Saturday, August 17, 2019
Education Empowers Women Essay
Education empowers women. To prevent a problem from aggravating shouldnââ¬â¢t we start from the root of it? The beauty of education is that it allows us to work with the root- Girls. Empowering girls with education can show girls that femininity does not entail docility instead a women can be assertive and at the same time exude femininity. With this mindset, women would more likely stand up for themselves. Only when women and girls in these poor countries are given their due education would they be willing to stand up for their rights. Education not only allows adolescent females to stand up against unjust actions towards them it is also a way out of poverty. An ifidiof cocktail of repressive patriarchal belief about female worth, sexual abuse, human trafficking, child labor and child marriage practices prevent girls from ever developing the skills they need to escape poverty only education shines a small light leading them away from poverty. Think about it, if a girl was given the education, she has a chance of surviving outside her village. Letââ¬â¢s say she finishes high school and is given a small scholarship to study university in the capital. After she finishes university, she manages to get a job and starts sending in money to her family. Soon enough, her family would be able to buy food and necessities escaping the rut of poverty. That woman has broken the cycle of poverty. The return on a countryââ¬â¢s investment in its women is enormous. Investment in girlsââ¬â¢ education, especially secondary education, yields high returns in the form of increased wages it also increases their standing in the household. Until women are numerate and literate, it is difficult for them to start a business or contribute meaningfully to their nationââ¬â¢s economy, therefore if a country wants to prosper, it would be wise to start investing in womenââ¬â¢s education. People might say that if a boy was given the same education he might be able to do the same however the majority of man after getting their pay would rather spend it on prostitution or maybe in a bar. A study has shown that when women gain control of money, less money is spent on instant gratification and more is given to the family. We also know that educated mothers are more likely to educate their own children ââ¬â and that can have carry-on effects for generations. China presents itself as a good role model in terms of providing education to women. China used to be one of the most sexist societies in the world. However, when its citizens started showing interest in providing their children with education, the china government gladly funded the course. Sadly, the above scenario is definitely an ideal one. There are always possibilities that mothers may pull out their children due to their financial difficulties. Therefore to make sure that there is no hiccup when providing education to women we have to come up with ways to make children especially women stay in school. Of which one of the ways would be to present the family with bribes. One of the way to make adolescent females stay in school is actually by giving them free meals in school as well as even paying the family. The UNââ¬â¢s school feeding program distributes food to the school-going kids for free and if the child has a good attendance they would get a take-home ration which acts as a bribe to the family. This not only allows the child to stay in school for a longer period of time, it helps the family as well. Education for women unlocks the door to a better world. When a women is armed with education, the possibility of her child being raised educated would definitely be higher. She would also treat herself with respect, women suicides would then be reduced, maternal mortality rate would also decrease as she makes use of health services. Former UN secretary once said: ââ¬Å"Study after study has taught us that there is no tool more effective for development than the empowerment of women. â⬠Nevertheless, the whole idea of education would work only when the men in the family realize that the way out of poverty would be allowing their daughters to actually study. However, the discrimination of women has greatly been imprinted into their minds and thus when male chauvinism kicks in the chances of them allowing their daughters to be educated would also be minimal. Therefore, not only should we educate the females we have to educate the males as well so that they understand that women rights should not be neglected. This way they would not feel that a women is stealing a manââ¬â¢s position when she pursues education, instead it is just merely their right. I do believe many people are still skeptical of investing in womenââ¬â¢s education however I would like to urge countries to give it a try and see for themselves what a wonder it would do for the country as a whole.
School Violence: Cause and Remedies
School Violence : Causes And Remedies Educators and policy makers have been grappling with the issue of violence in schools for decades, . Educators, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, political scientists, anthropologists, and sociologists have all weighed in on the possible causes. Sifting through the theories can be overwhelming, and implementing effective violence prevention programs is often frustrating. No wonder, then, that teachers and administrators often feel defeated when they confront the dangerously aggressive behavior of some pupils.According to a federal survey. Seventy-one percent of all public elementary and secondary schools reported at least one violent incident during the 1999-2003 school years. Causes: Violent behavior and the intent to act violently are potential symptoms of numerous psychiatric disorders. Conduct Disorder, a state of persistent disregard for social conventions and rules and manifesting as criminal and antisocial behavior before the a ge of 18, is perhaps the most frequently mentioned diagnosis among violent youth.In addition substance abuse and dependence can contribute substantially to violent acts, either by reducing inhibitions among otherwise nonviolent students or by creating a climate through drug transactions in which violence is central. More rarely, impulsive behavior found in conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder can lead to violent outbursts. Finally, diagnoses such as Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder, and a range of psychotic disorders have been associated with the development of violent behavior among youth.In addition to certain psychiatric diagnoses, characteristics such as low verbal IQ, immature moral reasoning, poor parental modeling, poor social skills, and lack of social supports have all been associated with the development of violent behavior in children. Studies examining characteristics particular to the school environment have found that a weakly structured school and a student's poor academic performance, low commitment to education, and, perhaps most important, poor attachment to the school are all strong indicators of potential violence.In addition, schools that tolerate physical and social aggression, especially when perpetrated by elite student groups within the school, are increasingly at risk for the outbreak of violence on or around school grounds. These characteristics alone are not sufficient to predict the occurrence of violence. Remedies: Clinicians and school officials must pay special attention to potential motives for and means of committing violence.They must be willing to discuss provocative and threatening journal writing and art projects with students and with designated school authorities who decide what actions to take to protect the student and the school. Listening to students who express concern about another student's behavior is particularly important. Ignoring violent behavior or wanting t o let ââ¬Å"someone elseâ⬠deal with the problem is a normal parental reaction. Discussing with your child ways to protect themselves is not ââ¬Å"scaringâ⬠them unnecessarily, but is equipping your child to not be a victim.There are things you can do to help your child if the unthinkable does occur. Studies of extremely violent behavior in schools have found that those who commit high-profile acts of violence have almost always made their intentions known to peers through direct or indirect communications. Educators must foster a setting in which students are comfortable making their concerns known to teachers and peers. Interventions both to curb and to address student violence must be multifaceted. Serious psychiatric disorders indicate the need for counseling and possibly medication. The treatment plan must integrate legal considerations.Recent innovative approaches show promise for addressing violent behavior in schools. One of them is Multi systemic Treatment, whic h involves multiple and active interventions for young people who commit violence, has attracted increasing attention during the past decade. Schools are an important setting for addressing violent youth, and the extent to which students feel attached to their school has direct bearing on the likelihood of later and ongoing violence. Schools, therefore, are a necessary part of the complicated equation that will ultimately make learning and development safer and more rewarding for everyone.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Brand Community
During the last fifteen years, there are many popular subjects: relationship marketing and brand building,etc.These hot subjects encourage interaction and speed up the incubation of new sources of disciplinary growth: Brand Relationship(the relationship between consumer and brand).In Brand Relationship theory sysytem,more scholars focus on the relationship between consumer and brand, but Muniz and Oââ¬â¢Guinn(2001) did more research on the relationship among consumers, and put forward a new brand concept ââ¬â Brand Community. This concept comes from ââ¬Å"consumption communityâ⬠,which was first proposed by historian Daniel Boorstin(1974), ââ¬Ëin the modern era of high mobility, people look not only to communality of consumption behavior but also to neighborhood as a basis for feelings of community.ââ¬â¢ The same as consumption community, brand community is also initiative and drive of individualsââ¬â¢ co ââ¬âoperating at the beginning, after that, enterprise start to take advantage of the power of brand community to build brand loyalty and brand equity, therefore, brand community is becoming a new weapon of marketing. In this essay, I make literature review surveys on scholarly articles, books relevant to brand community, providing a description, summary and critical evaluation of brand community. Firstly, discuss the origin and definition of brand community. Secondly, summary the research status and the dynamic natures of brand community which are different from consumption community, briefly introduce three main features of brand community. Thirdly, illustrate evolution of brand community model. Fourthly, case study, use case of Starbucks to explain the implications of brand community. Finally, conclusion and the prospect of research. 1 Demarcation of Brand community 1.1 Origin of Brand community During the last few years, there is a trend that academic research on consumption activities moved away from considerations of individual to a focus on communal. The word ââ¬Ëcommunityââ¬â¢ was used frequently. ââ¬Ëconsumption communityââ¬â¢ (Boorstin, 1973). ââ¬ËSubcultures of consumptionââ¬â¢ (schouten and McAlexander, 1995). ââ¬ËBand communityââ¬â¢ (Muniz and Oââ¬â¢Guinn, 2001; McAlexander et al., 2002).These communities are referred to as ââ¬Ësocial collectivesââ¬â¢ (Greenwood, 1994). ââ¬ËLife-mode communitiesââ¬â¢ (Firat and Dholakia, 1998) andââ¬Ëneo-tribesââ¬â¢ (Cova, 1997). Brands provide the linking value to some individuals who wants to become member of these communities. These communities seize the idea that people have relations with other people and such relationships are constructed around a fulcrum acted by brands. Harley Owners group(HOG)is a good example of the brand providing such linking value(Fournier et al.,2001).There are more and more descriptive studies detailing the features of such communities: Star Wars fans (Brown et al.,2003); Sunââ¬â¢s Java Center community (Williams and Cothrel,2000) and Nutella(Cova and Pace, 2005). In a word, communities are expected to provide benefits for the organisation: they affect brand equity and create a stable base of loyal, enthusiastic consumers (Muà ±iz and Oââ¬â¢Guinn, 2001; McAlexander et al., 2001). Actually, it is not easy for a brand to establish a community. Brand-centred communities may typify themselves to open up a utopian place in the contemporary world.Kozinets (2001) noted that ââ¬Ëimpossibility and dreamness together with deep motivational power and desireââ¬â¢ While utopianism enables customers to engage with reality rather than merely escape into fantasy (Geoghegan, 1987).Which means transform and subvert are the two abilities of utopian (Maclaran and Brown, 2001).Members and the relations among them compose a community. McAlexander and Koeing (2002) identify communities on the basis of identification among community members(a neighborhood, a leisure pursuit, an occupation and devotion to a brand).Brand community is a new type of community, different from traditional community, can form a strong image, a lengthy history around brands.Actually,it is a community established with brand-centric 1.2 Definition of Brand community Because brand community is a new concept, there is nounified definition in academia, but we can define it from two parts: narrow and broad meanings. Narrow meaning is represented by Muniz and Oââ¬â¢Guinn. Based on the research on some brands, such as Ford Bronco, etc.Muniz and 0ââ¬â¢Guinn (2001) noted a brand community is a no-geographically bound and specialized community based on a structured set of social relationships among admirers of a brand. It highlight the point connection of brand community is brand not region, and brand community has three essential markers (Muniz and Oââ¬â¢Guinn, 2001). Bagozzi (2006) noted that brand community is consumption community with common enthusiasm for a certain brand or certain good social cognition (environmental protection), the members realize collective objective or express the common emotional and commitment through common action. Substantiallyï ¼Å'this is as the same as Muniz and Oââ¬â¢Guinnââ¬â¢s definitionï ¼Å'they both emphasize the expressions of emotion and action from a certain brand McAlexander (2002) expended this conceptï ¼Å'the broad meaning of brand community is a connection network with focal customer as centre, besides brand relationship, there are many other relationships. This concept emphasizes the Consumersââ¬â¢ all-round experience of brand. Upshaw and Taylor (2001) made a broad explanation to this conceptï ¼Å'they documented that all the stakeholders who have relationship with the brand (including employeeã⬠customerã⬠stockholderã⬠supplier and strategic partnered) compose brand community. 2 Basic theory and concept 2.1 Research Status Brand community is becoming an increasing popular topic in brand management research; however, the short-lived time leads to its present research is preliminary, and mainly focused on the concept, features, origin, impact and modes, etc. For example,Muniz and Oââ¬â¢Guinn(2001)claimed that brand community has three essential features of community: consciousness of kind, rituals and traditions and moral responsibility. Schau and Muniz (2002)reported the value of brand community image is important to consumers identify centified;Schmitt , Rogers and Vrotsos (2003)described the performance of brand community in Jeep,BMW and many other vehicle brands;Hoeffler and Keller (2002)noted the improving consciousness of brand community is in favor of enhancing brand equity based on consumers; McAlexander , Kim and Roberts (2003)researched the relationship between brand community and consumers satisfaction, consumers loyalty, and claimed that consumers loyalty is not only affected by customer satisfaction, but also by brand community. Belk and Tumbat noted that it is not easy for a brand to establish a community.(Schouten and McAlexander, 1995; Kozinets,2001;Muniz and Schau,2005).There are many scholars focusing on virtual community, documented the classify of community and marketing strategy (McWilliams , 2000 ; Monica , 2000 ; Wind , Mahajan and Gunther ,2003). All above research enrich the brand community theory, but there is a serious problem: research only stays on statical concept ,feature and primary implication phase.Muniz and Oââ¬â¢Guinn said the future of research is to know how brand community change in different social situation. 2.2 Dynamic Natures Consumption community and brand community are different on several dimensions:firstly,Muniz and Oââ¬â¢Guinn(2001)noted that brand community is non-geographically bounded, they may be either scattered(Boorstin,1974),or geographically concentrated (Holt,1995).Geographical concentration is the dimension of social context. To be more exact, interactions within a brand community may be rich in social context. Communication may be predominantly face to face,nediated by electronic devices(Boorstin,1974).Members may have a number of information about each other(gender,age and background).There is little understanding of movement along this dimension. The temporal stability of a community can be asset to marketers in as much as legerity equates with a long-term, stable valuable market communities can share useful consumption experiences. (Arnould and Price, 1993). 2.3 Three main features 2.3.1 Consciousness of kind This feature includes two sides: legitimacy and oppositional brand loyalty.Muniz and Oââ¬â¢Guinn noted that members feel an significant connection to the brand and toward each other, even they are strangers, members feel they know each other, ââ¬Å"the link is more important than the thing â⬠(Cova,1997,p307).They also can distinguish who is the real member by judging whether he is familiar with and in favor of the brand, not just because of chasing fashion to use product of the brand.Sometimes,brand community members build community to share common experience and brand connotation to fight with other brands. That means community will become more solidarity when facing with threats (Muà ±iz and Oââ¬â¢Guinn, 2001). 2.3.2 Shared rituals and traditions The main point of this feature is shared consumption experience. It consists of celebrating the history of the brand and sharing brand stories. The transmission of brand community is life-affirming to establish its culture. At the same time, brand history is brand communityââ¬â¢s cultural equity. Sharing brand stories playing a significant role in brand building and maintaining. It strengthens consciousness of kind among brand members and contributes to imagined community. It also reinforces members ââ¬Ëidentity to the brand and help members learn more about communitiesââ¬â¢ value. Ads play a significant role in brand community rituals and traditions. Members are concerned with ads as they display the brand to those outside of the community, and themselves (Muà ±iz and Oââ¬â¢Guinn, 2001). 2.3.3 Moral Responsibility Its definition is ââ¬Å"a sense of duty to the community as a whole and to individual members of the communityâ⬠(Muà ±iz and Oââ¬â¢Guinn, 2001).There are at least two traditional communal missions: the first one is integrating and retaining members, there is the presence of a social moral consciousness in traditional communities, they recognize the bounds of what is appropriate and inappropriate, right and wrong. Another is assisting in the use of the brand. Assistance is to help community members, both known and unknown, repair the product or solve problems. Assisting is one of the places in which computer-mediated communication offers a great deal of information (Muà ±iz and Oââ¬â¢Guinn, 2001).According to the primary nature of the relationship, the assistance offered between individuals sharing a communal bond is specialized (Wellman, 1990; Wellman and Wortley, 1990) 3 Evolution of Brand Community model 3.1 Traditional Brand community Model Boorstin emphasized the relationship between product (brand) and customer in consumption community model (figure 1).Customers look brand as the promise enterprise made for the products function value and image. Enhancing brand means the contract between enterprise and customer. To satisfy different needs from different target market, different brands need different brand positioning, even the same brand, with the changing of customersââ¬â¢ need, also need change brand positioning. Therefore, Boorstin took the perspective that consumption community is customer-centric, the development of brand should stick to customersââ¬â¢ need as the guide. 3.2. Triangle Brand community model Muniz and Oââ¬â¢Guinn ,who are the initiator of the theory of brand community, enrich the relationship model of ââ¬Å"customer-brandâ⬠, emphasized brand as intermediary (figure 2).With the development of social economy, customers are not confined to need for product (material level), they are not only concentrating on the function value of products own, more concentrating on consuming the product can give them symbolic significance and emotion interests. The similar experience and shared emotion among community members give them more emotion value than product function value. Brand community Triad Model break through the single dimensionality in traditional ââ¬Å"customer-brandâ⬠, concentrate on the relationship among ââ¬Å"customer-customerâ⬠. Weakness is that the brand will be influenced not only by customers belong to itself, but also by customers belong to other brands. For example,Many customers will interview the website and forum before purchasing products, they can find information about many other brand customers. 3.3. Brand stakeholder relations model Upshaw and Taylor came up with a new Masterbrand Community model based on Brand community Triad Model. Their opinion is all the stakeholders with brand should include employee,customer,stockholder,supplier and strategic partnered.compose brand community(figure 3).A good brand image is the base of community, while these stakeholders play an significant role in maintaining brand image and reputation, only be kind to these stakeholders ,can brand have attraction. It is the motivation of brand community. This model organizes many factors which can influence brand to build and maintain the harmonious relationship between them. Although this model emphasizes that many kinds of stakeholders are important to brand building, it involves too many complicated relationships which is not easy for analysis and research. Besides, this model strengthens brandââ¬â¢s core position, neglect customers playing an important role in brand building. 3.4. Focal customer model Based on Muniz and Oââ¬â¢Guinnââ¬â¢s brand community theory (2001), McAlexanderï ¼Å'Schouten and Koening (2002) put forward Focal Customer Model. This model emphasizes brand, product, customer and marketer are important factors to compose brand community, and bring four relationships into brand community: customer and enterprise, customer and product, customer and brand, customer and customer. This modelââ¬â¢s feature is highlighting the focal customer playing linking role in brand community. Besides Munizââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"relationship among customersâ⬠, they added product, brand and marketer. Although this structure is more comprehensive, it has drifted ââ¬Å"brand communityâ⬠raised by Muniz, which studied the relationship among customers. McAlexanderââ¬â¢s opinion actually is another closely related topic-brand relationship. A research specialist in brand relationship field, Fourier (2001), expended the relationship between brand and customer to four relations as McAlexanderââ¬â¢s model. Based on new product diffusion theory, focal customer is playing an opinion leader during product diffusion process, they are the base of enterprise. So, when enterprices want to attract new customers, also should pay more attention to focal customersââ¬â¢ satisfaction and loyalty. 3.5 conclusions The premise of research on brand community is better understanding of brand community models. From the focus of the study,Munizââ¬â¢s and McAleXanderââ¬â¢s models focus on customer, while Upshawââ¬â¢s model focus on brand, the difference is that former model studied the role customer playing in brand building, the later studied all the factors can influence brand. From the range of the study, Upshawââ¬â¢s mode is very comprehensive, but too complex; it is difficult to consider all types of relations in one study at the same time. That is the reason why it is seldom used.Munizââ¬â¢s and McAlexanderââ¬â¢s models are more useful, but from the logicality of study, their models did not distinguish the importance of all types of relations, that is to say, they did not tell us which relation playing an important role in brand community. 4 Case study: The success and failure of Starbucks Founded in 1971, Starbucks has the fastest growth rate of any company in the history of retailing. (George and Pierce, 2007)Starbucks sells mainly coffee, and even were it the best coffee in the world it would still only be coffee. The question spontaneously arises, however, why is Starbucks today a brand to be counted among the elite of mythical brands? What has made the consumer pay a premium price for something they would normally have paid significantly less for? The answer can be found in the fact that Starbucksââ¬â¢ marketing approach goes far beyond the tangible component of the product by infusing coffee with new symbolic values and brand community. A high quality of coffee, widespread locations and commercial partnership agreements have undoubtedly contributed to the companyââ¬â¢s growth, but these elements are not sufficient to make a brand a global myth, an authentic icon of postmodern society. An exchange from the movie Duplex illustrates the bohemian image Starbucks has acquired as a place where writers and other intellectuals are welcomed as part of a specific community. In the film, a young wife, played by Drew Barrymore, turns to her writer husband and says â⬠Well, what if you got out of the house for a little while and went to write at, like a Starbucks or something? â⬠â⬠It would be nice not to have to write at Starbucks with all the other novelists,â⬠replies the young man, played by Ben Stiller.It is precisely this which is the true essence of Starbucks: a place which evokes symbolic values and brand community values which go beyond coffee and the products sold and which makes a sign a metropolitan legend. It is feeling part of a community like that of the writers looking for success quoted in the film, and many morebesides,which makes consumers identify with a place where, when it really comes down to it, what you mostly do is just drinking cof fee. A person who habitually goes a sort of community to do so not just to drink a cup of coffee but to access a sort of community where they find values, models and behaviors which they tend to recognize themselves in. While Starbucks continued to enrich its context with new meanings and values, other competitors continued to simply sell coffee (Shu-pei Tsai, 2005), Starbucksââ¬â¢s performance demonstrates how, by enhancing the atmosphere and making the place of consumption a space linked to trendsetters and not the minority fringe of the population, by creating a sense of belonging and community, it is possible to achieve success even when satisfying routine needs. As Volli says, Starbucks ââ¬Å"is together closed and secret but also open and public, it shows and hides at the same time, it simultaneously exercises modesty and seduction, the secret and the recallâ⬠(Volli,1998).Starbucks has known how to invest a new way of communication ,strongly centered on the communicative processes among members of its brand community and between its members and the outside world. There is no perfect in the world,with the development of society,economy and many other aspects,Starbucks also should face with some shortage and challenge.The greater standardization of the ââ¬Å"structuresâ⬠has slowly made them lose the bohemian charm which the first points of sale had, and that aroma of coffee which represented the heart of the brand community offering in Starbucks has progressively weakened. The sensory connotation which immediately hits you when you enter a Starbucks and which creates around it a relaxing atmosphere similar to that felt in a club of people who share the passion for coffee, is gradually getting weaker. But the problem is not limited to reduced olfactory involvement, if anything it involves the fact that the chain is losing its soul of the past, becoming more and more like a conventional chain and losing that atmosphere which was so dear to its founder of a small neighborhood ship, whose emotive warmth can generate particularly intense experiences. We could say that this is one of the risks which companies which have been able to build real communities around their brands find them having to face. When the brand becomes as developed as Starbucks, its audience widens and new consumers, with characters different from those of the communityââ¬â¢s original members, take possession, thus reducing the initial followersââ¬â¢ feeling of belonging. Infact, belonging to a community satisfies the desire of individuals to share common aspects with other individuals and in that way express their distinctiveness from other social groups. When those very people they are trying to distinguish themselves from try to become part of the community, it is necessary to know how to manage this process by trying to preserve the symbolic consistency of the brand rather than adapting it to the new context. This is a natural process: the company does not live so as to remain in the ghetto of the niche; it is in development a growth that we find the preservation of its vital functions, but the process must be handled with extreme care, avoiding compromising the good and the unique that has been built.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
The Effects of Modern Technology on the Study Habits of Students
The Effects of Modern Technology on the Study Habits of Students By Jon Ireland, eHow Contributor With advances in technology, student study habits have dramatically changed. It's affected the way classes are taught, students learn theories and the way information is presented. Gone are the days of slaving over books in the library and scribbling down notes on paper. Resources â⬠¢The Internet allows students to access virtually all information that is publicly available from the comfort of their homes. There is no need to travel or even go to a library.Books are scanned in to the Internet, museums have work available online, and academic journals can also be sourced. Speed â⬠¢Students can now gain access to information in far quicker ways. Once a resource has been found they can quickly search the entire document by typing in a key word, rather than having to look in a book's index. Mathematical calculations can also be performed on special programs, while graphs can be plott ed instantly. â⬠¢Sponsored Links oEducation Research Read & research full-text articles from this journal and many more. www. Questia. com/EducationSharing â⬠¢Information can now be shared between staff and students in far more efficient ways. Schools can set up online portals where students can download necessary files, or alternatively send them by email. Students can then print them out as required. The role of professors has changed; they are no longer the dispensers of information but instead facilitate learning by providing guidelines and recommended resources. Typing â⬠¢Students are increasingly choosing to type notes rather than write them. Laptops are portable, inexpensive and have good battery life.Even math formulas can be typed using certain programs. PowerPoint can be used to present information, avoiding the need to change overhead projector sheets. Flexibility â⬠¢Studying has become far more flexible, meaning students can choose to learn and present in formation in their own ways. Those who prefer visual learning can choose to watch documentaries available on the Internet, while others can download books to read. Disruption â⬠¢Although it's easier to access more information, it's also easier to become distracted from work when using technology; a theory known as DAD (divided attention disorder).With the temptation to check your bank balance, speak to someone online or download a song available at the click of a button; getting on with an essay or doing some important reading can be difficult. Read more: The Effects of Modern Technology on the Study Habits of Students | eHow. com http://www. ehow. com/info_7922962_effects-technology-study-habits-students. html#ixzz2R5dBhRa7 http://www. ehow. com/info_7922962_effects-technology-study-habits-students. html
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Human Alienation
My research report is focused on the reasons behind alienation (forced/chosen) within the human race. I looked into three vastly different sections of society which all reflect alienation. Schindlerââ¬â¢s list, directed by Steven Spielberg and the Telephone conversation by Wole Soyinke strongly express racial alienation. One is from a historical background in Europe during world war two and the other in modern European society (2002) Both of these texts show similar aspects of the human race that cause alienation.The next section I investigated was phycological alienation. I studied Girl Interrupted, directed by James Mangold and Wrestling with the Angel by Michael King. There is a twenty year gap between these texts but not a lot of difference in the treatment of of those believed to be mentally unstable. The last segment of society I looked into was religion. I chose to research the Crucible, directed by Nicholas Hyther and a text set in modern society ââ¬â Plain Truth by Jo di Picoult.Both texts show how nonconforming leads to alienation no matter the religion. After exploring three different aspects f society and history it became clear that no matter what, humans will always find a way to alienate others as it is a way to personally benefit. Through the racial aspect, power of numbers against another race is used to gain overall power. In the phycological segment it is the urging of society that wants a ââ¬Ënormalââ¬â¢ way of life that causes alienation of those who donââ¬â¢t conform.Religiously, people want power of numbers and to be a part of that group you must conform without failure. It seems that alienation is impossible to eradicate as it is human nature to compete against one another ââ¬â in the end it is ââ¬Ësurvival of the fittest. ââ¬â¢ Racial Alienation: Power is the cause of racial alienation. Humans thrive off and starve for power-we need it to control our lives and have order and strength in society. Sometimes power can become a negative when in the wrong hands. This is obvious from the disasters of the Holocaust in Germany, World War Two.Schindlerââ¬â¢s List, directed by Steven Spielberg showed (throughout the film) the alienating effects of the Jewish ghettos and concentration camps where Jews were segregated and killed by the thousands. This was due to the unstoppable power of the German Nazi party lead by Hitler. One scene that is effective in conveying this is when the Jews are being forced from their homes into the ghetto. Close up shots of fear on their faces and high angle shots show their vulnerability to the immense power of the Germans.The parallel of Oskar Schindler moving into a luxurious, spacious room accents the consequences of power for those on the wrong end. Spielbergââ¬â¢s use of contrast between the situations shows how grim life is for the Jewish people being alienated from their own lives. The Telephone conversation by Wole Soyinke expresses racial oppression caused by power of the English white race. This oppression is on a lower scale than the Holocaust but it is still wrong. After the horrors of the Holocaust etched in history, many think that we humans would learn from our mistakes.I believe people cannot-however it is improving from history but alienation still occurs in the modern world. Wole Soyinke uses mood sarcasm and irony in his poetic satire about racism in western modern society. The poem concentrated on a small telephone conversation but is employed by the poet to apply to a broader level to show alienation throughout society. The poem begins peacefully as visual judgements are non existent at this stage. When the man reveals his race the whole mood changes. A sudden caesura in line six emphasises the impact that the manââ¬â¢s revealing his race has.From here on the mood is uneasy and apprehensive as the white woman makes it uncomfortable for the ââ¬Å"African manâ⬠. Soyinkeââ¬â¢s use of the word ââ¬Å"confessionâ⠬ to describe the exposing of the manââ¬â¢s race is very sarcastic in that being an African must be sinful. This is an obvious display of how humans alienate each other without even giving one the chance to prove their worth in society. Both Spielberg and Soyinke use certain techniques to try and convey how those who have more power such as German Naziââ¬â¢s and white English race, alienate those they see as ââ¬Ëbelowââ¬â¢ them to benefit themselves.By looking at the time difference of these text it is obvious that racial alienation continues throughout society no matter the time/place. The main purpose of both of those texts is to show the absurdness of racism and how ridiculous it is to judge someone on the way they look. Both texts display the evil of human nature in the way we intentionally alienate others to improve our own situation. The Germans during the Holocaust were of an advanced economy with a sophisticated education system, yet they entrusted their fate to a man who made no secret of his mass murder and segregation. I elieve it occurred because Germany was in hard times after the placement of the Treaty of Versailles and they followed Hitler and forgot their morals in the hope that their lives would improve. While the Jews suffered miserably this thinking is the same of white English people that were shown as racists in Soyinkeââ¬â¢s poem. For them to hold and maintain the best jobs, houses and education, they as a group alienate blacks so they canââ¬â¢t ever rise in social class, or wealth. This technique is the same as the Germans, forcing another race into oppression to become the stronger, wealthier and better educated race.It is clear that the white race is the cause of alienation throughout the world as they do not want to lose their societal position to races the believe are less civilised than their own. Maybe we will never live in a world of equality as competition is the way to keep the system moving-even if it caus es alienation. Overall it is power that causes racial alienation, the human race naturally thirsts for it-the fittest hold it and use it to their advantage, this leads to racism and segregation of races. Psychological alienation; Mental illness has been confused with the non conforming nature of some in the past.James Mangold, director of Girl Interrupted provides a sad truth of the diagnosis a young girl in the 1960ââ¬â¢s as having a ââ¬Ëborderline personalityââ¬â¢. She narrates the story with a dispassionate voice which conveys the detachment and alienation she feels from life. Kayson was diagnosed with her illness because she had ââ¬Å"uncertainty of long term goals, instability of self image and social contrariness. â⬠I believe she had every right to wonder why she was placed into a mental hospital when not all normal teenagers would satisfy that list either.Through the character of Kayson we see the haunted life in the mental hospital and the seclusion from the real world. Whatââ¬â¢s more is that Kayson really didnââ¬â¢t have a mental illness, she just didnââ¬â¢t always conform with the ways of society. Those who did conform saw her as a blemish to society and she was then to be ââ¬Ëpurifiedââ¬â¢ by the isolation of a mental hospital. It is a fault of human beings that we are so quick to judge those who dare to be different from the social norm. This is also obvious in ââ¬ËWrestling with the Angelââ¬â¢ by Michael King.This biography is based in Janet Frameââ¬â¢s life. Focusing on her time at Seacliff hospital we can see how wrongly she was judged by doctors. King used metaphor to show the alienation of the hospital: ââ¬Å"Many patients who entered Seacliff had no name, no past, no future, only an imprisoned now, an eternal Island without its accompanying horizons. â⬠The hospital really was a prison in the middle of nowhere with no way out. The use of the word ââ¬Å"Islandâ⬠illustrates how isolated Fram e was from the world.Not only was she physically isolated from the world, Janet felt personally alienated by society; ââ¬Å" I felt as if my life were overturned by this sudden division of people into ordinary people in the street and the secret people whom few had seen or talked to but whom many spoke of with derision,laughter or fear. â⬠This quote directly shows the judging by society of those who are labelled (wrongly in Frameââ¬â¢s case) as mentally unstable. People cannot help but create division between those they believe that arenââ¬â¢t normal and this is obvious through the characters Kayson and Janet.The context of the two texts relate to the alienation of characters as at the times these are set, social conformance was necessary to be deemed as sane. In Girl Interrupted, the main character Kayson had her adolescence coincide with the rise of the late nineteen sixties youth culture. The older generations were startled by the dispatching of traditional values by young people. Their unconventional music, anti war opinions and drug culture was in fact alien to them. Because of this they placed people away in mental hospitals.Kaysonââ¬â¢s rejection of her school and career was a mental disturbance to her parents and they never understood her uncertainty at a confusing time. This psychological alienation came down to nonconformance with traditional values and the superior group (elders) not understanding the youth. This idea of alienation caused by misunderstanding is also clear in Wrestling With The Angel. King argued that Frames ââ¬Å"strangeness of perception was misdiagnosed as schizophreniaâ⬠People at the time didnââ¬â¢t understand her way of thinking. Doctors intercepted letters in which she described gorse smelling like peanut butter.From this they took her as disorded, confusing a bread spread with a spiky bush rather than understanding her creative mind. From this it is apparent how society and those in positions of power (like the Nazi Germans and the white English are described under racial alienation) judge others who are non conformant with the strict guidelines most people follow. Characters Kayson and Frame portray uniqueness within a race that forces uniformity. They are stepping out of the majority. Society forces alienation upon them as they treat them like problems and isolate them.This creates internal feelings of alienation when really these people have done nothing wrong. The people in positions of power and those who hide their true identity to conform are what cause the alienation of those brave enough to be different. The world would be a sad place if everyone was the same. Today medication and therapy can help people with real disorders rather than putting them away. This however never fixes the issue of psychological alienation as humans will always judge others to either make themselves feel better ir because they feel they are better than that person.Anyone who stands out from th e crowd wold be judged, but thankfully today, people are more aware of the importance of acceptance and individuality. Religious alienation: Religion can cause people to lose their freedom and identity as it forces them to conform. Those who follow a religion must abide by its rules in order to be accepted in the religious group. In the Crucible, directed by Nicholas Hyther, the entire nation follows the strict Puritan religion. This movie is set in a theocratic society where the state and the church are one and moral laws and state laws also.There is no space for non conformity. One character, Elizabeth is alienated from the community as she was accused of performing witchcraft. Although it was untrue, this ââ¬Ëactââ¬â¢ of non conformance led to her isolation from her livelihood. The intolerance of certain things at this time caused great alienation or death for many women if charged with witchcraft. The theme of Hysteria in this text shows how people thrive on it when they b enefit from it. Those accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft benefitted from it as they gained her possessions. Hysteria suspends the rules of everyday life and allows the acting out of peopleââ¬â¢s dark desires underneath their displayed ââ¬Ërighteousness. ââ¬â¢ â⬠Not only has religion forced the oppression of peopleââ¬â¢s true identities, it allows people to use it as a weapon to alienate others to benefit themselves. This theme is consistent throughout all of the texts studied. In life, there will always be selfish people trying to improve their position by hurting / alienating others. Strict religious societies cause this because it is against human nature to always conform. Non conformity in religious groups is punished with alienation.As described before, in religious groups if the rules are not followed there are consequences. In ââ¬Å"Plain Truthââ¬â¢ by Jodi Picoult a certain character (Jacob) is alienated because he chose not to conform. A rule in the Amish community is that education is banned from eighth grade onwards. For Jacob, his willingness to learn caused him to go to university and be banned form the Amish community which included the only people he knew. His father thought of him as a ââ¬Å"dead sonâ⬠To the people in the Amish community they are one identity, one people. Speaking out against this is looked down upon.For these people there is no room for deviation from their social norm so they continue to conform. I wonder why anyone would choose this; to lose their own identity for a community so strict you cannot choose what to do with your life. However, each member is entitled to stay or leave. The problem is that alienation is created either way ââ¬â if you stay you lead a life of isolation from the modern world, if you leave you have all the freedom yet you are ââ¬Å"all alone when all you have ever known is how to be part of the group. â⬠Overall, religious groups that force conformity create alienati on no matter what.In the end what is important to the world on a whole is that diversity is expected and respected and everybody has a choice to be who they want to be without being judged. In conclusion, alienation is worldwide today, it will be tomorrow and it has occurred right throughout history. My research has shown that one of the main causes of alienation is the need for power. This is most obvious in Schindlerââ¬â¢s list and the Telephone Conversation but it also links in with control over groups in psychological alienation and religious alienation. When one group or single person has control over many they will use this to benefit themselves.It is human nature to want what is best for yourself, this use of power is inevitable. In Girl Interrupted and Wrestling With The Angel it is obvious that at times of lack of scientific and psychological understanding, many people were alienated for not being what society had decided as ââ¬Ënormal. ââ¬â¢ Characters such as Kay son and Frame suffered because their individuality shone but it hurt the eyes of those in positions to diagnose mental illness. From these texts it was clear that human beings are too quick to judge those who are different from the rest, rather than accepting their uniqueness.In saying that, in modern society we are becoming better at understanding others and the beauty in difference. Religious alienation has links with other types but more closely with psychological. In religious groups conformity is expected or alienation is put in place. Through the texts, The Crucible and Plain Truth one can understand how alienation is inescapable after being part of a strict religion. If you do not conform you are alienated. If you do conform you alienate yourself from your true identity. Leaving the group causes alienation also as you are all alone after only ever knowing how to fit in.Whichever choice one would make would lead them to alienation. In the end the world entire cannot avoid alie nation. People will always compete for a better position; it is the nature of any specie on this planet. The only way to have a positive result is to make sure that the wrong people who have murderous and revengeful motives donââ¬â¢t gain positions of power as events such as the Holocaust could repeat. Small scale alienation will always continue in the modern world, as will competition but outright racism and discrimination is wrong and should be stopped.
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Industrial Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Industrial Revolution - Essay Example section for cultivation. With their modern techniques used to get more yield. While the families of low hierarchy and less power used to work under the land lords. The families were broken and people in small families used to flew to towns and industrial areas where they are paid for the work done. Thus the population used to rise in the towns and cities. Poor families were forced to work for long hours and were paid less compensation. For this reason women and children used to accompany their elder family members and used to work for long hours under conditions. The growth in urban population has pressurized the water, housing, sanitation etc facilities which have had worsened the living condition in that region. There is no proper interaction in between families as the members along with their children were put into work. There were no educational facilities for children as they were no time for them to perceive. The young generation lacked the social ethics as their elders were busy in their work for most of the time. Capitalism strongly prevailed in the industrial regions. Workers safety was least concerned .The industrialization were more of production oriented and the owners made huge profits The profits increased the gap between the rich and the poor increased. No government policies were implemented as the rich used to dictate the terms.Industrial revolution has bought some positive results as the poverty has been reduced; the wages were increased in some regions. The cities were divided into their specific activities like the industrial areas, the marketing areas, the administrative areas. The working classes were ill-treated in the initial periods of industrialization. The workers... This essay discusses that education was a major concern in the industrial revolution days as people of all ages were busy in their work which lasts for 15 to 18 hours a day. Elders were educated about the mechanics of the machines and their operations. Gradually in the first quarter of the eighteenth century in England, child education was made compulsory up to 12 years. Children who were educated up to certain age were allowed part-time to work.The social responsibility was highlighted in the period of industrial revolution. This is addressing the concern of the widows, the injured soldiers and the people below poverty line. The private wealthy society was encouraged to generously participate in providing the basic needs of the needy in that period. The industrial revolution has created immense wealth for many sections which propelled them to organize aid to the people who were in distress. The increase in the communications and the accessibility to the issue regions has pushed the assistance further more. The attitudes have kept changing which resulted in a lot of nongovernmental organizations which started addressing the concerns of the poor. The social responsibility has been projected as a ritual for the wealthy and status to dissipate the surplus to the needy. The philanthropic values gradually spread to eradicate the social evils like alcoholic consumption, the abolition of slavery, improved work environment in factories and fight for the social concerns community wise.
Monday, August 12, 2019
Briefly discuss, using specific examples, the issue of vaccine safety Outline
Briefly discuss, using specific examples, the issue of vaccine safety - Outline Example They argue that the effectiveness and safety of vaccines are not guaranteed. Issues surrounding the safety of vaccines are based on the fact that the use of vaccines has been associated with health problems that occur as side effects upon using vaccines. Specifically, autism has controversially been a condition that has been linked to the use of vaccines, with children within the relevant age bracket being the most vulnerable. In this regard, parents have raised concerns over the underlying risks in vaccine use. Governments, states, and more especially medical interventionists are embarking on monitoring health status of most vaccinated patients in a bid to ensure that vaccines remain safe, over and above being effective (Miller, 2009, p.173). While most vaccines have passed safety tests, cases of vaccines that are not safe cannot be ruled out. The occurrence of health problems that result from vaccines also remains an open phenomenon, thereby necessitating intensive analysis of vaccinesââ¬â¢ side effects and subsequent health complications that they are likely to
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