Category: Social Issues

The current socio-political climate calls for peoples active involvement in various social issues. However, the universal nature of these issues and their broad influence create an environment in which members of education establishments begin to question the extent of their involvement in them. In a climate where the establishments administration is either silent or defiant, the teachers face a dilemma of whether follow suit or develop their own course of action.

The case of Kyle Rittenhouse and how it was perceived by universities is an example of the administration taking an opportunity to voice their opinions. The creator of the article, however, does not agree with this approach, stating that universities should remain neutral, promoting analysis and debate (Friedersdorf, 2021). Indeed, the idea behind the education establishment is to teach students how to think for themselves, using their critical skills. However, this does not mean that the teachers are not allowed to express their opinion on severe social matters.

When approaching serious social issues, people are often tempted to disclose their opinion with abundance and authority. While making such actions, people with already established authority (teachers and school administration) should be wary of their delivery. An opinion should not be presented as a fact, but rather as a factor that could shape another persons opinion. Its persuasive power should not come from the place of respect for the authority figure, but from the solidity of the argument. History is a powerful tool for learning and predicting the future based on precedent. A historians responsibility, in this case, is to provide all relevant facts and historic examples clearly, allowing students to draw their own educated conclusions.

In conclusion, education establishments need to be wary of a particular balance when addressing and modulating social issues. It is necessary that teachers help students learn and develop skills that would allow them to perceive information critically and make educated decisions based on historic evidence. Furthermore, the process of teaching to form an opinion should not be muddled by an interfering opinion presented as a fact.

Reference

Friedersdorf, C. (2021). Universities try to force a consensus about Kyle Rittenhouse. The Atlantic. Web.

Social issues are things along with matters that may indirectly or directly have an effect on few or all members of a given society. Society in this case is a group of human beings living together in some geographical location. These issues are partaken to be troubles involving controversies correlated to decent standards, or both at the same time. In general society, as in many countries in the world, religion plays an important role regarding many issues also many voters choose leaders based largely on morality in relation to these issues. These issues will lead to virtues which are translated to knowing who we really are.

All this will further depend on the roles we play in life and the virtues that count the most are those that help us along the way. This is why many people engage in activities that help them survive. These are things like business and other related income-earning activities.

Living conditions

I will look at housing and see how its affordability creates a social issue in a community. I see housing as business and as quoted business involves the exchange of services for money, making money, and dealing with other peoples needs and demands in the book A better way to think about Business (page 69). I am interested in housing affordability because it involves all different levels of humankind. It touches on the poor, the middle, and the rich in a given society. It is in the housing sector where we can be able to know or gauge the financial position of an individual. I found out that the poor are the most affected by this issue; they live in houses situated in filthy environments. They try to live contented but they suffer silently since they know that they cant afford to live in affluent areas.

I compare this with the situation I found. It was one day when I was looking for a rental house; I moved into an apartment that had been evacuated not long then more than two days ago. To me, it was a new apartment but the previous owners had left behind a damp, shabby house. The landlord did not even make an effort of cleaning since he knew that it could not take long before another person will come looking for a cheap house to live in.

This happened to be me since I could not afford the rent of an expensive apartment. Housing prices went up generally, many people could not afford a house, this included renting and owning. In view of the fact that I am an international scholar from China and depended on my parents to pay for my living cost, I could only afford a cheap house. Descent houses if built by the property owners in no filthy environment, my action of staying in the house without any ado would have created a value that would be important to both of us. Descent houses if built by the property owners.

The suffering of the poor

These issues affected me and still do because I had the first-hand experience in the issue of housing conditions. It is said and as I saw that poor housing conditions are making people sick. Links have been shown between poor housing standards and increased rates of skin, ear, and respiratory tract infections and diarrhea. I saw that infections resulted in stunted growth, low development, and increased susceptibility to diseases like rheumatic fever; such conditions are not that rampant in the housing areas that are occupied by the rich in the society, it really looked a disgrace that I could still see such conditions comparing it to rich countries (Flap & Henk, 1999).

This I realized was the virtue of the landlord since he was also involved in doing business. Their business had no business virtues that are explained on page 69 of the book a better way to think about business. The business virtues explained are the virtue of honesty, fairness, and trustworthiness. Thus their business was only for self-interest and of no fairness.

Virtues of a business

I found out that the issue of affordable housing as a form of business was done without caring, it was done without the basic concern of others, and the fact that you should be useful to yourself and to others did not apply to the housing business situation. They did their business without sympathy to the health of the needy. In the book a better way in thinking about business (77) caring is brought out as a term that gets executive hearts beating faster the way the competition and the profit motives do.

Much of the undistinguished images of compassion have to do with the overly military and otherwise macho metaphors that have dominated so much of business thinking in this century and the relegation of caring roles to women who stayed at home (Carroll,1979). Caring, of course, is not incompatible with corporate thinking thus I felt the landlords were out to make easy money since no concern was taken on the way we lived our life in the filthy affordable houses.

Conclusion

In conclusion, responsibility should be given priority in any effective business. The three virtues should be looked at to create a feeling of a win, win situation. This would reduce the risk of people contracting diseases in the filthy environment contrasting to the fact that the landlords living in beautiful mansions.

References

Barney, J. B. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17 (1): 99-120.

Carroll, A. B. (1979). A three-dimensional theoretical reproduction of shared social concert. Academy of Management Review, 4(4), 497-505.

Flap, Henk. 1999. formation and proceeds of communal capital: A new study program. The Tocqueville Review.20(1): 5-26

Homer-Dixon, T. (2006). The positive aspect: disaster, imagination, and the renewal of civilization. Toronto: Vintage Canada.

Van der Linden. (1982) Unlawful resident Settlement improvement: Improvement and Amsterdam: The organization for environmental Studies and Urban and Regional Planning of the Free University.

Background

The term digital divide has become popular with the recent developments in the information and technology sector. According to McGrath (2011), the term basically refers to the gap that exists between those individuals who can readily access information and communication technologies and those who are unable to do this. Individuals who enjoy ICT also have the skills needed to put it into use.

On their part, those who have no access to this technology may lack the expertise needed to exploit it (Government Technology, 2011). A major digital divide in Washington, D.C. area involves access to broadband technology. It is noted that the adoption of this element differs between the various segments and communities in the city (Government Technology, 2011).

According to Shelton (2014), the rate of broadband utilization in this region stood at 65.3% in 2009. However, in spite of this impressive figure, some communities seem to be alienated from this technology (Shelton, 2014). For example, the rate of utilization varies significantly between the eight wards in Washington, D.C. Wards 8, 7, and 5 are less affluent compared to the rest.

In these areas, the rate of broadband use is below 40%. The percentage is the threshold used by the federal government to define underserved communities (Prieger, 2006). Affluent neighborhoods, on the other hand, record adoption rates of 80% or more.

Digital Divide in the Context of Access to Broadband: Macro-Analysis

According to Kvasny (2004), the digital gap brings to fore a number of factors related to technology. For example, it involves access to areas where broadband is available. Such locations include libraries, schools, and homes. Another factor is the frequency of internet and computer use in these areas (Kvasny, 2004).

According to Prieger (2003), the latest dimension of the digital divide is about high-speed internet service, which is also referred to as broadband. Bridging this gap in Washington, D.C, will involve ensuring that people have access to the internet and computers. Also, it will include equipping these individuals with the skills required to exploit this technology. High-speed broadband internet should be made available at homes, workplaces, and public venues.

According to Shelton (2014), the current trend in Washington, D.C. is an indication of the widening gap between the communities living in this area. It is important to note that the situation is not confined to this area. On the contrary, the disparities are reported in other parts of the United States of America. Shelton (2014) argues that the availability of broadband internet is no longer an option.

It is a necessity, especially in relation to the underserved communities. That is the reason why the current situation is a major source of concern for the government and other stakeholders. For example, the Hispanic and African-American communities lag behind their Caucasian counterparts with regards to the exploitation of broadband. The difference between the two groups ranges from 10 to 20 percent (Shelton, 2014).

It is apparent that the digital divide between the communities living in Washington, D.C in relation to the adoption of broadband internet is a major problem. The gap between the whites and other races, which are largely regarded as underserved, is growing by the day.

Consequently, it is important to come up with a mechanism to address this problem. Failure to resolve the issue means that the underserved communities, which include low-income families, will be unable to benefit from technology.

Access to Broadband in Washington, D.C.: Micro-Analysis

Disparities involving access to broadband have major impacts not only on the Washington, D.C. community but also on people living in other parts of the U.S. According to Prieger (2003), individuals can enjoy this technology through a cable modem or Digital Subscriber Line for residences and businesses. It allows users to receive and send large volumes of data. The development relaxes or minimizes the constraints associated with the World Wide Waits.

As already indicated, access to broadband (and to technology at large) is no longer a matter of choice. Low-income families in Washington, D.C require this technology for several purposes. For example, they can use it to work from home, meaning that they do not have to use their meager resources to travel to the office.

According to Government Technology (2011), the job market in the U.S will significantly change in the next 10 years. For example, 80% of all jobs will require digital fluency (Government Technology, 2011). In addition, 80% of Fortune 500 companies will only accept online job applications (Government Technology, 2011). Other activities, such as the provision of financial aid and registration for classes, have gone digital.

Conclusion

The digital split between low and high-income families in Washington, D.C is a reality. Access to technology varies between these two groups. Technological advances and applications are on the rise today.

In light of this development, inequalities about the availability of broadband internet in Washington, D.C. require to be addressed urgently. If the issue is not resolved, the underserved communities in this district will continue to lag behind economically and technologically.

References

Government Technology. (2011). Digital divide still present in Washington, D.C., broadband map shows. 

Kvasny, L. (2004). Virtual inequality: Beyond the Digital Divide, by Karen Mossberger, Caroline J. Tolbert, and Mary Stansbury. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2003. Xvi + 192 pp. $19.95/£14.25 (paper). ISBN: 0-87840-999-8. The Information Society, 20(1), 409-410.

McGrath, M. (2011). Zeroing the divide: Promoting broadband use and media savvy in underserved communities. National Civic Review, 100(3), 24-28.

Prieger, J. (2003). The supply side of the digital divide: Is there availability in the broadband internet access market. Economic Inquiry, 41(2), 346-368.

Shelton, H. (2014). Guest: How to bridge the digital divide for low-income families.  Web.

Persuasive essay

In the majority of countries, the minimum age limit required for one to consume alcohol is 18 years (International Center for Alcohol Policies 2). Only a few countries have set the drinking age limits of 16 years and 21 years (International Center for Alcohol Policies 2). In recent times, the problems associated with overconsumption of alcohol have immensely contributed to socioeconomic problems in the society.

From a logical point of view, the reason for setting a drinking age limit is to ensure that one consumes alcohol responsibly, and is liable for any harm associated with the same. However, this responsibility has been disregarded over the years as minors and youth aged above 18 years overindulge in alcohol abuse.

The need to implement stringed measures in curbing alcohol problem requires revision of the drinking age limit. Therefore, the minimum drinking age should be increased to 25 years.

Scientific reasons

From scientific studies, it is evident that the brain develops fully at the age of 25. On the other hand, alcohol has been scientifically proven to have an adverse effect on the brains development. The harm caused by alcohol to adolescents brain is more than that of older adults. From this perspective, youths under the age of 25 years are unable to make reasonable decisions once they consume alcohol.

Due to the consumption of alcohol during the early years, medics have identified the lack of reproduction among females. A prolonged consumption of alcohol from adolescence to adulthood causes liver and brain damage. Thousands of youths die every year due to psychological related problems that are facilitated by binge-drinking and other drugs.

Governments responsibility

It is the governments responsibility to protect citizens from harm. Alcohol related disasters like road accidents and social ills such as homicide and crime can be prevented by increasing the drinking age limit from 18 or 21 to 25.

At least, 40% of fatal accidents caused by youth aged below 25 are alcohol related (Chaloupka and Henry 225). In addition, the government is obligated with a role of ensuring that the youth have a future in a society without impediments such as alcoholism and fatal accidents.

Orderly society

Majority of the youths under the age of 25 are jobless or college students. Traditionally, such group of people in the society enjoys binge-drinking that is depicted as reckless indulgence of alcoholism.

In an orderly society, binge-drinking is perceived as a sign of moral decay where the youth gets noisy and irresponsible. In any case, the society benefits from healthy and sober youth who can assume responsibility at young age. The quality of life is the concern of the government, and making sure that future generations do not overindulge in alcohol.

Economic reasons

Alcohol consumption is not suitable for the youth who are probably in college or unemployed. At least, people aged above 25 can be employed and support their drinking behaviors.

On the other hand, reducing the drinking age limit attracts underage alcoholics. Allowing people who are economically unstable to indulge in irresponsible behaviors is a danger to the welfare of the country. For example, allowing youth aged 21 to drink allows underage college students to access alcohol through their friends.

Public health

As a matter of public health, at least 4,300 deaths are recorded every year among the youths due to alcohol related issues (Alati et al. 789). However, with the increased drinking age limit of 21 in the United States since 1990s, the number of youths consuming alcohol reduced immensely.

Nonetheless, with current socioeconomic problems in the society, the prevalence of underage drinking has increased over the last decade. In this regard, the government has turned its attention in financing public health awareness programs that promote increment of drinking age limit. In addition, youths who access alcohol at young age are vulnerable to use of other dangerous drugs such as cocaine, marijuana and heroin.

Public awareness

In recent surveys, it has emerged that raising the drinking age limit to 25 may not have an immediate positive impact. In fact, raising the drinking age limit contributed to other alcohol related problems and social ills. In this regard, the alternative to raising drinking age limit is establishing public awareness programs. Proper education on dangers of consuming alcohol among the youths should take precedence in schools.

In fact, a curriculum based on alcohol and drugs should be incorporated in the education systems as part of the social studies. Teaching the youths about personal and social responsibility is critical for them to understand that choices have consequences. Alternatively, the government can reevaluate penalties associated with underage drinking. Severe penalties for underage drinking can be a critical deterrence to the same.

Nonetheless, effective alcohol policy that is not based on ideology, but science is necessary for the country. The public need to understand that the consequences of underage drinking are not morally-based, but affect an individual and the society from a biological, psychological and socio-economic perspective.

Nevertheless, establishing the drinking age limit to 25 is not effective unless personal, state and community efforts are directed to enforce the policy.

Reflection paper. Brainstorming

The drinking age limit refers to the minimum number of years an individual should be allowed to access or consume alcoholic drinks. Majority of the countries around the world prefer 18 years as the drinking age limit (International Center for Alcohol Policies 2). The minimum and maximum drinking age limits are 16 and 21 years respectively. In recent times, the drinking age limit is one the most contentious issues in the society.

Majority of people who prefer an orderly society with responsible youths want the drinking age limit increased from 18 or 21 to 25. From a personal perspective, 25 is the most rational drinking age limit. The debate on drinking age limit can be associated with pertinent issues such as drugs abuse by youths. The rise of crime and other social ills is associated with overindulge in alcohol.

I have always thought that a healthier society is characterized by sober people. It is through this personal view, I think that scientific reasons should be used in this debate over drinking age limit.

In order to understand the issue of drinking age limit, I used secondary materials and analyzed data for in-depth understanding. I utilized statistics from reliable sources depicting how underage drinking is disastrous to youths and the society. Nonetheless, the persuasive paper was challenging in terms of finding the correct material for analysis. In addition, some of the materials did not have adequate content that supports the papers thesis.

From the persuasive paper, it is difficult to identify any weakness since an in-depth analysis of the topic was done. The paper is informative and provides a basis for further debate and research of the contentious subject.

Works Cited

Alati, Rosa, et al. Do maternal parenting practices predict problematic patterns of adolescent alcohol consumption?. Addiction 105.5 (2010): 872-880. Print.

Chaloupka, I. Frank and Henry, Saffer. Effects of Alcohol Price Policy on Youth: A Summary of Economic Research. Alcohol Problems Among Adolescents: Current Directions in Prevention Research (2013): 225. Print.

International Center for Alcohol Policies 2002. Drinking age limits. PDF file. 2014. Web.

Laws

The main difference between the legal systems of America and China is that, whereas American laws reflect the Judeo-Christian cultural legacy, those of China are concerned with the values of Confucianism. This is the reason why, for example, unlike what it happened to be the case with judges in America, Chinese judges are not being simply expected to act as impartial arbiters, but also as the figures of high moral stature.

Moreover, they are also expected to ensure that the passed judicial decisions, on their part, serve the overall interests of China  something that is being perceived as the main indication of these decisions legitimacy. This, of course, creates the objective preconditions for the Chinese interpretation of the very concept of law to be much different from the American one.

Whereas Americans refer to the concept in question, as simply the sum of the enacted legal rules and regulations, the Chinese think of it in terms of a philosophical category, which combines the notions of harmony and justice. Partially, this explains the continuing popularity of many Communist legal conventions with people in China.

Education

There are many differences between the Chinese and American systems of education, as well. Probably the main of them is being concerned with the fact that, unlike what it happened to be the case in the U.S., the academic standards in Chinese schools, colleges, and universities, continue to become ever stricter, which turn requires Chinese students to prioritize studying above everything else.

Another important difference, in this respect, is that the Chinese and American systems of education deploy the conceptually incompatible approaches to defining the measure of a particular students academic successfulness. Whereas to be able to graduate from high schools, Chinese students are commonly asked to reflect upon the practical usefulness of knowledge that they obtained, their American counterparts do not face such a requirement.

The reason for this is that in America, the process of examination in high schools takes place in the form of students being required to undergo score-based testing. This, of course, implies that, whereas Chinese students are being encouraged to relate to what they learn in schools and colleges cognitively, their American peers are merely expected to memorize the volumes of often-unrelated facts, as the learning processs an integral part.

Medical & insurance

It appears that the foremost difference between the Chinese and American healthcare systems is that, whereas the former is being controlled by the state, the latter remains largely privatized. This is the reason why in America, a good half of the citizens are health-insured through employment. In this respect, the situation in China is much different, as it is specifically the countrys governmental institutions, which provide the overwhelming majority of Chinese citizens with the health-related insurance coverages.

Nevertheless, as opposed to what it happened to be the case with Americans, a substantial percentage of the Chinese qualify only for the basic types of health insurance  this especially applies to those who reside in the countrys rural areas.

Essentially the same can be said about the countrys senior-citizens, who are supposed to be taken care of by their closest relatives. In America, it is the other way around  as time goes on, more and more Americans decide to apply to be covered by specifically the old-age medical insurance, provided by the privately owned insurance companies.

Central Argument

Human beings are social creatures by nature. It is noted that most of their behavioral traits are attributed to their social disposition. For example, their actions are shaped and determined by the expectations of the groups to which they belong. Their acts are also informed by the social roles assigned to them. Many studies have been conducted to examine how socialization affects human behavior.

The findings from these studies explain various attributes of traditional and modern societies. Jean-Martin Charcot, A.A. Liebault, and Hippolyte Bernheim are some of the social scientists who have studied this phenomenon since the late 19th century.

For years now, sociologists and other social scientists have made efforts to establish the relationship between various social elements and the judgments, practices, and belief systems associated with human beings at the individual and collective levels.

For example, it has been established that children acquire their native dialect quite easily. They are effectively integrated into the society within which they are born. Members of tribal groups also accept the beliefs of their social institutions regardless of whether they favor them or not.

The scenario highlighted above is a classic example of what social scientists regard as the profound effects that social groups have on their members. The situation raises a number of questions aimed at understanding the extent of the impacts of these groups on the individual. For example, some social scientists have queried how social forces affect or constrain the attitudes and opinions held by members of a given social entity.

There are different types of groups in society. They include, among others, political parties, family institutions, and sports clubs. An individual may belong to more than one of these establishments. The clusters are defined by a set of belief systems and values. Members have to subscribe to these ideologies for them to exist effectively within the groups.

Today, the issues highlighted above have raised concerns about the possibility of deliberate manipulation of opinion and engineering of consent. Jean-Martin Charcot, through their works in hypnosis, has conducted studies aimed at answering some of these questions. Their results include the fact that hypnosis works effectively only on hysterical people. However, the findings by Jean were later disputed by other scholars like A.A.

Le Ribault and Hippolyte Bernheim. The latter two established that anyone can be subjected to hypnosis. Social thinkers used these discoveries in an attempt to understand the social nature of human beings. The social scholars were interested in finding out more about the formation of opinions and development of crowds. The scholars also sought to establish how and why people follow their leaders.

Research Methods and Variables

In chapter 17 of the article titled Opinions and Group Pressure, Solomon E. Asch details a study carried out to establish the effects of group pressure on human behavior and character. A number of variables are discernible in the study. The dependent variables, in this case, include human character and behavior. The independent variables involve socialization, group pressure, and social influence.

The research method used in the research entails experiments carried out on college students used as subjects. The participants were requested to express their opinions and preferences with regards to a set of issues identified by the researchers.

They were later asked to revise their selections after they were informed about the opinions of other large groups of peers and figures of authority. It was found that a significant number of the participants changed their judgments and opinions when confronted with preferences that were contrary to their own. They altered their perceptions in favor of either the majority group or the people in power.

The author of this article uses these experiments to highlight the nature of human behavior in general. The researcher analyzes the various experiments conducted and the implications of the findings made. The scholar amends their own findings and conclusions with regards to human behavior and how it is influenced by group pressure and opinion.

Other variables in the research include the opinions of leaders and majority groups. It is important to note at this juncture that a number of assumptions were made in these experiments.

For example, it was assumed that people will give in to external manipulations through suggestions in a painless and non-critical way. In addition, the researchers presupposed that any value or idea can be sold or unsold to the individual without any references to the merits associated with it.

Data Analysis

Solomon E. Asch identifies a number of factors that affect the decisions made by subjects in the final study. The series of studies reveal that these factors significantly affect the ability of the individual to make decisions when under pressure from their social grouping.

The first factor is the ability to make the right decision. There were situations where group or leadership pressure was not applied on the subjects in the studies. Under such circumstances, the participants recorded a 99.9 percent success rate in choosing the right answer. The 0.1 percent error was as a result of poor vision or photo illusions.

What this means is that in most cases, human beings are in a position to make the right decisions pertaining to certain matters. They can make these decisions in the absence of interferences from external peer groups and revered leaders and authority figures.

The observation is a confirmation of the fact that social groupings and socialization, to a great extent, affect the opinions formed by human beings. The pressure exerted on the individual by the two elements (socialization and social groupings) impact on their decision making abilities.

The second factor is the role played by leadership figures in the development of opinions and modification of pre-established decisions. The author of the article uses the findings made in earlier experiments to establish the relationship between leadership ideals and decision making among subjects. It is a fact that most individuals hold an opinion with regards to a particular topic, issue, or matter.

However, the realization that a particular leader holds a different opinion prompts many people to change their perceptions. The shifts in opinions are apparent in spite of the fact that the original belief systems may have been correct.

The author looks into the idea of attitudes and other social elements in an attempt to explain differences in political ideologies. They also aim at understanding social and political uprisings and crowd behavior.

Their efforts build on the assumption that an idea will be accepted by the individual provided that it is pitched in a way that is preferred by the intended target. In light of this, leaders frame their ideologies and try to convince people to buy them. On their part, the target audience accepts and owns the ideas, turning into followers in the process.

The third factor explored by the author is the role played by peer groups in shaping the opinions and decision making processes among human beings. A number of features stand out in the tests analyzed by the researcher. For example, social entities influence the way people think.

The groups also affect how individuals form opinions and make decisions in life. The pressure associated with a particular social establishment sways human opinion even in cases where there is no apparent reason to change.

The author views the issue of social assemblies and the formation of perceptions in four different ways. First, there is the unanimous group pressure.

In this case, the majority has the wrong answer or opinion. In the latest study, subjects had a 63.2 percent chance of giving the correct answer when subjected to pressure from such a group. The remaining 36.8 percent were likely to give the wrong answer in an attempt to conform to the undisputed decision of the peer establishment.

The second involves a scenario where subjects are faced with less than unanimous social pressure. In this scenario, the supporting partner gives the correct answer. The author reports that there is a probability that 91.8 percent of the respondents will give the correct answer. However, 9.2 percent of the subjects still give the wrong response.

The third scenario is when the individual is faced by a less than unanimous form of demand. The supporting cohort here gives a nearly correct answer. In such a setting, 87.7 percent of the subjects are likely to give the correct response. The remaining 12.3 percent will be wrong.

Fourth, the individual may encounter a less than unanimous group pressure where the supporting partner gives a wrong answer. In this case, 91.0 percent of the respondents are likely to give the right responses. The other 9.0 percent give wrong answers.

Conclusion

Human behavior, opinion, and decision-making are significantly influenced by socialization. Group pressure and leadership also play a big role in the development of character and making of judgments.

In this chapter, the author explores a number of studies carried out by social scientists in an attempt to test the hypothesis set out. In the end, the relationship between group pressure and opinion is brought out quite clearly. It is made clear that the demands placed by social groups on individuals impact on decision making.

Evaluation

The relationship between group pressure and opinion is clearly brought out in this chapter. However, the evidence provided by the author is insufficient since it does not include data from different age groups. It is possible that people from varying age brackets respond to social demands differently.

The sample population is made up of college students only. As such, the experiment may have failed to establish the relationship between group pressure and opinion among different age groups.

Similarly, the author does not take into consideration the level of education as a factor that could affect the established link between group demands an opinion. The omission is made in spite of the fact that studies have established how education affects decision making among human beings. It also impacts on individual opinions. Education may also impact on how people respond to group demands.

It is obvious that the author has done a great job in establishing the link between group pressure and opinion. However, they should have introduced age and educational levels as variables in the study. The inclusion of these two elements would have enhanced their understanding of the established relationship on a large scale.

Introduction

Literature in the form of poems and prose depict the life of human beings in a society. Poems and prose are essential in a society in many different ways. For example, they educate, enlighten, satirize and criticize a system, as well as entertaining people in the society. Poems and prose also portray the inner feelings of the writer.

This paper will look at poetry and prose, and how literature has continuously been used in the past to enlighten people and bring to light, the human condition. Human condition depicts the generality of human situations that they face while trying to get along with each other and the society in which they are living. Martin Luther Kings speech, Ive been to the mountain top and Wart Whitmans Wound dresser, will be analyzed to show and portray the theme of the human condition. The generality of human nature and the human condition are depicted in these two pieces of literature.

Human Condition

The human condition theme will be analyzed in the speech delivered by Martin Luther King in April, 1968 and named Ive been to the mountain top. It will also be analyzed in Wart Whitmans poem, Wound dresser. Suffering is seen as a human condition while relating with each other and the social world, and there are inequalities which come with the suffering. In Martin Luther Kings speech, human suffering is highlighted in many occasions, which show what, the people he is representing are going through at the time.

Martin Luther King in his speech says that people all over the world; Nairobi Kenya, Johannesburg, Accra, Georgia, Mississippi, or even Memphis, the peoples cry is always same: We want to be free (2). The same is echoed in Wart Whitmans poem, Wound dresser, in the manner he portrays the suffering of the wounded, for example, the amputated arm, the bullet wound and the fractured thigh. Whitman says that he remembers well, &many the hardships, few the joys& (19).

The two pieces of literature look at the aspect of human beings which is suffering. Suffering is part and parcel of human life, to the extent that Whitman in his poem writes that the soldier remembered most hardships than joys, but he was content (19). Human beings get used to suffering to a point where, they do not mind it anymore and even accept it as part of them.

Sacrifice, part of the human condition and good will is emphasized. There are some people who sacrifice their lives in order to change the status quo and end other peoples sufferings. Luther King appears to talk to people amidst all the threats issued to him (7). Luther is ready to sacrifice his life if it means leading people to the Promised Land; ending their suffering.

The wound dresser in Whitmans poem wishes if it was possible, he would die for the suffering soldier if &that would save you (38). The majority suffer but very few sacrifice their lives for the majority others. Supernatural powers are seen as saviors from the suffering situations. Luther King sees God as the one who will give the Negroes the Promised Land, (7& 8), while the wound dresser sees death as savior and pleads to it to come quickly in mercy (Whitman, 43&44).

Conclusion

Human condition, which is general, in most human situations has been featured in the two pieces of literature. Suffering, sacrifice and a belief in a supernatural power are part and parcel of human life. Human beings always suffer, try to get out of the suffering situation, and some people suffer more than others, or on behalf of the majority.

Informal control is important in fostering a proactive communal coexistence. Reflectively, the process consists of a structured human control system that incorporates all the aspects of human living. Thus, this reflective treatise attempts to explicitly review the implications of theories emphasizing informal social controls on family issues such as dual-income families, blended families, extended families, divorce and single parenthood. Besides, the treatise examines the criminogenic conditions in the society in terms of ease to change on the periphery of policy.

The theories emphasizing informal social controls on family issues such as dual-income families, blended families, extended families, divorce and single parenthood operate simultaneously to uphold social control, mitigate and deter crime, and sanction law breakers with rehabilitation and criminal penalties within the confines of the unwritten laws. The self regulating society offers a facilitated explanation for common support on imbalances as a fundamental ruler of perception on doctrines of its members. The informal social control theories are consistent in exploring possible reasons behind specific antagonist and protagonist inclination of different issues causing conflicts.

The engine that ignites an unending desire to fulfill social satisfaction is basically love, unity in family, and self consciousness that respect the traditions but give justice. These informal social control models are the motivation to acquire, bond, comprehend, and defend without putting strains in the family bond. Therefore, a proactive informal control system should function within a structured justice system. When the system functions within accepted parameters, the parties involved will eventually develop a self consciousness to defend the informal social controls as part of a family unit.

Criminogenic conditions

Social control effectiveness should be the cornerstone for modeling acceptable behavior in the family. However, the policies adopted should be aligned to the basic building blocks of justice, unity and culture. These policies should incorporate he family relationship model and community social culture. The criminogenic system comprises of the jurisdictional, normative, functional, and institutional components. These components work simultaneously in defining the goals of procedural laws and decision to be taken in the event of breaching the unwritten rules. Factually, these activities take place at different points (McDermid 57).

Depending on the category each crime falls in as defined by the federal and criminal law, severity and magnitude of punishment as determined by the courts varies. In the criminal code, the process of convicting suspected offender commence with the report of the investigation from the policing unit presented before the district court. Generally, activities involved in the trial system include definition of the crime, identification of laws broken, and definition of appropriate punishment as supported by the law.

Though parole and probation are community correction strategies which functioning on the concept of community supervision, they are different in many aspects. Despite these differences, they were initiated to mitigate the magnitude and severity of the punishment process. This trend is similar to modern probation which considers age, character, among other factors directly impacting the course of justice. Under this arrangement credit marks are awarded for behavior change, and release from detaining heavily relies on the cumulative score per offender. Moreover, the introduction public relations training has enacted reforms in reactive approach of policing and embraced information based and problem oriented response. The phrase, criminal justice system in criminogenic conditions is the periphery of enforcing standardized conducts aimed at protecting the society and an individual. Generally, this system strives to align the society towards justice and confidence to law-abiding citizens.

Reference

McDermid, Gomme. Shadow Line Deviance, and Crime in Canada, Ottawa: McGrow, 2006. Print.

The information offered in the Altruism and Bystander Intervention PowerPoint presentation is specific, actionable, goal-referenced, and precise and has an immediate impact on the audience. This PowerPoint is applicable because it addresses real-time social issues that affect the people residing within a society. Notably, everybody is susceptible to various kinds of social injustices. Hence, scholars and other entrusted stakeholders need to enlighten the public on the complex nature of social issues. For instance, although women are more at risk of experiencing the adversities associated with rape, it is the mandate of every person around them to limit their exposure to potential rapists (Fenton & Mott, 2018). The facts presented in the educative piece motivate students and the other audiences to develop and nurture social and emotional intelligence, which are vital to a whole communitys overall well-being.

The information presented uses simple language for the targeted intellectuals to comprehend the details shown therein. Other than the presenter using an engaging format to attract the audiences attention throughout the presentation, the imaginary case studies allowed the audience to assess whether they comprehended the data it aimed to raise (Fenton & Mott, 2018). Thus, other than the slides, including realistic and informational data, its graphics designs make it aesthetic and attractive for the audience to remain attached.

Navigating through the awareness test confirmed my enhanced awareness of the various social problems that negatively affect vulnerable society members. Other than developing the ability and skill to interpret specific events as problems. Navigating through the fictional cases made me apply the systematic process of understanding an issue and recommending alternative approaches that would enable society to remain resilient throughout the trying moments. The factual facts documented in the earlier slides made me apply the information practically to help ascertain whether I understand the report.

Consequently, my success in the awareness test not only exhibited my improved emotional and social strength. Other than having the ability to overlook insults and frustrations from potential bullies confirmed that I am mentally stable and presented an opportunity to boost my mental stability. The decision to speak my mind about the controversial initiation, on the Hazing slide is crucial and encouraging. My stand to campaign against sexual assault and relationship abuses sums up the benefits of taking the awareness examinations at the end of the presentation. Notably, the personal evaluation scores offered the presenters an excellent chance to reflect on their weak and strong presentation skills, with positive feedback motivating them to better their expertise.

The videos presented in the PowerPoint played a crucial role in supporting the presenters arguments about the complex nature of the social issues influencing persons existence within a social sphere. The clips are some of the content that aims to grab the addressees attention throughout the presentation process. Although some spectators might feel bored during the lengthy presentation, including the videos would make them hold their focus and empower them to clench the lessons that the broadcaster aims to pass. The slide videos important factor is probably promoting and extending the publics understanding of the discourses words in many presentations. This idea is typically done by employing cohesive graphics that can add to the readerships internal structures or schemes.

The videos promote a more effective learning opportunity for learners. Although some students might miss some crucial points during the slide exhibition, navigating through the video might summarize the courses contents, making it easier for the perceived learners to grasp all the enlightened educators ideas. Additionally, a section of the enlightened community members can self-test to determine their intelligence levels after the process. Interestingly, the graphics are also helpful for the teachers to determine their success during the presentation.

The PowerPoint presentation played a crucial role in promoting the courses success. It supports and encourages the training process by making the presentation of materials more accessible. The provided template is designed to satisfy excellent analysis standards, including the number of information lines in each slide and the corresponding font sizes. The teachers use default layouts to improve the clarity and configuration of a keynote. It helps teachers avoid excessive text commonly found in OHV (Over Head Projector). In the classroom, PowerPoint can catch the media and video-savvy students attention by integrating sound, visual effects, and clips in a PowerPoint presentation. PowerPoint text is more straightforward to comprehend than blackboard notes and the enhanced flexibility of teachers makes classes memorable.

The contents of this presentation give informative facts about Altruism. Altruism is when a person promotes someone elses welfare, even at their own risk or cost. Thus, helping others increase their survival chances and productive success and help boost their life expectancy. Those who take part in altruistic behavior should, over the evolutionary process, frequently replicate those who are not, allowing such Altruism to proceed. Mutual benevolence implies that people can even help strangers because it can help others (when help is most necessary) in the future. One reality that could help you reassure that selflessness is evolving is that several animals also participate in moral behavior (Fenton & Mott, 2018). Even though there is a heated discussion about the percentage contribution of every factor in interpersonal scientific literature, the lecture demonstrates that support would be both in our fundamental human biological makeup. It is also partly learned through our social interactions with others. Socialization principles suggest that when people receive rewards, they are more likely to help. Teachers certainly realize thatchildren who express their toy cars with others are applauded, while selfish people are repressed.

Although the PowerPoint presentation illustrated many models, the perspective-taking notion is an integral theory that could enable the students and other stakeholders to understand the facts presented therein. The take-away is a multidimensional capability that acknowledges the sensory reality evaluation of someone and ones perceptual evaluation (their understanding). The process is to lean into seeing the world through a lens instead of entering its shoes fully. Psychology supports the capacity to stay in ones shoes as the lower number of emotional stresses involved in the empathic process are practical and advantageous. It is the same as seeing life through a tunnel and letting somebody break down the sides of the tunnel to create a more comprehensive view of life.

For instance, navigating through the content of this educative presentation made me understand the significance of associating with the minority community members to address the social injustices they experience. Various prospects are crucial if a concept, people encounter, or the environment is fully realized (Fenton & Mott, 2018). Taking time to respect other peoples perspectives also promotes understanding, empathy, and compassion. It is imperative to respect that each individual has their distinctive view, based on the specific set of circumstances that shape our present perspective, which is why we must have a different viewpoint.

Reference

Fenton, R. A., & Mott, H. L. (2018). Evaluation of the intervention initiative: A bystander intervention program to prevent violence against women in universities. Violence and victims, 33(4), 645-662.

Introduction

At the moment, in the work of organizations, one of the concerns that managers should pay attention to is the creation of a comfortable and healthy environment. This allows the forming of a workplace that provides the company with effective results and a competitive, capable place in the market. Teamwork management becomes an essential aspect for the organization, which will also affect the introduction of employee engagement and retention. However, problems such as discrimination may arise in the workplace, which becomes the central topic of this research work. In the context of diversity and inclusion, this may arise as a result of misunderstandings, prejudices and stereotypes among people of different nationalities and cultures. Thus, this work provides a study of such a social issue as discrimination and the challenges and benefits that it has on the diverse workforce.

Discrimination as a Social issue

This work examines one of the most urgent and severe problem of the modern workplace  discrimination. It concerns the people of marginalized or, in particular multicultural groups, which arise when forming a team. In more detail, this scientific work examines racial discrimination, which is in an indispensable relationship with the concepts of diversity and inclusion. It manifests itself in an unfair or prejudicial attitude towards people who represent different races, cultures and nationalities that differ from the dominant one (Hebl et al., 2020). Studies emphasize that discrimination can impede career mobility, opportunities for organizational leadership, and workforce satisfaction and enjoyment (Whitaker, 2019, p. 2). It has many negative consequences both for the relationship between employees and for the entire performance of the company.

Messages in Support of the Social Issue

The main message that should be highlighted in this social problem is the need to introduce measures to help strengthen diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The main example that most often occurs is the disparaging attitude towards representatives of the black population from the white dominant. Due to the fact that slavery occupies an essential part of the history of the United States of America, it still has echoes in modern society. Thus, discrimination manifests itself in negative attitudes, neglect, restriction of functions performed on minor tasks, and deprivation of career growth.

Opposition

Despite the urgency of the problem of discrimination, there is an opinion that becomes opposed to this social issue. The key concern is the fact that people are in denial of its relevance, which leads to a deterioration of the situation. Moreover, the recognition of discrimination as a non-existent or frivolous problem is noted in those workplaces where there are no practices for the introduction and dissemination of the concepts of diversity and inclusion. In addition, sources contribute by stating that although narratives of race relations in the US are constantly in flux, the underlying belief in meritocracy continuously holds space for contradictory white ideologies (Kolber, 2017, p. 1). Thus, the need to spread awareness about the importance of respect for all cultures and races to limit discrimination and improve team performance.

Global Impact/the Social Issue

Discrimination is a global problem that affects all countries including the United States of America. This is due to the fact that in the process of using diversity and inclusion policies and strategies, employers are interested in hiring talented workers from different countries. Because of this, there is a clash of people who, in addition to external signs, also differ in cultures, beliefs and worldviews, which can provoke conflicts, misunderstandings and biased attitudes. Thus, it can be said that racial discrimination has the same character in all countries. Abroad, this issue is addressed in many workplaces in similar ways due to the large scale of the problem. International organizations work together to establish common rules and norms, based on which legislative acts and strategies are formed in companies to get rid of the social phenomenon of discrimination.

Challenges for the Workplace

As mentioned earlier, discrimination in the workplace has many negative consequences for the organization. Hence, among them, there is a personnel leaving the company, which can cost companies dearly due to the waste of financial and time resources for hiring new employees. Moreover, it is possible to manifest a biased negative attitude, which may lead to the appearance of bullying in the workplace. In addition, one of the challenges that the social issue under study causes is an increased level of stress. The consequences of this factor can be professional burnout and general problems with the psychological health of employees, which can also motivate dismissal from the organization. One of the main problems that my colleagues and I faced in the work experience was a misunderstanding that arose when hiring a new employee. Due to the fact that there was an established practice in the company to promote diversity, some employees still expressed discriminatory attitudes. To solve this problem, team building measures were introduced to consolidate the team.

The Spread of Awareness

The dissemination of awareness is presented as the main fundamental step that organizations should take to establish the concepts of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. It helps to impart knowledge to as many workers and managers as possible. The main benefit of this phenomenon for the workplace is the dissemination of the concept of diversity, reducing the level of stress in the workplace. In addition, it will allow for the development of such concepts as involvement and rooting of employee involvement, at the same time developing retention policies. Awareness becomes the main tool that fights discrimination in society and helps to limit the number of occurrence of this problem in all spheres of human life.

Steps to Implement

To solve the problem of discrimination in the workplace, various companies apply strategies that suit them or try to develop their own that will be more suitable for them. Hence, first of all, as already mentioned, it is important to spread awareness. This measure can be carried out with the help of various essential to spread awareness. They should be aimed at team building and providing knowledge about different cultures. Moreover, in order to limit possible negative aspects of the workplace, it is important to conduct a study of the level of employee satisfaction.

Breakthrough Moment

For me, the greatest breakthrough moment in researching my selected social issue was getting acquainted with such a large number of written works on the chosen topic. First of all, the sources on the topic become inquiring. This circumstance occurred due to the fact that how many of the smallest details and consequences have been studied with regard to this area. However, in practice, not all companies decide to introduce inclusion and diversity into their practice.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this presentation was engaged in the study of such a social issue as racial discrimination in the workplace. Despite significant advancements of a person in various fields of activity, many still face the discussed problem in their daily life. Moreover, there are individuals who hold the opposite opinion that discrimination does not really exist. The work also analyzed possible negative consequences of this problem, such as burnout, dismissal or high-stress levels. Thus, this presentation makes a contribution to the development of the future in the field of conducting such sources.

References

Hebl, M., Cheng, S. K., & Ng, L. C. (2020). Modern discrimination in organizations. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 7, 257-282.

Kolber, J. (2017). Having it both ways: White denial of racial salience while claiming oppression. Sociology Compass, 11(2), 1-9.

Whitaker, T. R. (2019). Banging on a locked door: The persistent role of racial discrimination in the workplace. Social Work in Public Health, 34(1), 22-27.