Wednesday, November 13, 2013
CONNECTING THE DOTS
Upon reading the term/research paper prompt, I was a bit surprised. I found it extremely unusual that we were only allotted one weekend to complete such a lengthy, rigid, and difficult assignment. I was not discouraged, however. I had the whole paper mapped out in my head by the time I left class on Friday, and I was ready to embrace the challenge.Unfortunately, I had failed to acknowledge the research component of the assignment. This proved to be my downfall, as, after many hours of research, I failed to secure the citable information that I needed to construct my paper. I emailed back and forth with my instructor, collaborated with some of my fellow students (mostly Jon), and tried every research strategy I could think of--all with no avail. Considering that I could write for days on the topic out of my own knowledge, it was extremely frustrating for me to fail due to coming up shorthanded on my research. Research is the central element of a "research paper", though, and I will take my defeat in stride and use it to better myself. In fact, today I sought help and Dr. Preston was willing to sit down with me and provide some additional guidance/strategies, as well as some sources that he found to use as a starting point. With this new insight, I will attack the prompt with the same angle that I tried the first time (the social psychological causes of racism and how this information can be utilized to deduce possible solutions to racism), and hopefully have better luck the second time around. This is the angle that really peaks my interest, so I have been trying to avoid abandoning it if at all possible. Luckily, for once, everything is seeming to fall into place.
Monday, November 4, 2013
VOCABULARY #9
1) ultimate (adjective) - furthest or highest in degree or order; being the last or concluding element of a series
Example: Although I disagree with racial profiling, I don't believe that it is the ultimate violation of the constitution that it is made out to be.
2) interactive (adjective) - capable of acting on or influencing each other
Example: The interactive program adapted based on its user's actions.
3) principle (noun) - a basic truth or law; a rule of personal conduct
Example: Many people's opposition to racial profiling stems from their moral principles.
4) guidance (noun) - something that provides direction or advice as to a decision or course of action
Example: One who is struggling with a difficult decision might consider seeking guidance from trustworthy source.
5) collaboration (noun) - the act of working jointly
Example: Several colleagues worked in collaboration on a project, allowing them to complete it before the deadline.
6) formative (adjective) - characterized by forming or molding or fashioning
Example: The formative young child was substantially influenced by his environment.
7) summative (adjective) - formed of separate units gathered into a mass or whole via summation
Example: The secretary was asked to transform the overwhelmingly large amount of information into an easy to manage, summative arrangement.
8) racism (noun) - discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race; the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races
Example: The degree of ignorance and narcism that racism is marked by infuriates me.
9) intelligence (noun) - a mental characteristic that enables one to reason, comprehend, think abstractly, solve problems, learn/adapt, etc.
Example: Intelligence is often associated with grades and test scores, but, in fact, it reaches much deeper than those petty stats/numbers.
10) hyperbolic (adjective) - enlarged beyond truth or reasonableness
Example: The small issue became hyperbolic after it was blown way out of proportion.
11) consent (noun) - permission to do something
Example: With a court order, a police officer may legally enter and search a property without the owner's consent.
12) doctrine (noun) - a belief or system of beliefs accepted as authoritative by some group
Example: The Monroe Doctrine was a foreign policy that aimed to stop/prevent European interference with states in the western hemisphere.
13) hunch (noun) - an impression that something might be the case
Example: The detective's hunch was proven false when the suspect provided an air-tight alibi.
14) predominant (adjective) - having superior power and influence; most frequent or common
Example: Hispanics/Latinos are predominant in many areas near the Mexico-U.S. border.
15) discretion (noun) - freedom to act or judge on one's own
Example: When his superiors failed to provide clear orders, the low-ranking officer was forced to lead his men under his own discretion.
16) provision (noun) - a stipulated condition
Example: Teenagers are allowed to drive on a provisional basis.
17) seizure (noun) - the taking possession of something via legal proccess
Example: If Obama gets his way, then searches and seizures will be carried out to disarm American citizens, putting an end to freedom as we know it.
18) warrant (noun) - a writ from a court commanding police to perform specified acts
Example: The police brought the suspect in for questioning after they obtained a warrant for his arrest.
19) infraction (noun) - an act that violates a rule or law (generally on the less-severe end of the spectrum)
Example: Performing a "rolling stop" at a stop sign is technically an infraction, though it is a common practice amongst drivers.
Example: Although I disagree with racial profiling, I don't believe that it is the ultimate violation of the constitution that it is made out to be.
2) interactive (adjective) - capable of acting on or influencing each other
Example: The interactive program adapted based on its user's actions.
3) principle (noun) - a basic truth or law; a rule of personal conduct
Example: Many people's opposition to racial profiling stems from their moral principles.
4) guidance (noun) - something that provides direction or advice as to a decision or course of action
Example: One who is struggling with a difficult decision might consider seeking guidance from trustworthy source.
5) collaboration (noun) - the act of working jointly
Example: Several colleagues worked in collaboration on a project, allowing them to complete it before the deadline.
6) formative (adjective) - characterized by forming or molding or fashioning
Example: The formative young child was substantially influenced by his environment.
7) summative (adjective) - formed of separate units gathered into a mass or whole via summation
Example: The secretary was asked to transform the overwhelmingly large amount of information into an easy to manage, summative arrangement.
8) racism (noun) - discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race; the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races
Example: The degree of ignorance and narcism that racism is marked by infuriates me.
9) intelligence (noun) - a mental characteristic that enables one to reason, comprehend, think abstractly, solve problems, learn/adapt, etc.
Example: Intelligence is often associated with grades and test scores, but, in fact, it reaches much deeper than those petty stats/numbers.
10) hyperbolic (adjective) - enlarged beyond truth or reasonableness
Example: The small issue became hyperbolic after it was blown way out of proportion.
11) consent (noun) - permission to do something
Example: With a court order, a police officer may legally enter and search a property without the owner's consent.
12) doctrine (noun) - a belief or system of beliefs accepted as authoritative by some group
Example: The Monroe Doctrine was a foreign policy that aimed to stop/prevent European interference with states in the western hemisphere.
13) hunch (noun) - an impression that something might be the case
Example: The detective's hunch was proven false when the suspect provided an air-tight alibi.
14) predominant (adjective) - having superior power and influence; most frequent or common
Example: Hispanics/Latinos are predominant in many areas near the Mexico-U.S. border.
15) discretion (noun) - freedom to act or judge on one's own
Example: When his superiors failed to provide clear orders, the low-ranking officer was forced to lead his men under his own discretion.
16) provision (noun) - a stipulated condition
Example: Teenagers are allowed to drive on a provisional basis.
17) seizure (noun) - the taking possession of something via legal proccess
Example: If Obama gets his way, then searches and seizures will be carried out to disarm American citizens, putting an end to freedom as we know it.
18) warrant (noun) - a writ from a court commanding police to perform specified acts
Example: The police brought the suspect in for questioning after they obtained a warrant for his arrest.
19) infraction (noun) - an act that violates a rule or law (generally on the less-severe end of the spectrum)
Example: Performing a "rolling stop" at a stop sign is technically an infraction, though it is a common practice amongst drivers.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
WHAT I SEE IS ALL IN MY HEAD
As embarrassing as it is to admit, I am a casualty of the "selective attention test". I knew that there would be some sort of trickery involved, so I attempted to be clever by counting passes by both the people in black clothes and the people in white clothes. This, of course, only furthered my obliviousness to the gorilla. I pride myself on my awareness and my attention to detail, so it is always a bit disgruntling when I fail those dastardly tests.
As far as what we discussed in class on Friday, it is a fact that 100% of our understanding comes from "in here". It's funny--I think about this matter fairly often, but, now that I am trying to organize my thoughts via text, I am having trouble getting the wheels turning. That's what I get for waiting until Sunday night to do this, I suppose... Anyways, when it comes to an issue like "reality" itself, one could chase their tail indefinitely with no avail. In order to avoid the never-ending loop of abstract hypotheticals that this topic can bring about, I'll end simply with this: there is a certain subjectivity that coincides with consciousness. That is, what any given person knows to be the world around him/her is nothing more than a construct, fabricated by his/her own mind. Albert Einstein was once asked if the moon is really there, even when no one is looking at it (or monitoring it in any way). He said "of course it is", undoubtedly shocked by the preposterous question. When asked to prove it, however, he was unable to. Or so the story goes.
As far as what we discussed in class on Friday, it is a fact that 100% of our understanding comes from "in here". It's funny--I think about this matter fairly often, but, now that I am trying to organize my thoughts via text, I am having trouble getting the wheels turning. That's what I get for waiting until Sunday night to do this, I suppose... Anyways, when it comes to an issue like "reality" itself, one could chase their tail indefinitely with no avail. In order to avoid the never-ending loop of abstract hypotheticals that this topic can bring about, I'll end simply with this: there is a certain subjectivity that coincides with consciousness. That is, what any given person knows to be the world around him/her is nothing more than a construct, fabricated by his/her own mind. Albert Einstein was once asked if the moon is really there, even when no one is looking at it (or monitoring it in any way). He said "of course it is", undoubtedly shocked by the preposterous question. When asked to prove it, however, he was unable to. Or so the story goes.
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