The Information Age †Broadening the Gap between the Have’s and the Have Not’s :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Information Age – Broadening the Gap between the Have’s and the Have Not’s The rise of computer technology and the internet has had drastic impacts on how society now functions; it has become a major force in almost every aspect of society, from business, to entertainment, to education. The digital divide’s impact on education has completely changed the way students conduct their work, which has opened doors of knowledge for students that were once never considered possible, making the computer and internet an essential (and often the most important) tool for any student. But the rise of the availability of the computer and the internet has not been equally spread across the population, drastically disadvantaging some section, while giving other portions a somewhat unfair advantage. This is what is known as the digital divide, which is heavily present throughout North America , putting certain demographics at a disadvantage, while favouring others. The digital divide is formally defined as â€Å"the gap in Internet and computer usage between [the] rich and poor; anglos and minorities† (Straubhaar & LaRose, 5). This term became popular in the mid 1990’s, the same time as computers and the internet began to enter into mainstream society (Digital, 2004). The main minorities that are affected by the digital divide in North America are visible ethnic minorities, low-income families, the disabled, and the elderly. One of the main principles of the digital divide focuses on the every widening gap that is becoming more and more present across North America in the access and availability to computers and the internet. The reason why it is important to be aware of this gap is because the computer and the internet have become such an essential piece of what is now considered to be a ‘everyday’ technology. In developed countries, such as Canada and the United States ( North America ) computers and the internet have grown to become an almost essential technology. More and more jobs now require some sort of computer related knowledge or skills, especially in the professional field. Minorities are already under-represented in professional jobs, and the digital divide will help to continue that trend. If a certain minority group has little access to and knowledge of computers and the internet, they will be less likely to embrace it, and more likely to fear the technology, pushing them further down the ladder of ‘upward mobility’.

Is School Uniform A Good Idea Essay

Is school uniform a good idea? What is it good for? These questions are asked time and time again by pupils. In this essay I plan to explore the issue and discuss whether or not it’s a good or bad idea. Teens often complain and criticize about how uncomfortable school uniforms are and how they do not live up to their fashion standards. On the other hand, teachers argue that school uniform keeps students looking smart and the uniform helps identify any unknown person from entering the school, Furthermore students argue that everyone looks the same and the uniform is tedious and boring. A reason why school uniform is a good idea is it saves your clothes: but you’d like to show off your dear clothes. In my opinion I rather waste a two dollar primark top than 178 prada shirt, but obviously some people feel they would be bulled for not wearing dear clothes this is because in the society we now live in has a high demanad on having the â€Å"perfect† fashion look. On school outings teachers say that it’s easier to identify their students if they are wearing school uniforms, but this takes away the students creativeness, and they are unable to cnver their own style and wear what they feel comfortable in. Although some pupils will try and change their uniform to make them look more unique but teachers quickly catch on to this and demand that we wear what they call the â€Å"appropiate uniform†. Teens like to be different and have their own style but by schools demanding that everyone obeys the dress code, students will all look the same. An argument for school uniform is that if students were to wear what they like the less fortunate pupils would stand out and they would be bullied because they cannot afford the newest clothes, this would cause the bullying rate to go up and lower pupils self esteem and make them feel as if they cannot be themselves in scoiety. But I do think that if pupil were allowed to wear non-uniform the worry to have the latest fashion would in stages, fade away because everyone would get used to wearing normal clothes and then it wouldn’t be such a big thing not to wear uniform. Schools indubitably love uniform; in contrast to this view, students absolutely hate them! School s think uniform looks smart likewise so do most parents. In addition pupils sometimes do not follow the schools dress code and this makes teachers irate, and sometimes this leads up to pupils getting sent home. In recent years some schools have relaxed and accepted some different styles on the other hand some schools have strict rules that include girls only to wear skirts. I feel that making this demand some girls are being discriminated against because they might not want to wear a skirt because of their religion or they have a medical issue (skin problem). A reason for school uniform is that it makes the school look smart and represents the community. The usual uniform complies of a shirt, tie and trousers and also a sweatshirt for some people this is very uncomfortable: but this is a major improvement since the 1930’s when the uniform was restricted to a plain blazer and a shirt touched your ankles, and for p.e pupils were reduced to wearing underwear and basic sand shoes. Another good advantage of school uniform is that the big shop competitors like Asda and Tesco etc. Are competing with each other to provide good value uniforms for a better price this is also putting on pressur for the top range shops to reduce their prices to keep up with the cheaper ones. One disadvantage of school uniform is sometimes after the period of going back to school, the shops discontinue stocking the uniform and it makes it hard for the parents to buy a bigger size that there child has grown too, therefore a lot of pupils come into school not wearing uniform because it doesn’t fit them anymore. Sources say that a student in school uniform is more likely to take school seriously. Putting on school uniform signals that he/she wants to learn and that they are complying of the rules which you must undertake when you go to work. However some students don’t want to follow rules, forcing them to wear a uniform this only makes them more determined to be rebillious and wear what they want. In conclusion I think school uniform is a bad idea because it has no effect of the outcome at the end of the pupils school years however school uniform makes the school appear more pleasant and also makes the pupils look smart.

Different types of stereotyping Essay

In My essay I will discuss stereotyping and different types of stereotyping. I will discuss how in todays society people are stereotyped in different many ways. In today’s society, there are stereotypes for almost any groups that individuals belong to. At some point in any person’s life, they would have experienced stereotyping. For instance, it is often said that all African Americans are good at basketball, males are more aggressive than females, Lawyers are deceitful, and the list goes on. Stereotypes are so wide spread and used so often that they seem to be a natural behaviour for human beings. (Kassin, Fein, & Markus, 2008) So, what is stereotyping? Why do we categorize individuals into groups? How do stereotypes form? Are all stereotypes accurate summations of groups? These are some of the questions that are discussed in this essay. The purpose of this essay is to give a clear explanation of stereotyping. There is a discussion of a particular incident of stereotyp ing, and this incident is applied to theories relating to stereotyping. Finally, comments are given on the effectiveness of the theories of stereotyping. â€Å"Stereotyping is a form of pre judgement that is as prevalent in today’s society as it was 2000 years ago. It is a social attitude that has stood the test of time and received much attention by social psychologists and philosophers alike. Many approaches to, or theories of stereotyping have thus been raised. This essay evaluates the cognitive approach that categorisation is an essential cognitive process that inevitably leads to stereotyping. Hamilton (1979) calls this a ‘depressing dilemma’. â€Å" â€Å"The Psychology of Stereotyping David J. Schneider p37† â€Å"Brown’s (1995) definition of stereotyping through prejudice is the ‘holding of derogatory social attitudes or cognitive beliefs, the expression of negative affect, or the display of hostile or discriminatory behaviour towards members of a group on account of their membership to that group’. This definition implies that stereotyping is primarily a group process, through the individuals psyche’s within that group. A further idea of stereotyping, defined by Allport (1954) as ‘thinking ill of others without warrant’, is that people ‘make their mind up’ without any personal  experience. This pre judgement about a whole group is then transferred to the stigmatisation of any individuals in that group. It is these ideas that the essay aims to evaluate, through the cognitive process of categorisation and the above definitions that bring about three distinct features of stereotyping, that our cognition can be demonstrated through.â €  The New Economic Sociology: Developments in an Emerging Field (edited by Maruo F. Guillen, Randall Collins, Paula England p224,225)† Media Stereotypes â€Å"Media stereotypes are inevitable, especially in the advertising, entertainment and news industries, which need as wide an audience as possible to quickly understand information. Stereotypes act like codes that give audiences a quick, common understanding of a person or group of people—usually relating to their class, ethnicity or race, gender, sexual orientation, social role or occupation.† Stereotypes are deeply embedded in every society in numerous ways. The dictionary definition of a stereotype is â€Å"one that is regarded as embodying or conforming to a set image or type.† Stereotyping or Labeling is a technique that â€Å"attempts to arouse prejudices in an audience by labeling the object of the propaganda campaign as something the target audience fears, hates, loathes, or finds undesirable.† These stereotypes become so clichà © that they begin to form daily thoughts and views and one is unable to look beyond them. Racial stereotypes specifically function mostly through propaganda of the media, due to the unlikelihood of every man travelling to every country, using the technique of ‘misinformation’ through movies, shows, and news reports. Egyptians have been stereotyped as desert residents for many years regardless of the reality and actual state of Egypt as a country. For instance, the stereotypes pointing that Egyptians are mostly uneducated due to their ignorance of the importance of education is proven false by studies of trustworthy sources. Among those studies, the one conducted by the American university in Cairo , Egypt . Al-Ahram weekly, a credible newspaper known all across the Arab world, has posted in its October issue of 1998 the following: â€Å"According to Sahar El-Tawila, the principal researcher on the team, interviews conducted with girls and boys nationwide show conclusively that work and marriage were rarely stated by boys and girls respectively as reasons for leaving school. These may be options for those who have already left school, but they are not the impetus behind their decision to leave† (Al-Ahram 1998). â€Å"Remembering Cosmopolitan Egypt: Literature, Culture, and Empire By Deborah Starr page 183† Stereotypes can have excessive damage and it can have a very negative effect on the person in view or as a whole group. Stereotyping is not just another form of making fun of people, it also encourages rejection and outcast. Stereotyping is not only cruel and harmful to people, it can also have major effects on how a person behaves and acts towards other people. It also makes who ever is stereotyping look like a fool. It also forms barriers in communication and everyday life. Conclusion To conclude, the cognitive approach alone does not give us an understanding of stereotyping. However, it does anchor the fact that through our ‘natural’ thought processes we do categorise, which leads to stereotyping. It also highlights the importance of the individual and the group. There are, however, problems that have been overlooked by cognitive psychologists which we need to understand, in order to fully understand the ‘changing dynamics and nature of stereotyping in our society’ (Howitt, et al., 1989). There is also the need to look further than the causes of stereotyping and into its effects in order to understand the processes of our thought, of stereotyping. Bibliography (Al-Ahram 1998). The Psychology of Stereotyping David J. Schneider â€Å"The New Economic Sociology: Developments in an Emerging Field (edited by Maruo F. Guillen, Randall Collins, Paula England p224,225)† Remembering Cosmopolitan Egypt: Literature, Culture, and Empire By Deborah Starr