Ethics Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Ethics Paper - Essay Example This paper, drawing support from the various media theories, tries to explain the social costs of such advertising approach, the responsibility an advertiser ahs to protect the indirect audience and how the advertiser can protect himself from being unethical when advertising. 1. The Social Costs Associated With Sexually Suggestive Advertising Advertising is a paid form of marketing by a sponsor of ideas, products of services. Advertising is an important tool in marketing and branding since it can be used to modify and drive consumer behavior (Gould, 1994). Through advertising an audience can be persuaded, encouraged to buy a product or otherwise manipulated. The essence of advertising is to create a product image through associating the product with certain desirable values. Of late, many advertisers are increasingly using sexuality to sell their products. Many researches that have been conducted have come to the conclusion that the use of sexually suggestive adverts is more effectiv e than the plain one (Reichert, 2002). This has led to advertisers employing this technique even in products that are not related to one’s sexuality just to attract attention. The use of sexually suggestive adverts started a while ago. Only then, the characters used were not as suggestive as those used these days. Today’s consumers are exposed to ten times more sex advertising than those that lived in the 1940s (Donaldson and Werhane, 1999). This sex appeal approach is proving detrimental to the society raising the question whether it is moral to use sex appeal to channel attention to an advert. The media has a major influence on the behavior and attitudes of the consumers, be it the traditional or the new media. There are several media theories that can be used to support the effect the media has and how these effects impact as social costs. The first theory is the social cognitive theory. This theory was advanced by Neal Miller and John Dollard in 1941. It is not pur ely a media theory as it is also applied in psychology, medicine, social work and education. This theory posits that human beings acquire a major part of their knowledge through observing others’ actions and experiences (Donaldson and Werhane, 1999). It implies that people have a high tendency of copying what they perceive as good to them. According to this theory, a consumer will be driven by cues and then respond to them in the hope of gaining the desired results. In advertising context this involves replication of the actions, dressing or holding to values that the models in the adverts purports to. The social cognitive theory complements the media effects theory. This theory posits the media as a powerful tool that can be used to set the agenda within a society. According to the proponents of this theory, it is easy to influence the public by showing them what need to be seen and thus influencing their behaviors and attitudes through the same. Advertisers are using this t heory of effects to influence consumer behavior by repeatedly airing their adverts in broadcast media and placing them in the print media (Zillmann, 2000). There are several researches that have been conducted to show how the media affects behavior and attitude and how people observe and replicate what they have seen in the media in their social life. A good example that corroborates these theories is a research conducted by Albert Bandura in his paper titled â€Å"

Street gangs in America

Street gangs in America Street gangs in America: Street gangs are the new big problem of organized crime in America. Gangs started out as a minor nuisance to society, but they have become to a massive crime force in America. They account for much of Americas violence as well as trafficking drugs throughout the states (Drugs and Gangs). If they are not taken care of soon, they will get out of hand. Street gangs in America are growing in size due to increases in poverty as well as the influence of peer pressure, and they are becoming increasingly violent because of gang wars and drug trafficking. The old street gangs were very different from the modern day gangs. In early street gangs groups of kids, usually poor children would come together for support (Gardner, 19). These groups would spend a lot of time together and get into trouble with the law, but they were not dangerous to innocent bystanders, and did not pose a threat to America (20). These groups would gather to talk, insult and make fun of each other jokingly, and shoot hoops at the park (20). Modern street gangs are changing into profit driven groups that traffic drugs throughout the nation and are committed to violence. Modern gangs are much larger having about 731,000 active gang members (Organized Gangs). National street gangs pose the greatest threat of all because they smuggle, produce, transport, and distribute large quantities of illegal drugs throughout the country and are extremely violent. Early gangs were not very organized, modern day gangs are very organized. Modern gangs have ranking system that they follow. Gang activity rises and falls periodically and the ranks of members are determined by who has recently been arrested or killed (Stewart 31). The core of the gang is made up of the â€Å"hard-core† members. These are the members that are actually committing the bad crimes and will probably be in the gang for the rest of their life. The rest of the gang is made up of â€Å" wanna-be† members. These members are either not really part of the gang or have not committed any initiation crimes to become a part of the gang. In todays gangs teens as old as nine or ten can be a part of drug trafficking, all they have to do is hand over the little bag and hold on to the money until an overseer comes and grabs the money (â€Å"Drugs and Gangs†). Although some gangs have leaders, many do not. Typically, gangs with leaders are not very well organized because most of the time gang crimes are nearly all carried out on impulse (Gardner 21). Some national street gangs are very organized, with as many as 100,000 members and associates. The most highly organized gangs, such as Latin Kings, Gangster Disciples, and Vice Lords, Bloods and the Crips have centralized leadership cores (â€Å"organized gangs†). Usually there is little forethought when it comes to gang crime and violence because most gang crime occurs when two rival gangs encounter each other, no matter where they are or what they are doing. Most gangs will have different rankings. For example, an O.G or Original Gangster will usually teach the younger members how stuff works before they take their spot. Gang hierarchy is followed by nearly every gang. Street gangs have increased in size because of the bad economy in America. There are roughly 21,500 gangs in America and more than 731,000 active gang members (â€Å"Organized gangs†). The poor state of the economy is causing many people to lose their jobs, and forcing more Americas into poverty. People who are faced with a lack of money may turn to crime if they cant earn enough with a real job. This partly explains why gangs exist in poor, areas of cities. Although not everyone who decides to joins a gang is poor, and not every gang member is poor (Gardner 51). While poverty does draw much of Americas youth to gangs there is still many poor teens who are not in gangs. Siblings in gangs have a strong influence for their brothers or sisters along with teens to join and become a member of their street gangs. Gangs also provide a way to make money, and sometimes lots of it. Poverty is one of the main reason teens and young adults get pulled into joining street gangs. Although poverty does attract many youth to gangs, peer pressure is also a big factor. There is peer pressure in every teens life. A lot of gang members are very young, gangs intentionally recruit teenagers (Gardner 41). They do this because no matter what kind of trouble a teen gets into they cannot go to jail for their crime. Some young teenagers may join gangs to earn respect from others (Osman 36). Most teens that live in parts of a city with gang presence usually have friends that are in at least one gang. Those friends will pressure the teen into joining their gang. Often youth will get harassed or â€Å"beat up† until they accept and join the gang (37). Another reason teens may end up joining a gang is for protection (33). But joining a gang often brings bigger threat because are vulnerable to getting attacked by a rival gang. Gang influence in schools is also a big problem, if they youth goes to a school with a strong gang presence, they might find that many of their f riends are joining gangs and follow them (â€Å"a reputation for being tough and a good fighter is important for many kids† (Gardner 41). About twenty-eight percent of schools have reported street gang presence in their school (Drugs and Gangs). Gang presence in schools is just another factor that pushes teens to join gangs. â€Å"Resisting peer pressure as every teenager knows is tough†. You have to have a high self esteem, strong motivation and a good support system (Gardner, 30). As gangs increase in popularity, gang violence does to. Gang violence is rising due to availability of new guns and cars. Gang members are now getting their hands on AK-47s, Submachine guns, M 16s, Uzis, and semi automatic pistols. Sgt. Joe Guzman, a sheriff gang expert told the Los Angeles times â€Å"Today instead of brawling, its all about the fire power and taking people out† (qtd. in Osman 55). This is because in the past gang fights would be a brawl of twenty to thirty using just fists. These modern day guns are way more effective and dangerous than guns in the past, these guns kill much quicker with even a single bullet can end someones life. Any gang member can easily hide a gun while walking on the street, quickly pull it out and kill someone within seconds. Guns are one of the leading reasons why gang violence is increasing. Having more than one gang in a city is also a major cause for gang violence. Because gangs have their territories or turf even living around a certain area is enough to get attacked, robbed, or even killed (Gardner 13). Gang territories are marked by crews.† Crews claim they are non violent, but they mark their turf with graffiti encouraging vandalism and gang violence over the turf (street gangs in America 60). When more the one gang is present in a single city or area, there is bound to be a rise in crime in the area. The Los Angeles Crips and their enemies the Bloods are famous their rivalry and fighting over turf with each other (Gardner 40). On top of the acts of violence, street gangs are now seeking profit by dealing illegal durgs throughout America. Many gangs that started as turf gangs are now evolving into money making criminal organization whose activities include not just drugs but, smuggling, transportation, and wholesale distribution of the illegal drugs (â€Å"Organized gangs†). â€Å"Large, nationally affiliated street gangs pose the greatest threat because they smuggle, produce, transport, and distribute large quantities of illegal drugs throughout the country and are extremely violent† (Drugs and Gangs). â€Å"About 3.5 million individuals age 18 and older have admitted to having injected an illegal drug during their lifetime. Of these individuals, 14 percent or (498,000) were under the age of 25† (National Drug Intelligence Center). Gangs convert cocaine into crack cocaine and make almost all the PCP in America. Some gangs make millions per month selling illegal drugs, distributing weap ons, operating prostitute businesses, and selling stolen property (Drugs and Gangs). Street gangs have now moved to new areas, specifically rural and suburban areas, to avoid the police and get new customers (â€Å"Organized Gangs†). Profit driven gangs relentlessly traffic drugs throughout America, and they will use violence without a second thought to continue their operation. There are also Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) outside of America that are distributing drugs into the United States. Mexican Drug trafficking organizations are one of the biggest problems of why there is such a large amount of drugs in America. Street gangs in America are seeking to establish connections with Mexican DTOs to expand their drug trafficking organizations (â€Å"Organized Gangs†). Mexican DTOs and criminal groups exhibit far greater influence over drug trafficking in the United States than any other group, and their influence is increasing, particularly with respect to cocaine and methamphetamine distribution (â€Å"Organized gangs†). Many gangs have developed or relationships now with nationwide criminal organizations and DTOs. These relationships provide gangs with access to much more illegal drugs then the gangs can get their hands on in just the United States alone (â€Å"National Level†). Most of the illegal drugs come from out o f the country, but still find their way into America. The threat posed by gangs will increase as gangs become better structured; more sophisticated, and develop their markets. This threat is magnified by the high and increasing level of violence associated with expansion of drug trafficking activities by gang. Street gangs in America are growing in size due to the increase in poverty as well as the influence of peer pressure and these gangs are becoming increasingly violent because of gang wars and drug trafficking. Gangs are growing in size and their use of violence becoming a much bigger problem. These gangs constantly distribute drugs through the states around the country and are getting more and more youths addicted too these illegal substances. If gangs are not dealt with and stopped soon they will get way out of hand. Americans must realize what gangs are doing to the country and our youth. The modern street gang problem must be solved so that America can live in peace and knowing that the youth will be safe from street gangs.

Nutrition and College Students Essay -- Teens, Health and Nutrition

All college students have heard of the dreaded â€Å"freshman fifteen.† The majority of students see it as inevitability. This college curse is caused by a drastic change in lifestyle and eating habits. College students are more likely to eat unhealthy food and less likely to exercise. However, steps can be taken to avoid needless weight gain. Despite the hectic lifestyles of teens, they know that a balance of exercise and good nutrition is the key to health. An important factor in having a healthy teenage life is knowing what to limit. According to the Diet and Nutrition Sourcebook, teens should limit junk food, spare the sugar and salt, and shouldn’t drink alcohol. There are many other nutritious snacks that teens can eat instead of eating junk food. For example, fruit or granola bars are a couple of alternatives. Junk food may be something easy to eat on the run with such a busy schedule, but is not always the best thing to eat. Limiting the amount of sugar and salt, which have very little nutritional value, is important for later health (Harris, Diet 113). Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure. Too much sugar leads to tooth decay. Alcohol has many calories and minimal nutritional value. Also, teens should not consume alcohol because of the affects it has. A study conducted in 1991 showed that over 10.7 million junior and senior high school students had at least one drink in the past year. It also showed that 8 million students drank weekly and that half a million were binge drinkers. According to Harris, teenage drinking and driving was the cause of 2,800 high school students’ death in 1989. Drinking is not only harmful to a teen’s health, but it also can have deadly consequences. These are just a few ... ...ht measures are taken. Along with sleeping, eating, doing homework, and having a social life college students should be concerned with keeping themselves healthy. Works Cited Berg, Frances M. Children and Teens in Weight Crisis. Hettinger, ND: Healthy Weight Journal, 1995. Calioglu, Arpi. â€Å"Eating Healthy.† Total Health 17 (1995): 42. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Roesch Library, Dayton. 18 Oct. 2002 . Harris, Dan R. Diet and Nutrition Sourcebook. Detroit: Omnigraphics 1996. Harris, Dan R. Fitness and Exercise Sourcebook. Detroit: Omnigraphics 1996. Oakes, Michael E., and Carole S. Slotterback. â€Å"Nutritional Habits and Motivations to Eat After a Palatable Pre-load.† Current Psychology 19 (2000/2001): 329. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Roesch Library, Dayton October 21, 2002 .

Analysis – Investigating the Effects of Trampling on

A basic trend can be drawn from the results collected. The kite diagram emphasises clearly the effects of trampling on species distribution near footpaths. On the path very little to no species grew, whereas towards the edges of the footpath there was an increase in species number and variety. Moreover, the data gathered from testing the footpath for compaction revealed that the path itself has greater compaction than the areas to either side of it. Further more, the drainage time of the soil showed a similar trend in that where areas of soil were more compact, the drainage time was higher. Also where areas of soil were less compact the drainage time was less. The spearman's rank value supports this trend by revealing a positive correlation between the drainage time and the compaction of the soil. The kite diagram reveals the trend that less species tend to grow on footpaths. This is due to the fact that as people walk on the footpaths the soil becomes increasingly compact. This leads to the soil particles being forced closer together creating a decrease in air space which results in the water taking longer to drain into the soil. As soil becomes compact, root growth is inhibited due to lack of air space. The roots grow shorter and thicker which largely decreases the overall surface area of the roots which leads to the plant being unable to absorb adequate nutrients and moisture. Moreover, as the roots become inhibited, they are limited to the amount of soil they can explore. This can decrease the plant's ability to take up nutrients. Similarly, as water runs off compact soil it dissolves the nutrients and carries them away, a process known as leeching. As the drainage time is far greater on the footpath, this lack of water results in the soil having very little nutrients. The lack of air space reduces the number of aerobic bacteria. Atmospheric nitrogen is fixed by bacteria. Lack of bacteria will result in a decrease of nitrates for the plants. Plants need nitrates for proteins and for nucleic acids and will die without these. The nitrogen cycle is unable to progress as less water and oxygen leads to fewer microbes and less decay which results in less nutrients. Compact soil may hold little water which will lead to plants with xerophytic adaptations being able to thrive. More plants are able to grow better in less compact soil due to an increase in the air space available. This can provide the roots with space to grow and the water with space to drain through. Therefore more nutrients and water provide the plant with adequate living conditions. Grass has a very low growing point allowing it to survive after being cut short. Its rolled leaves provide added protection when being trampled upon. From the kite diagram we are able to see that grass can grow on the footpath but there is less of it. This maybe due to the possibility of the footpath not being used by the public for a while, thereby giving the grass time to develop. However, as grass has its growing point at the base of the plant, and is therefore not damaged when cut, grass is better adapted to survive in trampled areas than other plants that have their growing points in more vulnerable areas. Rosette plants have a growing point which is protected by leaves which emerge from a central point. This enables the plant to be highly adaptable to varied conditions. In contrast, the Violet plants are very delicate and their growing point is exposed. This results in the plant being less adaptable and more likely to survive in well controlled, less compact environments. The plant Heather prefers slightly more acidic soil to obtain the best growing conditions. They also need a significant amount of moisture in the soil, which will not be found on highly compact pathways. The growing point of Heather is quite vulnerable, being at the base of a plant that will often spread out. The kite diagram supports this as no Heather was located on the footpath. Spearman's rank calculation demonstrates a positive correlation between the drainage time and the compaction of the soil. If the soil is less compact then in general, the drainage time should be less also. Similarly, if the soil is more compact then the drainage time should take longer than normal. Water that is trapped in compact soil has difficulty moving up through the soil surface where it can evaporate and reduce soils temperature. Therefore the soil water in compact areas can heat up from increased thermal conductivity of the denser soil. This can cause significant damage to the roots of plants. Compaction can result in significant reduction of the rate at which rainwater can penetrate the soil's surface. This is confirmed by the spearman's rank calculation showing a positive correlation, and the data gathered when measuring the drainage time of both compact and less compact soil on the footpaths. Heavily compact soil has a reduced rate of both water infiltration and drainage from the compacted layers. This is because compact soil contains few large pores which are the most effective in moving water through the soil when it is saturated. In conclusion, the reasons why trampling on species near footpaths affects their distribution is due to a range of factors; the soil compaction, drainage time and the species itself. The soil is proven to be generally more compact on the footpaths than in the surrounding areas. This compact soil on footpaths leads to increases drainage time as the soil has less pores or air space which would normally aid water absorption. The growth point of a plant can also be a factor as to why trampling on species on footpaths affects their distribution. A trend was shown from the data collected that grass, a very adaptable and sturdy plant, was able to grow on footpaths and withstand the trampling. This is due to grass having a growing point at the base of the plant where it is protected well. In contrast, the Violet plants were recorded to only grow in the surrounding areas of the footpaths. This is due to the growing point being highly exposed. The spearman's rank value shows a positive correlation between drainage time and the compaction of the soil. As the spearman's rank value is greater than the critical value, 0.414>0.377, it can be valued as reliable. Moreover, the confidence level of the spearman's rank calculation is 95% which can be valued as very reliable.

Philippines: The National Achievement Test Essay

To assess and monitor the quality of basic education in the Philippines, achievement tests were administered to public schools both elementary and secondary. These achievement tests include National Achievement Test (NAT), Regional Achievement Test (RAT) and Division Achievement Test (DAT). Of these three achievements tests, the NAT is the main criterion of the school performance. Meanwhile, the RAT and DAT served as preparatory assessment procedures to be able the school to determine its readiness for the |NAT. The National Achievement Test (NAT) is a Philippine-made standardized test designed to determine pupils/students’ achievement level, strengths and weaknesses in five key curricular subject areas at the end of the school year. The NAT was developed to measure what pupils/students in grade three, grade six and fourth Year know and can do in five subject areas: Science, Mathematics, English, Filipino, and HeKaSi (Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika) in elementary and Araling Panlipunan in secondary level. Specifically, the test aims to: 1.) provide empirical information on the achievement level of pupils/students, to serve as guide for policy makers, administrators, curriculum planners , supervisors, principals and teachers in their respective courses of action 2.) identify and analyze variations on achievement levels across the years by region, division, school and other variables and 3.) determine the rate of improvement in basic education with respect to individual schools within certain time frames. Target clienteles of this achievement test are Grade 3 students of public schools, Grade 6 students both public and private schools (census) and Year 4 students both in public and private schools (census). It is composed of 310 items divided into learning areas such as Science, Mathematics, English, Filipino, Araling Panlipunan, plus critical thinking.