Friday, November 29, 2019

Social Media Networks Impacts on Political Communication

Introduction Social media networks have greatly influenced political communication in modern society. Its impact on political activities and governance is especially profound. In the book, the Internet Imaginaire, Patrice Flichy says the development of the internet (social media) is among the most revolutionary processes in modern society (more specifically because the internet has become a super-highway of information).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Media Networks’ Impacts on Political Communication specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More From the increasing importance of the internet, today, Flichy argues that most politicians have only joined an ongoing trend of designers, business executives, and individuals (among others) who have resorted to use social media as a technical utopia for advancing their goals. Since many people have accepted the internet as their main communication paradigm, the intern et has become widely successful in changing how politicians interact with their subjects. In sum, Flichy argues that the internet has been widely successful in politics because it transforms the interaction between leaders and their followers. From an emphasis on the Middle East political space, this paper focuses on explaining the impact of social media in the UAE political life by exploring if social media networks make leaders more visible and transparent. To have a practical understanding of this issue, this paper focuses on the social media activities of UAE’s foreign affairs minister, H.H. Abdulla Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Through an analysis of his Twitter account, this paper proposes that social media networks make political accountability easier and friendlier, as it increases the visibility and transparency of political leaders. However, to understand this fact, this study first explains how social media has created a new way to represent political leaders in the UAE. A New Way to Represent the Political Leader in the UAE Culture The social media presence of Abdulla Bin Zayed draws significant inferences from the works of Louis Marin, in the book, the King’s Portrait. Marin largely borrows from the experiences of King Louis XIV in portraying the image of a politician as an immortal onlooker (through the transformation of politicians from theological bodies to immortal political figures). Flichy contextualises this transformation through his understanding of the power that most politicians enjoy in transforming themselves to political relevance today (through social media). Marin explains the same situation, although from a historical perspective, by saying that the transformation of politicians to political relevance (through the internet) is a symbol of absolutism.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Absolutism represents a political order that redefines the meaning and status of representation by redefining the configurations of power. Broadly, Marin’s work shows how politicians achieve social control through art. The relationship between politics and art is unfamiliar for most political studies, but it symbolises the interaction between aesthetics and kingship. This relationship also stems from the interaction between state, God, and the truth. A complete symmetry of these three aspects of governance stems from the absolute achievement of sovereignty and power. Most literatures that have explored the impact of social media in the UAE political space have chronologically shown that the growth of social media has led to a shift of its use from a social paradigm to a political and civic paradigm. Recent events surrounding the Arab spring and the increased influence of civic movements in the Arab world have especially supported this change. The influence of social media in the UAE political space associates with several political and social factors, like the acceptance of divergent political views, the support of social and political changes, people’s empowerment, and the influence of social media on people’s views of the society. Across the Arab world, social media use has however introduced political change in different measures. Particularly, social media has had a huge impact on how political leaders interact with their followers. A key issue that manifests here is persuasion because it explains how political leaders interact with their followers. The role of social media in persuading people to follow a leader is a departure from the traditional role of social media as a tool for collecting signatures, or for advocating a social or political cause. Nonetheless, every political leader has a distinct reason for using social media. An analysis of Sheikh Zayed’s Twitter page shows that the uses of social media are highly dynamic (even though it should primarily i ncrease the level of interaction between political leaders and their followers). Therefore, today, social media serves to provide a more intimate/personal access to political leaders. For example, people know Sheikh Zayed more intimately through random tweets. For example, one tweet (which appears on his Twitter page) says, â€Å"Read my piece on how Sheikh Zayed’s childhood and early youth shaped his character as a leader.†Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Media Networks’ Impacts on Political Communication specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Such tweets offer a personal insight into the life of the political leader. Despite providing a personal touch to political leadership, social media also provides a platform where people can be entertained and informed about political events. For example, in Sheikh Zayed’s Twitter account, there is a lot of information regarding the dangers of driving, the importance of eating healthy, personal inspiration (among other factors). In sum, social media has helped to package political leaders differently, by presenting them as multifaceted individuals with a more personal touch (than before). This platform gives them visibility in their public lives. Too Much Visibility While social media offers immense advantages to businesses, political institutions, individuals, and political leaders, it also has its disadvantages. A common disadvantage is too much visibility. In the past, visibility was mainly limited to the presence of individuals on one location and at a specific time. However, with the development of social media communication, people do not have to be at the same place and at the same time to be visible; online presence gives them this visibility. This new form of visibility has a huge impact on the relationship between visibility and power because it may destroy or build the reputation of politicians. However, smart political leaders seek the services of third parties, like public relations (PR) firms, to manage this new level of representation and exploit it to their advantage. Usually, such political leaders use this platform to create a strong support base for their political causes. Relative to the above assertion, Abdulla Bin Zayed uses his visibility on his Twitter page to create a strong support base for his official duties. As the minister of foreign affairs, Abdulla Bin Zayed uses his Twitter account to communicate positive issues about the UAE. For example, his Twitter account has the following tweets, â€Å"Abu Dhabi is the world’s fourth favourite city, ranked behind only New York, London, and Paris.† â€Å"American University in Paris receives anonymous donation from UAE in honour of late educator.† These tweets report positive issues (such as security, development, tourism, and charitable matters) about the UAE and some of its cities. A positive portrayal of the UAE also complements his role as an ambassador for the government (especially in his capacity as the minister for foreign affairs). Depending on the contextual framework, too much visibility may be a positive and negative thing for social media users. For example, for political leaders, too much visibility is a positive thing because political leaders are public figures and the higher their visibility, the better they achieve political effectiveness. Even though some political leaders use social media for the right reasons, the proper management of increased public attention may expose such leaders to new risks.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More New risks create new areas of fragility for political leaders because even though the smart ones manage this visibility to their advantage, they cannot have an absolute control over social media issues. Therefore, their efforts to exploit social media may still work to their disadvantage. The public may however enjoy increased political transparency through social media. Increased Transparency in the UAE Political Life – A Social Media Analysis The role of social media in increasing the level of transparency in the political life of the UAE largely stems from its influence in determining how people share information (its implication on governance is usually very profound). Social media therefore introduces new risks and opportunities for the UAE political space because on one hand, political leaders may use this platform to influence people’s perceptions, but on the other hand, the same platform has greatly empowered the people to question and criticise political activ ities in the country. Therefore, through an angry blog or tweet, someone can easily tarnish the name of a political leader. While many political leaders have understood these inherent risks and opportunities, they cannot afford to be complacent. Increased transparency is therefore one issue that political leaders cannot wish away. While traditional communication channels included extreme barriers of bureaucracy and lack of access to political leaders, social media has broken down these barriers and made leaders more accessible to the electorate. This way, the electorate finds it easy to question their leaders. In turn, the leaders have become more accountable and transparent in their political and professional activities. A tweet from Abdulla Bin Zayed’s account confirms the above assertion because it contains evidence of public complaints and responses to such complaints (increased accountability). For example, one person said, â€Å"believe it or not; they called to tell m e that they credit the money back based on my complaint.† This tweet shows an interesting dynamic of social media communication in politics because it highlights a seamless communication between the electorate and political leaders. In the past, this type of communication was one-sided (from the political leaders to the electorate). A transformed communication framework outlines one aspect of Flichy’s argument (in the book, the internet Imaginaire) that captures the essence of this paper – redefining information sources. Through a constructivist model, Flichy says the transformation of communication (through the internet) means that information does not have to originate from only one source. Instead, people may interact freely without experiencing the traditional communication barriers held by politicians and mainstream media. This assertion largely explains the nature of information in the Twitter account of Abdulla Bin Zayed because most of the content (tweets ) appearing in his pages do not necessarily originate from him. The potentials that social media and other internet platforms hold for politicians create a huge bulk of the arguments presented by Flichy because he says that the internet has helped politicians to transform mask utopia to liberal ideology. This argument mentions the role of social media in transforming the political causes of some US politicians, such as Al Gore, who used the internet to transform mask utopia to liberal ideology. Nonetheless, evidence of unbiased information sources of interaction also exists between other Middle Eastern leaders and their subjects. In sum, this level of interaction shows that social media has greatly increased the level of transparency in political governance in the Middle East. Conclusion After weighing the findings of this paper, we can affirm that social media networks increase the level of political accountability and transparency in the Middle East. Evidence from Abdulla Bin Zaye d’s Twitter account also shows that social media has helped to package political leaders as more humane, fun, and entertaining. However, the main goal of a political leader, in using social media, is to persuade their followers to be more familiar with their thinking. As leaders strive to achieve this objective, they should use the increased visibility they get through social media to advance their ideologies and relate better with their followers. Marin says that the proper use of social media may immortalise the relevance of political leaders because they can re-invent themselves this way. Comprehensively, smart political leaders identify the right types of conversations (that promote their cause) and engage their audiences accordingly. This attempt should be followed with extreme persuasion because the value of social media exists here – persuading the electorate. This essay on Social Media Networks’ Impacts on Political Communication was written and submitted by user Jeram1ah to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

The Marxist Perspective on Crime Essays

The Marxist Perspective on Crime Essays The Marxist Perspective on Crime Paper The Marxist Perspective on Crime Paper In sociology, deviance refers to behaviours or actions which are considered abnormal and undesirable; in other words, they contravene cultural/social norms (for example swearing in public). At a certain point in time, a society may decide that some specific acts are so undesirable that they warrant punishment. When laws are passed against deviant acts, they become crimes (for example murder). In this essay, I will look at the Marxist perspective and how it has contributed to the study and understanding of crime and deviance. Whilst Functionalism is a perspective based on value consensus, Marxism holds at its core the theory of conflict and class struggle in society. According to Marx, there is a fundamental division between what he sees are the two classes of society: the capitalists (or bourgeoisie), who own the means of production (e. g. oney, property, raw materials capital) and the working-class, who do not own capital. From a Marxist point of view, the proletariat and the bourgeoisie hold conflicting positions for example, factory workers will inevitably wish for high wages, whilst factory owners will want to maximise their profits by paying workers as little as possible. Marxist criminology is based around the view that crime is a product of the fundamental class conflict in capitalist societies. Marxists argue that the structural-conflict model of capitalism systematically generates crime by holding at its centre severe social inequalities whilst encouraging people to strive for monetary success. The nature of the system is competitive, promoting personal gain rather than collective well-being; it often leads to the exploitation of millions for the profit of a few. Right across the social spectrum, people are persuaded of the importance of material possessions through adverts of the latest fashion item and through the medias portrayal of exclusive lifestyles. Echoing Mertons strain theory, Marxists argue that those with barriers to success, from the businessman to the factory worker, are pressured to break the law in order to achieve the material desires which capitalism encourages. Marxs theory of alienation can be applied to those crimes which have no apparent financial gain, explaining them as an expression of the frustration produced by demeaning and unsatisfying work. For those who are most affected by the systems unequal distribution of wealth, crime can be seen simply as a means for survival. According to Marxists, the state passes laws which protect the interests and reflect the ideology of the ruling class the many laws which protect private property, the essence of capitalism, reflect the expansion of business and trade. They argue that laws which appear to be in the interest of the subject class are in fact just concessions and are there to create a false consciousness, an illusion of equality; they are in place to maintain the power of the ruling class and to keep the subject class under control. From a Marxist point of view, there is a systematic bias in favour of those at the top, and this is evident when looking at how laws are enforced. White-collar crimes, such as corporate/financial frauds, are rarely discovered and even more rarely prosecuted, despite the fact that they can have devastating effects; on the other hand, more visible street crimes are severely punished by the agents of social control. Moreover, people have unequal access to a fair trial having the money to pay for a good lawyer can mean the difference between being found guilty or not guilty. In this light, Marxists play down the significance of official statistics, which predominantly record blue-collar crimes, claiming that they are a social construction and that they do not reflect the truth. Radical criminology, a strand of neo-Marxism, developed in the 1970s through the work of Ian Taylor, Paul Walton and Jock Young as an alternative perspective to traditional Marxist criminology. Like traditional Marxists, they see the economy as the most important part of society and they believe that the inequalities in wealth and power between individuals in capitalist societies are the root cause of crime. However, unlike Marxists, they reject theories suggesting that external forces can direct human behaviour (for example the strain to anomie). Taylor et al insist that crimes are often deliberate acts with political motives, and that deviants are not just the passive victims of capitalism, but that they are actively fighting and trying to alter capitalism. By looking at the states role in the process of criminalisation, radical criminology draws both on Marxism and Interactionism in an attempt to produce a fully social theory of deviance. However, it has been criticised for failing to provide any substantial theories of crime and for offering a utopian socialist model as an alternative to capitalism. New left realism developed in the early 1980s both to compensate for some of the weaknesses of previous Marxist and neo-Marxist theories and to respond to a rise in zero tolerance right-wing policies. Left realists differentiate themselves from Marxists and left idealists by emphasising the significance of working-class street crime and by studying its effect on its victims. John Lea and Jock Young point to evidence from the British Crime Survey that there has been a massive increase in street crime since the Second World War. Whilst agreeing that crime is closely linked to deprivation, they reject the view that poverty is directly responsible for crime, arguing that unemployment levels in the 1930s were high, yet the crime rate was low compared to the 1980s. Their explanation of crime is based around the concepts of relative deprivation, subculture and marginalisation. According to Lea and Young, deprivation leads to crime when experienced as relative deprivation. When one feels deprived compared to someone else, they may use illegal means to feel less disadvantaged. As well as explaining property and financial crime, relative deprivation can be used to explain violent crime: relative deprivation can create frustration and aggression. The concept of subculture is explained by Lea and Young as a collective response to a groups problem. If a group sufferers from relative deprivation, it may adopt a lifestyle which to cope with their problem, either illegally or legally. The concept of marginalisation refers to groups at the margins of society, those without socio-political representation and clearly defined objectives. Typically, unemployed youths of minority ethnic groups resort to crime as an expression of their resentment to a society which doesnt offer them anything. Essentially, left realism is criticised for failing to explain the causes of crime it relies extensively on victimisation statistics and only takes into account the views of victims on certain issues. Also, left realism fails to explain why some people who suffer from relative deprivation commit crime and others do not. However, it has highlighted the importance of understanding street crime and has influenced crime tackling policies. The traditional Marxist perspective on crime has been essential in illustrating the many flaws of capitalism and pointing out that crime is not exclusively a working class phenomenon. In many respects, however, it has a rather simplistic view on the relations of power in capitalist societies. Moreover, it is in large part race and gender blind, and it emphasises the significance of corporate crime at the expense of other crimes. Most importantly of all, perhaps, it wrongly assumes that a communist system would eliminate crime. Despite these criticisms, Marxism has produced a basis for the understanding of crime and has influenced numerous new approaches which further enrich the study of crime and deviance.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Against Capital Punishment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Against Capital Punishment - Research Paper Example The whole purpose of criminal justice system is to rehabilitate criminals but capital punishment defeats this very purpose. Killing a criminal means that state believes there is no chance a criminal can improve. Capital punishment therefore should not be permissible because it is not found to be effective, can result in killing of an innocent person and defeats the concept of rehabilitation. Studies have proved that crime rate does not decrease as a result of administration of capital punishment. A comparison between two states of similar culture and crime rate has shown that execution does not deter crime (Zimring, Fagan, & Johnson 2009). This comparison was made between two states, one with capital punishment law and other without it. This clearly shows that killing a person does not produce the widely argued ‘deterrence’ effect. Killing a person cannot decrease crime rate and therefore the main argument that is made in favor of capital punishment is rejected. There are many other motivators of crimes therefore death punishment alone cannot reduce crime rates significantly. A criminal is not thinking rationally when he or she commits a crime therefore it is impossible to stop criminal behavior just by the threat of capital punishment. The argument of deterrence can also work if capital punishment is prohibited. A lifelong sentence in prison can also deter a criminal so there is no need for capital punishment. Sometimes capital punishment is not justified for certain types of criminals. For example serial killers and serial rappers should be forced to live all their life in confinement. This should be more appropriate for them as killing them at once will only end their life but lifelong confinement will hurt them daily. The concept of retribution, therefore, can also be well served by abolishing capital punishment. Research has also suggested that bad prison conditions

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

I've attached the file Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

I've attached the file - Essay Example joyed as a result of concentrating activities near a certain facility for instance, a source of raw materials, transport facility, an institution of higher learning and many others. Localization aids in reducing an enterprise’s expenses such as transport cost and damage on raw materials resulting from long distance transportation. Spatial equilibrium assumption is the notion that firms and workers are different across space and the research on urban areas is distinct from that of nations. Basically, urban economists recognize the existence of agglomeration economies which arise when productivity increase with density; however, assessing the enormity of those economies is a real challenge. The assumption of the existence of a baseline spatial equilibrium provides a map to understanding the role of agglomeration on the economy. In essence, the assumption gives a projection of how workers and firms can cooperate to ensure maximum benefits. Additionally, one gets an overview of urban economics which assists in handling the economic issues at hand. Consequently, the assumption assists in identifying the empirical regularities in urban economics, for instance, people are more productive in dense population and that high wage in urban areas are usually counterbalanced by high cost of

Monday, November 18, 2019

Occupational Safety and Health Law Handbook Essay

Occupational Safety and Health Law Handbook - Essay Example Section 9(a) of OSHA provides that all citations should reasonably be issued promptly. The limitation period for issuing citations is six months. Therefore, no citation can be vacated within the period unless the delay prejudiced the employer1. The employer has the burden of proving that the delay hindered his preparation and presentation of the defense. The second defense available to an employer is that the affected employees were not vulnerable to the condition cited (Schneid & Schumann, 2007). The Act requires that any citation must establish that either the employees were exposed to, or there was a potential for their exposure to the hazard in question. Furthermore, the Act requires that either the employer be in control of the hazard or create it. On this latter requirement, the employer could argue that he was unaware of the condition or could not have known the same despite exercising due diligence2. It could also suffice to argue that no hazardous condition prevails at the workplace. There is the assumption that a hazardous condition exists at the workplace if what is violated is a â€Å"specification† standard (e.g. a guardrail in all working surfaces above four feet). Therefore, OSHA must prove that there existed a hazardous condition to justify the citation (Schneid & Schumann, 2007). The level of risk must be significant, which means that the employer should know of the hazardous condition requiring protective equipment3. Therefore, the employer has to be a reasonable person conversant with the industry and safety requirements. If OSHA does not prove this standard, the citation is bound to

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Can Calcium Help with Weight Loss and Maintenance?

Can Calcium Help with Weight Loss and Maintenance? As we all know, calcium plays an important role in the protection and production of the bodys teeth and bones. An important question, we as nutritionists are wondering is, can calcium help with weight maintenance, weight loss, and obesity? We looked at several studies based on this question. The first study looked at the effects of weight, loss of a high-calcium energy, reduced diet on the biomarkers of inflammatory stress, fibrinolysis, and endothelial function in obese subjects. There were 35 subjects who lost at least 3% of initial body weight involved in this study. The study lasted a total of 16 weeks. The subjects were split up into two groups. One group was the high-calcium diet (HCD) group and the other was the low-calcium diet (LCD) group (Torres, M. R. S. G., and Sanjuliani, A. F., 2013). The HCD group was measured in a calcium intake of 1,200 1,300 mg/day, whereas the LCD group was measured in a calcium intake of less than 500 mg/day. Both on the diets followed the same intake for protein (22%), fat (28%), carbohydrates (50%), and 19 grams of fiber. The only difference in the diets was the HCD group received 60 grams/day of a non-fat powdered milk. The results indicated that those on the HCD had a greater reduction in the waist to hip ratio and waist circumfe rence. Both groups had similar reductions in the biomarkers. Therefore, an HCD helped to reduce waist circumference, but had no benefit in the biomarkers of inflammation, fibrinolysis, and endothelial function. According to this study, there seems to be a need for further research on the effectiveness of increased calcium in the diet and its correlation to weight loss and weight management (Torres, M. R. S. G., and Sanjuliani, A. F., 2013). Calcium plays a major role in accelerating fat and weight loss, especially in overweight and obese adults with calcium deficiency (Zhu et al., 2013). The authors of this second study looked at calcium and vitamin D supplements among overweight and obese college students to prevent fat storage and improve metabolic functions. In their randomized control study, 53 adults participated in the study and they were assigned 600 milligrams of calcium with 125 IU of vitamin D. The study was 12 weeks long to determine the effectiveness of supplementation in weight management, and involved a control group. The results showed that the calcium and vitamin D group had a decreased body fat and visceral fat level, but no changes in weight when compared to the control group. These findings suggest that the weight loss program can motivate adults to lose body fat along with further restrictions. It seems that further research is needed to address the dosage of calcium and vitamin D supplements in prom oting weight management among adults (Zhu et al., 2013). A systematic review conducted by Onakpoya, Perry, Zhang and Ernst (2011) looked at calcium supplementation as it relates to weight loss. Calcium carbonate and calcium citrate are commonly used dietary supplements and may influence weight loss. The investigators electronically searched for randomized, double-blind, placebo control studies in their review. A total of 729 participants could be included in this review. A forest plot of the seven main randomized control trials used in this review demonstrated that a small, significantly greater reduction in body fat was associated with calcium as it was compared with a placebo (Onakpoya, Perry, Zhang, Ernst, 2011). The researchers determined that the effect of calcium supplementation is small and not clinically relevant because less than 5% of total body weight at baseline was lost with calcium supplementation (Onakpoya Perry, Zhang, Ernst, 2011). This review shows that calcium supplementation for at least six months can have a small effe ct on weight loss, however, the researchers warn that the information obtained from the studies may not be completely accurate. The good news is, no adverse effects from calcium supplementation were reported in any of the randomized control trials (Onakpoya, Perry, Zhang, Ernst, 2011). It appears supplementing with calcium at recommended dietary intakes may help in weight loss but it is not a miracle drug. According to the three articles mentioned above, calcium does not seem to be a significant factor in weight loss and management. In the studies, there was often less than a 5% reduction in body weight, leading to the insignificance of a higher calcium diet. Further research needs to be conducted in order to better understand if a higher calcium diet is important in weight management. References Onakpoya, I.J., Perry, R., Zhang, J., Ernst, E. (2011). Efficacy of calcium supplementation for management of overweight and obesity: systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Nutrition Reviews. 69, 335-343. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21631515 Torres, M. R. S. G., and Sanjuliani, A. F., 2013. Effects of weight loss from a high-calcium energy reduced diet on biomarkers of inflammatory stress, fibrinolysis, and endothelial function in obese subjects. Nutrition Journal. 29. 143-151. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23010419 Zhu, W., Cai, D., Wang, Y., Lin, N., Hu, Q., Qi, Y., †¦ Amarasekara, S. (2013). Calcium plus vitamin D3 supplementation facilitated Fat loss in overweight and obese college students with very- low calcium consumption: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrition Journal, 12, 8. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3599592/

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Richard Florida’s The Rise of the Creative Class and Joy Malnar and Frank Vodvarka’s Sensory Design :: Creativity Sensory Design Rise Creative Essays

Richard Florida’s The Rise of the Creative Class and Joy Malnar and Frank Vodvarka’s Sensory Design Of all my positive attributes, creativity is not one of them. I think of creativity as the ability to come up with new things, using one’s imagination to create beauty, induce laughter, and/or provoke emotion. My jokes are always corny, my drawing skills are comparable to a toddler’s, and I suck at telling stories. â€Å"Creative† definitely does not describe me. Richard Florida, in The Rise of the Creative Class, describes creativity as a separate entity from intelligence, and I totally agree. He also describes it as something acquired through experience. I have always been a nerd, but that doesn’t make me a creative genius—and my tunnel vision hasn’t helped either. Florida mocked me with these words: â€Å"Creativity is favored by an intellect that has been enriched with diverse experiences and perspectives.† I thought that creativity was something you were born with, and that I just wasn’t present when God was giving it out. Florida describes that theory as the â€Å"romantic myth of creative genius,† and says that creativity is inherent in all people. Ordinary abilities foster creativity. I never thought of it that way. Richard Florida also goes on to say that creativity is energy-absorbing, tiring work. To come to think of it, it can be very laborious. My husband likes to design clothing, and sometimes he stares into space for hours daydreaming. Suddenly, he’d sprint into the bedroom, grab his notebook and start drawing. He could eat up a whole pencil, eraser and all, for that one drawing. Beads of sweat would form on his brow, and the nerve in the middle of his forehead would protrude. And I’d know to keep our daughter away and leave him at peace. You see, I think my husband is creative. He’s got a great sense of humor, and he’s an artist. Geniuses like Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison were not only smart, but they also devised new theories, solved mathematical mysteries, and pioneered new gadgets.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Iroquis Theater

Theatre Fire changed the way we now regulate codes for many buildings. Some codes that were done due to the fire are explained thoroughly in this paper. Two online articles were used to write the paper. Iroquois Theatre Fire could have been prevented, but due to what happened at the theatre we now have mandatory codes every public building must follow before opening, making patrons safe. Rushing the construction was a bad decision; filling the theatre above Its capacity as an even worse mistake.Government officials made sure all these new regulations were followed through after the fire. On a Wednesday afternoon a fire that would change the codes for many public buildings happened at Iroquois Theatre. Many people called the theatre â€Å"fireproof†, but that wasn't the case that Monday afternoon. While many people watched the second act of a play, the fire started. A spark from a malfunctioning light ignited a drop curtain and it spread quickly catching thousands of square fee t on fire.Due to ruddier construction to open the theatre right away, roof vents had been sealed off, preventing the heat, smoke and gases from escaping the fire causing many people to die. A fire curtain was supposed to be lowered in case of fire, but the stagehand trained to do so was out sick. These made many government officials think of how codes are important to prevent many deaths, or a fire. Reasons why we have exit signs on top of exits were because of the Iroquois Theatre Fire.Iroquois Theatre Fire caused 602 lives to leave to heaven when a fire like that could have been prevented y many ways. Many law, regulations, and codes were made due to this fire, which changed our lives. Due to these regulations a fire can be handled the right way and people can get out of buildings faster. A regulation that is mandatory for buildings to have now is an exit sign on top of doors and clearly marked, and operable easily. In the theatre fire there was fire exits, but were either blocked or not marked to keep out unpaid patron out.Now fire exits are mandatory to be in a building and clearly marked. At the time fire sprinklers were a new thing, due to the rushed construction the theatre didn't have them, fire sprinklers are now a mandatory for theatre stages. It Is said the sprinklers could have raised the chances of this fire spreading as fast as It did, now buildings aren't allow to open If fire sprinklers aren't In the ceiling. The City of Chicago also rewrote its fire code to mandate outward-swinging doors In theaters, which now makes it safe for people to walk out of places In case of a fire happening.A crash bar was made for all public building's doors making It easy to run out of a building. On that night after workers couldn't extinguish the fire people started to go crazy and couldn't get out. All doors were blocked as people were trying to get out, due to having more people than the occupancy allowed. Since doors were blocked people stomped on each other t o force their way out. The fire wasn't the reason why many deaths happened, people stomping on each other killed many to the people.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Understanding the Victim Complex

Understanding the Victim Complex In clinical psychology, a â€Å"victim complex† or â€Å"victim mentality† describes a personality trait of persons who believe they are constantly the victims of the harmful actions of others, even when made aware of evidence to the contrary. Most people go through normal periods of simple self-pity, as part of the grieving process, for example. However, these episodes are temporary and minor compared to the perpetual feelings of helplessness, pessimism, guilt, shame, despair, and depression that consume the lives of persons afflicted with a victim complex. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for people who have actually been victims of physically abusive or manipulative relationships to fall prey to  a universal victim mentality. Victim Complex vs. Martyr Complex   Sometimes associated with the term victim complex, persons diagnosed with a â€Å"martyr complex† actually desire the feelings of repeatedly being the victim. They sometimes seek out, even encourage, their own victimization in order to either satisfy a psychological need or as an excuse to avoid personal responsibility. Persons diagnosed with a martyr complex often knowingly place themselves in situations or relationships most likely to result in their suffering. Outside of the theological context, which holds that martyrs are persecuted as punishment for their refusal to reject a religious doctrine or deity, persons with a martyr complex seek to suffer in the name of love or duty. The martyr complex is sometimes associated with the personality disorder called â€Å"masochism,† regarded as a preference for and the pursuit of suffering.   In this sense, psychologists often observe the martyr complex in persons involved in abusive or codependent relationships. Fed by their perceived misery, persons with a martyr complex will often reject advice or offers to help them. Common Traits of Victim Complex Sufferers Persons diagnosed with a victim complex tend to dwell on every trauma, crisis, disease, or another difficulty that they have ever suffered, particularly those that happened during their childhoods. Often seeking a survival technique, they have come to believe that society simply â€Å"has it out for them.† In this sense, they passively submit to their unavoidable â€Å"fate† as perpetual victims as a way of coping with problems from tragic to trivial. Some common traits of persons with a victim complex include: They refuse to accept responsibility for dealing with their problems.They never accept any degree of blame for their problems.They always find reasons why suggested solutions will not work.They carry grudges, never forgive, and simply cannot â€Å"move on.†They are rarely assertive and find it hard to express their needs.They believe everyone is â€Å"out to get them† and thus trust no one.They are negative and pessimistic, always looking for the bad even in the good.They are often highly critical of others and rarely enjoy lasting friendships. According to psychologists, victim complex sufferers employ these â€Å"safer to flee than fight† beliefs as a method of coping with or completely avoiding life and its inherent difficulties. As noted behavioral scientist, author and speaker Steve Maraboli puts it, â€Å"The victim mindset dilutes the human potential. By not accepting personal responsibility for our circumstances, we greatly reduce our power to change them.† The Victim Complex in Relationships In relationships, a partner with a victim complex can cause extreme emotional chaos. The â€Å"victim† may constantly ask their partner to help them only to reject their suggestions or even find ways to sabotage them. In some cases, the â€Å"victim† will actually wrongly criticize their partner for failing to help, or even accuse them of trying to make their situation worse. As a result of this frustrating cycle, victims become experts at manipulating or bullying their partners into making draining attempts at care-giving ranging from financial support to assuming full responsibility for their lives. In this sense, bullies - looking for someone to take advantage of - often seek persons with a victim complex as their partners.  Ã‚   Perhaps the most likely to suffer lasting damage from these relationships are partners whose pity for the victim transcends sympathy to become empathy. In some cases, the dangers of misguided empathy can be the end of already tenuous relationships. When Victims Meet Saviors Along with bullies looking to dominate them, persons with a victim complex often attract partners with a â€Å"savior complex† looking to â€Å"fix† them. According to psychologists, persons with a savior or â€Å"Messiah† complex feel a consuming need to save other people. Often sacrificing their own needs and well-being, they seek out and attach themselves to people who they believe desperately need their help. Believing they are doing â€Å"the noble thing† in trying to â€Å"save† people while asking nothing in return, saviors often consider themselves better than everyone else. While the savior partner is certain they can help them, their victim partners are equally certain they cannot. Worse yet, victim partners with a martyr complex - happy in their misery - will stop at nothing to make sure they fail. Whether the savior’s motives in helping are pure or not, their actions can be harmful. Incorrectly believing their savior partner will â€Å"make them whole† the victim partner feels no need to take responsibility for his or her own actions and never develop the internal motivation to do so. For the victim, any positive changes will be temporary, while negative changes will be permanent and potentially devastating. Where to Look for Advice All of the conditions discussed in this article are true mental health disorders. As with medical problems, advice on mental disorders and potentially dangerous relationships should be sought only from certified mental health care professionals.   In the United States, registered professional psychologists are certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPA). Lists of certified psychologists or psychiatrists in your area can typically be obtained from your state or local health agency. In addition, your primary care doctor is a good person to ask if you think you may need to see somebody about your mental health. Sources Andrews, Andrea LPC NCC, â€Å"The Victim Identity, Traversing the Inner Terrain,† Physiology Today (February 24, 2011)  Davis, Sheldon E. (September 1945). What Are Modern Martyrs Worth?. Peabody Journal of Education.Seligman, David B. (May 1970). Masochism. Australasian Journal of Philosophy.Johnson, Paul E. (January 1970). The emotional health of the clergy. Journal of Religion and Health.Braiker, Harriet B., Whos Pulling Your Strings? How to Break the Cycle of Manipulation (2006)Aquino and K. Byron, ‘Dominating interpersonal behavior and perceived victimization in groups: Evidence for a curvilinear relationship’, Journal of Management.Messiah Complex Psychology. Flowpsychology.Dangerous delusions: The Messiah Complex and Jerusalem Syndrome. Freethought Nation.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Logic - Features Of Argumentation Essays - Critical Thinking

Logic - Features Of Argumentation Essays - Critical Thinking Logic - Features Of Argumentation Features of Argumentation The logic of everyday argumentation should be based upon common data or information that is accepted by everyone. A warrant need to be used in order to relate the evidence that is presented in an argument to the claim that is being made. When creating an argument, one usually uses grounds that are well known by their peers of the same field of study. In this way, most arguments are specific to a certain area of study; however, information that is considered common knowledge is easily warranted in other fields of study besides philosophy. Once an argument is written, a very important warrant is distinguishable. The language that is used in the argument can be interpreted as grounds for the actual argument. The style that is used represent how strongly the author believes in the argument, and where their position is on the conclusion of the claim as well as playing an enormous part in convincing the reader to think further about the claim that is being presented. A claim is presented that give a possible conclusion to an argument and then evidence is presented that supports the claim. This is not enough for a, Complex academic argument, the author also has to create warrants that link the evidence to the claim being made. Often times a narrative can is used as a basic warrant. In this method the author gives details and describes events and situations that can establish a relationship between the grounds being made about the claim. A Complex Academic Argument, is based on a claim and the grounds that are made to support it. In previous papers I have used this technique in supporting my argument. The mistake that I made in the past was that I always to a pro or con position. A Complex Academic Argument, only gives the reader a single view on a subject, not an overall decision of pro or con. Bibliography none

Monday, November 4, 2019

Distracted Driving in The United States Research Paper

Distracted Driving in The United States - Research Paper Example Various laws and legislations have been implemented in different states of US but this still remains an uphill task for the states. Various new recommendations and options are coming up in the shape of laws. Slowly and gradually this problem will be overcome by introducing safety measures and educating the youngsters. There have been incidents of mobile usage that resulted in loss of lives. There was a high school girl Alex Brown who lost her life to texting while driving. So her parents are eager to create awareness of texting while driving after losing their daughter. Her parents have made a website for educating people on distractions caused by texting while driving (â€Å"Remember Alex Brown foundation†). Chirping mobile phones are less expected to make flying dangerous. It endangers the lives of other onboard passengers. Comparatively danger is more on ground and these electronic devices have killed people on the roads. As per the department of transportation, chatting dr ivers are exposed four times to a crash. If we compare the reaction of an alcohol drunk driver with a driver using mobile phone then the distraction from a cell phone using driver slows and equals to a legally drunk individual (Carlson). Texting while driving is more dangerous than texting while driving. Looking down on any object or receiving and sending messages during driving is foolish. According to research carried out at Virginia Tech Institute, a driver takes his eyes off the road for approximately 5 seconds while sending or reading a text message. In this time, driver covers about length of a football field at 55 mph (Carlson). If we observe handling of mobile phone while driving then it is clear that it attracts total attention of drier. While reading text it catches visual attraction. Physical distraction is there when one is holding the phone in hand and mental distraction when concentrating on the material it shows on screen. So, it takes complete attention of the driver (Simon). Today the number one reason of auto accidents is distracted driving. The percentage has touched the alarming stage in recent past. Distracted driving has become the number one safety concern of road driving. Transportation secretary named distracted driving as â€Å"epidemic†. Now Toyota motors is spending about 50 million US dollars on research on issues associated with distracted driving. They named it as â€Å"growing cause of accidents.† National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released some facts and figures at the end of conference which shows that more than 5800 people died and about 515000 were injured last year due to distracted driving. Other studies show that technological advancement has proven to be a major factor in traffic accidents (O’ Donnell). Statistics also show that texting has become the most accurate and very famous form of communication. People send or receive about 110 billion text messages per month. According to a survey, about 11 percent of teens have admitted the habit of texting during driving. Other reason for popularity of texting is that it is very short. That is why drivers believe it is the quickest form of communication from behind the wheels. Studies do not confirm this mind set rather it is proved that how exposed one is to accident while texting during driving. Even at slower speed the risk of accident is high (O’ Donnell). The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) has gathered data regarding

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Week 1 discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Week 1 discussion - Assignment Example One of the modern day’s innovations is a laptop. It is a portable computer, which has the capability of storing power for usage. It satisfies the innovative characteristic of novelty to the market arena (Shehabuddeen, 2007). Kocarey (2012) depicts that laptops are new products of the twentieth century, and constantly, new features are introduced in their design, an example is a webcam device (p.26). It is an example of a continuous evolutionary innovation. Bicycles are other examples of innovative products. Bicycle is a movable device, with two wheels, joined together by a straight metallic object, and navigated by use of a steering. There are many designs of bicycle products, and examples include mountain bikes, and utility bicycles. It is an example of a continuous evolutionary innovation. Its pace of innovation is high due to market competitions, and emerging needs. Photocopiers are an example of a revolutionary innovation. This is a machine that uses xerography or inkjet technology to produce copies of images (Deller et al, 2003). This kind of innovation satisfies the concept of market strategy as a characteristic of an innovation. This innovation amounts to risk taking since it introduces new technology into the market. Television set is an example of a continuous evolutionary innovation. A television set is electronic equipment that has devices such as a turner, speaker and a screen, for purposes of displaying a picture and a message (Deller et al, 2003). Over time, television sets have evolved from analogue to digital systems. One of the characteristics it displays is the intensity of the idea in place. The idea in place is a game changer, since digital productions are complex in nature, ensuring the production of high quality images. Mobile handsets are other examples of an innovation. This is an example of a continuous evolutionary innovation, and they emanate