Social Networking or Social Isolation Essay Example

Social Networking or Social Isolation Essay Individuals use of wed-based interactive websites isnt just restricted to social interaction and wikipedia.. The shrewder of Internet users out there can now become globally recognised, a familiar face in the sea of faces, if you like. There are several ways of doing it. The first would be to make a video of yourself and post it on a video hosting website, something which is accessible to millions of people worldwide and nearly always free- therefore a way of getting instant recognition. Like Facebook, this is only a recent phenomenon, but one which is becoming increasingly popular amongst Internet users. The range of videos you can make is seemingly limitless and these so-called video blogs (or vblogs for short) can make stars out of the people who are in them. A famous example is Chris Crocker, a young American kid who defended Britney Spears after she was on the receiving end of worldwide negative press. He became a star overnight; he was interviewed on CNN and ABC, he has been on various American chat shows, and he even has his own line of Leave Britney Alone merchandise. It is ironic, of course, that the unwitting star of this cult video should be interviewed by well-established American news stations- the sign of just how big vlogging has got and an indication that the media pendulum has swung somewhat- suddenly, it is the people who make the second-hand media, the vloggers, that are now stars in their own rights. Surely this is a true symbol of people truly embracing, truly becoming, the media. In one of his interviews he says We will write a custom essay sample on Social Networking or Social Isolation specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Social Networking or Social Isolation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Social Networking or Social Isolation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer I actually had no idea that any of this was going on. I went to the grocery store after I posted it, not even five hours afterwards. An old woman in the grocery store said she saw it on (TV). From then it kind of snowballed (4) (Chris Crocker interviewed on MSNBC website).  It took just five hours for this everyday American teen to gain national and global recognition, a clear indication that people have truly embraced the media. Another way of getting fame and fortune via these Web 2.0 applications is sharing music. Napster, a web 1.0 P2P file-sharing website was the first to share website to allow people to share music, but recognised artists were generally the only ones who were shared on a regular basis. Then MySpace came along. Some of the biggest acts of in recent years started off on myspace promoting their music in order to move up the ladder to possible global superstardom. One band who epitomise the MySpace music sharing generation is The Arctic Monkeys, who were just four everyday young lads from Sheffield who started off sharing their music on MySpace. They went on to have the fastest-selling debut album of all-time, largely due to the following they amassed as relative unknowns using the Internet to promote their material. Louis Collard writes:  MySpace represents a huge marketing opportunity for artists, and given the essentially zero cost, this is an avenue available to both signed and unsigned artists. Many well known bands, as well as thousands of lesser known and unsigned artists have a MySpace homepage. (5) (Collard, date unknown, page 3). And what he says is true; MySpace is definitely a huge marketing niche for the average soloist/band, to promote their music to millions of people, for free, and perhaps make it big. That is an opportunity more and more people are going to grasp, as long as MySpace remains free the market is going to widen, because more and more bands will want to exploit the benefits, but the niche will get smaller because there are so many bands about who sound the same. Innovation is the key in this type of technology, if you can release something unheard of, like the social realism of the Arctic Monkeys, then you are half-way to making it; youve just got to promote your work enough and work hard to achieve goals. Is the fact that these Web 2.0 applications are so successful, and so globally utilised, a sign that the motto Dont hate the media, become the media is being employed a lot more, (maybe not as consciously as the Indymedia organisations but probably as much as them) as more people see the benefits of the media, and not the drawbacks? There are, in my opinion, several factors that are benefiting the average person- the fact that these utilities are free, the fact that these utilities can be used and recognised globally and the fact that these utilities are highly interactive make them an ever-popular medium. Finally, after years of living in the producers spotlight, the consumers have a say how things are ran, and the line between producer/publisher is becoming more and more blurry by the day. Paradoxically, the consumer becomes a producer, whilst still remaining a consumer too, when promoting their music on MySpace for example, a clear indication that the line between producer and consumer is sketchy. An IBM report states:  Media consumers, to varying degrees, will be increasingly involved in the creative process. These shifts toward a pervasive media environment will evoke major changes in media and entertainment companies by 2010. Media companies will need new strategies to respond to emerging media experiences and consumption behaviours. (6) (IBM report, various authors, 2004) Even the large companies are acknowledging that there is going to be a gradual change in the future and that the consumer will become increasingly involved in the near future. The trends certainly show no sign of declining, as more and more people gain access to the Internet, and sign up for interactive satellite TV., newer applications will be made available. Who truly knows what lies in store for the media in the future? It is too difficult to envisage what new interactive mediums people will dream of next, but there is no doubt that the next big phenomenon to take the Internet by storm will involve an element of interactivity. Not always made by the people but powered and popularised by them, interactive forms of media are a true sign that people have listened to what Jello Biafra said all those years ago and instead of showing animosity to the media, they have truly became the media themselves. Footnotes: (1) Cyberactivism, Martha McCaughey, Michael D. Ayers, Routledge, 2003, page 60) (2) Nyland, Marvez, Beck, Myspace: Social Networking or Social Isolation?, 2007,http://www.gentletyrants.com/wpcontent/uploads/2007/03/Nyland_Myspace%20isolation.pdf, (accessed 17/11/2008) (3) Maness, Library 2.0 Theory: Web 2.0 and Its Implications for Libraries 2006, http://www.webology.ir/2006/v3n2/a25.html, (accessed 17/11/08)

My Belief Essay Example

My Belief Essay Example My Belief Essay My Belief Essay I believe your friends can sometimes be more of a family then your actual family. Its all because they choose to stand by your side. Your family is forced to. I can remember this one time I was wondering my neighborhood thinking about my dad and my great aunt. My dad passed away when I was only 7 months old, my great aunt when I was in 4th grade. I remember thinking about what we would be doing and whether or not we would still be together or not. As I am walking around and thinking my friend that I have known for 10 years bumps into me. We hung out all of the time.Whether we were just sitting around each other houses or hanging out at a park but we spent most of our time on the bike path. He name is Kenny. As Kenny bumped into me he saw the tears,that I had yet to notice myself, he stopped me. He had turned me around and gave me the biggest hug ever. After I felt his arms incased me I fell into a world of tears. Surrounded by sadness and dispare, tears raining down upon my heart and washing away all hopes of happiness. The waterworks had finally begun at that point, finally someone would actually listen to me. He had given everything I needed, he made me feel better.It was right around the time I was slowing down my waterworks when Kenny had asked me what was wrong. In the middle of my explanation of how I felt like my dad and great aunt hated me for who I was turning into, all he did was start hugging me again, I couldnt help but start crying again. After our little talk we became substantially closer, now we can talk about anything. On another occasion my best friend Bella, who I had known for about a year, has helped me deal work out some of my inner conflicts. We have gotten closer lately. Close enough to be able to completely understand each other and now we can talk to each other about anything.Like this one time one of my sisters was talking about how there are so many problems that are going on at my old house, she was basically unloading all of her st ress onto me. She was talking about how they have like no food and how no one wants to get a job, so they are barely getting by on their monthly bills. Then out of nowhere she starts asking me for money and I didnt want to sound like a jerk and say no without a reason, even though I had the best reason in the world, I am too young to support her and I shouldnt have to even think about that.So instead all I said was Jess how much do you need? and then I asked her why are you coming to me for money? We arent here to support you. The reason we dont live there anymore is because me and Liz had to endure the stress of not knowing whether or not the bills are going to be paid or not. When she left I knew she was pissed off but I was only speaking the truth. My friend Bella showed up but by then I had already gotten up from where I was sitting and was running in the direction of my room, tears slowly starting to appear.Bella had seen me running and ran in to follow me. When she came into my room I turned away and immediately started pushing the tears away, I was determined not to let her get even a glimpse of me crying. I dont like crying in front of anyone. She came next to me and we started talking about it. I cant take their stress anymore, its just too much for me to deal with, it was different when I was living there because I was forced to deal with it but now I dont have to deal with it yet they come over and just give me their problems.I mean what the hell is wrong with them, I am too young to be dealing with stress that a twenty year old would have to deal with. I am so done. As we are talking I turned away to cry, I couldnt do it anymore. I was giving up. I started to think about everything that we have talked about and how much we have helped each other out with anything. Thats what family is all about but when you have a family like mine, with the exception of my two sisters Amanda and Liz, that dont seem to care about one another and are always at each others throats trying to kill each other you dont get the joy of what true family is like.If everyone had friends that were close enough to be family, if not more then everyone would be happier to know that they have someone that wasnt in their family that they can count on. In all honesty there are going to be a lot of people that you know but only of those people are going to be you friends, people who wont play around with your friendship, people who will always stick closer to you then your closest family member.

A letter to a young artist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A letter to a young artist - Essay Example you have all these skills within you, then you are in a perfect position to start writing and you will seek piece of advice from none and actually no one else can help you write better. A good artist must be confident of what he speaks about; it defines any successful creative writer who is self-motivated to express his feelings without fear. It is advisable to take charge of what you are talking about as if no one else has the background information except you. Pretend that you are the first one to have knowledge of that topic you are talking about as that would give you more confidence and boost your self-esteem to be able to explore more. It is self-esteem that will provide you with a feeling that everything you are doing will eventually succeed and that you will reach your audience and catch their attention. Just like I mentioned earlier, no one can help you be the best writer, even building self-esteem is something that cannot be built from external forces. It has to be yourself and your own self that shape you as a writer. A good piece of art is born within and not made; it is from the heart and can never be faked. It comes within, and after you have realized that you can actually affect the things that surround you. Feelings are always different from one person to another. They should never be compared, and that is why originality is paramount to anyone writing any piece of art. Originality comes from one’s unique experiences and expressions. These experiences ultimately integrate themselves within you; remember that your self-esteem also stems from within. Self-esteem does not come from reading voluminous books that were written by great authors, or surrounding yourself with things and people that seem to increase your value. It comes from your realization of the value of you r originality and innate skills. The success of a poet also rests with on whwhat you write about and how you write. But, there are no material resources to guide you on these

The Powers and Responsibilities of the Greater London Authority Essay

The Powers and Responsibilities of the Greater London Authority - Essay Example Hence, the power set-up for GLA was kept restricted. However, after a span of six years, the GLA strived for success through the incorporation of a model of ‘strong Mayor’. In the present scenario, the GLA is defined as that form of the government in which powers and responsibilities are bestowed through the Mayor and Assembly with the aim of addressing the challenges that are being faced by London. The various areas in which the GLA is held responsible are inclusive of transportation, policing, fire and salvage, growth and development and lastly strategic planning. The responsibilities of the GLA are not accounted for direct service provision but it operates with the help of functional bodies embedded under the scope of the GLA (London First, 2011). For dealing with transportation, the functional body Transport for London is held responsible. This body is bestowed with the responsibility of managing the system of transportation within the city of London. ... Â  Along with these historical powers and responsibilities of the GLA, on November 30th, 2005, additional powers were proposed to be incorporated under the GLA. The review for the GLA powers and responsibilities gave rise to the inclusion of additional powers and responsibilities which included managing waste, housing, planning and learning along with skills (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: London, 2005). 2. Literature Review Summarizing the Environmental Policies of the Mayor Johnson (2010) provided a positive feedback towards the decision that Mr. Boris Johnson (the Mayor) considered regarding the environmental issues but at the same time had also criticized the process through which the Mayor aimed to achieve his environmental goals. As per the policies of the Mayor, the target is to achieve 60% reduction in the city’s emission of CO2 by the year 2025. The Mayor stated estimation that 60 billion pounds would be required to be invested for attaining the targeted reduct ion in CO2 emission. However, the Mayor also intimated that he expects spending from the government in this regards up to an amount of 800 million pounds for introducing vehicles emitting low carbon by the year 2018. As regards to the expectations of the Mayor, the author estimated that the government would have to spend 193 million pounds by the year 2015 (Johnson, 2010). The policy of the Mayor was appreciated by the author on the grounds that it would generate contributions for the city in the form of job enhancement, security in terms of energy supply, reduction of fuel inefficiency and also improvement of the public’s health.

Competing Conceptions of Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Competing Conceptions of Globalization - Essay Example Although the meaning of this term is rather indistinct, and the phenomena it is used to denote extremely varied, it does articulate a prevailing feeling in the 21st century that human life is greatly shaped by forces, which have extended across boundaries, and which, concisely due to their magnitude and supremacy, are transforming life on this globe. All spheres of the society are being redefined by this process; people find their existence threatened or individuality threw in to confusion; areas and entire regions are compelled to restructure themselves or diminish in the face of economic forces; and nations are experiencing gradually decreasing autonomy of action and closer ties to each other than any other time in the past (Scholte, 2000). Â  At the present, there is a serious incongruity between the reality that globalization is in full gear and the reality that the prevailing processes of global governance do not have the influence, ability, and capacity to regulate and direct this process towards helpful ends. Due to this, globalization is usually unsettling and unbalanced in its outcomes. It has also brought new challenges for the current public institutions while at the same instance weathering their independence and support. Globalization has also provided the paradoxical means for those it eliminates culturally or economically to categorize against its subordinating and homogenizing force (Ohmae, 1999). Â  In essence, there are numerous explanations of globalization, which though consistent in various ways do illustrate varying faces of the process.

Ray Ozzies Role at Microsoft

Ray Ozzies Role at Microsoft Introduction Ray Ozzie was the known to play a major role at the lotus notes before he became the Chief Software Architect of the Microsoft team (Microsoft, 2010). In 2005, he aimed to webify† Microsoft in order to level up with the wide use of internet and search engines such as Yahoo! and Google. He had to create a management strategy in order to find out the best way to share the information through his colleagues and be able to sum up the ideas on how to maintain the revenues of the company. The case study, Ray Ozzie, Software Strategist†, relates with the everyday processes, practices and activities that are involved in creating a strategy. Why was the Semiahmoo retreat not successful in creating sustained momentum around the issue of Microsofts core? The March retreat of the companys top 110 or so executives including Bill Gates was not successful because they failed to discuss the key factors about the Microsofts core. It is said that the company relied on selling proprietary software straight to users or to the manufacturers of computer for pre-installation on machines. However, the strategy was being challenged by free open-source software like linux and web- based companies whose software was free off the internet and supported by advertising such as Google or Yahoo!. This seemed to leave the company behind the emerging software that offers free access over the internet and is able to use by the customers directly. The companys processes of reaching the market have had difficulties most especially the shipping of products. Retreat at Semiahmoo was not able to initiate a clear discussion of the things that Microsoft has to do in order to get back to the emerging companies in the Information Technology industry today. They have got breakout sessions in order to brainstorm various strategic issues and it was observed that the people within the company relate to Bill. It appeared to be more of a team building for the executives and the group refused to organise the issues covering the strategy or the issue of the Microsofts core. They argued it was untimely and likely to cause unnecessary apprehension to engage more people as it involves the past strategies. Thus, the momentum from the retreat on Semiahmoo did not have enough space to tackle the said issue. The importance of focus on the processes and practices with regard to the activities of the company is given much attention rather than the issue of sustaining the strategy for selling products in a unique manner (Christensen, 1997). The practice of strategy involves the important components of how the organisation manages its people and links the outcomes from strategising events, activities, meetings and other. In addition to, the focus of the group went to the attraction of the place, perhaps, and the experience to bond with each other. The strategic challenge that Microsoft was facing was not clearly defined as well. The team relied on the past strategy and thought it was irrelevant to review. The retreat ended without accomplishing what was really tasked to do because the team overlooked the criticisms about the past strategies without realising that it is important to be able to figure out what specific changes to focus on or where exactly they should concentrate. Why was Ozzie more successful in creating follow-on action after the Robinswood retreat? After the Semiahmoo retreat, the company had a second retreat because the first attempt to create a strategy for the Microsofts core evaporated. Ozzie took charge of the second retreat and it was successful. Although Ozzie have not tried working intimately with the team, he took his chance on delivering and defining the strategic challenge that the company was facing. The retreat was held as Robinswood house where in it appeared to be substandard unlike the Semiahmoo retreat. Ozzie provided a 51- page memo beforehand that describes his diagnosis of the strategic challenge facing Microsoft. He detailed out the challenges for the company through his friendly mood and did not confront anyone with the past mistakes of the company. He opened up a discussion through an invigorating exercise about the unfavourable things happening in the present technical and organisational strategy of the company (Fried, 2009). Thus, it gave the team a chance to speak up and raise the issues with regard to the mistakes of the company on its operations most especially the issues that they have to solve most especially the fluctuating revenues of Microsoft. The meeting resulted on a more intense discussion with the team about the future strategies that could benefit the organisation. A progress was made although a good deal of controversy was still present. Furthermore, Ozzie put a highlight on the changing environment and the importance of service to the clients. The communications technologies have drastically developed into a more convenient form. In the modern world, the people pay much attention to the interaction with the company and its products and services and how they are able to use in a simple way. The businesses are directly reaching the customers with lower costs and provide a great service. Technology companies are now practicing ways to sell the products without the hassle of shipping and most importantly with lower costs such as downloading the application directly from the website supported by advertisements and the like. As Ozzie have seen, Microsoft is not developing a strategy on how to compete within the industry most especially the strategy of advertising- supported services and software over the internet. The strategy depicts innovation and fives the foundation for the web developers to improve and develop the services to the customers. Microsoft has to embrace this kind of business strategy in order to come up with a more practical way to reach and interact with the market and benefit the company with remarkable revenue. The company have to reflect on its past mistakes and relate to the present environment to be able to emerge with what is going in the market. The leadership responsibilities, strengths and weaknesses of the company should be discussed in a genial manner so an immediate response from the team could result to a better strategy to solve the challenges. The business might be at risk if the team fails to handle the dilemma accordingly and did not maintain an open communication (Levy, 2008). Comment on Ozzies communications strategy with regard to the Internet Services Disruption. The communication strategy of Ozzie is indeed a good way to reach the executive staff and he explained clearly what his goals are for the company. According to the memo, he has a lot of positive reasons to innovate more with regard to the strategic challenge that the company is facing. He delivered the memo very well such as stating that the leaders understand the efficiency of eradicating the hindrances on developing products. Reorganisation is considered to be an important step for improving the alertness of the company (Ozzie, 2005). He maintained a positive outlook on the past strategy of the company although it prevailed to put the business at risk. He still considered past strategies to start the development of the company on what he aims on his recent strategies. It is a very good way to motivate the organisation to move on to the next stage and be able to encourage them to participate and work accordingly. His idea of differentiating the strategy from the past developments of the company made it significant to understand the whole point. He immediately perceived the feedbacks of the readers so he addressed, in advanced, the possible doubts of the readers of his memo. Ozzie continues to innovate as he mentioned a continuous change every five years for the company to cope with the changing environment of the market considering that technology is growing rapidly. His focus on the recent strategic issues gives the memo a clearer objective to increase the motivation for the team to work well on creating new products and continuously creating a solution to the challenges. Ozzie is catered to the transformation of the company into a more user-friendly and interactive to reach the customers, partners and other for bigger opportunities (Ozzie, 2005). Thus, Ozzies communication strategy promotes a vision and a set of well- defined goals and objective that makes a dependable leader to integrate the varied activities and ideas of the whole team. Conclusion Ray Ozzie worked well on the creation of new strategies for the Microsoft such as going live and being more interactive with its users. Advertising-supported software and other internet-based applications are emerging in the market and are doing well with its revenues. The techniques of internet advertising have drastically affected by the innovations on technology. The use of broadband is considered to be a blanket for the market starting from the purchase of the computer up to the installation of its software and applications. Hence, it calls for an extensive innovation for Microsoft to comprehend with the use of the World Wide Web. Works Cited Ray Ozzie, Software Strategist: Case Study† (Please put the details of the book where you get the case study) Christensen, C. The Innovators Dilemma, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, 1997 Fried, I. Ray Ozzies view from the clouds†, cnet news. (November 18, 2009) from http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10400244-56.html?tag=newsLeadStoriesArea.1 retrieved 02/19/10. Levy, S. Ray Ozzie Wants to Push Microsoft Back Into Startup Mode†, Wired Magazine: 16.12. (November 24, 2008) from http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/16-12/ff_ozzie retrieved 02/19/10. Microsoft. Microsoft Announces Plans for July 2008 Transition for Bill Gates†, Microsoft New Center (2010) from http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/jun06/06-15CorpNewsPR.mspx retrieved 02/20/10. Ozzie, R. Internet Services Disruption†, (October 28, 2005), from http://www.scripting.com/disruption/ozzie/TheInternetServicesDisruptio.htm retrieved 02/19/10.

Caroline Birds College Is a Waste of Time and Money Essay -- Universi

In her article â€Å"College Is a Waste of Time and Money†, Caroline Bird attempts to pursued her readers that colleges are overflowing with students who don’t belong there. Her article first appeared in Psychology Today (May 1975). Since this material is outdated, I find it hard to believe that most of the responses by students and parents quoted in the article still hold true. The author has set out to pursue the readers that college is a bad and unnecessary choice for today’s youth. Yet the author holds a bachelors and a masters degree from two different universities. I would think that if she thought college was really a bad choice and a waste of time and money, she would not have gone back to get her masters degree. I am a college student myself and there were only two things in the whole article that I was in agreement with. One was that colleges try to market themselves. The other was her paragraph on how Americans are looking less and less for great paying jobs and are looking more for job that they like doing. This unfortunately is also a contradiction to her piece of writing, because college prepares, and helps you get a job that you will enjoy. Furthermore, the author’s main ideas were not well thought out or well supported. An example of this might be her money investment idea. She implies that if an eighteen year old invested his/hers college tuition money in a bank, and kept it there till he/she was sixty-four, they would be twice as rich as those who go to school, graduate and work in their field of study. What she fails to mention is that while their money is gathering interest, it can not be touched till their sixty-four, and in the mean time they have to be making a living in another job which they probably hate doing. Overall, Bird’s attempt to pursue her readers that college is a waste of time did not work on me. Students are in colleges because they are told to, or because they still want to be financially depend on their parents and not have to worry about growing up to face the real world. The author in her article writes such ideas. Furthermore, since colleges became a big industry in the 60’s, and now the number of people attending has fallen, colleges use marketing skills to bring more students in. They try to make college sound as easy as possible to make more people register. Students, once in college are not happy and drop out,... ...hat parents want a better and easier way of life for their kids. My parents send me to college so that I could make more money doing an easier job than they have to do, because they lack a college diploma. She feels that eighteen-year-olds should make their own choice whether to go to college or not. I think that when a person is eighteen, they are too young to make their own decisions. I know this from my own experience. If I had a freedom of choice when I was eighteen, I would not be writing this critique, because I would not be in college. But now that I have grown up and did some thinking I want to stay and get my degree. I feel that kids should at least try college, learn and see a couple of things and then decide whether they should stay or go. Generally, parents without a college education are the ones who put the most emphasis on their kids going to college and making something of themselves, in order to have a better life then they had. The author then goes on to challen ge her own ideas by saying that college does prepare you for a job that you actually might like doing, and that is what most Americans want. So then would not college be a good choice for most Americans?

To Kill a Mockingbird-Mayellas Motives for Accusing Tom

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee there is a recurring them involving racism and incest in the town of Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930’s. Mayella Ewell is a nineteen year old girl living at home with her abusive drunk father, and 8 younger brothers and sisters. Her mother died thus leaving her to be the mother figure in the poor household. Mayella accuses twenty-five year old black man Tom Robinson of raping her. Mayella had multiple motives for falsely accusing Tom Robinson of her rape. Mayella accused Tom because she was forced to by her father, Bob Ewell and because that man is her father. It is made very clear during the trial that it was not Tom Robinson who raped Mayella Ewell, but instead her own father. She blamed Robinson because she was evidently coersed by Bob Ewell. In Tom’s testimony he spoke of Mayella’s actions before Bob Ewell came in, â€Å"She says she never kissed a man before an’ she might as well kiss a nigger. She says what her papa do to her don’t count† (page 260). When Bob saw Mayella and Tom together being the mean drunk he is he beat and raped Mayella. In anger, he knew someone would have to pay for what he saw going on between Tom and Mayella. It was not hard to convince people in a town like Maycomb that Tom was guilty. He was black, he had a criminal record known to the citizens of Maycomb since it was such a small town, and he lived in the same neighborhood as the Ewells. People had most likely seen Tom entering the Ewell home because on more than one occasion, Mayella asked Tom to come in and help do some work around the house. â€Å"She’d call me in, suh. Seemed like every time I passed yonder she’d have some little somethin’ for me to do† (page 56). Mayella was coursed by her own father to accuse Tom because Tom was such an easy target to cover up her father’s actions. Mayella falsely accused Tom Robinson for another reason too. For the most part, victims love their abusers. Mayella is the victim and Bob Ewell is the abuser. Bob Ewell does not do anything productive but regardless he is still Mayella’s provider of many things like a home. Mayella, after being coersed by her father would much rather come off as the victim of abuse my some ‘evil’ black man than her father. â€Å"That nigger yonder took advantage of me an’ if you fine fancy gentlemen don’t wanta do nothin’ about it then ou’re all yellow stinkin’ cowards, stinkin’ cowards, the lot of you† (page 251). Mayella was the one who initiated the incident too so instead of taking responsibility for it she would rather put the blame on a black man who would of course not even have a chance in court. Mayella accused Tom Robinson for rape when in reality it was Bob Ewell, her father. She did this because her father made her do it and because she would much rather blame the black man than admit that she came onto him and that it was actually her father that beat and raped her.

Gender, Education Level and the Number of Children Influencing Perception on Happiness

Gender, Education Level and the Number of Children Influencing Perception on Happiness Abstract Happiness is a complex of feelings that people possess due to a number of factors. Sociologists have established that many social factors contribute to happiness of an individual. The study sought to establish if gender, education level, and the number of children influence happiness among Americans.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Gender, Education Level and the Number of Children Influencing Perception on Happiness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The findings did show that gender, education level, and the number of children are significant predictors of happiness. Essentially, women are happier than men, people with higher education level are happier than people with lower education level, and the number of children in a family correlates negatively with happiness of parents. Introduction One of the most important inner feelings in a person is happiness, mainly because happiness makes a person fe el good and satisfied. Indeed, happiness is one of the emotions that people can derive from many things, for example, in relationship with their families. Again, it is always obvious that when people do something good, they automatically become happy. People prefer to be happy because happiness provides them with many good results. Usually, happiness varies from one person to another depending on social conditions. According to Easterlin (2008), trend of happiness among Americans relatively increases from the ages of 18 to midlife, but gradually decreases as they approach old age. Happiness forms an integral part of life as when one is happy, his or her health will improve, and this positive effect on health will probably lead to prolonged life. Happiness also provides protection against some serious diseases, for example, those who are always happy are less likely to suffer from diseases like heart attack or depression (Helliwell, 2008). Lastly, when someone is happy, it is always easy for him/her to make new friends, since happiness makes people look very attractive. Besides, it is always true that those who are happy can easily help others, mainly because happiness brings satisfaction to people. Various factors make one to become happy. In most cases, people always consider money as one of the things that provide happiness; however, this is not always the case. In the subsequent sections, this paper will provide discussion on how gender, education level and the number of children influence happiness. Therefore, the paper will try to establish whether happiness is directly related to gender or education level, and whether the number of children an individual has can influence the degree of his or her happiness.Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Literature Review Gender Most of the recent studies have shown that there is a great influence of gender on happiness (Simon, 2008). Happiness is a state of mind that many researchers always argue about that anybody can be happy. Contrary to this statement, researchers have found that females nowadays are less happy than males (Helliwell, 2008). In addition, studies have shown that married men tend to be happier than married women are (Easterlin, 2008). This is attributed to the fact that nowadays, the expectations put on women have increased, mainly due to the extensive and numerous empowerment programs accorded to women. In the past, women were happy compared to men, but this has changed currently especially due to various marital conflicts facing women and men. Another factor that makes women less happy than men is the responsibility of taking care of children, which has always been reserved for women. The role of taking care of children increases stress in women, especially those whose jobs or careers are very demanding. One of the arguments is that women have more inte nsive workload due to their empowerment; as a result, today’s women tend to work extra hard and extra hours, leading to no or limited time for others and their families, and consequently bringing less happiness to them. According to Helliwell (2008), suicides, depressions, and self-destructive behaviors have risen among females recently, mainly due to the stressful life they tend to live. The argument is that as they play double roles of professional engagement and caring for family, they become very stressed and unhappy; indeed, those living in single parenthood are even unhappy, as they do not have anyone to help them with family responsibilities. Education level Most researchers have found that there is a direct link between education and happiness. According to Roberts (2013), high level of education results to a good living environment in terms of income, status, and even wealth, which brings happiness. High level of education allows one to attain significant status in t he society, leading to respect and happiness, which in turn leads to enjoyment of societal goods and resources. In addition, those who have a high level of education have more knowledge and they are more aware of their surroundings, thereby tending to enjoy most of the available resources. Besides, Verducci (2013) argues that higher education leads to possibilities of good employment and income, thereby making those who can afford education to be happier than those who are less educatedAdvertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Gender, Education Level and the Number of Children Influencing Perception on Happiness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Overall, high level of education leads to higher income, which allows an individual to access most of things, he or she desires, thus increasing happiness. Education level again has a direct impact on the degree of happiness, mainly because high education is highly valued in the society, leading to self-confidence, and consequently raising the status of those who have a high learning status (Verducci, 2013). The Number of Children Different scholars have done research on the relationship between happiness and the number of children in different families. According to Easterlin (2008), the number of children in a family is inversely proportional to the level of happiness the family enjoys. This shows that the higher the number of children, the less happy the family will be. However, the birth of the first child always has a strong and positive effect on females’ happiness (Luis, 2010). On the male counterparts, the degree of happiness does not vary so much with the number of children unless they are helping the females to take care of the children. Again, according to Gobbo and Raccanello (2007), the degree of happiness always reduces during the development stages of a child up to the time the child reaches around 10 years. After teenage age, the degree of happiness increases steadily again in the family when the children have grown up. It is also found out that the increase in the number of children leads to lack of love in the family and later leads to decline in the degree of happiness (Luis, 2010). In some cases, having many children gives the parents, especially the female ones, emotional benefits, leading to increased happiness. Nevertheless, it is clear that an increase in the number of children lowers the degree of happiness, especially on the side of females (Gobbo Raccanello, 2007). Overall, it is important to note that the first child normally brings joy to the family, but subsequent children increase the level of stress in parents, leading to reduced happiness. According to Gobbo Raccanello (2007), there is always a direct link between happiness and the physical health of an individual. Hypotheses The first hypothesis is that women are less happy than their men counterparts. Hence, it means that gender determin es happiness among the population.Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since happiness is an emotional feeling, women are more likely to be emotional most of the times compared to men. According to the study by Helliwell (2008), women are less happy than men are because they are emotional and increased responsibilities in life, both family and professional duties. The emotional nature of women coupled with marital conflicts and childcare issues make women to experience more problems and challenges than men. The second hypothesis is that the level of education has a direct effect on the degree of happiness. Those who have higher levels of education are more likely to be happier than those who have lower levels of education. In the study, Roberts (2013) found out that education is a significant predictor of happiness because it empowers individuals to achieve knowledge, good jobs, and amass wealth, which are essential in creating happiness. In the society, people with high levels of education get decent jobs, which consequently enhance their social and e conomic status, and thus happiness. The third hypothesis is that an increase in the number of children is more likely to reduce happiness among people. The happiness decreases with an increase in the number of children because children increase the burden to parents in terms of parenting, school fees, clothes, and foodstuff. Easterlin (2008) established that families with many children are less happy than families with no children. In essence, families with many children have reduced happiness as they spend most of the time figuring out how to provide for their children. Method Participants The General Social Survey offered the data that the study used in examining how gender, education level, and the number of children in a family influence happiness among individuals. The General Social Survey provides data that depict demographic characteristics of Americans and their attitudes towards various issues that affect their lives. In the selection of participants, the General Social Su rvey applies proportional sampling method. The selected participants normally undergo through face-to-face interviews. Davis and Smith (2011) state that the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) is a body that performs an annual survey among Americans who are above 18 years by using computer-aided personal interviews and face-to-face interviews. The General Social Survey is important because it provides an updated data regarding trends of social issues that affects Americans. Thus, given that the study aims at examining how gender, education level, and the number of children in a family influence happiness among people, it collected appropriate data from the General Social Survey. Hence, the study selected 2500 participants from the General Social Survey and analyzed their data to establish if gender, education level, and the number of children have any significant influence on happiness. Instrumentation The study used a three-Likert scaled questionnaire as an instrument for deter mining factors that influence happiness among Americans. The demographic features such as gender, education level, and the number of children comprise the independent variable of the study. In contrast, happiness is the dependent variable, which the study measures using a three-Likert scaled items, namely, very happy, happy, and not so very happy. Essentially, gender, education level, and the number of children are the three independent variables, whereas happiness is a dependent variable. To establish variation in the dependent variable, the study used a research question and obtained the answers in a Likert scale manner. Thus, the research question was how happy are you? Procedures The nominal scale applied in measuring the independent variables comprised of gender, education level, and the number of children. On the other hand, the scale used in the measurement of the dependent variable is an ordinal scale, which ranges from 1 to 3 in a Likert scale manner. In the data analysis, the study used the statistical software for social science (SPSS). As the study aimed at establishing the effect of gender, education level, and the number of children in a family, it used frequency tables and crosstabs in the presentation of findings. Furthermore, the study used Chi-square test in testing if the independent variables are significant predictors of happiness among Americans. The study did set the significance level at 0.05 of rejecting the null hypotheses of gender, education level, and the number of children. Results Analysis of data using SPSS did present results in frequency tables. Examination of the frequency tables depicts trends of happiness among 2500 participants based on their gender, education level, and the number of children. The frequency table presenting the independent variable of gender shows that 145 women and 50 men were very happy. Moreover, the frequency table also shows that 158 women and 75 men were happy, while 35 women and 45 men were not hap py. Overall, the frequency table indicates that most participants were happy in their lives. Moreover, frequency table of the level of education shows that 725 participants with higher education level were very happy while 175 participants with lower education levels were very happy. Comparatively, 1425 participants with higher education were happy while 850 participants with lower education levels were happy. Among participants who were not happy, 350 participants had a higher education level whereas 1475 participants had lower education level. Regarding the independent variable, among the participants with no children, 545, 1555, 440, and 400 participants were very, happy, and not happy respectively. Among participants with one child, 7675, 1265, and 468 participants were very happy, happy, and not happy accordingly. Regarding participants with more than two children, 8875, 990, and 6225 participants were very happy, happy, and not happy respectively. Further analysis using crosst abs shows that 5.8% of women and 2% of men were very happy. Moreover, the crosstab shows that 3% of men and 6.3% of women were happy, whereas 1.4% of women and 1.8% of men are not happy. In the crosstab that shows the distribution of participants regarding their education level, 29% of participants with higher education level were very happy while 7% lower education level were very happy. Among individuals who were happy, 57% had a higher education level while 34% had lower education level. Moreover, 14% and 59% of participants who were not happy had higher education levels and lower education level respectively. The crosstab of the number of children depicts that 21.8%, 62.2%, and 16% of participants with no children were very happy, happy, and not happy respectively. Comparatively, 30.7%, 50.6%, and 18.7% of participants with a child were very happy, happy, and not happy accordingly. Among the participants who had more than two children, 35.5%, 39.6%, and 24.9% were very happy, ha ppy, and not happy respectively. The studyused the chi-square test in testing the significance influence of gender, education level, and the number of children. The first hypothesis is that women are less happy than their men counterparts. The null hypothesis holds that men and women are equally happy, and thus it is expected that the distribution of participants in crosstab is equal. However, the crosstab shows women are happier than men. The distribution of percentages shows that 2%, 3%, and 1.8% of men were very happy, happy, and not happy respectively, while 5.8%, 6.3%, and 1.4% of women were very happy, happy, and not happy respectively. The chi-square test depicted that the p-value is greater than the significant level. Hence, the test reject the null hypothesis and affirms that women are happier than men (χ2 = 88.365, df = 2, p.005). The third hypothesis is that an increase in the number of children is more likely to reduce happiness among people. The hypothesis means tha t families with many children are unhappy when compared with families with no children. Crosstab shows that 21.8%, 62.2%, and 16% of participants without children were very happy, happy, and not happy respectively. Likewise, 30.7%, 50.6%, and 18.7% of participants with one child were very happy, happy, and not happy accordingly. Regarding families with more than two kids, the crosstab shows that 35.5%, 39.6%, and 24.9% of participants were very happy, happy, and not happy respectively. The chi-square test proved that the observed distribution of participants is significant because it shows that Americans with many children are less happy than those with one or no children ((χ2 = 128.568, df = 2, p.005). Discussion The variation in happiness among the population occurs due to a number of factors. Gender, education level, and the number of children are factors that the study sought to find out if they influence happiness among Americans. The first hypothesis states that men are ha ppier than women. The study done by Helliwell (2008) found out that women are less happy when compared to their men counterparts because they are emotional and have huge responsibilities both in the family and workplaces. In contrast with these findings, the study found out that women are happier than men. In this view, the study shows that gender is a predictive factor of happiness among Americans. The second hypothesis states that the level of education influence happiness among Americans. Roberts (2013) conducted a study a found out that the level of education influences happiness in that people with higher levels of education are happier than people with lower levels of education. The analysis of the General Social Survey reveals that Americans with higher levels of education are happier than Americans with lower education level. Thus, the study proves the education level is a significant predictor of happiness among Americans. The third hypothesis states that the number of chil dren is inversely proportional to happiness among people. In a study, Easterlin (2008) established that families with many children are less happy than families without children because of the increased responsibilities of providing school fees, food, clothing, and parenting. Similarly, the analysis of the data obtained from General Social shows that people with many children are less happy than those without children. This confirms that the number of children in a family significantly predicts the state of happiness among Americans. Although gender, education level, and the number of children contribute to some degree of happiness, it is important to realize that thoughts and other feelings enhance peace of mind, leading to happiness (Luis, 2010). Again, it is important to understand that wealth and money do not guarantee happiness, as one may have a lot of wealth, but live a stressful life due to social and emotional factors. Moreover, although gender, education level, and the num ber of children tend to influence the level of happiness, it is apparent that happiness is a choice that provides good health and well-being (Easterlin, 2008). Happiness requires making the right choices; for women, it is important that they lower their degree of expectations, as well as change their thinking and attitudes in order to be happy. Males on the other hand should try to change their attitudes and thoughts on the values and ideas that bring about happiness, as this will enable them to become happy. Since the study used one question in establishing the extent to which Americans are happy, the question does not accommodate all factors that determine happiness in a person. In this view, the question used by the study is not reliable in measuring happiness among individuals. Moreover, the study used three-Likert scale items as dependent variables that measure the extent of happiness. The three-Likert scale items do not measure the degree of happiness, and thus prone to errone ous outcome. Therefore, to improve the validity and the accuracy of the outcome, the study should use a number of questions that target factors that influence happiness and increase the Likert scale from 3 items to five items. Given that the study used 2500 participants, the number is relatively small compared to the general target population. The small number of participants decreases the external validity of the findings, and thus their application across all the population. Thus, the study should increase the number of participants and analyze their data appropriately to enhance external validity of the findings. References Easterlin, R. A. (2008). Life cycle happiness and its sources: Capabilities and happiness. New York: Oxford University Press. Gobbo, C., Raccanello, D. (2007). How children narrate happy and sad events: does affective state count? Applied Cognitive Psychology, 21(9), 1173-1190. Helliwell, J. F. (2008). Combining individual and national variables to explain su bjective well-being. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Luis, A. (2010). Children and Life Satisfaction. Journal of Happiness Studies, 11(4), 523-538 Roberts, P. (2013). Happiness, Despair, and Education. Studies in Philosophy Education, 32(5), 53-475. Simon, R. (2008). Who are Happier: Men or Women? Gender Issues, 25 (2), 141-143 Verducci, S. (2013). Happiness and Education: Tilting at windmills? Educational Philosophy Theory, 45(5), 498-501.

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