Mass Media's Influence on the Transformation of the Mexican Political Regime
For many years, mass media has transformed its original role from one of simply informing people to one of shaping societies by making them adopt elements of different cultures. Giving information is only one of its attributes, but in this day and age it is not the main activity. Today, mass media acts more like a group of “feature writers and feature speakers” than of informative channels. Mass media has become an important new player in all states and a decision maker in some spheres. In Mexico, mass media has influenced the adoption of lifestyles and the integration of new traditions and values, but these are not the only aspects in which media intervened. It also has participated in the building of a new political culture that shows people how to become real citizens. This article will study the role of television and the press in the transformation of the Mexican political regime. It will focus on the way that mass media can influence the process of transforming political attitudes by making democratic political values a daily routine.
La (Problemática) Invocación De La Sociedad Civil
Referring to the recurrent invocation of the civil society in Latin America and other areas, the paper focuses on the problematic nature of the concept. After presenting some contexts within which this term is controversially used, the author analyzes the different meanings of the so-called civil society compared to market society, the State, and democracy. According to each context, the appeal to strengthen civil society clarifies some problems and conceals others.
Cambodian refugee health care beliefs and practices.
Since 1975, when refugees from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia first began coming to the United States, many articles have been written about Southeast Asian or Indochinese refugees and health care. A careful review of the literature shows that most of these articles have one thing in common: they are written primarily about Vietnamese and do not address the unique health care beliefs and practices of Lao or Cambodian refugees.1 Although some beliefs and practices are common to most Southeast Asians, many are not. Understanding at least that differences exist, and hopefully what some specific differences are, will allow nurses and others to give better care to the various people commonly grouped together as Southeast Asians. This article will introduce readers to some Cambodian beliefs and practices related to health care. Of the principle refugee groups admitted to the U.S. since 1975, the Cambodians are presenting the greatest challenges to health care providers. Cambodians are usually poorly understood by Americans, their health status statistics are hidden among the broad category of "Asian-Pacific Islanders" or "Indochinese Refugees," and cultural and institutional barriers combine to make access to care an overwhelming problem. The end results, of course, are more problems and more expense for the Cambodians, increased stress placed on an already terribly overstressed people, and ultimately greater demands and expense placed on the health care system. One of the most common misunderstandings about Cambodians is that they (and Lao) are basically the same as the Vietnamese. "They speak the same dialect don't they?" There are some similarities, but there are also very significant differences.