5 Important Concepts in Social Psychology

5 Important Concepts in Social Psychology More in Theories Social Psychology Behavioral Psychology Cognitive Psychology Developmental Psychology Personality Psychology Biological Psychology Psychosocial Psychology Social psychology is a branch of psychology concerned with how social influences affect how people think, feel, and act. The way we perceive ourselves in relation to the rest of the world plays an important role in our choices, behaviors, and beliefs. Conversely, the opinions of others also impact our behavior and the way we view ourselves. Key Social Psychology Concepts Understanding social psychology can be useful for many reasons. First, we can better understand how groups impact our choices and actions. Social psychology allows us to gain a greater appreciation for how our social perceptions affect our interactions with other people. There are some basic aspects of social behavior that play a large role in our actions and how we see ourselves. Social Behavior Is Goal-Oriented Our interactions serve goals or fulfill needs.?? Some common goals or needs include the need for social ties, the desire to understand ourselves and others, the wish to gain or maintain status or protection, and the need to attract companions. The way people behave is often driven by the desire to fulfill these needs.?? People seek friends and romantic partners, strive to gain social status, and attempt to understand the motivations that guide other peoples behaviors. The Interaction Between the Individual and the Situation Helps Determine the Outcome In many instances, people behave very differently depending upon the situation. To fully understand why people do the things they do, it is essential to look at individual characteristics, the situation and its context, and the interactions among all these variables. For example, someone who is normally quiet and reserved might become much more outgoing when placed in some type of leadership role. Another example is how people sometimes behave differently in groups than they would if they were by themselves. Environmental and situational variables play an important role and have a strong influence on our behavior. People Spend a Great Deal of Time Considering Social Situations Our social interactions help form our self-concept and our perceptions. One method of forming self-concept is through the reflected appraisal process,?? in which we imagine how other people see us. Another method is through the social comparison process,?? whereby we consider how we compare to other people in our peer group. Sometimes we engage in upward social comparison where we rate ourselves against people who are better off than us in some way. In other instances, we might engage in downward social comparison where we contrast our own abilities to those of others who are less capable. We Analyze and Explain the Behavior of Those Around Us One common phenomenon is the expectation confirmation,?? where we tend to ignore unexpected attributes and look for evidence that confirms our preexisting beliefs about others. This helps simplify our worldview, but it also skews our perception and can contribute to stereotyping. If you expect people to behave in a certain way, you might look for examples that confirm your belief while at the same time ignoring evidence that conflicts with your existing opinions. We Often Believe That a Persons Behavior Is a Good Indicator of Personality Another influence on our perceptions of other people can be explained by the theory of correspondent inferences.?? This occurs when we infer that the actions and behaviors of others correspond to their intentions and personalities. For example, if we see a woman helping an elderly person cross the street, we might assume that she is a kind-hearted person. While behavior can be informative in some instances, especially when the persons actions are intentional,?? it can also be misleading. If we have limited interaction with someone, the behavior we see may be atypical or caused by the specific situation rather than by the persons overriding dispositional characteristics. In the previous example, the woman might only be helping the elderly person because she has been employed to do so instead of out of the kindness of her heart. A Word From Verywell Learning more about social psychology can enrich your understanding of yourself and the world around you. By learning more about how people view others, how they behave in groups, and how attitudes are formed, you can gain a greater appreciation for how social relationships influence individual functioning. Overview of Social Psychology

Application Of Six Sigma Tools Essay - 2262 Words

The IT Call Center has a high link to strategic imperatives as shown by its desire to be more competitive and profitable. The company’s goal is to improve IT services for both online and call center support in order to increase customer satisfaction. This project is strategically crucial because data analysis shows a link between high customer satisfaction and new account growth thereby increasing overall profitability. Should the company decrease support costs per call at the call centers and high customer satisfaction help increase new account growth, the firm should see greater revenues of about $3 million and lower expenses, which impacts the overall critical financial metrics (Hallowell, p.6). Since senior management and the project team were able to define a couple key goals that, with improvement, can impact some of the company’s critical measures, the project’s overall link to strategic imperatives is high. Application of Six Sigma Tools The project executed by the firm demonstrates a high application of Six Sigma tools. Before the start of the actual project, senior management used benchmarking to establish the company’s position amongst industry competitors. After establishing that the firm is either below or well below the average of the industry and best-in-class groups, a Black Belt certified employee was tasked with reviewing data and selecting an accomplishable DMAIC project. Continuing with the project, a logical flow of steps and processes was clearlyShow MoreRelatedApplication Of Six Sigma Tools Essay1496 Words   |  6 Pagesshould have optimized their service throughput and the bottom line. Application of Six Sigma Tools The project demonstrates a medium-strength application of Six Sigma tools. The project started with the organization surveying the internal organization to gather VOC information. The Likert scale was applied to identify the levels for the survey. The COPIS chart was used to map the processes of all service steps. A variety of tools to narrow the focus and statistically validate which factors contributeRead MoreApplication Of Six Sigma Tools Essay1603 Words   |  7 Pagesthere are no estimates for possible labor cost savings from the project. The company wants to find out why labor costs are so high, but fails to set specific goals of what they want casual labor to cost. Application of Six Sigma Tools This project demonstrates a high application of Six Sigma tools. The team used a fishbone diagram for cause-and-effect analysis to understand the various factors involved in the relationship between labor and production. They used root cause analysis to identify theRead MoreLean Manufacturing Six Sigma Manufacturing1228 Words   |  5 PagesDISCUSSION Lean manufacturing six sigma Manufacturing: Six sigma and lean system has the same way of approaching but uses different technology to achieve the goal. The both procedure lives up to expectations for to dispense with waste and expand the productivity of the procedure and convey the zero defect items. Recognizable of primary cause of waste is the fundamental distinction between lean and six sigma. lean innovation says that waste originates from undesirable steps in the production processRead MoreSix Sigma Articles Essay1668 Words   |  7 Pagesstandpoint, describe what are the differences between theory/application/focus factors when comparing six sigma, lean and theory of constraints. Please elaborate your answer without writing article sentences, use you own words and demonstrate a comprehensive analysis. Making a comparison with a simple standpoint, the six sigma’s methodology is used to incremental improvement of existing processes, as it is the six sigma main tool, DMAIC. This tool is a strategy based on statistical quality, which givesRead MoreQi Plan Part II : Form Madison Community Hosital1208 Words   |  5 PagesMADISON COMMUNITY HOSITAL (FMCH) Focusing on improving quality service and managing care at Fort Madison Community Hospital is something they are striving to do daily. Managers also have to take in account of looking at information technology and its applications. Using these they find benchmarking and milestones. By discovering the benchmarking it will allow Fort Madison Community Hospital to better manage quality improvement so that it will be for effective daily. QI Methods Improving service in healthcareRead MoreQI Plan Part Two1289 Words   |  6 Pagesimprovement strategies. The managers also have to look at information technology applications and use benchmarking, milestones to help manage quality improvement to have a more effective facility. Quality Improvement Methodologies Health care managers need to improve quality services in health organizations. To improve these quality services they have to use methods that are proven helpful in the QI process. For example, Six Sigma is used to display and measure quality improvement data. It is also usedRead MoreLean Six Sigm An Efficient Approach1234 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction: Lean Six Sigma is a collection of potent techniques and tools that assists organization in attainment of efficacy and enhanced productivity. This is an efficient approach as it highlights and brings out underlying causes behind poor yield experienced by consumers and therefore then put forward organization towards improvement. The deployment of Lean Six Sigma was initiated first by Motorola and GE in during 1980s. From then, the approach has been successfully implemented in variousRead MoreComparative Analysis: Six Sigma BPR and Kaizen1623 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Comparative analysis of three process methods/movements: Six Sigma, BPR, and Kaizen Introduction In todays competitive marketplace, many businesses attempt to find ways to increase their competitive advantage through strategic analysis. One popular method has been to adopt company-wide process methodologies rather than simply trying to do better in a vague and unsystematic fashion. Six Sigma, Business Process Engineering (BPE), and Kaizen are three initiatives based in philosophies of continuousRead MoreProject Engagement With Companies Strategic Goals Essay1587 Words   |  7 Pagesimplementing Six Sigma is to consider a level of project engagement with companies’ strategic goals. Customer satisfaction is one of the key factors that need to be considered while setting strategic goals. Customer satisfaction determines how successful businesses are performing in comparison to its competitors in the market. Considering the performance of IT Call Center, it can be found that they have perfectly defined and matched their Six Sigma project with their strategic goal. Six Sig ma team hasRead MoreFood And Drink Industries Companies1622 Words   |  7 Pagescriteria since they completed their primary goal which consisted in analyzing the benefits of using E-noses and E-tongues to help companies improve their product performance. Application of Six Sigma Tools One of the most important segments is to use the tools and techniques in a correct and proper way within the Six Sigma application. In the project’s beginning, a Kano model was used to indicate how the â€Å"Soft attributes† such as Tastes as a differentiating factor can influence a company’s performance

How the Media Influences Our Society Essay - 1165 Words

The media has always been an extremely influential way of entertainment in our everyday lives. Most people can name a few celebrities they look up to as role models. Looking at each of the respected celebrities it’s easy to name off at least five facts about them. With that said, it’s very easy to indicate that the media has a great impact on our society. An obvious way to see this is to look at the violence in our communities. Review especially our crime dealing with the minors of this country. Granted, not all of the youths’ crime resulted from the media. But here’s the point I want to make: violent entertainment has lead to an increase in violent crimes. The media reaches society in a number of different ways. Video games, television†¦show more content†¦This series of games brings users into virtual worlds replicating real life wars and battles. The games can be very addictive as they engage users in active and fast-paced environments. Other e xamples of these types of video games are Postal 2, Grand Theft Auto 3, and Manhunt. Because these games are extremely popular, addictive, and exciting, it’s easier to see why the younger generation wants to be a part of the audience as much as adults. Other ways the media gets the public’s attention is by the many violent movies and television shows. Most of our society goes to the movies to see action-packed productions because they are very engaging. Examples of these kinds of movies are The Passion of the Christ, 300, and Cannibal Holocaust. These movies are full of intense violence and goriness. As of the year 2000, ninety percent of movies contain violence (Hamilton 111). That is a huge difference from the many other genres in the ten percent range. The violence definitely doesn’t stop in the movies. Seventy-two percent of drama series contain violence, twenty-seven percent of comedy, and thirty percent of reality based shows (Hamilton 111). Sixty-six perc ent of children series alone contains violence (Hamilton 111). It’s amazing to see these statistics because the public doesn’t realize how often the youth and teens are exposed to these violent acts and behaviors. The most common audience exposed to violence is adults, and the next most common is teenagers (HamiltonShow MoreRelatedMedia s Effect On Society1084 Words   |  5 PagesOver the years media has had an intense effect on society, an effect so immense we don’t even notice its presence sometimes. Media is crucial to any society; we are all surrounded by media. Each and every day people interact with media of many forms. Media is generally defined as being a channel of communication. We as a society absorb media from a wide variety of forms such as television, radio, magazines, newspapers, billboards and the internet. These are referred to as ‘mass’ media, because theyRead MoreMedias Influence on Children Essay1324 Words   |  6 PagesThe p owerful media is considered a leading influence in our society both directly and indirectly. Media is available and readily accessible today more easily than ever. Printed materials, television, sound recordings, internet, and radio all fall under the umbrella of the big bad – or seemingly bad word – media. Is media bad? How is it controlled? And where does this all stem from†¦? These are some of the major concerns parents are faced with in raising children in today’s times. Although mostRead MoreEffect of Media and Mass Communication Essay1386 Words   |  6 PagesThe media is a powerful presence within the lives of others. It can be described as the main channel of mass communication. Media is often used to deliver a message to a large audience who are diverse. It can be written, broadcast or spoken. Media is a significant force within modern culture. Culture can be defined as the norms and values of a society. In our culture, the communications media hold an influential place in disseminating information, forming attitudes, and motivating behaviour. TechnologicalRead MoreMedia And Society : Technology, Democracy And Capitalism1747 Words   |  7 PagesMedia in Society (2013) is a cutting-edge media studies textbook written by a group of media scholars: Richard Campbell, Miami University of Ohio; Joli Jenson, University of Tulsa; Douglass Gomery, University of Maryland; Bettina Fabos, University of Northern Iowa and Julie Frechette, Worcester State University. It serves as an analysis of the perpetual relationship between media and society through three key concepts: technology, democracy and capitalism. These themes are connected throughout theRead More Media?s Importance To Society, In Spite Of Adverse Effects Essay684 Words   |  3 PagesImportance to Society, In Spite of Adverse Effects nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;It has been said that the media is a bad influence on society. This is true in some cases, but we have to also add this to the statement; society also influences the media by what it chooses to promote or watch. Media is a very important part of society today. Even with its adverse effects, we could not live without it. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;To start with, it is only fair to ask why society thrives off the media. SocietyRead MoreMass Media1036 Words   |  5 Pagesfive decades or so, the media and its influence on the societies, has grown exponentially with the advance of technology. First there was the telegraph and the post offices, then the radio, the newspaper, magazines, television and now the internet and the new media including palmtops, cell phones etc. There are positive and negative influences of mass media, which we must understand as a responsible person of a society. Before discussing the influence of mass media on society it is imperative to explainRead MoreMass Media Usage813 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction to Media Industries Media Visualization Essay Media Usage Mass media has become a powerful tool in shaping our culture, and is largely reflective of our society today. According to our text book and class lecture notes, mass media can be loosely defined as the technological vehicles through which mass communication takes place, along with the industries which control them. Over the years, mass media, has had a profound effect on American society, on its culture, and on the individualsRead MoreMass Media Influence on Society1476 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Media’s Influence on Society Over the last 500 years, the influence of mass media has grown exponentially with the advance of technology.  First there were books, then newspapers, magazines, photography, sound recordings, films, radio, television, the so-called New Media of the Internet, and now social media.   Today, just about everyone depends on information and communication to keep their lives moving through daily activities like workRead MoreHow Media Influences Public Opinion Essay1621 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract In our democratic society, mass media is the driving force of public opinion. Media sources such as Internet, newspaper, news-broadcasts, etc, play significant roles in shaping a person’s understanding and perception about the events occurred in our daily lives. As long as the newspapers, internet, network television, etc, continued to be easily accessible to the public, the media will continue to have an influence in shaping its opinions. Factors such as agenda-setting, framing andRead MoreMedia s Influence On Society1269 Words   |  6 Pages The media is full of countless things, it has completely changed the world and is now a part of our everyday lives (Bookman, 64). With television, radio, newspapers, books, etc†¦ working their way into our everyday lives it is impossible to live without the media today. Along with it being persuasive, informational and a great source for entertainment it also has a large binding influence on societies all over the world. Media aspects are radically reshaping the world (Marina 240) and though some

Why factories are not located in Inner-city areas any more Free Essays

During 1951 to 1991 there was an obvious economic decline in industries, which were based in the inner-city areas. Inner-city areas experienced a massive decline in industry during this time. All of the following resulted in the closure of factories, offices and shops: Industries were expanding at such a rate that they were taking up all the room in the inner-city areas. We will write a custom essay sample on Why factories are not located in Inner-city areas any more? or any similar topic only for you Order Now As we already know there is limited room in the inner city, and it would have been impossibility for the industries to expand any more. If they did expand, it would mean that they were expanding into residential areas, which is another impossibility. Once the factories had reached their full capacity in the areas they were situated, they were forced to move. This is a lack of expansion space. Buildings/factories often became out of date. New technologies had been introduced into the industries, and the basically the old factories were unsuited to the modern techniques. Often the buildings became derelict, and too bad to repair. The new factories were bigger and better, and could not expand in the inner city therefore they moved into the suburban areas. As the new companies looked for places to expand into, they tended to avoid the inner city. The infrastructure was poor. The roads were too small to accommodate all the large vehicles. People living in the inner city tend to park their cars on the side of the road therefore causing a blockage, or narrow roads. As the factories closed and moved, so did the majority of the population. As a result shops and restaurants suffered, and struggle to find business. How to cite Why factories are not located in Inner-city areas any more?, Papers

Primary Care Paramedic Ethics an Example of the Topic Health Essays by

Primary Care Paramedic Ethics The issue on the ethics on life in medical terms is a long topic to debate on, for one, it conflicts with morality, religion and the law. Morality and religion speak the same language on the issue of life, while the medical side tries to separate morality from the law. It is hard to separate the two considering there are things that have to be aptly considered (Brock 124). How does ethics come into play in the decision making of the paramedic practitioner in the out-of-the hospital environment? Morals relate to the standards of the society, while the standards of ethics relate to the standards of the individual. Need essay sample on "Primary Care Paramedic Ethics" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Ethics, according to Haskeu (22) "involves the construction of a personal code, it also implies a measure of self examination and reflection of one's practice". That is why if there should be issues or questions that need to be answered, it must be answered on the basis of reason. There are three questions of ethical tests in health care, the first one is, What is it in the patient's best interest? Second, what does the patient want? Third, what role does good faith play in making an ethical decision? This aims to provide patient benefit, avoiding harm and respecting the patient's autonomy. But the ultimate question for ethics is what makes human life valuable? In particular, why is it more valuable than any other form? How can we determine value? There is no doubt in the essence or significance of the human being. Given the dilemma between a dog and man, we choose to save man because we think it is the right thing to do. I agree with Harris, who wrote "The value of life" when he said that there is no prejudice in the preference for human life, it is just that we know that it is the right thing to do. But in the case of the choosing between two human beings, this is quite hard to decide upon, the predicament involved here are two supreme beings that is either bound to die or to live. Harris points out also, that abortion (to some countries may be legal) may be tolerable given that the mother would be free of harm and the fetus might be considered as less of the human adult. What is pointed out is that, adults in our society will be of value (in the wider sense of productivity) than the fetus that's why it is rational to choose the adult rather than the fetus. What makes the human life valuable are the features that "both incline us and entitle us to value ourselves and one another and which license our belief that we are more valuable (and not just to ourselves) than humans, fish or plants" (Haskeu 8) . We are looking for the basis of the belief that it is right to save the life of the person rather than a dog which both cannot be saved for instance and in which this isn't a form of unfair dislike or preference but is capable of a justification for the belief. The features possessed by human beings will not catalogue the difference between the human and other creatures, rather it will be pointed out of the features of their moral relevance, which only supports the belief of our preference of ourselves and the belief that it is right to treat people as the equivalent of the other and most specially the supreme being. But it is widely accepted for any medical person to do no harm. "In order for someone to follow even this apparently unexceptional directive, it is important to have a lively sense of the ways in which his or her conduct may affect others. Although in many circumstances the scope of our individual or collective impact on the world is entirely unproblematic, there is an important dimension of conduct where this is not so. The problem is precisely whether or not we have two equally effective ways of determining the state of any world in which we are able to intervene. One is to intervene and to change the state of the world, the other is to refrain from intervention and leave everything as it is". This is what I am pointing out that it is really hard to debate on the ethical stand of medical people regarding for example killing, letting people die and acts and omissions. The difference between positive and negative ways of influencing the society can be seen in many ways and in each case, the obvious thrust of the distinction and the definition of the terms might be slightly different. We can sometimes choose to make things happen and sometimes we tolerate to let them occur. A simple "omission to act may bear a different construction than an empathic neglect of an action. To make things complicated it is always possible to re-formulate any action description or any omission description so that each becomes the other. On the negative side, Harris (8) cites an example that suppose a person can save your life by telling a lie, for example saving you from a capital crime, then saving your life is something that person has done and for which he must take responsibility. On the other hand, if that person told the truth and as a result became the cause of your death, that person is still similarly responsible. But if that person knew his silence can save you and knowing this he keeps quiet, then "those who deny the existence of negative responsibility must believe that I have not in these circumstances saved you at all" (Haskeu 72). Then conversely, if that person could save your life by speaking but still chooses to remain silent, he cannot be held morally responsible for your death. Those who deny negative responsibility would have to recommend lying to those who wish to save others in such circumstances; and needlessly, since keeping silent and telling a lie are both equally effective ways of saving lives. Harris (9) used the term person in lieu of human being in his book "The value of life". He sees the importance of having a word or a term for beings "which is not simply anthropocentric or species-specific" Person for him, would stand for any being who has what it takes to be of value in the sense described and to refer to as species neutral. On the contrary, another author conversely debates on the exact opposite of what Harris is saying. Brock (123), says that "on the aspect of taking lives, it is by now familiar to distinguish moral theories according to whether their basic principles are formulated in term s of rights, goals and duties. He takes the fundamental principle of morality to be "impermissible not to respect every human being, one's self or any other, as a rational creature". Brock (124) stretches the importance of the necessity of looking at issues more broadly and also to the areas of research that often explicitly address the quality of life but nevertheless has an important bearing on it. There are two main areas of work in the medical ethics. The first is the ethical framework for medical treatment decision making in the clinical context. The second is the development of valuation measures of outcomes of health care treatments and programs. But what do we consider in saving a man's life? Does he need to be good guy? The smart and talented guy? The famous? The weak? The old? In the case of the two patients in a remote highway, I think that the person to be saved is the 17 year old delinquent. One because he is young and that he has a lot to do in this world after the incident, Two because there is the chance of his character transformation or a chance for change in a narrower sense and Third, there a lot of lessons that he needs to learn. After the incident, the chances might be crucial for change but at least, he has been given the chance to live his life. There are still a lot to be traveled by and like what I have pointed out earlier lessons that should be considered. While the 92-year old retired police officer also deserves the right to live, we must remember that it is important also to know whether the patient wants to be resuscitated. The police officer has done a lot of great things for his country but he is old and therefore weak. I am confidently claiming that with him is a hero's heart (based on the given information). He has done several advocacies, thatis why it may be open to scrutiny also if he does accept resuscitation. Surely, he has completed his life, his dreams and goals in life have been achieved and he feels satisifed over what he has attained. Moreover, my decision is influenced by Harris' (124) idea of the basis of value. We value something based on the features of the being/person and what it can offer to society. The dilemma between the juvenile and the old man is like the dilemma on choosing between a dog and the man. Apparently, the old man has a lot more importance to society than the dog, thus, it is necessary to chose the old man rather than the dog. The existence of the juvenile after the accident (may or may not) result positively but his existence may be given a chance for change and to direct his life into more possibilities. Therefore, by choosing to revive him, we not only give him the chance of having another life ahead of him, but also looking at the possibility of him sharing and touching other's lives, by probably sharing what he could share to either co-delinquent or his experiences may serve as a lesson and an inspiration to all. Unlike the old man, we all know that his life might anytime come into an end most specially after the incident, just in case he was revived, we are uncertain of the result since he may be weak. His life then might be useless (objectively speaking) and might not be of help to other people though he has a good heart and we might be certain of his character after. The lesson that we should all remember here is not the issue on the value of a person as we are all equally given the chance to live. Rather, on the issue that we cannot debate on the ethics on morality, the ethics on medical treatment, religion and the law, all these aspects are all correct in different perspectiv es, it is all up to us on how to react and which aspect to espouse to. It is just a matter of respect for opinions and which concern to adhere to. References Brock, Dan W. (2005) Life and Death. Cambridge University Press, p. 123-124 Harris, John (2007) The value of Life: an introduction to medical ethics, p. 8-9 Haskeu, Guy H. (1975) Paramedic Pearls of Wisdom, p. 8,22-23,72

The Promise and Pitfalls of Float (Loose Rock)

The Promise and Pitfalls of Float (Loose Rock) Too often when youre out in the field, youll be looking at a hillside and there are no outcrops of bedrock to tell you whats under it. An alternative is relying on float- isolated stones in the soil that you must assume came from the bedrock near by. Float is not reliable, but with care it can provide good information. Why Float Is Unreliable An isolated stone is hard to rely on because once its broken off, many different things can move it away from its original setting. Gravity pulls rocks downhill, turning bedrock into colluvium. Landslides carry them even farther. Thens theres bioturbation: Falling trees can pull up rocks with their roots, and gophers and other digging animals (fossorial animals is the official term) can push them around. On a much larger scale, glaciers are notorious for carrying rocks far from their origin and dropping them in big piles called moraines. In places like the northern United States and much of Canada, you cant trust any loose rock to be local. When you add water, there are new complications. Streams transport rocks entirely away from their places of origin. Icebergs and ice floes can carry stones across open water to places theyd never reach on their own. Fortunately, rivers and glaciers usually leave distinctive signs- rounding and striations, respectively- on rocks, and they wont fool an experienced geologist. Possibilities of Float Float is no good for a lot of geology, because the original position of the rock is lost. That means that its bedding features and orientation cant be measured, or any other information that comes from the rocks context. But if conditions are reasonable, float can be a strong clue to the bedrock below it, even if you must still map the boundaries of that rock unit with dashed lines. If youre careful with float, its better than nothing. Heres a spectacular example. A 2008 paper in Science tied two ancient continents together with the help of a small boulder found sitting on a glacial moraine in the Trans-Antarctic Mountains. The boulder, just 24 centimeters long, consisted of rapakivi granite, a very distinctive rock containing big balls of alkali feldspar with shells of plagioclase feldspar. A long series of rapakivi granites is scattered across North America in a wide belt of Proterozoic crust running from the Canadian Maritimes at one end to an abrupt cutoff in the Southwest. Where that belt continues is an important question because if you find the same rocks on another continent, it ties that continent to North America at a specific place and time when both were united in a supercontinent named Rodinia. Finding a chunk of rapakivi granite in the Trans-Antarctic Mountains, even just as float, is a key piece of evidence that the ancient supercontinent of Rodinia held Antarctica next to North America. The actual bedrock that it came from is underneath the Antarctic ice cap, but we know the behavior of the ice- and can confidently discount the other transport mechanisms listed above- well enough to cite it in a paper and make it the highlight of a press release.

Hoedads Tool and the Cooperative

Hoedads Tool and the Cooperative Hoedads are wooden-handled, mattock-like hand tools used to plant bare-root trees by the thousands quickly and mainly used by experienced crews. They are designed for steep slopes, versus the dibble, a straight-bladed, metal-handled tool with a foot platform used to plant trees on flat ground. When comparing the use of the dibble and the hoedad, a USFS study in the Western Gulf Region of the United State (2004) shows that neither method is superior to the other. The study concluded that tree planting survival, first- and second-year height, groundline diameter, first-year root weight, and first and second-year growth was found to be the same. The hoedad does speed up planting when used by an experienced user with a strong back. The Hoedad Revolution This hoedad tree planting tool inspired a name given to tree planting cooperatives of environmentalist tree planters who planted millions of tree seedlings from 1968 to 1994. During this period, new-generation tree planters used the hoedad exclusively on hundreds of thousands of regenerated forest acres. The timber industry and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) provided both land and incentive monies during this period to encourage reforestation of cutover lands. It opened up opportunities for private contractors to enter the tree planting business. There was money to be made for someone who enjoyed the outdoors, was in good physical health and could plant 500 to 1000 trees per day on steep ground. Both the hoedad tool and tool users called hoedads  were of some influence on the forest practices of the USFS and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). These spirited men and women managed  to change the stereotypical male forest worker image.  They questioned the practice of single-species reforestation and detested the wide use of herbicides and pesticides. They did extensive lobbying at national and state levels for increased funds for reforestation and promotion of sustainable forestry practices. Enter the Cooperative In addition to tree planting, these Hoedad cooperatives did precommercial thinning, firefighting, trail building, technical forestry, forest construction, resource inventory, and other forest-related labor. They grew in numbers  working in every state west of the Rockies and  Alaska  and living in the most remote areas in the mountains of the West. They later traveled through the Eastern US to planting job sites where programs like the Forest Incentives Program (FIP) were paying private forest owners to reforest and manage according to multiple-use principles. The most notable cooperative was  based in Eugene, Oregon.  Hoedads Reforestation Cooperative (HRC) was the largest of the co-ops, was established by a Peace Corp volunteer and thrived as a tree planting cooperative for over 30 years. These Independent tree planter contractors were able to make millions of dollars (and plant millions of trees) through these planter-owned cooperatives. HRC disbanded in 1994, largely because of a dramatic decline on federal lands in reforestation and other timber harvest associated forestry work. According to Roscoe Caron, a former tree planter and Hoedad president, HRC was also instrumental in breaking the males-only ethic of forest work, questioning the wisdom of monoculture reforestation and challenging the liberal use of herbicides. In celebration of the 30-year Hoedad reunion (in 2001), the Eugene Weekly and Lois Wadsworth compiled some of the most detailed information on Hoedads to date for the article Tree Planters: The Mighty Hoedads, Back for a 30-year Reunion, Recall Their Grand Experiment.