Ethics and the Internet Essay Example

Ethics and the Internet Paper The Internet and social networking are offering a number of new clinical and ethical challenges for those who provide face-to-face mental health services. These challenges include extra-therapeutic contacts between therapists and their clients, questions about what distinguishes personal and professional activities online, and a lack of clearly developed policies related to our online behaviors and interactions. No form of client communication is 100 percent guaranteed to be private. Conversations can be overheard, e-mails can be sent to the wrong recipients and phone conversation can be listened to by others. But in todays age of e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and other social media, psychologists have to be more aware than ever of the ethical pitfalls they can fall into by using these types of communication. Its easy not to be fully mindful about the possibility of disclosure with these communications because we use these technologies so often in our social lives,   says Stephen Behnke, PhD, JD, director of APAs Ethics Office. Its something that we havent gotten into the habit of thinking about.   The Monitor sat down with Behnke to discuss the ethical aspects of the Internet for psychology practitioners and how to think about them. Does the APA Ethics Code guide practitioners on social media? We will write a custom essay sample on Ethics and the Internet specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Ethics and the Internet specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Ethics and the Internet specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Yes. The current Ethics Code was drafted between 1997 and 2002. While it doesnt use the terms social media,  Google or Facebook, the code is very clear that it applies to all psychologists professional activities and to electronic communication, which of course social media is. As we look at the Ethics Code, the sections that are particularly relevant to social media are on privacy and confidentiality, multiple relationships and the section on therapy. The Ethics Code does not prohibit all social relationships, but it does call on psychologists to ask, How does this particular relationship fit with the treatment relationship?   Is the APA Ethics Office seeing any particular problems in the use of social media? Everyone is communicating with these new technologies, but our ethical obligation is to be thoughtful about how the Ethics Code applies to these communications and how the laws and regulations apply. For example, if you are communicating with your client via e-mail or text messaging, those communications might be considered part of your clients record. Also, you want to consider who else might have access to the communication, something the client him- or herself may not be fully mindful of. When you communicate with clients, the communication may be kept on a server so anyone with access to that server may have access to your communications. Confidentiality should be front and center in your thinking. Also, consider the form of communication you are using, given the kind of treatment you are providing. For example, there are two very different scenarios from a clinical perspective: In one scenario, youve been working with a client face-to-face and you know the clients clinical issues. Then the client goes away on vacation and you have one or two phone sessions, or a session or two on Skype. A very different scenario is that the psychologist treats a client online, a client he or she has never met or seen. In this case, the psychologist has to be very mindful of the kind of treatment he or she can provide. What sorts of issues are appropriate to treat in that manner? How do the relevant jurisdictions laws and regulations apply to the work you are doing? Thats an example of how the technology is out in front of us. We have this wonderful new technology that allows us to offer services to folks who may never have had access to a psychologist. At the same time, the ethical, legal and regulatory infrastructure to support the technology is not yet in place. A good deal of thought and care must go into how we use the technology, given how it may affect our clients and what it means for our professional lives. APA needs to be involved in developing that ethical, legal and regulatory infrastructure and needs to be front and center on this. What do you want members to know about using Facebook? People are generally aware that what they put on their Facebook pages may be publicly accessible. Even with privacy settings, there are ways that people can get access to your information. My recommendation is to educate yourself about privacy settings and how you can make your page as private as you want it to be [see further reading box on page 34]. Also, educate yourself about how the technology works and be mindful of the information you make available about yourself. Historically, psychology has talked a lot about the clinical implications of self-disclosure, but this is several orders of magnitude greater, because now anyone sitting in their home or library with access to a terminal can find out an enormous amount of information about you. Facebook is a wonderful way to social network, to be part of a community. And of course psychologists are going to use this, as is every segment of the population. But psychologists have special ethical issues they need to think through to determine how this technology is going to affect their work. These days, students are inviting professors to see their Facebook pages and professors are now privy to more information on their students lives than ever before. Whats your advice on this trend? Psychologists should be mindful that whether teaching, conducting research, providing a clinical service or acting in an administrative capacity, they are in a professional role. Each role comes with its own unique expectations, and these expectations have ethical aspects. I would encourage a psychologist whos considering whether to friend a student to think through how the request fits into the professional relationship, and to weigh the potential benefits and harms that could come from adding that dimension to the teaching relationship. Of course, the professor should also be informed about the schools policy concerning interacting with students on social networking sites. How about Googling clientsshould you do this? In certain circumstances, there may be a good reason to do a search of a client. There may be an issue of safety, for example. In certain kinds of assessments, it might be a matter of confirming information. But again, we always need to think about how this fits into the professional relationship, and what type of informed consent weve obtained. Curiosity about a client is not a clinically appropriate reason to do an Internet search. Lets put it this way: If you know that your client plays in a soccer league, it would be a little odd if on Saturday afternoon you drove by the game to see how your client is doing. In the same way, if youre doing a search, thinking, What can I find out about this person  that raises questions about the psychologists motives? What about Twitter? Again, you first want to think about what are you disclosing and what is the potential impact the disclosure could have on the clinical work. Also, if you are receiving Tweets from a client, how does that fit in with the treatment? These questions are really interesting because they are pushing us to think clearly about the relationship between our professional and personal lives. We all have our own social communities and networks, but we also have to be aware about how we act and what we disclose in those domains, which are more accessible. Someone might say that this technology isnt raising new questions, its raising old questions in different ways. How about blogs? Be aware that when you author a blog, youre putting a lot of yourself into it. Thats why youre doing it. So again, you need to be mindful of the impact it will have on your clinical work. It also depends on what the blog is about. For example, if youre blogging about religion, politics or movies, in this day and age, some of your clients are going to read the material. If you are sharing your personal views on some important societal issue, be mindful of how that might affect the work you are doing. When is the next Ethics Code due out and will it more specifically address social media? The next revision hasnt been scheduled, but if I had to guess, probably in the next two to three years, APA will begin the process of drafting the next code. I can say with a very high degree of confidence that when APA does draft the next code, the drafters will be very mindful of many issues being raised by social media. Its important to think about ethics from a developmental perspective. As our field evolves, new issues emerge and develop. Not all the questions about social media have crystallized yet. We have to make sure that we have a pretty good sense of the right questions and the right issues before we start setting down the rules. Part of that process is exploring where the potential harms to our clients are. We are just defining the questions, issues, the risks of harm to the client and were going to have to let the process unfold. In the meantime, we have to be aware that these technologies are very powerful and far-reaching and bring with them wonderful benefits, but also potential harms. Stay tuned. As his patient lay unconscious in an emergency room from an overdose of sedatives, psychiatrist Damir Huremovic was faced with a moral dilemma: A friend of the patient had forwarded to Huremovic a suicidal e-mail from the patient that included a link to a Web site and blog he wrote. Should Huremovic go online and check it out, even without his patients consent? Huremovic decided yes; after all, the Web site was in the public domain and it might contain some potentially important information for treatment. When Huremovic clicked on the blog, he found quotations such as this: Death makes angels of us all and gives us wings. A final blog post read: I wish I didnt wake up. Yet as Huremovic continued scanning the patients personal photographs and writings, he began to feel uncomfortable, that perhaps hed crossed some line he shouldnt have. Across the country, therapists are facing similar situations and conflicted feelings. When Huremovic, director of psychosomatic medicine services at Nassau University Medical Center in New York, recounted his vignette last year at an American Psychiatric Association meeting and asked whether others would have read the suicidal mans blog, his audience responded with resounding calls of both yes! and no! One thing was clear: How and when a therapist should use the Internet and even whether he or she should are questions subject to vigorous debate. We are just beginning to understand what ethical issues the Internet is raising, says Stephen Behnke, ethics director for the American Psychological Association. To write rules that allow our field to grow and develop and yet prevent [patient] harm at the same time: Thats the challenge. In fact, the tremendous availability online of personal information threatens to alter what has been an almost sacred relationship between therapist and patient. Traditionally, therapists obtained information about a patient through face-to-face dialogue. If outside information was needed, the therapist would obtain the patients consent to speak with family members or a previous mental-health practitioner. At the same time, patients traditionally knew little about their therapists outside the consulting room. Now, with the click of a mouse, tech-savvy therapists and patients are challenging the old rules and raising serious questions about how much each should know about the other and where lines should be drawn. Among the questions under debate: Should a therapist review the Web site of a patient or conduct an online search without that patients consent? Is it appropriate for a therapist to put personal details about himself on a blog or Web-site or to join Facebook or other social networks? What are the risks of having patients and therapists interact online? Neither the American Psychiatric Association nor the American Psychological Association has rules specifically governing therapists online behavior, but ethics advisers with the psychiatric association maintain that online searches are not wrong as long as theyre done in the patients interest and not out of therapist curiosity. Many therapists contend its more important to discuss such questions than it is to dictate behavior. Its not whether a particular application is right or not, says Sheldon Benjamin, director of neuropsychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. Its whether you do it mindfully whether you understand how it changes the doctor-patient relationship. To Google or Not to Google Benjamin, 53, swears by his iPhone and enthusiastically tells of sampling the Internet in its infancy. At the same time, Benjamin, who directs psychiatric training at UMass, advocates caution when it comes to mixing the Internet with therapy. He says he has never searched a patients name online and worries that doing so could dilute the therapeutic process by bringing in information from outside the patient-therapist discussion. When patients have asked Benjamin to read their blogs, he has agreed, with one caveat: that he do so during a regular counseling session. Even if you brought me a disability form, Id fill it out in the room with you, says Benjamin. I was taught to make the time with the patient the time when the work is done. Suena Massey takes a different approach. Massey, 35, an assistant professor of psychiatry at George Washington University Medical Center, considers Googling a patient a valuable professional tool. One of the duties of a psychiatrist is to corroborate what patients say, Massey explains. To that end, online searches can be helpful when traditional approaches obtaining the patients consent to contact his previous psychiatrist or family members are not available. One such case involved a patient who presented with symptoms of mania, a component of bipolar disorder. The man claimed to be well connected in Washington. After their meeting, Massey typed the patients name into a search engine. Up popped postings suggesting that the mans claims were accurate. In a subsequent session Massey told her patient she had Googled him, and he was okay with it. She ended up treating him for bipolar disorder; had his claims been false, she says, she would have considered his condition to be more severe. Massey says she will warn a patient about her possible use of Google searches if she thinks the patient might have a problem with it. You could almost make the argument that its negligent not to search online when there is public information available and it might help treat a patient, she says. If youre just looking things up out of personal interest, I think most doctors would feel uncomfortable with that. Public vs. Private But what happens when the circumstances are reversed? What happens when a patient seeks information about his therapist online or pursues a relationship with his therapist on Facebook, MySpace or via another social network? Most therapists are not alarmed by the idea of a Google search. I know my patients Google me, Massey says. I think its their right as consumers. Some providers anticipate such searches by maintaining Web sites detailing their professional qualifications. However, there can be problems when personal details are available. Take the case of a man who, after developing romantic and erotic feelings toward his therapist, typed her name into a search engine and found a Web site featuring personal photographs of the therapist, including a bathing-suit shot. The man quit treatment and reported the discovery to Behnkes office. He knew the image of his therapist in her bathing suit was going to be so present to him that he wouldnt be able to concentrate on his psychotherapy, Behnke explained in a telephone interview. There was material on the Internet that had an impact on this psychologists clinical work. Behnke cautions therapists to assume that most clients will conduct online searches, and he urges them to make sure they remain vigilant about what gets posted. Although most therapists say its inappropriate to have relationships with patients via social networks, there is little agreement on whether its okay for therapists to join such sites, and, if they do, just how private their information should remain. For Huremovic, 39, social network abstinence is safest. I have an understanding that if you choose to be a psychiatrist and a psychotherapist that you have to be very private in other parts of your social being, he says. But some therapists, especially younger ones for whom using the Internet is a way of life, dont share this view. For instance, psychologist Stephanie Smith, 35, has a Web site, and she has a presence on Twitter. Smith tweets to market her Colorado practice and to allow colleagues and other interested parties to monitor happenings in psychology. Typical posts provide tips for managing stress, announce a recent studys findings or refer followers to psychology blogs. Smith, who says Twitter has increased traffic to her professional Web site, admits to the rare tweet about her children or celebrity news. Its my style, but I know some people would not be comfortable with her disclosure of nonprofessional information, she says. Smith also has a Facebook account for her personal life. After teenage patients discovered that account and sent her friend requests, Smith enacted a policy forbidding past or current clients from engaging her online. She informs new clients of the policy and obligates them to comply. This is the type of problem that UMasss Benjamin wants to avoid. To me, its a much bigger issue than bumping into a patient in a restaurant, he says. Youre putting out there,Hey, these are my contacts. And someone then wants to enter your social circle. It puts you in a position where you must take a stand. Keely Kolmes, a California psychologist who writes and lectures on Internet ethics, recommends that therapists make clear distinctions between their professional and personal lives online. Younger clinicians get the Net but dont completely understand ethical and boundary issues that can come up, she says. A former computer consultant, Kolmes, who is in her early 40s, goes to great lengths to keep her lives separate. On her personal Facebook account, for instance, she does not use a photo of herself on her profile page and she doesnt make reference to her professional name. She also restricts her public tweets and blogs to news of a professional nature. Still, she recognizes that any online sighting of ones therapist changes the dynamic for a patient. A lot of patients really want to think about you as existing in just that one space [of the therapy room,] and suddenly theyre seeing you on Twitter and blogging, she says. They can see that youre online at night posting things. I realize my choice to do that suddenly shifts my relationship with them.

Ebola- Week 7 Media Post Example

Ebola Ebola number Ebola Ebola is probably one of the most dangerous and deadly disease across the globe. However, many peopleare not aware of the fact that that the chances of contracting Ebola virus disease are very slim unless you come into direct contact with bodily fluids or blood of someone who has contracted the disease. In order to avoid being a victim of this deadly disease, it is advisable to learn as much as you can about this disease (Chapnick, 23). The past year has seen Ebola escalate to unprecedented levels and this caused panic in a way that has never being seen before. Perhaps there are people who have a firsthand experience of fighting Ebola such as Peter Clement, a doctor from Liberia who worked in Lofa County. This is probably the place that was hard hit by the epidemic just when it had started to escalate. By this time, there were dozens of patients who were terrified by the terror unleashed by this virus. This disease was tearing families apart and communities alike. It is the effort of people such as Clement who tried to contain the situation and keep it at a manageable level. Peter came across a situation where family members were running away from their loved ones because of the fear of contracting the disease. As such, there were unattended patients as well as uncollected bodies. Of concern is how the virus was not detected earlier. The main reason behind this loophole is the fact that Ebola was often associated with Central Africa and it was not considered to be a disease for West Africa. Hence, this disease caught most of the people by surprise and before they could realize what they were dealing with, the situation was getting out of hand. Works citedChapnick, E. K. Ebola Myths and Facts for Dummies. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2015. Print.

Digital Media Management for the Entertainment Industries Essay

Digital Media Management for the Entertainment Industries - Essay Example It becomes easier to target and promote a product on such websites. In order to build the application, technological requirement is needed that would provide base to the application to run on the Facebook. Various software as well as hardware requirements have been acknowledged. New strategies have been suggested to attract the mass towards the song application. Significant requirement of budget for such project has been identified. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Overview 4 Service Description 6 Business Model 7 Profile of Targeted Consumers’ Group 9 Marketing Strategy 10 Risk 12 Budget 12 References 14 Bibliography 18 Overview Digital media are increasingly used by marketers as a means to promote, distribute and perform several marketing activities. It can be depicted that in such scenario, technology has always been at the background by creating necessary conditions for demonstrating the creativity through digital media. It can be revealed that it is the new media tha t provides an opportunity to extend hands towards the emerging digital data sea. It is because of the proliferation of internet that most of the users have become advanced. The modern business houses not only require an audience. Instead, it is quite essential for the audience to participate by providing their valuable feedbacks and turning themselves into players. The creation of ideal latest media assets needs to be exposed on a case-to-case basis (SEO Trends, 2007). Various new digital media such as online video, social media and mobile advertisement have transformed the way companies market their products. The major thing to notice in this regard is that after several years of change in an evolutionary manner, it is the emerging digital media that has brought marketing related communications towards a breakpoint. It has further been noted that the new watchwords for the marketers are considered to be engagement, transparency and authenticity (Busby & Et. Al., 2010). It has been apparent that the media companies as well as the entertainment industries both have experienced extraordinary level of fragmentation. It is worth noticing that the main force behind this trend has been the development of digital technology and the internet. The social networking sites have attracted the people from every nook and corner of the world. Social networking sites have not just become the tool for messaging, or making friends, it has also permitted the users to play online games via its applications where the users can download online games. Similarly, it has been noticed by two websites such as Imeen and Bebo that music is a social phenomenon and the internet can be considered as the platform to conduct business and other activities. With the gaining popularity of the Facebook, the music industry can aim at developing new digital media services which will assist them at increasing the revenue and enhance the competitive position of the company. An application similar to t he games at Facebook can be developed where the users shall be able to download the new songs as well as the old songs of their choice (Shannon, 2009). The social networking sites have been chosen since it acts as a powerful medium for both the companies as well as the advertisers through which they can reach to a huge group of people in a cost effective manner. It can further be considered as the best platform from which the companies can promote their products and thus create brand awareness

Parent Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Parent Interview - Essay Example Joe is labeled as having autism; however he is also taking medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (i.e. ADHD). Currently, Joe is going to Harrison Elementary School in Livingston, Virginia. This school has grades from kindergarten thru sixth grade and in located in a middle- class area. Joe is in an autism self-contained class, and his classmates range in educational levels from third through sixth grade. Joe is in the fourth grade. He has been going to this school for five years and has been in the same autism program with three of his classmates for all of this time. Joe is well-known and liked around the school because he is very talkative and social. He also lives in a middle class neighborhood near his school. Joe is a very smart boy, but he is considered to be lower functioning because his test scores place him below grade level. Joe does not take the standard of learning tests (i.e. SOL); however he does qualify to take the Virginia Alternative Assessment Program test (i.e. VAAP). In school he does participate in general education activities, such as art, physical education, and music . In addition, he also has his academic work that is done in the general education classroom and his class. At this period in time, Joe has an Individual Education Program (i.e. IEP) in which he has several goals that he is working on, besides his general education activities and curriculum. His individual goals are in the areas of communication, fine motor/ writing tasks, classroom behavior, math, language arts and reading. Joe interacts socially with his peers and teachers. He responds to questions willingly, participates in all activates and has an average sized vocabulary. However, he likes to use words that begin with the letter s, which sometimes impedes communication. Joe’s goals include

Metaphor Assignment Essay Example for Free

Metaphor Assignment Essay Image by Josiah McElheny This pieced together sculpture by Josiah McElheny is like one of the mother stars which can be found in the galaxy. At first glance, the sculpture seems to be one of those science apparatuses which generate electricity. But on closer scrutiny, the sculpture just becomes one of those well-thought of displays found in stores or malls which seeks to call for the busy shoppers’ attention but which it fails to do so since the sculpture is just a m eregiant mass of spikes and lights put together meant to look like a star. Stars are meant to be admired at night and are meant to exhibit some form of magical and mystical light; however, this particular man-created star is admired because of its ability to be complicated in its simplicity. It exhibits magic and mystic in its ability to be menacing in its beauty. 2. Image by Marek Petryk – This painting by Marek Petryk is like a confusing and unsolvable puzzle—there seems to be no beginning and no end to its construction as if there was no concrete point in its creation. Though the colours are beautifully vivid that reminds a person of a teenager’s room or retro art or even of summer vacations spent by the beach, the painting does not create a solid and specific object. The painting can be anything from a cabinet door that was mercilessly experimented on by an artist or it can be anything that was created by an innocent child who drew an object out of sheer boredom or a complicated painter who aims to confuse people with his artworks that have some form of profound meaning hidden beneath its depths. 3. Image by Unknown Photographer – This last image which was found as a background of a website is a photograph that is like the gateways of heaven. Clouds with all its fluffiness would sometimes be associated with cotton candy, plain white cotton or a sheep’s wool but because this photo captures such breathtaking beauty, it can only be likened to the gates of Paradise itself or even to the homes of the Olympiads that interferes with the lives of mankind. But there is also a darker force in the photo which is the navy blue colour gathering in the background—and those are the forces of some evil Titans that seek to disrupt Zeus and his family. While this may be a farfetched interpretation to a mere photography of clouds amongst clear blue skies, it is more enjoyable and interesting than likening it to mere cotton or wool.

The Private Choice Essays -- Education Schooling Essays

The Private Choice Think of all the notable people you may consider as highly educated. If you look deep enough, chances are you can find out about their education, which is often private. Why do some people prefer a private education? What even classifies as a private school? One definition given by the Encyclopedia of American Education is â€Å"in modern American education, any school not operated or directly funded by a governmental agency† (793); these include religious, non-sectarian, military, postgraduate, and special education schools. Private Education is beneficial because it provides specialized programs, presents higher standards, includes more involvement of the parents or guardians, and may soon be available to more people through government vouchers. Private institutions are wonderful for those pursuing a specific field of education. A child who has a goal of becoming a scientist will learn more about that career choice at a school that emphasizes science than if they were to only take the classes offered through their local high school. There is only so much that can be taught in the public setting that still maintains the attention of the majority of the students in the class. In his book Choosing Equality, Joseph H. Viteritti states that â€Å"private school curricula offer students a narrower range of educational options and are more focused on academic, as opposed to vocational, subjects† (81). With the help of the more concentrated learning in a specific area, the students may even get through school faster and on to better things. I think that it is a great option for those who do not want to waste their time doing things in school that they deem meaningless. In addition, some privat... ...eir autonomy†¦[and] are unlikely to participate in a voucher program that would require them to meet accountability standards in [certain] areas† (Liberator 2). These opposing views are primarily why the issue is still in debate. Whether you were privately educated or attended a public school, you still were able to obtain an education. Private schools often offer opportunities that you may not be able to find in every public school. Some individuals are quite satisfied with their local public school and find nothing wrong with their child being taught there. For those who can afford it (unless the voucher option ever passes), they choose to take advantage of everything private institutions have to offer, from a better quality staff and atmosphere to more in-depth studies to more satisfaction on the parents’ part. It is all a matter of personal choice.

Not an Ayn Rand Essay

The fiction novel, The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand is based off of her philosophy of Objectivism. Ayn Rand defines and separates her philosophy of Objectivism into four different and distinct parts. The first part Ayn Rand explains is Metaphysics. Metaphysics is an objective reality where you only accept facts as reality and not fantasies or desires. The next part of Objectivism is Epistemology, which is reasoning by perceiving reality by using knowledge or facts as your guide. The third part is Ethics and self-interest.The final part of Objectivism is laissez-faire capitalism, which is equal trade while the government acts as a police force only. The third part of Objectivism, Ethics and Self-Interest, is explained by Ayn Rand as â€Å"Man—every man—is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. He must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life. † – Ayn Rand.This quote is best represented as Individualism in Objectivism. Ayn Rand’s book, The Fountainhead, compares the ideals of individuals in society and shows how the individualists act differently and, by the end, become identified and looked upon as good when they stick to their own ideals. Howard Roark is created as the protagonist of The Fountainhead. Roark is also the best representation of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism. Lois Cook is introduced into the book by asking Peter Keating to build an ugly house to her satisfaction, saying â€Å"Let’s be gods.Let’s be ugly† (Cook, 241) . Both Howard Roark and Lois Cook both make their own pursuit for self-interest and to their own happiness as the highest moral purpose of their lives. Even though Lois Cook can be seen as an individual, her self-interests can be seen as immoral, which can be concluded that Lois is not an In dividualist, while Howard Roark is best fit as an individualist in the eyes of Ayn Rand. When we look into the story The Fountainhead, we encounter the characteristics that both Howard Roark and Lois Cook portray.When Ayn Rand wrote The Fountainhead, she intended to keep the syntax simple so readers could get an understanding of Objectivism and individualism. We can clearly see that the protagonist, Howard Roark, is portrayed as an objectivist and individualist, who also rejects the worst of social standards, while Lois Cook is seen as a radical, who objects the best of social standards. When we go even further into The Fountainhead, we discover that Howard Roark loves his type of modernistic design in architecture rather than referring to the older and more identifiable types of architecture from history, such as Greek or Roman architecture.Because he prefers to modernize his own designs, he is suspended from Stanton’s institute of technology and has been removed from severa l jobs. Roark was offered a job to build a new bank, but he won’t change any of his own designs. The worst part about Howard Roark’s out of luck situation is that his designs are brilliant. Even Peter Keating refers to Howard Roark in needs of assistance, because Howard Roark’s designs are wonderful and unique to the eyes of people.Even then, when Howard Roark isn’t given credit for designing the buildings, credit was all given to Keating, who didn’t have enough faith for himself to, at the least, attempt to create his own architectural designs. While we continue to look at Howard Roark, we can see that while Ayn Rand created Howard Roark, he stays as his own without sacrificing or abandoning his own beliefs to gain himself a higher status in society, and Roark only pursues his own self-interests to bring himself to his highest moral purpose.Howard Roark has his own individual goals that others would see as foolish and stupid, while he stayed as an individual with his own ideals and succeeded. These are what Ayn Rand would consider individualized, because Howard Roark attempts to make a change within society and has his own values, while society wishes to remain the same and put down others who don’t follow what they believe in. Howard Roark seeks to create, not just his original designs and building, but also a sense of originality.Henry Cameron, Howard Roark’s inspiration, once told him that unless he changed his ideals of architecture, he would never make it big in the business. Howard Roark denied what he said anyways, saying that he wishes to continue with his own work. Even when he got hired by Francon & Heyer, Howard Roark continued to stick with his own modernistic designs over conforming on older architectural designs. Howard Roark even made his own architecture and building firm which was built on his own modern beliefs and ideals. Further on in the book, Howard Roark continued to stay with his own ide als and beliefs when he went to court twice.During the first trial, he was sued for the construction of a building, which was plotted by Ellsworth Toohey. Toohey did this so he could eliminate the innovative Howard Roark from the architect business, which was almost successful. Roark was found guilty and had to shut down his architect firm, but still had faith in his own ideals. The second trial was on the action of Howard Roark destroying the Cortlandt homes project, after his plans being changed. During the trial, Howard Roark made some statements about selfishness and about remaining individual with oneself.Howard Roark goes on about people who create and how they suffer from the corruptness of societies, which is in reference to Peter Keating when he asked Roark for help all of the times Keating asked Roark for help on certain designs, which made Keating famous. Howard Roark was later found not guilty and won the trial Howard Roark ended up marrying Dominique Francon after becau se he was confident with his own individual ideas while Peter Keating wasn’t able to be individual. Howard Roark is definitely created as an individualist by Ayn Rand, because he prevails through all of the situations he encounters with his own ideals with him.Whether or not the outcomes for Howard Roark were good or bad, he never changed his ideals or beliefs in every situation, making him an individualist. While Howard Roark is fully known to be an individualist, Lois Cook has a sense of individualism, but is too radical and immoral to be classified as an individualist. As we look into The Fountainhead, Cook has shown herself against most of the social norms. Even though Howard Roark doesn’t follow social standards, Lois Cook goes to the immoral extremes of denying good hygiene and conditions of living areas.She doesn’t think about the corrupt power of higher authorities or any of the other enormously poor social problems. The reason that Ayn Rand shows her re aders Lois Cook was to show a person who attempted individualism, but did not fully become individual. Lois Cook has characteristics like an individualist but isn’t exactly one. Lois Cook wants to be someone original, different, an individual, but her ideals are extreme and immoral. Is it not very easy to argue that poor hygiene is a good idea. It also isn’t easy to argue that anyone could enjoy poorly designed buildings.It is pointed out obviously that Lois Cook is radically immoral and isn’t an individual. Some might suggest that Lois Cook is a person who creates. Others might argue that her nonconformity makes her and individualist still. But, her ideals could be best organized as nihilistic. Nihilism is a want to destroy and rejection of morals. Lois Cook could be best compared with Ellsworth Toohey, who also wanted to destroy people’s reputations, people such as Howard Roark in the architectural business. Ayn Rand explained being individual also mean t to have morals.Lois Cook didn’t have many morals when she was introduced into the book for the short period of time, so she couldn’t be classified as an individualist under the ideals of objectivism and individualism. Ayn Rand intentionally placed Lois Cook in The Fountainhead in order for the readers to see a difference of characteristics between Individualism and Lois Cook. We can conclude from this that Lois Cook was merely an example of how Individualism is misinterpreted by the minds of people who haven’t really thought about the ideals of individualism or beliefs of objectivism.In conclusion, Howard Roark is indeed an individualist, while Lois Cook is not an individualist. Howard Roark shows the qualities and characteristics that Ayn Rand defines as an individualist. While Lois Cook shows some characteristics of being an individualist, her nihilistic and immoral ideals show that she cannot be an individualist and will never be with her ideals if she cont inues to not accept facts that there are some social norms that are needed for man’s survival and individualism.