Technology and Society in 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Enders Game, and America in 2004 :: comparison compare contrast essays

Technology and Society in 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Ender's Game, and America in 2004 Science fiction authors of the 1940's and 50's like George Orwell, Ray Bradbury, and Isaac Asimov wrote their books about technological dilemmas such as automation (robots), information technology, and technologically influenced utopias (or depending on the reader, dystopias). Charles Allen once said that "if the human race wants to go to Hell in a basket, technology can help it get there by jet." In the era of the mentioned authors, technology was a new and exciting idea, and the concept of technology causing so many problems was far from their minds. Today, however, our lives are practically dictated by technology. Ray Bradbury and George Orwell were more frightened of the endless possibilities of what humans can do with technology. In 1984, George Orwell wrote of a future where people didn't know what privacy was because the government used the art of spying to gain control and acceptance. The government watched the actions of its citizens from the moment they were born until the time of their death. Protection from surveillance was impossible because all technology was owned by "Big Brother." Besides that, how can one miss something they've never experienced? If you were born without a finger, do you really miss it? It may be useful, but if you've never experienced it, how do you know you're actually missing out? We face the same conflict today, almost fifty years later. Our government uses all kinds of surveillance to keep track of its citizens, from satellites in space to cameras mounted on telephone poles. Although it's highly unlikely that total privacy has been taken from us, the concept is possible. When Orwell wrote 1984, he wrote of a foreign idea, not realizing that we are experiencing excerpts of his book in 1999. It's almost sad, in a way, that our government has taken a piece of one man's imagination and applied it to everyday life. Who's Big Brother now? Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, is set in a society where the written word is strictly forbidden. Firemen of the future are required to set fires, not put them out. They are required to find houses, buildings, basically any place that contains the forbidden books.

Psychology of nature and nurture debate Essay

The nature and nurture debate investigates the importance of individual natural characteristics and personal experience in explaining the causes in difference in physical behavior. Then the question is; is nature more influential than nurture or vice versa. The debate explains that some behavioral traits are acquired naturally while others are acquired from experience. Physical characteristics are known to be hereditary while individual’s behavior and personality is genetic. The debate has never created boundaries yet on what within us is described by the DNA and what part is through life experience, though it’s obvious that both play great roles in molding us. The nature theory of human development states that the way people behave and think is due to genetic hereditary while the nurture theory according to scientist, the way people think and behave is as result of education; they were are trained to do. Both the theories are correct in explaining the development of human beings; â€Å"nature provides us with inborn traits and abilities and nurture takes the genetic tendencies and molds them as people learn and mature†(Fausto, 1992 p, 269). This is not the end of debate but scientists are ever trying to determine what percentage of we is molded by genes and how much by environment. Biological explanations associate human behavior with â€Å"brain structure hormones or genes†. Development of brain structure is influenced by hormones which are instructed by genes, hence our behavior are genetically molded. In some senses the exact opposite of biological essentialism is the notion that the individual is a vessel waiting for culture and environment to fill it† (Dyer, 1977 p, 330). Socialist believes that human conduct is social in origin, that is individuals learn everything from environment as they mature. Gender difference is due to training and social forces with only sex difference being inborn. Gender difference is the biological and physiological aspects of males and female that makes each group distinct from the other in all species. The gender difference in human beings could be as result of nature or environmental influence (nurture). Every time a baby is born, everybody would ask whether, a boy or a girl. This is to say that gender difference is evidenced from birth. The biological difference is associated with nature while the physiological difference in male and female is attributed to nurture. Psychologists believe that gender is influenced by environment; the way our parent, friends and relative treats us. â€Å"Our gender is consequences of the nurture we receive as children† (Deaux, 1993 p, 126). Some human attributes are nature created (physical body), others are due to nurture (naming people) while others are either natural or environmentally caused. Many theories explain differently on the causes of the difference between women and men. Evolutionary theory of sex suggests that the gender difference has long way ranging from generation inheritance and environmental variability. The gender theory advocates that boys and girls grown in different families and cultures thus they learn much on behaviors and attitude from their families and society, hence gender difference are outcome of socialization. Therefore we can conclude that gender difference is partially due to nature and to some extend environmentally instigated. From biblical readings, we learn that gender difference is God’s creation since he created a man and a woman in his likeness. Some feminist believe that gender difference is as result of discrimination of society against the female gender. Over time women have been oppressed, discriminated and harassed in many cultures. Men and women differ from each other in skills behavior and attitudes. Most cultures have molded men and women in different forms with some cultures viewing men being great than women although this views are changing with socialization. Gender difference, is evidenced as people mature and grow under various environments. Various studies show that there in greater difference between men and women in places of work, abilities and adaptations to situations. You will find that in schools boys are better than girls in certain subjects such mathematics. Researchers believe this is due to ability of student but not gender issues as it is thought to be. According to sociologist men are more aggressive, physically strong and are more likely to take risks than women. As result of men risk taking tendency you will find that their jobs are more risky than those of women. â€Å"Men are more aggression than women† (Secherpr& Constantine, 1993) and men are likely to show their aggression physically than women. Some researches show that women are also aggressive but tend to show their aggression in less physical ways. In most case you find that more men are convicted in crimes especially crime with violence than women. In communication men tend to talk less in public than women. Men are shy when it comes to talking g while facing each other; that is, men to men and women to women perspective. It has been generalized that women are; emotionally expressive and responsive, more sensible to others feelings and pay a lot of attention on their bodies. Women also express more love, fear and sadness, laugh and smile more and â€Å"anticipate negative consequences for expressing hunger† (Kreeger, 2000 p, 25). On other hand men have been generalized to; express more anger, control their feelings and try to content with their feelings. Many studies have been carried out on gender difference when expressing emotions in different cultures. The difference according to many is attributed to different â€Å"social roles that women and men play in their society† (Maccoby & Jacklin, 1974), status and power each group hold in their cultures. â€Å"Popular stereotype has it that women are more emotional than men† (Lippa, 2005 p, 24). Emotions people express is usually due to their relationship and interactions. Men and women tend to express varying degrees of emotions when under certain situation. Male players’ displays more masculine emotions while female players express feminine emotions† (Shields, 2000 p, 4). Women are more likely to identify others emotions fast than men. Researchers suggest that, this woman ability is more innate than caused by socialization. â€Å"Women are more accurate than men in judging emotions meaning from nonverbal cues than men† (Lippa, 2005). Nonverbal expressions include looking on eyes, lips and eyebrows. Some scientists believe this difference is due to biological explanations while others suggest it as result of organizations of roles in the society. In fact, many researches finds have found very small differences† (Deaux, 1993 p, 126). Our bodies display many biological differences in mind both in metabolism and genetic expressions. Again it’s true that there is great difference between men and women in modern society, therefore these differences should not be basis for isolation of certain group. Even though, there exist gender difference in our societies every woman is expected to behave like woman and men as men.

Article Summary “Strategy as Simple Rules”

„Strategy as Simple Rulesâ€Å" by Kathleen Eisenhardt and Donald Sull A) Article Summary Basically the article describes how and why companies like Yahoo, AOL or Enron use simple rules in rapidly moving markets. In the past companies were able to apply complex strategies due to a simple business landscape and stable markets, but nowadays most markets are not stable any more. Markets are fast moving and so complex themselves that companies are forced to react and to simplify their strategies. Associated essay: The Proverbs of Administration Herbert Simon SummaryThe authors' central statement is that the traditional approach of staking out a defensible position misses the key to success in rapidly moving markets. That key is the ability to recognize and capitalize on fleeting opportunities. For dotcoms like Yahoo or AOL it's more important to pursue opportunities than to establish position or to leverage resources. As Kathleen Eisenhardt and Donald Sull analyzed dozens of companies in unpredictable markets, they have discovered that simple rules can be divided into five categories:How-To Rules show key features of how a process is executed. For example Enron focuses on the risk management process in its commodities trading business with two rules: 1) Each trade must be offset by another trade that allows the company to hedge its risk and 2) every trader must complete a daily profit-and-loss statement. Boundary Rules define a framework in which managers have to focus on the right opportunities and to sort out the ones which are outside the pale.Example: Cisco focuses on the acquisition process with three rules: 1) The target must have no more than 75 employees 2) 75% of those employees must be engineers and 3) the target must be within 50 miles of headquarters. Priority Rules rank the accepted opportunities. Intel for example focuses on the process of allocating manufacturing capacity with one rule based on a product's gross margin. Timing Rules synchronize managers with the pace of emerging opportunities and other parts of the company.Example: Nortel focuses on the product development process with two rules: 1) The team must know when the product has to be delivered to the key customer in order to win their business and 2) the product development cycle can be no longer than 18 months. Exit Rules tell managers when to pull out of former opportunities. One high tech company focuses on new business creation by pulling the plug on new initiatives that fa il to meet certain sales and profit goals within two years.Key processes: Each of these companies has zeroed in on one or two key processes that are critical success factors. They then set up a few simple rules to guide activity in these processes in a way that balances risk with the need to move quickly. Deciding if Simple Rules will Work for You: Most dotcom managers are faced with a vertiginous number of opportunities: partnerships, acquisitions, licensing deals, new products, new markets, new ideas, all with the potential to make or break the company.Simple Rules may be the right approach for your company to use in managing this creative chaos. B) Application The article was very interesting, it made my pensive and stimulated some new thinking. The most important thing for me – as I am a type of human being that likes complicated situations which need clever decisions to get an advantage over other competitors – was the warning about to try to apply complex strateg ies in rapidly moving markets. You'll probably work 100 hours a week if you complicate your strategy. Therefore I feel this article and t's theses as very helpful for my future career. But it is also very doubtful whether I can use this information from the outset. I think it's going to be very difficult. A lot of experience will be necessary, especially to know which opportunities should be taken and how the accepted opportunities should be ranked. Furthermore it is complicated to sort out â€Å"yesterday's opportunities† for a prospecting manager. It depends also on the industry the company belongs to. If you behold a company like Yahoo, it will be clear that applying simple rules is not the worst decision.But if you look at a traditional company like ExxonMobil, you'll see that opportunities are limited and you have to gain market share with a clever, thought-out strategy. Altogether I would say to know the three approaches and the five categories of simple rules is alread y a big advantage and one day I'll be certainly able to apply this information, especially as I am looking forward to work for a company which is part of a new business landscape. C) Opinion When I started to read and recognized company names like Yahoo, AOL or Enron, I knew this article was not the newest one.And although Yahoo is still a relatively successful company I am not quite sure whether they have always applied the right strategy. But the principle to use simple rules in a fast moving market probably is the right solution. And even I liked the article at all, I did not like the structure. Maybe because I read it on the internet and not in the Harvard Business Review Magazine, but for an article which supports a simple way of (business) life, it has a quite confusing structure. But OK, this does not bother me too much.After I had eventually printed it and had read it a second time, I was even more fascinated. Additionally I was enamoured of the caricature on the first page. It shows how complex the business landscape nowadays is and how difficult for a managers it is to find the right way between those many possibilities or to do the next step right without a signpost or somebody who can help you to capture an opportunity at the right time or to let the wrong opportunities go. In summary I think the article is full of thought provocative examples as well as being an easy read. I highly recommend it!

What You Can Do With a Degree in Sociology

What You Can Do With a Degree in Sociology A lot of people take their first sociology course simply to fulfill a college requirement, not knowing much about the field before stepping into that first course. Soon after, however, many fall in love with the subject matter and decide to major in it. If this is you, you may be asking yourself, â€Å"What can I do with a degree in sociology?† Most people who think of themselves as sociologists or have the word sociologist in their job title have graduate training, but B.A.s in sociology apply the sociological perspective to a wide variety of jobs in such sectors as business, the health professions, the criminal justice system, social services, and government. What You Can Do With an Undergraduate Degree in Sociology As a strong liberal arts major, a B.A. in sociology provides several things: The undergraduate degree provides broad preparation for entry-level positions throughout the business, social service, non-profit, and government worlds. Employers look for people with the skills that an undergraduate education in sociology provides, like research, critical thinking, and analytic skills.Since its subject matter is intrinsically fascinating, sociology offers valuable preparation for careers in journalism, politics, public relations, business, or public administrationfields that involve investigative skills and working with diverse groups.Many students choose sociology because they see it as a broad liberal arts base for professions such as law, education, medicine, social work, and counseling. Sociology provides a rich fund of knowledge that directly pertains to each of these fields. What You Can Do With a Graduate Degree in Sociology With advanced degrees (M.A. or Ph.D.), the more likely it is that a job will have the title sociologist, but many opportunities existthe diversity of sociological careers ranges much further. Many jobs outside of academia do not necessarily carry the specific title of sociologist. These include the following, among others: Sociologists become high school teachers or faculty in colleges and universities, advising students, conducting research, and publishing their work. Over 3,000 colleges currently offer sociology courses.Sociologists enter the corporate, non-profit, and government worlds as directors of research, policy analysts, consultants, human resource managers, and program managers.Practicing sociologists with advanced degrees may be called research analysts, survey researchers, gerontologists, clinical sociologists, statisticians, urban planners, community developers, criminologists, or demographers.Some M.A. and Ph.D. sociologists obtain specialized training to become counselors, therapists, or program directors in social service agencies. Today, sociologists embark upon literally hundreds of career paths. Although teaching and conducting research remains the dominant activity among the thousands of professional sociologists today, other forms of employment are growing both in number and significance. In some sectors, sociologists work closely with economists, political scientists, anthropologists, psychologists, social workers, and others, reflecting a growing appreciation of sociologys contributions to interdisciplinary analysis and action. Updated by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.

Characteristics of Deafness and Hard of Hearing

Characteristics of Deafness and Hard of Hearing Often, teachers seek extra support and help in recognizing  the characteristics of deafness in their students in order to better address the specific needs of the child. This usually happens due to certain cues that the teacher is able to pick up about the students language development in class or after a known hearing impaired child continues to struggle in their classroom. A student or child with deafness or hard-of-hearing disabilities has deficits in language and speech development due to a diminished or lack of auditory response to sound. Students will demonstrate varying degrees of hearing loss which often results in difficulty acquiring spoken language. When you have a child with hearing loss/deafness in your classroom, you need to be careful not to assume that this student has other developmental or intellectual, delays. Typically, many of these students have average or better than average intelligence. How to Recognize the Signs of Deafness Some of the common characteristics of deafness commonly found in classrooms include the following: Difficulty following verbal directionsDifficulty with oral expressionSome difficulties with social/emotional or interpersonal skillsWill often have a degree of language delayOften follows and rarely leadsWill usually exhibit some form of articulation difficultyCan become easily frustrated if their needs are not met -   which may lead to some behavioral difficultiesSometimes the use of hearing aids leads to embarrassment and fear of rejection from peers What Can You Do to Help Students With Hearing Loss? Language will be the priority area for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. It is the basic requirement for success in all subject areas and will influence the student’s comprehension in your classroom. Language development and its impact on the learning of students who are deaf or hard of hearing can be complex and difficult to attain. You may find that students will need interpreters, note-takers, or educational assistants to facilitate communication. This process will usually require external personnel involvement. However, some of the basic steps that you as a teacher can take to address the needs of a hearing impaired student include: Many students with hearing disabilities will have some form of specialized equipment recommended by an audiologist.  Help  the child to feel comfortable with their hearing device and promote understanding and acceptance with other children in the class.  Remember that devices do not return the childs hearing to normal.Noisy environments will cause grief to the child with a hearing device and noise around the child should be kept to a minimum.Check the device often to ensure it is working.When using videos,  make sure you use the closed captioning feature.Shut classroom doors/windows to help eliminate noise.Cushion chair bottoms.Use visual approaches whenever possible.Establish predictable routines for this child.Provide older students with visual outlines/graphic organizers and clarification.Use a home/school communication book.Enunciate words clearly using lip movement to assist the child to lip read.Keep close proximity to the student.Provide small group work when possible. Make assessment accommodations to enable a clear picture of demonstrated academic growth. Provide visual materials and demos whenever possible.

Bulling in the Public Schools and the Laws that Protect Students and Essay

Bulling in the Public Schools and the Laws that Protect Students and Teachers - Essay Example Still, the public has the right to be informed as much as possible. Two Case Studies of Bullying The following are stories of two victims of bullies: ("Case Studies," 2008) Case 1: MY name is Katelyn Weinert and earlier this year I was bitten on the arm by another student at high school.The school suggested I move away from my group of friends and find somewhere else to "hang out" to lessen the chances of this student and I coming into contact with each otherThis boy doesn't just contain his harassment to school either. My mum has witnessed him approaching me on a number of occasions in public harassing me. Case 2: MYfirst few years of high school were torture. If it wasn't bad enough being new to the school certain people went out of their way to make it worse. There were a few people who used to write nasty notes, follow us home and make prank calls. This one particular bully used to harass my younger sister who was 10 at the time. It only happened when I was not there. It wasn't long until she started with me These days I look back and wish I could have ignored the harassment, but during school that's when you're trying to find yourself, and it's little things like that that can affect us in adult life. The cases cited above should be an eye opener to legislators, educators, and students of education that bullying could victimize practically anyone. The frustrations expressed by the two victims should obligate authorities to tackle this problem seriously. But first things first, facts about bullying should be set straight. Myths about bullying must be deconstructed as shown in the next section. Myths about Bullying According to psychologist Dan Olweus, there are ten myths about bullying. To the degree that these are not addressed,... This essayb approves that regardless of the causes of bullying, the people in the receiving end of bullying had the right for protection, students and teachers alike. With this need in mind, there were several legislations passed against bullying although these by themselves are not enough. It is important for teachers and parents to consult lawyers and other legal experts about the technicalities involved with federal and state laws on bullying. For example, there is a prevailing 10-day myth on suspensions. According to this misconception, the maximum cumulative days that an offender must be suspended is 10 days. This is not entirely true. This is only true with students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act. But even if students have disabilities according to the definition provided by IDEA, if such students pose clear and present danger, the safety of other students must also be considered. Hence, the law does not preclude school administrators from disciplining such bullies beyond 10 days. This report makes a conclusion that anyone charged with a crime cannot make ignorance of laws as an excuse. Ignorantia legis neminem excusat or ignorance of the law excuses no one. Every person is presumed to know the provisions of the law. With this in mind, victims of bullies should not be afraid that the law will favor those offenders. On the part of school administrators and teachers, they ought to be informed of specific laws that will tackle and deal with problems of bullying. And they should utilize every provision of state and federal laws in favor of the victims, since bullying is an offense that should not be taken lightly.

Project #5 Human Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project #5 Human Resources - Essay Example in the fire department indicates that the success of an incentive program enables fire officers to respond extremely quickly and in a direct approach to the scenes of incident. Similarly, there is a possibility of other benefits arising to employees of a fire department who possess the necessary qualification programs. This includes a pension program that is of hefty nature and coverage. A professionally qualified officer may be provided with an identification badge as a form of promotion. This becomes part of an accomplishment and thus, a form of motivation. Determination of filling positions in reference to a degree holder must take in to account various perspectives. This is what is used to value the needs for one to be promoted to the next position. It is essential to identify those members who develop an interest for interview to fill a position. Tasks vary depending with the number of departments at every organization. It is noteworthy that the organization identifies the need of any promotion in terms of performance improvement. The importance of this technique is necessary since a variety of performance appraisal measures exists for one reason than for the