SAT in 9th or 10th grade, you'll want to set your target scores pronto. So what's a good score for 9th grade? What about for 10th grade? Read about what scores you should be aiming for at this point in your high school career. How far in advance of the SAT should you start prepping? Plan out your studying schedule with these important considerations. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: