Is Technology Really Making Life Easier?

Is Technology Really Making Life Easier MRT Abstract In this research paper I have posed the question; is technology really making life easier? I took the stance that advancement in technology has led to major sociological issues that are currently being felt and will be felt for generations to come. I highlighted the creation of such devices and services such as cell phones, computers, the internet, and social media. My research has only shown more support to what I had believed prior to starting this process.My conclusion based off the information to follow is that technology may have made our lives more convenient, however it has not made our lives easier or less stressful. Do you think modern technology has made life easier and safer? Or do you think that modern technology has made life more difficult and more dangerous? Today, we can’t imagine ourselves without technical advances such as cars, microwaves, cell phones, computers, and televisions. However, technology wonâ⠂¬â„¢t stop there, but it will grow bigger and bigger. As technology grows, there are not only advantages, but disadvantages from them.A list of the benefits of technology would be very long indeed. However, as with almost everything we human beings have created, technology has a downside. There is, we might say, a dark side to technology. For openers, technology does not necessarily make life simpler; rather, it tends to make life more complicated. Nowadays, for example, nearly every discussion of the â€Å"wonderful power of technology to enrich our lives† mentions the cell phone. Certainly, the instant communication brought about by the telephone has been a major advancement.It was originally a rather simple device that anyone could learn to use in a matter of minutes, and we soon began using phones to make and receive phone calls, usually about matters of some importance. Recently, however, we have created these devices to perform a ridiculous number of irrelevant tasks. One needs a thirty-page booklet to learn how to use them. Anyone who enters a phone store today seeking a phone that simply sends and receives phone calls is likely to be looked upon as a refugee from the Dark Ages.Cellphones have become the number one thing in most people’s lives. It is the quickest way to keep contact with the outside world. It has made life easier for humans and it has become one of the things that we cannot live without. Cellphones can help us solve a lot of problems, but can also cause a lot of stress related problems because people are too dependent on technology nowadays. It has weakened our social ability, without it, people find it hard to express themselves. Cellphones have dominated our lives with the advanced technology and applications they offer.Friends from miles away are only a text message away from you, and it can avoid awkward and silent moments because you do not have to talk to someone face to face anymore. Although it can help us in many different aspects, we are starting to rely on it and abuse it. A lot of teenagers cannot be separated from their cell phones for too long, they are always on their phones and they find it hard to not look at their phone before long. Most of their phones allow them to watch movies, read books, listen to music and talk to people, which make them a lot less interactive and productive in real life.They provide us different sorts of interesting entertainment and useful information, which is easily accessible to people. People who live in the city are always rushed and in a hurry, to them, time is money and one of their most valuable assets, and cellphones are exactly what they need and cannot live without in their daily lives. People who are often on their phones believe that texting and interacting with people on their phone makes up for not seeing them face to face in real person. As they are always depending on their phones, they become lazier.They do not have urge to go out and meet new people and become more socially awkward as they do not know how to talk to people face to face anymore in their daily lives. A recent study from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business finds that even though cellphones are generally thought to connect people together, they are making the users less social minded. The school’s marketing professor Rosellina Ferraro said: â€Å"We would expect a similar pattern of effects with people from other age groups.Given the increasing pervasiveness of cell phones, it does have the potential to have broad social implications. † There is a problem with texting. Did you know that one of the main causes of car crashes are that people are texting while they are driving? That is a huge problem. Several studies show cell phones are a leading cause of car crashes. It is estimated that cell phone distracted drivers are four times more likely to be in a car wreck. Cell phones cause over 200 deaths and hal f a million injuries each year. When you are texting while driving, you are more focused on your phone than on the road.As a result your speed can change very quickly. You could be at a speed of 20, then 40, then 50, then 60, or 70 miles per hour and sometimes even faster. This cycle will not end if a person is surrounded by a group of people who are always depending on their cellphones even when all of them are spending time together. To people who do not usually use their cellphones this can be disrespectful and impolite as it seems like they are not enjoying the time spent with each other. There are no doubts that cellphones are very important to us, as they can help us in numerous aspects.It is the best thing to have when you are bored, and to communicate with people from far away even when you are busy. People can contact you any time of the day and it is very convenient and user friendly. They are made for people in the world to easily connect with each other, instead of makin g long distance phone calls, sending emails and writing letters like the old days; which require more effort and are more time consuming. It is important to have a cell phone with you because it can make communication easier, provide many applications in it and most importantly safety to their users.Another example of the complexity of modern technology is the computer. Again, nobody can deny that computers have enabled us to share information, process data, and perform numerous other tasks with speed and ease that, as recently as a generation ago, we would have thought impossible. Computer technology has been advancing so rapidly that new applications are discovered faster than anyone can keep pace – and that's a problem. Even the computer experts understand only a fraction of what these machines do (just ask an expert for help when a computer crashes).Although most users can and do master some of the basic operations, most computer owners cannot use many of the functions th at are built into computer programs. Much has been written about how the younger generations who have been brought up in the computer age know intuitively how to use these machines. However, evidence suggests that they learn only what amuses or entertains them. I for one grew up in the computer age, however I can say that if you do not keep up with technology is will pass you and leave you in its’ dust. Most haven't the patience or the desire to go through the complicated process of learning more functional programs.Furthermore, they tend to use computers rather than their own brains for many tasks that they should be able to perform without mechanical assistance. It is possible to argue that the invention of the calculator is largely responsible for the inability of many people to do simple math; it is likewise possible to prove that electronic spell-checking (which is, and may always be, imperfect) has created at least one generation of individuals who cannot spell and know nothing about the logic of language. Complexity is not the only downside of computers.They have created an even greater gap between the rich and the poor, the educated and uneducated. To use these devices, one needs both experience and education. Lacking computers at home (even if they can access them at school), poorer people do not have the opportunity to gain much experience with them. Even as the computer becomes a commodity (something to which virtually everyone has access), the pace of technology is so rapid that these individuals are light years behind the more fortunate people. Furthermore, since computer skills must be learned, less educated individuals have a vast disadvantage.Educated individuals can use computers to expand their knowledge; uneducated or less educated people are stuck where they are. The gap widens. Finally, with respect to computers, many of the advantages have spawned a nightmarish array of problems. I recently interviewed several Lewiston Police Offic ers and asked them what they felt was the most significant change they have witnessed in their field. Technology was their first answer. One officer explained how when he started on the force some fifteen plus years ago he was given a car and a radio.When he would need information he would have to contact his dispatcher, which would then relay what little, and often outdated, information they had over the radio to him. He explained that now every officer has a laptop computer right in their car tied into some of the most sophisticated databases in the world. The software allows him to run license plates in a matter of seconds which will tell him who owns the vehicle, if it is registered, if the owner has any warrants or such. He said that while yes this technology is amazing and in today’s world he probably could not do without, he longs for the simpler times.He stated that there is a disconnect with society due to the technology. Officers will travel around in their vehicles like robots verses interacting with people on the streets as they did in the past. He feels that this societal disconnect has led to a lack of respect that police officers once had. While technology has now given us the ability to shop from home, it has opened a whole new area in which con artists can conduct scams, a complex area that authorities admit is impossible to police. While it has enabled us to bank by internet, it has brought on a wave of identity theft such as we have never before seen.This negative consequence of technology has affected hundreds of thousands of people which have their identities stolen each year. Identity theft is when these criminals get and use consumer’s personal information such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, insurance information, and social security numbers to buy goods or services wrongly. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes out there. When the identity thief uses a credit card, bank account, Social Security number or cell phone in your name and doesn’t pay the bill, it is all reported on your credit account.People don’t know that their identity has been stolen until damage has been done which can cause a problem. While it enables banks and other organizations to process data with lightning speed, electronic processing creates greater opportunity for error. One incorrect keystroke can set in motion an automated series of mistakes that are not easily detected or corrected. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the invention of the Internet is one of man’s greatest and most spectacular endeavors. For, it has truly revolutionized the world in regards to how we engage in business, recreate, socialize, educate ourselves and communicate with each other.The Internet eliminated all impediments of conventional methods of operations. Through its construction, the world economies have flourished. Therefore, it can be said in a nut shell, that the Internet has made life on earth easy to say the least; but to what expense? The amount of people that have used the internet has grown 572% from 2000 to 2010. What would the world be without internet? It has only been 20 years since its creation but yet it has affected society immensely. Internet has had both a positive and a negative influence on society.Due to the significance of both influences, internet cannot be seen entirely as good or bad, people can only have strong opinions on the matter. Before explaining all of the benefits to society the internet has had, let me start with showing that there is a good argument that the internet has had a negative impact on society. Skeptics argue that the internet is not beneficial to society because it limits face-to-face interactions, society’s most important type of interaction. The limiting factors include, but are not limited to, email based sites, like Yahoo. om, Gmail. com, and Hotmail. com, and social networking sites, like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter. They limit face-to-face interactions because it is more convenient then meeting up with everyone that a person would like to talk with. According to the National School Boards Association (NSBA), who published a report on research and guidelines on online social, educational, and networking, the average teen will spend more than 9 hours a week on just a social internet site (Creating & Connecting).It is not terribly surprising that skeptics will say that spending close to two hours a day in a desk chair, on a computer, searching the web, downloading music, chatting with friends or playing internet games is a complete waste of time. They believe it should be used for studying, playing sports, being outdoors, the list goes on and on. Sadly, skeptics are completely right when they say these things are not productive, in fact, the way which most people use the internet is not productive. The NSBA’s report shows statistical figures that support the skeptic’s thoughts.Teens repor ted that they are on social sites, like Facebook, about 41% of the time that they are on the internet and downloading or listening to music 30% of the time they are on the internet (Creating & Connecting). Clearly not the best use of time and it only leaves 29% for the rest of the endless list of the possible things to do on the internet. They could be using the time they are on internet for more productive means. Nevertheless, it seems too hard for people to use it for something productive, or beneficial to society, like reading the daily news.However, some of the available internet sites to read and learn from leads to the next negative aspect of the internet, unreliable and falsified information. The internet has very few regulations and almost no one policing it. With the addition of anyone having the ability and access to make a website, it presents a problem. The problem, it allows them to publish whatever they would like, not matter if it is true or not. This causes unreliabi lity, especially for students such as myself researching information and it can be very difficult to find out if the source is credible or not.For instance, according Lucy Rector, a professor at Harford Community College who published a comparison of Wikipedia and other encyclopedias for accuracy, breadth, and depth in historical articles, Wikipedia is only 80% accurate (Rector, Comparison of Wikipedia). This means that one out of every five times a person visits Wikipedia they could being reading something that is not credible, this presents an outstanding credibility problem. This has had an effect on society, as now people must always determine whether or not the information they are presented with is credible.The creation of the internet has opened a new market in society for scammers. The National Consumers League produced a study in 2001 that showed internet fraud had generated 7 million in profit, nearly doubling from the year before (2001 Internet Fraud Statistics). These da ys it is hard to escape scams because they seem to be lurking around every corner. Online shopping fraud is no joke and has steadily increasing by millions over the years. In Europe, the amount of money lost per year due to online shopping fraud is 21. million, according to an article about how â€Å"Online Fraud Rises by 185%† written in the Sunday Times (O’Connor, Online Fraud Rises by 185 per Cent). The article goes on to say that today’s scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated and convincing. Oddly enough, one of the main reasons for this is because it used to be that sites with the goal of fraud used to be terribly published. Often having spelling and grammatical errors that were easy to spot and then avoid. Skeptics say would argue that because of the internet, people have been seduced into scams costing people millions.The internet is full of graphic content and no one checking ID’s. Due to the internet, pornography has become more common and has had a negative effect on society. According to an article on â€Å"the Effects of Internet Pornography†, internet porn is viewed by 66% of men from 18 to 34 at least once a month (Wang, The Effects of Internet Pornography). In the article Richard Berry, president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers states that, â€Å"Pornography had an almost nonexistent role in divorce just seven or eight years ago†; its significant role now is â€Å"clearly due to the Internet† (Wang, The Effects of Internet Pornography).In the same branch of the internet but a more disturbing reason the internet has had a negative impact on society is child pornography. The internet has led to a global outburst in child pornography, conventionally thought to be too morally wrong and unthinkable of a behavior it can leave victims with emotional and physical damage for the rest of their lives. Society could do without their children being emotionally damaged for the rest of t heir lives. Although skeptics will say that the internet has affected society negatively, their argument is minute compared to the agreement that internet has had positive effects on society.Skeptics can argue that the time spent on the internet could be used for something else more productive, that the internet has created a numerous amount of unreliable and incorrect information that is published, and that it has helped scammers steal money and much more from society but it is nothing compared to what the internet has contributed to society. Internet has given society a new form of communication, a new way to acquire information, and a new and improved way to shop. From the birth of the internet came the birth of social network sites, such as Facebook and Myspace.Now a day, a person can communicate with anyone across the globe with the touch of a button. Although the time a person spends on social networks like Facebook, Myspace, Skype, Yahoo Mail, and Match. com can be completely useless, the sites, themselves are often beneficial to society. Facebook and Skype is a great and easy way to stay in touch with friends and family. Yahoo Mail and every other email account website cut down on paper pollution and put up a good fight against the inconvenience of the mailing system. Even Match. om has its benefits to society, now people do not even have to leave their seats to meet new people or ask them out, this is apparent in Facebook and Myspace as well. The point still being that, the internet has given us a new form of communication that is overall much more efficient, but possible less effective, than the ways people used to communicate with each other before the internet. Rick Nauert would agree with this. Rick Naurt has a PHD and is the senior news editor for the University of Southern California, in 2006 he said â€Å"More than a decade after the portals of the Worldwide Web opened to he public, we are now witnessing the true emergence of the Internet as t he powerful personal and social phenomenon we knew it would become (Nauert, The Internet as Agent of Social Change). † When asked if the internet increased regular contact with others, he answered, â€Å"42. 8 percent of Internet users agree that going online has increased the number of people they regularly stay in contact with (Nauert, The Internet as Agent of Social Change)†. Clearly, the creation of the internet and social networks has helped our society stay in touch and meet new people.The internet has led to a massive increase of easily accessible information and a lot of it very credible. The internet is enormously vast, with information on virtually every topic. A person can pretty much type anything into Google, even a question, and get what they are looking for. When talking about how the availability of information has changed society for the better, think of how hard it was to acquire information for papers for students before the internet. It was accomplis hed by moderate amount of time spent in a library. However, this led to teaching students good work ethic and did not allow time for procrastination.Not only can a person just learn anything over the internet, according to Karen Farkas, who wrote an article about â€Å"Online education growing as colleges offer more classes to meet student demand†, found that 29% of students have taken one or more online classes (Farkas, Online Education Growing). Although it is not surprising that in today’s day and age it is possible to get a college degree by taking exclusively online classes. Connection to the internet is not the only negative aspect of technology that computers provide. Consider automated answering systems and the disconnect of speaking to a human being.The only individuals who see any benefit in these systems are executives who, with their eyes on the bottom-line, look upon them as a cheap way to reduce or eliminate customer service personnel. These systems creat e the illusion of offering customer service when, in fact, they have practically eliminated customer service altogether and shipped what is left overseas. Automated answering systems constitute an area of technology that symbolizes what happens when tasks that only a human being can perform effectively are left to machines. Customers universally hate these systems because they provide little or no ervice, waste time, and often put the customer into an electronic loop that leads nowhere. The worst of these systems are those that provide voice messages in which a machine pretends to be a real human being. Verizon Wireless is a great example of this nightmare of a system. The creators of the Verizon System actually programmed the computer to recognize profanity, which usually is caused by frustration, and automatically connect you to a â€Å"real† human. While we may find definite advantages to almost any technological advancement, it is very difficult to find anything good to s ay about automated phone systems.In contrast, few of us question the value of technological advances in transportation – notably motor vehicles and airplanes. Because of these developments, we can travel further and faster than anyone a century ago would have imagined possible. However, even here technology has its downside. We live in a more dangerous world, not only because cars, trucks, and airplanes can kill but also because the ease and speed with which we can get from one place to another has made national borders more porous.The same technology that can deliver us to Grandma's house halfway across the world can also deliver an explosive device that can obliterate Grandma and a few thousand of her neighbors. The recent discussions with North Korea are just an example. In addition, we have been seriously depleting the Earth's natural resources to run these machines and have appreciably hastened global warming because of the gasses that they emit. On a simpler level, too, we may perhaps question whether it is necessarily desirable to go further and faster. Is it always better? Do we enjoy the trip more, or has the process of getting there become a hassle?For what are we saving all this precious time? Is it to have more time to watch commercials on TV, many of them promoting technology that we don't need? Entertainment is probably the one area in which technology has had positive effects with very little negative impact. If the content of television is mediocre, we can't really blame that on technology. If the music that people listen to on their various gadgets is trash, we can't blame the gadgets. If we are spending more time being entertained because we have, thanks to technology, a wide variety of entertainments to choose from, that is not necessarily a bad thing.We can complain about the intrusion of too much marketing in the entertainment media, but that is not the fault of technology. Indeed, with television, there's a quiet little war going o n between the technology that subtly tries to sell us products and the technology that enables us to bleep out the advertisements. To be objective about it, the so-called downside of technology – real as it is – represents more what's wrong with us than what's wrong with our creations. We are making them complicated, often more than they need to be, because we arrogantly believe that man will always be the master of the machine.We turn the cell phone into a public nuisance and a safety hazard instead of a useful tool because we are too foolish to use it wisely. We cause sporadic outbreaks of massive â€Å"computer errors† because we are stupid and careless; what we call computer errors are, in fact, idiotic blunders made by human beings. We are the self-destructive species who turn machines for transportation into weapons of mass destruction. The real issue regarding technology is not whether it is good or bad but whether we are grown-up and mature enough to use wisely what we have created.The evidence suggests that, on the whole, we are not and technology may just be our demise. Works Cited â€Å"2001 Internet Fraud Statistics. † Welcome to Fraud. org, Online Home of NCL's Fraud Center. National Consumers League, 2002. Web. 23 May 2011. . â€Å"Creating & Connecting// Research and Guidlines on Online Social and Educational Networking. † Creating & Connecting// Research and Guidlines on Online Social and Educational Networking. National School Boards Association, July 2007. Web. 22 May 2011. . Farkas, Karen. â€Å"Online Education Growing as Colleges Offer More Classes to Meet Student Demand. Online Education Growing as Colleges Offer More Classes to Meet Student Demand. Cleveland. com, 07 May 2011. Web. 22 May 2011. . Heltz, Braxton. â€Å"National Business Association – How The Internet Has Changed The World†¦ † NBA – Membership Association Serving the Self-Employed and Small Business Community. N ational Business Association, 2007. Web. 23 May 2011. . Kraut, Robert, Vicki Lundmark, Sara Kiesler, and William Scherlis. â€Å"Why People Use the Internet. † The HomeNet Project. Carnegie Mellon University. Web. 23 May 2011. . Nauert, Rick. â€Å"The Internet as Agent of Social Change | Psych Central News. Psych Central – Trusted Mental Health, Depression, Bipolar, ADHD and Psychology Information. Ed. John M. Grohol. Psych Central, 29 Nov. 2006. Web. 23 May 2011. . O'Connor, Rebecca. â€Å"Online Fraud Rises by 185 per Cent – Times Online. † The Times | UK News, World News and Opinion. The Sunday Times, 1 Oct. 2008. Web. 23 May 2011. . Rector, Lucy H. â€Å"Reference Services Review | Comparison of Wikipedia and Other Encyclopedias for Accuracy, Breadth, and Depth in Historical Articles. † Emerald. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2008. Web. 23 May 2011. . Wang, Laurie. â€Å"The Effects of Internet Pornography  « Power to Change. Power to C hange. Power to Change Ministries. Web. 23 May 2011. . Williams, Chris. â€Å"Online News and Advantages. † IdeaMarketers – Free Content Directory. IdeaMarketers. com. Web. 23 May 2011. . ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY â€Å"2001 Internet Fraud Statistics. † Welcome to Fraud. org, Online Home of NCL's Fraud Center. National Consumers League, 2002. Web. 23 May 2011. . â€Å"Creating & Connecting// Research and Guidlines on Online Social and Educational Networking. † Creating & Connecting// Research and Guidlines on Online Social and Educational Networking. National School Boards Association, July 2007.Web. 22 May 2011. . Farkas, Karen. â€Å"Online Education Growing as Colleges Offer More Classes to Meet Student Demand. † Online Education Growing as Colleges Offer More Classes to Meet Student Demand. Cleveland. com, 07 May 2011. Web. 22 May 2011. . Heltz, Braxton. â€Å"National Business Association – How The Internet Has Changed The World†¦ â €  NBA – Membership Association Serving the Self-Employed and Small Business Community. National Business Association, 2007. Web. 23 May 2011. . Kraut, Robert, Vicki Lundmark, Sara Kiesler, and William Scherlis. â€Å"Why People Use the Internet. † The HomeNet Project.Carnegie Mellon University. Web. 23 May 2011. . Nauert, Rick. â€Å"The Internet as Agent of Social Change | Psych Central News. † Psych Central – Trusted Mental Health, Depression, Bipolar, ADHD and Psychology Information. Ed. John M. Grohol. Psych Central, 29 Nov. 2006. Web. 23 May 2011. . O'Connor, Rebecca. â€Å"Online Fraud Rises by 185 per Cent – Times Online. † The Times | UK News, World News and Opinion. The Sunday Times, 1 Oct. 2008. Web. 23 May 2011. . Rector, Lucy H. â€Å"Reference Services Review | Comparison of Wikipedia and Other Encyclopedias for Accuracy, Breadth, and Depth in Historical Articles. † Emerald.Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2008. Web. 23 May 2011. . Wang, Laurie. â€Å"The Effects of Internet Pornography  « Power to Change. † Power to Change. Power to Change Ministries. Web. 23 May 2011. . Williams, Chris. â€Å"Online News and Advantages. † IdeaMarketers – Free Content Directory. IdeaMarketers. com. Web. 23 May 2011. . Murphy, Tony. Achieving Business Value from Technology. New York: Wiley, 2010. Schmidt, John G. Lean Integration: An Integration Factory Approach to Business Agility. Boston: Addison-Wesley Professional, 2010. Nicholas, John M. 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Published 2010

Piaget vs Vygotsky Essay

Initially the study of lifespan development rose due to Darwin’s desire to understand human evaluation (Boyd & Bee, 2006). Developmental psychology is concerned with the changes of people during their life span including motor skill changes, problem solving changes, moral understanding changes, but it is originally concerned with these changes during infancy and childhood (Boyd & Bee, 2006). Without any doubts, Jean Piaget (1896-1980) and Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934), are two major contributors who have affected developmental psychology with their theories on human development. According to Lerman (1996), Piaget and Vygotsky belong to two different traditions; Piaget belongs to the constructivism perspective that sees learning as construction and Vygotsky to the activity theory perspective that sees learning as an appropriation. According to Piaget, cognitive development results from the development of the brain, acquiring new abilities and experiences, thus he separated development into stages (as cited in Santrock, 2008). Piaget developed four stages the sensori-motor stage (0-2 years) where the infant is trying to make sense of the world, and acquires the development of object permanence (Shaffer & Kipp, 2007). The pre-operational stage (2-7 years) where language development, animism, egocentrism and the use of symbols hallmark this stage (Shaffer &Kipp, 2007). The concrete operational stage (7-11 years) where children start classifying objects and are able to conserve and think logically about objects and events (Shaffer & Kipp, 2007). And the formal operational stage (11 years and beyond) where children develop hypothetico-deductive reasoning and imaginary audience and believe in the uniqueness of oneself and one’s experiences (Shaffer & Kipp, 2007). On the other hand, Vygotsky developed his sociocultural theory indicating that cognitive development is promoted in a â€Å"sociocultural† context which influences the form it takes (Shaffer & Kipp, 2007). Furthermore, Vygotsky indicated that many of the child’s most important cognitive functions develop from social interactions with parents, teachers and other more competent associates. Moreover, Vygotsky elaborated his Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) where the child is the learner and can manage independently and the difference between what the children can learn with guidance of a more skilled and competent partner and expect further cognitive growth, by internalising the help of the skilled partner (Shaffer & Kipp, 2007). Starting on the debate and trying to shed light upon the different approaches on development from Piaget and Vygotsky, the differences on egocentric speech and language will be analyzed. Vygotsky in one of his main books published in 1934 â€Å"Thought and Language† wrote about Piaget â€Å"Psychology owes a great deal to Jean Piaget. It is not an exaggeration to say that he revolutionised the study of child language and thought† (Vygotsky, 1962, p.9). Though, even if he exalted Piaget he differed his approach around the concepts of egocentric speech and egocentrism. In line with Vygotsky (1962, p. 14-15), the outcome of the observations of Piaget led him to the conclusion that children’s speech can be divided only in two distinct entities, the egocentric speech and socialized speech. The difference between them is due to their functions, during egocentric speech the child talks only about him having no interest in other people and expecting no answers, whereas socialized speech attempts exchanges with other people. According to Vygotsky, the conclusions of Piaget showed that the majority of preschool children talk is egocentric, though when the child reaches school age, egocentric speech declines (Vygotsky, 1962, p. 16).Vygotsky differed his view from Piaget on egocentric speech believing that it has a specific function and this function other than its communicative role, it also serves as a thinking tool and as a tool to solve problems (Vygotsky, 1962, p. 18). Piaget and Vygotsky seem to agree that inner speech develops from egocentric speech which leads to logical thinking, though Vygotsky highlighted language as an apparatus of thought other than another way of expression. On the other hand, Piaget awarded to language a less significant role than Vygotsky toward the development of thought (Piaget, 1970). Moreover, Vygotsky praised the use of language and egocentric speech as thinking tools which promote development, but Piaget disagrees indicating that Vygotsky could not understand that egocentrism could be a main obstacle for learning, concluding that language can also reduce learning and development (Piaget, 1962). Another main issue where Vygotsky and Piaget collide is the role of the social and the role of the individual in learning. Piaget indicates that teaching is divided in two sides, the one is the rising individual, and the other side consists of social, intellectual, and moral values that the educator attempts to transmit (Piaget, 1969). Piaget’s aim was to make children capture the solution of the problem on their own strength, self-regulation, and their own experiences rather than receiving help from any rules or from a more skilled individual (Piaget, 1969). Thus, Piaget points out that learning is not social, and that the individual on his own entirely captures the surrounding knowledge. On the contrary, Vygotsky who belongs to the activity theory indicates that learning is an active process from the child’s perspective, and that the child can duplicate culturally accumulated knowledge with assistance from social support (Vygotsky, 1962). The outstanding difference in learning is that Piaget perceives the individual as the onset of learning and also children can learn through repetitive interaction and experience with the environment, moreover the egocentric speech serves as a tool for logical thinking, though it can also intricate the meaning (Piaget, 1969). On the other hand, Vygotsky is emphasising more that an individual (child) cannot produce knowledge and learn without the verbal interaction and activity of other probably more skilled individuals (Vygotsky, 1962). Thus, Piaget seems to combine and emphasise on both the individual side and the social side, whereas Vygotsky emphasises more on one side, the social side. Additionally, Vygotsky proposes that knowledge arrives from the outside, on the contrary though Piaget points out that learning lies on a child’s innate capability. Piaget was mainly affected from his biological roots which influenced his approach on human development, and Vygotsky was influenced by the Marxist tradition forming his own ideas about human development and that is where the foundational difference lies on these two approaches on the essence of humanness (Newman & Holzman, 1993). On the contrary to Piaget who has strongly settled in a biological worldview and asserts human development in the adaptation to the environment, Vygotsky emphasizes on the centrality of transformative collaborative practices by individuals who do not adapt to their environment but as a whole transform it, and through this transformation also alter themselves and acquire their own status and essence (Newman & Holzman, 1993). For Piaget what promotes cognitive growth is disequilibration, a revolution made from the connection of two elemental processes. Concurrences with the world were either adapted, assimilated to anterior existing mental functions, or prevailing functions were altered to accommodate them. According to Piaget, there is this double connection between assimilation and accommodation highlighting that this double connection leads to cognitive growth, but none of these two functions can serve on its own the purpose of cognitive growth (Bruner, 1990). On the other hand, Vygotsky did not attribute to the mind this logical calculus. For Vygotsky, the mind is determined to consist of processes for attributing experience with meaning. Vygotsky indicated that meaning does not entirely depend upon language but also on the ability to apprehend the cultural context where language is used (Bruner, 1990). Vygotsky believed that cognitive growth would be promoted by acquiring essential order culturally allocated symbolic structures, with each of these symbolic structures having the ability to blend or switch pre-existing knowledge (Bruner, 1990). Additionally, these essential orders are manufactured by culture and cognitive growth is not formed by the biological perspective unless they are aided by language and culture which rely upon endured social interactions. Piaget was mainly concerned with the balanced order of mental development, whereas Vygotsky was merely concerned with how other more skilled individuals or the society implement the cultural patterning that constructs the process of cognitive growth and makes development achievable. According to Vygotsky’s general genetic law of cultural development any function the childe displays during his cultural development will appear two times. Firstly, it will appear in the social stage and then on the psychological stage. For Vygotsky, the unit of analysis is the individual engaging in social activities rather than psychological activity of the individual’s characteristics, arguing with Piaget’s position that children’s development must precede learning, Vygotsky’s position was that the development process lies behind the learning process. These two major theorists seem to disagree ontologically about learning due to the fact that Piaget is a constructionist and Vygotsky belongs to the activity theory. Ontologically constructivism indicates that there is no reality that exists outside of human thinking, whereas the activity theory points out that for everything that exists it does include physical characteristics. Furthermore, constructivism indicates that knowledge and thinking are inextricably on people’s brains and they just construct from their personal experiences. On the contrary, the activity theory indicates that knowledge is formed from a social negotiation involving people. Another issue which differs Vygotsky’s approach from Piaget’s is that the Piagetian theory does not provoke that children perform tasks that are far away from their cognitive capabilities. The teacher simply prepares the environment for the child’s developmental level of mental operations, concluding that the child is limited by its own developmental stage. On the other hand, Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development welcomes the child to attempt beyond its potential mental capabilities. Both theorists have contributed with their approaches of human development. The Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget and the Russian Lev Vygotsky consequently influenced from their environments and cultures and also from their beliefs in constructivism and the activity theory formed their approaches on human development were in some parts seem to agree, but have major differences between them. Most critiques reflecting on these two approaches seem to weigh more on Piaget due to the fact that several developmental tasks he applied on children especially in the pre-operational stage are not clearly stated and it seemed that Piaget often underestimated children’s mental capabilities. Piaget claimed that pre-operational children cannot decentre on the ‘three mountain task’ though new studies have shown that by altering the objects with something more familiar, children were able to decentre. Also in some other Piagetian tasks children performed better than expected by Piaget. And that has revealed that Vygotsky’s approach to the socio-cultural aspect seems more appropriate than Piaget’s constructivist approach. REFERENCE LIST: Boyd, D. & Bee, H. (2006). Lifespan Development (4th. Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Bruner, J. (1990). Acts of meaning. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Lerman, S. (1996). ‘Intersubjectivity in Mathematics Learning: A Challenge to the Radical Constructivist Paradigm?’ Journal for Research in Mathematics Education Vol. 27 2, pp.211-223. Newman, F., & Holzman, L. (1993). Lev Vygotsky: Revolutionary Scientist. London: Routledge. Piaget, J. (1962). Comments on Vygotsky’s critical remarks concerning ‘The Language and Thought of the Child’, and ‘Judgement and Reasoning in the Child’. Cambridge: Massachusetts, The M.I.T. Piaget, J. (1969). Psykologi og paedagogik Copenhagen: Hans Reitzell. Piaget, J. (1970). Genetic Epistemology. New York: Columbia University. Santrock, J., W. (2008). A topical approach to life-span development (4th Edition). New York City: McGraw- Hill. Shaffer, D., R., & Kipp, K. (2007). Developmental Psychology: Childhood & Adolescence (7th Edition). Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth. Vygotsky, L., S. (1962). Thought and Language Cambridge: Massachusetts, The M.I.T. View as multi-pages

Early Puritan Writers Essay

The Puritans who risked their lives, fortunes and futures to start a new life in what was then known as the new world, which is to say the American colonies, brought with them from their native land a desire to start a new life free from religious persecution and full of the faith in God that had brought them through many obstacles to a fresh start. In that search for a new life, Puritans likewise sought moral and spiritual guidance from their leadership. One of the most important ways that this guidance came to be was through the use of the written word. Perhaps no better writers existed during that time than John Smith, William Byrd and William Bradford. In this essay, the writings, beliefs and philosophies of these three men will be presented, universal themes in their works will be discussed, and a conclusion to the paper will bring all of the research into proper prospective. The Works and Philosophies of John Smith Many who study the writings of the early American writers consider John Smith to be not only a highly skilled writer, but likewise what can fairly be called a social, political, and religious commentator of his times. To begin, however, there is a point of clarification that is generally agreed upon, which is the fact that while John Smith was undoubtedly a devout Christian and a man of simple habits and pure living, he was not technically a Puritan by designation, but pure of heart and spirit nonetheless (Hammond, 2000). It would be more precise to categorize Smith as a devotee of the development of the New England colonies upon a foundation of obedience to God as well as the law of man. Before his life in America, Smith was a decorated hero of the English crown, but underwent a change of heart upon realizing that the English lords for whom he had fought so many battles only wanted to enslave the American colonists in a sense. Because of this, Smith soon became a champion of New England’s obedience not to England, but to the word of God. Some of Smith’s best known writings told the story of the struggles of the New England colonists, while still professing the critical role that God plays in the well being of all people, and the importance of piety and faith. Ultimately, this gave Smith a wide audience in the Puritan community and made him one of the most renowned Puritan writers, although he was not technically a member of the sect (Hammond, 2000). Standing in contrast to the piety, serious writing style, and religious obedience of John Smith stands William Byrd, whose writings used a combination of satire and cutting wit to show the difference between the religious and non- religious communities. Writings of William Byrd William Byrd took a drastically different path than Smith in terms of his writing and social commentary; through a blend of satire, humor and parody, Byrd professed that there is a marked difference between the secular and sacred elements of society, and that indeed people could live on either side in harmony. In his book â€Å"The History of the Dividing Line†, Byrd is writing of his explorations of the North American continent and the border between Virginia and North Carolina, but beyond the literal, there lies a great deal of content, philosophy and wisdom. Indirectly, Byrd metaphorically makes a distinction between a life that is defined by obedience to God and one that is guided more by a type of common sense to differentiate between right and wrong and the importance of the decisions and choices on makes in their life (Hammond, 2000). In this book, Byrd discusses the vast wilderness, which is to say the unknown territory that the early Americans must explore and learn how to inhabit if they are to enjoy everything that life has to offer. On a more philosophical level, however, this wilderness is shown as the unknown areas of evil that the human mind can create and explore if the will of the individual is to turn away from God and be disobedient. Also, on a philosophical level, Byrd draws a parallel between the pure and fresh land that the early American settlers have been given, as a sort of gift from God, and the other pure blessings that God provides. In either case, it is up to the individual to embrace and enjoy them, or squander and destroy them. Seemingly bridging the gap between the sacred of Smith and secular of Byrd is William Bradford, the leader of the Pilgrim settlers of the Plymouth Colony of New England, the second Governor of the colony, and generally recognized as the founder of the first Thanksgiving feast. William Bradford’s Body of Literature As was stated in the previous section of this paper, William Bradford can fairly be seen as the midway point between the secular and sacred writers, incorporating both in combination in his writings. His best known work, â€Å"History of Plymouth Plantation†, shows evidence of this belief system, which also projected into his leadership of the colony. Bradford firmly believed that it was the grace of God which brought the colonists to a new life in the Plymouth colony, and it was this same grace which helped them to survive their first brutal winter, when many of their citizens perished due to the harsh conditions. Also, however, Bradford believed that the efforts of the individual were essential to survival (Hammond, 2000), in a sort of thinking that goes by the old adage that God helps those who help themselves. Giving God due praise and worship for blessings, Bradford also put forth the philosophy that the work of humans was needed to nourish the body as God was needed to nourish the soul. Bradford has been acknowledged as the father of the concept of industry in America to produce needed goods and provide a livelihood for people. Perhaps Bradford developed a respect for those who were not particularly devoted to the church but were guided by a will to survive when these people, known at that time as â€Å"Strangers†, made the passage to New England along with the devout Pilgrims, demonstrating that what they lacked in piety they more than made up for in determination to succeed. This experience, it is fair to say, may have influenced Bradford to write in a style that acknowledges the importance of God, but also recognizes the value of the individual aside from their soul. Conclusion This paper has presented information about three early Puritan writers who used varying degrees of faith and philosophy, secular and sacred, to create historical writings that are still being discussed, and are highly respected, centuries after their creation. These works stand as an ultimate monument to the men, their times and belief systems. In retrospect, these early Puritan writers would surely be pleased with this outcome. References Hammond, J. A. (2000). The American Puritan Elegy: A Literary and Cultural Study. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

Outsourcing In Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Outsourcing In Business - Research Paper Example The professional services industry, consisting of accountants, lawyers, advertisers, consultants, and the like is based on the concept of outsourcing. Even works such as cleaning, food services, and mailrooms are outsourced. Outsourcing through call centers have become the order of the day. In recent times, organizations have started outsourcing active back-office jobs, performing work as diversified as customer order processing, payroll, accounts receivables, and amounts payable through outside specialists. In fact, in the modern world, it would be difficult to find any organization that is doing every part of its operations by itself. Through outsourcing, companies try to cut down the operational costs of the product in order to bring down the operation cost. At the same time, outsourcing is resorted to bringing about more product innovation and efficiency in the service offerings to the customers. In fact, there are huge incentives to outsource. Outsourcing can reduce costs by almost 50-60%. There are huge opportunities for the companies to outsource. According to a report by IBM, the leading consulting firm, almost 50% of the $19 trillion expended by European firms on sales and administration could be gainfully outsourced. The report has further added that merely 8% had started outsourcing by early 2005. Peter Drucker, the legendary management consultant and self-proclaimed ‘social ecologist’ observe, â€Å"Do what you do best and outsource the rest.† The idea of finding people who can do something better, faster and cheaper than other dates back to the theory propounded by the classical econ omist Adam Smith.

Writing about Construction Sequence of a Storage Ponds Research Paper

Writing about Construction Sequence of a Storage Ponds - Research Paper Example The stored water can be used for irrigation, and also fighting fire.But for the Forest Hills Metropolitan District Storage Pond Development, the new storage ponds would be used for â€Å"Water Augmentation purposes (releasing water from the ponds back into the Bear Creek watershed for use by water users downstream with senior in the event of a forest fire. It is however important that the basic procedure in the construction of a pond is followed so that the owner can come up with a top quality pond that is easy to maintain (Hyde & Perry 5). The first step in this process is finding a good location for the pond. This process is more important than the actual pond construction. Most sites are unsuitable for pond construction and whether the construction is inch perfect or not, the pond will fail if the site is not good enough. It is therefore important to analyze the safety of the area, topography, geological makeup, features of the drainage area and the water holding ability of the s oil in that particular area. Pond safety When planning for a pond, do not ignore the chances of the pond failing and in addition to the damage that can be caused by the rapidly released water. It is therefore important to locate the pond in an area where such a failure cannot cause damage to infrastructure or risk the lives of people or livestock. If it has to be in such an area, it is important to seek the services of an engineer who can come up with a design that is safe and fail proof. The site should not have any underground cables or pipelines as they can be broken or cause injury during excavation. This should also be the case to areas with electricity lines crossing above as they could be caught by a fishing line if they hang low. Water bodies attract different sorts of people from children to adults, this applies to ponds as well. It is therefore important to make the pond safe for activities like fishing. The pond owner should have any stumps removed so that boat riders sho uld not have any trouble when having fun in the pond (Hyde & Perry 7). Soils in the Pond The texture of soil can vary depending of the depth and might change strongly over a short distance. For the site to be appropriate for a pond, the soil has to be able to hold water. The soil layer should be thick in order to prevent excessive leaks, clay soil is recommended for pond construction since their texture is good and even better when it is a mixture of sand and clay. Sands with course textures do not hold water and are not recommended. A mixture of sand and gravel is even worse. In case a part of the pond has poor soil, it can be made impervious by adding betonies clay, this is however an expensive affair and it is advisable that an alternative pond site is chosen (Hyde & Perry 10).The profile of the soil beneath the damn should be studied as well because if it is not impervious, the water can seep away in the long run and therefore the foundation of the pond should be sealed using im pervious soil to make seepage impossible. Geology Building a pond in areas with limestone deposits is risky since the area might have invisible crevices which could make the pond to leak, such areas even have granular soils which leak even when wet. Such sites should have a thorough investigation done of them so that it is certain that they can hold water. Topography The cost of construction of a pond mainly depend on the lay of the land since if a pond with a high storage volume is needed, the site should have a low earth fill so that excavation work does not cost too much. A site with two ridges towering over either sides is good since it allows a large area to be flooded with ease. These areas also reduce the chances of some areas of the pond having shallow water. Excavated ponds are

Duty of Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Duty of Care - Essay Example The reporter stresses that "Marianne has bought from Ann a house which is ten years old. When the house was built by Brick Ltd., the plans were approved by Greatshire local authority on the basis of a report of independent consulting engineers. The consultants had failed to report on a problem with the foundations. Cracks have now appeared in the kitchen wall which collapses and falls on Tom’s car which is standing beside it. Marianne is so worried by the state of the house that she sells it at  £20,000 less than its market price. She wishes to sue Brick Ltd. I am British Law student so can you please use British English and british resources. That is a coursework from Tort law it is very,very important to use relevant cases and statues. At the moment we are using a book "Streets on Torts" 12th edition by John Murphy it is also important to use this book in the coursework. As a law student we have to argue everything all the time from both sides, it is not enough just to dis cribe sth, there has to be arguments. In order to be able to advise the parties in the above situations it is necessary to examine the potential claims against each. This will involve looking at the rules on general negligence as well as professional negligence. The starting point in proving all claims for tort is establishing whether a duty of care was owed and by whom, whether there has been a breach of that duty and whether as a result of that breach the party has suffered harm. In all three cases there needs to be a discussion as to whether the party causing the damage owed the victim a greater degree of care as they were supposedly professionals in their field of work."

Future of Nanotechnology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Future of Nanotechnology - Research Paper Example With the advancement in the field of nanotechnology, it has been noticed that even the human organs can be regenerated with the application of technology of nano-thin sheets. The regeneration of the human organs is done by layering the thin sheets of tissues which are specifically created with the help of nano-order thin sheets. It should also be noted that the risk of any medical complication have been relatively decreased by large as nano technology has come at the medical forefront. This is mainly because the layers are created by selecting the cells from the patient’s own body (Newell-McGloughlin and Re 2011). This minimized the risk of transplantation reactions, which have been noted in the traditional approaches of regeneration of human organs. Another important fact to be noted here is that with the increase of medical therapies through the aid of nanotechnology, it is being considered that the pace of surgeries is more likely to increase. Consequently, this will help i n the positive patient outcome and lowered risk of health complications (Newell-McGloughlin and Re 2011). Followed by the previously discussed applications of nanotechnology in human life, it should also be discussed that nanotechnology has also made a great contribution in the automobile industry. The reward of the application of nanotechnology in the field of automobile is its light weight of automobiles. Nanotechnology is also useful to produce hydrogen ions from fuels such as, menthol in order to reduce the cost of catalysts in fuels. Intellectuals have noticed that companies with the help of nanoparticles started making batteries. There are two types of batteries on which companies are working these days (Dvorsky 2012). Convention batteries, which will efficiently work, after charging it for a long time and another one is a battery which can be charged in short time, but it works for many hours. Fuel consumption has also been reduced with the help of advancement in nanotechnolo gy. It helps to produce fuel for low-grade raw material, which helps increase the mileage of engines. Moreover, researchers have observed that space flights have become more practical and advanced with the help of nanotechnology (Dvorsky 2012). c. Nanotechnology and Micro machines: Currently, researchers have noticed that nanotechnology has given rise to micro robotic system and development of this system can be observed

Scandinavia myself Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Scandinavia myself - Essay Example to around 1700 B.C.E. As history advanced, this area gave birth to the more modern Viking era, 600-700 C.E. that we tend to associate with much of the civilization advances from that region of the world. They were a basically pagan people who began to experience Christianity in 829, but were not released from pagan practices until around the 12th century. There were many internal struggles as well as territorial conquests that kept the Nordic region unstable until around 1300C.E. with the emergence of three distinct kingdoms; Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. ((New World Encyclopedia 2008) Scandinavians today are a peaceful people who generally hold to their traditions and values, while being accepting of new ideas and people. They have a high regard for privacy, tolerance and discretion, while at the same time hold their individual natures with respect. They often occupy peace-keeping roles in NATO and the UN. ((New World Encyclopedia 2008) The official name of Denmark is the Kingdom of Denmark. It is a Constitutional Monarchy with the current Constitution established on June 5, 1953. It has Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of government which oversees 5 regions and 98 municipalities. The Capitol of Denmark is Copenhagen. It has a temperate climate with slightly rolling hills and is situated between Sweden and Norway, above Germany in the Baltic Sea. (U.S. Department of State 2011) The people of Denmark are known as Danes and Danish; population 5,557,709. There are several languages spoken there; Danish, Faroese, Greenlandic, and German, although English is the second most widely spoken language. There are multiple ethnic groups including Inuit, Faroese, Scandinavian, Turkish, Polish, German, Lebanese, Iraqi, Bosnian, Yugoslav, Pakistani, Iranian, Somali, Vietnamese, British and Afghan. Various religions are acknowledged by the regions including† Danish National Evangelical Lutheran, which comprises approximately 81% of the population, Muslims, 4 %, and others such as Protestants, Roman Catholics, Jewish, Buddhist, and Hindu communities make up the remaining 15 % of religious faiths in Denmark. (U.S. Department of State 2011) Danes have compulsory education through 9 years, with 100% attendance and a literacy rate of 99%. They have contributed greatly to the arts, literature, music and ballet. Denmark established a Ministry of Cultural Affairs in 1961 to oversee the development of the arts and leisure activities including museums, libraries, theatres and drama groups. (U.S. Department of State 2011) The official name of Sweden is the Kingdom of Sweden. It is a Constitutional Monarchy with the current Constitution coming into effect on January 1, 1975. It has Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches that oversee 21 counties, 18 county councils, 290 municipalities, and 2 regions. The Capitol of Sweden is Stockholm. It has a wide variety of climates from temperate in the south, maritime along the coast, and subarctic in th e north; with mountains, lakes, and lowland areas near the coast. It is located between Norway and Finland. (U.S. Department of State 11/8, 2010) The people of Sweden are Swedes or Swedish; population 9,373,379. Swedish is the official language, although English is widely spoken. There are three main ethnic groups: the Swedes, ethnic Finns, and ethnic Sami. There is also about 14% of the

Assess the strengths of the UN Special Procedures mechanisms Essay

Assess the strengths of the UN Special Procedures mechanisms - Essay Example investigations and analysis are used to make recommendations for remedying and improving flaws in human rights protection and enforcement.3 Thus the Special Procedures facilitates a perpetual and vigilant supervision of international human rights and in doing so emphasizes the importance of human rights defence and protection. A number of strengths have been identified in the literature. The UN Special Procedures also calls for coordination and collaboration between the various organs of the UN and also between these organs and Non-governmental organizations (NGOs). In doing so, not only expertise, but the input of those who are in a position to observe and report on human rights protection progress and protection failures. This can usually include those whose human rights have been infringed or are jeopardized and the state in which those rights are compromised.4 Therefore, the Special Procedures of the UN’s mechanism is predicated on a process of human rights protection and promotion founded on the best available information. In addition to investigating and analyzing international human rights issues and ascertaining appropriate remedial action, the Special Procedures also monitors its own mechanisms.5 In this regard, the Special Procedures is a perpetually improving paradigm and always identifying how it can best achieve its goal of protecting and promoting international human rights. In other words, the Special Procedures mechanisms are not merely monitoring human rights, but it is also monitoring its own review and investigative mechanisms for optimal outcomes. This is enabled by the ad hoc nature of the Special Procedures. As an ad hoc system, the Special Procedures allows for changes to be made to its mechanism in response to changing conditions and circumstances. For example in 2011, the Human Rights Council reviewed its â€Å"work and functioning† and established â€Å"essential principles, such as the obligation of States to cooperate with special

Cash in hand Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cash in hand - Assignment Example Mr. Thompson should have minimized his tax liability through legal tax planning whereby the government provides various tools and mechanisms to reduce tax returns such as exemptions, rebates, deductions, and allowances (Gavai 2010). Legal tax planning helps a business to minimize its expenses and thereby reducing its costs of operation and later having long term profits. Therefore, Mr. Thompson should have used other legal means such as low tax rates or other tax benefits that his country offers for investment. The government should ensure that there is tax transparency and ensures that taxes are disclosed to the public. Information sharing and modernization of international tax laws are ways that can reduce tax evasion. Other means of reducing tax evasion include keeping corporate income tax rates low, pursuing international tax information exchange agreements, tightening anti-avoidance rules and also coming up with new tax policies that can help businesses compete (Gavai

Oracle 11i features Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Oracle 11i features - Essay Example The features are explained based on the different applications present in the suite. The purpose of each feature, their advantage over previous versions and other similar products are detailed here. A brief description of each feature in its previous versions is provided in order to understand each and every feature, better. Finally, a brief description of the outcomes that were achieved through the use of different features of Oracle11i is provided. Oracle Business Suite 11i is commonly referred to as Oracle 11i. Here, "I" represents the application in internet from which it is accessible to anyone, anywhere. Oracle introduced this version after integrating enterprise application software. E-business suite has a significant expansion in functionality, scalability, usability and reduced cost of ownership. Oracle E-business is a powerful suite of applications that provides the organization with better business information for effective decision making and enables an adaptive enterprise for optimal responsiveness. It is comprised of a number of critical applications designed to help businesses become more productive and successful. E-business suite provides comprehensive security policy enforcement and access control for the applications on the network. (Mathews et., al. 2005). 11i suite saves time and improves customer service by automating common supply chain operations that had to be performed manually using earlier versions of Oracle applications. E-business suite deploys on an infrastructure that mixes J2EE elements with Oracle forms and PL/SQL elements. Oracle11i supports synchronous and asynchronous integration approaches, integration of both internal and external applications and use of standards. Oracle11i applications use a three tiered internet computing architecture. This architecture distributes the services on a network to support the processing load. The three tiers of the architecture include database tier, which constitutes an Oracle 8i database; the application tier manages Oracle ERP applications and eliminates the need to install application software on each system; desktop tier provides a plug-in for a browser-based user interface over a network. (Mathews et., al. 2005). The two main components in Oracle's E-business suite are ERP and CRM. Forms Server Forms server runs on the application tier and it is the intermediary between the forms client and the database. They exchange message through a normal network connection. The presentation runs in any Java enabled browser. It manages the downloading, startup and execution of forms client which displays Apps screens, co-ordinates multi window interaction and validation features. It is possible to run multiple forms servers to do load balancing among the network nodes. Http Server HTTP server contains two integral modules which enable the server to perform its functionality. Oracle Self-Service Web Application Oracle self-service web application allows users to perform fast entering, updating and transferring of information within an organization and within an application. Customers can enter orders or perform collection inquiries through this interface and its components. It is designed for secure, self-service business transactions across an intranet or over the internet. Oracle self-servic

Corporate Finance Essay Example for Free

Corporate Finance Essay 1. Set forth and compare the business cases for each of the two projections under consideration by Emily Harris. Which do you regard as more compelling? Productions was New Heritage ´s largest division as measured by total assets, and easily its most asset-Intensive. Approximately 75 % of the division ´s sales were made to the company ´s retailing division, with the remaining 25% comprising private label goods manufactured for other firms. The division revenue figures include approximately $95 million of internal sales within divisions which are eliminated when considering consolidated revenue for the company. We must look closer on the financial projections and the operating details for the two proposals. By looking we can see a big difference in Revenue growth. We realize that Design your own doll can handle much more additional annual revenue according to the resources in the balance sheet. According to the outlays the initial expenditures for Design Your Own Dolls is much higher than Match my Doll Clothing. As with Match my Doll Clothing the required RD and marketing costs would be tax deductible. EBIT is a good gauge of how well those two companies is being managed. It is watched closely by all stakeholders, because it measures both overall demand for the company ´s products and the company ´s efficiency in delivering those products. The operating projections tell us that Design Your Own Doll has gained more in operating profits. Substantial investment in working capital (primarily work in process inventory of partially manufactured dolls) would be required beginning in 2011 for Match My Doll Clothing to support the forecasted level of sales. The value of a risky alternative to the decision maker may be different than the expected value of the alternative because of the risk that the alternative poses of serious losses. The concept of the certainty equivalent is useful for such situation. Factors considered in the assessment of a project ´s risk for Emily Harris included, for example, whether it required new consumer acceptance or new technology, high levels of fixed costs and hence high breakeven production volumes, the sensitivity of price or volume to macroeconomic recession, the anticipated degree of price competition, and so forth. Given the proven success of Match My Doll Clothing, Harris believed the project entailed moderate risk that is, about the same degree of risk as the production division ´s existing business as a whole. Design Your Own Doll had a relatively long payback period, introduced some untested elements into the manufacturing process, and depended on near-flawless operation of new customer-facing software and user interfaces. If the project stumbled for some reason, New Heritage risked damaging relationships with the best customers. On the other hand, the project had a relatively modest fixed cost ratio, and it played to the company ´s key strength – creating a unique experience for its consumers. The cash flows excluded all financing charges and non-cash items (i.e. depreciation), and were calculated on an after-corporate-tax basis. The New Heritage’s corporate tax rate is 40%. We think that the Design Your Own Doll project is more compelling. 2. Use the operating projections for each project to compute a NPV for each. Which project creates more value? (Please find the calculations in the attachment)  NPV calculations include a terminal value computed as the value of a perpetuity growing at constant rate. We computed Free Cash Flows (FCF) to find out the actual amount of cash from operations that the company could use in developing its new projects. We calculated the terminal value for 2020 as projected FCF in the first year beyond the projection horizon divided by discount rate of 8.4% less the perpetuity growth rate, which in this case was 3%. According to our calculations the MMDM’s terminal value in 2020 is 16,346,000 and DYOD’s is 27,486,000. Based on the our calculation the NPV of the Match My Doll Clothing project is $7,151,000 ( and the NPV of the Design Your Own Doll project is $9,257,000 . In both cases the NPV is greater than zero but NPV of project 2 is greater than NPV of project 1, therefore project number 2 should be selected. | | | | | | | | | | | | NPV calculations for Design Your Own Doll| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2010| 2011| 2012| 2013| 2014| 2015| 2016| 2017| 2018| 2019| 2020| EBIT | -1201,00| 0,00| 550,00| 1794,00| 2724,00| 2779,00| 2946,00| 3123,00| 3310,00| 3509,00| 3719,00| Tax @ 40% | -480,40| 0,00| 220,00| 717,60| 1089,60| 1111,60| 1178,40| 1249,20| 1324,00| 1403,60| 1487,60| | | | | | | | | | | | | Net Income | -720,60| 0,00| 330,00| 1076,40| 1634,40| 1667,40| 1767,60| 1873,80| 1986,00| 2105,40| 2231,40| plus: depreciation | 0,00| 0,00| 310,00| 310,00| 310,00| 436,00| 462,00| 490,00| 520,00| 551,00| 584,00| less: ΔNWC | 0,00| 1000,00| 24,00| 1386,00| 942,00| 202,00| 213,00| 226,00| 240,00| 254,00| 269,00| less: capital expenditures | 4610,00| 0,00| 310,00| 310,00| 2192,00| 826,00| 875,00| 928,00| 983,00| 1043,00| 1105,00| | | | | | | | | | | | | Free Cash Flow (FCF) | -5330,60| -1000,00| 306,00| -309,60| -1189,60| 1075,40| 1141,60| 1209,80| 1283,00| 1359,40| 1441,40| terminal value | 0,00| 0,00| 0,00| 0,00| 0,00| 0,00| 0,00| 0,00| 0,00| 0,00| 27486,00| FCF after terminal value | -5330,60| -1000,00| 306,00| -309,60| -1189,60| 1075,40| 1141,60| 1209,80| 1283,00| 1359,40| 28927,40| | | | | | | | | | | | | Discount factor (DF=8,4%) | 1,00| 0,92| 0,85| 0,79| 0,72| 0,67| 0,62| 0,57| 0,52| 0,48| 0,45| | | | | | | | | | | | | Present Value (PV) | -5330,60| -922,20| 260,41| -243,07| -861,51| 718,47| 703,57| 687,77| 672,93| 657,81| 12913,19| | | | | | | | | | | | | Cumulative Present Value| 14587,38| | | | | | | | | | | Net present value (NPV)| 9256,78| | | | | | | | | | | 3. Compute the IRR and payback period for each project. How should these metrics affect Harris ´s deliberations? How do they compare to NPV as tools for evaluating projects? When and how would you use each? IRR Analysis Table – IRR Sensitivity Analysis | Revenue Change | Match My Doll Clothing Line | Design Your Own Doll (baseline) 3% | 18.24% | 14.68% | 2% | 17.74% | 14.28% | 1% | 17.24% | 13.87% | 0% | 16.74% | 13.46% | -1% | 16.23% | 13.04% | -2% | 15.72% | 12.62% | -3% | 15.21% | 12.19% | -4% | 14.69% | 11.77% | -5% | 14.16% | 11.33% | -6% | 13.63% | 10.90% | The model reflects a change in revenue from +3% to -6%. IRR of NPV is not used because sensitivity is included in the discount rate. Payback Period Analysis Payback period for each of the scenarios: * Match My Doll Clothing Line Expansion (baseline) = 8.43 years * Design Your Own Doll (baseline) = 10.09 years 4. What additional information does Harris need to complete her analyses and compare the two projects? What specific questions should she ask each of the project sponsors? In order to complete her analyses, several questions need to be asked in order for the report to be as fruitful as possible. Thus the questions that could be asked in order for Harris to make good decisions in comparing the two projects, goes as follows. * What changes would be expected in capital expenditures during periods of change? * Are there any hidden labor costs not being considered in the Match My Doll Clothing Line Expansion, similar to the additional labor costs in Design Your Own Doll? * What level of risk does the project Design Your Own Doll pertains? In hand with revenue-analysis, what are the incremental earnings? * In addition to the risk level of Design Your Own Doll, is the project stable enough not to harm customer relationships? * What is the forecast for the whole industry? What will be the future market share since this affects sales outstanding and in hand revenue? * Based on the data, what will the equity of the company and share price be, taking into account the two projects? Historical data for inventory turnover ratios; days sales outstanding and days payable outstanding would also be additional information that Harris could benefit from. 5. If Harris is forced to recommend one project over the other, which should be recommended? Why? To improve the present value for both projects the  management of the company should think of how to improve the projects’ cash flows. Typically, companies aim to increase cash flow from their existing operations by collecting receivables as soon as possible and slowing down their payables without harming their relations with suppliers. The NPV is a forecast, and as with every forecast, the outcome is not given. Typically forecasts for shorter periods are more accurate. The forecast for New Heritage Company is based on a time period of 10 years. I would recommend reducing that time period to provide more accurate cash flow figures. As with all forecasts, the NVP is not free from risks. The management should be aware that risks such as increase in inflation, change in interest rates, and increased competition in the toys business, could have a negative impact on future benefits of selected project. Last, I would recommend for the management to monitor the costs to increase profits. However, the management should weigh the benefits of reducing costs to avoid an adverse effect of diminished profits. If additional cash inflows are achieved, the company should invest a portion of the profits to generate additional money and expand the business through creation of new products and projects.

History Of Stereotypes And Bullying Film Studies Essay

History Of Stereotypes And Bullying Film Studies Essay More and more bullying cases are being reported each year. About 160,000 children stay at home due to bullying going on in school. Although bullying has been around for so long, there has been a great amount of media response to the topic these past three or four years. With TV shows portraying storylines and situations in which their characters get bullied, it is interesting to notice how the bullying in question is being represented. One cant help but wonder if what we are seeing on TV is what happens in real life, or if its just being exaggerated for shock effect or to gain more viewers. A clear example of bullying being represented in current media is the American TV series: Glee. The show is about a group of teenagers who cant seem to find their place in the social circles of high school, they join glee club so they can fit in and ultimately be accepted for who they are. Since the series began in 2009, it has had a massive following with audience members all around the globe. It s attracted more viewers of different age groups than its intended demographic and overall its having a successful run. With this information the following question arose: To what extent is high school bullying portrayed accurately in the TV Series Glee? Glee has been chosen specifically because during its bullying arc ratings were generally positive. With the highest viewed episode being an estimated 26.8 million viewers and its lowest 8.85 million, its safe to say that the audience watching at home was subjected to their representation of bullying that Glee had made. The show throughout its three complete seasons has referenced bullying in a minor or major way, ranging from emotional to physical abuse. Since the show has gained a great amount of followers during its run, teenagers and adults alike may feel identified with the characters because of the setting. Since it is portrayed in high school, teens can relate because they are currently living it and adults can find similarities with their experience because theyve already lived it. The main idea is to compare real life situations and events that have happened in American high schools with moments in the show, then discuss the accuracy in the portrayal of such events and see if the television reenactment does the real life situation justice. Whats bullying? Bullying is an epidemic that everybody can experience. Whether youre in high school, college, or well into adulthood, you are always going to find someone that will hurt you physically or emotionally, even if they meant to or not. It is fairly common in school periods because children and teenagers are experiencing changes in their personal and social lives. Bullying is widespread and perhaps the most underreported safety problem on American school campuses (Batsche, G. M. Knoff, H. M). School is most likely to have this problem because there are such a vast number of students all under the same roof of different ethnicities, ages, social groups, etc. Its impossible for everybody to get along, and some are more inclined to show it than others. Bullying by definition is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose (StopBullying). There are many different kind of bullying such as: physical, verbal, emotional, indirect, cyber, sexual harassment and hazing. Bullying isnt just punching or calling people names, there are various types of bullying that can be described. One of the different types is verbal bullying, or also known as verbal abuse. It is defined as name-calling, making offensive remarks, or joking about a persons religion, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or the way they look. Verbal aggression is when a bully teases someone. It can also include a bully making verbal threats of violence or aggression against someones personal property. 46.5% of all bullying in schools is the verbal type (Library.ThinkQuest, 2012). The 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) indicates that, nationwide, 20% of students in grades 9-12 experienced bullying. Media and bullying Glee is a modern example of bullying portrayal, with plotlines such as the main characters in the actual glee club get harassed for being in said club and end up having slushies thrown at them: the perfect example of hazing. Also, cyber bullying makes a brief appearance in two episodes: one where the main character (Rachel Berry) receives some nasty comments for uploading a video of her singing and another situation where a secondary character (Dave Karofsky) is receiving negative comments on Facebook when his friends find out hes gay. One of the main plot lines the show handled in the second season of the series is having one of the main characters (Kurt Hummel) being tormented by the football team not only because hes in glee club, but because of his sexual orientation. He ends up being thrown in dumpsters, being slushied more often than his friends, and even being sexually harassed. The bullying got so bad that the solution he found was best for him was to transfer schools to get away from the nonstop torment. The fact of the matter is that bullying is indeed a serious threat to a persons wellbeing, we are only now seeing the problem represented in the media in the most relatable and common setting: in a high school environment. Since television is a common and effective way to transmit information and entertainment, viewers are subject to see whatever the media presents them. How is it represented? Bullying has been represented in the media for years now. Its a common topic for TV shows because everybody is subject to experience it during their lifetime. Since its a common life experience during ones teenage years, we can all relate to it one way or another, whether were being the bully or the one being bullied. But since the main idea of this essay is to analyze the American representation and its accuracy, the examples presented will be compared to real life articles or situations that have occurred in the United States. Representation in media outlets is important for just about any topic because these outlets are what people listen, watch and read. It plays a big part in influencing its audience because we have a tendency to repeat what we see on our TV screens, or what we read on the newspaper or heard on the radio. So while watching a show that is touching the subject of bullying, the accuracy of this topics portrayal is important where you want to prove a point or exaggerate it just to send a message.   In September 2010,  a freshman at Rutgers University died in an apparent suicide  after his roommate secretly filmed him in an intimate encounter and then streamed the video over the Internet (New York Times, 2010). This is an example of a case of cyber bullying we can compare with Glee. In the third seasons fourteenth episode titled On my way, one of plot lines centers around the fact that the character, Dave Karofsky, is  outed  at his school and this causes him to be bullied by his football teammates in the locker room. His classmates bully him via his Facebook profile and Karofsky attempts  suicide by hanging himself, but his father find him just in time and is taken to the hospital. This news causes grief and shock amongst students and teachers from his old school, especially Kurt Hummel. While these situations arent identical with the premise, both subjects were bullied via internet and due to the fact that they were gay. Both students were harassed because of their sexual orientation and it led to ones death and one nearly dying. The shows creator, Ryan Murphy, has made it clear that he wanted to portray a bullying storyline within the show. Sometimes thats an accurate depiction of what happens (Ryan Murphy, 2010). And while presenting this quote, Murphy has been true to his word, with situations like the one stated above, not leaving any details out of what can truly happen in intense bullying cases. Stereotypes and Bullying The definition for stereotypes is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing (Oxford Dictionary, 2012). Stereotypes are preconceived perceptions people have about a group of people, it is extraordinarily common in society and they can lead to bullying starting from a young age. Although stereotypes may be true in some cases, making a general assumption about a group of people is hurtful. In media cases, we are presented with these stereotypes because the character is funnier that way or it makes for a good punch line. But its also important that the stereotypical bullying process is mentioned. For example, bullies are often stereotyped to being big, bulky, and dumb and they will always pick on the little guy. This has been proven as false. Anybody can be a bully, gender doesnt matter, what you look like doesnt either, friends, even family members can be bullies sometimes. In Glee, there are a handful of stereotypes that range from the typical jock character to the really smart Asian kid. In a sense, it works with the show because it dwells into the problems these characters face with their respective stereotypes, although thats not always the case. In season three, episode four; they introduced Rory Flanagan, an Irish exchange student with a heavy accent and always wears green clothes. This makes one of the main characters (Brittany Pierce) to think that hes a leprechaun, and proceeds to ask if he can grant her three wishes. Another bullying Physical Abuse Physical abuse is any intentional and unwanted contact with you or something close to your body. Sometimes abusive behavior does not cause pain or even leave a bruise, but its still unhealthy  (Love is Respect, 2007). In bullying, since the target age that is being analyzed is in between teens ages fifteen through eighteen, the majority of bullying done in high schools doesnt involve more physical contact that the typical locker shove. Although, there are some cases in which people do take it too far, making victims scared of even going to school because of what other things the bullies can do. In 2011, Brooke Bliss, a sixteen year old high school student in New York, said that she has been bullied for years at school. Once, several girls ganged up on her and started calling her names. Then, the bullying turned physical. Brooke said that other teens pushed her into a wall and off of a weight machine, causing injuries to her hip and side (CNY Central, 2011). In Glee, this type of bullying is also being demonstrated. With Kurt being constantly being pushed into lockers (mostly during the second season), and in the beginning of the season being thrown into a dumpster, its clearly a method of bullying going over the verbal barrier of just simply teasing somebody. This is inflicting physical harm on a person, meaning theres a chance for visible injuries and that have to take serious care of depending on the damage done. With the real life and fictitious examples, comparing them side by side, the topic itself is being treated exactly as it is. Glee is depicting a problem that occurs in high schools nationwide, and this is only one of the many types of bullying going on that we can only hear about from news articles, news broadcasts or even radio. Since we dont go to these schools, the only thing we can rely on is our own experiences in school, or what we see in the media and believe it. Hazing Hazing is a subtype of bullying that involves someone being forced to submit to humiliating treatment in order to earn membership in the group responsible for the hazing (Murray, 2006). The definition for hazing in its essence is to make someone do a really embarrassing task in order to be inside a group. But to what extent is that considered harmless when it involves people to do ridiculous tasks that could harm their wellbeing? In Glee, the football team constantly throws frozen iced drinks (slushies) into the glee club members faces. Its the right of passage for each glee club member because they are inaugurating them into the bottom of the food chain in their high school environment. They joined glee club, so the jocks make it their mission to throw slushies at them as a welcome gift. While the standard definition of the term hazing refers mainly to joining a group voluntarily, and hazing is just the initiation process, the term can be taken halfway because albeit the glee club members did in fact join a group, the initiation process was mostly from the jocks, their bullies. Even if some of the jocks arent in glee club, they are being humiliated in front of the school to acknowledge their social status at school, according to Murrays definition. In season threes Micheal episode, one of the other main characters (Blaine Anderson) has a slushie thrown at him by opposing glee club member Sebastian Smythe from the Warblers. It turns out that the slushie had rock salt in it, so when it hit Blaine in his face, it caused him to need eye surgery. While this was not Sebastians intention, it still caused noticeable physical harm. Hazing may be all fun and games for the ones doing it, but it can lead to physical injury and emotional distress amongst those participating in it. Verbal Abuse Perhaps the most common form of bullying is that of oral assaults -threats, derogatory name-calling, and insulting remarks about a persons appearance, mental ability, race, religion, habits, family background, mode of speech, lifestyle, friends, sexual orientation, and more (Murray, 2006). Verbal abuse is the use of words to cause harm to the person being spoken to. It is difficult to define and may take many forms. Similarly, the harm caused is often difficult to measure. The most commonly understood form is name-calling. Verbal abuse may consist of shouting, insulting, intimidating, threatening, shaming, demeaning, or derogatory language, among other forms of communication (USLegal, 2012). With these two definitions we can see that the common denominator is using words to make a person feel bad. It is the most common form of bullying because its so easy to apply; while youre walking down a hallway all you have to do is say something and walk away, leaving the bullied victim with an emotional scar instead of a physical one. Throughout the shows history, Glee has made it clear that insults are the common bullying weapon. Bullying Today, why now? Bullying has been for as long as anyone can remember. With bullying being identified as early stages in life like grade school and kids getting progressively meaner the older they get, its no wonder kids and teens alike are afraid to go to school most of the time. Today, with the constant growth of cyber media and technology, these are being used as weapons along with their actual fists or words. Its much easier for the bully to reach out to their victim throughout the internet rather than just seeking them out in person during school hours. It seems much safer for them because no one is there looking at the actual bullying taking place. Using the articles and their Glee counterparts, its safe to say that they are inspired by true events happening all across the country. They dont follow the article on the dot, but they do portray a bullying situation similar to the examples stated. With Dave Karofsky, they managed to create a plot for the character similar to the bullying situation of the student from Rutgers University. With the examples stated in the essay, the analysis of each one and their fictional representation is specific and sees the influence the show got from them so they could be demonstrated in the show. The problem with fictional representation is that we only see the problem for a split second, we only get vague details about whats going on in the characters story, theres only so much we can find out in a show with so many characters and different plot lines in a single episode. One of the many reasons bullying has been brought to light by the media recently is due to the many suicides occurring in the period of September October in 2010, the main cause being bullied to the extreme. Tyler Clementi from Rutgers University, he was cyber bullied. Seth Walsh, a 13 year old boy from Tehachapi also committed suicide because he was being bullied in school due to his sexual orientation. By seventh grade, he was afraid to walk home from school (Time Magazine, 2010). The cases were one after another, and this is the reason why it gained a lot of media attention. The fact that that in a single month four teenagers died to similar reasons, it made the news pretty quickly. This caused the education system to invest more in antibullying campaigns. Even President Obama asked for a 12% increase in their funding (2010). While examining the accuracy of the fictional representation that Glee portrays, it has become clear that the bullying subject has been treated and portrayed as such. The show focuses on the high school glee club New Directions, portrayed as a group of underdogs with low popularity status, and how they also deal with personal and social issues. Since its main focus is high school, it is centered towards bullying affecting the teenage audience; therefore comparing it to the real life cases shown in the length of this essay is justified. The shows second season was heavy on the bullying plot, and focused often on recurring character, Kurt Hummel, who was bullied due to the fact that he was gay. But this is only one of many examples, their gym coach Sue Sylvester, has been shown to be portrayed as ruthless and aggressive to students and teachers alike, making it abundantly clear that she hates everybody but more particularly the glee club. She uses slurs, throws sticks at students, and in some cases, has pushed students into lockers. Glee is a fictional TV show, and that has to be taken into consideration. Like all works of fiction, even if it takes place in a school, or in modern day times, things can be exaggerated or modified to fit the story. The purpose of media is to entertain their audience, and more specifically with television. But that doesnt necessarily mean we shouldnt take the lessons it can teach us when presented. When the audience watches a show, they can learn a great deal of things; this doesnt leave Glee out of it. It made their audience become more aware of the degree bullying has increased all over schools in the country and that anybody can be a victim. They showed the causes, the consequences, and the emotional pain victims go through when bullied, they even added the bullys point of view to explain why they did it. In conclusion, bullying is a nationwide epidemic. According to the National Educational Association (2012) up to 13 million kids are bullied every year. Not everybody is bullied the exact same way, so representation in the media is important for it be well known amongst audiences nationwide. Although Glee may have moments where you ask yourself if that really happens or not (i.e., slushies in the face), it represents the bullying storyline as a case for their own character, basing their story with ones shown on the news and on the internet. It isnt farfetched because there are people who can relate to the storyline whether or not its identical. So, bullying is presented as accurately as possible in the show. There are mentions of racial slurs, insults, stereotypes, and harassment; these are all elements in the bullying spectrum to use against their intended target. Maybe well perceive it as exaggerated because weve never experienced it before, or our educational environment is comple tely different than the one being presented to us on TV, but the fact of the matter is that anybody could have been bullied like they have been on the Glee representation, and were only finding out about it now.