Renaissance (1300-1650), the Industrial Revolution Essay Example for Free

Renaissance (1300-1650), the Industrial Revolution Essay Throughout history, slavery has played a very prominent role in shaping the worlds societies and economies. Across three time periods in particular, slavery throughout the world has notable similarities and differences in areas such as the status of slavery, the way slavery influenced society, and the motivation for a civilization to practice slavery. These time periods are the Renaissance (1300-1650), the Industrial Revolution (1700-1900), and World Wars I and II (1914-1945). Renaissance The time period known today as the Renaissance was, as its name means, a â€Å"rebirth† of Greco-Roman values. It was a reaction against the Dark Ages and stood in stark contrast to the medieval time period before it. The practice of slavery was no exception. Whereas slavery had fizzled out during the Dark Ages, it was instituted again during the Renaissance. Slavery in the Renaissance began in Spain, and for a while the Spanish played the primary part in the slave market. Soon, though, slavery spread to the other parts of Europe. This was especially true with the case of the Italian city-states in which the Renaissance boomed. As the Renaissance grew in Italy and as the city-states expanded, slavery became more and more widespread until Italy became a main user of slaves (Hooker). In contrast to slavery in the later periods of the Industrial Revolution and the two World Wars which is explained later in this essay, slavery in the Renaissance was not solely based on race, but mostly religion (at least in Europe; another type of slavery was practiced in America during the Renaissance, as explained later). Europe and Africa at that time was divided between Christians and Muslims, and so slavery in nations dominated by either religion was based on captured people from the other religion. In other words, in the Renaissance, Christians mostly enslaved Muslims and Muslims mostly enslaved Christians. In the case of the Italian Renaissance, Muslims slaves came from â€Å"Spain, North Africa, Crete, the Balkans, and the Ottoman Empire† (Hooker). The vast majority of slaves at the beginning of the Renaissance were white (Hooker). But as the Renaissance progressed, black slaves began to be used more and more widely. In the beginning of the Renaissance, these African slaves were acquired through Arabs in North Africa, who also held them as slaves. When the Portuguese started exploring the African coast, they participated in a black slave market, shipping slaves to the Americas and back to Europe (Guild). El Mina was the first slave trading post set up by the Portuguese on the West Coast (â€Å"Gold Coast†) of Africa (Guild). Thanks to enslaved Africans, the Portuguese were especially successful in their plantations in the islands off the west coast of Africa known as the Cape Verde, where they transported many of the Africans they enslaved to work in plantations there (Gascoigne). While most slaves in the Industrial Revolution did hard labor in fields, most slaves in the Renaissance were domestic slaves. This means that they did work in the home, doing duties for their masters around the house. Rich people in the cities almost always had one or more slaves. Instead of the brutal, inhumane treatment of slaves common in the Industrial Revolution, slave-owners during the Renaissance commonly integrated their slaves into the family. In both the Industrial Revolution and the Renaissance, masters claimed all rights for their slaves; they did with them what they willed. Therefore, there arises the similarity between all three time periods in that commonly the slaves were used as sex slaves, although sex slaves in the World Wars were used mostly just for sex, not for hard labor. When masters in the Renaissance had an illegitimate child with a slave, the child was not a slave but was free (Hooker). However, when a child was born to a slave and its master in the Industrial Revolution, the child became a slave like its mother (â€Å"Master-Slave†¦). While most slaves were domestic in the Renaissance, another form of slavery was surfacing, slaves used for cheap labor in plantations. In the Renaissance, slaves were starting to be used in plantations, mostly in America, but also in plantations in Italy and off the coast of Africa (Gascoigne). So, in both the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution, at least some slaves were used for hard labor. The Portuguese were the first to put slaves to work in plantations, and slaves soon came to be used on plantations in the Americas by nations such as Spain, Holland, France, England, and the Netherlands. The first slaves they enslaved in these colonies were the native peoples, but soon, the native population began to dwindle. Since Portugal had been exploring the coast of Africa and since Africa had a booming population of people, Africans became the people they predominantly enslaved (Guild). Thus, racial slavery was started. Blacks came to be viewed as lower than human, and this view spread to all the nations which came to have plantations in America. Millions of blacks were imported to plantations for sugar, spices, tobacco, coffee, etc. during the span of the Renaissance (Hornsby). Industrial Revolution Slavery went through many changes during the course of the Industrial Revolution. At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, slavery on plantations that had developed in the Renaissance continued to grow in the Americas. With the success of the plantations in America, what is known as the triangular trade began to form, and this trade majorly affected the world’s economies and prosperity. This system of trade is known as the triangular trade because the directions of travel for the trade were in the shape of a triangle—from Europe to Africa to the Americas and back to Europe. Items such as weapons, liquor, jewelry, and products made from cotton were taken to Africa from Europe and traded for slaves. These were loaded on ships and taken to the Americas. Conditions in the ships were horrible. Thousands of slaves were chained in very tight spaces in the ships. Disease permeated the hold where slaves were kept. Slaves laid in their own excrement and urine, and were fed barely anything. Many slaves died or committed suicide—an average of 16% of slaves. When the horrible trip was over, the remaining slaves were auctioned and sold in slave markets to plantation owners in the Americas. The products made in the plantations, such as tobacco, coffee, sugar, spices, and molasses which could be made into rum were then shipped to Europe, completing the trade system. The British were the primary traders in this system, but other nations participated (Gascoigne). Slavery greatly affected the Industrial Revolution. It made it possible to create and grow products in a shorter period of time and for less money. All the master had to do was to provide food, which he have very little of, so slaves provided very cheap labor. In the case of America, slaves operated the new inventions such as the cotton gin to make cotton products easier. This greatly affected the economy of America. The prosperity in the South boomed as agriculture continued to see success. This cotton industry and therefore the textile industrial majorly drove the Industrial Revolution in America. It became the primary export and cash crop. Hundreds of thousands of slaves were imported until 1808, when the American slave trade was banned. Still, hundreds of thousands of slaves were moved across America to the South and West to work on cotton plantations. These plantations and slavery in general brought in a huge profit for the American people. A similarity between slavery in the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution can be seen here—both used slavery as a catalyst for economies (â€Å"Africans.. †). But a difference is that most slaves in the Renaissance were domestic slaves in homes and were considered part of the family (Hooker). However, most slaves in the Industrial Revolution were plantation slaves and were considered less than human and were subjected to incredibly harsh treatment by their masters. However, near the Industrial Revolution, there was more of an awareness of the brutalities of slavery and more of a movement to stop it than the Renaissance. The final time period that will be discussed in this essay is the World Wars from 1914 to 1945. World Wars Forms of slavery used during World Wars I and II from 1914 to 1945 were very different from slavery before it and slavery after it. The wars during this period of history had a huge impact on all aspects of society, and so the status of slavery and the motivation for slavery was largely based on the huge wars taking place. During World War I and the time after it before World War II, outright slave traffic continued to be curbed in the areas of the world still practicing slavery. The slave trade still continued underground between countries in eastern Africa, especially Ethiopia, and the Middle East, especially Arabia. Throughout this period before World War II, there were outrages about revealed underground slave trades with enslaved Africans in Liberia and the Congo, and enslaved Native Americans in northern Peru (â€Å"Slavery†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Joseph Stalin was the dictator of the Soviet Union from 1927 to 1953. During his regime, millions of people were forced to work in labor camps. This was in accordance with the USSR’s Labor Code, which stated that all citizens must labor for the government. Prisoners, enemies of the state, and other convicts were sent to do hard manual labor in Siberia during this time. Citizens were accused of being enemies of the government and sent to work without a trial and without much grounds at all. Like in the Renaissance and Industrial Revolution, Stalin used his massive free labor force to build up the Soviet Union’s economy and to industrialize the nation. Labor projects included building roads and railroads, building houses and power plants, mining, cutting trees, working in fields, etc. The workers were given nothing but food. One third of all the workers died from the poor environment in which they worked and from starvation and the cold. They were brutally treated on unjust bases. Therefore, this â€Å"corrective labor,† as it was called, is really slavery at its core. World War II was the instigation of several other types of slavery, also, such as POW slavery, Holocaust slavery, and sexual slavery. Nazi Germany captured enemy civilians and soldiers and brutally enslaved them to fill the gaps in the workforce. Much of the weaponry made by the Germans during World War II was made by slaves. One manufacturing company alone – Krupp—held 100,000 slaves by the end of the war. Many of these slaves died from exhaustion, starvation, and lack of basic necessities. They were kept in stables like livestock. Those that didn’t die were forced to work in German factories and farms. In 1944, Germany held 9. 5 million slaves—7 million civilians and 2. 5 million captured soldiers. Russian women that the Germans captured were held as domestic slaves, and Russian adolescents that the Germans captured were apprenticed to German businessmen. Not only were the Germans notorious for their brutal system of slavery for prisoners of war, but even worse, they enslaved innocent Jews and other â€Å"undesirable† people during the Holocaust. As a method of exterminating them, these people were sent to labor camps where they were treated even worse than the prisoners of war. Children from 6-years-old up were forced to work in these camps. Slaves mined, built weapons, sewed, etc. Slaves there were driven to work too hard in tight spaces with the poorest of living conditions. They had poor and meager food rations and a shortage of shelter and clothing. Loads of people died from diseases such as tuberculosis, from being overworked, from the cold, and from starvation. Their corpses were systematically burned in huge crematoriums (Sylvester – everything above). The fact that there were scandals about slavery and labor camps during the time period of the World Wars indicates a similarity and difference between this time period and the Renaissance/ Industrial Revolution. A similarity is that all three time periods had some forms of slavery to enhance nations’ economies and extract resources. But a difference is that slavery in the World Wars was looked down upon and was underground, whereas it was not in the Renaissance. But there lies a similarity between the World Wars and the Industrial Revolution, in that in both, measures were enacted to end slavery and the slave trade. However, World War II had labor camps for prisoners of war and specific races, which had never been done before. It also had sexual slavery, which though it had been practiced before, never to the extent it was carried out in World War II. Some captured slaves in the World Wars were used as domestic slaves, as they were in the Renaissance. But in the World Wars, there was not the worldwide slave trade there was in the Renaissance and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Part 222 Introduction The 18th century English poet William Cowper’s poem, â€Å"Pity for Poor Africans,† accurately portrays the world’s mindset throughout history about slavery. A line from that poem reads, â€Å"I pity them [slaves] greatly, but I must be mum, for how could we do without sugar and rum? † This sums up much of the world’s motivation for millennia for slavery. Throughout history, slavery has been a way to easily derive resources and produce goods. It has played a very prominent role in shaping the worlds societies and economies. Though it may have struck a chord with peoples’ consciences, the world did not know how else to get luxuries and how to live without them, and so the world allowed this horrific practice to go on. This essay details more of how slavery was used as an economic stimulus, how the world finally took action against it, and what forms of it still were used after this action took place. Across three time periods in particular, slavery throughout the world has notable similarities and differences in areas such as the status of slavery, the way slavery influenced society, and the motivation for a civilization to practice slavery. These time periods are the Renaissance (1300-1650), the Industrial Revolution (1700-1900), and World Wars I and II (1914-1945). Conclusion As one can clearly see, slavery has been a major factor in affecting and molding the world’s economies and societies throughout all of history. It has gone through major changes, affecting the world as a whole, especially in three time periods, namely, the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and World Wars I and II. Throughout all three and under many names, it was used as cheap labor to easily produce goods and advance civilizations’ economies. This slavery did, and it played a massive role in getting the world to where it is today. Without slavery, America might not have been industrialized or industrialized as quickly. Without slavery, we would not have the manufactured goods we have today. However, I am by no means condoning slavery; if slavery had not been practiced, millions of innocent, beautiful people would have lived their lives in freedom and would not have been torn away from their homeland, families, and livelihood to go labor without profit for people who abused and beat them. The Civil War would have been largely prevented if it weren’t for slavery. Though slavery was mostly domestic in the Renaissance, this does not make it any better. Also, the plantation slave emerged in that time period, and the triangular trade between Europe, Africa, and the Americas continued well into the Industrial Revolution. Men achieved luxury through the pain and misery of others. Thankfully, mankind realized, though later than it should have been, how deplorable this system was. Finally, they put an end to it through abolitionist movements that spread throughout the world at the end of the Industrial Revolution. Yet, slavery continued in several other forms into the 20th century. Throughout the time period of the World Wars, labor camps emerged. Though these were seen as punishment for criminals and war prisoners, they were slavery at root, used to industrialize and make transportation routes, weaponry, etc. These labor camps were even used against innocent Jews and other â€Å"undesirables† during the Holocaust. Unbeknownst to the world for a time, even outright and brutal slavery was still used as exemplified by King Leopold of Belgium. Sexual slavery is another often overlooked form of slavery that had been carried out through past time periods like the Renaissance and Industrial Revolution but that was executed en masse by the Japanese during World War II. Still today, the pernicious act of slavery continues to be practiced, though concealed to the world, in underdeveloped countries of the world. Let us hope that mankind’s conscience continues to overshadow its greed and that slavery continues to be fought until it is completely wiped out the whole world over.

The Blameless Pearl in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Scarlet Letter - The Suffering of the Blameless Pearl   Ã‚   The Puritan life is based purely on sin. The Puritans believe that all people are sinners and are thus despised and hated by God. Sinners are subject to the worst punishments and suffer the worst torment. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, several characters serve as models of sinners in agony from their error. Both Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne bear the punishment of their adultery, which evidenced itself in their daughter Pearl. While Dimmesdale plagues himself with guilt and Hester lives with the brand of the scarlet "A", it is Pearl who receives the worst penalty, suffering for a sin which she did not even commit. The village where she resides associates her with the circumstances of her birth, branding her with a reputation as difficult to bear as her mother's. Although many in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter endure the results of sin, none have punishment equal to that of little Pearl's.    From the moment she is born in the cold, heartless prison, Pearl is placed under scrutiny. The townspeople see her as a visible reminder of sin, and it isn't long until even her own mother searches for evil in her. The girl is described as "the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life!"(Hawthorne 103). With her fascination from an early age with the scarlet letter, Hester believes that Pearl's very reason for existence is to torment her mother. Hester fails to realize that the letter is just something bright and significant to which Pearl reacts; instead, she sees every glance, every word aimed at the letter, every touch of Pearl's tiny fingers to her bosom as an added torture resulting from her adultery. Hester, considering Pearl's very existence, goes so far as to question if the impish child is even her own. "Thou art not my child! Thou art no Pearl of mine!"(Hawthorne 99) she tells Pearl, only half-jokingly. In her own way, she wonders whet her Pearl was sent to her by God or by a demon wishing to cause her pain. She is not alone in this speculation; many of the town's citizens believe there is something of the Devil in Pearl.

Psychology of Child Development Essay

Behaviorist theory: The teacher can utilize the ideals of Operant conditioning. Frequently referred to as instrumental conditioning, it is a method of learning that operates through giving rewards or punishments for a specific behavior. Operant conditioning associates or establishes a connection between a behavior and a consequence regarding that behavior so that children will gain an insight of what is right and what is wrong. Susie should know that even if she is bullied by other children, it is not right to do the same thing onto them. In this scenario all of them should be given punishment and the teacher should not take sides. Moral theory: Kohlberg asserted instrumental exchange with the golden rule as a precise example. The teacher should tell Susie that she should not do things that please her alone. A feeling of satisfaction about a certain deed does not mean it is a right thing for everyone. It is a matter of satisfying needs without necessarily doing revenge to others. Situation2: Behaviorist theory: Operant conditioning is appropriate for this situation. Joe should be given punishment for this act to make him understand that it is not a right thing to do. Punishment is a consequence of physical retaliation and it clearly differentiates good acts from bad, as what was discussed on situation one. Environmentalist theory: According to environmentalists, kindergarten readiness is the stage when young children can either respond appropriately or inappropriately to the school or classroom environment including rules and regulations, policies, activities and directions or instructions from teachers and superiors. When young children are unable to respond appropriately to the classroom and school environment, there is a possibility that they are having some learning disabilities in terms of learning school curriculum or learning to display appropriate behaviors at all times. The teacher should also emphasize that academic learning and establishing healthy relationships with other people particularly fellow students are equally important. Situation3: Moral development theory: Individualism and Exchange. According to Heinz, children or young adolescents account for their individual perspective and judge actions based on how they satisfy individual needs. For this group age, adults should make them know that reciprocity is very important. Reciprocity is not made to serve an individuals own interest, it serves to establish a mutual and peaceful relationship within people and that not anything can be just done according to one’s wills and wants. These adolescents should be guided about moral or societal conducts because if misguidance occurs, it can result to other somewhat antisocial behaviors. Personality theory: Ethnocentrism and egocentrism are the issues here. Since they are adolescents and grew up in modern times. They should be guided about practicing the more conservative norms and make them understand that not anyone can stand what they are up to or what they are used to do. About the ego, everyone is unique and these peculiarities should serve as eye openers the two adolescents. If they will be asking why some find them disturbing, parents or guardians should explain we were born with different interests and point of views and that what they do is usual for them but is perceived unusual by others. Situation4: Personality theory: Openness: This trait features characteristics such as imagination and insight, and those high in this trait also tend to have a broad range of interests. At this stage, the child grows to become very inquisitive and vivid in imagination. They should be given reading materials or pictures to satisfy their need to learn more complex things. Cognitive development theory: Based on theorist Jean Piaget’s theory, children think differently than adults and because children play an active and important role in gaining knowledge of the world, accepting or entertaining their thoughts and views about things are a must. Situation 5: Attachment theory: Attachment is a special emotional relationship that involves an exchange of comfort, care, and pleasure. When a securely attached child is left by his parents, ambivalence is the outcome. Diversion of attention can be done through giving toys and some other materials they can play with. Play theory: Play theory is one of the best ways to free children of stress. It is also fundamental in a child’s development. In this case, aside from the picture book, the caregiver can also give the baby non-choking, appropriate toys for his age. This theory supports the first theory mentioned. Situation6: Psychoanalytic theory: Ego is underdeveloped in young children. This ego identity is constantly changing due to new experiences and activities of daily living. Erikson believed that this character motivates a sense of competence in behaviors and actions. This argument is an early sign of competency. The parent should teach the child that it is unlikely to think that there seems to be favoritism. If the child handles this situation very well, his ego strength or ego quality will be mastered in a sense that he will handle every competent situations smoothly. Cognitive development theory: Piaget emphasized the reasoning processes of children at various ages. Children tend to have different understanding of things and adults should learn to recognize these differences. Various levels of understanding can either makes sense or nothing at all that is why it is a must to explain to them if something non-significant to their eyes is somewhat significant in reality. Situation7: Sociocultural theory: Sometimes, children utter or speak words without knowing what they really mean. In this situation, it is obvious that self-directed speech is used by the children to acquire learning. At this point, minimal guidance is done by parents or teachers so that they will not interfere the children’s independent thinking. Environmentalist theory: Environmental interaction motivates an individual’s behavior, learning and thought processes. Different cultures and different people probably have different perspectives and views. These children should be thought of different contextual views and be opened to new doors of learning if and only if, independent thinking is difficult to achieve. References http://nwscc. cc. al. us/childdevelopment/CHD201Theories. htm

Humanisitic Perspective

The Humanistic Perspective The humanistic perspective in psychology says that we are responsible for our actions when it comes to violence. I believe that the humanistic perspective is the best way to describe the actions of violence. There are many examples of this that have been studied that support this perspective. Some examples of violence that support this perspective include Joel Rifkin, the two kids thrill kill. Humanistic psychology is the constructive view of human self-determination. It is the interpretation of the behavior of someone is intentional.This means someone’s actions with violence are their choice and they are conscious of what they are doing. The humanistic perspective believes the person who is acting violence is responsible for their actions. Violence in my opinion can be best explained in the humanistic theory. People know what they are doing and it is their choice if they want to do it. When it comes to violence people are capable of knowing what is right and what is wrong. In the case of Joel Rifkin, he was a serial killer who murdered prostitutes in the early 1990’s in New York City. He was fully aware of what he was doing and his actions were intended.In an interview after he was convicted Rifkin told investigators the reasoning behind why he continued to kill. He said that there was a thrill to killing and it gave him a rush of adrenaline. This is an exact example of the humanistic perspective because he realized what he was doing and the consequences that may come along with his actions and he continued with his violence outbursts. A thrill killing is premeditated murder committed by a person who is not necessarily suffering from mental instability, and does not have anything against them, but is instead motivated by the sheer excitement of the act.In the case where the two young boys acted out and killed one of their classmates for the â€Å"thrill† of it is a perfect example of the humanistic theory. Althou gh they were young they knew that killing someone for fun was wrong and they did it anyways. Their behavior was intentional and pre-determined. These terrible crimes are great examples of the humanistic idea and why it is the most important perspective when studying violence.

The poem Woman Work Essay Example

The poem Woman Work Essay Example The poem Woman Work Paper The poem Woman Work Paper Essay Topic: Maya Angelou Poems The poem Woman Work is written by Maya Angelou and depicts the daily routine of a black woman in the southern states of America whereas the poem overheard In County Sligo is a poem set in Ireland written by Gillian Clarke. The poem tells the story of an Irish housewife and her unattainable dreams. Woman Work asks us to consider the black womans plea as we hear of the gruelling routine she faces everyday. This woman does not have many wishes; she just strives for a break in her day and dreams of returning to her African home country. We do not know if she has ever been to Africa but she considers it her home. The poem asks us to think about all the things we take for granted as we all have such big aspirations whilst this woman just yearns for a rest. In contrast to this the poem women work tries to make us realise how much women were expected to give up in the early 19th century to become housewives. They were expected to give up their dreams and aspirations and the opportunities of a career for women werent really there. As in woman work the female character in this poem asks us to hear her plea and listen to all her lost dreams and similar to woman work she feels like a slave in her own home. Woman work has five stanzas as does over heard in county Sligo. The first in woman work describes her daily routine and the four after reflect on her dreams and aspirations for life. In comparison to this stanzas in overheard explore the womans situation, dreams and ambiguity, the lady In woman work does not portray ambiguity whereas the lady in county Sligo is said to live in the lap of the land, in the back of beyond. For some people this would be paradise but for her it is like prison; she craves the bustle of a city. The stanzas in woman work are not all the same lengths. The first stanza is long the rest have a pattern of four lines each. The first is longer because it reflects upon her daily routine, long with no breaks, whereas her dreams are put across in the last 4 stanzas and they are smaller and less demanding. This is not the case for overheard; the stanzas are all consistently 4 lines long. Both poems are written in the first person, this really helps us emphasise with the womens feelings and situations. For each poem a lot of dialect and vocabulary are used native to the countries these women are living in, Ireland and Southern America. In over heard it is more the names of places in Ireland which let us know the poem is set there whereas in woman work there is a lot of strong southern American dialect being used. A perfect example of this is the title of the poem woman work. To us this phrase is grammatically incorrect. The poet uses the phrase cane to be cut this is a direct link to slavery and helps us believe she is African. Overheard uses a cyclical effect to great use. The phrase I married a man from county Roscommon is used in the beginning of the first stanza and at the end of the last stanza. It changes its tone when it is used the second time to sound sarcastic on the verge of being cynical whereas in the first stanza it is meant to sound quite idyllic. The first stanza of woman work does not use punctuation neither does overheard. I believe that it is not used purposely in woman work because it reflects upon her hectic schedule in which she has no time for her self. In comparison to this when the woman is talking about her dreams punctuation is used, as if her dreams take her to another place in which she can rest, we also gather this from the repeated use of the word rest. Overheard also uses more punctuation whilst talking about the womans dreams. The main use of imagery is natural or images of nature in both poems. The effect it has on the women though is the complete opposite of each other. In overheard nature is an indication of the prison this woman feels she is in. She hates nature and she strives to get away from it, she is cynical towards nature and the countryside. Its almost as if shes blaming nature or taking her anger out on nature for her failed dreams. This is certainly not the case for woman work. Mature is what comforts this woman and in this poem nature is portrayed as an indication of purity and beauty. Nature is used constantly throughout the last four stanzas whilst she is talking about her dreams and she comments your all I can call my own as if nature is her escape and her only happiness in life, she loves nature in comparison to the hate the woman in overheard feels for it. Woman work contrasts the hectic life she leads and the calmness she strives for whereas overheard contrasts her dreams to her lifestyle.

Simple Life Hacks to Improve Your Day

Simple Life Hacks to Improve Your Day If you had the choice between going to work and hanging out at home and playing games (your mileage may vary, but imagine your favorite video game), phone app, board game with friends, game shows etc), which do you think would improve your mood? Did you predict video games? Or going to work because work = money = sustenance = survival? Either way, your day just got better! It’s science!Jane McGonigal over at Lifehacker has adapted some tips from SuperBetter: A Revolutionary Approach to Getting Stronger, Happier, Braver and More Resilient, Powered by the Science of Games. She also gave a great Ted Talk on   changing your life, 7 minutes a day, by turning your life into a video game. I am obsessed with it.So while you’re brushing your teeth or waiting for the coffee to brew, take a moment each day and make some predictions about anything you can personally make sure will or won’t happen in the next 24 hours. Whether your prediction is right or wrong, according to neuroscientist Dr. Judy Willis, the mere act of guessing whether you’ll get 10 emails before 9:30 or whether all the blueberry bagels will be gone by the time you get to the deli, wakes up and excites the reward circuitry of the brain, releasing dopamine into your system.If your prediction is correct, your brain goes YAY. If it’s wrong, your brain analyzes the information, gets a little zing from the act of learning, and is more prepared to make a better guess next time. This is the same science that makes Candy Crush or Two Dots so impossible to step away from. When you play video games, every move or action registers like a mini-prediction in your brain, which watches attentively to see if you were successful and then figure out why not.Put yourself in a state of â€Å"heightened engagement† every day–how many steps from the car to the front door? How many minutes before the train comes? How many yawns in the morning meeting? You’ll go into your workday more awake and optimistic just by treating life as a series of objectives, just like your favorite RPG (mine is LEGO Jurassic Park, actually, but you get the idea).  Why Making Predictions About Your Day Will Improve Your Outlook  Read More at Life Hacker

Critical Evaluation of Network Diversity and Benefits in Innovation Essay

Critical Evaluation of Network Diversity and Benefits in Innovation - Essay Example Network structure Woolcock and Narayan (2000) develop their considerations, considering social capital as a potential bridge among policymakers, practitioners and scholars. In case people generate a positive atmosphere of cooperation, they are able to continue their relations in a favorable atmosphere. Social capital is a social bond among different networks. The main goal for people in terms of any social network is to find and sustain the development and support of their social activities (Fukuyama, 1995). The concepts of socializing and economic performance are closely related and there is a need to anchor bounds between these two concepts. Under conditions of networks creation, people are able to develop different behavioral templates and be focused on their mutual cooperation and common goals succeeding (Lee, 2009). Social interaction can be considered from a different prospect, when closed networks are acting against other social groups. For example, activities of mafias and di fferent aspects of corruption can be positioned as negative outcomes of closed networks. Shumpeter- social capital and resource combinations Social capital for Shumpeter is activity of people, directed on innovations development. Moreover, the scientist was not focused on the goal of enrichment as a final goal of innovations implementation. The goal of commercialization may not always correlate with the goal of innovations (Fukuyama, 1995). . Different spheres of human activities are connected with innovations and it is hard to claim that the final goal for social capital activities is enrichment. Social capital combines its efforts in order to develop its knowledge, to develop and introduce more valuable and innovative policies in the field of activity (Fukuyama, 1995). He was also focused on â€Å"combinatory† activity, when the members of social groups acted like entrepreneurs, while performing â€Å"the entrepreneurial function†. In these terms Schumpeter considere d possible ways for innovations and long-term economic change. Schumpeter was focused on a dynamic approach for economic development, because only through innovations it was possible to reach success. Mutual interaction of entrepreneurs and the combination of their efforts in the field of innovations could result in creation of new opportunities (Schumpeter, 1970). At first, Schumpeter was focused on the individual role of the entrepreneur, which should be innovative and motivate the team of an entrepreneur to creation of new ideas. The main role of the entrepreneur was to correctly combine innovative practices and ideas of the members of his team. Further on, Schumpeter was focused on the important role of the team as the leading moving force of the company’s progress. The entrepreneur performed a function of a new combinations’ manager (Schumpeter, 1970). . Innovations of a social group are considered to be a routine practice, while the entrepreneur should constantly be focused on â€Å"new commodity or producing an old one in a new way, by opening up a new source of supply of materials or a new outlet for products, by reorganizing an industry and so on† (Schumpeter 1970, p. 132). A â€Å"large corporations† is working in the name of a common goal. Concept of social capital-diversity In the modern globalized world the limits of the society are blurred. Still, it is evident that the concept of social c