The Unresponsive Bystander Essay Example for Free

The Unresponsive Bystander Essay In the chapter â€Å"Where There’s Smoke,† Latane and Darley (1970) narrate the proceedings and outcomes of their experiment employing the use of smoke as treatment which serves to illustrate further the validity of the authors’ contention that the presence of other people actually deters an individual from reacting decisively to a potential emergency. Through the â€Å"smoke experiment, Latane and Darley were able to observe the individual behavior of the bystander in a simulated emergency environment and later prove their thesis that â€Å"the constraints on behavior in public combined with the processes of social influence would lessen the likelihood that members of three-person groups would act to cope with the emergency. †   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The â€Å"smoke† research is primarily a social science experiment where the presence of other people is considered the variable in determining what Latane and Darley coin as the â€Å"bystander intervention in emergencies.† Under the guise of conducting an interview on the problems of urban life, the target respondents—male Columbia University students residing on or near the campus— are invited to participate in the experiment through a telephone call without any other means of contact with the experimenters. They are subsequently assigned into three categories: the alone group or the control group, where the respondents are left by themselves in the experiment room; the two-passive confederates group or the first variable group, where the respondents are joined in by two other men pretending to be respondents to the experiment; and the three naà ¯ve bystanders group or the second variable group, where there were three respondents all at once in the same room. All categories of respondents were made to answer a questionnaire supposedly on the problems of urban life and while they were doing this, smoke was slowly piped in through a small vent in the wall of the room as a stimuli; the basic assumption being that the smoke would â€Å"create   an ambiguous but potentially dangerous situation† or, as the title suggests, lead the respondents in the room into thinking that something was burning. The smoke, generated by the reaction of titanium tetrachloride and water vapor, was allowed to filter in a few minutes after the respondent had started on the questionnaire and continued to pour into the room until the respondent decides to report it. After four minutes it would fill the room â€Å"enough to obscure vision, produce a mildly acrid odor, and interfere with breathing.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Results of the research, although expected, were interesting. As predicted, the respondents in the Alone category â€Å"behaved in a very reasonable manner† in which, after moments of indecision and hesitation he promptly investigated and reported the presence of smoke to â€Å"somebody in the hall who looked as if he belonged there.† On the other hand, majority of those left in the room with the two passive confederates, â€Å"coughed, rubbed their eyes, and opened the window† but failed to report the incident even if it had filled the room to an uncomfortable level. Those in the three naà ¯ve bystanders group performed similarly to the two passive confederates group despite the fact that there should have been thrice as many chance that the smoke would be promptly reported as in the Alone category. In the post-experiment interview conducted later, the experimenters found out that those who did not report the smoke uniformly â€Å"rejected the idea that it was fire† and instead created â€Å"an astonishing variety of alternative explanations† which disregarded the potentially dangerous nature of the source of smoke.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While the experiment proves their thesis, Latane and Darley warn the reader from jumping to conclusions or expecting similar results in predicting the individual behavior of human beings, or what they call bystanders, in times of emergencies when there are other people around but in distinctively different settings. They demonstrate, for instance, how the results of the smoke experiment may not be wholly applicable when fire breaks out in a theater or when any other emergency arises in a crowded place. They are quick, however, in pointing out that in a crowd of a thousand people, there would be a thousand chance that someone will react impulsively—or curiously—to the stimuli and report it promptly to the audience, creating a much bigger potential disaster such as a stampede.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The smoke experiment therefore affirms the applicability of the social impact theory by showing a possible explanation by which an individual, in the presence of other people, is more likely to restrain his or her reactions in the face of an emergency or a potential emergency. It enhances the theory further by showing how individuals tend to act in conformity with others, how individuals tend to act out what they believe is expected of them by others, and how society, in turn, is able to define the norms and rules by which human beings conduct their daily lives, their reactions, and their expectations of others.

Case Analysis: Land Rover North America Essay -- Business Case Study

1) Background Analysis: General Market Assessment: In the 90's, the SUV was looking to become a highly contentious market, however, with a new emphasis on the Leisure SUV. This was where LRNA will be able to maximize its market share, and perhaps grab a foothold on the market. Competition and behavior: The SUV industry in North America was becoming increasingly competitive, with "over 30 SUV models, their prices ranging from $10,000 to $60,000. Market leaders were Jeep and Ford, with Jeep having a strong heritage in the USA much in the same was as Land Rover did in the United Kingdom. Jeep itself had three lines; much in the way Land Rover was trying to carry various lines for different segments of the market. The international impact on the North American SUV sales was modest, and the luxury segment of the SUV class was about to become more competitive with new products from the likes of Mercedes and Lexus. Company Analysis: Land Rover started off in the UK and was able to market itself on its heritage. When it made the jump to North America, it had banked on this British heritage. Land Rover North America (LRNA) had initially started off in respectable terms as a somewhat boutique firm, with a staff of 15 and 60 dealers. Recently they have taken a decision to move from a niche player with unit sales of 5,000 to a bigger player in the US SUV market. One of the key areas that they are focusing on is the introduction of the Land Rover Discovery. Current: Currently, LRNA has switched from a corporate identity based solely on the Range Rover, to the overall umbrella brand of Land Rover, which it self has multiple sub brands (or vehicles) one of which is the Discovery. With the decision of branding and introducing the Discovery... ...(TV and Print Mix) Corporate Identity 4.5 million Discovery Identity 4.5 million Land Rover Defender 3 Million Range Rover 3 Million 15 Million Corp. Sponsorships Tread Lightly 25,000 Camel Trophy 240,000 General Fees 115,000 Mt Washington 20,000 400,00 Experienced Marketing Programs Website 150,000 Dealer Driving Experience 20,000* 300,000 * Promotions Treasure Hunt 5000 - 60000 60,000 Exhibit 3: Timeline Jan ‘ 94 Second Quarter Fourth Quarter Corporate Rebranding Ad and TV Marketing Tie in entire product line with Around Discovery Marketing Campaign showing the Land Rover Family ________________________________________ Feb ‘ 94 Introduction Third Quarter Of Discovery Introduction of Land Rover Centers and New Product Announcements

Identification After Gender Essay

Time episode â€Å"Fionna and Cake† and reading â€Å"Berengier of the Long Ass,† the expectations of genders are exposed through the reversal of roles in both of these pieces. The characters in these stories clearly demonstrate the expectations that certain males and females must negotiate in order to expose the problems when there is labeling of certain genders. Judith Butler’s analysis of gender is that it is performative- meaning that nobody really is a gender from the start; after watching the video and reading the text for this exercise, t is clear that Fionna and The Knight expose the misconceptions of gender throughout societies today. In our society today there are certain notions that many people have about what are â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† for males and females to wear, think, and act. There are certain things that are expected out of males- a toughness about them, an attitude that declares them as â€Å"the man of the house†- that is unfairly labeled upon every male in our society. Females are expected to be the ones who constantly act â€Å"girly’ and let the males do everything involving manual labor- this is an unfair label that is placed upon every female in our society. The video that Judith Butler takes part in is an example of a certain female who does not believe in conforming with the problems of the rest of our society- taking a stand against the â€Å"normal ideas† of the public. Judith Baker’s ideas are expressed throughout â€Å"Fionna and Cake† and â€Å"Berengier of the Long Ass,† when Fionna , The Lady, and The Knight expose these misconceptions by swapping roles; The Lady and Fionna act as the males, while Prince Gumball and The Knight act as the females. The idea that Fionna and The Lady â€Å"act as the males† in these stories define the problem that our society has when it omes to the definition of males and females. There are certain expectations that must be fulfilled when it comes to being seen as a male or female, but in these two pieces (video and story), the main characters both reject the expectations, or try and fulfill them unsuccessfully. In the Adventure Time episode â€Å"Fionna and Cake† Fionna and Prince Gumball act as their opposite gender in many ways. Throughout â€Å"Fionna and Cake† Fionna refuses to completely fulfill these expectations that are placed among most females. Fionna goes through the majority of the video as a tomboy who would rather carry weapons in her person than make-up. However, by the end of the video she adapts to the â€Å"normal† expectations for females by dressing up in a dress and trying to flatter Prince Gumball. In order for Fionna to expose the expectations of certain genders, Fionna goes to the extreme limit when trying to act as a boy; for there is nothing more â€Å"manly’ for a human-being to do than to save someone’s life. Fionna saves Prince Gumball, which in turn creates a relationship between the two that was not there before. It becomes evident that there is a gender swap in this video when Fionna is the one who is catching Prince Gumball when he falls from the ceiling. o infatuate Fionna, portraying the inner-man of Princess Ice, and getting the inner- woman out of Fionna. Fionna Justifies the ideas of Judith Butler’s by showing the audience that it took awhile for her to find her preferred gender- switching preferences multiple times between the beginning and end of the video. Fionna proves that any female can be happy doing â€Å"male-type† things, but also can be happy with a man, which goes against the norm of being a â€Å"tom boy. † By the end of the story it is clear that Fionna chooses to give up the â€Å"girly’ personality that is expected mong women, while consistently being herself, and attracting the Prince of her dreams. In the reading â€Å"Berengier of the Long Ass,† The Knight and his Lady successfully pull off an epic gender swap that The Knight would not be very proud of. Throughout the beginning of the story the Lady constantly criticizes her husband for being lazy and not being a â€Å"chivalrous† Knight. Because she questions the Knight’s manhood, the Knight forces himself to make a change. The Knight then tries to fulfill the expectations of Knights in our society by creating fake battles in the forests to impress his wife. Because he does a bad Job of faking his fatigue and injuries after these fake battles, the wife begins to catch on to his tricks. The wife then follows him to the next â€Å"battle† realizing that what he was saying the whole entire time was a fraud. Butler’s applications to gender being performative comes into play here, because the Knight tries so hard to be a â€Å"man† -that his life turns upside down because of it. The Knight’s wife then brings back another guy to the house, knowing that because her husband is a â€Å"woman† in her eyes, he will not even think about doing anything to harm her. When the Knight realizes that his attempt at conforming to the public’s interpretation ofa knight has failed, he feels as though he is a failure- for the only important in most knights’ life is the chivalrous way in which they live. A Knight’s expectation is to be the most brave, genuine, and honest guy of all; however, in this case the knight’s wife was more of a knight than he was. The Knight in this story tried to adapt to the expectations that are naturally placed on him, and instead of adapting he completely failed at his attempt. Most people are better off being their atural-selves than trying to fulfill the expectations that others place on them. After analyzing Fionna, Prince Gumball, The Knight, and his wife, it is obvious that being yourself leads to the most happiness between one and their partner. Fionna maintains her inner-boy personality and ends up being the happiest girl in the world. The Knight tries to change his personality and ends up watching his wife hang out with another man. Judith Butler’s ideas really make sense after analyzing these characters because of the way in which characters can reject the expectations of their gender and be completely happy because of it.

HR Plan of Action for QV Solar LLC Essay

QV Solar LLC has experienced rapid growth that has seen an increase it its staff from 15 to 54 last year in spite of the global economic recession. In order to maintain the position and develop the company as a â€Å"green† company, the Company’s HR proposes a series of strategies that will encourage change and an increase in productivity. The policies will mainly focus primarily on improving the efficiency of the Company’s current workforce since hiring of new employees will not be an immediate viable scheme. The plan will target making the staff understand the company’s mission better by reevaluating their roles and understanding what is specifically expected of them for enhanced success of the company. In order to realize effective change among staff, the HR will target capacity building and teamwork as key concepts of management and ensure that adequate resources are provided to facilitate creation of an environment that favors much success. The HR will design a structure that facilitates constructive feedback from all departments in order to facilitate a systematic flow of information at various organization levels. The smooth flow of information will ultimately lead to the development of better opportunities for a more rapid growth of the company. QV Solar LLC’s HR Plan of Action will be based on Joel Ross and Michael Kami’s opinion that â€Å"managers should avoid organizational rigor mortis†¦ that change is inevitable, and the organization as well as its people must accommodate the change (McConnell 315). The plan of action will also embrace the fact that the only thing that lasts in organizations is change. That change is with organizations and keeps accelerating them. This change will not be produced by internal action only but will also be a factor of external actions- such as consideration of the value of customers to the company (McConnell 315). The HR will focus on changes in product innovation by ensuring that solar panels are tailored as per customer specifications. In order to achieve this, QV Solar LLC should focus on feedback from staff when they install solar panels for customers. Along this line, staff should be trained to facilitate better installation and human relation with customers. The training program will entail integration of staff and customer ideas to ensure that the solar panels are of the highest quality and thus promote QV Solar LLC as a â€Å"greener† company. The training program will be followed by a follow-up evaluation to monitor its effectiveness with a view that customers’ ideas are vital for the Company’s success. The Company’s objective to maintain a clean environment will be facilitated by incorporating customers in a program where they can return their panels to the company for recycling as a means of exercising corporate responsibility. This will also emphasize the fact that change is realized not only from within an organization but also from customers and the prevailing environment. In order to capture a larger share of the market, the HR will review staff performance from time to time and ensure that their skills are constantly ameliorated. This will be will be achieved by ensuring that the employees can work in various departments in different capacities in order to develop a multiplicity of skills that will enhance the company’s productivity without necessarily having to hire more staff. In summary, QV Solar LLC’s Plan of Action will entail strategies that aim at improving productivity by improving the efficiency of employees while recognizing the customer as the most important part of the organization.

Feminism in Roger and Dodger Film

Feminism in Roger and Dodger Film Introduction This essay evaluates feminism as depicted in the film ‘Roger Dodger’ by Dylan. In his film, Dylan Kidd presents the two genders in a scintillating and amusing way. The theme of gender is captured in scenes in a plot that invoke drama, comedy, romance and sex.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Feminism in Roger and Dodger Film specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Throughout the film, the actors, both the men and women, are engaged in battle of wits that oscillates around gender definitions and prescriptions. As the film ensues, one gets the feeling that women cannot outmatch the intelligence of men. Dylan portrays majority of the female actors in the movie as naà ¯ve and susceptible to male calculations. The plot of the movie tends towards portraying women as inferior to men given majority of the women in the movie fall into traps set by men very easily. Roger, the star in the movie, orchestrates the gender battle through a series of romantic scenes that depict women as the weaker sex. Women are depicted as not capable of standing their ground and thus are generally susceptible to men’s selfish maneuvers. Character of Women Dylan Kidd’s movie portrays or brings out heroism in men and depicts women in low light. The male characters are the heroes in the movie while female actors in the movie have despicable roles. In this film, Dylan Kidd portrays some sharp contrasts in the character of female actors. Some characters are gullible and submissive while some other female characters are ready and willing to stand for their dignity and assume leadership roles. Theme Development in the Plot To develop the plot, Kidd employs a genre atypical of a female author. The author shows clearly that the acts of one woman are not qualified to represent the fullness of other women’s character, choices and actions. It is only a gender sensitive male or a female author that can appreciate such a fact. The whole plot revolves around how the gender divide plays out or how male and female interact in society. The main character in the movie is Roger. After being dumped by his girl friend, Roger opts to indulge in pleasure by seeking good-looking girls for sex. He, therefore, opts to visit the singles nightclub to try his luck. His mission, at first, seems futile. The initial futility experienced in the mission spurs Roger into intensifying his search. His search finally gets him to an underground brothel. The desire for sex makes him somewhat crazy and he did not care who came his way. A nephew came visiting and although, initially, Roger is unhappy about his nephew’s (Nick) visit, the idea of helping him break his virginity excites him. Therefore, Roger commences lessons for Nick on â€Å"the art of seduction†. From their discussions and actions, it is clear that both of them have low respect for women.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Their first lesson is in the singles club where they encounter Jennifer and Elizabeth. The two women are tough nuts to crack. Both women detect the men’s motives before hand and they stand their ground; they refuse to give in to Nick’s advances. Both Jennifer and Elizabeth are principled and they represent women who value dignity and are ready to defy exploitation. Joyce, the former girl friend to Roger, portrays similar qualities. Although, in the movie, she was always on and off, she portrays a unique character that refuses to compromise her dignity by not falling for the tempting proposal from his employee, Rodger. Despite the fact that she lowers herself to indulge in an affair with her employee, she eventually stopped it. Feminism Roger is a drunken womanizer accustomed to hanging in bars and nightclubs. His attitude towards women helps us to have a clear understanding of the level feminism in the film. The fact that Roger managed to have some women to hang up with, despite his drunken state, points to fact that majority of the women were indifferent towards championing or standing up for their rights and dignity. He further exposes them as naà ¯ve and unable to live without male influence. Hence, the film portrays majority of women as weak and unwilling to detach themselves from the traditional ideology that subjects women to the control of men. As Roger relates, all women are equal and are subject to men’s advances. Due to this notion, he accepted with a delight to guide his nephew to ditch his virginity. However, once his first mission backfires, he is left puzzled by the determination of Elizabeth and Jennifer (Berardinelli 1). These two women remain exceptional in their character as they set an example for others. From nick’s underground exploits, we realize that some women are desperate for men to lay them. Joyc e’s secretary is drunk and she readily gives in to Nick’s approaches. Although she is under the influence of alcohol, her lack of control leaves many questions about women’s resolve to curtail male dominance. It is interesting to see Nick decide to allow her to recover from alcohol influence before indulging in sex with her (Berardinelli 1). This scenario shows that some women are contented in their plight of being under men’s control.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Feminism in Roger and Dodger Film specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Men and Fight for women rights Since majority women seem effortless or non-committal to championing for their rights, the film is indicative of the role men can play in championing women rights. The movie presents a change of attitude by Roger who drags Nick from sleeping with prostitutes. Rogers is a talented orator with a convincing tongue that charmed many women towards his malicious and selfish gains. He understood that all women, without exception, were susceptible to advances from men. His determination to lay his employer speaks all about his ability to seduce and attract women to himself. In addition, Roger is rich in speech and his talks with women reveal that he is a master of the seduction game. He promises his nephew (Nick) that he will sleep with a woman on the first night out. Although this does not happen, Nick had the opportunity and he is consciously aware that he allowed it to slip out of his hands. The film reveals the richness of the Roger’s creativity in the quest to satisfy his sexual drive (Berardinelli 1). However, in all this, one can also discern the capacity of men to be part of the feminism drive i.e. as fellow seekers after respect for women’s rights and dignity. Conclusion Dylan Kidd has effectively been able to use the genre atypical of female writer. In the movie, he portrays some women as ha ving the ability to stand the conniving approaches of men. However, the eloquent Roger seems irresistible and a master of seduction as he endeavored to indulge himself in sex. The way women fell for him really showed that some of them were vulnerable and unable to champion for the feminism aspirations. The film shows that most women were unwilling to fight for their rights or dignity and it is up to the men to surrender their dominance willingly. Berardinelli, James. Roger Dodger. 2011. Web. reelviews.net/movies/r/roger_dodger.html

The Shooting Death of Oscar Grant

The Shooting Death of Oscar Grant On New Years Day 2009, an Oakland police officer shot and killed an unarmed, pinned suspect. The officer, Johannes Mehserle, was arrested on murder charges on January 14th, 2009. The trial  began on June 10, 2010. Heres what happened: Passengers Detained On January 1, 2009, at approximately 2 a.m., officers of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) responded to reports of a fight on an Oakland subway car. They detained approximately 20 passengers. One of the passengers, who witnesses say was not actually involved in the fight, was 22-year-old Oscar Grant. Grant Captured Grant, a local grocery store butcher, and the father of a four-year-old girl were unarmed. He approached police in what appeared to be a nonviolent manner and was backed against the wall. In one video, he can be seen kneeling and pleading with police for reasons that are not yet clear. Some eyewitnesses say that he had already begun asking police not to shoot him. Officers restrained Grant and pinned him, face down, on the pavement. It is not clear whether he was handcuffed at this point. Shot to Death As shown in a widely disseminated cell phone video of the shooting, Grant was restrained by two officers. A third, 27-year-old Johannes Mehserle, then drew his service pistol and shot Grant fatally in the back. Current Status Mehserle quietly resigned from BART and has issued no statements regarding his reasons for the shooting. An internal investigation is pending. An attorney for Grants family has filed a $25 million wrongful death lawsuit against the city.On January 14th, 2009, Johannes Mehserle was arrested and charged with suspicion of murder. Theories Because Mehserle shot Grant in front of dozens of witnesses, including other police officers, it is difficult to fathom why he would have chosen this opportunity to execute a suspect in cold blood. Alternate theories suggest that he may have mistaken his pistol for a Taser (unlikely given the fact that BARTs Tasers bear no resemblance to firearms and require cartridges to be pre-loaded), or may have felt something while frisking Grant, such as a cell phone, that he mistook for a weapon. Our visceral impression of the shooting is similar to that of one expert quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle in a recent interview: We  assumed the shooting was accidental until we saw the video, but Mehserles relative calm at the moment the gun discharged is jarring. ... Roy Bedard, who has trained police officers around the world, advanced a different theory after his first viewing of the video: that the shooting was a pure accident, a trigger pulled because of a loss of balance or a loud noise. But in an indication of how the videos might move the investigation, Bedard reached a different conclusion after viewing the shooting from a different angle. Looking at it, I hate to say this, it looks like an execution to me, he said. But we  cant fully accept this explanation because we dont understand why Mehserle, whose wife was pregnant and gave birth to a son within days of the shooting, would execute a suspect in public. That doesnt make any sense. We need more data- we all do. The trial may have brought us closer to understanding why Mehserle killed Oscar Grant. But whether it does or not, this killer should be held fully accountable for his actions.

Poem analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Poem analysis - Essay Example The poem has no specific setting since it describes the struggles of a man rather than where he is, but it could be argued that the setting is that of a house since that is where the author would feel most lonely without the presence of his wife. From this poem is it clear that no matter how attached or how much pain we experience after losing a loved one, we eventually learn to live without them. The poem talks about the author’s grief for his dead wife and how he finally managed to cope with his loss. The whole poem is one huge metaphor of a man stressed with the weight of the box on him while in the real sense the whole scenario actually represents the author struggling with his grief over losing his wife. All 13 lines of the poem are metaphors describing the grief of the author. For example, the author says, â€Å"He manages like somebody carrying a box that is too heavy, first with his arms underneath† (line 1-3). The writer vividly explains how he managed to get on with his daily routines after his wife died, how hard it was to live a normal life with her around. The author uses hyperbole when he says that he managed to life but like someone carrying a box that is too heavy for him such that he has to use his entire body to hold the weight. He uses this exaggeration to help the reader understand the intensity of his pain and grief. The author carries on with the metaphor until the finale of the poem where he says â€Å"but now, the man can hold underneath again, so th at he can go on without putting the box down† (line 11-13). The author simply says that after much struggle with his grief he eventually learned to deal and handle it so well that he could almost live a normal life without sadness and a sense of loss. By symbolizing his experience with grief with a man struggling with a heavy box, the author has managed to make the reader experience his