The Society of Mr. Sirianni’s Classroom
Journal #15
Over the course of the year I have personally learned many new things, some of which I will hopefully use in later life. The course was good, but the teacher made it very interesting, making me always look forward to going to second period. The classroom was like a society in many ways, everyday people eating, and communicating with each other. Some days, people would sleep as if it were there home, and other days people would do nothing. However, there were some days were people actually did work.
At first I wanted to drop the class as the workload seemed to be so great, but after sticking through all the hard times, like a battle from the movie Troy, I managed to come out on top like Achilles, and I am definitely glad that I stayed, as the class was very enjoyable.
It was a tremendous experience, and I’m sure everyone enjoyed the topics and class discussions as much as I did. Although we had plenty of time to do all these journals, they were cramping my style, although I guess some work was needed to be done… Joking, some stuff was actually accomplished, and I learned how to analyze books, movies, and songs, along with activating group discussions. These skills could become very important in later life such as University, and so I thank you, Mr. Sirianni for all the great memories. Also in a few more days, I will be graduating by the looks of things, so you know what that means: ) Best of luck in the future, although no class will be as awesome as ours.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Hunting
Hunting
Journal #14
Is hunting right or is it wrong?
There is a fine line between what is right and what is wrong. I think it depends on what you are hunting for. If you have a good reason than it should be allowed. Hunting for trophies is the most pointless reason anyone can have for hunting. If a person is hunting for survival, and food is needed than hunting should be allowed.
Hunting endangered species should be completely forbidden. The people with sick minds that like to kill endangered species just for fun or for wealth also have something wrong with them. If animal hunting is allowed, then some people could see humans as animals and decide to hunt them as well. It is pretty easy to get a hunting licence or gun nowadays, especially since you can purchase stuff illegally, which makes it easier to kill animals.
Animals that lay lots of eggs and have high reproduction rates should be hunted sometimes so that we can maintain their populations. However, if they have a decrease in population then the hunting should cease until they have managed to reproduce their population.
If there is a need for an animals fur, then they should not be hunted for it, unless the hunter will use every single part of the animal, and only kill the elderly ones that can no longer reproduce. Also there should be a limit of how many can be killed per season and each time one is killed it should be recorded so that the populations can be controlled effectively.
In the end, hunting should only be done if it is absolutely necessary, and only in small amounts. The populations of the animals should always be maintained carefully to avoid any extinction.
Journal #14
Is hunting right or is it wrong?
There is a fine line between what is right and what is wrong. I think it depends on what you are hunting for. If you have a good reason than it should be allowed. Hunting for trophies is the most pointless reason anyone can have for hunting. If a person is hunting for survival, and food is needed than hunting should be allowed.
Hunting endangered species should be completely forbidden. The people with sick minds that like to kill endangered species just for fun or for wealth also have something wrong with them. If animal hunting is allowed, then some people could see humans as animals and decide to hunt them as well. It is pretty easy to get a hunting licence or gun nowadays, especially since you can purchase stuff illegally, which makes it easier to kill animals.
Animals that lay lots of eggs and have high reproduction rates should be hunted sometimes so that we can maintain their populations. However, if they have a decrease in population then the hunting should cease until they have managed to reproduce their population.
If there is a need for an animals fur, then they should not be hunted for it, unless the hunter will use every single part of the animal, and only kill the elderly ones that can no longer reproduce. Also there should be a limit of how many can be killed per season and each time one is killed it should be recorded so that the populations can be controlled effectively.
In the end, hunting should only be done if it is absolutely necessary, and only in small amounts. The populations of the animals should always be maintained carefully to avoid any extinction.
Violence
Violence
Journal #13
Violence is always increasing in the communities. With increased violence on television, video games, and Internet, it is making the newer generations become more violent. it is extremely easy to view any type of violence, and it can even be expressed to smaller age groups now.
Many video games come out, and a lot are about shooting and fighting. Even with the ratings on the front for adults only, children still manage to get hold of these games. They just need a brother or sister, or even parents t go pick it up for them. Sometimes the stores might not even check for identification, which makes it even easier to achieve. The violence in the games promotes children to bring it out into real life situations, and they don’t think that anything is wrong with it.
Television is probably the easiest place to access violence, with children being able to view almost any channel they want. Even if parent put locks on some of the channels that that feel are too violent, children can find ways around this. For some receivers just pulling out the cord or unplugging it can reset the locks, which makes it extremely easy to watch violent shows. Show like C.S.I. and Dexter show violence and blood, which if children are too young and don’t know what’s going on, can see this as something fun to do as they grow up.
The Internet is also an extremely easy way to view violence. No parent can possibly block every site in the world, and children can even you video sites such as youtube. On youtube you can view many high school fights, and some sites even teach the basics of fighting.
We are in a lazy generation, where parents are concerned less with where their children go, and what they watch or play. As children are in their learning stages, they pick up many things that are either right or wrong, and the only way to learn is to have somebody around for them.
Journal #13
Violence is always increasing in the communities. With increased violence on television, video games, and Internet, it is making the newer generations become more violent. it is extremely easy to view any type of violence, and it can even be expressed to smaller age groups now.
Many video games come out, and a lot are about shooting and fighting. Even with the ratings on the front for adults only, children still manage to get hold of these games. They just need a brother or sister, or even parents t go pick it up for them. Sometimes the stores might not even check for identification, which makes it even easier to achieve. The violence in the games promotes children to bring it out into real life situations, and they don’t think that anything is wrong with it.
Television is probably the easiest place to access violence, with children being able to view almost any channel they want. Even if parent put locks on some of the channels that that feel are too violent, children can find ways around this. For some receivers just pulling out the cord or unplugging it can reset the locks, which makes it extremely easy to watch violent shows. Show like C.S.I. and Dexter show violence and blood, which if children are too young and don’t know what’s going on, can see this as something fun to do as they grow up.
The Internet is also an extremely easy way to view violence. No parent can possibly block every site in the world, and children can even you video sites such as youtube. On youtube you can view many high school fights, and some sites even teach the basics of fighting.
We are in a lazy generation, where parents are concerned less with where their children go, and what they watch or play. As children are in their learning stages, they pick up many things that are either right or wrong, and the only way to learn is to have somebody around for them.
Adoption
Adoption
Journal #12
During a fellow classmates intense class discussion about adoption, many views of the point were discussed. The point was brought up of whether we should tell our kids if they were adopted or not. If we should tell our kids then what age should we do it at, and why should we tell our kids. Will it make them sadder, or less happy in the situation they are in now?
During the class discussion, many different approaches about the topic were taken. Some people said that if children were to learn that they were adopted at earlier ages, it could allow for them to be happy with their new parents more, especially since they decided to tell the truth. It could also cause them to be angry with the parents, and express feelings that state there not the real parents. However, some people may be more happy if you tell them, and then if they want to seek out their birth parents they can, and if they were happy with the fact that their adopted parents took them over the birth parents, then they might not have any reason to seek out the birth parents.
I think that the children should get to know if they are adopted, and they should be told when they start asking a lot of questions, like ‘where do babies come from?’ or ‘why babies come and are needed?’ This is the learning state of the child, and if you tell them at a younger age they will feel as if you never hid anything from them. However they might not feel as loved, as they are not mature yet, but over time they could realize that you cared for them more than the birth parents because you took care of them.
Although it could depress a child, it had good benefits too, and I think that a child would be much happier in the end knowing the truth. It will be hard for the parent to express this to their children, but I believe that it will mean a lot to them. However, I do not have kids, and do not know how most feel, but I personally would want my parents to tell me at a younger age.
Journal #12
During a fellow classmates intense class discussion about adoption, many views of the point were discussed. The point was brought up of whether we should tell our kids if they were adopted or not. If we should tell our kids then what age should we do it at, and why should we tell our kids. Will it make them sadder, or less happy in the situation they are in now?
During the class discussion, many different approaches about the topic were taken. Some people said that if children were to learn that they were adopted at earlier ages, it could allow for them to be happy with their new parents more, especially since they decided to tell the truth. It could also cause them to be angry with the parents, and express feelings that state there not the real parents. However, some people may be more happy if you tell them, and then if they want to seek out their birth parents they can, and if they were happy with the fact that their adopted parents took them over the birth parents, then they might not have any reason to seek out the birth parents.
I think that the children should get to know if they are adopted, and they should be told when they start asking a lot of questions, like ‘where do babies come from?’ or ‘why babies come and are needed?’ This is the learning state of the child, and if you tell them at a younger age they will feel as if you never hid anything from them. However they might not feel as loved, as they are not mature yet, but over time they could realize that you cared for them more than the birth parents because you took care of them.
Although it could depress a child, it had good benefits too, and I think that a child would be much happier in the end knowing the truth. It will be hard for the parent to express this to their children, but I believe that it will mean a lot to them. However, I do not have kids, and do not know how most feel, but I personally would want my parents to tell me at a younger age.
Sexting
Sexting
Journal #11
During a brilliant class discussion, done by Mr. Sirianni of course, the article that discussed sexting came up. So what is sexting? Sexting is the practice of teens taking naked photos of themselves and sending them to friends by using their cellular phones. So why is it bad? It is usually done by underage people, which creates a problem, and increases the amount of sexual desire between people.
Sexting creates real problems when, lets say for example, a girl sends her boyfriend a picture of herself, and something happens between them, and he ends up sending everyone this picture. This creates a snowball effect, where the girl becomes embarrassed, her parents become embarrassed, and sometimes it may never go away. Teenagers should not be using their phones for ‘sexting’ as it can get them into serious trouble, and possible even charges or arrests may occur.
However, the boundary of sexting can be carried a little too far. You can get in trouble for wearing bathing suits, which is apparently just as bad as bras and other necessities. Sometimes, sexting should be up to the people that do it. They know the risks that their photos can be leaked anytime and anywhere, so it’s all personal choice. Although the easiest way would be to just cut down on the amount of sexting that is occurring.
Personally, I don’t see the reason why sexting occurs. If someone is going to be satisfied by looking at a 1-inch screen than they have problems themselves. Then perhaps they need to go out and see the real stuff for once in their lives. Sexting should be banned, and anyone caught doing it should get a fine or penalty for doing such things. It only leads to more problems and complications as unwanted things may appear in certain places, such as pictures on peoples’ phones you would never want to have pictures of yourself on. The only solution is to stop sexting.
Journal #11
During a brilliant class discussion, done by Mr. Sirianni of course, the article that discussed sexting came up. So what is sexting? Sexting is the practice of teens taking naked photos of themselves and sending them to friends by using their cellular phones. So why is it bad? It is usually done by underage people, which creates a problem, and increases the amount of sexual desire between people.
Sexting creates real problems when, lets say for example, a girl sends her boyfriend a picture of herself, and something happens between them, and he ends up sending everyone this picture. This creates a snowball effect, where the girl becomes embarrassed, her parents become embarrassed, and sometimes it may never go away. Teenagers should not be using their phones for ‘sexting’ as it can get them into serious trouble, and possible even charges or arrests may occur.
However, the boundary of sexting can be carried a little too far. You can get in trouble for wearing bathing suits, which is apparently just as bad as bras and other necessities. Sometimes, sexting should be up to the people that do it. They know the risks that their photos can be leaked anytime and anywhere, so it’s all personal choice. Although the easiest way would be to just cut down on the amount of sexting that is occurring.
Personally, I don’t see the reason why sexting occurs. If someone is going to be satisfied by looking at a 1-inch screen than they have problems themselves. Then perhaps they need to go out and see the real stuff for once in their lives. Sexting should be banned, and anyone caught doing it should get a fine or penalty for doing such things. It only leads to more problems and complications as unwanted things may appear in certain places, such as pictures on peoples’ phones you would never want to have pictures of yourself on. The only solution is to stop sexting.
Racism
Racism
Journal #10
Unfortunately, our world consists of a large amount of racism. What is racism? Racism is the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races. Racism appears in many forms, from people being to prejudice or people having too much discrimination.
When we discussed the black and white proms, and how they each have their own proms set on different dates, I was astonished that this could still happen in today’s societies. Prom is the last school dance of the year for school, and you should get to enjoy it with any of your friends, no matter their colour or their race. Also, the fact that the white prom was held before the black prom is pure discrimination, what are they saying, that white people are better than black people?
Since the prom was student organized, they should have realized that they wanted to be with their friends, and did one prom. Not only would this have allowed for cheaper costs of not having rent the dance area twice, but also it would allow for everyone to feel equally.
No teacher should ever be allowed to be racist. If a teacher showed even the slightest racial mark then they should be fired immediately on the spot, what gives them the right to express their racism and grade different races with lower marks than other races.
However, racism will continue to exist as long as we continue to separate cultures and races of the world. As Morgan Freeman said on 60 minutes, the only way to get rid of racism is to “stop talking about it”. I definitely agree with Freeman, and think that we should all treat each other equally.
Journal #10
Unfortunately, our world consists of a large amount of racism. What is racism? Racism is the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races. Racism appears in many forms, from people being to prejudice or people having too much discrimination.
When we discussed the black and white proms, and how they each have their own proms set on different dates, I was astonished that this could still happen in today’s societies. Prom is the last school dance of the year for school, and you should get to enjoy it with any of your friends, no matter their colour or their race. Also, the fact that the white prom was held before the black prom is pure discrimination, what are they saying, that white people are better than black people?
Since the prom was student organized, they should have realized that they wanted to be with their friends, and did one prom. Not only would this have allowed for cheaper costs of not having rent the dance area twice, but also it would allow for everyone to feel equally.
No teacher should ever be allowed to be racist. If a teacher showed even the slightest racial mark then they should be fired immediately on the spot, what gives them the right to express their racism and grade different races with lower marks than other races.
However, racism will continue to exist as long as we continue to separate cultures and races of the world. As Morgan Freeman said on 60 minutes, the only way to get rid of racism is to “stop talking about it”. I definitely agree with Freeman, and think that we should all treat each other equally.
Low Fertility
Low Fertility
Journal #9
I think the having low fertility is bad for the economy because we need to have population. Sure, having to many people is also bad, because it increase the amount of food, shelter, and health care needed, but having too small of world population would also be bad. I think that we should find a prefect population that maintains all societies, and then keep it that way by having two kids per family, which will replace the parents. In the case that some people die from diseases or premature deaths, then some families can have three kids to maintain the population. Right now we seem to have a good size population, and perhaps even too many people at some points, which could be causing us to go into recession.
If we had low fertility rates, I feel that scientists would find ways to reproduce more people. Like in Brave New World, where all the people are processed at different levels and get to work different jobs. They are all happy at the levels they work at too so the societies seem to be perfect. Alphas get the good jobs, and Deltas and Epsilons get the dirty jobs like Mike Rowe on his show Dirty Jobs.
In the article, which I did not receive somehow, but it mentions “Whether population declines, stabilizes, or grows more slowly, the change in age structure produced by lower fertility and longer life expectancy may be the most important demographic influence on sustainability..” which apparently represents the article in a nut shell, thanks to Jason blog. As of now we do not know what is going to happen, and so it will make our future more exciting, as we will have to adapt to the changes. If the fertility rates are too low then we might need to look to scientific methods to reproduce more, and if they are to high then perhaps everyone will go to war over simple things like shelter and food supplies.
Article: “Low Fertility and Sustainability” - Martha Farnsworth Riche
Journal #9
I think the having low fertility is bad for the economy because we need to have population. Sure, having to many people is also bad, because it increase the amount of food, shelter, and health care needed, but having too small of world population would also be bad. I think that we should find a prefect population that maintains all societies, and then keep it that way by having two kids per family, which will replace the parents. In the case that some people die from diseases or premature deaths, then some families can have three kids to maintain the population. Right now we seem to have a good size population, and perhaps even too many people at some points, which could be causing us to go into recession.
If we had low fertility rates, I feel that scientists would find ways to reproduce more people. Like in Brave New World, where all the people are processed at different levels and get to work different jobs. They are all happy at the levels they work at too so the societies seem to be perfect. Alphas get the good jobs, and Deltas and Epsilons get the dirty jobs like Mike Rowe on his show Dirty Jobs.
In the article, which I did not receive somehow, but it mentions “Whether population declines, stabilizes, or grows more slowly, the change in age structure produced by lower fertility and longer life expectancy may be the most important demographic influence on sustainability..” which apparently represents the article in a nut shell, thanks to Jason blog. As of now we do not know what is going to happen, and so it will make our future more exciting, as we will have to adapt to the changes. If the fertility rates are too low then we might need to look to scientific methods to reproduce more, and if they are to high then perhaps everyone will go to war over simple things like shelter and food supplies.
Article: “Low Fertility and Sustainability” - Martha Farnsworth Riche
Sick-O
Sick-O
Journal #8
After watching Sick-O, my views on the health care system had managed to change. I do not enjoy the idea of how difficult it is to actually get health care in places like North America. Even if you have insurance, they make it so hard to achieve the proper medication that you could end up dying before they would even think about giving you the proper treatment. However, I think that the health care agencies should care about the people, because the people support the agencies with their insurance money.
I like how the health care system works in places like Europe, where they actually care about the people of the societies. Their health care system allows for you to stay in their hospitals for free, they make sure you are provided with the proper medication, and they even pay for you gas money to get to the hospital. I think that every country should have a health care system like this, because the people of the country are the most important part to maintaining their societies. The people support the governments by paying the tax, and they support the economy by purchasing the items.
The film showed us how hard some families have in the United States, where some families must always continue to work just to keep their insurance, or the fact that their health care doesn’t cover everything. An example of this is when the guy cut of two of his fingers and had to decide which one was more important to attach. This would be an extremely difficult choice for anyone to make, especially since it was his ring finger and middle finger. He had to decide what was more important, giving people the finger, or using the ring finger to keep his wedding ring on.
The health care system should be provided for free to all the people of the society, as the society needs to keep the people alive in order to maintain societies and keep them functioning.
Journal #8
After watching Sick-O, my views on the health care system had managed to change. I do not enjoy the idea of how difficult it is to actually get health care in places like North America. Even if you have insurance, they make it so hard to achieve the proper medication that you could end up dying before they would even think about giving you the proper treatment. However, I think that the health care agencies should care about the people, because the people support the agencies with their insurance money.
I like how the health care system works in places like Europe, where they actually care about the people of the societies. Their health care system allows for you to stay in their hospitals for free, they make sure you are provided with the proper medication, and they even pay for you gas money to get to the hospital. I think that every country should have a health care system like this, because the people of the country are the most important part to maintaining their societies. The people support the governments by paying the tax, and they support the economy by purchasing the items.
The film showed us how hard some families have in the United States, where some families must always continue to work just to keep their insurance, or the fact that their health care doesn’t cover everything. An example of this is when the guy cut of two of his fingers and had to decide which one was more important to attach. This would be an extremely difficult choice for anyone to make, especially since it was his ring finger and middle finger. He had to decide what was more important, giving people the finger, or using the ring finger to keep his wedding ring on.
The health care system should be provided for free to all the people of the society, as the society needs to keep the people alive in order to maintain societies and keep them functioning.
Obamination Presentation: School Uniforms, are they Good or Bad?
Obamination Presentation: School Uniforms, are they Good or Bad?
Journal #7.
After many difficulties and obstacles had risen while we were creating our super intense project, we finally managed to overcome what was preventing us from presenting. Picking up a third group member made things more challenging, despite people thinking that it would be easier because of more brainpower. However more problems occur with more group members, it becomes harder to stay focused, and we could never manage to get all of the group together on the same day. Finally, one day on a dark and lonely night, where only cars could be seen driving around town, and after some delicious Red Lobster, we all managed to get together. Although this only lasted about 20 minutes, which turned out to be the craziest 20 minutes of my life, due to some of the most messed up music I ever heard. Jason and Jess were like crazily listening so ‘crazy frog’ or something like that, and from that point on I knew it was going to be a long night. Things then turned in my favour, as one of our group members decided to go play strip poker, apparently… although I personally don’t think that they did, the only person that I know would play with her is Jason and he was right there.
Despite the many complications of this, Jason and I had managed to create a slideshow, and after 6 hardcore hours of concentration, we managed to produce an awesome slideshow. Even though we were stuck in Jason’s sisters room, which was bright orange and crazy, we had managed the impossible, and so when we left we were both feeling proud of what we had managed to accomplish. However, the night before, I asked Jason if I could look at the slide again, since it was saved on his computer, and as he sent it we realized that it was too small in size to be complete. When I opened the file it had only out first 4 slides saved and at this point, Jason and I started to freak out a little bit. With only about 11 hours to presentation, we did not think that we would make it, and since 8 or more of those hours were needed for sleep it would not be started until the morning.
The next morning, during Jason’s communication technology class, he managed to reproduce the slideshow and added some personal touches to it. I felt that the discussion went well, with everyone adding his or her own views to the topic. In conclusion, most people felt that having the school uniform was not the way to go, as they were expensive and cliques would still be able to form. There would also be a need for clothes outside of school, and eventually new clothes for college, university, or the work force. In the end, school uniforms equal no go.
Journal #7.
After many difficulties and obstacles had risen while we were creating our super intense project, we finally managed to overcome what was preventing us from presenting. Picking up a third group member made things more challenging, despite people thinking that it would be easier because of more brainpower. However more problems occur with more group members, it becomes harder to stay focused, and we could never manage to get all of the group together on the same day. Finally, one day on a dark and lonely night, where only cars could be seen driving around town, and after some delicious Red Lobster, we all managed to get together. Although this only lasted about 20 minutes, which turned out to be the craziest 20 minutes of my life, due to some of the most messed up music I ever heard. Jason and Jess were like crazily listening so ‘crazy frog’ or something like that, and from that point on I knew it was going to be a long night. Things then turned in my favour, as one of our group members decided to go play strip poker, apparently… although I personally don’t think that they did, the only person that I know would play with her is Jason and he was right there.
Despite the many complications of this, Jason and I had managed to create a slideshow, and after 6 hardcore hours of concentration, we managed to produce an awesome slideshow. Even though we were stuck in Jason’s sisters room, which was bright orange and crazy, we had managed the impossible, and so when we left we were both feeling proud of what we had managed to accomplish. However, the night before, I asked Jason if I could look at the slide again, since it was saved on his computer, and as he sent it we realized that it was too small in size to be complete. When I opened the file it had only out first 4 slides saved and at this point, Jason and I started to freak out a little bit. With only about 11 hours to presentation, we did not think that we would make it, and since 8 or more of those hours were needed for sleep it would not be started until the morning.
The next morning, during Jason’s communication technology class, he managed to reproduce the slideshow and added some personal touches to it. I felt that the discussion went well, with everyone adding his or her own views to the topic. In conclusion, most people felt that having the school uniform was not the way to go, as they were expensive and cliques would still be able to form. There would also be a need for clothes outside of school, and eventually new clothes for college, university, or the work force. In the end, school uniforms equal no go.
Demographer David Foot on Health Care for the Future
Demographer David Foot on Health Care for the Future
Journal #6
#1. What impact does David Foot believe the aging baby boom generation will have on health care in communities such as Toronto?
David Food believes that the aging baby boom generation will have an impact on the health care system, especially in communities such as Toronto. The boomers make up about a third of Toronto’s population, and they probably make up third of other major cities around the province. Since the baby boomer population is becoming older, and they are in great numbers, when they become sick they affect the health care system in great number, which becomes really expensive for the community. This is also causing the amount of health care to be increased, which is increasing the amount of tax. Since there is lower amount of health care right now, and it is hard to get, it increases the tax that the newer generation will have to pay, and it makes it harder on a community if a third of the population cant work or pay for their own medication.
#2. What solutions does he propose to deal with these issues?
David Foot proposes that the government starts to act to increase the amount of health care. However, the government prefers to ignore demographics, but if they keep delaying the importance of the health care system, by 2021 the aging boomers will be so large in numbers that the government will not be able to ignore it. The government will need to ‘reconstruct’ their systems, and they will have to do it with budgets.
#3. Do you agree with his predictions and solutions? Explain why or why not.
I agree with David Foot’s predictions and solutions. I think that the aging boomers will have he impact on the health care system, and since they have large numbers in every community, everyone will be affected. We will not be able to ignore the problem, and the only solution is for the government to increase the amount of health care, because the government should care for the people of the community, as the people support the government.
Journal #6
#1. What impact does David Foot believe the aging baby boom generation will have on health care in communities such as Toronto?
David Food believes that the aging baby boom generation will have an impact on the health care system, especially in communities such as Toronto. The boomers make up about a third of Toronto’s population, and they probably make up third of other major cities around the province. Since the baby boomer population is becoming older, and they are in great numbers, when they become sick they affect the health care system in great number, which becomes really expensive for the community. This is also causing the amount of health care to be increased, which is increasing the amount of tax. Since there is lower amount of health care right now, and it is hard to get, it increases the tax that the newer generation will have to pay, and it makes it harder on a community if a third of the population cant work or pay for their own medication.
#2. What solutions does he propose to deal with these issues?
David Foot proposes that the government starts to act to increase the amount of health care. However, the government prefers to ignore demographics, but if they keep delaying the importance of the health care system, by 2021 the aging boomers will be so large in numbers that the government will not be able to ignore it. The government will need to ‘reconstruct’ their systems, and they will have to do it with budgets.
#3. Do you agree with his predictions and solutions? Explain why or why not.
I agree with David Foot’s predictions and solutions. I think that the aging boomers will have he impact on the health care system, and since they have large numbers in every community, everyone will be affected. We will not be able to ignore the problem, and the only solution is for the government to increase the amount of health care, because the government should care for the people of the community, as the people support the government.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Forces that Influence Social Change
There are many factors that can affect what causes a society to change, and why it causes this change. The change can occur differently for each society. One of the most important components to social change was the emergence of the charismatic leader. These leaders would have different types of visions and styles that they believed would make the society perfect to their terms. I do not like the idea of this because what one leader wants may not be the best for the rest of the people. For example Hitler and his beliefs that the world could not have any Jewish people, and that people with blue eyes and brown hair were considered to be perfect. This however was not what the people needed. Instead of wasting time and money trying to make this so called ‘perfect’ community, there could have been a more important leader who was trying to provide food and shelter to those without homes, education for those who could not afford it, and jobs for everyone that was without one. This would have made a far more better, and advanced community that would probably have turned out very successful. With the termination of many people, there population greatly decreased, along with the respect to every human that should be equal.
Changes to the society are not only caused by the leader, but they can also be caused by the people of the society. If a culture has very little money, and is almost to the point of ‘powerless’, the population can slow the change of the society if they do not agree to their leaders’ views. This is good for the people of the society because it gives them a chance to resist against the leader if they feel he is not doing something right or a good enough of a job.
Another factor that affects a society is the ‘disenfranchised’ groups of people. These groups of people include people who do not adopt to change easily, also known as ‘alienation’. Also, the unemployed people are included in this ‘alienation’ group of people. They are considered in this group because they are not living up to their full potential as human beings, and are not making the change happen, as it should. I think that every person should try there hardest to work, and there should be no need for the homeless people. I believe that it is all choice, and for example in Canada right now there are many people in Toronto that are currently struggling to live. If they would just get a job, even working minimum wage then they could manage to survive much better than they are now.
Discrimination can play a huge part in the change of a society. There are many minorities, which do not seem to get the full privileges that everyone else does. However this is starting to occur less in modern times, as we now have a new president of African American descent. However it still must be improved because we still refer to him as an African American, although as Mike was saying in class, why not see him as the better of two people running for president. I believe that we still have some time to go before we start saying this and treat everyone as an equal.
Change will always continue to happen, and societies and leaders will always change, whether there views or their beliefs, and it will most likely never be a perfect society.
Changes to the society are not only caused by the leader, but they can also be caused by the people of the society. If a culture has very little money, and is almost to the point of ‘powerless’, the population can slow the change of the society if they do not agree to their leaders’ views. This is good for the people of the society because it gives them a chance to resist against the leader if they feel he is not doing something right or a good enough of a job.
Another factor that affects a society is the ‘disenfranchised’ groups of people. These groups of people include people who do not adopt to change easily, also known as ‘alienation’. Also, the unemployed people are included in this ‘alienation’ group of people. They are considered in this group because they are not living up to their full potential as human beings, and are not making the change happen, as it should. I think that every person should try there hardest to work, and there should be no need for the homeless people. I believe that it is all choice, and for example in Canada right now there are many people in Toronto that are currently struggling to live. If they would just get a job, even working minimum wage then they could manage to survive much better than they are now.
Discrimination can play a huge part in the change of a society. There are many minorities, which do not seem to get the full privileges that everyone else does. However this is starting to occur less in modern times, as we now have a new president of African American descent. However it still must be improved because we still refer to him as an African American, although as Mike was saying in class, why not see him as the better of two people running for president. I believe that we still have some time to go before we start saying this and treat everyone as an equal.
Change will always continue to happen, and societies and leaders will always change, whether there views or their beliefs, and it will most likely never be a perfect society.
Anthropology
Anthropology is the broad study of human kind throughout the world and time, including biological aspects and cultural aspects of it. A culture is the range of learned human behaviour and patterns. Anthropologists’ jobs are to prove or disprove what we, the people, believe to be true.
I personally like the idea of different cultures and how they eat, survive, and have different customs. This makes every single culture on this planet unique in its own way. It also gives people the freedom to express things they believe in and show how much they really care for their cultures. For people of different cultures, it gives them a chance to experience what other cultures are like when they go to visit them, a chance to see how they practice their customs and go about life. It even allows for you to try new things such as foods, and the possibility of new sports. This is called linguistic anthropology when you experience the way culture works from first hand experience.
Something that makes a cultural so interesting is the fact that they can always be expanded and improved with new information. Cultures can also become multicultural where they make other cultures feel as if they are at home when they are in another culture. They do this by letting people practice their own customs and religion, and they serve the types of foods that they have in their own countries. It also gives the people that do not travel too much the chance to try things that other cultures have, without actually leaving their own culture.
The anthropologists learn how other cultures operate by taken observations of how cultures work, and they take collections of statistics from them. They also take interviews of people from different cultures, and by gathering a lot of information they find out of cultures work. All of this work is known as “ethnography”, where they gather scientific descriptions of individual societies. I believe that it is important for the anthropologists to study how these cultures and societies work because if a culture in order for it to succeed, they must know everything about the past and find any problems that could prevent expansion or anything that could diminish populations due to lack of belief in a culture. An example of this could be an item such as food, and it being used up too much, or the increase in the belief of same sex marriages where there will be a decline in newborns being created. This could eventually cause a culture to die of from society. So if anthropologists study this and the beliefs, they can alter the way that some things happen, causing a society to live up to its potential.
Since anthropologists do so much to help preserve our societies I believe that they are very important to our society, as they tend to make it a more ideal place to live. I also found it interesting that anthropologists do so much, and it was an interesting unit to learn.
I personally like the idea of different cultures and how they eat, survive, and have different customs. This makes every single culture on this planet unique in its own way. It also gives people the freedom to express things they believe in and show how much they really care for their cultures. For people of different cultures, it gives them a chance to experience what other cultures are like when they go to visit them, a chance to see how they practice their customs and go about life. It even allows for you to try new things such as foods, and the possibility of new sports. This is called linguistic anthropology when you experience the way culture works from first hand experience.
Something that makes a cultural so interesting is the fact that they can always be expanded and improved with new information. Cultures can also become multicultural where they make other cultures feel as if they are at home when they are in another culture. They do this by letting people practice their own customs and religion, and they serve the types of foods that they have in their own countries. It also gives the people that do not travel too much the chance to try things that other cultures have, without actually leaving their own culture.
The anthropologists learn how other cultures operate by taken observations of how cultures work, and they take collections of statistics from them. They also take interviews of people from different cultures, and by gathering a lot of information they find out of cultures work. All of this work is known as “ethnography”, where they gather scientific descriptions of individual societies. I believe that it is important for the anthropologists to study how these cultures and societies work because if a culture in order for it to succeed, they must know everything about the past and find any problems that could prevent expansion or anything that could diminish populations due to lack of belief in a culture. An example of this could be an item such as food, and it being used up too much, or the increase in the belief of same sex marriages where there will be a decline in newborns being created. This could eventually cause a culture to die of from society. So if anthropologists study this and the beliefs, they can alter the way that some things happen, causing a society to live up to its potential.
Since anthropologists do so much to help preserve our societies I believe that they are very important to our society, as they tend to make it a more ideal place to live. I also found it interesting that anthropologists do so much, and it was an interesting unit to learn.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Theorists and Theory Response
B.F. Skinner had many theories about how social situations work. He believed that the use on certain consequences could be used to modify and shape behaviour. There were three types of consequences, which are reinforcement, where consequences occurs more frequently, punishment that occurs less frequently, and extinction that was the lack of any consequence. Then there were positive and negative reinforcement, which would also act as a consequence, which would either increase or decrease the frequency of the behaviour. Skinners theories helped social trends in many ways. It allowed for teachers to teach better, by using positive reinforcement. It also explained obstacles that could occur, and how they could be overcome.
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov and Skinner had a similar theory. Pavlov spent much of his time studying what would cause the secretion of the salvia, and how the conditioned reflexes would affect the brain. He did he experiments by testing dogs with food, and when the dog seen the food it would begin to salivate, and after being fed so many times by the researches in white lab clothes the dogs would begin to salivate. Pavlov then struck a bell whenever the dogs where about to eat and eventually they would begin to drool after the sound of the bell without food. Pavlov then came up with the conclusions that the dogs response was not due to physiological process that were automatic, but their reflexes became automatic.
Skinner tested his theory with a rat or a pigeon inside of a cage. There would then be a light that would go on and the animal would have to press a lever. This would then give water, food, a shock, or nothing at all. The animal then learned after some time to press the levers for food and water, and not get shocked. Skinner believed that this animal behaviour could be studied and compared with human behaviour. Both Skinner and Pavlov performed their theories on animals and linked them to human characteristics. Also both of these theorists believed that the consequences of behaviour are linked together and can be learned through repletion, which their experiments ended up showing.
Pavlov’s theory to behaviourism involved ‘Classical Conditioning’ which he developed as “learning by association.” He developed the terms of unconditioned and conditioned stimulus and response to make better understanding of his theory. The unconditioned stimulus was something that would naturally trigger a response where as the conditioned stimulus would be neutral and become triggered with responses from repetition. The unconditioned response was something that was unlearned and would occur automatically with the response of the unconditioned stimulus, while the conditioned response was the new learned response. He preformed and proved these theories with his ‘drooling dogs.’
Skinner and Pavlov both developed different theories on behaviourism, but to me they came up with the same principle that animal behaviour could be studied and compared with human behaviour. They both managed to prove these theories and it helps explain some social trends in our society today.
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov and Skinner had a similar theory. Pavlov spent much of his time studying what would cause the secretion of the salvia, and how the conditioned reflexes would affect the brain. He did he experiments by testing dogs with food, and when the dog seen the food it would begin to salivate, and after being fed so many times by the researches in white lab clothes the dogs would begin to salivate. Pavlov then struck a bell whenever the dogs where about to eat and eventually they would begin to drool after the sound of the bell without food. Pavlov then came up with the conclusions that the dogs response was not due to physiological process that were automatic, but their reflexes became automatic.
Skinner tested his theory with a rat or a pigeon inside of a cage. There would then be a light that would go on and the animal would have to press a lever. This would then give water, food, a shock, or nothing at all. The animal then learned after some time to press the levers for food and water, and not get shocked. Skinner believed that this animal behaviour could be studied and compared with human behaviour. Both Skinner and Pavlov performed their theories on animals and linked them to human characteristics. Also both of these theorists believed that the consequences of behaviour are linked together and can be learned through repletion, which their experiments ended up showing.
Pavlov’s theory to behaviourism involved ‘Classical Conditioning’ which he developed as “learning by association.” He developed the terms of unconditioned and conditioned stimulus and response to make better understanding of his theory. The unconditioned stimulus was something that would naturally trigger a response where as the conditioned stimulus would be neutral and become triggered with responses from repetition. The unconditioned response was something that was unlearned and would occur automatically with the response of the unconditioned stimulus, while the conditioned response was the new learned response. He preformed and proved these theories with his ‘drooling dogs.’
Skinner and Pavlov both developed different theories on behaviourism, but to me they came up with the same principle that animal behaviour could be studied and compared with human behaviour. They both managed to prove these theories and it helps explain some social trends in our society today.
How Technology Affects Society
To a society, we have learned that technology has more than one meaning. It can be with a reference to a tool or object, and also the ‘means of extending human abilities’. I believe that technology can greatly affect the way a society forms, and as we get into more modern and state of the art types of technology, the society can change more rapidly then we expect. Inventions have a great affect on a society, and depending how advanced it is, it could change cultures at exponential rates. Some examples of these inventions are things like the automobile, the computer, and the Internet.
The automobile has probably been one of the most biggest influences to change the way a society functions. It has given men and women a way a travelling, the ability to go wherever they want, like a new sense of freedom. It allowed for the population to start to spread away from cities and start creating new society in rural areas. This all allowed extensive growth, and in the beginning societies believed that cars were an efficient way of travelling as compared to horses. There would also be fewer roads clean up from the horses, and new transit pathways that could connect cities to other ones. This could also bring about another societies beliefs into someone else’s society and things could be learned that may have not been known to people before. I believe that if something can change a society as quickly as the automobile did, it can also end many societies in the same way. As there is an increase in the use of automobiles in modern civilization we are noticing a create increase in pollution, and as of now many companies are going bankrupt due to the inevitable increase in gas price. This is causing an enormous snowball effect that is affecting every society causing recessions. On top of all that, the pollution from the cars is increasing at exponential rates and within the next fifty years it will go off the charts of what we are used to seeing. This will probably cause another ice age which will affect the way that most societies function.
Another great invention that has affected many societies is the invention of the computer and the Internet. These two things combined have allowed us to communicate with virtually anyone and anywhere in the world. Computers are getting relatively cheap now as compared to what they used to be, so almost any and every family has at least one computer in their family. Computers can also be used to design many new concepts and designs that we use today, such as things from designing more efficient cars, calculation toxins in the atmosphere, or even creating new structures that could eventually become a new place for a society to begin. As with all the benefits of something there is always a negative side. With computers some people have to power to control things, and hack into equipment that should not be touched. An example of this could be satellite systems, and with the control of being able to spy on others, it could start massive wars that could end up going nuclear. This would greatly change the way our society functions.
With the world becoming more modernized and advanced, many characteristics of how societies function change. In modern societies, the changes that occur happen more rapidly than they did before. This affects more people than it did before too as the size of the populations have increased. Also we tend to live closer to cities now as opposed to rural places, and there is an increase for the need of education today. The way our society functions today as compared to traditional societies has greatly changed and probably will continue to keep on changing in the future. Technology can go so far, and societies will never be perfect.
The automobile has probably been one of the most biggest influences to change the way a society functions. It has given men and women a way a travelling, the ability to go wherever they want, like a new sense of freedom. It allowed for the population to start to spread away from cities and start creating new society in rural areas. This all allowed extensive growth, and in the beginning societies believed that cars were an efficient way of travelling as compared to horses. There would also be fewer roads clean up from the horses, and new transit pathways that could connect cities to other ones. This could also bring about another societies beliefs into someone else’s society and things could be learned that may have not been known to people before. I believe that if something can change a society as quickly as the automobile did, it can also end many societies in the same way. As there is an increase in the use of automobiles in modern civilization we are noticing a create increase in pollution, and as of now many companies are going bankrupt due to the inevitable increase in gas price. This is causing an enormous snowball effect that is affecting every society causing recessions. On top of all that, the pollution from the cars is increasing at exponential rates and within the next fifty years it will go off the charts of what we are used to seeing. This will probably cause another ice age which will affect the way that most societies function.
Another great invention that has affected many societies is the invention of the computer and the Internet. These two things combined have allowed us to communicate with virtually anyone and anywhere in the world. Computers are getting relatively cheap now as compared to what they used to be, so almost any and every family has at least one computer in their family. Computers can also be used to design many new concepts and designs that we use today, such as things from designing more efficient cars, calculation toxins in the atmosphere, or even creating new structures that could eventually become a new place for a society to begin. As with all the benefits of something there is always a negative side. With computers some people have to power to control things, and hack into equipment that should not be touched. An example of this could be satellite systems, and with the control of being able to spy on others, it could start massive wars that could end up going nuclear. This would greatly change the way our society functions.
With the world becoming more modernized and advanced, many characteristics of how societies function change. In modern societies, the changes that occur happen more rapidly than they did before. This affects more people than it did before too as the size of the populations have increased. Also we tend to live closer to cities now as opposed to rural places, and there is an increase for the need of education today. The way our society functions today as compared to traditional societies has greatly changed and probably will continue to keep on changing in the future. Technology can go so far, and societies will never be perfect.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Why Study how Society Functions?
Over the course of the year we have been studying societies and how they work. We have learned about different ways that societies work, what affects them and how changes are brought about. After reading the prologue titled “A Tale of Two Farms”, and watching Al Gores “The Inconvenient Truth” some of these theories to why we study how societies functions become clear to us.
When we study how a society function we learn about mistakes that we have made, are making now or will end up making in the future. There are many questions as to how a society functions. How can some of the biggest and most powerful cavitations that existed thousands of years ago fail? Could it be the fact that once a population reaches a certain size, where the technology is increased at exponential rates and food source starts to become depleted due to the fact that there are too many people? Once a food supply runs low then people start to starve, recessions could occur where money is not worth anything and people are just trying to make it though another day not even know what the next is going to bring them. Eventually just ruins could be left of the greatest civilizations, ruins have already been left by some of greatest, and this is perhaps what was trying to be described in the poem “Ozymandius” by Shelley. One theory as to why these great colonies seem to diminish over time could be the possibility of ‘global warming.’ When people have higher demands of everything, the world tries to produce more to satisfy the people’s needs. However this effect is starting to show more by the increase use of cars, increased manufacturing of goods, which causes more toxins to be released into the air, and the fact that people are not taking care of the world like they should be. Al Gores “The Inconvenient Truth” goes into great detail about how we are tearing the world apart. Over the past years we have been causing more destruction to the atmosphere and producing more carbon particles that are messing up the ozone layer. This affects everything on planet Earth. As sunrays come though the layer and bounce of the glacier they reflect back up to the ozone but can not escape and are then reflected down again. This causes the atmosphere to get warmer, which disturbs the jet streams, and airflow that results in different current flow in the ocean. This entire problem put together causes disturbances, such as bigger hurricanes, which is resulting in millions of dollars of damage to countries. Also as it gets warmer the ice bergs start to melt, and instead of sun being reflected of the ice it will be absorbed into the water cause the ice to melt at exponential rates. This will disturb the home for many animals and it is already greater affecting polar bears that cannot even find land and end up drowning in the water. Over the past few years we have been noticing a great increase in the heat of the years, and have been producing some of the hottest years recorded. In the end this will cause yet another ice age, which is how, many societies will fall, and new societies will be created. We must learn to change our society so that we do not affect the planet in the way that we do. There have been some things, which are resulting in better results, but if we do not act in the next 50 years then according to Al Gore the results will be catastrophic. Some of these things have been the increase of hybrids, using solar, sun, and hydro energy. If we try and everyone works together then we can bring down the amount of toxins in the air to a reasonable amount, but if we do not then what will happen to our kids, and there kids and so on?
In the article “The Tale of Two Farms” the author studies how one society can effect another even if its thousands of miles away. It is important to know why this happens because it affects everyone. What if both societies died due to a lack or food or global warming? This could create a chain effect that could wipe out civilization. In Al Gores presentation he provided us with facts about the past thousands of years showing a natural occurrences in the temperate with ice ages occurring at certain times. However, over the past 50 years we have been going outside of this limit and at the rate we are going we will be extremely out of this limit in the next 50 years. So we must learn how to study and prevent obstacles like this from occurring.
In conclusion I think that it is extremely important to study how society functions, because how we have arrived to this time we have evolved from other societies and learned from our mistakes. In order to advance more into the future we will need to know how our society works, what we can do to make it better, and fix any mistakes before they cause chaos or problems. If we do not prevent the global warming and other effects that are occurring then there might not ever be any more societies to study, and the world will fade, population will cease to live or be created. We are in dangerous water right now.
When we study how a society function we learn about mistakes that we have made, are making now or will end up making in the future. There are many questions as to how a society functions. How can some of the biggest and most powerful cavitations that existed thousands of years ago fail? Could it be the fact that once a population reaches a certain size, where the technology is increased at exponential rates and food source starts to become depleted due to the fact that there are too many people? Once a food supply runs low then people start to starve, recessions could occur where money is not worth anything and people are just trying to make it though another day not even know what the next is going to bring them. Eventually just ruins could be left of the greatest civilizations, ruins have already been left by some of greatest, and this is perhaps what was trying to be described in the poem “Ozymandius” by Shelley. One theory as to why these great colonies seem to diminish over time could be the possibility of ‘global warming.’ When people have higher demands of everything, the world tries to produce more to satisfy the people’s needs. However this effect is starting to show more by the increase use of cars, increased manufacturing of goods, which causes more toxins to be released into the air, and the fact that people are not taking care of the world like they should be. Al Gores “The Inconvenient Truth” goes into great detail about how we are tearing the world apart. Over the past years we have been causing more destruction to the atmosphere and producing more carbon particles that are messing up the ozone layer. This affects everything on planet Earth. As sunrays come though the layer and bounce of the glacier they reflect back up to the ozone but can not escape and are then reflected down again. This causes the atmosphere to get warmer, which disturbs the jet streams, and airflow that results in different current flow in the ocean. This entire problem put together causes disturbances, such as bigger hurricanes, which is resulting in millions of dollars of damage to countries. Also as it gets warmer the ice bergs start to melt, and instead of sun being reflected of the ice it will be absorbed into the water cause the ice to melt at exponential rates. This will disturb the home for many animals and it is already greater affecting polar bears that cannot even find land and end up drowning in the water. Over the past few years we have been noticing a great increase in the heat of the years, and have been producing some of the hottest years recorded. In the end this will cause yet another ice age, which is how, many societies will fall, and new societies will be created. We must learn to change our society so that we do not affect the planet in the way that we do. There have been some things, which are resulting in better results, but if we do not act in the next 50 years then according to Al Gore the results will be catastrophic. Some of these things have been the increase of hybrids, using solar, sun, and hydro energy. If we try and everyone works together then we can bring down the amount of toxins in the air to a reasonable amount, but if we do not then what will happen to our kids, and there kids and so on?
In the article “The Tale of Two Farms” the author studies how one society can effect another even if its thousands of miles away. It is important to know why this happens because it affects everyone. What if both societies died due to a lack or food or global warming? This could create a chain effect that could wipe out civilization. In Al Gores presentation he provided us with facts about the past thousands of years showing a natural occurrences in the temperate with ice ages occurring at certain times. However, over the past 50 years we have been going outside of this limit and at the rate we are going we will be extremely out of this limit in the next 50 years. So we must learn how to study and prevent obstacles like this from occurring.
In conclusion I think that it is extremely important to study how society functions, because how we have arrived to this time we have evolved from other societies and learned from our mistakes. In order to advance more into the future we will need to know how our society works, what we can do to make it better, and fix any mistakes before they cause chaos or problems. If we do not prevent the global warming and other effects that are occurring then there might not ever be any more societies to study, and the world will fade, population will cease to live or be created. We are in dangerous water right now.
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