Tuesday, January 28, 2020

The Video Game Controversy Media Essay

The Video Game Controversy Media Essay The video game controversy has been an ongoing debate with one side insisting that video games increase violent tendencies amongst children and the other debunking it. Timothy F. Winter blames video games for violence amongst children in his article The Government Should Stop Kids From Buying Violent Video Games, published in U.S. News and World Report on 10th May 2010 while Michael D. Gallagher insists otherwise in his article, Video Games Dont Cause Children to be Violent, published in U.S. News and World Report on 10th May 2010. Both articles are directed towards parents as the topic concerns children and whether they are affected by video games, a common form of entertainment in any given household. This essay will critique the strengths and weaknesses of the articles with regard to how the authors used the rhetorical proofs of ethos, pathos and logos. Though Winter is better at using pathos in his article than Gallagher, his argument contains fallacies which weakens his argument considerably while Gallaghers article is reinforced by his usage of logos. The rhetorical proof ethos can be categorized to three different parts, that is, initial ethos, derived ethos and terminal ethos (McCroskey, 2004). McCroskey (2004) defines initial ethos to be the ethos of the source before the communicative act, derived ethos as the sources ethos during the act of communicating and terminal ethos to be the sources ethos at the completion of the communicative act. Ethos plays an important role in an argument because the audience judges not only the argument, but the speaker as well (Borchers, 2006). The key factors in constructing a believable ethos are source credibility, prestige and personal proof (McCroskey, 1997) and as Gallagher is the president and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association, a company that deals exclusively with video games (The Entertainment Software Association website, 2010), he is more than qualified to give his opinion on the subject thus he has high initial ethos. Winter is the president of the Parents Television Coun cil and though that organization advocates most forms of entertainment, its primary focus is television (Parents Television Council website, 2010) so his initial ethos is not as high as Gallaghers. Winter and Gallagher both have derived ethos because during the body of their articles, they both include factual material and opinions attributed to qualified sources (McCroskey, 2004). Winter cites findings from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Parents Television Council and the California Legislature. Gallagher includes sources from the Supreme Court, FBI statistics, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, a quote from Hon. Robin Cauthron of the United States District Court, and the FTC. Both Winter and Gallagher have terminal ethos because as a representative of the Parents Television Council and Entertainment Software Association, they manage to make their corporations look good through their arguments. Winters stance on video games is that it encourages violence amongst children due to the flaws in the rating system while Gallagher firmly believes that the rating system will prevent children from playing violent video games. Both writers are slightly biased in their articles in supporting their stance but Winter is noticeably more so than Gallagher. Winters article may offend the percentage of his audience that are gamers as he states that, The industrys arguments are logically and morally bankrupt. Reinking, Hart and von der Osten (1999) point out that if the writers tone is mean or arrogant, it offends the public and will fail to persuade the public. Winter is sarcastic and snide in his comments about the video game industry in his article. Gallagher expresses his genuine concern for the subject as he believes in finding a solution to the problem and is generally respectful to the audience. To appeal ethically to the audience, one has to be committed to the truth, have sincere re spect for others and to be concerned about the issue (Reinking, Hart von der Osten, 1999). Thus from an ethos standpoint, Gallagher is better at backing up his argument with ethos than Winter. Ramage, Bean Johnson (2004) associates pathos with emotional appeal which focuses on making the audience feel what the writer feels. They further state that pathos relies on the audiences imaginative sympathies. Gallagher concludes his article with a sentence that will appeal to the audiences sympathies, Americans rights to speech and expression are sacred and inviolate- millions across the political spectrum agree with us. His audience, Americans as this article appears in the U.S. News Report, are being emotionally manipulated to believe that those opposing Gallaghers argument are suppressing their freedom of speech. He is relying on the audience to sympathize with the video games industry as they are being oppressed. Thus Gallagher has developed some pathos in his argument, as he knows his audience and how to sway their emotions (Borchers, 2006).Winter also displays a knack for utilizing this rhetorical proof as he describes in length the violent acts one can commit when playing a video game such as shoot a police officer and urinate on him as he tries to crawl away. The examples he gave serves two purposes; it provides evidence that supports his reasoning and it also gives his argument presence and emotional resonance (Ramage, Bean, Johnson, 2004). Winters inclusion of specific details in his argument can help to create an image in the audiences minds that will trigger their feelings (Ramage, Bean, Johnson, 2004).Winter uses terms like ultraviolent video games to further insinuate his message to the audience that video games are a negative form of entertainment that focuses on violence. Reinking, Hart and von der Osten (1999) affirm that pathos can be used to drive people to action, people who would otherwise passively accept an argument based solely on logic. Winters graphic details will cause parents to be against video games because they would not want their children to participate in these violent actions. Gallagher attempts that strategy as well when he indirectly accuses his opposition of taking away Americans freedom of speech by condemning the video game industry because video games are considered to be media too. However, the rest of Gallaghers article lacks pathos as he does not attempt to connect with the audience as much as Winter. Therefore, Winter displays a better use of pathos than Gallagher in his article. Though both Winter and Gallagher have used the rhetorical element of logos in their arguments, Gallaghers use is stronger as Winters article contains fallacies that weaken his argument. Logos refers to the internal consistency and clarity of the message and to the logic of its reasons and support (Ramage, Bean, Johnson, 2004). Gallagher makes a good point when he states that the video game industry has a rating system that informs and empowers parents. He believes that parents should be in control of deciding what their kids are allowed to play and that the rating system will enforce that. He backs up this argument by stating facts from the FTC like how 87% of parents were satisfied with video game ratings and that the FTC has applauded the video game rating system because it clearly displays rating information and restricts childrens access to mature-rated products. In his article, Winter uses refutation to this claim, that is, the practice of countering an argument with evidence o r reasoning (Borchers, 2006) by stating statistics from the Parents Television Council that indicate that an underage child is able to purchase a mature game 36% of the time. Winter is framing his evidence; he is maximizing his readers focus on his data and is guiding his readers vision and response (Ramage, Bean Johnson, 2004). However, Jenkins (n.d.) points out that the FTC has found that 83% of games purchased by underage consumers are made by parents or children accompanied by parents. Parents are responsible in restricting the access of mature-rated games from children and Gallagher points out that the video game industry is working to help parents as current-generation game consoles come with built in parental controls that allow parents to block video games they do not want their children to play. He states that major U.S. retailers are also working to help parents by enforcing age restrictions in the purchase of games. Though a functioning and praised rating system exists f or the video game industry, Winter is not satisfied because he is of the opinion that children will continue to be able to play violent video games. Gallaghers article consistently debunks the statement that video games cause violence amongst children and he supports himself by including FBI statistics that confirm that youth violence has declined in the recent years as video game popularity has increased. However, Winters article confirms that more than 3000 studies links violence tendencies amongst children to the consumption of violent media. Jenkins (n.d.) states that though much research has been done on whether video games contribute to violence amongst youth, most of this research is inconclusive and have been criticized on methodological grounds. He concludes that no research has found that video games are a primary factor in increasing violence amongst children and turning them into killers. Ramage, Bean and Johnson (2004) discuss universal quantifiers, which is the tendency to confuse universal quantifiers with existential qualifiers. As Winter ignores the fact that playing violent video games is not the sole cause for violence amongst children, he is guilty of this fallacy. Gallagher refutes Winters statement by quoting the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, The state has not produced substantial evidence thatviolent video games cause psychological or neurological harm to minors. Thus Winter is begging the question, that is, a fallacy where he asserts the truth of an unproven statement (Reinking, Hart von der Osten, 2004) when he states that video games increase violence tendencies amongst the youth. Not only that, Jenkins (n.d.) points out that the most studies on violent video games found is a correlation, that aggressive people like aggressive entertainment. Winter is also guilty of the fallacy post hoc, ergo propter hoc, which is confusing the correlation for the cause (Ramage, Bean Johnson, 2004). Winter brings up a very good point in his argument, that video games are different from other forms of entertainment because the player is actively engaging in the violent acts rather than just watching it onscreen. Children who are playing violent video games choose who to beat, rape, maim or kill and Winter reasons that because of this unique problem, the government should do more to prevent children from playing adult games. Winters reasoning is linked to the audiences values as parents would not want their children to play these violent games and as such he is persuasive (Ramage, Bean Johnson, 2004). Gallagher tries to claim otherwise by quoting the Hon. Robin Cauthron of the United States District Court, the presence of increased viewer control and interactivity does not remove these games from the release of the First Amendment protection. However his claim does not prove anything, just that video games are entitled to freedom of expression thus it is redundant in this context . Both articles include the rhetorical elements of ethos, pathos and logos to support their arguments. It is clear however, which is the stronger argument. Winters usage of ethos to support his arguments is poorer than Gallaghers as he is more biased and appears less credible than Gallagher. However, Winter effectively uses pathos to sway the audience in his argument as he includes specific examples. Though Gallagher does try to persuade his audience in this way, he is still lacking in the element of pathos. Logos plays an important role in any argument and though both authors have strengthened their arguments with this rhetorical proof, Gallagher does a better job at logically reasoning with the audience. He supports his claims with suitable evidence and makes some very good points. Winter has points that are refutable because he is guilty of fallacies in his arguments. In conclusion, Gallagher presents the better argument when he proves that video games are not to blame for violent t endencies amongst children and that the rating system will help prevent children from playing mature games. References Borchers, T 2006, Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction, Thomson Wadsworth, Toronto. Gallagher, M.D. 2010, Video Games Dont Cause Children to be Violent, U.S. News and World Report 10 May, viewed 13 May 2010, . Jenkins, H n.d., Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked, Public Broadcasting Service, Virginia, viewed 15 May 2010 . McCroskey, JC 1997, An Introduction to Rhetorical Communication, 7th edn, Prentice Hall, Massachusetts. Parents Television Council, 2010, Parents Television Council, Virginia, viewed 26 May 2010, . Ramage, JD, Bean, JC, Johnson J 2004, Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings, 3rd edn, Pearson Education, New Jersey. Reinking, JA, Hart, AW von der Osten, R 1999, Strategies for successful writing: A rhetoric, research guide, reader and handbook, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. The Entertainment Software Association, 2010, The Entertainment Software Association, Washington, D.C., viewed 26 May 2010,. Winter, T.F. 2010, The Government Should Stop Kids From Buying Violent Video Games, U.S. News and World Report 10 May, viewed 13 May 2010, .

Monday, January 20, 2020

Affirmative Action Essay -- Affirmative Action Essays

Affirmative action is meant to be an attempt at equality throughout society. It supposedly proposes that each person receives equal opportunities in the classroom as well as the work force. Not only would this apply to minorities but to women as well. Every sector in America would be equal and unprejudiced - or so proponents say. On the other hand, adopting affirmative action would force many employers to replace hard-working employees with those of less qualification simply due to their gender or ethnic background. Many people feel that affirmative action would be very beneficial to our society. They have many thought-inspiring arguments. Some claim that we owe blacks for what we took from them in the past. We gave them a setback in our economic system, and affirmative action would be our way of reimbursing them for time and opportunities they lost out on (Norman 50). But where should the line be drawn; how much do we do to repay people - in this case blacks - for past wrongs? Is it enough to give them equal rights, or will we give them extra opportunities to make up for those we took away? It has been argued that the black sector in America, in general, is lower in class due to their environment prior to the Civil War, but the black people of today are not those who lived then. Each person today - no matter their gender,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2 origin, race, belief, or whatever difference has the same opportunities as everyone else. In my opinion no one needs any special favors to get ahead. In this paper I will discuss some of the problems with affirmative action. These include disgruntled employees, reverse discrimination, and the negative effect on our economic status. People who are for affirmative action have many possible positive outcomes as a result of this law passing, some of which have already been implicated. The first subject I will discuss is diversity in the work place, including women and minorities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Proponents of affirmative action attempt to show that diversity in the work force has brought w... ...urface affirmative action sounds and looks good. How could giving people an opportunity to work and learn to get along be a bad   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   6 idea? But after looking deeper into this concept, it seems that the scale of benefits are still not evenly spread amongst the community. After looking at all the negative outcomes, the choice should be clear. This is obviously not the right plan to help our social and economic system and we should stop using it until we can find a better choice. Works Cited Abner, Lacy. Discrimination behind a mask. Lighthouse publishing co. Boston, 1996 Carlton, Melinda. Affirmative Action and Affirming Diversity. Public Management. Florida, 1997. Norman, Jim. Politics of the nineties: Americas Verdict on Affirmative Action is Decidedly Mixed. USA Today. June/July 1997: 49-52. Internet website. www.washingtonpost.com

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Nonverbal, Interpersonal, and Textual Communication Worksheet Essay

Nonverbal communication plays an essential role in any conversation. Individuals who are aware of nonverbal actions during conversations can more effectively interpret what is being communicated. Part 1 Look at the interactions between the individuals in the following photos and interpret what you think is being expressed through nonverbal communication. Please describe the nonverbal cues that lead you to these interpretations. What is being said nonverbally by each person? In this non-verbal communication scenario, both individuals are showing emotion. The communication appears to be a disagreement. The woman appears to be trying to hold the conversation together, but the man looks annoyed and ready to leave the conversation. Both individuals are showing gestures through body movement. In this situation the man looks as if he is saying â€Å"I do not want to hear it†. Both facial expressions are cues describing the non-verbal communication. The argument or issues tends to not result in a resolution. The conflict seems to still be apparent in the conversation. This appears to be a relationship that needs work. By the woman holding his arm, I would assume the individuals have a close relationship. The man could be hurt by a certain situation that he is just now learning more about. If he is waiting for a job interview, what impression do you think he is going to make? If this individual is waiting for a job interview, he is giving the impression of not caring about receiving the job at all. I would assume he is only there, because he has to be. The person given the interview could  assume he is hung-over and not professional. This individual is slouching in his chair, which gives off the impression of being lazy. If this individual is preparing for an interview he should have his shirt tucked in and sitting up straight in the chair. If I was the person giving the interview and walked out to him presenting himself in this manner I would not give him the time of day. I would instantly judge the individuals character as not being a hard-worker. I would assume he would expect everyone else to do the work for him instead of taking responsibility for his actions. The individual also is wearing jeans with holes. This is another cue of unprofessionalism. What is the interviewer (the woman on the right) communicating with her nonverbal positioning? The woman giving the interview looks like she is intrigued and fully involved in the interview process. The woman also has her arms crossed, as if she could not be completely happy about giving the interview. She is also appearing to not care what the interviewee is communicating to her. Her arms being crossed are showing signs of attitude. I think her non-verbal positioning and facial expression is more negative than positive. If I were the interviewee, I would think the interviewer already had her mind decided about the interview. Part 2 Compose responses to each of the following questions. 1. Which of the images demonstrates an interpersonal communication exchange? How can you tell? Interpersonal communication is defined as communication that occurs between two people who simultaneously attempt to mutually influence each other, usually for the purpose of managing relationships. In image one, I think the interpersonal communication was engaged between the two individuals, but the communication is failing to stay engaged. In image one I do not see any mutual influence or quality in the conversation. I also think the third  image can be considered interpersonal communication, because this communication involves two individuals mutually engaged in the conversation. I think the interviewer is keeping the interview going by communicating questions and learning about past work history. The interviewee has to answer the interview questions, which is keeping the interview engaged. In the third image the interpersonal communication is contrasted with impersonal communication, because of the roles each individual holds in the conversation. 2. What types of interpersonal communication are being displayed in the images? Why? Interpersonal communication involves quality, which makes the difference in the conversation. Interpersonal communication also occurs when we treat the other as a unique human being, which is being shown in image three during the interview process. I think it is also showing impersonal communication because the image is refereeing to the roles of each individual. The interview process could also involve interpersonal communication that involves mutual influence. The influence could be the interviewer persuading the interviewee of the positive benefits of taking the job being interviewed for. Image one is interpersonal communication that helps manage relationships. This interpersonal communication is about the interaction and contribution to with stand a strong relationship. 3. Part 3 Textual communication, or content that is read or viewed, also plays a role in communicating with others. Textual information may gain deeper meaning when the text is spoken or viewed in a specific context versus when it is read. Read the following quotes and write a 50- to 100-word interpretation of what you think is being expressed. Support your responses. If you wish to include references, please format your responses consistent with APA guidelines. â€Å"Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets.† (The Ride  down Mount Morgan, Act I) — Arthur Miller In this quote, I think the author is trying to express life with no regrets. All any one can hope is to end up with all the right regrets. No one wants to live a life thinking what if or what could have happened in his or her life. Regrets are considered to be something that has be done that an individual is sad or disappointed over. I think individuals should not live with any regret, because at one time those regrets were something you wanted to experience. If people complete life with all the right regrets than there is nothing to actually regret. I really liked this quote, because when people think about their lives, every one wants to be happy in all the decisions that were made throughout life’s journey. â€Å"Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.† (The Outline of History, Ch. 41) —H. G. Wells Everyone tries to learn from mistakes. In history, the world has continued to be consistant in making mistakes and trying to resolve them. I think this quote presents that if people do not learn from mistakes that mistakes will continue to be made. I think the race for education such as advancement of technology could result in a postiive outcome for the human race or it could be catastrophic. It could mean that if we continue to educate ourselves then we can overcome anything destructive. â€Å"The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe—the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God. We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of  those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world. Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty.† — John F. Kennedy (1961 Inaugural Address) After viewing this quote, I feel as though I should have a better understanding of what is being communicated. The United States has been through strong ups and weak hardships, but through everything we should still stay committed and dedicated to our nation. I think the last sentence expresses the main point that is trying to be achieved, that even if nations do not show us kindness at times that we will also present success of freedom and will be at aid for all nations. I think this is directed to show that every one during this time has experienced hard ship of war and struggles, but as a nation we will come together and over come any boundaries in the way of achieving greatness. â€Å"In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the ‘unalienable Rights’ of ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’ It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’ But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.† — Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963 â€Å"I have a dream† speech) During this time in history, the speech was presented to give awareness to all Americans about the way race was being held over opportunity. After the Constitution and Declaration of Independence were signed every American were held to live by these guidelines and laws. America failed in abiding by these rights in America’s history. America considered races other than white to be negative instead of positive. In a sense the awareness of these rights were considered to be a check to the world to present the security of justice and freedom once again to everyone no matter race. Resources Kennedy, J. F. (1961, January 20). Inaugural address. Presidential inauguration, Washington, DC. Retrieved from: http://www.historystudycenter.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/search/displaySuitemAsciiItemById.do?QueryName=suitem&fromPage=studyunit&ItemID=28545&resource=prd. King, M. L., Jr. (1963, August 28). â€Å"I have a dream† speech. Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://www.historystudycenter.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/search/displayReferenceItemById.do?QueryName=reference&fromPage=studyunit&ItemID=phs00159&fromPage=studyunit&resource=ref WikiQuote. Retrieved from http://www.wikiquote.org.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Analysis Of The Short Stories A P By John Updike

The short stories AP by John Updike and How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, Halfie by Junot Diaz both discuss women through classification and symbolism. The short stories are The young ladies in the short stories are judged throughout the story based on their race, ethnicity, and physical features. They are also described in a symbolic aspect, as the young ladies are continuously described by certain features and actions. The short stories are both examples of how men have different views based on the characteristics and actions of various young ladies In the short story AP by John Updike and How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, Halfie by Junot Diaz both author s classify women by their race, ethnicity, and physical features. Sammy, the protagonist in the story AP is a cashier at a local grocery store who describes three different types of young ladies that enter the store. 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