The role of culture in human society

The role of culture in human society Culture is the essential part of the humans society. Every person is spending his or her life within a certain cultural community. It frequently defines what kinds of person a man or woman is and what values will they have. Does the cultural environment have a direct effect on the values within a community for anthropology, psychology and sociology? Let us discuss this topic step by step. To understand it better, we can at first define what the cultural environment is and what influence it has on people within it. The very nature of the cultural environment is cultural and social aspects. It is could also be called a social context and sometimes milieu. It is a culture of a society or a group where a certain person is living or getting an education; it is institutions and people who interact with a certain human. By interaction we can mean not only different types of personal communication (like on a workplace, in class, with neighbors etc.); people could also communicate with each other by means of different communicational media (like phone, internet, newspapers, television etc). In spite of non personal type of the communication, people whom a man or a woman meets in internet can have an influence on his or her values and point of view. Also television and other mass media form our perception of life and other people little by little. This type of interaction we c an call one way or anonymous. It does not always imply the equality of the social status. Thus, the concept of a social environment is wider that the concept of a social circle or a social class. Nevertheless, it is common that those people who have the same social environment start having a sense of solidarity. They easily help and trust each other; also they tend to create a social group. As a result, those people will always have a similar way of thinking and similar patterns even if they make different conclusions. It shows us that people depend on society and culture around them very much whether they recognize this fact or not. Let us briefly define what culture itself is. It is going to help us understand what kind of effect it has on the values within a community for anthropology, psychology and sociology. There is plenty of information about culture and different consequences of it. It is impossible to transmit a culture through genealogy. Culture is not something innate; culture is something that everybody should learn. Different facets of it are interrelated; a culture is spread by those people within a group. Nowadays different cultures could easily exist within a country side by side (like it commonly happens in African countries). According to Hoebel (1960), the definition of a culture is following: The integrated sum total of learned behavioral traits that are manifest and shared by members of society. According Lawton (1975), culture includes age grading, religious rituals and athletic sport. According to Frow (1995) there are traditional differences in task and doing business were breaking down and this meant that standardization rather than adaptation is becoming increasingly prevalent. Probably, a culture is one of the most significant environmental variables that should be considered within a global marketing. Often a culture could not be freely overlooked; it often hiding from a view. Culture consists of some elements; they are language, aesthetics, religion, values and attitudes, education, social organization and material culture. It is necessary to discuss briefly every element of it. Material culture includes communications, power, transportations and others. Language is the next aspect of culture. It is a reflection of the values and nature of a certain society group. It could be sub-cultural languages, for example, dialects; in some countries it could be two or even more languages. Aesthetics includes art, dancing, arts-music. It concerns good taste, beauty, form and color of it. Education, as it is easy to see, includes the transmission of ideas, attitudes, skills and training in certain disciplines as well. Moreover, education serves as a transmitter of cultural and social values. Sometimes a child was introduced to the cultural value by school or later by university. Religion gives the humans behavior the best insight and as well it helps us to answer different questions, for example, why people behave n this way and not in another. We can see that culture is a complicate conception; it includes different aspects. What can we say about values conception? What is commonly meant by values? Shortly, by values a person may mean something that is really matter to him or her. It is beliefs and ideas somebody holds as special. Social and cultural environment forms ones values. Home, church school there are just some places where people could study values that are common for everybody within their cultural environment. Teachers, friends, parents are forming our personal system of values from day to day. As a result we have personal values. Arts et al. (2003) summarized that they consist of something that we accepted from people around as and that part that came with our own life experience. It is too compulsory to accept everything a person is hearing around him or her; nevertheless, values of cultural environment around us has its strong influence on our own system of values. Now, when we recognize what values, culture and cultural environment commonly mean we can examine the direct effect that the cultural environment has on the values within a community for anthropology, psychology and sociology. Before discussing the influence of a cultural environment on a person according to anthropology let us briefly mention the definition of the science. Saying shortly anthropology is the inquiry of humanity. Its origins throw back in the social sciences, natural science and humanities. The term itself is taken from the ancient Greek language and has two parts: man and study or discourse. The matters of anthropology are how do people behave, what are their physical traits, why we can see differences and variations between groups of people, and finally who was the ancestor of the modern humans. Anthropology is commonly divided in to four fields; they are cultural, or social, anthropology, linguistic anthropology, archaeology and biological, or physical, anthropology. We can see that anthropology itself is the science that studies social and cultural values, differences, origins, roots etc. Thus, it is important to talk about the influence of culture environment according to this certain science. According to anthropology, a culture could be seated deeply; unprepared person could take some type of a culture like something senseless, strange and even cruel. Let us give an example. According to the Muslim culture a woman must cover her face with yashmak and hide herself from any alien. Nilaweera Wijetunga (2005) emphasized that this custom could appear strange and senseless to any person from Europe, United States or numeral other countries where people flaunt a womans form openly. Here is another example of the opposite culture. In some African countries (like Congo, Kenya etc) women do not wear top cloths. Oyeshile (2004) explained this fact that according to their culture, their traditions and according to their hot climate they do not consider the top of the female body something that they should cover or hide. There are many other different examples of things and customs that are unacceptable and even criminal in one part of the world; at the same time at another part of it people consider it the culture and commonly do it. Summarizing this short extract we can see that cultural environment have a direct effect on the values within a community for anthropology. Continue the two examples above, a woman from the African country where there is not common or compulsory to cover her body with upper wear have values that are different from the values that are precious for a woman from a Muslim country. If those women could try to explain themselves their culture, values and reasons why they are keeping those culture values they would hardly understand each other. It is common that Muslim people condemn women from Europe and America. For them even the most modest and restrained American female seems to be a woman without culture values because she shows certain part of her body What can we say about the influence of the social environment on personal values for psychology? What is psychology? It is the science of the humans behavior and mind. This science is an attempt to understand humanity by exploring certain specific cases and by discovering some general principles as well. One of the main goals of psychology is to benefit the society. Scientists who involved in it we can divide in to some groups: cognitive scientists, social scientists and behavioral scientists. Among others, social behavior is among different subjects of psychology. The science of psychology explores following concepts: emotion, cognition, phenomenology, perception, attention, brain functioning, behavior, motivation, personality, unconscious mind and interpersonal relationships. As anthropology, the science of psychology is a social science and it has a strong connection with social environment. According to psychology, some type of behavior could be considered normal and other type c ould be considered abnormal. Commonly, humanity has the same nature. For example, murdering and cruelty is considered abnormal in every social group and community. Nevertheless, within some cultures the conception of cruelty may vary. Let us give an example. In American and European countries violation in any form is unacceptable even within a family. Thus people who keep doing it to others would consider psychologically abnormal. According to the culture of some eastern countries, especially countries with Muslim culture, a husband can beat his wife or punish her or in any other way if she does not satisfy him. What kind of misdeed could a wife do? She may cook a food that her husband does not like; she may say a word that her husband could consider unacceptable. People within the community with such culture are considered psychologically normal even if they commit violence every day. According to their culture cruelty is acceptable. A woman is expecting for it and she has no even right to complain. According to the example above we can see that psychological situation within a community could have a strong negative effect on personal values of a human. A person can look at low values of members of the community around him or her and subconsciously this person could understate those values that he or she had before. Psychologically people inclined to depend on society. That is why we can state that the cultural environment have a direct effect on the values within a community for psychology. Sociology is the last science that we are going to discuss. It studies the society using different methods of critical analysis and empirical investigations. This science refines and develops knowledge about the activity of human society. One of the aims of sociology is to achieve the social welfare with the mean of the knowledge. Mancheno-Smoak et al. (2009) stated that the field of interests in sociology varies from the micro level of interaction and agency to the macro level of social structures and systems. It is a very broad conception that is focused traditionally on social class, religion, social stratification, social mobility, secularization, deviance and law. It includes all spheres of peoples activity. It is interesting that sociology studies different types of interactions between people. We are living in the age of the world wide globalization when the whole planet is becoming one big house. Different cultural and social communities are not staying separate from each oth er like it was some hundreds years ago. People are moving, migrating and spreading their culture and different values among other societies. Why can we state that according to sociology, the cultural environment have a direct effect on the values within a community? First reason is that people like to communicate with each other. It means that they getting some new knowledge and values. Roniger (1995) declared that when representatives of different cultures are staying in contact for some time they will get used to new values. It will stop being new for them. New cultural values will become common and according to sociology people will start accepting it in their lives. In some time they would not remember that one or another culture or value was not imparted to them. And it is the second reason why the cultural environment has an effect on values of people for sociology. In other words, when people move from one place to another they create a new social group with mixed culture and values. In conclusion of all factors and aspects that we discussed above we can see that anthropology, sociology and psychology are connected between each other. These three sciences are all about the human nature, culture and community. They are examining interactions and cooperation between different people; we can state that the cultural environment have a direct effect on the values within a community for anthropology, psychology and sociology because according to these sciences it is up to peoples nature to take something new from others. According to religion, human society was created as one big family. Let us agree that this statement is right; thus, we need to accept that people within a social community have a direct effect on each other in the same way in which members within an ordinary family have. Every science that we discussed has one main aim to make our society better. We need to remember that it is up to everybody to help in achievement of this aim.

OPV Cell Fabrication

OPV Cell Fabrication To fabricate the inverted OPV cells with the structure of ITO/ZnO/P3HT:PCBM/PEDOT:PSS/Ag, the ITO was first coated onto a glass substrate. The ITO coated glass substrate was then cleaned by ultra-sonication in detergent solution, deionized water, acetone and isopropanol sequentially for 10 minutes each. After that, the pre-cleaned and pre-patterned ITO substrate was exposed to a UV-ozone treatment for 10 more minutes. A solution of ZnO was prepared for spin coating onto the ITO coated glass substrate. To prepare the solution, 0.15g of ethanolamine (NH2CH2CH2OH) and 0.6g of zinc acetate dihydrate [Zn(CH3COO)2à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢2H2O] were dissolved in 5 mL of 2-methoxyethanol [CH3OCH2CH2OH] with continuous stirring for 24 hours. After that, 1mL of ammonia (NH3) was added to the solution and stirred for 2 more hours. To remove the inpurities, the solution would need to be filtered through a 0.25mm PVDF filter. With the technique of spin coating at 3500 rpm for 90 s, a ZnO film of about 40 nm would be coated onto the pre-cleaned ITO coated glass substrates. Mild washing would then be performed on the ZnO films with isopropyl alcohol and it was blown dry in air. In the next step, poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) are mixed in the proportion of 10 : 8. The mixture was then dissolved in 1,2-dichlorobenzene solution and to be spin-coated to a thickness of approximately 200nm on the ZnO/ITO layer prepared. Annealing at 120 oC was then carried out to the film for 10 minutes. The hole transport layer of PEDOT:PSS was then spin-coated on the bulk layer of P3HT:PCBM from a commercial solution (Clevios) under the temperature of 120 oC for 10 minutes. In the last step, under a pressure of about 1 milliPascal, the silver electrode of a thickness about 100 nm was coated onto the PEDOT:PSS layer. The devices then needed to be annealed for 10 minutes at around 70 oC under a pressure of about 1 milliPascal. After that, the device was cooled down to room temperature. Using a source meter at AM1.5G illumination with a solar simulator, the photovoltaic characteristics of the cell were measured. The photocurrent measurements were done by using a source meter at AM1.5G illumination. This value of photocurrent was used to calibrate the illuminator for measurements later on. The area of the devices was 0.9 cm2. Intro of OPV, normal and inverted geometry In recent years, there has been great interest in organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) due to various advantages over the conventional silicon solar cells. Some of the prominent advantages include low cost of manufacturing, light cell weight, high power conversion efficiency reaching 10% 1 and being environmentally friendly. The structure of the photoactive layer in these organic photovoltaic cells is usually an amalgamation between a fullerene derivative as an electron acceptor and a p-conjugated polymer as an electron donor. Among different materials, poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) have attracted wide attention for being developed to bulk heterojunction [2]. This is because of their outstanding conductivity for both electrons and holes and good stability in atmospheric conditions [3]. Aside of these advantages, a major challenge in the study of OPV cells is to combine the high power conversion efficiency and operational stability. To tackle this problem, there are two device structure set forth, namely the conventional geometry and inverted geometry. For devices made according to the conventional geometry, as shown in Fig 1, the photoactive layer, which is usually a blend of the P3HT:PCBM, is lodged between two electrodes, such as an aluminum electrode and an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode. Upon shining of light, the electrons and holes are photo-excited and then separated to be collected at the two electrodes. Electrons are gathered at the aluminum electrode and holes are collected at the ITO electrode. Devices with such geometry usually have relatively high power conversion efficiency. Nevertheless, the stability of such devices is compromised because these devices are easily affected by oxygen and humidity present in the atmosphere. This is due to the fact that the aluminum electrode has a low work function and it is much susceptible to oxidation [4]. Thus, the stability of devices made with the conventional geometry is restricted. However, the oxidation of aluminum electrode is not the only factor responsible for device degradation. Other factors such as: (1) charge carriers being accumulated at the interface between the photoactive layer and the electrode, (2) metal ions diffusing from the electrodes to the photoactive layer [5], (3) the photoactive layer being unstable and degrade in atmospheric conditions [6], (4) the morphology of the photoactive layer varies in the nanoscale [7]. One of the suggested ways to improve the stability of such OPV cells is to add a layer of encaps ulation to prevent the oxygen and moisture from entering the devices [8]. Nevertheless, the encapsulation cannot prevent the degradation reaction from happening within the OPV cells. Therefore, the intrinsic stability of devices needs to be improved. One achievable way is to use the inverted geometry with reversed charge collection. For OPV cells manufactured with the inverted geometry, as shown in Fig 2, the photoactive layer is middled between an electron transport layer (ETL) and a hole transport layer (HTL) which are in turn lodged between two electrodes, which are usually indium tin oxide electrode and a metal with high work function like silver. Upon photo excitation, the electrons generated will go through the ETL and be collected by the ITO electrode; the holes generated will go through the HTL and be gathered by the metal electrode [9]. The high work function of the metal electrode used makes the electrode unreactive to the oxygen and moisture present in the atmosphere, thus, a higher stability of the OPV cells can be maintained in a relatively long time period. However, the power conversion efficiency of OPV cells with inverted geometry is generally lower than those OPV cells made with conventional geometry [10]. Info on ZnO Several materials are commonly used for constructing ETL, some examples are ZnO, LiF[11], and Ca [12]. Currenly, ZnO is most recognized as a good material for ETL because of its high electron mobility, high photo-stability, low work function and optical transparency [10]. Study done by Krebs et al. [2] has shown that inverted OPV cells with ETL made of ZnO exhibit an extended lifetime. In their study, I–V measurements were performed under illuminated conditions in both presence and absence of UV light. Their results showed that there is increased recombination when the oxygen molecules are desorbed from the surface of ZnO layer due to the photoelectrons when the cell is in operation. In the night time when the cell is not in operation, oxygen molecules are adsorbed onto the ZnO layer again from the atmosphere, thus restoring the OPV cells’ performance. This cycle of desorption and re-adsorption of oxygen molecules causes the inflection point in the I-V measurement to di sappear first and re-appear later. Other than the factors affecting the OPV cells in operation, manufacturing factors exert equally significant influence on the performance of OPV cells. One of such factors is the trap state. In the band gap of ZnO which is a metal oxide semiconductor with nanostructure, there is presence of localized energy states, which are also called trap states. These trap states make the charge transport in ZnO to be different from the bulk material and they exert adverse effect to the charge transport in ZnO [13]. The amount of such trap states increase exponentially from the top of the valence band to the bottom of the conduction band. According to previous research, different amount of trap states can even be present in the band gap of materials which are chemically identical. The different amount of trap states is a result of difference in crystallinity which means the perfectness of the crystal. High electron diffusivity and mobility is usually associated with materials which have higher crystallinity [14]. The crystallinity can be varied by undergone ZnO film through annealing process in different temperature, different density of trap states can thus be achieved. The devices which undergo annealing in higher temperature will have lower depth of trap states, thus consequently exhibiting a better photo-conversion efficiency and greater operational stability. Annealing effect on ZnO, FF, Voc Isc info To further illustrate the effect of annealing on the crystallinity of ZnO layer and consequently the effect on the OPV performance, a study was done by N. K. Elumalai et al.[1] with two devices which have their ZnO thin films annealed at two different temperatures after the ZnO film is coated onto the ITO substrate. As shown in Fig. 3, the current–voltage measurement was done under the illuminated condition of 1 sun for both device A and device B. Device A had its ZnO film annealed at 240 oC, whereas device B had its ZnO film annealed at 160 oC. In the current–voltage measurement, the value of the current when the voltage is zero is called the short circuit current (Isc). In the significance of an OPV cell, Isc is the amount of current going through the cell when the cell is short circuited, which means the voltage across the cell is zero. Hence, the Isc is the maximum current which can be possibly drawn from the OPV cell. The light conversion ability of the OPV cell has a direct influence on the value of Isc. Hence, Isc is useful in characterizing the OPV cell performance. The value of the voltage at the point when the current is zero is called the open circuit voltage (Voc). Voc is the maximum voltage which can be possibly drawn from the OPV cell. In theory, the Voc is dependent either on the work function of the electrodes used or the energy difference between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of the electron donor material and the lowest occupied molecular orbital (LOMO) of the electron acceptor material in the OPV cell, depending on whether the contact is non-ohmic or ohmic. With the current–voltage measurement, the fill factor (FF) can be determined. Fill factor is the ratio of maximum power to the product of Voc and Isc. By going through every point on the (I–V) measurement curve, there is such a point with the current (Imax) and voltage (Vmax) values that maximize the fill factor value according to equation, Hence, the fill factor is determined. In addition, the power conversion efficiency (PCE), can be found from the current–voltage measurement. PCE is the ratio of the energy output from the OPV cell to the solar energy the cell received from illumination source. The energy output from the OPV cell is defined as Pcell, the solar energy the cell received is defined as Psun. The PCE can be calculated from the equations shown below. With reference to Fig. 3, it is obviously that device A has a better performance since it shows a higher short circuit current density and a higher open circuit voltage than device B does. With some simple calculation, the fill factor and the power conversion efficiency of both device A and device B can be determined and summarized in Table. 1. From the Isc, Voc and PCE, it is obvious that the device A is superior that device B in terms of photovoltaic performance. Hence, it proved that annealing of ZnO film changes the crystallinity of the nanostructure, reduced trap states density and consequently lead to better photovoltaic performance. In layer ZnO, Voc vs. T in detail examine To examine the effect of trap states of ZnO in more details, the concept of trap depth should be introduced. The trap depth, represented by the symbol , is the depth of the distribution of the trap states in the band gap of ZnO layer. An equation relating the trap depth and Isc is employed [15], as shown below. From this equation, it is obvious that the trap depth is related to the short circuit current which in turn is a function of temperature and illumination intensity. The pre-exponential term Io in the equation summarized factors such as mobility and density of the photo-excited carriers. Researches have been done by N. K. Elumalai et al.[1] to find the effects of different temperature and illumination intensity on the Isc. By a semi-log plot, it is easy to find the trap depth at different condition of temperature and illumination intensity. For this study, it is evident that the trap depth of device A is much lower than device B. This is in line with the theoretical prediction which says that the annealing at higher temperature make the nanostructure have a more perfect crystallinity and thus less trap states distribution. The operational stability of these inverted organic solar cells is influenced by the trap depth and variation of the open circuit voltage. Hence, the effect of temperature and illumination intensity on Voc should be noted. There is on such equation proven to be useful as shown below In this equation, the recombination is assumed to be Langevin type, Eg signifies the effective band gap, which is the energy difference between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of the electron donor material and the lowest occupied molecular orbital (LOMO) of the electron acceptor material; the effective density of trap states is represented by Nc; p and n represent the hole density and electron density respectively; e and kB have their usual meaning of elementary electron charge and the Boltzmann constant [16]. From the equation above, when the temperature decreases, the Voc will approach more closely to the effective band gap. Nevertheless, this is only true under the condition that the contacts in the device are all ohmic. When contacts are all ohmic, the barriers for charge carriers are low at the interface. However, in the case which contacts are non-ohmic, charge carriers will stuck and accumulate at the interface due to the higher barrier present. Hence, the Voc will be determined by the difference in the work function of the two electrodes. In Fig 5, the effect of temperature and illumination intensity on the Voc is illustrated. In Fig 5 (a), the ZnO layer in the device is annealed at a higher temperature, the Voc decreases almost linearly when the temperature increases for different illumination intensity. This observation can be explained by an increase in the phonon scattering in the photoactive layer and the ZnO interlayer when the temperature increases. In Fig 5 (b), Voc remains relatively constant when temperature is below 180 K for various illumination intensities, but the linear decrease of Voc is observed again when the temperature increases above 180 K; this may be due to the fact that the resistivity of the ZnO layer decreases at lower temperature. By comparing the two figures, the difference in shape can only be associated to the difference of crystallinity which is a result of annealing at different temperature. Hence, it can be suggested that the Voc is affected by the trap states at low temperature. To va lidate this proposition, the plot of Voc in Fig 5 (a) can be extrapolated to a temperature of 0 K, it will yield a value of 0.8 to 0.9 V. Comparing to the work function difference of the two electrodes which is around 0.7 V, this open circuit voltage is much higher, and it is indeed determined by the effective band gap.

Reverend Grandpa in Cold Sassy Tree :: Cold Sassy Tree

Reverend Grandpa in Cold Sassy Tree  Ã‚      Cold Sassy Tree  Ã‚   In life, people look for direction.   Everyone in the world needs a helping hand.   Some people turn to one another while others turn to forces, which are of great power.   People turn to great forces such as God.   There are many people who live according to the rules of God, out of the bible or whatever book they consider holy.   So therefore, these people are directed in leading a better life.   In the brilliant novel Cold Sassy Tree, by Olive Ann Burns, Grandpa is such a person.   Whenever Grandpa faces an obstacle, he turns to God.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Grandpa turns to God whenever he needs true help.   Grandpa is a type of person who is mild, witty, and very religious.   Grandpa uses religion to solve many of his problems.   At the beginning of the story, Miss Love was the target of gossip.   The whole entire town viewed her as an outsider and couldn’t understand why she married Grandpa, especially after his wife recently died.   After Grandpa elopes, he comes back to the house and finds a group of people mourning the sad death.   He introduces his new bride and then out of no where, Grandpa says, â€Å"Lord above, afore this gatherin’ assembled, I ask You to bless the memory of Miss Mattie Lou† (Page 99).   Everyone stood in silence as Grandpa continued the prayer.   Then all of the sudden, people also began to pray along with Grandpa.   This is amazing.   Grandpa used the power of God to divert the feelings of the crowd.   It is very sly of G randpa to do that.   Later on, Will is talking to Grandpa about his frightening encounter with the train.   Will asks Grandpa if â€Å"[he is] alive [because] of God’s will† (Page 97).   Obviously, Grandpa responds with wise words.   He tells Will that â€Å"God gave [him] a brain† (Page 97).   This shows that Grandpa believes God doesn’t do everything.   He believes God only does major things.   He isn’t there twenty four hours a day but God gives one certain abilities which help at all times.   Furthermore, Grandpa starts to give Will a sermon.   Grandpa tells him that â€Å"[One] don’t git thangs jest by astin’† (Page 98).   This shows that Grandpa is an well-educated man who understands the importance of God.   He doesn’t even waste his time asking for petty little things because he knows that God would not listen.

Freedom vs. Determination Essay -- comparison

Are we determined or are we free? This is a question that is hotly debated on both sides of the issue. Determinists would say that we, as humans, are determined through our society, religion, and, most of all, by our families. However, supporters of free will would have arguments for each of these same points in their favor. I say that no matter which way one approaches this subject one finds both, free will and determinism, in each of these arguments. Society, for one, can be seen as determining one's public behavior, moral responsibility, and how one is to survive in today's environment. So how does society determine these points? Well, that's simple. Public behavior is set by the limits of general decency, as well as, its conventional standard of politeness. Someone can't go outside without the proper clothing nor can they wear something that would be considered offensive in the view of society's dictation. "Good manners" and a pleasant demeanor are essential to one's dealings with others. Without them, you would surely be considered an outcast. The next aspect determined by society is that of moral responsibility. This point is held in high regard to the efficient functioning of society as a whole. To facilitate this purpose, we are bound to educate our children with the understanding of what is right and what is wrong. We instill in them that they will be held accountable for their actions and that there are consequences to each action. Lastly, in order to obtain the "necessities... ...lassics: American Historical Documents. Third Edition. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Enterprises Corporation, 1994. pp 180-198. Declaration of Independence. The Harvard Classics: American Historical Documents. Third Edition. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Enterprises Corporation, 1994. pp 150-155. Encarta: The Complete Interactive Multimedia Encyclopedia. "Sacred Koran." 1995 Edition. CD-ROM. Phoenix, Arizona: Microsoft Corporation, 1995. Huxley, Aldous. "Brave New World." Philosophy: A Literary and Conceptual Approach. Third Edition. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Incorporated, 1995. pp 242-247. New Catholic Translation Bible, The. Revised Edition. Nashville, Tennessee: Catholic Bible Press, 1987. Freedom vs. Determination Essay -- comparison Are we determined or are we free? This is a question that is hotly debated on both sides of the issue. Determinists would say that we, as humans, are determined through our society, religion, and, most of all, by our families. However, supporters of free will would have arguments for each of these same points in their favor. I say that no matter which way one approaches this subject one finds both, free will and determinism, in each of these arguments. Society, for one, can be seen as determining one's public behavior, moral responsibility, and how one is to survive in today's environment. So how does society determine these points? Well, that's simple. Public behavior is set by the limits of general decency, as well as, its conventional standard of politeness. Someone can't go outside without the proper clothing nor can they wear something that would be considered offensive in the view of society's dictation. "Good manners" and a pleasant demeanor are essential to one's dealings with others. Without them, you would surely be considered an outcast. The next aspect determined by society is that of moral responsibility. This point is held in high regard to the efficient functioning of society as a whole. To facilitate this purpose, we are bound to educate our children with the understanding of what is right and what is wrong. We instill in them that they will be held accountable for their actions and that there are consequences to each action. Lastly, in order to obtain the "necessities... ...lassics: American Historical Documents. Third Edition. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Enterprises Corporation, 1994. pp 180-198. Declaration of Independence. The Harvard Classics: American Historical Documents. Third Edition. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Enterprises Corporation, 1994. pp 150-155. Encarta: The Complete Interactive Multimedia Encyclopedia. "Sacred Koran." 1995 Edition. CD-ROM. Phoenix, Arizona: Microsoft Corporation, 1995. Huxley, Aldous. "Brave New World." Philosophy: A Literary and Conceptual Approach. Third Edition. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Incorporated, 1995. pp 242-247. New Catholic Translation Bible, The. Revised Edition. Nashville, Tennessee: Catholic Bible Press, 1987.

Dbq for Apush

In the early nineteenth century the United States began to split, but as mid-century came around, people became more polarized in their views and the union started to separate drastically. During the period of 1850, until 1861 when the Confederate States of America was formed, the union was clearly divided between the North and South. Although the Constitution was not the only factor leading to sectional tension in America, there are many strong points in the North and South favoring the statement, â€Å"By the 1850’s the Constitution, originally framed as an instrument of national unity, had become a source of sectional discord and tension and ultimately contributed to the failure of the union it had created. † Northerners, during mid-century America believed in the preservation of the undissolvable Union. When the Constitution was framed in 1787, the founding fathers were concerned about leaving Britain and becoming a Union, as opposed to the issue of slavery that would later prevail. Henry Clay created the Compromise of 1850, which helped solve the problem of slavery in the territories (Document A). This was not included in the Constitut . . . When the Missouri Compromise was ruled unconstitutional under the Dred Scott decision, the due process clause, for the first time, was interpreted to state that people could not be denied their property, displaying that Calhoun was right all along. It is evident that although the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, many Northerners depicted its flaws. An anonymous Georgian, although somewhat contradictory, explained, â€Å"Two Constitutional provisions are necessary to secure Southern rights upon this important question,–the recognition of slavery where the people choose it and the remedy for fugitive slave† (Document B). Sectional difficulties that lead to the break up of the Union can be traced to flaws in the Constitution, although there are other factors as well. In events such as John Brown’s Raid, the North solemnly respected Brown, holding commemoration services in his memorial. This shows that the founding fathers thought well ahead of their time and created a Constitution that included answers to many questions, although, in general, this document eventually contributed to the collapse of the Union. President Jefferson Davis of the Confederate States of America, believing that states were sovereign over the Union, stated, The separate and independent sovereignty of each State was merged into one common government and nation† (Document H). The Constitution includes the three-fifths clause, along with and end to the African slave trade. After the fugitive slave law was enacted, many personal liberty laws were created in the North and colored people were notified, â€Å"You are hereby respectfully CAUTIONED and advised, to avoid conversing with Watchmen and Police Officers of Boston† (Document C). Just as Northerners saw flaws in the Constitution, Southerners viewed it not to be perfect as well. President James Buchanan, a northern man with southern sympathies clarified, â€Å"As sovereign states, they and they alone, are responsible before God and the world for the slavery existing among them† (Document G). Regarding the Fugitive Slave Law, a Bostonian Transcendentalist, Ralph Waldo Emerson stated, â€Å"As soon as the Constitution ordains an immoral law, it ordains disunion†¦The Union is at an end as soon as an immoral law is enacted† (Document D). The constitutionality of the protective tariff was questioned during the panic of 1857, which Northerners blamed on the South. Yet another Bostonian, William Lloyd Garrison, an abolitionist reformer exclaimed, â€Å"The Constitution which subjects them [slaves] to hopeless bondage is one that we cannot swear to support† (Document E). Although the Constitution is clearly flawed because extremist on both sides had problems with it, this document, which is the supreme law of the land, does have positive aspects. ————————————————- By the 1850’s the Constitution, originally framed as an instrument of national unity, had become a source of sectional discord and tension and ultimately contributed to the failure of the union it has created. This was shown by ambivalent interpretations of the constitution and other important documents when assorted together. It is known that the union did not last, for there was the Civil War. If everyone could agree on what the constitution implied, then there probably would not have been a civil war. From several of the documents, there are arguments about what the constitution states. (Document E), â€Å"To the Argument, that the word ‘slaves’ and ‘slavery’ are not to be found in The Constitution, and therefore it was never intended to give any protection or countenance to the slave system, it s sufficient to reply, that no such words are continued in the instrument, other words were used, intelligently and specifically, to meet the necessities of slavery. † This indicates that the constitution CAN be interpreted differently, and when used with other pertinent documents, can be incongruous. Those views that differentiated were of those in the North and South. The Constitution can be interpreted in many different ways, which leads to sectional discord and tension. For many reasons, the South evidently did not like what the constitution said. There were many conflictions with the compromise of 1850, map shown in (Document A) and the fugitive slave act. Certain northerners were so against slavery and the fugitive slave act that they even posted warnings for the slaves. (Document C), [shows how kidnappers were being sent after the slaves, and how Northern abolitionists were revolting against the South’s rules and regulations. ] This fugitive slave act also helped drive the tension deeper into the Un-United States. With drama now rumbling in the American underbellies, the small weight of anything slightly bad could set off a secession bomb. A freesoiler does not want to spread slavery, but he is okay with keeping it in a state it is already in. When the idea of popular sovereignty came about with the compromise of 1850, map shown in (Document A), those freesoilers in office were pushed harder into complex decisions over the popular sovereignty issue. (Document F) â€Å"FORCING SLAVERY DOWN THE THROAT OF A FREESOILER,† illustrates this in a very blatant text and disturbing political cartoon. All of the tension gathering, even authors were predestining the Civil War. Ralph Waldo Emerson believed that the Constitution, (when assorted with others like the fugitive slave law or the compromise of 1850) were contradictory, and that they aid to the now inevitable seeming end of the union. (Document D) â€Å"What kind of legislation is this? What kind of constitution which covers? †¦ I suppose the union can be left to take care of itself†¦. But one thing appears certain to me, that , as soon as the constitution ordains an immoral law, it ordains disunion. The law is suicidal, and cannot be obeyed. The union is at an end as soon as an immoral law is enacted. And he who writes a crime into the statute-book digs under the foundations of the capitol to plant there a powder-magazine, and lays a train† This proves that By the 1850’s the Constitution, originally framed as an instrument of national unity, had become a source of sectional discord and tension and ultimately contributed to the failure of the union it has created. This was shown by ambivalent interpretations of the constitution and other important documents when assorted together

How Did Geography Affect Where Colonists Settled

Beginning in 1607, when ambitious English colonists settled in Jamestown, and continuing until the last of the thirteen colonies was established; geography was a substantial factor in the development of colonial America. The crops that essentially saved the colonists lives, such as tobacco, rice, and indigo, wouldn’t have grown without a certain type and amount of soil to grow properly. Also, the Appalachian Mountains and the dense forests provided a barrier for the colonists, preventing them from going too far west right away, and causing the colonies to form in the arrangement they did.Finally, the population was the most dense in middle colonies, such as New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania partly because of the mild landscape and fertile soil. Early in the 1600’s, John Rolfe and his wife Pocahontas discovered tobacco. It was soon heavily sought after in Europe, and quickly became a cash crop for Virginia. After establishing the tobacco industry in Virgin ia, many of the other colonies soon followed suit. Unfortunately, tobacco quickly drains the nutrients of the soil that it is planted on.Without the plentiful and fertile soil that these settlers were using, it would have been very difficult for the colonists to survive much longer. Tobacco wasn’t the only crop that the colonists discovered early on, however. In South Carolina, many rice and indigo plantations began to emerge. In order for rice to grow, it needs to be planted in a swamp, or some other sort of low-watered area. The swamps of South Carolina were a perfect place to grow rice, and was considered a rich man’s crop because of the labor it took to harvest and grow it.Without certain soil and growing conditions, it would have been very difficult for the colonists to sustain themselves in the early years of America. The natural landscape of what is now known as the United States also was a big part of how the original thirteen colonies developed. The Appalachia n Mountains stretch from Maine all the way to Georgia. This mountain range prevented the first colonists from going too far west. This, in turn, made it so that the population were more dense, and there was a higher concentration of people. The dense forests of the eastern seaboard disallowed for large cities to be created right away.This geological factor forced colonists to spread out within the perimeters of the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, without being too close together. Both of these factors could be overlooked easily enough, but did have a reasonable impact of the development of colonial America. Finally, the geography of the middle colonies, such as New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania played a big role on the development and population of this area. In the sixteen and seventeen hundreds, the above colonies were the most populated of the thirteen establishments.There was plentiful and fertile soil, in which tobacco was heavily grown. The Susqueh anna River also flowed through this region, opening the possibility of fur trade. Other minor rivers that were found in the middle colonies were gentle, which provided for easy transportation and fishing. The land in the middle colonies was broad and expansive, making it easy for even the middle class residents to create an enjoyable and profitable lifestyle. In conclusion, there were many factors that contributed to the development of the colonial America, but geography was clearly a sizable influence.If the geography of America wasn’t the way it was, the colonists who settled here may have not survived as well as they did. By the time the tobacco industry was established, and small cities began to rise, American came to realize that not only were they surviving, but they were thriving. This realization had to do with more than the fact that they had separated themselves according to religion, or put aside the issue of the Native Americans. There is no question that the lay of the land had a substantial impact on the development of not only colonial, but also current America.

Nature of the Consumer Decision Making Essay

Introduction Now more than ever in such a highly competitive business world were each product and service offered is competing with similar and alternative products, it is crucial from the businesses point of view that their product or service is of the highest standard possible. Correctly marketed a product could be infinitely successful, whilst on the other hand a poorly marketed product could be the death of it. From a marketers perspective it is them making the product what it is, from deciding consumer’s wants and needs, to interpreting these in an end product that satisfies these needs. In order for this to happen marketers must take into account the vast amount of cognitive processes the consumer goes through before, during and after making a purchase. This report provides a view into the consumer’s decision making process, looking more depth into the role motivation plays in these decisions and the various theoretical model frameworks that are used in this process. The repor t will also outline how a marketer can use this knowledge to assist consumers in their purchasing choices and decisions throughout the report when applicable. The consumer decision making process Four views of consumer decision making The consumer decision making process is one that the consumer makes when making a purchase. There are different models that have been produced in time to support this idea, with four generalist views of consumer decision making, each highlighting different variables. These are the ‘Economic view’ which focuses on the idea that the consumer makes decisions based on rational behaviour, i.e. cost verse benefits, will I get a good enough product service for my money?. Another view that marketers hold is the ‘passive view’ in which opposes the economic view by believing consumers to be submissive to all marketers input, stating that consumers are impulsive buyers, easily manipulated with marketing efforts. Thirdly is the ‘Emotional view’ which may be seen as irrational behaviour based on feelings rather than any logical reasoning, i.e. decisions based on love, hope, sexuality etc. Fourth and probably the most prolific one would be the ‘5 stage (cognitive process)’. The 5 stage process outlines the cognitive procedure consumers go through when making decisions. Marketers will often refer to  this model when considering how to effectively influence the consumer’s choices. It shows that more consideration goes into the decision making process than just a purchase decision and even continues post-purchase. Although the consumer does not always necessarily follow each stage, sometimes they may skip stages when making more impulsive decisions or routine purchases. For example when considering this model it would be naà ¯ve to think the consumer will put the same amount of thought into buying a pack of chewing gum at a newsagent to buying a new car. The purchase of chewing gum is generally an impulsive decision that does not require much previous thought, whereas the purchase of a car is less routine and requires a lot of thought into varying factors such as cost verses benefits. (Consumer Decision Making Process, 2008) Schiffman and Kanuk describe the process as being viewed in 3 distinct but interlocking stages, the input stage, process stage and output stage. Below is an extended model of this process, which includes external influences and psychological factors. Figure 1 External Influences Before the consumer even has the thought of making a purchase, they are already influenced by two sources subconsciously, the first being the firms marketing efforts (the four P’s) which creates an awareness for the product via marketers attempts to inform and persuade the consumer through products, promotion, price and channels of distribution . Secondly, sociological influences reveal an underlying fundamental need to fit in to certain social groups, lifestyles, cultures etc. that are not directly commercially related i.e. A neighbour or friend owning a product that an individual likes, therefore perhaps creating a want for it. Consumer decision making model The decision making model as shown in figure 1 could reflect not only the cognitive view to decision making, but also the emotional view as it incorporates various socio-cultural input (as previously mentioned) that could be described as emotional based, and also psychological processes(discussed later)involved when actually making the decision. Looking at figure 1 the first stage of the decision process is the ‘need  recognition’, this is where the consumer realises a need for something. This could come from perhaps running out of something and needing more, or receiving information on a product from an external source that leads them to want it. This would logically then lead the consumer to the second part of the process ‘the pre-purchase search’, this is the point where the consumer begins to process the thought of what product may satisfy their need, they may base their ideas on previous experience and memories (psychological factors), or may opt to s earch for useful information to help in their decision (basic internet search). At this point the consumer is drawing up information from external sources and at the same time has psychological factors influencing their decision. i.e.Consumer’smotivation, perception, learning, personality and attitudes. Solomon (2006) addresses the fact to how much actual searching takes place, stating that younger, better educated people will spend more time searching/fact finding before making a decision in comparison to an older person, who has less available channels to search. He also says that women are more inclined to research products. A generalisation that is worth keeping in mind from a marketer’s perspective as based on this theory it would be logical to focus marketing efforts at these for a more effective result. For example it would not be cost-efficient for a business to waste money trying to advertise a product to a social group that tends to have limited internet access, i.e. older people. The third stage of the process ‘the evaluation of alternatives’ is probably the longest part of the decision making process in terms of time as the consumer has multiple factors to consider. At this point the consumer, given previous knowledge built up in the previous stage, now has to filter from the potentially hundreds of available possibilities. Perhaps using basic cost v benefits and perceived risk of alternatives, or even more complicated cognitive processes requiring more effort. The considered sets of choices are known as the ‘evoked set’ The fourth stage enters the output area of the decision making process, this is where the consumer has made a decision and makes the purchase from the set of possibilities acknowledged in the ‘evoked set’, this would be classed as a ‘trial purchase’ as the consumer has not previously tested the product. The other type of purchase would be the ‘repeat purchase’ in which the consumer skips steps of the process because they already have a want for the product due to already  using it and needing more (brand loyalty). Once purchased the next and final stage of the process would be ‘the post purchase evaluation’, consumers now evaluate their purchase decision, deciding whether they are totally happy with the product, or perhaps would have preferred one of the alternatives. At this point it is vital for the marketers to make sure the consumers feels they made the right decision in choosing their product, as next time they will take their business elsewhere. Psychological factors The psychological factors in the human psyche that influence the input stage of the model are key tools that a marketer can use to utilise their relationship with the consumer. A good understanding of each can help the marketer focus efforts based around the consumer’s way of thinking. Consumer Personality – this is what separates humans and reflects individual differences, personality is always consistent and enduring. Sigmund Freud famously split the complex subject into three interacting parts, ID, Superego and Ego. The ID being your basic needs (hunger, thirst and sex). Superego being the way the people act out their primitive needs in a socially acceptable manner (restraining impulsive ID feelings). Lastly the Ego is the consumer’s conscious ability to control the demands and constraints of the previous two. Freud believed that an individual’s successfulness in tackling each stage will in turn reflect personality. For example a person can be fixated in later life through a dissatisfaction of needs in development stages in early life. i.e. if a child does not feel loved when developing it could leave them striving to feel it in later life, or perhaps opposing this lead them to not seek love due to not experiencing it (a defining characteristic in any personality). From a marketers opinion a person could be easily manipulated in later life due to decisions they have made in earlier stages. Consumer Perception – â€Å"†¦the active psychological process in which stimuli are selected and organised into meaningful patterns†, (Buchanan, 1991). Perception is how humans interpret information they make pick up through sensations like sight, taste, hearing, smell and touch, and then respond to accordingly to create a perception. For example from the marketer’s perspective, it is crucial that the perception of their product or service to the consumer is good i.e. effective stimul i,  as if the consumer gains a bad perception of a good they will not wish to purchase. Marketers can seek to improve brand perception through trials i.e. if consumer enjoys the product they will re-purchase based on previous experience. This would be one example of assisting a consumer in a purchase. Consumer Learning – refers to a human’s capacity to pick up knowledge, through information or experience on a product, directly or indirectly i.e. a consumer does not have to have tried a product to have a perceived familiarity with it, they may know somebody who has a familiarity and has told them about it, given them enough of an understanding to either like or dislike it. The general idea that when a product is completely unknown to the consumer that the quality of it is reflected in price. Consumer Attitudes – An attitude in marketing terms is defined as a general evaluation of a product or service formed over time (Solomon, 2008). An attitude satisfies a personal motive—and at the same time, affects the shopping and buying habits of consumers. Dr. Lars Perner (2010) (Understanding Consumer Attitudes, 2010). For the marketers it is up to them to understand why certain attitudes exist and either work with them or seek to change them. Consumer Motivation – defined by Schiffman and Kanuk (2010) as being ‘the driving force within individuals that impels them to action’. It could be referred to as the processes that cause people to behave as they do, from a psychological need to how they seek to satisfy it. Marketers can use identified motives to develop a better marketing mix giving them a better targeted marketing strategy. The role of motivation Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Dr Abraham Maslow formulated this hierarchy of needs as a theory behind how human motivation works, a theory now widely accepted. Similarly to Freudian beliefs (the ID) that basic physiological needs have to be fulfilled in order to reach higher satisfaction. i.e. food, water, air, shelter and sex. Generally these needs are satisfied by the majority (unless homeless, then these would be entire needs). Once satisfied the next stage would lead to safety needs not only physical safety but also safety in terms of finance, stability, education etc. Once an individual believes the previous needs are  met they then consider social needs. These needs include love, affection and acceptance, all of which are socially desired by everyone as we are motivated to find good relationships. Once these needs are generally met, the ego needs of human nature come into play. The ego needs can be of two types, inward directed i.e. self-esteem, success, personal satisfaction, or outwardly directed ego ne eds such as prestige, status and reputation. The ultimate need is for humans to reach self-fulfilment, to become the best of their potential (according to Maslow this need is rarely satisfied because generally ego needs are not fully satisfied) Alderfer (1972) describes there being two types of needs, a basic need (innate), innate needs being the basic level of needs relating to survival i.e. hunger, thirst and sex, and also Acquired needs which are picked up in life as a response to the environment and cultures. A theory echoed by Freud and also Maslow. Although Alderfer revised the latter stages of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs by realising some of the middle stages overlap, confusion of these needs could lead a marketer to appeal to the wrong type of consumer. So Alderfer changed Maslow’s five stage process into a more simple three stage one, which is similar in the fact it represents levels of needs (pyramid). Although Alderfer’s model states that humans may be motivated by more than one need and non-reliant of satisfaction of each need for progression i.e. an artist who may place growth needs above existence. An article by Mark Rodgers called ‘Challenging Maslow’ refers to the period of time in which Maslow has created this theory on motivation, stating that given the time in which it was created would not depict modern views to human motivation. Rodgers believes that Maslow produced his theory in a time when his home country had just emerged from a world war and out of the greatest depression of the 20th century, needs at this time would be lower as in physiological and safety. Whereas nowadays with more than 50 years of economic growth, the average person enjoys a more stable lifestyle and allows them to have higher focused needs such as egoistic and self-actualization. (Rodgers, 2004) How marketers can apply understanding of these processes and motivation to assist consumers in purchasing decisions Developing on what has been previously touched upon it would be a fair  judgement to say that marketers have the ability to manipulate consumers entirely. Once they have understood consumers’ needs and wants they can use them again when producing a marketing plan to reposition a product or perhaps launch another. Using theories such as Maslow’s, marketers can advertise to specific motivational needs, using powerful marketing tools such as advertising. Advertisements are cues used to arouse needs, marketers therefore creates ads to aid consumer choices. Advertising techniques can attract attention by appealing to needs (innate) or perhaps having such an image to create a new need or desire (acquired). They can advertise a product to directly stimulate levels of motivation i.e. Maslow’s self-fulfilment or Freud’s super ego through making a product seem visually emphasised as a certain amount of perfection which would satisfy top level needs. Physiological arousal can be used to stimulate consumers most basic needs, for example a visually ‘sexy’ advertisement would attract the attention of most adults, or perhaps an advertisement of a new burger at a fast food chain would focus to basic biogenic hunger needs. Cleverly marketed an advert can appeal to multiple needs, making a product seem vital for a consumer to own as it is seen as satisfying many needs, creating a strong chance of consumers purchasing this product. Looking into an emotional arousal view of marketing it can be seen that a lot of charity based organisations use emotional advertising to trigger a sad response from the audience. For example an advert seeking to create an awareness and revenue for starving children of third world countries would seek to discomfort the viewer by highlighting their struggle to find satisfaction of their biological needs and contrast this with our perhaps unnecessary ego and self-fulfilment needs. This in turn triggers an emotional response, and perhaps self-disappointment which would lead the individual to donate sympathetically. Conclusion To conclude, there has been a build-up of various consumer decision based theory and framework in this report that helps give an understanding to how the processes work, leading into motivation and various theory and models behind them. The theory can be applied directly when producing a marketing mix or segmenting the market, as it offers a clear insight into how the  human mind operates when considering purchase decisions. Another key aspect of marketing, by gaining an understanding of the consumers wants and needs before creating a product and marketing campaign that could ultimately fail and cause substantial losses financially. Marketers nowadays have to be at the top of their game due to flooded markets with similar products they have to be able to communicate the benefits of their product to the consumer and how it may differentiate from competitors. Marketers have the ability to create a want for a product that would not previously have been desired and therefore have the ability to manipulate people’s needs throughout their lifetimes through this incredibly strong tool and the added benefit of ease of distribution channels of information through advancements in modern day technology.