Migrant Workers as Outsiders in Of Mice and Men Essays

‘Of Mice and Men’ is a novel written by John Steinbeck. The novel is set in the 1930s, where the Great Depression years occurred and had a huge impact of many lives in California. California was struggling not only with the economic problems of the Great Depression but the severe labour strife too. ‘Of Mice and Men’ has an explicit context, because of the social and political events during the 1930s America. This also creates the climate of the novel. Hardship and homelessness ran through the country, creating many problems that ordinary people had to face. ‘Of Mice and Men’ also follows the careers of two men, George and Lennie, who dream of a better life on their own farm. Steinbeck wrote this novel because he had strong†¦show more content†¦An outsider is a person who does not fit in well with everyone else in a particular environment or society. The outsiders I have chosen are George, Lennie and Crooks, purely because they are the only characters who are different from the rest. George is an outsider because he is like a father-figure to Lennie. He always looks after him, and this is significant throughout the novel. As evident, George keeps looking out for Lennie to ensure everything is okay and there are no problems with him or anyone else. George knows Lennie is big and strong, and after the incident in Weed, he takes more care into ensuring Lennie is not having any difficulties settling in with the other people in the ranch. Steinbeck included George in the novel to show how people similar to George had to live every day of their lives knowing that it was going to be tough. George tries his best at protecting Lennie and so orders Lennie to be careful in what route he chooses, and then gets mad at Lennie when he disobeys. This creates a sense of rebellion between both him and Lennie, who yells at George for being too mean. For example, in chapter 1, George is seen talking to Lennie aggressively using foul language, â€Å"You crazy son-of-a-bitch. You keep me in hot water all of the time†. These conflicts relate to Steinbeck’s portrayal of life in this period of time. AShow MoreRelatedJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1275 Words   |  6 Pagesconnect to each other. The novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, is a story about Lennie and George, two migrant workers in the Salinas Valley, California. These friends stick together through the troubles of the Great Depression and survival in a world where differentiating qualities threaten these two workers’ hopes and dreams. There are three main deaths in this work, whether real or metaphorical, that are portrayed with primary themes. The novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, is about PonyboyRead MoreAnalysis Of John Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men 1476 Words   |  6 PagesCurley’s Wife Mice of Men Of Mice and Men is a novel set in the 1930’s based upon the hardship and rough times of the great depression. It was written by Nobel prize winning novelist John Steinbeck. Steinbeck’s life influenced his literature, as he was in identical situations as the character he describes in his novel. Steinbeck was a migrant worker who also conveniently grew up on a ranch. He also wrote another book called ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ during this time period. We can imagine that his ownRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1312 Words   |  6 Pagesof its uselessness. In S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, there are three major deaths occurring in the novel: Bob, Johnny, and Dally. Similarly, in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, there are also three major deaths of Candy’s dog, Curley’s wife, and Lennie. The Outsiders is a story depicting the life of Ponyboy Curtis, who is struggling to find his place in the world while battling the rival gang, t he Socs. Of Mice and Men is a story of two migrant workers, George and Lennie, who are bound togetherRead MoreThe Theme Of Loneliness In Of Mice And Men By Stienbeck1596 Words   |  7 Pages In the book Of Mice and Men the author Stienbeck captures life,segregation,friendships and rivalries all wrapped in one. For instance when Curley’s wife says â€Å"Listen nigger† she said â€Å"you know what I can do if you open your trap?† (80). That portion of the scene reveals just a slight representation of what life as a black man in the 1930’s was like on the farm. Candy, Curley’s wife and Crooks are three very different people who live on a farm with other workers and acquaintances, yet somehow experienceRead MoreEssay on Analysis of John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men2005 Words   |  9 PagesAnalysis of John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men    Steinbecks ‘Of Mice and Men’ is a novel about people, their dreams, relationships and disappointments.   The characters are diverse and represent a cross section of society during the American Depression of the 1930s.   The novel is set in Steinbecks birthplace of Salinas Valley, California, and it is at the ranch where he grew up that we meet the majority of characters.   There are three specific locations in the novel where most of theRead MoreJohn Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men1485 Words   |  6 Pagesdeaths occurring in them. In S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, there are three major deaths occurring in the novel: Bob, Johnny, and Dally. Similarly, in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, there are also three major deaths: Candy’s dog, Curley’s wife, and Lennie. The Outsiders is a story depicting the life of Ponyboy Curtis, who is struggling to find his place in the world while battling the rival group, the Socs. Of Mice and Men is a story of two migrant workers, George and Lennie, who are bound togetherRead MoreJohn Steinbeck: Experiencing the Dust Bowl Essay1364 Words   |  6 Pageswhat he experienced through his travels with the migrant workers. His method was not to present himself notebook in hand and interview people. Instead he worked and traveled with the migrants as one of them, living as they did and arousing no suspicion from employers militantly alert against agitators of any kind. (Lisca 14) John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath was derived from his personal experiences and his journeys with the migrant workers. John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 inRead More John Steinbeck: Experiencing the Dust Bowl Essay1346 Words   |  6 Pageswhat he experienced through his travels with the migrant workers. â€Å"His method was not to present himself notebook in hand and interview people. Instead he worked and traveled with the migrants as one of them, living as they did and arousing no suspicion from employers militantly alert against â€Å"agitators† of any kind.† (Lisca 14) John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath was derived from his personal experiences and his journeys with the migrant workers. John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902 inRead More The title of the novel Of Mice And Men refers to how dreams often go1884 Words   |  8 PagesThe title of the novel Of Mice And Men refers to how dreams often go wrong. Discuss how John Steinbeck achieves this. Question 3-The title of the novel Of Mice And Men refers to how dreams often go wrong. Discuss how John Steinbeck achieves this. One of the main themes that runs through Of Mice And Men is of dreams and how they go wrong. The title of the book is very appropriate to this theme as it comes from a poem by Robert Burns called To A Mouse, On Turning Up Her Nest With TheRead MoreThe Crucible and the Mice of Men Essay2059 Words   |  9 PagesThe Crucible and Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, and Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, both have similarities and differences that appear through the history of the United States, prejudice, and also through the themes. Of Mice and Men and The Crucible, share the similarity of teaching the history of the United States throughout the pieces. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, the reader will be able to learn the history of the United States through the writing style of

Top Characteristics of Ancient Civilizations

The phrase top characteristics of civilization refers both to the features of societies that rose to greatness in Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, Chinas Yellow River, Mesoamerica, the Andes Mountains in South America and others, as well as to the reasons or explanations for the rise of those cultures. Complexity of Ancient Civilizations Why those cultures became so complex while others faded away is one of the great puzzles that archaeologists and historians have attempted to address many times. The fact that complexity happened is undeniable. In a short 12,000 years, humans who organized and fed themselves as loosely associated bands of hunters and gatherers developed into societies with full-time jobs, political borders, and detente, currency markets and entrenched poverty and wristwatch computers, world banks, and international space stations. How did we do that? While the hows and whys of the evolution of civilizations are up for debate, the characteristics of burgeoning complexity in a prehistoric society are pretty much agreed upon, falling roughly into three groups: Food, Technology, and Politics. Food and Economics First importance is food: if your situation is a relatively safe one, chances are your population will grow and youll need to feed them. The changes in civilizations regarding food are: the need to produce a stable and reliable source of food for your group, whether by growing crops, called agriculture; and/or by raising animals for milking, plowing or meat, called pastoralismincreasing sedentism—advanced food technologies require people to stay close to fields and animals, leading to a reduction in the amount of movement people need or can do: people to settle down in one place for longer periodsthe ability to quarry and process tin, copper, bronze, gold, silver, iron and other metals into tools to support food production, known  as metallurgythe creation of tasks that require people who can dedicate part or all of their time to complete, such as textile or pottery production, jewelry production and referred to as craft specializationenough people to act as a workforce, be craft specialists and require the stable food source, referred to as high population densitythe rise of urbanism, religious and political centers, and socially heterogeneous, permanent s ettlementsthe development of markets, either to meet the demands of urban elites for food and status goods or for common people to enhance the efficiency and/or economic security of their households Architecture and Technology Technological advances include both social and physical constructions that support a growing population: the presence of large, non-domestic buildings constructed to be shared by the community, such as churches and shrines and plazas and collectively known as monumental architecturea way to communicate information long distances within and outside of the group, known as a writing systemthe presence of a group level religion, controlled by religious specialists such as shamans or priestsa way to know when the seasons will change, by means of a calendar or astronomical observationroads and transportation networks that allowed communities to be connected Politics and People Control Finally, political structures seen in complex societies include: the rise of trade or exchange networks, in which communities share goods with one another, leading tothe presence of luxury and exotic goods, such as baltic amber), jewelry made from precious metals, obsidian, spondylus shell, and a wide variety of other objectsthe creation of classes or hierarchical posts and titles with different levels of power within the society  called social stratification and rankingan armed military force, to protect the community and/or the leaders from the communitysome way to collect tribute and taxes (labor, goods or currency), as well as private estatesa centralized​ form of government, to organize all those various things Not all of these characteristics necessarily have to be present for a particular cultural group to be considered a civilization, but all of them are considered evidence of relatively complex societies. What is a Civilization? The concept of a civilization has a fairly grubby past. The idea of what we consider a civilization grew out of the 18th-century movement known as the Enlightenment, and civilization is a term that is often related to or used interchangeably with culture. These two terms are tied up with linear developmentalism, the now-discredited notion that human societies evolved in a linear fashion. According to that, there was a straight line that societies were supposed to develop along, and ones that deviated were, well, deviant. That idea allowed movements such as kulturkreis in the 1920s to brand societies and ethnic groups as decadent or normal, depending on what stage of the societal evolution line scholars and politicians perceived them to have achieved. The idea was used as an excuse for European imperialism, and it must be said still lingers in some places. American archaeologist Elizabeth Brumfiel (2001) pointed out that the word civilization has two meanings. First, the definition arising from the grubby past is civilization as a generalized state of being, that is to say, a civilization has productive economies, class stratification, and striking intellectual and artistic achievements. That is contrasted by primitive or tribal societies with modest subsistence economies, egalitarian social relations, and less extravagant arts and sciences. Under this definition, civilization equals progress and cultural superiority, which in turn was used by European elites to legitimize their domination of the working class at home and colonial people abroad. However, civilization also refers to the enduring cultural traditions of specific regions of the world. For literally thousands of years, successive generations of people resided on the Yellow, Indus, Tigris/Euphrates, and Nile rivers outliving the expansion and collapse of individual polities or states. That sort of a civilization is sustained by something other than complexity: there probably is something inherently human about creating an identity based on whatever it is that defines us, and clinging onto that. Factors Leading to Complexity It is clear that our ancient human ancestors lived a far simpler life than we do. Somehow, in some cases, in some places, at some times, simple societies for one reason or another morphed into more and more complex societies, and some become civilizations. The reasons which have been proposed for this growth in complexity range from a simple model of population pressure—too many mouths to feed, what do we do now?—to the greed for power and wealth from a few individuals to the impacts of climate change—a prolonged drought, a flood, or tsunami, or a depletion of a particular food resource. But single-source explanations are not convincing, and most archaeologists today would agree that any complexity process was gradual, over hundreds or thousands of years, variable over that time and particular for each geographic region. Each decision made in a society to embrace complexity—whether that involved the establishment of kinship rules or food technology—occurred in its own peculiar, and likely largely unplanned, way. The evolution of societies is like human evolution, not linear but branched, messy, full of dead ends and successes not necessarily marked by the best behavior. Sources Al-Azmeh, A. Concept . International Encyclopedia of the Social Behavioral Sciences (Second Edition). Ed. Wright, James D. Oxford: Elsevier, 2015. 719–24. Print.and History of CivilizationBrumfiel, E. M. Archaeology of States and Civilizations. International Encyclopedia of the Social Behavioral Sciences. Ed. Baltes, Paul B. Oxford: Pergamon, 2001. 14983–88. Print.Covey, R. Alan. Rise of Political Complexity. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. Ed. Pearsall, Deborah M. New York: Academic Press, 2008. 1842–53. Print.Eisenstadt, Samuel N. Civilizations. International Encyclopedia of the Social Behavioral Sciences (Second Edition). Ed. Wright, James D. Oxford: Elsevier, 2001. 725–29. Print.Kuran, Timur. Explaining the Economic Trajectories of Civilizations: The Systemic Approach. Journal of Economic Behavior Organization 71.3 (2009): 593–605. Print.Macklin, Mark G., and John Lewin. The Rivers of Civilization. Quaternary Science Reviews 114 (2015): 228â₠¬â€œ44. Print.Nichols, Deborah L. , R. Alan  Covey, and Kamyar Abdia. Rise of Civilization and Urbanism. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. Ed. Pearsall, Deborah M. London: Elsevier Inc., 2008. 1003–15. Print.

Demand And Supply Of Labor - 1040 Words

The demand and supply of labor is determined by the labor market. There are two players in the labor market: the workers and the firms. All workers will supply their labor to firms in exchange for wages paid by the firms to produce manufactured Items. The need for laborers is comprised of the firms need to produce any given number of products to supply the consumers demand. Because of this, the labor market directly affects supply, demand, and the price of manufactured items. Of the three resources of production (land, labor,capital), the labor segment is the most important. Specifically, labor Unions and how they affect the labor market, how skills and education effect the labor market, and the fluctuating employment rates. First,†¦show more content†¦Industrial capitalism was leading the way and did not share the same ideology and vision of the labor movement. According to the heritage.org, labor unions today harm the economy because they function as labor cartels. Labo r cartels restrict the number of workers allotted in a company or industry resulting in an increase in wages for the union workers. Just as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) attempts to cut the supply of oil to raise its price, companies pass on those higher wages that have to be paid to the union members to consumers through higher prices, and often earn lower profits, as reported by James Sherk, What Unions Do: How Labor Unions Affect Jobs and the Economy. Companies today have less power to increase prices on consumers without going out of business. Labor unions are also effective at taxing company investments through the negotiation of higher wages for their members causing a decrease in profits. Companies that are unionized, counter the negotiations through reduced investments, thus making the companies less competitive in the market. The graph below provided by heritage.org, displays union vs. non-union manufacturing employment trends. Because of this, j ob opportunities are reduced and the economy suffers. (1) Research has shown that unions make for a slower economic recovery. Over the long run, business investment is reduced due to labor cartels

The Idea Of Natural Selection - 872 Words

The idea of anthropocentrism provides comfort to humans. It posits that in this messy, incomprehensible world, we are still the central species. This idea allows, and even encourages, humans to view the world through a very anthropological lens and assume that, because we are the dominant and most important species, nature works in human terms and is the domain of man. The idea of creationism is very anthropocentric itself. In the Hebrew Bible, man was created before all other animals and designed in God’s image. He was given domain over nature by God as well. This idea of human supremacy and exceptionalism has persisted into modernity, but the advent of Darwin’s evolutionary theory altered human’s perception of themselves and the natural world. The typical belief in human dominance was shaken through Darwin’s idea of natural selection and evolution which posited that humans, just as all other species â€Å"descended from some one prototype† (484). The descendants of this one prototype evolved based on natural selection. Evolution led to the creation of all organisms, living and extinct, including humans. The theory of evolution challenged the ideas of human exceptionalism and anthropocentrism by including humans in the same category as all other organisms, organisms that we as humans feel superior to. In evolutionary theory, humans become simply another species that managed to survive the â€Å"struggle for existence† rather than a master of nature created in the image ofShow MoreRelatedTheory Of Evolution By Natural Selection896 Words   |  4 PagesSummary Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection. According to history, Charles Darwin is the first scientist to frame the theory of evolution by natural selection. It was publish in his book title On the Origin of Species 1859†. Darwin express the theory of evolution by natural selection as a process by which species change over a period of time. This change take place because of the changes in genetic and behavioral traits. The ability of the organisms to change over time or adjust to fit environmentalRead MoreHow Natural Selection Has Shaped The Modern Mind1575 Words   |  7 Pagesdesign or natural selection. The notion of whether or not divine design or natural selection is the result of an organisms faculties has sparked significant debate since Darwin first proposed his theory of natural selection in the mid-nineteenth century. Even though there is a substantial amount of empirical evidence supporting natural selection, some theologist are still not entirely convinced that Darwin’s theory explains the progressio n of mankind. Thus, this paper will explore how natural selectionRead MoreThe Origin Of Species Revolutionized The Way That Changed Through Time With Natural Selection And Divergence Of Geographical Isolation1624 Words   |  7 Pagesany scientist, previous theory’s and ideas from historians or other scholars are used in part to form the basis of understanding of new information (Klyve, D. k. 2014). The understanding of evolution as we see it today comes from many areas of the world amid varying time periods. The most famous and current understanding is that of Darwin, in 1859 his book On the Origin of Species revolutionized the way we see life and its continuity through natural selection. In this essay I will look at a projectRead MoreCharles Darwin s Theory Of Evolution1577 Words   |  7 Pagesfields of studies in the nineteenth century. In 1831, Darwin embarked on a British government-sponsored voyage on the HMS Beagle to the coast of South America and several remote is lands in the Pacific, where he closely observed the landforms and natural species that were native to these parts of the world, which he had never encountered before. Upon confronting these previously unidentified species, he made numerous observations, took copious notes in his journals and collected meticulous samplesRead MoreEssay about Evolution1502 Words   |  7 Pagesliving organisms. To account for the adaptations of organisms and those innumerable features that equip them for survival and reproduction, Darwin (and Wallace) independently came up with the central theory of evolutionary process: natural selection. Natural selection gives insight in to why organisms are the way that they are. Adaptations are phenotypic variants that result in the highest fitness among a specified set of variants in a given environment. In reference to humans, there are manyRead MoreJohn Darwin s Natural Selection879 Words   |  4 PagesDarwin wrote a book â€Å"Natural Selection† and it was fun for me to read because his theories on natural and life evolutions are fascinating to learn. The idea that members of a species complete with each other for resources and that individuals that are better adapted to their lifestyles have a better chance of surviving to reproduce revolutionized the field of evolution. His idea was never approved or accepted for decades and today natural selection forms the basis for our understanding of how speedsRead MoreCharles Darwin s Theory Of Evolution801 Words   |  4 Pagesentitled â€Å"On an origin of species†. Darwin and a fellow scientist Alfred Russel Wallace visited Galapagos Islands to formulate his ideas on natural selection. He found several species of finch adapted to different environmental niches. The finches also differed in beak shape, food source, and how food was captured. Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection has 4 specific parts to it. Part one states that â€Å"More Individuals are produced each generation that can survive†. Part two states thatRead MoreThe Question Questions On Evolutionists1397 Words   |  6 Pagesmight have originated from old forms of life. Some opinions are that organisms might have not being as simple as we might have expected. This idea explains the possible for an ancestral organism to have possessed at least a remotely similar mechanism that could have made modern biological pathways possible. Other ideas revolve around the fact that natural selection (a mechanism that advocates for survival and successful reproduction) was the responsible for it, allowing mutations to modify already existingRead MoreThe Aspects Of Darwin s Life851 Words   |  4 PagesDarwin’s challenges included unintentionally contradicting his family and friend’s religious views when attempting to ex plain his theories. Unfortunately, during his time, his â€Å"truly revolutionary ideas† were regarded as â€Å"highly unorthodox, jeopardizing the church and the bible† (Darwin s Dangerous Idea 2002). Incorporating into his mindset of religion, Darwin grew frustrated when Annie Darwin, Darwin’s daughter who fell ill, passed away. Darwin was so distraught that he would not let himself enterRead MoreWhat Is The Evidence For Evolution?1363 Words   |  6 Pagesthe first person ratifying theory and so on. The Evolution theory is that the process by which different kinds of living organism are believed to have developed from earlier forms during the history of the earth such as genetic, migration and natural selection today’s descendants show an amazing amount of similarities and diversity. Evolution on a small scale is called microevolution, relating to the changes that occur such as insects becoming resistant to fly spray. Macroevolution refers to the grand

The Mind and Its Functions Free Essays

Psychology studies the mind and its functions, and biology studies living organisms and their physiology, psychobiology uses biological foundations to try and explain psychological phenomena’s. This is basically science in the branch of the biological bases of behavior and mental experiences. This is sometimes also known as biological psychology because it deals with the biological interactions such as hormones, neurotransmitters, cells and the social aspects of our environment (Where mind meets matter, n. We will write a custom essay sample on The Mind and Its Functions or any similar topic only for you Order Now d.). Psychobiologists study the physiological and evolutionary mechanisms that effect human behavior as a way to understand why the brain works the way it does. A psychobiologist has the belief that biology plays the major role in the actions and behaviors of humans. Some of the research psychobiology focuses on is positive emotions, capacity of self-regulation, social competence, and bonds made with caregivers (Feder, Nestler, ; Charney, 2009). There is some psychobiology that focuses on the impact of our genetics and environment on one’s own self, and how that can impact our mental state as well. Biological psychology is the broad overview of the sub disciplines of Comparative Psychology. Some of these similar/other names for Psychobiology would be behavioral neuroscience, and biopsychology. The differences between some of the different sub disciplines include; physiological aspects, genetics, and developmental mechanisms of behavior. These all study the stimulants, and such that impacts behavior in humans and animals and looks for the links for why certain people behave the way they do when presented with a particular stimulus. Because some people react differently and at different degrees than others, it can serve as a measurement to help gauge where they are at stimulant wise. Some of the earliest history of this comes from philosophers who believed that the brain and mind were two separate entities, other known as dualism. Dualism is a theory where the mind and brain are made of different components and materials. Where the mind is an independent material separate of any physical materials, the brain is physical a physical matter. But it wasn’t until the 19th century, when scientists started studying the brain and its components, that scientists began to argue that the mind and brain were the same thing. This is known as monism because they saw that the mind, and brain were one entity and that they could not be studied separately. There are quite a few psychologists who were in the search for behavior and its biological foundations. Some of these people who were interested in searching for this were Weber, Pavlov, and Freud. (Hergenhahn, ; Henley, pg. 567) Weber’s Law was originally done to describe the research on weight lifting by Ernst Weber who was a physiologist. It was later then applied to â€Å"measurement of sensation† by his student, Gustav Fechner, who eventually developed the law of science and psychophysics (Weber’s Law, n.d.). The statement that the relationship between the spiritual world and the physical worlds to Fechner, indicated that the spiritual world was the only world. But to others, they interpreted this as a possibility of a scientific quantitative psychology. Pavlov’s contribution to psychobiology would be his research in animal physiology, which led to an understanding in behavior and conditioning responses (Burgemeester, 2016). Freud’s influence on psychobiology would be his theory of the human mind and human behavior. He also developed a clinical technique that is made for helping people who are unhappy (The man who revolutionized, n.d.).Another person who contributed a lot to physics, physiology, and psychology would be Hermann Helmholtz. Helmholtz was a poor child who struggled with the arts in school, but read science books and practiced geometry in his free time. Though his family could not afford to send him to college, the government had a program for â€Å"gifted† children to go to med-school for free if they agreed to sign on with the army as surgeons for 8 years. Though Helmholtz agreed with his teacher Muller, they had many disagreements. They disagreed over Muller’s belief in vitalism, which in biology and physiology, the vitalism-materialism problem was similar to psychologies’ mind-body problem. Vitalism is the view that life and its experiences cannot be explained by physical and chemical processes alone. Helmholtz sided on the side of materialists who believed that no other forces such as the physical and chemical ones, are active within an organism. Basically by meaning that everything happens because of the physical aspect, and not the psychological. By believing and supporting the mechanistic-materialistic philosophy that humans had both physical and nonphysical aspects to them, they had a big influence on physiology, medicine, and psychology. By having the understand that mind, brain, and body are all separate but yet intertwined, it can help with understanding why certain interactions or medications might not work well with certain people because the way their body reacts to certain stimulants may be too much for them to handle. But that could also work for another person who may not have such a high response to a stimulant whether it be environmental, psychological, or medicinal stimulant.Phrenology is the study that the shape and size of the cranium is supposed to be an indicator of one’s character and mental abilities. Franz Gall accepted the belief that there are faculties of the mind that act on and transform sensory information. He came up with three additional things to add on to phrenology; that mental faculties do not exist to the same extent in all humans, the faculties are houses in specific areas of the brain, and that if ones faculty is well developed, a person would have a bump that corresponds to that region of the brain. But if the faculty is underdeveloped, a hollow or depression like part would be on the corresponding region of the skull. (Hergenhahn, Henley, pg. 230) Phrenology became popular in the aspect of education where the belief became that as would a regular physical muscle, a brain would get stronger with practice by stimulating those faculties of the brain. This would be called formal discipline and it is the belief that educational experiences can arrange to strengthen the specific facilities of the brain related to that subject. This encouraged further research in that the brain and mind are related and different regions of the brain hold different bouts of information. (Hergenhahn, Henley, pg. 232) Another big aspect of psychobiology would be experimental psychology; which is seeing what is physically present, and what is psychologically experienced. (Hergenhahn, Henley, pg. 237) Though there was never doubt about the existence or presence of a conscious, it was a matter of how we would measure it in a scientific aspect. It was believed that conscious sensations were triggered by brain responses, but then were originally initiated by sense perceptions. Psychophysics is the study of the relationship between physical and psychological events that occur. Weber’s Law claims that the number of a physical stimulus, that must occur because a change has occurred and results in the change of awareness or sensations. Through a various series of calculations, Fechner came to his most known formula, which he believed showed the interaction/relationship between the physical and the mental state. S= k log RThis formula basically states that for sensations to rise arithmetically, the magnitude of the physical stimulus must rise geometrically. If the change is detected it means that as the stimulus grows so does the magnitude and it keeps growing and growing afterward (Hergenhahn, ; Henley, pg. 241) Psychobiology has a lot of factors and subsections that research into it. Not only is it important to research both the psychological side and the biological side, it is important to know why and how these things interrelate. By furthering research in these fields we can make strides to better understanding how our genetics, as well as our environment impact our mental and physical well-being and how we may react to certain stimulants psychologically and biologically. How to cite The Mind and Its Functions, Papers

Information Contemporary Technologies and Decision Making

Question: Describe about the Information Contemporary Technologies and Decision Making. Answer: Inputs to decision making The main inputs include data, information as well as knowledge. The raw data may be stored in a database such that it can be searched and accessed at any time. The data should be retrieved and updated at all time. Once the information has been processed and organized, then it's now referred to as information (Orwel, 2008). The data and information can then be referred to as knowledge once it has been processed and can convey experience and expertise to an activity or to a problem that may arise. Business Analysis and Mapping tools The management of a business organization intends to start cyber caf business. They are therefore faced with the problem of identifying the necessary inputs. They would then put the necessary inputs together and proceed on with the business. Thereafter, they would wait to reap from the outcome (Orwel, 2008). The problem regarding poor information or knowledge, lack of information or knowledge transfer The poor information and lack of knowledge arise from poor decision making. One must identify the objective of his/ her business before he/she can go ahead with the businesses plan. For example, some businesses are put up from profit-making purposes while some are started for non-profit making purposes (Malmendier, 2003). Some may also be started to create employment opportunities for the family members. Public cyber caf require several computers which are connected to the internet. However, poor information or knowledge may be very misleading. There is a need for the business proprietor to be well informed about all that he/she requires to start and run the business effectively (Ehrlinger, 2005). There also the lack of information which may prove to be a major challenge. One must, therefore, acquire knowledge regarding the targeted consumers. Profits that are earned by the cyber caf would be dictated by the number of customers. There are several other problems that may arise due to lack of knowledge or information. For instance, the inputs must be put in place to run the business. If not, the business can't be initiated (Trevis Certo, 2008). Such inputs include buildings, starting capital, acquisition of internet services among others. Some managers may lay out strategic measures that may prove out to be expensive for nothing and result in losses in the end. The business may not necessarily need an expensive building or huge capital investment. However, due to lack of information an individual may end up making poor decisions regarding the choice of inputs and the transformation processes (Gilovic, 2002). 3. Decision-making issues uncertainty, biases, in personal and group decision-making Personal I have been responsible for making the decision of who was to be appointed as the acting treasurer at my workplace. The treasure to the staff welfare had just been transferred to another place. There was hence an immediate need for someone to be appointed so as to replace her. The manager requested me to nominate an individual who would then be appointed by the company to serve in the capacity. It was hence upon me to identify the right individual who would serve as the acting treasurer. The task wasn't an easy. I considered some factors and finally nominated a colleague who was eventually appointed by the manager. I felt very uncomfortable during the entire period when I had to make the decision. Several thoughts crossed my mind, but I was well in control. There were many people from whom I could choose from. The many alternatives turned out to be a challenge to me. The treasure was to be in charge of all the finances of the welfare. The position, therefore, required an individual who is faithful, determined and committed to his/her work. The feeling that I had was that if my preferred choice eventually fails in the job, then I would be blamed for having nominated a wrong person. On the other hand, I had a feeling that people would question the factors that I would consider in the nomination. I, therefore, had to consider very many factors. According to prospect theory, managers tend to avoid choices that are likely to lead to losses when there are several options (Trevis Cento, 2008). I was in the same scenario, and I had to nominate someone whom I believed had the capacity to deliver effectively in the capacity of a treasurer. I had to ignore any other person who could squander finances that belonged to the staff welfare. Several experiments have shown that people are very cautious when it comes to making decisions that can lead to losses (Malmendier, 2003). Decision makers tend to favor choices that promote gains as opposed to those that can lead to losses. Economists argue that individuals value the gains that they have already achieved more compared to those that they are yet to attain. To avoid such losses, bias may be exercised if it is the best decision (Trevis Cento, 2008). Prospect theory also states that decision makers are more likely to take a risk when the alternative choices available may result in losses . The theory hence contradicts loss aversion because it encourages the taking of risks that are likely to mitigate a loss (Chimizu, 2005). 4. Methodologies and tools for solving complex problems: soft systems, dialogue mapping, IBIS, satisficing The Provision of free internet services at the place of work can greatly contribute to improvements at the place of work. I selected a group of seven friends whom we partnered with and worked on the issue (Shimizu, 2005). We decided upon the workshopping tools that we would use. There were several choices of tools at our disposal. We finally settled on brainstorming and cost-benefit analysis after considering all of them. We brainstormed to find out whether the decision that we intended to make was of high quality or not and whether it was important or not. We also analyzed the commitment of the team towards the decision and whether there was enough information regarding the same. The group also looked at the possibility of the team supporting the decision if any other individual would have come up with it. Finally, we looked at the cost-benefit analysis to determine whether the decision was likely to be supported by the organization. The workshop was conducted for close to one hour. Finally, we concluded that the issue was important and needed to be implemented. The staff members at the workplace wasted a lot of time visiting cyber caf, seeking internet services. Provision of free internet services at the working place would save the workers more time leading to work improvement. Work improvement is one of the goals of the organization. It was, therefore, necessary to find ways of making it better and the provision of free internet services at the workplace would be a break through. The free and reliable internet services would also enable the organization's workers to exchange ideas with other well-performing organizations. The organization would also be able to reach out to their customers and engage them via electronic emails and the social media. From the engagements that we had, I learned that issues should first be discussed by the members and agreed upon before they can be implemented. 5. Contemporary technology responses Personal Decision Making Overconfidence and how it influences decision-making To make a right decision, an individual requires much more than concepts, facts, and knowledge. There is an additional requirement that that is commonly referred to as "metaknowledge." It is the extent of one's knowledge(Russo Schoemaker, 2016). The two most important things that I have learned about overconfidence are the cognitive causes of availability of bias and the confirmation of bias. I have learned that the difficulty that people have in understanding and even imagining the manner in which an event can unfold is likely to result into overconfidence. Most people are excited and become overconfidence when they develop a belief in them that they can tell the manner in which an event is likely to turn out. Such people become very disappointed when the contrary happens. Confirmation bias also causes overconfidence in that one may go out to seek for views in support for his /her view of events and failing to seek for disconfirming evidence. The result is that the people become ove r-confidence (Schoemaker, 2016). Reducing overconfidence on decision-making at workplace I use some ways to reduce and overcome overconfidence at my place of work. The first method that I use is consideration of several values. This provides me with several choices. As a result, I cannot cling to one and assume that it is the correct way in which the events are likely to conform to. The second method that I use is the belief that I have developed so far. I believe that the events taking place in the world are very unpredictable. I don't base my arguments on assumptions that events are likely to turn out in a given manner. It is important to observe patience and wait for the results of the events (Malmendier, 2003). I am very aware and alert in most cases because am the decision maker. I have to motivate the people whom I work with. However, when I get over-confidence about a given issues and then the opposite turns out, then my colleagues are likely to be demotivated. As a role model and an example to the rest I always avoid all the causes of overconfidence at all cost. References Basics of decision-making processes. Retrieved from https://essentialsofbusiness.ufexec.ufl.edu/resources/leadership/basics-of-the-decision-making-process/#.V97A8_lM8s8 Ehrlinger, J. G. (2005). People's assessments of bias in themselves and others. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,, 680-691. Gilovic. (2002). The psychology of intuitive judgment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Improving decision making. Retrieved from https://www.bizmove.com/skills/m8a.htm Malmendier, U. (2003). CEO overconfidence and corporate investment. Jornal of finance, 3-21. Orwell, G. 2008.Inputs and decision making. Retrieved from https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ers0805/rs/ers08054.pdf Russo, J. E., Schoemaker, P. J. (2016). Managing overconfidence. Sloan Management Review, 58. Trevis, Certo L. T. (2008). Managers and their not-so rational decisions. Science Direct, 114. Shimizu, K. . (2005). The effects of organizational inertia. Jornal of Management, 55-60. Tim Hartnett, 2016. Consensus Decision Making. Retrieved from https://consensusdecisionmaking.org/Articles/Basics%20of%20Consensus%20Decision%20Making.html