2020 Freshman Essay Questions - UGA Undergraduate Admissions

2020 Freshman Essay Questions - UGA Undergraduate Admissions 2020 Freshman Essay Questions Every year, our office reviews the freshman application for changes that we would like to see for the next year. During this review, we also look at the short essay questions that are required for First Year applicants. Based on our review of the essays from last year, we are keeping the essay prompts the same as last year. We require one short essay that all applicants must complete, and four additional short essay topics with the applicant selecting to respond to one of these. These two essays should be between 200-300 words and remember to focus on substance and not word count. Before submitting your application and essays, always remember to proofread and edit! The First Year application will be available on September 1, but we thought that some people would want to know the essay prompts earlier than that date. Based on the essays we read last year, we do have one suggestion Please remember your audience. For some reason, we had a large number of essays about bodily functions t his year, and while these might be good stories for late night gatherings with friends, they might not be the best admission essays. Here are the five essay questions, with Essay 1 being required and Essays 2-5 being four options from which the applicant selects one. (Required)The college admissions process can create anxiety. In an attempt to make it less stressful, please tell us an interesting or amusing story about yourself from your high school years that you have not already shared in your application. Essays 2-5,Choose one of the following four: UGA’s 2017 Commencement speaker Ernie Johnson (Class of ’79) told a story from his youth about what he refers to as blackberry moments. He has described these as“the sweet moments that are right there to be had but we’re just too focused on what we’re doing …, and we see things that are right there within our reach and we neglect them.Blackberry moments can be anything that makes somebody else’s day, that makes your day, that are just sweet moments that you always remember.” Tell us about one of your “blackberry moments” from the past five years. What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What is the best part? What advice would you give to a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)? Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it. Describe a problem, possibly related to your area of study, which you would like to solve. Explain its importance to you and what actions you would take to solve this issue. I have also included a sample essay from this past application cycle to give you an example of what we consider a strong essay, and it is from interesting or amusing story prompt. January appeared bittersweet. Exhilaration filled my body with new year jitters and reminders that half a school year remained. Sadness marinated as winter break ended, and 3AM bedtimes became nonexistent. I walked through my home in fuzzy socks, hoping school would delay itself one more week! My Christmas presents no longer had much of my time, and I struggled finding the coziest jacket for ice-cold temperatures. As Christmas time floated away, I began to cherish the moments. The night of January 2nd, I was wide awake as if Santa would arrive. I shared stories on FaceTime with my friend and smothered myself in warm blankets. The night grew old, and I dozed off into a cozy slumber. Around 8:30 AM, I was awakened by my 21-year-old brother. Confused and half-awake, cranky was an understatement, because my 3 AM bedtime never fibbed. He informed me that someone was outside to meet me! Immediately, I stumbled from my bed to get dressed. I raced down the stairs to meet someone special to my heart. I slung the door open and embraced the gorgeous sight. A neat blanket lay on the grass, as if for a picnic. Words were not spoken, but soft whispers tickled my ears. I heard the echo of a pale, booming voice. On January 3rd, he swaddled me, and cold air trickled down my spine. Chill bumps ran vigorously around my body, and shrieks escaped my lips as he tickled my face. We danced on the ground like there was no tomorrow. South Georgia had been invited to a party hosted by the snow! Although sixteen, I felt six years old on January 3rd. I threw majestic snowballs, named my snowman, and created beautiful snow angels. Snow had not met Baxley, Georgia in eight years. I was more than elated to attend the meeting! I embraced the moment that I knew could possibly never happen again. Abnormal but beautiful, many memories were made. Jackets were warm enough, and winter break concluded beautifully. I am not so sure that the beginning of January will be bittersweet ever again. Jahnae N., Baxley, GA. Good luck with your essays, and Go Dawgs!

Michel Foucault Biography and Intellectual History

Michel Foucault (1926-1984) was a French social theorist, philosopher, historian, and public intellectual who was politically and intellectually active until his death. He is remembered for his method of using historical research to illuminate changes in discourse over time, and the evolving relationships between discourse, knowledge, institutions, and power. Foucault’s work inspired sociologists in subfields including sociology of knowledge; gender, sexuality and queer theory; critical theory;  Ã‚  deviance and crime; and the sociology of education. His most well-known works include Discipline and Punish, The History of Sexuality, and The Archaeology of Knowledge. Early Life Paul-Michel Foucault was born to an upper-middle-class family in Poitiers, France in 1926. His father was a surgeon, and his mother, the daughter of a surgeon. Foucault attended Lycà ©e Henri-IV, one of the most competitive and demanding high schools in Paris. He recounted later in life a troubled relationship with his father, who bullied him for being â€Å"delinquent.† In 1948 he attempted suicide for the first time and was placed in a psychiatric hospital for a period. Both of these experiences seem tied to his homosexuality, as his psychiatrist believed his suicide attempt was motivated by his marginalized status in society. Both also seem to have shaped his intellectual development and focus on the discursive framing of deviance, sexuality, and madness. Intellectual and Political Development Following high school Foucault was admitted in 1946 to the École Normale Supà ©rieure (ENS), an elite secondary school in Paris founded to train and create French intellectual, political, and scientific leaders. Foucault studied with Jean Hyppolite, an existentialist expert on Hegel and Marx who firmly believed that philosophy should be developed through a study of history; and, with Louis Althusser, whose structuralist theory left a strong mark on sociology and was greatly influential to Foucault. At ENS Foucault read widely in philosophy, studying the works of Hegel, Marx, Kant, Husserl, Heidegger, and Gaston Bachelard. Althusser, steeped in the Marxist intellectual and political traditions, convinced his student to join the French Communist Party, but Foucaults experience of homophobia and incidences of anti-semitism within it turned him off. Foucault also rejected the class-centric focus of Marx’s theory, and never identified as a Marxist. He completed his studies at the ENS in 1951 and then began a doctorate in the philosophy of psychology. For the next several years he taught university courses in psychology while studying the works of Pavlov, Piaget, Jaspers, and Freud; and, he studied relationships between doctors and patients at Hà ´pital Sainte-Anne, where he had been a patient after his 1948 suicide attempt. During this time Foucault also read widely outside of psychology into shared interests with his long-term partner, Daniel Defert, which included works by Nietzsche, Marquis de Sade, Dostoyevsky, Kafka, and Genet. Following his first university post, he worked as a cultural diplomat at universities in Sweden and Poland while completing his doctoral thesis. Foucault completed his thesis, titled â€Å"Madness and Insanity: History of Madness in the Classical Age,† in 1961. Drawing on the work of Durkheim and Margaret Mead, in addition to all of those listed above, he argued that madness was a social construct that originated in medical institutions, that it was distinct from true mental illness, and a tool of social control and power. Published in abridged form as his first book of note in 1964, Madness and Civilization is considered a work of structuralism, strongly influenced by his teacher at ENS, Louis Althusser. This, along with his next two books, The Birth of the Clinic and The Order of Things showcase his historiographical method known as â€Å"archaeology,† which he also used in his later books, The Archaeology of Knowledge, Discipline and Punish and The History of Sexuality. From the 1960s on Foucault held a variety of lectureships and professorships at universities around the world, including the University of California-Berkeley, New York University, and the University of Vermont. During these decades Foucault became known as an engaged public intellectual and activist on behalf of social justice issues, including racism, human rights, and prison reform. He was very popular with his students, and his lectures given after his induction into the Collà ¨ge de France were considered highlights of intellectual life in Paris, and always packed. Intellectual Legacy Foucaults key intellectual contribution was  his deft ability to illustrate that institutions--like science, medicine, and the penal system--through the use of discourse, create subject categories for people to inhabit, and turn people into objects of scrutiny and of knowledge. Thus, he argued, those who control institutions and their discourses wield power in society, because they shape the trajectories and outcomes of peoples lives. Foucault also demonstrated in his work that the creation of subject and object categories is premised on hierarchies of power among people, and in turn, hierarchies of knowledge, whereby the knowledge of the powerful is considered legitimate and right, and that of the less powerful is considered invalid and wrong. Importantly, though, he emphasized that power is not held by individuals, but that it courses  through society, lives in institutions, and is accessible to those who control institutions and the creation of knowledge. He thus considered knowledge and power inseparable, and denoted them as one concept, knowledge/power. Foucault is one of the most widely read and frequently cited scholars in the world.

Essay on The Matrix - 1072 Words

The Matrix The Matrix is a science fiction movie about artificial intelligence computers replacing mankind. I believe that this movie is a common type of display from the media is common paranoia so that they can get a reaction from people and sell their story. In the case of The Matrix, the movie dazzles people with awesome special effects using modern computer technology, which I find ironic. I find it self-conflicting and hypocritical for the media to use modern computer technology for their own good to show people how bad technology is. Amy Bruckman and Howard Rheingold would probably find this movie interesting in that it disagrees and agrees with certain aspects about their beliefs about the use of computers. The Matrix†¦show more content†¦At the end of the movie he does so and saves all of mankind from the A.I. Only a superhero could save the common man from the Matrix. Throughout all of this the watcher of the movie is experiencing the newest and most advanced form of computer, digital computer special effects up to this point in time. I find that the underlined theme of the movie is that A.I. is bad. I also see that the good people in the movie used lots of advanced technology that was not A.I. to help Neo in his quest to defeat the Matrix. So I think that the movie suggests that there is no point in developing technology to great extents because one day it will catch up to us and possibly be the end of us. It seems to me that Rheingold would see no such problem as this in the future and technology could only benefit mankind. He suggests that online communities are good. He designed the Well, which is a place online where people can find chatrooms to find an online community that suits their needs. For example, in his article in Cyberspace he shows how his daughter had a tick and his online community helped him to remove it faster then his doctor could call him back, thereby benefiting his daughter by removing the tick and himself because he needed not pay the doctor to perform the task. Nowhere in his article does he show how there is any bad in online communities. He only shows more specific examples to support his argument. I am not suggestingShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Matrix2824 Words   |  12 Pages The Matrix Interweaves much symbolism, mythology, philosophy, and psychology. On the surface, the movie challenges the dominance of technology in our culture and predicts an apocalyptic result from the use of artificial intelligence. Yet, behind the human struggle for survival is a mythical backdrop upon which are backlit some of C.G. Jungs basic ideas regarding the human psyche. These Jungian ideas include the ego-Self relationship and how it relates to the persona, the shadow, individuation,Read MoreEssay about The Matrix1338 Words   |  6 Pagestantalizing movie, quot;The Matrixquot;, a breed of AI computers takes over the world. It harvests human embryos in laboratories called quot;fieldsquot;. It then feeds them through grim looking tubes and keeps them immersed in gelatinous liquid in cocoons. This new quot;machine speciesquot; derives its energy needs from the electricity produced by the bil lions of human bodies thus preserved. A sophisticated, all-pervasive, computer program called quot;The Matrixquot; generates a quot;worldquot;Read MoreThe Matrix Essay899 Words   |  4 PagesCompare and Contrast The Matrix with the readings from Plato and Descartes. What are some similarities and differences? An Essay Submitted to Jason Elvis BY Williestine Harriel Liberty University online September 24, 2012 Compare and Contrast The Matrix with the readings from Plato and Descartes. What are some similarities and differences? After reading The Matrix, and reading from Plato and Descartes, I find that there are some similarities and differencesRead MorePlato And The Matrix Essay1463 Words   |  6 PagesIn â€Å"The Matrix† and Plato’s Phaedo and Republic questions of what makes up a whole and fulfilling life are answered. Both The Matrix and Plato provide alternate forms of reality, one that is based on truth and is fulfilling and one that is based on a false reality that offers false forms of fulfillment. The Matrix and Plato show the difference of living a life in a true reality and a â€Å"fake† reality where everything inside this reality is fake making the lives inside this reality fake. True educationRead MoreEssay about The Matrix1131 Words   |  5 PagesThe Matrix Written and directed by the Wachowski brothers, ‘The Matrix’ is a science fiction film, which was released in the year 1999. It was the first film to use the now famous camera technique of ‘bullet time’ and also introduced wirework martial arts into conventional cinemas. Its vision of the future is similar to other science fiction films such as ‘Men In Black’ with the agents always wearing sunglasses and the idea of man vs. machine\evil. In the openingRead More The Matrix Essay1310 Words   |  6 Pages The Matrix In 1999 directors/writers Larry and Andy Wachowski (Bound) made a dark and often disturbing Science Fiction film, The Matrix. With the production expertise of Joel Silver (Commando, Predator, Lethal Weapon series, and Die Hard series), Andrew Mason (The Crow, Dark City) and Barrie M. Osborne (Face/Off, The Fan, Childs Play), The Matrix is sure to be a favorite among Science Fiction movie fans for years to come. The Matrix won the Oscar award in all four categories it was nominatedRead MoreEssay on The Matrix577 Words   |  3 PagesThe Matrix The Matrix has been doing remarkably well in sales since its release in the cinema last summer and its recent video releases. This is largely due to stylish advertising techniques and word of mouth. The Matrix has been approved by critics who enjoy the film and also the ones who dislike the theme. Among young viewers, it has already achieved great status. So what else is the film about? Firstly the film copies the theme from many popular films that came before it, and involves intelligentRead MoreEssay on There is No Escaping the Matrix1916 Words   |  8 PagesThere is No Escaping the Matrix In the video game world anything is possible, and if your player dies you can always play again. The videogame industry is exploding in the market place; its far from childs play and far from the days of pong. In the most recent issue of Entertainment Weekly (December 6, 2002) there is an article, Video Game Nation, discussing a new video game experience being touted as the wave of the future, The Real World meets The Matrix. In this virtual world called TheRead MoreThe Matrix And The Allegory Of The Cave1513 Words   |  7 PagesThe Matrix and the Allegory of the Cave focus on one central idea: What is real?. They engage the audience in a fictional world where people live in false realities without knowing it. They make us question our own knowledge. Their storylines connect in that the protagonist discovers that everything he knows is a big lie and now he must discover the truth. The protagonist is thrown all of the sudden into the real world and then, he continues to seek the ab solute truth. Neo and the prisoner inquireRead MorePlato, Descartes, and the Matrix603 Words   |  3 Pagesthis information as reality. The movie The Matrix is based on the Brain in the Vat. The Matrix, Rene Descartes, Meditation I Of The Things Of Which We May Doubt and Plato’s, â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave,† all hold similarities to the Brain in the Vat; therefore they hold similarities to each other. Although they hold similarities to each other there are also some differences between these three reasons. The similarities between the movie The Matrix, Plato’s cave analogy and Descartes’ Meditation

Stefan’s Diaries The Craving Chapter 17 Free Essays

The reception was held in a different grand hall. My brother, Lydia, Bridget, and I formed a receiving line by the entrance to thank and greet our guests. Damon put it on a bit, bowing and pretending to know people he didn’t. We will write a custom essay sample on Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 17 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Compelling them into thinking he was an old friend, no doubt. While Bridget showed off her ring, Lydia gave everyone warm kisses or handshakes or smiles, whatever their relationship dictated. She even laughed when Bram tried to snatch a â€Å"farewell† kiss. Bridget stood by her side, beaming with what looked like genuine joy. â€Å"Thank you for coming today,† I said time and time again, the words tasting like chalk on my tongue. â€Å"We’re so glad you could come celebrate with us. My thanks for being here today. Pleased to meet you, thank you so much for being here.† â€Å"Stefan Salvatore?† demanded a matron in an almost unmoving thick gray silk dress and pearls, holding on to my hand for longer than was strictly necessary. She pronounced the e at the end of my last name and fixed me with an eye as stony as her skirts. â€Å"Yes, ma’am,† I said, giving her as warm a smile as I could. â€Å"Of the Florentine Salvatores? Prince Alessandro?† â€Å"I’m not rightly sure, ma’am,† I answered, trying to keep my smile. â€Å"When my father came to this country he declared himself an American. He didn’t keep up with our old relations.† Her eyes widened and her grip on my hand became loose. â€Å"An immigrant. How charming.† She didn’t smile and pulled her hand out of my grasp, moving on. Several hundred people later we finally got to sit down. The bride and groom’s table was festooned with palm fronds and garlands of huge flowers, and was covered with every expensive delicacy you could want to eat – or show off that you could afford. There was a seafood appetizer of oysters and other delicacies including Scottish smoked salmon and Russian caviar. Then came a main course that consisted of an absolutely staggering number of dead animals: roast beef, quail, venison, pheasant, woodcock, duck, lamb, roast pork, hot and cold, braised and grilled, minced and sauteed, sliced and in pies. It was all crowned off by a wedding cake, five tiers of the finest fruitcake covered in fondant and decorated with scrolls, swoops, columns, and sugar birds. The black-jacketed waiters poured glass after glass of champagne, and everyone chatted gaily. But my muscles were tied in knots. The â€Å"wedding† was officially over. Damon and I were legally married into the Sutherland family. It was only a matter of time before he began the next phase of his plan – whatever that ended up being. â€Å"Darling, get me a glass of water, would you?† Lydia was asking my brother, touching him tenderly on the cheek. â€Å"In some ceremonies, it’s the lady’s place to love, honor, and obey. Shouldn’t you be getting one for me, little wife?† he smiled, but in a way I didn’t like. â€Å"Of course! Anything for you, dear,† Lydia said. â€Å"Water, wine†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Blood?† Damon prompted. Lydia laughed. â€Å"If you wish, it’s my command.† Bridget didn’t eat any of the expensive repast, leaping up from the table constantly to talk to her friends, holding out her hand and showing off her ring. I spent most of dinner nervously pushing very expensive food around a very expensive plate with a very expensive, very heavy silver fork, never taking my eyes off Damon. As dessert came out, Bram took pity on me and sat down in Bridget’s place for a moment. â€Å"Congrats, old chap,† he said, shaking my hand. â€Å"You and Damon snagged two of the best New York has to offer.† I nodded miserably. â€Å"Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland are just terrific. And Margaret†¦ well, she’s a spitfire, but I trust you’ll be able to win her over eventually.† My head snapped up. â€Å"Have you noticed anything, er, odd about Margaret?† Bram had known the Sutherlands since he was born. Perhaps he had some insight into what made Margaret able to withstand Damon’s charms. Bram scratched his floppy black curls. â€Å"Odd?† â€Å"Yes, she’s different from the others. Stronger,† I said leadingly. Bram let out a rueful laugh. â€Å"That’s for sure. One time when we were younger, I stole her favorite doll to use it as a nurse in a war game with my brother. I swear, the look she gave me! She didn’t even have to touch me to send a painful shock through my entire body. Needless to say, I never played with her toys again.† â€Å"She was able to hurt you without touching you?† I pressed, trying to put the pieces together. But just then, Winfield tapped me on the shoulder and nodded toward a back room. Damon came with us, a mock-serious look on his face. As we quietly filed past the guests and down a side corridor, I strained to look out the windows. Through trees and towers I could see the mighty Hudson and the Palisades, a golden sun shining down on the sparkling river, the green forests, boats and barges parading slowly up and down the water. I almost did feel like a king surveying his countryside, since marrying into this family set me into the top of New York’s highest society. We entered a dark-paneled smoking room, and Winfield immediately set about pouring some ruby-red sherry. Damon pulled out a silver flask and right there in front of Winfield spiked his drink with blood. Human blood. â€Å"To marriage eternal,† Damon said, raising his glass. Winfield agreed energetically. â€Å"To marriage.† I just nodded and tossed back the drink, hoping the cool liquid would sate my thirst. â€Å"There’s a serious matter I need to talk to you lads about.† Winfield settled his frame into a large desk chair. Damon leaned forward expectantly. I tensed in my seat, ready for whatever would come next. â€Å"The matter of a dowry.† I squeezed my hands together. Damon grinned, exposing his gleaming canines. He threw himself on to a velvet couch. â€Å"Just what I was going to ask you about, Father. You don’t mind me calling you that, do you?† â€Å"Not at all, my boy,† Winfield said, offering Damon a cigar. My brother took it, carefully trimming and lighting the end in a matter so professional I wondered where he picked up the habit. The two sat puffing for a moment, releasing large clouds of smoke into the tiny room. I coughed. Damon, enjoying my discomfort, took the effort to blow a smoke ring my way. â€Å"Now here’s the thing. I want you two boys to be able to stand on your own two feet. My girls deserve real men, and if anything should happen to me, I want to make sure they’re taken care of.† â€Å"Of course,† Damon said, out the corner of his mouth, around the cigar. â€Å"I have several mines in Virginia; one is gold. They could use some managing. And then there are the railway shares I’ve bought into†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My brother widened his eyes. I looked away, unable to bear watching him compel this poor man. â€Å"I would prefer cash,† he said. â€Å"All right, that seems reasonable,† Winfield said without pause or even blinking. â€Å"An annuity, then? A living salary?† â€Å"Up front. All of it,† Damon said pleasantly. â€Å"One twentieth of my estate, capital, and holdings, then?† Winfield asked politely. â€Å"More like a quarter.† An automaton, Winfield mindlessly agreed to everything Damon suggested. But I couldn’t figure it out – would this keep Winfield safe? Would Damon just keep him around, ordering whatever he pleased out of him? â€Å"I’m glad you’re so concerned about taking care of my girls in the manner to which they have been accustomed,† Winfield said, but his voice sounded hollow, as if somewhere some tiny part of his mind knew something was terribly wrong. The poor man drew out some checks and a pen. In a moment it was done, and Winfield presented me with a check with so many zeroes on it, it was barely readable. Damon bared his teeth in something that was less a grin than a rictus of victory. He stood up, holding his glass of blood-laced sherry next to me. The smell was intoxicating. It took every ounce of my strength not to leap up and drain the cup. And then Winfield said the most amazing, banal thing in the world. â€Å"Those checks will take a while to clear,† he apologized, unaware of how those eight words might have just saved his life. Damon glowered, thunderheads in his eyes. It was a look of angry frustration that was famous in Mystic Falls, and something no one wanted to be responsible for causing. It was a dangerous thing to disappoint my brother. He crumpled the check in his hands. â€Å"You didn’t mention that before,† he growled, waving the sherry under my nose. I stiffened, my thirst making my fangs burn. â€Å"I’m going to have to sell a great deal of my estate, capital, and holdings to get the cash to back this,† Winfield answered so plaintively it made me sick. â€Å"So do it!† Damon ordered. But I was no longer paying attention. I had to get out of the room. My Power reacted to my hunger – to my anger – and I felt the beginnings of a change. â€Å"I have to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I didn’t even bother making up an excuse. I pushed my way out of the room, past my evil brother and our sad father-in-law, out of the castle, and into the black night where I belonged. How to cite Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 17, Essay examples

Researching Into Information Technology and Its impacts on Society

Abstract Smart Mobile devices have become very popular both in the social and business world. This paper seeks to discuss the effect of these devices among people in the social as well as the business settings. There will be in-depth discussion on the devices’ effects of people’s lives at work, private social life, in government and education.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Researching Into Information Technology and Its impacts on Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Introduction Since the industrial revolution, technology has been characterised by stativity, well apart from a few applications like the wheel, the train, the automobile and the airplane. Given the bulk of the equipment used in the above-mentioned inventions, stativity was not much of a choice. Telecommunication gadgets like the Morse code and the telephone were grounded as well and their sizes and modes of operation did little t o enable much movement. Two centuries later, technology experts are of the opinion that mobility displayed by telecommunication gadgets today is likely to get out of hand and possibly impact negatively on human life. Of particular importance to this discussion are the developments characterising the information and communications technology sector. The last two decades have experienced some of the most effective ICT inventions in human history. The technology boom of the last decade of the 20th century provided the platform for the development of mobile technology that today has changed the ways of communication (Gallagher 2005, et al, p. 67). Technology nowadays is so mobile that business and individuals who fail to adapt to it risk being left behind, literary. Nothing in the 21st century captures the very spirit technological mobility as the mobile phone does. The smart phone stands out nowadays as the epitome of synchronisation and mobility of technology. While its benefits canno t be overstated, there is genuine concern that the overall, especially adverse effects of this very technology have been grossly overlooked. Which therefore begs the question; will the ever-increasing number of smart mobile devices (i-Phones etc) impact on the way we conduct our lives (work and private)? The answer to the above question is to the affirmative. The specifics of the answer will therefore form the main content of this discussion. This paper will address the particular impacts on both work and private lives of human beings of smart mobile devices. It’s important to note that the impacts that will be discussed will touch on both the negative and positive sides of smart mobile devices. Besides, the above, there will also be a discussion on how smart mobile technology impacts education as well as government.Advertising Looking for essay on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this paper, the words; business a nd work will be used interchangeably but will have similar meaning in the same context. Also, the words; smart phones and smart mobile devices will be used interchangeably. Before the analysis is carried out however, it’s important to have a brief look on general effects of smart mobile devices, an enhancement of the affirmative answer given above Smart Mobile Devices Impacts Human life According to Salt (2011, p. 152), the advent of advanced technologies like the smart mobile services has drastically altered human being’s work, life and relationships. However, Salt (2011, p. 152) singles out the mobile phone, social media such as Facebook and Twitter and smart phones as some of the technologies that are increasingly defining how people work and form relationships in the social arena. The smart phone technology is undoubtedly influencing the formation of protocols and strange social behaviours that all lead to addiction. Through addiction to smart mobile devices, peopl e are fast becoming slaves to the gadgets which dictate them what to do while defining every sphere of their lives. As evidenced in the figure below, there are currently close to 500 million smartphone users in the world. That number is set to increase by 32.4% to 1.2 billion people by the year 2015. The growth of the smartphone usage by the above margin is likely to net more people to the addition that currently is being experienced. In turn the effects; both negative and positive will trickle down to the populations. Fig 1.0. Projected growth in Smartphone usage, Source: Gartner and Berg InsightAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on Researching Into Information Technology and Its impacts on Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Impact on work/Business Business communication is nowadays technology oriented (Stockard 2011, p. 153), letters, memos and reports have been replaced by technologies such as NetMeeting an d LiveMeeting. Additionally, business communication is increasingly relying on the telephone especially Smartphones such as Blackberry and i-Phone (Stockard 2011, p. 153). Stockard adds that because phones can nowadays send messages as fast as the PC, business communication has become easier and quicker. For a long time the business world has relied on the PC for conducting business. The PC still maintains its rightful place in the day-to-day running of organizations and conduction of business. However, the advent of the smart phone is increasingly diminishing the importance of the PC in business transactions. This is because the smart mobile gadgets like smart phones and tablets have what the PC doesn’t; mobility and portability. The above features coupled with the presence of integrated PC features in smartphone makes them attractive and addictive to business people. The addiction and effect of these devices on work lives can be capture through a Ring Central online survey that was carried out in the year 2010. Increased reliance on Smart mobile devices for conducting business In the survey, respondents ranked the smartphone and intimate life both at 40% as the two most important things that they can’t do without in their lives. Additionally, the majority of respondents totaling 79% cited the smart phone as the main business tool for conducting business easily beating the home and office phones (Trade 2010). This is in contrast a few years ago when laptops were the main gadgets through which business was conducted remotely. The smartphone however easily beats the laptop as the primary preference in conducting remote business especially because it enable people access the physical tools that were only found in the office. Some business people (34%) admitted to using the smartphone for business more than the computer (Trade 2010). Advertising Looking for essay on it? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Levels of addiction of the smartphones, Source: Ringcentral Online survey People are now increasingly addicted to productivity Many business people and those that are in both formal and informal employment admitted that they are addicted to the smart mobile devices for the sole purpose of improving productivity in their respective work areas. Again, the ability to conduct business from any location came top among the reasons the respondents gave. To that effect, 40% of respondents ranked smart phones as being significant as intimate relations. Hypothetically, therefore these people cannot easily choose between their social lives and the gadgets they are holding (Trade 2010). This therefore shows a worrying trend where people may rank non-living requirements like gadgets ahead of social and personal development. In a nutshell, business people as well as those that are working in the formal sector have demonstrated an unmatched passion for smart mobile devices. The fact that it has ch anged their way of life as shown above underscores the critical role these devices play and the depth of their effect. Of more importance however is the dynamism that these gadgets have brought to the business world. They have reduced overreliance on the PC and the business phone as the main tools of conducting business. Mobility and speed have now become the norm thanks to these devices. Impact on Private Life Many academics and political critics have conceded that the smart mobile devices like the BlackBerry can result into negative impact on the balance between work life and family life (Sweeny 2009, p. 190). Addiction to mobile smart devices has not only affected business/ or work relationships of the users. There is sufficient reason to believe that the addiction has extended to the private or social lives of many people that use them. Increasingly, people have found themselves in the awkward position where they need to split their time between their social lives and business. This effect will be captured through a presentation of different social scenarios that are aimed at showing the skewed devotion and commitment to family and relationships due to the use of mart mobile devices. In all the scenarios, the use of the gadgets is a deviation from the norm as we know it. Less family time Nowadays, many people are devoting more time to business than to family. It’s not uncommon for people to conduct business while on a weekend or holiday alone or with family. Smart mobile devices come in handy in when one needs to check on the developments in the business world. During this time, people split their time between being with family and communication various business issues. People with the smart gadgets find it difficult to keep to themselves without referring to their devices in social functions such as funerals and weddings and children’s outings. Subtly, and without realizing, these actions indicate lack of attention on the family and other so cial relationships which takes its toll in the long-run (Powell, p. 181). Less privacy According to Furnell et al (2011, p. 50), the use of smart phones by people with no or little technical knowledge exposes them to the risk of being attacked through the use of their gadgets as security or attack vectors. In fact, most people who use these devices have little or no technical knowledge on measures that mitigate these risks. Many of the smart mobile devices have been fitted with advanced microchips which make it easier for surveillance of the holder. The log installed in the smart devices can record all the places the holder has been to and sometimes the activities they have been up to. Additionally, it’s easy for the parent companies and other interested parties to monitor the devices remotely illegally or otherwise. No matter the circumstances under which the surveillance takes place, the privacy of the holders of these devices is compromised. It’s no secret that surv eillance information from these devices has led to the collapse of many social relations of the holders. Social Networking One of the biggest impacts of smart mobile devices is social networking. Butler (2010, p. 100), quoting Comscore, says that over 30% of smartphone users access social networking sites like facebook and twitter using their phones. It’s now possible for people from different locations to communicate and participate in social events without necessarily meeting physically. The social networking impact can be positive or negative depending on the function it plays. Impact on Government/ Administration Andersen et al (2011, p. 278) does not entirely see the effects of smart mobile devices as being negative. According to them, mobile communication especially through smart devices positively influences mobile business which in turn reinforces social media. Mobile business and social media therefore reinforce each other in a form of co evolution that has positive consequences (Andersen et al 2011, p. 278). Through the use of these devices, both commerce and government have been forced to adopt technological changes for better communication and business procedures in the technologically mobile world (Rhomobile 2011, p. 23). On the same note, there is a feeling among many scholars that these gadgets have played and will continue to play a crucial role in social media growth and evolution. As such they come in hand in the implementation of changes in government and in society especially through participation of citizens in e-democracy. A good example is role smart devices have played in the political crises of North Africa and the Middle East. Impact on Education Education is one of the fields that have evolved with time. There is a marked difference between ancient and modern universities. Though there has been considerable adaptation of technology in education, the advent of smart mobile devices is likely to have a major impact on education. Smartphones aide students in accessing online textbooks while connecting them with databases and libraries online when doing research (Wright Webb 2011, p. 203). According to Huang Ling (2011, p. 557), education has also benefited from ubiquitous learning enabled by smart phones that help in individualized learning. Some android smart phones have an embedded system that helps in the creation of an assisted learning that is less bulky and mobile. The system can also improve the improve distraction behavior in students. Additionally, the application helps in the interaction between peers and teachers. The above application has not yet been adopted by the main stream companies. However it offers a glimpse of the impact that smart mobile devices are likely to have on education. Conclusion In a nutshell, smart mobile devices offer advanced computing and connectivity abilities compared to normal mobile services. Their impacts are manifested through effects in productivity and communicat ion in the work place, private life, in government and in education. The effects of these devices are both positive and negative. Their addictive nature and ability to cause distraction is by far the biggest negative effect these devices have on human life. Both private and work lives of the holders gets altered positively or negatively. Social life of the users especially the family is likely to be negatively affected because people extend conduction of business out of the office. On the brighter side however, smart mobile devices have enhanced the way business is done and productivity has increased in the work place. Also, it has enhanced networking among professionals and people of different classes. Education has also been impacted positively through easy access to research materials in online libraries. Applications such as Google Reader on the Android phone are an example. The impacts discussed above have so far been as a result of the existing level of technology. As the thes is statement asserts, technology is ever increasing and new products with mobile and smart features are being developed. The way we conduct our lives is sure set to change with these new products. References Andersen, K. et al. (2011) Electronic Government and the Information Systems Perspective: Berlin: Springer Verlag. Butler, M. (2010) Enterprise Social Networking and Collaboration. East Yorkshire: Martin Butler Research Ltd. Furnell, S. et al. (2011) Trust, Privacy and Security in Digital Business. New York: Springer Verlag. Gallagher, P. et al. (2005) Managing the challenges of WTO participation: 45 case studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Ling, S. Huang, X. (2011) Advances in Computer Science, Environment, Ecoinformatics, and Education. Berlin: Springer Verlag. Powell, G. (2011) Women and Men in Management. London: Sage Publications. Rhomobile. (2011) Top Trends in Smartphones: and How Rhomobile helps you write apps for them. San Jose, CA. Sweeny, A. (2009) BlackB erry planet: the story of Research in Motion and the little device that took the world by storm. Ontario: John Willey Sons. Stockard, O. (2011) The Write Approach. Bingley: Emerald Publishing Group. Salt, B. (2011) The Big Tilt: What Happens When the Boomers Bust and the Xers and Ys Inherit the earth. Victoria: Hardie Grant Books. Trade, J (2010) Smartphones Changing the Way Business Professionals Work and Live. Web. Web. Wright, K. Webb, L (2011) Computer-Mediated Communication in Personal Relationships. NY: Peter Lang Publishing Inc. This essay on Researching Into Information Technology and Its impacts on Society was written and submitted by user Diamond N. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Population policies Essays

Population policies Essays Population policies Essay Population policies Essay According to, (Khuse Peter,203), it is false that contracted pregnancy just shifts the risks and health burdens which are associated with pregnancy, this is because in some cases such as infertility, it makes the impossible possible and and risk is lowered for women with high risk pregnancies, babies also benefit from better health and fewer handicaps in the babies and women therefore the available resources are used in other areas therefore benefiting the society at large. This therefore means that there is more to the emphasis on risk, this is because even in normal pregnancies, women are expected to go ahead with child bearing even when the risks are obvious. Furthermore, child bearing has always been taken as something women owed to men and the society regardless of their feelings and when they had little say about it, there were no cases of risk therefore why would the risk be seen now when women have choices? attention should therefore not be drawn to surrogacy as a less risk to the non-traditional reproduction approach. The wrong thing with this transfer is that it involves exploitation of women by men and also exploitation of the rich by the poor people. Another question raises of whether there is something wrong with separation of reproduction and sex. From the history, the separation which is inform of contraception is beneficial to women and society although it is termed as immoral by others. However, not all separations are morally wrong, contraception is permitted because it promotes autonomy, spares women health, manages population and strengthens family life but separation of sex and reproduction exploits women, increases population and weakens family life. This is true because in the case of population problem, people should think of all population policies but not to exploit infertile problems, further, if the major justification for contraception is family strengthening, then contracted pregnancies could do the same and whether or not children saves failing marriages, then surrogacy will prevent a man with a woman incapable of providing children from leaving. Surrogacy reduces women autonomy although some other cases show that it enhances it, the practice also burdens some class of women and the new choices are expected to nourish womens lives so long as they have control of their bodies. What is wrong here however is that contracted pregnancy is seen as prostitution which is sex without reproduction and surrogacy is reproduction without sex, the feature which the two share is that it is a lazy persons way of exploiting own natural resources. However, Laura views this as a naive view of what it entails to be a prostitute and the efforts involved in pregnancy (Khuse Peter,204). Overall asserts that it cannot and is not ones career choice and neither is it a real alternative, she says that it is implausible that parents would want it for their daughters or for people to start training on surrogate mothers, worse still, for schools to invite surrogate mothers to address its advantages, however for Laura, this is a blatant argument and such condemnations should have general condemnation of effortless ways of life which is involved in utilizing distinctive characteristics. This is because people always exploit their resources whenever they work; professors use their minds while ditchdiggers use their bodies, therefore Overall seems only to object some types of work such as contracted pregnancy which is no more than real job options for women. Her arguments that such a deal is not a real job is clearly not based on any social arrangements which enable earning a living but its based on moral judgment which seem wrong because they constitute bodily and personal alienation. Overalls arguments are seen as weak as she says that women working as surrogates are deprived expression of individuality, that they are interchangeable and have no choice of the sperm they are supposed to harbor, (Khuse Peter, 204).

Cempoala - Totonac Capital and Ally of Hernan Cortes

Cempoala - Totonac Capital and Ally of Hernan Cortes Cempoala, also known as Zempoala or Cempolan, was the capital of the Totonacs, a pre-Columbian group that emigrated to the Gulf Coast of Mexico from the central Mexican highlands sometime before the Late Postclassic period. The name is a Nahuatl one, meaning twenty water or abundant water, a reference to the many rivers in the region. It was the first urban settlement encountered by the Spanish colonization forces in the early 16th century. The citys ruins lie near the mouth of the Actopan River about 8 kilometers (five miles) in from the Gulf of Mexico. When it was visited by Hernan Cortà ©s in 1519, the Spaniards found a huge population, estimated at between 80,000-120,000; it was the most populous city in the region.   Cempoala reached its fluorescence between the 12th and 16th century AD, after the previous capital El Tajin was abandoned after being invaded by Toltecan-Chichimecans. The City of Cempoala At its height during the late 15th century, Cempoalas population was organized into nine precincts. The urban core of Cempoala, which includes a monumental sector, covered a surface area of 12 hectares (~30 acres); housing for the citys population spread far beyond that. The urban center was laid out in the way common  to Totonac regional urban centers, with many circular temples dedicated to the wind god Ehecatl. There are 12 large, irregularly shaped walled compounds in the city center that contain the main public architecture, temples, shrines, palaces, and open plazas. The major compounds were composed of large temples bordered by platforms, which elevated the buildings above the flood level. The compound walls were not very high, serving as a symbolic function identifying the spaces which were not open to the public rather than for  defense purposes. Architecture at Cempoala Cempoalas central Mexican urban design and art reflect the norms of the central Mexican highlands, ideas which were reinforced by the late 15th-century Aztec dominance. Most of the architecture is built of river cobbles cemented together, and the buildings were roofed in perishable materials. Special structures such as temples, shrines, and elite residences had a masonry architecture built of cut stone. Important buildings include the Sun temple or Great Pyramid; the Quetzalcoatl temple; the Chimney Temple, which includes a series of semicircular pillars; the Temple of Charity (or Templo de las Caritas), named after the numerous stucco skulls that adorned its walls; the Cross Temple, and the El Pimiento compound, which has exterior walls decorated with skull representations. Many of the buildings have platforms with multiple stories of low height and vertical profile. Most are rectangular with broad stairways. Sanctuaries were dedicated with polychrome designs on a white background. Agriculture The city was surrounded by an extensive canal system and a series of aqueducts which provided water to the farm fields around the urban center as well as the residential areas. This extensive canal system allowed water distribution to fields, diverting water from main river channels. The canals were part of (or built onto) a large wetland irrigation system that is thought to have been built during the Middle Postclassic [AD 1200-1400] period. The system included an area of sloping field terraces, on which the city grew cotton, maize, and agave. Cempoala used their surplus crops to participate in the Mesoamerican trade system, and historic records report that when famine struck the Valley of Mexico between 1450-1454, the Aztecs were forced to barter their children to Cempoala for maize stores. The urban Totonacs at Cempoala and other Totonac cities used home gardens (calmil), backyard gardens which provided domestic groups at the family or clan level with vegetables, fruits, spices, medicines, and fibers. They also had private orchards of cacao or fruit trees. This dispersed agrosystem gave the residents flexibility and autonomy, and, after the Aztec Empire took hold, allowed the homeowners to pay tributes. Ethnobotanist Ana Lid del Angel-Perez argues that the home gardens may also  have acted as a laboratory, where people tested and validated new crops and methods of growing. Cempoala Under the Aztecs and Cortà ©s In 1458, the Aztecs under the rule of Motecuhzoma I invaded the region of the Gulf Coast. Cempoala, among other cities, was subjugated and became a tributary of the Aztec empire. Tributary items demanded by the Aztecs in payment included cotton, maize, chili, feathers, gems, textiles, Zempoala-Pachuca (green) obsidian, and many other products. Hundreds of Cempoalas inhabitants became slaves. When the Spanish conquest arrived in 1519 on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, Cempoala was one of the first cities visited by Cortà ©s. The Totonac ruler, hoping to break away from Aztec domination, soon became allies of Cortà ©s and his army. Cempoala was also the theater of the 1520 Battle of Cempoala between Cortà ©s and the captain Pnfilo de Narvaez, for the leadership in the Mexican conquest, which Cortà ©s handily won. After the Spanish arrival, smallpox, yellow fever, and malaria spread throughout Central America. Veracruz was among the earliest regions affected, and the population of Cempoala sharply declined. Eventually, the city was abandoned and the survivors moved to Xalapa, another important city of Veracruz. Cempoala Archaeological Zone Cempoala was first explored archaeologically at the end of the 19th century by Mexican scholar Francisco del Paso y Troncoso. American archaeologist Jesse Fewkes documented the site with photographs in 1905, and the first extensive studies were conducted by Mexican archaeologist Josà © Garcà ­a Payà ³n between the 1930s and 1970s. Modern excavations at the site were conducted by the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) between 1979-1981, and Cempoalas central core was recently mapped by photogrammetry (Mouget and Lucet 2014). The site is located on the eastern edge of the modern town of Cempoala, and it is open to visitors year-round. Sources Adams REW. 2005 [1977], Prehistoric Mesoamerica. Third Edition. Norman: University of Oklahoma PressBruggemann JK. 1991. Zempoala: El estudio de una ciudad prehispanica. Coleccion Cientifica vol 232 INAH Mexico. Brumfiel EM, Brown KL, Carrasco P, Chadwick R, Charlton TH, Dillehay TD, Gordon CL, Mason RD, Lewarch DE, Moholy-Nagy H, et al. 1980. Specialization, Market Exchange, and the Aztec State: A View From Huexotla [and Comments and Reply]. Current Anthropology 21(4):459-478.del Angel-Pà ©rez AL. 2013. Homegardens and the dynamics of Totonac domestic groups in Veracruz, Mexico. Anthropological Notebooks 19(3):5-22.Mouget A, and Lucet G. 2014. Photogrammetric archaeological survey with UAV. ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences II(5):251-258.Sluyter A, and Siemens AH. 1992. Vestiges of Prehispanic, Sloping-Field Terraces on the Piedmont of Central Veracruz, Mexico. Latin American Antiquity 3(2):148-160.Smith ME. 2013. The Aztecs. New Yo rk: Wiley-Blackwell. Wilkerson, SJK. 2001. Zempoala (Veracruz, Mexico) In: Evans ST, and Webster DL, editors. Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland Publishing Inc. p 850-852. Edited and updated by K. Kris Hirst