Thursday, January 30, 2020

Democracy and Technology Essay Example for Free

Democracy and Technology Essay While technologies such as the use of internet and e-democracy have made the dissemination of ideas quicker, they have also resulted in the increase in a groups power to manipulate general opinion. The technologies aiding democracy today, such as computers, satellites, radio, telephones and television have undeniably changed the face of modern democracy. What constitute positive spill outs of these technologies for democracy also in some cases have a detrimental effect on it. While it increases the reach among people and nations, enriching both formal and business communication, it also provides these opportunities to fundamentalists to create rumours and channels individuals or a group of people against democracy. However a little caution such as verifying the news from multiple sources will easily reveal these elements and thus the negative influence of misleading a large group of rational individuals can be easily curtailed. The rise in literacy level and the positive trend of e-democracy deepens the process of democracy and empowers the individuals not only to have a say in the election of their government as earlier, but also empowers the citizens to have greater say in the decision making process of the government. With increasing literacy levels, as the citizens become more aware of the power of technology, they will find it easier to organise themselves for pressing on social, economic and political reforms from the government at helm thus ushering a truly democratic era where the citizens role is not only limited to electing their representatives but also to correct them if they are being found negligent in fulfilling their duties. However for this to happen in the future, it should be ensured that technology and their benefits are not limited to a select few in the upper echelons of society and that they are made available to those at the lowest level for complete integration of the masses to the democracy. References Allison, Juliann Emmons. (2002). Technology, development, and democracy. SUNY Press.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Interview with a Social Service Manager Essay -- Interview Essays

It is Friday afternoon and I am walking from the bus station towards Dunkin Donuts to meet Regina Borden, the program coordinator of healthy family services of the Catholic Charity. I see white Toyota pulling up in front of me. Behind the steering wheel I see women in her fifties waiving her hand on me very warmly. I new it is her, Regina Borden, the person I am waiting for. Quite short, thin lady with a blond curly hair got out of the car. She walks towards me and shakes my hand. " I could have invited you to my office, but actually I manage three organizations, so I have three offices, and I exactly didn't know in which one I would be this afternoon, so I thought it would be the best just to meet you here. Is that ok?" said Borden. We walked into Dunkin Donuts and ordered two cups of tea. Borden seemed very indecisive in picking up the table where to sit. She seemed to look for the right one, the one with the right energy, the most comfortable one for both of us. As soon as we set down she apologizes for wearing such a casual dress with an explanation that she mostly works on the road, so she tries to stay comfortable at all the time. After her first, elegant sip of tea Borden told me about two other organizations she manages. Except working as a program coordinator of healthy family services, she is also a coordinator for a home based parenting literacy program as well as a yoga instructor in a healthy club. Borden, who has a master in psychology says. "I have always known what I want to do already at the university, where I was involved in many activities like assisting professors with a psychology researches, or assisting private psychologists in the hospitals" She characterizes herself a... ... After she says more seriously that she would like to see more money for the program and have better resources. She is also planning to have her own program with her own alternative ways. At the end I was curious how she reveals all the stress that she has to deal with many times. Borden looked at me with her deep eyes and says with her calming quiet voice. "I practice yoga and I also reveal my stress throughout the art therapy, which I also practice at home with my children as well." It is 9 pm and Borden is ready to go for another meeting. She gently throws away her empty cup from tea and holds the door for me to get outside. We shake our hands and Borden is slowly walking back towards her car. Before she opens the car door she turns and with an honest smile on her face says: " If you want to I would give you a ride back to the bus station."

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Letter from Birmingham Jail Essay

Since ancient times, promoters of justice have brought into play rhetorical strategies to persuade their opponents. On April 16, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter regarding the criticism several clergymen made, stating that the movements of nonviolent resistance to racism from Dr. King were â€Å"unwise and untimely†. In this letter King uses several rhetorical strategies but mainly he makes use of 3. In the first one, King uses an outside authority (Religion), given the fact that he is trying to persuade Christians. Second, Dr.  King appeals to emotion (Ethos), he tries to appeal to their human and goodness side. Third, King employs analogies to emphasize his argument against racism. With these three rhetorical strategies he tries to persuade the clergymen to take action on the injustice that is upon Birmingham against the Negroes. As stated previously, outside authority was used by Dr. King to appeal the clergymen of the racism taking action. Religion has the power to move such an enormous amount of people and this has been proven since the dawn of time. He know that this man obey the laws of God, knowing this he mentions he came to Birmingham for a good reason by saying Just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. (King, 819) With this quote he is making a religious analogy to make the clergymen understand that he is there for a good cause, a cause that is as good as Apostle Paul’s. Later on the letter, King compared his actions with Jesus Christ’s when he was called an extremist. But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love? (826) This is also a religious analogy, and here he wants to deliver the message of peace by comparing his actions with the ones Jesus did. He wants to make the clergymen understand that the one they follow would have done the same. Subsequently, Dr. King employs the rhetorical strategy called Ethos, which means emotion. He uses this tactics to make the clergymen see that the ones they’re segregating are not less than any other human being; he tries to appeal to their good side. King says â€Å"Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation say waitâ€Å"(821) And he then proceeds to quote his son who says â€Å"Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean? To make a point; make him see what an innocent mind thinks and how it affects him. He then proceeds to say When you take a cross country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in day out by nagging signs reading â€Å"white† and â€Å"colored†; when your first name becomes â€Å"nigger† and your middle name becomes â€Å"boy† and your last name becomes â€Å"John†, and your wife and mother are never given the respected title â€Å"Mrs. Then you’ll understand why we find difficult to longer willing to wait. (King, 821-822) These are one of the most powerful words this letter has to offer, he emphasizes what a negroe has to suffer day by day. King mentions this to make the clergymen see what it feels like to be segregated, to make them see how unjust it is. Throughout the entire essay Dr. King uses analogies to make his argument sound stronger and emphasize it. Not only does he uses religious analogies he uses historical analogies and geographical. He compares the USA with Africa and Asia â€Å"The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining †¦ independence, but we still creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. † (King, 821) he makes this analogy so they understand that other continents are already far beyond them, that this should have been dealt long ago. Later on he defends himself of the accusations of breaking the law for a good cause. He says â€Å"We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was legal and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was illegal. With this analogy he tries to let them know laws are not always correct and thus they have to be changes, and therefore the prohibition of segregation. In conclusion, King uses several rhetorical strategies to convince the clergymen that his actions are not â€Å"unwise and untimely† but the opposite. He gives them reasons to listen to him and convince them. The most important rhetorical strategies where religious appeal, emotion appeal and analogies. With this mix of rhetorical strategies he makes this letter one of the most important piece for the civil right movement.

Monday, January 6, 2020

Proactive Organizational Tips for Messy Student Desks

Neat desks are essential to help students build constructive study habits, organizational skills, and a clear mind for concentration. That positive feeling you get when you walk into your classroom in the morning and things are all straightened up from the afternoon before -- it works the same for students. When they have clean desks, they will feel good about school in general and the whole classroom has a better atmosphere for learning. Here are four organizational issues and the simple strategies that will help students keep their desks as neat and structured as possible.  Ã‚   1. Little Stuff is Everywhere The Solution: A plastic shoebox-size container, which can be bought at any big box store like Wal-mart or Target, is a cheap and lasting solution that keeps all of the little things together in one place. No more pencils, calculators, or crayons stuffed in the nooks and crannies of a desk. Once you buy a set of these containers, theyll last you years (and save you at least a dozen or more gray hairs!). 2. Loose Paper Explosions The Solution: If you look in your students desks and see countless loose papers flying all around, then you need a tried and true solution -- the Neat Folder. Its simple -- just give each student a folder in which to keep the loose papers that they will need again in the future. With all of the items consolidated, the inside of the desk assumes a more organized and sophisticated look. (Well, at least as sophisticated as a 30-year-old school desk can look.) Give students each color-coded folders that correlate with each subject. For example, a blue folder is for math, a red folder is for social studies, green  is for science, and orange is language arts. 3. There Isnt Enough Room The Solution: If there are simply too many items in your students desks, consider keeping some of the less-used books in a common area, to be distributed only when needed. Take a critical look at what youre asking children to store in their desks. If its too much for comfort, alleviate some of the items in competition for precious storage space. Every little bit makes a difference, so try creating space on the bookshelf just for student textbooks. This will help alleviate all of that extra clutter in their desks. 4. Students Just Wont Keep Their Desks Clean The Solution:  As soon as its tidied up, it transforms back into its formerly disastrous state. Some students just cant seem to keep their desks clean for any length of time.  Consider implementing a program of consequences and/or rewards to motivate the student to maintain the proper standards of desk cleanliness. Maybe the student has to miss recess, maybe he or she can work towards earning a privilege. Find a plan that works for that student and stick to it. Edited by Janelle Cox