Platos Republic and Modern Day Totalitarian Politics Term Paper

Platos Republic and Modern Day Totalitarian Politics - Term Paper Example In the contemporary society, every individual identifies themselves to political legitimacy while, elected leaders believe their election provides them with a political mandate, and also legitimacy. Conversely, authoritarian leaders or politicians believe their decisions are in line with citizen’s interest and suggest their rule only prevails until the citizens can take over. Hence, when viewed in popular discourse, it can be said that authoritarians too claim that their legitimacy is depended on a popular mandate. Most leaders, and especially dictators often reiterate that their acts are not against the popular legitimacy. Plato is viewed as being anti-democracy, and among the originators of the school of thought of totalitarianism. Plato himself believed it is ideal to appoint one supreme guardian also referred to as, the philosopher king (Michels 522). This according to Plato should be individuals withholding proper education and is competent to implement legislative polici es. Further, as reiterated by Plato, the philosopher king needs to be someone incorruptible as a result of his own desire being, knowledge. The Republic described by Plato presents various dialogues between Socrates and other observers in regard to political theory resonating with a just state. Plato never believed in democracy and focused on a perception that not every individual in the society had the ability to make wise choices or decisions. As stated by Socrates, the Platonic principle revolves around a few people within a just city considered possessing wisdom. Further, the Platonic principle suggests that the majority should place their trust in the few people whose desire is truth and wisdom, to provide leadership. In addition, such people are considered to be rational, and as a result, provide a ruling cadre that is just, and ensure the city that they rule is also just (Michels 526). According to Plato, Justice is not a tenet for the ruling within a capitalist society, and contribute minimally within a democratic republic. Plato never admired or believed in money since he regarded its power as corrupting the mind. Plato believed the society would exist in harmony without the presence of money. When a question was raised in the Republic of how the city could protect itself, yet there is no money, Socrates responded that the neighbouring cities would come to their aid if promised what remains after a war. In the world today, as part of advancing democratic principles, war is seen as a source of amassing national wealth. In essence, leaders who are motivated, not by justice often find means for rationalizing their immoral actions and use the ends for purposes of justifying the means. As a result, The Republic advocated for a view where morality should outweigh rationality (Brooks 51).The Plato’s assertion of leaving power into the few chosen who have the wisdom and desire to make the right choice can be associated with the emergence of totalitaria nism in the modern world. Individuals gain power today and form a belief system that power is a reserve for a few and establishes a dynasty, as a result. A number of governments across the world that today practice a totalitarian rule push their way into power as a result of popular consent from the population believing in their ability to make wise choices for the benefit of the entire population.  Ã‚  

Ecology Report of Brighami Rockii Essay Example for Free

Ecology Report of Brighami Rockii Essay Any region with significant level of biodiversity exposed to threat of destruction can have severe deforestation and other forms of agricultural clearing like logging, charcoal-making, etc. Due to this degradation of its ecological habitats, such region may become a home for critically endangered endemic species. Researchers have it that the less rainforest a given region has, the greater the proportion of endangered species it hosts. In Hawaii, two native plants were identified as the most critically endangered species. Brighamia rockii Brighamia insignis are endemic to the region. Both of these species are similar to each other except their respective colors. Both of them also have succulent stems that function as water storage allowing them to sustain amidst drought season. B. rockii though is different in color. It is a native plant with purple trunks that develops in its early stage, while B. insignis does not change its color at all. B. Rockii can grow spectacularly as a branched plant 1 to 5 meters tall along with its thick succulent stems that narrows from the base. It has elliptical leaves that forms and looks like the head of a cabbage. B. Rockii produces fragrant flowers that have corollas in white and anthers which are grouped in three to eight in its axils. Few of the associated species of B. rockii are Metrosideros polymorpha (ohia), Canthium odoratum (alahee), Diospyros sandwicensis (lama), Osteomeles anthyllidifolia (ulei), and Scaevola gaudichaudii (naupaka). B. Rockii is an endemic native plant that belongs to the family of bellflowers known as Campanulaceae. Its common names are alula, ‘olulu, pu aupaka and pua ‘ala. B. Rockii is also tagged with taxonomic synonyms namely, Brighamia remyi, Brighamia rockii fa. and Longiloba Known to have been extinct, this plant is only found on sea cliffs in the island of Moloka (Hannon 2002; Wagner 1999) i. Its natural habitats, however, are coastal dry forests, moist shrub lands above sea level up to 470 meters elevation. B. rockii is common to Molokai and extends to the northern part of the island – Kalaupapa to Halawa. However, just recently, it has been found out that it has become an almost died out specie in Lanai and Maui. Hand pollination for cultivated plants allows its seed production to increase because its native pollinator are also extinct. Similarly, for the Brighamia to be hand pollinated, the use of a small paint brush is needed to transfer the pollen grains. When the flowers of B. Rockii are yet a few days old, the pollen will begin to drop. The paint brush can then be used to pick up the pollens that fell onto the flower tube and place it over to another flower’s stigma. This stigma is good to receive the pollen when it appears sticky and glossy. Researchers found out that the seeds of Brighamia need the presence of light to produce and sprinkle the seeds onto the surface of a damp medium. These seeds can also be stored in a refrigerator from 2 to 3 years but its capability depreciates after 10 to 12 months. It was also found out from NTBG report ((Ragone 1993) that came out on 1993 that the seeds of Brighamia were no longer viable after it has been stored in an area with a temperature of 80 degrees F and humidity of 25 % for 1 year and 5 months (Hannon 2002; Koob 2000; NTBG 1992; Ragone 1993; Wagner 1999). The plant was believed to be extinct but was rediscovered in 1996. From its discovery, only few remained and became part of the current population estimated to run at most 5 in numbers. â€Å"No bird, butterfly, flower, tree or animal disappears alone. When they slip into extinction, they disappear with their unique genes – the building blocks of life (Dr. Norman Meyer of Oxford University). † These species, rare finds and threatened, may cease to exist even without being given a name. Yet again, Brighamia rockii is just one of the most critically endangered. There are more that are susceptible to extinction too. Still, some remained unnoticed. Perhaps, extinction is natural but if we, humans alike are hastening the process, then probably our race comes with the extinction as well. â€Å"Man has lost the capacity to foresee and forestall. He will end by destroying earth (Schweitzer 2004). † References Hannon, Dylan P. and Steve Perlman. 2002. The Genus Brighamia. Cactus and Succulent Journal 74 (2):67-76. Johnson, Margaret. 1986. Brighamia citrina var. napaliensis. Kew Magazine 3 (2):68-72. Koob, Gregory A. 2000. Cabbage on a baseball bat. Hawaii Horticulture 3 (6):9-11. National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG). 1992. Alula. In Native Hawaiian plant information sheets. Lawai, Kauai: Hawaii Plant Conservation Center. National Tropical Botanical Garden. Unpublished internal papers. Ragone, Diane, (Program Coordinator). 1993. Hawaii Plant Conservation Center Collection Propagation Project: Progress Report (USFWS Grant 14-48-0001-92581). Lawai, Hawaii: National Tropical Botanical Garden.

Life Is Beautiful Movie Analysis Film Studies Essay

Life Is Beautiful Movie Analysis Film Studies Essay When a symbol is displayed people react to it according to how they have seen that symbol before. This is explained with Saussures theory of the sign where the sign/ symbol has a portrayed meaning that is conveyed and carried with it. Through the use of Signifier and Signified people constantly (without noticing) see signs and relate to them without actually paying too much attention to the message that sign has to give. If the sign does not have an item/symbol within it that goes against their own unconscious knowledge of that sign therefore they will not notice it. Roberto Benigni uses Saussures theory of the sign to convey Guidos sudden realisation that taking a shower ultimately means death he comes to this conclusion through noticing that only the children and the old are being sent to the showers and not the fit, because they are not fit to work they are being send to the showers to be removed as a problem. Through the subtle use of Saussures theory of the sign the main charact er Guido is seen as saving his son from the harshness of the concentration camp for the first time during the movie. Through the use of ideal / fantasy worlds one can escape the harsh reality of the world.Guido creates fictitious worlds. He calls Dora princess and claims to be a prince himself. Though they both know the truth, they both are more than willing to entertain the fantasy and play the game. In this way, Guidos fictions are a form of escapism, a way for him to cope with reality and imbue it with beauty. Guido also cultivates a series of coincidences so that he can appear to have manipulated fate or performed magic. Though he knows that he is simply manipulating someone else, he is not reveling in the deception; he is interested in creating another world for someone else. This underscores the idea that a persons perception is intrinsic to his reality. Guido changes the way those around him perceive the world with his manipulations, and thus he affects how they deal with the rest of the world. When Guido rides up on a horse to rescue Dora, he is entertaining the fantasy of the knight rescui ng the damsel in distress. However, he actually is rescuing her from her surroundings and actually is whisking her away on a horse. Similarly, when he tells Giosue that everything in the concentration camp is a game, he is creating a fiction to keep Giosues spirits up. However, at the end of the film, Giosue has survived the concentration camp with perseverance and bravery, and his life and the lessons he has learned are very real. In Life is Beautiful, it appears, fantasy can become reality. Through the use of fantasy the harsh world is forgotten and replaced with a ideal reality. Roberto uses fantasy to overcome reality and thus through this semiotic way Guido can save his son from the truth. Changing of the truth can make the direst moments into fun games. During the moments The movie life is beautiful is directed by Roberto Benigni and is based in two main parts, before the holocaust and during it. Guido realises taking a shower is a term for Gassing people; he decides to keep his son with him. Guido tells Joshua that the entire point of being dressed they way they are, and to hide from the guards is so that they could win a tank if he is the last one found. Guido makes out the entire experience to be a game by doing funny actions to make his son feel like this is a game instead of a concentration camp , he does this up into his own bitter end. Roberto Benigni uses the film Life Is Beautiful to show how the use of semiotics can make Guidos humorous actions during the holocaust unique in saving his son from the harshness of the holocaust. Through the use of semiotics the title of the film can be seen through the sons eyes. By the time life is beautiful was filmed many young people were too far from World War II to completely appreciate the horrors of the war and the beauty of survival Signifier 1 this is where Guido makes up the tank game. The signifier is claiming to understand German. This is signified by Guido raising his hand. By Guido doing this he protects his son from the harshness of the holocaust by making up a set of rules for the competition to win a tank. Roberto uses the simple hand raising to signify that even though he does not understand nor speak German he will pretend to in order cover the truth from his son. Again Stuart halls encoding and decoding theory is shown here as the audience knows that this is what Guido is doing even without Guido having to say it. This is Guidos death scene. In this scene Roberto displays that Guido will do anything to save his son from the harshness of the holocaust, Guido is caught looking for his wife Dora and is being marched to his death , previously he hid Joshua in a metal mail box so he would be safe. Through Stuart halls encoding and decoding theory the viewer sees this as saving his son from the harshness of the holocaust instead of just being funny for Joshua. Roberto uses winking between Joshua and Guido as a link to the imaginary game they are playing this creates a sense that he is safe and is only knocked out of the game. While marching past his son he acting as a marching toy soldier. The signifier is Guido marching like a toy soldier. Through the use of filming Guido marching as a toy soldier it shows the viewer that this is what Joshua is seeing, and nothing else before or after is seen by Joshua there for he believes fully that he will win the tank and his father is out of the game. To the audience that knows what the German concentration camps where he will be killed. The main signifiers include life is beautiful, winking marching and making up the tank game. This signifies that life is beautiful in Joshuas eyes, and that he is saved from the real truth of the holocaust. Thank you for your time and attention REFRENCE (http://changingminds.org/explanations/critical_theory/concepts/signifier_signified.htm)

Good and Evil in Good Country People Essay examples -- people

Good and Evil in Good Country People  Ã‚   In her short story, Good Country People,  Flannery O’Connor employs all the elements of humor, irony and, paradox intermingled within the system of Christian belief in evil and redemption. This is no more evident than in the character of Joy, the daughter, who had lost a leg in a hunting accident at the age of 12 and who now has a wooden leg in his place. Throughout the story, it becomes increasingly clear that Joy’s physical affliction is closely paralleled by a spiritual one as well. As the narrative unfolds, the great lengths Joy has gone to recreate her inner self, her soul, are revealed in painstaking detail. It appears she has succeeded in fashioning her own soul into a spirit that is as hard and unyielding as the prosthesis that now takes the place of her missing naturally soft and flexible appendage. In Christian society and belief, as well as many other religions, the one true possession that a person has total control over is their everlasting soul. It is this spirit that makes one truly unique from everyone else. The fight within one’s self between good and evil and the day to day struggle to ensure that the goodness prevails is the focal point of a true believer’s life. It is only by this triumph on goodness that he can achieve Salvation in the eyes of God. Joy, on the other hand, seems intent on building barriers around her soul that would make it as rigid and unfeeling as her wooden leg. As did the surgeon who had to perform the prosthetic surgery years before to replace a natural part of her physical body, she is apparently trying to perform this same function with the spiritual side of herself as well. She has taken great care to recreate her  «Ã‚  self  Ã‚ » into one th... ...ears were now completely useless. To be an atheist and realize, not that there is a God, but discover there is a Devil, must be a very chilling and disheartening experience. For if there is definitely one, there must be the other. Works Cited Asals, Frederick. Flannery O’Connor  : The Imagination of Extremity. The University of Georgia Press  : Athens, Georgia, 1982. Brinkmeyer, Robert H. The Art and Vision of Flannery O’Connor. Louisiana State University Press  : Baton Rouge, Louisiana  , 1989. DiYanni, Robert. Literature Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. McGraw Hill  : Boston, Massachusette, 1998. Eggenschwiler, David. The Christian Humanism of Flannery O’Connor. Wayne State University Press  : Detroit, Michigan, 1972. Feeley, Kathleen. Flannery O’Connor  : Voice of the Peacock. Rugers University Press  : New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1972.

Child and young person development Essay

1.2 Describe with example how different aspects of development can affect one another. When it comes to different aspects of development there are many examples that can describe how it effects one another, these are as follows: If a child is less developed in reading, when it comes to children having reading time on the carpet in groups, they may feel uncomfortable and unable to form friendships due to embarrassment and low self esteem. This will then affect their language and social development. This can cause the child to feel lonely and angry at themselves because they are not at the other children’s level of learning. If a child doesn’t like to share toys, this can cause a problem with social interaction as they will find it hard to  form friendships. The other children will try to avoid the child that is unable to share, this can affect the emotional and social development of the child who is unwilling to share as they will feel lonely and neglected and even aba ndoned. If a child is overweight and obese he will struggle to do PE at school as he won’t have the energy and will get tired very quickly. This can cause his classmates to be annoyed with him for delaying the class due to his weight and they will bully him for it. This would leave the child feeling very hurt, embarrassed and he will lose his confidence and self-esteem. This will then effect his physical, social and emotional development. If a child is use to having his way all the time, such as him eating his lunch whilst watching TV, when the child is at nursery and boundaries are in place this will cause the child to have temper tantrums and become angry. This will affect his social, emotional and behaviour development. As he will not understand why at home he can watch TV and eat on the sofa, but at nursery he has to sit with the other children at the table and eat. This will make him feel very upset and frustrated as he is unable to understand the reasons behind it. 2.1 Describe with examples the kinds of influences that affect children and young people’s development including: background, health and environment. Background Children will be part of different ethnic backgrounds, cultures, environments and circumstances; with their families going through different changes school may not be aware of it. Deprivation and poverty can effect pupil’s development, statistics show that children who come from deprived backgrounds are less likely to achieve well in school as parents find it difficult to manage their needs. Some children may come from a home schooling environment so when they start a new school it will be difficult for them to adapt to different teaching methods so they will need additional support. Health Development opportunities can be restricted if a child suffers from poor health or disability. For example, a child who has a disability may be less able to engage in some activates during school. This can affect their physical development but may also restrict their social communication, for  example, on the playground. When a child is aware of their needs it can affect them emotionally. It’s important that children are supported to ensure they are included in as much as possible. Environment The different environment and circumstances that pupils are exposed to at school and during their childhood and teens can affect their development. Many families may go through changes, which will have an impact on the way children respond in different situations. Families may break-up, get divorced or a new partner may be introduced which may effect children emotionally. Families may move house or change country, which can affect individuals socially, there could be a bereavement or illness in the family, which can be traumatic and upsetting for the whole family. If a child is looked after or in care it can effect their development emotionally, socially and physically. 2.2 Describe with examples the importance of recognizing and responding to concerns about children and young people’s development. The following things would cause concern about a child or young person’s development. If the problem was left untreated then things could get worse, and a delay in treatment could mean that the outcome is not as good as it would have been if treatment was started earlier. Speech / Language. If a child or young person does not talk to anyone or even only speaks a few words compared to others, this may cause concern. This would socially affect the child or young person’s because they would find it hard to make friends, work in groups or even interact with adults. It would also affect their communicational development because they would find it hard to speak to people and also may find it hard to listen to instructions etc. Early intervention would be the best way to respond to this concern, the first step would be to have the child or young person’s hearing checked because if they have poor hearing they will find it hard to hear people so will not want to communicate with others in case they get something wrong. Poor reading and writing. If a child or young person has difficulties with their reading and writing it  may cause concern, but this may not be noticeable until the child is around the age of 6 or 7 because by this age they should have learnt how letters are formed and start to string words together. These are the main skills a child needs to help them develop in all areas. Due to poor reading and writing the child or young person will start to fall behind his peers of the same age. They may find it difficult to interact or make friends with others who are more advanced than them, in case they are bullied etc. They would struggle with their intellectual development not only with the reading and writing, but they would struggle with their memory and even their concentration. 3.3.1. Identify the transitions experienced by most children and young people’s. Most children may experience transitions; transitions can be long term or short term. Some transitions that most children may experience are likely to be, starting school or changing from one school to another. Some families may move house several times throughout their lives this can affect a child in that they have to try and make new friends and get use to the area in which they will be living. Children and young people have to make very many of their transitions without prior personal experience, and it can sometimes appear to them as a daunting list of ‘firsts’: first day at school; first exam; first sexual experience. Most of these changes are navigated well by most children and young people, as and when they are ready. The experience they gain and the skills they learn in the process equip them to deal with the challenges of life ahead. The diverse range of transitions faced by children and young people includes: starting or moving school, puberty, bereavement, parents splitting up, illness (their own or a parent’s or sibling’s),changing friendship groups, entry to, or leaving, a pupil referral unit, moving through child health services into adult services, coming out as gay or lesbian this this affects older children, leaving home. Young people and children will need help and support from peers and adults to successfully make the transition to the next stage in their life. The nature and timing and giver of the support will vary depending on the individual’s needs and circumstances. Transition experienced by most children and young people include: Moving away – This could make the child or young person frustrated because they are being torn away from  either their favourite place or friends, this could also make the child become anxious. Friends moving away – This could make the child or young person feel nervous because they will then have to make new friends which may not be easy for the child, this could also make the child become anxious and become shy. Puberty – This could make the child or young person feel confused because they cant control what is happening to them, this could also make the child become dismissive or make the child become argumentative with parents or carers. Starting a new school – This could make the child or young person feel nervous because they have to make new friends and could make the child feel anxious because they don’t know what will happen. This could also make the child become shy or dism issive or even anxious. 3.3.2. Identify transitions that only some children and young people may experience e.g. bereavement. Transitions experienced by only some children and young people include: Diagnosis of a disability – This could make the child or young person feel jealousy because he/she may feel different, this could also make the child act unusual such as being dismissive. Divorce – This could make the child or young person feel frustrated, confused because the child or young person may not be seeing one parent as much as before, this could also make the child act unusual such as becoming withdrawn and being argumentative with parents. New siblings – This could make the child or young person feel jealous because he/she may not be getting as much attention as before, this also make the child act unusual such as becoming dismissive . New step parent – This could make the child or young person feel jealous because he/she may not get as much attention as before. Sometimes this can bring huge positive changes.It can impart the child’s life in a good way. Bereavement-the death of a close friend or relative may be very traumatic for a child, when it comes to times of change and transitions you should give children every opportunity to talk about what. 3.3.3. Describe with examples how transitions may affect children and young people’s behaviour and development. Transitions are an essential part of a  child and young persons development. These changes within a child or young persons life may be progressive or sudden. They present the child/young person with challenges which they must overcome. Transitions are stressful for children and young people, just as they are for adults, and the resulting stress can have far-reaching effects on children’s emotional well being and academic achievements. How a child or young person deals with transitions is greatly affected by the support and response children get from those around them. A child’s early experiences of transitions will have a big impact on how they handle transitions at later stages of life. As some changes of transitions are not anticipated, they can cause distress and feelings of lack of control in the child or young person. This can affect emotional and behavioural development, in turn leading to possible impacts on physiological and intellectual development. The transitions that children and young people face can be: Emotional: affected by personal experiences, for example bereavement or the divorce or separation of parents ,Physical: moving to a new home, class or school, Intellectual: moving from one type of organisation to another, for example from nursery to school, primary school to secondary school, secondary school to college or college to university Physiological: going through puberty or a long-term medical condition. Puberty is a major transition that all children at some point, will have to go through. It can be a difficult time for both sexes emotionally, socially and physically. Behaviour will change and so will their physical appearance, which may cause them to feel insecure, especially if they are female. Peer approval will become increasingly important and may be related to physical development. Males may show more aggressive behaviour as their hormone levels increase and females may become insecure about late development or embarrassed about early development. Both sexes will be very aware of their changes and will compare their own rate of development with that of their friends. Most, reach puberty around the same time, some develop earlier and some later. Boys who develop more quickly are often found to be more popular and independent. Girls, however, if developing earlier than their friends tend to get teased and have a more negative experience. The development of breasts can be very embarrassing for a girl, as it may bring a lot of unwanted comments and attention, not only from boys, but also from other girls who may be jealous of the attention the girl  is getting, or may be teasing and gossiping. This can lower a person’s confidence and make them feel very uncomfortable. Changing for sports in a communal area could become an issue, with other girls staring, and may make the young person stay away from sports, preferring to go sick, rather than endure the unwanted attention. One main transition within a child’s life is changing schools. This can make children feel insecure, nervous and anxious about the unknown. Whilst they may feel some sense of excitement about the new experiences they will be exposed too they will generally be apprehensive. They may be leaving behind good friends, loved teachers, a great support network and may feel a huge sense of loss. Their behaviour may change, they may become withdrawn and emotional. TDA 2.2: Safeguarding the welfare of children and young people. 1.1.1 Identify the current Identify the Current Legislation, Guidelines, Policies and Procedures for Safeguarding the Welfare of Children and Young People including e-safety. The current legislation and guidelines are policies and procedures for safeguarding who is promoting children’s welfare and putting measures in lace to improve children’s safety and preserve abuse. Child protection who are action taken to protect child when there is a reasonable belief that they are at risk of significant harm. All in setting for children and young people in England and Wales are the result of legislation passed in parliament, including England and Wales, the children Act 1989 and children Act 2004. Current Identify the Current Legislation, Guidelines for Safeguarding the Welfare of Children and Young People are Children’s act 1098/2004, Education act 2002,E-safety 2008, Safeguarding, Human rights act, The Vetti ng and Barring Scheme. Children’s act 2004 has five outcomes for well-being in childhood and later life. These are: being healthy; staying safe; enjoying and achieving; making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being. In 2000, an 8 year old girl called Victoria Climbià ¨ was tortured and murdered by her guardians. Her death resulted in a mass investigation and the demand for stricter child safety laws. The inquest in 2003, lead by Lord Laming, led to the green paper, a preliminary report of government proposals that is published in order to raise discussion on the matter, named Every Child Matters The Act includes: a Children’s Commissioner to champion the views and interests of children and young  people; a duty on Local Authorities to make arrangements to promote co-operation between agencies and other appropriate bodies (such as voluntary and community organisations) in order to improve children’s well-being (where well-being is defined by reference to the five outcomes), and a duty on key partners to take part in the co-operation arrangements; a dut y on key agencies to safeguard and promote the welfare of children; a duty on Local Authorities to set up Local Safeguarding Children Boards and on key partners to take part; provision for indexes or databases containing basic information about children and young people to enable better sharing of information; a requirement for a single Children and Young People’s Plan to be drawn up by each Local Authority; a requirement on Local Authorities to appoint a Director of Children’s Services and designate a Lead Member; the creation of an integrated inspection framework and the conduct of Joint Area Reviews to assess local areas’ progress in improving outcomes; and provisions relating to foster care, private fostering and the education of children in care. Education Act 2002 refers to an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which amended legislation relating to academies, publicly-funded schools operating outside of local government control and with a significant degree of autonomy areas such as wages and digressing from the na tional curriculum. Policies and procedures All settings and pre-schools working with children and young people must have a policy for protection of children under the age of 18 that states responsibilities and is reviewed annually, preparations to work with the Local Safeguarding Children Board, a duty to apprise the Independent Safeguarding Authority of any individual who is threat to children, training on safeguarding for all staff and volunteers, effective rick assessment of the provision to check that the safeguarding policy and plans work, arrangements for DRB checks on all adults who has regular connection with children up to age of 18, contact details of a parent or carer for all children under the age of 18. E-safety The internet and video games are very popular with children and young people and offer a range of opportunities for fun, learning and development. But there are concerns over potentially inappropriate material, which range from  content (eg violence) through to contact and conduct of children in the digital world. Debates and research in this area can be highly polarised and charged with emotion. Dr Tanya Byron, in her landmark report ‘Safer Children in a Digital World’, published in March 2008,set out a challenging agenda for Government, its partners, industry and the third sector, to work together to make children safer when using the internet and video games. Government accepted all of Dr Byron’s recommendations in full, signifying our commitment to children’s safety when using new technology. We cannot make internet completely safety but we can reduse the rick to children and help them to use it properly and safety; blocking access to unsuitable web sites by using a program, reducing the time spend front of the PC, teach the children of dangers and how to recognize them, helping to the children to develop skills to deal with situations, educating parents using internet properly and carer about risks and controls. 1.1.2 Describe the roles of different agencies involved in safeguarding the welfare of children and young people. All children are known by many organisations. That helps to bring effective safeguarding and make the children to feel more secure. Many children know the Childline -0800 1111 Social Services- There to offer support to the child and the setting. Social services have the powers to investigate any suspected improper behaviour from carers, children or the setting. They also have to meet and conduct interviews with the child and the family members involved, liaise with and get relevant information about the child and their circumstances from other agencies involved with the child, they have to take the lead during the Child Protection Conference as well as take action when a child or young person appears or is thought to be in immediate danger. Child Protection Investigation Unit (CPIU)- Unit run by the police who have the powers to investigation, who have the powers to investigate, interview and arrest anyone who is suspected of abusing a child. The CPIU has to make a decision on whether a crime has been committed and if so to begin a criminal investigation. They also have to gather evidence from Social Services and other agencies thought to be involved with the child or young person’s wellbeing. The CPIU must take immediate action if a child or young person is thought to be in any immediate danger which may involve removing the child  from harm or removing the perpetrator and attend any court hearing to give evidence when a crime has been commited. Health Visitors- Health visitors can sometimes be the first person to see signs of abuse, especially physical. They have a duty of care to refer such information to Social Services. Health visitors must carry out a full medical examination or observations of any child or young person who is thought to be at risk of abuse or is/has suffered from abuse. Schools: Schools have the responsibility to develop childrens awareness and their knowledge of what is acceptable and what is not acceptable behaviour, including when using the internet. Support and protect children who are identified as being at greater risk or are on the at risk register and provide professional training of all staff relating to safeguarding. Have policies and securtiy systems for e-learning activities and use software filters. Observe signs of abuse, chages in childrens behaviour or failure to thrive and refer any concerns. Children spend a great amount of time in school with teachers and staff so it is essential staff are able to monitor, keep records, share appropriate information with other agencies and just be aware of any unexplained changes in the child. Any setting such as nursery, childminder, afterschool or holiday scheme. Another agencies are General Practitioners, Local hospital services, child psychology services. 2.2.1 Identify the sign and symptoms of common childhood illnesses. Most children and young people will experience some episodes of illness in their life. Common illnesses, like coughs and colds, are not usually serious. However, illnesses like meningitis are more serious and will need specialist medical care. Illnesses, like chicken pox, are infectious (easily spread) and others, like asthma, are not infectious at all. It is important for anyone who works with children and young people to be able to recognize the signs of illness and know what action to take. The main signs of illness in a child or young person are poor appetite, no energy, change in behaviour (unusually quiet, not sleeping well, crying more than usual), constipation or diarrhoera, vomiting, skin rash, raised body temperature, a cough, headache, stomach ache, earache or runny nose. Signs and symptoms Young children find it difficult to describe how they feel. They may say that they have ‘tummy ache’ when they actually feel upset, afraid or  worried. Children’s symptoms can worsen very quickly and they should always be taken seriously and not ignored. Frequently the illness are common cold the symptoms are, sneezing, sore throat ,runny nose, headache, temperature. Is important for adult to encourage child to blow nose,the incubation period is 1-3 days. Gastroenteritis the symptoms are vomiting diarrhoea ,dehydration. The treatment,that the child is not dehydrated it is important to give him water often. Scarlet fever,the symptoms are lose appetite,fever sore throat pale around the mouth,strawberry tongue,the treatment it’s important the child rest and adult observe if there is complications. The incubation period 2-4 days. Chicken pox,fever ,very itchy rash with blister-type appearance,the treatment,tepid bath with sodium bicarbonate and calamine applied to skin to stop itching to stop children scratching to avoid scarring. Dysentery – vomiting, diarrhoea with blood and mucus, abdominal pain, fever, headache. Measles- high fever, runny nose and eyes, cough, white spots in mouth, blotchy rash on body and face. Mumps – pain and swelling of jaw, painful swallowing, fever. Rubella (German measles) – slight cold, sore throat, swollen glands behind ears, slight pink rash. Pertussis (whooping cough) – snuffy cold, spasmodic cough with whoop sound, vomiting. Meningitis- fever, headache, irritability, drowsiness, confusion, dislike of light, very stiff neck, maybe small red spots beneath the skin that do not disappear when a glass is pressed against them. 2.2.2 Describe the actions to take when children or young people are ill or injured. Parents or guardians have prime responsibility for their child’s health and should provide the school with information about their child’s medical condition and treatment or special care needed at school. Children should not attend school if they are acutely unwell. The setting or pre-school has a duty of care to look after children with a known medical condition or who become ill or have an accident during school hours. Every setting or pre-school must have First Aid box and at least one individual how is fully trained. In time of accident the key person must be act. If is neseserry can call to emergency. Every setting and pre-school has defferent rules but they must follow the rutenes that will helps to the children. 2.2.3 Identify circumstances when children and young people might require urgent medical attention. Some children may be too young or may not be physically able to tell you when they need medical attention due to a disability. Often children and young people can become seriously ill very suddenly which means that as a member of staff you should be alert to any changes in their behaviour which could indicate pain or nausea. When a child becomes sick or lets you know that they feel unwell, you will need to sufficiently look after them until their parent or a carer arrives to collect them. In life threatening situations the emergency services should always be contacted straight away. An example of this would be if a child had any of the following signs of acute illness: an open wound that won’t stop bleeding or where the blood is pumping out,burns or scalds to the child’s skin, Meningitis symptoms such as a stiff neck, fever, headache and a rash that doesn’t fade when pressed by a glass,confusion, headache, vomiting or blurred vision after a head injury. Being floppy, unresponsive or unconscious. Difficulty breathing and blueness around the lips. Having a high fever, heat exhaustion or severe sunburn. Some children may be too young or may not be physically able to tell you when they need medical attention due to a disability. Often children and young people can become seriously ill very suddenly which means that as a member of staff you should be alert to any changes in their behaviour which could indicate pain or nausea. When a child becomes sick or lets you know that they feel unwell, you will need to sufficiently look after them until their parent or a carer arrives to collect them. In life threatening situations the emergency services should always be contacted straight away.If is necessary call to 999 for an ambulance. 2.2.4. Describe the actions to take in response to emergency situations including fires, security incidents and missing children and young people. You have to know where the fire exit are. Never put anything on the way of a fire way. Close door and windows and try to get out the children from the fire place.Make sure that the children are awalys with an adult. Call to the fire brigade by telephone as soon as you can as follow dear 999, give you phone number, make sure that you spell the address correctly and it received. Any setting must have security. For example at the pre-school where I have a plcemenet the main door alwaiys is locked, the emergency door  is open only from inside.When some one rings is very easy to look how is there.The key person knows the main people who visit the pre-school regulary.In case some stanger get in there is visitor book, check for indentity. Any stranger seen hanging around school or in the school grounds should be reported without delay to the headteacher who WILL call police if necessary. Any stranger found in the building should be challenged by a senior member of staff. If a child cannot be found by their teacher/support worker/lunchtime supervisor, the headteacher must be notified immediately and told when and where the child was last seen. The remaining children will be left safe in the care of suitable staff. All other staff available will conduct a thorough search of the childs classroom, play area,toilets, the school building and the grounds If the child is not found within a very short period of time, the police must be called by the headteacher or a member of staff. 3.3.1. Identify the characteristics of different types of children abuse. Physical Abuse Defined as non-accidental trauma or physical injury caused by punching, beating, kicking, biting, burning or otherwise harming a child, physical abuse is the most visible form of child maltreatment. Many times, physical abuse results from inappropriate or excessive physical discipline. A parent or caretaker in anger may be unaware of the magnitude of force with which he or she strikes the child. Other factors that can contribute to child abuse include parents’ immaturity, lack of parenting skills, poor childhood experiences and social isolation, as well as frequent crisis situations, drug or alcohol problems and domestic violence. Physical indicators of abuse include bruises; lacerations; swollen areas; and marks on the child’s face, head, back, chest, genital area, buttocks or thighs. Wounds like human bite marks, cigarette burns, broken bones, puncture marks or missing hair may indicate abuse. A child’s behavior might also signal that something is wrong. Victims of physical abuse may display withdrawn or aggressive behavioral extremes, complain of soreness or uncomfortable movement, wear clothing that is inappropriate for the weather, express discomfort with physical contact or become chronic runaways. Sexual abuse At the extreme end of the spectrum, sexual abuse includes sexual intercourse or its deviations. Yet all offences that involve sexually touching a child, as well as non-touching offenses and sexual exploitation, are just as harmful and devastating to a child’s well-being. Touching sexual offenses include: Fondling; Making a child touch an adult’s sexual organs; and penetrating a child’s vagina or anus no matter how slight with a penis or any object that doesn’t have a valid medical purpose. Non-touching sexual offenses include: Engaging in indecent exposure or exhibitionism; Exposing children to pornographic material; Deliberately exposing a child to the act of sexual intercourse; and Masturbating in front of a child. Sexual exploitation can include:Engaging a child or soliciting a child for the purposes of prostitution; and Using a child to film, photograph or model pornography. These definitions are broad. In most countries, the legal definition of child molestation is an act of a person—adult or child—who forces, coerces or threatens a child to have any form of sexual contact or to engage in any type of sexual activity at the perpetrator’s direction. The effects of sexual abuse extend far beyond childhood. Sexual abuse robs children of their childhood and creates a loss of trust, feelings of guilt and self-abusive behavior. It can lead to antisocial behavior, depression, identity confusion, loss of self-esteem and other serious emotional problems. It can also lead to difficulty with intimate relationships later in life. The sexual victimization of children is ethically and morally wrong. Emotional Abuse Emotional abuse of a child is commonly defined as a pattern of behavior by parents or caregivers that can seriously interfere with a child’s cognitive, emotional, psychological or social development. Emotional abuse of a child — also referred to as psychological maltreatment — can include: Ignoring -either physically or psychologically, the parent or caregiver is not present to respond to the child. He or she may not look at the child and may not call the child by name. Rejecting-this is an active refusal to respond to a child’s needs (e.g., refusing to touch a child, denying the needs of a  child, ridiculing a child). Isolating-the parent or caregiver consistently prevents the child from having normal social interactions with peers, family members and adults. This also may include confining the child or limiting the child’s freedom of movement. Exploiting or corrupting. In this kind of abuse, a child is taught, encouraged or forced to develop ina ppropriate or illegal behaviors. It may involve self-destructive or antisocial acts of the parent or caregiver, such as teaching a child how to steal or forcing a child into prostitution. Verbally assaulting.This involves constantly belittling, shaming, ridiculing or verbally threatening the child. Terrorizing here, the parent or caregiver threatens or bullies the child and creates a climate of fear for the child. Terrorizing can include placing the child or the child’s loved one (such as a sibling, pet or toy) in a dangerous or chaotic situation, or placing rigid or unrealistic expectations on the child with threats of harm if they are not met. Neglecting the child. This abuse may include educational neglect, where a parent or caregiver fails or refuses to provide the child with necessary educational services; mental health neglect, where the parent or caregiver denies or ignores a child’s need for treatment for psychological problems; or medical neglect, where a parent or caregiver denies or ignores a child’s need for treatment for medical problems. Although the visible signs of emotional abuse in children can be difficult to detect, the hidden scars of this type of abuse manifest in numerous behavioral ways, including insecurity, poor self-esteem, destructive behavior, angry acts (such as fire setting and animal cruelty), withdrawal, poor development of basic skills, alcohol or drug abuse, suicide, difficulty forming relationships. Emotionally abused children often grow up thinking that they are deficient in some way. A continuing tragedy of emotional abuse is that, when these children become parents, they may continue the cycle with their own children. Neglect is usually typified by an ongoing pattern of inadequate care and is easily observed by individuals in close contact with the child. Professionals define four types of neglect physical, educational, emotional and medical. Bulling and harassment Bulling is act show aggressive, unrespect and rude actions. Bullying can take many forms: Physical violence, Intimidation and threats, Name calling and  belittling, Social exclusion (i.e., leaving someone out of social gatherings and activities), Gossiping and spreading rumors about others, Public humiliation, Using slurs, words or phrases that characterize a bullied victim’s identity to suggest that something is unacceptable or worthless (e.g., using the word â€Å"gay† when what is meant is â€Å"un-cool†).

Impact of gold on Victoria essays

Impact of gold on Victoria essays The gold rush was the catalyst for the unprecedented development of Victoria. The first discoveries of Gold made at Clunes, 90 miles north of Melbourne, functioned as a magnet to thousands of prospectors in the hope of striking it rich. Consequently, the influx of foreigners and the displacement of population from the Australian colonies to the Victorian gold fields, as emphasized by the Bathurst Free Press, A complete mental madness appears to have seized almost every member of the community. There has been a universal rush to the diggings; the phenomenal impact of migration was evident in the subsequent years of Gold discovery in Victoria. The economy was injected with thousands more consumers and the need for increased services was heightened with the news of additional gold findings. Thousands of children in the colony required education, which at the time was gravely inadequate to cater for the large numbers of children flooding into the colony as their families migrated for n ew opportunities. Furthermore, the diverse inhabitants of the goldfields were the ingredients of a sweltering pot of culture, creating a cosmopolitan feel to the goldfields. The need for communications were obvious by the mid 1850s as electric telegraphing wires formed an intricate system of communications across the Victorian countryside and the development of roads and railway lines reflected the need for effective transportation. Another consequence of the gold rushes was the Eureka Stockade that effectively ignited a campaign for equal rights and fair treatment, which lead to the emergence of a democracy in Victoria and Australia. In ten years gold had transformed Victoria from a minor pastoral settlement to the most celebrated British colony and consequently transformed Melbourne into a thriving metropolis, many historians look back at this period as the defining moment in Australias history, this view was shar...

being a best friend essays

being a best friend essays Part of being a best friend is listening. Often friends seek advice or words to comfort him or her, but sometimes not saying anything shows the mark of a best friend. By discarding lengthy speeches and simply listening attentively, I can truly focus on my friend. Actively watching for subtle changes in emotion, flickers of internal thought, and facial expressions allows me to delve into my friends situation. I simply allow myself to be infused by his or her story, whether it is a tale of a major success or heavy burden he or she needs to let out. It is then when apathy consumes me and I can try to feel what they are going through. Recently my friend Andy gave birth to her first child. The pregnancy was unintentional and her life has been completely altered. One night we were hanging out, just to shoot the breeze, but listening to her voice I heard submerged anguish and confusion. With that phrase she broke down and told me how utterly scared she was. Her babys father had abandoned her and the young infant, she had to quite school, she felt alone. I sat there in silence. At the moment I wanted to kick myself for not knowing what to say. Nothing came to mind that could help her, I felt helpless and useless. Andy, however, didnt need a quick fix, an easy solution. She just had to let it go all her worries and tattered emotions. Later I realized that even if I had been the smartest person in the world, nothing I could have said would have made things better for her. I just listened. My hushed concern was all that she needed, and she did feel relieved afterwards. I know now that expressing interest in a friends condition doesnt always require the right words, and by simply listening to someone speak, I can be a great friend. Laughing together is a major facet of being a best friend. To friends I am part comedian, part circus entertainer, and all toget ...

Free Essays on Stem Cell Issues

2 Should we as society condone embryonic stem cell research or condemn it? Which is the greater moral obligation? To protect embryos as a being, or to promote research to improve the quality of life for countless numbers of people affected by numerous diseases and conditions? The answers to these questions seem to be in the eye of the beholder which seems to differentiate very different opinions on the matter. Do We Protect Embryos as a Being? Scientifically speaking, an embryo begins as a blastocyst, which is a cluster of cells that forms approximately five to seven days after conception. Typically fertilization would occur within a woman’s womb. However no one is suggesting we harvest living cells from a woman’s womb. The embryonic stem cells viable for research are these from embryos that are created outside of the womb in fertility clinics fro the purposes of invitro fertilization. Many of these embryos are never used and eventually will be discarded of. As Zuckerman states in his article, the otherwise discarded embryos would create more than enough stem cell lines for scientists to use for research purposes. (2004) This is where the first question arises, do we protect embryos the same as a fully formed human life? In Zuckerman’s article he quotes U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch, one of 58, which seek a change in Presidents Bush’s policy on stem cell research saying â€Å"Only after an embryos transferred into a woman’s womb †¦..Is that natural capacity to become? 3 A person attained, and only then does the government gain an interest in protecting that entity.† In another article from the Wisconsin State Journal Steven S.Clark makes the argument that even before fertilization begins the sperm and... Free Essays on Stem Cell Issues Free Essays on Stem Cell Issues 2 Should we as society condone embryonic stem cell research or condemn it? Which is the greater moral obligation? To protect embryos as a being, or to promote research to improve the quality of life for countless numbers of people affected by numerous diseases and conditions? The answers to these questions seem to be in the eye of the beholder which seems to differentiate very different opinions on the matter. Do We Protect Embryos as a Being? Scientifically speaking, an embryo begins as a blastocyst, which is a cluster of cells that forms approximately five to seven days after conception. Typically fertilization would occur within a woman’s womb. However no one is suggesting we harvest living cells from a woman’s womb. The embryonic stem cells viable for research are these from embryos that are created outside of the womb in fertility clinics fro the purposes of invitro fertilization. Many of these embryos are never used and eventually will be discarded of. As Zuckerman states in his article, the otherwise discarded embryos would create more than enough stem cell lines for scientists to use for research purposes. (2004) This is where the first question arises, do we protect embryos the same as a fully formed human life? In Zuckerman’s article he quotes U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch, one of 58, which seek a change in Presidents Bush’s policy on stem cell research saying â€Å"Only after an embryos transferred into a woman’s womb †¦..Is that natural capacity to become? 3 A person attained, and only then does the government gain an interest in protecting that entity.† In another article from the Wisconsin State Journal Steven S.Clark makes the argument that even before fertilization begins the sperm and...

Explaining Childrens Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Explaining Childrens Development - Essay Example His definition of this approach was highly practical. Thus, Watson believed psychology should be a purely objective field of knowledge used to accurately predict and control human behaviour and development. Introspection and self-analysis are useless if applied to psychology and there is no difference between humans and animals. In fact, Watson neglected the concept of the conscious and unconscious as such (Littleton, Toates, & Braisby, 2002). Formulating his views Watson relied primarily on the Ivan Pavlov's discovery of the mechanism of classical conditioning. Pavlov's studies of dog's digestion transformed the common understanding of learning and development. The scientist carried out a series of experiments in order to test his initial conclusions. He provided a sound or light signal that was immediately followed by some food placed in the dog's moth. The dog started to perceive the signal in conjunction with the food and after several repetitions the dog salivated immediately after the signal even without any food. This fact made Pavlov introduce a new psycho-physiological concept of a conditional stimulus in distinction to an unconditioned stimulus (Littleton, Toates, & Braisby, 2002: 170-171). Although Pavlov revealed the phenomenon of classical conditioning during experimental studies, which involved animals, the key principle of this process proved valid in human behaviour too. Watson described an example of the classical conditioning in human beings. Albert, an infant with a pet rat, was not afraid of it until once Watson banged a metal plate while the boy was reaching for his pet. Subsequently, Albert started to demonstrate fear of the rat (Littleton, Toates, & Braisby, 2002: 172). Another good example of the classical conditioning in human behaviour is the bell-and-pad technique that is often used to cope with bed-wetting in children. Two perforated metal sheets connected to a low-tension battery are placed under the bed sheet. When a child moistens the bed urine short-circuits the sheets, and the battery produces a laud alarm making the child wake up. After several alarms the child is able to wake up without the alarm: the sensation of a full bladder is finally conne cted to the necessity of waking up (Lattal & Chase, 2003). Skinner further elaborated on the behaviourist conception of behaviour by paying attention not only to stimuli resulting in certain patterns of behaviour, but also exploring the stimuli affecting the actor after performance. In a series of experiments involving rats and pigeons that were rewarded with food for pressing a lever in the Skinner box, the scientist observed that positive stimuli led to more frequent repetition of the act that caused them; he called such stimuli "reinforcers" (Littleton, Toates, & Braisby, 2002: 175-176). Skinner recognised situational influences as predominant factors that cause different reactions of children. The reactions largely depend upon the previous experience and genetic code of individual. Skinner also believed that analysis of specific mental states, which had been so popular in psychoanalytic

Slave vs, Slave owners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Slave vs, Slave owners - Essay Example Their arguments illustrate Thomas Jefferson’s observation that the abolition of slaves exposed two overriding concerns: Justice is on one side and Self-preservation on the other.    I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Arguments in favour of justice were put forward by various groups of slaves in their petitions in favour of slavery abolition. A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  The slaves felt that they were born with the divine right to live freely in this free country of God. Just like their other fellow human beings, they too had the natural right to freedom. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"by divine permission are held in a state of Slavery within the bowels of a free and Christian Country† 2. â€Å"have in common with all other men a natural right to †¦ freedoms without being deprived of them by †¦ fellow men† B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some petitions have expressed the slaves’ claim for freedom of religion by highlighting the fact that all humans, being the creations of the Almighty, must be tr eated equally and given the freedom to choose their own religion. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"detained in a State of Slavery in the Bowels of a free & Christian Country† 2. ... Arguments in favour of self-preservation were presented by the slave-owners who opposed the abolition. A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abolition raised the potential risk of proliferation of slave trade by the free Negroes. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"many Evils have Arisen from a Partial emancipation of Slaves† 2. â€Å"to prevent free Negroes or mulattoes trading with or For slaves† B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some slave owners even felt that the Act of the Legislature for a General Emancipation was â€Å"a flagrant Contempt of the constituent Powers of the Commonwealth† as well as â€Å"a daring attack on that sacred Constitution†. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"a flagrant Contempt of the constituent Powers of the Commonwealth† 2. â€Å"a daring attack on that sacred Constitution† C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  However the issue that breathed through almost all such petitions was the irreparable damage caused to the economy and the perpetual loss of the country’s freedom and happiness. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Want, Poverty, Distress, and Ruin†¦Breach of public Faith and Loss of Credit† 2. â€Å"final Ruin to this now flourishing free and happy Country† Conclusion Evaluation Rubric References Slaves Vs. Slave-owners Thomas Jefferson was a steady opponent of slavery throughout his political life. According to Jefferson, the rhetoric of justice and self-preservation dominated the arguments for and against abolition in the revolutionary and post-revolutionary period. The same is evident in the arguments of justice and self-preservation in the slave petitions for freedom and slave-owner petitions against manumission in the period 1773-1785. Slaves who petitioned for their freedom during and after the American Revolution made three arguments in favour of their liberation: freedom of rights, freedom of religion and freedom of justice. The slave-owners in Virginia

The Christian Coalition of America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Christian Coalition of America - Essay Example As such, we work together with Christians of all denominations, as well as with other Americans who agree with our mission and with our ideals. issues that need to be discussed, one in particular which is in regards to the way in which they use their power to affect the government, and this includes what they have been able to do in the past, such as organize elections, change policies, and more. By thoroughly addressing and examining these issues, we will be able to attain a much more informed and knowledgeable understanding on the subject matter at hand. This is what will be dissertated in the following. There are really many different ways in which the Christian Coalition has been able to use their power in order to affect the government, all in an incredibly positive manner. "The Christian Coalition (CC) has two central goals: to control the agenda of the Republican party by working from the grassroots up; and to train and elect pro-family, Christian candidates to public office. The group has had considerable success in both areas, and their impact in state and national elections can be detected through their work during primaries and ability to mobilize Christian conservative voters" (People for the American Way, 2007). They are an organize which does - and always has - strive to strengthen the government and make it more focused on family matters, which is respected not only by Christians, but by people as a whole around the world. The Coalition's strategy actually first attracted attention in the year 1990, when a coalition of right-wing groups led by the Christian Coalition he lped candidates in San Diego win 60 out of 90 races for a variety of offices, and this included such things as school and hospital boards, for instance. As well, the organization, which, through extremely wide dissemination of voter guides, has supported some political candidates and opposed many others and the organization itself was very influential during the 1990s, when it was under the leadership of executive director Ralph Reed. The Coalition uses many different methods in order to get its point across and in order to attempt to positively change the government, and this includes educating, lobbying, and disseminating information through courses, debate forums, lectures, issue voter guides, and scorecards for certain candidates on its issues of concern. The Christian Coalition "was founded on the belief that 'people of faith' have a right and a responsibility to effect social, cultural, and political change in their local communities. Its members denounced promiscuity and what they deemed as individualist, feminist, and judicial excesses, and preferred a larger role for independent groups instead of the federal government. Its goals included strengthening 'family values' by fighting abortions, pornography, homosexuality, bigotry, and religious persecution, and by endorsing prayer in public places such as schools" (Answers, 2007). Although there is much respect for this coalition, there has also been a lot of negativity which has surrounded it, particularly in more recent years, as there are many people who are openly frustrated about the organization. There are

Market analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Market analysis - Essay Example In general, soft drinks manufacturers have adapted to the new ways of living by responding to the demand for healthier products. This has helped add value to their products and generate growth. In 2004, total consumption of fruit/ vegetable juice increased by 7% and by 2009, the overall market conditions are projected to remain highly favourable for the fruit/ vegetable juice sector. 100% juice is expected reach volume growth of 43% and volume sales of 221 million litres or 384 million euros by 2009. (Euromonitor 2005) This supports the entry of Fruitness into the growing juice sector. Major players in the industry such as Coca-Cola, Spadel, Sunco (bottler and distributor of PepsiCo), Danone, Unilever, Nestle, Materne-Confilux, Wesergold, Melitta (Granini) and Looza (Tropicana) have manufacturing plants and distribution networks all over UK. As Fruitness will target companies in London only, our manufacturing facility will be located in or in close proximity to London. While the sector shows positive growth for the next three years, juice and nectar producers are already looking for new ways of keeping sales growing. As such, product innovation as well as packaging and pack sizes are very important in the juice/ vegetable juice industry. Orange is the most popular flavour with 17% share of the sector volume sales, grapefruit is second with 11% and tomato is third with 9%. As orange is still the leader, Fruitness is focusing on pure orange and orange based juices. Once established, Fruitness will invest in additional equipment in order to expand its existing product range and cater for customer's growing interest in other flavours. 100% juices dominate fruit/ vegetable juice products and the leading performance among the fruit/ vegetable juice sector is taken by 100% juice. The popularity of this subsector is due to the increasingly active and sporty British consumer lifestyle and interest in healthier diet. Nectars and juice drinks are less popular among the British consumers. Promotional activities and the presentation of a variety of fresh 100% juices by companies such as Looza and Melitta, have created a significant consumer awareness of the health benefits of these products and as a result, there have subsequently been consumer shifts towards these. In addition, there has been a slight shift from long-life products to chilled/ short-life products in 2003 and 2004. Industry sources also expect stronger forecast period growth for chilled/ short-life products due to the fact that the majority of British consumers are against concentrates and prefer more natural, fresh products. To summarize, the main trends in the juice industry are differentiation including the incorporation of new flavours, new packaging formats and more targeted marketing as well as the reduction in calories and sugar and inclusion of vitamins C, E, minerals, selenium and phytosterols. In addition carbonated beverage manufacturers have already started to develop healthier products, such as juice with calcium, especially for women, and

Apple Corporation Corporate Responsibility and Marketing Strategies Essay - 4

Apple Corporation Corporate Responsibility and Marketing Strategies - Essay Example The paper tells that Apple Corporation like many other multinationals has a code of conduct that guides its operations. It prides itself on being committed to the highest social, environmental and ethical responsibility. The company warns that failure to abide by the code of conduct attracts penalties among them termination of any business engagement with the supplier in question. Some of the issues addressed in the company’s code of conduct guide are addressed below: Apple Corporation expects those who work for their suppliers to be treated with dignity and with respect. As such fundamental issues of human rights need to be addressed and employees should not be discriminated on a basis such as age, religious affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, belonging to labor unions, marital status among other issues. In addition, harassment of any nature is discouraged by the company including forced labor or slavery. Also, the company warns its suppliers against restricting movement of its employees or confiscating identification documents belonging to them so as to hamper their mobility. The code of conduct also warns employees against employing persons who are under age and proposes a minimum age of 15 years. Those employing students should ensure that their education is not interfered with and that proper records should be kept to check on their progress. Safety of all employees is to be observed which includes availing reasonable working hours and providing employees with proper working tools and equipment. The health of all employees is to be observed through the provision of the clean working environment including toilets, eating, sleeping places and other social places.

Women and Flexibility in the Workplace (week 2 assignment) Assignment

Women and Flexibility in the Workplace (week 2 ) - Assignment Example However, as time passes by, women’s role have changed and therefore, their needs have changed also. With the changing society, women need more flexibility. Women face structural and social issues that affects their flexibility in the workplace. However, there will come a time wherein the workplace will adapt to the changing workforce to be more productive. In the video, Open Mind: Women as Agents of Change Part I (2005), Kathleen Christensen raised the issue of the flexibility of women in the workplace. She argued that women need more flexibility in the workplace and the flexibility they needed is based on structural and social issue. Christensen believed that the private individual issues women are facing are not individual issues. She believes that these issues are structural problems. She believed that the structure of workplace is not suitable for the women especially to the mothers (Open Mind, 2005). For the past years, women are expected to take care of the children, sta y and organize home. However, as poverty spreads throughout the country, American women changed roles and entered the workplace which before, is exclusively for men. In 1889, Jane Addams and Ellen Gates opened an opportunity for middle class women to work, thus ignited the evolution of women in the workplace (Giraffe, 2011). This opportunity gave women the chance to go beyond what they are expected to do. This lifted the spirits of many women in the history and inspired them to pursue more participation in the society. Based on the history of America, women served as important instruments of change. Women fought for their rights that resulted to many changes in America. They participated in wars and leadership. Women proved that they are not only for housekeeping but they are also for the works that men usually do (Smith, 2009). The works women do in the society is indeed helpful for the progress of the country, however, their first role as mothers still outweighs their roles as wor kers in the society. The role of women as mothers and household keeper is in conflict with the demands of the present structure of workplace. The present workplace structure of the society is in conflict with the lifestyle of women. It affects their flexibility in work especially in time. The workplace of the society is designed for male workers. From the beginning, men are the ones working for the family. Most of the employers in workplace demands full time job (Giraffe, 2011). This means that the desired employees should have a lot of time and focus for the work. The jobs that requires full time employees are not suited for women workers who have family. After working, women are expected to organize home and look after their children. The required 40-hour a week for an employee is heavy for a woman who has children to take care of (Open Mind, 2005). This is the reason why some women are not flexible enough to do requirement of their jobs. Aside from the demanding schedule, the str ucture of workplace is designed for men’s activity. Before, farming is the dominating available work for people. During industrialization, different companies opened and created more jobs. Also the prominent available jobs during that time are on steel, coal, mining and cars industries (Giraffe, 2011). It can be analyzed that throughout the history, the workplace is designed for male workers. Although the war made an opportunity for women to participate in labor work because most men were in the battlefield, the work give to women are just temporary and inappropriate. Today, the available jobs can now be categorized as blue collar and white collar. However, most companies still view women as less competitive compared to men that’s why women cannot sometimes be in the job they wanted to be.

Market analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Market analysis - Essay Example In general, soft drinks manufacturers have adapted to the new ways of living by responding to the demand for healthier products. This has helped add value to their products and generate growth. In 2004, total consumption of fruit/ vegetable juice increased by 7% and by 2009, the overall market conditions are projected to remain highly favourable for the fruit/ vegetable juice sector. 100% juice is expected reach volume growth of 43% and volume sales of 221 million litres or 384 million euros by 2009. (Euromonitor 2005) This supports the entry of Fruitness into the growing juice sector. Major players in the industry such as Coca-Cola, Spadel, Sunco (bottler and distributor of PepsiCo), Danone, Unilever, Nestle, Materne-Confilux, Wesergold, Melitta (Granini) and Looza (Tropicana) have manufacturing plants and distribution networks all over UK. As Fruitness will target companies in London only, our manufacturing facility will be located in or in close proximity to London. While the sector shows positive growth for the next three years, juice and nectar producers are already looking for new ways of keeping sales growing. As such, product innovation as well as packaging and pack sizes are very important in the juice/ vegetable juice industry. Orange is the most popular flavour with 17% share of the sector volume sales, grapefruit is second with 11% and tomato is third with 9%. As orange is still the leader, Fruitness is focusing on pure orange and orange based juices. Once established, Fruitness will invest in additional equipment in order to expand its existing product range and cater for customer's growing interest in other flavours. 100% juices dominate fruit/ vegetable juice products and the leading performance among the fruit/ vegetable juice sector is taken by 100% juice. The popularity of this subsector is due to the increasingly active and sporty British consumer lifestyle and interest in healthier diet. Nectars and juice drinks are less popular among the British consumers. Promotional activities and the presentation of a variety of fresh 100% juices by companies such as Looza and Melitta, have created a significant consumer awareness of the health benefits of these products and as a result, there have subsequently been consumer shifts towards these. In addition, there has been a slight shift from long-life products to chilled/ short-life products in 2003 and 2004. Industry sources also expect stronger forecast period growth for chilled/ short-life products due to the fact that the majority of British consumers are against concentrates and prefer more natural, fresh products. To summarize, the main trends in the juice industry are differentiation including the incorporation of new flavours, new packaging formats and more targeted marketing as well as the reduction in calories and sugar and inclusion of vitamins C, E, minerals, selenium and phytosterols. In addition carbonated beverage manufacturers have already started to develop healthier products, such as juice with calcium, especially for women, and

Women and Flexibility in the Workplace (week 2 assignment) Assignment

Women and Flexibility in the Workplace (week 2 ) - Assignment Example However, as time passes by, women’s role have changed and therefore, their needs have changed also. With the changing society, women need more flexibility. Women face structural and social issues that affects their flexibility in the workplace. However, there will come a time wherein the workplace will adapt to the changing workforce to be more productive. In the video, Open Mind: Women as Agents of Change Part I (2005), Kathleen Christensen raised the issue of the flexibility of women in the workplace. She argued that women need more flexibility in the workplace and the flexibility they needed is based on structural and social issue. Christensen believed that the private individual issues women are facing are not individual issues. She believes that these issues are structural problems. She believed that the structure of workplace is not suitable for the women especially to the mothers (Open Mind, 2005). For the past years, women are expected to take care of the children, sta y and organize home. However, as poverty spreads throughout the country, American women changed roles and entered the workplace which before, is exclusively for men. In 1889, Jane Addams and Ellen Gates opened an opportunity for middle class women to work, thus ignited the evolution of women in the workplace (Giraffe, 2011). This opportunity gave women the chance to go beyond what they are expected to do. This lifted the spirits of many women in the history and inspired them to pursue more participation in the society. Based on the history of America, women served as important instruments of change. Women fought for their rights that resulted to many changes in America. They participated in wars and leadership. Women proved that they are not only for housekeeping but they are also for the works that men usually do (Smith, 2009). The works women do in the society is indeed helpful for the progress of the country, however, their first role as mothers still outweighs their roles as wor kers in the society. The role of women as mothers and household keeper is in conflict with the demands of the present structure of workplace. The present workplace structure of the society is in conflict with the lifestyle of women. It affects their flexibility in work especially in time. The workplace of the society is designed for male workers. From the beginning, men are the ones working for the family. Most of the employers in workplace demands full time job (Giraffe, 2011). This means that the desired employees should have a lot of time and focus for the work. The jobs that requires full time employees are not suited for women workers who have family. After working, women are expected to organize home and look after their children. The required 40-hour a week for an employee is heavy for a woman who has children to take care of (Open Mind, 2005). This is the reason why some women are not flexible enough to do requirement of their jobs. Aside from the demanding schedule, the str ucture of workplace is designed for men’s activity. Before, farming is the dominating available work for people. During industrialization, different companies opened and created more jobs. Also the prominent available jobs during that time are on steel, coal, mining and cars industries (Giraffe, 2011). It can be analyzed that throughout the history, the workplace is designed for male workers. Although the war made an opportunity for women to participate in labor work because most men were in the battlefield, the work give to women are just temporary and inappropriate. Today, the available jobs can now be categorized as blue collar and white collar. However, most companies still view women as less competitive compared to men that’s why women cannot sometimes be in the job they wanted to be.

Video games and aggression Essay Example for Free

Video games and aggression Essay Violent computer games such as ? rst-person shooters (e. g. , ‘‘Counterstrike’’) have repeatedly raised the suspicion of parents, teachers, politicians, and scientists alike. Given the increasingly realistic portrayals of violence and the substantive training of (virtual) aggressive acts in these games rather than the passive observation of violence in movies, many have been alarmed by the wide-spread use of these games [Smith et al. , 2003]. The discussion resembles the previous debate on the effects of passive violence exposure in TV and movies [Bushman and Anderson, 2001], and in line with psychological theories on aggression and based on empirical evidence, similar conclusions have been drawn regarding side effects of violence exposure in computer games: Most authors would conclude that a clear consensus has been reached that a noticeable causal in? uence of playing violent video games on aggressive behavior and dispositions—of young people in particular—exists [Carnagey and Anderson, 2004]. Nevertheless, the number of studies establishing a causal link between aggresr 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. siveness and interactive media such as violent computer games remains relatively small in comparison to studies on passive media exposure. Evidence is particularly scarce with regard to whether latencybased measures of cognition, so-called implicit measures, are useful for detecting any changes in aggressive cognition as a consequence of exposure to video games. Implicit measures may be particularly suited to uncover the processes how playing violent and nonviolent video games affects a player’s automatic cognitions. Implicit dispositions could play a key role in spontaneous and impulsive aggressive tendencies in the short and long run. Conventional wisdom holds that a substantial part of aggressive behavior is carried out in the absence of cognitive ACorrespondence to: Matthias Bluemke, Psychological Institute, University of Heidelberg, Hauptstrasse 47-51, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany. E-mail: Matthias. [emailprotected] uni-heidelberg. de Received 15 October 2007; Revised 15 September 2009; Accepted 29 September 2009 Published online 26 October 2009 in Wiley InterScience (www. interscience. wiley. com). DOI: 10. 1002/ab. 20329 2 Bluemke et al. resources or in situations where people lack behavioral control (e. g. , after alcohol consumption). Obviously, aggression does not always re?ect actions in line with one’s conscious reasoning or explicitly endorsed attitude toward aggression and violence. Those dispositions that relate to lesscontrolled aspects of human behavior, rather than deliberate behavior and intended actions, may be addressed by the term ‘‘implicit personality’’ [Banse and Greenwald, 2007; Perugini and Banse, 2007]. The Media Violence Exposure–Aggression Link Psychological theories that predict increases in aggression after (repeated) media violence exposure are plentiful. Not a single psychological theory predicts positive outcomes, neither in the short nor in the long run—except for the catharsis hypothesis which until now suffers from empirical con? rmation [Bushman et al. , 1999]. Among the most important mechanisms for short-term effects are (1) associative priming of existing aggressive beliefs, well-encoded scripts, and angry emotional reactions [Berkowitz, 1993], (2) emotional arousal upon observation of violence and excitation transfer [Zillmann, 1978], and (3) simple mimicry of aggressive scripts [Huesmann and Kirwil, 2007]. Long-term effects are most prominently considered to be a consequence of (1) observational learning of new social scripts [Huesmann, 1988], (2) development of beliefs supporting aggression or hostile schemas that accompany expectations in social interactions [Anderson and Godfrey, 1987; Huesmann and Kirwil, 2007], as well as (3) conditioning of aggression-promoting emotions [Bushman and Huesmann, 2006]. Long-term emotional desensitization to violent scenes may also occur [Carnagey and Anderson, 2004]. Empirical evidence in favor of the aforementioned theories is abundant. As the violent video game debate has had a precursor in the debate on the effects of TV-violence, related evidence on the hypothesized link exists. Longitudinal research on the effects of TV-violence has shown that the amount of viewing TV-violence in childhood predicts young adults’ self- and other-reported aggression much more than childhood aggression predicts young adults’ TV-violence consumption [Huesmann et al., 2003]. Owing to the activity of the gamer, violent computer games may be more harmful than passive exposure to media [Carnagey and Anderson, 2004]: A hostile virtual reality, higher number of violent scenes in the games, symbolically enacting Aggr. Behav. cruelty instead of perceiving it, reinforcement of atrocities, replacement of aggression-inhibiting tendencies—all of these are matter for concern [Gentile and Anderson, 2003]. Based on meta-analyses of several studies, Anderson and Bushman [2001] inferred a substantial causal effect of computer game violence on aggressive behavior, aggressive cognitions and emotions, cardiovascular arousal, as well as on (reduced) helping behavior [Anderson, 2004; Anderson et al. , 2003]. Even if only a small effect existed outside the laboratory, Bayesian logic proves that, due to the high base rate of people consuming large amounts of video game violence, consequences on a societal level would be drastic. In sum, our understanding of the matter has developed to the point where investigating the mediating mechanisms and exploring the moderating variables becomes more important than establishing any effects themselves. This having said, the same does not apply to a relatively new class of theories and measures. So far, few studies in aggression research have dealt with implicit cognition and even fewer have utilized newly developed implicit measures of aggressive dispositions in media violence research. Automatic Aggression-Related Cognitions and Impulsive Aggressiveness Dispositions Beginning with Schneider and Shiffrin [Schneider and Shiffrin, 1977; Shiffrin and Schneider, 1977], the distinction between automatic and controlled processes has become quite common. Huesmann [1988, 1998] applied the distinction between automatic and controlled processing to aggressive behavior [see also Dodge and Crick, 1990]. Also the general aggression model [Anderson and Bushman, 2002] distinguishes thoughtful action from impulsive behavior. The most extensive application of automatic processes to social behavior in general has been laid out in the re?ective–impulsive model (RIM) [see Strack and Deutsch, 2004, for an in-depth discussion]. The model summarizes many ? ndings on human automaticity based on implicit measurement procedures. RIM allows for the mutual in? uence of two cognitive systems in producing human behavior: one associative and one re? ective system, but interconnections between both systems exist. That automatic processes can be held at least partly responsible for the emergence of aggressive behavior is not a new insight [see Todorov and Bargh, 2002, for an overview]. Situational priming of mental constructs in the range of few hundred. The In? uence of Computer Games 3 milliseconds, even below the subliminal threshold, reliably biases people’s perceptions of ambiguous behavior, and it can guide the selection of behavioral options [Berkowitz, 2008; Dodge and Crick, 1990; Zelli et al. , 1995]. Depending on whether the situation activates the concept of rudeness or the concept of politeness, the likelihood to interrupt a conversation partner changes—without mediation by an intentional stance [Bargh et al. , 1996]. What is less obvious from our discussion so far is how each of the re? ective and impulsive pathways can be predicted. All the models allow automatic associations as dispositions to behavior. Based on spreading activation in semantic networks, associations ef? ciently predispose the organism to the spontaneous selection of behavioral scripts. Importantly, behavioral impulses can be at variance with one’s personally endorsed standards, or social norms, and this may be the case even without the person being aware of it. Whether deliberate re? ection or impulses will determine behavior, depends on the cognitive capacity and motivational resources for self-regulation, which themselves might be impaired due to temporal or chronic in?uences [Baumeister et al. , 2000; DeWall et al. , 2007; Fazio and Towles-Schwen, 1999; Muraven and Baumeister, 2000]. With the notion of spreading activation in mind implicit measures have been developed that try to tap into automatic associations in the range of a few hundred milliseconds [Fazio and Olson, 2003]. It was shown that explicit measures, which are based on deliberation and reappraisals, mainly determined behavior under re? ective control, whereas implicit measures predominantly predicted impulsive tendencies and behavior in less-controlled situations [Friese et al., 2008; Hofmann and Friese, 2008; Hofmann et al. , 2008]. The latter ?nding does not contradict the idea that clever explicit measurement procedures can likewise uncover automatic in? uences in a broad sense. Behavior is the product of both types of processes to a sizable extent, and the situation is responsible for moderating their relative impact. The question is whether the idea of associative networks and priming procedures can be exploited in the domain of aggression, as it has been done in other domains, so that assessing interindividual differences in people’s proneness to impulsively aggress becomes feasible. Assuming automatic aggressive dispositions and using implicit measures to detect them is in line with recent calls to integrate neo-associationistic approaches into explanation and prediction of aggression. In doing so, both classic theoretical and newer paradigms are combined [cf. Berkowitz, 2008; Bushman, 1998]. Connecting Implicit Measures, Violent Video Games, and Aggression Research We suggest that implicit measurement techniques1 could be a useful addendum to the agenda of aggression research. In contrast to traditional explicit measures such as questionnaires, implicit measures do not rely on conscious self-report, but on the measurement of hard-to-control spontaneous associations. They typically draw on reactiontimes in categorization tasks within a few hundreds of milliseconds, that is, within the fraction of a second where also automaticity effects can be observed. Implicit measures are considered to be less susceptible to distortion by demand characteristics, social desirability, and other biasing factors such as low levels of introspection [Degner et al., 2006]. Crucially, due to the limited time for responding, information processing in implicit measures differs distinctively from responding to a questionnaire so that both types of measures display their merits, particularly when predicting different kinds of behavior: Dissociations between implicit and explicit measures in predicting impulsive and controlled behavior typically result [Asendorpf et al. , 2002; Hofmann et al. , 2007], and treatments can affect the associative and re? ective level independently [Gawronski and Bodenhausen, 2007]. Heavy players of violent video games may claim to be immune to side effects, and at the re? ective level this may hold, but at the associative level the picture may look quite different. Owing to the nature of the game, impulsive behavior and automatic associations, aside from intentions, could be reinforced in violent computer games. Uhlmann and Swanson [2004] observed exactly such a predicted increase of aggressive cognition after 10 min of playing a violent computer game in the lab, when aggressiveness was measured objectively via response latencies in an Implicit Association Test [IAT; Greenwald et al., 1998]. Other research shows that these IATs are predictors of impulsive aggression which cannot be explained by Throughout the article we stick with the common name ‘‘implicit measures’’ for indirect, latency-based measures. Note that the ideas that the constructs proper reside at an implicit level, or that the associations themselves need to be acquired implicitly, have been given up, and there is no doubt that most measurement procedures cannot be deemed implicit [Blanton et al. , 2006; Fiedler et al. , 2006; Karpinski, 2004]. Aggr. Behav. 1 4 Bluemke et al.self-report and observer ratings [Banse and Fischer, 2002; Gollwitzer et al. , 2007]. As the study by Uhlmann and Swanson [2004] is, to our knowledge, the only published research that investigated the in? uence of violent computer games on cognition as assessed by the IAT, let us describe their main ? ndings. Playing a ? rst-person shooter increased implicit aggressiveness. Despite being convergent with theory, some doubts remain. The lack of a nonplaying control group does not permit a conclusion whether the violent game raised aggressive cognitions or whether the playing control condition caused participants to become more peaceful. Then, Uhlmann and Swanson’s games presumably differed with regard to the elicited physiological arousal and involvement. The nonviolent game (‘‘Mahjongg’’) was a puzzle that differs from the violent game (‘‘Doom’’), a ? rst-person shooter, in terms of excitation, task complexity, competition, and frustration. The missing equivalence prohibits inferring a causal link [Anderson et al. , 2004]. Arousal confounds need not pose a problem for explicit measures of aggression, yet applying speeded-classi? cation tasks after playing arousing games might have affected sorting performance in the IAT. As a consequence, group differences may re?ect blurred measurement, rather than changes in cognition proper. Study Aims We had two aims in mind when planning this study: First, a conceptual replication of Uhlmann and Swanson’s [2004] study seemed in place, while simultaneously controlling for arousal and task differences of the games. Second, given the small number of studies on the causal impact of violent and prosocial electronic games on implicit measures, we wanted to extend the data basis: We expected that playing a violent game should prime aggressive cognitions, whereas playing a peaceful game should prime peaceful cognitions.mouse and ? ring at them with mouse clicks. In the peaceful game participants watered as many sun? owers popping up in the woods at the same rate and pace as the soldiers in the violent condition. An abstract game required the clicking of colored triangles without any meaning attached to these triangles, but with identical timing parameters and reinforcement stakes. This allowed us to examine whether violent content and watering sun? owers distinctively sway associations as compared with a control condition. Finally, nonplaying participants worked on a reading task of a nonarousing newspaper report, constituting a baseline for potential arousal differences due to playing vs. not playing. In line with Uhlmann and Swanson [2004], we predicted that, controlling for pretest differences among participants, the implicit aggressive selfconcept should be highest after ? rst-person shooting, followed by abstract gaming, then by sun? ower watering. Implicit measures should be particularly informative on alterations of associative structures. Associating oneself with violent acts should give rise to aggressive cognitions, whereas associating oneself with peaceful acts should render peaceful associations active. As we kept the virtual environment, the psychomotor task, and the gaming parameters constant, we also expected that the level of physiological arousal among the three game conditions should converge. This circumstance would demonstrate the equality of the game contexts and render explanations of post-treatments effects in terms of plain arousal differences improbable. Sample A sample of 96 students at Heidelberg University of various majors took part in a study on the in?uence of computer games on (unspeci? ed) cognitive performance parameters in exchange for course credit or a chocolate bar. After controlling for high error rates [20% of errors at most in the critical IAT and Single-Target IAT (ST-IAT) blocks; see Greenwald et al. , 1998], 89 participants (68. 5% females) remained in the sample. 2 Mean age amounted to 24. 64 yrs (SD 5 5. 35). Most participants were skilled in computer usage and gaming: Many reported owning a Personal Computer (N 5 86), Sony Playstation (9), Microsoft Xbox (2), or a Nintendo Gameboy (9). Daily computer usage was 2. 53 (SD 5 2. 65) hr on average, and the average weekly consumption of video games 2 METHOD Hypotheses We compared three groups, relative to a control condition, with regard to changes of aggressiveness following violent gaming, nonviolent gaming, or not gaming at all. In the violent game, participants acted as ? rst-person shooters and targeted a virtual weapon at hostile soldiers, popping up in a virtual wood, by moving the hairlines of the gun with the Aggr. Behav. Owing to technical problems, the recording of one participant’s physiological data failed. The In? uence of Computer Games 5 summed up to 5. 16 (SD 5 7. 90) hr. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions under the constraint of keeping gender proportions across the conditions equal. This resulted in 6–8 males and 14–16 females in each condition. Independent Variable Although the control group encountered a reading task, that is, an article from the German magazine ‘‘DER SPIEGEL’’ which was judged as emotionally neutral, the experimental groups encountered one of three computer games. Irrespective of the speci?c treatment condition, the virtual environment (a forest scene) and the actions (a left-side mouse click of the right hand) were identical (Fig. 1). In the violent game, participants were exposed to a war scenario that required shooting enemy soldiers from a ? rstperson perspective in order to score high. Soldiers returned ? re if they were not eliminated immediately. The goal was to shoot as many enemies as quickly as possible by ? ring at them with mouse clicks (hits), before they ? red back and disappeared, resulting in score losses (misses). The mean rate of soldiers per minute could be determined by the programmer and was kept constant across participants (and conditions), but the program implemented a random component with regard to timing and location of the targets so that players could not routinely counter the attacks. Misses after the fraction of a second resulted in being injured and decreased the score, signaled by a different sound than for hits, which were visually emphasized by blood spills. By contrast, in the peaceful game sun? owers popped up in the same wood in the same speed like the soldiers in the violent game, yet the players’ task was to water the ?owers with their watering can, else they ‘‘died’’ visually due to water shortage. Whenever this happened, a ‘‘sad’’ sound occurred and reminded a participant to water the sun? owers continuously and fast. On success, a player’s score increased, as indicated by a sound of accomplishment. Misses resulted in the same loss of points as in the violent game. Finally, in the abstract game participants removed the colored triangles that popped up in the woods by pinpointing them with a small cursor triangle before clicking the mouse button. Acoustic and visual signals added relevance to hits and misses. Dependent Variables Big ? ve. A German 40-item version of the International Personality Item Pool [IPIP40; Goldberg, 2001; Hartig et al. , 2003] provided a basic description of personality in terms of the ? ve-factor model: extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, openness, and agreeableness [John and Srivastava, 1999]. Both the ? ve-factor structure of the IPIP40 as well as its construct validity have been demonstrated beforehand [Buchanan et al. , 2005]. We used the IPIP40 in order to control for pretest differences among the sub-samples. Internal consistencies of the scales were adequate, Cronbach’s a 5 . 74–. 90. Aggression questionnaire. We administered Buss and Perry’s [1992] 29-item aggression questionnaire [BPAQ; German version by Amelang and Bartussek, 2001] to control for pre-existing group differences and to investigate postexperimental changes of aggressiveness. The German version ? ts the well-validated four-factorial structure: physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility [Herzberg, 2003; von Collani and Werner, 2005]. Reliability of the sub-scales, a 5 .62–. 78 (. 67–. 85), Aggr. Behav. Fig. 1. Screenshots of the violent, peaceful, and abstract game (printed in greyscale). 6 Bluemke et al. and the total scale, a 5 . 85 (. 87), proved adequate (post-test values in brackets). Implicit Association Tests. The computerbased IAT and its derivate, the ST-IAT [Karpinski and Steinman, 2006; Wigboldus et al. , 2004; unpublished], were administered as implicit measures of cognitive antecedents of impulsive aggression, known as the aggressive self-concept [Banse and Fischer, 2002]. In the IAT, the main dependent variable, response latencies, resulted from two sorting tasks that cross the two focal attribute concepts—aggressive and peaceful—with the two target categories, self and other. After 20 practice trials for attributes and targets each, 40 stimuli of both targets and attributes had to be categorized (see Table I; Block 4–7): In one block self1peaceful (and other1aggressive) were mapped to identical response keys, in the other block the category– response-key assignment reversed, self1aggressive (and other1peaceful). Stimuli were randomly drawn from one of the four categories. Both blocks were administered in counterbalanced order across the sample to control for block order effects. The difference between the mean response latencies of the two critical blocks (i. e. , IAT effect), served as an index of the association of the self to the aggressive vs. peaceful pole of the dimension. Typically faster responses for the self1peaceful than for the self1 aggressive block result. Hence, when taking individual block differences of zero milliseconds as a reference point, positive IAT scores indicate a peaceful self-concept and negative IAT scores indicate an aggressive self-concept. Previous studies showed that IATs predicted the amount of violent game playing [Uhlmann and Swanson, 2004], accounted for unique variance in the aggression of ice hockey players as indicated by penalty time-outs [Banse and Fischer, 2002], and detected the impact of a social competence intervention [Gollwitzer et al. , 2007]. Because of the criticism pertaining to the relative nature of the IAT [Blanton et al. , 2006; Fiedler et al. , 2006; Karpinski, 2004], we additionally applied an aggressiveness-ST-IAT that omitted the contrast category other, as it is unclear what exactly testtakers associate to an unspeci?ed IAT category, such as other. The measurement of latencies, the block structure, and the stimuli of the two critical blocks remained the same as in the IAT, yielding one compatible block with self1peaceful on the one key and aggressive separately on the other key, and one incompatible block with self1aggressive (peaceful separate). The simpler task structure usually decreases latencies, but, crucial for the calculation of block difference scores, across both blocks there is Aggr. Behav. always one uncoupled category. For nonrelative target objects, such as the self-concept, an ST-IAT may contain less nuisance variance than an IAT. In our own pilot study, a self-concept ST-IAT re? ected past violent video game exposure better than an attitude-toward-aggression-IAT, probably as a result of range restriction of the true-score variance of participants’ evaluative associations in the latter measure [Bluemke and Zumbach, 2007]. Successful ST-IAT applications have shown that the ST-IAT can do almost as good in psychometric terms as the IAT. Nevertheless, research on this tool is still warranted as the evidence for the usefulness of an aggressiveness-ST-IAT is scarce. We reduced the in?uence of the asymmetric nature of the task by drawing 10 self-related stimuli, 11 stimuli of the coupled category, and 14 stimuli of the unpaired category, resulting in 35 stimuli per critical block and an almost equal number of left-hand and righthand responses [40 vs. 60%; see Table I, Block 1–3; cf. Bluemke and Friese, 2008; Friese et al. , 2007]. 3 The ST-IAT always preceded the IAT so as not to prime the category other before taking the ST-IAT. Irrespective of whether participants encountered the compatible or the incompatible block ? rst, they received the same order of blocks for the post-test. Latencies were treated according to the D5-algorithm regarding the treatment of missing data and error penalties [Greenwald et al. , 2003], resulting in metrics equivalent to z-standardized scores or d-scores. Thus, ST-IAT and IAT effects are expressed in units of an individual’s standard deviation pooled across both (task-speci? c) critical blocks. Individual differences were assessed with boundary reliability, a 5 . 68 (. 64) and . 64 (. 73). Again, to summarize, positive IAT or ST-IAT scores indicate a peaceful self-concept and negative IAT or ST-IAT scores indicate an aggressive self-concept. Physiological arousal parameters. As we wanted to preclude any arousal differences between groups, we assessed heart rate (HR) and skin conductance (SC) as parameters of emotion-related physiological arousal by using the Biopac student lab PRO 3. 6. 7. [e. g. , Carnagey et al. , 2007; Clements and Turpin, 1995; Malmstrom et al. , 1965]. The measurement procedure was divided into six sections. Data were continuously gathered, and aggregates of 30-second intervals were analyzed for each of the following phases: a baseline immediately after 3 The disproportionate number of categories in the ST-IAT prevents that both the number of left and right key-strokes and the number of peaceful and aggressive stimuli in the two critical blocks can be balanced. We chose a solution between both extremes. TABLE I. Structure of ST-IAT and IAT Including (ST-)IAT Items (Translated From German) Block 2 Initial combined task (here: compatible) Others Self Me You Mine Yours I Self They Their Them My Others Self Me You Mine Yours I Self They Their Them My Target-concept discrimination Initial combined task (here: compatible) Reversed target discrimination Block 3 Block 4 Block 5 Block 6 Block 7. Sequence Block 1 Task Attribute discrimination Task instructions Stimuli Aggressive Peaceful Compromise Fight Agree Blow Reconciliation Give in Hurt Revenge Hit Make peace Number of trials 10 aggressive 10 peaceful Aggressive Peaceful1Self Me Fight Agree Mine Blow Self Reconciliation Give in Hurt I Revenge Hit Make peace My Compromise 14 aggressive 11 peaceful 10 self-related 10 self-related 10 other-related 10 10 10 10 Reversed combined task (here: incompatible) Aggressive1Self Peaceful Me Fight Agree Mine Blow Self Reconciliation Give in Hurt I Revenge Hit Make peace My Compromise 11 aggressive 14 peaceful 10 self-related Aggressive1Others Peaceful1Self Me Fight Agree Mine Blow Self Reconciliation Give in Hurt I Revenge Hit Make peace My Compromise 10 aggressive 10 peaceful 10 self-related 10 other-related self-related other-related self-related other-related Reversed combined task (here: incompatible) Aggressive1Self Peaceful1Others Me Fight Agree Mine Blow Self Reconciliation Give in Hurt I Revenge Hit Make peace My Compromise 10 aggressive 10 peaceful The In? uence of Computer Games 7 Note: Within the task instructions, spatial position of the categories indicates the left or right response key. Target and attribute stimuli alternated in critical IAT blocks (here: depiction of an arbitrary sequence of stimuli). Aggr. Behav. 8 Bluemke et al. attaching the electrode (Pre-1), a pre-treatment baseline (Pre-2), a treatment phase subdivided into one early, one mid-term, and one ? nal interval (T1–T3), and a post-treatment phase before the detachment of the electrode (Post). Procedure After entry in the lab, we obtained written informed consent that participants might randomly end up in a violent game condition and stressed that they could opt out at any point in time without giving any reasons. None of the participants used this option, neither in response to the initial information, nor during the course of the experiment. At ? rst, participants reported on socio-demographic variables, and then took a personality questionnaire related to the ? ve-factor model, before they encountered baseline measures of an aggression-speci? c questionnaire, an ST-IAT, and ? nally an IAT. Next, the experimenter attached the devices for measuring HR and SC at the index ? nger of the left hand. Following a short introduction to the randomly chosen game condition, participants played, or read, for a period of only 5 min. Arousal measurement continued until a re-test of the aggressiveness questionnaire was completed, but the devices were detached before we administered the implicit measures a second time. Subsequent to questions on computer usage [derived ? from Krahe and Moller, 2004], the session ended by ? careful debrie? ng of participants. In sum, all phases lasted about 30 min altogether. Z2 5 . 04. Scores of BPAQ subscales likewise did not change (all F-valuesr1. 21). Arousal All groups displayed a typical pattern of initial excitement and habituation (Fig. 2). As expected, when testing the equivalence of games in terms of physiological arousal, according to a 4 (experimental condition) A 6 (time: Pre-1, Pre-2, T1, T2, T3, and Post) analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measurement on the latter factor, no group differences on HR emerged, Fo1 (Z2r. 01). Importantly, there was no interaction between time trends and experimental treatment, Fo1 (Z2r. 03). Running the same analyses on SC as a more sensitive measure of arousal also showed no reliable differences between groups, Fo1 (Z2r. 03), and time trends were not moderated by experimental condition, Fso1 (Z2r. 02). As could be expected, the violent game showed a slight numerical increase in SC (from Pre-2 to T1). We therefore examined each of the six measurement occasions separately. Only at the beginning of the play (T1) did signi? cant variation exist, F(3, 84) 5 5. 04, P 5 . 003, Z2 5 . 15. Post hoc tests according to Tukey (HSD) revealed that the violent game resulted in somewhat higher excitement compared with the abstract game and the reading task (Psr. 01). Importantly, violent and peaceful games did not differ signi? cantly, P 5 . 14. Only 1 min later, the initial startle-like reaction had vanished (Fo1 at T2). Implicit Measures The impact of games was analyzed by a onefactorial ANOVA on change scores between IAT pre- and post-test (Table II). Replicating the ? ndings by Uhlmann and Swanson [2004], type of game signi? cantly in? uenced implicit aggressiveness, F(3, 85) 5 2. 93, P 5 . 04, Z2 5 . 09. 4 Introducing participant sex as a control factor resulted in an interaction between sex and game content, F(3, 81) 5 3. 33, P 5 . 02, Z2 5 . 11. Whereas change scores did not differ as a function of sex, Fo1, the impact of game content became clearer at the same time, F(3, 81) 5 4. 00, P 5 . 01, Z2 5 . 13. The pattern of IAT change scores and the signi? cance of the contrasts between games within sex indicated that the sex by game interaction was particularly driven Introducing Order of Block Compatibility did not change conclusions on the game factor, F(3, 81) 5 2. 92, P 5 . 04, Z2 5 . 10, other Fso1. Also using BPAQ pretreatment scores as covariates in ANCOVA models did not alter the conclusions, though some of the covariates tended to explain small portions of IAT variability, PsZ. 08, Z2sr. 04. 4 RESULTS Explicit measures To preclude any pre-existing group differences, we examined the Big Five personality scores before treatment. According to a multivariate analysis of variance on the IPIP40 scales, participants were comparable F(15, 249)o1, Z2 5 . 04, regardless of the speci? c Big Five scale, Fsr1. 26, PsZ. 30, Z2sr. 04. We also checked whether the random assignment to experimental conditions worked by analyzing trait aggressiveness. As expected, neither before, Fo1 (Z2 5 . 03), nor after the treatment, F(3, 85) 5 1. 36, P 5 . 26, Z2 5 . 05, did substantial group differences in self-reported aggressiveness on the BPAQ total scale exist. Replicating Uhlmann and Swanson’s [2004] ? ndings, trait questionnaires did not respond to video play, according.