Biases Against Other Cultures

Life places us in a complex web of relationships with other people. Like what Marilynn Brewer, at one point in her article, said of this natural phenomenon, our humanness arises out of these relationships in the course of social interaction. Moreover, our humanness must be sustained through social interaction, and fairly constantly so. Group boundaries are not physical barriers, but rather discontinuities in the flow of social interaction. To one degree or another, a group’s boundaries encapsulate people in a social membrane so that the focus and flow of their actions are internally contained. Some boundaries are based on territorial location, such as neighborhoods, communities, and nation-states. Others rest on social distinctions, such as ethnic group or religious, political, occupational, language, kin, and socio-economic class memberships. When applied to interpersonal and intercultural setting, this social interaction generally generates prejudicial relationships among the several groups. Primarily, I was having a sense that my cultural group is superior to members of the culturally different groups, a feeling that the culturally different groups members are by nature different and alien, a sense that we have a proprietary claim to privilege, power, and prestige, and even a fear and suspicion that members of the culturally different groups have design on our benefits. In this respect, prejudice frequently reflects a sense of group membership or position. Indeed, it is not only the groups to which we immediately belong that have a powerful influence upon us. Often the same holds true for groups to which we do not belong. Indeed, in daily conversation, I recognize the distinction between my cultural group and those of others’ in our use of the personal pronouns we and they. For instance, because my friend and I have been comrades for quite a long time, we tend to mutually agree on many things including our perceptions towards religious matters. This is apart from the fact that we are both Christians. We also believe that Muslims have bias against women. As we reviewed some ins and outs, we reckon how the Qur’an gave women protection than traditional Arab law but did not ever have equality with men. Whereas Muslim men could be family-oriented, it only differs with Christians in that they are such in every family they have among many others. They could be protective of their families as the Qur’an only permits polygamy when the man is responsible enough to fulfill his responsibilities. But my friend and I believe Muslims and Christians, men or women, are educated. A number of Muslim women, particularly in the upper classes, are well educated and become known as artists, writers, and supporters of the arts. Nonetheless, we believe they are still sexists from a spiritual point of view as the Qur’an states that â€Å"men have authority over women because Allah has made the one superior to the other.† This makes their sect patriarchal in nature as much as Christians’ is. Because of these biases, sometimes I tend to prevent outsiders from entering our group’s sphere, and they keep insiders within that sphere so they do not entertain rival possibilities for social interaction. At times we experience feelings of indifference, disgust, competition, and even outright conflict when we think about or have dealings with other cultural groups’ members. Such social differentiation may have these grounds for conflict between us and the other culturally different groups: moral superiority, perceived threat, common goals, common values and social comparison, and power politics. Conflict intensifies ethnocentric sentiments and may lead to inter-group strife. Since we would like to view ourselves as being members in good standing within a certain group, or we aspire to such membership, we take on the group’s norms and values. We cultivate its lifestyles, political attitudes, musical tastes, food preferences, sexual practices, and drug-using behaviors. We establish for ourselves a comparison point against which we judge and evaluate our physical attractiveness, intelligence, health, ranking, and standard of living. This makes my ethnocentric view quite negative rendering people to take on social units with which we compare ourselves to emphasize the differences between ourselves and others. For the most part, the attitudes people evolve toward out-groups tend to reflect their perceptions of the relationships they have with the groups. Where the relations between two groups are viewed as competitive, negative attitudes (like prejudice) will be generated toward the out-group. Still, whereas competition had heightened awareness of group boundaries, the pursuit of common goals led to a lessening of out-group hostilities and the lowering of intergroup barriers to cooperation. Upon making substantial research myself, I learned that to avoid direct conflict between my primary group and the other cultural groups, we are introduced to the concept of â€Å"concentric loyalties.† When our membership group does not match our reference group, we may experience feelings of relative deprivation or discontent associated with the gap between what we have and what we believe we should have. Feelings of relative deprivation often contribute to social alienation and provide fertile conditions for collective behavior and revolutionary social movements. The concentric loyalties then may also contain clues to processes of social change especially a perception change towards inter-group phenomenon. On a personal note, we can only manage the dynamics of the Christian-Muslim differences by employing effective learning strategies to resolve conflict among people whose cultural backgrounds and values differ. In the school setting, for instance, there could be training sessions and group discussions to understand the historical distrust affecting present-day interactions. If my friend and I have good neighbors among Muslims, others may not do as they could be misjudging others’ action based on their learned expectations. Reference Brewer, Marilynn. (1999). â€Å"The Psychology of Prejudice: Ingroup Love or Outgroup Hate?† Journal of Social Issue, Vol. 5, No. 3.

95 theses

Luther's Theses Against the Church Martin Luther was a Theologian who was on his way to becoming a lawyer until an event that altered his life. In July 1505, Luther was caught in a terrible thunderstorm where he genuinely feared he may die. During the storm, he cried out to St. Anne, the patron saint of miners and said â€Å"Save me, St. Anne, and I'll become a monk! â€Å". (A;E Networks 1) When he told his parents of his decision, his father was deeply disappointed in him.Luther also was driven by the wrath of God and felt as if his decision would help him gain salvation. When Luther finally realized that the answer to spiritual salvation was not to fear God or religious dogmas, but that faith alone would bring salvation. After hearing of Pope Leo the 10th's new round of indulgences in order to help pay for building St. Peter's Basilica in 1517, Luther had had enough. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.The theses listed many critiques of the Catholic Church, such as the corruption of the Church through the indulgences and taking money from the poor to construct buildings. Copies of the 95 theses were spread throughout Europe within two months of being nailed to the door on the Castle Church, in large thanks to the invention of the printing press. In Luther's 82nd these, he talks about the church's indulgences and how immoral it is. He asks â€Å"Why does not the pope liberate everyone from purgatory for the sake of love and because of the supreme necessity of their souls? . In that, he is saying that the pope should let everyone into heaven and not have to wait in purgatory, and not have to pay an indulgence to the church. He also mentions that the money is a much perishable thing and that the building of St. Peter's Basilica is such a minor purpose, and gets away from the ideals of the early Catholic Church which were that you should not have many possessions and give to the less fortunat e whenever you can.The church's view on indulgences, which were certificates that were produced in bulk and been pre-signed by the pope, were that they gave you access to heaven by pardoning your sins or your relative's sins who had already died and could not purchase one themselves. The money gained from the indulgences were put to constructing new churches and buildings to praise Jesus Christ. The Church also said by doing this, you were committing a Christian act and this would get you closer to God.In Luther's 86th these, he talks about how the church is getting away from the basics of the early teachings of having very little and giving away most of its possessions. He says â€Å"Since the pope's income to-day is larger than that of the wealthiest of wealthy men, why does he not build this one church of St. Peter†¦ rather han with the money of indigent believers? â€Å". From this quote, he is saying that the rich should not be getting richer trom the money ot the poor, like the Baurys Pope is from his poor believers, who should be the ones getting extra money to help them live.The view the Church took of indulgences were that they helped fund the church's expenditures and that the indulgences helped people bypass purgatory and go straight to heaven. Martin Luther's 52nd these, he talks about how you cannot rely on the pope himself even though you have a letter of indulgence. Luther is saying that the letters of indulgences are nothing more than a piece of paper and have no more value to them than the paper they are written on.Another interpretation of this these would be that you have to rely on your faith and not an indulgence to get yourself into heaven. The church told anyone that bought an indulgence was promised entry into heaven, regardless of their faith. In the 6th these, Luther tells how the pope can't remit any guilt himself, but only can be only be a middleman from God to tell people that their sins are forgiven. The only power that the pope has is that he can remit sins in cases reserved to his discretion.In this these specifically, Luther is saying that the pope is not the highest authority of power but is only a facilitator for God on Earth, and in this show that the pope could not do what only God could do, mainly guarantee rights into heaven. Martin Luther with his 95 theses wanted to bring a debate about certain ideas that were prevalent in the church at that time. He noticed people in his own parish had stop coming to Baurys 3 hurch because they believed their indulgences guaranteed them access into heaven, no matter how bad of a life they lived, or how often they came to church.Luther wanted to bring reform to the church and show mainly poor people that they did not have to give away a majority of their money to the church for material gain for the church. Also, he wanted to the poorer people that they could live with good faith and still get into heaven without living in complete poverty.

CHAMBLEE v. GRAYCO, INC Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CHAMBLEE v. GRAYCO, INC - Case Study Example Rules Premise liability is concerned with the claims of one party (the tenant) against another party (the owner) on the ground of getting injured in the property. It has been noted that in such cases the injured person can claim against the owner or the controller or the occupier of the property as per the tort law. Consequently, the owner, the controller or the occupier of the property, whoever is responsible to maintain the property, will possess the same liability under the premise liability law. In this case, the law of Georgia will be taken into concern. According to the section 51-3-1 of the Georgia premise liability law, an owner or occupier or controller of any property is liable to perform the duty for keeping the premise safe and free from any sort of physical danger for the people who visit the place. However, this section of the law also states that the occupier or the owner of the property is not an insurer of the safety of the people visiting the property. Furthermore, the invitee or the visitor should also take some extra care so that he/she can avoid unreasonable injuries or harm as mentioned under section 51–11–7 of the premise liability law of Georgia. ... This resulted in serious injuries to the plaintiff, following which she sued the defendant (i.e. the landlord) on the ground that the premise was not safe and it was clearly a case of negligence. As per the plaintiff’s complaints, the owner of the property, i.e. Grayco had not paid adequate attention towards the duty of ensuring a safe premise for the tenants of visitors of the property. On presenting the case to the court, the evidences revealed that Chamblee was entirely responsible for the change in route and also for her damages. Hence, the court’s decision affirmed that Chamblee had not been responsible enough to avoid the accident. The normal route that she uses to take every day was safe enough. Therefore, the responsibility of the landlord is justified by this aspect. Further evidences suggest that Chamblee took that route owing to certain personal reasons which was irrelevant for the case. According to section 51–11–7 of premise law of Georgia, in vitees or tenants will be entirely responsible for any sort of injury caused due to their conduct under the similar circumstances as witnessed in the case of Chamblee v. Grayco, Inc. Furthermore, the law also suggests that invitee(s) will need to be careful about their own well being when entering a property. Contextually, the responsibility of the resident(s) or the owner(s) in maintaining a safe pathway is confined to the regular entrance and exit points. Apparently, this aspect does not support Chamblee in this case. A similar scenario can be illustrated with reference to the case of Bartlett v. Mcdonough Bedding Company. Furthermore, analysis of evidences depicted that the

Google Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Google - Case Study Example In short, Google has raised stiff challenges to many of the prominent IT companies in the world. However, Google is facing several problems also because of the stiff competition from others. Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Yahoo and Apple are some of the major IT companies which are raising several problems to Google. Moreover, Google’s HR management is also criticized heavily by business pundits. Many people believe that Google is not fulfilling its corporate social responsibility and it is following unethical business practices. This paper analyses the ethical problems facing by Google and the possible solutions or recommendations to solve those problems. One of the major criticisms labelled against Google is with respect to its unethical management of human resources. Verma (2006) has pointed out that â€Å"Google’s high growth rate is creating new HR challenges for the company. Google has built a culture where a well-chosen elite accommodates flexibility, shifting roles and, above all else, urgency† (Verma). Google’s recruitment process is causing huge problems to the job aspirants. It includes; coding contests, mysterious billboards and aptitude tests apart from lengthy interviews which lasts for months. Google may reject majority of the candidates who undergone lengthy recruitment processes, citing simple reasons. Those who successfully cross the recruitment process may fail in background check ups. In short, job seekers are approaching Google’s recruitment process with lot of concerns and worries. The second unethical behaviour practiced by Google is its effort to interfere in politics. Catone (2007) has mentioned that â€Å"Being the most heavily used search engine, Google in a very real sense control the distribution of information to much of the world. Google has recently started a blog to tagline Googles views on government, policy and politics in America† (Catone). Millions

Creative Writing, write a complete story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Creative Writing, write a complete story - Essay Example She moaned softly. Thank god for plush leather sofas, she said to herself. These parties always went on a few hours longer than they ought. People began to fidget, not knowing whether to leave or stay on, they stalled from minute to minute trying to decide whether they wanted to leave or stay on. The boisterous drunk trying to make conversation for everyone, the depressive ones staring stonily at nothingness, and the sober ones shiftily eyeing each other and the clock on the wall overhead; she smiled again, her lips curling up into that ironic twist that had made her so infamous around the office. The Snarky Bitch: that’s who she was. They thought she didn’t know, but she could tell. She could tell from the abrupt stop in conversations when she walked in, the knowing smiles they exchanged when she left, those infuriating little inside-jokes they would laugh about in her presence. She’d realized right away that she was never going to be welcome here, and had decided to make it her job to be as abrasive as possible. She wasn’t welcome, was she? Well, she didn’t want to be! She covered her eyes with her hands and tried to calm down. It had been two months here, she ought to have gotten used to it by now. Fragments of conversation began to float in. She froze and almost involuntarily, began to listen. â€Å"But of course, metaphysical poetry must necessarily be read in its contextualized framework of the period that is commonly called – but it is a gross error to call it so, although this is open to much debate, something I talk about in my last book, you know. Yes what was I saying? – The Renaissance. I mean someone like Donne, aspiring courtier, flamboyant in his romances –† Here the speaker paused to drain his glass, before continuing, â€Å"But of course, people like Rowling are very over-rated. I mean what has she really contributed beyond some copying and bringing together bits and pieces of

Paul's Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Paul's Case - Essay Example Indeed, many a times, the cheerful exterior hides the treacherous thoughts and conflicts that could lead to dangerous outcome. Cather’s characterization of Paul as a deviant personality is highly intriguing. It raises pertinent questions of adjustment of the same within the parameters of social controls like family institution and educational institutes. Paul’s disdain towards these social institutions is serious in its content. The main reason being the authorities fail to understand the reasons behind his continued misdemeanors. Despite the threats of expulsion from the school, Paul exhibits a careful indifference for the rules. When he is called to the Principal’s office for explanation, all the teachers come together against him. Indeed, Cather’s observation that the stoic demeanor of Paul forces the teachers to be ‘humiliated to have felt so vindictive toward a mere boy’. The author’s portrayal of Paul encompasses diverse human emotions that are difficult to understand by the people, especially by his teachers. Indeed, the inability to reform a ‘mere boy’ is not only frustrating for the teachers but it also shows a decisive lack of will to understand the complex nature of Paul. Paul’s relationship with his father and sister is also not very cordial. The confined environment of his home and conservative attitude of his father are shown as major issues. Through Paul’s story, the author is probably trying to show how the society tries to manipulate the characters of the young people and suppress their natural inclinations. Paul is hugely attracted to the imagery lives of artists. he portrays the surrealist of the character through his role of ‘usher of the theatre’ where he imagines himself in the company of the artists and celebrities. Interestingly his make believe world becomes his only medium of being happy. When Paul’s lies and deceit are revealed, he is taken out of the school. But Paul, as the

Identifying and Describing the Ethical Issue. Worldcom Essay

Identifying and Describing the Ethical Issue. Worldcom - Essay Example The company manipulated the company's financial results in order to meet Wall Street expectations and artificially inflate their stock price amidst declining financial performance. Treating operational expenses as capital investments inflated the company's operating income since expenses are supposed to be accounted for in the quarter that they are incurred, instead of being spread out over a period of years. In this case this illegal accounting practice allowed Worldcom to treat operational expenses that should have been fully recognized each operating quarter as a long term capital expenditure, where related costs are expensed during the operating lifetime of a specific asset instead of being accounted for during one specific accounting period. As a result three former Worldcom executives were convicted of accounting fraud. David Myers, the third executive in command and Worldcom's former controller, was convicted to one year and one day in prison. The former controller received a much lesser sentence than the other executives due to his early admission of responsibility and remorse as well as extraordinary cooperation with the government in exposing the extent of the fraud including the major players involved (Cbsnews, 2009).Scott D. Sullivan, Worldcom's former chief financial officer, was convicted to five years in prison as part of a plea agreement in which he testified against the company's CEO Bernard J. Ebbres. Bernard Ebbres was eventually convicted to 25 years in prison for the Worldcom accounting fraud ultimately leading to the company's bankruptcy (Sullivan, 2013). In 2001Worldcom reported $7.7 billion in cash flow from operating activities instead of the true amount of $4.6 billion as a result of misrepresenting $3.8 billion of operational expenses resulting from the Sprint merger. Mr. Sullivan failed to inform Arthur D. Anderson, the firm's accountant at the time, of his decision to treat the expenses as capital expenditures in a clear and blatant attempt to disguise his illegal accounting manipulations from the accounting firm. This deceptive accounting manipulation resulted in the company overstating its EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) which is the barometer that most investors utilize to evaluate a company's overall financial health and performance. As the company started the accounting fraud in the first quarter of 2001, Worldcom reported an EBITDA of $2.1 billion instead of $1.4 billion. By the end of 2001 the company had originally reported an EBITDA of $10.5 billion instead of the correct figure of $6.3 billion. Consequently Worldcom reported a profit of $1.4 billion for 2001 and $172 million in the first quarter of 2002, where in reality the company had loses amounting to billions during that accounting period (Eichenwald, 2002). This accounting fraud directly violates the accounting principles of reliability in accounting practice, as well as the â€Å"full disclosure† and the â€Å"matching† principle, where all expenses incurred during an accounting period are matched with the period revenues which it directly affects (Businessweek, 2002). Explaining Alternative Courses of Action and Related Trade-Offs B) Troy Normand, as the manager for the corporate reporting department, was responsible of the accuracy and reliability of corporate financial reports. Based on his testimony and full account of the conversation with Scott Sullivan regarding the events that transpired, we can conclude that Mr. Normand was in full knowledge and understood the implications and illegal nature of the accounting treatment given to the Sprint merger expense accounts. Therefore his actions regarding the treatment of the Sprint expense accounts was both unethical and illegal

The Opportunities and Challenges of Transforming Government Entities Literature review

The Opportunities and Challenges of Transforming Government Entities into Smart Organizations - Literature review Example The factor of sustainability is an essential component in these transformations to smart organizations as more focus is on the environment, social, financial and political sustainability. However, while undertaking an initiative to transform government entities into smart organizations there are diverse challenges which are observed that restricts the path to attain specific goals or to sustain service. These challenges are linked with various fields and are often the primary cause behind the failure of smart government initiatives. In this particular study, not only will the opportunities be highlighted which is associated with such transformation but it will even encompass the probable challenges that can be regarded as an area of concern for such government entities. Smart government initiative can be considered to be an agenda which is echoed by everybody in the present scenario due to various reasons. It is an initiative that is undertaken so as to apply information technology, communication and operation across a wide range of jurisdictions, processes, and domains, with only one purpose, that is to generate sustainable public value (Hevner & Chatterjee, 2010, pp. 27). The two factors which are common in any smart government initiative are flexibility and effectiveness. The success of any such initiative is major because of its alignment with mission, the effectiveness of service and operational efficiency which provides required flexibility in any particular situation. This study will outline the various approaches related to the smart government which is taking place in different countries along with Dubai. In the end, a conceptual model will be incorporated to determine the failure and success factors related to smart government. Further analysis conducted in this study will be based on the adopted conceptual framework.  

Intercultural communication (Porter, Samovar, and Penington) Essay

Intercultural communication (Porter, Samovar, and Penington) - Essay Example It was a friendly dig at each other's culture. Culture is the way we live, the air we breathe, the thoughts we think, the clothes we put on, the glasses we wear and look through (Monippally 2001, p 44-45). Culture is what shapes our perception. It is defined as the complex system of values, traits, morals and customs shared by a society. From 1967 to 1973, while working at IBM as a psychologist, collected and analyzed data from over 100,000 individuals from 50 countries and 3 regions. From the initial results, Hofstede developed a model that identifies four primary dimensions to assist in differentiating cultures: Power Distance1, Individualism2, Masculinity3 and Uncertainty Avoidance4. Hofstede added a fifth Dimension after conducting an additional international study with a survey instrument developed with Chinese employees and managers. That dimension, based on Confucian dynamism, is Long-Term Orientation5 and was applied to 23 countries. These five Hofstede Dimensions can also be found to correlate with other country (See figure 1) and cultural paradigms (Geert Hofstede, 2003). people communicate varies widely between, and even within, cultures. One aspect of communication style is language usage. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used in different ways. For example, even in countries that share the English language, the meaning of "yes" varies from "maybe, I'll consider it" to "definitely so," with many shades in between. Another major aspect of communication style is the degree of importance given to non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication includes not only facial expressions and gestures; it also involves seating arrangements, personal distance, and sense of time. In addition, different norms regarding the appropriate degree of assertiveness in communicating can add to cultural misunderstandings. For instance, some white Americans typically consider raised voices to be a sign that a fight has begun, while some black, Jewish and Italian Americans often feel that an increase in volume is a sign of an exciting conversation among friend s. Thus, some white Americans may react with greater alarm to a loud discussion than would members of some American ethnic or non-white racial groups. 2. Different Attitudes Towards Conflict: Some cultures view conflict as a positive thing, while others view it as something to be avoided. In the U.S., conflict is not usually desirable; but people often are encouraged to

The Crucible and explore Essay Example for Free

The Crucible and explore Essay Choose one character from The Crucible and explore how they change throughout the course of the play.  The crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller and was first produced in 1953, during the middle of the McCarthy political witch-trials. The story is set in a little town of Salem, Massachusetts, where a lot of innocent people were wrongly convicted of witchcraft and in the end were hung. Arthur Miller was living through and experiencing this at the time, and wrote this play to try and get across what it was like living through this period of time. Throughout this play you see many characters develop and change as the plot goes on. One of the characters that shows a clear change and development is John Proctor. John Proctor was a farmer in his 30s, he was respected but also feared in Salem, he had a sharp and biting was with hypocrites and came to regard himself as a fraud. In act 1 Proctor comes across as a very flirtatious man. He seems to take a shine to Abigail. We know there has been some history between him and Abigail when he says I will cut off my hand before Ill ever reach for you again. But despite this he is still flirting with her by saying Ah, youre wicked yet, arent y. This shows he is giving her mixed messages and not taking her seriously. He can see that she is not as innocent as she makes out to be, and that he can see straight through her. This tells and shows the audience that the character of John Proctor is a very levelheaded man and talks sense. Unlike other characters such as Parris, he can see through her act. This gives you the impression that Proctor is a very reliable character and that he can be trusted. With Proctors flirtatiousness with Abigail he is also giving off the impression that he is not as much the religious man of Salem they all expect him to be. He broke one of the 10 commandments which says Thou shalt not commit adultery. This would be frowned upon in the town and would have been taken very seriously and may even have led to a hanging. The stage directions used in the first act also help us to visualise his flirty ways. At one stage when he is speaking to her he looks at her with the faintest suggestion of a knowing smile on his face to which he says Whats the mischief here? She replies with laugh. By adding in the stage directions it has changed the way Proctor addresses her while saying his line, it also affects the way Abigail reacts back when told to do so. Stage directions are important to the actor playing the part of Proctor as it tells them him how to say a line, how to react to something that has been said and how to move and interact in general. The stage directions are also to the audience reading the play as it helps them to imagine and visualise what is actually going on and reactions that are made. In act 2 Proctor changes from very flirtatious to very protective over his wife but he also gets very sharp with her and becomes irrational. When Elizabeth says something to her husband about or concerning Abigail he will instantly bite back at her and make sure what he is saying is heard. One example of this is when Elizabeth says to Proctor (with a smile, trying to keep her dignity) John, if it were not Abigail that you must go to hurt, would you falter now? I think not. To which Proctor replies (With solemn warning) You will not judge me more, Elizabeth. I have good reason to think before I charge fraud on Abigail, and I will think on it. Let you look to your own improvement before you go to judge your husband anymore. In a way it gives the impression that he doesnt like the truth and sometimes cant take it very well, so his reaction would be to bite back. As the plot goes on you can see Proctors good side starting to come through, even though he still gets aggressive and ill-tempered and easily provoked, the rest of the village are starting to understand why he retaliates so much and are starting to respect him more for that. In this act, to really get the feeling of Proctors anger and biting nature, the dramatic devices aid you extremely well in getting the full picture in your mind of how he is reacting to the things she is saying. By just reading through the play there is no indication of how the character says what he/she is saying. With Proctor this indication are very useful as his mood changes in different situations and helps you to understand when he is angry like he is in the part of the act. In act 3 Proctor changes dramatically to the way he is with certain characters. In this act you see him becoming very horrible and nasty towards Abigail. There are many ways in which his attitude changes towards her. In the stage directions it states that Proctor leaps at Abigail and, grabbing her by the hair pulls her to her feet. She screams in pain. This shows a change in the way Proctor addresses Abigail. He becomes aggressive towards her and uses forceful actions against her. I think he is fed up with putting up with all of Abigails lies against his wife and Mary Warren and the only way she is likely to listen to him and take in what he is saying is by using such drastic action as to leap at her and grab her by her hair. This, I would assume hurt, so he wants to cause her pain in hoping it will make her listen to what he is trying to tell her. This description being wrote as a stage directions acts as a visual aid for the reader, it helps them to visualise what is going on at that time in the scene and may give you as a reader more of an understanding what the author is trying to get across. Another way in which the author portrays Proctors turn against Abigail is through language. For example, It is not a child. Now hear me, sir. In the sight of the congregation she were twice this year put out of this meetin house for laughter during prayer. Proctor is trying to convince everyone that Abigail isnt as innocent as she makes out to be. The town of Salem is extremely religious and frowns upon anyone going against god or behaving in an unacceptable manner towards the religion. On account of them hearing this they would all immediately agree that it is unacceptable to laugh during prayer in the church and their views of her will turn from good to bad. Along with hearing this they may also believe that she hasnt been telling the truth from the start and that if she has in fact been lying god will see this and provide her with the suitable punishment instead of going about it themselves. In this act proctor also becomes very motivated to try and prove his wifes innocence and also the innocence of his friends. When Danforth takes an interest in Mary Warren and asks what she has to tell, Proctor looks at her to see that she cannot speak so he jumps in to defend her. She never saw no spirits, sir. Proctor does this because he notices that Mary Warren is unable to answer this question by herself therefore intervenes to help her. I think that Proctor has also seen the error of his ways, being the way he acted towards people earlier on in the play, and is trying to make amends for the bad things he has done. The last thing he wants to see happen is his wife and all of his friends being hung for things they have not done therefore does his best to defend them. Proctor also gives evidence against Abigail to change it around so she is the one being asked the questions instead and tries to make her the new subject. Abigail leads the girls to the woods, Your Honour, and they have danced there naked - In act 4 John Proctor becomes silent and wont speak to anyone except his wife, once she is aloud in to try and talk to him, he would only take food and would stay chained to the wall. One way in which we know this is when Herrick says to Danforth, He sits like some great bird; youd not know hed lived except he will take some food from time to time.And again when Herrick also says He cannot, sir, he is chained to the wall now. This is one of the biggest changes Proctor makes throughout the play. From the beginning we got the impression that John Proctor has always been well spoken and likes to have his views heard. Now we are seeing a completely different side to him by him staying silent. It is my personal opinion that Proctor is taking a stand against everything that has gone on in the town of Salem. He doesnt think its right all these judges coming in and accusing people of witchcraft without enough evidence and believing storys of little girls over people of superior like himself. He doesnt think he should have to justify himself when he has done nothing wrong and while no one else has done anything wrong. Later on this act Proctor decides to confess to accounts of witchcraft. While being addressed about this Proctor brakes down into tears and lowers himself for everyone to see. Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!. This shows Proctors delicate side. He feels that he himself should confess to charges of witchcraft in effort to save everyone who has been up for it. This short monologue really hits you hard as a reader. You realise that Proctor isnt all he is made out to be from the start. He is changed man by the end of the play. I think they writer of the play, Arthur Miller, wanted to produce a character who was tough on the outside yet very deep on insecure on the inside, and that is exactly what you see change throughout the course of the play. At the start he tries to make out that everyone in Salem fears him and that he is superior to everyone else, whereas he is just using this to cover up how insecure and fragile he is deep down. I think that Proctor is one of the best and complex characters I have seen in a book. He has a lot of depth to him that you wouldnt be able to tell from just a little section of the book. Right from the start to the end Proctor progressively changes for the better even thought at the end he sadly dies. He gives himself to the court to save others from the tragic fate that would have awaited them, and therefore I think that would make him a hero in the eyes of the people of Salem, putting himself forward for a fate he didnt deserve but still took without complaint.

Cronbachs Alpha Reliability Analysis Psychology Essay

Cronbachs Alpha Reliability Analysis Psychology Essay Scale measurement is an important element in survey. The survey in this study involved 3 sections, which are section A, section B and section C. Nominal scale was used in survey section A, and ordinal scale was used in survey section B and C. Nominal scale is scale that labels the items rather than scales it (Howell, 2009). It includes male or female and yes or no. Normally it brings no meaning. Ordinal scale is simple rank model. The objects, individuals or events are categorized. It is known as ranked data as the ranking is ordered from highest to lowest or smallest to biggest (Jackson, 2011). Section A was created to gather the socio-demographic characteristics of respondent such as gender, ages, location of study in the UTAR and education level. Figure 3.1 Select your Gender: Male Female There were five dimensions in Section B which contained 20 statements to measure the independent variables. The sequence of these dimensions was social influence, environmental concern, environmental attitude and self-image. In the Section C are contained 5 statements to measure the dependent variable which was green purchasing behavior. In this research, 5-point likert scale is used (5=strongly agree, 4=agree, 3=neutral, 2=disagree and 1= strongly disagree). A 5-point Likert scale is good enough as increase in scale may confuse respondents (Hair, Bush Ortinau, 2003). Likert scale can achieve high degree of validity and reliability (Sarantakos, 1993; cited by Kronberg, 2011). Figure 3.2 3.7 Data Processing After all data had been collected from a sample of the target respondents, data processing is the next step to ensure the data in the standard of quality and complete. 3.7.1 Checking The first step of data processing is to check on questionnaire before it has been distributed. Hence it can reduce the unqualified data such as typing error, inconsistent questions and incomplete content. Therefore, the mistakes can be detected and corrected in advance. In addition, the questionnaire has been passed to our supervisor to double check. Collected data needs to be checked whether the feedback from target respondents are valid for the research. Pilot test has been used to test the reliability and accuracy of the questionnaires. The objective of data checking is to ensure the questionnaires are in quality and completeness. In this stage the grammar error corrections will be done. 3.7.2 Editing Editing is a process of examining the collected raw data to detect errors and omissions in the information returned by the respondents of the research, and to correct the data when possible. 3.7.3 Coding The next process is data coding which involves assigning a number to the participants response so that the data can be entered into a database. The code includes an indication of the column position (field) and data record. For example, the five point likert scale of variable, strongly disagree codes as 1 and strongly agree codes as 5. This coding is simplifying storage of data with digit codes and easier for categorizing when used SPSS software. 3.7.4 Transcribing Transcribing data is a process that transferring coded data from questionnaires or coding sheet into disks or computers for analyzing purpose. The data will pre-check to ensure the data is error free. When the data is transferred in SPSS software, it can be used for the research and generate the accuracy analysis from the questionnaire. 3.8 Data Analysis The raw data collected in research will be further analyzed by statistical method. After the questionnaires were returned to the researcher, the data were recorded and entered into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, which was uploaded into Predictive Analysis Software (PASW, previously known as The Statistical Package for Social Sciences, SPSS) for more detailed statistical analysis. PASW is a good first statistical package for people who want to perform quantitative research in social science because it is easy to use (Cheah, 2009). In this study, the analysis utilized were descriptive statistics which included frequency distribution, measure of central tendency and measure of dispersion, Cronbachs Alpha Reliability Analysis, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis. 3.8.1 Descriptive Analysis Descriptive analysis is used in the research to transform the raw data to a way that is meaningful (Zikmund, 2002). It may include graph, bar, pie chart, or any number that use to describe that raw data. It helps the researchers to summarize the study variables (Parasuraman, Grewal Krishnan, 2004). So that researchers can get to know the results and make interpretation based on descriptive statistics. 3.8.1.1 Reliability Test Reliability refers to dependency or consistency, which indicates that the same things is repeated or recurs under the identical conditions. The reliability of a measure shows the degree to which the measure is without bias (error free) and hence offers consistent measurement across time and across different items in the instrument (Sekaran, 2000). A reliable measure would show the stability and consistency with which the instrument measures the concept and help to access the goodness of a measure. According to Sekaran (2000), a measure with reliability less than 0.6 is considered poor, it should be at least 0.70 or above. The most widely used method to measure reliability is Cronbachs alpha. Cronbachs alpha is used for multipoint-scaled items (items in the scale are at least internal in nature). Generally, Cronbachs alpha will increase when the correlations between the items increase. Alpha value can take values between negative infinity and 1, although only positive values make sense (Cheah, 2009). The value of Cronbachs alpha should be at least 0.6 to be accepted, and the ideal value is 0.7 or above. 3.8.2 Descriptive statistics Descriptive studies are quite frequently undertaken in education institutions to learn about and describe the characteristics of a group of students, such examples as the age and years of education in an education institution. There are three types of measures used in descriptive statistics: frequency distribution and measures of central of tendency and measures of dispersion or variability. Researcher was able to find the frequencies, percentages and determine the mean and standard deviation for the variables in the questionnaires by using descriptive statistics. To understand the use of measurement terms, frequency distribution plays a critical role. According to Leech et al. (2005), frequency distribution is a tally or count of the number of times each score on a single variable occurs. The use of frequency distribution is to show the number of responses to each value of a variable. Normally, variable name, frequency counts for each value of the variable and cumulative percentages for each value related to a variable are shown by a frequency distribution. The distribution is said to be approximately normally distributed when there are small numbers of scores for the low and high values and most scores are for the middle values. The mean is the arithmetic average of a set of data. Typically, the data shows some degree of central tendency with the most responses distributed close to the mean value (Hair, Money, Samouel and Page, 2007). The mean is said to be a robust measure of central tendency as in most instances, it is not sensitive to data values being added or deleted (Hair et al., 2007). According to Joseph et al. (2007), standard deviation describes the spread or variability of the sample distribution values from the mean, and is perhaps the most valuable index of dispersion. 3.8.3 Cronbachs alpha reliability analysis As mentioned earlier, the most commonly type of measurement of internal consistency reliability used is Cronbachs coefficient alpha. When there are several Likert-type items that are summed, alpha is used to make a composite score or summated scale. According to Leech et al. (2005), alpha is based on the mean or average correlation of each item in the scale with every other item. 3.8.2 Inferential Analysis Inferential analysis refers to data analysis which is used to test specific hypothesis (Parasuraman et al., 2004). According to Greer Kolbe (2003), inferential statistics include drawing conclusions from information obtained in the data. 3.8.4 Pearson correlation analysis Sekaran (2003) stated that when the researcher interested in defines the important variables associated with the problem, the study is called correlation study. For example, correlation studies can be undertaken to find out whether any relationship between gender and income level exists? If yes, positive or negative relationship? The index ranges in value from -1 to +1, with zero indicating absolutely no relation between two variables. This coefficient indicates the degree that low or high scores on one variable tend to go to with low or high scores on another variable. Pearson correlation was used to determine the relationship between the independent variables (social influence, environmental concern, environmental attitude and concern for self-image in environmental protection) and dependent variable (green purchasing behavior). 3.8.5 Multiple regression analysis Multiple regression is a widely used statistical technique in sociology. The result of multiple regression can generate two things (Neuman, 2009). First, a measure called R-squared (R2) in the result can tell how well a set of variables explain a dependent variable. In other word, it shows the accuracy of predicting the dependent variable based on the information about the independent variables. For example, an R2 of .50 means that knowing the independent variables improve the accuracy of predicting the dependent variable by 50 percent (Neuman, 2009). The second thing generated by multiple regression is the measurement of the direction and size of the effect of each independent variable on a dependent variable (Neuman, 2009). For instance, the way how five independent or controlling variables simultaneously affect a dependent variable, with all the variables controlling the effects of one another can be seen by researcher. According to Neuman (2009), a standardized regression coefficient is used to measure the effect on the dependent variable. It is similar to a correlation coefficient (Neuman, 2009). A high standardized regression coefficient indicates a strong relationship between an independent variable and dependent variable. 3.9 Chapter Summary Research methodology is important as it can help researcher to systematically resolve the research problem. In this chapter, research framework and hypotheses are clarified. The other sections of this chapter include data sources, sampling design, data collection and data analysis.

Comparing the Rights of the Individual in Handmaids Tale and Invisible Man :: comparison compare contrast essays

Rights of the Individual in Handmaid's Tale  and Invisible Man    The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, and Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, are two novels which use an essentially "invisible" central character to comment on the manipulative power society holds over people, destroying the individual. Offred, the protagonist of The Handmaid's Tale, and the narrator of Invisible Man are both invisible as individuals and are manipulated by society to become a dehumanized natural resource. The authors of these two works use the protagonist to criticize society's use of certain groups of people only as resources to reach a goal, ignoring the individuality of these people. The very names, or lack thereof, of the main characters indicate their invisibility in the eyes of society. Offred is named after her commander; she is Fred's possession and therefore of Fred. Her original name is never mentioned. Likewise, the name of the narrator of Invisible Man is never mentioned. When he joins the Brotherhood, he is given a new name. Both Offred and the narrator of Invisible Man see their real names as a source of self-identification, yet society refuses to use their real names. Offred is a natural resource to Gilead because she is one of few women who still have viable ovaries. She describes the existence of the handmaids: "We are two-legged wombs, that's all: sacred vessels, ambulatory chalices. We are containers, it's only the insides of our bodies that are important. What we prayed for was emptiness, so we would be worthy to be filled: with grace, with love, with self-denial, with semen and babies." (pg. 176, 124, 251) The narrator of Invisible Man is a resource is a similar way. The Brotherhood uses him as a speaker to advance their efforts to take power over the blacks. He says"What was 1, a man or a natural resource?" (pg. 303) Offred is seen not as an individual, but as one of a group of women who must serve the Republic of Gilead. When Offred asks the Commander for skin lotion, she says, "Our hands get very dry. For some reason I said our instead of my." (pg. 203) Here she sees herself as one of many handmaids, as she was taught to see at the Red Center. The narrator of Invisible Man, like Offred, finds himself identifying with a group and not with himself. He says, "they usually think in terms of "we" while I have always tended to think in terms of "me.

Social Planning, Community Development, and Social/Community Action Ess

Social Planning, Community Development, and Social/Community Action A Community can be defined as a group of people who don’t just live in the same area, but also share the same interests, experiences and often concerns about the area in which they live. Often when individuals have lived on a street or in an area for a while they become familiar with each other and the issues surrounding them. Children often attend the same schools and grow up together, again sharing similar experiences. In some instances adults may work together, and quite commonly all community members will share the same doctors, dentists, hospitals, health visitors and other public services and facilities. Frequently however, issues arise amongst a community that need attention. In this essay I will outline and discuss some of these issues and the interventions, projects or programmes designed and used to tackle and combat them. The three models of intervention or, ‘Community Development’, I will discuss in this essay, "Social Planning", "Community Development", and "Social/Community Action", all have the same aim regardless of how it is accomplished and this is to improve and maintain the conditions which affect the lives of the community. ‘Social Planning’, is a model of development which can be described as, ‘Doing For’, the community. If it is perceived by government bodies that a community has sunk so low that is unable to be resolved by using alternative methods, (some of which will be discussed later in this essay), the government will intervene with methods deemed necessary. Initially a profile of a community will be drawn up using research methods, surveys and statistics that will highlight the issues faced by the community. Then a plan... ...ith rather than weakening it by doing for. Community development creates independence and an ability for a community to stand up and control, to an extent the factors that affect the lives, exactly what the intentions were in the first place. Social/Community Action while this appears affective in some instances it can become out of control and altogether unproductive. It is probably the most empowering model yet at the same time the most confusing if the aims, objectives and facts are unclear. Through the study of each of these models it is apparent that the best form of community development embraces all three Social Planning, Community development and Social/Community Action, and quite often community workers and practitioners do. Taking a piece from each model and using it at the appropriate time will be much more beneficial than using one single model.

Comparing two short stories -My brother?s keeper and Do angels wear E

Comparative analysis of two stories : "My brother’s keeper " " and Do angels wear brassieres?" The two short stories that I am comparing are " My brother’s keeper" by Geoffrey Philp and " Do angels wear brassieres?" by Olive Senior. "My brother’s keeper" talked about history ,race , identity, friendship, family, age, motherhood and sexuality and how they are defined around cultural and traditional positions. It is about a young man named Paul and his account of the changes he went through dealing with a step brother he did not even know existed until the very first day the boy showed up at their door . His step- brother’s name was David and he was coming from America where he was lived with his mother and father until their death. " Do angels wear brassieres?" is about little girl named Beccka’s quest for knowledge and what she had to go through as a teenager living with two females in one house .In this story I saw the relationships among family, friendship, motherhood,voice, tradition, ethnicity and how these fit into the identity of the individual in addition to their gender ,age and sexuality. Although " My brother’s keeper" and "Do angels wear brassieres?" were written by two different authors, they had a lot in common .Both of them were set in the island country of Jamaica and were about single families. From the beginning, the narrator in " My brother’s keep...

Scenario Thinking

Scenario thinking is a tool of finding out what will happen in the coming future (Mahaffie, J. 2008). It is a new way of planning in which the organization thinks through all the future possibilities and the decisions are made based on the possibilities that benefit the most (Fahey, L & Robert M. Randall, 1997). This strategic planning tool removes uncertainty and allows organizations to realize the risks and dangers that might occur if a certain project is carried out. Now that we have a clear idea of what Scenario thinking is, we can move on and elaborate how our consulting team applies this in our sporting and concert events at major locations. Planning is very important in each and every activity especially in event management. Therefore, before anything else, there is a planning phase. This phase is very important for obvious reasons and because of this it is given the utmost importance. In this phase each and every aspect of the event is taken into consideration. Each element of the event is planned out in detail. This helps us have an insight in the future by predicting the event before it actually takes place and hence we are in a better position to develop contingency plans for each and every event. The planning is also done on the basis of previous events managed by our consulting team. We learn from experience and since we have a lot of that, we believe that this becomes our strength. As the contingency plans for every possible occurrence are developed before hand, there is a very low chance of any kind of risk involved. By asking ‘what if’ questions, we develop causal relationships between various factors (Scearce, D. Katherine Fulton, 2004). For example in this planning phase, we ask ourselves what if the regulations set by the authorities change in a way which negatively affects our event. The next step would be answering this questions and coming up with a contingency plan. Hence a causal relationship has been developed between the cause (changes in governmental regulations) and our action. By the end of the planning phase, we have a clear idea of how to go about things and hence there is no room for any kind of uncertainties. All the findings that are established in the planning phase are documented and will be available at all times in the next phase with everyone who is involved in the event in any way. Next is the implementing phase. This again is very important and everything in this phase is developed on the basis of what was established in the previous phase. This phase is important because this is when the planning becomes reality. This is the reason why the implementation of planned event is done by people who specialize in their respective fields. The experience and the skills with these specialists remove any chance for errors and hence the risk and failure rate is very low. All our events are carried out on locations that are most popular and enjoyed by the audience. These are therefore the major locations and hence we have another reason to ensure to that all our events are at par with the level that is expected by the audience. Conclusion In conclusion, we would once again like to emphasize that the step by step scenario thinking procedure adopted by our consulting team ensures that our events stand out from the rest. The failure rate is very low therefore the bidders and the investors do not have to worry about the risks that are normally involved in any kind of event. References Fahey, L & Robert M. Randall. (1997) Learning from the Future: Competitive Foresight Scenarios. John Wiley and Sons Scearce, D. & Katherine Fulton. (2004, July) What if? Retrieved January 2, 2009, from http://www. gbn. com/ArticleDisplayServlet. srv? aid=32655 Mahaffie, J. (2008, Feb 12) Why I love introducing scenario thinking to people? Retrieved January 2, 2009, from http://foresightculture. com/2008/02/12/why-i-love-introducing-scenario-thinking-to-people

Morphology of Rural Settlements in Malda Essay

Abstract: The rural settlement within the Malda district highlights human attempts for the livelihood and building the habitat on the diverse geographical landscapes. The characteristics of its natural endowments, social conditionality and historical antecedents and most importantly the human efforts gave the rural countryside a certain kind of social and morphological characteristics. The morphological characteristics of the villages have been collected from the different natural regions of the districts in order to understand the divergent forces and feature of it. This paper has focused on understanding the settlement pattern in the Malda district in the three broad geographic regions of it namely Tal, Diara and Barind. Key Words: Village, Morphological structure, Geographical landscapes, landuse, The Malda district. Introduction: Settlement morphology is primarily concerned with the lay-out, plan and internal structure of the settlements. It not only views settled area in terms of physical space but identifies its various components in respect of socio-economic space which has its direct bearing in controlling the arrangement of buildings, patterns of streets and fields and functional characteristics of settlements in general. Types, Form and Pattern constitute the three basic elements of morphology of rural settlements. Type would refer to three sets of formal and functional relationship: I) house to house, II) street to street and III) street to street. The inherent principle of village morphology is the human instinct of gregariousness. To have a comprehensive view of settlement, it deals with the morphogenesis and the morphological structure of rural settlement. Besides the geometrical shape, this is visualized through air view or on a well drawn map, as one aspects of the form of a settlement, the intern al arrangement of lanes, houses, with varies relationship, provide another aspect, named as morphology, hence morphological structure. The morphological structure of villages, as concrete expression of human activity in space, involves five principles of settlement formation, advocated by Doxiadis. His hypothetical frame for any settlement consists of four parts: Homogenous parts, Central part, Circulatory part and Special part. These basic parts are closely associated with the dimensions of height, length, width and time, which are best explained by morphological analysis of the villages. The internal morphology naturally involves analysis of structural morphology and social morphology. Of these, the former concern with the description and interpretation of relationship involves and deals with the varied dwelling group, community structures and land or spaces. Literature Review: Agglomerate and isolated homestead would be the two extreme types intervened by a large number of intermediate types. While in an agglomerate type there is one habitation site on which are located all the buildings, in the dispersed or isolated type there would be as many habitation sites as the building. Form connotes the geometric shape of the aggregate of building and streets, and thus, is expressed through innumerable categories, such as circular, rectangular, square, quadrilateral and irregular. Finally, pattern would be indicating geometrical arrangement of large number of settlement suggestive of correlation with natural and cultural features of the landscapes. Form, type can be applied to individual settlements but pattern is applicable only to a set of large number of rural settlements (Mukerji A.B, 1976). Generally rural settlements spread over number of buildings and distribution of cultivated lands on several levels. Just as in the cases of scattered and dispersed village s, this type of settlements represents a typical form which there can be established a sequence of form and structure (Gh. Iordache, 1974). The tendency of grouped households, agglomerating in the heartland is typical for settlement within plain lands, with intensive agricultural economy and low relief intensity. The phenomenon of households agglomerating in the heartland is result of the complex historical, economic, social and demographical factors (V. Cucu, 1998). Study area: Malda district consists mainly of low lying plains, sloping towards the south with undulating areas on the north-east. Located between latitude 24040’20’’N to 25032’8’’N and longitude 87045’50’’E to 88028’10’’E. The Mahananda River divides the district into two regions. The western region is further subdivided by the river Kalindri into two areas. The northern is known as ‘Tal’- it is low lying and vulnerable to inundation during rainy season, the southern area consists of very fertile land and is thickly populated, commonly known as ‘Diara’. The region of mature alluvium that had given North Bengal its old historical name of varendri or barendri is known today as ‘Barind’. This region is made up of the ancient alluvial humps that are remnants of old riverine floodplains that remain unaffected subsequently by inundation and renewed silting. Fig 1: Broad physiographic map of Malda district Fig 2: Study area map Source: District Human Development Report, Malda Source: District Human Development Report, Malda Harischandrapur I & II, Chanchal I & II and Ratua I & II are located in Tal region. Gajol, Old Malda, Bamongola and Habibpur are located in Barind region and Diara region consist English Bazar, Manikchak, Kaliachak I, and II & III. For my study, I have studied on Harischandrapur I & II from Tal region, Adina from Barind region and Manikchak from Diara region. Objectives: The rural settlements within the Malda plain area highlight in the geographical landscape by specific features which give its individuality. The characteristics of its natural background (majorly plain area- sub-divided into Tal, Diara, and Barind etc.), social-historical evolution and conditions and human economic activities gave the villages certain morphological-structural features, which harmonize with the general features of rural settlements within the plain. The following subtypes of settlements are viewed in the area- agglomerated, compact and dispersed villages. The selective objectives are– * To analyze the Characteristics of rural house type; * To determine Characteristics of rural house building materials with their availability * To analyze rural road type and rural road network; * To determine the landuse pattern in different physiographic divisions. * To analyze rural economy with relation to land-use pattern and daily habits of the rural habitants; * To find the impacts of Physical environments on land use of the villages. Database and Methodology: Both primary data and secondary data have been used in this term paper. Secondary data related to physiographic map, satellite images from Google earth, census data 2001 etc. For this term paper, primary data collected from one selected blocks from each physiographic division and field survey has done on this areas. To analyze data a very simple statistical tool like bar graph has been used. Analysis: Characteristics of rural house type: At first this paper shows characteristics of rural house type in the district of Malda. In Malda district, houses in rural area express the basic relationship between human beings and their physical and social environment. A feature common throughout most of Malda is the courtyard. This is in the centre, in front of or behind the house. This open space alternates as living room, workplace and storage space. Rooms are built round the courtyard with doors opening into it. The rooms often surrounded by raised verandas. Fig 3: Rural houses are located around the courtyard Fig 4: Animal breeding in open space in front of house Source: Field Survey Source: Field survey The plinth of the rooms is often raised. When rooms are built along one side of the courtyard only, three sides are fenced or walled in with an entrance door at the front. Such layout provides both privacy and safety. The courtyard provides the division between the outer part of the house and the inner sanctum reserved for women. This kind of layout is common all over the rural area in Malda. Fig 5: Rural house with conical roof Source: Field survey In Malda district, another significant characteristic of rural houses are that their roofs are inclined because in rainy season, the sloping roofs allows water to drain off. On the other hand, some conical roofs are found in certain tribal and caste areas of Malda. In my study, I have seen this kind of roof characteristics in Harischandrapur in Malda. Characteristics of rural house building materials: different blocks of Malda district, rural dwellings are built of locally available materials. Generally houses in rural area have made by mud, bamboo and brick. Some hay made houses are also found in rural area. Very few number of pakka houses are found in rural area in which mainly Brahmin families and economically well developed families are lived. For making wall of the houses, people use brick, mud, hay etc. In the case of making roof portion of houses, dwellers use mainly tile (square brick for flooring or roofing), hay and tin etc. Fig 6: Brick made house with tile roof Fig 7: Hay made house with tile roof Source: Field survey Source: Field survey Fig 8: Bamboo made house with tile roof Fig 9: Mud made house with tile roof Source: Field survey Source: Field survey Due to non-availability of proper building materials, there did not allow for the growth of permanent of settlements. Tents made of skin or leather used by the various tribal groups in Harischandrapur block. They were the dwellings in this area before modern housing materials began to be used. So the mud and sundried brick houses with thatched or tiled roofs are the commonest in Malda district. The quality of house building materials used depends on the economic condition of the owners. In some areas of Malda district e.g. Adina, Harischandrapur etc, government also provides prefabricated building materials. The using of house building materials of dwellers in rural area depends on physical conditions of Malda, mainly the climatic condition. The climatic condition of Malda is very harsh throughout the year. For example, in this climatic condition people use mud for making their house in rural area because mud reflects the sun heat and makes the house relatively cool in summer season. Rural road type and rural network: Rural roads are the last link of the transport network, however, they often from the most important connection in terms of providing access for the rural population. In Malda district, permanent or seasonal absence of road access is a constraining factor in terms of providing rural communities with essential services such as education, primary health care, water supply, local markets as well as economic opportunities. The availability of such services and opportunities are difficult to sustain without a quality and well maintained rural network. In rural area of Malda district, both metalled and unmettaled roads are found. Cart tracks are also found in villages. The conditions of the roads are not very good. Especially in rainy season roads are broken as well as damaged. The common feature is that most of the houses in rural area are located besides the both sides of the roads. Fig 10: One unmettaled road of Adina Fig 11: One mettaled road of Harischandrapur Source: Field Survey Source: Field survey Fig 12: Village road joints with NH 34 Fig 13: Damaged village road in rainy season Source: Field survey Source: Field Survey In other hand, another common feature of the rural area is that roads under the villages are directly meet with the National highway. This common feature indicates positive aspect of village road network in Malda district. In Malda district, keeping in view the socio economic benefits accruing from providing road connectivity to the villages, there is a need to impart greater thrust to providing road connectivity. So government launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) in different blocks in Malda, with the objective of providing road connectivity through good all weather roads to all unconnected habitations. Landuse pattern of three broad physiographic divisions in Malda district: The differences in cross regional landuse pattern across the Tal, Barind and Diara reflect the same set of settlement intensities, agrarian features and agricultural constraints. According to 2001 census, landuse patterns of Malda district are as follows- LANDUSE PATTERN OF THREE BROAD PHYSIGRAPHIC DIVISIONS IN MALDA DISTRICT Divisions| Landuse in hectares| | Homestead land| Orchards & Pasture land| Culturable wasteland| Net cropped area| Net irrigated area| Multi cropped area| Tal| 4712| 140| 213| 92373| 16528| 68426| Barind | 3717| 161| 262| 109539| 9563| 32751| Diara| 7176| 134| 196| 78098| 8480| 38225| Source: Census 2001 HOMESTEAD LAND DISTRIBUTION ORCHARDS & PASTURE LAND DISTRIBUTION CULTURABLE WASTELAND DISTRIBUTION NET CROPPED AREA DISTRIBUTION NET IRRIGATED DISTRIBUTION MULTI CROPPED AREA DISTRIBUTION In the Diara where settlement densities and regional land pressures are the highest, the quantum of land used for homestead purpose is nearly as high as the sum of homestead lands in the Tal and Barind. The extent of Culturable wastelands available for potential future cultivation in the Diara is correspondingly low. However, while the Net Cropped Area (NCA) is highest in the Barind, the irrigation and multi cropping intensity here is relatively low. Thus unlike the Tal where virtually all agricultural lands are multi cropped, a large portion of farming operations in the Barind are carried out on monocrop land. Cropping intensity in Diara for entirely different reasons, this has to do with the seasonal flooding and region experiences, as a result of which agricultural land becomes inaccessible for a certain part of the year. In recent times, the spread of mango cultivation, brinjal cultivation, chestnut cultivation etc. across the Diara has also been a factor in reducing cropping int ensity. Fig 14: Canal irrigation in Harischandrapur Fig 15: Irrigation through shallow machine Source: Field survey Source: Field survey Generally the main source of irrigation is rainwater. Others irrigation facilities like canal, shallow machines are also found in some part of Tal region like Harischandrapur. Due to these facilities, agricultural lands are mainly multi cropped as well as cropping intensity is also high in Tal region than Barind and Diara region. The cropping intensity of Tal region is about 205% where 156% in Barind region and 167% in Diara region. Rural economy with relation to land-use pattern and daily habits of the rural habitants: Rural economy is directly related with the livelihood pattern of this particular region. The differing characteristics in rural settlements and their habitant have seen across in Malda district seem directly related to livelihood pattern and work opportunities in different sub regions. Work participation is highest in Diara which has the highest density of settlement. However, the livelihood stress caused by rapid growth of district population against a limited land resource base means that work participation rates are well below 50% in all three regions of the district, and are lowest in Tal region at just under 37%. Each worker in the Tal thus has to support an average of 1.7 dependents, against 1.4 dependents in Barind regions and 1.2 in the Diara. According to 2001 census, in Tal and Barind region almost 75% of rural people are engaged in agricultural activities. Household Industries are mainly concentrated on Kaliachak I and Kaliachak III. Almost 50% people in total workers are engaged in Household industry activities. In other hand, in Old Malda, Englishbazar, Kaliachak I and Kaliachak II, almost 50% people are engaged in other economic activities. So, mainly rural economy depends on agricultural activities. Outside, the Barind region, therefore, land scarcity is a major problem in the district. Agricultural and in Tal and Diara regions is mostly irrigated and already intensively cropped and cultivated. The scope of generating additional employment for the landmass in agricultural sector in this region has become progressively limited since each hectare of farmland in Tal and Barind blocks already engages between 2-4 agriculture on the average. In the Barind where the land situation is more favourable, most farmland is mono cropped because of terrain factor, low water table and resulting difficulty in providing in supplementary irrigation on such lands to generate additional work opportunities in agriculture. Consequently, the district is now poised for a major shift of workers from cultivation to non agricultural sector. Impact of physical environments on land use of the villages: Physical environments directly affect on land use pattern of the villages. In Malda district, the soils of the Barind regions are hard silty clays of a reddish hue that has developed through the sesquioxides. Organic residues in this soil are highly decomposed, leading to no acidic soil pH at levels as low as 6.8 in the Barind tracts of Malda. Organic carbon content is also generally low at 0.54% in these Malda tracts, as a result of which overall soil fertility remains at modest level under unirrigated conditions. Since the undulating terrain in the Barind promotes a fair amount of runoff and the hard impervious clayey Barind soil permit little percolation, most of the monsoon runoff accumulates in the large natural bills or pools in the ravines formed by the courses of the Tangan and Punarvava rivers, covering the low lands here until long after the monsoon is over. Spanning Manikchak, Kaliachak I, II, III and Englishbazar blocks within the district, the Diara is relatively well defined flatland formed by the fluvial deposition of newer alluvium in the transitional zone between the Barind upland and marshy Tal tracts. The Tal is mostly composed of Bog lands formed in mainly marshy pockets around vestigial inland drainages. Consequently, Tal is strewn with innumerable marshes, bils and oxbow lakes. The uplands of Barind gradually slope downwards towards the north-east and north of Malda district in the region lying beyond the Mahananda. The six development blocks situated here. They are bounded by the Mahananda to their east, by the Ganga to west and the river Kalindri to the south. Since the tract is bounded by the river, soil conditions improve considerably, providing favourable for mango orchard and for the cultivation for jute and several other kharif and Rabi crops. However although the geophysical situation of the Tal is relatively favourable compared to that of the Barind. Being the largest of three sub regions, the Barind also has the largest number of habitation. However, these are widely dispersed and their populations are smaller. The reasons for the lower scale of human settlement in Barind lie in its semi arid and water deprived character, with upland soils that supports a lower intensity of cultivation. Conversely the Tal and Diara, which are better endowed with water and also with fertile sedimented soils, have supported more diversified cultivation, more work related migration, and greater intensities of human settlement, which is reflected particularly in the Diara by higher masculinity within the regional population. Cross regional differences also occur in agricultural yields across the Tal, Barind and Diara, which reflect intrinsic differences in soil quality, water availability and land husbanding practices. Except for the yields of the main aman rice that grows in rainfed condition over the monsoon months, agricultural yields are uniformly higher in the well watered Tal region. Again the yields overall for the Barind is actually a consequence of the vast extent of land cultivated during the rainfed aman season when differences in crop yields across the three regions are minimal. Major findings: * Common feature in the most of the rural area in the Malda district is courtyard base rural houses. This is in the centre; houses are built up around this courtyard. * In the Malda district, rural settlements are mainly semi-compact and disperse type. * In rural area, people build their houses with the help of locally available materials. Their houses patterns depend on both their economic condition and the physical condition. * In Malda district, keeping in view the socio economic benefits accruing from providing road connectivity to the villages, there is a need to impart greater thrust to providing road connectivity. In rural area of Malda district, both metalled and unmettaled roads are found. * The landuse patterns are different in different physiographic divisions in Malda district. Homestead lands are well distributed in Diara tracts, where In Barind region, orchards and pasture lands, net cropped area and Culturable wastelands are well distributed. On the other hand, irrigat ion facilities and multi cropped area are well distributed in Tal region. * The rural work participation rates are highest in Kaliachak I block. In other Kaliachak blocks, Harischandrapur II, work participation rates exceeds uniformly but WPR is very low in Englishbazar, Manikchak, old Malda and other blocks of Tal regions. * Mainly rural economy depends on agricultural activities. Majority of rural people in Tal and Barind region are engaged in agricultural activities. Household industries are mainly concentrated on Kaliachak I and III blocks. In other hand, in Englishbazar, Manikchak, Kaliachak II and old Malda blocks, half of the worker people engage in other economic activities. * In Barind region, overall soil fertility remains at modest level under unirrigated condition. Upland of Barind is bounded by the river, soil condition improving considerably, providing favourable for mango orchards, and for the cultivation for jute and several others kharif and Rabi crops. * In the Tal and Diara region have supported more diversified cultivation due to fertile sediment soil. These conditions occur more work related migration and greater intensities of rural settlements which reflect on Diara by higher masculinity. * Agricultural yield in Tal, Diara and Barind regions differ due to intrinsic differences in the soil, availability of water and land husbanding practices. Agricultural yields are uniformly higher in Tal region. Conclusion: Malda district is mainly lower part of the Gangetic plain as well as southern part of the North Bengal plain. The three broad subregions can be defined physiographically within Malda district like Tal, Diara and Barind. The village economy of the Malda district is based on agricultural activities, orchards etc. Agricultural features of Malda district depends on monsoon climate. Irrigation facilities are also available in the Malda district. Major portion of agricultural lands in Malda district are multi cropped. Traditional houses pattern in rural area has been changed by the economy. All over morphology of the rural areas are almost similar to each other in three physiographic regions. Agricultural crops are mainly jute, paddy and wheat. Mango orchards spread large portion of the Malda district. Rural houses types are almost similar all over the Malda district. But in the case of livelihood pattern, some regional variations are followed. In Tal and Barind region, large number of people engages in agricultural activities, on the other hand household industries and other economic activities are developed in Diara region. In rural area of Malda district, half of the people have engaged in agricultural activities which indicate the agriculture based rural economy. At present time, government has taken some steps for development of rural area in Malda district like Pradhan Mantri Gram Sarok Yojna; Jatio Gramin Kormosangsthan Prokolpo etc. this kind of project control the morphology of rural settlements in Malda district. Another feature of village area in Malda district is that some tribal people have been lived in periphery of the villages. This tribal people are not permanent, they are come at a particular time of the year for some work and after finish their work, they go back. In my study, In Harischandrapur block, this kind of sight has been showed. So at a glance, rural morphology in Malda district is much diversifi ed. References: * Bylund, E., ‘Theoretical Considerations regarding the Distribution of Settlement in Inner North Sweden’ in Geografiska Annaler, Vol. 42, No. 4, Advance and Retreat of Rural Settlement: papers of the Siljan Symposium at the XIX th International Geographical Congress (1960), pp. 225-231. * Desai, A. R. (1961), Rural India in Transition. Popular Book Dept., Bombay, 1961. * Doxiadis, C. A. (1969) ‘ Ekistics, An attempt for a Scientific Approach to the Problems of Human Settlements’ in Science and Technology and the Cities (eds.), Committee on Science and Astronautics, U. S. House of Representatives Washington, D. C., U. S. Govt., p. 9. * Ghosh, S., Introduction to Settlement Geography. Orient BlackSwan, 2008. * Mandal, R. B., Introduction to Rural Settlement. Concept Publishing Company, 2009. * Mukerji, A. B., ‘Rural Settlements of the Chandigarh Siwalik Hills (India): A Morphogenetic Analysis’ in Geografiska Annaler. Series B, Human Geography, Vol. 58, No.2 (1976), pp. 95-115. * Siddique, A., Rajbongshi, B., ‘An Analytical Study on Design and Analysis of Stabilised Rural Roads’ in Proceeding of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, Vol. 5, pp. 813-828, 2005. * Singh, R. Y., Geography of Settlement. Rawat Publication, 1994.

The Big Daddy of Social Learning

JB Garcia California Polytechnic State University Associated with Albert Bandura's work in the 1960s, social learning theory explains how people learn new behaviors, values, and attitudes. While mostly related to early development in children, social learning theory occurs at times when most people don't even realize that it is happening. There are many examples that could have been chosen to show the social learning theory but I believe there are none best than the movie Big Daddy. The premise of the movie is based on this young boy Julian McGrath (Dylan and Cole Sprouse) who is left in the care of his father after his mother passes away. When his father, Kevin Gerrity (John Stewart), could not take care of him because he is out of the country, Sonny Koufax (Adam Sandler) decides to raise the boy on his own. By dissecting key scenes in Big Daddy, it is easy to tell that this movie is a perfect example of social learning theory because of the many scenes that show Sonny trying to teach Julian who to live in both a non-traditional method and a firm parenting method with easily identifiable cognitive responses from Julian. What is the Social Learning Theory?Before beginning to dissect scenes from the movie it is important to establish a clear understanding of the social learning theory. The social learning theory  is a theory of  learning  and  social behavior, which states that new behaviors can be acquired by observing and imitating others. A popular example would be young children mimicking their older siblings around the house and striving to be exactly like that older sibling. The key tenets of social learning theory are that learning is not purely behavioral but is actually a cognitive process that takes places in a social setting. This means that by simply observing their current situation and surroundings someone is able to pickup on things and is able understand based on what they are seeing. Social learning also requires attention to the object or person being observed, remembering or retention the observed behavior, the ability to replicate the behavior, and a motivation to act the same way. For example, that same child might see a sibling receive a reward for good behavior in a public setting and imitate the sibling in the hope of getting a reward, too. Modeling is also a key part of the social learning theory because it allows learning to occur without any noticeable change in behavior. Being able to extract information from observations and make decisions based on the performance of the behavior such as a child seeing a sibling behave poorly and get away with it and try to replicate that behavior thinking that they will not get in trouble either. It is important to the person observing the behaviors is not a passive recipient of the information and that other factors can all influences the observer such as cognition, environment and reinforced behavior. Four Phases of Social LearningOne of the major focus for the social learning theory and arguably the entire basis relies on the premise that the observer is able to pay attention for a short amount of time and has enough awareness of their surrounding to understand what is happening. How the observer perceives and understands the events in their surroundings is directly effected by their perceptual abilities, cognitive abilities and the characteristics of the events themselves. In this way, social factors contribute to attention and the prestige of different models affects the relevance and functional value of observation and therefore affects attention. In order to reproduce an observed behavior, observers must be able to remember features of the behavior. Again, this process is influenced by observer characteristics (cognitive capabilities, cognitive rehearsal) and event characteristics. Bandura describes that the visual and verbal aspects of cognitive learning as the most important parts in terms of the retention process. The reproduction aspect of the social learning theory is the most difficult because the observer needs to have the ability and cognitive skill to perform the actions that they are seeing. In some cases in which behaviors are modeled after self-observation, an observer requires some form of effective feedback in order to enhance their cognitive abilities and improve their performance based on their models. All of these aspects lead up to the decision of the observer to replicate the observed behavior. The motivation to reproduce a behavior or action is dependent on the observers understanding of the expectations and understanding of the consequences that come with replicating the action. Environment and other social factors can also consequently affect the decision to reproduce behaviors. These are the four phases of the social learning theory that must occur for it to be effective. Limitations of the Social Learning Theory With a heavy emphasis on how the observers environment affects them and directs their learning, this theory is weak when it comes to the observer's own actions. Putting the focus on how setting influences behavior places more weight on the people and community that the observer is part of, and not enough weight on how the observer handles and processes new information. It neglects the observer's accountability and may go too far in stating that society directs how the individual behaves and acts. Unlike stage models of the observer's development, social learning theory doesn't hinge upon a distinct progression of learning and growth that is chronological or age dependent. The view of this theory as neglecting to consider the observer's development, across all of the domains, is a potential weakness. Although not every observer's matures at an identical rate, some of the standard milestones and markers may still occur regardless of the environmental setting.Breaking Down Big DaddyBig Daddy is a story of a young boy, Julian, and a man, Sonny Koufax, who has taken on the role of being the Julian's father. Julian is only five years old as if a very reserved child. That coupled with the fact that Sonny doesn't want to be the one in charge of him leads to Sonny giving Julian complete freedom as a part of his parental approach. In the scenes we see in the video, Sonny drops a stick on a path so that when people in rollerblades are coming down the path they will hit the stick and fall. Once Julian sees this he immediately finds the action to be funny and repeats this action with a group of people rollerblading through cones causing someone to fall and triggering positive reinforcement from Sonny. It's clear that Julian able to pay attention and replicate the action of putting the stick down because he chooses to do this on his own in separate scene. Julian's motivation to replicate this action derived from the sense of enjoyment and happiness he experienced the first time he saw it with Sonny. His actions are then reinforced when Sonny applauds and says, â€Å"That's my boy!† (Big Daddy 1999).In another scene we see in the clip is when Julian is struggling to use the bathroom and Sonny encourages him to pee in public on the door. Although afraid at first, Julian observes Sonny pee on the door and believes that this is socially acceptable. We see later in the film that Julian has been replicating and actively replicates this behavior as he begins to pee into a plant in his classroom while Sonny is speaking to his teacher about his poor hygiene and scholastic shortcomings. If it weren't for Sonny showing him to pee on the door earlier in the movie Julian most likely wouldn't have reproduced this behavior. There are some positive displays of the social learning theory in this clip as well. Julian is struggling to tie his shoes for a little and Sonny takes initiative and shows Julian how to tie his shoes properly using the â€Å"Loop and Swoop† method. The evidence that Julian was paying attention and was able to reproduce this behavior comes later in the film when Sonny is speaking to the social worker and Julian ecstatically runs up to Sonny saying, â€Å"Look I did it! Loop, swoop and pull!† (Big Daddy 1999). This shows the cognitive ability of Julian in that even though he was only shown how to tie his shoes once early in the film that even down the road he was able to replicate it and do it on his own. The Big PictureThe social learning theory is important because it should make people more aware of how their actions can influence the people around them. People tend to forget how easy it is for children to pick up on things that see or hear which are main aspects of the film Big Daddy; so using the knowledge of the social learning theory should enable parents to become more aware of what they are doing around their young children. Big Daddy is a perfect example of what children are capable of learning in the short amount of time and minimum exposure to certain behaviors. As children they may not be fully aware of every single repercussion that comes from their actions but only that the action can lead to a smile or a laugh or even a tear. Social learning theory should be used as a teaching point for young parents and even older sibling to provide their youth with proper examples of how society functions and help them make their own decisions about what is right and what is wrong. Reference SheetBandura, Albert (1963).  Social learning and personality development. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.Bandura, Albert (1971).  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Social Learning Theory†Ã‚  (PDF).General Learning Corporation. Retrieved  25 December  2013.Big Daddy (1999). (n.d.). Retrieved February 09, 2018, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0142342/Latimer, S. (Director). (2015, January 15).Social Learning Big Daddy[Video file]. Retrieved February 4, 2018, from HYPERLINK â€Å"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhe6p3Xkzt0† https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhe6p3Xkzt0Loop, E. (n.d.).Social Learning Theory Strengths & Weaknesses. Retrieved February 09, 2018, from http://classroom.synonym.com/social-learning-theory-strengths-weaknesses-6592126.html

Critical Evaluation of a poem “Out, Out” by Robert Frost

A poem which I have read recently is â€Å"Out, Out† by Robert Frost. This poem is memorable as it affected me in several ways. It shocked me because the little boy cut off his hand and then died, but also because after the boy died people turned back to their work and didn't seem to care about the boy. When I had read the poem for the first time the title did not seem important because I could not tell what the poem was about, from it. After I had studied the poem in more detail, I considered the poem to be particularly effective. The title â€Å"Out, Out† is a famous quotation from Macbeth which was written by Shakespeare. It intrigues the reader by keeping them in suspense which makes them read on. The poet intrigued me the first time I read the title as I thought it was a very peculiar title for this poem. This made me study the poem in more detail; it was the title of this poem which made me keep the poem vividly in my head. The title of this poem was effective because the poet was comparing our life to the life of candle flame and how it can be put out. He is trying to stress to us how short life is. Robert Frost appeals to my sense of smell, sight and hearing by the writing: â€Å"Sweet scented stuff† The techniques he used were alliteration and onomatopoeia. He uses alliteration by starting all the words in the quotation above with an â€Å"S† sound. Also onomatopoeia by using the quotation: â€Å"The buzz saw snarled and rattled† This line in the poem is showing us what the saw is doing. He also used repetition by using: â€Å"the saw snarled and rattled, snarled and rattled† This quotation is effective because it is stressing to us how boring but repetitive this job was. I think Frost appeals to our senses because he is trying to make us imagine we were at the scene of this horrific incident. As he appeals to my senses I can imagine I was at the scene of the accident, which is what Robert Frost wanted to achieve. This leaves a deep impression on me because I was able to picture the scene of the incident clearly in my head. Another technique Robert Frost used in this poem was personification. An example of it being in this poem is: â€Å"As if to prove saws knew what supper meant, Leapt out at the boy's hand† This quotation is giving the personality of a living thing to the saw. In using this quotation Frost explains to us that it wasn't only the boy who was hungry but also the saw. Another phrase which contains the personification of the saw is: â€Å"the saw snarled† This shows us how aggressive the saw was while cutting the wood. It also told us that in general saws are angry and aggressive and the boy shouldn't of being using the saw. I think this as I think â€Å"snarled† is some form of movement a wild animal does. I think the poet uses personification to show us how aggressive the saw was. The poet's use of personification helps me to remember the poem vaguely. One of the lessons I learnt from the poem was from the last two lines of the poem: â€Å"And they, since they were not the ones dead, turned to their other affairs† I think that after reading that Robert Frost wrote this poem to criticise our society today as we are hard hearted. Also because people who might have known the boy didn't care they just turned to their other work. The other lesson I learnt from the poem was from the poem and how life is short and could end easily. I think these two points that Frost is making are valid points because today in our society today people only care about themselves and don't consider the fact about how short life is. This affected me in two ways, firstly I have started to think about others whose loved one has died and I have found out that life's too short. The poem â€Å"Out, Out† by Robert Frost will remain vividly in my head because of all the effective techniques he used to get us to think about how hard hearted society is and also, how short life is. He was very successful in getting me to think about the two lessons I learnt. Although the best technique I thought was the way he managed to get me to think towards our society as hard hearted and how short life is. After reading the poem I was affected emotionally as I could relate the point which Frost brought up about us being hard hearted to the people who I have turned my back to in my life. Also I was emotionally upset as I had never given life a thought but after reading the poem I realise how precious life is to me.