Perils of Obedience :: essays research papers

identical to our standard experiment, except that the teacher was told that he was free to select any shock level of any on the trials. (The experimenter took pains to point out that the teacher could use the highest levels on the generator, the lowest, any in between, or any combination of levels.) Each subject proceeded for thirty critical trials. The learner's protests were co-ordinated to standard shock levels, his first grunt coming at 75 volts, his first vehement protest at 150 volts. The average shock used during the thirty critical trials was less than 60 volts -- lower than the point at which the victim showed the first signs of discomfort. Three of the forty subjects did not go beyond the very lowest level on the board, twenty-eight went no higher than 75 volts, and thirty-eight did not go beyond the first loud protest at 150 volts. Two subjects provided the exception, administering up to 325 and 450 volts, but the overall result was that the great majority of people delivered very low, usually painless, shocks when the choice was explicitly up to them. The condition of the experiment undermines another commonly offered explanation of the subjects' behaviour -- that those who shocked the victim at the most severe levels came only from the sadistic fringe of society. If one considers that almost two-thirds of the participants fall into the category of "obedient" subjects, and that they represented ordinary people drawn from working, managerial, and professional classes, the argument becomes very shaky. Indeed, it is highly reminiscent of the issue that arose in connection with Hannah Arendt's 1963 book, Eichmann in Jerusalem. Arendt contended that the prosecution's effort to depict Eichmann as a sadistic monster was fundamentally wrong, that he came closer to being an uninspired bureaucrat who simply sat at his desk and did his job. For asserting her views, Arendt became the object of considerable scorn, even calumny. Somehow, it was felt that the monstrous deeds carried out by Eichmann required a brutal, twisted personalit y, evil incarnate. After witnessing hundreds of ordinary persons submit to the authority in our own experiments, I must conclude that Arendt's conception of the banality of evil comes closer to the truth than one might dare imagine. The ordinary person who shocked the victim did so out of a sense of obligation -- an impression of his duties as a subject -- and not from any peculiarly aggressive tendencies.

Stamp Act :: American History, Tax

The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. The new tax was imposed on All-American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. Ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and even playing cards were taxed. The money collected by the Stamp Act was to be used to help pay the costs of defending and protecting the American frontier near the Appalachian Mountains (10,000 troops were to be stationed on the American frontier for this purpose).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The actual cost of the Stamp Act was relatively small. What made the law so offensive to the colonists was not so much its immediate cost but the standard it seemed to set. In the past, taxes and duties on colonial trade had always been viewed as measures to regulate commerce, not to raise money. The Stamp Act, however, was viewed as a direct attempt by England to raise money in the colonies without the approval of the colonial legislatures. If this new tax were allowed to pass without resistance, the colonists reasoned, the door would be open for far more troublesome taxation in the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Few colonists believed that they could do anything more than grumble and buy the stamps until the Virginia House of Burgesses adopted Patrick Henry's Stamp Act resolves. These resolves declared that Americans possessed the same rights as the English, especially the right to be taxed only by their own representatives; that Virginians should pay no taxes except those voted by the Virginia House of Burgesses; and that anyone supporting the right of Parliament to tax Virginians should be considered an enemy of the colony.

Adulthood Interview Essay

Background/Introduction The following interview was conducted with the subject known as â€Å"George† who is in the middle adult stage of life. George is 48 years old and is an auto mechanic. He lives at home with this wife and two daughters in San Diego, California. George is in Erik Erikson’s seventh stage of psychosocial development which is the Generativity vs. Stagnation stage. In this stage, work and parenting are important factors that affect his life. Physical Characteristics Physical Characteristics: weight and height; health overall/concerns; physical activity; overall nutrition/eating patterns; patterns of consumption (i.e., alcohol, caffeine, smoking); significant changes in sexuality from young adulthood; stage in menopause; sleep patterns; sexual dysfunction/satisfaction; are they above or below life expectancy; accidents As a person grows in age, along comes physical changes and possible health problems. In George’s case, he appears to be very physically fit; however, I learned from the interview that he previously had some health issues that involved hospitalization which caused him to recently change his dietary habits. George was at risk of having a series of colon cancers and constantly had excruciating stomach pains. After being hospitalized for three days, the results showed no positive signs of cancer but his doctor gave a strict diet and urged him to exercise more regularly. When asked about his current eating patterns and physical activities, George revealed that he makes an effort to eat more vegetables and fruits and has cut off on fried foods and carbohydrates. He also makes sure to take a walk to the park near his home with his wife every day after dinner. George does not smoke but he does occasionally drink alcohol and caffeine. His alcohol and caffeine consumption is low which i s why they do not have a significant impact on his health. He described that as he gets older; his sleeping  patterns have been changing as well. He used to be able to stay up past midnight but now he gets tired very easily and must sleep before 10 P.M. Cognitive Characteristics Cognitive Characteristics: Piaget’s sub-stage; changes in intellectual abilities; speed/accuracy of information processing (you can use a memory test); changes in creativity/learning According to Piaget’s theory on the formal operations stage, adolescents should have the â€Å"capacity for flexible, reversible operations concerning abstract ideas and concepts, such as symbols, statements, and theories† (Rathus, 2013). Rathus also discusses that adolescents perform hypothetical thinking, which is when they systematically try out different possibilities in their minds to solve a problem. Formal operations give the adolescent skills of logical thought, deductive reasoning, and systematic planning to assist their problem-solving. In terms of Patrick’s hypothetical thinking from the interview, he seems to be on track with this level of thinking. For example, I asked him about what approach he takes when solving a problem and he said that he takes into account all of the different options he has and does everything one step at a time. Piaget coined adolescent egocentrism as comprehending ideas of other people, but having difficulty sorting out those things that concern other people form the things that concern themselves (Rathus, 2013). I tested my subject’s cognitive development by giving him a preset list of 10 vocabulary words and asking him to define each word to the best of his ability. I gave him a minute to clearly define the word. He defined 8 out of 10 words correctly which shows that his cognitive skills are on the right path. Patrick admitted that he used to struggle with balancing school and sports and had to attend tutoring lessons to raise his grades. He now has a 3.6 GPA and is expecting to attend San Diego State University in the fall. His strongest subject is math and science. Psychological/Emotional Characteristics Psychological/Emotional Characteristics: Erikson’s stage; completed developmental tasks (Havighurst); any emotional crisis evident?; changes in life events; challenges in well-being; shifts in personality; job  satisfaction; evidence of wisdom According to Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development, adolescents go through the ego identity versus role diffusion stage where they are figuring out who they are as a person. Branching off of Erikson’s approach, James Marcia proposed four identity statuses that he believes represents a stage an individual is going through in seeking their identity: identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, identity moratorium, and identity achievement. Adolescents in high school usually move from the diffusion and foreclosure stage to the moratorium and achievement statuses (Bartoszuk & Pittman, 2010). I also discussed the topic of stress with my subject and he revealed that school is his main source of stress, â€Å"I just applied to colleges last fall and finally received some acceptance letters last month. I have been stressing like crazy and thought I wouldn’t get into any schools!† Patrick appears to have a strong sense of self-concept and also high self-esteem. He described himself as â€Å"responsible, friendly, and competitive† and that having supportive friends and family have helped him maintain a good self-esteem. In regards to sexuality, Patrick said that he is interested in girls but does not have anything against homosexuality as he has friends who are gay and lesbian. Social Characteristics Social Characteristics: Typical interactions with others, with you; evolution of parent-child relationship; grandparenting; change in caring for parents; relationships with siblings/friends; widowhood According to the textbook, adolescents are â€Å"heavily influenced both by parents and peers† (Rathus, 2013). When asked about his interactions and relationships with others, Patrick described his friends and family as the most important aspects of his life. He and his father used to play basketball together when he was younger which fueled his love for the sport. Although he is a part of the school’s basketball team, he does not consider himself to be a jock or popular. Aside from basketball, Patrick enjoys playing video games and is interested in computers. He described himself as an â€Å"average teenage boy who loves playing sports and all things electronics.† The relationship between his family members and friends were  also further discussed in the interview. Patrick says that he has not have much time to spend with his family since high school started but his relationship with his parents has grown stronger as he grows older. Patrick and his sister are four years apart in age and have a very strong bond. They both play basketball which Patrick said has created a â€Å"friendly sibling rivalry.† Patrick described that an average Sunday with his family consisted of going to church, having brunch, going to the beach and then renting a film from Redbox. Patrick thinks that his parents are â€Å"strict but flexible at the same time.† I asked him to elaborate more on this thought and he explained that they have high expectations for him in regards to his education and that â€Å"they told [him] that [he] needs to have a 3.5 GPA and above to participate in any sports† which motivates him to do well in school. His parents have helped him look into different universities and career path options but it is ultimately his decision on what he wants to do with his future. The textbook describes this type of parenting style as the authoritative style in which parents â€Å"know what they want their children to do but also respect their children and are warm toward them† (Rathus, 2013). This parenting style usually contributes to an adolescent’s sense of high se lf-esteem and independence. The circle of friends that Patrick interact with share many similarities, they play the same sports and video games, and also like to listen to the same type of music. When asked what he and his friends do for fun after school or on the weekends, Patrick said that they usually go to one person’s house and just play a game of NBA 2K14 for a couple of hours or play a few games of basketball. He described his relationship with his friends as â€Å"chill and fun.† In regards to his dating life, Patrick’s relationships tend to be rather short; his longest relationship lasted for about six months. He shared that there is a girl who he is interested in and plans to ask her to the senior prom coming up in a few months. Patrick previously had a part-time job at a retail store but quit due to his grades dropping. It has been proven that â€Å"adolescents who work after school obtain lower grades† (Rathus, 2013). Moral characteristics Moral characteristics: Any changes since early adulthood According to Lawrence Kohlberg, adolescence is the period in life where  individuals become capable of formal-operational thinking, allowing them to make decisions by using ethical principles (Rathus, 2013). Patrick defined a rule as a set of principles that should be strictly followed. I asked him why he thinks rules should be obeyed and to give an example of when it is okay to break a rule and his response was, â€Å"rules are made so that things will run smoothly† and â€Å"rules can be broken if it is necessary to save someone’s life.† Based on this response, Patrick is taking the perspective of stage 6 of Kohlberg’s postconventional level of moral development in which it is acceptable to break a rule/law in order to preserve a life regardless of the consequences this may bring. Analysis I enjoyed doing this interview because it gave me a better understanding of how it would be to personally interact with another human being especially since I am interested in majoring in Human Development. It was quite intimidating and nerve-racking at first since I have never interviewed anyone before and I felt very inexperienced. By the middle of the interview, I felt less anxious and began getting the hang of it. After the interview, I realized that I should have asked more questions in regards to moral development. Overall, this was a great learning experience and I feel more confident for the next interview that I will have to conduct for the class. I look forward to using the skills I learned from this interview and applying it for future experiences. References Bartoszuk, K., & Pittman, J. F. (2010). Profiles of identity exploration and commitment across domains. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 19(4), 444-450. Rathus, S. A. (2014). Hdev3. (3rd ed.) Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.

Aztec and Inca Dbq

Aztec & Inca DBQ The Aztec and Inca were two very advanced cultural societies for being on of the early civilizations of Central America. These Empires maintained a high level of cultural development due to their social, architectural, and religious aspects. Additional documents that would have aided the explanation of these cultures would be from a priest and his role was a significant part in the community as well as from an architect or constructor, to describe some of the obstacles they needed to surpass in order to erect the magnificent buildings and temples.The social effects of the Aztec & Incan Empires clearly emphasized the superb cultural development that occurred there (documents 1,6,7,8,10,11). The Mendoza Codex exhibits the daily activities and customs of the Aztec realm (doc. 1). It depicts the type of work depending on gender roles, in which men performed more of the hunting activities and the women were taught how to work with crafts. The picture also shows how the ol der generations taught their young the new techniques and traditions. (Insert authors’ pov/bias here). The page from the Codex Mendoza shows the advanced marketplaces they had because of the great variety of goods (doc. ). The numerous manufactured wares also show the type of work and materials that were needed to be done in order to produce the items. (Insert authors’ pov/bias here). In the memoirs of the conquistador Bernal Diaz del Castillo, he describes the quality and vast amounts of goods sold at the Aztec marketplace (doc. 7). He takes not of how the items were displayed and the policies that enforced order throughout the market. However, he does show bias because he compared the Aztec marketplace to that of Portugal, and is truly only interested in gold, silver and slaves.He was also surprised by the way the slaves were able to walk around the city without being restrained. The photograph of the Chinampa system shows the importance of the agricultural method as well as how the geography of the area promoted its use (doc. 8). From the lake dredged islands, much force needed to be exerted by the workers in order to harvest the crops. Although a laboring job, the fields reaped great benefits since they produced seven crops per year. This amount contributed to a mixed diet, which led to better health and a greater population. (Insert authors’ pov/bias here).The picture of the Incan bridge shows the intercommunication between people from different parts of the area to do so with ease (doc. 10). The bridges not only encouraged communication between peoples, but also to aid them form gathering crops from one side of the area to the other, and to increase trade between the two parts of the Incan Empire. (Insert authors’ pov/bias here). The picture from the First New Chronicle and Good Government, illustrated by Felipe Guanan Poma de Ayala, depicts the wide use and dependence on quipu to govern the Incan Empire (doc. 1). This mneumon ic device allowed for rulers and imperial officials to keep track of various statistics including agricultural products, and debts owed by the people. (Insert authors’ pov/bias here). Architecture also contributed to the stimulation of culture in the central American societies (documents 2,9,10,13). The photograph of the carved glyph on the Tenayuca Pyramid in Mexico City exhibits the skill and precision that architects had in constructing a building (doc. 2).Although all these sculptors had were rocks to carve into the rock, they did so in a way that was very proficient and showed their expertise in architecture. (Insert authors’ pov/bias here). The twelve cornered stone, shows the great amount of skill and effort the Incan architects had and needed in order to make such reliable and dependable walls (doc. 9) . The walls are of quality strength because they have lasted from the day they were built up until now without the use of any mortar, just the precise aligning o f carved rocks. (Insert authors’ pov/bias here).Apart from architecture, the Incan engineers built reliable bridges, just like the one that still stands today (doc. 10). This shows the expertise in bridge – making as well as how the bridge could have helped architects build their structures, by using the bridge to cross over the chasm and retrieve rocks that could be used as carving rocks or as building materials. The photograph of Machu Picchu shows the great amount of effort and skill required to create a society that could be depended on and maintained in the mountains (doc. 13). (Insert authors’ pov/bias here).The Incan architects truly show their might with this one, all buildings and structures were put together from hand carved rocks without the use of mortar. The builders also had to create a way for the city to not fall down, which also took much thought and skill. Lastly, religion was a great supporter for the cultural development in the Aztec and Inca n Empires (documents 3,4,5, 12). The civil calendar used by the Aztecs shows the sophistication and complexity of activities throughout the course of the year, and how they paid close attention to religious ceremonies and the agricultural cycle (doc. 3).In this society the gods needed to be worshipped in order to produce great and bountiful harvests, so the veneration of goods was a necessity. (Insert authors’ pov/bias here). The chart describes the rituals that were associated for each month of the year and how it coincided with the Aztec calendar (doc. 4). The chart shows the intense religious devotion of many gods through ways of sacrificing people of certain age groups for each month. (Insert authors’ pov/bias here). The photograph from the Florentine Codex by Friar Bernadino, exhibits the great sacrificial society of the Mexica people (doc 5).This document shows bias because to the people of Central America, human sacrifice is part of their religion and way of wor shiping their gods and giving their offerings, while to a Franciscan monk who is a Christian begger, these ways are seen as heretic and the citizens are considered savages. The first new chronicle and good government by Felipe Guaman Panade Ayala exhibits the great devotion of Incas and their leaders to their sun god (doc. 12). They were strictly believers of the sun god and many other gods and since the document was written by someone who is of Incan descent, it shows bias.He sees the kings rejection to the Christian missionary Fray Vincente, as an act of great courage, loyalty, and devotion to his god, and is seen as a religious figure to other followers of the sun god. All in all, despite some of the Aztec's and Inca's outdated technology methods, and tools, they were at quite an advanced level of cultural development. Together the social, architectural, and religious aspects contributed to these successful societies. This essay receives a score of 9! It covers all requirements.

Current Event Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Current Event - Research Paper Example This mainly affects consumers since the prices of commodities go on the rise and money becomes scarcer. The value of money in the affected states declines and therefore, a lot of money can only afford remarkably few commodities (Von, 2006). It is not easy to detect inflation as we can detect other things like drought. Once inflation has occurred, it puts away investors, and they prefer to invest in other states where the likelihood of making profits is higher with fewer risks of their businesses collapsing. This is in line with Buttonwood’s arguments. It even results to release of fewer goods and services into the market since raw materials are unavailable or the cost is too high. Customers may end up lacking particularly essential commodities or getting them at exaggerated prices. Inflation may be because of different things. Buttonwood article gives mixed reactions from economists. The article confirms that inflation might be as a result of hoarding of essential commodities that are in high demand. However, the main cause of inflation is the government activities, Buttonwood confirm. In cases where the government prints excess money, when it releases it in to circulation, aiming to deal with a certain crisis it raises inflation instead. Increased supply of money results to decline in the value of money reducing the prices of commodities and raising inflation (Voitovich, 1995) Customers are among those directly affected by profit margins. A raised profit margin increases the prices of commodities, and this affects the quantity that the consumer purchases. High profit margins can help maintain a business in the market, but this is only possible if their particular goods are in high demand (Von, 2006). Failure to have high demands, the company fails to realize its set goal, hence may end up not affording to pay its workers, and therefore only resolves to lay them off. According to Robinson (2007), unemployment means further decline in the products consump tion fewer sales and therefore this only favors the competitors of the declining business. International lending and national debts by the third world may be a leading cause of inflation. The developing countries borrow funds from the developed ones and pay them off with heavy interests (Sandmo, 2011). To deal with the debts they developing governments overtax their consumers to raise revenue and this result to increased prices of commodities reducing affordability. The citizens carry the burden of buying goods at unreasonably high prices. This is usually exploitation of the developing countries by the already developed ones. Article relation to economics Scheidel (2007) in support of Buttonwood (2012) article adds that another cause of inflation may be political instabilities within states. In cases of involvement into wars, the environment is usually not conducive for producers and therefore this means shortages in the supply of commodities. He argues that shortages in supply mean hiked prices that are unaffordable with the limited finances available. For example, when U.S.A attacked Iraq, this caused political instability in Iraq and hence affected the supply of petroleum products to the entire world. Supply of oil drastically declined and therefore this caused global inflation, that shortage affected every country. This has also happened in African countries after the supply of oil by Libya was

Recruitment and Selection of personnel. How to evaluate the Essay

Recruitment and Selection of personnel. How to evaluate the effectiveness of recruitment processes - Essay Example In the next step, the research establishes a correlation between hiring methods and organizational performance across various parameters like financial, productivity, quality, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction and quality staff retention. Research finds that some of the recruitment and selection practices have a higher correlation with organizational performance across all the above stated parameters. Finally the study suggests methods for evaluating the effectiveness of the recruitment and selection practices. Among various studies on human resource practices, there aren’t many that focus on measuring effectiveness of recruitment and selection methods. Recruitment and selection are those vital components of HR function that provide human capital to the organization, which forms the core of competitive advantages for the company. Attracting quality manpower through various strategies, screening, short listing and carrying them through the selection process and finally inducting the most suitable candidates in the organization are the various stages involved. Some of the researchers like Breaugh & Starke (2000) have tried to find a correlation between recruitment process and subsequently success of the selected candidate on the job. That provides one parameter for measuring the effectiveness of one of the components. Retention of the selected employees cant be ignored from the scope of effectiveness of recruitment and selection strategies. Though once the suitable candidate is hired, half the job is done, some of the issues related directly to employee turnover and retention, might be unrelated to recruitment and selection processes. However, staff turnout before becoming productive, can be a sign of ineffective process. In todays competitive world, Human Resource function isnt just a support function and the measures like Balanced Score Card have been developed to measure HR from financial perspective as

Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 3

Research Paper - Essay Example The research supports conformity because it promotes this imitation of behavior of people who have better and more valid sources of information. Research ensures this conformity by bringing about informational social influence (Aronson, Wilson, and Akert). This type of influence motivates common public to put trust in the way more learned people interpret confusing or ambiguous situations. Conformity is supported when people believe that this other version of interpretation is more reliable than their individual versions. This sort of conformity helps people see the right way amidst much darkness and go for the right course of action. Researchers are known for passing on more efficient and innovative behaviors to the rest of the world by using the tool of informational social influence. This suggests that particular groups in society have the power to design behavioral conventions on basis of evidence-based knowledge which are not yet witnessed in other groups. These particular group s then pass on their conventions to other groups and make them conform to them. People who do not show interest in conforming to new ideals have to try harder to gain social acceptance than people who demonstrate the tendency to conform (Aronson, Wilson, and Akert). This means that research or experimentally induced innovations lead to change things via conformity in people. People conform to be socially accepted. Comparing Turkey and America side by side in context of conformity reveals that on a general basis, people in Turkey show more willingness to engage in conforming behavior than Americans. They think less of themselves as individual beings and strive to align themselves with others or social norms. There is not as much freedom to be seen in Turkey as in America because less people go for the option of living by personal philosophies. Rather, a majority of population considers it safe to conform. This is because of two factors.