Monday, September 30, 2019

The Effects of Pornography Within Society

The history of pornography has been dated back to prehistoric times. The actual word is derived from the Greek language. The date of when the word pornographic was first used in Greek is not known but a related word â€Å"pornography† meaning â€Å"someone writing of harlots† was used in a writing called Depositories of Athenians. In the French language the word â€Å"Pornographic† was in used during the sass. The word did not enter the English language as the familiar word until 1857 or as a French import in New Orleans in 1842. Rossini, 2007) It is believed that the people of ancient societies felt it was not worthy to preserve pornography because it was customary in their society. Even though the early history of pornography is unclear there is artwork from many ancient civilizations like ancient Greece, Ancient India, and Rome where erotic pictures often appeared in religious context. (Godson) In ancient Greece the idea of pornography was very different from ours. Even though the Greeks had artwork such as paintings and pictures that depicted nudity, they were more tolerant and have different views on what was considered to be immoral and obscene.There were prostitutes that were used where the women were used and raped against their will and the men who raped them would become their husband. This was all considered to be k under the Goddess Aphrodite. There were also religious ceremonies where a woman and her partner would perform sex in public to help the crops grow. (Klutz, 2009) In ancient India nudity in art was acceptable in southern India. In Junta, India there are sculptures and pictures that depict this type of art. Historical evidence showed that most countries that are in tropical climates have people who do not wear clothes other than for fashion.The need to cover the upper halve of the body was unnecessary, only in certain parts of ancient India was the upper halve of the body dressed with precious stones or gold while the w omen would wear expensive silks and shares (Godson) In Ancient Roman society the role of pornography in society was portrayed in the form of art and in writings such as poetry. Some of the poetry that depicted pornography was in Odes to Piraeus showed descriptions of intimate sexual relationships and Catcalls and Ovid who wrote about a cruel and demanding mistress.Roman pornography was different from the Greeks because there was no entailment value and reasoning behind the porn that was depicted. Roman pornography was considered to be more towards annalistic portrayals and being purely sexual. The sexual drive for the Romans were very strong and one of their mottos was to divide and conquer in the bedroom as well as in the battlefield. (Scarping, 2012) The different forms of pornography are in writings, images, sculptures like art. In 18th-century Europe, pornography became a way for protest for people against royalty and other aristocrats.During the 20th century, restrictions on po rnography were more relaxed throughout much of Europe and North America, Hough regulations remained strict in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. In our modern culture viewing pornography in private may be considered to be offensive but there are still laws that restricts the viewing of certain types of pornography such as child porn Oinks, 2014). Depending on the culture pornography is viewed in different ways. For instance people may look at pornographic images as a religious aspect while in another culture pornography may be considered to be more erotic.Some may feel that it is completely absurd. The different parts of the world have different ways that pornography is incorporated into their societies. The perspective against pornography brings up an important issue that includes violence against women, men, and children. They also cite issues of demutualization of sex, addiction, health concerns, and relationship issues. The demutualization of sex has been linked to the overwhelm ing amount of pornography that is available for the consumer.It has been shown in studies that the amount of porn available on the Internet is directly related to the way humans hunter-gatherer brains work and the novelty of viewing person after person in a sexual encounter. This fast paced viewing overload dads to spending more time alone, voyeurism, constant novelty, and the need for shock and surprise. These types of ‘sexual encounters' leave out some important aspects of real relationships such as pheromones, emotional connection, being touched, and interacting with another person.One can easily see how this could lead to the inability to have meaningful sexual relationships due to the gradual demutualization of sex as well as being desensitizing to sexual violence. (Tessellated, 2012) A study done on the effects of pornography confirmed the idea that there is a link between high consumption of pornography and the prediction of sexual aggression. They studied the percentag e of sexual perpetration, perspectives on intimate relationships, and beliefs of the rape myth (the rape myth is belief that belittles rape and tends to blame the victim for the crime).In every area of this meta- analysis they found that exposure to pornography increases the risk for an individual to commit sexual offenses, experience struggles with intimate relationships, and have higher acceptance rates of the rape myth. â€Å"Another meta-analysis examined 30 different studies with a total of 2,040 participants and concluded that exposure to pornography increases behavioral aggression†¦ He researchers conclude that a connection between exposure to pornography and subsequent behavioral aggression exists† (Allen, Deadlines, Breezes, 1995).The sexual aggression quantities are four times higher in an individual who consumes pornography habitually. The health effects that have been associated with Internet pornography addiction include social anxiety, depression, performan ce anxiety, and erectile dysfunction. ADD, COD, social anxiety, depression, and performance anxiety are thought to be possible precursors to the addiction and can be reversed by changing their behaviors. In a study done called, â€Å"Predicting compulsive Internet use: it's all about sex! † they found that out of all the activities on the Internet, porn has the highest addictive rate.They believe this is due to the brains reward circuit and how it drives us towards natural rewards like food, close personal relationships, and sex. These drives produce the secretion of dopamine and if too much dopamine is released it can override our natural satiation mechanisms. For instance, with excess high calorie food consumption, an individual ‘s ability to feel full' becomes harder to satisfy and major health concerns an ensue. In comparison to natural reward addictions, unnatural rewards like drugs or alcohol only make addicts of about 10% of users.The more the consumption over ti me, the more the dopamine surges; this then causes the binge mechanism that causes Delta-Foss to accumulate. The build up of Delta-Foss creates the cravings for more and alters the brain with a cycle of binging and craving. If this cycle continues, the brain will have structural changes that result in a numbed pleasure response, overexcited reactions to porn, and diminished self-control. In a study done with roomer Internet porn addicts, they found that these changes in the brain can reverse back to normal once the behavior is under control.The number one reason men try to stop their consumption of porn is directly related to erectile dysfunction and sexual performance. In these cases, the Delta-Foss build up and structural changes cause the erectile dysfunction. (Tessellated, 2012) The perspectives that support pornography are some of the following: it can facilitate healthy views on sex, reduce crime or aggression, and be economically beneficial. A study, done at the Pacific Cente r for Sex and Society at the University ofHawaii, looked at the sexual violence rates in countries where pornography is legalized. They found that with the increased popularity and consumption of pornography, that rates of sexual violence were reduced. The study concluded that this could be evidence that viewing pornography can provide a ‘catharsis' for individuals who have predispositions of hostile behavior. (Pappas, 2012, Para. 4) In a Danish study done with more than 600 men and women aged 18-30, they found that that the overall consensus was that viewing pornography had a positive effect on their lives.They stated that it was beneficial for ‘sexual knowledge, attitudes toward ex, perceptions of the opposite sex, healthy sex lives, and general quality of life' (Langley, 2012, Para. 4). The economical benefits of pornography include its extensive revenue and employment. In the United States, Internet porn acquires $2. 84 billion each year, and worldwide it brings in $ 4. 9 billion. (â€Å"Porn Addiction Statistics,† n. D) The sociological implications that are intertwined with sociology are the following: Economy Although there are benefits economically, there is a decline in Jobs because of the amount that is available for free.This as a result brings a downfall in the economy of the pornographic industry. The top adult entertainment companies include Vivid Entertainment in the United States, Playboy also in the United States, Airstreams in the Netherlands and Freeness Films in Brazil. Some of the major porn producing nations are Russia, Spain, Germany, and Japan. According to topdressings. Com, in 2006 the countries that had the largest revenue from the porn is the US $13. 33 billion, South Korea had $25. 73 billion, China had $27. 40 billion, and Japan $19. 8 billion. (Cruz, 2010) The porn industry is a major part of the world economy, creating employment and large-scale revenue. According to topdressings. Com, there is over 3,000 spent every second on pornography across the world. However, it is difficult to estimate the accurate statistics for the entire industry as a large part of the industry operates underground. (Cruz, 2010) There is a problem with the pornography being watch at work. Companies are losing money on the how much time their employees spend watching at work.According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics on March 30, 2012 a study that looked at how much money was being lost because employees of an undisclosed employer. There was about 28% of people using the computers to look up porn and showed an average of $23. 3 per hour by 1 hour and 38 minutes of watching porn came up with $38 a month and $456 a year per employee. If the 132 million people who were reported as workers in March 2012 and divided to represent the 28% of people who watch porn at work ended up with 37 million people who watch porn at work causing an annual productivity loss for companies around $16. Billion. (Godliest, 2012) The re is a lot of money being spent on pornography. Some hotel chains have pornography delivered to them by one of two major distribution companies, which are Lodgment and On Command. The hotel chains have reported that there is a 5%- 0% in profit Just from pornography purchases. On the Internet search engines like Yahoo made money off selling ads and links to porn websites. The price for getting a website listed that did not have porn on it was about $200 where porn sites were $600.Yahoo had suffered a lot of criticism about a sex shop that was opened up in 2001 but closed in January 2002 because there was legal action taken against them Patrick Truman a former Chief of Justice for child exploitation and obscenity section. (Herd, 2002) On the Internet there are websites that are very popular for their pornography. The top websites are Pronoun which gets 2. Billion views monthly page views, Weaponry getting 2. 1 billion, Tube 8 getting 970 million, compared too website like Wisped whic h gets about 8 million page views monthly.The actual amount of money that porn companies are really making is not easy to find because the info is not traded in public. Although there are estimates that show since 2006 out of $3. 62 billion in rentals and video sales, pornography created $2. 84 billion. The industry is headed in a whole new direction from renting videos to digital video streaming. (Rosen, 2013) Although there is so much money being produce by this industry there re some problems that arise with all the new technologies that come along with it. The bootlegging or pirating of porn that is copy written and sold takes away from the money that can be created.The increase of free porn websites also makes it more convenient (Rosen, 2013) for someone to get hold of pornographic material in way that doesn't cost them anything but a computer and a internet connection. All of these factors play an important role in the economy of the pornographic industry. (Rosen, 2013) Famili es Pornography can have a negative impact on families and children. It can affect all members of the family. Pornography can cause a lack of interest in the conjugal relations between spouses. Couples affected by one spouse's addiction usually experience a loss of interest in sexual intercourse and good family relations.Pornography can be a gateway to infidelity and is often a main cause for divorce. Pornography can cause Just as much pain and devastation to a marriage or family as actual infidelity. It can cause divorce or separation from which deep psychological and emotional ramifications could arise for the victimized spouse and children. Children of families who are broken apart from pornography grow up with a countermanding of sexuality and can develop trust and relationship issues of their own. Children can experience traumas related to encounters with their parents' pornographic material. A study of adolescents revealed that viewing sexually explicit internet materials signi ficantly increased their uncertainties about sexuality, and it can lower their self-esteem and bring about feelings of loneliness and depression. † (Fagan) When a child lives in a home where an adult is consuming pornography, there is a risk of the child suffering from a decreased amount of time ND attention from that parent leading to emotional and psychological issues. The child is also at an increased risk of encountering pornographic material that he or she may not be sexually mature to enough to view.It is not Just the person with the addiction or compulsion of watching pornography who suffers from the negative effects it can cause. The entire family involved can be effected and is at risk for the detrimental results that can occur. Health The are many health implications that come along with the use of pornography ranging from mental and psychiatric to medical and physical health risks. The most prevalent being the psychological effects porn can have on consumers and the ir families. Some psychologists refer to the over-use of pornography an addiction while others call it a compulsion.Either way it is labeled; too much porn can have psychological ramifications that lead to serious mental health issues. Another health risk for individuals who consume pornography is an increased likelihood to engage in risky sexual behaviors that are portrayed in various films and photographs. People may not understand that the behaviors seen in pornography are acted out in a enthroned setting and attempt to reenact such behaviors in dangerous ways. Pornography does not exactly promote safe sex concerns and may cause people overlook the importance of using protection against sexually transmitted diseases.Pornography can cause people to engage in sexual activity with numerous partners because they have been desensitizing to the importance of having one meaningful partner. They seek fulfillment in many different partners and this can lead to easy spread of sexually tran smitted infections. The lack of use of protection and the involvement of numerous partners can lead to the easy spread of sexually reanimated infections. Physical injuries can occur from individuals and couples reenacting what they observe in pornography. Some people use pornography as a sort of training video.Inexperienced couples and individuals try to act out scenarios and end up physically injuring themselves. Thirty- three percent of Americans each year suffers from physical injuries during sexual activity. A portion of those incidents occurs because of pornographic influence. All of these are important health implications that need to be considered. The numerous amounts of research that have been done on the effects of orangeroot conclude with conflicting outcomes. The data found in one study can be completely different from another study.Paul Wright, who has studied sex in the media and is the assistant professor of telecommunications at Indiana University said, â€Å"It's v ery easy if you want to support one side or the other, to pull a particular study†¦ Anybody can support one side or another by simply isolating a particular study and talking about it†(Pappas, 2012, Para. 1). This misalignment of information makes the topic a still heated debate. The discrepancies on the studies have to do tit the lack of a control group. (Tessellated, 2012) Pornography has been a part of society almost as long as society itself.It affects different cultures in various ways in both positive and negative aspects. It is a sociological aspect that has been under heated debate for the different implications that are involved in the topic. There are many negative attributes that come along with pornography that have adverse affects on society but there are positives that come along with it as well. While the negative seems to outweigh the positive, pornography is an industry that is here to stay for the mime being. There is not enough scientific research to pr ove that it is unhealthy enough to remove or ban it.However, there is enough information to show it is a subject that needs to be addressed and the risks need to be made known. If proper knowledge of the consequences of pornography are more commonly known, the amount of people affected in a negative way might be significantly reduced. Work Cited: Allen, M. , Deadlines, D. , and Breezes, K. â€Å"A Meta-Analysis Summarizing the Effects of Pornography II,† Human Communication Research, Volvo. 22, Number 2 (December, 1995): up. 258-283. Fagan, P. F. (n. D. ). The Effects of Pornography on Individuals, Marriage, Families, and Children.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Quality Assurance Review Essay

Questions 1. How did the staff member introduce themselves to the client and the teacher? It is important to know how the staff member initially introduces themselves to the client and the teacher. The first impression of our staff members to our clients is very important because we would like our clients to feel comfortable and excited about the services that we provide. 2. Did the staff member explain the services that were going to be provided to the client? We want our clients to be able to understand the services that are being provided to them. The services that we provide should be simple and easy to understand especially to our clients and their family members. We like to know that our clients are satisfied and comfortable with the services being provided. 3. Were their any communication problems between the staff member and the client or the teacher? If so, how did the staff member resolve them? We believe that communication is a key element between our staff members and our clients. Communication helps us build a client and staff relationship and we want our clients to be able to express themselves the best way they know how. Our clients should be able to feel comfortable with our staff. It is also important to understand how the staff member dealt with any communication problems during the services because it helps us better  understand the different types of approaches to communication that can be successful when working with clients. 4. What is the clients perception of the staffs overall services? We pride in our services and what our client’s feedbacks entail. Knowing that clientele is satisfied with our rendering of services provides us with confidence and allows us to use such references for future clients. 5. How and what would the client change about his or her experience with our services? Reviews are golden when clients provide their feedback about what they believed helped and if otherwise; how they would have felt more assisted by us. Our promise to clients is to evolve constantly to pursue customer satisfaction. 6. Was the staff up to the standards of the expectations? Recognizing our areas of opportunity is important; therefore addressing the staff with important issues and concerns is priority for us, especially if this comes from the clients. 7. Would you consider coming back to our facilities and recommending others for assistance? Knowing that we have completed a good job and creating healthy relationships with clients is important for us. We understand that despite the assistance provided; some situations would create triggers and thus the desire of help may be neglected, everyone needs help sometimes. 8. Is the documentation being done in timely manner? Medical records can be seen as legal documents either written or computer- Generated. Medical Records serve with proof of care patients get, including Response to such care. Recently, Medical Record has come into use as Clinical Record comprising all contributions from every healthcare service Provider giving care for the patient. 9. How is the documentation being filed? For protecting you in a legal way, you need to follow established set of rules for documentation while knowing the way for documenting appropriately. 10. Are mistakes accepting? Depends on the mistakes, which is why we document everything with the client, is very important not to make any mistakes. PART 2 The Scenario In the given scenario, I would communicate to the teacher who notified the agency, the client as well as my staff. The client suffered from communicable diseases and was treated. It can impact the way this client acted while relaying the data. Staff member should have been knowledgeable about the client getting treatment with services being done on any other day. Feedback from teacher is significant and can be useful as the teacher knew and worked with clients regularly. This relationship can be mended by full attention being given to students and accepting feedbacks. This student has to see professional care being there for assisting him. To stop this from taking place once again, client’s record need to be checked before services are made for ensuring there is no sort of negative changes or interventions on the client’s part.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Students’ Perception on the Use of Google+

Running Head: Using Google+ 1 IIUM Students’ Perception on the Use of Google+ in Improving Communication Skill Siti Natrah Bt Bactiar (0918444) Kulliyyah of Human Science (Communications) International Islamic University Malaysia Instructor: Mdm Norazah Md. Idrus English for Academic Writing Section 14 6th December 2012 Using Google+ 2 AbstractFor this study, its purpose is to examine whether social networking site such as Google+ can really be used effectively by students in improving their communication skill by employing quantitative research where a sample of 25 respondents consisting of undergraduate IIUM students from the main Gombak campus for survey were used where respondents were given questionnaires which were distributed through email and Facebook.The questionnaires were done in order to answer two research questions in terms of what benefits can students gain from using Google+ as a way to improve communication skills and how can IIUM implement Google+ as a way fo r students to improve their communication skills and results from the study found that majority agreed that Google+ can help improved students’ communication skills and that they are positive that IIUM will implement this method by introducing Google+ as part of learning material, similar with e-learning.Thus, through this study, it can aid researchers who want to study on the usage and impact of social networking sites especially Google+ on the development of academic communication among university students in Malaysia and also for IIUM on ways to expand the learning environment by tackling on new ways that can aid the learning process by integrating education and social networking sites resulting in an interactive and fun way of learning between lecturer and students.Using Google+ 3 IIUM Students’ Perception on the Use of Google+ in Improving Communication Skill After the introduction of Internet in 1960’s (Brown, 2008, p. 30), the world saw a transformation i n how societies interact with each other and with the birth of Facebook in 2006 (pp. 32), it has changed how people in the 21st century would communicate with each other as more and more people are communicating and developing their relationship online.Majority of youths today spend their time communicating with their friends in social networking sites (SNS) as compared to other online communication tools such as emails, discussion forum and chat rooms as it enables the users to gain instant feedback with its realtime message capabilities and a higher respond rates, allowing them to improve their communication between each other (Goddard & Geesin, 2011, p. 51).Even though most youths especially students nowadays are communicating online with their friends and families daily through various channels of communication such as personal computers, laptops, Smart phones, mobile phones and so on, it does not indicate that their communication skills are improving. Instead, many of them show ed a lack of confidence and persuasiveness during class presentation and in public speaking as most shows signs of nervousness and lack of understanding and knowledge about their topic especially when they have to present it in front of their class.Moreover, some of them displayed poor team-player image by not participating actively in group discussion and freeriding other group members in doing their assignment. For this research, the purpose of this study is to examine whether social networking site such as Google+ can really be used effectively by students in improving their communication skill. Thus, two objectives are generated from this, which are to examine how students devote their skills, time and willingness in using their social networking site Using Google+ 4 Google+) in improving their communication skills especially in a team or group based discussion in order to prepare them for the working world and to examine factors affecting their use, which leads to the developme nt of two research questions (RQ): 1. What benefits can students gain from using Google+ as a way to improve communication skills? 2. How can IIUM implement Google+ as a way for students to improve their communication skills? According to Watson, Besmer and Lipford (2012), Google+ is a social networking site, similar to Facebook, MySpace and Twitter with an added feature for group-based sharing facilities (+Circles).Social Networking Sites (SNS) helps users to create an online profile that can be viewed by the public which allows interactive communication between the user and his or her circle of friends. As mentioned by Boyd and Ellison (2007) (as cited in Greenhow & Robelia, 2009): An online social network site (SNS) is a web-based service that allows individuals to (1) construct a public or semipublic profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system (p. ). Meanwhile, communication is defined as the means of sending or receiving information, such as telephone lines or computers (Oxford English Dictionary, 2007). However, in mass communication studies, Communication refers to your ability to share beliefs, values, ideas and feelings where it is seen as a dynamic process in which people attempt to share their internal states with other people through the use of symbols (Samovar, Porter, & McDaniel, 2010, pp. 14, 21).Thus, an effective communication consists of the ability to convey a message that is understood by the audience verbally and non-verbally such Using Google+ 5 as through gestures, facial expressions and postures and that which requires a two-way communication. As more and more youths are connected to their digital devices, their network relationships have also expanded from offline or face to face relationship to online relationship. Thus, many researches have been done to study on the usage and impa ct of social networking sites (SNS) on users’ social development.In addition, with the majority of social networking sites’ (e. g. Facebook ) users are adolescents and young adults who are still in high school and college, studies have found that social networking sites can influence the academic and social development of the students (Naeema, 2011; Ahn, 2011; Golder, Wilkinson, & Huberman, n. d. ). Moreover, Lampe, Ellison, and Steinfeld (2007) and Subrahmanyam and Greenfield (2008) mentioned that†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦emerging adults’ use of the internet is predominately social in nature, typically with people known from offline contexts. , as cited in (Reich, Espinoza, & Subrahmanyam, 2012, p. 364). However, the studies done tend to focus on the usage of Facebook and its implication on the general academic and social development of the users. There was little studies conducted on Google+ (Watson, Besmer, & Lipford, 2012), an emerging social networking site that was in troduced by Google in mid 2011 (Pascopella, 2011) which provides a more comprehensive features that are unique from Facebook such as +Circles that lets the user to share information that can only be known by selected group of friends.With Google+, students can gain considerable benefits as compared to Facebook with its features that can be used for group or team discussions. In addition with the lack of studies on the usage of Google+ by students, little research was done to explore on students usage and willingness in using social networking sites in improving communication skills. Using Google+ 6 MethodParticipants For this study, a sample of 25 respondents for survey were used which composed of undergraduate International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) students from the main Gombak campus who are currently taking courses offered in the Gombak campus such as IRK, HS, KAED, ENGIN, EDU, ICT, AIKOL and ENMS. The 25 respondents were selected from students in EAW class of section 1 4 and those who have answered the questionnaires which was posted through Facebook.Materials Respondents were given questionnaires that were done through Google Drive (see Appendix 1) consisting of 12 questions that are divided into three sections with three compulsory questions on gender, Kuliyyah and level of study of the respondents while Section B consists of questions on having a social network account, frequency in updating their social network profile, user of Google+ and time spent connecting to social network site and Google+ which can help to answer the first objectives while for the third section (Section C) was used to answer the second objective and two research questions, one question using eight-element questionnaire using Likert-like scale was used and three other questions on reason for using Google+ and how IIUM can implement Google+ into their system.Procedures The questionnaire was distributed to the 20 respondents via email by providing them the link to access t he questionnaire from Google Drive while the remaining five respondents were provided with the link to the questionnaire by posting the link on own Facebook profile. The purpose and objective of the research were stated clearly in the questionnaire for Using Google+ 7 respondents’ clarification and the questionnaire only took five minutes for respondents to complete. Data Analysis Descriptive statistics is used in analyzing the data and as the research instrument used in collecting the data was questionnaire, it will involved numbers making it easier for the data to be quantified.In descriptive statistics, frequencies such as percentages and graphs such as bar chart will be used in describing the data as it will focused on the differences such as the highest and lowest amount which will help in examining the frequencies of usage in social networking sites especially Google+. Google Drive provided the service of analyzing the data and describing it through graphs. In addition to Google Drive, Microsoft Excel will also be used. Using Google+ 8 Results The questions from the questionnaire (See Appendix 1) are generated in order to answer two research questions for this study which are 1) What benefits can students gain from using Google+ as a way to improve communication skills? 2) How can IIUM implement Google+ as a way for students to improve their communication skills? nd from the data that have been collected, 15 respondents (60 percent) agree that Google+ can be beneficial to students especially in improving communication skills while only two respondents (8 percent) strongly agree that Google+ can help improve communication skill. On the other hand, there is a balance between the number of respondents who disagree that Google+ can be beneficial to students in improving their communication skills with four respondents (16 percent) expressed disagreement while another four respondents expressed strong disagreement, as illustrated in the figure below: F igure 1 taken from Microsoft Excel Using Google+ 9 Meanwhile, pertaining to the second research question (How can IIUM implement Google+ as a way for students to improve their communication skills? ), the question ‘If yes, how do you think it can be implemented? is used in order to identify how students perceives the method for implementation of Google+ by IIUM with answers provided for them to check (See Appendix) . The answers from the respondents are listed in the figure below:- Figure 2 taken from Microsoft Excel As respondents can tick more than one answer for this question, almost half of the respondents chose ‘introducing Google+ as part of learning material, similar with e-learning’ (48 percent) while ‘introduce more team-based learning or collaborative learning through using Google+’ came a close second with 26 percent. Meanwhile, with a minor difference of 3 percent is the answer ‘making it compulsory for students to open a Google+ acc ount’ (23 percent).In contrast, ‘other’ only constitutes of 3 percent or only checked by one respondent who stated that there is no need to use Google+. Using Google+ 10 Thus, with the findings of the data collected from respondents are illustrated from the figures above, it shows how the findings have answered the two research questions for this study. For the rest of the answers from the respondents, it can be viewed from the summary of the responses (See Appendix 2). Discussion Based on the results from the survey, it can be deduced that a majority of respondents viewed Google+ positively as being beneficial to IIUM students in improving their communication skill, especially in a team or group based discussion.This is also inline with the studies by Naeema (2011) where majority of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) students that were asked, were willing to use social networking sites for better academic communication and learning with all agreed that social networ king sites such as Facebook and other social networks are great form of communication that enable groups to meet and discuss matters (p. 99, 100). This shows that students in general are open to new way of learning, as evident in IIUM students’ willingness to use social networking sites such as Google+ in improving their communication skills. In addition, regarding on how IIUM can implement Google+ for students use in improving their communication skills, most respondents perceived that IIUM will introduce Google+ as part of learning material, akin to e-learning which can be advantageous to the student. Unlike -learning where communication mainly occur between the instructor or lecturer with their student (owner of the account) only, Google+ can offer a wide communication between the lecturer and the rest of his or her students and also students with their fellow classmates as long as they have a Google+ account. This is also similar to naeema’s (2011, p. 101) viewpoin t where according to her, ‘by integrating social network Using Google+ 11 technologies into the learning environments, students will learn from each other, explore regulations from experiences where students at advanced levels can help beginners’. Similarities between methodology used and the topic of research played a role in the outcome of this research.Both researches used university students who are active users of social networking sites and both employed quantitative research especially survey using questionnaire in gathering their data. In addition, the topic of research are somewhat similar with each other with Naeema doing a study on social networking as a tool for extending academic learning and communication whereas for EAW research, it tackles on IIUM students’ perception on the use of Google+ in improving communication skill. Using Google+ 12 Conclusion In conclusion, Google+ can be used by IIUM students in improving their communication skill as majo rity of respondents agreed that Google+ can help improved their communication skill and their optimism in how IIUM can implement Google+ into their curriculum.In addition, from the data collected, it has also fulfilled the objectives of this study as most of the respondents asked were active users of social networking sites and who mostly used these sites such as Google+ to keep in touch with friends and families and also for academic communication. Through this, the purpose of study which is to examine whether social networking site such as Google+ can really be used effectively by students in improving their communication skill, have been answered. Moreover, through this research, it can aid researchers who want to study on the usage and impact of social networking sites especially Google+ on the development of academic communication among university students in Malaysia as few researches has been done on Google+ and its perceived usefulness in improving communication skills of st udents especially in Malaysia .In addition, it can help IIUM on ways to expand the learning environment by tackling on new ways that can aid the learning process by integrating education and social networking sites and widen their perspectives on social networking sites being not just to establish and strengthen social relationship only but it can also help students in academic development which results in an interactive and fun way of learning between the lecturer and students. As the study was done through using limited number of respondents in terms of sample used and the method for data collection, the study may not have a high reliability and it may not reflect the perceptions and views of all university and college students in Malaysia. Using Google+ 13Thus, due to this limitation, this research can be improved in the future by changing the methods that have been used by this research such as increasing the number of respondents, changing the sample population by choosing stud ents from all universities and colleges in Malaysia or changing the type of research by using qualitative research such as in-depth interview or focus group instead. Thus, by changing the methods used it can lead to a different results of the study. In addition, by changing the purpose and objective of the study it can also direct the researcher to collecting different data and findings, for example, instead of looking at how Google+ can be used for academic development, the researcher can try to study on the impact of Google+ on the academic achievement. Using Google+ 14 References Ahn, J. (2011).The Effects of Social Network Sites on Adolescents' Social and Academic Development: Current Theories and Controversies. Journal of The American Society for Information Science and Technology, 62(8), 1435-1445. doi:10. 1002/asi. 21540 Brown, D. (2008). Chapter 2: Historical Perspectives on Communication Technology. In A. E. Grant, & J. H. Meadows (Eds. ), Communication Technology Update an d Fundamentals (11th ed. , pp. 30-31). Oxford: Focal Press. Goddard, A. , & Geesin, B. (2011). Unit four: e-language 2: real-time writing; social networking sites. In A. Goddard, B. Geesin, A. Beard, & A. Goddard (Eds. ), Language and Technology (1st ed. , pp. 51-52).London: Routledge. Golder, S. , Wilkinson, D. , & Huberman, B. (n. d. ). Rhythms of social interaction: messaging within a massive online. Palo Alto: HP Labs. Greenhow, C. , & Robelia, B. (2009). Old Communication, New Literacies: Social Network Sites as Social Learning Resources. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 14, 1130–1161. doi:10. 1111/j. 1083-6101. 2009. 01484. x Naeema, H. J. (2011). Social Networking as a Tool for Extending Academic Learnning and Communication. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(12), 93-102. Oxford English Dictionary. (2007). e-kamus 5. 02 Professional Edition. Alaf Teras. Pascopella, A. (2011, October).Will Google+ Be the Answer for Safe Social Networking? District Administration, p. 1. Using Google+ 15 Reich, S. M. , Espinoza, G. , & Subrahmanyam, K. (2012). Friending, IMing, and Hanging out Face-to-Face: Overlap in Adolescents' Online and Offline Social Networks. Developmental Psychology, 48(2), 356-368. doi:10. 1037/a0026980 Samovar, L. A. , Porter, R. E. , & McDaniel, E. R. (2010). Communication Between Cultures (7th ed. ). Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Watson, J. , Besmer, A. , & Lipford, H. R. (2012). +Your Circles: Sharing Behavior on Google+. Symposium on Usable Privacy and Security (SOUPS), (pp. 1-10). Washington. Using Google+ 16 Appendix 1 Using Google+ 17 Appendix 2

Friday, September 27, 2019

Inovation on action Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Inovation on action - Essay Example Credit cards also changed from single purpose to multi-purposes in which they can be used for even hundreds of services as long as the limit allows. Use of credit cards is very convenient and secure which is the main selling point of the cards. Individuals as well as businesses prefer the use of credit cards for this purpose. However, there are a number of risks associated with these cards. Fraud and security risks have increased especially with the introduction of internet. At the same time, the use of credit cards has been associated with controversies. Most credit cards allow people to borrow money they do not have and with the debt ceiling limits, they are thought to contribute to high debt. Addressing the challenges associated with the credit card use can make them very sustainable, convenient and safe Use of plastic cards for payments is one of the best innovations in the payment industry, having many benefits appreciated by individuals but also has some risks History First Gen eration Unlike what most people would expect, the use of cards goes back to the 19th century. The first credit card was produced in 1880 in the United Kingdom. Customers would be issued with the voucher which they could use to shop from certain shops. After shopping, a person who was responsible for collecting the money used from the clients would go to their homes to collect the money. The method was convenient and offered the clients the security they deserved. The use of these vouchers is not well documented and it is not known for how ling it was used (Longemann, 2012). A few decades later, companies in the United States started to use credit cards as way of maintaining customers. In this case, customers were issued with loyalty cards which would allow them to buy goods and pay later. The cards were limited to the stores issuing them and clients could only use the cards at those particular stores or their branches. Oil companies also issued cards to their employees every three t o six months for entertainment. These cards improved business as the issuing businesses knew that the clients they provided the cards would always go back to those stores. At the same time, clients were happy that they could be allowed to make purchases only to pay later. It was convenient for the customers as they did not have to carry money around all the time they were to make purchases. In addition, they could make purchases even when they did not have money at hand (Sienkiewicz, 2001). About a decade later, Western union started to offer metallic cards to their clients. The cards gave the customers with the cards certain preferences over customers who did not have those cards (The U.K Cards Association, n.d). These cards can be termed as the first generation cards but had a lot of limitations. Second generation The next generation cards were much better compared to the first ones. This generation of cards was started by a banker at Flatbush National Bank of Brooklyn, New York, John Biggins. Biggins realized there were many people using the ban and needed something unique to retain the customers. He invented credit scripts which would be used by the consumers to make small purchases at selected merchants. Customers would present the script to the merchant who would copy the information on the script on the payment slip which would later be deposited to the bank. The customers and the merchants had to be members of the Flatbush bank for transfer of money between accounts to be completed

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The mental impact of transitioning from working to retirement Research Proposal

The mental impact of transitioning from working to retirement - Research Proposal Example As this is a secondary research study, which is descriptive in nature, the method used in gathering data is a survey of related research studies and related literature using the internet and online libraries. Result of the online research proved inadequate of materials pertaining to research studies focused on the direct correlation of retirement to mental health. Nevertheless, available related studies and literature proved sufficient enough to proceed with the research. Three hypothesized results are determined. These essentially revolve on the following areas of concern: (1) the consistent inconsistency of the mental impact of retirement, (2) the specific state of the retiree, and (3) the correlation of retirement on mental health. The implication of the study shows the need for further research, specifically a focused research on the mental impact of retirement in related line of works and a focussed-research on the impact of retirement on the specific areas of mental health. Ano ther implication is the need for a personalized retirement plan to turn the challenges of retirement into an opportunity rather than a crisis. This calls for the professional intervention of health-care providers. Literature Review With old age normally comes the decline in physical and functional ability (Davies, 1998, p. 7) and inevitably in mental health – of which against diverse yet limited definition of the term, MacDonald (2006) comprehensively denoted to cognitive, emotional and social well-being. The correlation of mental health with age has been proven by various researches. For example, Gottlieb (1995) confirmed that as one reaches old age, cognitive capacity generally declines which Siegler et al. (1996) noted most in ‘information processing, selective attention, and problem-solving ability’. (cited in, Goldman, Rye & Sirovatka, 1999, p. 337) Increased in cognitive impairment is also observed in older people (National Statistics – Great Britain , 2003, p. 3). However, the individual’s lifestyle, psychosocial state (Gottlieb, 1995, cited in, Goldman, et al. 1999, p. 337), level of education, and income level (National Statistics – Great Britain, 2003, p. 3) spell the difference between individuals. On the other hand, Suthers, Saito, and Crimmins (2003) stated that as one reaches old age challenges to emotional well-being are in all likelihood multiply, such as the loss of love ones, decline in health, worsening physical infirmity, or change in social roles (p. 41). In fact, Romsa, Bondy, and Blenman (1985) observed that, â€Å"Generally, retired individuals have stronger needs for love and association with others than do people at other points in the life span† (cited in Nussbaum, 2000, p. 129). While McMurdo (1998) in showing the benefits of exercise across ages noted that physical inactivity in adults – ‘30% of adults in US are woefully inactive’ – will further isolation in old age, as the lack of physical exercise may hasten physical dependency which could be limiting and detrimental to social life (p. 101), as the loss of social relationship may result to loneliness and depression (Baroff & Olley, 1999, p. 355). Cameron and Persinger’s (1983) study found that â€Å"the death rate increases after retirement only for those people who

Examine the nature of popular protest in South Africa between 1969 and Coursework

Examine the nature of popular protest in South Africa between 1969 and 1990 - Coursework Example Adding oil to fire was the on-going recession which did not make things any better for the rural or migrant class in the region. This paper will be analyzing the aforementioned aspects, beginning with the political sphere and then shifting to the social front. With respect to the political status, Lodge has mentioned how ‘the body was not organizationally geared to undertake the urgent task of undertaking people’s war’ (Lodge, 1983) which is one of the major reasons behind the deterioration of the external mission’s leadership and politics. The formation of the said mission in 1960 was one of the four phases of the development of the external wing of the ANC. However, ‘it was criticized for isolating itself from the rank and file, and devoting too much time to international solidarity work.’ (Lodge, 1983) To begin with, exile movements in South Africa were faced with considerable barriers owing to the cordon sanitaire of colonial territories who were themselves engaged in counter-insurgent operations. Furthermore, in towns, influx control and the police stalled political activity, and this was coupled with the fear of new legislation and police powers. Despite this strict system of controls, guerilla movements and the course of Black resistance were successful mainly because of the ‘middle peasantry’ which proved to be fundamental to such undertakings. The success was also bolstered by their own ability to succeed in overcoming the innate complications of the exile environment itself. Here, it is necessary to point out the four different phases that the ANC went through: the establishment of an external mission in 1960, the shift in Congress leadership from within the country to outside it (owing to the arrest of its internal leadership), the collapse of the ANC/ZAPU joint operation and the reconstitution of the ANC as a major force South African black politics. With

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Loyalty Programmes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Loyalty Programmes - Assignment Example This dissertation aims to understand how loyalty programmes are designed and if they have been of value to the hotel and restaurant business. It is also acknowledged that the idea of "gift coupons" and "rewards" is losing its meaning in the mind of consumers because it has become such a common offering. Therefore, whether a loyalty programmes continues to really help business in driving its profits remains to be examined and will be the focus of this dissertation. The aim of this dissertation is to find out whether the implementation of loyalty programmes succeed or fail in the hotel and restaurant business and identify ways to design loyalty programmes that will succeed. It is said that 80% of sales is derived through 20% of customers (Lake, 2006). This has led to a plethora of customer-focused programmes created with the help of customer relationship management tools, to increase company profitability (Brown, 2000; Kalakota and Robinson, 1999; Peppers and Rogers, 1997). Such initiatives, aim to achieve customer retention through the use of loyalty programmes. The motive behind loyalty programmes is to establish customer loyalty by rewarding a certain frequency of repeat purchase by customers. As pointed by Uncles et al (2002): "Loyalty programs are schemes offering delayed, accumulating economic benefits to consumers who buy the brand. Usually this takes the form of points that can be exchanged for gifts, free product, or aspirational rewards such as air miles. Airline frequent-flier programs have been a prototype for many of the schemes" (p.28).However, there is no consensus on the definition of loyalty exhibited by consumers (Jacoby and Chestnut, 1978; Dick and Basu, 1994; Oliver, 1999). While some claim that satisfaction is an indicator of loyalty, others debate this point. Reichheld (1994) points out that despite being "satisfied" or "very satisfied" many customers still defect. In the UK, Oglivy Loyalty Centre found out that 85 % of its automotive customers claimed to be satisfied but only 40 % made a repeat purchase, and 66 % of packaged goods customers who identified a favourite brand actually ended up buying "another brand" in the recent past (McKenzie, 1995). Gremler and Brown (1999) point out that Federal Express, Pizza Hut franchises, and Cadillac dealerships have been able to forecast the sales from loyal customers with more certainty. Research on loyalty programmes in the hospitality industry is limited. Oh's (2000), work in this field, highlights that the concept of customer value is crucial for the hospitality industry. His study explains how perception of value by customers impacts pre and post dining decisions. According to National

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Call Center Report- from a cultural perspective (includes Essay

Call Center Report- from a cultural perspective (includes communication) - Essay Example The organization acquired necessary property for the call centre and a number of key management employees having British citizenship will supervise the call centre. A UK based company extended the business into the finance and insurance sector with a banking and finance division which was incorporated with around 50,000 customer accounts in mid 2000s. Overtime it became costlier to provide services to the customers; hence to achieve financial savings – in 2011, a decision was taken as part of the five-year strategic plan to open an inbound call centre outside the UK; afterward Manila, Philippine was chosen. The aim of this call centre is to achieve financial savings as well as the benefits of outsourcing while providing satisfactory services to the customers of the company. This report is being prepared to achieve the following objectives: Manila is one of the most energetic and diverse cities of Asia. This city is an extensive mass of humanity, acutely reflecting long heritage of cultures and classes. Straddling the Pasing River’s delta, the Philippines’ capital is actually a group of cities fused into one. There are plenty of highlights in each sub city within Manila. Almost all sorts of life-style facilities and entertainments are available in this city, a number of world’s biggest shopping-malls are in Manila. Depending on the interest of the people vibrant nightlives attract the tourist to Manila (Margaret W. Sullivan, â€Å"The Philippines: Pacific Crossroads†). In the Philippines call centres were started with the services of email responses and relevant managing services. These centres have the capabilities managing and maintaining all types of customer care, customer relations including technical support, travel services, education, financial services, business to business support, business to customer

Monday, September 23, 2019

Reading Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading - Assignment Example The article notes that although, there are some negative impacts that are associated with the use of the internet, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. The author precisely means that the internet makes people smarter. However, he notes that it do not necessarily make individuals smarter at all times (Whitney, 2010). The author makes use of an inductive argument and makes use of facts to convince the audience. These arguments are effective and convincing to the audience. I agree with the arguments expressed in the article since they are based on facts. His research is also based on those expressed by experts in different fields. The author’s major argument is based on the claim that the internet makes people smarter. Her sole purpose is to persuade and the arguments are based on opinions. The sources used in the article are reliable since most experts agree on one thing. The tone of the article is persuasive. There are no biases on the author’s side. Logos appeals are employed to evoke thinking. Not all important angles were covered as no statistics were provided to support the claim. This is also the weakness in the reasoning presented. I agree with the author because the internet has resulted to easy and quick access of all sorts of information. The ideas connected with mine based on the few setbacks that are linked with the internet. The article is titled â€Å"Critical Thinking Crucial in the Information Age† and was written by Massimo Pigliucci. The article stated that critical thinking is not given the significance it deserves in the modern world. This is supported by the arguments made by Socrates on knowledge (Pigliucci. 2011). The article states that knowledge and ignorance are both the major causes of evil. The author states that ignorance is the major cause of evil in the major cause of evil in the modern times. The article expresses that it is difficult for human beings to prove

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Community Service Essay Example for Free

Community Service Essay Community service is very important because it helps build character, which is something that the Dalton School and the Detroit News would agree with me on. Having community service as a requirement to graduate is a good idea as long as the student can choose what type of community service they want to do; because it forces students to go out in their community and help others. Community Service doesnt have to have a negative effect on people, it can and usually has a good effect. Willie Grothman and Tim Phang are two high school students who started a community service club that helped a lot of people in their community. Community service can be extremely valuable in the development of both character, academics and it gives students a chance to give back to their community. Community service builds character because after accomplishing something, it gives people a feel of satisfaction and accomplishment that makes students feel good about themselves. The Dalton School believes when an individual goes out in the world and interacts with other people in the spirit of bettering, that individual makes a contribution and will feel a sense of accomplishment. But on the other hand, some people argue that it is wrong to force students into doing community service. Arthur Stukas, Mark Snyder, and E. Gil Clary said students were less affected even if they had a choice of community service. These scientists also say that researchers have found that students who initially did not want to volunteer found that they actually enjoyed helping others if requirements were applied gently and with their input and involvement in the process. In my opinion that is what we want to happen when students are involved in community service. From graph two that Mark Hugo presents is that community service has a high rating from the students who are educationally successful which shows that community service can have a positive affect on people. In the Detroit News, they talked about a thirteen year-old boy named John Prueter and the type of community service he did and the positive affect it had on him. He volunteered at the Alterra Sterling House, an assisted living home in Hampton Township. From this experience from John, he now wants to study nursing and he said he became interested in the field because of his volunteer work. This shows the positive result of community service because it can also lead you into the career path you would have never known you liked until you volunteered. Putting time into your community is a way of giving back. The Dalton School says the moral center of a community, that place where we can find the values of empathy, compassion, and caring, is the basis for civic responsibility and the success of that community. In the Washington Post by Tara Bahrampour, she writes about two high school students, Willie Grothman and Tim Phang of Washington- Lee High School experienced the success of communi ty service. They formed a community service club called the Willie Grothman Club and they held things like walking for AIDS, for the homeless and for breast cancer in an event in which they took turns walking relays all night around a track in the rain. For these events they collect pledges of money from friends and family members for each mile they walked or each bowling pin they knocked down. These guys were some of the most inspiring people because they were not just helping their community, but the people in their community who were homeless, had AIDS, etc. Not only did this club change the members lives, but also it changed the lives of others around them, and the people they were helping. Community service does not have to be a negative because it can always turn into a positive. In the Dalton School, the Washington Post, the Detroit News, and Arthur Stukas, Mark Snyder, E. Gil Clary, and Mark Hugo, they all helped me determine that community service should be a requirement to graduate because it can change peoples lives for the better. Thank you for reading my essay but I have another question, which introduction sounds better, the one above or this one: Community service is very important because it helps build character. Having community service as a requirement to graduate is a good idea because it forces students to go out in their community and help others. Community Service doesnt have to have a negative effect on students, it can have a good effect or no effect at all. Willie Grothman and Tim Phang two high school students who started a community service club that helped a lot of people in their community-, The Dalton School, and The Detroit News- who did a story on John Prueter- would agree that community service is important. Community service can be extremely valuable in the development of both character, academics and it gives students a chance to give back to their community.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Media Influences Our Beliefs and Attitudes

Media Influences Our Beliefs and Attitudes Time changed eras changed generation changed channels of communication changed but the way of receiving the information was same through out. Which is that one thing which has not changed? What is it, which we seek in television, radio, newspaper and now the Internet? The answer to all these questions is media and information. For information we only and only rely on media. We live in a mediated world we accept it or not but we are surrounded by media. Media has a kind of an image in the mind of an individual. This is because the communication is presented in a way that the mass audience likes it. Which can be explained by the hypodermic needle theory which media as a direct, immediate and a powerful effect on its audience. What are Media effects? Different researchers had a different viewpoint what they had to say about Media effects but there was no as such definition according to McQuil(1983) there are effects from the media ,though what precisely these effects are and the means by which they can be identified and measured has been the subject of extensive debate (p.175), (Lasswell 1948,emphasis in original ) Who Says What to whom in which channel and to what effect ? , Katz describe the history of communication theory which is swinging between active and passive audience between minimal and powerful effects(1980) Mc Guire noted several of the most commonly mentioned intended media effects which were listed as (a) the effect of advertising on purchasing (b) the effect of political campaigns on voting (b) the effect of public service announcements on personal behavior and social improvement (d) the effect of propaganda on ideology (e) the effects of media ritual on social control and the most commonly ones (f) the effect of media violence on aggressive behavior (g) the effect of erotic and sexual m aterial on attitudes and objectionable behavior(1986, cited in Elisabith M Perse ,p.1). Media impacts many facets of our daily lives and even contribute to our scene of personnel identity how we dress for work, sometimes the route we take for work, what we plan to do this weekend our general feeling of wellbeing or insecurity, the focus of the world beyond immediate experiences and our concerns about the issue of the day all are influenced by what we see in media news Maxwell McCobs and Sheldon Gilbert (1986). As it is not easy to accept in the same way it is not easy to argue as well that media has influence not only on an individual but also on the society, which we live in. What do mass communication actually do to us, both individually and collectively [society]? Lowery and DeFleur (1995 Quoted in Brian ONeil p.320) The study of media influence is important so that we can increase the understanding of the role media plays in shaping our lives, views and personal identity. It is because the media are central to our everyday lives that we must study them à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ as social and cultural as well and the political dimensions of the modern world Roger Silverstone (1999). The essay is going to include first the introduction, what are media effects? Secondly a brief history about media effects from the time of World War 1 till date, thirdly different ways in which media affects an individual with relevant effect theories, Scholarly research and examples of the same. Lastly to conclude with my viewpoint and the just of the scholars arguments. HISTORY Going back into the history there were three phases in which the effect tradition could be described how over the period of time medias relation with its audience changed with its changing effects. The first phase, called as powerful media started from World War 1 until the late 1930 was the time when media was known to have powerful effects on its audience it could change habits, opinions and viewpoints of the people. Which were mostly in the hands of the controllers Bauer and Bauer (1960 cited in Denis McQuail p.458). Then second phase which was called Testing media power now this phase was the time to put theoretical knowledge to test that was what people thought in phase one was that actually happening did media has its effect. A well stated example of this in the early 1930s research literature by the series of Payne fund studies in the United States Blumer,Blumer and Hauser,Petroson and Thurstone (1933). The main focus was children and young people how films as media influenced them? This era of media research last until the 1960s. The concentration was mainly on the films and the other types of media how they can be used for brainwashing and informing. Some of the examples of this are campaign, which was designed for the United Nations to improve on their public support Star and Hughes (1950 cited in Denis McQuail p.458). Investigating the capabilities of democratic election campaigns Lazarsfeld et al. (1944) and Berelson et al. (1954). As the time passed away the nature of research changed as there were new accepts which should be taken in account earlier the researchers saw the effects according to the social and psychological characters then later it went on to the intervening effects and lastly why people were listening to media, the purpose The end of this era was marked by the illusion which resulted in the this kind of media effect research (e.g. Berelson, 1959)(Denis McQuail). Klapper says that limited and minimum effects in the fear of brainwashing were seen to be over hyped and to form a opinion was a complex social process in which media played an integral part but not the complete role (1960). The third phase that was called Return of powerful media started in 1960 which started from the year 1960, which marks the return of the powerful media which is still there till today dealing with the effects and issue of media violence, functions of media in socialization diffusion and formation of ideology (McQuail 1983,p.178) Media had no effects or negligible effects this was the conclusion which was written in the text books which was challenged by researches who thought this was a made up story there were many evidences which could prove that media have social impact and could be used for exercising social and political power (for example, Lang and Lang, 1981;McGuire, 1973;McLeod et al., 1991) The evidence available by the end of 1950s,even when balanced against one of the negative findings, gives no justification for an overall verdict of media importance (1981:659)according to them the no effect imagination was not because of one factor but was a combination of different factors . The most highlighted one was short-term effect like the election tenor. One of the major reasons that contributed to unwillingness to accept minimal effects was the arrival of television in 1950s and 1960s as this was the new medium, which seems more powerful as it had visuals. The third phase was still looking for the potential effects according to the new concepts. The investigations that were done before relied on the model that the more exposure to media had more effects. Change in media power with change in time As we read in the history different phases of media power and how the power of media changes with the change in time. The main reason for the argument in the effects from the time of powerful -limited more powerful model is that the world was changing all this while Carey (1988 quoted in Denis Mc Quil , 2005,p.462). We cannot deny the fact that media are influential. There are many examples to explain this statement like impingement of communism in Europe or to international conflicts such as Gulf and Balkan wars of the 1990s and the Afghanistan and the Iraq wars that followed 9/11 (Denis McQuail 2005,p.463). It is only through media that people do know about such historic events as the time has changed probably people are more dependent on the media when information is concerned (Ball-Rokeach and DE Fleur, 1976;Ball-Rokeach, 1985; 1998,cited in Denis Mcquil 2005 p.463). When we look at television there is a huge difference in content and as a social experience from the 1950s to 19 80s (this was the time when first research took place) till now where the television experience has changed again. This clearly states that media is not constant it changes with time. The different models of media effects: (Perse, 2001:51) Direct: it is quite self-explanatory the effect is immediate, constant and observable its a short term effect which emphasis on change where media content is silent, awakening and truth. Conditional: It depends from person to person reinforcing of change in the thought process towards awareness and knowledge, emotional influence and behavioral it can be short term and long-term effect. Cumulative: it based one exposer to many thing not one in particular it is either cognitive or emotional in very few cases it is behavioral. It has a long lasting effect. The media content is accordant, re occurring and across channels. Cognitive transactional: the effect is immediate and short term it is based on a small exposure it s cognitive and effective; behavioral effects are possible. There are different theories, which explain and talk about the effects what sort of effects every theory looks into the media effects on its own prospective Short Term Effects: In the earlier times when we look into media research, the model, which strikes the mind, was simple stimulus response model that means media provided the agent and the response to it was change in opinion or something like this. This approach was not was not accepted. People dont react to anything immediately and if they do then media is not the only reason behind it , there are many other reason as well . Sometimes this approach was also know as the hypodermic needle /bullet effect this was basically as if some people were injected with some media information and they reply to it accordingly Graeme burton(2002). One of the famous example which is stated by the theorist for this theory is in the year 1939 the War Of The Worlds by H.G.Wells the broadcast of this science fiction created a panic amongst the people and this was purely the effect of the broadcast. On the contrary it is said that the circumstance in which the broadcast was herd this would not be sufficient to explain the affect of strong feeling or the judgment that was passed by an individual Brian ONeil (2011). The argument, which was given, was that psychological personality traits like self-conviction, religious beliefs and self-expectance these were the traits, which made an individual to believe what they were listening to Cantril(1940 ,cited in Brian ONeil,2011,p.324) . To add to this according to another theorist this incident was just being exaggerate Heyer(2005 cited in Brian ONeil,2011,p.324). On the contrary it is said that there is no such proof, which can Cleary demonstrate that media violence leads to violent behavior. If we look into the example of September 2000 where a 15-year-old boy from Florida was accused his abuse of his 8-year-old sister. He said he got this idea from seeing Jerry Springer Show when looked into the mater the statement made was false he was lying the show was totally blameless. Graeme Burton (2010) Two -step flow theory: The theory states that media influences us in two different phase. The first phase comprises individuals who pay lot of attention to media and it message and receive information from them the second phase comprises of opinion leaders, members of peer group family, friends people on whom we rely the most. We listen to what they want to say and not the media. If media influenced them then we would be influence indirectly Graeme Burton (2002). One of the important part of the work is to see how active or passive we are as receivers of the communication Elihu Katz and Lazarsfeld (1955). Unlike the hypodermic needle theory this theory lacked on media effects it emphasis more on human agencies lowery and DeFleur . Uses and gratification theory: What do people do to the media(katz2006, p.xviii) The uses and gratification theory says that the audience is active. The theory explains that the audience consumes media to gratify or satisfy their own needs for information, entertainment, knowledge, personal identity and social definition Graeme burton(2002). Media message cannot influence a person who does not have any use of those messages consumed Katz (1959). Example: There were several examples, which state that there are some, or the other needs of an individual which are fulfilled by consuming media. Radio quiz programs and its listeners Satisfaction of watching a soap opera which need or gratification was obtained? (Herzog1940, 1944 quoted in Chris Newbolt, 1995,p.121) and why does one read newspaper? Was it for information, entertainment or to while away the time which need was fulfilled? (Berelson, 1949). All these experiments were done to state consumption of different kinds of media gave what kind of satisfaction or which need of the audience. Effects can be of different kinds/types and vary from person to person. Few of them are listed below: Attitude change: Media has the power of changing peoples way of thinking or looking at the world. This means they change the attitude towards a person or issues Graeme Burton (2002). Media is highly effective in creating attitudes on newly arisen or newly evoked issues(Joseph Klapper) Moral/Panic: Media have the effect of anxiety, fear, and anger about issues. Issues can be anything. These reactions are joint actions experienced by a group Denis Mc Quail (2005). Personal Response/Emotional Response: These reactions are basically unplanned and depend from individual to individual, taking an example of an anti aging cream people ignore the fact that the product is not appropriate because the skin cannot generate cells at a certain point in age (Graeme burton2002; Denis Mc Quail 2005). Some of the major issues on which media effects/influence research has been done are stated below: Children and Media: When a child is concerned it automatically becomes a special case when we talk about influence as it is assumes to be vulnerable. The impact of television on children Can lead to Violence One of the major concerns what parents have is impact of television violence on their children. The concern is that television has portrayals of violence throughout and children are affected by these portrayals more easily because they are at growing age they dont have the understanding. As this is not only the case with kids but similar reasons are given for adult violence as well John P.Murray(1993). There were many researchs done which concluded that media violence can lead to short term changes like attitude and behavior changes (bandura, D.Ross, S.Ross, 1961;berkowitz, 1962). Example: Murder of James Burgler in 1993 this was the influence of violence video over 2 school boys David Buckingham (2001) Another great research bobo doll experiment which concluded that children exposed to violent model were more likely to act aggressively than those who were not exposed to such situation Albert Bandura (1961). According to Ferguson this research was not related to child aggression but this research was motivated to please the adults (2010) Contrary to this research it is said that some children to whom television effect will not be good in a certain condition and some children to whom in some other condition the television effect would be good or to other kids in the same condition television effect will be different (Schramm;Lyle and Parker 1961,p.13). There have been many researchers, which stated the positive influence Friedrich, and Stein that viewing Master Roger did not have any impact on their behavior where as it widen their knowledge. A very strange result was noticed the children who watched Minster roger seemed to be more helpful they were likely to play more cooperatively with their peers. (1975 cited in Jerome Johnston James S.Ettema p.144). Affect education What or rather I should say who is it we blame if the child is not getting good marks? There are only 2 people who we tend to blame for our childrens performance one the school in which he/she studies or the teachers. So the blame game is totally on the school. But wait lets think on it once again is it really the teachers to be blamed? Teachers are doing the same job which they use to do 10-12 years ago something is there, which is different? What is that something? The answer is Television. The current estimate states that a child spends twice the time in watching television than in the classroom studying. It is very surprising to see that it is 22,000 hours of television is consumed before a child passes his/her high school Don Oldenburg (1992). Heavy viewing of television by kids show lower information, lower knowledge, lower concentration lower reading ability it lead to aggressive behavior as compared to the kids watching less television (Jerome L. Singer, n.d). On the contrary it was said that studies found out that there was no as such evidence which proved that watching television had negative effects like lower concentration and less reading ability and things like that (Neumanns, 1991 cited David Gauntlett in 2005). The Recent statistics In the year 2008 there was survey done Dr. Tanya Byron where the question was about the effects. Result of the survey was that 83% of the parents thought that watching TV was entertaining followed by education 58% and relaxation 53% and only 4 % said it was dangerous. Parents also felt that there child had gained an expended imagination 63% and increase in vocabulary and over two fifth said that their child had developed 28% said that it was used as a kind of activity. So this shows the television effects were positive according to the parents. There was no kind of violence seen or a negative effect was observed (2008 p.8). There has been no perfect evidence which proves that media is the only cause of violence. But it can be said that media can lead to change in attitude and responses towards violence. This kind of a response could be because of 2 reason first media and the real life experiences. Media and the society As we know media plays an integral role in our lives. This media is the only medium of so many debates discussions like does television has any effects on our children? Does advertising influence us as consumers? Last but lot the least is violence because of media? A long list of question which because all this is a part of the society which we live in David Croteau and William Hoynes(2003). Thinking about the impact of media on the society is exhibited in the conventional history by the abound view of media being powerful and quite much effective on the powerless and passive audience which can be described by the Hypodermic Needle Model also called the Magic Bullet, it assumed that the media were so powerful that they could inject their messages as the name suggests hypodermic needle the needle is injected. The advertising messages were targeted as magic bullets. (Dennis and wartella1996, p.169) Katz and lazars Feld (1955) says, The image of the mass communication process entertained by the researchers had been one of the atomistic mass of millions of readers, listeners and movie goers prepared to receive the message; secondlyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ every message was conceived of as a direct and powerful stimulus to action which will elicit immediate response Campaign and Advertising Campaign is basically used to affect the behavior of the public for their health of their safety. Campaign can be classified in two parts one is political campaign as the name suggests its agenda is politics (election, voting) and the other is public service campaign, which is in favor of public beneficial for them like (campaign on family planning, smoking and issues like aids). Campaigns reach to large amount of public there were a lot many researches done, which showed that there was a change in knowledge and attitude but no change was shown on the behavior David Gauntlett(2005). Political Campaign: These could always be traced back at the time of election as earlier said there were many research done to see weather political campaign has any effect on the voting patters of an individual. The two major studies which were done in this field first study was people choice 1940 elections of Ohio and the main reason behind these research was to find out that do people vote because of some influence? This research took place in 1932 just before the television came in as a medium of communication and radio was the medium at present. The result was that 8 % were actually converted 53% voted because of their own beliefs and understanding 14% were influenced to vote and lastly 25% had minimal effect, which was next to nothing. The findings of the research was that a) people are influence by peer group or opinion leaders people who they rely on trust like friends, family etc. b) There was not the same effect on every1 that is everyone responded to media in their own way c) it was not the campaign through which people got the information but through people Paul Lazerfield, Bernard Berelson Hazel Gandet(). The second one was called Unseeing eye 1972 elections between George MC Govern and Richard Nixon. The result was similar to the first one political campaigns had less effect on the people Thomas.E Pattreson Robert D.Mc.Clure() On the contrary Mc Combs and Shaw whose research was also into political communication and voting behavior and the research was done on US presidential election in 1968 where the research was on how newspaper, journalists and editors play a vital role in making the audience perceive political reality in their own way. The research ended with a conclusion, which was quite different from the earlier research that was the information which was given to the public didnt only make them aware about the issue of the political campaign but also made them think that this issue was important and will effect us only. So here the political campaign seemed to be quite effective (1972). Public service campaigns: these campaigns were basically for the wellbeing of an individuals who made the society. There were many research which were done on this criteria like did people reduced smoking or stopped smoking after seeing the PSA which talks about increased cancer risk due to smoking. One of the projects was called North krelia project a program whose main aim was to reduce heart diseases in Finland. There were 1.75 US billion dollars spent on this campaign and the result of this was that smoking declined amongst men by 34% and rate on women smoking went up slightly (Puska et al., 1985 cited in DAVID GAUNTLETT (2005). Another example is increasing population level the problems of developing countries social marketing approach was introduced, promotion of contraceptive pills and condoms Atkin Meichke(1989) .In Bangladesh the sales of condom graph saw a unbelievable rise in 1976 -10 million to 82 million in 1983 and India saw an increase of almost 400% and by 1984 these had almost doubled again to 200 million per year DAVID GAUNTLETT (2005).The research ended by saying that media is just an helper to influence where the messages are reinforced by verbal communication. We have seen that it created a positive sign in most of the experiments but still it cannot be correctly judged that campaign has any effect or not. Advertising Advertise which means to draw attention. Advertisement addresses us as shoppers or consumers rather than Citizens. The prime focus is that we are the potential buyers Lewis et al (2005).It is quite difficult to access the effect of advertising on an individual and society because advertising does not make an individual do something which one would not like to do , it just tries to change our behavior. Advertising can make product A look better than product B but if observed would be no difference as such and thus it influences our purchasing decision DAVID GAUNTLETT(2005). It is not just advertising which makes a person go and buy a product in the market gone are the days when people use to understand advertisements are ficious created by advertisers to sell their product now days consumers are exposed to advertisements day in day out the only factor which makes them but the product is top of mind recall that is by repetitiveness of the advertisement Rachel Eyre(2002). Another researcher says that advertisement is not only the factor for buying a product there is other factors like packaging and distribution which influences buying decision Schudson (1933). Where on the contrary leiss et al. (2005) says there could be many reasons why advertisements may not work. Example: 1980 coffee consumption feel at the time when expenditure on coffee advertisement was rising. 1985 coke fiasco when the audience did not accept the new taste Graeme Burton(2011). As said by all the researchers advertising does influence us but it is not the whole sole influencer behind our buying.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Psychological Research Report on Perception Essay -- essays research p

ABSTRACT People are thought to be able to mentally rotate an object so as to be able to imagine it in a different orientation. In this experiment partcipants were presented with two three dimensional objects. Some of the pairs of objects where the same object and some of them where different objects. Partcipants were asked to identify whether the second object was the same as the first one in the pair, even though it was shown as being rotated around a set angle, or if it was a completely different object. The reaction time of the partcipant’s was found to be directly related to the degree of the angle of which the object was rotated. METHODS Participants A total of 11 subject participated in this experiment. These participants were from colleges and universities around the world. There was no personal information collected in this experiment such as sex or age or background. The only information gathered was the reaction time data. Participants in this experiment where informed about the nature of this experiment and asked to consent to participate in it. Materials This experiment was conducted over a computer terminal. Participants where presented with pairs of three dimensional objects. These objects consisted of 16 basic objects each presented in 4 different perspectives each adding up to a total of 64 separate presentations. Half of the object pairs presented where of identical objects but where one of the objects where rotated to a specified degree which were identified as same objects. The other half of the pairs presented where of objects that where mirror images of each other and also rotated around a given angle which where identified as different objects. Design and Procedure This experiment was... ...t are consistent with other experiments involving the mental rotation of objects in that in all of these experiments the time which it takes the participants to make a decision linearly increases with the angle of rotation. These results show that the processes of the mind are consistent with the geometric constraints of the real world. The greater the difference in the orientation of an object in reality is equivalent to the difference in the time it takes for a person to identify that object. This is obviously very helpful in the real world where objects can be imagined to be rotated and used as in the example of a dog which would turn a stick around so as to be able to fit it through a hole. It has been proposed that this ability to imagine objects in different orientations has evolved according to the rules governing physics and geometry in the real world.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Metaphysical One in Platonic and Augustinian Thoughts Essay

The legacy of Plato left its distinctive brand of influence on St. Augustine's beliefs and writings, of this there is no doubt. In Confessions, Augustine himself professed that it was the Platonic books that enabled him to attach himself to his God. However, it is evident that Augustine re-augmented much of the Platonic thoughts and, combining them with the early Christian doctrines, configured the hybrid into what became the foundation of Catholicism. The differences—as well as similarities—that exist between the two thought systems can be dissected from two points: the nature of the metaphysical supreme One and its relationships with the Many. At the heart of Platonism is the concept of eidos, or Forms: the theory of an absolute and unchangeable Idea that is manifest in all things that are made so by its essence. One of the best definitions of the concept is offered in "Meno" in regards to the Form of Virtue: "†¦what is this very thing, in which [the individual virtues] are all the same and do not differ from each other? †¦ Even if they are many and various, all of them have one and the same Form which makes them virtues." ("Meno", 72c, p61.) Plato searched for not individual aspects of a concept but the exact, complete definition of it. It is clear that he did not concern himself with the physical realities of the world but rather The Reality, the Immaterial which supercedes the Material. The questions then rises about Plato's attitudes towards the pagan gods and his belief about the totality of the universe. Judging from the absence of Greek deities from the Dialogues, one is compelled to believe that Plato thought of the conventional gods as unnecessary and sought after the very Being of the universe, which is the eterna... ...ate Good the soul can achieve nothing. In addition, Augustine evidently was most anxious to attack Manicheism, hence altogether rejecting that God is within human beings (a notion echoed by the Manicheans) would have been essential. In his Confessions, Augustine successfully remolded Platonism to match his Christian ideals and interpretations. According to Platonism, the abstract eidos is the metaphysical perfect existence and the primal Universal Principle can be perceived as the Form of Being. Augustine took after Plato in his belief of an eternal, immaterial and unifying One, but his God departs from its Platonic counterpart in that He is active, personal, and ultimately the only hope of human salvation. Still, through Augustine and the Catholic Church, the pantheistic Platonism and its metaphysical One has survived throughout the Middle Ages into the present.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Civilization in Brave New World :: Brave New World

Civilization in Brave New World      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The dictionary defines civilized as "advanced in social customs, art, and science".   The keyword here is social customs.   A persons idea of what is civilized is relative to his culture.   Through out the history of man, one can see many changes in customs, and customs is what defines our idea of what is civilized.   The word civilized is one of the most relative concepts.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Time and distance are what have shaped our customs for thousands of years.   If we look back throughout history we can see many customs that may seem odd, or even barbaric, to us but were everyday events to these ancient people.   For example, the Aztec conducted sacrifices, to their Gods, in which they torn out their victims heart with a knife, and their priests and warriors proceeded to eat the victims flesh.   Yet, the Aztec were considered to be one of the most civilized group of Indians in the western hemisphere. The Anasazi, commonly called cave-dwellers, who from birth, used wood and bindings to elongate the head.   Even today in Japan, tradition says that women are supposed to walk ten feet behind their husbands.   This may seem like demeaning women to us but who are we to judge when the United States has had a long history of racial and ethnic discrimination and only now are we changing.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The society in Brave New World has not lost their values but has simple changed their idea of what is right and wrong.   After all, how much have we changed in the past 600 years.   Six-hundred years ago in England, we killed people for conducting scientific experiments and believed this was against the teachings of the church.   The society in Brave New World is a mirror to our own when we view the past.   If a person from the present were to see the sacrifices and eating of the human flesh by the Aztec Indians, that person would see it as barbaric in contrast to his own culture.   Isn't it true that what we view as barbaric or uncivilized is always in comparison to own.   Doesn't it stand to reason that in a society without families, they would view monogamy as uncivilized?   This society has been shaped by hundreds of years and will continue to change in the years to come.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many of the civilized behaviors for the society of Brave New World are very different from our own.   The main concern was to keep everyone happy. Two efforts to do this were to teach them to be selfish and take soma.   The

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

My Reasons for Majoring in Business Essay

Why I majored in business? For numerous reasons, I majored in business, some common and others personal. All of my reason shared a goal and that is to graduate with a degree in order to enhance the quality of my life with a successful and fulfilling career. My common reasons for deciding to major in business will most likely be similar to many other students. Those reasons are that the business major had a perceived lower degree of difficulty to complete then that of other majors. The major also offered many different minors that I could pursue, thus giving me a variety of choices. Being that it is the largest major at most universities it offered the most classes at various times, which made making a schedule semester to semester that would fit into a busy life with work easy for me. Finally, the business major offered the best potential for securing a job upon graduation because of the broad scale of jobs out in the “real” world. On a more personal level, I chose the business major because I love business. I love the concept of capitalism, competition, making money from ideas, hard work, other peoples money, leading others in a common goal and achieving that goal, gaining success by incorporating all of these concepts. I have always wanted to be important, to be a boss, to be an owner of a company which I love going to everyday and to do this a degree in business was exactly what I needed. The business major was a logical first step towards this and so I chose to study business here at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell. It wasn’t till coming here that I chose to minor in marketing and finance in order to create a well rounded foundation and with graduation coming in May I don’t regret it.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Kant Deontological Theory Essay

The Formula of Humanity- Act so that you use humanity, whether in your own person or that of another, always at the same time as an end, never merely as a means. The Formula of the Kingdom of Ends- Act in accordance with the maxims of a member giving universal laws for a merely possible kingdom of ends. The moral duty is what we should be doing. Good is defined as doing what is right and avoiding doing wrong. We have a duty to act in such a way that our actions are moral even if it produces unfavourable results. What is good, according to Kant â€Å"Nothing is good but a good will†. (Good intentions). It is good to be creative or to have good fortune with good outcomes the world becomes a better place. Goodwill is having the good intention to perform one’s duty. The consequences of our actions do not make an action good but rather the goodwill. What is having a good will? Kant proposes that when someone acts out of goodwill that is when someone is acting out of duty. According to Kant â€Å"Duty should be done for the sake and duty alone†. How do we know our duty in a certain situation? Duty has nothing to do with a certain situation or what happens all that matters is the decision is good and the outcome is good. Kant suggests act as if our decision applies to all people at all times. It is always in order to tell lies if the outcome is favourable? Kant would disagree with this. When we act purely out of duty we act reasonably in a manner that we fulfil our duties. Having goodwill is to perform one’s duty It is our duty to do our duty even though we might not be rewarded in this life but we will be rewarded in the next life. Deontological Ethics. Kant Deontological theory of ethics it is linked to moral law of ethics, especially that branch dealing with duty, moral obligation, and right action. Origin: 1820–30; Greek deont- that which is binding (stem of deo) (Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), edited by Noah Porter. ) The word deontology comes from the Greek word meaning duty (deon) and science (or study) of (logos). In moral philosophy, deontological ethics Ethical are theories that maintain that the moral rightness or wrongness of an action depends on its intrinsic qualities. (Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), edited by Noah Porter). A Quote from Kant â€Å"Awe and wonder fills the mind†. â€Å"Starry heavens a metaphor (scientific absolutism) above and the moral law within†. Like gravity and science these are laws which are absolute as well as moral laws. We have a choice we can all still identify the moral law: e. g. do not steal. Kantian deontological theory of ethics is an absolutes theory something which is considered wrong i. e. suicide will always be wrong. Kant argues that morality is rooted in reason; he states that the demands of morality are unconditional or categorical and it presupposes freedom, we have a choice and can identify and rationally identify morality. Kant states that morality must be unconditional it has to be categorical. Kant distinguishes between categorical imperatives from hypothetical ones. The categorical imperative is not about desires or goals but rather about personal well-being. Categorical imperatives are absolute and universal. Categorical imperative is necessary truth and cannot be without self-contradiction or irrationality. The Universal Law Act only in accordance with that maxim through that at the same time, will that it become a universal law. One’s actions must be universal. The Universal law is that one should act on the maxim a law which can become a universal law in nature when acceptable and sustainable. We know that lying and stealing is wrong. If everyone did this society would fail. Perfect duties are without exceptions, but we understand that torture and suicide is always wrong. Suicide is always wrong if this was universalized society would fail. We know that making False Promises that cannot be fulfilled, is always wrong if we cannot regard this as a universal law society would fail. Breaking promises when it in my interest he states that this inconsistent and therefore cannot be a moral imperative. Imperfect duties is seeking the perfection of our duties are contradictions to our will. We ought to be seeking to promote the happiness of others. We understand that this is not always possible. He does not exclude pleasure in doing duty, but that pleasure should not be the guide to what one’s duty is. What is duty? Kant says â€Å"Duty is the necessity of acting from respect for the Law†: Kant believes that duty should be crowned in the end with happiness. Obedience he says is a maxim that is universally binding as a law to all rational beings. Treat humans as ends to themselves and should respect and never to treat others as a means to an end but only as an end. This means that we should respect others, because every human possesses an intrinsic value. We are to consider whether our actions are moral and acceptable. Kant argues that morals are about following the rules. Kant moral theory can be summarised in two ways Kant argues that we all have a choice that we can all identify the moral law. The Categorical Imperative Kant designed the Categorical imperative as a framework used to make moral law, which states that one must do what one expects other to do in a similar situation. The Categorical Imperative is the central concept in Kant’s ethics and the groundwork to Metaphysics of Morals. It is based to the â€Å"supreme principle of morality† (4:392), from which all our moral duties come from. He believed that moral requirements were based on a standard of rationality and he named this the Categorical Imperative. By using the Universal Imperatives we use our reason (as long as it is not corrupted) to guide us in a path which is morally virtuous. He states that we should act according to the maxim by which you can at the same time will that it becomes a universal law. Kant uses the example of a person who lends money and is unable to repay the loan. He states that this cannot be a universal law people will no longer believe each other and no person will lend money to another. This can be explained in three ways The Universal Law means that one should act on an action which can be sustained. It is important that we should consider if an action is right or wrong. This action will eliminate selfish action towards other human beings. Imperfect Duties Imperfect duties to seek the happiness of other people this cannot completed always. The moral law will most certainly collapse if everyone told lies and were to steal. It is expected of one to perform ones duty in every way. The Kingdom of Ends is in accordance with the maxims of a member giving universal laws for a merely possible kingdom of ends is an ideal society every person must act in such a way that it benefits the greater number of people for the greater good. Every person should act in such a way as if the person through their maxim were universal lawmakers as members in the universal kingdom of ends. One cannot say I will kill myself out of love; this is acceptable and cannot be regarded as a universal law. He argues that humans have an intrinsic worth, and occupy a special place in creation, therefore people are to be treated with respect and dignity because we should understand that we are all rational agents. We possess the freedom to make our own decisions set targets and guide our conduct by reason. He believes that God is the Supreme Being speaking through our conscious. Therefore Gods existence although it remains unproven it is necessary in order for Kant’s ethical theory to be sound. He states that is freedom and immortality. â€Å"God is the law giver to be obeyed† Kant argues that there must be a God and an after-life since it would be intolerable if there were no reward. Kant states that if humans were to disappear from the planet the moral dimension would disappear too. Critique on Kant’s theories: Humans are motivated by pleasure and not only by reason. The question is it possible to act unselfishly, it is necessary to take consequences into consideration. Kant ethics places great emphasises on lying as a form of wrong. He fails to offer an understanding of conflict between different duties, Kant theories does not take into consideration social conditioning and free will. I disagree with Kant that feelings are subjective and selfish and find that he focuses too much on pure practical moral reason he excludes feeling and desires. Kant tries to combine ethics with reason but this seems unrealistic as the concept of reason does not exist in isolation from human beings and their feelings and actions. Ref: Jorge J. Gracia E, Gregory M, Reichberg and Bernard, Schumacher N. The Classics of Western Philosophy, (Blackwell Publishing Ltd). 2004. Ref: Mc Coy A. An Intelligent Person’s Guide to Christian Ethics, Continuum. London , New York Ref: http://www. slideshare. net/t0nywilliams/kant-9170093.