Social Influences on Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Influences on Behavior - Essay Example As far as it is impossible for him not to talk on the phone while driving (he works outside the office and thus is to be available and easy of access at all times) there is supposed to be some way to make him more attentive and careful (Knobloch and Solomon 2003). Following the theory of social influences it is possible to say that this behavior is doing dissonance. This behavior is characterized by free choice of actions, no rewards and no excuse. The main focus is on behavior and practical outcomes. This is supposed to be such a principle as negative reinforcement. But Christopher's behavior (if changed) will be difficult to control. So this variant of influence can be used as additional and a kind of a safety net. What is more likely to have its positive effect on Christopher's driving behavior is such principle as respondent conditioning. This principle is supposed to be used in order to establish certain response based on methods developed and described by Ivan Pavlov and his di sciples. There are some possibilities of making Christopher be more careful on the way while talking on his cell-phone. First of all, it is possible to engage his close relatives (and even friends) into the process and ask them to constantly remind Christopher to be careful.

Slang Case Study Essay Example for Free

Slang Case Study Essay Words are a part of our daily lives. With words we can communicate with others and evoke our feelings. But not every word has the same meaning in various regions of the world. Words just like humans are shaped by the location and culture that they are introduced to. This is what makes slang words interesting. Depending on where you live, a slang word can have a completely different meaning. For this assignment I will define the slang word â€Å"swag.† I’ll be discussing the modern meaning, etymology, and correct usage. Swag is a common noun used today, mostly among teenagers. The word is used to describe a certain type of clothing that teenagers wear. The clothing resembles the style of modern hip-hop artists such as Lil Wayne, Big Sean, and Drake. The word can also be used to show off cool acts that teenagers perform. Like after jumping of a building, I cool kid would say something like â€Å"Bro, you can’t touch my swag!† According to urban dictionary â€Å"swag† is the â€Å"most used word in the world and is a word used to represent yourself based on the way you dress.† Swag has different meanings throughout the world. In Australia the term â€Å"swag† is used to refer to the dangling luggage that a homeless man carries. â€Å"Swag† is also used to describe home items such as â€Å"swag lamps† and â€Å"swag curtains†, which are basically dangling versions of the original lamp and curtains (Snopes). In America, many relate the word â€Å"swag† to â€Å"sway† which describes a certain motion of a bold, arrogant, and conceited person. So I think based on this information it’s easy to say that the word â€Å"swag† was introduced through old hip-hop, where loose clothing and sagging was the fashion and now has evolved through modern hip-hop to accommodate the newer fashion. The most common misconception about the word â€Å"swag† is that it’s often misunderstood as an acronym. Many people think that â€Å"swag† is an acronym for â€Å"Secretly We Are Gay†. The exact origin of the word â€Å"swag† is still a mystery. Some believe the first written usage of the word â€Å"swag† was first written by a Gilbertine Monk named Robert Mannyng in 1303. Mannyng in his poem says â€Å"there was a wycche, and made a bagge, A bely of lepyr, a grete swagge†. In this poem Mannyng refers to â€Å"swagge† as a bag. According to Oxford dictionary, â€Å"swag† is a verb derives from the Scandinavian word â€Å"svagga† which means to rock unsteadily or lurch. This idea is widely accepted due to the fact that â€Å"swag† sounds like it originated from the word â€Å"swagger†, which also means to sway. The word is said to have entered the English language around the 13th century meaning â€Å"hanging loosely† (Snopes). Other meanings of â€Å"swag† also include a sinkhole used to collect water, a shop that sold stolen goods, or stolen loots by either pirates or criminals. Some also say that â€Å"swag† was used in old English movies to describe criminal loots, leading to false accusations of acronyms such as â€Å"Stolen Without A Gun†, â€Å"Sold Without A Guarantee†, and â€Å"Souvenirs Wearable’s And Gifts†. Based on this it’s easy to connect â€Å"swag† to older or underground hip-hop where loose clothes and stealing was a common motto. The correct usage of the word â€Å"swag† is hard to define just because it’s a slang word and there is no exact definition. According to our culture and society, I would say â€Å"swag† is a term used to describe a person’s clothing and a part of his personality. It’s easy to infer a person’s personality by looking at his clothing. Different people have different personalities and some of it is shown through their dressing. This freedom of expression can show a person’s values, beliefs, and culture. So, in a sense a person’s â€Å"swag† can portray his character. â€Å"Swag† usually has a negative connotation due to the over usage of the word in the rap industry, but in my opinion â€Å"swag† is a general term that can be used by anyone. Just like the words â€Å"Boom, Whack, Blop, and Kaboom†, swag can be used at the end of a sentence to add emphasis and humor. In conclusion, â€Å"swag† is an old word that has its own history but has evolved through human influence to have a completely different meaning throughout different parts of the world. Even though the overuse of the word has completely dried its value, â€Å"swag† still has an interesting origin and is fun to use. Just like other words, slang words are interesting because they are influenced by human culture and society and change accordingly as time moves on. Today â€Å"swag† has a different meaning than what it originally was used for. So we can only imagine wh at â€Å"swag† would mean in the future. Work Cited Swag. Snopes.com: Etymology of Swag. N.p., 26 Sept. 2012. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. Geyer, Jessica. Swag: An Etymology. YouTube. 03 May 2012. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. Urban Dictionary: Swag. Urban Dictionary. N.p., July 2012. Web. 31 Jan. 2013.

The Full Monty Movie Analysis

The Full Monty Movie Analysis The Full Monty is a movie based on a group of men who have been made redundant due to effects of economic change and political misfortune. This leads to a shift in social organisation, when taking into consideration in conventional social order men are anticipated to be the primary breadwinners. As a final way out, the group decide to put on an amateur strip production for the ladies in the local workingmens club as a way to make money. For the purposes of this sociological analysis of the film, The Full Monty, two sociological theories will be consulted namely from Raewyn Connell regarding hegemonic masculinities and social order and Émile Durkheim concerning egoistic and anomic suicide. 2. Key Theorists Raewyn Connell, is an Australian sociologist acknowledged for her work in the fields of sociology, education, gender studies, political science and history (University of Sydney, 2010) She is currently a Professor at the University of Sydneys Faculty of Education and Social Work .Connells work deals critically with social structures, inequalities and social justice, gender relations and gender identity politics in the context of hegemony, especially hegemonic masculinity. She is for the most part recognised for her widely-cited book, Masculinities (University of Sydney, 2010). David Émile Durkheim (April 15, 1858 November 15, 1917) was a French positivist sociologist. Durkheim developed the sociological positivism of Auguste Comte in greater detail, hence developing a rigorous methodology combining sociological theory with empirical social research.[2] Also influential in anthropology, Durkheim was a structural functionalist and an early proponent of solidarism.[3]HYPERLINK #cite_note-3[4] During his lifetime, Durkheim gave many lectures, and published numerous sociological studies on subjects such as education, crime, religion, suicide, and many other aspects of society. 3. Hegemonic Masculinity and Social Order The Full Monty is set in Sheffield, North England after Thatchers era (1979-1990) (Tamba, 2002). After the fall of the steel industry in Sheffield, mens roles in society were compromised, they were no longer able to be the breadwinners of the household and as such the women became the providers and started impeding on the hegemonic masculinity of these men. Official figures show that the number of men of working age with jobs has fallen from 92 per cent in 1971 to 75 per cent. The number of women who are employed has risen from 56 per cent to 69 per cent, narrowing the gap between women and men to 6 per cent (Watt, 2010). This gives women more financial independence and often leads to them wearing the trousers in a relationship, further contributing to the mans loss of masculinity. The men in the film feel inadequate and hopeless with being unemployed. With women increasingly becoming the breadwinners and traditionally roles being reversed by their newfound economic independence, men were forced to re-examine their relationships and deeply held beliefs about gender roles (Tamba, 2002) The group in this film come up with this strip act which is directed at getting money as they are all struggling financially. However, a number of social issues and perceptions arise on the lead up to the act. Social order is challenged when certain traits are defined as either being specifically feminine or masculine. When the men are together in Geralds house taking off their clothes, they start comparing themselves to the Chippendales, who were the strip group that gave Gaz the idea to do it themselves. They show their insecurities about their bodies and as such their masculinity. Dave, one of the members of the group, finds himself dealing with a weight complex. He views himself as overweight, unappealing and repulsive. As he discusses this with the rest of the men, one of them, Gerald states that fat David is a feminist issue. This perception is generalised, meaning that it is only women who should have to conform to the models of attractiveness that are set by men. However, Dav e challenges this notion with this concern about his weight and appearance. In the beginning of the movie whilst they were taking auditions for the group, the presence of Horse, a black man, sets about a succession of wild whispers and accusations about how black men have good bodies and bigger sexual organs. The film yet again contradicts this theory as Horse, upon hearing they were going to do the full Monty is seen buying a penis enlargement product. 5. Durkheims Suicide Durkheim (1897) stated that there are four types of suicide, these are based on the degrees of imbalance of two social forces: social integration and moral regulation. In the film, a young man, Lomper, was a security guard at Harrisons, the steel mill where Dave and Gaz once worked. After Lomper finally loses his job long after the mill shut down, he tries to commit suicide by asphyxiating himself in his car by carbon monoxide poisoning. By coincidence Dave and Gaz are out jogging and pass Lomper trying to start his car. Dave, who stops to help, tries to have a conversation with Lomper however cuts off the contact after getting no response. After a few seconds, whilst walking away, Dave realises that Lomper was trying to asphyxiate himself and runs back to save Lompers life. The subsequent scene shows Dave, Gaz and Lomper sitting on a hill, talking about different ways of committing suicide. Dave suggests getting a mate to run you down right fast (with a car), to which Lomper says he hasnt got any mates. Gaz rebuts telling him they just saved his life, so dont tell us were not your mates. Lompers inclusion in the group gave him a newly-optimistic attitude on life. Lompers attempted suicide can be attributed to two of Durkheims types of suicide. The first is Egoistic suicide. This form of suicide is the result of a weakening of the bonds that normally integrate individual into the collectivity. Durkheim refers to this type of suicide as the result of excessive individualisation, meaning that the individual becomes increasingly dethatched from other members of the community. He went on to discover that particularly males who were unmarried, with less to bind and connect them to stable social norms and goals, committed suicide at higher rates. Lomper who says he has no friends is an example of this type of suicide. He is not sufficiently bound to a social group and left with little social support or guidance, therefore his attempted suicide into this category of an Egoistic suicide. The second type of Durkheims suicide that Lompers attempt subscribes to is Anomic suicide. Durkheim says that anomic suicide occurs in times of social upheaval and moral disorder in which people do not know where they fit in within their societies (Germov Poole, 2008: 28). The male characters in the film were once proud workers in the heavy steel industry who suddenly found themselves without a job, without hope and without a proper role in society. During the economic downturn of the industrial business in Sheffield a lot of the men lost their jobs, including Lomper. According to the British Medical Journal (1999) between 1980 to 1991 the suicide rates for males aged between 25-65 was double compared to the under 25 age group. This could show that these higher age groups were more greatly affected by the social defragmentation as they were the ones most likely in the now devastated steel industry. Consequently Lomper was not sure where he fit into society once he lost his job and h e had no friends to converse with, making him a person with an increased risk of suicide according to Durkheim (1897).

Internet Censorship Isnt Necessary Essays -- Argumentative Persuasive

Internet Censorship Isn't Necessary    "Fear of chaos cannot justify unwarranted censorship of free speech" (Quittner). This quotation came from a speech made by Vice President Al Gore, who was addressing the graduating class of 1996 from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This quotation expresses his viewpoint on this subject of censorship. Censorship has always been an issue in the world. What exactly is censorship? A censor is one who is authorized to examine books, films, or other materials and to remove or suppress what is considered morally, politically, or otherwise objectionable. Censorship is the act of removing this questionable material. Understandably, it is illegal to yell fire in a crowded room or use children for pornographic purposes, but the power of censors has exceeded logical boundaries. Works of art, such as Huckleberry Finn and Miss Saigon , have felt the full strength of censorship. The main problem regarding censorship is not knowing who has the right to determine what is valuable art and what is smut. Quite often members of religious groups take it upon themselves to determine the value of something. Those people who endorse censorship feel that they are protecting society from, among other things, violence, sex and the differences in sexual preference. At the same time, however, they are giving the power to restrict expression to a select few. Advocates of censorship feel that they have the right to ban works of art that express what they feel are erroneous ideas. What may seem erroneous to these advocates, may sculpt another's view on life and may reflect how they feel. Who has the right to determine who is right and who is wrong? The censors who feel that this right is theirs, also ... ...sh Language. Third Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1996. pp. 310. Chapman, Gary. "Regulations on Internet Pornography Will Be Ineffective." Censorship: Opposing Viewpoints. Bender, David. Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1997 Cranmer. "Child Safety on the Internet." [On-line]. Available: http://www.voicenet.com/~cranmer/censorship.html. November 10, 1997. Gutner, Toddi and Wildstrom, Steve. "Cybersmut: How To Lock Out The Kids." Business Week. February 12, 1996. pp.98-99. Levy, Steven. "An Indecent Proposal." Newsweek. May 27, 1996. pp. 80. Lindsay, John. "Policing the Internet." [On-line]. Available: http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/pin/1997-08/0002.html. November 10, 1997. Meyer, Michael. "A Bad Dream Comes True in Cyberspace." Newsweek. January 8, 1996. pp. 65. Quittner, Joshua. "Free Speech For The Net." Time. June 24, 1996. pp. 56-57. Internet Censorship Isn't Necessary Essays -- Argumentative Persuasive Internet Censorship Isn't Necessary    "Fear of chaos cannot justify unwarranted censorship of free speech" (Quittner). This quotation came from a speech made by Vice President Al Gore, who was addressing the graduating class of 1996 from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This quotation expresses his viewpoint on this subject of censorship. Censorship has always been an issue in the world. What exactly is censorship? A censor is one who is authorized to examine books, films, or other materials and to remove or suppress what is considered morally, politically, or otherwise objectionable. Censorship is the act of removing this questionable material. Understandably, it is illegal to yell fire in a crowded room or use children for pornographic purposes, but the power of censors has exceeded logical boundaries. Works of art, such as Huckleberry Finn and Miss Saigon , have felt the full strength of censorship. The main problem regarding censorship is not knowing who has the right to determine what is valuable art and what is smut. Quite often members of religious groups take it upon themselves to determine the value of something. Those people who endorse censorship feel that they are protecting society from, among other things, violence, sex and the differences in sexual preference. At the same time, however, they are giving the power to restrict expression to a select few. Advocates of censorship feel that they have the right to ban works of art that express what they feel are erroneous ideas. What may seem erroneous to these advocates, may sculpt another's view on life and may reflect how they feel. Who has the right to determine who is right and who is wrong? The censors who feel that this right is theirs, also ... ...sh Language. Third Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1996. pp. 310. Chapman, Gary. "Regulations on Internet Pornography Will Be Ineffective." Censorship: Opposing Viewpoints. Bender, David. Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1997 Cranmer. "Child Safety on the Internet." [On-line]. Available: http://www.voicenet.com/~cranmer/censorship.html. November 10, 1997. Gutner, Toddi and Wildstrom, Steve. "Cybersmut: How To Lock Out The Kids." Business Week. February 12, 1996. pp.98-99. Levy, Steven. "An Indecent Proposal." Newsweek. May 27, 1996. pp. 80. Lindsay, John. "Policing the Internet." [On-line]. Available: http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/pin/1997-08/0002.html. November 10, 1997. Meyer, Michael. "A Bad Dream Comes True in Cyberspace." Newsweek. January 8, 1996. pp. 65. Quittner, Joshua. "Free Speech For The Net." Time. June 24, 1996. pp. 56-57.

Daytun Case Report Essay

A. Acquisition of the local dealership of office products and POS system company B. Acquisition of the dealership of Konica at the larger metropolitan area C. Establishing a new dealership in the small metropolitan area D. Acquisition of the local competitor E. Develop new business model like cost-per-copy product Strategy A Analysis: Since the current Copier business in Daytun increased only by 6.7% and the copier market is mature in London area, acquisition of the local POS dealership is the best strategy for Dayton to reach the goal within the next 2 years. Daytun needs to consider the following aspects in this strategy: 1. Can Daytun Finically secure to purchase the POS company? The value of the POS company is around $200-300K. Base on the current assets status, Daytun can slightly increase the debt from bank to purchase the company. 2. Can Daytun keep the same service excellence with the new business? The current POS company has the same service-oriented philosophy as Daytun does, and there is not dominated brand in the POS market. Daytun can establish the same reputation and earn the customer royalty. 3. Can Daytun merge with the POS company without losing the talnets? The current POS company has one 1/5 size of Daytun. Base on the very similar company culture and well-defined compensation policy, Daytun should be able to keep the talnets on both side. Daytun needs to provide more training to the whole new organization to understand and operate the new business in the very early stage. 4. Can management handle the acquisition and business expansion? Since the POS company is local, there is no geographical challenge to deal with by the senior executives. Daytun needs to provide more management training for the middle management level to allow the senior executives spend more time on acquisition and business expansion. Recommendation: Daytun must make decision to purchase the local dealership of office system and POS company to reach the goal in the next 2 years. By doing that, Daytun needs to carefully deal with the acquisition process and improve the training in whole organization to keep the same excellence of customer services for both business. Daytun also need to invest on the POS market to establish the same reputation as it did in the copier market.

Expressing Disappointment in English

Expressing Disappointment in English We try our best and hope that everyone gets along well. Unfortunately, thats not always the case and we need to express disappointment. We might be disappointed with other people, or with ourselves. At other times, we might want to express our view that something we expected didnt go as planned. For these situations, its important to keep in mind the use of register  when expressing our disappointment. In other words, who are we speaking to, what is the relationship, and how should you communicate with them? The phrases we use will be different depending on whether we are speaking with friends or at work. Use these phrases to express your disappointment in the appropriate way. Expressing Disappointment and Frustration with Yourself I wish I Past Simple Present Disappointments The use of I wish with the past simple to express something you are disappointed with at the present time. This is similar to the use of the unreal conditional  to express something imaginary. I wish I had a better job.I wish I had more time for my family.ï » ¿I wish I spoke Italian. I wish I Past Perfect Regrets about the Past The use of I wish with the past perfect  is used to express regret over something that happened in the past. This is similar to the use of the unreal past conditional to express a different result in the past. I wish I had been hired for that job.I wish I had worked harder in school.I wish I had saved more money when I was young. If only I Past Simple Present Disappointments This form is used to express things we arent happy about at the present. It is similar to the form above. If only I played soccer well.If only I understood math.If only I had a faster car. If only I Past Perfect Regrets about the Past This form is used to express things regret about past experiences. It is similar to wish past perfect. If only I had moved to this city earlier.If only I had asked her to marry me.If only I had known about that last year! These forms can also be used to express disappointment with others: I wish she had paid better attention in class.I wish they asked me more questions. Im sure I could be of more help.If only they worked with us! We would give them a better deal than Smith and Co.If only Peter had hired Tom. He was much better qualified for the job. Expressing Disappointment with Others Why didnt S Verb? Why didnt you tell me that?!Why didnt he inform me of the situation?Why didnt they finish on time? How am/was I supposed to Verb How am I supposed to complete the project?How was I supposed to know that?!How am I supposed to work with this? Formal Expressions For Disappointment What a shame!Thats too bad.Thats so disappointing!I was so looking forward to ...I / We had high hopes for ...What we had been led to expect was ... Informal Expressions For Disappointment What a bummer!What a let-down!That stinks. Role Play Exercise: Between Friends Friend 1: Im not happy.Friend 2: Whats wrong?Friend 1: Oh, I didnt get that job.Friend 2: What a bummer!Friend 1: Yeah, I wish I had prepared better for the interview.Friend 2: Maybe you were just nervous.Friend 1: If I had only thought about how my experience applied to the position.Friend 2: That stinks. Well, Im sure youll do better next time.Friend 1: I hope so. Im sick of this job.Friend 2: Every job has its ups and downs.Friend 1: Isnt that the truth!Friend 2: Lets have a beer.Friend 1: Thats something that never disappoints.Friend 2: Youre right about that. Role Play Exercise: At the Office Colleague 1: Excuse me, Peter. Could I talk to you for a moment?Colleague 2: Sure, what can I do for you?Colleague 1: Why didnt you inform me of the situation with Andrew Ltd.?Colleague 2: Im sorry about that. I thought I had the situation under control.Colleague 1: You know I had high hopes for this account.Colleague 2: Yes, I know and I apologize that it didnt work out.  Colleague 1: Yes, well, how were you supposed to know they would try to change everything in the contract.Colleague 2: If only they had given us more time to come up with a different solution.Colleague 1: OK. Well, please make sure to keep me in the loop on future situations like this.Colleague 2: Certainly, Ill be more proactive next time this happens.  Colleague 1: Thank you, Peter.Colleague 2: Of course.