Catholic form of Christianity Essay

The Eastern Orthodox form of Christianity and the Roman Catholic form of Christianity as said to differ on many fundamental issues. Most individuals, in attempting to distinguish between Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, immediately just cite that the differences are in the Pope or Purgatory or even sometimes the filioque. Historically, however, the differences are far more numerous and quite profound. The first fundamental difference between these two religions is on the issue of the fall of man. Roman Catholicism teaches that all humanity is liable for their â€Å"original sin† and that all men are born with â€Å"original sin†. The implications of Adam and Eve’s banishment from the Garden of Eden in the Roman Catholic Faith are that man is born with original sin and nothing more, unlike the beliefs of the Eastern Orthodox, who believe that when Adam sinned against God, he introduced death into the world. The fall of Adam or the fall of man in the view of the Eastern Orthodox form of Christianity signifies the mortality of man and that death highlights the passions in man such as anger, hate, lust and greed which are borne out of the realization of death. Roman Catholicism ignores the Orthodox conception of man as slave to death and instead believes that man’s passions are manipulated by the devil. Another fundamental difference between Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholicism is on the issue regarding the interpretations of canons. In the Roman Catholic faith, canons are rules or guides for governing The Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church also continually evolves these canons by introducing new ones or revising them to suit the needs of the changing times and cultures. The Eastern Orthodox does not regard these canons as laws, which regulate human relationships or secure human rights. The Orthodoxy views canons as the means of forging the â€Å"new man† or â€Å"new creature† through obedience. Canons are trainings in virtue that are meant to produce holiness. While the Roman Catholic Church, as previously mentioned, currently updates the canons and discards the old ones, the Eastern Orthodox Church Orthodoxy never discards the old ones because of their belief that those cannons were also inspired by the Holy Spirit. Arguably, the most important fundamental difference between the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholic forms of Christianity is in the manner of knowing the existence of God. The Eastern Orthodox faith believes that man’s knowledge of God is intrinsic in his nature. Man is born with the knowledge of God because it is inherent in human nature and that is how man knows that God truly exists. This belief also holds that man’s knowledge of God is fixed in nature and man cannot know anything more about the truths of God unless God chooses to reveal this to man. This belief is contrary to the Roman Catholic belief that God’s existence is constantly known, felt and verified by an examination of the other things that God has created in this world. Human reason, as the Roman Catholic Church believes, is capable of knowing and proving the existence of God. Man is capable of beholding the essence of God with his intellect and with the assistance of grace. The Eastern Orthodox Church therefore believes that God’s existence is already known to man by his nature while the Roman Catholic Church establishes the existence of God through man’s use of reason. These Three (3) fundamental differences, fall of man, canons and proof of God’s existence, differentiate what seem to be similar if not identical branches of Christianity. But as many have said, it really does not matter how you worship and revere God in so much as you follow the truths in life such as charity, love, peace and respect for all of mankind.

Theories of Group Formation

Theories of Group Formation Below is an explanation of the different models of group formation processes by Lewin, Tuckman, McGrath, and Gersick including the major features, steps, and characteristics. Tuckman (1965), stated these roles/processes are needed for group formation: Forming: Group members learn about each other, and the task at hand. Indicators of this stage might include: unclear objectives, confusion, and low morale. Storming: As group members continue to work, they will engage each other in arguments about the structure of the group which often are significantly emotional and illustrate a struggle for status in the group. Lack of cohesion marks this phase. Norming: Group members establish implicit or explicit rules about how they will achieve their goal. They address the types of communication that will or will not help with the task. Indicators include: Questioning performance, Reviewing/clarify objective, Changing/confirming roles, Opening risky issues, Assertiveness, Listening, Testing new ground, Identifying strengths and weaknesses. Performing: Groups reach a conclusion and implement the conclusion. Indicators include: Creativity, Initiative, Flexibility, and Open relationships. McGrath (1991), stated these roles/processes are needed for group formation: Mode I: Inception and acceptance of a project (goal choice) Mode II: Technical problem solving – solution of technical issues (means choice) Mode III: Conflict resolution – resolution of political issues conflict (policy choice) Mode IV: Execution – the performance requirements of the project (goal attainment) Unfreezing – this phase involves overcoming inertia and dismantling the existing â€Å"mind set†. Defense mechanisms have to be bypassed. Change – typically a period of confusion and transition. One is aware that the old ways are being challenged but does not have a clear picture to replace them yet. Freezing – the new mindset is crystallizing and one’s comfort level is returning to previous levels. Phase 1 – behavioral patterns and assumptions through which a group approaches its project emerges in its first meeting, and the group stays with the framework through the first half of its life. Teams may show little visible progress during this time because members are unable to perceive a use for the information they are generating until they revise the initial framework. Midpoint – at calendar midpoints, groups experience transitions-paradigmatic shifts in their approaches of their work enabling them to capitalize on the gradual learning they have done and make significant advances. This is an opportunity for the group to alter the course of its life midstream. Phase 2 – this is a second period of inertial movement, and takes its direction from plans crystallized during the transition. At completion, when a team makes a final effort to satisfy outside expectations, it experiences the positive and negative consequences of past choices. I see many roles that leaders need to provide in the group development process. A leader needs understanding of critical theories about how people learn, an understanding of patterns of discrimination and inequalities, and the benefits and liabilities associated with individual groups. Along with the ability to articulate his/her own philosophy of education, and use it to empower others’ active participation in their own transformation. According to Katzenbach and Smith (2005), effective working groups need little time to shape their purpose, since the leader usually establishes it. Despite the fact that many leaders refer to group reporting to them as a team, few groups really are. Leaders, however, should make sure the team succeeds in identifying specific purposes and goals. If the leader of a group wants to improve performance overall, he/she needs to find a way of the group taking shared ownership for the results. It is likely that a shift from individual responsibility to shared responsibility can only be achieved if the pay and reward system has a significant element that is dependent on the overall outcome. The knowledge, skills and attitudes of the leader may also need to shift significantly to be effective in this new environment. For example, a leader may need to share all of the individuals' results with the group. The group has the right to know how others are performing if their pay depends on it. This could be a challenging experience for a leader who has avoided the potential emotional stress that can be caused by this level of openness. Kozlowski and Bell (2003), stated that team training and leadership interventions have the potential to enhance team development, it is a process that generally unfolds naturally without intentional intervention. Thus the potential for improving team development and team effectiveness in many organizations is high. â€Å"However, team training and team leadership are key leverage points for enhancing the developmental process by intervening before or as teams are formed (team training) and as they proceed through the developmental rocess in the work setting (team leadership and coaching). † Kozlowski & Bell (2003). The theory that appeals to me the most is Tuckman’s theory of group formation. I believe I feel this way because it is most familiar to me, and have gone through the formal stages of forming, norming, storming, and performing. I was also a participant in a class called â€Å"How best to form your team†. This class went over these ideals that Tuckman me ntions. Refer ences Gersick, Connie J. G. (1988). Time and Transition in Work Teams: Toward a New Model of Group Development. Academy of Management Journal. Vol. 31, No. 1, 9-41. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database Katzenbach, Jon R. & Smith, Douglas K. (2005). The Discipline of Teams. The Harvard Business Review. July-August, 2005. pp. 162-171. Kozlowski, S. (2006). Group development. Encyclopedia of Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Retrieved from Sage e-References, Walden Library Kozlowski, S. W. J. , & Bell, B. S. (2003). Work groups and teams in organizations. In W. C. Borman, ed. , D. R. Ilgen, ed. , & R. J. Klimoski, ed. (Eds. ), ed. Handbook of psychology: Industrial and organizational psychology (Vol. 12, pp. 333-375). London: Wiley. Lewin, K. (1999). Experiments in social space. Reflections, 1(1), 7-13. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database McGrath, J. E. (1991). Time, interaction, and performance (TIP): A theory of groups. Small Group Research, 22(2), 147-174. Retrieved from SAGE Management and Organization Studies Full Text Collection Tuckman, B. (1965). Development al sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384-399. Retrieved from PsycARTICLES database

AS Level communication-LarryKings Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication Essay

AS Level communication-LarryKings Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication - Essay Example t can be seen that King uses complex paralanguage and syntagm to force his guests to answer difficult questions while providing a collection of visual signs within his studio to reassure them and to remind them of the serious nature of his inquiries. It is this combination of sincerity, seriousness and charming tenacity that gains King his reputation as a man who can get the answers. Much of King’s stage is reflected in shades of blue, including his clothes. Blue is the color most often associated with sincerity, purity and innocence. At the same time, blue, as a ‘cool’ color, has a calming effect on people, especially in the Western culture. By including blue in his stage set and usually wearing blue, King brings these attributes of color onto himself and the process of interviewing guests, providing them with a sense of security, safety, innocence and sincerity. However, the background to the set and King’s business-style clothing also works to establish the setting as a serious place of business. The background is a lit-up dot matrix image of the globe, with land forms represented by mostly blue lights and water forms remaining dark, providing a sense that issues discussed are of worldly importance. Finally, King uses complex paralanguage and syntagm to coerce guests into answering his questions. When a guest avoids the question, King uses syntagm to ask his next question, which is a restatement of the avoided answer. His paralanguage, laying stress on key words, making direct eye contact and adapting a stern bearing, usually has the effect of obtaining an answer. An example would be a question to a guest regarding a difficult divorce: â€Å"How did you get through the rather difficult period of your divorce?† The guest laughs but doesn’t actually address the question. Sitting a little straighter in his chair, looking directly at the guest, King barely waits for the guest to finish speaking before he cuts in again: â€Å"But you had an

Virtual Reality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Virtual Reality - Research Paper Example At some point in 1990s other terms related to VR appears such as, virtual environment or synthetic environment (Mario Gutierrez, F Vexo, & Thalmann,). Virtual reality is considered as the most powerful human-computer interface. However a number of TV shows, magazines, newspapers and discussions have described virtual reality in many different as, well as in confusing ways (Burdea & Coiffet, 2003). In terms of functionality, virtual reality is defined as the simulation of computer graphics in order to create the real looking world. The three I’s of virtual reality is immersion, interaction and imagination (Burdea & Coiffet, 2003). Some people link virtual reality on the basis of devices such as the head mounted displays also known as goggles are considered as the simulators however, in recent year’s virtual reality is not conducted via head mounted displays but it is done through huge projection screens or desktop PCs (Burdea & Coiffet, 2003). In the same fashion, sensin g gloves i.e. another example of virtual reality device is now being replaced by the trackballs and joysticks. Hence, virtual reality cannot be defined on the basis of devices as, new devices are being manufactured and improvement in technology is being escalated every year therefore, replacing the previous technology and devices (Burdea & Coiffet, 2003). ... Display of organ reactions such as bleeding from an artery. Interactivity between objects such as surgical instruments and organs. Sensory feedback – tactile and force feedback. Definition Virtual reality is defined as the transfer of information effortlessly, efficiently and fluently from the device to the operator by means of a well-organized man made computer interface. The specific components such as head-coupled virtual images, stereoscopic displays, hap tic interfaces and position-tracking systems characterize virtual reality as a technological system. Virtual reality as illustrated by Kalawsky as: â€Å"Virtual environments are synthetic sensory experiences that communicate physical and abstract components to a human operator and participant. The synthetic sensory experience is generated by a computer system that one day may present an interface to the human sensory systems that is indistinguishable from the real physical world† (Beutel,). Another book named The Silicon Mirage defines virtual reality as â€Å"Virtual reality is a way for humans to visualize, manipulate and interact with the computers and extremely complex data† (Beutel,). The above definitions state that the virtual reality is a group of technologies as, well as the new example of human interaction and manipulation of information. In other words, virtual reality offers its users to navigate, act together in a three dimensional computer generated environment in actual era. History The history of virtual reality starts in the late 1960s. Virtual reality (VR) was narrated as the multisensory simulation of the real world. Morton Heilig a cinematographer constructed a multisensory vehicle simulator in 1962 which was named as ‘Sensorama’ (Mario Gutierrez,

(whatever you want) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

(whatever you want) - Essay Example But the 21st century may see the end of this global system. The peripheral regions have been exploited, and new powers and systems are rising up to challenge the established order, namely religious fundamentalism and the failed state. With a lack of new regions to exploit, the primacy of the United States will wane as these other competing powers gain momentum. In the article, â€Å"In U.S. Visit, Brown to Urge ‘New Deal’†, (Sullivan, 2009) we read of Prime Minister Tony Brown’s visit to the United States to visit President Barak Obama. They are there to discuss the global financial crisis that their countries find themselves in. They pledged to cooperate with the other Group of 20 (G-20) countries that have all seen considerable amounts of capital and supposed wealth disappear over the past year. This article exemplifies this theory because the whole meeting is concerned with returning the global economy to a status quo, namely the continuation of concentration of capital in the United States and the other strongly capitalistic countries of the world. Talk centered exclusively on stimulating the economies of the G-20 nations while nations on the fringe of the core capitalistic nations were

Nurse Practice in NYS versus Florida State Assignment

Nurse Practice in NYS versus Florida State - Assignment Example A noteworthy provision in NPAs is the creation of nursing boards that govern nursing practices in every state. NPAs were not in existence before 1903, hence, before this period, people practiced nursing in whichever manner they wanted. Before this period, quality care to patients was not taken into consideration, thus, the birth of Nurse Practice Acts was a boost towards quality patient care in the US (Fulton, 2010). NYS Nurse Practice Act Established in 1948, the NYS NPA governs nursing procedures in the state. Section 6902 of the Act defines the practice of nursing as a profession of treating and diagnosing people with actual health problems. It further stipulates that registered nurses ought to be licensed when conducting tasks pertaining to health counseling, health teaching and provision of restorative and supportive care (Fulton, 2010). a) License Requirements Anyone using the title of ‘Registered Nurse’’ is expected to get a certificate from the NYS Educati on Department, and to receive the practice certificate in the state, one must meet the education requirements as stipulated by the department. Furthermore, one must have a registered NYS license that indicates that he/she is a registered nurse. A registered nurse in NYS is expected to specialize in a particular area before a license can be offered. Currently, there are many specialty areas in nursing including Adult Health, Community Health, College Health, Gerontology, Family Health, Neonatology, Pediatrics, Holistic Care, Obstetrics, Gynecology, Palliative Care, Psychiatry and Perinatology (Fulton, 2010). However, one may be authorized to practice in more than one specialty. Before one can be authorized to practice in more than one specialty, one is required to obtain a certificate of every specialty that shows that he/ she has met the set educational requirements. Once the authorization has taken place, one is expected to maintain the professional nurse license and the RN certifi cate. Certificate fees in each RN specialty area amount to $85, $50 being the application fee and $35 being the initial registration fee. However, these fees are subject to change. Applicants are required not to send fee in the form of cash, but instead they are required to mail their fees and applications to the NYS Education Department. All practitioners who have been licensed are expected to adhere to the NYS NPA rules of conduct. These rules are well defined in the Education Law which has highlighted clearly all definitions of professional and unprofessional conduct. The laws, rules and regulations for RN in NYS are all contained in Title 8 of the NYS Education Law. Therefore, every licensee is governed by these rules and laws (Bullough, 2004). b) Education Requirements and Training Before certification as a NYS RN, one is expected to satisfy the education requirements that are stipulated in the NYS Education Law. One is expected to meet the criteria of section A or section B or section C ,and in addition to this one, must meet requirements for section D. Criteria A requires that one must complete a NP educational program as offered by the NYS Education Department. Criteria B allows one to be a practitioner if there is certification of nursing practice from any of the following; American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, American Nurses Credentialing Center,

Evidence for effective Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Evidence for effective Nursing - Essay Example Evidence to of its effectiveness in nursing will be examined to support the research. In recent times, the number of university students with heightened stress levels and a myriad of mental problems has skyrocketed. Pamela van der Riet, Rachel Rossiter, Dianne Kirby, Teresa Dluzewska, and Charles Harmon conducted the research above that was accepted in May 2014. Their main argument was that a stress management and mindfulness program could be incorporated into learning support besides being a stress reduction method to support nursing and midwifery students build resilience and improve wellbeing. This study was in response to incorporation of the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program in Western clinical practice since the 1940s in managing stress and mental illness. This program initially was designed to assist clinicians adapt to the demanding healthcare environment. The idea is to transfer this program and incorporate as a learning support for the students who are pursuing nursing and midwifery. The stress management and mindfulness program is a superb addition to the education and support for nursing and midwifery students and should, therefore, be incorporated. As the nursing and midwifery profession continue to grow, there is increasing need for quality services from these careers (Maclnnes and Lamont, 2014). The research confirms and follows all the stages of the research process. The problem was determined as the increased frequency of stress and mental illness among the university students. The research question (Michigan Library, 2015) was explicitly stated as ascertaining the impact of a stress management and mindfulness program in reducing stress levels among nursing students. The background of the study was also solid (Michigan Library, 2015). The MSBR has been in clinical practice use since the 1945s to combat mental and stress illness. These studies compelled the question of

Environmental Audit (Data Response) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Environmental Audit (Data Response) - Essay Example Together, these three indicators or drivers should adequately give an investor a clearer idea about the feasibility of any economic investment in that country. Against this background, the three key economic drivers are discussed as follows. Tax Policy of Portugal The payment of taxes is mandatory as an economic policy in almost all economies of the world. Taxes are targeted at all groups of persons living in a country, who make an earning. The tax situation is no different in Portugal. There exist two major forms of taxes in Portugal. These two major forms of taxes in Portugal are individual tax and corporate tax (Abednego, 2003). Individual tax taxes are those that are paid by earning or income making citizens and foreigners. In this direction, the Investor Glossary (2011) explains that â€Å"An individual tax return is used to determine a person's personal income tax liability. On the contrary, corporate tax may best be referred to as business tax because it is paid by people in business. It is the kind of tax that is paid by companies, organizations and institutions. Corporate taxes are generally higher than individual taxes because corporate entities are profit making bodies are believed to be earning more than individuals. Any of the two forms of taxes affect businesses and by extension the company wishing to enter Portugal. This not withstanding, the tax environment in Portugal is one that can be described not to be too hostile; especially in comparison with what exists in other countries. In Portugal, individual taxes come in different forms as far as the executives in the company seeking to enter are going to make income they are likely to pay one form of individual tax or the other. The AngloINFO Lisbon (2011) explains that individual taxes paid in Portugal include taxes on salaries, capital gains and real estate income. On the broader scene, there is a 25% individual tax paid on earnings even though â€Å"income derived from real estate is subject to a tax rate of 15 percent† (AngloINFO Lisbon, 2011). The corporate tax payment regime that exists in portugal presently is not as lucrative as it used to be before the coming of the European Union and OECD. This is because before these era, Lowtax (2011) observes that â€Å"Portugal used to offer a number of special corporate income tax regimes by which businesses either paid reduced corporate income tax rates, were exempted from certain taxes altogether or were able to artificially inflate tax deductible allowances so as to reduce taxable profits.† Today, these tax incentives do not exist any longer. There is however other prudent measures taken by the government to ensure that the payment of taxes does not become a burden unto foreign investors. On the whole, there is â€Å"25% + a municipal surcharge (up to 1.5% of the taxable income): Effective rate: 26.5%† for foreign companies and taxes are exclusively on income made only in Portugal (Emporiki Bank, 2011) . Regulatory Policy of Portugal Regulatory policy refers to the kind of rules, regulations and laws that binds businesses and corporate entities that which to establish themselves in Portugal. Contrary to the ascertion that regulatory policies are in place to sabotage the

By Using the Structural Functionalist Approach Essay Example for Free

By Using the Structural Functionalist Approach Essay Rule by the people is what a democracy is made of, this might be achieved by having the party in power elected into office into office by the majority, the term democracy and the practice itself is diverse in each country but it has similar features which characterize all forms. This essay explains the impact or contributions of political parties in a Liberal Democracy using the Structural functionalist Approach. It will also converse the important roles that these political parties play in every political structure, specifically in Zambia. To start with, it will explain what the terms Liberal, Liberal Democracy and Political Parties are; it will also explain the Structural functionalist Approach. Thereafter, the works and critiques of having Political parties will later be discussed. According to Emerson (1920), Liberal is that mind or attitude which wills to understand and respect other people`s behavior, opinions it implies vigorous convictions, tolerance for the opinions of others and a persistent desire for sound progress, Democracy is Rule by the people, especially as a form of government; either directly, as in Ancient Greece, or through elected representatives as in many modern societies (representative democracy). Franà §ois (1998). Therefore Liberal Democracy refers to a broad array of related ideas and theories of government that consider individual liberty to be the most important political goal. Partridge, 1866). A political party According to Schlesinger (1992) is a group organized to gain control of government in the name of the group by winning election to public office. The Structural functionalist Approach is an approach that studies, analyses and views structures and systems in any social setting with regards to the role or functions they play in the development of any society. A political party being a structure in a political system has a vital role or function it plays in society. A liberal democracy may take various constitutional forms: it

Jim and His Father Essay Example for Free

Jim and His Father Essay How would you describe Jim’s self-concept? I noticed that Jim has a negative image about himself. Jim believes that his father has a unrealistic expectation of him. 2) How is self-concept affecting the interaction? Is it helping it? Hindering it? Explain using concepts from the text. Jim having a negative self-concept is really bothering him. While his dad is telling him he isn’t trying hard enough he actually thinks that no matter how hard he does study he still wont do well. 3) Using the process of human perception starting on page 64. Explain the situation from your perspective as a student. Selection-â€Å"We attend to certain stimuli based on a number of factors† (Wood, 2012, p.65). â€Å"We notice things that stand-out, because they are larger, more intense, or more unusual than other phenomena† (Wood, 2012, p.65). When I read this and see the video I see that Jim’s father isn’t seeing that Jim is actually trying hard to get good grade, he is just having some hard time..Organization-â€Å"Once we have selected what to notice, we have to make sense of it† (Wood, 2012, p.66). â€Å"Prototypes, personal constructs, stereotypes, and scripts are cognitive schemata that we use to organize our perceptions of people and phenomena† (Wood, 2012, p.66). I seen in the video that Jim knows that he is actually going to need to study a lot harder and more to bring his grade up to make his dad happy. Interpretation-â€Å"Is the subjective process of explaining our perceptions in ways that makes sense to us† (Wood, 2012, p.70). Attribution â€Å"is an explanation of why something happened or why someone acts a certain way† (heider, 1958; Kelley, 1967; Manusov Spitzberg, 2008). I think that Jims father is being hard on Jim because his dad paid for college on his own and it was not hard for him to get good grades. Attributional error-â€Å"Researchers have identified a common error that people make in their attributions† (Wood, 2012, p.71). â€Å"Self-serving bias this is a bias toward ourselves and our interests we tend to avoid taking responsibility for negative actions and failures by attributing them to external, unstable, and specific factors that are beyond personal control† (Wood, 2012, p.71). The  best example I seen in the movie is when Jim states that no matter how hard he does study he will still get bad grades because of how hard his classes actually are. 4) Using the guidelines for improving perception and communication starting on page 79 of the text, provide at least two tips for both Jim and his father on how to handle the situation in an effective way. Make sure to incorporate the text guidelines with proper in-text citations to support your points. Jim’s father 1) Distinguish between facts and interferences-â€Å"A fact is based on observation. An interference involves an interpretation that goes beyond the facts† (Wood, 2012, p. 81). Jims dad assumed that because jim is not making good grades , instead he is goofing off with his friends more. I think instead of yelling at him for goofing off he should ask what he can do to help. 2) Guard against the self-serving bias-â€Å"Because the self-serving bias can distort perceptions, we need to monitor it carefully† (Wood, 2012, p.82). I think that Jims dad needs to stop yelling at him because he is not as good as he is when he was in school. Jim 1) Guard against the fundamental attribution error-â€Å"This occurs when we over estimate the internal causes of others undesirable behavior and underestimate the external causes, and when we underestimate the internal causes of our own failings or bad behaviors and overestimate the external causes† (Wood, 2012, p.82). With Jim’s dad underestimating him it causes Jim to underestimate what he can do. Jim feels like he will never be able to make his dad proud of him. 2) Avoid mind reading-â€Å"Mind reading assuming we understand what another person thinks, feels, or perceives† (Wood, 2012, p.82). Jim knows that his dad is constantly on him about his grades. So when he calls home he knows that his grades are going to come up during the conversation.

Administrative Or Conventional And Critical Research Media Essay

Administrative Or Conventional And Critical Research Media Essay The field of mass communications is relatively new and is both multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary in nature. It is therefore not surprising that the approach to mass communications research will be mixed. This essay attempts to look at the issues which gave rise to research theories and distinguish between the terms administrative or conventional and critical research. It will discuss and contrast the similarities of both types of research while evaluating the usefulness and relevance of both approaches and what it meant for the development of the media. Finally, it will look at the different traditions of media research and explain how they manifest either conventional or critical characteristics. The history of mass communications research is a short one. In the 1940s, when communication and media studies came about in the United States of America (USA), research focused on the needs of an expanding society, including the positioning of political and economic interests which (was based on the critical pragmatism) and sociology of the Chicago School (Hardt, 1992, p. 9). However, Wilbur Schramm suggested that communications research was quantitative, rather than speculative and argued that its practitioners such as Lazarsfeld, Lewin, Laswell and Hovland (who were identified as the founding fathers of communications research in the USA) were deeply interested in theory, but in the theory they can test (Hardt, 1992, p. 11). His view ignored the history of concerns about communication and culture that had characterized the Chicago School (Hardt, 1992, p.10). Schramm insisted that they were behavioural researchers and as such interests in the wider social and cultural aspects of media and communication were left unaddressed. Schramms interest was journalistic rather than scientific and communications research is the USA served the system at the time instead of challenging it because of the influence by media and commercial interests. Hardt (1992) concluded that in the USA: Mainstream communication and media research had failed to address critical developments from within and without its boundaries. It had remained within specific categories of interests, reflected in an academic specialization in the study of communication that was interdisciplinary by its commitment to a behavioural science orientation, but without any significant or successful attempt to break out of its modiac circle (p. 19). In Great Britain, media research did not begin until the early 1960s. Halloran noted that a more critical, holistic approach emerged where the approach to research was more disciplined and systematic and focused on media as institutions and communication as a social process. The first review of the field was conducted in Great Britain and published in 1963 (Halloran 1963) and referred to few research exercises which concentrated on media effects which looked at the impact of media on attitudes and behaviour of individuals. Even though a number of studies have been conducted in the field of mass communications, researchers have not been able to gather enough information because of the way research has been defined, initiated, supported and organized, (Halloran,1981, p. 9). He adds that in addition to having limited information, it is also unfair and biased. He emphasized: Research is not initiated, organized, executed or applied in a social/political vacuum. Appreciation of the nature of research and its application calls for an understanding of the historical, economic, political, organizational, disciplinary, professional and personal factors which impinge on the research process in so many ways (p. 33). Halloran (1981) defined conventional research as having value-free, positivistic, empiricist, behaviouristic, psychological emphasis (p.34). He noted that earlier media research conformed to the dominant paradigm at the time and responded to the requirements of modern, industrial, urban society for empirical, quantitative, policy related information about its operations (p.37). Research was basically carried out to improve the effectiveness of the media and assist media entities in achieving its aims and objectives. This type of research used quantitative methods such as surveys, and field experiments (Boyd-Barret, 1995, p. 69) while critical media research was concerned with obtaining data that could easily reproduced (reliable data) through scientific testing as opposed to data that was valid. It was more holistic in approach and was viewed as being service orientated. Critical research was criticised because it was viewed as alternative research which did not support the status quo at the time as most media entities supported administrative research. It challenged the long held values of media establishments and provided the first real challenge to media entities. In this regard, most media organisations viewed critical research as being not scientific, qualitative and having a political agenda. Halloran (1981) points to three main characteristics that differentiate critical research from conventional research and which would have been ignored by the latter. Firstly, he said communication is treated as a social process. While administrative research was described as being media centric and pro -media critical research looked at the institution behind media and those affected by the media. This suggested that administrative research was more occupied by the efficient and effective operation of the media at the expense of other issues such as refining concepts, development of theories and the whole notion of social change. In contrast, critical research is what Halloran called society centric and to this end it addressed issues of public concern and focused on how media addressed these societal or public concerns. One of the striking features is that it looks at the medias role in promoting the democratic process and social reproduction (Boyd-Barret, 1995, p. 188). It also examines the inverse effect of the communications process i.e how social factors affect communication and media operations. One such example is the research of Racism and Mass Media (Hartmann and Husband, 1974) which examined the role of media with regard to racial prejudice. A good example that amply demonstrates both the weaknesses of the administrative approach and the broader, more realistic perspectives of the sociological or critical approach, is to be found in research which has attempted to deal with the alleged media/violence relationship (Halloran, 1995, p. 26). Secondly, media institutions are studied in relation to other institutions and within the wider social context. Critical research examines the whole system rather than just mere individuals which was the focus of administrative research, its unit of measure was society as opposed to the individual and research was not conducted in a vacuum. Critical researchers look at issues of ownership, control and technology. By contrast, administrative research focused on fine tuning media methods to facilitate specific institutional aims and goals. In so doing, it ignored certain factors that affected the communications process as well as what the media produced. The third characteristic, as described by Halloran, is that critical research addressed issues associated with structure, organization, professionalism and participation. Its more independent of institutions, policy and problem orientated and research enquiries are conducted externally with the aim of forming policies. Unlike administrative research, critical research is less likely to be of a social or administrative character and does not stroke the egos of media managers and owners by researching their issues or by accepting their definitions of media problems. Critical research challenged their (administrative) ideologies and attempted to provide alternative research forms to the field. Critical research and its researchers became very unpopular and were viewed with suspicion because it was hoped at the time, that research would support the status quo and the system. The dominant paradigm at the time would have viewed critical theorists as not supporting the status quo. Additionally, critical research was starved for funding while administrative research was financed by the institutions that commissioned the research and as such the results were predetermined. In attempt to make mass communications research scientific, administrative researchers pushed the study of mass communications into positivism and empiricism. Earlier, the entire study of mass communication assumed that mass media have a total and immediate effect and thought audiences to be passive. Early effects studies were preoccupied by persuasion and studies were grounded in psychology, more specifically referred to psychoanalysis and stimulus response and emerged primarily in the USA (Newbold, 1995). The development of the media effects tradition started in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when many social upheavals were being experienced by many countries and the media was viewed to be engaged in social control by moulding behaviour in line with the will of those who controlled the media (Newbold, 1995, p. 7). Then, the content of media was viewed as having direct effects on individuals who relied on the mass media as their only source of information about the world. Newbold (1995) notes that this gave rise to the hypodermic needle theory or magic bullet theory which implied that mass media had a direct, immediate and powerful effect on their audiences (Hypodermic needle model, Wikipedia). The Payne Studies of 1928 were the first major empirical studies to establish effects. Carried out in the USA, these studies looked at how motion pictures impacted children. The findings of the studies indicated that while films provided blue prints for living the effects of these films were not anti-social. Newbold (1995) stated that Cantrils study was among the first to question the magic bullet model and involve social and cultural factors in its analysis. Much criticism of effects studies focused on the media centric approach of researchers and the individualistic approach of the research, thereby being administrative in nature. Researchers were viewed as taking an approach which was purely interested in the direct relationship between the medium and its audience, failing to take into account the social and cultural influences of audiences which might also help shape their views (Newbold, 1995, p. 12). In this regard, social and audience interpretations were seldom taken into account. The Peoples Choice Study, conducted by Lazarsfeld et al and which sought to reveal the importance of interpersonal ties in the mass communications process (two step flow) was heavily criticised by Mills (1959) who described the approach taken in the study as abstracted empiricism because it was viewed as a study of voting in American politics and not necessarily the substance of opinion or dynamics. Newbold (1995) explained that: By abstracted empiricism, Mills is referring to the prevailing high value ascribed to statistical data derived from sampling procedures and interviews data upon which assumptions are made, and the relations between them established. He argued that quantification was pursued for its own sake, and at the expense of other major important issues for which quantifiable data might be difficult to obtain (p. 18). This in itself meant that the research displayed administrative characteristics which was media centric in nature and conducted in a vacuum without any social considerations. Newbold (1995) adds that while abstracted empiricism still appears to be a characteristic of this style of research, the two-step flow is still one of the most important developments in effects tradition because of its sociological orientation and shifting focus from the individual to the primary group thereby making the social context difficult to ignore. Following on from media effects, another tradition in mass communications research which is similar in focus but opposed to its perspectives is the political economy tradition. The political economy tradition searches for answers to the question of power of the media in the analysis of their structures of ownership and control. Mosco (2004) offered two definitions of political economy. Firstly, he described political economy as the study of the social relations, particularly the power relations that mutually constitute the production, distribution and consumption of resources, including communication resources (p. 6). This definition he explained focuses on how the communication business operates. A more general and ambitious definition of political economy is the study of control and survival in social life (Mosco, 2004, p.7). By these definitions, Mosco points to the fact that media institutions are both economic and political in nature. Adopting a fundamentalist Marxist approach, studies of this tradition have been based on the assumption that the dynamics of culture producing industries can be understood primarily in terms of their economic determination (Murdock and Golding, 1977, p. 37, cited in Bussaba, 2008, p. 24), thus the contents of the media and the meaning carried by their messages are determined by the economic base of the organization in which they are produced. Political economy is also characterized by an interest in examining the social whole or the totality of social relations that make up the economic, political, social and cultural areas of life (Mosco, 1995, p. 6) which included moral implications with an interest in social intervention to change society. Mosco (2004) indicates: Traditionally, the political economy of communication studied the major business firms responsible for producing and distributing mass media and the government agencies responsible for regulating and making communication policy. It focused on the power of media companies, demonstrated in the trend towards media concentration, and on how they use this power to influence media content (p. 28). With the aim to broaden the perspective in political economy, recent work addressed major processes such as commodification, spatialization and structuration. These process looked at making communications a market commodity; addressing the growth and spread of media institutions (especially the simplification by governments to do this by developing pro business regulation and policies; media production and access influenced by social, class, gender and race (Mosco, 2004). The precise mechanisms and processes whereby ownership of the media or control of their economics is translated into the message are complex and often problematic. The workings of the control are not easy to demonstrate or easy to explain empirically. The evidence is often circumstantial and is derived from the ideology implicit in the message and the interests of those in control. Mosco (2004) added that cultural studies and policy science are disciplines on the boundaries of political economy (p. 26). The broad based intellectual movement of the cultural studies approach which focuses on the constitution of meaning in texts and defined broadly to include all forms of social communication can contribute to the process of renewing political economy in several ways (Storey, 2003, p. 15, cited in Mosco, 2004, p. 26). Additionally, Mosco (2004) highlighted how cultural studies contributed to a broad based critique of positivism and has defended a more open philosophical approach that concentrates on subjectivity or on how people interpret their world, as well as the social creation of knowledge (p. 26). However, political economy can also contribute to rethinking cultural studies since it insists on epistemology that maintains the value of historical research, of thinking in terms of social totalities, with a well grounded moral philosophy and a commitment to overcome the distinction between social research and social practice (Mosco, 2004, p. 26). British cultural studies arose in the late 1950s and early 1960s with the Marxist informed work of Raymond Williams, Richard Hoggart and Edward Thompson who were all interested in political questions of class culture, democracy and socialism as it related to working class cultures in the UK. Williams work contributed significantly to the development of cultural studies as he attempted the study of relationships between elements in a whole way of life (Williams, 1965, p. 334). In 1964, Hoggart together with Stuart Hall established the Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (CCCS) which analysed mass media and popular culture and while many researchers did not share Hoggarts view of mass culture and cultural decline they did adopt some culturalist methodologies studying cultural texts and practices including media texts and practices (Gough-Yates, 2007). Structuralist methods allowed cultural studies to explore the rules and practices of culture, including media culture, and to ask how culture might generate the missing (Gough-Yates, 2007, p. 33). Ferdinand de Saussure and Roland Barthes while credited with making significant contributions to structuralism were also criticised for the structuralist assumption that signs can have stable, denotive meanings. Althussers concepts have also contributed to the development of cultural studies by pushing cultural studies to more analysis of popular culture and its role in fixing and containing identities away from the Frankfurt school style focus of the media. The Althusserian approach, because of its view of media products as closed texts that imprison their audiences and denies them any agency in their lives was challenged (Gough- Yates, 2007, p. 20). Gramscis model of hegemony argued that the consumption of poplar and media culture can be empowering as a refusal of subordination or form of resistance to dominant ways of being and doing (Gough-Yates, 2007, p. 32) and it helped scholars to address some of the criticisms of the Althusserians perspectives. Poststructuralists approaches also informed cultural studies and drew more attention to audiences rather than texts because of its approaches to cultural construction of meaning and their power relationships as it related to society and the domination of groups (based on gender, class, sexuality etc). As such, cultural studies shared some of its political interests with feminism and was challenged by feminists theory and politics which argued that cultural studies marginalized feminist issues and concerns (Schiach, 1994). This was evidenced in the CCCS Womens Studies Group (1978) publication Women Take Issue where feminist researchers encountered considerable difficulties in working around definitions of culture and theoretical perspectives that excluded and marginalized women, (Gough-Yates, 2007, p. 28). Post modern theory which has engaged cultural studies since the 1980s has broken down the traditional boundaries between culture and art, high and low culture, and art and the comme rcial which reflects the cultural, economic and technological change of society. Cultural studies especially new audience research offers the study of mass communications a means of researching through qualitative research, the cultures and discourses of media use in a new way (Gough-Yates, 2007, p.33). Hermes (2005) notes that the sudden increase in qualitative audience studies in mass communications research is sometimes know as the ethnographic turn (or new audience research) because key studies involved are inspired by particular traditions of anthropological research called interpretive ethnography (p. 5). Although new audience research is a type of research it is different from other traditions that use comparable research techniques. New audience research practitioners prefer the use of qualitative methods rather than quantitative which allows them to study more social contexts in which the media is used; its focus is more culture and cultural backgrounds that are sometimes marginalized by mainstream research traditions and its research objective is often popular culture. Interactive research methods such as interviews are used and it often has a feminist agenda. One prime example of New Audience Research is Ien Angs study of watching Dallas, the American prime time soap opera (Ang, 1985, cited in Hermes, 2005, p. 6) in which Ien Ang was able to assess, through qualitative methods, audience pleasure in viewing the show. Ethnographic turn was born of three traditions including British or European cultural studies; American cultural studies and qualitative mass communications research and ethnographic refers to four characteristics including the study of the media in a broader social context rather than in isolation as done in the James Lull research of the role of television in the dynamics of family life. The meanings of media practices are of much more interest than media practices in new audience research and stands for a more political investment as the practices of media are mostly researched for specific institutional goals. Finally, its aim is to develop theoretical understandings of the practices that were observed through lengthy, open interviewing (Hermes, 2005, p. 28). The lack of methodology and its revisionist politics has been the most popular criticisms of New Audience Research. In conclusion, much of mass communications research now is neither administrative nor critical and proceeds as if no debates had been held as Livingstone (1993) points out and she advises that all research projects should consider text, audience and context. She adds both research processes and its subject matter can be questioned since much research from either tradition can be, and often is, used to support or critique the status quo (p, 7).

Discussion of the four noble truths of Buddhism Essay -- essays resear

Q2. Outline and discuss the four noble truths: is the Buddhist view of existence optimistic or pessimistic? The question of the Buddhist view of existence being optimistic or pessimistic is one which is many have an opinion on. It could be said that the four noble truths provide the views of the Buddha in the way that life is led and more importantly, should be led. Certainly, the end goal is clearly optimistic, the attainment of spiritual enlightenment, or nirvana. However, the Buddhist view of life as we lead it is often deemed pessimistic as it is so concerned with suffering. As there is more than one school of thought to, â€Å"is the Buddhist view of existence of optimistic or pessimistic?† our understanding of these truths is crucial to the answer. The first noble truth is the full understanding of suffering. In an obvious way, people are aware of suffering and know when they have unpleasant sensations such as hunger, cold, or sickness. However, the first noble truth includes â€Å"awareness of all the ramifications of suffering because it encompasses the very nature and essence of suffering† (Gethin, 1998). This includes knowledge of the subtle as well as the obvious aspects of suffering. The obvious aspect of suffering is immediate pain or difficulty in the moment. Subtle suffering is more difficult to understand because it begins with happiness. In that respect it might be considered a â€Å"pessimistic† view that happiness leads to suffering. However, it is a fundamental Buddhist belief that the â€Å"very nature of happiness must change because it is impermanent.† (Gethin, 1998). To non- – Buddhists situations that might give one greatest happiness may be those which are the most actively desired and pursued e.g. love marriage and children. However, the need to maintain this happiness makes the happiness itself a suffering in Buddhist terms. If a sufferer is not aware of his suffering, s/he will never have the motivation to eliminate it and will continue to suffer. On the other hand if one becomes aware of suffering, one may be able to overcome it. In the same sense with the more subtle forms of suffering, if a person is happy and becomes aware and accepts that the happiness automatically includes the seed of suffering, then s/he will be much less inclined to become involved in the attachment to this happiness. One will then think. And so the first truth is that ... ...sting in contrast to worldly happiness which is exciting for a time, but then changes. In contrast, this ultimate liberation and omniscience is a definitive release from the defilement which is the cause of suffering. Their cessation is the most deeply moving peace. Within that peace all the powers of liberation and wisdom are developed. It is a very definitive release from both suffering and its result and four main qualities of this truth of cessation. First, it is the cessation of suffering. Second, it is peace. Third, it is the deepest liberation and wisdom. Fourth, it is a very definitive release. Cessation is a product of practising the path shown to us by the Most Perfect One, the Lord Buddha. The actual nature of that path is the topic of the fourth noble truth, which is called the truth of the path because it describes the path that leads to liberation. 7211, essay two Bibliography. Cush, D, (1994), Buddhism, Hodder and Staughton, Gethin, R, (1998), The Foundations of Buddhism, Oxford University Press, (pp. 74 –96) Sumedha, Ajahn, (2001), The Four Noble Truths, www.buddhanet.net Francesconni, (2001), The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, www.dharmawest.com

Super-duper Teddy :: essays research papers

Wendy Abram February 9, 2000 Book Report (about a boy character) Title: Super-Duper Teddy Author: Johanna Hurwitz Setting: The story takes place in Teddy’s neighborhood, Teddy’s apartment, and in Anita’s house. Main Character: The main character is Teddy. Supporting Characters: There are many supporting characters. They are Teddy’s mom; his sister, Nora; his neighbor, Anita; his friend, Bryan; his turtle, Mr. Hush; and Anita’s cat, Cassandra. Favorite Character: My favorite character is Teddy because he always has his Super-Duper Cape. He is usually shy except when he is wearing his cape. Summary: Teddy is a shy five year old boy who lives in an apartment. His sister, Nora is never shy. Teddy gets invited to Bryan’s birthday party but Teddy doesn’t want to go. His mom forces him to go and he ends up being the only other guest. After that, his mom goes to a wedding. His grandma and grandpa visit for two nights. Teddy and Nora didn’t like the breakfast their grandparents made and they were bored. When his mom came back, Teddy had to baby sit his neighbor Anita’s cat, Cassandra. He would get paid money. Cassandra makes a big mess but Teddy washes the mess up with his cape. One day Teddy was very anxious to get a pet. When he and his mom were driving, Teddy saw a pet shop and they went in. Teddy spotted the perfect pet and they bought him. The pet was a turtle and Teddy named him Mr. Hush because he was so quiet. The next day, his substitute teacher said they were going to take a long walk because it was a beautiful day. When they were halfway done, Jerry the fruit store keeper was blocking their way. Teddy saw fruit that looked like tiny oranges. Jerry said they were called kumquats. Teddy’s apartment was right across the street from Jerry’s store, so they went into his apartment. When they went into the elevator, it got stuck. There was a red button that Teddy always wanted to push, and he finally got to push it. When they all got to Teddy’s room, they ate cookies and milk. The next day at school, Teddy was so happy that he put his cape in the dress-up box.

Arms and the Man Essay

G. B. Saw’s Freedom actually is one of the series of radio talks delivered in 1935 on the B. B. C. As it was intended for the larger circles in their capacity as listeners, the lecture seems to be free from theoretical jargons. But Shaw can be very much deceptive in what he says. For, behind his homour lies the satire of the contemporary social condition. Not only that, his simple talk was actually a denunciation of the conventional and capitalist view of freedom. Politically Shaw conformed to democratic socialism, a variant of Marxism, according to which the society should try to reach the socialist political condition gradually by the democratic means. The concept of freedom, which Shaw satirises, was the fundamental principle of Enlightenment, and he does so because in a capitalist society, according to the Marxian view, freedom of the individual can never be realised. Shaw begins the essay with the proposition that a person can be called completely free in such a condition, in which he will be able to â€Å" do what he likes, when he likes, and where he likes, or do nothing at all if he prefers it†. He firmly denies the possibility of the existence of such a person as human beings are all slaves to nature: â€Å"†¦we must all sleep for one third of our lifetime__ wash and dress and undress__ we must spend a couple of hours eating and drinking__ we must spend nearly as much in getting about from one place to place. † From this funny yet inexorable condition of human life, Shaw very cleverly moves on to the fact that some of the â€Å"natural jobs† can be placed on others’ shoulders: â€Å"What you do to a horse or a bee, you can do to a man or woman or child†¦sort†. With this Shaw, however, comes to the immediate social and political condition of the time, in which the concept of freedom __ derived from the grand idealistic project of the Enlightenment, and nationalistic bias produced by the First World War __ was being glorified and used by the upper class as a means to achieving their self-interests. According to Shaw the farce of the democratic system in a capitalist state lies in the fact that â€Å"most actual governments†¦enforce your slavery and call it freedom†. But the citizens of the state continue to be duped by the system instead of rising to protest. Shaw terms this unequal relationship â€Å"the unnatural slavery of man to man†. Shaw points out an important difference between the â€Å"natural slavery of man to Nature and the unnatural slavery of man to man†. According to him, the first, though unavoidable, provides pleasure after its fulfilment; for instance, if nature forces us to drink, she makes drinking pleasant. The same is true of eating, drinking, sleeping and other activities. Shaw introduces this difference and cites examples more importantly to explain the evils of the former in more acute terms. He refers to few thinkers like Karl Marx and Thomas Moore, who denounced this slavery and tried to abolish it. At this point his explanation of the capitalist mechanism, that is, the means by which the system tries to dupe people and establish, legitimize and perpetuate itself approaches the ideological theories of Althusser and Gramsci. â€Å"Ideology represents†, Althusser tells us, â€Å"the imaginary relationship of individuals to their real condition of existence. He points out that there are found a number of ideologies – namely, religious ideology, ethical ideology, legal ideology, political ideology – all of which operate invisibly in the superstructure. Shaw strikes at the very root when he says, â€Å"Naturally the master class, through its parliaments and schools and newspapers, makes the most desperate efforts to prevent us fro m realizing our slavery. † He explains historically how the British capitalist system has established itself by propagating the so-called glorious events as the Magna Charta, the defeat of the Spanish Armada and Napoleon. Then he explains how â€Å"ideological apparatuses†, to quote Althusser, manipulate the common mass to cast votes in favour of the capitalist leaders. What is more alarmingly effective, according to him, is the educational system, which operates in the superstructure and â€Å"ends in deluding the master class much more completely†. Thus Shaw explains the difference between two kinds of slavery and conclusively tells the listeners/readers: â€Å"Wipe out from yours dreams of freedom the hope of being able to do as you please all the time. For, according to him, people have to remain occupied doing the natural slavery for at least twelve hours a day, while their unnatural slavery is controlled and regulated by the legal and administrative system of the country. Character of Louka in Arms and the Man Shaw conceived of Louka as a strong willed woman, necessary for his dramatic purpose of exposing the vanity of the upper-class and the political purpose of showing the socia list principle of showing equality among individuals in a society. It must be said that it was daring attempt on Shaw’s part to lead and raise a maidservant to the status of an aristocratic lady. But he does not do this as a kind of poetic justice or as a matter of mercy; he makes her capable of realizing her aims and object by her worth as a human being and by her strong will power. In the beginning of the play Louka is presented as a maid-servant having some sort of tension with the lady she serves. She behaves in defiant manners and her physical movements, gestures and postures produce the impression of haughtiness and discontent. The audience ascribes this to typical feminine jealousy of a servant for the lady of the same age, but in Act II they understand that she is Raina’s rival in love and is eyeing something above her position. Her confidence is generated from some of the secrets she knows about the ladies of the house. Always on the lookout for those sorts of things, she discovers a terrible truth about the fugitive in Raina’s chamber at night and keeps it for use in future. In Act II Louka is given a loud voice justifying her position. While being instructed threateningly by the middle-aged maid servant Nicola, she scornfully rejects his advice and brands him as a person with â€Å"the soul of a servant†. From Nicola, however, we come to know the predicament of Louka and her father â€Å"on his little farm†. Shaw here brings out the conflicts between rich and the poor, fuming in the backyard of patriotism and nationalism. Shaw makes this explicit by making Nicola fully aware of the effects any confrontation with the aristocracy will bring about. It is not that Louka is not conscious of this; in fact, her defiance of the upper-class people can be ascribed to the angst deposited in her. But while Nicola chooses to reap profit by serving the upper-class and thereby cashing on their weaknesses, Louka resorts to using her youth and feminine skills backed up by her will-power to trap an upper-class gentleman. In Act II Louka employs her youth and charms when she finds Sergius posing as a playboy. From the familiarity of their conversation we can understand that this is not the first time that Sergius engages himself in relaxation from the pressure of higher love† for Raina. As soon as Louka detects his susceptibility or vulnerability, she proceeds to break Raina’s pose of higher love by informing him of the presence of another man in her chamber at night. She does this in order to bring her down to her level of an ordinary human being before Sergius. Even she goes to the extent of saying â€Å"I am worth six of her†, meaning that she is capable of serving or satisfying the six different persons in Sergius, which Raina, according to her, is not capable of. But it would be an injustice to the character if we say that Louka uses only her youthful charms; we find her possessing subtle power of observation, by which she can surely foretell Raina’s move away from Sergius in the case of the fugitive’s return. No other person, including Raina could have this kind anticipation because Louka observes her from a pragmatic position: â€Å"I know the difference between the sort of manner you and she put on before one another and the real manner. Thus she creates agitations in Sergius’s mind quite consciously and deliberately in order that she may win him away by exposing both of them. But since she is intelligent enough to anticipate that he will not believe her unless and until he discovers the truth himself, she lets him out to find the rest of the truth. In Act III Louka enters the stage with her usual â€Å"bold free gait† with the marked difference that her left sleeve is â€Å"looped up to the shoulder with a br ooch, shewing her naked arm, with a broad gilt bracelet covering the bruise†. She does this intentionally in order to remind Sergius of the mark he made on her arm, and perhaps to display proudly the mark as a gift of love in a sort of masochistic exhibitionism. Nicola, as a man with practical wisdom can sense something wrong with her, and that is why he proceeds to warn her about her unusual fashion. Here once again she reiterates her contempt for his servile mentality and refuses to accept 10 levas from him as share of the bribes. Her basic independent nature is to be found in the following words: â€Å"You were born to be a servant. I was not. When you set up your shop you will be everybody’s servant instead of somebody’s servant. † She demonstrates the place she is eying to reach at by seating herself ‘regally’ in Sergius’s chair, an act which the audience notice with surprise and amusement. As Nicola understands her and humbly makes way for Sergius, she once again attracts Sergius now with the mark of bruise, which she uses as a kind of bait for him. When Sergius tries to compensate for the bruise by offering her an amorous favor, she rejects it straight and tries to make him understand that she wants more. She entangles him in a sort of emotional cheating with the protestation of the courage she can show in the case of realizing her true love: â€Å"If I loved you, though you would be as far beneath me as I am beneath you, I would dare to be the equal of my inferior. † Here by implication of the logic Louka wants him to come out of the class-barrier and accept her on equal terms. When Sergius expresses his inability and insults her by making a comparison between Raina and her in terms of the difference between heaven and earth, she returns this and the charge of her being jealous of Raina with a bold assertion: â€Å"I have no reason to be. She will never marry you. The man I told you of has come back. She will marry the Swiss. † Thus she succeeds in creation an emotional storm in his mind and in making him confess: â€Å"If I choose to love you, I dare marry you in spite of all Bulgaria. † In true chivalric fashion he even pronounces an oath, which she readily jumps upon to win him away in the next encounter. In the final encounter with Sergius Louka gathers all her strength of mind and risks being caught up in eavesdropping. However, quite unexpectedly she finds a supporter in Bluntschli, who defends her act by saying that he too once committed this kind of act as his â€Å"life was at stake†. Louka takes the cue from him and boldly declares her â€Å"love was at stake†. At this point we find Raina insulting her from her supposed social superiority and thus quite unknowingly provoking her to disclose the truth about her chocolate cream soldier. Louka is further insulted after the discovery of the â€Å"chocolate cream soldier†, and she turns the situation in her favor by forcing Sergius to apologize to her. As he still clings to his false heroic ideals, he apologises and falls motionless in her trap. In fine, we can say that through the presentation of Louka, Shaw illustrates once again the triumph of women in the chase of the men of their desire. There may be perhaps another reason: she is necessary as the woman for Sergius because she can balance the excess of romantic ideas and impractical dreams in him. But the audience cannot be sure of her capacity; for, immediately after becoming Major Sergius Saran off’s â€Å"affianced bride†, she addresses the lady she was serving by her name and tries to scandalize Raina by openly expressing her doubt of the latter’s being â€Å"fonder of him than Sergius†. The audience and more particularly the readers can take note of the fact that she does not utter a single word after that. She remains speechless even at the climax of the action when the chocolate cream soldier becomes Raina’s man amidst many revelations and amazements.

Spread of Buddhism in China

During the spread of Buddhism in china, three popular views were that the spreading of Buddhism should be stopped, society benefited from it, and it was the way of salvation (afterlife). One of the responses to the spread of Buddhism was that it should be stopped. Many officials believed that Buddhism was harmful to china because Buddhism was discordant with the already established Chinese traditions, culture, and aristocracy.The leading scholar and official at the Tang imperial court, Han Yu, writes to his leader (document ) â€Å"Your servant begs leave to say that Buddhism is no more than a cult of the barbarian people spread to china†¦ The Buddha was a man of the barbarians who did not speak Chinese†¦ your servant is deeply ashamed and begs that this bone from the Buddha be given to the proper authorities to be cast into fire and water, that this evil be rooted out, and later generations spared this delusion. Han Yu was a Confucian scholar, so it is no surprise that he is opposed to Buddhism which clashes with Confucianism in many aspects including how Confucianism promotes one fulfilling his duties to his lord and country, where as Buddhism promotes detachment to avoid sorrow.The Tang Emperor Wu wrote (document 6) â€Å"Buddhism has transmitted its strange ways and has spread like a luxuriant vine until it has poisoned the customs of our nation†¦ Buddhism wears out the people’s strength, pilfers their wealth, causes people to abandon their lords and parents for the company of teachers, and severs man and wife with its monastic decrees†¦ Having thoroughly examined all earlier reports and consulted public opinion on all sides, there no longer remains the slightest doubt in our mind that this evil should be eradicated. . Emperor Wu did not want the spread of Buddhism to continue because it advocates one to focus on reaching nirvana, and in order to reach nirvana people would join monasteries and â€Å"abandon their lords and pare nts for the company of teachers. † Obviously any leader such as Wu would not want his subjects to stop contributing to the country and focus on reaching enlightenment. This explains why he would write in opposition of the spread of Buddhism. Another response was that the spread of Buddhism was good for both the community and society.A leading Buddhist scholar, Zong Mi, wrote (document 5) â€Å"Confucius, Laozi, and the Buddha were perfect sages†¦ All three teachings lead to the creation of an orderly society and for this they must be observed with respect. † This scholar and many others agree that Buddhism is good and that it contributes to an orderly society. One reason for this belief is that Buddhist try to achieve self-peace, and then become bodhisattvas and help others achieve nirvana.This document also shows us that Buddhism is in perfect harmony with the already existent philosophies, and that the three (Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism) come together to s upplement each other and together create a peaceful society. Zong Mi wrote in favor of Buddhism because of the fact that he is a Buddhist scholar and wanted others to see that Buddhism is good for the people as a whole. An Anonymous Chinese scholar wrote (document 3) â€Å"To compare the sages to the Buddha would be like comparing a white deer to a unicorn or a swallow to a phoenix†¦ The [Buddhist] monk practices the Way and substitutes that for worldly pleasures.He accumulates goodness. † Through the tone of the anonymous scholar, it seems evident that he reveres the Buddhist to be peaceful and of good-natured. The author wrote this in response to a few proposed problems, and he showed that the supposed â€Å"negatives† are not bad at all, but simply misunderstandings of the goods of Buddhism. The third response was that because of the spread of Buddhism many more people would be able to reach nirvana and get away from sorrow.In the first sermon preached, Buddha said (document 1) â€Å"The first Noble Truth is the truth of sorrow. Birth is sorrow, age is sorrow, disease is sorrow, death is sorrow, contact with the unpleasant is sorrow, separation from the pleasant is sorrow, and every wish unfilled is sorrow. The second Noble Truth is the Noble Truth of the Arising of Sorrow: it arises from craving, which leads to rebirth, which brings delight and passion, and seeks pleasure. The third Noble Truth is the Noble Truth of Sorrow.It is the complete stopping of that craving, so that no passion remains, leaving it, being emancipated from it, being released from it, giving no place to it. The fourth Noble Truth is the Noble Truth of the Way that Leads to the Stopping of Sorrow. † By acknowledging the four noble truths and then following the eightfold path, one is able to reach nirvana. Because these are the words of the creator of the Buddhism philosophy, it is clear to see that he is trying to show that through Buddhism, one can find peace from within.A Chinese scholar, Zhi Dun, wrote (document 2) â€Å"whosoever serves the Buddha and correctly observes the commandments, recites the Buddhist scriptures, and furthermore makes a vow to be reborn without ever abandoning his sincere intention, will at the end of his life be miraculously transported thither. He will behold the Buddha and be enlightened in his spirit, and then he will enter nirvana. † The Author wrote this when northern china was invaded by central Asian steppe nomads, and his tone is very optimistic.A possible reason for this him writing this with such hope is that during a time of unrest he was able to achieve partial or complete peace through Buddhism, and thus he is writing this to encourage others to follow Buddhism and obtain peace as he did. It would have been helpful for a map of how Buddhism spread into/around china or a map of the percentage of Buddhist every 10 years. This would have helped because one would have been able to see what are as were affected first and what areas were affected the most. From that, one would better be able to better comprehend the differences in responses to the spread of Buddhism.

Characteristics of Effective Technical Writing Essay

Technical writing is meant to get a job done. Everything else is secondary. If the writing style is interesting, so much the better. There are 6 basic characteristics of technical writing: 1. Clarity: The written document must convey a single meaning that the reader can easily understand. Unclear technical writing leads to wasted time, money and resources. 2. Accuracy: This means to not only be careful to avoid errors in recording facts; it also means freedom from bias or subjectivity. If readers suspect you are slanting information by overstating the significance of a particular point, they have every right to doubt the validity of the entire document. 3. Comprehensiveness: A comprehensive technical document provides all the information its readers will need. Readers who must act on a document need to be able to apply the information efficiently and effectively. 4. Accessibility: This refers to the ease with which readers can locate the information they seek. Topic sentences should be used at the beginning of paragraphs. Thesis Statement should be identifiable in the introductory paragraph. 5. Conciseness: To be useful, technical writing must be concise. The longer a document is, the more difficult it is to use, for the obvious reason that it takes more of the reader’s time. A document must strive to balance the claims of clarity, conciseness, and comprehensiveness; it must be long enough to be clear-given the audience, purpose, and subject –but not a word longer. 6. Correctness: Good technical writing observes the conventions of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage. Leaving sloppy grammar errors in your writing is like wearing a soup-stained shirt to a business meeting: it will distract your readers, and may make them doubt the importance of your information.

Mountain Top Removal

November 2010 Solution: Eight Letters, One word, Mountaintop Removal Mountaintop removal although only eighteen letters and a mere two words provides endless opportunities for hard working Americans. The world is now all about efficiency and convenience. Society works as a machine, and each machine needs fuel to work. For Kentuckians, the fuel is Coal. The economy of Kentucky centers around coal. It not only gives hard working Americans a safe environment to work in but provides jobs, and stable economy for our nation.When compared to the rest of the world America has always had a strong economy. However America is currently in a state of recession. Politicians, cabinet members and economists are constantly trying to bring our great nation back into a state of equilibrium concerning monetary flow. Mountaintop removal is one way to achieve this. Areas which are abundant in coal are blessed with multiple lucrative opportunities which benefit not only the communities’ economy but the Nations, as well.Mine Safety is one thing that is extremely misunderstood. There is a lot of controversy, about mine safety regulations. But, the truth is that MTR is statistically the safest form of mining. Compare MTR to underground mining. Underground Mining: deep within the earth, hollow shafts, narrow tunnels, darkness all around, the fear that the mine may collapse at any time VS. MTR: Employees are above ground, have state of the art technology to help with safety protocol, and Mine collapsing isn’t a fear employees have to worry about.Jobs, something that loyal Americans are fighting for in the savage Job market. Mountain top removal offers long term jobs which also helps the economy. A fact, most people don’t know is that for every miner employed through MTR three new jobs are created. Thus, helping employment rates go up and keeping our economy running. Americans need jobs and through MTR we can make that happen. Mountain top removal: eighteen letters, t hree words, endless opportunities. Coal: four letters, one word, keeps the lights on.Although Opponents to MTR claim that it hurts the environment, creates a fair-weather economy, and is unsafe for its’ workers the truth is, MTR creates an almost identical landscape after reclamation, it continues to provides jobs even when the coal is gone and has been proven to be statistically safer than underground mining. Although the perspectives about MTR will continue to vary it is a lifestyle millions have adapted to already. Without MTR millions would be unemployed, the oven that makes our thanksgiving turkey would not work, a child wouldn’t have the electricity to read his or her first book.MTR is a permanent way to fix our problems. Kentucky is more than just a geographic state, it’s a state of mind and a state of heart and without MTR it would wither away into a perpetual end.Works Cited The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 2010. Web. Date of access. Reece Erik , . Lost Mountain . New York : Riverhead, 2006. Print. Kitts, Gene. The Charleston Gazette. Charleston: Charleston Gazette, 2008. Print. Lemon, Eric. http://www. marshall. edu/cber/media/010420-DA-mountain. pdf. Charleston: Athenaeum, 2001. Print.

A Look at the Concerns Surrounding Internet Dependency

A Look at the Concerns Surrounding Internet Dependency The new wave of online technology has seen the Internet take an increasingly large place amongst society throughout the past few decades. The introduction of Internet-capable personal devices such as mobiles phones and tablets have granted users further access, triggering Internet traffic to grow exponentially. Due to this immense social shift towards the online, contemporary issues have appeared on both an intrapersonal and interpersonal scale. Reports during the 1990’s, when the effects of the Internet intensified, suggested that some online users were becoming addicted in much the same way that others may become addicted to drugs, alcohol or gambling. However, as has been seen since this initial prognosis, Internet addiction has shown to be much more challenging and controversial to categorise than alternative substance-based addictions. In general terms, Internet addiction can be described as excessive preoccupations, behaviours or urges regarding computer and Internet use that leads to distress or impairment (Shaw Black, 2008). This research review will identify major issues in Internet addiction, as well as overview the major controversies, such as the inauguration of Internet addiction as a concept, tests founded to measure it, general verses specific addiction, addiction to gaming and the symptoms of excessive Internet use. Substantial research in the addiction field had been accomplished throughout the 20th century, however, due to the relative newness of Internet addiction, research that clearly outlines the stages of acquisition and the consequences of this type of addiction are less prominent. First mentions of computer addiction came through anecdotal reports in the late 1970’s, specifically through the media, with colloquial terms such as ‘computer addicts’ and ‘machine-code junkies’ being used to describe heavy computer users. The general public widely accepted that symptoms of computer addiction included the impairment of psychological development and the breakdown of social relationships. A few academics took a partial interest in the field throughout the 1980’s, however serious research was not conducted until Shotton (1991) partook in a study to further analyse this issue. Through a series of interviews and questionnaires, Shotton (1991) found that the effects of computer addiction were much less severe than previous literature and the media had suggested, citing logical reasons that explain why individuals engage in interacting with a machine so extensively. Shotton (1991) believed that introverted people who turned away from human relationships could find companionship through computing. Although revolutionary, Shotton’s research became quickly less pertinent when the Internet rose to fame in the mid-1990’s drastically changing the function and usability of computers. At the 104th annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in 1996, Young (1998) presented a paper on the emergence of a new clinical disorder known as Internet addiction. Young reformed the prognosis in the DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1995) for Pathological Gambling into a brief questionnaire referred to as the Internet Addiction Diagnostic Questionnaire (IADQ) used as a screening instrument for addictive Internet use where participants who scored on 5 or more were deemed as dependant Internet users. Young demonstrated that dependant Internet users spent an average of 38.5 hours per week online, compared to 4.9 hours for non-dependant users. Furthermore, the research illustrated that non-dependant users viewed the Internet as a valuable source of information and a medium for personal and business communication. This contrasts with dependant users, who saw the Internet as a significant part of their lives, enabling them to meet and socialise with new people, with many often preferring their online friends to their real life relationships. The study likened the consequences of Internet addiction to that of other addictions, citing academic problems, work complications, distorted sleep patterns relationship difficulties, and denial of use as symptoms of excessive Internet use. Young provides a framework for further research on addictive Internet use, concluding that many individuals demonstrated impulse-control difficulty similar to pathological gambling or alcohol abuse. The proposal put forth by Young (1998) sparked much debate amongst academics which has continued to this day. Beard and Wolf (2001) contended Young’s claim, arguing that her criteria for Internet addiction were too rigid and subjective for self-reported measures. They proposed that for an individual to exhibit Internet addiction, they must meet five necessary criteria, and one of three optional criteria, both deriving from Young’s original questionnaire. Beard and Wolf go on to question the term ‘Internet addiction’ altogether, explaining that excessive Internet use cannot be defined as an addiction, as it does not result in all of the symptoms and behaviours associated with conventional addictions such as physical withdrawal. The controversy surrounding this term is currently bolder than the times of yesteryear with the Internet’s increasing hold on society. Starcevic and Aboujaoude (2016) firmly stand against the diagnosis ‘Internet addiction ’ citing some issues with its use. They argue against the term in a literal sense, citing that there is no evidence that addiction to the Internet as a medium exists, it is merely a facilitator for other behavioural addictions. Furthermore, and progressively so, the Internet is too vague a term as it refers to the limitless variety of behaviours that could be performed online. As such, the term ‘Internet addiction’ should be replaced by more specific behaviours. The concluding argument by Starcevic and Aboujaoude (2016) in the previous paragraph feeds into one of the major controversies surrounding Internet addiction, where two schools of thought have emerged. The generalised view believes that Internet addiction merits its own classification as a new psychiatric disorder, whereas the specialised view breaks down an individual’s Internet usage and defines their addiction in regards to specific online activities. After many years of debate, a modern study by Montag et al. (2015) set out to examine whether it is appropriate to differentiate between generalised and specialised Internet addiction. Participants from Europe and Asia completed two generalised scales (IAT and GPIUS-2) and a specialised scale developed to measure four domains of internet use; video gaming, shopping, social networks and pornography. The results of the study demonstrated that there are indeed specific forms of Internet addiction and that large parts of both gene ralised and specific addiction do not overlap. However, this is not true in the case of social network addiction as there was a considerable overlap between it and generalised Internet addiction. The authors argue that this may be because Facebook does not exist without the internet, unlike the other specified domains. Laconi, Tricard and Chabrol (2015) also took a keen interest in the relationship between generalised Internet addiction and specialised internet addiction. This study had participants complete an array of scales relating to specific Internet uses (gambling, sex, video watching, communication, information seeking, gaming, work, shopping) and generalised Internet use. The study determined that out of 378 participants just 29 showed symptoms of generalised Internet addiction, in contrast to 170 showing specific Internet addiction, prompting the authors to call for the distinction between the two. One of the biggest revelations for Internet addiction as a diagnosis came recently when the DSM-5 (2013) introduced a non-substance addiction for the first time in its history. Internet gaming disorder was added in Section 3 of the DSM-5 after careful review of over 250 publications in this area due to the significant amount of research in recent years and the consequences of the condition. Prior to the DSM-5, a substantial number of tests were used to examine Internet addiction, generating no clear diagnostic criteria. One of the more popular tests was proposed by Young (1998) in her original paper and known as the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). This scale added to the IADQ as it contained 20 items measured on a Likert scale. Its internal consistency has been examined amongst a variety of settings, most of which have proven to be positive (Widyanto McMurran, 2004). However, its factor structure has been inconsistently reported in different contexts challenging its original unidimen sional design (Lai et al., 2013). Through a systematic review of 68 epidemiological studies on Internet addiction, Kuss et al. (2014) reported that as many as twenty-one different scales were developed between the IAT in 1998 to the DSM-5 in 2013 in an attempt to examine an individual’s addiction to the Internet, each test with their own issues. Petry et al. (2014) discuss the inclusion of Internet gaming disorder in the DSM-5 by assembling international experts to achieve consensus about assessing this disorder in an array of contexts as defined by the nine criteria in the DSM-5. Pre-occupation refers to the individual thinking about gaming not only while playing but also while they are not playing. Withdrawal refers to particular symptoms that emerge when one is unable to initiate gaming, or when one is trying to withhold from gaming. Tolerance denotes that an individual feels the need to game for extended periods of time to feel sufficient excitement. The fourth criterion is unsuccessful attempts to stop or reduce gaming. A person with Internet gaming disorder may also protrude a loss of interest in other hobbies or activities. The individual may also continue to game excessively even though they are aware of the negative consequences that arise from this behaviour. Deception refers to lying about the extent of their time gaming to others. The penultimate criteria the authors discussed is using gaming as an escape or relief from a negative mood, such as feelings of anxiety, sadness or depression. A person with Internet gaming disorder may also jeopardise or lose valuable relationships, work opportunities or educational opportunities due to their attraction to gaming. For the DSM-5 to deem an individual with this disorder, they must meet five or more of the criteria discussed within the past year. However, as Internet gaming disorder is situated in Section 3 of the DSM, which contains emerging measures and models, and due to the relative newness of the field, much more research must be conducted to produce a definitive set of criteria. Of all specific Internet addictions, online gaming has arguably garnered the most attention to date from academics and researchers alike. Similar to the studies previously discussed, Rehbein and Mà ¶ÃƒÅ¸le (2013) set out to determine whether video game addiction specifically could be distinguished as its own diagnosis in contrast to being attached to Internet addiction as a whole. A range of relevant data was collected from a large sample of 4436 school participants on their video game and Internet usage patterns, along with questions related to their psychological wellbeing. The results determined that video game addiction and Internet addiction can very much be regarded as two distinct nosological entities, and it is important to do so, as there are supreme differences in the sociodemographic characteristics between the two groups. The authors found that males primarily made up the group of video game addicts, whereas females predominately found themselves in the Internet addicted group. Early in the lifespan of the Internet, Young (1998) found that users were drawn to real-time services such as internet relay chat (IRC) and multi-user domains (MUD). As technology is advanced, these amenities developed further into three-dimensional graphical representations in the form of online games. Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) took the world by storm in the early 2000s through titles such as â€Å"Everquest†, where users were able to play out the life of a character in an online world with other players. Ng and Wiemer-Hastings (2005) investigated the different usages between MMORPG players and Non-MMORPG players by collecting anonymous surveys posted on various gaming forums. Interestingly, MMORPG players were seen to spend significantly more time investing in online gaming. However, the authors emphasise that these players cannot be classified as addicted as they display opposing characteristics to an addict, in that they do not seek self-con fidence from the game, would not be irritated if they spent extended periods of time without playing and would find fun elsewhere if MMORPGs did not exist. The authors suggest that MMORPG players have a different perspective on social life, or labelled as introverted by some, and chose to socialise through online gaming rather than in the real world. Comparable to the term itself, the symptoms of Internet addiction have been hotly debated since its proposal in the mid-1990’s (Valkenburg Peter, 2009). In the early years of Internet addiction, the predominant belief amongst researchers was that this disorder had a detrimental effect both psychologically and socially. This was demonstrated in a famous study by Kraut et al. (1998) where they analysed this very idea in a longitudinal study. Measures of Internet use were collected over a two-year period, and social and psychological well-being were measured through reliable self-reports by individuals who had never used the Internet prior. Like other studies at the time, Kraut et al. found that excessive use of the Internet was associated with increases in loneliness and depression and declines in social involvement Due to the increased accessibility of the Internet in a contemporary setting, many academics elude to the convoluted consequences of extreme Internet use in the modern day. Bessiere, Kiesler, Kraut and Boneva (2008) predicted, using previous hypotheses, that the way an individual uses the Internet will produce an increase or decrease in psychological and/or social well-being. A study similar to that of Kraut et al. (1998) was generated to decidedly distant results. Firstly, it was found that using the internet for things other than communication had no apparent consequences on well-being. Additionally, they found that using the Internet to communicate with family and friends actually had declining levels of depression. Whereas using the Internet as a means to interconnect with, and meet new people did induce increased levels of depression. Finally, the authors found that individuals with high levels of social support initially were more prone to negative social consequences in compar ison to those with low levels of social support. All aspects of Internet addiction are still up for debate. With the further protrusion of its presence in the everyday lives of more and more people, many studies have become invalid within a short period, making it problematic to keep up with the ever-changing landscape. Increased accessibility and affordability enable almost everybody the chance to be sucked in by the Internet, whereas in years gone past, especially in its inception, it was a more exclusive group. Perhaps this means that Internet addiction will become more widespread over the coming years, or contrastingly, the concept will die off due the normalisation of its overuse. As has been discussed throughout this review, many scales have been developed in an attempt to diagnose, and it is expected that much more will be established in the future as Internet use becomes increasingly prominent. It is evident that the distinction between generalised and specific Internet addiction needs to be entrenched to improve diagnoses, and this step has been taking with the introduction of the Internet Gaming Disorder in the DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Much more research needs to be conducted within this field in the coming years to gain decisive conclusions. However researchers may be fighting a losing battle due to the Internet’s perpetual innovations.