Pleasant ville essay Essay

A new idea can throw off a whole community. Don’t believe me? Watch Pleasantville, a movie on how a pair of twins, brother and sister, completely change a city. They are transported from the modern world, to a quaint town in a T.V. show called Pleasantville. As quick as the pair of twins spread their ideas they try even harder to stop them, not wanting to change how the whole community functions. But it proved to be impossible and soon everything was changing, for the better and for the worse. Sociologists can view this movie in three different perspectives: the functionalist, conflict, and interactionist perspective. The Conflict Perspective is shown throughout the movie. This perspective focuses on those forces in society that promote change and competition. In this movie, an example would be the colored vs. the black and white folks. Violence aroused between the colored vs. the black and white’s. Soon the black and white folks began to vandalize the colored people’s shops, homes, and even went as far as to racism laws; they viewed the colored people as different individuals because they were accepting change. The colored vs. the black and white’s is viewed as a conflict perspective because of the change that is accruing from the black and white’s racism toward the colored people; like only gray and white paint, the Lovers Lane and the library being closed up, colored and the black and white’s sit separated at court, and no umbrellas on sale. Another example would be the moms’ inner conflict within her; she accepts the change but is too afraid to show it. She is in love with Mr. Johnson but she has to choose to either stay true to her husband or too follow her heart. This is an example of conflict perspective because the wife is beginning to change because of the conflict within her; like not going to sleep at the same time as her husband, not wanting to be a house wife anymore, not having food ready for her husband when he gets home, and last but not least becoming colored. The functionalist perspective is employed by those who view society as a set of interrelated parts that work together to create a stable social system. Since not everything in society is positive, a dysfunction is the negative consequence an element has for the stability of the social system. This is shown in the movie when the  roles of daughter and mother have changed. Instead of the mom giving her daughter â€Å"the talk† it’s the other way around. This is an example of functional perspective because the mother is no longer doing her job. Another example would be the firemen. They are not exactly doing their job either; instead of stopping fires they rescue cats from trees because fire does not really exist in Pleasantville. They don’t really start doing their job until the twins show up and the first fire occurs and even then bud has to show them how to do their job and stop the fire! The last type is interactionist perspective, which is how individuals interact with each other’s in society. Sociologists would focus on how soon after Mary Sue’s relations with her brother improved, and soon after she would ask him for advice and confide in him. The fact that they were stranded in a 1950’s T.V. show makes them stick together. Another example is how the kids were acting more provocative and became sexually active. This was a huge change from their previous, obedient character. Also after a few days, Mary Sue’s friends were speaking in the same ’90s dialect. This is shown when her friend remarks â€Å"Cool!† Mary Sue changed the way they communicated with her ideas. All these examples fall under interactionist perspective because the characters began to change the way they talk and how they interact with one another. The key theme in this movie is change. It shows that change can be both positive and negative, with the Functionalist, conflict, and interactionist perspectives. As the plot progresses, Pleasantville changes increasingly and colors begin to appear, symbolizing the spread of new ideas. Without change, a society truly cannot function.

Cognitive Development May Progress Gradually or Through a Series of Stages Essay

Cognitive development can be defined as the growth of our knowledge in understanding the world around us. This growth can be developed gradually, in other words, it is seen as a continuous process by collecting more information. Another way of developing cognitively is through a series of stages which involves some sort of revolution from one period to another in one’s lifetime. Jean Piaget, a cognitive developmentalist believed that humans go through a series of stages in life in order to reach their full cognitive ability. In this essay, we would briefly talk about Piaget’s Stage Theory and its criticisms. Piaget divided his theory into four different stages of development. The first one is known as the sensorimotor stage which is applied to infants for approximately the first two years of their lives. At this stage, infants discover the world mainly by their senses and actions. One of the main concepts Piaget penned is object permanence. This is the knowledge of the existence of objects even when we cannot directly sense it. Piaget suggested that babies lack this concept through his study; A not B task. In this study, the experimenter hides a toy under Box A then the baby would search for it under Box A. This procedure was repeated and eventually in front of the baby, the experimenter hid the toy under Box B. The baby searched for it under Box A instead of B even though they saw the experimenter hid it under Box B. Therefore, this study shows that the baby lacked the concept of object permanence. They are known to be in a state of solipsism, also known as the failure to differentiate between themselves and the surroundings. Based on observation conducted on his own children (1952), Piaget divided this stage into six different sub stages. However, Piaget’s claims on object permanence have been criticized. Baillargeon et al. (1985) found in their research that infants as young as three-and-a-half months have developed the ability of object permanence. This was backed up by Bower & Wishart (1972) whereby they discovered that even after the lights were switched off, the babies continued to search for the object shown. Hence, they do possess the ability of object permanence. The second stage is the preoperational stage which occurs when the child is aged 2 to 7. On this stage, the child solves problems by using symbols and develops the skill for languages. According to Piaget, the child is egocentric which means he sees the world from his standpoint but not others. The solution to this is to apply operational intelligence. The process of solving problems by using logic. Another concept which Piaget is concerned with is conservation. It is the understanding that any quantity remains the same even if physical changes is made to the objects holding the medium. In addition to these concepts, centration, also defined as the focus on a single aspect of a problem at a time. Piaget states that at this stage, the child fails to decenter. Conversely, Borke and Hughes (1975) found contradicting evidence against Piaget’s on his study of the three mountains task. They used the same elements of the task and discovered that children had no problem with identifying the perspectives of the others when the task is shown in a meaningful context. Hence, from the result obtained, Hughes found that the children did not display any characteristics of being egocentric. Furthermore, Gelman (1979) found in his study that four year olds altered their explanations of things to get their message across clearer to a blindfolded listener. If Piaget’s concept of egocentrism was correct then, this shouldn’t have happened. In addition, Flavell suggested an alternative to this issue by coining the Level 1 and Level 2 perspective-taking abilities. In Level 1, one thinks about viewing objects but not the different perspectives that can be seen of the objects while in Level 2, one is able to imagine the views of the objects from different angles. Flavell concluded that it is not compulsory that children think others share the same perspective as themselves but they do struggle to imagine what others can see. Therefore, this shows that Piaget’s claim on egocentrism could be correct or wrong. Moreover, in Donaldson’s Children’s Minds (1978), she argued that children misunderstood the questions which Piaget asked while conducting the studies. This was the reason why Piaget obtained the results in his studies involving the concept of conservation especially. Donaldson stated that Piaget’s tasks had no meaningful context for the children to understand, hence they answered what they thought the experimenter expected of them. This claim was supported by Rose & Blank (1974) where they found children often succeeded in the conservation task. Further research was done by Samuel & Bryant (1978) who used conservation of number, liquid quantity and substance and obtained similar conclusion with Rose & Blank’s. Donaldson also stated that children were unintentionally forced to produce the wrong answer against their own logical judgment. One of the explanations is that the same question was asked repeatedly before and after transformations presented to them and this in turn caused the children to believe that their original answer was wrong. Thus, the idea of children assuming the fact that reality changes according to appearance could be incorrect. In addition, Piaget may have underestimated a child’s cognitive ability because based on Mitchell & Robinson’s (1992) study; they demonstrated that children from the age of 4 could locate the correct answer to a solution by canceling out the alternatives. This process is also known as inference by elimination. The children were presented with a set of cartoon characters, three of which were well-known. They were asked to identify a superhero which was unknown. The researchers discovered that majority of the children selected the unknown character without doubt. Another example of a child’s ability is their capability with syllogisms which consists of logical problems accompanied by a general rule that enables people to create a statement. Dias and Harris (1990) stated a general rule that all fish live in trees and Tiddles is a fish, then it is logical to assume that Tiddles live in trees. After presenting this to the children, they insisted that Tiddles lives in the water instead. However, after the experimenters presented them with another rule, they were ready to use the rule to make inferences. Therefore, these evidences show that Piaget may have underestimated the abilities of younger children. Subsequently is the stage of concrete operation which happens to children around the age of 7 to 12. Now the child is able to solve their problems in a logical manner but the problem has to be either real or concrete. The final stage; formal operations which takes place when the child turns 12 and continue into their adulthood. In this stage, one would be able to solve problems systematically and logically even if the problem is a hypothetical situation. Wason and Johnson-Laird showed that most intelligent adults do not fulfill Piaget’s ideal cognitively developed person through selection task. This claim is proved in Cheng and Holyoak’s (1985) study where the results strongly show that majority of the participants does not display the reasoning of an adult in the stage of formal operations. In other words, this experiment is a clear indication that the formal operations stage does not exist. One of the critics of Piaget’s Stage Theory in general is John Flavell (1982) who claimed that Piaget did not define the cognitive processes clearly. Furthermore, Braine and Rumain (1983) who conducted an analysis on the contents and the structure of the theory found that Piaget’s theory could be flawed. These are only the few critics of Piaget’s Stage Theory. Thus, the theory is constantly being questioned due to its impact in the field of cognitive psychology. After stating the basic facts of the theory as well as giving some examples of the critics of Piaget’s concepts and ideas, we are now able to get an overview of the debate. Overall, there are evidences which propose some of the concepts to be reviewed again and maybe even rejected. However, from the researches conducted on Piaget’s theory as well as the impact of it, alternative theories were penned down. For example, Vygotsky’s theory which takes on a more social based view of describing the cognitive development. In conclusion, Piaget’s theory have been applied in various institutions especially education but it is also being criticized by many in the field, therefore, it is only fair to conclude that Piaget’s theory may need to be modified in order to create a more accurate theory to explain the way we understand the world.

Life Span (Human Development)fe Span (Human Development) Essay

Life Span (Human Development)fe Span (Human Development) - Essay Example The basic theoretical issues in regard to this include: Issue 1: Is development active or reactive? Issue 2: Is development continuous or discontinuous? The mechanistic model believes that human development results from responses to stimuli, and the organismic model considers human development as a response that occurs from internal activeness. The five theoretical perspectives include psychoanalytic approach, learning theory, cognitive theory, contextual perspective, and evolutionary approach, which are further discussed in the following section (Chapter Two, n.d., pp.23-25). Cognitive developmental theories – This theory reflects on the development of reasoning and logical development of human beings from the time of their birth to infancy to the stage of adolescence. A key focus is concerned with the role that human culture and teaching processes have on human beings. Learning theories – This theory emphasizes on the theories that are learned by human beings over time, through observations and experiences clearing the understanding of individuals of values, expectancies, and goals. Cultural theory – This theory focuses on bringing out the culturally diverse world around human beings reflecting on the development of human beings that is based upon the guidance offered by the nature of culture. Social role theory – This theory emphasizes on the development of human beings in the context of social life. This determines the multiple social roles that human beings play in their lives over their development. Systems theory – This theory develops an understanding of the different elements in the system of human life that are interdependent on each other. Self-regulation and self-organization are guided by the behaviours of such elements. The debate of nature versus nature in relation to growth and development of human beings has been in

Marketing Mix Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Mix - Research Paper Example Several components are collected and divided into four different variables which are known as four Ps – Product, Place, Price and Promotion. In general the term ‘marketing mix’ is used to signify these four Ps. These four Ps are the main elements of marketing mix. Each of them is briefly explained below. Product Product means the tangible goods or the intangible services or the combinations of two that are offered by the companies to their customers. For instance, an Apple iPad is a tangible product whereas a software or insurance policy is an intangible product. According to Pride and Ferrell, a product includes functional, psychological as well as social benefits or utilities. Furthermore it may also include various supporting services like guarantees, installation and repair (Pride & Ferrell, 2010, pp - 282). Price Customers have to pay a certain amount of money in order to purchase a product and this is called price. Companies earn their revenues from the pric es of their products. Price of a particular product can be decided by adopting different policies or strategies. Some of these strategies are ‘target pricing’, ‘ongoing pricing’, ‘value based pricing’ etc. ... Place is basically referred to these and all the locations where the products are made available by the company. Promotion Promotion means all the activities that are involved in communicating the advantages and benefits of a particular product to the customers. The principle objective of promotional activities is to persuade the customer for making him/her purchase the product. There are different kinds of promotional activities that are practiced. Advertising, public relation, personal selling, sales promotion are the most widely practiced promotional tools (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2008, pp. 47). Marketing Mix and Ford Ford motor is one of the biggest automobile manufacturing companies in the world. The company has been producing quality cars for the past century. Different categories of cars starting from SUVs to sedan are produced by Ford. Various functional services like warranties, repair of damages come automatically when any of Ford cars is purchased. The company decides the p rice on the basis of its target revenue as well as consumers’ perception regarding the product. In case of its ‘Escape’ model, Ford calculates the probable retail prices that can be charged by its dealers. However, it is found that the dealers hardly charge the full price that is on the sticker. Instead of doing that, they offer trade-in-allowances, discounts as well as credit terms while negotiating the price with their customers. Such activities help the company to gain competitive advantage (Kotler, 2008, pp. 48-49). As far as distribution channels are concerned, there is a huge network of independent dealers who sell different cars of the company. Dealers are selected carefully by Ford, but once they are selected they get all

Individual Personality Profile Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Individual Personality Profile - Assignment Example The study of personality is undertaken mostly by both sociologists and psychologists to give them an insight into what makes a person tick. There are two broad ways of how to approach or implement the study of personality. The first is through discovering some general principles that apply to all types of people such as self-actualization principle that governs all human beings. The second approach is to observe and understand an individual by his unique aspects. The first approach is generalized or macro view (termed as nomothetic psychology) while the second is a micro view of a person or specific and called idiographic psychology. There are also several theoretical viewpoints used to study personality such as social learning perspective, biological, humanistic, behavioral and psycho-dynamic. Various tests have been designed to determine an individuals personality using some of these theories to arrive at a coherent and complete picture of a persons psychological composition or makeup. Personal psychology is used in a variety of ways such as hiring policies for employment. This paper will describe my personality based on some tests I took and discuss its implications. Knowing your personality type can help a lot in career decision making. This is due to the fact that certain personalities are more suited to particular jobs or professions. Having a good fit between personality and job description helps towards achieving efficiency at work and increased employee satisfaction as well. This is why personality tests are important in the world of work and many firms use personality tests to determine if an applicant is suitable or not for a vacant job position. Hiring the right employees helps to improve or achieve overall organizational objectives. Training and work experience can come in later and augment all an employees strengths in performing the job functions but the

Chapters 1-6 Summary of Forensic Science from the Crime Scene to the Essay

Chapters 1-6 Summary of Forensic Science from the Crime Scene to the Crime Lab - Essay Example These laws are applied so as to control the accomplishments of the forensic community. Forensic science is an enormous field that has a wide history of its appliance. The first documented autopsy belonged to Julius Caesar. This was during the 15th century that he produced his first textbook on forensics. In the book a murder occurred, and the murder weapon was identified by science. Times have developed, and forensic science is used in investigations to find out the causes of crimes. In the United States, a department of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was developed in the 1930s by J. Edgar Hoover, who is considered as the father of FBI. This department is used for investigating crime scenes and until today it mainly uses forensics science to come up with evidences. Edgar founded nation-wide laboratories to offer services in forensics. These crime laboratories delivered quality forensic services to all law implementation organisations in the United States. Thus, they play a significant role in providing proof of crimes by using fingerprints, Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and may more. Forensic scientists visit crime scenes to gather and analyse evidence by collaborating with the investigators and define their findings through comprehensive written reports. When investigating a crime scene, one has to know ways on how to secure the scene, take a survey and how to search it in order to find evidence. Therefore, first one should establish the dimensions of the scene and find the potential health and safety risks. This can be done by locating the focal point. At the scene, safety is very vital all through the primary approach to the crime scene. Individuals should be keen on biohazards, weapons, chemical hazards and deliberate traps might be waiting for the responders. Hence, people on the scene including medics, coroners and fire fighters should be given advice on evidentiary

Implementing organizational change plan Assignment

Implementing organizational change plan - Assignment Example To identify the factors required to implement change in the defense sector, focus on strategies for change implementation, evaluate methods to monitor the implementation of such change, examine relationship between organization’s personnel, processes and systems, etc. In the previous years, army life was supposed to be one of the best careers possible owing to the benefits it provided. Forget about the hardship of the soldiers, they were provided with high payments and other amenities. As time went on, and with the advent of highly paying service sector, the soldiers are comparing their lives with those of the highly paid service professionals who do not face the risk of their life. Added to this, the discomfort of parting from their family members and the work humiliation by their superiors is forcing the youngsters to rethink their career options into army. But, as the country’s security lies in the hands of these youth, it becomes imperative to bring about considerab le organizational change in this sector.A comprehensive plan needs to be developed to subdue the effect of these factors. Strategies for successful implementation of proposed change: After examining abovementioned factors, the proposed change can be a welcome in the army only when the subordinates are also included in the planning process. This is called Management by Objectives. In this process, 1. The organizational objectives and their purpose are clearly defined: As for the defense sector, the main objective is to maintain peace in the country and defend an enemy when such situations arise. This should be made clear to every army personnel. 2. The key Performance Areas (KPA’s) have to be drawn down realistically by the superiors: The superiors have to give great importance to the security of their personnel to gain their confidence. Detailed plans have to be drawn about the operations to be used in the warfronts and they have to be communicated clearly. 3. Setting of obje ctives for sub-ordinates: The KPA’s for every individual could be to maintain peace and harmony in the department, upgrade personal skills to imbibe new warfront technologies, exhibit presence of mind at the wartime and perform what is required at that very moment. The sub-ordinates should be explained of their roles in reaching the objectives to minimize the gap between the expectations and their performance. 4. Objective matching with the resources: The superiors should foray into technology, task and structure related changes and design the best methodology for the subordinates.