Its More Than a Video Is a Social Movement Essay Example

Its More Than a Video Is a Social Movement Essay It’s more than a video: it’s a social media movement In this paper, I would like to discuss the elements that made the KONY 2012 the most viral video in the history, with over 76 million views in one week. I will also discuss how social media has played a significant role in this campaign and the elements that promoted the engagement of young people worldwide. With 76 million viewers in one week, the Kony 2012 campaign designed by Invisible Children has caused a movement. While millions of people have collaborated so far with this initiative by buying 500,00 â€Å"Action Kits† and/or sharing this video through their social media, others have criticized it affirming that campaigns like these give young people a false sense of accomplishment and discourage real engagement in social issues (Ojalvo, 2012). But what made this campaign so attractive for 76 million viewers? What made them click? â€Å"if you want to get and hold someone’s attention, tell a story† (Weinschenk, 2009, p. 112). According to the website, â€Å"Invisible Children uses film, creativity and social action to end the use of child soldiers in Joseph Kony’s rebel war and restore LRA-affected communities in Central Africa to peace and prosperity. † To achieve this mission they are trying to: 1. Make the world aware of the LRA. This includes making documentary films and touring them around the world so that they are seen for free by millions of people, 2. Channel energy from viewers of IC films into large-scale advocacy campaigns to stop the LRA and protect civilians, and 3. We will write a custom essay sample on Its More Than a Video Is a Social Movement specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Its More Than a Video Is a Social Movement specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Its More Than a Video Is a Social Movement specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Operate programs on the ground in LRA-affected areas that provides protection, rehabilitation and development assistance (Invisible Children, n. d. ). Invisible Children began his â€Å"National Tour† campaign in 2005, with 29 college-age students who traveled throughout US, to raise awareness in local schools and communities. However, it was from a video launched a week ago that this organization became popular worldwide. According to Mr. Keesey, â€Å"[The video] is connected to a really deep, thoughtful very intentional and strategic campaign. The purpose of the web campaign was to introduce new people to the terror inflicted by LRA. Those people could then take their awareness to their political leader† (Invisible Children, 2012). The inspiring current of cyber idealism among the under-25’s is a phenomenon that Cohen (2012) describes a one that has triggered a quite unique social validation movement. Accorrding to Haslam, McGarty, Turner (1996), people are more likely to be persuaded and positively influenced by others with whom they recognize a shared identity. With the help of Facebook and Twitter, Jason Russell’s video has become the most viral video in history, and succeeded in promoting (as it is explained on the webpage) the involvement of celebrities like Angeline Jolie, Ben Affleck, and Ellen DeGeneres. Angeline Jolie, who has been named a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations said during an event to mark International Women’s Day â€Å" I don’t know anyone who does not hate Kony† (Child, 2012). Ben Affleck also commented on the website of his humanitarian organization Eastern Congo Initiative, â€Å"Joseph Kony must be caught. His lieutenants must be brought to justice and the LRA abductees still in the bush – fighting against their will must be rescued and rehabilitated†. Ellen DeGeneres, who has over 4. 5 million twitter followers, has also made a comment about the KONY 2012 saying, â€Å"I am talking about it, I hope you are too†. Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Oprah have also made comments supporting this cause and engaging his fans to â€Å"retweet† this video. What this campaign has caused is what Gentile et al (2009) defined as â€Å"beneficial† behavior, for being associated with generally kind, altruistic individuals. In the website, the program Schools for Schools talks about how US schools compete against each other, to see which one gathered more money to help build schools in Northern Uganda. This had generated among US students a largely unconscious feeling called by Weinschenk (2009), Reciprocity, because representatives from the winner school also had the opportunity to travel to Northern Uganda to share with local students and promote intercultural exchange. Persuasion and reciprocity are also concepts well used in the campaign. Part of the original video’s purpose is to engage the audience to buy the â€Å"action kit†. As described in the web page: â€Å"People will think you are and advocate of awesome. Everything you’ll need to take part in our KONY 2012 campaign is included in this kit: an official campaign + T-shirt + KONY bracelet + action guide + Stickers + Button + Posters† (Invisible Children, 2012). This Action Kit will be used on the night of April 20th, in the â€Å"cover the night† activity, where the goal is to post 1,000,000 campaign posters, signs and stickers around the US. Due the enormous success of the video, 500,000 Action Kits, T-shirts and CDs where sold in a matter of days and are no longer available. As a result, followers turned to social media to ask when they will have more. As Weinschenk (2009) says, if there is limited availability of something, we assume it is more valuable and we want it even more. According to the Visible Measures Blog (2012), until today, Kony 2012 had generated 112 million views and over 860,000 comments. The views come from 750 clips across the web most coming from video responses to the campaign. There are even translated subtitled versions of the documentary popping up in Spanish, Italian, French and Chinese. The more reviewers there are, the more powerful the impact of social validation will be (Weinschenk, 2009). Jason Russell presents the story using a narrative form in 1st person; that captures the audience’s attention by using a language that is easily understood. The video can be divided into 3 parts. In the first part, he stimulates mostly the mid brain. By using phrases like â€Å"because he was born, he matters† â€Å"I want him to live in a better world†, Jason shows his â€Å"personas† as Weinschenk (2009) calls them, so you can be clear of his motivations, values and relationships. In order for us to engage with his motive, he focuses on showing his son Gavin as a happy American boy who is enjoying his childhood, so when later you see boys â€Å"living in fear† your middle brain will generate angry and sadness. For the second part of the video, he continues to engage the mid brain, by narrating the story of Jacob, a survivor of the LRA-Abduction. Jacob talks about his brother and how he wants to dye because the does not likes the way Ugandan boys live. During this part, Jason narrates how boys like Jacob are forced to fight, abuse girls, mutilate and in some cases kill members of their own families. He presents pictures of mutilated kids and boys sleeping on the floor. He also presents people who have been engaged to the â€Å"National Tour† movement. The music, during this part of the video is low, with a sad tone and no lyrics. In this second part, the old brain is stimulated with images and phrases like â€Å"fear†, â€Å"in danger†, â€Å"afraid†, â€Å"abducted† and â€Å"sex slaves†. Jason also starts using the â€Å"You† word in phrases like â€Å"this is not only about me and you, is about changing the course of human history† and â€Å"We Build a community around the idea that where you live should not determine whether you live†. This is also incorporated in a later video of Jason, where he is thanking the audience for the response and the forwarding abilities of those who shared the video in the first days. The clearly states: â€Å"This is not our movement, it is a name, I mean it is Invisible Children, but it is your movement, you started this, with your donations, and we are here to serve you, it is much bigger than me†. During the TONY 2012 video, our new brain is again stimulated when Jason explains his Gavin, who is Joseph Kony. Gavin uses simple phrases like â€Å"he is bad†, â€Å"they should stop him†, which reinforces the main idea of the video. Later, Jason includes the declaration of the Head prosecutor of Int. crimes court, who explains how the ICC is trying to indict Joseph Kony for: Abduction, slavery, abuses and homicide enforces the reason for this video. In the third part of the video, again the three brains are engaged. The music changes to energize the images. Our brains are built to process pictures, and we think in pictures, so presenting information as pictures is the most effective way to present information to people† (Weinschenk, 2009, p. 116). Jason introduces the programs they have been working in Northern Uganda, and thousands of college-age collaborators participating in intercultural meetings where they are helping a cause while having fun. Since Jason does not want us to stay with the sad part of the story in our minds; in this last part, the tries to move the audience from feeling sad and angry, to get active and cooperate by: 1. Sharing the video on Facebook and Twitter, 2. Purchasing the action kit, 3. Donate to the cause. Is in this part of the video, where Jason incorporates some marketing concepts that were explained in Weinschenk book: †¢Deals: if you donate a â€Å"few bucks a month†, you can have the action kit for â€Å"free†. †¢The bracelet has a unique number that you can register in the KONY 2012 webpage to have more information about the movement. Community is a concept reinforced several times on the video. Phrases like â€Å"a bunch of little’s can make a lot of difference†, â€Å"The first time this action was taken, because the people demand it† â€Å"Not only for Ugandan people but for everyone† makes you feel that his video is part of something bigger. As a result, the reaction you can see in many people celebrating the response from President Obama, of sending soldiers to work with Uganda’s army, gives the impression of a worldwide network that have worked hard to make this cause of public interest. It presents how through social media, the community have shared what they are doing in each city, and how they are getting ready for the night of april 20th. As Weinschenk (2009) refers, the cooperation between individuals in a group, allows it to grow and support each other. According to Green Brock (2002), narrative persuasion addresses occur because an individual is â€Å"transported† into the narrative world. KONY 2012, has successfully maintained 70 million people watching a 30 minute documentary, ensuring what Walt Disney said many years ago: audiences can maintain the attention for more than 2 minutes if the material presented is appealing enough. This narrative persuasion and the use of simple language (that even a four year old kid can understand) is what makes it a catchy video for all ages. Using the Mass Interpersonal Persuasion (Weinschenk, 2009, p. 131), Jason made and excellent campaign, that evokes strong emotions and leads people to completely agree on his cause. The fact that this video has been shared mostly by teenagers from 13-17 years old (Rode, 2012), does makes a point that although they have not been in the past targeted by CSR campaigns, they do have the power to spread the word faster than other age groups. Just like in Egypt, social media is giving youth voice and determining a political agenda and helping them discover their untapped power. As a result of this successful campaign, many have discussed whether this video will continue to evoke social change. According to Ruge (2012), editor of CNN â€Å"KONY 2012, cemented the legitimacy of social media for global engagement, but missed an opportunity to empower the many Ugandan and Central African voices newly visible with the advent of mobile technology and social media tools on the continent†. Other journalists such as Christiane Amanpour (the Chief international corresponding for CNN) affirms that â€Å"what’s really important is that this 52 million and counting view’s will hopefully not just sensitized people about war criminals like Joseph Kony but in general try to get society on board to really press the governments to do something about this war crimes†. Regarding all the critics, the Facebook page told his more than 3 million fans: â€Å"Whether you’re criticizing Invisible Children or not, it is not about us. I think that everyone can agree that this violence needs to stop and children should not be forced to fight† (Facebook/invisiblechildren, 2012). This page also encourages people to leave comments on the wall, promoting ideas, asking questions. What cannot be argued, is that those 750,000 people who have shared the video, and those 500,000 who bought the Action Kit have developed ownership for this cause, and that for years, this movement will be studied not because it moved people to buy bracelets or donate a few dollars, but because it moved the masses, and made us realize the great power social media can have when used correctly. Reference: Affleck, B. (2012). A message from ECI founder Ben Affleck on KONY 2012. Retrieved from: http://www. easterncongo. org/news-perspectives/ Child, B. (2012). Kony 2012: Angelina Jolie calls for Ugandan warlord’s arrest. Retrieved from: http://www. guardian. co. uk/film/2012/mar/12/kony-2012-angelina-jolie CNN. (2012). Amanpour: Kony film helps to educate. Retrieved from: www. cnn. com/video/#/video/world/2012/03/09/uganda-kony-film-amanporut-reax. cnn Giles, D. C. (2003). Media Psychology. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Haslam, S. A. , McGarty. C. , Turner, J. C. (1996). Whats social about social cognition? Research on socially shared cognition in small groups. (pp. 29-56)Thousand Oaks, CA, US: Sage Publications, IncNye, Judith L. (Ed); Brower, Aaron M. (Ed), (1996). xxxiii, 398 pp. Harris, C. (2011) â€Å"Walden University and Harris Interactive Release Report on the Future of Social Change†, Professional Services Close-Up, Sept. 23, 2011. Invisible children, (2012). Thank you, Kony 2012 Supporters. Retrieved from: http://vimeo. com/38344284 Invisible Children webpage: www. invisiblechildren. com Ojalvo, H. (2012). Do social media campaigns like Kony 2012 stunt or stimulate real change? Retrieved from: http://learning. blogs. nytimes. com/2012/03/13/do-social-media-campaigns-like-kony-2012-stunt-or-stimulate-real-change/ Paine, K. (2007). How to Measure Social Media Relations: The More things change, the more they remain the same. Retrieved from: http://www. instituteforpr. org/wp-content/uploads/How_to_Measure_Blogs. pdf Rode, M. 2012). South Africa: Five lessons brands can learn from Kony 2012. Retrieved from: http://allafrica. com/stories/201203141089. html. Ruge, TMS. (2012). Opinion: Why Kony 2012 created the wrong buzz. Retrieved from: www. cnn. com/2012/03/12/world/africa/kony-2012-tms-opinion/index. html Update: Kony social video campaign tops 100 million views. (2012). Visible measures. Retrieved from: http://corp. visiblemeasures. com/news-and-events/blog/ Weinschenk, S. M. (2009). Neuro Web Design: What Makes Them Click? Berkeley: New Riders.

Earth History Essay Example

Earth History Essay Example Earth History Essay Earth History Essay â€Å"EARTH HISTORY† Geologic Time: Geology needs a time Scale: -The prime goal of the science of geology, is to interpreting earth history. Geological time scale- -Anordered,internallyconsistent, internationally recognized sequence of time intervals, and record the life of Earth. Short history of geology: James Ussher(mid 1600s)- he determined that earth was only a few thousands of years old having been created in 4004 b. c Catastrophists(17-18cen. )-believed that earth landscape had been developed primarily by great catastrophes. John Wesley Powell(1869)- He realized that the evidence for an ancient earth is concealed in its rocks. Geologists-who concern w/ the studied the earth history ,they learned that earth is much older than anyone and its surface and interior have been changed over and over again. birth of modern geology: Uniformitarianism-It simply state that the physical, chemical, and biological laws that operate to day have also operate in the geologic past. Relative dating-key principles: Types of dates used to interpret Earth history 1. RelativeDates-meansput events in their proper sequence of formation. 2. Numerical dates-which pinpoint the time in years when an event took place. Basic Principle or rules that can be established in relative dates: Law of superposition: -It simply states that in an underformedsequence of sedimentary rocks, each bed is older than the one above it and younger than one below. Principle of original horizontality: -It means that layers of sediment are generally deposited in a horizontal position. Principleofcross-cutting relationship: -An intrusive rock body is younger than the rocks it intrudes. A fault is younger than the rock layers it cuts. Inclusions: are pieces of one rock unit that are contained within another. Sometimes it can aid the relative dating process. Unconformities: -all such breaks in the rock record are termed†unconformities†. â€Å"3 basic types of unconformities:† 1. Angular unconformity- it consists of tilted or folded sedimentary rocks that are overlain by younger, more flat-lying strata. 2. Disconformity-are more com mon but usually far less conspicuous, because the strata on either side are essentially parallel. 3. Nonconformity-the break separates older metamorphic or intrusive Igneous rocks from younger sedimentary strata. Correlation of rock layers: -The matching up of two or more geologic Phenomena in different areas. FOSSILS: EVIDENCE OF FAST LIFE -The remains or traces of prehistoric Life. Types of fossils: *mold fossils  (a fossilized impression made in the substrate) *cast fossils  (formed when a mold is filled in) *trace fossils (fossilized nests, gastroliths, burrows, footprints, etc. ) *true form fossils  (fossils of the actual animal or animal part). Fossils and correlation: Principle of fossil succession-states that fossil organisms originate, coexist, and disappear from the geologic record in a definite sequential order.

DEVELOPING PERSONAL,SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS IN THE OUTDOOR PLAY Essay

DEVELOPING PERSONAL,SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS IN THE OUTDOOR PLAY - Essay Example On the upper side the ground, there is this large field meant for football and sometimes used rugby. On the lower side of the ground, there is this other field where basketball, table tennis, badminton, netball and other games were being played. On the far end of the school compound, there is this small fenced compound where the school’s agricultural club is situated. Here, there is this structure made of iron sheets that is used for chicken rearing. The other structure was one meant for keeping rabbit while the third structure was for pigs. Away from this corner with these structures, on the opposite side, there’s this area made with benches and a cool shade meant for outdoor reading and for people to relax, at times when watching the matches in the lower playground. The school also has another section where there are these tree nurseries to develop tree seedlings meant for school beautification and tree planting. Right behind the agricultural club structures, there is his big field that is also demarcated and used as a garden. In this garden, the school has planted various vegetable crops like lettuce, coriander, pepper, kales and cabbages among others. The other side of the garden has these beautiful lines full of fruit trees such as mangoes, oranges, peach, papaw, lemon and apples. Everything in this planting area just looks awesome because it makes the school seem not like one. The fruits and vegetables are meant for teaching lessons, eating as well as being sold to the students and nearby market in order to earn some income for the school that can support the project. These projects are also meant for outdoor activities as they expose the students a lot on how they can do other meaningful activities outside the classroom work (EDEN, 1998). The main purpose of the school being started up in the area was to provide education opportunity to

Chapter13 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter13 - Essay Example Moreover, warnings against excessive use of such products are particularly explicit. Negotiations are fundamental for the peaceful coexistence of nations. This is because its main objective is to come up with a win-win situation out of a conflict. Deception, evasiveness, or collusion are simply out of bounds during negotiations. This is because there is no scale against which these vices are to be weighed to create a limit beyond which they become unacceptable. Further, these vices misguide negotiations to reach a premature deal that cannot stand. Legality of a tactic in negotiations has no bearing on whether it is ethical or not. This is because, though the aim of negotiation is striking a balance, it hardly comes to that as each party always aims at achieving what is best for them. These tactics, therefore, come in handy for them to fool the other into believing that their stand is the best for both of them. Contrary to common belief, it is not naive to be entirely honest during negotiations. This is because full disclosure of facts is the best point to start. A clear statement of the facts also creates an environment that allows parties to evaluate their options. Impartiality helps them come up with suitable solutions that fully take care of their interests. Deception often makes a party wary of some topics during the negotiations, and this renders the whole affair futile. Rules that govern negotiations are not unique as they are objective and aim to satisfy those pertinent to the negotiation in utmost good faith. Negotiations adhere to common law. Adjustments take place in accordance with morality and ethics; social justice. Impression management may not be the same as lying, but this does not make it any less of a concern. This is because fabrication of such lies quenches the situation pending discovery. When the discovery takes place, which happens eventually,

Team-Working Environment Essay Example for Free

Team-Working Environment Essay Compare the contribution of the different skills described in Task 4a whilst used within a team-working environment. Communication Skills In a sales team, communication skills are vital. They are vital because good communication skills allow someone to make important contributions to a team. In a team, the most important attribution is good clear communications. Good clear communications is important to a team because it helps to avoid mistakes, misunderstandings being made. Clear communication can be a tool used to effect motivation in a positive way. Being tactful this allows you to turn negative into positive. De-motivation occurs because of lack of communication. As a result this will lead to lack of punctuality. Good communication will improve motivation and increase company performance. In addition to that, good communication between team members will enforce standards and show what standards management expects. However, poor communication can lead to low or no motivation on the part of employees. As a result, this can lead to poor punctuality, low motivation, low confidence and low-esteem. In addition to that, poor communication can lead to employees not knowing their targets and this will result in the company stagnating as they are not reaching their targets. Conflicts can happen all the time. Good communication can go a long way to aid conflict management. Communication can help them members dissolve team issues and establish a way forward. Listening and meeting and through face to face communication. When an issue arises it is important to establish the correct method of communication. In the situation, it is better to use face to face contact as this method is very important because people will get to know each other and respect each other. If a team wants to be successful, then this is the way to go. Depending on the situation, for example, when conflict arises, it is better to solve the situation face-to-face rather than through email. In other cases such as a team leader wanting to remind someone of a task, a written memo could be used to remind them. If members within a team are going to work successful then the members will need to be able to understand and recognise each others differences as individuals. Another method is to get to know tea members by making face to face contact and through social encounters. When dealing with criticism, bad criticism can lead to low confidence and self esteem. Bad criticism can result in either two things happening; the person on the end of the criticism can be motivated by it or de-motivated by it. However, it is how the critique gives the4 criticism out is important. If its in a positive way fro example, a teacher is talking to a student and says look Deborah, you have done some fantastic work here but I think you need to add a little bit more detail here and you will defiantly achieve the grading criteria. This kind if criticism would give me the motivation to complete it and make sure I reach the criteria. In this case, it is important that you are open to criticism and do not take as an offensive gesture. if properly communicated then the other person will be open and understand the point you are trying to get across. Adaptability and responsiveness to different situations is important in areas such as the current business climate. Change ban be recognised through communication and implementation can be achieved through communication. Implementation often requires brave discussions taking place and courage to take path. This will be achieved better through face-to-face communication rather than methods such as emailing. In conclusion all the skills I have discussed above are needed to make a successful team are important. Many of the skills highlighted above come back to good effective two way communication skills and as a result will improve team cohesion and improve the way that targets are set and achieved. Now I will list the skills and why they are important. * Articulation of ideas- Important because you need to speak clearly to put your message across. * Tact- important because it involves being respectful for others and their ideas. * Effective listening- important because if you do not listen you will not know what to do. In addition to that listening as well as talking is needed or effective communication. * Sincerity- Important because you have to be sincere and honest when communicating with others as this makes you appear as a better person. * Concern for team members- important because when another person who is doing a task and you show concern, they will be more often than not return the favour and as a result the team will perform at a much higher level. * Building morale/confidence Important because if your team has members who have low morale and low confidence they will not be motivated to complete the tasks that I as the team leader have set. * Questioning- Important because you need to be able to ask appropriate questions. * Defusing and resolving conflict- Important because when conflicts arise it is important that you solve it in an unbiased way that suits both parties. Communication is the most important factor within a team. It is the deciding factor in whether or not a team reaches the targets that have been set.

Background and history of intelligence testing

Background and history of intelligence testing The first intelligence test to be administered was in France in 1905 by Alfred Binet and Theophile Simon. The purpose of the first intelligence test was to identify mentally deficient children in French public Schools (Franklin 2007). Henry Goddard followed and, translated the intelligence test in 1910, and administered it to what he believed were four hundred children who lacked intellectuality and following year the number of students increased to two thousand white children considered normal. (Franklin 2007). In 1911 Goddard was to produce a range of scores that was to be compared to urban, native born foreign born, and others. Suggesting that children cannot learn beyond the scope of their grade of intelligence and was the first to suggest that intelligence tests measured the how much a child was capable of learning at a chronological age (Franklin 2007). Since these tests, an array of intelligence test has been administered to people in attempts to measure a person cognitive abi lity. Assessing students abilities through intelligence testing has questioned of the appropriateness of psychometric measures in regards to reliability and validity. Reliability regarding relies on consistency. For a test to be able to show consistency, error variance must be minimized. Test construction, test administration and test scoring and interpretation are the main three areas of error variance that can affect reliability (Cohen and Swerdilk 2010). It was argued , Simon Binets test needed to be revised in 1937 because the test originally administered in 1917 showed tasks not always as well chosen s those for ages from six to twelve and that upon retesting black students social scientist had shown that black students had received a higher intelligence score(Franklin 2007) . Regarding validity, in the early 1920s black social scientists debated what intelligence testing was measuring. Validity should be psychometrically sound to avoid test bias. Howard Longs research shows the Armys Alpha and Beta test yielded results that were greater in variation of individuals and groups within races than between races (Franklin 2007). Bond a director of Education at Langston University in Oklahoma also agreed explaining that the army intelligence score were a reflection of social and environmental impacts rather than innate intellectual abilities of those tested (Franklin 2007). The Brisbane Catholic Education, concentrated on refugees that seemed to be misrepresented as having an intellectual disability. The argument is that the validity of standardized cognitive tests is not able to measure peoples intelligence from a different background and implying that psychometric instruments had not yet been developed in their country (Fraine and Mcdade). Tests that were stan dardized to certain background schooling experience, level and quality of education and conceptions of behavior test taking experience would affect certain groups if taken the intelligence test(Fraine and Mcdade). There has been problem in intelligence testing and psychometric properties in relation to non- linguistics intelligence testing. In a study results show that although the Ravens Progressive Matrices is supposed to be a culture fair IQ test people from English speaking backgrounds did much better scoring 96.71 that people from Zimbabwean sample that scored 72.36 (Shuttleworth-Edwards, Kemp, Rust, Muirhead, Hartman, and Radloff 2004). Fairness is also a concern when a person takes an intelligence test. Controlling reliability and validity of a intelligence test shows a sound measurement, fairness aims at explaining the test and if it is used in a justifiable way. African refugees have been described as intellectually disable upon Australian schools. The Brisbane Catholic Education in Australia believes refugees from African backgrounds are labeled intellectually disabled upon completing intelligence test and other assessment of consideration such language barriers, culture difference acculturation trauma and previous experiences make it harder for psychologists to assess whether an African American is genuinely intellectually disabled(Fraine and Mcdade). Similar findings displayed that social conditions and low-test scores were highly correlated when measuring mental ability (Franklin 2007). When testing non -linguistic most children scored in the normal range, however these children were black and placed in a sch ool that separated white children from black children (Franklin 2007). The aim of this study is to check for sound psychometric measurements and culture bias when comparing different groups and the intelligence test taken. It is hypothesized that The PSYGAT will show good internal consistency and validity when tested against the Queendom Verbal. It is hypothesizes that the PSYGAT will show low when tested against the culture fair test. The Queendom tests are a verbal and a culture fair IQ test that are believed to have psychometric properties. The PSYGAT is a intelligence verbal test that was created by third year undergraduate psychology students. The PSYGAT was correlated well with the ACER AL a test that was designed by the Australian Council for Education for testing verbal abilities. Method Participants The sample consisted of three hundred and thirty seven undergraduate psychology students recruited from Monash University. Participants were recruited from campuses located at Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, Clayton, and Caulfield. Participants were split into English speaking background and non-English speaking backgrounds. There were two hundred and sixty females and sixty-eight males. Two hundred and forty four participants were from an English Speaking background and ninety-three participants were from a Non English Speaking background. Materials Participants engaged in taking three intelligence tests. The tests were to be taken in their own time under no supervision. Participants used the computer to complete the three intelligence tests. Just before beginning the PSYGAT intelligence test a questionnaire asked the participants of the sex age and whether they were from an English or non- English speaking background. All participants results would be analyzed at a later stage regarding item analysis. Procedure Undergraduate monash psychology students were asked to complete three intelligence tests that would be administered via computer. Firstly, every participant found access to a computer to participate in the first intelligence test. The first test that was taken was the Queendom Verbal IQ test. Participants attempted the three tests it in their own time and were told that the test should take them approximately 30-35 minutes to complete. After Participants finished the test, they were asked to make sure to keep a track of their score, as they needed the results for later purposes. The second test was the Queendom Culture Fair IQ test. The test involved answering 20 items that participants were told there was no time limits on this test. After completion of this test, participants kept a record of their score. The third test was the PSYGAT. The PSYGAT was a verbal test constructed by third year undergraduate students. Participants were also asked to complete this test as the third and l ast test. Before beginning, the test participants were asked to enter the scores of the Queendom verbal and Queendom culture fair IQ test before continuing to be tested on the PSYGAT verbal IQ test. The test also asked participants of their age and gender and if they were of English or from a Non English background. Results Pearsons r investigated the relationship between the PSYGAT test, Queendom verbal IQ and the Queendom culture fair IQ for English and non-English speaking backgrounds. Pearsons r showed that that there was a significant result according to the relationship of the PSYGAT and Queendom verbal in both the English speaking background group ,r=.433,n=244,p0.05 but a small significant relationship between the PSYGAT and the Queendom culture fair for the non English speaking background group , r=.238,n 93,p0.05. Z scores were also used to determine if there was a significant difference in validity coefficients between the two groups regarding the PSYGAT and Queendom verbal and the PSYGAT and culture fair IQ. Pearsons r-values were transformed into Z scores to determine a statistical significance of the correlations between groups. Pearsons r-values were also transformed into z scores because of participant difference for each group. Results show that there was not a statistical significant d ifference in validity coefficients between the English and non English speaking background of the correlation between the PSYGAT and the Queendom verbal IQ z=-1.39,p>0.05. However a large statistical significance was shown in the correlation between the PSYGAT and the culture fair IQ z=3.73, p> 0.05. Discussion The aim of this study was to check for sound psychometric measurments and culture bias when comparing different groups and the intelligence test taken. It was hypothesized that the PSYGAT and the Queendom verbal would show no statistical significance in validity coefficients between the English speaking groups and non-English speaking groups. It was also hypothesized that there would be a statistical significance in validity coefficient between the PSYGAT verbal and the Queendom culture fair. The study showed that there was weak validity regarding the PSYGAT and Culture Fair IQ tests. Although there was The results of the study-undertaken reveal that intelligence tests can show bias of different groups. These biases from this study can be related to lack of understanding cultural backgrounds as well as using relevant psychometric measures, which can be linked to low validity in intelligence tests. Bonds argument that social and environmental differences in groups can affect test scores are may suggest similarities within this study in regards to the social setting and environment of participants that took the test. The Intelligence and School Achievement of Negro Children also showed that social conditions were highly correlated with low-test score (Franklin 2007). The results from this study show a significant statistical result between groups for the PSYGAT and culture fair test suggesting that social and environmental differences upon taking the test could have caused bias. In addition, The Brisbane Catholic Education argues that psychologists assessing refugees for intellectual abilities may show bias in their assessment due to lack of proper interpretation (Fraine and Mcdade). That is background-schooling experience, level and quality of education and conceptions of behavior test taking experience can reduce a test score for a certain type of group (Fraine and Mcdade). Th is Study could have affected one group more than another because of such factors. Suggestion of having psychometric instruments that can measure intelligence scores for different types of groups should also be developed in both countries to reduce bias in regards to cultural differences. In this case, Intelligence tests need to have psychometric properties that can be valid for analyzing score between different groups Cohen and Swerdilk 2010). Similar findings were found when people from English speaking background and non-English speaking backgrounds were tested on their IQ. Results show that although the Ravens Progressive Matrices is supposed to be a culture fair IQ test people from English speaking backgrounds did much better scoring 96.71 that people from Zimbabwean sample that scored 72.36 (Shuttleworth-Edwards, Kemp, Rust, Muirhead, Hartman, and Radloff 2004). Zindi also suggests that lack of westernized test sophistication may be the cause for lower scores (Shuttleworth-Edwards, Kemp, Rust, Muirhead, Hartman, and Radloff 2004). This study may have contribu ted to some cultural bias in regards to scores because of one of the test may not have been up to standards in regards to psychometric measures regarding content validity. The limitations in this study could have affected the results. Firstly, the way the three tests were administered could have yielded different intelligence scores for both the groups. Supervising the test takers making sure that the tests were taken without any aid of books or other people could change the results, which could have yielded different interpretation of the validity of the tests. In addition, although there was good internal reliability between the groups the large difference in participants could have changed the chronbachs alpha to either a higher or a lower value. Participant range could have also affected the statistical difference between the groups when assessing the PSYGAT and culture fair IQ component of the study. In addition item analyses should also be investigated to check whether the items begin tested are fair to all participants taking the intelligence test. That is one question could portray more than one meaning to different participants taking the test . Cole suggests item analyses is a difficult task because one must ensure that the item being used is relevant in construct therefore affecting bias (Cole 1989).

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations was established on August 8, 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined on January 8,1984, Viet Nam joined on July 28, 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar joined on July 23, 1997, and Cambodia on April 30, 1999, making up what is today the ten Member States of ASEAN.The signing of the ASEAN Declaration established by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand represented an important milestone for economic development and affirmed the commitment to the aims and purposes of ASEAN as set forth in the ASEAN Declaration. To accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavor’s in equality and partnership in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of South-East Asian Nations. To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries of the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter. To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest in the economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative fields. To provide assistance to each other in the form of training and research facilities in the educational, professional, technical and administrative spheres.To collaborate more effectively for the greater utilization of their agriculture and industries, the expansion of their trade, including the study of the problems of international commodity trade, the improvement of their transportation and communications facilities and the raising of the living standards of their peoples. To promote South-East Asian studies, to maintain close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and regional organizations wit h similar aims and purposes, and explore all avenues for even closer cooperation among themselves.This later evolved into the ASEAN Charter signed on December 15, 2008, which served as a firm foundation in achieving economic growth, social development, and regional integration, by legally binding the ASEAN community to its rules and values. The ASEAN Free Trade Area was established in January 1992 to eliminate tariff barriers among the Southeast Asian countries with a view to integrating the ASEAN economies into a single production base and creating a regional market of 500 million people.The Agreement on the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) Scheme for the ASEAN Free Trade Area requires that tariff rates levied on a wide range of products traded within the region be reduced to no more than five percent. Although originally scheduled to be recognized by 2010, the target of a free trade area in ASEAN was continuously moved forward. As early as 2000, most of the tariff lines on goods traded within ASEAN-6 (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei), representing almost 90 percent of intra-ASEAN trade, were already in the 0-5 percent range.The elimination of tariffs and non-tariff barriers among the ASEAN members has served as a catalyst for greater efficiency in production and long-term competitiveness. The reduction of barriers to intra-regional trade gives ASEAN consumers a wider choice of better quality consumer products. Only 247 tariff lines within the region remained outside the remit of CEPT. The Council also announced that uptake of CEPT in the newer ASEAN member countries Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar (CLMV) was keeping pace with the original members.The CLMV countries are greatly underdeveloped and struggle economically compared to the ASEAN-6, CLMV total GDP is only about $97 billion only 7. 5% of the $1. 3 trillion total ASEAN-6 gross domestic product. Cambodia one of the newest members of ASEAN has a trade valu e of $7. 58 billion as compared to Malaysia’s trade value of $323. 5 billion. ASEAN has created the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) program, which gives direction to and sharpens the focus of collective efforts in ASEAN to narrow the development gap between ASEAN’s older and newer members.Vietnam has expressed its concerns with there new membership to ASEAN and ASEAN’s Initiative for ASEAN Integration as they face several possible economic disadvantages. Vietnam and the other ASEAN economies are essentially competitive not complementary, Vietnam’s developing industry faces potentially stiff challenges from its ASEAN counterparts. Vietnam was told they would need to end its quota system, eliminate other non-tariff barriers, and enhance the transparency of its trade regime.These steps may aggravate Vietnam’s trade imbalance with ASEAN and increase an already growing trade deficit. More than half of Vietnam’s trade deficit of $3. 5 billi on is with other ASEAN countries. There is also the possibility that Vietnam’s tax base could be undermined by the in-flow of goods from ASEAN states as part of the AFTA (ASEAN Free Trade Area). At present Vietnam earns a portion of its domestic revenue from tariffs on imported goods. When these tariffs are lowered or eliminated the flow of revenue from this source to the central government will decline.Despite the difficulties of integration and the concerns of new ASEAN members the ASEAN Charter and the AFTA have seen economic growth by lowering barriers to trade among its member-countries, ASEAN is creating an integrated regional market. This makes economies more efficient through a better division of labor, through the benefits of economies-of-scale. It stimulates healthy competition, lowering costs. It enlarges the domestic market. The region thus becomes more attractive to investors, creating more jobs.The CMLV economies have on average grown faster than the ASEAN-6 cou ntries during the past decade by 5. % compared to -8. 8% in 1998 and 8. 5% compared to 6. 4% in 2007. Over the years, ASEAN's overall trade grew from $ 10 billion in 1967, $ 14 billion in 1970, $ 134 billion in 1980, $ 302 billion in 1990 to $ 650 billion in 1995. With its combined trade value, ASEAN is the fourth largest trading entity in the world after the European Union, the United States and Japan. For about 25 years from 1970 to 1995, ASEAN's GDP grew at an average annual rate of 7. 0 percent. Today, Southeast Asia has a total market of about 500 million people and a combined GDP of more than US$ 700 billion.