Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Analysis of Research Paper free essay sample

Gloria Vandello May 12, 2013 How are statistics used in your workplace? Statistics are used in the entire hospital, where I work. Before taking this class I didn’t gave it much thought of just how much statistics are being used in every floor. I guess I always believed that the word â€Å"statistics† was mainly used in the research department and that is where it should stay since it didn’t seem interesting enough to study. Now that I’m taking this class statistics seem to be all over my work place, just on my floor alone posters of statistical data are becoming more visible to me. The poster on infection control for MRSA for example asks the question is our floor doing on testing patients when they are admitted and again when they are discharged home is showing how we are doing and how many more needs need to get done from all of us who work there to keep this nasty bug from our patients. We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis of Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page What is one example of descriptive statistics used in your workplace? I work in a busy post-surgical floor most times when our surgical patients come to our floor they are in very much pain. Depending on the type of surgery and individual how hard is to transfer them to the bed. Recently our hospital went in to the no lifting process, since we were having many people getting hurt and either work on light duty or not at all. Our Hospital spend a lot of money in making sure it is now a no lifting place; and yes it sounds very nice so there is now a study being done on prevention on work place injuries sounds great, but the problem is that to use the different equipment requires at least two individuals to operate except most days we are short staff and that was one major contributor to getting hurt. What is one example of inferential statistics used in your workplace? Inferential Statistics is used in my surgical floor in many ways such as when Doctors order a narcotic medication for a post op individual thinking that because is usually the drug of choice it will work, however every individual is different and for is that this particular drug may not be the choice drug, since statistical Inference is the process of drawing conclusions and can be subject to random variations. How is data at each of the four levels of measurement used in your workplace? If your workplace does not use all four levels, describe how such data could be used? In my workplace we are using statistics every time we are caring for our patients one example is such when we take their vital signs to get a baseline while taking the temperature of twenty patients and knowing that 98. 6 is the normal temperature by already doing this we are using Inferential Statistics without even knowing and when done with the vital signs and doing an average number within all twenty of the patients the descriptive statistics is used, I guess I been a nurse for many years and have utilize statistics in many ways but never stop to think that without even knowing I very much been utilizing stats to find answers. Since my hospital does a lot of Kidney Transplants, we who care for them must know how to care for them what to watch for, and what to expect after surgery sometimes after receiving the new kidney some patients remain going to Dialysis until the new kidney is accepted by their body in this cases for this patients is very important to check their weight daily, their urine output is very important to keep accurate output, their vitals are equally important, their labs such as potassium and creatnine since if not able to keep the creatnine at a good level it well damage the new kidney this information reminds me of the â€Å"bell shaped† distribution. What are the advantages of accurate interpretation of statistical information to improve decision making in your organization? There are too many to list, since my workplace is a Hospital and every life is equally important so being able to understand and have confidence that after making whatever decision will always be for the ben efit of the patient.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The Battle of the Alamo 1836 - Texas Revolution

The Battle of the Alamo 1836 - Texas Revolution Battle of the Alamo -  Conflict Dates: The siege of the Alamo took place from February 23 to March 6, 1836, during the Texas Revolution (1835-1836). Armies Commanders: Texans Colonel William Travis Jim BowieDavy Crockett180-250 men21 guns Mexicans General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna 6,000 men20 guns Background: In the wake of the Battle of Gonzales which opened the Texas Revolution, a Texan force under Stephen F. Austin encircled the Mexican garrison in the town of San Antonio de Bà ©xar. On December 11, 1835, after an eight-week siege, Austins men were able to compel General Martà ­n Perfecto de Cos to surrender. Occupying the town, the defenders were paroled with the requirement that they forfeit the majority of their supplies and weapons as well as not fight against the Constitution of 1824. The fall of Cos command eliminated the last major Mexican force in Texas. Returning to friendly territory, Cos provided his superior, General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna, with information about the uprising in Texas. Santa Anna Prepares: Seeking to take a hard line with the rebelling Texans and angered by perceived American interference in Texas, Santa Anna ordered a resolution passed stating that any foreigners found fighting in the province would be treated as pirates.   As such, they would be immediately executed. While these intentions were communicated to US President Andrew Jackson, it is unlikely that many of the American volunteers in Texas were aware of the Mexican intention to forego taking prisoners. Establishing his headquarters at San Luis Potosà ­, Santa Anna began assembling an army of 6,000 with the goal of marching north and putting down the revolt in Texas. In early 1836, after adding 20 guns to his command, he began marching north through Saltillo and Coahuila. Fortifying the Alamo: To the north in San Antonio, Texan forces were occupying the Misià ³n San Antonio de Valero, also known as the Alamo. Possessing a large enclosed courtyard, the Alamo had first been occupied by Cos men during siege of the town the previous fall. Under the command of Colonel James Neill, the future of the Alamo soon proved a matter of debate for the Texan leadership. Far from the majority of the provinces settlements, San Antonio was short on both supplies and men.   As such, General Sam Houston advised that the Alamo be demolished and directed Colonel Jim Bowie to take a force of volunteers to accomplish this task. Arriving on January 19, Bowie found that work to improve the missions defenses had been successful and he was persuaded by Neill that the post could be held as well as that it was an important barrier between Mexico and the Texas settlements. During this time Major Green B. Jameson had constructed platforms along the missions walls to allow the emplacement of captured Mexican artillery and to provide firing positions for infantry. Though useful, these platforms left the upper bodies of the defenders exposed. Initially manned by about 100 volunteers, the missions garrison grew as January passed. The Alamo was again reinforced on February 3, with the arrival of 29 men under Lieutenant Colonel William Travis. A few days later, Neill, departed to deal with an illness in his family and left Travis in charge. Travis ascent to command did not sit well with Jim Bowie. A renowned frontiersman, Bowie argued with Travis over who should lead until it was agreed that the former would command the volunteers and the latter the regulars. Another notable frontiersman arrived on February 8, when Davy Crockett rode into the Alamo with 12 men. The Mexicans Arrive: As preparations moved forward, the defenders, relying on faulty intelligence, came to believe that the Mexicans would not arrive until mid-March. To the surprise of the garrison, Santa Annas army arrived outside of San Antonio on February 23. Having marched through driving snow and foul weather, Santa Anna reached the town a month sooner than the Texans anticipated. Surrounding the mission, Santa Anna sent a courier requesting the Alamos surrender. To this Travis responded by firing one of the missions cannon. Seeing that the Texans planned to resist, Santa Anna laid siege to the mission. The next day, Bowie fell ill and full command passed to Travis. Badly outnumbered, Travis sent out riders asking for reinforcements. Under Siege: Traviss calls went largely unanswered as the Texans lacked the strength to fight Santa Annas larger army. As the days passed the Mexicans slowly worked their lines closer to the Alamo, with their artillery reducing the missions walls. At 1:00 AM, on March 1, 32 men from Gonzales were able to ride through the Mexican lines to join the defenders. With the situation grim, legend states that Travis drew a line in the sand and asked all those willing to stay and fight to step over it. All except one did. The Final Assault: At dawn on March 6, Santa Annas men launched their final attack on the Alamo. Flying a red flag and playing the El Degà ¼ello bugle call, Santa Anna signaled that no quarter would be given to the defenders. Sending 1,400-1,600 men forward in four columns they overwhelmed the Alamos tiny garrison. One column, led by General Cos, broke through the missions north wall and poured into the Alamo. It is believed that Travis was killed resisting this breach. As the Mexicans entered the Alamo, brutal hand-to-hand fighting ensued until almost the entire garrison had been killed. Records indicate that seven may have survived the fighting, but were summarily executed by Santa Anna. Battle of the Alamo -  Aftermath: The Battle of the Alamo cost the Texans the entire 180-250-man garrison. Mexican casualties are disputed but were approximately 600 killed and wounded. While Travis and Bowie were killed in the fighting, Crocketts death is a subject of controversy. While some sources state that he was killed during the battle, others indicate that he was one of the seven survivors executed on Santa Annas orders. Following his victory at the Alamo, Santa Anna moved quickly to destroy Houstons small Texas Army. Outnumbered, Houston began retreating towards the US border. Moving with a flying column of 1,400 men, Santa Anna encountered the Texans at San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. Charging the Mexican camp, and yelling Remember the Alamo, Houstons men routed Santa Annas troops. The next day, Santa Anna was captured effectively securing Texan independence. Selected Sources The AlamoBattle of the AlamoTexas State Library: Battle of the Alamo

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Production of Managerial Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Production of Managerial Knowledge - Essay Example The said principles are said to be credible wherein the evidence is indeed clear and the findings in research may absolutely been very tough specifically for the researchers as well as practitioners in order to arrive at exact interpretation. The practices that may capitalize the insights of the principle may be suited with the setting wherein the performance indicators in particular, saying that most of the executive directors use all units may be considered to be pertinent. Despite the many challenges, this evidence-based management promises for the attainment of goals in organization that includes the employee's affection including the stockholders and the public in general. With regards to the "Evidence-based" Zeitgeist, the evidence based is defined as the buzzword in the public policy's contemporary that includes the triteness' risk and the status of buzzword as superficially convey. ... The observation of such impact in the two fields may have a high influenced by the so-called decisions in legislative like for instance policing including the secondary education (Bennis, 2004).The policing considered to be evidence-based are telling that the police community may offer the police officers trained for treating in polite way the criminal suspects because of the belief that this may fall to reduction of the repeat offenses. The education considered as evidence-based happening in most schools that are classified as secondary may restore the social promotion's practices, wherein most of the students are facing difficulties to pass their courses after many trials, talking with the next grade level's advancement. The research may indicate the promotional benefit with social promotion benefiting the costs outweigh due to the increasing high school diploma with the likelihood of the subsequent employment and lowering the drug usage of incidence among the students. This eviden ce-based practice is known as the paradigm to make decisions integrating the research that is best available with the decision maker expertise and the preferences in guiding the practice which is toward the results considered to be most desirable. The proponents are said to be skeptical regarding the experience, the wisdom and at the same time the personal credentials which is the basis to assert the works. Like for instance, the medicine is known as the success story with regards to the first domain institutionalizing the practice of the so-called evidence-based. The evidence-based medicine is the individual Assessment: Production of managerial knowledge P 4 integration of such clinical expertise that includes the best evidence from external sources.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Merton’s Theory Essay

One of the well know socialists of the twentieth century is Robert K. Merton (1910-2003). He is a major theorist who is known for creating several pivotal sociological concepts. One of his most important achievements has been the established connection between theory and research, thereby making the way for the course of sociology. Merton favored what he called middle range theories: these are theories that â€Å"lie between minor but necessary working hypotheses that evolve in abundance during day to day research and all inclusive systematic efforts to develop a unified theory that will explain all the observed uniformities of social behavior, social organization, and social change† ( Sztompka 1986). But what he gets most of his credit for is his work on the concept of the Manifest and Latent. I intend to explain his concept of Manifest and Latent. And then take a look at his Strain Theory to see whether or not it can explain crime in our society. Merton explains that there are certain concepts that arise from functionalism they are manifest and latent function . He explains manifest function as the intended result of an action. He also explained that latent function was the unintended result of action. Now Merton is not the one who coined these terms he give that credit to Freud (1915). Both of these men contended that almost every action had manifest and latent functions. Although Merton took it a step further he argued that some times the latent function was far more important than the manifest function. One of his greatest examples of this is the Hopi rain dance. This is where he explained how the dance (action) was to create rain (manifest) although not every time was there rain (latent). But he went further he explain that although the rain did not create rain it created a special bonding (another latent) with in the Hopi tribe. This in essence showed that not all latent functions are bad and that some of the unintended results can have a profound benefit. This is in slight contrast to other socialist then again it is not really. It is Merton expanding on theses philosophies and bringing them current within society. Now we see that Merton’s manifest and latent functions greatly enhanced the notion of society as a system of interwoven parts, not only because he acknowledges there are various functions to each part. But because of the differences of the various functions have with in each part that might not coincide with each other or that they may even conflict. Merton â€Å"emphasized that different parts of a system might be at odds with each other and, thus, that even functional or beneficial institutions or sub systems can produce dysfunctions or unintended consequences as well† (Appelrouth). This brings us to two more parts of Merton’s theory, deviance and dysfunction. Merton was extremely influential of the theory of deviance. It is the most cited article in sociology. Merton tried to explain the variances in rates of deviance according to social structural location. To explain deviance from a sociological view deviance refers to the actions that do not conform to the dominant norms or values in a social group or society. Merton believed that deviance came about when there was a disconnect between culture and society. This he said happened when values become out of sync with the means of being able to achieve them. One of the better ways Merton showed this was that success in society means having a good job and making a lot of money. But when there are no good jobs to make the money to be successful people will turn to illegal means to make enough money to be considered successful. This brings about an unintended consequence, it is because of this disconnect or in other words it brings about a dysfunction. Now dysfunction was not coined by Merton, it was first emphasized by Emile Durkheim who stated â€Å" that while positive social changes , such as periods of economic growth, might alleviate certain problems, they may also produce significant unanticipated consequences (such as an increased likelihood for moral disorder)† (Appelrouth). Merton took what Durkheim had proposed and elaborated on this showing that although positive social changes may have unintended negative consequences, you can also have a negative social changes that can produce unintended positive consequences. Although Merton showed both sides he is better known for highlighting the negative consequences. Now we look at Merton’ strain theory to try and explain it as I believe  Merton saw it. . Merton believed that crime did not simply arise from the deviant values incorporated in say, slum neighborhoods. Rather crime emerged from mainstream conventional values, which for example, all Americans were socialized into. Merton believed that the core values stressed material success; however, the problem was that not every American was equally placed to achieve this success. This in turn leads to strain, of which crime is concomitant. American society is criminally programed argued Merton. The idea of the ‘American Dream’ was, according to Merton, a myth, subverted as it were by the persistence of poverty, epidemic racial discrimination and numerous disadvantages faced by blacks and Hispanics. All this helps contribute to the high levels of crime, the solution being to create more opportunities for the poor in order to augment their chances of legitimately achieving material success. Merton’s thinking was that if crime resulted from a lack of legitimate opportunities to achieve the goal of material success, than increasing those opportunities ought to lessen crime. Merton believed that individuals living in American society are subconsciously socialized into desiring certain goals, primarily that of covert material success. Society itself provides the means to do this high school, college, business opportunities and university, however, where opportunities are blocked for individuals because of, for example, social class and race, then problems of ‘strain’ arise. As Merton put it: â€Å"there is a contradiction between the cultural emphasis on pecuniary ambition and the social opportunities to achieve it†. This Merton called an â€Å"anomic society†, from which crime naturally occurs. If we look at Merton’s strain theory, and try to explain whether it adequately explains deviance and crime in our society. I would have to say that it does. Everyone want to succeed but there always seem to be obstacles. By human nature I believe people are programed to take the path of least resistance. Especially when there are obstacles. So Merton is absolutely right by saying if there are not enough jobs to make money people will make money illegal by selling drug or doing whatever have you. I believe he is also right that this crime does not come from the slums, as we know there are a lot of influential people in jail. I believe this is because they just got too greedy. I guess once you have you don’t want to be a have not. Reference: Alder, F 1995 Opportunity Structure Appelrouth, S 2008 Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory Merton, R 1996 revision On Social Structure and Science

Yellow Fever Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Yellow Fever - Essay Example It is similar to the â€Å"West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, and Japanese encephalitis virus† (CDC 2010, section ‘Yellow fever virus transmission’). The virus is spread by mosquitoes in tropical regions of South America and Africa (CDC 2010, PHAC 2010, PubMed Health 2009, WHO 1993, WHO 2011). It replicates inside the mosquito (WHO 1993) and after being bitten by an infected mosquito, symptoms usually occur within three to six days (CDC 2010, PubMed Health 2009, WHO 2011). There is no treatment of yellow fever, but the focus is on symptom management and vaccination (WHO 2011). Many difference species of the Haemogogus and Aedes mosquitoes are vectors or hosts that act as a vessel to spread the flavivirus that causes yellow fever (WHO 2011). It can be transferred between monkeys, between people, and from monkeys to humans (WHO 2011). Mosquitoes can be classified as domestic, wild, or semi-domestic and there are three main transmission cycles (CDC 2010, PHAC 2010, WHO 2011). In the first cycle known as the sylvatic yellow fever (or jungle), monkeys are infected by mosquitoes who then pass on the virus to mosquitoes that bite them.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Digital technologhy plays a key role in education Essay

Digital technologhy plays a key role in education - Essay Example Use of digital technology in education is not a new trend, but is one that has prevailed for centuries. Much of the development in the fields of science and technology can be attributed to the use of digital technology in education. Calculators have been used in educational institutions ranging from primary, through the high school, secondary school, college, and university level for many decades. Modern calculators come with a variety of functions that can help the mathematicians and scientists perform complex calculations. With the advent of computer and particularly the Internet, the whole process of research has been redefined at all levels of academia. Before, learners used to conduct a lot of research to grasp the concepts they needed for research. In their attempt to get hold of the required sources, they would visit several libraries which incurred them not only cost but also consumed a lot of time. Nowadays, there is a sea of information available over the Internet, many of whose sources provide information free of cost. Researchers have the opportunity to select the research papers they need to study in order to conduct the literature review by reading their free abstracts over the Internet first. Use of digital technology in research has enhanced the focus of the researchers and has made the process of research a lot more convenient. Many educationalists see digital technology as something that neatly fits with the interests and values related to the organization and nature of learning.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Memory Conformity of Autobiographical Events: an fMRI Study

Memory Conformity of Autobiographical Events: an fMRI Study Whether privately, when we remember a past experience, or publicly, when we recall a shared memory with a friend, remembering is a functional process. The narratives of our past help us define and maintain our sense of self and meet the social demands of the community (Barnier, Sutton, Harris, Wilson, 2008; Harris, Paterson, Kemp, 2008). However, far from being exact replications of the past, our recollections may be influenced by previous knowledge and imagination, external demands and internal expectations, and exposure to subsequent information (Dudai Edelson, 2016; Schacter, Guerin, St. Jacques, 2011). Memory, indeed, is a constructive process (St Jacques, Olm, Schacter, 2013). While the malleability of our memories is a necessary feature for an adaptive memory system, both psychological and neuroscientific research in the false memory literature has consistently shown that the flexibility of our memory processes also render memories vulnerable to errors and distortions (Lof tus, 2005; Loftus Pickrell, 1995; Schacter et al., 2011; Schacter Loftus, 2013; St Jacques et al., 2013). Extensive research has indeed demonstrated the detrimental effects that incorrect or misleading post-event information has on the content of memory reports, a phenomenon called the misinformation effect (Loftus, 2005). In the classical misinformation paradigm, participants are asked to remember an event, take a memory test that contains some kind of misinformation, and then complete a final memory test for the original event. Across experiments results have consistently shown that after receiving the misinformation, participants in the final test tend to change the content of their memory or even endorse a memory for an event that never happened (Frenda, Nichols, Loftus, 2011; Loftus, 2005; Loftus Pickrell, 1995). Typically, researchers have explained this phenomenon in accordance with a source-monitoring framework that sees false memories as arising from participants errone ous attribution of the misinformation to the original event (Johnson, 1997). Recent research on the misinformation effect with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has started to reveal the underlying mechanisms that support false memory formation (Frenda et al., 2011; Schacter Loftus, 2013). Although with some degree of variation mostly accounted by different experimental procedures, neuroimaging studies have shown that brain activity associated with encoding-related processes particularly in the hippocampal complex during the original event and misinformation phase is predictive of whether the misinformation would be later endorsed (Baym Gonsalves, 2010; Okado Stark, 2005; Schacter Loftus, 2013; St Jacques et al., 2013). These studies point to the adaptive perspective of memory. Although different pattern of activation do seem to distinguish true from false memories, the misinformation effect found in behavioral studies seem to arise from a flexible memory system that through reactivation and reconsolidation is responsible for memory updating (Schacter et al., 2011; Schacter Loftus, 2013; St Jacques et al., 2013). Thus, the misinformation effect is a byproduct of functional memory processes that allow the incorporation of new information but are susceptible to memory errors (Dudai Edelson, 2016; Frenda et al., 2011; Schacter et al., 2011; St Jacques et al., 2013). Given the powerful influence and adaptive value that post-event information has on memory, recent research has increasingly begun to explore the misinformation effect when the incorrect information comes from other people, i.e. the source of the misinformation is social (Oeberst Seidemann, 2014; Schacter Loftus, 2013). In numerous real-world contexts, ranging from the exposure to mass media, social interactions, and eyewitness testimony, remembering an event involves sharing information with other people (Edelson, Sharot, Dolan, Dudai, 2011). While sharing information enhances individual memory performance when events are encoded poorly, in others circumstances, especially when incorrect information is shared, collective remembering is likely to produce memory errors (Harris et al., 2008; Hirst Echterhoff, 2012; Rajaram Pereira-Pasarin, 2010).   Indeed, research converging experiments on social conformity and the misinformation effect have provided extensive evidence supp orting the idea that people change their memory reports in response to incorrect information from a social source, a phenomenon often referred to as memory conformity (Dudai Edelson, 2016; Gabbert, Memon, Allan, 2003; Gabbert, Memon, Wright, 2006; Horry, Palmer, Sexton, Brewer, 2012; Jaeger, Lauris, Selmeczy, Dobbins, 2012; Meade Roediger, 2002; Roediger, Meade, Bergman, 2001; Thorley, 2013; Wright, Self, Justice, 2000; Wright, Memon, Skagerberg, Gabbert, 2009). Memory conformity represents a special kind of misinformation effect that exerts strong influence on memory reports a study has found that participants were more likely to report the misinformation when the incorrect information came from discussion with a confederate as opposed to when it was included in narratives (Gabbert, Memon, Allan, Wright, 2004) and has high ecological validity. Not only has research found that about 86% of eyewitnesses have reported talking to another person before providing their testim ony but also cases have been documented in which co-witness sharing of information has led to the wrongful conviction of a suspect (Oeberst Seidemann, 2014; Thorley, 2013; Wright et al., 2000; Wright et al., 2009). Although participants may change their memory reports in the presence of social pressure due to normative influences (i.e., participants report the incorrect information solely out of the need to comply with others) and informational influences (i.e., participants report the incorrect information because they believe the others to be right), the literature on the misinformation effect suggests that memory conformity may arise from false memory formation (Gabbert et al., 2003; Meade Roediger, 2002; Oeberst Seidemann, 2014; Roediger et al., 2001; Wright et al., 2009). Studies have in fact shown that participants tend to report the incorrect information even in later memory tests, where participants are tested individually in the absence of social pressure, and misattribu te the endorsed misinformation to the original event (Meade Roediger, 2002; Roediger et al., 2001). Evidence to the false memory account also comes from neuroimaging studies that have tried to identify the neural correlates involved in memory conformity. In an fMRI study by Edelson, Sharot, Dolan, and Dudai, (2011), groups of five participants were shown a video of a mock crime and were tested three times on the content of their memory across two weeks. Critically, in the second test, the researchers manipulated the misinformation by showing participants either fake incorrect answers of the four co-observers or no answers. Consistent with previous research on the misinformation effect, greater activity in encoding-related regions, specifically the bilateral anterior hippocampus, bilateral posterior hippocampus and bilateral parahippocampal gyrus was found for trials that resulted in erroneous answers even in the absence of social pressure but not for trials that resulted in errors due to social pressure or in correct answers. The researchers also found increased activity in the bilateral amygdala, a region involved in social-emotional processing, and increased functional connectivity between this region and the hippocampus in persisting memory conformity errors (Edelson et al., 2011). Not only these results indicate that participants updated their memory when they received the misinformation, replicating previous neuroimaging results, but they also reveal the role of the amygdala in the integration of social-specific information in memory (Dudai Edelson, 2016; Edelson et al., 2011). For its high relevance to the forensic context, past research on memory conformity has focused on studying the social forces that influence memory reports mainly in the field of eyewitness testimony (Gabbert et al., 2003; Harris et al., 2008; Horry et al., 2012; Jaeger et al., 2012; Oeberst Seidemann, 2014; Williamson, Paul; Weber, Nathan; Robertson, 2013; Wright et al., 2009). The effects of social forces on the content of autobiographical memories, however, represent an area of research that seems to have been neglected by the literature on memory conformity (Barnier et al., 2008). Autobiographical memories are memories of personal experiences, commonly accompanied with high personal and sometimes emotional relevance (Harris et al., 2008). Given the role that autobiographical memories have in individual and community-directed behavior, as we selectively remember events that help us maintain our individual and group identity, and their occurrence in social interactions, as people u sually share their memories in conversation when they remember a past experience (Dudai Edelson, 2016; Harris et al., 2008; Rajaram Pereira-Pasarin, 2010; Zawadzka, Krogulska, Button, Higham, Hanczakowski, 2015), the present study attempts to study the susceptibility of autobiographical memories to social influences that create memory errors and distortions. Previous studies on false memories provide, perhaps unintentionally, some evidence for the endorsement of misinformation coming from social sources, whether implicitly through questionnaires created by the experimenter or explicitly by specifically informing the participants about the source of the misinformation (Hirst Echterhoff, 2012). Indeed, in Loftus and Pickerells (1995) notorious lost in the mall paradigm, 29% of participants came to form a completely false memory about being lost in a mall when they were children. Critically, the false event was firstly introduced through narratives from a close relative (Hirst Ech terhoff, 2012; Loftus Pickrell, 1995). In recent attempts to understand the effects of social influence on autobiographical memories, a study has directly manipulated the presence of a social source, by introducing a piece of misinformation about a participants personal memory during conversation with a confederate. The study found that a week after receiving the misinformation from the confederate, about 30% participants included the misinformation in their final description of their memory (Barnier et al., 2008). Together, these findings suggest that rich autobiographical false memories might indeed be influenced by post-event information introduced by social actors (Harris et al., 2008). The present study thus aims at understanding the cognitive mechanisms of memory conformity for autobiographical memories using fMRI. The experiment will adapt a novel museum tour paradigm used by St Jacques et al. (2013), which allows the control over the encoding of real-world events and measures of memory accuracy, to study the neural mechanisms involved in the influence of post-event information on autobiographical memories to the previously described memory conformity procedure used by Edelson et al. (2011). Studying the neural mechanisms involved in memory conformity for personal events has indeed methodological, theoretical, and applied valence. From a methodological perspective, the memory conformity procedure used in Edelson et al. (2011) study and the museum tour paradigm used in St Jacques et al. (2013) will offer new ways to systematically study both autobiographical memories using fMRI and their susceptibility to social influences. Understanding the mechanisms involved in the integration of social information in autobiographical memories will extend our theoretical knowledge on the flexibility of our memory system responsible both for the formation of false memories and adaptive memory updating. Finally, studying the mechanisms involved in the effects of social influences on autobiographical memories will also expand the memory conformity literature to the real-world examples of personal memories, critical for the forensic context where jurors are asked to judge eyewitness memory reports of personally relevant events (Schacter Loftus, 2013). Based on previous research reviewed above, the following predictions are hypothesized. Behaviorally, trials where the misinformation is introduced by fake co-observers answers will produce errors that are likely to persist even when participants are tested individually (persistent errors) (H1). Neuroimaging data will show greater activity in the hippocampal complex for the social misinformation condition opposed to the no-misinformation condition (H2). Additionally in the social manipulation condition, greater hippocampal activity will be measured for trials that produce errors that persist in the absence of social influences compared to trials that produce errors only in the presence of co-observers answers (transient errors) or trials where no conformity is produced (H3). Finally, the special role of the amygdala in the integration of social information will be also studied. More hippocampus-amygdala connectivity for persistent errors produced by the social-manipulation condition i s expected when contrasted with transient errors and the control condition (H4). Methods Participants Forty right-handed participants will be recruited through the University of Kent Research Participation Scheme. Participants with history of psychiatric disorder or using medication known to affect cognitive functioning will be excluded. Design procedure The study is a within-participants design, divided into four phases, specifically an encoding phase, a first memory test (Test 1), a manipulation phase (Test 2), and a final memory test (Test 3) (Edelson et al., 2011). Encoding phase (day 0): Groups of five unacquainted participants will be provided with an iTouch (Apple) outlining a self-guided audio tour of the British Museum (London, UK) and will be asked to wear a camera that automatically takes photographs every 15 seconds (St Jacques et al., 2013). There will be two slightly different versions of the museum tour, each composed by 208 stops, which will be counterbalanced between groups of participants. Test 1 (day 3):   Participants will take a first forced-choice memory test individually for the museum tour. They will be shown two photographs (A B) for every museum stop; one taken from the version of the tour they have experienced, the other from the alternate tour they have not experienced. The photographs will be matched for every stop between the two versions. They will be then asked to choose the museum stop they remember taking part in and to rate their confidence from 0 (guess) to 100 (absolute confidence). Answers will provide the baseline for accuracy and confidence before the manipulation. Manipulation phase Test 2 (day 7): Participants will be asked to take a second individual memory test in the fMRI scanner. The test will be similar to Test 1 but after the photographs presentation and before participants response, another screen will appear with the pictures of the co-observers. For the photographs of museum stops that received a high confidence correct answer in Test 1, co-observers pictures will be presented with either all incorrect answers (manipulation condition), all correct answers (credibility condition), or an X replacing the answers (no manipulation condition). The credibility condition helps to avoid suspicion from participants, will contain different photographs taken from all the questions in Test 1 and will be excluded from analysis. Test 3 (day 14): Participants will take a final individual memory test identical to Test 1 in the scanner. Before the test, participants will be warned that the answers provided by the co-observers in Test 2 were randomly generated. Materials All stimuli and materials will be taken from St Jacques et al. (2013) and adapted for the purpose of the present study. Analysis The following analyses are based on Edelson et al. (2011)s study (see supplementary information). Behavioral data A repeated measure GLM with error type (transient errors, persistent errors, non-conformity, and no manipulation) as a factor will be conducted. Transient errors: trials where the social manipulation was introduced and for which participants give a first correct answer (Test 1), an incorrect answer in Test 2, and revert back to the correct answer in Test 3. Persistent errors: trials where the social manipulation was introduced for which participants give a first correct answer in Test 1 but an incorrect answer in both Test 2 and 3. Non-conformity: trials where the social manipulation was introduced and for which participants give a correct answer in both Test 2 and 3. No manipulation: trials where co-observers answers will not be given. Neuroimaging data Region of interest analysis: activity in previously identified regions of interest (ROI) (i.e., bilateral amygdala, bilateral para-hippocampus and bilateral anterior and posterior hippocampus) will be analyzed with repeated measures GLM with error type (persistent errors, transient errors, non-conformity, and no manipulation) as a factor. Functional connectivity analysis: whole brain analysis will be conducted to measure functional connectivity between activated ROIs and the left amygdala across experimental conditions. Why fMRI? Reasons why other methods are not appropriate The primary interest of this study is to identify the underlying neural mechanisms that support the long-lasting integration of new and sometimes incorrect information about personal events in memory as a function of social influence. Although the study takes advantage of measures of accuracy and error rates, the primary interest is not in measuring overt behavior, so behavioral methods (i.e., reaction times), are not appropriate. Behavioral studies have in fact been unable to distinguish between the different cognitive processes (i.e., normative influences, informational influences, and memory distortions) that lead to memory conformity (Edelson et al., 2011; Thorley, 2013). Similarly eye tracking is not an appropriate method either. Although measures of eye-fixation and eye-movement during the presentation of misinformation could be informative about attentional processes that lead to successful encoding, these measures cannot distingu ish between different cognitive processes that support memory conformity. This study does not intend to measure neuronal activity, so methods of electrical activity, namely EEG and ERPs, are not appropriate. Although they could be informative about the time when integration processes happen, measures of electrical activity cannot tell us where these processes are supported functionally in the brain. Finally, the present study does not aim at manipulating brain activity as it focuses on understanding the automatic online processes that are associated with memory conformity, so methods of brain stimulation (i.e., TMS) are not appropriate. Reasons why fMRI is appropriate As the present study aims at understanding the cognitive mechanisms involved in the integration of post-event, social misinformation that lead to memory conformity for autobiographical memories, fMRI represents the most appropriate method. Measures of brain activity in encoding-related regions during the presence of misinformation from a social source can provide information about the cognitive processes associated with memory conformity for personal events and distinguish between social influences (i.e., normative or information) and memory distortions that lead to false autobiographical memory reports. Previous studies have in fact shown that activity in the hippocampal complex at encoding is predictive of whether the misinformation will produce long lasting memory change (Edelson et al., 2011; St Jacques et al., 2013). Similarly, identifying the functional architecture of the encoding processes that support the integration of social information in memory will reveal the cognitive mechanisms underlying memory updating, which make memories flexible and vulnerable to social influences (Schacter et al., 2011). Because of its non-invasiveness and better temporal resolution, fMRI is more suitable than other measures of brain activity, such as PET. References: Barnier, A. J., Sutton, J., Harris, C. B., Wilson, R. A. (2008). A conceptual and empirical framework for the social distribution of cognition: The case of memory. Cognitive Systems Research, 9(1-2), 33-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsys.2007.07.002 Baym, C. L., Gonsalves, B. D. (2010). Comparison of neural activity that leads to true memories, false memories, and forgetting: An fMRI study of the misinformation effect. Cognitive, Affective Behavioral Neuroscience, 10(3), 339-48. https://doi.org/10.3758/CABN.10.3.339 Dudai, Y., Edelson, M. G. (2016). Personal memory: Is it personal, is it memory? Memory Studies, 9(3), 275-283. https://doi.org/10.1177/1750698016645234 Edelson, M., Sharot, T., Dolan, R. J., Dudai, Y. (2011). Following the Crowd: Brain Substrates of Long-Term Memory Conformity. Science, 333(6038), 108-111. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1203557 Frenda, S. J., Nichols, R. M., Loftus, E. F. (2011). Current Issues and Advances in Misinformation Research. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20(1), 20-23. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721410396620 Gabbert, F., Memon, A., Allan, K. (2003). Memory conformity: Can eyewitnesses influence each others memories for an event? Applied Cognitive Psychology, 17(5), 533-543. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.885 Gabbert, F., Memon, A., Allan, K., Wright, D. B. (2004). Say it to my face: Examining the effects of socially encountered misinformation. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 9, 215-27. https://doi.org/10.1348/1355325041719428 Gabbert, F., Memon, A., Wright, D. B. (2006). Memory conformity: Disentangling the steps toward influence during a discussion. Psychonomic Bulletin Review, 13(3), 480-485. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193873 Harris, C. B., Paterson, H. M., Kemp, R. I. (2008). Collaborative recall and collective memory: what happens when we remember together? Memory, 16(3), 213-30. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658210701811862 Hirst, W., Echterhoff, G. (2012). Remembering in conversations: the social sharing and reshaping of memories. Annual Review of Psychology, 63, 55-79. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100340 Hirst, W., Manier, D. (2008). Towards a Psychology of Collective Memory. Memory, 16(3), 183-200. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658210701811912 Horry, R., Palmer, M. A., Sexton, M. L., Brewer, N. (2012). Memory conformity for confidently recognized items: The power of social influence on memory reports. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48(3), 783-786. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2011.12.010 Jaeger, A., Lauris, P., Selmeczy, D., Dobbins, I. G. (2012). The costs and benefits of memory conformity. Memory Cognition, 40(1), 101-112. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-011-0130-z Johnson, M. K. (1997). Source monitoring and memory distortion. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 352, 1733-1745. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1997.0156 Loftus, E. F. (2005). Planting misinformation in the human mind: a 30-year investigation of the malleability of memory. Learning Memory, 12(4), 361-366. https://doi.org/10.1101/lm.94705 Loftus, E. F., Pickrell, J. E. (1995). The formation of false memories. Psychiatric Annals. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0193-953X(05)70059-9 Meade, M. L., Roediger, H. L. (2002). Explorations in the social contagion of memory. Memory Cognition, 30(7), 995-1009. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03194318 Oeberst, A., Seidemann, J. (2014). Will your words become mine? underlying processes and cowitness intimacy in the memory conformity paradigm. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology/Revue Canadienne de Psychologie Expà ©rimentale, 68(2), 84-96. https://doi.org/10.1037/cep0000014 Okado, Y., Stark, C. E. L. (2005). Neural activity during encoding predicts false memories created by misinformation. Learning Memory, 12(1), 3-11. https://doi.org/10.1101/lm.87605 Rajaram, S., Pereira-Pasarin, L. P. (2010). Collaborative memory: Cognitive research and theory. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(6), 649-663. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691610388763 Roediger, H. L., Meade, M. L., Bergman, E. T. (2001). Social contagion of memory. Psychonomic Bulletin Review, 8(2), 365-371. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03196174 Schacter, D. L., Guerin, S. A., St. Jacques, P. L. (2011). Memory distortion: an adaptive perspective. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(10), 467-474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2011.08.004 Schacter, D. L., Loftus, E. F. (2013). Memory and law: What can cognitive neuroscience contribute? Nature Neuroscience, 16(2), 119-23. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3294 St Jacques, P. L., Olm, C., Schacter, D. L. (2013). Neural mechanisms of reactivation-induced updating that enhance and distort memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 110(49), 19671-8. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1319630110 Thorley, C. (2013). Memory conformity and suggestibility. Psychology, Crime Law, 19(7), 565-575. https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2011.648637 Williamson, Paul; Weber, Nathan; Robertson, M.-T. (2013). The Effect of Experitise on Memory Conformity: A Test of Informational Influence. Behavioral Sciences the Law, 31, 607-623. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl Wright, D. B., Memon, A., Skagerberg, E. M., Gabbert, F. (2009). When eyewitnesses talk. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18(3), 174-178. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2009.01631.x Wright, D. B., Self, G., Justice, C. (2000). Memory conformity: exploring misinformation effects when presented by another person. British Journal of Psychology, 91, 189-202. https://doi.org/10.1348/000712600161781 Zawadzka, K., Krogulska, A., Button, R., Higham, P. A., Hanczakowski, M. (2015). Memory, Metamemory, and Social Cues: Between Conformity and Resistance. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 145(2), 181-199. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000118

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Merton’s Theory Essay

One of the well know socialists of the twentieth century is Robert K. Merton (1910-2003). He is a major theorist who is known for creating several pivotal sociological concepts. One of his most important achievements has been the established connection between theory and research, thereby making the way for the course of sociology. Merton favored what he called middle range theories: these are theories that â€Å"lie between minor but necessary working hypotheses that evolve in abundance during day to day research and all inclusive systematic efforts to develop a unified theory that will explain all the observed uniformities of social behavior, social organization, and social change† ( Sztompka 1986). But what he gets most of his credit for is his work on the concept of the Manifest and Latent. I intend to explain his concept of Manifest and Latent. And then take a look at his Strain Theory to see whether or not it can explain crime in our society. Merton explains that there are certain concepts that arise from functionalism they are manifest and latent function . He explains manifest function as the intended result of an action. He also explained that latent function was the unintended result of action. Now Merton is not the one who coined these terms he give that credit to Freud (1915). Both of these men contended that almost every action had manifest and latent functions. Although Merton took it a step further he argued that some times the latent function was far more important than the manifest function. One of his greatest examples of this is the Hopi rain dance. This is where he explained how the dance (action) was to create rain (manifest) although not every time was there rain (latent). But he went further he explain that although the rain did not create rain it created a special bonding (another latent) with in the Hopi tribe. This in essence showed that not all latent functions are bad and that some of the unintended results can have a profound benefit. This is in slight contrast to other socialist then again it is not really. It is Merton expanding on theses philosophies and bringing them current within society. Now we see that Merton’s manifest and latent functions greatly enhanced the notion of society as a system of interwoven parts, not only because he acknowledges there are various functions to each part. But because of the differences of the various functions have with in each part that might not coincide with each other or that they may even conflict. Merton â€Å"emphasized that different parts of a system might be at odds with each other and, thus, that even functional or beneficial institutions or sub systems can produce dysfunctions or unintended consequences as well† (Appelrouth). This brings us to two more parts of Merton’s theory, deviance and dysfunction. Merton was extremely influential of the theory of deviance. It is the most cited article in sociology. Merton tried to explain the variances in rates of deviance according to social structural location. To explain deviance from a sociological view deviance refers to the actions that do not conform to the dominant norms or values in a social group or society. Merton believed that deviance came about when there was a disconnect between culture and society. This he said happened when values become out of sync with the means of being able to achieve them. One of the better ways Merton showed this was that success in society means having a good job and making a lot of money. But when there are no good jobs to make the money to be successful people will turn to illegal means to make enough money to be considered successful. This brings about an unintended consequence, it is because of this disconnect or in other words it brings about a dysfunction. Now dysfunction was not coined by Merton, it was first emphasized by Emile Durkheim who stated â€Å" that while positive social changes , such as periods of economic growth, might alleviate certain problems, they may also produce significant unanticipated consequences (such as an increased likelihood for moral disorder)† (Appelrouth). Merton took what Durkheim had proposed and elaborated on this showing that although positive social changes may have unintended negative consequences, you can also have a negative social changes that can produce unintended positive consequences. Although Merton showed both sides he is better known for highlighting the negative consequences. Now we look at Merton’ strain theory to try and explain it as I believe  Merton saw it. . Merton believed that crime did not simply arise from the deviant values incorporated in say, slum neighborhoods. Rather crime emerged from mainstream conventional values, which for example, all Americans were socialized into. Merton believed that the core values stressed material success; however, the problem was that not every American was equally placed to achieve this success. This in turn leads to strain, of which crime is concomitant. American society is criminally programed argued Merton. The idea of the ‘American Dream’ was, according to Merton, a myth, subverted as it were by the persistence of poverty, epidemic racial discrimination and numerous disadvantages faced by blacks and Hispanics. All this helps contribute to the high levels of crime, the solution being to create more opportunities for the poor in order to augment their chances of legitimately achieving material success. Merton’s thinking was that if crime resulted from a lack of legitimate opportunities to achieve the goal of material success, than increasing those opportunities ought to lessen crime. Merton believed that individuals living in American society are subconsciously socialized into desiring certain goals, primarily that of covert material success. Society itself provides the means to do this high school, college, business opportunities and university, however, where opportunities are blocked for individuals because of, for example, social class and race, then problems of ‘strain’ arise. As Merton put it: â€Å"there is a contradiction between the cultural emphasis on pecuniary ambition and the social opportunities to achieve it†. This Merton called an â€Å"anomic society†, from which crime naturally occurs. If we look at Merton’s strain theory, and try to explain whether it adequately explains deviance and crime in our society. I would have to say that it does. Everyone want to succeed but there always seem to be obstacles. By human nature I believe people are programed to take the path of least resistance. Especially when there are obstacles. So Merton is absolutely right by saying if there are not enough jobs to make money people will make money illegal by selling drug or doing whatever have you. I believe he is also right that this crime does not come from the slums, as we know there are a lot of influential people in jail. I believe this is because they just got too greedy. I guess once you have you don’t want to be a have not. Reference: Alder, F 1995 Opportunity Structure Appelrouth, S 2008 Classical and Contemporary Sociological Theory Merton, R 1996 revision On Social Structure and Science

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Democracy †Essay Essay

Introduction Democracy, it is generally believed, had its roots in Ancient Athens. We know it spread its stems to most of Europe and later to parts of Asia by mid 19th century , mostly in the form of parliamentary democracy. But in the context of this paper,we are not interested in the histrocity of the idea or concept of democracy, but in the idea itself. That is to say we want to analyze the meaning of democracy and its different forms, study its efficiency (so to say), ponder over its limitations and compare it to other forms of government. Whether democracy was conceived of in Athens, Sparta or India is not a topic of interest in this paper (although there may be references to historical events in the evolution of the idea when pertinent). What does democracy mean? Democracy comes from the greek â€Å"rule of the people†. But as I searched for a definition of democracy in the course of research for this paper, a consistent defintion of it seemed to elude me. So we must examine some of these definitions and try to find a core to the idea of democracy, if there exists one. Bunch of different ideas and quotes are out thr on internet †¦put about 4-5 of them here and discuss if them from a current or historical perspective..ive written down one for u: â€Å"The right to dissent without repercussions to one’s personal well-being is the core value of Democracyâ€Å" * Nathan Sharansky Discuss quotes such as this to evaluate how these ideas are implemented in practice.. All this should take up about 500 words..  The only core value seems to be people get to elect their governement..how much of the peoples rights are respected after that greatly varies.. Forms of democracy Representative..constitutes parliamentary and liberal(most democracies are  these) Constitutional Direct Socialist Totalitarian ..discuss all thse†¦about 300 words.. A critique of democacy An illusion â€Å"There was no stone-pelting, nothing.There was no curfew †¦ They fired indiscriminately.† (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/kashmir-burns-again-as-india-responds-to-dissent-with-violence-2045905.html). The above was said by Abdul Rashid, a Kashmiri youth whose friend was gunned down by Indian army officials for holding a peaceful, nonviolent, anti-government rally in the summer of 2010. But this was not an anomoly in the process of democracy in India. Kashmir still remains the most militarized zone in the world with about a half a million troops on active duty (for the sake of comparison, the United States had about 165,000 troops in Iraq at its peak)(i read these figures on cia.gov..i dont remember the exact link ). How is that a government for the people is killing its own citizens for holding a nonviolent demonstration? How is such a huge militarization of a province in a democracy justified? Even a basic understanding of the ideas of freedom and liber ty that democracy entails shows how abhorrent these actions are. But these things happen, not just in India, but in other developed counties like the United States (Japanese americans in 1942), where the rights of their citizens are violated just when they would want to exercise them. So one must ask, are democracies really for the people? A study of history of goverment brutality in countries like India and the United States seem to suggest otherwise. The almost forceful takeaway of land by the Indian goverment in eastern India from farmers (actions which directly led to the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency, something the current prime minister of India called â€Å"the single biggest internal security challenge ever faced by our country.†( http://www.ploughshares.ca/libraries/ACRText/ACR-IndiaAP.html)), seem to suggest otherwise. The locking up of Japanese Americans in internment camps in 1942 by Franklin Roosevelt and the Unites States government seem to suggest otherwise. The indiscriminate shooting of  unarmed, nonviolent Kashmiri youths (some as young as 9 years old)shouting â€Å"azadi!azadi!†(â€Å"freedom!freedom!†) by Indian security officials seem to suggest otherwise. One gets the idea. So maybe people like Vilfredo Pareto and Gaetano Mosca are correct after all. The masses are always characterized by apathy and division, the powers to be by drive and unity (Femia, Joseph V. â€Å"Against the Masses†, Oxford 2001). Maybe all democracy does is shift the power scale, from domination by a despotic leader to manipulation by a democratic government. Maybe the people don’t really have much of a say after all. Maybe it’s just an illusion. Majority rule Majority always gets its way..discuss gay rights..civil rights in us..womens rights historically..religious parties like shiv sena in Mumbai..rising intolerance of secularism in india..majority rule can get tyrannical and the minority issues ignored when people get to decide resolutions to minority issues. The irrational voter â€Å"The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter.† – Winston Churchill Talk about how the common man is largely ignorant about serious issues and hence can vote against his/her interests..u can greatly discuss the recent midterms in us to make this point†¦basically ur sayin if we must solve economic issues we talk to economist..if we must solve environmental issues we talk to climate scientists..if we are talking abt what to teach in science class we take the consensus of scientist not what the common people of the state think (talk abt teaching creationism in schools..a lot of states in us have majority of it people wanting creationism be taught as science even though almost no scientist believe it to be science)†¦not everything should be up for a vote†¦.. Economically Ur a better person to write abt this Idealistic Show how its hard to apply democratic principles in practice†¦corrupt officials..apathetic citizens..uprisings etc.. Instable Frequent elections make the government instable†¦shitload of examples on the internet abt this.. Best we have? â€Å"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.†- Winston Churchill Compare democracy to other forms of governments like dictatorships, communist states, anarchist, socialist,etc..define and discuss each with respect to western liberal democracy..ive done some of it for anarchist Anarchist – Anarchists are those who advocate the absence of the state, arguing that common sense would allow people to come together in agreement to form a functional society allowing for the participants to freely develop their own sense of morality, ethics or principled behaviour. (from wikipedia). One such current society is Somalia, and it would not be hyperbole to suggest they are not doing very well. The lack of a state and police have led to nationwide lawlessness, violence and spiralled the country into utter chaos. I think Somalia really characterizes the severe consequences of not having a state and is not a direction one would want their country to go in. Giving people all the power has resulted in the most powerful and the most brutal of them to take power and the rest of people losing all freedom(ironically).

Friday, November 8, 2019

High Resolution Periodic Tables

High Resolution Periodic Tables You know how you can grow bored with the background on your desktop or mobile device? The periodic table wallpaper on your computer or phone is due for a refresh! Here are vibrant periodic table wallpapers for you, plus a printable periodic table with the same color scheme. These are high resolution images, created with an aspect ratio that resizes well. To download them, just click the link and save the image to your device. The element weights are the latest approved by the IUPAC, although in cases where the IUPAC has a range of weights, the latest accepted single value is listed. Periodic Table Wallpaper  - This HD table is available on a white or black background or even on t-shirts and notebooks.More printable periodic tables and wallpapers are also available, including data for all 118 chemical elements. Different color scheme and specialty tables (electron configuration, oxidation state, element abundance) are also provided.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Discuss the role of Marketing and the Marketing department Essay Example

Discuss the role of Marketing and the Marketing department Essay Example Discuss the role of Marketing and the Marketing department Essay Discuss the role of Marketing and the Marketing department Essay What is marketing? There are many definitions to what marketing is, of which one is Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, services, organizations, and events to create and maintain relationships that will satisfy individual and organizational objectives.Marketing is therefore much more than just advertising selling. The marketing concept requires commitment to customers satisfaction, by providing what they want and need..Within market research, there are two types of researches used. There is primary and secondary research. Primary research is gathering information from the consumer directly. Research can be done in various type of questionnaires i.e. telephone, internet and face-to-face. A supermarket as tescos conducts face-to-face questionnaire when customers come into the store and those of who have joined the club card get sent email questionnaires. Whereas secondary information is using external companies information already gathered, although theres a drawback which is that the research can be old hence not reliable.What the customer needs and wants is found out in market research, it then goes to the marketing mix. Marketing mix includes product, price, place and promotion, formally known as the 4Ps which are key concepts in marketing. These are a very important part of every firms marketing strategy and are also interlinked with some aspects of market research.The product/service is what the company is selling or offering to a market for use or consumption. The product could be tescos selling its own brand bread or service could be tescos car insurance. Tescos, as the leading supermarket in UK, offers a large variety of products, from household goods as groceries and toiletries, to furniture, finance and insurance.Tescos has launched Green products in which it offers healthy eating, including fruits and vegetables at lower prices. It also has clear labelling to provide customers with nutritional information e.g. guidelines for daily amounts.Pricing is a key element in a firms success the reason being that firms have to price in accordance to the market and to what the customers are willing to pay. The loss of revenue is important because if the production costs are high and the company isnt selling the product it will lose revenue.Tescos is known as the cheapest but good quality service around. It has a price check in which majority of its products are cheaper then its competitors, also allows its customer to see products and its prices compared to its competitors which is independently collected.The real success to Tescos is in its efforts in promotion. Promoting is communicating with the potential customers and trying to persuade them to buy their product. Tescos reaches its potential customers through television, newspaper and the internet. Tescos club card is a type of marketing promotion. It gives the customer the opportunity to earn points e very time they go shopping at Tescos. In return they can spend their collected points on reducing their shopping bill or receive vouchers for hotels etc. Also tescos promotes green products which involve environmental friendly services as re-cycling bags, mobile phones etc and also by promoting healthily eating e.g. buying fruits and vegetables. They have promoted this by offering green club card points which are same as the normal points however more points are offered as it is helping the environment. This is very successful with its public relations as well as its customers.Tescos try to attract customers by having advertisements sent through the post in form of leaflets stating which products are on offer; they send this across by having the offers in big red, bold lettering to grasp the customers attention. Also they try to get customers for the future as children in the sense they have all the kids products on the lower shelves of the supermarket so that they can see them. Als o tescos has delivery service in which they would deliver shopping to customers homes that order online or even in store; this is popular with its customers.Another aspect important to marketing is place. Tescos is the largest chain in the UK and is aiming at the global market. They have stores all around the UK so that their customers dont need to travel miles to go to their local store. Tescos has about 1897 stores including tescos express and extra, also they have hundreds of stores world wide, and planning on opening more stores in USA.Also with online shopping, tescos products and services are available all over the UK and also many other countries worldwide.Overall, marketing is very important for the business. The basic role of marketing is the need and wants of its customers, the marketing concept. With investing in marketing the business can go from strength to strength as they will know what is required by the public and can provide it. Especially in the modern world as th ere is so much available to the public that the marketing department need to react quickly and get up to date. To conclude we can say that every business needs a marketing department to develop and promote their products. Without this they would not be able to supply the customer with its needs and wants. As a business, it needs profit to put into its marketing activities and most importantly its survival. Without the profit and a marketing department it could lead to a businesses downfall.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Novel presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Novel presentation - Essay Example Cinna: A look hunger game is all about wining audience favor. As a tribute stylist it was my duty to portray Katiness and peeta as amiable and thus win audience favor. So we came up with something different and encouraged them to hold hands and strengthen the bond of friendship with them rather than taking their roles before the game. Cinna: over the game there are many apparent changes in Katiness and as far as I am concerned, with time her confidence on me increased not only as a stylist but as her mentor and friend. And this can be greatly attributed to the overwhelming response she received during the opening ceremony. She realized that I am not only concerned with her physical appearance in games but also her image and true meaning of her presence in games. Cinna: no! I never purposely decide to be rebellious it’s just that certain Capitol tradition doesn’t appeal me. They are really harsh and cruel for tributes so I just oppose them in the right way. Cinna: I never thought so! I advised Katiness to publicly declare her love for Peeta to save herself from the wrath of game makers and it was true she loved Peeta and whatever they did was to save each other so I just advised them to be firm and honest in their stance. Cinna: circumstances compelled them to do so. Game makers wanted to confront two star crossed lovers without considering their feelings. They played the whole game in full spirit but in the end when Capitol played its trick they were forced to react this way. Cinna: not exactly! I strived to portray them friends but later during training sessions I realized that there is some sort of mutual attraction between two and since Katiness was my friend and we shared many things, I was aware of what she is feeling.

Friday, November 1, 2019

Torture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Torture - Essay Example It is as follows: †¦Ã¢â‚¬Ëœtorture’ means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. (UNCAT cited in IRCT). Such forms of torture as threats of murder, rape, kidnapping or even humiliating do no less harm to the psychological peace and stability of an individual as physical pain does. At times, there may be no physical harm at all to the victim in torture. â€Å"Psychological pain is suffering caused by psychological stress and by psychological traum a rather than stimuli that activate physical pain† (Mefor). A lot of debate has occurred in the past regarding the ban of torture because of its physiological vs psychological impacts.