Einhorn asserts that 'democracy stops at the factory gates'. What are Essay

Einhorn asserts that 'democracy stops at the factory gates'. What are the limits to organisational democracy within market economies and what might a post-capitalist form of work organisation look like - Essay Example ; moreover, it has been noted that the limitation of democracy in the workplace has been out of the control of political leaders; current paper focuses on the examination of the aspects of democracy across organizations, or else, the organisational democracy. Through the research made on the existing literature, it has been proved that organisational democracy is reduced under the influence of the interests of employers; on the other hand, the need for salary has been proved, in most cases, to be stronger than the need for fairer conditions of work. In this context, the phrase of Eihorn that ‘democracy stops at the factory gates’ can be characterized as justified. However, the limitation of freedom in its various aspects cannot lead to the limitation of the fights for fair conditions of life; entrepreneurial interests need to be satisfied – at the level that each enterprise is based on the entrepreneur’s – or the shareholders – investment; how ever, a balance should exist between the interests of all parties in the workplace; the succession of the capitalist (by a post-capitalist) form of work organisation can be considered as necessary; this succession has been started; the terms of this transition and the characteristics of the post-capitalist form of work organisation are also explained in this paper. In order to understand the role and the characteristics of national democracy it would be necessary to refer primarily to its definition; in accordance with Salamon (2000, p.147) ‘organisational democracy involves an interrelationship between participative democracy (membership involvement in policy formulation and decision making) and representational democracy (election of representatives to positions of ‘government’ or leadership)’; organizational democracy can refer to all aspects of organizational activities being depended on the organizational environment (internal and external) and the country’s political system and social ethics. The

Artificial Intelligence in Business Applications

Artificial Intelligence in Business Applications Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Business functions that can/cannot be automated INTRODUCTION Computer systems today are a part of almost all businesses; this is because they provide us, along with the added use of the Internet, with a variety of means that made business operations easier, productivity higher, and communication processes faster. Computers and the programs (or the software applications that are installed on them) along with the robotic systems do a great amount of the tasks that were previously performed by the employees and/or workers themselves. This transformation, towards an automated work environment, saved businesses a lot of unwanted expenses, a lot of time, and caused profits to increase steadily. Computers substituted, in different business structures, classical machines and tools, such as the calculator, the fax, the telephone, the photocopier and many more. The automation of different business functions led many organisations and companies to a higher level in what concerns production and management. But the point that should be understood is that even though many processes and functions related to businesses and organisations have been automated, there are still many aspects that are not, or that cannot be, automated for a wide range of reasons. BUSINESS FUNCTIONS The main objective of any business is to achieve success. To be able to reach success, an organisation needs to have an effective structure because any entity depends exclusively on two factors which are management and use of information. An efficient use of information systems can allow an easier and faster access to data that are essential for the workflow and for the quality of that work and, therefore, can assist the management in performing its duties in the best possible manner and in making the right decisions at the right times. In order to achieve such objectives, specific business functions should be established and specific tasks should be performed. Every kind of business and every organisation, depending on the nature of their operations, the products or services that are provided by them, their geographic location, and depending on the management and production schools that they relate to, have different business functions, but there are certain generic functions that apply to all kinds of businesses all over the world. These functions are usually general management, information management, operations management, marketing, finance and accounting, and human resources. Lan and Unhelkar (2005) identify the various generic business functions by stating that they are the function of Management and Administration which is the department whose tasks are to â€Å"corporate resources, corporate image, quality in all aspects, industrial relations, stakeholders relations, productivity, [and] promotion,† the function of Human Resources that should deal with â€Å"job analysis, position classification, employee training, employee selection, employee auditing and promotion† in addition to other related tasks, the function of Finance and Accounts that is responsible for â€Å"the capital operations required by the entire enterprise activities the funds required by management, administration, sales, marketing, human resources, [and] purchasing,† the function of Purchase and Procurement, the function of Sales and Marketing, and the function of Customer Care or Customer Support. According to another source, â€Å"business functions are universal and apply to every type of business. The most essential business functions are marketing, operations (production of goods and services), finance, and human resource management† (Plunkett, Attner, and Allen 2005). Here, we find a view according to which all functions are the same regardless of the type of business. The main question is to understand whether the above mentioned functions can be in whole or in part automated and/or computerised. In other words, can all the tasks concerning the business functions be transferred to intelligent electronic or robotic agents reaching the level of efficiency and proficiency in which humans are capable of performing them? AUTOMATION AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE In order to understand if all (or only some) business functions can be automated, it is important to understand the meaning of the concept itself. According to MSN Encarta (2005) automation is a â€Å"system of manufacture designed to extend the capacity of machines to perform certain tasks formerly done by humans, and to control sequences of operations without human intervention. The term automation has also been used to describe non-manufacturing systems in which programmed or automatic devices can operate independently or nearly independently of human control. In the fields of communications, aviation, and astronautics, for example, such devices as automatic telephone switching equipment, automatic pilots, and automated guidance and control systems are used to perform various operations much faster or better than could be accomplished by humans.† For us to reach such a system, a certain computerised aspect should be developed; an aspect which enables machines to execute given tasks according to the desired level. For such an objective, experts and programmers should be able to produce information systems that possess some of the characteristics of intelligence; this is why such systems are referred to as systems of artificial intelligence, or simply intelligent machines; in other words, computerised systems that are pre-programmed to perform a certain mission with the same level of accuracy of a trained human being. It is the science of creating machines that are intelligent, and in a more specific context, intelligent computer software-programs functioning according to the present hardware. It attempts to comprehend the mechanisms in which human intelligence works and then imitates it in the way the prospective intelligent machines should work, avoiding the limitations of biologically related weaknesses. Bailey (1992) describes his understanding of intelligence as the ability to reason or have a logical thinking, and to have an effect on the environment; this will require a good level of knowledge that should be acquired. To be able to simulate humans, machines should possess the capability of understanding the world. Computers, or intelligent machines, should be knowledgeable on a level that is even deeper and more detailed than we are Depending on knowledge, intelligent machines (or computers or robots) will be in a position to answer any of our questions, they could perform any task efficiently, and they can solve complex and difficult problems much more rapidly. Bailey also states that another important feature that intelligent machines should have is connectivity to each other all around the world through the use of networks, which will make it even easier for them to gain more knowledge and to communicate it to one another. Then there is another feature that is the ability to establish an effective level of communication between intelligent computers and humans through both written and verbal means and not through commands typed through a keyboard and a screen. Finally Bailey puts the physical qualities, such as vision, hearing, as the final of his desired intelligent computer or robot through the use of visual and auditory sensors similar to, or better than, those of humans. AUTOMATING BUSINESS FUNCTIONS The organisational structure is the setting that defines all the departments of the organisation, identifies the responsibilities and duties of each department, regulates the relationship between the various departments and explains how each of them should interact with the others in the way that guarantees the achievement of the desired outcome. As Clarke and Anderson explain, â€Å"an organizational role is defined as a set of functions together with a set of obligations and authorities. The same human or artificial agent can play several roles† [within that specific organisation] (187). The various tools of Information Technology can assist the company in gathering, elaborating, processing, storing/documenting, and distributing all the information that is needed for planning, decision making, and control. The use of computers and the simplicity they offer are important elements in what concerns the enhancement of all the mentioned processes. This fact explains how information technology influences the way in which organisations tend to arrange the tasks and processes within them. Ross (2003) explains that â€Å"information technology (IT) has progressively become key link integrating the business enterprise and its logistics capabilities with its customers and supplies Simply, the organization’s ability to create, collect, assimilate, access, and transfer information must be in alignment with the velocity of the activities necessary to execute effectively supplier, customer service, logistics and financial processes.† As mentioned earlier, many aspects related to the various tasks of businesses are now computerised and/or automated. Accounting and financial processes, for example, are not done only on paper as they once used to be; instead complete computer systems that rely on software applications are those that elaborate, document, communicate, and distribute the various pieces of information among different employees working in different departments. Another example is that related to the processes of sales and marketing which depend heavily on the Internet and the means of communication offered by it. â€Å"Sales force automation modules in CRM [Customer Relation Management] systems help sales staff increase their productivity by focusing sales efforts on the most profitable customers, those who are good candidates for sales and services. CRM systems provide sales prospect and contact information, product information, product configuration capabilities, and sales quote generation capabilitie s† (Laudon and Laudon 2006). For what concerns the accounts and finance function, there are clear indications that many of its tasks have been computerised. â€Å"Large and medium-sized businesses are using ASPs [Application Service Providers] for enterprise systems, sales force automation, or financial management, and small businesses are using them for functions such as invoicing, tax calculations, electronic calendars, and accounting† (Laudon and Laudon 2006). Another form of automation in this context is presented by Sanghvi (2007) as he states that â€Å"online technologies have enabled payroll services to become a popular way for accounting firms to improve client service, enhance loyalty, and gain incremental business Many small business owners turn to their accountant for back-office services while they focus on growing their businesses,† and this means that, through online systems, they can provide the external accountants with all the information needed in order to produce their legally a ccurate and acceptable financial documentation. Concerning human resources management, there are certain computerised systems that are capable of performing the main parts of the process that are related to that function. Torres-Coronas and Arias-Oliva (2005) refer to what they define as e-recruiting; which consists of the â€Å"practices and activities carried on by the organization that utilizes a variety of electronic means to fill open positions effectively and efficiently. The e-recruiting process consists of the following iterative steps: identification of hiring needs; submission of job requisition; approval of the job requisition via a job database; job posting on the Internet; online search of the job database by job seekers, online pre-screening/online self-assessment; submission of applications by applicants directly into an applicant database; online search of the applicant database for candidate selection; online evaluation of rà ©sumà ©/application; interviewing by recruiters/hiring managers; online pre-employment screening; and job offer and employment contract† Another example of a computerised business function, which is auditing, is presented by Caster and Verardo (2007): â€Å"The increasing prevalence of complex computer information systems and electronic data interchanges has made most business transactions electronic in nature Technological advances have altered not only the actual form of evidential matter required to be obtained by auditors, but also the competence of this evidence. Technology has had a significant impact on audit evidence, and existing auditing procedures could be improved in many ways.† The authors indicated that new technologically related regimes of audits have been created to automate the auditing process. Laudon and Laudon (2006) explain that certain businesses took enormous steps towards the automation of the entire processes related to their core activity: â€Å"The management of UPS decided to use automation to increase the ease of sending a package using UPS and of checking its delivery status, thereby reducing delivery costs and increasing sales revenues The technology supporting this system consists of handheld computers, barcode scanners, wired and wireless communications networks, desktop computers, UPS’s central computer, storage technology for the package delivery data, UPS inhouse package tracking software, and software to access the World Wide Web.† The author indicates that the various processes of UPS have improved substantially thanks to the computerisation and inter-connectivity of their functions. When we study the potentials of automation for what concerns business functions, it should be clearly stated that each function is a separate case with its own factors and qualities, which can allow or limit the possibilities of full computerisation of its different processes and tasks. Dorf and Kusiak (1994) state that almost every aspect of the manufacturing process can be automated: â€Å"Most manufacturing operations can be automated. Given the large number of manufacturing processes and assembly operations used in industry (the number is in the thousands) and the many possible ways in which any given operation can be automated.† The authors give different examples of automated systems, such as the Automated Production Lines (which is â€Å"a production system consisting of a series of automated workstations connected by an automatic parts transfer mechanism†), Position and Motion Control Systems (which are required to position â€Å"a work head or tool relative to a work part to accomplish a process†), and the Industrial Robotics (which are â€Å"general-purpose programmable machine possessing certain anthropomorphic characteristics†). When the other business functions are examined, we find that almost every single task within the realm of each function can be automated: Information concerning the major issues related to the business as a whole can be produced by computer systems on regular basis, and passed on to management for examination and study before reaching the right decisions in what concerns the survival and progress of their organisation. Accountancy and financial processes can be completely handled by intelligent systems that can, for example, calculate wages according to working hours, process payments to institutions and banks through electronic means over the Internet, can produce invoices and receipts to customers and suppliers, and can also manage shareholder’s issues. In the human resources function, information and requests can be effectuated electronically, but the final step, which is employees selection, cannot be performed by automated systems; because here the human factor and the hu man inter-activity is, and most probably will always be, the determining point. This is also valid for what concerns sales and marketing, the computerised system can perform all that is needed except the stages related to policy making and to physical delivery of products, as here the human factor is still required. There are certain missing parts if the desired objective is to reach a total automated business; such parts can be overcome only if (or when) we manage to solve deep and important problems in what concerns artificial intelligence. Creating systems that can ‘think’ as humans and can perform tasks related to the human factor will not be a fast endeavour, as we are still in the beginning of what concerns understanding and imitating intelligence. CONCLUSION As mentioned earlier, most of the tasks that are related to virtually all business functions can be computerised and/or automated, but the most important element is still the human factor. At the present level of technology, we are unable to create a fully automated business and we cannot transform an existing business entirely into a computerised one. Some business functions, such as accountancy and information management can be fully automated, some other functions, such as human resources and sales and marketing, can be computerised to a very high level, while other functions, such as general management, cannot be automated. Another reason, beside the technological limitations of the field of artificial intelligence today, is that people (whether customers or suppliers) are still not accustomed to dealing solely with machines. Works Cited Bailey, C. (1992) Truly Intelligent Computers. Coalition for Networked Information [online]. Available from: http://www.cni.org/pub/LITA/Think/Bailey.html>  [cited 13 April 2007]. Caster, P. and Verardo, D. (2007) Technology Changes the Form and Competence of Audit Evidence. The CPA Journal, 77(1), pp. 68-70. Clarke, R. and Anderson, P. (2001) Information, Organisation, and Technology: Studies in organisational Semiotics. Norwell, Massachusetts: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Dorf, R.C. Kusiak, A. (1994) Handbook of Design, Manufacturing and Automation. Hobokin, NJ: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Lan, Y.C. and Unhelkar, B. (2005) Global Enterprise Transitions: Managing the Process. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing Inc. Laudon, J. and Laudon, K. (2006) Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm 10th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Microsoft Encarta 2006. (2005) Automation. [CD-ROM]. Microsoft Corporation. Plunkett, W. R. Attner, R. F. and Allen, G. (2005) Management: Meeting and Exceeding Customer Expectations. Mason, Ohio: Thomson South-Western Publisher. Ross, D. F. (2003) Distribution: Planning and Control 6th ed. Norwell, Massachusetts: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Sanghvi, A. (2007) Improving Service Through Online Payroll. The CPA Journal, 77(3), pp. 11. Torres-Coronas, T. and Arias-Oliva, M. (2005) e-Human Resources Management: Managing Knowledge People. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing.

Vanderbilt Admission :: essays research papers

â€Å"Matt, don’t you play in band?† There was a time in my life when I was afraid to admit it being in band. Maybe it was the lack of tackles and slap shots, or possibly I was embarrassed because the players were not as cool as football or hockey players. Then again, it might have been the strange combination of athletics, music, and academics that I carried through high school. What is it like playing varsity hockey, and playing flute and piccolo in the symphony band? I am used to this question by now. The answer is simple: it is like me. Both activities are enjoyable and come with different benefits. It was not helpful that my hockey teammates were less than supportive about my playing with the band. But, I do what I want for me and not for anyone else. This is a value that my mother instilled in me at a young age. I never really fit into any crowd in high school. So, I just hung out with everyone and came and went as I pleased. While it sounds easy, it can sometimes get a little interesting. Coming right from hockey to a band practice was always fun. Walking into the room 5 minutes with hair still dripping from the shower was common. Is it raining out there? Was the question my director would often ask me. Although there is one time I remember renouncing band and all of the things that I had done with the band. After a long talk with my mother I realized what was truly important to me: me. I am a musician, a student, and an athlete. If you lose one of the three it is no longer me. No matter how much I renounced the music, I could not deny the rush of playing my solo at concerts where everyone was concentrated on me.

Compare how poets portray relationships in ‘Praise Song For My Mother’ and ‘Ghazal’ Essay

Both ‘praise song for my mother’ and ‘ghazal’ use language devices to portray relationships. They use imagery, metaphors and structure to do so. They bother portray in different ways. ‘praise song for my mother’ portrays relationships as happy and fun whereas ‘ghazal’ portrays them as unpredictable and ever changing. In ‘ghazal’, Khalvati writes a different comparison to love in each stanza. ‘If yours is the iron fist in the velvet glove/if I rise in the east you die in the west’. The fact that Khalvati has done this shows that love is never the same. It also shows that it is constantly changing and can never be predicted. It could also show that the woman’s love for the man is constant the mans love for the woman is unreliable and is constantly changing. On the other hand, in ‘praise song for my mother’ each stanza seems the convey the same thing about love, that it is happy and constant. ‘you were sunrise to me rise and warm and streaming’. The word ‘sunrise’ means that the personas lover was what lit up their day and helped them see clearly. It could also mean that their love was constant and never failed as the sun rises every morning in a continuous pattern. The word ‘warm’ has also been used and this could suggest that they are always nice to each other and never argue. Heat can also be linked to the colour red and this in turn can be linked to love, therefore the persona is indirectly expressing their love for this person without facing it head on. In ‘praise song for my mother’ Nichols has used imagery to portray the relationship. ‘you were the fishes red gill to me’. Nichols has used the word ‘gill’ to show that the persona needed the other person. A fish wouldn’t be able to survive without its gills and this shows that the persona might as well be dead without the other person. Everyone would be able to relate to this as everyone has suffered heartbreak. This would help to keep the interested and mean that they can empathise with the reader. The  word ‘red’ has also been used and love is a connotation of the colour red. On the other hand red can be linked to death and this links back to the persona saying that they are dead without the other person. Similarly in ‘ghazal’ Khalvati has also used imagery to show the relationship. ‘when the arrow flies, the heart is pierced, tattoo me’. The use of the word ‘tattoo’ is the persona saying that their love for the other person is eternal and they never want it to end. Tattoos cannot be changed once they are on your skin and Khalvati’s use of the word could mean that they don’t want the other person to change as she thinks they are perfect as they are. Khalvati’s comparison to an arrow means that her love for the other person was sudden and unexpected. She didn’t know it was coming until it struck her. In conclusion I think that both these poems use mostly the same language devices, but where Nichols portrays relationships as a good thing, Khalvati seems to portray them as a bad thing.

Ethical Egoism

Ethical egoism, in my belief, is not the moral theory that men should follow or live by. Simply put, my belief stems from the multiple inconsistencies and contradictions that are inherent in the said normative system. Self-interest and self-preservation, although very valuable, are not, in my opinion, the primary factors that should drive a man’s life. It is because, I believe, by purely following one’s own interests, man fails to consider the greater picture, that being the peace and harmony in society.More importantly, I believe that man can be driven by other desires and motives in his moral actions. Hobbes’ assertion is that man should use his power to preserve himself and to do what he must in order to satisfy his own interests. His fundamental assumption regarding the nature of man is that man is an agent of self-interest who is prepared to harm others in order to obtain what he believes is best for him. Furthermore, Hobbes states that man is governed by hi s own reason and that every man has the right to everything. Such statement is what Hobbes calls the fundamental law of nature.However, Hobbes believes that if it is in the self-interest and preservation of one’s life to enter into a covenant with another, man is bound to abide by such covenant. Contracts are reached when both parties feel that it is in their best interests to enter and agree to the terms. Breaking a covenant or a contract is considered unjust in Hobbes’ view. Hobbes’ idea is that man must submit to certain moral rules out of fear of conflict which is to his best interests. Basically, Hobbes suggested that a human being acts morally because it is in his self-interest to do so.There have been various philosophers who have raised arguments and objections against Hobbes’ views. One of such philosophers is H. A. Prichard. In Prichard’s point of view, there is no need to whether self-interest and morality run in parallel with each other . Instead, he suggests that human beings have reasons other than self-interest to act morally. One such reason is the innate desire in humans to do the right thing. Prichard suggests that having motives other than self-interest allows us to determine whether an individual who has done something moral deserves praise or not.Without the presence of other motives, self-interest will be the only driving factor and thus, will remove any possible distinction between two persons committing the same moral act. Brody’s argument with regards to the basis of morality on self-interest is that human beings can have other motives for being moral. Admitting that all actions are based on the satisfaction of a certain desire, Brody states that humans may have desires for something else other than his own well-being. Brody believes that selfish motives are indeed a possible source of moral actions.However, he asserts that this does not mean that all moral actions stem from selfish motives alon e. In other words, egoism is not clearly established as the sole source of morality. My belief that ethical egoism is not the correct moral theory agrees with Brody’s assertions. Aside from the points that Brody has raised, I believe that ethical egoism fails to consider the possibility that men act not for their own interests alone. The interests of another person may drive the man to act morally especially if such a person is deeply valued. For instance a parent may act morally not for her own interests but for that of her children.Ethical egoism fails to consider that human nature includes certain emotions that are driving factors of one’s actions. Emotions or feelings such as love, care, and affection are also possible motives for actions. These have not been taken into account by ethical egoism. Thus, it is my personal belief that ethical egoism is not the correct moral theory. Reference: Arthur, John. 2005. â€Å"Morality, Religion, and Conscience. † In Ar thur, J. (Ed. ) Morality and Moral Controversies: Readings in Moral, Social, and Political Philosophy. Upper Saddle River, N. J. : Pearson Prentice Hall.

Phobias and Addictions Essays

Phobias and Addictions Essays Phobias and Addictions Essay Phobias and Addictions Essay Richard Johnston Types of Conditioning Phobia and Addictions Phobias and addictions can be very difficult on a mental standpoint. The definition of a phobia is an exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation (Webster). There are many kinds of phobias such as, Xenophobia the fear of dogs could be a result of being bitten as a child or being cornered by a dog. Other fears could be Catastrophic the fear of lightening as a child oh were scared of storms so you developed a phobia on storms. Acrophobia is fear of heights and the fear of falling you are high up you might have an anxiety attack so you avoid high places. Transportation is the fear of injections (the fear of needles), which can cause one anxiety because the patient associates the pain with the needle. A reaction can be caused before the injection is given such as fainting or other anxiety symptoms. Phobias are can be developed through classical conditioning. Ivan Pavlov was famous for his theory of classical conditioning who studied digestive systems of dogs. In his studies and experiment he noticed, that dogs salivate when presented with food which was a common trait. Pavlov noticed if the bell or a tuning fork rang the dog would salivate when there was no food present. The dog associated the food with the bell this is what is known as classical conditioning. One more example of this is music the neutral stimulus is the music when paired the unconditioned stimulus automatically triggers tapping of the feet know as an unconditioned response. Fears and phobias progress in the same way as conditioning. Phobias can cause health problems from panic attacks or anxiety. Individuals with phobias avoid being in that situation and stay in their comfort zone. Human beings we behaviors that can easily become addicted to a drug or food or substance. In operant conditioning human beings get addicted to substances they see other people doing, such as food, sex, gambling, and drugs. Addiction is defined as compulsive physiological need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly: persistent compulsive use of a absence known by the user to be physically, psychologically, or socially harmful (Webster). Classical conditioning is learned behavior using a stimulus and operant conditioning is a method of learning that uses a reward to gain the desired response the craving for the drug the use of the drug is the reward. One example to is that classical conditioning involuntary behavior and Operant conditioning is focused on voluntary behaviors. Operant conditioning is defined as a conditioning in which the desired behavior or increasingly closer approximations to it are followed by a rewarding or reinforcing stimulus (Webster). Operant conditioning can be used for punishment when the desired response is not achieved. Addiction such as alcohol for example would be you had the long hard day and you a have a cold six pack over the legal limit. The beer was your reward for having a long hard day. The addiction of wanting more beer is and addiction to alcohol and the substance has a hold of you which is known as alcoholism. The punishment will be impulsive if you get caught being pulled over for driving under the influence by the police because you decided o get more beer and drive to the store that would not be a favorite for a drinker getting caught the rush is not to get caught. Extinction would be not to drink at all and have an ice tea and make the behavior decrees or disappear. Operant conditioning can be related to an extinction technique if to many beers are consumed and the individual decides to go get more beer in a driving a motor vehicle to get there the thrill would be not getting caught and the consequence would be getting arrested for driving under the influence. The extinction would be not to drink s many beers or not at all and try a different reward for a long hard day and never to drive under the influence of alcohol. In summary I have talked about classical conditioning and how it is automatic for dogs to salivate when there is food present and buy repeating the conditions with the bell ringing triggered the same response the dog eventually learned when the bell rings there is food and to salivate even without the food present. We learned the operant conditioning requires some type of reward being either positive or negative such as punishment. We learned about hobbies and what types of phobias are out there, phobias can cause health problems if not treated.

Prejudice1 essays

Prejudice1 essays Although the fight to stop racism has made huge strides since thirty years ago, racism is still alive and well today. Racism has become such a deep-rooted part of society that it often goes unnoticed in our everyday lives. In Brent Staples Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space," and Austin Clarkes A Stranger in a Strange Land, both authors speak of how they deal with the burdens borne by someone who sees himself or herself and is seen by others, as an outsider. Although both Staples and Clarke face this problem, the two respond to the dilemmas they face in different ways. By engaging in simple tasks such as taking a late night stroll, Staples automatically becomes subject to others racism and fear. His everyday life is under continuous scrutiny by a white society that both fears and misunderstands him. Staples introduces the very extent to which society fears black people in the first sentence. On a late night saunter, his " first victim [is] a woman - white, well dressed, probably in her early twenties." Fortunately, in reality, the woman is not the victim of any black on white racial violence; but, unfortunately, Staples is the victim of white racist presumptions about his character, that are based solely on the colour of his skin. This incident makes him realize he has the ability to alter public space in ugly ways; sadly however, it is only the beginning of Staples encounters with a predominantly white society and their racial stereotypes. Staples realizes that women have a right to be weary of men while they are alone at night; however, he takes no solace against the kind of alienation that comes of being ever the suspect. Somehow, despite all the animosity Staples faces, he consciously, or perhaps unconsciously decides that he will remain a shadow timid, but a survivor. He figures it will b...