Social media - the new communication tool - what's in it for companies Research Paper

Social media - the new communication tool - what's in it for companies - Research Paper Example Meanwhile, the 35+ demographic makes up 30% of the user database.2 There are also many users who use Facebook quite frequently – 48% of 18 to 34 year olds check Facebook right when they first wake up, and 28% check their Facebook from their smart phones before they get out of bed.3 The reasons why people use Facebook are shown in the activities on Facebook – on an average day, 20% of the users will comment on another users photo, 26% of users will like another users content, 10% of users will send another user a private message, 15% of users will update their own status, and 22% of users will comment on Facebook has made one’s social circle wider, but much more shallow, with some people having 1,000s of â€Å"friends.† And, since it would presumably be impossible for any one person to have that many â€Å"friends†, a person’s friends list is mainly populated by â€Å"weak ties† who might be mere acquaintances – â€Å"it might be someone they met at a conference, or someone from high school who recently ‘friended’ them on Facebook, or somebody from last year’s holiday party. In their pre-Internet lives, these sorts of acquaintances would have quickly faded from their attention. But when one of these far-flung people suddenly posts a personal note to your feed, it is essentially a reminder that they exist.† 5 While this is an accurate description of the vast majority of â€Å"friends† on one’s Facebook account, it often gets even further removed. Some of the â€Å"friends† , in fact, for a lot o f us, many of the â€Å"friends† are people to whom one has never spoken a word – random people from school that you know of, have seen around, but have never spoken to, along with many â€Å"frenemies† who you maybe never liked, all show up on one’s â€Å"friend† list and proceed to bombard you with their everyday mundane activities. Yet these silly, mundane, borderline narcissistic news feed

The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle is ill suited for the Essay

The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle is ill suited for the international legal system and must be abolished - Essay Example The R2P principle required the states to have the first priority in the protection of its citizens but failure to the concerned state to meet to the needs of its citizens, the international community will have the obligation to intervene. The international community would not wait and watch as it had the responsibility to preserve international peace, but not to enforce the laws of the concerned countries.2 However, the mandate of the principle has been exploited through interpretation of its tenets and through the application by humanitarian countries who intrude on the sovereignty of affected states leading to abuse. As such, it is imperative to note that the R2P principle is ill suited for the international legal system and must be abolished. The R2P principle gives consent to the international community to undertake humanitarian intervention with the aim of maintaining peace. However, narrowing down the concept of intervention implies that the international community can get involved in the internal affairs of a country without the consent of the affected country. That is clearly a violation of state sovereignty, which is in most times accompanied by military force.3 Furthermore, such form of intervention results in violations of fundamental human rights. When military forces from outside the boundaries of the country are involved in peace keeping mission without an obligation to enforce the law, the state of lawlessness is likely to result in a huge number of casualties and fatalities in case of combat.4 The UN Charter 2(4) holds ‘protection of human rights’ as its core purpose but then goes ahead to claim that any state can use force â€Å"in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations†.5 This shows a problem in the interpretation of the mandate of R2P principle given the application of â€Å"force for good† theory. This interpretation is against territorial

What Was Ironic About the Rebirth of Theatre in the Medieval Period Essay Example for Free

What Was Ironic About the Rebirth of Theatre in the Medieval Period Essay It is ironic that the Church, which caused theatres to be outlawed as the Roman Empire declined and then fell, was one of the primary means of keeping theatre alive through the Middle Ages. This resulted from the Churchs need to establish itself in the community a community still steeped in pagan ritual and superstition which manifested itself in seasonal festivals. The Church ultimately linked its own religious holidays with these seasonal festivals and began to use dramatic form to illustrate the stories underlying these holidays so as to reinforce their religious connotation and to better communicate the stories to an illiterate congregation. At first the parts played in these simple religious re-enactments of the nativity and adoration of the Magi were played by priests in the sanctuary of the church. However, as the repertoire of the Church grew to include the passion and crucifixion of Christ, the Church was confronted with the dilemma of how a priest should portray Herod. While division of opinion in the Church continued as to the worth of dramatic interpretations, the members of the congregation clearly enjoyed and were moved by them. The dramas continued to grow, moving out of the sanctuary and into the open air in front of the Church. Ultimately, the members of town guilds began to contribute to these dramas, which continued to grow more elaborate with time. Known as passion plays, miracle plays and morality plays, they continued their close connection with the Church and church holidays, but began to introduce elements of stock characters that were more contemporary in nature. With the growth of towns and the introduction of stable governments in Europe, the stage was set for the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Counter-Reformation and the secularization of theatre as it emerged from the influence of the Medieval Church. Ironically it was the church during the Medieval Times that was responsible for the rebirth of theatre. The church and the government at this time were one and the same. Not belonging to the church made you a social outcast. People were illiterate and church services were in Latin. The visual aid of a performance helped the people of the time to better understand the sermons. Mystery plays were based on bible stories such as the birth of Christ. Allegorical morality plays had story lines that were always about man and how he succumb to sin. During performances there were definite mansions (setting) for heaven and hell. The goal of morality plays was to show man what will happen if he continues to live in sin by sending him to hell, but if he changed his life and repent he will go to heaven. Everyman (author unknown) is the best known and one of the very few Medieval plays that survived. The rules for these performances were very strict and had to be approved by the clergy before performed in the church. Eventually the performances moved to outside areas of the church and later to a fixed stage (similar to a stage as we know it today) or a pageant wagon.

How Aids Has Affected Our Society :: essays research papers fc

Today more Americans are infected with STD's than at any other time in history. The most serious of these diseases is AIDS. Since the first cases were identified in the United States in 1981, AIDS has touched the lives of millions of American families. This deadly disease is unlike any other in modern history. Changes in social behavior can be directly linked to AIDS. Its overall effect on society has been dramatic. It is unknown whether AIDS and HIV existed and killed in the U.S. and North America before the early 1970s. However in the early 1980s, "deaths by opportunistic infections, previously observed mainly in tissue-transplant recipients receiving immunosuppressive therapy", were recognized in otherwise healthy homosexual men. In 1983 French oncologist Luc Montagnier and scientists at the Pasteur Institute in Paris isolated what appeared to be a new human retrovirus from the lymph node of a man at risk for having AIDS. At the same time, scientists working in the laboratory of American research, scientist Robert Gallo at the National Cancer Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and a group headed by American virologist Jay Levy at the University of California at San Francisco isolated a retrovirus from people with AIDS and from individuals having contact with people with AIDS. All three groups of scientists had isolated what is now known as HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Lorusso 2 In 1995 HIV was estimated to infect almost 20 million people worldwide, and several million of those people had developed AIDS. The disease is obviously an important social issue. AIDS has caused many to rethink their own social behavior. People are forced to use caution when involving themselves in sexual activity. They must use contraception to avoid the dangers of infection. Many people consider HIV infection and AIDS to be completely preventable because the routes of HIV transmission are so well known. To completely prevent transmission, however, dramatic changes in sexual behavior and drug dependence would have to occur throughout the world. Prevention efforts that promote sexual awareness through open discussion and condom distribution in public schools have been opposed due to fear that these efforts encourage sexual promiscuity among young adults. Similarly, needle-exchange programs have been criticized as promoting drug abuse. Governor Christine Todd Whitman vetoed a bill in New Jersey that tried to create a needle-exchange program. She was accused of being "compassionless". She replied that she could not allow drug addicts to continue to break the law. By distributing needles, she felt that she was, in fact, encouraging them to break the law. Prevention programs that identify HIV-infected individuals and notify

Functionalist Views on Religion Essay

The functionalist view of religion stems from Durkheim who said that society is like the human body. He argued that that religion reinforces collective conscience that leads to a unity within society as a whole and that each member of the society is joined in solidarity, therefore it acts as glue. It does so by reinforcing social norms and values that bring the community together. It allows people to accept that society is about more than just the individual. However this can be questioned as western societies such as Britain are becoming increasingly secular. This means that they don’t believe in religion as much, and therefore how can religion act as a collective conscience. People are turning to science as a way of life, theories which head down the evolutionary approach. It suggests that the theory is out of date. Malinowski looked at the psychological function of religion. This looked at when things such as funerals and divorce occur. Religion acts as an act of hope which allows individuals to feel at ease when they are increasingly stressed out. They are brought together like a community within things like a funeral because it allows the individual to grieve but collectively with active members of the family and church/synagogue/mosque etc. At times of uncertainty and stress, religion helps people to gain control of themselves again, and community acts like funerals progress that. This is supported by the study of the Trobriand Islanders. The fisherman had a number of prayer rituals which they performed before going out to sea. They did this as a group of individuals to have a sense of a belonging to a community of fishermen. They would not perform these then they were sailing because of safety. Malinowski suggested that the threat of the open sea to them, was like a threat to the stability of their community and therefore they had to perform those prayer rituals to prevent that from happening. However Marxists would criticise this and say that actually religion teaches people social control. And actually when people have grieved at a funeral it doesn’t allow them to fully express their grief, they are socially controlled into â€Å"getting over it† which is morally wrong. Parsons agreed with Malinowski and Durkheim, but went further and suggested that religion provided answers to unanswered questions about the meaning of life, and about things like death, it also prevented anomie. He agreed that religion promotes social solidarity, and agreed that it helps in times of stress. EG during the Second World War, people began to gather together in churches as a community as a source of comfort. Bellah suggested that there were functional alternatives to religion known as â€Å"civil religion†, which brought whole countries together regardless of their faith but on behalf of a civil religion. He suggested that instead of religion facing secularisation it is facing transformation into isms such as Americanism. Uses religious images to promote national identity, EG in America having â€Å"God bless America† on coins or the Queen’s coronation in Britain. It is an act that allows the country to come together without questions of ethnicity, gender, religion etc. The functionalist theory of religion benefits wider society and the individual through marriage, bar mitzvahs, christenings, pilgrimages to Mecca/Lourdes, praying the holy books – Quran, Bible, Torah, and things like hymns. Religion helps to bring communities together and also helps individuals who may not feel wanted, welcomed into religious practices. However, contemporary examples suggest that religion doesn’t bind people together at all; in fact it allows the complete opposite. For example, in Northern Ireland there is conflict between the Catholics and the Protestants, which suggests that religion doesn’t help equality between religious groups. And as functionalism is a consensus theory it is doing the actual opposite – allowing conflict. Functionalism has been criticised because of today’s multicultural society. Theorists such as post-modernists are questioning whether religion can actually integrate a multi-faith society, where lots of small groups have different religious views. They would agree that Durkheim’s view of religion was accurate for a primitive society but not for a complex society such as today. Many other theorists have criticised functionalists and their theories about religion. Marxists would argue that religion oppresses groups of women and the poor, so how can religion benefit the individual or society. If an individual is being separated due to his/her gender and class then how can religion allow them to fit into a community when the elites would look down upon them. People recognise that Bellah’s approach of civil religion begins to overcome the problem, but again can something like Americanism be considered as a religion, especially if there is no belief in he supernatural? Some people would argue that religion is spread as a plan to spring hatred on one group of people. It benefits one group but puts down another. Today’s example would be of Pastor Terry Jones, wanting to burn the Quran. He brought about this plan to make Muslims angry, and therefore how can a group of Muslims be part of a community when someone in a position like his can provide such hatred for another religious group. It goes back to the question of integrating a multi-faith society. Granted that the church proposing this was small, but sometimes minority influence has an impact which is why it was all over the media. This provides evidence that religion isn’t able to benefit society or an individual because certain groups are always made to feel alienated, from a mainstream trend. To conclude, religion is inevitably able to help people in terms of crises, and does prevent anomie, but on the other hand it does allow for social cohesion to break down, as hatred for religious groups grow subtly in countries.

Effects of Scrutiny and Verbal Abuse on Same-Sex Couples...

Effects that Scrutiny and Verbal Abuse on Same-Sex Couples and LGBQT People In History and Everyday Life For my research paper, I decided to answer the question; how do public, social, and familial scrutiny and verbal abuse affect same-sex couples/marriages, how it has changed over time and what it will be like in the future. Throughout history, the environment around them has impacted same-sex couples in either a negative or positive way whether it was helping them through hard times or completely cutting them off. Everyone has many familial groups such as their family, friends, social groups, such as work and school, and societal groups they are associated with such as the United States and its society as a whole. In this research paper I will be talking about each group and how they can affect same-sex couples to show that negative comments or remarks and even positive ones can change the affect each group has. Today, in the United States, same-sex marriages are not legal in some states but recently have become legal in others, so I will talk about historical laws and how they can c hange in the future. Lastly, many people have researched and had their own opinions about what the future will look like in the LGBQT community if the U.S continues to legalize marriage and the effects it will have, not just on same-sex couples or the LGBQT community, but society in general. In hopes to also give my personal opinion throughout the paper, I also hope that answering this

Othello, By William Shakespeare - 1888 Words

During the course of this essay I will be focusing on the play Othello written by William Shakespeare during the 16th century. It was first performed by the Kings men at the court of King James the first on November 4th 1604. The 16th century was a time when most of the population lived in small villages and made their living from farming the land. However, trade and industry grew rapidly and England became a more profitable country. During this period England became richer and more affluent in society. I will be focusing on the use of power the characters have in the text, and how in today s society that would be seen differently. I will also be looking at racism and how due to the impact of improved equality and diversity in society, multi-cultural views have become more normal. Othello is set against the backdrop of the wars between Venice and Turkey that raged in the latter part of the sixteenth century. The story of Othello is derived from another source which was an Italian prose tale written in 1565 by Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinzio (usually referred to as Cinthio). The original story contains Shakespeare s basic plot: a Moorish general is deceived by his ensign into believing his wife is unfaithful. To Cinthio’s story Shakespeare later on added supporting characters such as Roderigo the trickster and Desdemona’s father Brabantio. Shakespeare compressed the action into the space of a few days and set it against the backdrop of military conflict. Most memorably,Show MoreRelatedOthello, By William Shakespeare957 Words   |  4 Pagesinnocent person kills himself while not knowing the truth. The best example of that would be the play Othello by the great William Shakespeare. As little as a handkerchief could make a difference if it is a sy mbol for something. In the play Othello by Shakespeare, handkerchief is first introduced by Othello to his beautiful mistress, Desdemona, as a sign of their love. At the end of the play what gets Othello to take extreme measures by the location of the handkerchief. As the symbol of the handkerchiefRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1599 Words   |  7 Pages William Shakespeare’s 16th century play Othello is a duplicitous and fraudulent tale set alternatingly between Venice in act 1, and the island of Cyprus thereafter. The play follows the scandalous marriage between protagonist Othello, a Christian moore and the general of the army of Venice, and Desdemona, a respected and intelligent woman who also happens to be the daughter of the Venetian Senator Brabantio. Shakespeare undoubtedly positions the marriage to be viewed as heroic and noble, despiteRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1218 Words   |  5 PagesIn a historical time period where emphasis was shifting from religion to race and ethnicity, key indicators of differences that perpetuated into racial prejudice and racial ideologies are evident in Othello by William Shakespeare. Although racism was not fully formed at this moment in history, Othello can be interpreted as a representation and an exploration of this shift in ideology. In the past, before this change to ward racial differences, religion was the major segretory factor in signifyingRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare894 Words   |  4 Pagesthose that which occurred in Othello written by William Shakespeare. Throughout the play Othello, we see the struggles of a marriage that is not accepted by their society. Othello is a extremely cherished black general living in a primarily white community. The play begins with Othello secretly becoming married to a white woman named Desdemona. This reasons others who are white to become angry and excuse to dislike this black man further more than they already do. Othello is a downward spiral from loveRead MoreOthello by William Shakespeare790 Words   |  3 PagesThroughout Othello by William Shakespeare, Othello makes numerous poor decisions due to his jealousy. Hitting Desdemona, trusting Iago, and killing Desdemona are among a few of the poor decisions that he makes. The word jealous can be defined as feeling or showing suspicion of som eones unfaithfulness in a relationship. Othello feels suspicious of Desdemona’s and Cassio’s relationship because of the lies that Iago tells him. Many people try to tell Othello the truth but he only believes the wordsRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1923 Words   |  8 Pagesdissatisfaction or complication is shown. Firstly in Othello love is presented as ephemeral and transient while atonement love is presented as unrequited and finally in cat on a hot tin roof love is presented as painful and troublesome due to unreciprocated feelings. The tragic plot of Othello hinges on the potential of the villain, Iago, to deceive other characters, above all Roderigo and Othello, through encouraging them to misinterpret what they see. Othello is prone to Iago s ploys seeing that he himselfRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare941 Words   |  4 Pageswas Williams Shakespeare’s play Othello which depicts the tragedy of Othello, a Morris Captain. What is different about Shakespeare play is that the tragic hero is the black Othello and the villain a white Iago. Therefore, Shakespeare depiction of Othello as a tragic character and Iago as a villain, challenges Elizabethan’s stereotypes regarding individuals of African descent. Shakespeare challenges the stereotypical â€Å"type –casting of the black man† in Elizabethan society by depicting Othello asRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1152 Words   |  5 Pages‘Othello’ was a tragedy of incomprehension at the deepest level of human dealings as no one in the play came to an understanding of himself or any of the surrounding characters. The play ‘Othello’ by William Shakespeare focused on tragedy through the anguish of the main character ‘Othello’ which lead to the suffering and death of numerous characters including himself. Appearance Vs. Reality challenged human dealings within the play ‘Othello’ as no-one came to see anyone’s true self and no-one seesRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1178 Words   |  5 Pagesprofitable in condition of good and immorality. Othello is presented as good and Iago as evil, but Iago and Othello’s relationship also shares a distrust of their wives. The overall logical argument is based on love, jealousy and betrayal between two lovers that ultimately leads to their separation because of Iago’s evil plan. I am using this article to agree with Berry s view on how Iago separates two lovers just so he can take retaliation on Othello by manipulating everyone to unmasking their trueRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare1140 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Othello† is a play written by William Shakespeare in 1603. In this play, Shakespeare features three major characters: Othello, Iago, and Desdemona. Othello, a black man, and Desdemona, a white venetian secretly eloped in the play. Iago shows racism and prejudice towards their relationship because of their skin colors. In the play, Iago says: â€Å"Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise! Awake the snorting citizens with the bell, or else the devil will make a