Top 10 Communication Tips 2011 #3 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Top 10 Communication Tips 2011 â€" #3 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog This is the third entry in our “Top 10? list for you to consider when communicating with our office and applying. Number 3 â€" Avoid copying several parties on the same email and avoid long emails. Some tips in our list are straightforward but this one is a bit more ambiguous.     Encouraging applicants to use one email address (Tip #1) is straightforward.   When advising to avoid copying several parties on the same email and avoiding long emails, things are a bit less defined.   First the topic of copying several parties on the same email. I understand the temptation to copy four or five different parties on the same email, but most often this only leads to delays in getting a response. I know my inclination when I see four or five people copied on an email sent to me is that I am going to let someone else answer the email.   The problem?   Everyone else may think the same thing and you do not get a response. Or, I may want to check with others before sending my response and the result of one email is four or five more emails just to find out who is going to answer.   Therefore, I highly recommend sending your email to one recipient address.   If the person at the address is unable to assist you, rest assured it will be passed on to someone who can assist you.   When in doubt send one email to sipa_admission@columbia.edu. The second piece of advice, avoiding long emails, is a tough one to explain because I know “long” is relative.   I guess the best way I can put it is that some tasks are better done in pieces or in chunks.   Sometimes we get emails that are extremely long and detailed and it takes a lot of time to dig through them.   If you have multiple questions, it might not be a bad idea to try to break them up into separate emails over a short time period.   This will allow us to respond in a more efficient manner. This series of “top 10 tips” is an example of what I am talking about.   At first I was going to post a single entry with all 10 tips in it.   Then I thought about my own behavior â€" I tend to only glance at really long emails in my personal Gmail account. If I would have put all 10 tips in one entry it probably would have taken you 15-20 minutes to read it and visit any associated links.   I came to the conclusion that it would be more effective and easier to digest if it was broken into 2-3 minute chunks. This is probably the most ambiguous tip so use you own judgment.   I will say that sometimes people will apologize when they send more than email.   No apology necessary!   This approach might just be more effective.   On the other hand, a separate email for each and every question might be overkill.   Again, use your best judgment.

Human Resource Management A Strategic Partner At All Times

It is critical for human resources management to be a strategic partner at all times in the business environment. The leaders of management are required to make sound and competent decisions that will have a positive impact on their organization. Some reasons why human resource departments choose to be strategic may be partly due to profit, perceptions, funding resources and the overall values of the company. First, â€Å"the concept of profitability is the primary driving force behind strategic management† (Mayhew, 2015). When human resource managers choose to train employees or enhance their skills for the specified positions, then it improves the employee’s productivity and level of engagement. Since the 1980’s, human resource management were perceived to be limited in their functioning, such as only hiring employees and terminating them. But that have significantly changed and employers have realized the importance of maintaining longevity with their employees to keep them satisfied in their position. Third, the funding resources should be broken down into designated categories. For instance, the funding could be set for continuing education, so that the employees could be refreshed on their skills for the necessary functions of their position. Any type of human resource activity will strengthen the position of the company in a competitive business environment. When human resources take care of their employees, it attracts new talent to the company. While on the otherShow MoreRelatedStrategic Role Of Outsourcing849 Words   |  4 Pagescontributing to the traditional human resources role becoming a thing of the past (Parus, 2003). The new innovative technology being introduced allows human resources professionals the ability to communicate and work more effectively amongst other professionals in the organization and industry. The business process of outsourcing gives certain functions in the organization a way to improve basic services; providing human resources professional’s time in playing a more strategic role in their organizationsRead MoreA STUDY ON STRATEGIC ROLE OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Essay1679 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿PREFACE Strategic management is the management of change involving the system of corporate values, the corporate culture, and all managerial process of change, such as leadership, planning, control, and human resources management. The strategic management process represents a logical, systematic, and objective approach for determining an enterprises future direction. Researchers usually distinguish three stages in the process of strategic management: strategy formulation, strategy implementationRead MoreArgues the benefits or disadvantages of Human Resources being a strategic business partner964 Words   |  4 PagesThis essay is to write a discussion paper which argues the benefits or disadvantages of Human Resources being a strategic business partner giving consideration to the impact of Human resources polices and practices on strategy, people and organizational culture. Strategic human resource is considered as a term to describe an integrated approach to the development of human resources strategies within a business, which will enable the organization to achieve its goals. (Kramar et al., 1997) It isRead MoreThe Field Of Human Resource Management Essay1543 Words   |  7 PagesExecutive Summary Several studies in the field of Human Resource Management concentrate on the importance of a Human Resources Business Partner to the organisation’s performance. Bredin (2008) notes a shift from traditional to strategic Human Resources Management and the implications for the organisation. Ulrich (1997) suggested how Human Resource Management and the role of a Human Resources Business Partner can contribute to an organisation’s competitive advantage. The objective of this literatureRead MoreStrategic Planning : Mission And Strategic Objectives1543 Words   |  7 PagesStrategic planning is one of the most critical human resource management challenges facing both the private and public health sectors in today’s market. Strategic planning can equip University Hospital with the methodology to go from a decentralized platform to a centralized platform. Effective strategic planning requires a strong Human Resources department and also strong executive leadership as w ell. This will help show a clearly articulated vision, mission and strategic objectives. StrategicRead MoreEffective Human Capital Management : An Organizations Success1663 Words   |  7 PagesEmerging into a Strategic partnership has many Human Resource departments, managers, and trainees on its side. Many corporations and business are currently taking part in various dramatic changes with multiple implications for the different manage changes of human resources at this time. Of course, there are many changes, but the most important one is the serious deployment of different information technology and the growing amount of organizations have created by different training and developmentRead MoreHuman Resource Management As A Strategic Partner1705 Words   |  7 PagesHuman Resource Management as a Strategic Partner Generally, when one thinks of the role of Human Resources, many people will think first of the role that HR plays in important functions such as staffing, training, retention, and the development of workplace policies. While these are all important functions for Human Resource Management, the evolution of HRM is such that it is important to think of these functions in terms of the impact they have on the overall strategic vision for the companyRead MoreSummary of Human Resource Management1577 Words   |  7 Pagesvery important that human research management to transform from being primarily administrative and operational to strategic partner. The reason is it important is because the human resource department plays a crucial role in determining the culture of an organization. Human resources promote and implement policies and procedures. The key areas are hiring practices, compensation, management relations and employee conduct and behavior. The decisions made by the human res ources department will effectRead MoreEthical Issues in Hrm Strategy1200 Words   |  5 PagesEthical Issues in HRM Strategy Richard H. Hill Dr. Grace M. Endres July 18, 2012 Strayer University Abstract This paper concerns itself with the role of Human Resource Management and the role it plays in the development of corporate strategy. Additional, the paper addresses the issue of ethics concerning Human Resource Managers sharing information learned from a previous client with the new client. Identify the areas of overlap in the new client organization with others that you have

Alcoholism a Disease or an Addiction - 1887 Words

Most people have a confused idea of alcoholism as a disease that invades or attacks your good health. Use of such a strong word such as disease shapes the values and attitudes of society towards alcoholics. A major implication of the disease concept is that what is labeled a disease is held to be justifiable because it is involuntary. This is not so. Problem drinking is a habit in which the so-called alcoholic simply has decided that the benefits of drinking outweigh the liabilities; it is all a matter of personal choice. An alcoholic participates in or causes many of their own problems by their behavior and the decisions they make, so why should they be viewed as helpless victims of a disease(Skipper 1)? Alcoholism should not be†¦show more content†¦Alcohol abuse plays a part in some 10,000 accidental deaths a year, at home and on the job (Langone 39). The U.S. Department of Justice Report on Alcohol and Crime found that alcohol abuse was a factor in 40 percent of violent c rimes committed in the United States (Violence 1). In 1996 there were 17,126 alcohol related traffic fatalities accounting for the 40.9% of all traffic fatalities during the year. Alcohol is also involved in at least half of all homicides in the United States, with either the attacker, the victim, or both under the influence. This is probably a good explanation for the fact that more murders occur on Saturday nights than any other night- the fewest murders occur on Tuesdays (Goodwin 16). br brBesides all these traffic fatalities and violent crimes where alcohol is a factor, let us not forget the premature deaths and birth defects alcohol abusers are also responsible for. In 1992 there were 31,327 premature deaths due to alcohol abuse (Cost 1). Each year 5,000 babies are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; this is a form of mental retardation caused by mothers who drink while pregnant (Claypool 17). Imagine a child growing up with mental retardation, having to face all the hate and discrimination in this world. These innocent lives would have otherwise been spared had their mother not chosen to continue to drink during her pregnancy.Show MoreRelatedAlcoholism Addiction And An Addiction Essay1356 Words   |  6 PagesTraditionally speaking, alcoholism is an addiction to consuming alcohol. There are some organizations and people out there that would combat that widely accepted thought, and consider it a disease over an addiction. What is the difference between a disease and an addiction? To determine the appropriate label, both definitions and the actions that give them that specific definition must be examined. There is a line that separates what is a disease and what is an addiction and there are many differentRead MoreAlcoholism : The Misuse And Addiction1361 Words   |  6 PagesAlcoholism: The Misuse and Addiction â€Å"I know my limit†, â€Å"Just one more drink†, and â€Å"I’m not drunk† are common phrases people often associate with being an alcoholic. While is true that some alcoholics can use such phrases, that is not what makes them an alcoholic. Alcoholics or rather anyone who happens to drink a little too much, are marked as being alcoholics. But what does it really mean to be an alcoholic? Or better yet, what does it mean to suffer from Alcoholism? Over the years, a controversialRead MoreIs Alcoholism Really a Disease?1042 Words   |  4 PagesStudies of Aging Neurodegenerative Disease and Alcoholism†, Eberling and Jagust suggest that for the past 200 years, people have classified alcoholism as a disease, but recently a large portion of the medical community has started to disagree with this diagnosis. Despite common misconception, Alcohol Anonymous was not the originator of the classification of Alcoholism as a disease. Dr. Benjamin Rush created the concept in 1784, and alcoholism has been considered as a disease since then (Eberling and JagustRead MoreI Want For Free Myself From This Disease1552 Words   |  7 Pagesit was a cycle: He would work on houses for hours, roll carpet and come home around 1:00am, drunk and addicted. Anthony had a disease, a problem and while he tried curing his problem, he eventually would relapse. Anthony did whatever he could to stimulate what ate him inside or what obeyed his uncontrollab le desire. â€Å"I will never be able to free myself from this disease.† Anthony thought, as he went to visit his mother. Anthony walked up to the door and knocked. His mom let him in and began toRead MoreThe Long Lasting Effect of Alcohol on The Brain1208 Words   |  5 Pagesthird leading preventable cause of death in our country† (Alcohol Facts 1). Alcoholism is a major controversy in the United States, and many debate whether alcoholism is a disease or choice. Accordingly, based on scientific evidence, alcoholism is a disease because it has major long-term effects on the brain, it is an addiction, and it is treated medically. The first major reason alcoholism should be considered disease is the long-lasting effects it has on the brain. The National Institutes ofRead MoreSoc 203 social problems1286 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Alcoholism: A Social Problem I. Introduction Alcoholism is a major social problem that not only has an impact on the life of an alcoholic, but family members as well as society. Alcoholism is the third most common mental illness that affects more than 17 million people in the United States according to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse. Alcoholism does not discriminate against age, race nor gender. II. Scope Alcoholism is defined as a disorderRead More The Etiology of Addiction Disease Model Essay examples1522 Words   |  7 PagesAddiction is like all behaviours â€Å"the business of the brain†. Addictions are compulsive physical and psychological needs from habit-forming sustenances like nicotine, alcohol, and drugs. Being occupied with or involved in such activities, leads a person who uses them again and again to become tolerant and dependent eventually experiencing withdrawal. (Molintas, 2006). Addictive drugs cause dopamine neurons to release dopamine, the pleasure hormone. The narcotics disable the neurons that wouldRead MoreAlcoholism : A Silent Killer1624 Words   |  7 Pagessubject hits home for me. Alcoholism is a silent killer in today’s society. Research proves that alcoholism effects the whole family from the inside out. Alcoholism within a family recreates unhealthy family roles in order to help adapt to living with an alcoholic. The alcoholic becomes the focal point in a family; which causes lasting effects. Alcoholism is a disease that destroy families when they are not appropriately addressed. This paper focuses on three points; 1) alcoholism recreates family rolesRead MoreAn Alcoholic : Societal Views Vs. Reality1103 Words   |  5 Pageswhen it comes to alcoholism, in order to understand Alcoholism properly we must consider both the disease and the treatment. In 1956 the AMA (American Medical Association) classified Alcoholism as a disease. The association’s definition of alcoholism is a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. In this case the term â€Å"primary† is used to indicate that it is a disease that can lead to other diseases such as CirrhosisRead MoreAlcoholism : Is Alcoholism A Disease?929 Words   |  4 PagesAlcoholism has raised many debates over the truth of its nature. Many scholars argue that alcoholism can be treated as a disease. Such approach to defining alcoholism means denying that alcohol abusers own a choice. In consequence, the treatment related differs and may or may not actually help alcoholics recover. A wrong diagnostic of this addiction can lead to serious health issues; therefore, it is vital to answer the following question: Is alcoholism a disease? Most experts in this field criticises

The first major experiment on conformity Free Essays

Introduction Conformity is defined as the act of matching attitude, beliefs and behaviour to what individual perceive as normal of their society or social group (Wikipedia ). Conformity is something that happens in everyday life. People conform because they like to be in a group or to go along with the group or society. We will write a custom essay sample on The first major experiment on conformity or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is the reason why we see same fashion, taste of music, movies, cars and many things of similar choices. So can we imagine a life without conformityAnd what are the reasons of conformity. There are many reasons of conformity such as normative social influence, informative social influence and social role conformity. The psychologists in the past have done researches on conformity. For example, Muzafer Sheriff (1938), Asch (1951), and Philip Zimbado (1973) had conducted experiments on why people confirm. In addition Kelman (1958) identified three types of conformity. Compliance a type of conformity when people conform due to the views, opinions and beliefs of their friends or society. Internalization a type of conformity when one confirms to match a group and Identification a type of conformity when one adapts to a new behaviour of a group’s view both privately and publicly. The first major experiment on conformity was done by Sherif (1935). He did an experiment to study the conformity. He wanted to see why people conform. With the use of auto kinetic effect, he asked the participants to look at the stationary spot of light in a darkened room in which small movements of the eyes made the light move. First, the participants were tested individually and then later in small groups of three. The answers were different when asked in individual about the movement of light .Even so, when they were put in the group they ended up with similar answers to each other. This experiment showed that people conformed when in an ambiguous situation. They tend to seek informations and answers from others. However, this experiment was a total artificial situation so lacked ecological validity. The situation was unlikely to come across in everyday life. Moreover, there was no definite answer for it On the other hand, Asch (1951) conducted an experiment on conformity to see why people conform on an unambiguous situation. He criticized Sherif’s experiment and suggested that the experiment had no definite answer .Asch `s experiment in contrast had a definite answer to the Sherif`s experiment. For this experiment, he participated seven people (confederates) whom were already told about the behaviour beforehand, whereas one who was the real participant (subject) was not known about the experiment and believed that the others were also the real participants. The task was very simple to compare the line X with others A, B and C lines. Each participants were to deliver the answer aloud. On each trial, the real participant was asked at last about his opinions on the lines. Asch found that the subject showed the influence by the majority and gave the wrong answers on average of 37% .74% at least conformed once and 26% never conformed. After the post experimental interview he co ncluded that people go along with the views of others for different reasons. Similarly, in 1980 the exact experiment was repeated by Perrin and Spencer with chemistry, engineering and mathematics students. In contrast to the result of Asch’s experiment ,conformity was high on only one trial out of 369 trials. So Perrin and Spencer (1980) suggested Asch study as â€Å"Child of its own time.† Asch’s experiment was artificial as it was unlikely to come across in everyday life. And it was done at that time when Americans were high on conformity. In addition all the participants were males as the wider population was ignored Philip Zimbado (1973) also conducted an experiment to see how people adapt to new roles of guards and prisoners. At that time in America, there were many reports of brutal attacks on prisoners by guards. So he was interested in finding out why the guards behave in such a way, was it because of the sadistic personalities of the guard or due to the environment of the prison. The experiment was conducted on the basement of the Stanford University so was known as â€Å"Stanford’s prison experiment†. For this, he selected twenty- four students to become prisoners and guards, and he became the superintendent. He wanted to make the situation real so the ones who became prisoners were arrested with handcuffs and were put in the prison. They were given prisoner’s uniforms and were referred by the numbers where as the ones who were guards were given military uniforms and were equipped with wooden batons and mirror shades glasses. The stimulation became so real that th e guards became brutal and sadist so the experiment had to stop in six days, which were rather planned for two weeks. From this experiment, he came to the conclusion that people conform to their social roles especially if the roles were strongly stereotype as the prison guards. The student who played the guards was not brutal before. After the post experimental interview he found out that people enjoyed the power and that the role had strongly influenced their behaviour and attitudes. Nevertheless, the experiment had important ethnical issues as the prisoners were mentally and physically tortured. Importantly mock prison was different from the real one, and the students were role playing. Apart from those reasons of conformity, there are various factors that influence the conformity .We humans are very complicated animals with lots of individual differences. Conformity also as well differs in individuals, and are influenced by many factors such as cultural, historical, gender, group size and so on. According to social psychologist culture are of two types, individualist culture such as of American and British and collective cultures such as of Asian and African. In individualist culture people tend to view oneself more individually where as in collective they tend to view themselves as the member of a group or society. So conformity tends to be high in collective cultures compare to individualist cultures. Historically, in 1950s Americans were high on conformity. It was the time when Asch conducted an experiment on conformity. Some studies have also found gender differences in the conformity and found that higher conformity in women than in men. However, Eagly (197 8) suggested that the sex differences were due to their different social roles. Another important is the group size. Conformity is found higher in groups of three to five. On the other hand, conformity highly decreases when there is a lack of unanimity. When the tasks are more difficult, people are more likely to conform as they seek others for information and answer. In addition if the person is knowledgeable he may stick and believes himself and may not go along with the group so are low in conformity. In conclusion, conformity is going along with the group for different reasons at various situations. It is something that dominates our lives. It happens everyday, and we cannot run from the fact that conformity exists in a society. In short it is about our society and the interaction we have in our society. It is neither good nor bad but sometimes conformity is helpful sometimes not. Besides there are many types of conformity such as compliance, Internalisation and identification. Psychologists had done various researches or experiments on conformity and different findings ,opinions and criticism were made. Sherif, Asch, and Zimbado have fairly justified the experiments. However, these things are unlikely to come across in everyday life. Besides, conformity is influenced by factors such as cultural, historical, gender, type of task, size of the group and so many other factors. References: Michael W. Eysenck (2008) AS Level Psychology, Fourth Edition. East Sussex: Psychology Press Ltd. Mark Holah. Conformity. Available:http://holah.co.uk Last accessed on 19/04/2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/conformity McLeod, S.A (2007) Simply Psychology [On-line] UK Available: http://www.psychology.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk Accessed on 19/04/2011. How to cite The first major experiment on conformity, Essay examples

The first major experiment on conformity Free Essays

Introduction Conformity is defined as the act of matching attitude, beliefs and behaviour to what individual perceive as normal of their society or social group (Wikipedia ). Conformity is something that happens in everyday life. People conform because they like to be in a group or to go along with the group or society. We will write a custom essay sample on The first major experiment on conformity or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is the reason why we see same fashion, taste of music, movies, cars and many things of similar choices. So can we imagine a life without conformityAnd what are the reasons of conformity. There are many reasons of conformity such as normative social influence, informative social influence and social role conformity. The psychologists in the past have done researches on conformity. For example, Muzafer Sheriff (1938), Asch (1951), and Philip Zimbado (1973) had conducted experiments on why people confirm. In addition Kelman (1958) identified three types of conformity. Compliance a type of conformity when people conform due to the views, opinions and beliefs of their friends or society. Internalization a type of conformity when one confirms to match a group and Identification a type of conformity when one adapts to a new behaviour of a group’s view both privately and publicly. The first major experiment on conformity was done by Sherif (1935). He did an experiment to study the conformity. He wanted to see why people conform. With the use of auto kinetic effect, he asked the participants to look at the stationary spot of light in a darkened room in which small movements of the eyes made the light move. First, the participants were tested individually and then later in small groups of three. The answers were different when asked in individual about the movement of light .Even so, when they were put in the group they ended up with similar answers to each other. This experiment showed that people conformed when in an ambiguous situation. They tend to seek informations and answers from others. However, this experiment was a total artificial situation so lacked ecological validity. The situation was unlikely to come across in everyday life. Moreover, there was no definite answer for it On the other hand, Asch (1951) conducted an experiment on conformity to see why people conform on an unambiguous situation. He criticized Sherif’s experiment and suggested that the experiment had no definite answer .Asch `s experiment in contrast had a definite answer to the Sherif`s experiment. For this experiment, he participated seven people (confederates) whom were already told about the behaviour beforehand, whereas one who was the real participant (subject) was not known about the experiment and believed that the others were also the real participants. The task was very simple to compare the line X with others A, B and C lines. Each participants were to deliver the answer aloud. On each trial, the real participant was asked at last about his opinions on the lines. Asch found that the subject showed the influence by the majority and gave the wrong answers on average of 37% .74% at least conformed once and 26% never conformed. After the post experimental interview he co ncluded that people go along with the views of others for different reasons. Similarly, in 1980 the exact experiment was repeated by Perrin and Spencer with chemistry, engineering and mathematics students. In contrast to the result of Asch’s experiment ,conformity was high on only one trial out of 369 trials. So Perrin and Spencer (1980) suggested Asch study as â€Å"Child of its own time.† Asch’s experiment was artificial as it was unlikely to come across in everyday life. And it was done at that time when Americans were high on conformity. In addition all the participants were males as the wider population was ignored Philip Zimbado (1973) also conducted an experiment to see how people adapt to new roles of guards and prisoners. At that time in America, there were many reports of brutal attacks on prisoners by guards. So he was interested in finding out why the guards behave in such a way, was it because of the sadistic personalities of the guard or due to the environment of the prison. The experiment was conducted on the basement of the Stanford University so was known as â€Å"Stanford’s prison experiment†. For this, he selected twenty- four students to become prisoners and guards, and he became the superintendent. He wanted to make the situation real so the ones who became prisoners were arrested with handcuffs and were put in the prison. They were given prisoner’s uniforms and were referred by the numbers where as the ones who were guards were given military uniforms and were equipped with wooden batons and mirror shades glasses. The stimulation became so real that th e guards became brutal and sadist so the experiment had to stop in six days, which were rather planned for two weeks. From this experiment, he came to the conclusion that people conform to their social roles especially if the roles were strongly stereotype as the prison guards. The student who played the guards was not brutal before. After the post experimental interview he found out that people enjoyed the power and that the role had strongly influenced their behaviour and attitudes. Nevertheless, the experiment had important ethnical issues as the prisoners were mentally and physically tortured. Importantly mock prison was different from the real one, and the students were role playing. Apart from those reasons of conformity, there are various factors that influence the conformity .We humans are very complicated animals with lots of individual differences. Conformity also as well differs in individuals, and are influenced by many factors such as cultural, historical, gender, group size and so on. According to social psychologist culture are of two types, individualist culture such as of American and British and collective cultures such as of Asian and African. In individualist culture people tend to view oneself more individually where as in collective they tend to view themselves as the member of a group or society. So conformity tends to be high in collective cultures compare to individualist cultures. Historically, in 1950s Americans were high on conformity. It was the time when Asch conducted an experiment on conformity. Some studies have also found gender differences in the conformity and found that higher conformity in women than in men. However, Eagly (197 8) suggested that the sex differences were due to their different social roles. Another important is the group size. Conformity is found higher in groups of three to five. On the other hand, conformity highly decreases when there is a lack of unanimity. When the tasks are more difficult, people are more likely to conform as they seek others for information and answer. In addition if the person is knowledgeable he may stick and believes himself and may not go along with the group so are low in conformity. In conclusion, conformity is going along with the group for different reasons at various situations. It is something that dominates our lives. It happens everyday, and we cannot run from the fact that conformity exists in a society. In short it is about our society and the interaction we have in our society. It is neither good nor bad but sometimes conformity is helpful sometimes not. Besides there are many types of conformity such as compliance, Internalisation and identification. Psychologists had done various researches or experiments on conformity and different findings ,opinions and criticism were made. Sherif, Asch, and Zimbado have fairly justified the experiments. However, these things are unlikely to come across in everyday life. Besides, conformity is influenced by factors such as cultural, historical, gender, type of task, size of the group and so many other factors. References: Michael W. Eysenck (2008) AS Level Psychology, Fourth Edition. East Sussex: Psychology Press Ltd. Mark Holah. Conformity. Available:http://holah.co.uk Last accessed on 19/04/2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/conformity McLeod, S.A (2007) Simply Psychology [On-line] UK Available: http://www.psychology.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk Accessed on 19/04/2011. How to cite The first major experiment on conformity, Essay examples

Regulate And Reform Euthanasia Essays - Euthanasia, Medical Ethics

Regulate and Reform Euthanasia One of the landmark cases that involve euthanasia is that of Karen Ann Quinlan. Quinlan, a twenty-one year old New Jersey resident, overdosed on pills and alcohol in 1975. She was rushed to the hospital where her physical condition gradually deteriorated to a vegetative state. The doctors determined she had no chance of recovery. Before the coma Karen said that if anything ever happened that would leave her physically and mentally incompetent, without any chance of recovery, she would not want to be kept alive by "extraordinary medical procedures," notes Derek Humphry. Karen's parents sought religious counsel from their priest. They were told that the Catholic religion allows the removal of extraordinary care if the patient was in a terminal condition. Karen's parents requested she be removed from the respirator. The hospital denied their request. The Quinlans then directed their request to the court. The superior court denied their request. They took their request to the New Jersey Supreme court where the decision was reversed. Karen was removed from the respirator. To everyone's surprise, Karen began breathing on her own and lived another ten years (Humphry 107). The Quinlan case brought to the forefront patients' desire to die a proud, quiet death. It also brought to the forefront the complications caused by the advancement of medical technology ("Euthanasia"27). Euthanasia has been practiced in Eastern and Western culture since the beginning of civilization. The capability of medical technology to extend life (as demonstrated by the Quinlan case) has made the issue of euthanasia more complicated. Individuals should be allowed to "die with dignity" in the event of terminal illness if he or she wants it. Terminating a patient's life is much more merciful than allowing him or her to die a slow painful death from illness. Those who oppose legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide say that this could lead to involuntary killing of the aged and infirm. I agree that there may be danger of abuse and that the vulnerable need to be protected; therefore, I support passing legislation that monitors and regulates physician assisted suicide. The demand for legislation in support of legalized euthanasia for the terminally ill has been an issue since the beginning of the century. According to Derek Humphry in Ohio in 1906, a Bill proposing to legalize euthanasia was presented to the Ohio legislature. The bill was defeated by nearly 80% of those voting. Opponents said the bill would have presented away for doctors to cover up their mistakes. Opponents also say that the bill would have provided a means for families to get rid of relatives who were a nuisance and give fortune seekers a shortcut to inheritance. Although the bill was defeated, the idea it generated still lives on (Humphry 12). Opponents of euthanasia often refer to the atrocities and attitudes in Nazi Germany for reasons not to support euthanasia. An article in the Progressive describes the essay "Permitting the Destruction of Unworthy Life" written in Germany in 1920, by Alfred Hoche. In the essay he proposes getting rid of the "'dead weight existence of incurables in Germany.'" By "'incurable'" he meant those who were mentally and emotionally disabled (Who 34). When the Nazis took power in Germany in 1933, as explained in "Euthanasia and the Third Reich" an article in HISTORY TODAY, they took Alfred Hoche's concept of euthanasia and used it to rationalize sterilization of those with "hereditary" illnesses. They also used the "euthanasia programme" to kill mentally and physically handicapped children and adults. Eventually they used this policy as justification for killing Jews, homosexuals, and others (Burleigh 11). Many believe that this kind of murder can happen again if euthanasia is legalized. However, the senseless, atrocious killings in Germany cannot be compared to carefully regulated policies that will allow euthanasia in selective cases. Such an extreme comparison should not prevent a merciful euthanasia policy for the terminally ill in unbearable pain who request it. As people began forgetting World War II and the atrocities of Nazi Germany, interest in "assisted suicide" and euthanasia was restored. To understand the controversy of euthanasia and assisted suicide, one must understand the difference between the two terms. Euthanasia involves the administering of the life taking measure; whereas, assisted suicide provides the means or instructions to the patient who intends to kill him or herself. Physicians who are used to saving lives are being asked to end patients lives. The request for "death with dignity" is very popular. In a 1991 Gallop Poll, nearly 60 percent of those interviewed said that a person has the "moral right" to end his or her life when the person "has a

The Fault in Our Stars - Book Club Discussion

'The Fault in Our Stars' - Book Club Discussion The Fault in Our Stars by John Green has characters who ask big questions. Use this guide to help your book club think about some of the themes Green raises. Spoiler Warning: These book club discussion questions contain important details about the story. Finish the book before reading on. Do you like the first person style of the novel?Even though The Fault in Our Stars deals with timeless questions, it has many markers of the year it was written from facebook pages to text messages and TV show references. Do you think these things will affect its ability to endure over the years or do the concrete references enhance its appeal?Did you guess that Augustus was sick?On page 212, Hazel discusses Maslows Heirarchy of Needs: According to Maslow, I was stuck on the second level of the pyramid, unable to feel secure in my health and therefore unable to reach for love and respect and art and whatever else, which is, of course, utter horseshit: The urge to make art or contemplate philosophy does not go away when you are sick. Those urges just become transfigured by illness. Discuss this statement, and whether you agree with Maslow or Hazel.In support group, Hazel says, There will come a time when all of us are dead. All of us. There will come a time when there are no human be ings remaining to remember that anyone ever existed or that or species ever did anything...maybe that time is coming soon and maybe it is millions of years away, but even if we survive the collapse of our sun, we will not survive forever...And if the inevitability of human oblivion worries you, I encourage you to ignore it. God knows thats what everyone else does (13). Do you worry about oblivion? Do you ignore it? Different characters in the novel have different views and coping mechanisms to deal with life an death. How do you? Reread Augustus letter that Hazel gets via Van Houten at the end of the novel. Do you agree with Augustus? Is is a good way for the novel to end?What affect does the mingling of normal teenage problems (break ups, coming of age) with a terminal diagnosis create in the novel? For instance, do you think it is realistic that Isaac would care more about his break up with Monica than his blindness?Rate The Fault in Our Stars 1 to 5.