One of the Most Innovative Poducts of the Recent Decades Essay

One of the Most Innovative Poducts of the Recent Decades - Essay Example Another strategic resource responsible for 3M’s innovativeness is its strong human resources (Warc News, 2011). The organization is structured in a way that each worker has the dual responsibility of adhering to his/her particular business unit and region as well as being a part of the global 3M network. This global nature of the company’s existence and operations is yet another factor responsible for its success. Hence, employees are encouraged to take on additional roles, move from one region to another and even rotate from one business unit to another (Warc News, 2011). Thus, 3M is flexible in terms of its human resource development and assignment of task roles which further reinforces its culture of thinking out of the box. The company further ensures that change is the only constant element. Hence, trial and error, risk taking and failure are a norm at 3M. This is reinforced by a high degree of employee empowerment such that there is a high tolerance for ambiguity and risk amongst all members. This is combined by the process of reverse thinking that allows workers to schedule their work in a flexible manner, thereby enhancing their motivation to work. However, as much as ad-hoc ideas and brainstorming is encouraged, the company is highly customer-oriented and conducts rigorous, continuous market research in an attempt to continually provide something better and valuable to the customers (Bryson & Rusten, 2008). Hence, at all times the company monitors the pulse of the customer. 2) One of the most innovative products of the recent decades has been the Apple i-phone. The company was able to rack up profits worth millions of dollars despite the global recession. The fundamental reason for it success was its superior design and aesthetic appeal. The phone combined the aspects of beauty and function in a way no other phone has. Hence, the product is labeled as iconic or a pioneer in its type of design and user interface. A significant factor has a lso been Apple’s sheer marketing gimmicks and campaign which was able to capture a large share of mind in its customers. Perhaps, the fact that the product was in the same line as other products in the Apple Family also favored i-phone tremendously (Denning et al., 2010). So customers who own a MAC ( by Apple) and are in search of a mobile phone would find i-phone compelling simply because of the fact that they can synchronize data easily amongst the two. This would allow them to easily transfer, retrieve and store data interchangeably since the two devices share similar technology by the same manufacturer (Apple). Another major reason behind the astounding success of i-phone is the affordability. This simply means that, faced with a choice between a laptop and a mobile phone, consumers with limited money will prefer buying the latter (Curwen & Whalley, 2011). The choice is made easier with the inclusion of software and various applications on i-phone that allow its users to obtain similar interface as that of a laptop. Perhaps, one of the distinguishing features of i-phone was its state of the art integration of internet services that were technically unmatched with its competitors. Furthermore, the time when i-phone was launched is a critical factor behind its success. i-phone was released at a time when social networking had begun operations and people all over the world were enthusiastic about using the new web platform for which i-phone provided an excellent connection (Denning et

The Factors That Influence Travel Decision Making Tourism Essay

The Factors That Influence Travel Decision Making Tourism Essay This chapter consists of three parts. First is introduction, next is literature reviews that review the critical points of previous researches including substantive finding as well as theoretical and methodological contributions to this similar topic. Lastly, a conclusion to this chapter. Research in the area of travel motives is important in understanding and predicting the factors that influence travel decision-making (Cha, S., McCleary, K.W. and Uysal, M., 1995). Motivation is theoretically viewed as a state of need, a condition that serves as a driving force to display different kinds of behavior toward certain types of activities, developing preferences, arriving at some expected satisfactory outcome. (Backman, K.F. Backman, S.J., Uysal, M. and Sunshine, K.M.,1995) In particular, an understanding of motivation assist marketers efforts to achieve and satisfy individuals diverse desires and needs, key elements that influence the process of travelers decision-making (Crompton,J.L. and McKay S.L.,1997). Studies of motivation thus provide to predict travelers personal needs, expectations, achievements, or benefits sought (Formica,S. and Uysal, M.,1998). A brief review of travel motivation research (Table 1) published in three major tourism journals Annals of Tourism Research, Tourism Management, and Journal of Travel Research revealed that existing studies have covered a wide range of the spectrum, there are included the sociology of travel motivation as a stimulator of actual behavior (Dann 1977; Mansfeld 1992); travel motivation of different niche markets (Clift and Forrest 1999; Dunn Ross and Iso-Ahola 1991; Hsu, Cai, and Wong 2007; Maoz 2007; Qu and Ping 1999; Rittichainuwat 2008); the development or empirical test of travel motivation measurements (Crompton 1979; Dann 1981; Fodness 1994; Ryan and Glendon 1998); differences in motivation among tourists with varied nationality and cultural backgrounds (Kim and Prideaux 2005; Maoz 2007), number of visits (Lau and McKercher 2004), destinations and origins (Kozak 2002), sociodemographic characteristic (Jang and Wu 2006; Fleischer and Pizam 2002), or environmental attitude (Luo and Deng 2008). Authors Study Dann 1977 A sociological study of travel motivation, with a focus on the push dimension of motivation. Crompton 1979 The motivation for pleasure vacation. Seven motivation factors were identified through interviews. Dann 1981 Based on a literature review on travel motivation, seven approaches of motivation study were identified. The utilization of different terminologies was also discussed Dunn Ross and Iso-Ahola 1991 Motivation of sightseeing tourists in relation to their satisfaction Mansfeld 1992 The role of motivation in travel behavior and its complex nature Paul 1992 Travel motivation of Canadian ecotourists Parrinello 1993 Relationship between anticipation and motivation in postindustrial societies in the context of Western Europe Fodness 1994 A measurement scale was developed for leisure travel with 20 items. Lieux, weaver; and McCleary 1994 Benefit segmentation of senior tourists from the United States Gnoth 1997 Development of theoretical model on motivation and expectation formation Formica and Uysal 1998 Benefit segmentation of visitors to a cultural-historical event in Italy Ryan and Glendon 1998 The Leisure Motivation Scale was applied to tourism with British holidaymakers. An abbreviated version of holiday motivation scale with 14 items was developed. Waller and Lea 1998 Relationship between authenticity seeking and enjoyment. The knowledge dimension of motivation was found to mediate this relationship. Clift and Forrest 1999 The motivation of gay men in relation to the type of destinations they preferred in the context of the United Kingdom Qu and Ping 1999 Motivation of cruise selection in the context of Hong Kong Goossens 2000 The role of emotional component of travel motivation in stimulating actual travel behavior Fleischer and Pizam 2002 Relationship between motivation and Israeli senior travelers income and health Kozak 2002 Differences of motivation among tourists visiting different destinations and tourist from different countries visiting same destination with respondents from the United Kingdom and Germany Sirakaya, Uysal, and Yoshioka 2003 Benefits segmentation of Japanese tourists to Turkey Lau and McKercher Differences of travel motivation between first-time and repeat visitors to Hong Kong Kim and Prideaux 2005 A cross-cultural analysis on travel motivation to South Korea among five national tourist groups Pearce and Lee 2005 Further development of the Travel Career Ladder by introducing Travel Career Pattern (TCP). The relationship between previous experience and motivation was explored by TCP. Yoon and Uysal 2005 Causal relationship between push-pull motivations, satisfaction, and destination loyalty. Pull factors were found to negatively influence satisfaction. Jang and Wu 2006 Influences of sociodemographic factors, economic status, health status, and positive and negative effects on travel motivation among Taiwanese seniors Chang, wall, and Chu 2006 Benefits segmentation using the novelty seeking scale in the context of Taiwanese tourists to aboriginal attractions Nicolau and Mas 2006 Influences of travel distance and price on destination selection, with travel motivation as a moderator in the context of Spain Poria, Reichel, and Biran 2006 Relationship between perception of heritage as it is related to the tourists own heritage and motivation explored before the trip Snerpenger et al. 2006 Tourists and recreationist were comparing using Iso-Aholas motivation theory. The relationship between motivation and previous vacations was investigated. Swanson and Horridge 2006 Causal relationship between souvenir shopping and four motivational factors in the context of Southwestern United States Beh and Bruyere 2007 Benefits segmentation in the context of Kenya Hsu, Cai, and Wong 2007 A theoretical model of senior travel motivation in the context of China Maoz 2007 Travel motivation of Israeli backpackers, investigated in relation to national and cultural characteristics Luo and Deng 2008 Relationship between environmental attitude and nature-based tourism motivation Rittichainuwat 2008 Travel motivation to a tourism destination, using the disaster-hit beach resort in Phuket as an example. Comparison was made between domestic and inbound tourists, and between tourists of different ages and genders. Park and Yoon 2009 Benefit segmentation of rural tourism in the context of South Korea Table1. Brief Summary of Studies on Travel Motivation (Adopted from Cathy H.C. Hsu, Liping A. Cai and Mimi Li, 2009) Many researchers from different fields such as from sociology, anthropology, and psychology have investigated travel motivation since many years ago (Cohen, 1972; Dann, 1977; Crompton, 1979; Gnoth, 1997). Maslows hierarchical theory of motivation was one of the most applied in tourism literature (1970) and it was model as a pyramid whose base consists of the physiological needs, followed by higher levels of psychological needs and the need for self-actualization. Numerous tourism scholars have attempted to modify the model empirically, with the notable success by Pearce (1982), who projected a tourism motivation model that mirrors the model of Maslow, but free of prepotency assumption. Fulfilling Prestige Push Seeking Relaxation Factors Sightseeing Variety Gaining Knowledge Events and Activities Pull Adventure Factors History and Culture Easy Access and Affordable A review of past researches on tourist motivation indicates that the analysis of motivations based on the two dimensions of push and pull factors have been generally accepted (Yuan McDonald, 1990; Uysal Hagan, 1993). The concept behind push and pull dimension is that people travel because they are pushed by their own inner forces and pulled by the outer forces of destination attributes. Most of the push factors that are origin-related are intangible or intrinsic desires of the individual travelers. Pull factors, vice versa, are those that emerge because of the attractiveness of that particular destination, as the travelers perceive it. They include tangible resources and travelers perception and expectation such as benefit expectation, novelty and marketed image of the destination. A research model is then developing based on this theory at below diagram (adapted from Baloglu Uysal, 1996). Travel Motivation Crompton (1979) first sought to draw seven socio-psychological, or push motives such as escape, self-exploratory, relaxation, prestige, regression, kinship-enhancement, and social interaction) and two cultural, or pull motives that are novelty and education. The conceptual framework that he developed would giving impact the selection of a destination, and this approach implies that the destination can have some degree of influence on vacation behavior in meeting an aroused need. As Cromptons initial empirical effort, many studies have attempted to recognize push and pull motivational factors in different settings such as nationalities, destinations and events (Jang and Wu, 2006). Example incorporated Yuan and McDonalds (1990) study on motivations for overseas travel from four countries: Japan, France, West Germany and UK. While Uysal and Jurowski (1993) studied, the nature and extent of the reciprocal relationship between push and pull factors of motivations for pleasure travel with using data from the Canadian Tourism Attribute and Motivation Survey. Another study in Australia examined the nature and usefulness of the relationship between these two factors of motivation by utilizing canonical correlation analysis (Oh, H., M., Uysal, P. Weaver, 1995). Baloglu and Uysal (1996) claimed that the concept of product bundles is used to refer to the perceived significance of the interaction between push and pull items of motivation. This implies that certain reasons for travel may correspond to certain benefits that are to be valued and obtained at the destination spot. Based on the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, as discussed above, the individual tourist builds their perceptions, and the perceptions can be differ from the true attributes of the product depending on how the individual receives and process information (Gartner, 1993; Dann, 1996; Baloglu and Brinberg, 1997). A general conclusion can be drawn that the personal motives or called push motives and the view of the characteristics of the tourism destination (pull motives) determine perceptions. These motives interact in dynamic and evolving context (Correia, 2000), and the tourist motivation is seen as a multidimensional concept that indicates tourist decision (McCabe, 200 0). As tourism paradigm is related to human beings and human nature, it is always a complex proposition to study why people travel and what they want to enjoy (Yoon and Uysal, 2005). In most studies, it is generally accepted that push and pull motivations have been primarily utilized in studies of tourist behavior. The discoveries and issues undoubtedly play a use role in attempting to understand a wide different of needs and wants that can drive and influence tourist behavior. Nevertheless, Yoon and Uysal (2005) said that the results and effects of the motivation studies of tourist behavior need more than an understanding of their needs and wants. In tourism destination management, it was generally agree that maximizing travel satisfaction is crucial for a successful business. The evaluation of the physical products of destination as well as the psychological interpretation of a destination product are important for human actions (Swan and Comb, 1976; Uysal and Noe, 2003), which could be further represented as a travel satisfaction and destination faithfulness. Both concepts can be examined within the context of a tourism system representing two major components of the market place, namely, demand (tourist) and supply (tourism attractions) which demand refers to motives (push factors) that sustain tourists desire while supple relates to destinations characteristics (pull factors) (Jurowski et al., 1996). Push and pull factors have generally been characterized to two separate decisions made at two separate period in time one focusing on whether to go, the other on where to go. For instance, Dann (1981) noted that once the trip has been decided upon, where to go, what to see or what to do (relating to the specific destinations) can be tackled and this make a conclude that, analytically, both logically and temporally, push factors precede pull factor. Although these two factors has been viewed as relating to two distinct decisions, several researchers have distinguished that they should not be viewed as operating entirely independent of each others. For example, it has suggested that people travel because they are pushed by their own intrinsic forces and simultaneously pulled by the extrinsic forces such as the destination and its attributes (Cha, McCleary, and Uysal 1995; Uysal and Jurowskil, 1994). However, Crompton (1979) argued, push factors may be useful not only in explaining the initial arousal, energizing, or push; to take a vacation, but may also have directive potential to direct the tourist toward a particular destination (p.412). Several empirical examinations of push and pull factors had been reported in the travel and tourism literature. Of the prior research that examined the students and/or spring break travel market (Butts, F.B., J. Salazar, K. Sapio, and D. Thomas, 1996; Field, 1999; Hobson and Josiam, 1992,1996; Hsu and Sung, 1996,1997; Sirakaya and McLellan, 1997), there have been no investigations of push forces and only a handful of attempts to study the pull factors influencing students destination choice decision. In another study, conducted by Hobson and Josiam (1992), students were asked to list their primary reason for choosing a spring break destination and most responses referred to the influence of friends and/or family living near or going to the destination, other reasons referred to destination-related attributes such as the destination having s spring break party reputation, warm weather, affordable pricing, quiet environment, good skiing, or good beaches.

Tennessee Williams Use of Dramatic Devices To Create Contrast And Conf

Tennessee Williams' Use of Dramatic Devices To Create Contrast And Conflict In "A Streetcar Named Desire" Tennessee Williams uses a number of dramatic devices to highlight the conflicting worlds of the old and new American South. These can be divided into four categories: staging, character and language, and props and costumes. I will be using these categories for reference in this essay. 'A Streetcar Named Desire' is an example of the genre 'realism'. Realism is fiction that is overtly gritty and realistic, showing real people in real situations, and also comments on the state of the world at that time. The play is set shortly after the American Civil War, which was fought over the right to keep slaves; the South wanted to keep slaves on their plantations, working for free, but the North wanted them to work in their factories, for a wage. The North (confederate) won the Civil War and immediately set about industrializing the South. The play is set in New Orleans, one of these newly industrialised areas. In this essay I will examine how Tennessee Williams used these devices to create conflict between the main characters, to provide a social commentary on a changing America, and how these changes affect the main characters of the play. Tennessee Williams stages 'A Streetcar Named Desire' extremely effectively, with much of the play set in the small, confined room of the apartment: Stella: "With only two rooms..." (p.9) This instantly creates and intensifies tension because all the characters are forced to be close together; there is no privacy. When Blanche first enters the play, she is instantly incongruous and out of place: 'she looks like she is dressed for a tea party' (p.3) This contras... ...character; she too is obsessed with the idea of death, and aging. Tennessee Williams even said once: "I am Blanche," which shows he has based her character heavily on himself; they both view men as uncultured brutes, both have an obsession with death. Blanche has this obsession because she had to witness her family, and her old way of life, dying slowly. Now it seems to her like that time in her life was all just a dream of illusion. This is illustrated in the translation of 'Belle Reve', which means literally 'Beautiful Dream'. Blanche losing Belle Reve represents her losing an illusion of life and being brought back down to earth. In conclusion, through careful use of staging, props, costume and language, Tennessee Williams creates a powerful portrait of conflict between the old and new South, between death and desire, and between Blanche and Stanley.

Reaction Paper: Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction Essay

Abstract In his book Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction written by Dr. Mark Laaser he gives us a glimpse into the life of those addicted to sex. Mark Laaser set out to increase understanding of sexual addiction as a disease. He leads us to discover how sexual addiction takes over the life of the sexually addicted person and causes devastation from a Christian world view. In his book Dr. Laaser examines what he calls the building blocks behaviors that begin the cycle that leads to sexual addiction, and the family dynamics that contribute to sexual addiction. The sexual addiction in the church is addressed along with how the church can recover. Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction written by Dr. Mark Laaser (2004) analyses sexual addiction from a Christian world view. Dr. Laaser (2004) is a recovering sex addict with personal experience of the pain and shame of sexual addiction. Sexual addiction is described as a sickness involving any type of uncontrollable sexual activity (Laaser, 2004). Unlike other diseases, Christian sex addicts have the added complication of not seeking help because they feel they will be hated, shunned, laughed at, or punished if anyone knew their sin (Laaser, 2004): however, as Laaser (2004, p. 224) stated in his book â€Å"while sexual sin is devastating, there is hope for healing†. Synopsis In his book Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction Dr. Mark Laaser (2004) identifies sexual addiction, the cycle that causes it, and hope for those who are sexually addicted. His theory of sexual addiction is that it is a disease and immoral. As with all sin, it escalates into a downward spiral that if left untreated can cause death to the sinner. Laaser (2004) believes although sexual addiction is a sin it is also a disease. This leaves little  doubt for Dr. Laaser, that â€Å"we are engaged in warfare when we attempt to heal sexual addiction (Laaser, 2004, p. 25).† He believes the onset of sexual addiction consist of building block behaviors, these are sexual activities that cause the cycle of other sexual behaviors. Laaser (2004, p. 29) explains â€Å"these building block behaviors are fantasy, pornography, and masturbation.† These behaviors cause a cycle where the addict can never find satisfaction. In this cycle of sexual addiction, the addict tries to be in control but cannot gain control without healing. As with most sins once caught in the cycle of sexual addiction it is impossible to get out without help. I believe that the church is responsible for helping to heal people who are sick. Just as a person with diabetes or any other chronic disease the sexually addicted person needs a healer. Family Dynamics Dr. Laaser (2004, p. 76) discusses the roots to sexual addiction, which he says â€Å"begins in families that possess unhealthy dynamics and characteristics.† One way families’ express unhealthy dynamics are through boundaries. Boundaries can be too loose or too rigid. Some families may have both loose and rigid boundaries, which causes confusion in children. Rules are another force at work contributing to unhealthy families. Dr. Laaser (2004) states some families have rules of conduct that prevent tension from getting out of control. These rules are probably never spoken or written down but the whole family knows them. Some of these rules are not talking about feelings, problems or embarrassing situations, this could be hiding one’s feelings or denying problems (Laaser, 2004). The third category that contributes to unhealthy family dynamics are the roles people play in the family unit. These roles can be unhealthy when a person is forced into playing a role he was not created to play (Laaser, 2004). The final category is addictions, addictions can be substance or behavioral things that have become repetitive in an unmanageable way and lead to destructive consequences. As a child I grew up in a family that had both loose and rigid boundaries concerning sex. I was told sex was something you do not do, besides that it was something you do not speak of. I grew up not knowing what healthy boundaries were. This helps me to understand how a person could become sexually addicted. I know I could empathize with a  person who is sexually addicted. As a Christian I have learned what healthy boundaries are and what my role is as a person in Christ. I believe that sexual addiction is immoral, but it is also a disease. I also believe that an addict cannot get out of the cycle of sexual addiction without help. Therefore as the church we are to be the hands of Christ reaching out to help those who need healing from sexual addiction. Treatment of Sexual Addiction When seeing new patients Dr. Laaser (2004) asks three spiritual questions. The first question is â€Å"do you want to get well (pg.122)?† He relates this question to the story of the man at the pool of Bethesda, where Jesus asked the man â€Å"do you want to get well†. The correlation is that to get well the person must want to get well. They must give up their past pain and suffering to God, and find alternative ways to find love and nurturing they need. This requires a lifetime of discovery, but it all starts with willingness (Laaser, 2004). The last two questions are â€Å"what are you thirsty for (Laaser, 2004, p. 123)† and â€Å"are you willing to die to yourself (Laaser, 2004, p. 124).† The addict must be ready to be healed, be thirsty for God, and be willing to die to themselves in order to begin the healing process. Dr. Laaser’s treatment also involves ten components of accountability. Accountability is necessary in order for the addict to maintain sexual purity (Laaser, 2004). He relates the accountability to the story of Nehemiah rebuilding the city that has been destroyed. As in Nehemiah the addict must have someone to be accountable to. When the addict has agreed to treatment Dr. Laaser recommends there be a professional in place to care for them. According to Laaser (2004) there are a growing number of Christian Counselors trained to give a formal diagnosis. The addict should be taken to this professional immediately to begin treatment. Dr. Laaser then gives five components of treatment of sexual addiction. These include stopping sexual behavior, stopping rituals, stopping fantasy, healing despair and healing shame. Elements of all five of these are  required for an effective treatment plan (Laaser, 2004). I believe that learning never ends especially in regards to human behavior. I believe I have the empathy and positive regard for a person that has a sexual addiction to treat them. After working with addicts for a year I learned that this disease is habitual and that it is a cycle that is not easily broken. It takes patience and perseverance to work with an addict. Most of all I believe it take compassion for that person. Knowing that recovery is a lifelong process and takes a life time of work. Sexual Addiction and the Church A leadership Journal survey revealed that 23 percent of 300 pastors had done something sexually inappropriate with someone other than their spouse (Laaser, 2004,p.194). There are a variety of things that contribute to pastors’ sexual vulnerability. However it is still the responsibility of the pastor to get help and not act on these vulnerabilities. In order for the church to heal Laaser (2004) believes we must bring healing to two groups: primary victims and secondary victims. Primary victims are those who have been sexually abused by leaders. Secondary victims are those in the congregation who were betrayed because of faith in the pastor. In caring for primary victims Dr. Laaser recommends that the church provide advocates who can guide these victims in the process of healing. The church should provide fellowship to the victims, and counseling. Care for secondary victims involves breaking the silence, the grieving process, reconciling the victims to the church, and prevention. Prevention involves developing healthy boundaries in the congregation in order to prevent wounds. Dr. Laaser has several opinions in which I agree. One of the most important parts of healing the church as a whole is to develop healthy boundaries in the church. This would prevent people from being wounded and wounding others. The church as a whole must heal the pastors and the congregation. Offering pastors help so that they do not become burdened by their job, and making them be accountable to someone. I also agree that we must speak out and not hide any indiscretion in the church and when there is an incidence it should be brought out in the open. This would stop perpetrators from continuing to harm others. Conclusion The addict is never completely cured from sexual addiction. It takes a lifetime of work and perseverance to break the patterns that cause a person to be sexually addicted. To recover from the trap of addiction a person has to come to the end of themselves and admit they need help. The shame and fear from their habits make it hard for the addict to trust enough to seek help. Dr. Laaser stated accepting their powerlessness over their disease leaves them with a great humility and need for God, which is a deep aspect of their spiritual healing (p. 223). Reference Laaser, M.R. (2004). Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Peace in Eastern Religions Essay

All Eastern religions have their own ideas about engendering peace within individuals and society. Jainism and Buddhism insist on the protection of all life. Confucianism permits war whenever reality would not allow for absolute peace within society. Daoism, on the contrary, rejects war by almost equating tranquility with the true nature of humanity. It is reasonable, therefore, to pose the following questions: Do all people love peace? If so, why do we have to discuss the subverting of hatred? As a matter of fact, all people cannot find peace until and unless they have come to believe in certain peace-inducing thoughts, such as ahimsa of the Buddhists. All religions propose peace with their particular sets of beliefs. Followers of the religions are required to know the thoughts of their peace-loving leaders, however, before they can find absolute peace within themselves. There is no religion without knowledge, which is why a Jain must know the basic beliefs of his or her community before peace could be practiced in the form of complete nonviolence. I believe that the â€Å"inner peace† proposed by Buddhism is the most important definition of peace. This is the kind of peace that is available to all, regardless of our levels of education. Even before an individual has realized the peace-inducing thoughts of the Buddha, or another religious leader, â€Å"inner peace† is essentially available. Moreover, nonviolence is best practiced with â€Å"inner peace. † If this kind of peace is not available to an individual, he or she may find it difficult also to understand the nonviolent practices of the religion. After all, an agitated and wrathful mind would not be able to practice nonviolence in the best possible way. Despite the fact that Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism, Smith-Christopher (1998), the editor of Subverting Hatred: The Challenge of Nonviolence in Religious Traditions, has positioned the chapter on Buddhism before the chapter on Hinduism. This allows the reader to understand the origins of Buddhism after reflecting on the religion. Most importantly, however, the placement of the chapter on Buddhism before the chapter on its origins allows the reader to be introduced to the concept of â€Å"inner peace† earlier on. This is an indispensable form of peace without which no concept of nonviolence is possible to be understood. Seeing that the subject of the book is the practice of peace, it would have been appropriate also to place the chapter on Buddhism as the first chapter in the book – simply for an understanding of â€Å"inner peace. †

Artificial Intelligence Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

Artificial Intelligence Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers Artificial Intelligence Upon examining issues of mind and thought, the questions of artificial intelligence and its capabilities become important considerations for answering the ultimate question of what thought truly is. Computerized calculation is one of the few events that is somewhat analogous to human cognitive thought, so the extension of this current technology to more advanced future applications makes it a very interesting testing area for questions into consciousness. If one concludes that the advancement from cash registers to present day computers is a step closer to human thought, then we must concede that progressing technology will bring us closer and perhaps to the very point of true cognitive skills. The dilemma left to us philosophers and scientists is to determine when a machine has reached the point of thought, or at least to create a rough guideline. A.M. Turing proposed a test to solve this problem. Named, appropriately enough, the Turing test, it contains a controversial method of te sting called the imitation game. The idea is to put one man and one woman in two rooms and have them questioned by an interrogator in a third room. The man would try to answer questions in a way which would suggest he is a woman. The woman attempts to answer in a way to reveal the truth of the matter. If the man fools the interrogator, it is said that he can think like a woman, or, at the very least, mimic a woman's responses. This game can also be played with a computer in the male slot, trying to convince the interrogator that it is human. It would follow reason that if a computer could pass this test, it could think like a human, or at least mimic one. Perhaps the abilities showcased in the test alone would not be sufficient, but Daniel C. Dennett claims that "[t]he assumption Turing was prepared to make was that nothing could possibly pass the Turing test by winning the Imitation Game without being able to perform indefinitely many other clearly intelligent actions" (Dennett 93) . One often cited criticism of this notion is the idea of mimicry. Imagine a program that stored an almost infinite amount of information regarding sentences and grammar and was able to spit out contextualy appropriate sentences to a wide variety of inquiries. The computer has no knowledge of what the information means; it is acting much as a parrot does. Luckily for Turing, there is no shortage of responses for this claim. First of all, as Douglas Hofstadter points outs, "[t]he number of sentences you'd need to store to be able to respond in a normal way to all possible sentences in a conversation is astronomical, really unimaginable" (Hofstadter 92). The computer would also have to contain a complex microprocessor to keep up with conversation in a timely and manageable fashion. It would have to be so advanced indeed that such a microprocessor might be considered a small scale brain, sorting through symbols and their meanings to form contextually valid responses. Accordingly, if su ch a machine existed, it would pass the Turing test and validate the method of testing at the same time. If a machine was capable of mastering the context-sensitive language we use, it may very well have a claim to true thought. At the very least, the computer would surpass mimicry and be labeled a simulation. Human thought is so complicated and demanding that any device that attempts to duplicate it with any success would have to be a highly sensitive simulation. Any machine that passes the Turing test must have a rudimentary "knowledge" of the information it is using and therefore is more than parrot . Assuming this is true, we must then ask hard questions about the value of simulation. The critical claim is that any simulation is just a simulation and not a real example of what it is simulating. Hofstadter finds this fallacious, as do I. First, any simulation can reasonable defined in this context as the recreation of a natural event by an agent other than nature. This view bring s up the idea of levels in simulation. A good example is Dennett's simulated hurricane in Brainstorms. From the programmer's vantage point, the

selfhelp groups essays

selfhelp groups essays Self-help groups consist of individuals who share the same problem or concern. Members provide emotional support to one another, learn ways to cope, discover strategies for improving their condition, and help others while helping themselves (Wituk, Shepherd, Slavich, Warren, There are several goals to self-help groups. When polled, sixty-one percent of self-help groups said that their most important goal was providing emotional and social support to members. Thirty-two percent said that providing information and education to members was the most important goal. A few other goals were advocacy, special events, and fundraising. Some of the supports to members in self-help groups are telephone support, peer counseling, and buddy systems. With such overwhelming statistics, its a shame that most social workers dont know of any self-help groups other than Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. There are hundreds of groups that social workers should be familiar with so that they could refer clients to them. (Wituk et al., 2000). The setting of self-help groups is usually pretty relaxed. Groups are affiliated with either a national group or a local group. Social workers are not always involved with self-help groups. The ones that are involved are not always the leaders, but merely someone that helps the conversation along (Wituk et al, 2000). Social Workers need to learn what self-help groups there are in their area, so they can refer their clients to them. Social workers can get a copy of the National Self-Help Sourcebook to learn about groups in the United States. They should thoroughly check out these groups to make sure that they are still functioning before they refer clients to them. Social workers should keep a record of all the self-help groups that they can find in their area. This list should also be kept up to date. Clients should be referred to several prog...