Stories as Attitudes :: Sociology Essays Research Papers

Stories as Attitudes Curiosity seems to be innately part of the human experience. With this propensity towards curiosity comes our seemingly insatiable need to search for answers to the world's many unanswered (and conceivably unanswerable?) questions. Perhaps the most important of these questions regard the origin of the world, of life, and of us as human beings. The need to account for our own beginnings can be seen throughout history, as multiple explanations have been offered from diverse cultures, religions, philosophies and disciplines. For example, "the folklore of even the most primitive human tribes indicates that they had given some thought to questions about the origin and history of the world" (Mayr, 2001, p.1). This "urge to account for a beginning" has indeed led to many different answers and justifications throughout time, the most popular and noteworthy being the stories of creationism and evolution (Mayr, 2001). These two accounts at first appear to be entirely irreconcilable, thus spark ing centuries of heated controversy and debate. The purpose of this discussion is not to attempt to resolve the age-old arguments among creationists and evolutionists, but instead to investigate the psychosocial reasons behind the power of each side's assertion that they and they alone are "right". According to the definition of an "attitude" (i.e., "any cognitive representation that summarizes our evaluation of an object, which may be the self, other people, things, actions, events, or ideas"), the stories/explanations that we come up with to account for the world around us are nothing more than attitudes (Smith & Mackie, 2000, p. 247). Evaluating the inherent characteristics of attitudes will allow us to gain insight into new (and more useful?) ways of thinking about persuasion (i.e., "the process by which attitudes are developed, reinforced, or changed by communications"), thereby allowing us to further understand why conflicting stories, specifically the stories of creationism vs. evolution, can be perceived as tremendously threatening (Smith & Mackie, 2000, p. 248). People form attitudes/ create stories because they are useful in mastering the social environment and in establishing important connections with others. It is a well- known fact in psychology that once an attitude is formed, it becomes very closely linked to the representation of the object to which that attitude has been ascribed (i.e., the attitude object) (Smith & Mackie, 2000). This cognitive connection helps us to negotiate our interactions with these attitude objects in two ways: through the "object appraisal or knowledge function" and/or the "instrumental or utilitarian function".

Network Security Essay

The infrastructure which encompasses the network solution and security considerations is a major consideration for your company. Considering that the company will be expanding from one (1) floor to three (3) floors in the very near future you, as the CIO, are responsible for the design of the infrastructure and security protocols. You have been tasked with designing a network that is stable, redundant, and scalable. In addition, speed and reliability are important considerations. Assumptions should be drawn regarding network usage in relationship to network services and resources. All the established criteria that were set at the onset should be adhered to within your plan. The network solution that is chosen should support the conceived information system and allow for scalability. The network infrastructure will support organizational operations; therefore, a pictorial view of workstations, servers, routers, bridges, gateways, and access points should be used. In addition, access paths for Internet access should be depicted. Additionally, the security of the network should be in the forefront of your design because protecting your data is a primary consideration. Section 1: Infrastructure Document 1. Write a four to six (4-6) page infrastructure document in which you: a. Justify and support the relationship between infrastructure and security as it relates to this data-collection and analysis company. b. Present the rationale for the logical and physical topographical layout of the planned network. c. Design a logical and physical topographical layout of the current and planned network through the use of graphical tools in Microsoft Word or Visio, or an open source alternative such as Dia. Note: The graphically depicted solution is not included in the required page length. d. Illustrate the possible placement of servers including access paths to the Internet, intrusion detection systems (IDS), and firewalls. Note: Facility limitations, workstations, databases, printers, routers, switches, bridges, and access points should be considered in the illustration. e. Create and describe a comprehensive security policy for this data-collection and analysis company that will: i. Protect the company infrastructure and assets by applying the principals of confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA). Note: CIA is a widely used benchmark for evaluation of information systems security, focusing on the three (3) core goals of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information. ii. Address ethical aspects related to employee behavior, contractors, password usage, and access to networked resources and information. Section 1 of your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: * Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. * Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. * Include charts or diagrams created in MS Visio or Dia as an appendix of the infrastructure document. All references to these diagrams must be included in the body of the infrastructure document. Section 2: Revised Project Plan Use Microsoft Project to: 2. Update the project plan from with three to five (3-5) new project tasks each consisting of five to ten (5-10) sub-tasks. The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: * Develop information systems-related activities to maximize the business value within and outside the organization. * Demonstrate an understanding of existing and emerging information technologies, the functions of IS, and its impact on the organizational operations. * Evaluate the issues and challenges associated with information systems integration. * Use technology and information resources to research issues in information systems. * Write clearly and concisely about strategic issues and practices in the information systems domain using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions.

Agenda-Setting and the Presidential Election Essay

Mike Smith COM-126 January 26, 2013 Tommy Hawk Agenda-Setting and the Presidential Election Elections of the past have had to rely on time consuming systems and procedures to compile information that would gauge the American attitude toward the political candidates and their respective platforms. The Presidential Election of 2012 has changed that system forever. This election came with state of the art technology that allowed live coverage of the endless campaigning followed by up to the minute input of American sentiment toward the policies and messages being marketed by both sides. These statistics helped in molding the individual parties platform and their message along with its delivery, or if they needed to change direction†¦show more content†¦The media also took note to Romney’s every slip and incorrect gesture, then revealed them over and over with commentary that was just as unappealing while America soaked it all in. It did not help Romney’s position when he added comments about the welfare system either. He failed to consider that approx imately 50% of households receive transfer benefits from the government. While being wealthy and proven to pay minimal taxes himself, comments about ‘who receives and who pays for government gifts’, came off as being hard-hearted’ (Mac Donald, H. 2012). Obama took aim at Romney’s ill-chosen comments and used them to change voter’s opinions in his favor. He quickly modified his speeches to confront the voters that receive welfare benefits and focused on the amenities they would lose if they did not vote him in for a 2nd term. Obama remained the leading contender among immigrants and single mothers, both sectors of which Romney pledged changes that would take place and not be in their favor. Many constituents started out as independent voters that swayed toward the conservative platform shared by republicans due to Romney’s political agenda and promises of reform. As the campaign dragged on, Romney consistently lost the mass appeal he began the race with. Media played a heavy part in helping Obama smear the opponent and may have won the election for him but certainly not by popularity, instead, perhaps due to the absence of urgentShow MoreRelatedAgenda Setting Theory Essay examples950 Words   |  4 PagesGl Final Exam Essay 2 1) Define and illustrate (i.e., give examples of) agenda-setting theory. How might a president try to use the media’s presumed agenda-setting powers near election time? In other words, might it behoove a president to take (or threaten to take) certain highly dramatic actions-especially concerning foreign affairs- just before an election that will impact strongly on the power of his/her political party? 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