The Meaning of Lives Essay Example for Free

The Meaning of Lives Essay In her article The Meaning of Lives, Susan Wolf, a moral philosopher and philosopher of action, investigates whether meaning can exist in lives without postulating the existance of God. Wolf establishes her position on this philosophical question from an agnostic perspective and rationally argues that such a question can in fact â€Å"fit within a negative or agnostic view about the meaning of life† (Wolf 63). With this paper, I will first summarize the prominent points of Wolf’s article then highlight and expound upon areas of her argument that contradict her line of reason. Lastly, I will introduce the theistic perspective on meaningful lives along with presenting Wolf’s reason and argument as supporting evidence for the theistic view. In the Meaning of Lives, Susan Wolf opens briefly with an evaluation of the philosophically ambiguous question, â€Å"What is the meaning of life? † She argues this particular question is impossible to rationalize because it dependents upon a postulation for the existence of God. Wolf claims it is necessary to postulate the existence of God in order to argue this original question because if God does exist, then He â€Å"may have created us for a reason, with a plan in mind†(Wolf 63). Thus, if God exists then there would be purpose and meaning to human existence dependent upon the creator God. Wolf does not deny the existence of God; she simply suggests that a divine existence is improvable. Therefore the question of a grand purpose and meaning in life is an unnecessary and an improvable argument to find an answer to, due to the improvable nature of God. However, she does believe that meaning in lives is not contingent upon the existence of God stating, â€Å"Meaningfulness is an intelligible feature to be sought in life† and that â€Å"a positive view about the possibility of meaning in lives can fit with a negative or agnostic view about the meaning of life†(Wolf 63). She expounds on this argument in three distinct sections. The first part of Wolf’s argument observes three different examples of meaningless lifestyle. Wolf articulates that learning from three paradigms of meaningless lives, one can construct an understanding for meaningfulness. She begins with a lifestyle she labeled the Blob. The Blob is defined by a lifestyle that â€Å"is lived in hazy passivity†¦ unconnected to anyone or anything, going nowhere, achieving nothing† (Wolf 64). Wolf deduces from the Blobs meaningless lifestyle, that in order to attain a meaningful life one must be engaged in a project, which can include relationships. The second meaningless lifestyle, in contrast to the Blob’s lifestyle of passivity, is regarded as the Useless life; â€Å"a life whose dominant activities seem pointless, useless or empty† (Wolf 65). After reviewing the lifestyle of the Useless life, a life void of worth, to achieve meaning â€Å"one must be engaged in a project or projects that have some positive value† (Wolf 65). The final category of a meaningless life would be the lifestyle of the Bankrupt, â€Å"someone who is engaged or even dedicated, to a project that is ultimately revealed as bankrupt, not because the person’s values are shallow or misguided, but because the project fails†(Wolf 65). Ultimately, Wolf concludes that in order to achieve meaningfulness one must not only be engaged in a project of positive value but that project must be in some way successful. After providing a working definition for a meaningful life, Wolf raises the question as to what constitutes â€Å"positive value† and who has the right to objectively determine value. Similarly to Wolf’s construction of meaningfulness, she argues reasons for why an individual is incapable of objectively determining positive value. This incapability for determining objective value is due to the individual’s subjectivity and â€Å"interest in living a life that feels or seems meaningful†(Wolf 66). Therefore, because an individual is incapable of distinguishing objective positive value from interest, it is unlikely that the individual can distinguish what is required for a meaningful life. She argues that objective value is determined and achieved through observing value in other people’s lives. Wolf clarifies that the objective good she is referring to is not compared to moral goodness, â€Å"benefiting or honoring humanity† (Wolf 67). Wolf claims that meaningfulness is not contingent upon moral value. Instead, Wolf suggests that while there are examples of lives exhibiting great moral value, such as Mother Teresa and Gandhi, that are full of meaning; there are also examples of other lives, such as â€Å"artists, scholars, musicians and athletes†, that possess great meaning, not based upon their moral value. These lives are considered valuable and meaningful due to their ability to â€Å"develop our skills and our understanding of the world† which â€Å"give meaning to our lives- but they do not give moral value to them †(Wolf 67). A greater understanding of our own worth and the Universe is what Wolf constitutes for lives to have meaning. The final stage in Wolf’s argument poses the question â€Å"what is the good, after all, of living a meaningful life†(Wolf 67)? Wolf does not wish to define goodness, but rather discusses the advantages for living a life full of meaning. Wolf makes the final stand, that in order to grasp meaningfulness and understand how one can achieve it in their life; an individual must become enlightened to their status in the world as â€Å"a tiny speck in a vast universe† (Wolf 69). This description of where an individual lies in relation to the vastness of the Universe, provides the reality that meaning in lives cannot logically be contingent upon the desires and benefits for the individual, due to humanities insignificance. It seems illogical to Wolf, that a person who seeks to find meaning in their life could conclude that is dependent upon their independent happiness claiming, â€Å"to devote oneself wholly to one’s own satisfaction seems to me to fly in the face of truth, to act as if one is the only thing that matters, or perhaps, more, that one’s own psychology is the only source of (determining) what matters† (Wolf 70). The truth, to which Wolf refers, is the reality that individuals have very little significance in relation to the value of the vast Universe. It is because of this truth that a self-center and egocentric life goes against of logic after such a truth is realized. Wolf argues that instead of egocentric priorities to achieve meaning, an individual should alternatively be focused on the needs of the Universe and others. She understands that â€Å"you are just one person among others, equally real- is the source of practical reason-in this case, it gives you reason to take the pains of others to constitute reasons for action†¦reason to care about the pain of others that is grounded, not in our own psychologies, but a fact about the world†(Wolf 70). In this section, I will address three areas of Wolf’s reasoning I find to be inconsistent with her argument as a whole. A concern that I have regarding Wolf’s argument is her use of the word â€Å"meaning†, in regards to the meaning of lives. A very different connotation of the word â€Å"meaning† suggested by the philosophical question, â€Å"What is the meaning of life? † Wolf states that the question, â€Å"What is the meaning of life? † requires an individual to postulate the existence of God because it implies their ultimate aim â€Å"to find a purpose or a point to human existence†(Wolf 63). However, Wolf also argues, â€Å"whether or not God exists, the fact remains that some objects, activities and ideas are better than others. Whether or not God exists some ways of living are more worthwhile than others†(Wolf 72). At the beginning of Wolf’s argument about the meaning of lives, suggests that she neither denies nor rejects the existence of God. She argues this as true because she believes the question behind the meaning in lives can be answered as â€Å"an intelligible feature to be sought in life and that it is at least sometimes attainable but not everywhere assured†(Wolf 63). Wolf reduces the meaning of lives to that which can be determined by human reasoning a finite measurement of this transitory world. Thus Wolf, who has neither denied nor rejected the existence of God has unreasonably eliminated the question of origin of lives, as irrelevant to meaning in lives. She focuses how certain types of lives merit significance in existence and consequently refers to the word â€Å"meaning† as synonymous with value. Finally, Wolf argues that there is value in human lives that â€Å"can fit with a negative or agnostic view about the meaning of life†(Wolf 66). This statement is far less controversial than her attempts to argue that meaning in lives is achievable without the postulation of God. Logically, to explore meaning in lives, one must consider the beginning of life, which must have been constructed either by accident or by a creator. Meaning cannot be cited as more or less significant at a particular point in an individual’s life. Thus, the point that one comes into existence must be regarded for defining meaning within an individual’s life. The second problem in Wolf’s argument comes in her evaluation of what is considered a project of positive value. An individual who is engaged in a project of positive value is central to Wolf’s definition of a meaningful life. Although, projects of positive value can add to meaning in an individual’s life, Wolf’s reasoning as to â€Å"who is to decide which projects have positive value† is vague and inconsistent with her earlier positions (Wolf 66). Wolf concludes that individuals are incapable of objectively deciding what has positive value, due to subjective interests, which skew their understanding of objective value. Wolf deduces that in order for an individual to understand projects of positive value, which will eventually adds meaning to heir lives, they must experience an â€Å"epiphany†¦ to the recognition that our life to date has been meaningless† (Wolf 66). This comment is completely inconsistent with Wolf’s fundamental goal to acquire an understanding of meaning in lives from an intelligible process of reason. The understanding for projects of positive value through an epiphany is inconsistent with her pervious arguments because it depends she suggests that understanding meaning comes from an unintelligible source of knowledge. Who is to say that that epiphany is not guided by a supreme higher being? The irony of Wolf’s conclusion about the necessary epiphany, is that her statement â€Å"It is the sort of experience that one might describe in terms of scales falling from ones eyes†, compares closely to the allusion found in Acts 9:18 (Wolf 66). The verse reads â€Å"And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized† (NIV 1000). The language of scales falling from the eyes in order to gain true understanding is regarded in both versions as an act depended upon a supernatural entity enabling the change. This very interesting comment by Wolf, suggests that understanding how an individual recognizes truth through epiphany is beyond the capabilities of human control and intellect. Her attempted arguments about how a meaningful life is realized are sound up until the point about epiphany. Lastly, Wolf’s argument for meaning in lives lacks any discussion of immortality as a necessary property for meaning. Wolf reasons that there are certain lifestyles that are more meaningful than others. This argument for certain lifestyle having greater meaning has limited relevance because as she rationalizes, lives are finite and temporary as are the lives of others whom we must focus in our acknowledgement of the truth that we are just a â€Å"speck in the vast Universe†(Wolf 69). Wolf does a fine job at articulating the insignificance and temporary state of human life. However, she fails to recognize that in her attempts to construct a logical framework for meaning in finite lives she disregards the possibility for immortality to give further meaning to lives. Thus, she reduces the idea of meaning as an avoidance of an egocentric lifestyle and recognizes insignificance and meaning within an individuals’ life alone. Wolf’s claim that meaning is attainable through certain actions only satisfies temporary lives for a finite amount of time. This argument surrounding meaning as dependent upon an inward realization of insignificance manifesting into outward actions, is simply a cycle of meaningless people helping other meaningless people, and causes only a temporary impact. In an argument for the importance of immortality to meaning in lives, Gianluca Di Muzio states, â€Å"If a human being dies and her actions have no lasting effect, because the world itself perished, then her life was meaningless. If, in the end, all comes to nothing, then it does not matter in the first place whether a particular person existed or not† (Di Muzio 2). In order for actions and lives to be meaningful, they must have a lasting impact or something to gain, and provide for others in a way that is not reducible to the finite and temporary world. Thus, achievable immortality must exist for meaning to be possible. Although she attempts to determine the meaning in lives for an agnostic world, I would argue that Wolf’s argument actually supports many theistic views regarding the meaning of lives. Though many of Wolf’s arguments do not adequately provide understanding for meaning in lives from an agnostic perspective, many of her points parallel to the theistic view of â€Å"purpose theory. † Before I expound on these similarities, an understanding of the theistic view regarding the meaning of must be addressed. According to Borchert, the theistic view argues that, â€Å"life is meaningful insofar as one fulfills a purpose that God has assigned† (Borchert 295). In â€Å"Confession†, Leo Tolstoy discusses meaning in life from the theistic perspective and claims â€Å"now I see clearly that my faith-my only real faith-that which apart from my animal instincts gave impulse to my life- was a belief in perfecting myself† (Klemke 2). Tolstoy sought such perfection in artistic achievements and loving his family. In trying to find meaning in family and people, Tolstoy ultimately realizes that â€Å"My family — wife and children — are also human. They are placed just as I am: they must either live in a lie or see the terrible truth† (Klemke 10). In other words, Tolstoy realizes that if meaning resides in the finite and temporary nature of humanity, meaning too will die along with the life. Tolstoy further suggests that meaning cannot reside within artistic modes when he writes Art, poetry? Under the influence of success and the praise of men, I had long assured myself that this was a thing one could do though death was drawing near — death which destroys all things, including my work and its remembrance; but soon I saw that that too was a fraud† (Klemke 10). This declaration further supports Tolstoy’s theistic belief that everything of and in this world cannot be the ultimate source of meaning in lives. Although, the substance of this world may increase value within life, it cannot supply ultimate, enduring meaning. Tolstoy finally declares, â€Å"To know God and to live is one and the same thing. God is life- Live seeking God, and then you will not live without God† (Klemke 11). This passage concludes with his theistic assertion that without a â€Å"divine plan for the world, then all efforts come to nothing, because everything comes to nothing. Hence our lives are meaningless without God† (Metz 293). Though Wolf attempts to support an agnostic view for the question, â€Å"is there meaning in lives? † her central points mirror those of the theistic view and supports many of its claims. This final section will concentrate on central points within Wolf’s argument that support a theistic view for understanding meaning in lives. To begin, she claims that a life has meaning insofar as it is â€Å"engaged in a project or projects that have some positive value† (Wolf 65). Although this statements seems logical, Wolf fails to provide an intelligible source for acquiring knowledge about whether or not a project has positive value and which projects do not. She betrays the agnostic attempt to provide an understanding of meaning in lives through reason, by suggesting that realization of projects with positive value relies upon an epiphany. The concept of an epiphany for realization is inconsistent with her attempts to rationalize. However, when Wolf’s definition is placed against the theistic view, it is logically consistent with theological beliefs. Theists believe that an individual must be actively engaged in positively affecting peoples lives with in the world, while ultimately contributing to God’s divine plan in order for their lives to have meaning. This concept is articulated beautifully in Gianluca Di Muzio’s argument: Theism and the Meaning of Life, in which he states, â€Å"In order to have meaning, our lives must make a difference to a higher scheme. And theism sees human action as doing a sort of double duty. On one hand, they affect other people and events in this world, on the other, they further or hinder God’s ultimate plan† (Di Muzio 2). This statement suggests that humanities actions in projects have the ability to have two different forms of significance, both relative and ultimate. Relative significance refers to the theistic perspective that, â€Å"actions and events have relative significance when they only influence other actions and events†(Di Muzio 3). Ultimate significance is when our actions and events â€Å"contribute to God’s plan† (Di Muzio 3). Both of these forms contribute to theistic view, however Wolf’s argument focuses solely on relative significance. The theistic understanding of relative significance is paralleled to Wolf’s understanding of meaning in lives. She believes that when individuals realize their insignificance and begin to seek beyond themselves for meaning by actively engaging in projects of positive value, they can acquire meaning. Though this insignificance is transient, it supports the theistic belief that, â€Å"human beings have access to value† without having to postulate the existence of God, because â€Å"existence affords the opportunity to attain the kinds of goods that make a human life worthwhile and fulfilling† (Di Muzio 5-6). Wolf’s profound point that human life is just a â€Å"speck in a vast universe† lays the foundation for the theistic belief in ultimate significance (Wolf 71). Theists believe that there is A fundamental disproportion between aspirations and reality is a powerful source of the idea that our lives are absurd and meaningless. We think we matter, and yet we don’t. The world is not intoned with our hope, desires and projects. The possibility of out destruction looms everywhere; and human suffering, however enormous, seems to be nothing but a passing accident, a byproduct of the presence of sentient creatures in a world that merely tolerates them for a short time. (Di Muzio 9) This understanding of human insignificance plays a vital role in the theistic belief that despite human fragility, purpose and significance are achievable within the most tragic circumstances. Wolf’s recognition of our insignificance implies our need to look beyond our own lives for meaning. If a life of meaning depends upon recognizing the truth about our insignificance and continuing to be â€Å"actively engaged in a project of positive value†, and one cannot perform these projects due to tragic circumstances, then within Wolf’s reasoning their life can not have meaning. Wolf’s understanding of meaning depends upon individual human performance. In trying times of suffering, whether great or small, this concept of looking outside of ones own circumstances is hard to accomplish and in some circumstances impossible, thus in such cases meaning cannot be unachieved. The theistic view of ultimate significance provides a hope that a life of suffering can have meaning and purpose too in that, â€Å"the idea of God and hope for immortality can help us look again at the world and our fragile lives as meaningful†(Di Muzio 9). The project of participating in God’s divine plan is the only project that has lasting and unwavering value for meaning in lives. Wolf’s central argument concerning meaning in lives provides many logically convincing and sound points. However, Wolf’s definition of a life of meaning is both disconnected from her original argument and lacks a consistent, authoritative source and process for achieving meaning. She attempts to suggest that meaning is an â€Å"intelligible feature to be sought in life†, then provides the solution for achieving this insight of through the unintelligible source of epiphany. Secondly, Wolf’s argument for the realization of insignificance as the truth, unlocks the need for an individual to look beyond serving his or her own self-centered desires for meaning. However, though her point about insignificance seems valid, Wolf fails to provide examples or an understanding of how an individual can objectively determine how to look outside of themselves. In total, Wolf produces an understanding of meaning that depends upon an individuals abilities to undergo an epiphany and properly manifest their understanding of the need to look outside one’s self and recognize Universal needs. The problem with this stance is that focusing on the Universe provides no lasting impact, or meaning to a particular life because the things of this Universe are finite and temporary. The individual’s life will eventually end along with the actions and events they affected. Though existence can provide an opportunity for value, as understood in Wolf’s argument and the theistic view, meaning is dependent upon a infinite being whose performance can not be temporary. An individual must not be reliant on their personal performances and finite experiences to obtain meaning, but rather is actively engaged in an eternal project of positive value, determined by an infinite and constant authority, God. Works Cited Borchert, Donald M. Theism. Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2nd ed. 10. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Web. 25 Apr 2012. Di Muzio, Gianluca. Theism and the Meaning of Life life’s meaning? Ars Disputandi . 6. (2006): 1-12. Print. Klemke, E. D. â€Å"The Meaning of Life†. 2nd. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Print. Metz, Thaddeus. â€Å"Could God’s purpose be the source of life’s meaning? † Cambridge Journals. (2000): 293-311. Print. Wolf, Susan. The Meaning Of Lives. 62-73. Print.

Effect Of Facebook On Academic Performance

Effect Of Facebook On Academic Performance THE IMPACT OF FACEBOOK ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE INTRODUCTION Facebook is dominate potential –places among youth specially students. Most of students are spending more time in using Facebook which is lead to impact time spending in education. This research is going to study whether Facebook impact on students’ performance or not in SLIATE. The SLIATE (Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education) is one of the leading educational institutions in Sri Lanka for higher education and is a statutory body coming under the purview of Higher Education Division, Ministry of Education. SLIATE has been established by the Parliament Act 29 of 1995 focusing on fostering Advanced Technical Education at a post-secondary level and its head is Director General appointed by the cabinet. It is mandated to establish Advanced Technical Institute (ATI) in every province for both Engineering and Business Studies. (http://www.sliate.net/about.htm) BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Nowadays most of peoples use Facebook to make social network among people all over the world. And students also spending most of their time on such social media called Facebook. Facebook.com (Facebook), the most popular and commonly used online social network Web site, has created passion among college students in modern years. College students are become very interest in online social networking. â€Å"Online social network sites such as Facebook work as an important entertainment for undergraduates. Facebook, the most popular social network site, was specifically designed for undergraduates and is the most commonly used. Therefore, time spent on Facebook may affect academic performance. For example, time spent on Facebook may directly affect and/or reasonable the students’ academic performance. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The ultimate purpose of this study is going to examine the use of Facebook weather it is impact on students’ academic performance or not. The core research question of this survey is: what is the effect of online social networking site, Facebook, having on students’ academic performance (Examination Marks)? In other words does time spending (access) every day on Facebook have a significant impact on academic performance (Examination Marks)? In addition to that this survey going to test do Sex, age and status of the student impact on academic performance on them? SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The college classroom is used to delivering the product (student education) of the college. The objective of education is to have students learn and succeed. Thus, it is important to know and understand how student use of online social network sites (i.e. Facebook) affects academic success. Therefore, a critical examination of the impact of Facebook on academic performance is very essential. This useful presentation to help students, lecturer, teachers and academic leaders. Students, specially, can get better understand the consequences of Facebook site use on educational performance. Lecturer, teachers and academic leaders can get valued understanding and information about the relationship between the students time spend on Facebook and how it affects students’ academic performance. Also, academicians can be get well prepared to guide and mentor students regarding the negative impacts of Facebook sites on their academic performance. METHODOLOGY This research is designed to test the impact of using Facebook on student academic success and performance in their exam. Research can explain through the collection of numerical data, which is then analyzed using computerized statistical package. With survey research, I can select a group of respondents, collect data, and analyze the data to answer the research question. I have collected quantitative as well as qualitative data from a sample using questionnaire technique. This research is an appropriate investigation tool for making generalized interpretations about a large group of people based on data collected from a smaller number of individuals from that group. POPULATION AND SAMPLE The population for this study is Higher National Diploma 2009 Batch students of SLIATE, Kandy. The students’ academic performance is evaluated through final marks taken by students in Strategic Financial Management. The independent variable is use of Facebook every day. This data was taken from the respective student through small questioner during the class. Furthermore some demographic data also have been collected such as: gender, age, and student status weather full time or part time. They described the sample characteristics. The student (sample) selected the answers from the survey that best described them. DATA ANALYSIS I used SPSS 16.0 to perform the statistical analysis. Basic frequency analyses were conducted using demographic information. The questions were analyzed using descriptive statistical analyzing techniques. Descriptive statistics was another statistical technique which is used in this study to define the mean, minimum value, maximum value, and standard deviation for all the demographic variables. SPSS is presented in tables and charts. Most importantly the core research question’s answer is tested by using Independent Samples Test and ANOVA test also is performed as statistical technique. I used this technique to find the impact of using (spending time every day) Facebook on student’s performance, by comparing means marks between student’s who are spending time on Facebook and who are not. So I used SPSS 16.0 to analyze statistic and interpret the result. This study is intended to bring attention to and awareness of the impact of using Facebook on students’ academic performance. FINDINGS This section is presents the output generated by SPSS 16 from data collected for survey. Table 1 represents the total number of respondents included in the sample of 106 students. Among them 45 students are spending time on Facebook every day which represent 42.5%. But 61 students (57.5%) are not spending time on Facebook every day. Table 2 represents the status of the students such as whether full time or Part time students. 43 students are engaging in Full Time and 63 students are engaged in part time course. Table 3 represents the total sample consist of 64 students are female (60.4%) and 42 students are male (39.6%). Table 4 represents the age group of the sample. 68% of the sample students represents the age group of 25 Years. 15.1 % of students in 26 years age group. Other age groups are approximately similar to 10%. Table 5 represents summary of respondents. 11 female and 10 male Fulltime students, and 16 female and 8 Male part-time students are spending time on Facebook every day. But 11 female and 11 male Fulltime students, and 26 female and 13 Male part-time students are not spending time on Facebook every day. Table: 6 represents the descriptive statistics of the sample with a variable of Facebook usage on student’s performance which is represented by Marks. The students mean marks those who are spending time on Facebook is 77.36. At 95% confidence level the mean marks of the student’s lies between 74.52 to 80.19 marks. But there is a 5% change to the mean marks not lies within the range. And the standard deviation of marks is 9.432, median is 78.00, normal distribution is negatively skewed to left at -.592. The students mean marks those who are not spending time on Facebook is 77.93. At 95% confidence level the mean marks of the students lies Between 75.96 to 79.91. But there is a 5% change to the mean marks is not lies in the range. And the standard deviation of marks is 7.726. , median is 78.00, normal distribution is negatively skewed to left at -.276. Tests of Normality H0: Student’s marks are normally distributed H1: Student’s marks are not normally distributed The Tests of Normality are shown in the table 7. Here two tests for normality. For dataset small than 2000 elements, we use the Shapiro-Wilk test, otherwise, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test is used. In our case, since we have only 106 elements, the Shapiro-Wilk test is used. From the table Group Yes p-value is .040 and Group No p value is .294. So in group yes, we can reject null hypothesis and we can conclude that the data comes is not normal distribution. But in case of Group No, We cannot reject the null hypothesis and conclude that the data comes from a normal distribution. However when analyze the Normal Q-Q plot of marks in Figure: 1 Group yes is approximately normally distributed. So we can assume that data are normally distributed to use the independent sample test. Figure: 1 Figure: 2 Figure: 3 Statistical Hypothesis H0: Student’s marks of two groups are equal ( µ= µ) H1: Student’s marks of two groups are not equal ( µÃ¢â€°  Ã‚ µ) Research Hypothesis H0: Use of Facebook is not significantly affect the students’ performance H1: Use of Facebook is significantly affect the students’ performance This table 8, represents the results of the independent-samples t-test. The Levene’s results had an F-statistic of 1.844 with a significance value (P) of 0.177. Because, P > ÃŽ ± (0.177 > .05), the two variables has statistically equal variance distributions. Therefore, we can use the first row of t-test information to determine if the two group mean marks are statistically different from each other. The t-statistic value is -0.347. The degrees of freedom is 104. The 2-tailed significance value is 0.729. The difference between the means of two group is -0.579 and the standard error of this difference is 1.668. The 95% confidence interval of the difference ranged from -3.887 to 2.729. Because P > ÃŽ ± (0.729> 0.05), we cannot reject null hypothesis i.e. there is no significant evidence that two groups students’ average marks are different, so we can come to the conclusion that use of Facebook is not significantly impact on students’ performance. Research Hypothesis H0: Sex not significantly affect the students’ performance ( µ= µ) H1: Sex is significantly affect the students’ performance ( µÃ¢â€°  Ã‚ µ) The Levene’s results had an F-statistic of 5.194 with a significance value (P) of 0.025. Because, P < ÃŽ ± (0.025 ÃŽ ± (0.627> 0.05), we cannot reject null hypothesis, so we can come to the conclusion that the average marks is statistically not significantly different in sex of students. So sex of the students are not impact on students’ performance. Research Hypothesis H0: use of Facebook is not significantly affect the students’ performance ( µ= µ) H1: use of Facebook is significantly affect the students’ performance ( µÃ¢â€°  Ã‚ µ) Table 11 represents the results of the independent-samples t-test. The Levene’s results had an F-statistic of 0.023 with a significance value (P) of 0.879. Because, P > ÃŽ ± (0. 879 > .05), the two variables has statistically equal variance distributions. Therefore, we can use the first row of t-test information to determine if the two group mean marks are statistically different from each other. The t-statistic value is -0.154. The degrees of freedom is 104. The 2-tailed significance value is 0. 878. The difference between the means of two group is -0.259 and the standard error of this difference is 1.668. At 95% confidence interval difference ranged from -3.591to 3.073.because P > ÃŽ ± (0 .878> 0.05), we cannot reject null hypothesis, so we can come to the conclusion that the average marks of the two group (Full time and Part Time) of students are statistically not significantly different. In other words student’s status is not impact on student’s performance. Research Hypothesis H0: Age is not significantly affect the students’ performance ( µ= µ) H1: Age is significantly affect the students’ performance ( µÃ¢â€°  Ã‚ µ) Table 12 is represent ANOVA output. Which is used to compare mean differnces between age groups of the sample. The F-statistic is 0.753, The Sig value is 0.523.P > ÃŽ ± (0.523> 0.05), we cannot reject null hypothesis i.e there is no significant evidence to reject that age of students’ average marks are different, so we can come to the conclusion that the average marks of students’ age are statistically not significantly different. So student’s age is not impact on students’ performance. OVERALL CONCLUSION The use of Facebook is statistically not impact of student’s performance. Even sex, Age, or Status also statistically not impact on students’ performance. LIMITATIONS The selected variables are not significantly impact on students’ performance. To know what are the factors are affecting students’ performance, we have to include more variable in addition to this variable and include more samples into the survey. The potential limitation of this study is that the participants are sampled from only one insti

The Outsiders :: Essays Papers

The Outsiders One day after school Ponyboy and his friend Johnny took two Soc girls out to the movies, they were walking home when five Socs jumped them. The Socs were mad at them for taking their girls on dates. Bob (one of the Socs) was about to drown Ponyboy in a fountain when Johnny lost it and stabbed him. The Socs ran and so did Johnny and Ponyboy. After this incident they ran to a church outside of town. One day the church catches on fire. Johnny and Ponyboy save the kids that were playing in the abandoned church. Johnny pushed Ponyboy out of the church right as the roof caved in killing Johnny. Ponyboy and Johnny were heroes. They ruled that Ponyboy was just fighting back in self-defense. Ponyboy eventually writes a book about what has happened to him, the book that Ponyboy starts to write, starts the same way the novel starts. Ponyboy is a nice kid that's parents were killed in a car crash when he was young. Ponyboy has light brown almost red hair, and greenish-gray eyes. He has long hair that is squared off in the back. Ponyboy is a skittish kid; he was always worried about getting jumped by the Socs. But when you are a greaser walking on the streets alone, you have the right to worry about being jumped by the Socs. Ponyboy does a lot of growing up in the book that makes him a dynamic character. He has to cope with a lot of frustration with his two older brothers and with the Socs. He handles it pretty well until on e day when he was being jumped by the Socs he spit on one of them that started a brawl that escalated into a murder. Ponyboy has a good relationship with Johnny. Johnny saved Ponyboy's life by killing a Soc when the Soc was drowning Ponyboy. Ponyboy and Johnny have to hide out in an old abandoned church together. They were best friends. Johnny's last words to Ponyboy were "Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold_" This says that Johnny thought that Ponyboy was a great person, and that he wanted him to stay a wonderful and great person. The conflict in this story is man vs. man. Ponyboy was born a greaser, he did not choose to be a greaser. He had no control of this but the Socs did not care.

Is hypnosis and effective method to Improve Health? Essay -- essays re

Is Hypnosis an Effective Method to Improve Health? Many high schools have hypnotists come to their school to entertain the students. Once a hypnotist came to the Fletcher High School gymnasium and hypnotized about a half dozen people. He convinced these six people into believing they were five years old watching their favorite cartoon. Their mannerisms were shocking. They truly believed they were five-years-old, throwing a fit when the hypnotist told them their mother just turned off the cartoons. Knowing that it is very hard to remember back to when a person is five-years-old, it was amazing that the power of hypnosis made them remember so easily. It seemed as if the hypnotist could make them remember anything. Just before the students woke from their hypnosis, the hypnotists told them they would be fully rested and feel extremely good about his or herself. Afterwards, they remarked on how rested they felt. A hypnotist can make people feel completely rested while being under hypnosis, and make people believe things that are not true. Why stop there though? If something hurts, then tell the hypnotherapist to suggest under hypnosis that the pain is gone and does not bother them anymore and the person will feel better. If someone has a stuttering problem, then they can visit a hypnotherapist and he should be able to straighten up their speech so they can speak more clearly. Likewise, a person’s self-confidence could be uplifted and they Stayton 2 could begin to believe in his or herself. Some people could even be anesthetized for surgery using hypnosis. Many people are hypnotized for entertainment purposes, so maybe it should also be used to help people with problems that are hard to resolve. Hypnosis can be used to relieve pain, conquer almost any fear, eliminate the use unnecessary prescription medicines, and help a person to overcome alcoholism and to overcome drug addictions. Also, upon finding support from a hypnotherapist, many have been able to quit addictive habits such as smoking. Conquering phobias is a specialty of hypnotherapists. A phobia is a compulsive fear of a specified situation or object (Knight 2). A few types of phobias are fear of open spaces, fear of snow, fear of the cold, fear of marriage, fear of insanity, fear of being alone, fear of darkness, fear of disease, fear of beards, fear of birds, fear of being stared at, fear of bein... ...nly one aspect of hypnosis. If a hypnotist can make someone remember something so far back and make that person reenact those memories, hypnosis could be a powerful tool regarding many health problems caused by brain activities. There is so much more that has yet to be discovered. Estabrooks, George H., Hypnotism. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co. Inc., 1957. â€Å"Hypnosis and Smoking: The Mighty Power of Suggestion.† Smoking Cessation. N. pag. Online. Internet. 13 Apr. 2000. Available WWW: http://www.hypnosis.about.com/smoking.hypnos.htm Kirsch, Irving, Antonio Capafons, Etzel Cardeà ±a-Buelna, Salvador Amigà ³. Clinical Hypnosis and Self-Regulation. Washington D.C.: American Psychological Association, 1999. Knight, Bryan. â€Å"You Can Conquer Your Phobia.† Hypnogenesis. N. pag. Online. Internet. 13 Apr. 2000. Available WWW: http://www.hypnos.co.uk/hypnomag/drknigh3.htm Nicoli, Thomas. â€Å"Pain and Physical Disorder – Relief Through Hypnosis.† Hypnogenesis. N. pag. Online. Internet. 13 Apr. 2000. Available WWW: http://www.hypnos.co.uk/hypnomag/nicoli1.htm Schneck, Jerome M. Hypnosis in Modern Medicine. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas, 1953. Wolff, Michael. Personal Interview. 28 Apr. 2000.

Foreshadowing In A Tale Of Two :: essays research papers

Foreshadowing is a technique that prepares a reader for an event that is soon to come. An author that uses foreshadowing is Charles Dickens. Charles Dickens writes many famous novels. A famous novel of his is A Tale of Two Cities. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is a novel that reveals many future events through the use of foreshadowing. The French Revolution is the main event described by the use of foreshadowing. Dickens uses the phrase à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“one tall joker so besmirched . . . scrawl[s] upon a wall with his finger dipped in muddy-lees à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" BLOODà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? to forecast the spilt wine as future blood shed during the French Revolution (37-38). Dickens also subtly states à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the one woman [Madame Defarge] who [stands] conspicuous, knitting, still knit[s] on with the steadfastness of Fateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? and he is foreshadowing the French Revolution by comparing Madame Defarge to Fate (117). Both Madame Defarge and Fate mark people who are destined to die which leads further into the French Revolution. Lastly, Dickens presents the statement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“they their very selves [are] closing in around a structure yet unbuilt, where they [are] to sit knitting, knitting, counting dropping headsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? to show that in the future, Madame Defarge and her women knit while counting the he ads being severed by La Guillotine (187). Another instance of foreshadowing is the revenge of the poor people against the aristocrats. When Dickens writes, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“there [is] a flutter in the air that fan[s] Saint Antoine and his devouring hunger far awayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? he is referring to the poor people in Saint Antoine such as the Defarges and their death craving towards the aristocrats (113). The poor that crave the aristocratsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ deaths have such a strong aura that they are a part of a living Saint Antoine, and for a moment, their death craving is delayed until a later time. Dickens also states in this novel à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the knife [strikes] home, the faces [change], from faces of pride to faces of anger and pain; also that when that dangling figure [is] hauled . . . they [change] again, and [bear] a cruel look of being avengedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? which shows the poor switching from their pride to revenge against the aristocrats and the aristocracy (177). Madame Defarge makes the statement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“[ v]engeance and retribution require a long timeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? to her husband during his time of impatience to seek revenge against the aristocrats, and it implies that Monsieur Defargeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s revenge happens later in the future (179).

The Effect of Social Networking

The Effect of Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace etc) For Children http://newstodaynews. com/the-effect-of-social-networking-facebook-twitter-myspace-etc-for-children/12286 Not a few teachers who are disappointed to see the students using the â€Å"chat language† as it is commonly used in social networking chat facilities, such as 2mor, msg, lol, and bk, while in English grammar lessons (English grammar).This study clearly indicates that students from various levels, from upper class to lower class, they spend more stout in social media This is a direct indication of their value on average poor and often failed to complete their homework on time. the quality of children’s homework is deteriorate because they hurry to finish. http://networkconference. netstudies. rg/2010/04/a-social-society-the-positive-effects-of-communicating-through-social-networking-sites/ By communicating online, it allows people to see past physical differences and focus on a deeper conn ection, discovering similarities that may have been previously disregarded. By forming groups of people with similar interests (particularly if the interest or hobby is not mainstream), social networking sites can create a sense of unity and belonging in people who might have previously felt alienated in society because of an inability to relate to local people.Many people form support groups through social networking sites to discover and communicate with others who have similar problems or health issues. With online social networking reducing difficulties with limited mobility, time and distance barriers and unacceptance due to stereotyping, people therefore have more access to support and the ability to improve communication with others despite illness or disability.Many educational institutions encourage learning via the Internet and social networking sites because it allows an easy communication channel for students to learn and share skills. Students enjoy educational opportun ities where lesson topics, research, creative ideas, and interactive discussions are at their fingertips Through online social networking, companies are better able to advertise to specific markets or discover, monitor and engage with loyal brand advocates. Conversely, they can also â€Å"discover disgruntled customers and realise their concerns

Communist victory in the Second Indochina War Essay

When assessing the importance of the Viet Cong (VC) in the Communist victory, one cannot look past the unity, discipline and effective organisation in the vanguard of the VC forces. The Viet Cong were made up of volunteer servicemen who traveled to South Vietnam as Autumn Cadres – ready to exploit the coming political harvest. The central purpose of the Viet Cong campaigns was to polarise the population, to divide it irrevocably from the GVN, and to mobilise it for service and sacrifice in support of the Revolution. The importance of the Viet Cong lies in their contribution to the Indochina conflict, and can be assessed through a social, political and military context. The role of the VC in a sociopolitical context is of a significant importance in the Communist victory in the Second Indochina War. The VC forces were most numerous in rural South Vietnam, especially in Strategic Hamlet-run villages. Once the VC established a strong presence in an area, they attempted to seal off the local population both physically and psychologically from any further contact with the Government of South Vietnam (GVN). They were particularly intent on denying the government all intelligence on Communist troop movements, bivouac sites, supply cachà ©s, and information relating to those who serve in their local military and political infrastructures. To inhibit intelligence penetration and collection in Communist-controlled or contested areas, the VC not only systematically identified and neutralized anyone suspected of being a GVN spy or informant, but they also imposed and enforced very stringent regulations governing travel within the villages and hamlets and proscribing all unauthorized contact with GVN persons. The indoctrination performed by the VC didnt limit the villagers hatred to just to GVN intelligence personnel; indeed, all repressive activity was cloaked in highly emotional propaganda designed to arouse the people to a deep hatred of, a desire for revenge and to heighten their concept of revenge against the military and civilian officials serving the government. For example, in guidelines for a propaganda campaign in the Ben Tre Province for the period October 1968 to March 1969, the VC directed cadres to â€Å"make the people feel a profound hatred of the enemy’s savage crimes and incite  them to avenge their compatriots and kinfolk by enthusiastically and actively taking part in combat activities to heroically annihilate the enemy and achieve great merits.† The indoctrination performed by the VC allowed them to gain mass support from the villagers, taking it away from the controversial GVN. This support allowed the VC to form networks across the province, which, m ilitarily, facilitated the late offensives by the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) during the final stages of the war. The role of the VC in a military context is of a significant importance in the Communist victory in the Second Indochina War. The Communist Field Commander for China during the Second Indochina War, Lin Piao, stated that, In order to win a peoples war, it is imperative to build the broadest possible united front and formulate a series of policies which will ensure the fullest mobilisation of the basic masses as well as the unity of all the forces that can be unified Although the VC were a persistent and ingenious force, further assessment identifies that a war of attrition was not going to win them the war. General for The NVA, General Vo Nguyen Giap, stated that, the way to win the war is by small defeats, one after the other until the coup de grace.Viet Cong strategy differed from other communist nations in that military activity prepared the way for a political showdown, rather than political activity preparing the way for a military showdown. Having defined the goal of the struggle in the South as a political rather than a military victory, the Viet VC at first sought to make credible the inability of the Saigon government to administer. In response to a growing American presence, they increased their military activity in order to exploit contradictions in the American position. The VC revolutionaries took full advantage of the contradictions and tailored their military activities to exploit these perceived weaknesses by making the war so long, bloody and expensive that American opinion would turn against it. These activities intended to damage psychologically the U.S. commitment to the war, thus generating a negative cost-benefit analysis among American political leaders and thereby producing a victory more like that obtained by the Viet Minh in 1954. The essence of the VC strategy was not to defeat the U.S. and allied forces militarily but to convince the Americans through the use of violence,  both persuasively and at selected points, that their position is hopeless. This stratagem was evident in the Tet Offensive of 1968. The initial goal of Tet was to destroy the morale of the United States and GVN by proving that the communist threat did not only exist in the countryside, but in urban areas also. The VC forces attacked the US embassy in Saigon, surprising the Americans and forcing them into a conventional war. This proved costly for the Viet Cong as there were serious casualties and loss of manpower one third (38,000) of the VC fighting force were either killed or wounded. Due to the loss of numbers, the North Vietnamese had to infiltrate the ranks of the Viet Cong. Moreover, the VC lost local knowledge of the South Vietnamese terrain, which inhibited the abilities of the new forces from the North. Paradoxically, although the U.S. saw Tet as a military victory, the American home front did not. Television effectively brought the brutality of the war into the comfort of the living room. Vietnam was lost in the living rooms of America not on the battlefields of Vietnam (Marshall McLuhan). Following the Tet Offensive, support for President Johnson dropped to 26 percent, resulting in his withdrawal from the Presidential race. Nixon was elected on a promise to end Americas involvement in Vietnam. Politically, the Tet Offensive is considered a Communist victory. Although they lost, the military contribution of the VC during Tet effectively led to the U.S. withdrawal in 1973, allowing the NVA to initiate the North Vietnamese Offensive in 1975, causing South Vietnam to surrender unconditionally. The role of the VC in a political context is of a considerable importance in the Communist victory in the Second Indochina War. Being influenced by mainly China and Russia, members of the VC learned the power of propaganda and in doing so became skilled at manipulating people by symbols, and in general they acquired a view of the world in which politics is the driving and dominant force. Historian Ithiel de Sola Pool states, the elements of the Viet Cong that will remain effective the longest after the main forces have been increasingly battered in combat will be those cadres who have built a political base in their own villages, including of course military cadres who will try to slip back into the main force. Further research shows  that it is these cadres that are the political force in the populated areas and who can be partially won over in any politically stable settlement. They are the most politically significant and the most responsive to citizens needs and problems. Without giving and receiving political support from the South Vietnamese population, North Vietnam was not going to win the war. As stated before, the goal of the struggle in the South was a political rather than a military victory and this became the primary doctrine for the Communists throughout the war. The numerous guerilla incidents throughout the war had no purpose but to serve the Communist political movement. The destruction inflicted upon Vietnam by the U.S. gave the VC a political advantage in that they won the support of the South Vietnamese peasantry. The political struggle movement allowed the South Vietnamese people to contribute to the war, emphasizing that the politics within the VC are highly significant when assessing the Communist victory in the Second Indochina War. The complex facets of the Viet Cong forces prove that they were essentially important in the Communist victory in the Second Indochina War. The Viet Cong effectively established their role in the revolution, providing support to the North as well as fighting in foreign territory. In contrast to such heterogeneous and disorganised elements of the GVN, the Viet Cong had at its disposal a government which dated back to 1945, a reservoir of manpower which had been unified by years of war and Communist Party discipline, and a network of agents which it had established during the war years in the cities and villages of the south. It is for these reasons that the Viet Cong were important in the Communist victory in the Second Indochina War. Bibliography Primary SourcesChalmers, J. The Third Generation of Guerilla Warfare, Asian Survey, Vol. 8, No. 6. (Jun., 1968), pp. 435-447. de Sola Pool, I. Political Alternatives to the Viet Cong. Asian Survey, Vol. 7, No. 8, Vietnam: A Symposium. (Aug., 1967), pp. 555-566. Doc. Log No. 11-1020-68 (Confidential), dated January 15, 1969, quoted in Le, Thanh Nam (1996). Control and Polarization of the Populace, 25th Aviation Battalion (online). Available at http://25thaviation.org/history/id926.htm (Accessed 21 July, 2006)Lin Piao, Long Live the Peoples War (Peking: Foreign Languages Press, 1965), pp. 44, quoted in Chalmers, J. The Third Generation of Guerilla Warfare, Asian Survey, Vol. 8, No. 6. (Jun., 1968), pp. 435-447.