Week 4: Discussion Question #3

Inductive generalization includes the usage of polls. Polls help gather information and public opinion on certain topics that we want to analyze. These polls are given to a group of people known as a sample group. Public opinion is very important to our lives. It helps the government determine what the public thinks about certain policies that they are trying to implement or to see what changes the public wants to happen. Public opinion is very important because the government works to represent the people and their needs. With the use of polls, it is easier for the all our information to be collected and then analyzed by numbers to see what policies and changes are favorable. When we see polls, we do not think much of it until we look into it and see the bigger picture. It gives a diverse group of people a chance to share their opinions.

Week 4: Discussion Question #2

Dr. Novello has overcome obstacles in her past and achieved a lot during her lifetime. She has helped us realized that tobacco ads have affected the youth in a negative way. The cause-and-effect inductive reasoning can be applied to this issue. You recognize the issue, and then find a solution to change it.

Premise 1 (Cause): The number of teens and children who smoked had begun to increase dramatically in 1988

Premise 2 (cause): when the Joe Camels ads for Camel cigarettes were first introduced.

Conclusion (effect): More teens and children will begin to smoke if the Camel ads keep targeting the youth.

Once she saw the cause of the problem, Dr. Novello came up with a solution. She rallied for “more education in schools as well as a ban on cigarette and alcohol ads that targeted the youth” (Boss, pg. 221). She successfully implemented the cause-and-effect inductive reasoning into her work.

Week 4: Discussion Question #1

Inductive Argument: I was going to go to get my hair colored at my usual hair salon, but I read reviews on Yelp for another salon and they got praised highly for their hair coloring services. I will probably get better results that I like at this new hair salon than at my usual hair salon.

I’ve wanted to change my hair color for some time now. There is a hair salon I always go to get my hair cut and done. I initially thought I would go there to color my hair, but I started researching other hair salons for a better deal. In this process, I found other salons who received better reviews by other people on their hair coloring services and that intrigued me. This would be known as generalization. Since other people had a great experience here, I figured I could be one of those people too. The conclusion I came up with was since there were all these good reviews; I would get the perfect hair color that I’m looking for there. 

Week 3: Discussion Question #3

There are four types of leaderships, but the most successful one, in my eyes, is the participative leadership. Members in this group will work together with the group leader on making decisions and reaching their goal. The group leader does not dictate what the group members are to do, but guide and give a bit of a direction for the members to go off of. This type of group usually takes more time to complete their goal, but they will ultimately produce a higher quality of work. In the end, quality over quantity is always best. Group members work harmoniously together knowing the group leader and themselves are pulling equal weights in this project. They have shared responsibilities and the work atmosphere is more positive. Ultimately, if people feel they are all on the same page, there will be no tension, and the work process will run smoothly without delays.

Week 3: Discussion Question #2

The death penalty is a very controversial topic, and will remain such. I do not believe in the idea of a single or group of human being deciding whether another human being lives or die. We should not be wasting our life and time deciding on this choice. We should be doing more important things, such as living our life and enjoying it.  Sister Helen Prejean believes that the death penalty is a violation of human dignity and we should not participate in such an activity. This is not our purpose in life, nor will it change anything that has already been done. Christians in the United States might find the death penalty as rightful justice for the crime that was committed in their community. Does a murder for another murder, bring justice at all? No. It will become a never ending cycles of murders if we believe in the death penalty system. There will be constant pain and anger in this cycle, and it can all be avoided. There are alternatives solutions we can use instead of ending another life.

Week 3: Discussion Question #1

When Sherlock Holmes says, “The difficulty, he maintains, is to detach the framework of undeniable fact from the embellishments of hearsay and reports,” means it’s hard for us to let go of pass experiences, negative feelings, and the opinions of others. Our life is constantly being influenced by outside sources, instead of what we want. Nowadays, the media and Internet play a big part in what we “think” we want. I can’t think of my own personal experience for this, but I have a friend whose experience would be appropriate for this topic.

We’ll call her Sam (she didn’t want her real name mentioned). Sam use to be on the heavier and bigger size in middle school. One day, she realized it was not the “acceptable” body image in our society. She worked out constantly, starved herself, and in the process became obsessed and depressed about herself and her body. She eventually lost the weight, but it was in an unhealthy way. Sam constantly thought she was fat, even though she was now thin. She was still picky about her food, worrying she’ll get fat if she ate too many calories or fat. Sam was terrified of going back to the body she had in the past. She didn’t want people telling her she was fat and ugly or how no guy would want her. She was trying to escape her past, but she couldn’t because she relives it every day.

The media didn’t help at all. Photos of models and celebrities were all over the web and in magazines. It was difficult to miss. I remember she once told me she needed the body of a Victoria Secret model. I was shock and heart broken. She was already there. How could she not see what she had become? After that, her parents got her help, even though she refused it in the beginning. After a few years, she is a lot healthier, but there are moments where she falls back into her old habits for a minute until she catches herself. This just goes to show how we can easily lose ourselves when people are telling us what is acceptable and what we should be. 

Week 2: Discussion Question #3

An effective self-managing team consists “of highly skilled workers who are completely responsible for producing high-quality, finished work” (O’Hair and Wiemann, 2004). The members of the team make critical decisions themselves because there is no set leader who dictates commands. Within this team, workers set their own expectations, schedules, and find new members to join the team. Most importantly, from their experiences, the team can decide together what is best for their future and positively implement these changes for the group.Teammates cooperate and work together on a project, rather than individuals working alone with a single task assigned to them. Effective communication skills are used and improved through this process too. Other characteristics that one may gain from a self-managing team are their own self-identity and accountability for their actions. With this type of team, workers tend to have a more positive attitude and bring their best skills to the table to help the team be successful.