Plagiarism is a very serious issue in society, but especially in the academic setting. The article Social and Cultural Issues talks specially about the issues of plagiarism and gives us some guidelines on how to avoid it. The most important information I learned from the article reinforced the idea that I have been taught in school so far; give credit to the author when it is not your own work. Although this is a simple idea, it is also very complex at the same time since there is a fine line between what is considered your own work and what you borrowed from others. If you do not give proper credit to the author in the academic setting and indeed plagiarize you can be accused of academic dishonesty. This can often lead to the person failing the class or even getting kicked out of school. If you plagiarize in the professional workplace ,you might lose your job. You also have to make sure you are not violating copyright laws since there is the possibility for legal action. If all the legal issues are not enough to deter you from plagiarism, then you should consider the ethical implications. Taking credit for someone else’s work as you own is just plain wrong. In my eyes it is the same as stealing something from the store without paying for it first. By understanding what plagiarism is and making sure you always give credit to the original author, you can be certain to avoid any problems.