LIFE

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PEOPLE OFTEN SAY THAT THIS OR THAT PERSON HAS NOT YET FOUND HIMSELF BUT THE SELF IS NOT SOMETHING THAT ONE FINDS. IT IS SOMRTHING THAT ONE CREATES.
-THOMAS SZASZ.

DIVORCE IN GHANA.

CAUSES DIVORCE IN GHANA.

Divorce or dissolution as it is increasingly becoming known is a legislatively created and judiciary administered process that legally terminates a marriage no longer consider viable by one or both spouses .This permits both to remarry. However in this part of the world, freedom to remarry could be attained only by an act of parliament. There are many symptoms of a failing marriage. A senior pastor of the Christian Action Faith Ministries, Rev. Dr. Ben Adjei Anum says marital divorce is not necessarily evil, but what has led to divorce being seen as evil is lack of balanced teachings of the Bible by the clergy(2007). This essay however focuses on the basic causes of divorce.

Infidelity or extra marital affair as it may be called is one major cause of the increase in divorce. The new age, society has got different avenues which enable people to get closely acquainted. There is increase interaction in the workplace and regular clubs also provide chances of greater interaction with others. It is much easier to make friends and remain in constant touch with them. And also through the use of mobile telephony and internet chatting. When people engage in greater interaction with outsiders, they spend lesser time with their spouses. This is a major cause of increase in extra marital affairs and this consequently impact upon the rate of divorce.ss

Another well mentioned cause is physical abuse. Pressure from the workplace, peer pressure may result in an individual leading a highly stressed out lifestyle. As the stress accumulates, it automatically searches for avenues to let out the steam. The easiest avenue is one’s spouse. Thus a small argument may turn into a big fight and it may result in applying violent method on the part of the husband or wife. Long term physical abuse can be a major factor in the decision to file for divorce.

In today’s world, money plays an important role; perhaps more than before history. As men mingle, the status of an individual is increasingly determined by material wealth. A lack of the ability to keep abreast with the peer group in this regard may cause unnecessary and avoidable stress on the marriage of two people. Even if there is a dearth of money to meet the basic household expenses, there is bound to be a lot of friction between a husband and a wife on this account. Any intolerable increase in finance related troubles could be a cause that leads to divorce.

Incompatible couples may easily divorce than very compatible couples. At times there may be nothing wrong with the marriage itself. It may be that both the given individuals are truly honest people—yet difference may occur. Let us not forget that individualism is the hall mark of our age. Thus lack of compatibility amongst the husband and wife is turning out to be an ever-increasing cause for divorce.

Finally, emotional abuse is distinct from its physical version. Nevertheless it can have far reaching consequenting for the sufferer. The scars of emotional abuse may not be visible but they can be so deep so as to mar one’s personality for a lifetime.

In conclusion, divorce and its divergent problems can be solved by enhancing communication skill. Effective communication ensures that couple live in harmony and in peace with each other.

Reference: www.enotalone.com

Divorce in Ghana: Google Ghana.com

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION.

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION AND ITS USEFULNESS IN RELATIONSHIP FORMATION AND SUSTAINANCE
An interpersonal relationship is relatively long lasting or frequent interaction that occurs in a variety of setting with the impact of these interactions very strong. An interpersonal communication should then an activity in which individuals share information, ideas and attitudes and interpret meaning in the environment (setting). People who are dissatisfied with their partners usually list difficulties in communication as one of their major problems. However, communication is a skill that can be learned.
Interpersonal communication enhances relationship formation and sustenance in several ways. When staring a relationship, you need to explain to your partner that it is hard to talk about your conflicts. An example could be when your partner gets offended for commenting on his/her eating manners. One thing that is important is that you need to request permission to raise a topic. You can say something like, “I need to get something off my chest, but I really don’t know how to start. Can you help me?”
Secondly, you need to engage in active listening. Don’t stare into space when your partner is talking or watch TV. You need to maintain eye contact with your partner and demonstrate empathy for his/her feeling. Recast what your partner is saying to show that you understand. You can also reinforce your partner for communication and must genuinely say something like, “I’m glad you told me how you feel about that”. When you disagree with you partner, do so in a way that shows you still value them as a person, keeping in mind Carl Rogers’ concept of unconditional positive regards.
Listening is essential to learning about your partner’s needs, but sometimes you need to do more than listen. Ask questions designed to encourage you partner to communicate. An example is “Do you think I spend too much time on the phone with my friends?” Consider limiting communication to say, one difficult issue at a time.
How to deliver criticism affects interpersonal communication among partners. Your goal should be to modify your partner’s behavior without arousing extremes of anger or guilt. Also, if you want to resolve conflicts, then try a more diplomatic approach instead of being crude and insulting. You should also express complaints privately—not in font of children in-laws or friends. And be specific when complaining and combine with a specific request like, “please write down messages foe me”.
In conclusion, interpersonal relationship formation and sustenance strives in an environment where there is effective communication and shared meaning.

REFERENCE:AN INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY(8TH ED). THE MCGRAW-HILL COMPANIES INE

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NORMATIVE THEORIES OF THE PRESS REVIEWED

MASS COMMUNICATION II

NORMATIVE THEORIES OF THE PRESS
Normative theory of the press explains how ideas to operate with a specific system of social values.It show how the press operated under the various political environments. Sieberts, Peterson, Schramm presented this in the book: FOUR THEORIES OF THE PRESS in 1963.
The normative theory of the press affirms how things should or ought to be, how to value them, which things are good or bad.
A theory, in the general sense of the word, is an analytic structure designed to explain a set of observations
Mass media do not operate in a vacuum. This assertion is generally agreed upon, and has led researches to study the relationship between mass media and the government.
The authoritarian theory
When the mass communication began in the sixteenth century, this theory developed quickly in Europe.
According to Siebert, the authoritarian state system requires direct governmental control of the mass media. This system is especially easy to recognize in pre-democratic societies, where the government consists of a very limited and small ruling-class. The media in an authoritarian system are not allowed to print or broadcast anything which could undermine the established authority, and any offense to the existing political values is avoided. The authoritarian government may go to the step of punishing anyone who questions the state's ideology
The fundamental assumption of the authoritarian system is that the government is infallible. Media professionals are therefore not allowed to have any independence within the media organization. Also foreign media are subordinate to the established authority, in that all imported media products are controlled by the state.
One may think that there is an inevitable parallel between the authoritarian media system and a totalitarian society. This is true for the most part, but a government may enforce a authoritarian profile without being openly totalitarian. A state that comes close to this media system today is Albania.
In the authoritarian theory system, the relationship between the state and the media in an authoritarian system is vertical, in that, the information is from the top (government) to down (media).
The libertarian theory
In his book, Siebert goes on to explain the libertarian theory, which is also called the free press theory. In contrast to the authoritarian theory, the libertarian view rests on the idea that the individual should be free to publish whatever he or she likes. Its history traces back to the 17th century's thinker John Milton, who asserted that human beings inevitably choose the best ideas and values. In the libertarian system, attacks on the government's policies are fully accepted and even encouraged. Moreover, there should be no restrictions on import or export of media messages across the national frontiers. Moreover, journalists and media professionals ought to have full autonomy within the media organization.
It is hard to find intact examples of libertarian media systems in today's world. The U.S. will in many aspects come close, but as we will see later, this country's media system has have tendencies of authoritarianism as well.
There is no explicit connection between the government and the media in the libertarian theory.
The Soviet theory
Apparent from its name, the Soviet theory is closely tied to a specific ideology; the communist. Siebert traces the roots of this theory back to the 1917 Russian Revolution based on the postulates of Marx and Engels. The media organizations in this system were not intended to be privately owned and were to serve the interests of the working class However, there is a major difference between the two theories that needs to be clarified: The mass media in the Soviet model are expected to be self-regulatory with regard to the content of their messages. Also, the Soviet theory differs from the authoritarian theory in that the media organizations have a certain responsibility to meet the wishes of their audience. Still, the underlying standard is to provide a complete and objective view of the world according to Marxist-Leninist principles. Today, the name of this theory is only of historical interest. Beginning in the mid-eighties and continuing after the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has performed a mass media model closer to the social responsibility principle. The clearest current example of the Soviet media theory is how the media function in China, where TV, radio, and newspapers are controlled by the communist government.
The social responsibility theory
An American initiative in the late forties brought forth the social responsibility theory. Realizing that the market had failed to fulfill the promise that press freedom would reveal the truth, The Commission on Freedom of the Press provided a model in which the media had certain obligations to society. These obligations were expressed in the words "in formativeness, truth, accuracy, objectivity, and balance. Siebert writes that the goal of the social responsibility system is that media as a whole is pluralized, indicating "a reflection of the diversity of society as well as access to various points of view".
As opposed to the libertarian theory, the social responsibility principle is to provide an entrance to different mass media to minority groups. The journalist is accountable to his audience as well as to the government.
Most media systems in Western Europe today come close to the social responsibility theory. An illustration of the theory puts the mass media and the government on the same level, signifying an interaction where both parts are allowed to criticize the other.

REFERENCE
Altschull, J. Herbert. Agents of Power: The Role of the News Media in Human Affairs. New York: Longman, 1984.
Biagi, Shirley. Media/Impact: An Introduction to Mass Media. Sacramento: Wadsworth, 1990.
Commission of Freedom of the Press. A Free and Responsible Press. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1947.
Griffin, Em A. A First Look at Communication Theory. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1991.
Kamen, Jeff. "CNN's Breakthrough in Baghdad: Live by Satellite (Censored)." Washington Journalism Review March 1991: 24-27.
Lowenstein, Ralph L., and John C. Merrill. Macromedia: Mission, Message, and Morality. New York: Longman, 1990.
MacBride, S. et al. Many Voices, One World. London: Kogan Page, 1980.
Martin, Leslie John, and Arju Grover Chaudhary. Comparative Mass Media Systems. New York: Longman 1983.
McLeod, Jack M., and Jay G. Blumler. "The Macrosocial Level of Communication Science." Handbook of Communication Science. Ed. Charles R. Berger and Steven H. Chaffee. California: SAGE Publications, 1989. 271-322.
McQuail, Denis. Mass Communication Theory: An Introduction. London: SAGE Publications, 1987.
Rogers, Everett M. Diffusion of Innovations. New York: Free Press, 1983.
Siebert, Frederick S., Theodore Peterson, and Wilbur Schramm. Four Theories of the Press. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1963
INTRODUCTION TO MASS COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA SYSTEMS IN GHANA(KOFI AMPONSAH-BEDIAKO

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