Osmosis and Diffusion Essay

The basic principles of Osmosis and Diffusion were tested and examined in this lab. We examined the percent increase of mass and molarity of different concentrations of sucrose in the dialysis bag emerged in distilled water and the potato cores emerged in concentrations of sucrose. The data reinforces the principles of Osmosis and Diffusion, and in a biological context, we can simulate how water and particles move in and out of our own cells. Introduction Objective: 1. Investigate the process of osmosis and diffusion in a model of a membrane system. 2. Investigate the effect of solute concentration on water potential as it relates to living plant tissue. Background Information: Molecules are in constant motion; they tend to move from areas of high concentration, to areas of low concentration. This broad principle is divided into two categories: diffusion and osmosis. Diffusion is the random movement of molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. This is considered a passive form of transportation because it does not require any additional energy to transport the molecules. In the body, carbon dioxide and oxygen can diffuse across cell membranes. Osmosis is a special type of diffusion where water moves through a selectively permeable membrane from a region of higher water potential to a region of lower water potential. In our body, water diffuses across cell membranes through osmosis. Water potential is the measure of free energy of water in a solution and is shown with the use of the symbol ÃŽ ¨. Water potential is affected by two factors: osmotic potential (ÃŽ ¨Ãâ‚¬) and pressure potential (ÃŽ ¨p). Osmotic potential is dependent on the solute concentration, and pressure potential which is the energy that forms from exertion of pressure either positive or negative on a solution. The equation to find the sum of water potential is: Water Potential = Pressure Potential + Osmotic Potential ÃŽ ¨w = ÃŽ ¨p + ÃŽ ¨Ãâ‚¬ The purpose of this lab is to observe the physical effects of osmosis and diffusion and to determine if it actually takes place. We hypothesize that, because molecules diffuse down a concentration gradient, the mass of the dialysis tubes will increase, and we believe that as the molarity increases, the percent of change in mass will also increase. Hypothesis: Diffusion and osmosis will occur until dynamic equilibrium is reached. As the sucrose concentration of the solution increases so will the mass. Materials Exercise 1: 1. 6 strips of dialysis tubing 2. Distilled water 15-20ml 3. 0.4 M sucrose 15-20ml 4. 0.8 M sucrose 15-20ml 5. 0.2 M sucrose 15-20ml 6. 0.6 M sucrose 15-20ml 7. 1.0 M sucrose 15-20ml 8. 6 Beakers Exercise 2: 1. 100ml of distilled water 2. 100ml of 0.4 M sucrose 3. 100ml of 0.8 M sucrose 4. 100ml of 0.2 M sucrose 5. 100ml of 0.6 M sucrose 6. 100ml of 1.0 M sucrose 7. 6 Beakers 8. Potato slices (4 for each solution) 9. Scale 10. Plastic wrap 11. Thermometer Methods Exercise 1: 1. Obtain 6 strips of dialysis tubing and tie a knot in one end of each. 2. Pour approximately 15-20ml of each of the following solutions into separate bags. 3. Remove most of the air from the bag and tie the baggie. 4. Rinse the baggie carefully in distilled water to remove any sucrose that may have spilled and carefully blot. 5. Record the mass of each baggie and record. 6. Fill six 250ml beakers 2/3 full with distilled water and place a bag in each of them. Make sure that you record which baggie is which. 7. Let the bag sit for 20-30 minutes. 8. After 20-30 minutes, remove baggies from the water, and carefully blot dry. 9. Measure the mass of each baggie and record. Exercise 2: 1. Pour 100ml of your assigned solution into a beaker. Slice a potato into 4 equal lengths about the shape of French fries or tubes. 2. Determine the mass of the 4 potato cylinders together and record. 3. Place the cylinders into the beaker with your assigned solutions and cover with plastic wrap. Leave overnight. 4. Remove the cylinders from the beakers and carefully dry them. Record the room temperature in Celsius. 5. Determine the mass of the 4 potato cylinders together and record. From these results, it can be concluded that the hypothesis is justified and correct. The data shows that the mass increased as the concentration of the sucrose solution increased. Osmosis is clearly being replicated in the physical form. Analysis Change in mass depends on the concentration of sucrose within the dialysis bags. If the concentration of sucrose is greater inside the bag than outside, then water will move into the bag. If the concentration of sucrose is lower inside the bag than outside, then water will move out of the bag. These two things are directly proportional. As the mass increases, so does the molarity. These are inversely proportional because whenever the sucrose molarity inside the bag is more concentrated, it will become more dilute and vise versa. The solutions will reach equilibrium somewhere between the two concentrations. The hypothesis is accepted based on the data that was obtained because as the sucrose concentration increased so did the final mass of the solutions. One possible source of error could be the tightness of the string that tied off the dialysis tubing. If there was a leak or a break in the dialysis tubing, all of the data would be off. Another possible source of error could be that the students did not pat dry the potato sample well enough causing drops to be left on the electronic balance, tarring it incorrectly, causing all other data to be off slightly. Simple mathematical errors always occur, so there is always room for simple algebraic mistakes in this section of the lab. Conclusion The purpose of this lab was to describe the physical mechanism of osmosis and diffusion and describe how molar concentration affects diffusion. We have  now observed how solutions diffuse in different situations, always from a high concentration to a low concentration, and how molar concentration affect diffusion, as the molarity goes up, more solution is diffused. We hypothesized that because molecules diffuse down a concentration gradient, the mass of the dialysis tubes will increase, and also that as the molarity increases, the percent of change in mass will also increase. Our data did support our conclusion. Exercise 1 proved that water moves across the selectively permeable membrane of the dialysis tubing much easier than sucrose sugar does. The water moved to reach equilibrium between the solutions. Sucrose must be too large a molecule to pass through the membrane quickly. Exercise 2 showed that the potato samples took in water when immersed in a distilled water solution. Potatoes must contain sucrose molecules due to the conclusion of this lab because the potatoes take in water in the distilled water beaker. Potatoes had a lower water potential and higher solute potential than the distilled water. It is just the opposite inside the beaker. Works Cited â€Å"PHSchool – The Biology Place.† Prentice Hall Bridge Page. Pearson Education, June 2007. Web. 12 Sept.2011. Moulton, Glen E. â€Å"Cell Theory, Form, and Function: Fluid Mosaic Model of Membrane Structure and Function — Infoplease.com.† Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free Online Reference, Research & Homework Help. — Infoplease.com. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. < http://www.infoplease.com/cig/biology/fluid-mosaic Bowen, R. (2000, July 2). Osmosis. Retrieved February 14, 2009, from http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/cmb/cells/pmemb/osmosis.html Sheppard, T. (2004). Diffusion and Osmosis. Retrieved February 14, 2009, from http://www.blobs.org/science/article.php?article=20 Campbell, N. A., & Reece, J. B. (2005). Biology (7th ed.). New York: Pearson Education Inc.

Kenya on Education Essay

Many countries are faced with poverty in this lifetime. Some are more deprived than others. Kenya, a third world country is one of the most deprived areas in the world. The contributions to this issue are: poor education, lack of nutritional foods, high unemployment rates, and insufficient medical needs. Kenya has a very poor education system that are has affected so many young children in the Kenya school district. Many of the children in Kenya should are in primary and secondary schools which should are be funded by the government education free program. The misuse of education is preventing so many children from attention school. Many of these children are very fortunate that their parent can afford to send them to a private school to get best a better education. Many parents are arguing that they believe sending their children to a private school would give themn m better opportunities to their education. The pupil in Kenya reported that most of the private school ss are doing as well as they should and the secondary school s are doing much better. than the TAccord to the center of evaluation for global action stated that the primary and secondary education has poor learning environment, shortage of learning materials ,and teachers due to unemployment,. congestion in classrooms has led to the poor performance. The article also argues that Private schools have all that they need, sufficient learning materials, adequate staff, provision of a good learning environment hence the better results for these school children. The{CEGA}also argues that the usually in Kenya, private primary schools perform far way better than government schools schools ,while in the contrary government secondary schools perform better as compared to the private schools. The article also stated that many of the primary and secondary school s that which are funded by the government are lack of insufficient learning materials such as school libraries, text books, chalks, exercise books , and access to computers which is a key facility since the current world is technology oriented. The school children in Kenya are omitted out of their education, because of the government misuses of donations that whiuch was given toward the childrens education school program, so they can have a brighter and better further future in the world that their theiry are living in. The pundits also argue that the government should not favor pupils from government schools, but to provide a better environment to allow the complete favorably with their counterparts from private schools. The (CEGA) argue that the government had not been employing any teachers for a while since the misuse of school funds. The revenue that that was also collected is was either pocketed by a few or used in political campaigns. This is what the children in Kenya is facing when it comes their education, because most of the citizens in Kenya really do not care if they get an education at all. Also Also sSsome of the private colleges and higher learning institutions were declared illegal and offered substandard education. Pundits all argue that education has been commercialized in Kenya due to the number of new institutions coming up in every building and street in the capital city. It asks the question who is going to registered all these schools?

A Fairy Tale Christmas Essay

Once upon a time there was a very handsome boy. He was going on vacation with his family. The boy was called Sebastian. He was going to celebrate Christmas in Austria with his mom and dad, his grandmother, and his older brother and his older brothers wife and two kids. They were all very exited about it. They had been renting a big cabin 800m up, on a mountain. It was a skiing vacation, so the villa was in the middle of a big slope. The whole family was having a good time. They celebrated Christmas and ate some delicious food. But on the third day, something terrible happened. Sebastian and his big brother was skiing in an area were they hadn’t been skiing before. It was very exiting. The two guys knew about the famous and very dangerous tree-monster. Sebastian had heard some stories about the tree-monster. It was supposed to live in the area where they were skiing. But Sebastian didn’t care. He was very good at skiing and he was skiing very fast sometimes. He was fearless. Sebastian loved to ski off-piste. But Sebastian forgot that there is a lot of trees off-piste. And suddenly, when he was skiing very fast, something grabbed his leg. It was the dangerous tree-monster who had caught him. It tore his ski and helmet off. Luckily his big brother had heard him scream. So he was now running toward the tree-monster with a big axe. He chopped up the big tree-monster into many pieces. Sebastian was saved. The two guys skied back to the cabin where the family was waiting. They were very surprised to see that Sebastian had lost his helmet and skies. But when they heard was had happened. And they were very relieved that the two guys did not hurt themselves. So the family celebrated in seven days and seven nights. And they lived happy ever after†¦

Financial Report on Crimson PLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Report on Crimson PLC - Essay Example The cash flow statement is omitted from the financial statements due to the lack of classification data. The Income Statement does not present comparative information because of the lack of prior period data. Crimson Plc did not prepare a balance sheet or accumulate its accounting records in a general ledger due to the turbulence of the period. The opening balances for the 22 Balance Sheet accounts were compiled from a pro forma Balance Sheet drawn up as of the last day of the financial year 31 December 2005. It is possible that amendments to the Balance Sheet may be called for if and when new information emerges. The 22 financial transactions presented in the Balance Sheet and Income Statement were processed using double entry accounting but without a general ledger system. The following accounting principles have been applied consistently during the period with respect to items that are considered material in relation to Crimson’s financial statements. The financial statements have been prepared under the going concern concept. The going concern concept has been defined as follows: "the enterprise will continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. This means in particular that the income statement and balance sheet assume no intention or necessity to liquidate or curtail significantly the scale of the operation." The financial statements are presented on a fair value basis for financial assets and liabilities falling within the scope of IAS 39, except those for which a reliable measure of fair value is not available. For those assets not falling within the scope of IAS 39, the principal of historical cost is adopted on initial recognition. Adopting IAS 18 clause revenues are recognised when earned and expenses when incurred. Expenses are recognized in the Income statement on the basis of a direct association between the costs incurred and the earnings of specific items of income(matching).However, here the application of the matching concept does not allow

Personal statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 46

Personal Statement Example One thing I love about Marketing is that it is never boring. I see myself in a role where I would be constantly updating myself on the latest trends and consumer preferences, the latest techniques of advertising, and new wonders of digital technology. Another very appealing aspect of Marketing is that it requires teamwork. People from different cultures join hands, bringing the very best from their respective cultures, to promote a product or service. As a Marketer, I shall be able to socialize with culturally diverse peers on daily basis and form long-lasting contacts and bonds with them. Marketing is like artwork. It takes an innovative approach for an ad or other means of marketing to gain that special attention for the audience which can make the sales for a particular product or service stand out. It takes thorough knowledge, deep thinking, prudent planning, teamwork, dedication, and commitment to successfully market a product or service. All these elements combined in one profession make it worth more than just a source of income. The satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment that comes with the success of a product or service because of effective marketing is overwhelming. Successful brands like Gucci, Giorgio Armani, and Pepsi heavily invest in marketing and the sales profile reflects the fruit of investment. I love the experimentation in Marketing. From issuing loyalty stamps to the customers to discount days, Marketers are always busy trying something new to enlarge the customer base and gain customer loyalty. Having practiced these techniques for some years in some big firms, I intend to apply the lessons and techniques thus learned to make my own brand successful, which I intend to establish some years later. Marketing can make or break a business, so it is crucially important for someone who aspires to become an entrepreneur in the long-term to be formally

Using an extended example critically examine whether the sector matrix Essay - 4

Using an extended example critically examine whether the sector matrix framework gives a better strategic understanding of product markets than the concepts o - Essay Example The understanding of sector matrix is from a business model change management perspective to presenting a well in-depth conceptual framework. The sector matrix strategic challenges in functional organization structures can create fundamental aspect to designing problematic measures. For instance, the designed approach to implement needed change management offers a new directive matrix. The approach for forming the right measure of strategy is within the right designed matrix. The management objectives outline the required streamline processing of business model standards to producing products. In doing so, the role in establishing the correct sector matrix through pricing, brand identification, and innovation is essential to success. The business model understanding of the functional business operational processes presents the ability correctly analyze the strengths provides the sufficient sector matrix (Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, and Sutton, pp.95, 2008). In the financial industry, the business model example is in the real estate market to effectively selling deeds to the targeted demographics. The ability to section off core commodities for the appropriate level of offering loans to supply sufficient financial products. In doing so, the organization can successful increase the brand equity shiare within the industry. Furthemore, the analysis of the targeted demographics interestd in the product/service will outlined the supply linkages in the particular industry. The business model ability to presenting the framework in a business model strategy is to successfully implement the management style approach in a functional organizational. Other industries are just as strategically position within the sector matrix framework to proficiently adapt to current trends, such as, IT management, Transporation, Manufactorers, or Airliners. The identification is the ablility to critically examine the

Information systems management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Information systems management - Assignment Example Social networking and web 2.0 technologies are key to implementation of brand creation and management in P&G. Blogs are considered effective and better means of communication since they attract more readership and comments. The company also uses Microsoft’s communication suite that integrates instant messaging, web browsing, video conferencing and live meeting calendar management as a collaborative communication and data transmission strategy. These methods enhance faster decision making and easier access to and retrieval of information (Stair & Reynolds, 2012). The previous means that were used in distributing information at P&G were not effective but rather time consuming and hectic. It was also time consuming to ensure all people got the information since it was all stored at one place. The current strategies are less time consuming and effective as multiple accesses to information stored at one place is made possible (Bocij et al., 2008). For an executive member to print and stick reports to a notebook for storage so much time is consumed and the means is not even effective enough for decision making. It’s also not a good way of record keeping since retrieval of information is made difficult hence delaying decision making. The new strategies employed, therefore, are so crucial in ensuring faster decision making throughout the company’s activities. The current electricity infrastructure in the United States differs so much from smart grills mainly because of technology adoption. Smart grills appreciate and apply technology so much in service delivery as opposed to the current infrastructure. This is evident in communicating with customers and integrating other service providers into the system (Stair & Reynolds, 2012). For instance ensuring that consumption is regulated and consumers are constantly informed of how much energy they use is a new strategy that is not availed in the previous infrastructure. It also integrates

Developing leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Developing leadership - Essay Example e had to switch from functional work teams to cross-functional, market-based virtual teams in order to better integrate functions that are important for customer responsiveness. ICT advances have offered new opportunities to build and lead virtual teams in the travel industry. These teams consist of workers who are located far from one another, possess unique skills, and must cooperate and collaborate to complete important tasks in the organisation. In the establishment, maintenance and support of virtual teams in this industry, leaders face various challenges including building cohesion, trust and team identity, and ensuring employees are not isolated (Sobel & Reilly, 2010: p39). They also face challenges in the selection of team members with the right interpersonal and technical abilities and skills needed work in the virtual environment, as well as in the evaluation of their performance. Virtual organisations pose unique challenges for leaders in the travel industry, including cultural issues, setup and maintenance costs, lack of trust between team members, and isolation of team members. These challenges could result in productivity problems and communication issues. Virtual organisation leadership demands a new approach, requiring the evaluation of disadvantages and advantages of non-traditional operations, as well as leadership competencies needed to manage at a virtual level (Camarinha-Matos et al., 2012: p40). In travel organisations facing growth and resource restrictions, which involve organisational evolution to a virtual environment of a cross-functional nature, being an agent for change, and interpersonal skills are crucial leadership skills. Failure to lead the organisation through the virtual working challenges and to adopt a new structure of the organisation poses significant risk to the organisation. The complexities facing leadership in the virtual org anisation are supported by research, which suggests various challenges contributing as social

Fecal Incontinence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Fecal Incontinence - Essay Example They become housebound and prefer to pass the day very close to the toilet to avoid losing feces. The exact incidence of FI is uncertain because of patients' hesitation to seek help from their physicians. Women seem to be at higher risk, mostly due to obstetric damage to the anal sphincters; however, during the last decade, an increasing interest has been dedicated to those forms of FI related to nontraumatic factors, which reach a relevant incidence (Bharucha, 2003). Older subjects are at very high risk, especially those with disabilities and those who are institutionalized. Moreover, young people are often affected. These factors create a significant economic impact for society, not only due to direct and indirect costs, but also due to intangible costs. FI may result from a variety of pathophysiological situations, and various risk factors can cause a wide range of inability to control feces passage. Therefore, an accurate diagnostic workup of each patient is fundamental. Although not fully agreed upon by all physicians, a multimodal diagnosis, using a multiparametric evaluation, seems to allow the most thorough understanding of FI pathophysiology and to indicate optimal treatment. These are really the most important and challenging aspects of FI management. Indeed, a wide range of therapeutic options is available, including conservative, rehabilitative, and surgical procedures. Highly variable rates of defecatory dysfunction and fecal incontinence have been reported, which most likely reflects the heterogeneity of the populations studied, the use of non-standardized questionnaires, a variety of definitions in terms of frequency of defecation or fecal loss, and patient reluctance to disclose these potentially embarrassing problems. Aging has been consistently identified as a major risk factor for the development of fecal incontinence, and the prevalence has been reported to approach 50% in nursing home residents (Cook and Mortensen 2002). A recent study of m ore than 3,000 community-dwelling women found a population-adjusted prevalence of 7.7% when fecal incontinence was defined as loss of liquid or solid stool at least monthly. The prevalence of fecal incontinence increased linearly with age (Melville et al., 2005). Many patients are reluctant to seek medical attention for bowel disorders because of embarrassment and social stigma. Primary care providers, including obstetricians and gynecologists, are therefore integral to the successful disclosure of such problems by routinely inquiring about bowel function during periodic health care visits. The Research Problem The problem with fecal incontinence is that it often goes undiagnosed and untreated in elderly patients mainly due to the social stigma attached to it. Not only are the patients reluctant to admit the problem, the physicians often fail to ask about the problem due to similar embarrassment that the patients feel or due to the fact that they think the problem to be insignificant. In the older age groups this is particularly significant since it is common in them. Large population surveys have revealed that above age 65, the prevalence is 3% to 7%. Many elderly people are forced to get admitted into nursing homes due to this problem so much so that the prevalence is as high as 50% (Perry et al., 2002). As highlighted by Bharucha et al. (2005), the financial

The effects of alcohol on metabolism of liver Lab Report

The effects of alcohol on metabolism of liver - Lab Report Example The primary metabolic pathway of alcohol in the liver is by oxidation through the alcohol dehydrogenase pathway with the resultant production of acetaldehyde. Redox homeostasis is compromised resulting in metabolic disorders like hyperuricemia, hyperlipemia and a rise in HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) An increase in NADH levels consequent to oxidation promotes fatty acid synthesis with the resultant hepatic fat accumulation. Acetaldehyde produced itself has detrimental effects by decreasing the activity of key enzymes and reducing oxygen utilization in mitochondria (2, 4). Experiments in rats and sub human primates suggest that chronic alcohol exposure to the liver results in an increase in ethanol metabolism involving the alcohol dehydrogenase pathway resulting in increased oxygen uptake (3) and results in a fatty liver despite an adequate nutritional intake exclusively due to the action of alcohol (5, 9). Synthesis of ATP is suppressed due to due to decrease in both mitochondrial as well as glycolytic activities as a result of oxygen deficiency (6). Cirrhosis is a common sequel to chronic alcohol consumption with abundance of fibrous tissue in the liver, whose chief component is collagen indicating a direct effect of alcohol consumption on hepatic collagen metabolism. Increased synthesis of collagen triggered by the oxidation of alcohol in the hepatocytes which results in elevated lactate concentration which enhances the activity of collagen proline hydroxylase enzyme. (7). Experimental and clinical studies over the last four decades have indicated the alcohol induced oxidative stress and the direct effects of acetaldehyde as the main culprits for liver disease (4). Strategies to counter them have been experimentally proven to reduce liver damage. 1. Addolorato G., Capristoi E.,Greco A.V., Stefanini G.F.& Gasbarrini G., Inï ¬â€šuence of chronic alcohol abuse on body weight and energy metabolism: is excess ethanol consumption a risk factor for obesity

Individualism and Communilism Essay Example for Free

Individualism and Communilism Essay How far can a person go in life without the need of others? Is it possible for him or her to achieve success without having any sort of social dynamic to aid in the progress of their lives? Does having strong social connections aid a person in shaping his or her character to achieve their goals and can these achievement be defined as his or her own if there was intervention of any sort from a social group? It is possible to deduce answers to such notions upon a better understanding of the distinction of community and the individual and the effects of these ideas on each other. The following essay will try to define the distinction between the ideas of communalism and individualism. It will try to isolate the characteristics of each ideal in order to better comprehend their influence on a person life and try to provide an argument on why these two ideas may need to work together in order for a person to lead a fulfilling life. Communitarianism defines the idea where the individual needs of a person are secondary to the overall development of the social group he or she communes. The social group can be represents as any group of people that share common goals and ideals. Possible factors that define ideals of the group include ethnic background, social or economic status, religious and cultural beliefs. Constant social interaction is important with this ideal. It is communitarian teleology that humankind is social by nature and that this idea grows naturally to this end. Aristotle was a proponent of communitarianism and – according to class lectures on the subject – believed that being part of a community eased the burden of everyday living. He provided an example on the natural development of speech as a direct result of the necessity of humans to interact with each other to participate in a community. He also hypothesized that in order for human development to flourish there needs to be a sharing of skills and ideas within the social group. The contrasting idea to communitarianism is individualism. Individualism focuses on the idea of the promotion of an individual thoughts and desires before those of a social group. This idea believes that external involvement from others is unnecessary when trying to achieve an individual’s goals, unless the external interference aids in the achievement of the individuals goals. Advocating social isolationism is not a necessary factor under this ideal; rather the individualist is often part of a social group and adheres to the communal laws and practices set forth upon them in order to promote their own personal gain. Thomas Hobbes defines an extreme extend of complete individualism. He states, that under individualism, humans care only about themselves and have no regards for the necessity of others and have no moral concern for their actions. Under this state of reality, it seems highly unlike for human development to expand as all focus lie on achieving individual goals for the sake of individual gain rather than sharing the results of intellectual, social, economic, etc. endeavors. Hobbes realized that such a state of reality cannot naturally exist and deduced that the individualist enters society and agrees to abide by its rules and regulations with the sole purpose of expanding their own personal goals; he coined this compromise â€Å"the social contract. † Based on the interpretations of the ideals of communitarianism and individualism it is possible to obtain an idea on how these ideals shape the individual’s outlook on life. Communitarianism appears to promote the well-being of all, the question to this is at what cost? The idea that the needs of the many are more important than the needs of the one fails to account for moral responsibility. If we explore individualism further and do not use the extreme representation of the term, we realize that being an individual actually means being free to make choices outside of what other people expect or dictate. In other words, by being an individual you are free to choose and are directly responsible for your actions and their moral implications. Being an individualist is to have free will. It is impossible to deny that humans tend to gravitate toward the state of a social-collective and in fact, there is evidence that social interaction is necessary. For example, as children we tend to obtain knowledge from many others. We do not learn from one person or one experience, rather we continue to expand our knowledge and thereby our self. In this sense, communitarianism works by providing the individualist with the tools to make choices and commit to actions, but it does not dictate how this person will use the knowledge. It is up to the individual and his singular choice to decide how to use this knowledge. Communitarianism may hinder personal development. If the individual considers the needs of his community, before his own how can he or she expect to develop as a person? In fact, in some cases, the community will try to keep an individual from growing. For example, in certain communities poverty is the prevalent norm. If the person acts to try to remove him or herself from such a community through his own achievements, some in such community may see him in a different light, not wanting to be part of the group anymore. This sense of guilt can weight on the individual and create doubt on his achievements and on himself. Although he or she was free to make the conscious choice to get out from poverty, the community still has an indirect control over the person. Communitarianism may also interfere with a clear sense of moral judgment. In general, a person’s self-worth and values are defined by their individual actions. In some cases, communitarianism blurs the distinction between the values of the individuals and the values of the group. In such instances, wrongful generalizations of a person values and choices can be made based solely on the choices and values of the community they belong to; this is called stereotyping and/or racism. It is unclear how the will of others can influence the moral decisions of a person. Communitarianism can server a person in the early stages of life (when individual thought and reasoning are not fully developed) to provide the tools necessary to shape their life. However, in the end, the individualistic actions of a rational, independent, free-to-choose individual that define a person.

Society and Culture Essay Example for Free

Society and Culture Essay It seems like just yesterday that I was sitting there just like all of you listening to the same sort of speeches from the year 12’s last year, thinking, what are these people talking about? PIP’s? Major works? Hello! I just started year 11; I don’t need to be thinking about this now, its ages away. Let me tell you this, standing here with only about 5 months to go until my PIP, my major work for society and culture is due, that ages away creeps up on you very quickly. You’re probably thinking, â€Å"5 months, what is this girl going on about, 5 months is almost half a year! Are you serious! That’s more than enough time to do an assignment. You could easily do it a week before it’s due. What is she stressing about?† If you learn only one thing from my speech make sure it’s this- That 5 months in â€Å"PIP† time is not ages away. With 5 months to go you should have already chosen your topic, have formulated your focus question and be starting to implement the methodologies you have chosen, or at least be starting to think about the methodologies you want to use. You should definitely not think that you could start writing your PIP with only a week to go. As you probably already know PIP stands for Personal Interest Project. So it would make sense to choose a topic that you’re personally interested in. You’ve got to think that ideally, you’re going to be researching the same topic for a little under a year so it’s got to be something that’s going to maintain your interest as well as relating to Society and Culture in some way. The topic I chose for my PIP is Mental Illness, and my Focus question is â€Å"Is the mental illness Bipolar, attributable to the influences of nature or nurture?† Specifically I’m focusing my research on 4 adults and seeing if I can come to some conclusion about what Bipolar disorder is attributed to generally. Many different things inspired me to choose this topic, but probably the most major influence was the fact that my mum had Bipolar disorder, my Nan has bipolar and so does my Great Grandma. Bipolar used to be something that really scared me; partly because of the stigma society generally places on mental illness, and also because of the fact that there is such a strong genetic history of bipolar in females in my family, so there is an increased chance that I may get Bipolar at some point in my life. I decided to focus on this topic, as I knew it would be something that would maintain my interest for the duration of the project, and I also thought that it would be a very good experience for me, as instead of being afraid of mental illness it would empower me with information. I believe it will also help me to determine if I am at such a great risk of developing a Bipolar due to the genetic â€Å"nature† factors, or if developing Bipolar is more attributable to â€Å"nurture† factors, in relation to the way someone has grown up and what environments they have been subject to. Another attribution for my choice of topic was that I felt I had excellent links and access to information relating to this topic, within my micro world. My Aunt works for Pioneer Clubhouse, a rehabilitation centre for people with mental illness, and one of our family friends used to work in the public sector and has friends with Bipolar, that advise the health minister on issues relating to mental illness. Because of these links it is much easier to obtain information and implement my methodologies. I assume by this stage of year 11 you all know what a methodology is, but in simple terms, methodologies are ways of finding out information. Creating a successful PIP and choosing an appropriate methodology or methodologies go hand in hand. Methodologies play a major role in your PIP but it is really important that you understand, in relation to your PIP in general, you need to allow for flexibility. Sometimes the methodologies or the topic you choose wont work out, and you may need to choose new ones or modify your original choice. The PIP is supposed to be a major learning experience, designed to move you closer towards social and cultural literacy, so naturally there will be learning from mistakes and changes made along the way. It’s important that you’re aware of this. I have decided to use interview as the primary methodology for my PIP. Specifically I intend to undertake an extensive interview process with the 4 individuals I am focusing my research on. I also wish to interview several people that interact regularly with the selected four. I feel that using interviews, as my primary research methodolog y will prove to be highly successful for my PIP. As finding out weather Bipolar is attributable to nature or nurture involves more than just getting a one-word or short answer, which is usually what would be normally obtained from Quantitative research methodologies, such as questionnaires or statistical analysis. It is highly suggested that you include secondary research within your PIP to support the primary research you’ve collected. This finding and interpreting of secondary research is also classified as a methodology, it’s called Content Analysis, and this is also one of the methodologies that I will be using. I have already looked at many books, websites and pamphlets and obtained some very useful information from them. I also intend to watch some videos on Bipolar and I aim to collect some more information from websites and books. I’ve decided to use this methodology not only because it is highly suggested that you use it, but also because I believe that it is really important to get other people’s opinions that have researched the same topic, in order to support and explain to a greater extent the research that you have gathered. Another methodology I intend to use is Participant Observation. I will do this by spending the day at Pioneer Clubhouse, the rehabilitation centre for people with mental illness that I was talking about before. Through doing this I hope to observe my participants interacting in certain daily situations, and I hope to be able to comment on whether there are any differences to reactions of those not suffering with Bipolar disorder, which could give insight into the ‘nurture’ influence of the disorder. Use of this method will also allow a different perspective to interview, as I will be able to see behaviours first hand, which I think will be very valuable to my research. The type of methodologies you will choose will highly relate to the type of research you are doing. My research is definitely far more Qualitative than Quantitative due to the fact that I am focusing my research on people’s experiences. In simple terms Qualitative research relies upon open-ended questions, and types of methodologies that usually require interpretation of people’s personal opinions. Quantitative research is more straightforward research that can easily be compared to other data, as it does not require interpretation of people’s personal opinions. It involves interpretation of statistics and numbers and clear opinions of usually a large number of people. It is estimated that 10% of Australians have Bipolar, which is a very high percentage when you think that over 20 million people live here. That’s about 2 million people who have either had or have Bipolar Disorder. Yet it is generally seen by most within our society as such a taboo subject. This is part of the reason why I didn’t choose Quantitative methodologies such as questionnaires, surveys, or statistical analysis, because I felt that many people wouldn’t give true, unbiased opinions. So far the research I have conducted has proved quite successful. I am continually conducting content analysis and have been since late last year. I have collected quite a lot of information and visited many libraries’ including the Macquarie University library, the State library of Queensland and the University of New South Wales Library. I know it’s starting to sound like you have to turn into a major nerd once you hit year 12 Society and Culture, but it’s really not like that. You start doing all these nerdaliscious things because you’re interested in the topic you’re researching. It’s your PERSONAL Interest Project, an assignment on something that you want to do, so you actually want to put an effort in and want to do well. I have also given a speech at Pioneer Clubhouse’s weekly staff and members meeting, introducing my PIP and myself, and proposing their involvement. I also spoke at the meeting about the possibility of conducting interviews with several of them. I received a very positive response from them all and also obtained several members consent to interview them. I intend to conduct these interviews in the upcoming school holidays along with my participant observation. I have also written a rough draft of questions I intend to ask during the interviews, and I aim to have a final copy of questions finished by the start of the holidays. My topic is an extremely sensitive one and it is vitally important that I treat the participants of my research with the upmost respect and not just as research tools. My aim is to discuss my finalized interview questions with a mental health professional in order to ensure that I am asking appropriate questions and conducting ethical research, which is a very important part of social research. Furthermore I have also begun writing a letter to the Health Minister, consulting him about his opinions on my topic. I have also written several emails to various organizations supporting people with Mental Illness, consulting them about my topic and requesting any information they would be able to forward. This has proved extremely helpful, as I have received some fantastic information from these organizations. It is extremely important to try and remain as unbiased as possible whilst conducting your research, in order to produce a reliable and proper report at the end of your research. Although it is definitely good to formulate an opinion about your topic and express how passionate you are about it, it is also essential that you try not to impose this opinion on those you are collecting information from. I expect to find that the causes of Bipolar will be attributable to both nature and nurture influences, and I feel that my research will support this hypothesis. My reasoning behind expecting to come to this conclusion stems from the fact that if someone has a predisposition to a certain disease or disorder therefore nature factors. It does not necessarily mean that they will acquire that disease or disorder; unless they subject themselves to particular environments hence nurture factors. Take heart disease for example. A person may have a predisposition to heart disease but if they eat healthily and exercise then they have a chance of not acquiring the condition. They do however; have a higher risk of acquiring the disease than someone who doesn’t have a predisposition to heart disease. I believe the same principle applies to Bipolar Disorder, and hypothesise that my findings will support this way of thinking. The PIP gives you a lot of freedom to choose a topic on something that your interested in, but there is one vital piece of criteria that you need to factor in when choosing your topic, and that is that it needs to relate to Society and Culture through the concepts. My topic relates to Society and Culture through several concepts, including, the concept of Time – as both nature and nurture factors are highly influenced by time. It also refers to the concept of Socialization. This refers to the ways you learn to become an accepted member of society via agents such as peers, family, community groups and the media. These things relate greatly to the nurture side of the argument, hence relate to my topic. My topic also relates to the following concepts for the same reasons – Media, Values, Tradition, Influence, and Institutions. Other concepts my topic relates to include: Environment – as the person’s environment and the experiences they are subject to highly relate to the nurture component of my PIP. Family is also another concept that relates to my PIP for the same reasons. Gender is also a concept that relates to my PIP in respect to the nature part of my focus question. So right now your probably all thinking â€Å"blah blah, what is this stupid girl doing, why am I sitting here listening to these stupid speeches, wasting my time, again, I’m only in year 11, is this really necessary?† Well the aim of my speech today wasn’t to bore you. My aim today was to inspire you guys, get you all to start thinking about your PIP’s, because it’s really not that far away. Year 11 goes so fast and before you know it your half way through year 12 giving this same speech, thinking â€Å"I really should get a move on with my PIP.† The PIP is a major part of your work in year 12; it’s worth 30% of your external mark for Society and Culture, which means that your HSC exam is only worth 70% so you need to put a lot of effort into your PIP. The last but probably most important piece of information I will give you today, is that you need to successfully manage your time whilst researching your PIP, because it really does slip away so quickly. My advice to you is, in term 4, your first term of year 12, when you first receive information on the PIP, make up a realistic timeline of how you want to conduct your research and complete your PIP. Set a date for when you want to have your topic chosen by, a date for when you’re first going to think about your methodologies, and a date for when you intend to implement them. It’s also a good idea to factor in some time every week that you solely devote to your PIP. You really need to use your time wisely, because you think â€Å"oh yeah, no worries I have a whole year to do this, I’m not going to start now† but then time slips away so fast and you wish you had that extra time back. By no means am I going to lie to you, the PIP is a lot of hard work. But it definitely gives a sense of satisfaction when you’re actually out there researching something independently; using all the skills you’ve learnt. It makes you feel as though school is actually useful and the things your learning can actually be implemented into real life situations. You get to research and report on something that you’re personally interested in, something that actually matters to you, which absolutely makes it worthwhile putting in all the effort and time the PIP demands. Although it’s a lot of work, it’s definitely something to look forward to. It’s school work, but surprisingly its fun. So start thinking now because it’s just around the corner!

Impact of Video Games on Society

Impact of Video Games on Society Video games are a pastime for masses of adolescents worldwide. The unprecedented technological advancements to this entertaining culture have caused many gamers, especially adolescents, to acknowledge it as the ultimate fantasy. According to many studies, video games can increase aggressive behavior, cause emotional outbursts and decrease inhibitions in many people (Kardaras 2008). As a result of the increased exposure to this modern phenomenon, a mounting body of research is linking video games to violent, aggressive and anti-social behavior. For this reason the study focuses on investigating the impact of video gaming on society to determine whether it leads to aggressive, violent, anti-social behavior. The first aim of this investigation is to document the different types of video games and how they operate through electronic devices, and therefore examining the associations between video game exposure and the different attitudes and behaviors displayed by gamers. The second objective is to explain the key factors which lead to violent, aggressive and anti-social behavior and the extreme lengths to which the gaming industry will go to in order to reap the advantages of video games. The investigation also presents an outline of the current rating and censorship systems in Australia, which has resulted in some violent video games being banned for their violent and inappropriate content. To end the research a feasible solution is proposed to maximize the potential advantages of rating systems. In conclusion, the paper summarizes the impact of video games on society. It concludes that gamers who expose themselves to greater amounts of video game violence are more likely to be prone to violent, aggressive and antisocial behavior over time. Word Count: 272 Section One: Introduction The gaming industry has grown immensely through the evolution of modern consoles, games and accessories. Therefore the ever growing hype that surrounds these technological gadgets is unprecedented even in the world of gamers, causing many adolescents to perceive video games consoles as a necessity in their lives, rather than an accessory. The impact of video gaming has been a debated issue for many years, and consequently the problem appears to be influencing many of my peers therefore I took this opportunity to explore the effect of video games on society. This paper presents an investigation into the impact of video gaming on society to determine whether it leads to aggressive, violent and anti-social behavior. For the purpose of this examination the information has been divided into four sections. The first section examines what video games are and the genre of games which have resulted gamers displaying different behaviors. The next section assess how video games have an impact on society through real life examples, and then the possible factors which could lead to aggressive, violent and anti-social behavior. The final section in addition to a proposed solution to this issue, aims to discuss how effectively game ratings restrict inappropriate content from adolescent users. There is no question that video games have an impact on society. One thing that is certain is that the gaming industry is growing rapidly which consequently increases the impact of video games on society. Section Two: What are video games and the different type of video games played? A video game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a device specially made for game play called a video console; these interactions are entered via input devices such as controllers, joysticks and hand-held peripherals. The electronic systems used to play video games are known as platforms which range from: personal computers, video game consoles and small handheld devices and through these platforms video and sound are produced to interact with the user (Video Game 2009). The advancements in gaming consoles have become a major factor in promoting video game addiction, and therefore amplifying the video game influence among users. As gaming technology continues to expand, consoles such as Microsofts Xbox 360 and Sonys Playstation are becoming more sophisticated due to the customer demand for an enhanced gaming experience. Recent developments allow gamers to have access to video games at any time; for example with the PSP (Play Station Portable) a gamer is able to carry their console around with him/her anywhere, thereby adding to the amount of hours spent playing games. Similarly consoles like the Wii set a new precedent for the gaming world, trying to create a physical and more realistic gaming experience through innovative accessories such as the Wii MotionPlus which provided true motion and position information to the console (The Wiire 2008), and therefore encouraging users to become more engrossed in the game. Furthermore, the development of graphical interfaces and televisions appear to be significant factors in endorsing excessive gaming time. In particular the transition to LCD (Liquid-Crystal Display) and plasma televisions, which introduced a gratifying experience for gamers through the addition of surround sound speaker systems and improved graphic resolution. Subsequently the enlargement of graphic interface screens also added to the attractiveness of video games, as the screen sizes increased from 14 inch up to the unprecedented size of 65 inch (LCD television 2010). As the mind-blowing graphic resolution becomes more available, users are promised real entertainment in these virtual worlds, by creating a more realistic gaming experience. The most commonly played games are action games; these games encourage the development of aggressive characteristics to emerge in gamers, as they have a large amount of violence due to their fast-paced nature. The games usually allow the user to play person against person or person against animal/aliens; a classic example is the game Halo which incorporates violent confrontations which are practised through violent combat between the user interface and the console (Caruana, Caruana Bruner 2009). Currently the most recent video games present players with expansive spaces and allow users to interact in multiple ways; resulting in each player having a unique experience (Garrelts 2006). One of the most problematic games of recent times is Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The controversy behind this game stemmed from many politicians condemning its frequent violent and sexual scenes. As illustrated above (refer figure 3), the game encourages inappropriate actions such as violence to be practised through gang warfare, raising concerns as these types of games have been turned into fodder for entertainment (Loftus 2002). Another genre of video games is adventure/role playing games; these games are usually less graphic than action games but contain mild violence and typically have an element of surrealism and fantasy. Games like Starfox Adventures are usually combined with a role playing element and allow the character to initiate dialogue. These games tend to be among the most addictive due to their narrative fantasy themes together with their mild violent content (Caruana, Caruana Bruner 2009). In a study conducted on video game usage and content this genre of games was found to encourage an increasing amount of antisocial values of a violent nature (Tompkins 2003). Section Three: How do video games have an impact on society? Adolescents and children are the group of people which are mostly engrossed to video games in society. The vulnerability of these groups especially children is prominent, as they are at such crucial stages in their development that they are highly influenced by their environment. For this reason some concerns have arisen as to why video games have become very influential story-tellers for this generation of children and youth (McCain J 2000).This may be a result of the technological advances which have exposed new generations to more graphic games which emphasize violence. With regards to this argument there are two very opposite sides, the first being put by the gaming industry who argue that gaming is secure entertainment with no link to violence and the others being the psychologists and researchers who argue that violent media promotes aggression (Tompkins 2003). Research dedicated to this issue is enormous, with many scientific studies concluding that significant exposure to violent video games increases the risk of aggressive behavior in certain children. From this exposure children become desensitized to violence making them believe that the world is a meaner and scarier place than it is (Tompkins 2003). Unfortunately, these thoughts are often said to be difficult to change later on in life. Therefore children begin to think that violence is normal behavior as depicted in the games. The idea of violence in video games can be similar to that of domestic violence, where children who are exposed to violence either become offenders or victims as they believe that what they observe is the norm (Tompkins 2003). The development of these thoughts in gamers could potentially lead to gamers becoming more violent and aggressive over time. Much of the research found on video games, like Dr Andersons, a leading researcher in the field of gaming reveals unequivocal evidence that game violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in both immediate and long-term contexts (Anderson et al. 2003). The studies conducted found that the short-term exposure increases the likelihood of physically and verbally aggressive behavior, thoughts and emotions immediately after playing the game. While large-scale longitudinal studies provided converging evidence linking frequent exposure to violent video games during childhood leads to aggression later in life, including physical assaults and spouse abuse (Anderson et al 2003). Other researchers illustrate a comprehensive correlation between playing of M-rated games and bullying in schools. The gamers who played M-rated games, commonly adolescents, were found to be more likely to be reported for bullying other members in the school community (Thomas 2008). Sadly thes e negative outcomes are real as they are affecting our childrens behavior in schools, therefore creating more violent and troublesome youth within the wider community. The aspect of video games that is of most interest for this investigation is the content due to the fact that the violent content exposed to users can potentially be a factor which leads to aggressive outcomes (Gentile, Lynch, Linder Walsh 2004). Although current researchers conclude violent affects, Dr Anderson himself describes the relationship between games and aggressive behavior as similar to that between smoking and cancer. This comparison illustrates the idea that exposure to violence in video games may not always necessarily lead to aggressive outcomes; likewise smokers do not always develop cancer. Nevertheless, the chances of video games causing violent behavior in adolescents are increased dramatically (Hian Hou 2009). The negative effects of violent video games are evident in a recent study which involved adolescents playing two different games for 30 minutes. The researchers divided a group of 44 adolescents into two groups and randomly assigned the children to play one of the two games; the first being the high-octane Need for Speed: Underground, and the other the ultra-violent first-person shooter Medal of Honor: Frontline. Following the gaming session the children were given MRIs (Magnetic resonance imaging) of their brains. The scans revealed that the adolescents who played Medal of Honor, as a result of the exposure to violent and destructive scenes, showed an increase in emotional arousal and a corresponding decrease of activity in brain areas involved in self-control, inhibition and attention(Kalning 2006). Unsurprisingly that same effect was not present in the children who played Need for Speed. For many gamers the exposure to violent video games increases their violent behavior; the cumulative effect of the exposure to these realistic and disturbing graphics is that it is creating a more violent society. Many modern time games now have been designed to demonstrate stereotypical characters. For example regarding gender, the portrayal of men has caused many adolescents to learn from these violent games, but unfortunately they are getting the wrong messages across. The men which are often portrayed as large and aggressive characters have resulted in gamers using violence as a means to solve conflict and problems with negotiation and non-violent solutions being totally disregarded. The concept of the gamers solving issues themselves in a similar manner through the practice of violence and aggression in order to be a man becomes apparent in gamers, ultimately resulting in some gamers imitating scenes from games in real-life situations (Haymes 2009). The impact of violence in video games has ignited debate in recent times, due to the rise of video games as a modern phenomenon. Psychology lecturer Caleb Owens, an obsessive gamer himself who spends lots time at a console, was so disturbed by scenes from the game Modern Warfare 2 where a player could at an airport assume the role of a terrorist in a Mumbai-style massacre (Dikeos 2010), that he complained to the Classification Review Board. The response from the games publishers was that this is to help gamers understand terrorism from the other side(Dikeos 2010). Supporting this response is Laura Parker, who is a devoted gamer and an online journalist for a gaming website, saying that a lot of people take these violent scenes out of context and say that the whole game is made up of these elements and thats often not the case at all (Dikeos 2010). Even so, frequent scenes which depict blood and murder have caused greater concern, as it could potentially encourage gamers to imitate vi olence in real-life situations. Despite the negative associations, some experts have come to other conclusions, strongly arguing that video games have no link to violence. In recent times Modern Warfare 2 has been criticized for its violent content but it is not going to cause a change in adult behavior (Barnett 2009) says Professor Mark Griffiths. The professor explained that there is no definitive proof or research to show that violent video games make adults behave any more violently (Barnett, 2009), adding that younger gamers, typically under the age of eight tend to be more influenced by games and what they see on screen. They usually try and mimic what they have watched on the big screen. However adults, which this game is certified for, have already formed their cognitive sensibilities and will not usually start acting differently because of a video game (Barnett 2009). Although these justifications sound reasonable they overlook the ease with which children can access violent and adult rated games. Currentl y video games cannot be certified to a specific group of people because the chances of a child obtaining a MA18+ rated game have increased due to the feeble enforcement of censorship regulations enforced in many countries. Section Four: Factors which lead to aggression, violence and anti-social behavior. The most worrying issue is that most violent games are landing in the hands of millions of children, despite ratings attempting to restrict prohibited access. For this reason inappropriate games have become implicated in a string of recent school shootings and murders which has raised concerns to new heights (McCain J 2000). Modern games are designed to be entertaining and challenging. The reality is that manufacturers are shamelessly exploiting children for revenue. Currently 89% of video games released contain some violent content. For this reason when consumers specifically children, who are highly influenced by what they see on the big screen, expose themselves to violence they begin to incorporate aggressive concepts and behaviors into their typical behavioral repertoire (Anderson, Gentile Buckle 2007). Despite these unethical practices by manufacturers being scrutinized, many retailers still insist on advertising games where it is better to kill people, attack police and drive dangerously. Although video games exposure is correlated to many negative outcomes, some research suggests that video game exposure independent of content is related to improvements in certain types of cognition and learning. These benefits are real but are limited, as the majority of games played tend to incorporate an increasing amount of violence and inappropriate content (Barlett, Anderson and Swing 2008). Despite some research in support of positive outcomes, the negative outcomes of video games are more evident. As research, in this case a meta-analysis by Anderson and Bushman (2001) found that across 54 independent tests of the relation between video games and violence, involving 4262 participants, there appeared to be five consistent results from playing games with violent content. Playing violent games tend to increase aggressive behaviors, awareness, emotions, and physiological arousal and decrease pro-social behaviors. These effects are noticeable and have been found in children and ad olescents, in males and females and in experimental and non-experimental studies. Therefore it can be considered as concrete evidence supporting the negative effects of video games on gamers. Further research by Anderson suggests that exposure to violent video games may increase angry and hostile feelings while interacting with peers, teachers and adults which leads users to demonstrating fierce behavior (Anderson et al. 2004). Perhaps the best example of violent video game influence over adolescents is the case of Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris. The two video game fanatics opened fire in their Colorado High School in 1999, killing 13 people. Experts made a convincing link between the murder and the continuous playing of video games with reports revealing that Harris and Klebold spent long hours playing video games like Wolfenstein 3D, Doom and Mortal Kombat. The two murderers enjoyed playing various violent games, which effectively played a focal role in their violent acts. Eric Harris had actually modified a version of the game Doom and placed it on his website.   In his version there were two shooters, extra weapons and other characters in the game that couldnt shoot back. Harris and Klebold essentially acted-out their version of Doom on innocent classmates demonstrating how violent content in games played could have a pronounced influence on the users behavior and actions (Holmes 2005). The dramat ic rise in violent shootings by adolescents many of which have been linked to playing violent video games supports the argument that video game violence transforms into real-world situations (Layton 2007). Another murder which was linked to video games was that of a 14-year-old British boy by an older friend. The court heard that Warren Leblanc, the convicted murderer had struck Stefan Pakeerah over the head with a claw hammer from behind. The spark behind the prolonged assault was found to be the horrific images observed on the computer while playing a violent video game, as Stefans parents proclaimed that Leblanc had mimicked a game called Manhunt, in which the players score points for violent killings. The parents of Warren themselves claimed that their son was obsessed with the game, as a result guiding him to rehearse violent scenes of this game in real life in an exceptionally disturbing manner (Video game sparked hammer murder 2004). The ethical question arising from these cases is that if these violent video games are having such a pronounced influence on gamers causing them to commit crimes in such a cruel manner, should they really be developed and sold in the first place. Moral concerns also arise with recent studies suggesting that adolescents playing such games have difficulty distinguishing between fantasy and reality, therefore guiding them to perform acts played on consoles in real life. (Video game sparked hammer murder 2004). For many the line between reality and fantasy is lost through their addiction. In some fantasy games like Second Life players are able to live their fantasy life in a virtual world, to the point where the virtual world overrules their daily life. Even though these types of role playing games do not necessarily encourage aggressive or violent behavior, nevertheless they still contribute to the possibility of a gamer engaging in anti-social behavior as they create an alias where people can live technologically, contrary to their usual social life. The addictive nature of video games can lead to gamers developing anti- social behavior. This addiction is so problematic that such games have affected non-adolescents day-to-day activities. An example of an addictive game is the popular online game The World of Warcraft which has over 10 million online users. Due to the extended hours spent playing these game extreme cases have occurred as excessive exposure to this online game has resulted in some mature aged gamers getting divorced, fired from their jobs, and in a rare case, someone dying as a result of the lack of sleep or proper nutrition (Do Video Games Cause Aggression and Death The Truth About Video Game Effects 2010). Often gamers can connect with multi-players around the world through the click of a button, without even meeting them or knowing who they are. The availability and easy access to the internet directly from the console eliminates the need for users to go out and socialize as these technological communications are in effect replacing social interactions for gamers; thus leading to isolation and the development of anti-social behavior over time. On the other hand, a report by Greg Thom suggests that fun games which encourage teamwork and friendship can lay the groundwork for positive interaction between children, leading to better behavior and academic results (Thom 2009). Although these findings exemplify positive outcomes, they are limited as such results only apply to gamers who play non-violent and G-rated games. At present the number of fun games has diminished as the growing culture within the gaming world demands more violent and adventure orientated games. For this reason the negative associations allied to video games are more apparent with an increasing number of gamers spending hours playing violent and role playing games, isolating themselves from the rest of the world. The exposure to long hours over time allows for basic social functions to be forgotten leading to players hesitating when handling social activities. Other impacts are loneliness, aggressiveness and disregard for rules and regulations. An initial addiction to video games which may not be considered severe can easily turn into a psychological anti-social disorder (Anti-Social Behaviour n.d.) 5. Section Five: Overview of ratings and censorship in Australia. The purpose of a rating system is to provide concise and impartial information about the content in video games so consumers, especially parents, can make informed purchase decisions (Game Ratings Descriptor Guide 2009). Nevertheless rating systems implemented in many countries including Australia are open to manipulation quite easily whether it is because of dishonest retailers or careless parents. Unfortunately games that are rated MA15+ or AO are potentially at risk of falling into childrens hands. With pirated media rampant in society a game that is banned in your country could be downloaded to a destination where it has not been released, again limiting the effectiveness of current rating systems. The main reason that games are banned is because they promote anti-social behavior and expose users to high levels of violence, sex and drug use. An example of a game banned in Australia for its explicit adult content is Phantasmagoria, which goes so far as to have a rape scene in it. Without censorship, games like these which are highly inappropriate could easily be found in childrens video games consoles. However while it is possible to control the content of what hits the shelf, it is what happens once they have been bought that remains the issue. Another game is Left 4 Dead 2 a first person shooter game which was refused classification because of its frequent and intense portrayal of violence and graphic depictions of blood and gore. The disturbing scenery resulted in some politicians correlating between the people playing such violent video games and the increase in criminal activity (MacDonald, 2009). Of the thirty three games that have been banned in Australia fourteen of them contained images that were deemed inappropriate for users and considering that the average age of a video gamer in Australia is 30 years old, that is indicative of just how explicit the content is (List of banned video games 2009). There are already issues in todays society with children being exposed to images/cultures which are inappropriate and the addition of unsuitable video games can add to the increasing problem of media influence on children and adolescents. The unfortunate failure of these ratings is that some parents are not aware retailers are selling inappropriate games to their children, who, by law are not permitted to purchase them. Even though this is the case parents should be encouraged to monitor and be more attentive to their children while playing video games by restricting their time in front of the television and computer (Tompkins 2003). Governments should strive to insure that all parents are fully aware of the rating system and the way it works. To promote awareness a campaign should be launched across all media regarding the negative implications of the exposure to inappropriate video games on their children. With the support of a rating system to try and minimize the amount of inappropriate content, parents should make an effort to become more involved in their childrens lives before it is too late (Tompkins 2003). Effectively if the parents take more responsibility by endeavoring to cooperate with their governments i n an attempt to limit the amount of violent and inappropriate content displayed to their children then the potential impact of video games on society could be lessened. Section Six: Conclusion The impact of video games is apparent as it is affecting thousands of people around the world daily. From Street Fighter to FIFA 09 these games are impacting the gamers in society psychologically and physiologically. Many gamers have become attached to the life and person they believe they have become through virtual worlds experienced in games. These worlds have caused gamers who otherwise would not be living their ideal life in reality to get caught up in the fantasy and unrealistic expectations of video games. The objective of this research was to investigate the impact of video gaming on society to determine whether it leads to aggressive, violent, anti-social behavior. The essay demonstrated how video games have a pronounced influence on adolescents in society, with violent behavior becoming more prevalent amongst adolescent, gamers begin to act like the characters they seek to control in games. Video game impact on society is evident, as the exposure to video game violence was found to be a significant risk factor for aggressive and violent behavior (Tompkins 2003). Unfortunately, games which contain violent content are reaching our childrens hands, therefore encouraging them to act aggressively and anti-socially. One question which we should ask is Who should be held responsible for the increase of video game exposure in society? Are the gaming companies to blame for releasing highly graphic and violent games d, the irresponsible parents who allow their children to spend long hours playing inappropriate games or simply the young people who choose to play the games? Consequently, other possible issues attached to this effect can be examined; for example more stringent regulations or laws to implement impose accountability for the retailers. Therefore the focus for further research should be based on these questions that are emerging to possibly come to a conclusion about how to finally address this issue. Currently there is no definitive solution to the issue of gaming and the effect that it has on the users behaviors. Nevertheless, there are some recommendations to a possible solution; these include the need for more governments to impose stricter rating systems, parents becoming more aware and responsible for their childrens game play and also gamers themselves becoming more mindful of separating the gaming world from the real world. 7. Section Seven: References and Bibliography Reference list: Online books: Anderson, C, Gentile, D Buckle, K 2007, Violent video game effects on children and adolescents: theory, research, and public policy, Oxford University Press Inc., New York. Garrelts, N 2006, The meaning and culture of Grand theft auto: critical essaysHYPERLINK http://books.google.com.au/books?id=Woct9TuzNNoCpg=PP1dq=The+meaning+and+culture+of+Grand+theft+auto:+critical+essays++By+Nate+Garreltscd=1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½, McFarland and Company Inc, North Carolina. Online journals/articles: Anderson, C.A. Bushman, B.J (2001). Effects of violent games on aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, physiological arousal, and prosocial behavior: A meta-analytic review of the scientific literature. Psychological Science, 12 , pp. 353-359, retrieved on 2 May 2009. Anderson, C. A., Carnagey, N., Flanagan, M., Benjamin, A.J., Eubanks, J., Valentine, J. C. (2004). Violent Video Games: Specific Effects of Violent Content on Aggressive Thoughts and Behavior. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 36, p. 199-249, retrieved on 23 April 2009. Anderson et al., (2003), The influence of media violence on youth. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 4(3), p.81-110, retrieved on 10 September 2009. Barlett, C. P, Anderson C.A, Swing, E.L (2008). Video Game Effects- Confirmed, Suspected, and Speculative: A Review of the evidence, Simulation Gaming, vol. 40, pp. 337, retrieved on 25 August 2009. Gentile, D.A, Lynch, P.J, Linder, R.H Walsh, D.A (2004). The effects of violent video game habits on adolescent hostility, aggressive behaviors, and school performance, Journal of Adolescence, vol. 27, pp. 5-22, retrieved on 11 November 2009. McCain, J. (2000), The impact of interactive violence on children. Committee on commerce science, and transportation United State Senate, retrieved on 20 July 2010. Tompkins, A. (2003), The Psychological Effects of Violent Media on Children. AllPsych Journal, retrieved on 15 June 2010. Websites: Anti-Social Behaviour (n.d), A social, psychological and economic study of the positive and negative impact the internet has on children and families, viewed 27 June 2009, http://people.hamilton.edu/bhouse/DoWeEncourage/DoWeEncourage5.html Barnett, E 2009, Modern Warfare 2: No link between video games and adult violence, Telegraph, viewed March 20 2010, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/6536966/Modern-Warfare-2-No-link-between-video-games-and-adult-violence.html Caruana, V, Caruana, C Bruner O 2009, Types of Video Games, Focus on the Family, viewed 28 June 2009, http://www.focusonthefamily.com/entertainment/mediawise/parents_guide_to_video_games/types_of_video_games.aspx Dikeos, T 2010, Emotive debate over R rating for video games, ABC, viewed 20 March 2010, http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2010/s2848891.htm Do Video Games Cause Aggression and Death The Truth About Video Game Effects (2010). Update Reality: Self Improvement, viewed 15 Ju

Hydrogen Fuel Cells Vs. Gasoline Essays -- Energy Power Global Warming

Hydrogen Fuel Cells Vs. Gasoline: Who’s Down With HFC? ABSTRACT: The world’s oil supply is a diminishing nonrenewable resource. Soon, a new fuel for automobiles will be needed. Hydrogen fuel cells may very well become the chief replacement for gasoline in our society. INTRODUCTION: In our busy world today, we often find ourselves surrounded by vehicles. But how often do we ponder about by which means these vehicles are running? Vehicles are fueled by gasoline, a gradually diminishing resource. As a replacement for this fuel, scientists have been experimenting with a new technology called hydrogen fuel cells. Swiss scientist Christian Friedrich Schà ¶nbein developed the principle behind the fuel cell in 1838. Then in 1932, the first successful fuel cells were engineered by Francis Thomas Bacon of Britain. The main type of hydrogen fuel cell is the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane, or Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM). In a PEM, electrons are separated from hydrogen atoms (at the anode), forming positively charged hydrogen atoms, or protons, and single electrons. Then the protons are drawn toward the oxygen atoms (at the cathode) on the other side of the membrane, where the electrons are forced to travel an alternate route to reach the hydrogen and oxygen. By traveling this alternate route, the electrons form a current, ergo energy. Once the protons and electrons meet with the oxygen, the byproducts created are water, heat, and some impurities (depending on the purity of the applied hydrogen). See Diagram 1 below (How PEM Fuel Cells Work). HFC 2 Which fuel supply is more efficient: hydrogen fuel cells or gasoline? To help reach a verdict, we will be comparing their availability, cost and efficiency, and pollution pot... ...en Fuel: a Clean and Secure Energy Future, The White House, Retrieved August 2, 2005, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/20030206-2.html 2. Fuel Cell, July 31, 2005, Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Retrieved August 2, 2005, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell 3. How PEM Fuel Cells Work, Retrieved July 21, 2005, from http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/fcv_PEM.shtml 4. Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program, U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Retrieved July 21, 2005, from http://www.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/ 5. Hydrogen Production and Delivery, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Retrieved July 21, 2005, from http://www.nrel.gov/hydrogen/proj_production_delivery.html 6. Tokyo Gas, Retrieved August 2, 2005, from http://www.tokyogas. co.jp/pefc_e/image_add/wh-46_01.gif

prom :: essays research papers

Teenagers today are spending more and more money on the extravagance of prom. The article by Jeffery Shaffer claims that high school proms have become an â€Å"exercise in the celebration of extravagance and indulgence.† In this article negative ideas and, inappropriate messages are conveyed to teens. Many of the ideas proposed in this article are eccentric, turning school tradition into competition of unlimited spending. Although the price for prom according to Shaffer has reached â€Å"more than $1,200 per couple† and assumes â€Å"it’s the same or higher†, the price for prom in present years is beginning to near $2,000 a couple. Even with most high school students believing that it is worth it because of the great time they will have and the memories. From personal experience this year my friends as well as I are spending almost $700 on the entire prom event, for just our self’s. This includes everything from dress, shoes, to limo and post prom events. The average high school student does receive financial help from their parent, opposed to in 1925-26 when â€Å"girls were not allowed to borrow money from the office†. Showing the negative side of the expense for prom to teens could discourage them from going and have a great last high school experience. Causing them to later regret in life, such as three of my best friends who decided not to go to their prom last year but instead go to Six Flags. By reading this article teens might decide not to go to their prom thinking they won’t regret it, when most of them will after sitting home while everyone is out. Many people such as Jeffery as well as myself that have â€Å"never been very interested in the party scene† can still have a great time at something that would be filled with such great memories. If teens read something like this they might say to themselves ‘I fit into that category’ and intern miss out on a fun filled night. Prom to most high school students is just an all night event of hanging out with friends and dancing, with an expensive price tag. If teens that feel they fit into a category such as this they should look at it as a night of just hanging out with friends. If they do that such as I did they won’t miss out on their last high school experience, and won’t have any regrets.

Dances With Wolves Essay -- Film Movie Dances With Wolves Papers

Dances With Wolves In his movie Dances With Wolves actor Kevin Costner tries to do away with any preconceived notions that the viewer might have had about the Native American Indians being a savage and inhuman race. He does this by first unraveling the mysteriousness of the Indians then he brings the viewer to a point of connectedness with the Indians and their culture. We then come to a sincere appreciation for them as human beings and individuals and find ourselves siding with them in matters of allegiance. This movie accomplishes this goal with several tactics and strategies. As the story unfolds we follow the life of John Dunbar (Kevin Costner) and take on his emotions and therefore come to the same realizations that he does. From the very beginning of the film we have a sense of compassion and empathy for John because he is injured and tries to die heroically. This form of justifiable suicide gives us a sense of his aimlessness and loneliness. Since most of the viewers have experienced some form of these feelings before we naturally want to hop on board with John's emotions and hold on for the ride. The first introduction we have to actual Indians themselves is when we find the Pawnee Indians discussing the idiocy of white men and how they should be destroyed. This band of Indians kill Timmons, a wagon driver who takes John to his new fort, and therefore we feel that our initial stereotypes are justified, however we do not see this through the eyes of John and therefore we are still susceptible to a reforming of our opinions. It is only through John's experiences and feelings that we feel truly attached to what is going on in the film. Throughout his encounters with the Indians, specifically the Sioux, John begin... ...s of the Indian, or have they. There is one last task that must be completed in order for the viewer to complete the enlightenment that was intended. When John is rescued by the Sioux we see that they are capable just like any other tribe of being both brutal, savage, and primeval in their attacks when they are passionate enough about what they are doing it for. In this action we see that the Sioux are therefore not the exception but merely our exception. They show us that the Native Americans were a people unlike any other with a very rich culture, a strong sense of family, and a passion for life that meant you worked hard and played even harder. They were not savages or barbarians in the typical sense they were individuals living together in harmony and strife the only way they knew how, which coincidently worked very well for them until the white man came along.

Civil Disobedience By Thoreau

Philosophers, historians, authors, and politicians have spent centuries pondering the relationship between citizens and their government. It is a question that has as many considerations as there are forms of government and it is rarely answered satisfactorily. A relatively modern theorist, author Henry Thoreau, introduced an idea of man as an individual, rather than a subject, by thoroughly describing the way a citizen should live many of his works. He indirectly supplements the arguments he presents in his essay Civil Disobedience through a comprehensive selection of adages found in his other works. In articular, the phrases  «A simple and independent mind does not toil at the bidding of any prince » and  «To be awake is to be alive. I have never met a man who is quite awake » support many of the arguments in Civil Disobedience because they help to explicate the complex ideas Thoreau presents. The phrase  «A simple and independent mind does not toil at the bidding of any prince » regards the responsibilities of a man to his own consciousnessit is a duty that can not be revoked by any form of tyrant. Rather than hinting at a type of anarchy, this statement merely describes each mans duty to performing justice in all his actions. This does not refer to any  «mans duty to devote himself to the eradication of any, even the most enormous wrong; he may still properly have other concerns to engage him; but it is his duty, at least, to wash his hands of it, and, if he gives it no thought longer, not to give it practically his support » (681). The term  «simple » does not refer to an underdeveloped sense of morality; it describes a state of mind in which the concept of justice is so defined that contradictions cannot exist. To toil, as it is presented in this quotation, means to sacrifice ideals for the sake of conformity or law. The only real power the State holds over any individual is the promise of brute force; it  «never intentionally confronts a mans sense, intellectual or moral, but only his body, his senses » (687). Therefore, many acts the State requires will be unjustthey can and will force a man to slave for the sake of an ordeal he does not believe in. As Thoreau notes in Civil Disobedience,  «a wise man will only be useful as a man » (678). In essence, Thoreau believes that a man who toils at any ruling institutions bidding simply because it bid him to do so sacrifices his own facilities as a human being. He then becomes nothing more than a man put  «on a level with wood and earth and stones Command[ing] no more respect than men of straw, or a lump of dirt » (678). Another quotation that helps to explicate Thoreaus Civil Disobedience is  «To be awake is to be alive. I have never yet met a man who was quite awake. In this phrase, Thoreau uses the term  «awake » as an euphemism for being fully aware of ones concept of right and fully in control of ones moral and physical existence. Understandably, people who are consistently awake, in this sense of the word, are hard to find:  «There are ine hundred and ninety-nine patrons of virtue to one virtuous man » (680). Also, the fact that Thoreau has  «never met a man who was quite awake » implies that fully conscious individuals have difficulty existing in modern society. In fact, Thoreau believes that  «no man with a genius for legislation has appeared in America. They are rare in the history of the world » (692). Perhaps, by the word  «awake, » and its equation with  «alive, » Thoreau is also referring to the ability to fulfill his own mission:  «I came into this world, not chiefly to make this a good place to live in, but to live in it, be it good or bad » (683). Although this concept is not a particularly unique one, it is nearly impossible to fulfill completelybut to fulfill it partially is useless. As a living being, one must  «cast your whole vote, not a strip of paper merely, but your whole influence » (684). To truly be alive, one must be consciously satisfied with every passing moment. Through his conscientious support of every facet of his philosophy, Thoreau effectively proves his statements regarding citizenship and government. He remains consistent to nearly every idea he presents and therefore surrounds them with a seriousness that cannot be ignored.

Christian life Essay

Father Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) presents a deeply spiritual and insight book with Reach Out. He presents a Christian approach to living with a systematic form of spiritual life, occurring in three defined steps; loneliness to solitude; hostility to hospitality; and illusion to prayer. Through each step Nouwen encourages a person to question themselves, and to seek an â€Å"ascent† to a higher way of being that achieves unity with God. His presentation of his message however is not an attempt to â€Å"bible bash† the reader, rather he uses the Bible as a filter to draw analogies to his interpretation of a meaningful life. Nouwen’s defined categories distinguishes the stages of the journey of Christian life as he sees it, basically reaching out to; the innermost self, to the rest of humankind; and to God. In itself the book is a beautiful rendition of a way of living that focuses on humankind as a community, and as sharing in their experiences of emotional states. It provides the reader with practical methods to apply change to their lifestyle that will cultivate a greater sense of peace and contentment. The phrasing and choice of words in titles and headings has been carefully considered and in themselves transports the reader to a place of reflection and prayer. The strength of Nouwen’s book is his ability to question his own values, decision-making and actions. He has gone to places of hardship in his experiences of loneliness, hostility and illusion and returned with treasures to share. Nouwen uses the movement between emotional states to provide a systematic process for the living the Christian life, which completes modern day values of systems thought, and critical analysis. However, the writer presents his material also in a highly capitalistic manner, in that emotional states are basically divided into two distinct forms: positive (winning) and negative (losing) and ignores the possibility that each state may not actually be so absolute; a milestone on the continuum of what it is to be human. The dichotomy he sets up may in itself be the cause of internal conflict for people, as Western societies value distinct black and white boxes in which to place information; Nouwen maintains this cultural value in his differentiation of distinct categories, and the application of a model of â€Å"ascent† for emotional states. The book is richly spiritual and helpful in learning to cope with loneliness, anger and misperceptions, and Nouwen’s voice tends to be presented as one of experience, that has gone to the depths of each of these states. His approach implies that all people feel loneliness, illusion or hostility and that â€Å"you like to stay away from†. The Bible describes many experiences of Jesus, prophets and other of the Lord’s people being tested, polished like jewels, or smelted like pure gold and other metals. The message is that if we are not prepared to undergo hardship how can we expect to lose ourselves of that which is not important? Nouwen encourages the reader to cultivate their faith and sense of hope by allowing ourselves to experience a forward movement into a more spiritual and subsequently balanced life. 2. Concrete Responses A Suffocating Loneliness is the title of Chapter One and for me came across as quite visceral terminology. It conjured up feelings of confinement that implies that Nouwen has really been there himself. I imagined the soul suffocating, unable to breathe, speak, communicate, or reach out because it was focused solely on survival. The title made me think about what it is to be alone and to have something happening to you beyond your control; a life threatening experience. Another heading, Between Competition and Togetherness, cam across to me as being very Zen, as the juxtaposition of words threw my mind off its track trying to hold an image of both concepts at once. Not unlike those silhouette pictures of the vase which is a face, or is it the other way around! The phrase further implies that there is a point between the two which each of us are at; though this point is unlikely to be static-given the human experience and we are dynamic beings. Nouwen encourages the reader to find a point of balance between these two concepts, and in my minds eye I saw a see-saw and a set of scales, and wondered to myself whereabouts on the continuum I was today (N. B. , near the competitive edge as I have a game of bingo in an hour). I believe I noticed these words because I have chosen the spiritual life for myself, and live my life to cultivate a sense of personal control as well as acceptance for that which I cannot change, as well as harmony and balance. Like Job and Jonah I let myself be smitten or swallowed by the beast when I perceive it to be the time in my life cycle to let go, fall apart, draw away from others, and to suffer hardship. Like these two men I come through stronger and wiser about myself, my place in this world, and with a deeper meaning of what is important – to keep on going, never give up on one, and to be there for others. I am also a writer and sometime poet and delight in the juxtaposition of words and the images that they provide which take me to places within myself that may have ever undiscovered. And the use of words in new ways helps me to see the world from another perspective, which is always a discovery. 2. Concrete responses A Suffocating Loneliness is the title of Chapter One and for me came across as quite visceral terminology. It conjured up feelings of a time for me when I felt confined by my problems and unable to reach out for concrete help from others – no one seemed to understand where I was, what I was trying to communicate to them. I imagined at the time my soul suffocating, unable to breathe, speak, communicate, or reach out because it was focused solely on survival. The title made me think about those times when I have felt absolutely alone and separated from all others, and that life was completely beyond your control; a life threatening experience. The juxtaposition of words in the chapter heading threw my mind off its track trying to hold an image of both concepts at once. I believe I noticed these words because I have chosen the spiritual life for myself and live my life to cultivate a sense of personal control as well as acceptance for that which I cannot change. Like Job and Jonah I let myself be smitten or swallowed by the beast when I perceive it to be the time in my life cycle to let go, fall apart, draw away from others, and to suffer hardship. Like these two men I come through stronger and wiser about myself, my place in this world, and with a deeper meaning of what’s important – to keep on going, never give up on one, and to be there for others. I have in the past drawn on Bible accounts of suffering and grief to understand the experiences of difficulty I have (do) have. The phrasing of many of the Biblical passages, such as those in Proverbs, are easy to â€Å"write upon one’s heart† and Nouwen’s voice has a similar effect in his blending and weaving of words and phrases. 3. Reflection I wonder why the author portrays loneliness as a negative and unwanted state, particularly as he is a Christian. Many verses in the Bible, in fact the whole book of Job, contends that pain such as that felt in loneliness is necessary to â€Å"remove the dross† form a person’s soul. Going into the crucible of fire, such as the suffering of loneliness may cultivate, is a way that many mystics, monks, prophets and medicine women and men claim is the path to become more the person that â€Å"God†/we want us to be. Loneliness is an emotion, and so by virtue of the Christian teachings that emotion is also God, as our emotions are the flux of hormones, neurotransmitters and bioelectric currents, tangible substances which omnipotent God intrinsically exists within; God is everywhere at once. Also, God created all, so all emotions can be sourced from God; humans are made in his image, suggesting that God has knowledge of what loneliness is. It perplexes me that a state of loneliness is seen by Father Nouwen as the â€Å"bottom rung† in his ascent model; John the Baptist lived in the desert and has been often described as experiencing intense loneliness; Jesus spent 40 days and nights alone in the desert; Moses was alone with his â€Å"crazy† dream of the chosen people, and Mary mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene suffered deep loneliness many times during their lives. 4. Action I will facilitate a counselee to find more functional ways to experience loneliness and to keep on going and not give up on themselves or humankind. I will also encourage them to consider the concept of living a more spiritual life and achieving a union with God; for me God is the unity of all things (omega and beta) so that I am never truly alone as all is from God and in God. So that loneliness for me is a temporary state when one forgets that we are all interconnected. Alternatively, Nouwen approaches loneliness, hostility and illusion as purely negative states and provides of all things an â€Å"evolutionary† model to explain â€Å"developing from† each state to another state. Firstly, I do not agree with this form of development as it certainly implies ascent from a lesser (primitive) quality to a higher (civilized) quality. Instead I would encourage the counselee to embrace their diversity and variability in experiencing their emotions. Movement away from a particular emotion is illusory, as our emotions are a continuum like a circle or a ring; we can move to another state but all are parallel, none higher or lower than others. I intend to start a reflective journal of my values, interpretations, decision-making and actions to learn more about myself, and to find the balance across my emotional states.