Breaking Norms of Society

â€Å"Norms are rules which specify appropriate behavior in a given range of social contexts. A norm either prescribes a given type of behavior, or forbids it† (Giddens 1997, p. 583). The importance of norms in our society is not negotiable. Those who follow the norms of our society have better chances to find stable social position, and will hardly lose it. Those who do not treat social norms properly or neglect them risk being rejected by the society within which they exist. However, as we live in extremely diverse society, breaking the norms of society does not always lead to uniformly negative reactions.My experiment has proved this assumption. It is not rare that informal (folkway) norms go against the formal (legal) norms of the specific society. For example, many nations still praise the principles of vengeance against the legal ban on murder. In his book, Newman spoke about the military obedience and the legal limits of warfare in the hands of a military. For a militar y during the war, â€Å"one legal justification for killing is warfare† (Newman 2006, p. 18), but this does not mean that killing should be massive and meaningless. I had a chance in my life to get acquainted with the people of Russian origin.I always kept to the thought that Russian people preferred drinking alcohol during their parties, and when I was invited to their party I was prepared to that. I was already looking for excuses because I did not drink. However, it was the informal norm that each guest had to taste the host’s home-made alcoholic beverage. No one evidently knew or even imagined that I would be able to refuse and to simply neglect that long lasting informal tradition. Yet, I did refuse. In addition, I simply did not like drinking. I felt uncomfortable, because I knew that I was breaking an important norm, and still I could not step over myself.As I later understood, different nations treated their informal traditions in a similar way: they preferred when other people followed them even against their will. Legal norms are frequently neglected or are not respected, but not to follow informal traditions often means not to be accepted into particular society. Moreover, I was extremely interested in tracing the reactions of other people towards my behavior. When I was offered a drink, I refused. I was surrounded by Russian people, and my refusal was extremely surprising to them. Later I noticed that the different people displayed different reactions in terms of my refusal.I spent the rest of the party with them, and I was hearing them talk about me here and there. Some people openly expressed their displeasure with my behavior as they were talking to each other. The host of the party came up to me and whispered that I should not have behaved as that. I also heard that some people still did not reject my position, and they were even trying to justify my conduct. No one with the exception of the host has expressed his view openly. Non e of the Russian guests ever tried to explain me why my conduct could be negative or why I would have to follow their traditions.Ultimately, I was never invited to this house again. From the viewpoint of sociology, norms are rather complex sets of meanings for a particular society. As I have later understood it was extremely important for the Russian host that I followed their principles and informal traditions. The fact that I was never invited to their house again told much to me, but the reactions of people at the party had told me even more. First of all, I now realize that the reaction of people at breaking informal norms is never uniform, even when these people belong to one particular society, the norm of which was broken.It is very probable that they had also broken their own norms for various reasons, and breaking social norm once may turn into the regular process of routinization. Once people â€Å"have taken the initial step, they are in a new psychological and social si tuation in which the pressures to continue are powerful† (Newman 2006, p. 25). One important fact meant a lot to me: none of those who supported me in my behavior openly expressed his position to me. This was evidently another way not to break the norms of the society in which they found themselves, and not to face the risks of being rejected.When my Russian acquaintances stopped contacting me, I understood that I was not accepted into their society due to my refusal to drink. Probably, they could accept such conduct within their circles, but not from a person who was actually alien to their traditions as I was. I still realize that if I appeared in similar situation once again, I would have to analyze the informal traditions before I came into a new society, and would openly explain to other people why I would not perform certain actions. ConclusionThat type of experiment had led me to several serious conclusions. First, societies treat their informal traditions more obedient ly and more thoroughly than they treat the commonly held legal norms. In my case, there were no legal norms which would make me drink, yet I was not accepted into the Russian society again. Second, the reaction of other societal members at breaking folkway norms is never uniform. In this context, there are far reaching sociological implications for such conduct: even when people accepted my position they never expressed it openly.This meant that for a person to be within his own society was much more important than expressing his own thoughts and ideas which went against the norms and traditions of that particular society. I have expected that the reaction of people towards my conduct would be somewhat different: I anticipated that they would be open with me and would even try to explain why my behavior was wrong or to what consequences it could lead. However, they tried to create an impression that they were indifferent towards what I had done.Their indifference was only surface, b ecause in their minds they were trying to weigh all pros and cons of my actions. It was evident that the way people treated their folkway traditions ultimately determined the way they behaved towards those who broke those traditions. The host of the party was one of those for whom informal traditions were extremely important: he was the only one to express his displeasure to me. References Giddens, A. (1997). Sociology. London: Polity Press. Newman, D. (2006). Sociology: Exploring the architecture of everyday life. 6th edition. Pine Forge Press.

Philippine vacation experiences

It's been quite a long time since I've been here, but still, the feeling never changed. It's still where my heart finds its second home -? the Philippines. We celebrated Christmas very religiously by attending predawn masses called Sambaing Gab; eat traditional food like rice cakes and having a good time with our family. The night mass starts at December 16 and lasts until the day of the Christmas. The church bells and first cockcrow awaken the people of the town to go to church and to pray for a joyful celebration of the Chrism's birth.This is indeed quite different comparing to celebrating in Italy, which is mostly about Santa Clause and giving gifts. As it continues to blow on the cold breeze of December, me and my cousins enjoyed caroling in the neighborhood. It is hoping from one house to another every night and singing Christmas songs. This serves as our bonding together and also, there is this joy that resides in Our hearts as we sing different Christmas carols. Through this, it sets our mood for some Christmas spirit. Roaming around our place, I noticed that each household were adorned with these star-shaped multistoried lanterns which they call â€Å"parole†.They say that s early as November, these were already hanged as a preparation for Christmas. After all the preparations, Niche Buena is still the much-anticipated part after the midnight mass. It is a traditional Christmas Eve feast after returning home from the mass. It was a very special occasion for me because after a couple of years, we will celebrate the Christmas Eve as a whole family. We rarely have this moment, so I will consider this as one of my best Christmas. Truly, everybody gets busy during December but me and my family never let any moment get wasted.We savor every chance that we get together through outings and exploring the beautiful spots in the place. More than that, I must say that the real essence of this season is the giving and sharing among people. It is by these mome nts that we are reminded that the love for each other is still the main center of the celebration. At the end of the day, these seasons are still about family closeness and my vacation in the Philippines is one great reminder that a strong bond among families is what makes each season worth-celebrating. Indeed, it was a cold yet warm vacation because of the love between and among us.

Issues with the use of Internet and Electronic Media Essay

Abstract This study aims to tackle the growing issue relating to the widely use of internet and electronic media in the society.   Also, this research will also examine the impact of these technologies in the point of view of human ethical standards as well as how it affects the professional practice in psychology.   Ã‚   Table of Contents i. Abstract†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2    Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4 The American Psychological Association, Principles and Standards†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 American Psychological Association Standard Ethical Principles of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Psychologists and Code of Conduct†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 Ethical Committees of the American Psychological Association, main implementor of Rules and Procedures†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Common Standards for Advertising, Avoidance of False or Deceptive   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Statements Media Presentation and Keeping Confidential Information†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 9 The Value of Maintenance, Dissemination and also proper Disposal of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Records†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 9 The Standards of Conducting Research the Importance of Consent in Research†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 Ethical Principles of Psychology and its Code of Conduct that Relates to Informing Consent†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 The Importance of Training and Supervision for People to embraced the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     right Ethical Standards of Life†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 The Importance of Ethical Community in the Ethical Practice and the Methods of Ethical Decision Making†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 13 Ethical Community impact on the Ethical Practices and Rightful decision Making†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 The Positive Effect of Internet and Electronic Media in the field of Psychology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 14 The Internet and What Lies ahead in the Field of Psychology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 14 Psychological Experiments that can be conducted on the Internet †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 15 General Issues†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 15 Cross-cultural experimentation and Individual differences†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 15    The Concept of Humanistic Psychology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 16    Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 16    Recommendation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 17    References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 18 Introduction In today’s information world where technological practices brought about by internet and other high-tech media, we can always say that there come a time that we forget about our responsibilities of protecting our ethical standards and values.   One of the main reasons is that people are starting to rely only in the information that is being feed to them.   One profession that also being affected by this growing change is the psychological profession, where the common standards, practices and acceptable principles are changing due to the many information that both media and the internet has provided. In this study, it will focus not only on the effect it brings to our lives but also hoe this can be of help, if only we apply the right ethical standards and principles of psychology.   Facts and figures will also be presented to this study in order for the readers to be convinced that not everything that comes from the internet and electronic media are non-relevant information, and in contrast this study will try to prove that with these technologies and information it provides, it can create a highly effective person with the right ethical standards and most especially without affecting the best practices and principles that the psychological profession applied. The American Psychological Association, Principles and Standards American Psychological Association Standard Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct APA or the American Psychological Association has been the organization for years now that continually helps and maintain standards and policies that helps human to understand and appreciate way of life.   The organization has provided numerous rules and principles that help in forming the ideal conduct of a person regardless of status in life.   In this research since the issue is about how information are now being exploited or used by many, whether for personal or even corporate advantage with the use of internet and electronic media.   It has created a monster in the field of information campaign, many parties where overused, like possessed are copied without proper consent or sometimes unethical way of presenting information are formed in order to catch attention of readers or viewers.   These are just some of the obvious reasons, why this topic or issue is very important. American Psychological Association also has become the main organization that has establish the right principles and practices to be perform in order to provide assistance in helping people to become not only ethically upright but also practice high degree of respect to his well-being.   Some of the major principles that it applies are: Fidelity and Responsibility, Integrity, Justice and most especially Respect for people’s rights and dignity.   These are the major principles that the organization wants us to perform, observe and adhere in our daily lives.   If we relate this to internet and electronic media, it is really obvious that there are issues and problems it really generates. Take for instance; like for the internet, almost anybody can use it without any restriction, meaning it can be used by anyone, anywhere and everywhere.   Students, if they will not be allowed to use their computers to do â€Å"chat† or play â€Å"network games† at home, they could still have the chance to do it when they are outside their homes and how much more if they are outside their school.   These are just some of the major impact of internet alone.   The problem here is that for these young generations, their attitude becomes affected and that affects the major principles that were mentioned earlier.   (Bersoff, D, 2003, pp. 6-10). Here the complete lists of APA ethical principles: Principle A: Beneficence and Nonmaleficence Principle B: Fidelity and Responsibility Principle C: Integrity Principle D: Justice Principle E: Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity But again these can also be a question on how children are raised by their parents, because there are instances that some children are being given too much liberty or freedom and in effect they will do whatever they can.   One very common and good example is that, a parent may always entrusted their children that they will do their work in school and in doing this they would even encourage their children to work with somebody outside in order to practice their inter-personal relationship.   But, in doing these, parents must also consider that there might be some problems if too much freedom is given and that should be the one that needs to be addressed. Just to present the possible trend that may actually happened in the future based from the 1999 National Institute on Media and the Family, the effect of non-proper monitoring in children for television and the use of internet really affects their studies and even affected up to their personal well-being.   In their study about 51% from a range of children ages 2-17, says that parents observed that children are affected by violence they see on video games. But, more alarming is that 57% of children are more affected by violence that they see on television and movies.   That is also why parents percentage of concerns also goes high between 77% to 81% that they are also not taking any chances of finding ways how their children in the same age group not to be exposed on violent and sexual content television shows and movies that has become the main ingredients in the industry these days just to attract viewers and movie goers.   (Gentile, D.A. & Walsh, D.A., 1999).   (See Table 1)    Always Often Sometimes Rarely Never How often families have a TV on during meals 18% 22% 26% 18% 16% How often families have a TV on even if no one is watching it * 27% 27% 27% 19% How often children watch educational TV 8% 39% 39% 11% 3% How often children see parents read * 65% 25% 7% 3% How often children have TV on while doing homework 4% 12% 14% 22% 48% How often children copy characters they have seen on TV * 15% 35% 32% 18% How often parents monitor how their children use the Internet 52% 15% 12% 8% 13% How often parents talk to their children about the music they listen to * 48% 34% 12% 6% Not given as a possible option Table 1. Common Television Pattern of Children But this may not anymore true since there are many changes and directives and policies that were implemented that shows that children are now aware of the impact of it in their lives as well as in their families.   Like, in a more recent and reliable studies presented in the next table, particularly when it comes to smoking and healthy life style of children as to how media affects to it, it shows that children are now careful and would always think of how they can prioritize their lives by looking at their bright future.   (See Figure 1 and 2). Figure 1. Sub-section: Smoking/ Media and Risky Behavior Figure 2. Sub-section: Alcohol Use/ Media and Risky Behavior In the two figures above, it only shows that there is some remarkable improvement that is happening in the past decade and this should continue in order to really make sure that children concern against the media is being addressed.   But in the two figure, the alcohol use for both 9th and 10th grade are just two of the major concerns, because it shows here that they might be more prone to be affected and enticed by media since the graph shows that there are no much remarkable developments in the curve that was presented. But, among the major principles that were emphasized, respect has been the principle that greatly affected in this study.   Under this principle one major characteristic of ethical practice is confidentiality.   In the internet there are major issues that can also be relating to it.   Take for instance information in the internet or even in the electronic media are sometimes exploited and being used for personal and competitive advantage and not anymore preserving it.   (Media and Risky Behavior, 2007). Ethical Committees of the American Psychological Association, main implementor of Rules and Procedures In the APA organization, a committee is given the over-all power in the proper implementation of the rules and procedures, which has been always for the best caring of the organization.   These said rules and procedures are yearly being reviewed and being paneled in order to see if it still appropriate and can address the different issues that human may encounter. (Bersoff, D, 2003, pp. 26-35).   Common Standards for Advertising, Avoidance of False or Deceptive Statements Most of us these days would consider internet and electronic media as one of the easiest source of information.   Information that sometimes without knowing can really affect our ethical standards, like the way we used these information in our daily lives.   With the way they advertised products as well as how it also inculcate the minds of everyone that would really â€Å"make believe† their audience about the many advantages of their product, sometimes it could also labeled us as a person as to how our ethical standards is measured.   (Fisher, C, 2003, pp. 103-105) One of the major issues here is about providing false and deceptive statements or information.   This is one major issue that needs to be address since there are many unreliable information that may come from either in the internet or electronic media.   This information sometimes reflects and builds our own personality and values.   Values that also affects our ethical standards in life. Media Presentation and Keeping Confidential Information As media becomes one of the major cornerstones of information delivery to everyone and as the confidentiality of it is always being tackled, there are some very good example as to how confidential information is really important to some businesses and industries.   This also helps us understand that keeping confidential information is really not only part of our human ethical practice but also has become a major part of the business process of many industries around the world. (Fisher, C, 2003, pp. 109-111). In keeping this confidential information, there are many good examples of information that really needs to be kept in properly and safe.   One of which is HIPAA information or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, it is actually enacted by the US Congress in 1996, that these information should be kept confidential at all times.   It is said to be one of the most confidential information that needs to be kept by all Government Health Services in the United States.   The main reason is that this information may also cause a lot of damage to the credibility of a person if used. (Fisher, C, 2003, p. 116). Other example of confidential information that has been classified are education and forensic records which are also highly confidential, like the latter is usually being used for police investigation and being presented as evidence in the court.   (Fisher, C, 2003, pp. 117-118) The Value of Maintenance, Dissemination and also proper Disposal of Records In order to address this concerns regarding confidentiality there should be proper and well defined process of maintenance, dissemination as well as disposal of information.   In this way information will not be used for bad purpose or at least problems may be minimized.   With the process put in place, people will be aware of how they can manage information and designated check points can be created in order to make sure that it really follows the right procedures. (Fisher, C, 2003, pp. 119-120) The Standards of Conducting Research the Importance of Consent in Research One of the better processes that should start for internet or electronic media is to practice and adhere to one of the best standard in conducting research is that it should first ask for consent in using the information.   Because only by asking for consent on the information would make it more binding, lawful and most especially ethical to the owner of the information as well as for the people who would get the information.   This also immediately eliminates the notion of non-conformance to confidentiality issues, which really a big effect on the principle of respect to the dignity of other people. (Fisher, C, 2003, pp. 146-155). Ethical Principles of Psychology and its Code of Conduct that Relates to Informing Consent At this point, it will provide more relevant information as to how important consent and how it is being performed properly by one person who is getting the information.   Just like for example a professional psychologist who would ask for information to his patient must need to ask for consent to their patients and most of the time, there is a waiver form that is signed by the patients that says every information that may come along during the procedure is confidential.   The following are the detailed step that needs to be done in these procedures of asking for consent: Must provide a clear explanation Must seek the individual’s assent or approval Needs to consider persons’ preferences and best interest, and Obtain appropriate permission from legal authorities. In these steps, it only shows that asking for consent is not a simple way to do and individuals must always respect these processes because this is where issues comes along.   Issues that your confidential information might be used wrongfully.   (Pope, K., 2008). The Importance of Training and Supervision for People to embraced the right Ethical Standards of Life It is true that not all are well trained or at least well informed on the right ethical standards that they have to do either in business or in school.   Many just considers that everything is given the freedom to do whatever they prefer doing without really focusing on the effect it might bring to the public.   Internet and electronic media has been two of the common target to these issues. But the issues is not always on its people or practice that they embraced in their lives but there are many cases that industries and even schools are the ones that has the problem and even parents as well.   These people in authority must provide adequate trainings and supervision in order to solidify the process.   This also would help not only in the proper implementation if the right ethical standards but also would be necessary in the continuing development of policies and processes that may be impactful in the development of human ethical standards.   (Nagy, T., 2000, pp. 129-135) This has proved a lot worthy to parents in some of the major states and cities in the US, where with the proper monitoring made by parents, children slowly becomes aware of what they do and what they see.   This also shows that time management and choosing the right program and activities that they must do is essential and they should be there to guide and explain their child about the impact on them.   (See Table 2 to 4). Bay Area Percent       Very Positive   8.5% Somewhat Positive 42.1% Somewhat Negative 25.1% Very Negative   4.7% Too Young to Say 13.8%          Table 2. Parents Ratings on Effect of Media: 2006 @ Bay Area Alameda and Contra Costa Counties Percent       Very Positive   9.6% Somewhat Positive 43.8% Somewhat Negative 22.1% Very Negative   5.8% Too Young to Say 13.7% Table 3. Parents Ratings on Effect of Media: 2006 @ Alameda and Contra Costa Countries San Mateo County Percent       Very Positive   7.5% Somewhat Positive 42.6% Somewhat Negative 23.3% Very Negative   3.3% Too Young to Say 16.2% Table 4. Parents Ratings on Effect of Media: 2006 @ San Mateo County Santa Clara County Percent       Very Positive   8.9% Somewhat Positive 40.6% Somewhat Negative 24.2% Very Negative   4.5% Too Young to Say 15.5% Table 5. Parents Ratings on Effect of Media: 2006 @ Sta. Clara County Definition: Percentage of parents who rated the effects of media, including television, movies, music, and the like, at each level. Data Source: A survey of Bay Area parents commissioned by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. Polling conducted by the Survey Policy and Research Institute at San Jose State University. August 2006. Full results available at http://www.kidsdata.org/parentpoll/    In this table that were presented above, it only shows that media may not always give negative impact to children or people, most especially if the families, communities and organization works together in helping children or other people adhere to right ethical standards and processes.   Supervision and training can also make a big difference in order to achieve positive impact of electronic media.   (Parent Ratings on Effect of Media: 2006, 2006). III. The Importance of Ethical Community in the Ethical Practice and the Methods of Ethical Decision Making    Ethical Community impact on the Ethical Practices and Rightful decision Making In the previous topics, the main focus was mainly on the standard principles of ethical standards in the APA perspective and how it affects the issues that arise on internet and electronic media.   Now, the main focus is on how people be regarded to perform the right ethical standards having to respect the ethical community they belong.   Associations and organizations has always been the back bone of any entities in the world.   These organizations are also said to be the main community that needs to make sure that people are properly following the right policies of ethical standards. Penalties are even one part of the implementation that also needs to be force if needed.   That is also why people make the right decision based on these communities and not just their own personal judgment.   Communities makes ethical standards easily be followed because with it, people could easily set himself or herself that by doing such actions, they could either be penalized or be recognized for their actions and with that, they become more responsible and respectful to others.   (Sales, B.D. & Folkman, S., pp. 65-109). The Positive Effect of Internet and Electronic Media in the field of Psychology The Internet and What Lies ahead in the Field of Psychology It is true that the growing demand for information is really picking up, like in the field of psychiatry and psychological profession.   With the importance of having these processes to be accessible to anybody in order for them to apply the best practice fast and efficient, internet has becomes the only solution for it.   Internet has provided the best layered presentation of information that people can get almost anywhere in the world.   With its vast presence everywhere, internet has provided its own need for the people and that is not only to gain information but also to be prepared for much more to come, where more conveniently is given to them. Some of the advantages it provides in the field of Psychology in particular are that, it becomes an avenue of interchange amongst professional psychologist where exchanging of information and providing feedbacks happened.  Ã‚   It also has become a major development for this kind of profession to be able to provide these information conveniently and fast to its clients, not anymore doing it in a more traditional and tedious way.   (Huang, MP & Alessi NE, 1996). Psychological Experiments that can be conducted on the Internet In order to really see the effect of internet to an individual, there are proven effective experimentation that can be applied, and this includes: general issue and issues affecting cultural differences of people. General Issues In the general issues, there are sub-categories that have been included: decision making on the lab and on the internet and the other one is the validity of the web based psychological search.   In the first sub-category that was selected in this study, which is decision making on the lab as against in the internet, it shows that better and more effective decisions can be made in the lab since the information can easily be decided due to its minimal number of information that can be analyzed.   While in the internet, it has been proven difficult since the information are too much and sometimes individuals may find it difficult to evaluate the information and with that failure to get the more fruitful information is most of the time experienced. Cross-cultural experimentation and Individual differences Since internet is visited by everybody, regardless of their age or even gender and most especially the choice of information if always been the case for internet.   This has become a major trend that sometimes interpretation and understanding also becomes an issue.   Standards are sometimes affected by this approach.   Depending on the person who has adopted the approach that he or she has research, that will be the basis of his or her findings.   This also sometimes affects the personality also of the person which follows their ethical standards as well.   (Birnbaun, M, 2000). The Concept of Humanistic Psychology In order to really understand the issue and how we can clearly think of a better way how to address it, there are reliable set of values that we can apply in humanistic psychology that not only provides direction but also simple guidelines as to how internet and electronic media really affects human ethical well being.   The following core values are: (1) a belief in the worth of persons and dedication to the development of human potential, (2) an understanding of life as a process, change is inevitable, (3) an appreciation of the spiritual and intuitive, (4) a commitment to ecological integrity, and lastly, (5) a recognition of the profound problems affecting our world and a responsibility to hope and constructive change. This only says that the belief of a person that he can do the right thing and be recognized is very important.   Many people still do not apply this simple and yet very effective ways on how to motivate one self as well as well as others is very important and this can effectively be used in addressing the issues that brought about by internet and electronic media against human ethical standards.   (Humanistic Psychological Overview, 2008). VII. Summary In this study, with the information that were presented and the facts that were provided, it only shows that the issues that brought about by internet and electronic media does not always resulted to negative.   This was proven on the facts and figures that were presented in this paper. This study only shows and carefully explains that ethical standards of an individual may only be driven by as to how the person rely on his judgment as well as how committees and person in authorities perform their duties in order to make sure if the right practice and principles of ethical standards is followed.   Parents also seen to be a major part in the proper development of an individual because with their guidance and supervision not only with the committees, it helps children in particular to be more responsible in using internet and electronic media only to times that they really needed it and not for any other reasons. VIII. Recommendations In this study since it was very clear that being obliged to do what is right is really necessary to everyone and following the right principles and guidelines are also needed in order to achieve and apply the best and highly effective ethical standards that not only address issues regarding internet and electronic media but also not affecting the values being set by the psychological profession.   In this study it has recommended that all organizations must start to adhere the right ethical principles at all times in order for their people to be well guided accordingly on the right practices that they need to do at work. Secondly, parents and guardians must also be active in monitoring and supervising their children at home, because it will also help in solidifying the process in the minds of the children and that would also help them thinks the effect in their own personal way of life, most especially their values.   Lastly, is to educate oneself that nothing good will give if lack of respect will be applied and that will only promote negative attitude which affects ethical standards and behavior. References Bersoff, D. (2003). Ethical Conflicts in Psychology 3e. American Psychological Association, USA, pages 6-50. Birnbaun, M. (2000). Psychological Experiment on the Internet. Retrieved July 5, 2008, from http://psych.fullerton.edu/mbirnbaum/web/IntroWeb.htm Fisher, C. (2003). Decoding the Ethics Code: A Practical Guide for Psychologists 1e. Sage Publications, Inc., California USA, pages 103-155. Gentile, D.A. & Walsh, D.A. (1999). National Survey of Family Media Habits, Knowledge and Attributes. Retrieved July 4, 2008, from http://www.mediafamily.org/research/report_mqexecsum.shtml Huang, MP & Alessi NE. (1996). The Internet and the Future of Psychiatry. Retrieved July 5, 2008, from http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/153/7/861?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=Internet+and+eLECTRONIC+mEDIA+ISSUES&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT Humanistic Psychological Overview. (2008). Association for Humanistic Psychology. Retrieved July 5, 2008, from http://www.ahpweb.org/aboutahp/whatis.html Media and Risky Behavior. (2008). The Future of Children Site. Retrieved July 4, 2008, from http://www.futureofchildren.org/information2850/information_show.htm?doc_id=676348 Nagy, T. (2005). Ethics in Plain English: An Illustrative Casebook for Psychologists 2e. American Psychological Association, USA, pages 129-135. Parents Rating on Effects of Media: 2006. (2008). Kidsdata.org. Retrieved July 4, 2008, from http://www.kidsdata.org/topictables.jsp?t=36&i=1&ra=3_132 Pope, K. (2008). Informed, Consent in Psychotherapy & Counseling. Retrieved July 4, 2008, from http://kspope.com/consent/index.php Sales, B.D. & Folkman, S. (2000). Ethics in Research with Human Participants. 1e,

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Case study on intellectual property right Essay

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Annotated bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

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Advantages of Living with Parents in College Essay Example for Free

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The McCarthy Essay Example for Free

The McCarthy Essay The McCarthy Trails and the Salem witch trials have always drawn comparisons to each other in many ways. People were punished unfairly and without any real form of proof. As we continue throughout history, events similar to the McCarthy and Salem Witch Trials have sprung up occasionally in current events. The methods of persecution in these events have varied from the minor to the extreme. Due to these unfair practices, many victims had their livelihoods destroyed and some were even killed due to another person’s word over theirs. In both of these situations, the accusers were hungry for power and would do anything possible to achieve this power. In any case, reputations were ruined, lives were lost, or families were decimated. The methods of persecution for criminals have varied greatly throughout the ages. Incarceration, torture, and death are common methods that have been used as punishments for crimes. During the McCarthy and Salem Witch Trials, people were punished in many ways. During the Salem Witch Trials, the accused were first placed in jail to await a hearing. In all, over 150 people were arrested and placed in jail. Even more were accused but were never pursued by the proper authorities. If found guilty of witchcraft, the victims were sentenced to death by hanging. Between June and September of 1692 nineteen of the accused were hanged. On September 19th, 1962 one man was pressed to death when he failed to plead guilty or not guilty. At least four deaths occurred from the accused dying while incarcerated. The punishments during the McCarthy trials while less severe, still had a devastating impact on the persons involved. People accused of being communist had their names added to a blacklist created by Hollywood. The only way to be removed was to meet before the House of Un-American Activities Committee and prove your innocence. If a person that was called before the House of Un-American Activities Committee refused to name other people involved in these communist groups then you would be added to the blacklist. Over 320 people were placed on the list which stopped them from working in the entertainment industry. The United States government then decided to use the Alien Registration Act to place over forty-six people in jail. Senator Joseph McCarthy then accused 205 people in the State Department of being communists. Investigations were launched and many thousands lost their jobs after admitting to being members of the communist party. Senator McCarthy ruined the lives of many, all to increase his own power and self-image. It is amazing that an event like the Salem Witch Trials was allowed to repeat itself with the McCarthy trials. The Salem Witch Trials, McCarthyism, and even recent events all draw similarities to each other. Events where people have been wrongly prosecuted have happened throughout history. The similarities begin with a culture that is in a state of panic. The Salem Witch Trials were the result of a very strong effort to find witches brought on by panic about strange events. The same was true for McCarthy in the Senate. He was on a mission to find communists, and an already panicked public was very willing to believe him. Both were based on incorrect facts and gained momentum due to their leaders instilling public hysteria. Both trials ended when the accusations proved to be false and unsubstantiated. In my current event, a victim had Secret Service agents show up at her house because she supposedly had anti-American posters in her home. The poster that the agents were referring to was one with President Bush holding a rope, with the words: We Hang on Your Every Word. George Bush, Wanted: 152 Dead. It refers to the number who was put to death in Texas while Bush was the governor. The woman had her information taken down and her name added to some type of list. Many of these types of situations have been springing up around the country. Terrorism in recent years is the main cause of this; just like witch hysteria and communism of the past. Acts like the Patriot Act inflict on certain rights of Americans. Warrantless wiretapping has become a serious issue in recent years, with groups such as the ACLU attacking such policies. Overall, these events do draw many similarities to each other and their effects will never be forgotten. The Salem Witch Trials, McCarthyism, and recent events also have much dissimilarity between them. During McCarthyism, the punishments for being accused were much less severe. You could get blacklisted under McCarthyism, but you received a fair trial and no one was ever killed during these events. The worst scenario was either a job loss or a tarnished reputation. The Salem Witch trials involved superstition that went beyond the Christian religion. People were mainly accused by a group of girls that pointed the finger to many innocent women. If they admitted to being a witch then they were sparred from death. Today, rights granted by the constitution are being stressed by the government with the hope of keeping American people safe. You may be investigated, but no harm has since come because of these new policies. As time continues, we will see how future events transpire and how similar they are to the past. The McCarthy Trails and the Salem witch trials have had a great affect on our history. Victims were unfairly reprimanded during these events. The methods of persecution ranged from death to defamation of character. Power hungry individuals led the hysteria, sacrificing others to build up their power. What we do know is that these types of events continue to arise, even in today’s world. Whether we have learned from these events will remain to be seen.

Seven Steps In The Benchmarking Process Business Essay

Seven Steps In The Benchmarking Process Business Essay Benchmarking  is the process of comparing ones business processes and  performance metrics  to industry bests or  best practices from other industries. Dimensions typically measured are quality, time and cost. In the process of benchmarking, management identifies the best firms in their industry, or in another industry where similar processes exist, and compare the results and processes of those studied (the targets) to ones own results and processes. In this way, they learn how well the targets perform and, more importantly, the business processes that explain why these firms are successful. Benchmarking is used to measure performance using a specific  indicator  (cost per unit of measure, productivity per unit of measure, cycle time of x per unit of measure or defects per unit of measure) resulting in a metric of performance that is then compared to others. Also referred to as best practice benchmarking or process benchmarking, this process is used in management and particularly strategic management, in which organizations evaluate various aspects of their processes in relation to best practice companies processes, usually within a peer group defined for the purposes of comparison. This then allows organizations to develop plans on how to make improvements or adapt specific best practices, usually with the aim of increasing some aspect of performance. Benchmarking may be a one-off event, but is often treated as a continuous process in which organizations continually seek to improve their practices. BASICS OF BENCHMARKING Indian organizations are becoming world class both in terms of size and performance. Therefore, there is a greater need to become superior in performance consistently. Quality is becoming the hallmark for both products and services. Indian and multinational organizations are increasingly becoming quality conscious and try to deliver high quality products and services to customers. Quality delivery which was the property of General Electric, Ford, General motors, Xerox and ATT had become the buzzword in many corporate circles in India as well. From Software major Infosys to Automobile giant Mahindra are adopting best in class technologies, borrows and adopt best ideas, incubate and implement them as part of their corporate strategy. As individuals do swot analysis, companies have to do swot analysis for their competitive advantage and for long term survival. The external competitive pressure on the system had made its absolutely necessary to benchmark with similar organizations or organizations of different breed. However, benchmarking cannot cure all diseases of the company. Why the companies benchmark? Instead of being inward looking companies, large corporations are more outward looking nowadays. Liberalization and globalization had made the industries very competitive. Equally the transfer and adoption of technologies are more easier nowadays. The other advantage of benchmarking is the lowest cost associated with the process. The companies do not invest sizeable investments in research and development and there is no threat of any sunk cost. The process or practice or technology are readily available and easily be plagiarized. A company that decides to undertake a bench-marking initiative should consider the following questions: When? Why? Who? What? and How? WHEN Benchmarking can be used at any time, but is usually performed in response to needs that arise within a company. According to C.J. McNair and Kathleen H.J. Leibfried in their book  Benchmarking: A Tool for Continuous Improvement,  some potential triggers for the benchmarking process include: quality programs cost reduction/budget process operations improvement efforts management change new operations/new ventures rethinking existing strategies competitive assaults/crises WHY This is the most important question in managements decision to begin the benchmarking process. McNair and Leibfried suggest several reasons why companies may embark upon benchmarking: to signal managements willingness to pursue a philosophy that embraces change in a proactive rather than reactive manner; to establish meaningful goals and performance measures that reflect an external/customer focus, foster quantum leap thinking, and focus on high-payoff opportunities; to create early awareness of competitive disadvantage; and to promote teamwork that is based on competitive need and is driven by concrete data analysis, not intuition or gut feeling. WHO Companies may decide to benchmark internally, against competitors, against industry performance, or against the best of the best. Internal benchmarking is the analysis of existing practice within various departments or divisions of the organization, looking for best performance as well as identifying baseline activities and drivers. Competitive benchmarking looks at a companys direct competitors and evaluates how the company is doing in comparison. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the competition is not only important in plotting a successful strategy, but it can also help prioritize areas of improvement as specific customer expectations are identified. Industry benchmarking is more trend-based and has a much broader scope. It can help establish performance baselines. The best-in-class form of benchmarking examines multiple industries in search of new, innovative practices. It not only provides a broad scope, but also it provides the best opportunities over that range. WHAT Benchmarking can focus on roles, processes, or strategic issues. It can be used to establish the function or mission of an organization. It can also be used to examine existing practices while looking at the organization as a whole to identify practices that support major processes or critical objectives. When focusing on specific processes or activities, the depth of the analysis is a key issue. The analysis can take the form of vertical or horizontal benchmarking. Vertical benchmarking is where the focus is placed on specific departments or functions, while horizontal bench-marking is where the focus is placed on a specific process or activity. Concerning strategic issues, the objective is to identify factors that are of greatest importance to competitive advantage, to define measures of excellence that capture these issues, and to isolate companies that appear to be top performers in these areas. HOW Benchmarking uses different sources of information, including published material, trade meetings, and conversations with industry experts, consultants, customers, and marketing representatives. The emergence of Internet technology has facilitated the bench-marking process. The Internet offers access to a number of databases-like Power-MARQ from the nonprofit American Productivity and Quality Center-containing performance indicators for thousands of different companies. The Internet also enables companies to conduct electronic surveys to collect bench-marking data. How a company benchmarks may depend on available resources, deadlines, and the number of alternative sources of information. ADVANTAGES OF BENCHMARKING Lowering Labor Costs One advantage of benchmarking may be lower labor costs. For example, a small manufacturing company may study how a top competitor uses robots for several basic plant functions. These robots may help the competitor save a significant amount of money on labor costs. Company managers may obtain information on these robotics systems through the competitors website or online articles. They may also identify the company that sold the competitor the robots. Subsequently, the company using benchmarking may call the robot manufacturer to help set up its own system. Improving Product Quality Companies may also use benchmarking to improve product quality. Engineers sometimes purchase leading competitors products. They may then take them apart, study them and determine how the competitors products outlast or outperform others in the industry. Chemical engineers may study food or cleaning products in a similar manner. They can then compare various elements contained in competitive products to their own product line. Subsequently, improvements can be made to product quality. Increasing Sales and Profits A company that uses benchmarking to improve its functions, operations, products and services may enjoy increases in sales and profits. Customers are likely to notice these improvements. The benchmarking company may also promote is improvements through company brochures, its sales reps, magazine and television ads. These efforts are likely to increase sales, especially among core customers. Companies that operate more efficiently due to benchmarking can drastically lower their expenses. These savings can be lead to greater profits. Considerations Some organizations use internal benchmarking to improve performance in different departments. Department managers may study and emulate the best practices of one particular department. These changes may spark improvements among all departments. Internal benchmarking has its limitations, however. The companys top department may not be functioning as efficiently as others in the industry. This means the other departments were not truly benchmarking against the best departments out there. PROCESS OF BENCHMARKING When it comes to Competitive Intelligence, there are a few simple tools that can provide for sophisticated comparisons of business functions between organizations that can help firms benchmark the constituent processes of the company with direct or indirect competitors, allowing a company to gain the upper hand in a marketplace. But, what is the process for setting the metrics, methodologies, milestones and comparisons which might be used to measure the success of a CI/benchmarking function, or the success of a Strategic Planning department as a whole? Benchmarking is best used and described as a framework for strategic planning in that, once elements of study are identified, metrics can be applied to the key success factors (KSFs) of the industry or marketplace and these measures or benchmarks are then used to develop future quality and market initiatives for the firm to enhance its overall competitive position. It is generally considered that there are seven steps to this process, as explained below. However, this analysis of intra- and sometimes inter-industry competitors can form the foundation for future competitor analysis when the emphasis is placed upon the goals and financial capabilities of the competitor. Seven Steps in the Benchmarking Process: 1. Determine which functional areas within your operation are to be benchmarked those that will benefit most from the benchmarking process, based upon the cost, importance and potential of changes following the study. 2. Identify the key factors and variables with which to measure those functions usually in the general form of financial resources and product strategy. 3. Select the best-in-class companies for each area to be benchmarked those companies that perform each function at the lowest cost, with the highest degree of customer satisfaction, etc. Best-in-class companies can be your direct competitors (foreign or domestic), or even companies from a different industry (parallel competitors with replacement or substitute products or services; latent competitors which might backwards- or forwards-integrate into your market; or, out-of-industry firms with whom you do not compete, but which have best-in-class areas to be studied such as FedEx or Wal-Mart in logistics). 4. Measure the performance of the best-in-class companies for each benchmark being considered from sources such as the SEC, companies themselves, articles in the press or trade journals, analysts in the market, credit reports, clients and vendors, trade associations, the government or from interviews with other organizations willing to share their prior research or swap it with you. 5. Measure your own performance for each variable and begin comparing the results in an apples-to-apples format to determine the gap between your firm and the best-in-class examples. Always feel free to estimate results, as exact measures are usually disproportionately difficult to obtain and often do not significantly add value to the study. 6. Specify those programs and actions to meet and surpass the competition based on a plan developed to enhance those areas that show potential for compliment. The firm can choose from a few different approaches from simply trying harder, to emulating the best-in-class, changing the rules of the industry or leapfrogging the competition with innovation or technology from outside the industry. 7. Implement these programs by setting specific improvement targets and deadlines, and by developing a monitoring process to review and update the analysis over time. This will also form the basis for monitoring, revision and recalibration of measurements in future benchmarking studies. DIFFERENT MEASURES OF BENCHMARKING One of benchmarkings cardinal questions is that of what to measure. That depends on the nature of the business. The point is that you cannot chase 50 benchmarks at the same time. One macro benchmark is required which then might be broken down into a series of supporting micro measures. Although it is fine to circulate such a measure, the most worthwhile aspect of the benchmarking process can be the opportunity for people in an organisation to see at first hand how other organisations go about their business. It is the process itself which is valuable; the voyage that is more educational than the reaching of the destination. Nevertheless, measurable performance falls into the three broad areas: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ time; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ cost; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ quality. Time measures should incorporate the process from start to finish. For example, from when a customer places an order to the time of receipt of goods and payment, thereby accounting for total lead time, product development time and productive time. Cost measures are the traditional basis of comparison between firms and, because of this, we are often most comfortable with these measures. Two which can be useful in benchmarking are total process cost per unit of output and return on assets. Quality measures should capture the errors, defects and waste attributable to processes. Some measures which should be used in achieving this include process variability, defects, process yields, customer perceived quality, cost of quality and quality improvement efforts. TYPES OF BENCHMARKING There are a number of different types of benchmarking, as summarised below: Type Description Most Appropriate for the Following Purposes Strategic Benchmarking Where businesses need to improve overall performance by examining the long-term strategies and general approaches that have enabled high-performers to succeed. It involves considering high level aspects such as core competencies, developing new products and services and improving capabilities for dealing with changes in the external environment. Changes resulting from this type of benchmarking may be difficult to implement and take a long time to materialise Re-aligning business strategies that have become inappropriate Performance or Competitive Benchmarking Businesses consider their position in relation to performance characteristics of  key products and services. Benchmarking partners are drawn from the same sector. This type of analysis is often undertaken through trade associations or third parties to protect confidentiality. Assessing relative level of performance in key areas or activities in comparison with others in the same sector and finding ways of closing gaps in performance Process Benchmarking Focuses on improving specific  critical processes and operations. Benchmarking partners are sought from best practice organisations that perform similar work or deliver similar services. Process benchmarking invariably involves producing process maps to facilitate comparison and analysis. This type of benchmarking often results in short term benefits. Achieving improvements in key processes to obtain quick benefits Functional Benchmarking Businesses look to benchmark with partners drawn from different business sectors or areas of activity to find ways of improving similar functions or work processes. This sort of benchmarking can lead to innovation and dramatic improvements. Improving activities or services for which counterparts do not exist. Internal Benchmarking Involves benchmarking businesses or operations from within the same organisation (e.g. business units in different countries). The main advantages of internal benchmarking are that access to sensitive data and information is easier; standardised data is often readily available; and, usually less time and resources are needed. There may be fewer barriers to implementation as practices may be relatively easy to transfer across the same organisation. However, real innovation may be lacking and best in class performance is more likely to be found through external benchmarking. Several business units within the same organisation exemplify good practice and management want to spread this expertise quickly, throughout the organisation External Benchmarking Involves analysing outside organisations that are known to be best in class. External benchmarking provides opportunities of learning from those who are at the leading edge. This type of benchmarking can take up significant time and resource to ensure the comparability of data and information, the credibility of the findings and the development of sound recommendations. Where examples of good practices can be found in other organisations and there is a lack of good practices within internal business units International Benchmarking Best practitioners are identified and analysed elsewhere in the world, perhaps because there are too few benchmarking partners within the same country to produce valid results. Globalisation and advances in information technology are increasing opportunities for international projects. However, these can take more time and resources to set up and implement and the results may need careful analysis due to national differences Where the aim is to achieve world class status or simply because there are insufficientnational businesses against which to benchmark. SUCCESSFUL BENCHMARKING There are several keys to successful benchmarking. Management commitment is one that companies frequently name. Since management from top to bottom is responsible for the continued operation and evaluation of the company, it is imperative that management be committed as a team to using and implementing benchmarking strategies. A strong network of personal contacts as well as having an open mind to ideas is other keys. In order to implement benchmarking at all stages, there must be a well-trained team of people in order for the process to work accurately and efficiently. Based on the information gathered by a well-trained team, there must also be an effort toward continuous improvement. Other keys include a benchmarking process that has historical success, sufficient time and staff, and complete understanding of the processes to be benchmarked. In almost any type of program that a company researches or intends to implement, there must be goals and objectives set for that specific program. Benchmarking is no different. Successful companies determine goals and objectives, focus on them, keep them simple, and follow through on them. As in any program, it is always imperative to gather accurate and consistent information. The data should be understood and able to be defined as well as measured. The data must be able to be interpreted in order to make comparisons with other organizations. Lastly, keys to successful benchmarking include a thorough follow-through process and assistance from consultants with experience in designing and establishing such programs.

Gunsmoke Synthesis Essay -- Television Media TV Essays

Gunsmoke Synthesis Between the years 1952 to 1961, the series Gunsmoke was broadcasted across the nation. The show gave people insight into a past life of men who carried guns, fought for what was theirs, and showed that even the hardest people could be tamed. It was a time when the heroes of the old west started settling down, and in doing so they were either good guys like sheriffs, or they were bad guys that robbed people or places. From the stories of Gunsmoke the central character was a U.S. Marshall named Matt Dillon. He was calm, steady, and easy to talk with. In Gunsmoke we see a man that takes his job seriously, from helping those in need to catching the wanted. The thing about Matt Dillon that catches you is that even though he has a sidekick he does things by himself as if he was trying to make sure that no one else got hurt. For example in "Skid Row" when he went to get Mr. Hordbee, he told no one what he was up to. In the episode "Bloody Hands" Marshall Matt Dillon stopped the two men Mr. Showmen and Mr. Gourd from fighting after he had told Chester, his deputy...

Credit Bureau Fraud Letter :: essays research papers

Attention: Consumer Relations; Complaint/Information Services I recently obtained a copy of my credit report from your service and have found the following items to be in error. Item #1: I dispute visa account #4778522641258665, being held in collection with enter company name. I have settled this account with this firm and would like my records adjusted accordingly. Item #2: I dispute mastercard account #5421234565128754. My credit limit was only $300. I have no idea how it is possible for me to be in collections for over $1500.My account was closed way before an amount of that nature to accrue. Item #3: I dispute Smith, Robert MD 2140 16th ST N, New York, NY 02451 Ph.# (618) 845-2547 patient # 74586 held in collections with Collection Services 1-800-278-6886 account # 74586. I went for an initial visit to discuss a problem, which was covered by my insurance. A deductible of $250 was charged for services never rendered and late fees to a total of over $500. This requested payment is false and I dispute its validity. Item #4: I dispute Department Card showing account is inactive I was told it was closed and request all information removed about payment history etc. According to Section 611 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, I am requesting that you investigate those items indicated, and promptly delete any unverifiable, inaccurate, or outdated information from my credit report. In addition, I am requesting a description of how the investigation was conducted along with the name, address, and telephone number of anyone contacted for information. Furthermore, if there is a change in my credit history resulting from your investigation, I am requesting that an updated report be sent to those who received my report, within the last two years for employment purposes, or

The Usefulness of Blogs Essay -- Internet

The Usefulness of Blogs "Think of a weblog as a journal of one person's explorations as he or she cruises uncharted sectors of the Net, reporting on the interesting life-forms and geological formations (Frauenfelder)." Weblogs, or blogs, are rapidly growing among the cyber population of today. There are many reasons that people use blogs, whether for business, to maintain a relationship, or as a source of therapy for problems that occur in a blogger's life. Most of the blogs that I have observed over the past few weeks have been the equivalent of an online journal. People, or bloggers, write blogs to keep track of daily events in their lives no matter what the significance of those events might be. Growing up, some children keep diaries to write down what’s going on in their life. Children often grow out of this habit of journaling as they get older. However, with the rise of computers and the internet in the past years, people have again begun to rely on journals. Now, though, these journals are online and not as private. The lock and key no longer exists and anyone can see these journals anytime that they would like to. Why would anyone want to write in an online journal where others could see their private thoughts and events that happened that day or week? After reading Margaret Jirik’s observation journal I came across an interesting statement by Malavika about why she blogs. Malavika is the woman who posts to the blog â€Å"My Daily Ranting† at http://www.mydailyranting.blogspot.com/ that Margaret is observing. She states, "Well, I figured this is a great way to whine to absolutely everyone and no one about my one and a million problems so... bear with me? You might get to know me in the process. I think... ...ing to do." Works Cited Frauenfelder, Mark. â€Å"Blogging. (weblogs).† Whole Earth. 22 December 2000. 26 March 2002 <Via www.findarcticles.com [http://www.findarticles.com/m0GER/200_Winter/68617361/pl/article.jhtml]> Grohol, John M., Psy.D. â€Å"Internet Addiction Guide.† PsychCentral December 1999. 26 March 2002. http://www.psychcentral.com/netaddiction/ Grohol. John M. Psy.D. â€Å"Psychology of Weblogs† PsychCentral April 2001. 26 March 2002-04-06 http://psychcentral.com/blogs/ Hoyum, Sonya J. Group C Observation Journal 6 March 2002 ENGL 1102 Discussion â€Å"addictive?† (6.1.1) 4 April 2002 http://caldialogue.bemidjistate.edu Jirik, Margaret. Group A Observation Journal 27 February 2002. ENGL 1102 Discussion â€Å"why?† (3.2) 4 April 2002 http://caldialogue.bemidjistate.edu â€Å"Journaling your Life† 4 April 2002. http://h.arce.tripod.com/journalingyourlife/

Keeping Animals in Zoos

On Sunday afternoons in every major city many families go to the zoo with kids. They always have a lot of fun, see many rare animals, funny monkeys, tall giraffes, huge elephants and cute koalas. But what is going on with animals? On the one hand, animals are safe in zoos, which means they cannot be hurt in their cages. Secondly, animals have enough food, for example, they can always eat in a zoo, while they may be starving in nature. Furthermore, many poachers kill animals for their skin, fur and meat, but they cannot do it to animals in zoos. What is more, there are many species that are almost exterminated, but zoos help them reproduce and keep their species existing. The last but not least, if the natural habitat of some species is destroyed, ruined or is no longer for living in, zoos make cages that look exactly like the natural habitat. On the other hand, animals are kept away from their natural place of living. For instance, lions can never live in Berlin. Another major disadvantage of keeping animals imprisoned is too much noise and stress for them. Many people come to see them. For example, kids come near the cages and tease them, so they have a very stressful life unlike their natural way of living. Not to mention the fact that animals are not free. They are trapped in their cells like in prisons. In conclusion, there are many advantages and disadvantages of keeping animals in zoos and everyone is to judge by himself. However, before that think about yourself being kept in a cage and being seen just as an amusement!

My Toy Essay

1. What are the special days celebrated in your country? There are many special days celebrated in my country. Such as Tet holiday, beginning from January the first on the Lunar Calendar National holiday, Septemper the second Independence day, April 30th 2. Which is your favourite and why? I like Tet holiday the most because I can meet my cosins, relatives, friends who live far away. People get together to eat, drink, and entertain themselves . I also receive â€Å"lucky money† in red envelopes. Besides, I take part in many traditional customs with my family such as cooking sticky rice cake, playing tug of war, going to pagoda to wish good things for my family. And I can hang out with my friends and don’t worry about anything. 3. What do you think is the most important festival in your country? Tet holiday is the most important festival for Vietnamese people. It’s the start of a new year and the Vietnamese feel that having a good start is essential to having a good year.These are funny and happy days that people prepare and welcome the new year together. In addition, it is a wonderful occasion for Vietnamese families to reunite and remember their ancestors. 4. In what way do people celebrate the festival? Most people start to clean and decorate their houses from top to bottom a week or two before the Lunar New Year . It is a common belief that cleaning the house will get rid of bad fortunes associated with the old year. Some people paint their houses to start a new year with lucky things and decorate with festive items . Besides, people are also busy shopping to buy new clothes for themselves, and their children a month prior to the New Year. 5. Do people prepare any special food for the occasions? Food plays a major role in the Tet holiday. Some typical Tet’s foods are sweets, coconut jam, fruit candies, melon seeds, stew pork with eggs, and especially sticky rice cake. Tet meals are usually bigger and more delicious than our daily ones. 6. Which do people prefer to spend with family or with friends? Usually people prefer to spend time with their family because Tet holiday is the time for family and indeed the only time of the year when the whole family gather together 7. How did people celebrate the festival in the  past? In the past, one or two days before Tet, every family prepares and cooks Banh Chung around a warm fire. It is also the time for parents to tell their children folklore stories. Nowadays, families which live in villages still maitain making Banh Chung before New Years but the people in the city do not. They don’t have time and prefer to buy it. Besides, many families also light firecrackers and fireworks to celebrate, but now this custom has changed because it is illegal in our country. 8. How has the way been changed and why? Nowadays , firecrackers are illegal in our country. So this tradition has changed. Some people even prefer to take a holiday instead of going back to their parents’s home to spend Tet holiday. And, some rich of families, aren’t excited to buy clothes for the New Year because they buy their all year around. And, some traditional food such as sticky rice cakes are often bought as a department store in the supermaket, maket instead of being cook at home because they are quite busy with their work, even they have no time to clean and decorate their house.

John Locke -Philosophy Essay Essay

â€Å"The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom. For in all the states of created beings capable of law, where there is no law, there is no freedom† – John Locke. What I feel that John Locke is attempting to express in his quote is that society believes that by having laws in place the government is taking away from the freedom they long to endure. However, by having laws in place it actually helps to enforce their rights to freedom. I chose John Locke as my topic for my final paper because I have taken an interest in the life he led, his inspirations and his role in politics. John Locke was the first of the classical British empiricists. Empiricists believed that all knowledge derives from experience. He became highly influential to the political world, inspiring government representatives such as Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine and James Madison. Locke expressed the radical view that government is morally obliged to serve people by protecting life, liberty and property (n. a, n. d). He explained the principle of checks and balances in order to limit the power of government. He also favored representative government and rule of law. Locke insisted that when government violates individual rights, the people have a right to rebel. His views on individual rights, life, happiness and politics led Locke to become known as the 17th century English Philosopher of the enlightenment. John Locke was born August 29, 1632, in Somerset, England. He was the oldest son of Agnes Keene and John Locke. His father was a Puritan lawyer who served as a clerk for justices of the peace (n. a. , n. d). With the assistance of his father’s connections to the English government, Locke received an exceptional education. In 1647 he enrolled at Westminster School in London, where he earned his distinct honor of being named a King’s Scholar. This was a privilege that went to only select number of boys and set the path for Locke to attend Christ Church, Oxford in 1652 (n. a. , n. d). Christ Church is considered the most prestigious school in Oxford. During this educational time period, Locke engaged in logic and metaphysics. He graduated from Christ Church in 1656 and returned two years later to pursue a Masters of the Arts. This accomplishment soon led to Locke taking on tutorial work at the college. In 1668 Locke was elected a fellow of the Royal Society. The Royal Society is a fellowship of the world’s most eminent scientist and is the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence (n. a. ,n. d. ). Locke then went on to study philosophy and medicine at the University of Oxford and graduated in 1674 with a bachelor’s of medicine. Locke did not want to commit his life to a religious order and therefore turned down a permanent teaching position from Oxford. This opened the doors to an opportunity serving as a private physician and secretary to Anthony Ashley Cooper, the Earl of Shaftesbury (Kermerling, 2011). During the summer of 1666, Anthony Ashley Cooper visited Oxford where he met Locke who was at the time studying medicine. Cooper, who was suffering from a liver cyst which threatened to become swollen and infected, requested that Locke be his personal physician. Locke accepted and soon moved into a room at the Cooper’s Exeter House mansion in Westminster, London. Cooper’s condition worsened and Locke was in a position of opportunity to heal the Earl successfully. In 1668, Locke supervised a successfully surgery and save the life of Anthony Ashley Cooper, the Earl of Shaftesbury. This honorable act led Locke to become a valued partner of Shaftesbury. After Shaftesbury stature grew, so did Locke’s responsibilities. He assisted in the Earl’s business and political matters and after Shaftsbury was made chancellor, Locke became his secretary of presentations. Locke was involved in just about everything that Shaftsbury did. This included the formation of the Whig party. The Whig party was a political group which consisted of politicians from America, England and Scotland who opposed King Charles I of England. Locke maintained correspondence with the party to assist with influencing Parliamentary elections. Shaftsbury was imprisoned for a year and on his release he helped pass the Habeas Corpus Act in 1679 which made it unlawful for government to detain a person without filing formal charges. The act also specified that an individual could not be put on trial for the same charge more than once (n. a. ,n. d). Shaftesbury was a strong influence to John Locke and helped pave his way for future success through experience – Empiricist. During the reign of King Charles II it was illegal to write, read or have books in one’s possession that pertained to any negative press against the government. Although it was risky, Locke continued his mission. He wrote about his experience with political actions. One treatise attached a claim that the Bible sanctioned tyrants and that parents had absolute authority over children. A second treatise presented an epic case for liberty and the right of people to rebel against tyrants. He pushed to a radical conclusion which attacked slavery and a defense of revolution (n. a. , n. d. ). Locke fled to Rotterdam on September 7, 1683 to avoid legal action (n. a. , n. d. ). The English government tried to have Locke extradited for trial and possible hanging. Lock fled to London and assumed the name â€Å"Dr. van der Linden. † He signed letters as â€Å"Lamy† or â€Å"Dr. Lynne† (n. a. ,n. d. ). Locke assumed that the government would intercept mail, so he protected friends by referring to them with numbers or false names. His excuse to friends for moving to Holland was that he enjoyed the local beer. In Holland, Locke began to work on his philosophical masterpiece, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding which urged people to base their convictions on observation and reason. His argument was that all ideas, simple or complex, are ultimately derived from experience. He challenged the traditional doctrine that learning consisted entirely of reading ancient texts and absorbing religious dogmas (n.a. , n. d. ). He maintained that understanding that the world required observation. The essay was published in December 1689, and established Locke as England’s leading philosopher. In the essay, Locke states the nature of his proposed doctrine: â€Å"Let us then suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper, void of all characters, without any ideas: – How comes it to be furnished? Whenced comes it by that vast store which the busy and boundless fancy of man has painted on it with almost endless variety? Whence has it all the materials of reason and knowledge? To this I answer, in one word, from experience. In that all our knowledge is founded. (Valasquez, 2011)† The book became one of the most widely reprinted and influential works on philosophy. It brought great fame for Locke. So much, that he spent the rest of his life responding to admirers and critics by making revisions in later editions of the book, including detailed accounts of human volition and moral freedom. Locke also published Two Treatise of Civil Government. These writings were published anonymously in order to avoid controversy. The First Treatise is a detailed rejection of the monarchist theories of Robert Filmer. Locke attacked Filmer’s claim that God sanctioned the absolute power of kings. During this time period, such an attack was risky since it could easily be prosecuted as an attack on the King Charles II. The Second Treatise of Government offers a systematic account of the foundations of political obligation. The views expressed within this treatise were so radical that he only released his name as publisher in his will. Locke’s writings did much to inspire the libertarian ideals of the American Revolution. This, in turn, set an example which inspired people throughout Europe, Latin America and Asia. Locke’s philosophy had a great effect on American’s as well. Thomas Jefferson ranked Locke as the most important thinkers on liberty. He also helped inspire Thomas Paine’s radical ideas about revolution. James Madison drew most of his fundamental principles of liberty and government from Locke’s writings. John Locke’s writings were also included in the self-education of Benjamin Franklin. John Adam’s believed that both girls and boys should learn about Locke. Locke’s influence even traveled to France where the French philosopher Voltaire called, â€Å"Locke the man of the greatest wisdom. What he has not seen clearly, I despair of ever seeing† (n. a. , n. d. ). Mathematician and physicist Isaac Newton cherished his company. Locke helped William Penn restore his good name when he was political fugitive, just as Penn had arranged a pardon for Locke when he had been a political fugitive. Locke was described by the famous English physician Dr. Thomas Sydenham as â€Å"a man whom, in the acuteness of his intellect, in the steadiness of his judgment, in the simplicity, that is, in the excellence of his manners, I confidently declare to have, amongst the men of our time, few equals and no superiors.(n. a. , n. d. ). It is astonishing that Locke’s work has affected so many people around the world. He was an undistinguished Oxford scholar. He had a brief experience with a failed diplomatic mission. He was a physician who lacked traditional credentials and had only one patient. His first major work was not published until the age of 57. All of this and he is still one of the leading philosophers of all time. In 1691, John Locke is invited to spend his last years with friends Francis and Damaris Masham. Damaris is also a philosopher and is believed to have been romantically involved with Locke during their study years at Oxford. When Locke left for Holland, Damaris was to visit; however it did not work out and she married Francis Masham (Uzgalis, 2012). During his stay with the Masham’s Locke tutored their son Francis, here he begins to work on his treaties Thoughts Concerning Education. Locke’s health gradually began to worsen. He lost most of his hearing and his legs began to swell. He could barely bring himself to rise from bed. Around 3:00 in the afternoon, Saturday, October 28, 1704 he passed away (n. a, n. d. ). He was sitting in his study with Lady Marsham. Suddenly, he brought his hands to his face, shut his eyes and died. He was 72 years old. Locke’s focus has primarily been based upon the ideas of freedom and equality as a whole. He believed that citizens should naturally possess the right to life, liberty and happiness, which is portrayed in the constitution of the United States. These undisputable rights or natural rights have derived from the law of nature. The law of nature is a state that relies purely on the law of God, which is also known as moral law. This law gave people the natural right to life, liberty, and happiness without question. In addition, Locke believed that people also possess the basic right of self-defense if under attack. However, Locke’s key aspect of his theories was the basic idea of equality. He said that nobody has the right to rule and that consent is critical because it’s based on the premises that all people are equal (Uzgalis, 2012). John Locke is still very much known as a political philosopher in today’s modern society. Because much of Locke’s philosophy centered on subjects such as natural rights and knowledge, he has in-turn shaped American politics in such a way that it has never been the same. Locke has challenged many theories that have to do with inalienable rights as a part of natural law; therefore he had much to do with the involvement in the evolution of the American Government. He taught that, men by nature possess certain rights. He had a tremendous influence on all future political thinking. A clear representation of his involvement is portrayed in the declaration of independence. John Locke was, and will always be remembered as a pioneer in modern thinking.