The Social Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Social Internet - Essay Example One of the oldest institutions that we have used as a place of social gathering and interaction has been the church. While church membership has fallen slightly in recent years, the Internet has been a revival for religious organizations. Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Greenville SC downloaded 80,000 Internet sermons last year from their site (Hills, 2003). Many of these surfers would probably have never set foot inside a church. According to The Barna Group, by 2010 as many as 50 million Americans will rely on the Internet as their sole religious contact (as cited in Hills, 2003). Though the Internet has the power to move more people toward religion, it is clearly moving them away from the church and away from the social setting that was important for conversation and local news in previous decades. Just as the Internet can deliver religion to the people, it also has the capacity to deliver people to politics. Political contributions, debate, and interaction have soared in recent years. The Internet has made vast quantities of information instantly available for anyone who cares to search for it and has the potential to create a new form of electronic democracy. Yet, with all this information available, it is still incumbent upon the user to seek it out, read it, and digest it. Polat (2005) suggests that we are suffering from information overload and says we "[...] may become dependent on others to evaluate the available information" (p. 438).

Elizabethan Theater :: essays research papers

Elizabethan Theater Elizabethan times in the 1600s was a progression for the world of the theater. A period named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, it is from this period that modern day society has its foundation for the entertainment industry. From the violence that was prevalent because of the Black Death, people turned to the theater for its poetry and romance. During this time period, there were two types of theatrical performances that were available for the people’s viewing, comedies or tragedies. These two genres were never really intertwined until the time of William Shakespeare. His play, Romeo and Juliet, is an example of both a comedy and a tragedy. It starts off as a comedy with Romeo weeping like a baby because of his love Rosaline, who did not love him back and ends as a tragedy when Romeo and Juliet, a pair of star crossed lovers, commit suicide because the lost of each other. It was also during Shakespeare’s time that writer were finally acknowledged by the people. Befor e this time, writers were not considered upper classman. Another group of people that began to rise into a higher social class were the actors. Actresses were not present back then because women were not allowed on stage. It was considered unladylike to have a female actor. Men played all the parts. Theater owners were dependent on actors to make them a profit. Rehearsals for the plays were fairly short, only lasting for about a week. The performances themselves would only show for three to four days. Actors were expected to memorize hundreds of lines at a time. While one play could be performing, actors would be practicing lines for their next show. Play writers also began to make roles for the actors in the theatrical pieces. The theaters that actors performed in were roofless so that the sun could be used as lighting. Theatrical shows were held in the afternoon because it provided the best amount of light for the show. When the people gathered into the theater, the different clas ses of people were separated by where they could afford to sit and watch the show. The lower classmen were situated on the bare earth where it was dirty and smelly because it was never cleaned. The owners’ of the theaters found it less expensive if they did not keep high maintenance of their establishments. Higher classmen sat under a roof and for a penny more, they could buy cushions for their seats. Elizabethan Theater :: essays research papers Elizabethan Theater Elizabethan times in the 1600s was a progression for the world of the theater. A period named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, it is from this period that modern day society has its foundation for the entertainment industry. From the violence that was prevalent because of the Black Death, people turned to the theater for its poetry and romance. During this time period, there were two types of theatrical performances that were available for the people’s viewing, comedies or tragedies. These two genres were never really intertwined until the time of William Shakespeare. His play, Romeo and Juliet, is an example of both a comedy and a tragedy. It starts off as a comedy with Romeo weeping like a baby because of his love Rosaline, who did not love him back and ends as a tragedy when Romeo and Juliet, a pair of star crossed lovers, commit suicide because the lost of each other. It was also during Shakespeare’s time that writer were finally acknowledged by the people. Befor e this time, writers were not considered upper classman. Another group of people that began to rise into a higher social class were the actors. Actresses were not present back then because women were not allowed on stage. It was considered unladylike to have a female actor. Men played all the parts. Theater owners were dependent on actors to make them a profit. Rehearsals for the plays were fairly short, only lasting for about a week. The performances themselves would only show for three to four days. Actors were expected to memorize hundreds of lines at a time. While one play could be performing, actors would be practicing lines for their next show. Play writers also began to make roles for the actors in the theatrical pieces. The theaters that actors performed in were roofless so that the sun could be used as lighting. Theatrical shows were held in the afternoon because it provided the best amount of light for the show. When the people gathered into the theater, the different clas ses of people were separated by where they could afford to sit and watch the show. The lower classmen were situated on the bare earth where it was dirty and smelly because it was never cleaned. The owners’ of the theaters found it less expensive if they did not keep high maintenance of their establishments. Higher classmen sat under a roof and for a penny more, they could buy cushions for their seats.

Western Civ Continuous or Discontinuous

Is Human Development Continuous or Discontinuous? Human Development is lifelong, continuous and discontinuous and goes in so many different directions throughout a lifespan. It is plastic, multidisciplinary and is embedded in a changing socio-historical context. I truly believe I live in a continuous development pattern, as I believe the rest of us hope our children to follow in our footsteps of continuity. Sigmund Freud addresses continuous versus discontinuous in the understanding of mental illness. We tend to wonder if a mental illness if just an ordinary person taking something to an extreme, or if it is just a matter of degree. I think there is a difference in the way someone with a mental illness experiences reality. There are so many different kinds of mental illnesses so it is far more complicated than a single entity. There is even debate out there as to what exactly is considered a mental illness versus what is not. I guess to some it is all in the eyes of the beholder. What do we know about Sigmund Freud’s theory? His Psychoanalytic Theory is an intrinsic struggle between ego, id and superego. In children, it focuses mostly on the manifestation of disorders as seen from individual case studies. This theory has psychosexual stages which include oral (birth-1year), anal (1-3yr), Phallic (3-6yr), Latency (6-11yr) and Genital (Adolescence). This theory is unique in that it is a kind of lifespan and states that behavioral manifestations are a result of internal struggles. This theory emphasizes on the role of early experiences on child development and the mediating role of parents. Sigmund Freud proposed that if the child experienced anxiety, thwarting his or her sexual appetite during any libidinal (psychosexual) development stage, said anxiety would persist into adulthood as a neurosis, a functional mental disorder. The biggest problem with this theory is that it is hard to verify. A continuity life is one that basically believes of having stages of development. From infancy and learning to walk and talk to adolescence and making decisions on your own a person living a continuity life accepts life as it changes and adapts to it. Whether it be first day of kindergarten and learning to read to becoming a first time parent we accept that something new is about to happen in our lives and adjust for the change. I don’t know how often people would not accept the stages of life and move forward with the stages/changes but o feel it’s important to do so. Another theory from the text I found interesting with respect to continuity was in the sensorimotor period (behavior reflecting on actions) to the formal operations period (perfection of development) are part of Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. The cognitive development theory is one that I found to be quite interestin g. This theory suggests that a child could adjust to the surroundings based on what was happening at the time; that the stage of a child’s life and growth is a continuous process. The stages, according to Cleverley & Phillips Piaget’s theory suggest that â€Å"whenever a difficulty was encountered, it threw the child out of mental equilibrium, and the child was then forced to make some addition to its mental apparatus; cognitive accommodation occurred. † (pg. 87). In other words, what I think this means is that whenever an event would occur in a child’s life that was of a difficult nature, it would force the child to adjust to the situation and then move forward. Ultimately, every decision that is made (whether these decisions are made during infancy, adolescent or adult) these decisions impact the next stage of life. It’s clear that the cognitive theory of Piaget is one that the stages of development occur in the cognitive state of mind. Discontinuity on the other hand appears to me to be more a religious theory and a basis that there are not necessarily stages to life but events and that the events occurring don’t necessarily predict how the future outcome of that individual might be. The idea behind a discontinuity life is that the events or obstacles that a person is faced with are the pre mapped out plan of god. According to Augustine’s theory that all children are born in sin and act of free will it is my understanding that Augustine’s theory is a theory of discontinuity. This is because discontinuity is having a life with â€Å"personal decision, freely chosen, that will profoundly change the direction of one’s life. (Module Commentary – Historical Antecedents II)    From what I’m understanding Augustine’s theory on discontinuity is that a decision has the ability to significantly impact the outcome of one’s life. According to module commentary research suggests that the past of an individual doesn’t necessarily suggest what the outcome of that person may be. When looking at my life and trying to determine whether my life would be of continuity or discontinuity I have to admit I struggled with the differences. I think that I my life could be either actually. However, after reading the text I would have to say that I would think the majority of my life is continuous in that my life has been full of stages. From infancy to adolescence and then into adult hood these were distinctive stages to which I lived through and made distinctive decisions. I recall events during my childhood such as my parents divorcing that helped me to comprehend and realize that life isn’t perfect. Instead of pitying on the fact that my parents were no longer together and revert back to being an infant (i. e. inability to cope with life and depend on others to make decisions for me and becoming depressed) I opted for the continuity approach and accept the event and move forward. I will say I’m one of five siblings and I can tell you that my youngest brother reverted and fell in a life full of bad decisions with severe impacts and he struggles with moving forward and accepting life as it is. I graduated high school and went off to college. My first child was born while I was in my associates program in college but I kept plugging along with my studies determined and focused to get what I was working so hard for. I had many relationships that ended badly, however, I didn’t revert to a life of pity but rather felt the pain, dealt with the impacts of my decisions and moved forward. Every stage in my life whether it be when I was a child and care free to being a mother of two beautiful children and full of responsibility I’ve realized that my life is continuous. I will keep moving forward with all the events and stages that take place in my life. I do believe these events have the ability to mold a person just by the decisions that were made. I believe that people can have an event happen in their life that in turns has a drastic impact. Take the death of Ivan Ilych for example. He struggled with an illness and then was given the opportunity to reflect on his life and to see things differently. This man had an incredible transformation. In essence what I’m suggesting is that while my life is continuity I am married to a man whose life to me appears to be of discontinuity. The more I learn of what his faith and beliefs are the more easily it is to find complications between the two. According to Cleverley & Phillips â€Å"descriptions of typical behavior can only be made in the context of a theory, because what is to count as typical behavior very much depends upon the point of view of the observer, and furthermore, the language that is used to describe the behavior is usually orrowed from theory, or may have political or ideological connotations. Thus, what the observer sees in children depends upon what model he or she brings along. † (pg. 96). Therefore, I take this to mean that how a person views either their life or the life of someone else is a matter of opinion by the basis of what their foundation of knowledge is based on and what they bring into your l ife with. References: Cleverly, John & Phillips, D. C. (1986) Visions of Childhood. Influential Models from Locke to Spock

Definition of LD50 or Lethal Dose 50 Test

Updated and edited on May 20, 2016 by Michelle A. Rivera, About.com Animal Rights Expert The LD50 test is one of the most controversial and inhumane experiments endured by laboratory animals. â€Å"LD† stands for â€Å"lethal dose†; the â€Å"50† means that half the animals, or 50 percent of the animals forced to endure testing the product, will die at that dose. LD50 value for a substance will vary according to the species involved. The substance may be administered any number of ways, including orally, topically, intravenously, or through inhalation. The most commonly used species for these tests are rats, mice, rabbits, and guinea pigs. Substances tested might include household products, drugs or pesticides. These particular animals are popular with animal testing facilities because they are not protected by the Animal Welfare Act which states, in part:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   AWA 2143 (A)   Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦for animal care, treatment, and practices in experimental procedures to ensure that animal pain and distress are minimized, including adequate veterinary care with the appropriate use of anesthetic, analgesic, tranquilizing drugs, or euthanasia;†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The LD50 test is controversial because the results have limited, if any, significance when applied to humans. Determining the amount of a substance that will kill a mouse has little value to human beings. Also controversial is the number of animals frequently involved in an LD50 trial, which may be 100 or more animals. Organizations such as the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, among others, have all spoken out publicly against the use of too many animals in order to reach that 50 percent number. Approximately 60-200 animals are used even though the above organizations have indicated that these same tests could be successfully concluded by using only six to ten animals. The tests involved testing for â€Å",,,toxicity of gases and powders (the inhalation LD50), irritancy and internal poisoning due to skin exposure (the dermal LD50), and toxicity of substances injected directly into anim al tissue or body cavities (the injectable LD50),† according to the New England Anti-Vivisection Society, whose mission it is to end animal testing and supporting alternatives to testing on live animals. The animals used are almost never given anesthesia and suffer tremendous pain during these tests. Because of public outcry and advances in science, the LD50 test has been largely replaced by alternative test measures. In â€Å"Alternatives to Animal Testing, (Issues in Environmental Science and Technology)† a number of contributors* discuss alternatives that have been adopted by laboratories around the world including the Acute Toxic Class method, the Up and Down and Fixed Dose procedures.   According to the National Institute of Heath, the Consumer Product Safety Commission strongly discourages the use of the LD50 test, while the Environmental Protection Agency discourages its use, and, perhaps the most unnerving, the Food and Drug Administration does not require the LD50 test for cosmetic testing. Merchants have used the public outcry to their advantage. Some have added the words â€Å"cruelty free† or some other indication that the company does not use animal testing on their finished product. But beware of these claims because there is no legal definition for these labels. So the manufacturer may not test on animals, but it’s entirely possible that the manufacturers of the ingredients which comprise the product are tested on animals. International trade has also added to the confusion. While many companies have learned to avoid testing on animals as a public relations measure, the more the United States opens trades with other countries, the higher the chance that animal testing will again be part of the manufacture of a product previously deemed cruelty free. For example, Avon, one of the first companies to speak out against animal testing, has begun selling their products to China. China requires some animal testing be done on certain products before being offered to the public. Avon chooses, of course, to sell to China rather than stand on ceremony and stick to their cruelty-free guns. And while these tests may or may not involve LD-50, the fact is that all the laws and regulations that have been so hard fought and won by animal-rights activists over the years wont mean a thing in a world where global trade is the norm.   If you want to live a cruelty-free life and enjoy following a vegan lifestyle, you have to be part detective and research the products you use every day. *R E Hester  (Editor),  R M Harrison  (Editor),  Paul Illing  (Contributor),  Michael Balls  (Contributor),  Robert Combes  (Contributor),  Derek Knight  (Contributor),  Carl Westmoreland  (Contributor) Edited by Michelle A. Rivera, Animal Rights Expert