Society in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein and Thomas Mores Utopia :: comparison compare contrast essays

Society in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Thomas More's Utopia A primary problem with the society we live in today, is the need to be better. The desire to have more, to be worth more, and through these inanimate objects to be happy is what drive us all. As children we struggled to fit in by having nicer clothes and more expensive shoes than the next kid. Although, in a different from this is a sentiment echoed in Sir Thomas More's "Utopia." By analyzing his work, I will shed some light on how this is very similar to a theme proposed in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein." In Utopian society, we are shown that the way to fit in, to be cool is to be exactly the same as those around you. Those citizens who had aspirations of wealth and a better life, were treated the same as those who simply can not afford to 'fit in' in our society. They were the shunned, the public outcasts. These people had necessarily done anything wrong, they just were unhappy with their way of life and had glimpsed something better. This mirrors the daemon in Shelley's "Frankenstein." Although he was an extremely well educated person, who aspired for nothing more than love and happiness, they would never be his to have. The sole reason the monster was abhorred by all that knew of him was his appearance. This singular feature was the reason he was beaten by Felix, and nearly killed by the man whose daughter he had saved from river. His only curse was ugliness, but was this his fault? It was easy for the daemon to curse his creator, the man who had formed him the way he was; in many ways I feel sympathy towards him. The sentences for being different in Utopia might not be considered by some to be as severe, but in many ways they were. For many crimes in their society you could be punished to a life of slavery, but this is not unlike Shelley. The daemon, while not punished by a court system, was punished by something much worse: himself.

Does television have a malign influence on society? Essay

Collins Dictionary (2009) defines television as; â€Å"the system or process of producing a moving image with accompanying sound on a distant screen. † This essay will discuss the very debateable subject of television. It will explore; if society as a whole is influenced by viewing, what effect viewing has on individuals and if television is linked to health concerns. The beneficial aspects of television will also be discussed and if this medium was to be expunged, would this possibly have a detrimental effect? As with an essay of this type, it will be as balanced as possible, with statistics, research and public opinion to achieve a balanced conclusion. A common misconception is that television causes violence and is a contributor to crime. One such case is that of James Bulger, in which Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, both aged 10 proceeded to abduct a toddler from a busy shopping precinct. After this abduction they repeatedly beat the toddler and left him for dead. Speculation was widely conveyed to the causal effect of violence portrayed on the big screen, with films as â€Å"child’s play† being at the forefront, leading to a change in censorship laws in 1994. Whereas, Japan; famous for television movies that show extreme violence, crime rates are low, much lower than that of the westernised world (The British Journal of Criminology 1999). Another point to consider is that television is responsible for the increase in Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBO’s). The research undertaken has concluded a behavioural link in the USA and western countries over several years. In recent studies many criminals have confessed to influence of actions portrayed on television (Gunter, 2008). However, there is no definitive link between television and ASBO’s this is usually determined by other social factors, such as; family, surroundings, personality traits, peers and other factors. The next exploration into television viewing is that of advertisements. Advertising in the UK has risen by thirty percent with the introduction of more channels in the last ten years (Guardian. co. uk 2009). Television is being abused for commercial purposes, in which audiences are being sold to. The aim of this is to promote the product as a solution to a problem or the fulfilment of a desire that can only be achieved by purchasing this item (Mander, 1978). It is agued that television affects the human mind by, limiting the possibilities of conscious choice and promotes a consumer society. On the other hand, television is not the only tool for advertisement. As a nation there is a constant â€Å"spoon-feeding† of products to stimulate the desire to purchase. These include advertisement boards, the radio, newspapers and mail, this constant bombardment has a causal effect, of a â€Å"need† to being the first to have the latest deals and products. However, television allows the consumer choices and information to a variety of products which gives a better understanding in their purchases. Television in the UK has shown that it can be financed without the influx of advertising fees. The BBC is paid for from licensing fees and many commercial broadcasters are now increasingly promoting pay-per view options (Inside TV, 2009). Many arguments conform to the fact of being â€Å"forced† to pay for the license fee, whereas the â€Å"pay-per view† option is less obtrusive allowing people to make up their own minds. The exploration of television brings to light that of moral behaviour. A large proportion of television audiences consist of teenagers, these are extremely susceptible to what is seen as their moral values are currently in development (Banerjee, 2005). Humans in the developmental process learn by imitation, normally in the form of a visual aid by mimicking actions by others. One such study was made by Albert Bandura by use of the Bobo doll in 1961. This study was compiled of children who were shown acts of verbal and physical violence inflicted on an inflatable Bobo doll. Although, the results were deemed inconclusive there was a distinct relationship between the acts of violence viewed to the actual acts of aggression the children performed. The developmental formation of a young person’s mentality is directly linked to a causal effect of imitation (Bandura, 1961). Morality can therefore be learned or imitated from acts of violence and various stereotyping promoted by television viewing. Televisions impact on the morality of younger individuals can affect the future of society on a negative plain. In contrast, most influence that children experience in the supplemental development of moral values results from family, friends, religion or even school (Morrison, 1997). Parents and teachers who are incapable of setting strict moral ethics can have an egregious effect on children; with their social environment, friends and state of living being contributory factors. Cultural content in television has little or no sustenance. This is a strong statement with compelling evidence to support this view. Television is a powerful tool for delivering information to the viewer in small concentrated doses; this causes fluctuation in the absorption rate and gives people very narrow-minded views of cultural diversity. Most television programs have the purpose of entertaining the viewer only; which extends to the multitude of films for the deliverance of commercial intent with little actual cultural value. From a religious perspective, television is seen as a temple of mass production, creating shallow values and stereotypes that influence modern society. Television is a form of stimulus only, with the need to experience feelings and emotions in the content consumed, causing an imbalance in serotonin levels. As stated by Dr Dimitri Christakis, ‘television can cause the developing mind to experience unnatural levels of stimulation’ (The Elephant in the living room, 2007). This â€Å"Hollywood† model of producing programming for entertainment purposes can only produce a society of negative values and views, losing regional traditions and diversity for ratings. Contrary to this, there are now more scientific and cultural programs available since the introduction of digital television. People have access to channels that now cater for almost any interest, giving new educational opportunities for society. Information in this medium encourages the individual to participate in society, keeping them informed with current affairs and politics. Certain programs allow viewers to establish closer links between politicians and electors, resulting in a more unified society. Self-expression and more opportunities are fashioned through the medium of television allowing a more â€Å"open† society, allowing the viewer to express their own thoughts and ideas. Moreover, with the introduction of interactive digital viewing this ensues opportunities for society in the future. A contradictory argument, but also a valid point is that television viewing constricts time resulting in an unfulfilled life. Most recreational time is spent sitting in front of the television; data compiled has concluded that a correlation exists between television and health concerns. Childhood obesity has increased in the UK by seventeen percent in the last ten years as a result of more programs directly focused on the youth of society (Times online, 2006). The average British child is spending thirty-six hours watching television; while only spending thirty hours in school. Studies have shown that most children between the ages of two and fifteen have a television in their room, which remains unmonitored by guardians, allowing questionable content to be viewed by impressionable minds (Mail online, 2006). In addition, research undertaken has shown an increase in autism over the last thirty years with a relationship to television; with ninety thousand cases recorded in Britain alone. The lead researcher Michael Warden has determined that of the research conducted although not conclusive this is a very compelling case for the effect of television on society. Increased programming in which caters for all results in reduced recreational time. This includes social interaction, discouraging exercise and improving the quality of â€Å"real† life by narrowing societies view on the world. However, as in most cases this is the conscientious choice of an individual; they are able to choose how to spend their recreational time. As previously mentioned, children learn by imitation and the blame should be with the parents not with television. Social environment and lifestyle determines the arrangement television has on the recreational time of an individual, not the opposite (Telegraph, 2008). Although research has shown that eleven to fifteen year olds are spending fifty-five percent of their waking life in front of television, this research does not correlate to this medium only. Many children are now spending less time than they were ten years ago watching television. With the introduction of a â€Å"techno-junkie† society; many children are now spending more time pursuing interests on the internet, iPods and texting. In many cases this form of communication is how the youth of society conform to one another, sometimes while in the same room. Finally, television has been determined in part to be the cause of the well known psychological problem of depression. The increased popularity of television has resulted in the increase of this phenomenon, as indicated in many scientific conclusions on this subject. This is resulted from the broadcasting of violence, aggression, crimes and wars not only in films but depicted on the daily news. This indication to current events can trigger emotions and effect how the individual looks at society. As perceptions of the world come to conform to the depictions they see on TV, they become more passive, more anxious, and more fearful. Gerbner calls this the â€Å"Mean World Syndrome. † This â€Å"fear† can result in a breakdown in society, as people become too afraid to step outside into a world of nothing but horror and despair (Gerbner, 1998). A study conducted on television and urban lighting concluded that the lighting can have a distinct causal effect with depression (Behavioural Brain Research, 2009). The researchers stated, ‘†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ that exposure to unnatural lighting can induce significant changes in affect (mood)†¦. ‘ Movies and television programs therefore, that emanates dark imagery support scientific research that this encourages psychological tension, pessimism and negative emotions. Consequently, the research and results are inconclusive with no definitive association between television and depression can be found that is beyond reproach. As regards to depiction of violence in the news, people have the right to be informed of the world in which they live. This should include the problems that nations face through visceral images that represent the reality of events honestly, being the first step to solving them. Television programmes can be a source for entertainment and positive emotional reactions. Certain programs allow laughter and happiness to be expelled as a family, an individual or with friends. Many positive emotions can be shared with a variety of genres readily available to watch, this can include; television shows, comedies, musical channels and the list is virtually endless. This form of relaxation enables society to experience positive emotions, even if this is possibly only in the short term to assist in taking their minds off their troubles. To conclude, television has varying amounts of evidence in support of it having an influence on society. From the evidence provided it shows that it seems to have an almost overwhelming case that this is a malign influence. However, none of the evidence is universally accepted and research has proven only that more research is needed to give a more definitive answer. This inconclusive evidence is the reason that television is commissioned to still broadcast material. Although, information is limited by the production companies, it is proven to be a resourceful tool for education. Television can unite families together in laughter and produce a topic for discussion, while at the same time bringing a nation together for a common interest. The educational benefits, social benefits and financial gain is the reason why television has not been removed completely, regardless of the controversial arguments against the usefulness of this medium. Additionally, this brings to question the ethics behind television broadcasting and content. Thus, bringing to light the question; is this influence on society a method of transmitting the thoughts and ideas of the leaders of the country? Or, is this a form of control for the masses, to create a susceptible society? Bibliography All Academic Research (n. d. ) Television and Children’s Moral Reasoning: Development of a Standardized Measure of Moral Reasoning on Interpersonal Violence. Available from: http://www. allacademic. com/: meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/2/3/3/4/1/p233419_index. html, accessed 29 December 2009  http://www.open2.net/

It 210 Week 4 Check Point 1

1 Declare CountAge As Integer 2 Declare SumAge As Float 3 Declare Age As Float 4 Declare ParticipantAverage As Float 5 Set CountAge – 0 6 Set SumAge – 0 7 Write â€Å"Enter one age. Enter 0 when done. † 8 Input Age 9 While Age > 0 10 Set CountAge = CountAge + 1 11 Set SumAge = SumAge + Age 12 Write â€Å"Enter an participant age. Enter 0 when done. † 13 Input Age 14 End While 15 Set ParticipantAverage = SumAge / CountAge 16 Write â€Å"Your age average is â€Å" + AgeAverage * Lines 1–6 declare and initialize the variables. Line 7 asks for the first age and also explains that when you are finished entering the age for a particular set, you can end by entering 0. * The first Age is input on line 8. * Lines 9–14 are the loop. It sums the age entered and it keeps count of how many ages were entered. * In Line 10 keeps track of how many ages are entered. For each pass through the loop, CountAge is incremented by 1. If you enter three ages befor e you end the program by entering 0, the loop will execute three times and CountAge will be equal to 3.If you enter 5 ages, the loop will execute 5 times and CountAge will be equal to 5. * Line 11 keeps a sum of all the participant ages. To compute your participant average age, you must divide the sum of all your participants ages by the number of participants, so lines 10 and 11 keep track of the information we need to compute the average at the end. * Lines 12 and 13 ask the user for the next participants age and gets the next input. Here, if you’re done, you can enter a 0. * Line 14 ends the loop when the user enters a zero. * Line 15 computes the average and line 16 displays that average.

A Research On Nutrition And Weight Loss Essay -- Nutrition, Obesity, Die

We know that just because something sounds good, it doesn 't mean that it is. This New You in 22 review will take a look at his program and what it offers, as well as whether or not it will be worth your time. What Is New You in 22? Just as it sounds, it 's about creating a new you in 22 days. Not only will you experience physical changes on the outside, but you will find yourself having more energy and even slow down aging in those 22 days as well. This program is meant for people whose metabolism has crashed and burned and won 't help them burn off the fat that used to come off so easily. In fact, anyone who has a hard time maintaining weight, is experiencing mental fogginess, has stress and anxiety, feels tired all the time, has body aches and pains, and has nasal issues that won 't go away, will benefit from the New You in 22 according to Jonny. Your metabolism is responsible for how much fat you burn off or put on, but it also plays a big part in your overall health and energy. If it is slowed down, you will feel slowed down both physically and mentally. It is a fat loss program that helps you boost your metabolism in just 22 days. It helps you get rid of cravings, burn off fat, stabilize your appetite, improve your mood, and get rid of brain fog, among many other things. I rsion only, or you can get a digital and printed version. In either case, you will get instant access to the digital information so that you can get started tomorrow if you want. The Guarantee There is a 60-day money back guarantee with this 22-day program. In other words, try it out and if you don 't experience the results you expect, then ask for your full refund - no questions asked. Will This Really Work? If you are going to listen to someone for weight loss and nutrition advice, then Jonny Bowden is the guy. His face and information is all over the Internet, making him one of the best-known experts on living a healthy life, and he wouldn 't create a program that doesn 't live up to his name. The chances are very good that you will experience the results you are looking for within 22 days, and that those results will carry forward for the rest of your life.

Teaching recovery heart and soul Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Teaching recovery heart and soul - Thesis Example abused may provide a feeling of temporary relief from their emotional problems but this always results in bigger problems for the affected individuals†(33). In addition, individuals undergoing recovery may occasionally be faced with the challenge of how to deal with their feelings and emotions. With regard to its definition, heart and soul approach as a recovery strategy refers to the incorporation of spirituality and mindfulness as a therapeutic tool to enhance the recovery of drug addicts. On the other hand, spirituality can be defined as any practice that enable an individual to discover his or her being while mindfulness is all about purposeful paying of attention to the present moment in order to enhance self awareness. According to educator Parker, J. Palmer (2003), spirituality is an individual’s eternal yearning to connect to a higher power. A number of authors (George DuWors, 2011, Galanter, 2007 and Avants, S. Kelly, 2011) have also defined spirituality as the belief in a higher purpose and meaning of life. Generally, the use of spirituality in the addiction recovery process is quite distinguished from religious based sectarian practices and other theistic connotations. Davis (2010) argued that â€Å"the use of spirituality and mindfulness therapy in the recovery process of addicted adolescents and youthful students generally focuses on the spiritual side of addiction recovery by cultivating a belief in a higher being than one’s self to improve their emotional sobriety† (104). The two interrelated concepts are critically important pillars of the current holistic therapeutic approach used in drug recovery process. For example, spirituality and mindfulness is increasingly becoming one of the most commonly used therapeutic options in the addiction recovery process of adolescents as a complement to the mains tream approaches. The increasing use of spirituality and mindfulness in the contemporary Western psychotherapy is particularly attributed to a

Europe Leading Airline Company Ryanair Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Europe Leading Airline Company Ryanair - Essay Example The bargaining power of suppliers is very high as the number of aircraft manufacturer and oil suppliers are very less in the market. Availability of proper airports is also very important for this industry. However, airports bargaining power is quite low as they depend on aircraft companies. The bargaining power of customers is very high as they have many airline service providers to choose from. The barrier entry of airline industry is quite high as it requires heavy investments and technical expertise. The airline is the fastest mode of transportation for overseas and long-distance travel. No other substitute can match the service of the airline industry. Competition among existing rival is the most import factor in this industry. The rivals are competing with each other for increasing their market share. In European Union, Lufthansa, Ryanair, Easy jet etc are leading airline companies. Â  Ryanair provides low cost and high-quality airline services to its customers. It places customer satisfaction above all other priorities. The decision-making process is primarily centered on concerns regarding ways to provide higher customer services. Fleet planning, airline fare, fleet scheduling etc are some of the chief aspects of Ryanair’s effective decision-making process. Â  Decision-making approach can be defined as the strategic approach of an organization. Ryanair’s management team aims to follow ‘rational decision-making approach’. The rational decision-making approach is an ongoing and dynamic process. This approach helps to identify the underlying problems and to find relevant solutions (Kroon, 1995 p.187). For example, in 2004, when the company was passing through a financial crisis, rational decision-making approach not only helped it to overcome it but also paved the path for growth. Â  

Blindsight Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Blindsight - Research Paper Example The result is that there is a reduction in the visual sensitivity that responds to luminance contrast; the case being more severe in case of high spatial and low temporal frequencies (Barbur, Harlow, & Weiskrantz, 1994). It is also a phenomenon that this sensitivity is not totally finished off in case of low spatial and high temporal frequencies and this is the reason that several reports have been made of residual visual capacities; in this is included detecting and discriminating any stimuli that may be present within the field defect. Such is what happens in forced-choice tests (Cowey, 2010). The phenomenon of blindsight does not just state that it is normal vision but in the absence of awareness. Besides the loss of primary visual cortex, there is another issue that has to be considered. Retrograde degeneration of relay neurons within the subsequent areas of the lateral geniculate nucleus and concomitant transneuronal degeneration of as much as 90% of the retinal ganglion cells ( especially the P? ganglion cells) (Cowey, Stoerig, & Perry, 1989) is responsible for the extremely low contrast sensitivity for low temporal and high spatial frequencies, with subsequent damages to the capacity of discriminating form, reduced motion, and wavelength (Cowey, 2010) – these skills are usually dependent upon the parvocellular system (Schiller, Logothetis, & Charles, 1990). Literature Review The problem of blindsight in human beings has a certain exceptional property. This property states that there is a possibility of detecting and discriminating a stimulus even without there being any subjective awareness. That means, a person suffering from blindsight does still have certain visual abilities, and two of these capacities include detection and discrimination of movement (Weiskrantz, 1986). The patients suffering from blindsight are actually blind to conscious visual perception but they do have the ability of performing visual manual reaching works, which means tha t they can respond to visual information although they do not have any visual perception (Sanders, et al., 1974). According to certain studies cortically blind patients have the ability of discriminating the direction of motion of single spots (King, et al., 1996) and bars (Azzopardi & Cowey, 2001); they are better able to discriminate the faster moving things and this suggests that their sensitivity to high temporal frequencies is increased (Barbur, Harlow, & Weiskrantz, 1994). The cases of blindsight that have already been published had been caused due to lesions in the visual cortex. These patients still adhere to their feature of functional vision, for instance the ability to detect movement, to point correctly at light flashes in the absence of conscious visual perception, and to be able to guess if there is a stimulus in the visual blind field. The cortically blind patients do not hold the ability of discriminating the direction of the stimuli movement that does not change its location globally, for example, gratings and random dot kinematograms that depict transformation, comparative movement, and motion in depth (Azzopardi & Cowey, 2001). There is still a possibility of there being a difference in the direction discrimination and random kinematograms, gratings and so on, due to the fact that such stimuli concern themselves with various motion-processing methods that are reliable in relation to the variations that might be present between them regarding their local and global features. When this argument is considered it will be possible for there to be discrimination of direction in the cortically blind visual field on the grounds of a method which directly perceives movement information of the stimulus.