Peer Pressure And How It Affects Behaviour Philosophy Essay

Peer Pressure And How It Affects Behaviour Philosophy Essay What is social influence? Social influence is the change in behaviour that one person causes in another, intentionally or unintentionally, as a result of the way the changed person perceives themselves in relationship to the influencer, other people and society in general. Types of social influence on behaviour are a very interesting and an important topic in social psychology. It goes on to show us that even though individuals might consider themselves to possess qualities of uniqueness, when studied, their behavioural patterns are not very different from other individuals. The purpose for this study is to determine if social influence is bad or not. The two types of social influence that will be discussed are conformity and obedience. Conformity is the tendency to change ones behaviours or beliefs to match others. Why do people change because of social influence? Social psychologists provide two main reasons for the effects of social influence which are normative social and informational social influence ( Deutsch Gerard, 1995 ). Obedience is obeying an order from someone that you accept as an authority figure. Obedience can be constructive and destructive. How social influence can affect peoples behaviour will be discussed in this study. . Conformity Peer Pressure and how it affects behaviour Peer pressure is an example of normative social influence. This form of influence stems from our need to be liked by others. That is why we will follow certain behavioural patterns in order to conform to others expectations. Depending on how influential or popular a person or group is and how important their approval is for one, they will follow suit just so that they are liked by them. Teenagers especially face many issues related to conformity and peer pressure. They are pulled between the desire to be seen as individuals of unique value and the desire to belong to a group where they feel secure and accepted. As a result, teenagers reject family or general society values, while feeling pressure to conform rigidly to the values of their peer group. For example, this can be seen when young people join gangs. By joining the gang they are rejecting the communitys way of dressing and behaving. They have to conform to the gangs own style of dress, behaviour, and speech. They must follow what the other gang members are doing. Sometimes, they are involved in all kinds of negative activities such as smoking, drinking, taking drugs and so on. Peer pressure by itself is neither positive nor negative. For example, both high and low academic achievements are closely linked to peer influences. Several studies say that the values of the peer group with whom the high school student spends the most time are a stronger factor in the students level of academic success than the values, attitudes, and support provided by the family. Some students who spent time with an academically oriented peer group got better grades despite the fact that their families were not so supportive. People get influenced easily when they join gangs. They start drinking, smoking, taking drugs and doing all kinds of negative activities. For them, it is fun doing such things because they are in a gang. They influence one another to do bad things. Peer pressure also influences the degree to which children conform to expected gender roles. For example, girls get better grades in science and mathematics compared to boys up to grade six, but during adolescence girls test scores and level of expressed interest in these two subjects tend to decline. The tendency is to abandon competition with boys in favour of placing more emphasis on relationships and on physical appearance. In expressed peer pressure, a boy may be challenged by the group to prove his manhood by having sex or performing a risky stunt such as car racing. On the other hand, girls may be told that if they want to be part of a group they must do something illegal such as taking drugs. Studies show that both girls and boy take risks they do not want to take because they believe the risky behaviour will increase their standing in the eyes of their peers, make them more popular and assure their acceptance in the group. They can feel safe and secure in the group. Implied peer pressure is more subtle and can be harder to combat. For example, a group of boys may make fun of the way another boy is dressed, pressuring members of their group to dress only in one acceptable style. Because of this, people who look, dress, act in a different way or have different interests from those of their age group become outcasts. Pressure groups place on their members not to associate with anyone unlike themselves . This can lead the rejected person to feel desperate and depressed. However peer pressure isnt all bad. You and your friends can pressure each other into some things that will improve your health and social life and make you feel good about your decisions. Think of a time when a friend pushed you to do something good for yourself or to avoid something that wouldve been bad. There are some good things friends can pressure each other to do such as be honest, avoid alcohol, avoid drugs, not smoke, and respect others. One good example is group studies. In a group study, friends are able to encourage one another to study well. They are able to help one another by discussing difficult topics, solving problems and also understanding a particular topic well by actually interacting with one another. These are all the good sides of peer pressure. These types of behaviours are influential. One can be influenced but in a good way. One is influenced to do good things rather than doing bad things. Peer pressure provides individuals with a yard stick for self evaluation, leading individuals to being more competent. Interaction among peer groups who exchange different viewpoints for example political, religious or educational can promote moral development and independence in personal expression. Internet and how it affects behaviour Informational influence is a form of conformity which occurs when an individual turns to another in order to obtain information. It occurs when the person does not know what to do and turns to another person or other sources of information and believes the information from this person or source is true. This particular phenomenon takes on specific qualities on the Internet. On the Internet there is nobody standing in front of the room speaking or guiding the group. Nonetheless informational influence certainly occurs.      A cue used in forums, which can be dedicated to any subject ranging from music to international politics, is the post counter. To know how many times they have written a post, a small number under the users screen name will be able to indicate it. Ranking sytems can be found in some forums. As they become more involved in the community and continue making new posts, they will be ranked as experts. So, people tend to get influenced and think that the contributions written by users with the most posts and has a higher ranking are more valid than those of new users. Users often believe in information provided by these individuals rather than others. The information stored in the Internet is portrayed and interpreted in a different way than by exposure through meetings in person. The influence physical appearance such as clothing has on the perception of authority is a different social psychological phenomenon, yet it is an important factor in informational influence. There are many different things that can be done by the web designer to improve the visual aspects of the site, which replaces the physical appearance of the individual. This is done since people are not able to see how an individual behind a website appears. This in turn gives the impression that the information on the website is more credible and reliable. A well designed website can be particularly effective if it organizes and portrays information in a particular way. Older individuals or those who have limited experience with computers are easily influenced. The mere fact that the Internet is text based is also a form of informational influence in itself. People often feel that information conveyed through text is more reliable than information passed through word of mouth. The influence of the Internet has caused an impact on the way we communicate, learn and even shop. Through the Internet, all kinds of information can be easily spread. The introduction of mail service has changed the way people connect to others in their social world. Mail made possible connections among people without physical proximity. On the one hand, since the main use of the Internet is for communication, some people might speculate that the Internet will have positive social consequences in peoples everyday lives because it increases the frequency and quality of interpersonal communications among people. People with easy access to others would feel better connected and more strongly supported by others, leading to happiness and engagement in families, organizations, communities, and society more generally. People are able to communicate more easily. The Internet also allows people to work more easily from their home, to search for any information that they need, to form and sustain friendships and even romantic attachments from their home, to vote and engage in political and social issue based discussions with others. Some people are able to maintain long distance relationships through the Internet. For example, people are able to communicate through social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Skype and so on. In this variety of ways, Internet communications can potentially displace face-to-face communications. According to some psychologists, social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter demonstrate that group polarization can occur even when a group is not physically together. Blindly trusting information that they find online can be bad. As we know, not all information that is online can be reliable. There are many fake websites that are created by web designers in order to influence people and they also have all kinds of schemes that can trick people of their money. Besides, information that we get through forum websites on the Internet are sometimes not reliable and not true. Some users tend to simply post information out of nowhere and that brings no meaning at all. So, people that are searching for information on a certain topic for example would belief such posts and think that its true. They will think that the information on that website is true and reliable when it actually is not that reliable. Besides, social networks can influence people in a bad way. For example, Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg started the website with the intention of helping students to get to know each other better. As we can see nowadays, people are so addicted to Facebook. Children that spend more time on the Internet tend to develop anxiety, more stomach aches and more sick days from school. Besides, as we can see students that spend most of their time with the Internet, like using Facebook get lower grades in their exams. Facebooks applications can be really addicting. Facebook is giving people the chance to turn to another person to obtain information. We can even form our own group and invite others to join it. There is even an anti group group. As we can see, Facebook is actually influencing people to create and join such groups that can bring harm to themselves and the society. (James M.Henslin, Third Edition,2009 ,Pearson International Edition, Sociology ) Obedience Obedience to authority and how it affects behaviour An example is the classroom authority. Teachers use a different set of techniques for fostering obedience than they do for facilitating personal responsibility. Most obedience techniques rely on punishment and reward. Teachers try to demonstrate consistency in applying these positive and negative consequences to maintain a safe and orderly classroom. Students are to honour their teacher. This goes beyond obedience. It means to hold high or to give a special place of respect. Obedience will be the result of such honour, but obedience can be performed without honour. This is a simple situation where obedience to authority can be seen. Primary 2 students for example were told to memorize their times table and they were told that their task was to help another subject like themselves learn the times table (in pairs). Each time one made a mistake, they would be punished together by the teacher. For example, standing in midfield or running around the field. They would then be given a second chance by which if they made a mistake a second time the punishment would be more severe. Besides, there are some teachers that use positive reinforcement to get their students to obey them. For example, a teacher rewards his or her student with a chocolate when he or she memorises the times table correctly. Positive reinforcement always works better on a child than punishment for negative behaviour or disobedience. From this, we can say that students will definitely obey the teacher and memorise the times table properly in order to avoid the punishment. A social psychologist, Philip Zimbardo carried out the Stanford Prison experiment (1971) showing a fine example of perception of authority to social roles. Zimbardo selected volunteers and randomly assigned them to either a prison guard or a prisoner role to observe their interaction. Zimbardo believed that the behaviour in prisons could be best explained using a situational attribution. In particular he believed that the conditions were influenced by the social roles that prisoners and prisoner guards are expected to play. Not even Zimbardo foresaw how the study would turn out. Students were then selected from a response to an advertisement in a newspaper asking for volunteers to participate in a psychological study into prison life. Guards were told about their duties and the prisoners were arrested and blindfolded. This experiment was carried out at The Stanford University Psychology Department. The experiment was supposed to be for 2 weeks. Unfortunately, it only lasted for about 6 days due to the situation becoming all too realistic. They became engulfed by role that they were acting out. The guards became abusive to the point where they would humiliate and push the prisoners around. The prisoners were depressed and some were even released few days after the experiment had begun. Zimbardos study shows that the roles we play as members of a group can have a powerful effect on behaviour. ( Taylor S.E , Peplau L.A, Sears D.O ( Social Psychology, twelfth edition ) ) The question whether obedience is good or bad arises. Our society raises us to believe that obedience is good and disobedience is bad. We are taught to obey others and to be disobedient is something that is not good. Society tells us this, but it is not really true. Obedience is required for our society to function, yet, because of the power of authority, individuals may obey in ways which are destructive and against their personal, moral values. Most people will even be obedient to the point of causing harm to others, because to be disobedient requires the courage to be alone against authority. In Stanley Milgrams Perils of Obedience experiment, his studies showed that sixty percent of ordinary people would agree to obey an authority figure even to the point of severely hurting another human being. Zimbardos prison guards were abusing their power and controlling the prisoners. This shows that those in higher positions tend to influence others immorally. In this experiment, the priso ners became traumatized, depressed and dehumanized. Zimbardos prison experiment is a form of destructive obedience. The trauma inflicted being large or small seems to be unnecessary or avoidable and arguably unethical. Zimbardo failed to question the morality of what was going on and what the prisoners were going through. Was he showing any regard as to the well being of the participants? He had become a participant rather than the observer to his work. Being disobedient is not always wrong. As we can see in Hebrew mythology, human history began because of an act of disobedience. Adam and Eve gained independence from nature by disobeying God and eating an apple. Mans development has largely been affected by being disobedient to authority. Its as though we are allowing society to imprison us by accepting the roles assigned to us. Obedience is a behaviour deeply ingrained in us. It can be seen as an impulse that overrides ethics and sympathy. The tendency to locate the source of behaviour disorders in a particular person or group underestimates the power of situational forces. Constructive obedience benefits society. Without obedience to authority, society could not function. Constructive obedience is building upon obedience in a positive way. It uses positive reinforcement to get results using positive psychological methods. For example the teacher rewards the student for good behaviour and does not punish them for bad behaviour. Destructive obedience is when we obey blindly. We obey to do things that will harm us or others. We tend to obey easily because when we are obedient to an authority, we tend to feel safe and protected. We cant make mistakes because the authority decides for us and we cant be alone, because the authority watches over us. No matter what our behaviour is, it can be justified on the ground that we are only following orders, doing what were told from above. We can easily be brought to view ourselves as an instrument for carrying out another persons wishes, and so we no longer feel responsible for our actions. Unfortunately, that can make us feel responsible to the authority, instead of the content of the orders the authority is giving. The focus is changed although there is still morality there. However, this does not necessarily mean that all disobedience is good and all obedience is bad. That would ignore the relationship between obedience and disobedience. Acts of obedience to one principle is usually and act of disobedience to another. If a man can only obey, then therefore he is a slave and will accomplish very little. But, if a man can only disobey, he is a rebel and does not act in the name of a conviction or principle. We have to obey authority otherwise there would be chaos. This scenario would be far worse as you wouldnt be as safe and many of your basic rights could easily be violated. There have been people throughout history who have challenged authority to great effect. This occurs because the people in authority issue laws and rules that are unfair. Simple rule is, we obey to societys rules because they normally benefit us. Conclusion Is social influence bad? Well, as we have discussed, social influence has its pros and cons. Therefore, social influence can be good and it can be bad. As for peer pressure, the difference between good peer pressure and bad peer pressure is often summed up with a simple comparison. When it is good, you are a member of the crowd and when it is bad, you are part of a mob. If peer pressure is telling you to act in a generally appropriate way, to do the right thing when you may not otherwise, or to do more good than harm, experts say it is safe to say this is good. As long as following the crowd does not cause one to act without consideration, following is not always a bad thing to do. In a situation where peer pressure is good, individuals in the groups would be acting as individual parts of a whole, each working with the other. We have also discussed about the Internet and how it influences behaviour. Well again, it has its pros and cons. It can be a bad influence but at the same time it can be a good influence too. It all depends on the individual himself. If you look at it as something good and beneficial, then yes it would be beneficial to you and it would influence you in a good way but if you chose to use it in the wrong way then it can be a bad influence on your behaviour. For example, like Facebook. If you chose to use Facebook for communication purpose or as a faster way for exchanging information with someone else, then it could be a good thing. But if you use it for the wrong reasons, then you could be influenced to do things that are not so good and that could leave a bad impact on your behaviour and others. Regarding obedience, if our minds are so quick to obey an authority, we should channel our obedience towards our knowledge. Transform morals into authority, make decisions and carry out actions which affect our society in a positive and effective way. If we can accomplish this, our morals, values and critical discourse will determine our contribution to society. The danger comes when we blindly obey such figures and as a result behave in an immoral way as a result. Again, obedience has its pros and cons. Therefore, we conclude that social influence can be good and can be bad.

Building an Ethical Organization Essay

In April 2010, the newly formed The Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery will open their doors. According to the U. S. Department of Justice (2009), a sexual assault happens once every two minutes. The victims of these assaults need a safe place to turn for assistance. Currently there is no centrally located center for these victims. As the director of the Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery, I believe we will be able to fill the current void in the community, by offering various services currently scattered throughout the community under one roof. The Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery will be operated by a non-profit organization and will have the capability to offer clients counseling, legal advice, educational programs, and much more. The Center for Sexual/Assault Recovery will serve any victim of sexual assault as well as those close to the victim that may also be affected by the assault, or can aid the victim in recovery. By offering additional programs to the entire family we are able to establish a support system for the victim, while also assisting those who may need a better understanding of what the victim may be going through before, during, and after treatment. It is the center’s goal to provide the best care to those who enter our center; treating all clients confidentially, fairly and with respect; allowing access for everyone to all programs offered. According to Campbell (2008), â€Å"Rape victims encounter significant difficulties obtaining help from the legal, medical, and mental health systems, and what help they do receive can leave them feeling blamed, doubted, and re-victimized. As a result, survivors’ post-rape distress may be due not only to the rape itself but also to how they are treated by social systems after the assault. (para. 40) The Center for Sexual Assault/ Abuse Recovery will provide the services needed to assist victims at every step of recovery as well as any possible legal proceedings. This is something that I do have firsthand knowledge of. I was raped from the tender age of six through the age of fourteen when I married my husband to get away from home. Back then there was no help for victims. When I went to the Chattanooga, Tennessee Police Department with my accusations my parents were brought in and told to take me to a psychiatrist. I was then taken home and beaten so bad I could not attend school for a month because of the bruises. Increased risk of sexual revictimization in women previously sexually assaulted in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood is a phenomenon now well-documented in the literature (Classen, Palesh, & Aggarwal, 2005; Collins, 1998; Gidycz, Hanson, & Layman, 1995; Krahe, Scheinberger-Olwig, Waizenhofer, & Kolpin, 1999; Messman-Moore & Long, 2000), yet limited research has examined mechanisms underlying increased risk. Both child sexual abuse (CSA) and adult sexual assault (ASA) are related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Briere & Runtz, 1987; Seedat & Stein, 2000), and researchers have also found a strong relationship between PTSD and sexual revictimization (Arata, 2000; Bolstad & Zinbarg, 1997;Boney-McCoy & Finkelhor, 1995; Ullman & Brecklin, 2002). Substance use (problem drinking and/or illicit drug use) is also associated with risk of sexual revictimization (Abbey, Zawacki, Buck, Clinton, & McAuslan, 2003; Greene & Navarro, 1998; Koss & Dinero, 1989; Rich, Combs-Lane, Resnick, & Kilpatrick, 2004; Ullman, 2003). PTSD and substance use may be outcomes of revictimization, although this is unclear from past research, most of which is cross sectional. Therefore, women who experienced sexual victimization both as a child and as an adult may experience more PTSD symptoms and more substance use compared to women who experienced only adult sexual victimization. To resolve the ambiguity of these relations, CSA, PTSD, and substance use (problem drinking, illicit drug use) were examined as possible predictors of sexual revictimization in female ASA survivors over the course of one year. Some research suggests that CSA leads to revictimization, which in turn leads to PTSD symptoms (Arata, 2000; Nishith, Mechanic, & Resick, 2000; Schumm, Hobfoll, & Keogh, 2004). Thus, revictimization as an adult might reignite the squeal of earlier assault experiences. Most studies on which his hypothesis is based were cross-sectional, however, and PTSD could have been both a consequence of and a risk factor for revictimization. Thus, longitudinal research is required to shed light on this issue. In fact, two longitudinal studies have identified PTSD as a risk factor for sexual victimization. Acierno, Resnick, Kilpatrick, Saunders, and Best (1999) found that a diagnosis of PTSD increased women’s risk for ASA, while Noll, Horowitz, Bonanno, Trickett, and Putnam (2003) found that PTSD symptoms mediated the relationship between CSA and subsequent revictimization. However, these studies examined only predictors of revictimization and not predictors of PTSD. The relationship between sexual victimization (either as a child or adult), PTSD, and revictimization may form a feedback loop such that sexual victimization leads to PTSD, which in turn increases the risk of revictimization and subsequent increased PTSD symptoms, etc. Thus, the present study utilized a longitudinal design to explore the relationships between CSA, PTSD, and revictimization in a large community sample of female ASA survivors. It is predicted that CSA would be related to more PTSD symptoms and that more PTSD symptoms would be associated with greater rates of revictimization. In spite of the growing volume of research on rape (Koss, 1985, Russell, 1983), there have been several reasons why psychologists do not know more about the effects rape has on its victims. Many of the experiences do not meet the criteria for societies’ typical rape that is assumed to occur (Burt, 1980, Koss and Burkhart, 1989). Victims will not disclose their assault experiences until years later (Williams, 1984, Williams and Holmes, 1982). Societal attitudes are more negative towards victims of acquaintance rape and view stranger rape as the more serious assault (Tetreault and Barnett, 1987). Most research indicates that both acquaintance and stranger rape have a similar impact upon the victims (Koss, et al, 1988). The center will be open 24 hours a day for emergency services with regular counseling services Monday through Friday, 9:00 a. m. – 7:00 p. m. A toll-free hotline will be operated by professional counselors, 24 hours a day for anyone seeking guidance, reporting abuse, or just needing a counselor to talk with. If an incident is reported, the victim will be offered the services of a victim’s advocate. If they choose to have an advocate, the advocate will escort the victim to the hospital, police department, and any court appearances if the case warrants it. A rape victim is also sensitive to the advocates’ attitude. One has to have the courage to listen to the patient’s story. The person giving care has to be calm and compassionate and in a pertinent manner have an opinion on the situation, as well as to tell the victim that he/she is innocent of the incident. The patient can be calmed and comforted by saying that seeking help and care was the right path to take. Being an advocate for rape victims is not an easy task. The person has to have empathy, a caring heart, and a strong will. In addition to general counseling to victims and their families, The Center of Sexual Assault/Abuse Recovery will offer confidential pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection testing to anyone who wishes to receive it in the days and months after an attack. Additional counseling services will be offered, if needed, once the testing is complete. There is a group of qualified staff to offer the client legal advice and support in the event they are not able to obtain legal services. Individuals who are victims of this type of crime are susceptible to post traumatic stress disorder (Tolin & Foa, 2006). These individuals need to be shown they do not have to go through this fight alone. From counseling to prosecuting, someone will be standing with them providing the support system needed. For this reason the center will recommend victims receive immediate and regular counseling. Another important support service we will offer is weekly support groups. Participation will be voluntary, and different groups will be offered to match different levels of support needed. Getting the community educated and involved will lower the number of sexual abuse instances. The center will organize awareness events and platforms, concentrating on educating residents on the evidence of abuse as well as presentations on ways to prevent abuse and provide self-defense classes. The entire staff at The Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery believe by educating, empowering and creating awareness of sexual abuse/assault in the community we will not only reduce the number of victims, but the center will also be a success. The mission of The Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery is to provide a peaceful and fostering setting for the recovery of sexual assault victims, their families, friends, or any significant other of the abuse/assault survivor; while promoting awareness of the problem within the community. Specially trained staff will defend, instruct, and counsel, clients and their friends, families, or significant others. Providing equal treatment, with respect to the individuality of each case; and safeguarding the privacy of victims will be the highest importance. The staff will reflect the director’s caring, compassionate, and ethical nature; This emphasizing to clients and the community that the center will operate in an ethical manner with zero acceptance for any behavior that can be seen as unethical, or dishonest. The Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery and its staff will do everything within their authority to provide clients with a safe and supportive environment. The center will be staffed by well-educated and experienced professionals in their respected field of counseling, educating, or event planning; all working together in assisting victims to overcome the abuse. The community will be kept aware of the center’s motive through the use of a well published mission statement, media articles, and community awareness events. Lee and Bourdage (2009) states â€Å"that an organization that puts in place a value statement will have more ethical and moral behavior from its employees; staff members will line up personal values with organizational values if those organizational values are made known and visible for all employees to see†. The Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery has worked with all staff members, volunteers, and a diverse group of community leader to develop the following values statement: â€Å"All staff and volunteers of The Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery shall abide by practices that are in agreement with appropriate laws and with ethical values that reflect a high level of proficiency. The Center for Sexual Abuse/Assault Recovery will serve the community with integrity, respect, and dignity. Clients will be encouraged and empowered by the staff’s positive, empathetic, and compassionate behavior. This values statement will motivate ethical behavior and allow the entire staff to take ownership of it because; every staff member had a part in its creation. In addition, behaviors that are in accordance with the value statement will have a positive influence on others. In an effort to encourage positive behaviors that line up with the value statement, and remind staff members of the significance of values, one staff member will be recognized for his or her values behavior at the monthly staff meeting. In the event the values statement is not followed disciplinary actions will be in place. The values statement, along with the mission statement, emphasizes high moral ideals within the organization. Inspiring a transformation, fostering hope, uniting professionals, and assisting those whose paths we cross become stronger, more empowered individuals will be accomplished by the center’s professional staff. These individuals will become stronger and be able to lead a more productive life instead of having the experience rule their lives. They will be able to hold their heads up high.

Interest in Rainwater Essay

The article entitled â€Å"Interest in Rainwater Harvesting Grows in Colorado† written by Paul Day was about a proposal of Brad Lancaster, a rainwater virtuoso and initiator. His entire idea according to the news was that he wanted to use the rainwater for needs of the people and environment just like in Arizona and New Mexico. But the Executive Director of Colorado Waterwise, Paul Lander, prohibited his willingness to pursue this project because according to him it might result in breaking the rights of the people to that water. Lancaster insisted and he even showed two concrete project proposals for this. First, it would legalize the conception in countrysides that were not served by municipal water supplies. Lastly, it would instruct for conducting projects to study whether rainwater harvesting can be used without harming water rights. It interests me a lot because if we’re going to use the water from the sky in some ways, we can get lot of benefits out of it. I consider this as a biological issue because it discusses the precipitation process. This is very important because this is an exact example of learning how to utilize the nature for our advantage. The steps of scientific process: a. The usage of the rainwater purposefully though Colorado water law forbids it? b. Other places like Arizona and New Mexico can do it, why can’t we. c. They show the proposals using diagrams of storage tanks for collecting rainwater that runs off the rooftops home homes and businesses. d. The people who witness the presentation of the project agree that we can get a lot out of it. Scientific Terms: rainwater – water that comes form the sky project proposals – the entire flow or plan of the project and the things that they wanted to do precipitation process – the continuous cycle of water â€Å"Does Diabetes Make the Mind Go to Pieces† written by Mary Brophy Marcus is the second article. It imparted us about the risk of having Alzheimer’s disease and the effects of it are as follows: a. more prone to cognitive decline b. the mind’s ability to evaluate problems and the speed of processing information might suffer because of high rate of insulin or abnormal blood glucose. The experimentation by the researchers from the University of Alberta in Canada verified the people with diabetes and non – diabetic were prone to mental decline according to the American Psychological Association’s January issue of Neuropsychology but the executive function – complex, analytical thinking and speed processing were directed to the diabetic ones. In the journal Neuron published in December found out that if the brain didn’t get enough sugar it produced Alzheimer’s plaques but improving the brain’s blood flow might prevent or cured Alzheimer’s according to Robert Vassar, a professor of cell and molecular biology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and he recommended that doing some exercise, minimizing cholesterol intake and taking care of the hypertension could help a lot. On the contrary, according to Nir Barzilai, director of the Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York that insulin worked in the nerves that went to the liver and it declared stoppage glucose production and healed diabetes but not in the blood. I found it fascinating because it conveyed awareness on how to take good care of our body. I considered this biological issue because it dealt with the health of an individual. The steps of the scientific process: a: Treating Alzheimer’s disease? b. the insulin is a great help c. they observe people with diabetes and non – diabetic individuals d. proper maintenance of insulin/glucose in our body and the habitual exercise and taking care of the body will prevent diseases. Scientific Terms: glucose – a crystalline sugar insulin – secreted by islets of Langerhans for carbohydrate’s metabolism and glucose regulation in the blood and produced diabetes mellitus when insufficient. Alzheimer’s disease – progressive memory loss, impaired thinking, and changes in mood. The last article entitled â€Å"The Big Green Giveaway† by Tony Milney wanted to share about Mr. Miliband’s willingess to save the planet and our benefit out of it. The objective of putting up the household carbon emissions close to zero by 2050, the government decided to plan an environmental makeover. Establishing ground or air-source heat pumps, solar heating, solid wall insulation, or to join a community heating scheme are the suggested ways to lessen the average ? 300 a year of the wasted energy that needed an action or prevention. Based from the principles of this proposal, all the privileges were given to the homeowners to be able to fulfill the energy saving measures in our home. Not only this, but also the 90,000 solar water-heating systems in Britain. Another offer was the installation wind turbines, wood-pellet stoves, ground-source heat pumps and other eco kit by the Energy Saving Trust. And it even mentioned here the different gadgets used to save energy at home. This article caught my attention because it gave us information and ideas on how to save energy and at the same having advantage of it. I considered this as a biological issue because it discussed the environment that we had and the energy that we consumed. It is important because it helped the people saved energy without damaging the ecosystem. The steps of the scientific process: a. How can we avoid wasted energy? b. the misused of the energy and environment can cause this kind of problem c. they mentioned the different ways on how to save energy and the invented gadgets that could be of great help to the people d. there will be no wasted energy if the people would learn how to save energy wisely. Scientific Terms: energy – dynamic exertion of power carbon – a nonmetallic primarily tetravalent element found native gadgets – an often small automatic or electronic device with a sensible use but often thought of as a novelty. Works Cited Day, Paul. â€Å"Interest in Rainwater Harvesting Grows in Colorado. † CBS4Denver. com (Feb 12, 2009): http://cbs4denver. com/local/Rainwater. Harvesting. illegal. 2. 934360. html Marcus, Mary Brophy. â€Å"Does Diabetes Make the Mind Go to Pieces? † USA TODAY (Jan. 28, 2009): http://www. usatoday. com/news/health/2009-01-28-diabetes-alzheimers_n. htm Milne, Tony â€Å"The Big Green Giveaway. † The Sunday Times (February 15, 2009): http://www. timesonline. co. uk/tol/news/environment/article5732920. ece

The Kite Runner Essay - 1526 Words

â€Å"I didn’t hear the blast. I was just knocked over. My mouth filled with dust. I tried to stand up but couldn’t. I looked down and my leg was cut off at the bone. My hand was cut off.† (Rasmussen) Imagine living under fear for your whole life. Imagine living in a war, hearing bombs everywhere and not knowing when they’ll hit you. Imagine being discriminated and even executed by something that is unchangeable about you. Imagine having basic human rights taken away from you for no reason. Imagine waking up one day and realizing that your hands and legs were cut off and being the only alive member in your village. However,Hazaras living in Afghanistan are living a life that is much worse. In the novel â€Å"The Kite Runner† written by Khaled†¦show more content†¦More than 8000 Hazaras have been killed just in Afghanistan from 1993.(The) The Taliban have been constantly performing attacks towards the Hazaras . In fact, the Hazaras have alre ady been considered as people from the lower social class while the Pashtuns are classified as the superior. One of the worst attacks that has occurred against the Hazaras before the Taliban massacre took place on February of 1993 where over one thousand Hazaras were killed. What was even more surprising was that this attack was directed by the President Rabbani. Rabbani was the President of Afghanistan from 1992 and 1996. The Taliban then started to control Afghanistan after 1996 which worsened the situation as mentioned earlier. They tried to force their own law for all Pashtuns and Shias to follow, such as how all men have to wear beard, banning kite running and banning heels, etc. Most Afghans chose to obey due to fear towards the Taliban caused an unbalanced relationship with the Taliban. However, some Pashtuns and Hazaras came together and protested together for the rights of Hazaras against the government for the first time in history on 23rd July, 2016. (The) The Pashtuns w ere realizing the unfairness in the treatment towards Hazaras, and some decided to send a hand. However, due to this protest, at least 80 people died along with 230 injured in a bomb blast by ISIS. There were also followed up attacks from ISIS directed against Hazara as aShow MoreRelatedKite Runner Essay1002 Words   |  5 PagesThe Kite Runner Theme Essay Father-Son Relationship (Amir and Baba) Amir, who is the main character The Kite Runner, is a boy who always wanted the admiration and acceptance of his father, Baba. Baba and Amir cannot have the relationship Amir wants to have because of the characteristics that they have and do not share between each other. Amir wants to have Baba all to himself, and not share him with others, such as Hassan. Amir is weak in Baba’s eyes and Amir is not how Baba sees his son to beRead More The Kite Runner Essay1632 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"There is a way to be good again† (2). This is the line that rolls through Amirs mind over and over throughout Khaled Hosseinis novel, The Kite Runner. This is the story of a mans struggle to find redemption. The author illustrates with the story of Amir that it is not possible to make wrongs completely right again because its too late to change past. In this novel Hosseini is telling us that redemption is obtainable, and by allowing us to see Amirs thought process throughout the nov el, HosseiniRead MoreThe Kite Runner Essay1321 Words   |  6 PagesWhat are the essential values and ideas presented in The Kite Runner? Analyse and assess how effective their representation is Hosseini has expressed copious essential values and ideas in his novel The Kite Runner (TKR) including Loyalty, Culture, Gender and Ethnicity and Atonement. 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The novel showcases the simplistic yet powerful ability of guilt to influence decisions and cause conflict which arises between Amir’s childhood friend and half-brother, Hassan; Amir’s father, Baba; and importantly, himself. DifferenceRead MoreKite Runner Essay1471 Words   |  6 PagesIn the literature, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, the idea and representation of justice, and its relationship to that of the treatment of women in Afghan society, the ever-changing politics of Afghanistan, and the desired results of redemp tion and forgiveness, become illustrated through the novel’s characters and motives. Justice can be defined as the quality of being guided by truth, reason, and fairness. The Kite Runner illustrates the power of influence from an outside power and its effectsRead MoreKite Runner Essay899 Words   |  4 PagesGena Narcisco Mrs. Sharpe Honors English 10 10/11/12 The Kite Runner Do you know that Afghanis play a game where they fight with kites? The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini describes kite fights between local Afghani kids, regardless of their social status. The main characters in this story that come from a higher socioeconomic level are Baba, a lawyer from the Pashtun tribe, and his son Amir. The main characters in this story that come from the lower socioeconomic level are Ali, a servant fromRead MoreThe Kite Runner Essay2862 Words   |  12 PagesThe Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini Chapters 1-5 (PP. 1-47) Reading Questions 1. The novel begins with a flashback. What do you think is its purpose? What do you learn about the narrator? The purpose of the book in my opinion is to set up the setting of the main idea of the book and to give the readers Amir’s opinion on his fellow characters, so they can see the main idea. You learn about Amir’s life and how this event has affected him. 2. Who is Hassan? Describe him physically. WhatRead MorePower In The Kite Runner Essay965 Words   |  4 PagesThe Power of Power â€Å"The strong were always eating the weak,† James Rollins. Those who have power are more likely to take advantage over those categorized in a lower class. In this fictional novel, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the overall concept of abuse of power and bullying is portrayed. The protagonist, in particular, is constantly dragged into the many conflicts relating to the theme in many situations throughout the novel. The situations associate Amir and Hassan, the antagonist