A Quality Management Case Study Defects Essay

Quality Control is developing evaluation schemes to ensure products are designed and produced to meet or exceed customer requirements. Any unit of production not meeting the standard is immediately eliminated. Researchers apply the Pareto principle implying that very few quality defects account for the larger quality losses. Pareto diagrams allow us to separate vital few factors that cause majority defects from the less contributing factors. Resources are then used to correct these factors and optimum quality standard is achieved. This study examines for defects found during final inspection of printed circuit before they are integrated into the next higher assembly. Manufacturing process followed standards such as MIL-Q. It’s a standard written by the government used even by commercial enterprises. Whenever we have a defect cited, a discrepancy report (DR) is generated. The DR record keeps track of when what defect was detected by whom and where. It also stores information about what action was taken to restore quality unit. Defects are classified as types (In this study, there are 31). These broad categories are further sub categorized. In nutshell, this effort of planning quality is the essence is Quality Assurance. Using the online DR system, Managers analyze defects. First, Managers find out the correlation between inspections and defects. Pearson’s coefficient is a valuable indicator of that. Secondly, Managers analyze the ratio of defects to no. of inspections per week. To crack the whip on detailed data of actual defects, Pareto analysis (Quality Control measure) is performed. Significantly, it shows percentage of defects caused by the key defect types. Working groups are formed to drill down on the last few vital factors to suggest corrective actions and completely eliminate defects. New drawings, procedures are designed and applied to achieve highest quality. During the highest problem period in this study, no. of inspections went down drastically. One reason could be that the work completed was less (because of more defects) and so the number of inspections went down. But the repaired boards needed to be inspected. Inexperienced operators could be the other reason. This leaves a lot of work yet to be done in this field. This study however does benefit quality management efforts. Although, this case is specific to the airline industry, the approaches described here can be usefully applied to any project. Maintaining quality is a very crucial task and any project management must seriously focus on it. Harvard Business Review

Multicultural Literature Essay- Eleithia Essay

Author, Alice Walker’s, Elethia, is a story of young Elethia who struggles to overcome a legacy of passivity, marginalization, inferiority, and misrepresentation of the Negro. To define her own identity she must break free and simultaneously hold on to the central figure that causes her to doubt her identity. Uncle Albert is a symbol of racism and the blindness that oftentimes presents itself within the Negro culture. There is a quote given by the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., â€Å"there are many Negros who will never fight for freedom, but will gladly accept it when it comes!† Dr. King’s remarks are favored by me in the fight against racism and I understand it to mean this. That while segregation, impartiality, brutality and blatant disrespect are present, there will always be a certain percentage of people, belonging to an oppressed culture, who will idly sit by and accept the countless improprieties set before them while others continuously fight to break down the walls of bigotry. In the town in which Elethia made her home, Uncle Albert had been a fixture in the window of the Old Uncle Albert’s restaurant for good length of time. So long that some of the old-timers, who had known Uncle Albert before his murder, were victims of fading memories, â€Å"perhaps both memory and eyesight were wrong (Brown p.307).† As a humanist, I am annoyed that the story is absent, perhaps accidentally or possibly on purpose, that not one member of the African American community protested or took any actions to give Uncle Albert’s likeness a release. I understand fear. The fear of retribution and death at the hands of white supremacists, however years, an entire generation in fact, had passed and Uncle Albert’s remains still stood smiling in the white-only eatery. Since slavery religious instruction was aimed â€Å"to inculcate meekness and docility (Aptheker 122).† What about after the doors  of the church were closed? Throughout the short story, there is no mention of a revolutionary plot or rebellion by any one person or persons of the community. Elethia, young and still not sure of who she was, made the horrific discovery that Uncle Albert was stuffed as if he were and animal. At that moment, she along with her friends made the conscious decision that smiling Uncle Albert had to be excluded as a fixture in a plated glass window in order to give dignity to the Negro culture. I am a firm believer in non-violence but only when you are dealing with people who share the same view of non-violence. The story does not give the reader any hint that there was a rumble from the community of Negro people at a time when a loud noise should have sounded off. At a time when the Civil Rights Movement was in its infancy, the passiveness of the entire African American community of the small southern town gave credence to the myth of the docile Negro. Throughout American history, any person or persons of the American society, whom skin is deemed to be colored has been marginalized since he has placed his foot on American soil. The Negros place in society has been viewed as less important than those of his white brethrens. In Elethia, a young black boy’s privates were left nailed to a post for the town’s people, which included blacks and whites to see. I will take this crude act and look at in two ways to support my theory of marginalization: the first angle will be taken from a white societal viewpoint in that a young Negro boy is not looked upon as a human being. He is simply a person of color who is absent of pathos, and intellect. His status in the general public is placed the lowest echelon on the societal chain, therefore he does not warrant the right to be buried properly in a grave. The act of inhumanity can secondly be viewed by the African American community as an act of intimidation by the oppressor to furt her propel the theory of marginalization and minimize their self worth as citizens of a so called pluralist society. This marginalization theory leads to societal exclusion, the act of leaving one social class at a disadvantage while elevating another social class to point where there becomes a false sense of superiority. This false sense of superiority can and will result in inferiority, a mental prison. The bedrock of inferiority, that is the views that white America or Americans  have toward their opposites, who are black Americans derived from the words set forth by one of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, in his Letters to the State of Virginia. In its fourteenth query he describes what he perceives the Negro to be: â€Å"The negro differences which are physical and moral. The first difference which strikes us is that of colour. Is it not the foundation of a greater or less share of beauty in the two races? Are not the fine mixtures of red and white, the expressions of every passion by greater or less suffusions of colour in the one, preferable to that eternal monotony, which reigns i n the countenances, that immoveable veil of black which covers all the emotions of the other race? Add to these, flowing hair, a more elegant symmetry of form, their own judgment in favour of the whites, declared by their preference of them, as uniformly as is the preference of the Oranootan for the black women over those of his own species. The circumstance of superior beauty, is thought worthy attention in the propagation of our horses, dogs, and other domestic animals; why not in that of man? Besides those of colour, figure, and hair, there are other physical distinctions proving a difference of race. They have less hair on the face and body. Perhaps too a difference of structure in the pulmonary apparatus, which a late ingenious (1) experimentalist has discovered to be the principal regulator of animal heat, may have disabled them from extricating, in the act of inspiration, so much of that fluid from the outer air, or obliged them in expiration, to part with more of it. They seem to require less sleep. A black, after hard labour through the day, will be induced by the slightest amusements to sit up till midnight, or later, though knowing he must be out with the first dawn of the morning. An animal whose body is at rest, and who does not reflect, must be disposed to sleep of course. Comparing them by their faculties of memory, reason, and imagination, it appears to me, that in memory they are equal to the whites; in reason much inferior, as I think one could scarcely be found capable of tracing and comprehending the investigations of Euclid; and that in imagination they are dull, tasteless, and anomalous. It would be unfair to follow them to Africa for this investigation. We will consider them here, on the same stage with the whites, and where the facts are not apocryphal on which a judgment is to be formed. It will be right to make great allowances for the difference of condition, of education, of conversation, of the sphere in which they move. I find that a black had uttered a thought above the level of plain narration; never see even an elementary trait of painting or sculpture. In music they are more generally gifted than the whites with accurate ears for tune and time, and they have been found capable of imagining a small catch (2). Whether they will be equal to the composition of a more extensive run of melody, or of complicated harmony, is yet to be proved. Misery is often the parent of the most affecting touches in poetry. — Among the blacks is misery enough, God knows, but no poetry. Love is the peculiar ;oestrum of the poet. Their love is ardent, but it kindles the senses only, not the imagination. Religion indeed has produced a Phyllis Whately; but it could not produce a poet (Jefferson).† Mr. Jefferson claims that the Negro is less beautiful than whites and that Negro man desires the free flowing long hair of the white woman over that of the Negro women. He says the Negro lacks intelligence, so much so that he doesn’t know when to lie down when his body calls for rest. The Negro is quite capable of imagining, but lacks the skill to produce works of art. The Negro has a foul odor. The Negro has a different pulmonary apparatus than that of the Anglo- man. Thomas Jefferson’s query is the foundation in which biased racial views were built upon and the home in which inferiority breeds. In the context of Elethia, she was not allowed to eat in the white-only establishment, however, she was permitted to take a menial position as the kitchen help. This added to her as well as the other Negro worker’s persistent feelings of inadequacy. â€Å"Not good enough to eat here but good enough to clean your slop jar (Anderson, 323)!† She was able to look but not touch. In Walker’s, Elethia, Uncle Albert not only was he angry when he and his family learned that slavery had ended a decade prior to his knowledge. He felt inferior because due to the oppression of his owner he became an paradigm of Thomas Jefferson’s statement â€Å"the Negro lacks intelligence (Jefferson query XIV).† Uncle Albert did not possess the skill or intellect that kept him ignorant to the laws and abolishment of slavery. His lack of knowledge perpetuated the feelings of inferiority. Another example of inadequacy came to pass when Elethia learned the truth of Uncle Albert’s remains. She saw this as a mockery and another disregard for a Negro life. She viewed Uncle Albert’s standing in the window as a shadow  of racism. The plate glass window holding Uncle Albert’s smiling remains is a misrepresentation of the African American Community. He was placed there like a caricature advertisement to entice patrons to dine at the all white faci lity where they will be handled with the utmost care by our friendly waiter, Uncle Albert. First, the African American old-timers in the text make it clear that Uncle Albert was nobodies Uncle, â€Å"and wouldn’t sit still for anyone to call him that either (Brown 308)†. Second he never smiled, in fact the text leads the reader to believe that Uncle Albert was a bit of a surly man, who was filled with a lot of anger and nowhere to extinguish it. If occasionally he managed to open his mouth in the form of a smile, there would be vacancies where teeth had once dwelled. When the old timers, who were members of the African American community, talked about Uncle Albert, they used his name Albert Porter. This momentarily afforded a black man a little slice of dignity, a representation of a man lacking inferiorities. With the removing of the young black boy’s genitals from the post, Uncle Albert gave the boy and his family a slice of the same pie of dignity; a slice that represented that someone showed compassion for another human soul. In my opinion, the placing of Uncle Albert in the window of the segregated eatery, it says that the Negro will always be less than, enslaved, and subservient in life or in death so he should â€Å"grin and act like a nigger (Brown 309).† When in slavery, Uncle Albert was beaten severely because his oppressor wanted him to forget his past. This was a blatant misrepresentation of him and every black person housed between the walls of racism. Uncle Albert refused to forget. His refusal brought him additional pain and suffering. Stubbornness would not allow him to forget and succumb to the smiling happy Negro. In finding ones identity, one oftentimes has to look at others. Noted scholoar, WEB DuBois explore the Negro culture. In regards to identity he tells us about the double consciousness. â€Å"This double consciousness is a psychological sense experienced by the African Americans whereby they possess the national identity, â€Å"an American,† within a nation that despises their racial identity and that blacks see themselves only through the eyes of white Americans to measure intelligence beauty, and a sense of self-worth by standards set by others (DuBois 4).† Young Elethia was coming of age and her inquisitive nature uncovered truths and these truths led to more inquiries. Who am I? Who is Uncle Albert? Am I my community? Am I Uncle Albert? Am I going to let someone who keeps my community in oppression define who WE should be? Between the lines of the text these questions rang out to me. The title of the short story is Elethia, which when you search for names for girls you find that Elethia means healer. Was Elethia taking on the role as healer for the entire African American community? Was she only there to heal the memory of Uncle Albert? In a search for Elethia’s identity, I think that maybe the author, Walker, purposely named her character Elethia as a subtle way to aide her in the restorative process against inequality. The removal of the symbol of pain weaved together with a mythological symbol that helps lessen the pain in order to make a society whole, is nothing short of genius. It not only helped in the formation of young Elethia it gave a self-esteem booster to the African American community. The absence of Uncle Albert in effect may have unmasked the veil in which W.E.B. DuBois says the black folk live under (14). Uncle Albert’s persona displayed in the window puts me in the mind of Aunt Jemima, a mammy black face figure, with a big smile, whom is overly obedient, and whose primary goal in life is to be happy and subservient to the Anglo community. This is viewed as a negative stereotype in the African American community, not just in the small southern town, but all over America. Due to the veil worn by the African American community, Aunt Jemima was accepted by the African American community before the veil was lifted. The Aunt Jemima persona was juxtaposed as to what Uncle Albert was in life. With him no longer in the window that element has disappeared and the Negro has the freedom to create his own identity. By removing him from the window and giving him a proper cremation, the ‘young self imposed civil rights activist/reconciliators of the community’ not only released him from the glass plated walls of slavery but they gave him a spiritual release to heal his soul and the souls of the community. Not only was Uncle Albert a remembrance of pain he became a commemoration of healing when Elethia along with her friends decided in an act to resist racism decided to free Uncle Albert it became a cleansing for the African American’s of the town. By keeping his ashes it was a reminder of the past; albeit a past Uncle Albert refused to forget. Uncle Albert was not allowed to be free, to go  off to college to be and do better things. He was trapped. Keeping his ashes was also a symbol of humbleness to not forget where you started from. Elethia saw change that disallowed her and her friends to become trapped. This change allowed members of the African American community everywhere to claim and create who they wanted to be for themselves, as well as their families. In Elethia’s travels in life she had ran into several Uncle Alberts and Aunt Albertas who were not permitted to exist (Brown 309). The African American individuals whom were not permitted to be seen or heard by means of oppression, or their own lack or inability to seek a better life. His ashes are a constant reminder of who she is now in the present, how far she has come, and how much further she needs to maintain the feeling of wholeness. Although Wikipedia is not a scholarly source, it gave me the definition of identity and I believe it is reasonably accurate. Identity is defined as sameness, or whatever makes an entity definable and recognizable. By transcribing the memory of Uncle Albert it did just that and also Elethia also created a legacy. This legacy that can be retold without censure or wrong misgivings which gives legacy gives the African American Community a place in history; a place that says yes our people do and did exist. In addition a legacy is about the way one lived or is living in hopes that the future outcome will have results greater than the past. Elethia’s legacy also provides the African American community with history that mirrors the way they look, traditions that existed, the way they speak, and the way they were forced to live. This culmination of factors adds to Elethia as well as the Negro community and adds to each ones identity. I once read somewhere that without a legacy the meaning of life is sometimes lost. Had some of the Uncle Alberts and Aunt Albertas in Elethia path lost their meaning of life and may that loss caused them to be blind? Maybe or maybe not, however one struggle to overcome the products of racism can definitely effect the way ones views himself. In conclusion a legacy can oftentimes become the catalyst that brings about social change and is a definite component of identity. WORK CITED Anderson, J.D., My Bouquet of Kisses, Esquire Publications, Inc.: 3rd edition (April 2011). Aptheker, Henry., American Negro Slave Revolts, Publisher: Intl Pub; 5 edition (August 1983). Brown, Wesley & Ling, Amy, Imagining America Stories from the Promised Land: Persea Books, Inc.: 1st edition (2002). DuBois, W.E.B., The Souls of Black Folk, Barnes & Nobles Classics with New Introduction (1903) Republished 2003. Jefferson, Thomas, Notes on the State of Virginia, (1781) www.revolutionary-war-and-beyond.com/notes-on-the-state-of-virginia-by-thomas-jefferson-1781-1782-2. www.wikipedia.com Identity. Retrieved August 4, 2012.

Global Warming Affects International Business

During the 20th century, the earth's average surface temperature increased by 0. 6 °  ± (). 2 °C (Folland et al. 2001), and there’s strong evidence that human activities are the main cause of this trend (Mitchell et al. 2001). This increase in global surface temperature is thought to have at least some effect on the frequency of extreme weather events due to climate changes (Folland et al. 2001), and there is concern that these changes will have an enormous impact on various industries (Hitz and Smith 2004). Balancing environmental measures with economic development, that is, working toward sustainable development, is the fundamental goal of global environmental policies, including those for global warming (Hijioka, Masui, Takahashi, Matsuoka, and Harasawa 2006). Over the last decade, scientists have extensively studied the greenhouse effect, which holds that the accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2) is expected to produce global warming and other significant climatic changes over the next century (Mendelsohn, Nordhaus and Shaw, 1994). In this essay, we will be discussing about the impact to an analysis of global warming change effects on agriculture and insurance industries, and some qualitative conclusions on the relative importance of the government decision. Numerous studies indicate major impacts on agriculture, especially if there is significant mid-continental drying and warming in the country (Mendelsohn et al. , 1994). Normally, sky-high food prices reflect scarcity caused by crop failure. Stocks are run down as everyone lives off last year's stores. This year harvests have been poor in some places, notably Australia, where the drought-hit wheat crop failed for the second year running. And world cereals stocks as a proportion of production are the lowest ever recorded. The run-down has been accentuated by the decision of large countries (America and China) to reduce stocks to save money (Peterson, 1979). With respect to research on global warming, United States and other international research programs are aiming towards improving future predictions. Such programs are arguably weakest in modelling feedbacks from human activities, including effects of trends towards greater urbanization and deforestation on local and regional climates. Economic incentives and culturally motivated practices are in large part driving changes in land use. Understanding incentives and responses by individuals, companies, and governments in developing countries will strengthen the human behavioural component of feedbacks to the climate system. U. S farm policy merits reform to increase farmers’ flexibility in responding to climatic changes without financial penalties that government programs may potentially give to such responses. Besides, government also introduce price support programs to inhibit climate change adaptation. Subsidies, tariffs and non-tariff barriers continue to distort world trade in agriculture and food. Subsidised prices reduce the ability of farmers in non-subsidising countries to earn a sustainable income and generate the capital required to increase production and improve productivity (Hill, Cronk and Wickramasekera, 2011). For example, today’s farmers are paid any positive difference between the support price for any program commodity and the international market price. International commodity markets smooth the price effects of production and consumption shocks, so changes in the patterns of food consumption induced by climate change thus are tempered by open trade or called free trade (Robert and Sally, 1995). Free trade occurs when there is an absence of barriers to the free flow of goods and services between countries Free trade might also increase the efficiency with which a country’s stock of resources of resources, as increased supplies of labour and capital from abroad become available for use within the country (Hill, Cronk and Wickramasekera, 2011). One manifestation insight is the joint implementation approach to greenhouse gas reductions initiated by several countries, including the U. S. Under joint implementation, the least costly projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or enhance carbon sinks can be pursued jointly across countries by, in essence, giving private agents and governments opportunities to meet emission reduction targets anywhere and in cooperation with ay others around the world. For example, forestry projects are one of the important outcomes of joint implementation in agriculture industry. Planting trees in reforestation or afforestation projects enhances the absorptive capacity of the biosphere and leads to carbon dioxide reductions in the atmosphere(Robert and Sally, 1995). Besides, Tesco, a European supermarket chain, is beginning a program to provide a global warming rating for everything it sells (Scot, 2007). The chain is creating an index to measure the â€Å"carbon footprint† required to produce, package, and transport ach product in its stores. Consumers can then include the carbon footprint along with price and product quality when making purchasing decisions. Weather and climate are ‘‘core business’’ for the insurance industry. Many extreme weather events such as cyclones, hailstorms, bushfires and floods are projected to increase in either intensity or frequency under climate change. A changing, less predictable climate has the potential to reduce the insurance industry’s capacity to calculate, price and spread this weather-related risk. In Australia, 19 out of the 20 most costly natural disasters, in terms of property insurance losses, have been weather related (Michael, 2007). While insurers face huge risks for society’s failure to act to curb greenhouse gas emissions, there are untapped opportunities for the insurance industry to use its financial muscle to push for changes in government policies as well as damaging business practices of the oil and fossil fuel power generating companies and the auto industry, to name the most obvious (Carrie, 2003). Analysis of the risks associated with climate change provides insurance companies with a working example of the benefits in considering long-term as well as short term issues. Understanding long-term risks and opportunities enables insurers to ensure our business is sustainable in the long term, while generating enduring shareholder value (Michael, 2007). Insurers and reinsurers using their considerable financial resources as â€Å"catalysts† for the development of renewable, emission reductions and energy efficient technologies could serve the industry by reducing risks and opening up new lines of business activity (Carrie, 2003). Government is committed to undertaking further research to increase the scientific understanding of the impacts of global warming, to identify ways to reduce the impact that global warming is expected to have on society and to identify insurance based, policies incentives for a reduction in future greenhouse gas emissions. However, success in dealing with this global problem requires action across the entire economy. While we are learning more about the economics and geophysics of global warming, policy makers should continue to seek ways to minimize social costs of climate change and change mitigation, a process which the economics profession has much to contribute. Prominent examples of efficiency-enhancing policy measures are he promotion of free trade, the liberalization of farm policy, and the joint implementation of greenhouse gas reduction objectives under the Framework Convention on Climate change (Robert and Sally, 1995). Climate change presents a strong case for the need for business, governments and community groups to work together to find sustainable solutions to this critical challenge of the 21st century (Michael, 2007).

Substance abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Substance abuse - Essay Example There are many ongoing debates in regards to this issue, and this is especially so in particular regards to that of the exact distinction between substance abuse and substance dependence; these are two totally separate issues however they are often confused or considered wrongly as being the same thing. In regards to be able to show a proper example of substance abuse, we will be discussing one movie in particular, 28 days. By thoroughly examining this movie and understanding about the environment, the characters, the situations take place, and all of the related issues in this regards we will be able to come to a much more critical and knowledgeable viewpoint in regards to what substance abuse actually is and what can be done about it. There are many critical issues that will be discussed using this film, and this is what will be dissertated in the following. 28 Days is a movie in which basically what happens is a big-city newspaper columnist is forced to enter a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center after stealing a limousine and crashing it into a house; the main character is Gwen Cummings who is played by Sandra Bullock, who is a Caucasian woman that ends up getting into a car crash on the day of her sister’s wedding, and she is then given a choice between either going to prison or going to a rehab center, and so she ends up choosing the rehab center. However, she is not exactly willing to admit that she has a problem with alcohol, and so at the beginning of the rehab center program she is quite negative and is extremely resistant in regards to taking part in any of the treatment programs that they have to offer. However, after a certain point she starts to realize that she does in fact have a problem, and that rather than simply using alcohol she does in fact have an addiction, and she then gradually begins to re-examine her life and she becomes willing to at least give it a try and get herself help and get better.

Middle East Augmentation System - same ideas of WAAS but this is in Research Paper

Middle East Augmentation System - same ideas of WAAS but this is in the middle east - Research Paper Example ion system is used to enable aircraft to rely on GPS for all phases of flight, including  precision approaches  to any airport within its coverage area. On the other hand, Europe has the European GNSS overlay system (EGNOS). India is launching its GPS-aided Geo-augmented navigation (GAGAN) system; however, Japan has the multifunction satellite augmentation system (MSAS). They are all satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS) and are already delivering improved accuracy and integrity for GPS users over much of the northern hemisphere. Since we do not have augmentation system in the Middle East, we came with new idea of creating Middle East wide augmentation system (MEWAS). The system of satellites and ground stations, which will give  GPS  signal corrections for errors, caused by ionosphere disturbances, timing, and satellite orbit errors. In this report, we will present our new idea Middle East wide augmentation system Space and Ground Segments as an integration part of Global Satellite Augmentation System (GSAS) for enhanced Traffic Control and Management (TCM) globally at sea, on the ground (road and railway vehicles) and in the air. We will discuss how it works. Beside of that, we will look for some benefits, limitations and the future of Middle East wide augmentation system (MEWAS). The purpose of this document is introducing in details (MEWAS) system, which will make flying more efficient and safe for users. GPS is a global positioning, navigation, and timing network consisting of space, ground control, and user equipment segments that support the broadcasts of military and civil GPS signals. These signals each include positioning and timing information, which enables users with GPS receivers to determine their position and time, 24 hours a day, worldwide. All branches of the military to guide troops’ movements, integrated logistics support and battle space situational awareness, and communications network synchronization use GPS. In addition, bombs and

Making Government Intervention Work for Leadership Research Paper

Making Government Intervention Work for Leadership - Research Paper Example Whereas, it not possible for the government to undertake various risks and investments alone, through leveraging excessive bureaucracy rule and other policies it helps the leaders to undertake and implement change initiatives, by taking technological advancement benefit, innovativeness and risk bearing capacity and adequate capital gaining ability., This will improvise the students and institutional outcomes, by increasing recognition so as to provide the best possible education to the learners. In the present education system, it has become a general trend for the local, state, and federal government to get involved in the higher education institutions that in turn has disrupted the process of implementing change policies. The education system is one of the crucial aspects for developing the economy of a country. The governments are responsible in order to ensure that the citizens are protected with the implementation of stringent education polices. In order to satisfy this role of the government, various responsible agencies are emphasizing the enactment of effective policies to protect the citizens. In the present scenario, the education system is funded mostly by the government and is virtually governed through governmental or by non-profit organization. Contextually, local, state and federal government have less emphasis over the operations of higher education. Nevertheless, when they interfere, a large impact is imposed in the education system for the overall effectiveness. Education is one of the most important aspects for overall development and this is the reason for which government is setting its main priority over it (American Council on Education, 2014). The paper intends to address the in volvement of local, state, and federal government in higher education institutions, which distract leaders from accomplishing their intended goals. Further the discussion will be made about how government

Andean and mesoamerican societies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Andean and mesoamerican societies - Essay Example In this discussion, the war methods of the two societies are explored. Both Andeans and Mesoamericans did not have complicated weapons for war fighting. They both used traditional war tools for hunting purposes, however, the approach in fighting their enemies varied. Mesoamericans had organized war fare than the Andeans. Andeans had poor weapons against their enemies and they majorly relied on the old war tactic methods. They used tools such as, flint- tipped spears, and cotton quilted tunics, bows and arrows to fight their enemies.1 In addition, they had no technologically advanced weapons, and this made them suffer defeat in many war stages. 2 Their poor war methods and choice of traditional weapons made Spanish triumph over them during the war. This led to the capture of their emperor by the enemies because of their technological vulnerability and cultural gap. Mesoamerican’s war was occasionally based on raids. Their wars fare rose as a result of the destruction and seizing of fixed assets. They had different methods of fighting. These methods were based on experience and skills, which they had learnt over the years. During wars, they retreated strategically to their familiar territories. Notably, they had to siege cities during the wars to counter their enemy. They also used alliances method. The alliances made the weaker enemies defeat the most powerful enemies, who were likely to beat them in the war. This method worked greatly in their favour. Another method of fighting the enemy was the destruction warfare methods. This method majorly included burning. The jungle terrain of their land also made it more complicated for their enemies to reach them. 3The warfare used was also through control of trade routes, which made them defend their cities with defensive structures like gateways, earthworks, and palisades. At some point, they could use hunting tools for war purposes. Moreover,

Proportional representative system in U.K Term Paper

Proportional representative system in U.K - Term Paper Example The reason for this has been partly likened to the failure by the plural form of elections to produce a clear winner after the 1974 election, which saw the formation of a weak government without an outright majority (Amy 23). Additionally, the additional vote from a third party in the 70s has also acted to highlight the disproportionate and distorted nature of a pluralist voting system. This paper provides a discussion on the way proportional representative system is better than plurality system in the UK. The Labor government, in 1997, made a promise to hold a referendum as soon as it got into power that would vote on the issue of introducing a representative voting system. However, this referendum was continually delayed and dropped off the labor party agenda. Additionally, the amount of choice that the voter would be given could also be limited. This is because there is an argument that the Labor Party and the Tories stand to lose the most if any changes are effected to the plural ist electoral system, which explains their reluctance to pursue the issue (Amy 25). Had proportional representation been used during the elections of 1997, it is possible that the big Labor majority would have seen a reduction with major gains by the Liberal Democrats (Connolly 31). This would have seen a gain from the forty six seats they attained to as high as one hundred and six members of parliament. The Lib Dems got 16.8% of all the votes cast, but suffered when it came to actual seats at Westminster, gaining less than ten percent of the total seats. Proportional representation would have altered their standing and greatly reduced that of the Labor Party. A similar incident would have occurred in the elections of 2001, a result that intimates the fact that pluralist electoral models are unfair and have the potential to be undemocratic, i.e., the number of votes that are cast for the government are not proportional to that the government’s popularity with the UK public (C onnolly 31). All proportional representation forms tend to possess similar basic merits. These merits include the fact that the system is more representative of the voting public’s wishes as expressed during the voting process (Connolly 35). In addition, fewer wasted votes encourage better participation in the election. The pluralist electoral model could lead to some voters avoiding the voting process because they perceive it as a wasted cause. Additionally, the minority parties could end up with fairer representation in Westminster. Independent candidates will also have more opportunities at being elected with only a single one, Martin Bell, winning a seat in parliament during the 1997 elections. The candidate lost the seat during the second attempt where he used the pluralist electoral route. Another advantage of PR is that it removes safe seats that are characterized by perennial low turnouts. If people feel that their vote counts, then they may be more encouraged to part icipate in the elections. Using the PR system, the voter also has an increased variety of choice as far as candidates are concerned. Finally, a pluralist system can be eliminated by a proportional representation system ending up with a system that is â€Å"

HY 1110-08F-2, AMERICAN HISTORY I (HY1110-08F-2) Essay - 3

HY 1110-08F-2, AMERICAN HISTORY I (HY1110-08F-2) - Essay Example This is especially true of the temperance societies. These groups saw a great deal of society’s ills manifest in the use of alcohol. They crusaded against â€Å"demon rum† and sought for a prohibition against the use of alcohol. Women were prominent members and often the leaders of these societies. In this way, the battle for temperance and women’s suffrage carried on together, often with one society for temperance being almost indistinguishable from societies that advocated women’s suffrage. Both of these concerns were part of the Second Great Awakening because churches began to adopt a theology that said they should be stewards over society. They believed that Christian principles should be applied to all aspects of culture, so they became involved in causes, such as temperance and women’s suffrage because the current state of the nation did not reflect good Christian principles and values (Sutton, 1992). Nowhere did this manifest itself more than in the movement to abolish slavery. Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a good example of how the abolitionist viewed slavery and how the participants of the Second Great Awakening viewed the Christian’s duty in regards to curing social

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

Qualitative - Essay Example Since previous studies reveal that women above 30 are the most affected by this phenomenon, this study will focus on women above 30 years around 75 percent of the sample. The other 25 percent will comprise of women below the age of 30. To access obese women above 30 years, the study will be conducted in major hospitals, social clubs, gymnasium, and supermarket parking lots. The intended outcome is to get the bulk of the sample from hospitals, gymnasium, social clubs, and supplement with data from the parking lot study. The sampling approach to will be quota sampling. Quota sampling approach the design focusses on a specific number of people with specified characteristics that are consistent with the participants. This approach will be adopted because of available knowledge on groups of women that are affected, therefore need to focus on this group, which is women above 30 years. Observation and interviews will be used to collect the data required for the study. The interview sessions will be carried out on a daily basis with a target to interview at least three obese women. The observation will also be carried out on a daily basis on a chosen sample group from gymnasiums and social clubs. The main data that will be collected includes stigmatisation, family history, medical history, social life, and how they are controlling the solutions. To find out all this the questions to be asked will be as

Conflict Management Essay Example for Free

Conflict Management Essay Conflict management refers to the long-term management of intractable conflicts. It is the label for the variety of ways by which people handle grievances — standing up for what they consider to be right and against what they consider to be wrong. Those ways include such diverse phenomena as gossip, ridicule, lynching, terrorism, warfare, feuding, genocide, law, mediation, and avoidance. Which forms of conflict management will be used in any given situation can be somewhat predicted and explained by the social structure — or social geometry — of the case. Conflict management is often considered to be distinct from conflict resolution. In order for actual conflict to occurr, there should be an expression of exclusive patterns, and tell why the conflict was expressed the way it was. Conflict is not just about simple inaptness, but is often connected to a previous issue. The latter refers to resolving the dispute to the approval of one or both parties, whereas the former concerns an ongoing process that may never have a resolution. Neither is it considered the same as conflict transformation, which seeks to reframe the positions of the conflict parties. Scientific studies Scientific study of conflict management (also known as social control) owes its foundations to Donald Black, who typologized its elementary forms and used his strategy of pure sociology to explain several aspects of its variation. Research and theory on conflict management has been further developed by Allan Horwitz, Calvin Morill, James Tucker, Mark Cooney, M.P. Baumgartner, Roberta Senechal de la Roche, Marian Borg, Ellis Godard, Scott Phillips, and Bradley Campbell. Utilizing a multidisciplinary approach and avoiding semantic discussions, we could also state that the father of conflict management is Thomas C. Schelling, an American economist and Nobel Prize winner, who authored the Strategy of Conflict in 1960. Schelling’s main goal was to lay the foundation for a theory of conflict that would include the fields of economics, psychology, sociology and the law. Conflict is an omnipresent trait of human societies since it is almost impossible to find two parties with entirely overlapping interests, thus a general theory for bargaining and negotiation to address conflict is useful not only in the field of international politics or business management, but also at the personal and intimate level. Counseling When personal conflict leads to frustration and loss of efficiency, counseling may prove to be a helpful antidote. Although few organizations can afford the luxury of having professional counselors on the staff, given some training, managers may be able to perform this function. Nondirective counseling, or listening with understanding, is little more than being a good listener — something every manager should be. [1] Sometimes the simple process of being able to vent ones feelings — that is, to express them to a concerned and understanding listener, is enough to relieve frustration and make it possible for the frustrated individual to advance to a problem-solving frame of mind, better able to cope with a personal difficulty that is affecting his work adversely. The nondirective approach is one effective way for managers to deal with frustrated subordinates and co-workers.[2] There are other more direct and more diagnostic ways that might be used in appropriate circumstances. The great strength of the nondirective approach (nondirective counseling is based on the client-centered therapy of Carl Rogers), however, lies in its simplicity, its effectiveness, and the fact that it deliberately avoids the manager-counselors diagnosing and interpreting emotional problems, which would call for special psychological training. No one has ever been harmed by being listened to sympathetically and understandingly. On the contrary, this approach has helped many people to cope with problems that were interfering with their effectiveness on the job.[2] References 1. ^ Henry P Knowles; Bà ¶rje O Saxberg (1971). Personality and leadership behavior. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Pub. Co.. Chapter 8. OCLC 118832. 2. ^ a b Richard Arvid Johnson (1976). Management, systems, and society : an introduction. Pacific Palisades, Calif.: Goodyear Pub. Co.. pp. 148–142. ISBN 0876205406 9780876205402. OCLC 2299496. Kellett, Peter M. Conflict Dialogue. London: Sage Publications, 2007 External links †¢ Conflict Management Articles A collection of Conflict Management Articles †¢ Peace Forge -A wiki dedicated to best practices in peace and conflict resolution †¢ Search For Common Ground One of the worlds largest non-government organisations dedicated to conflict resolution †¢ CUNY Dispute Resolution Consortium- The Dispute Resolution Headquarters in New York City. See also †¢ Conflict resolution †¢ Conflict atlas †¢ Conflict style inventory You cant avoid conflict in your life, at home, at work, and even at play. Wherever people interact, there is a potential for conflict. Thats not bad news because good things can arise, and relationships can improve through conflict, provided conflict is managed with thought and attention. The bad news is that most of us are fairly limited in how we manage and resolve conflict situations, often throwing gasoline on the fire. It doesnt have to be that way. Weve gathered together the best and most useful free online resources and tools to help you manage and cope with conflict more effectively. Whether you want to learn about conflict at work, between siblings, within the family, or any other context, youll be sure to find help on these pages. Originally created for our own research purposes, we decided to publish the directory so others could use it. New conflict material is added weekly, so make sure to subscribe to our update newsletter. Customer Service (75) new A major part of providing good customer service involves dealing effectively with angry, dissatisfied, or just plan difficult customers. Here youll find suggestions about how to deal with those tough customer service, and customer conflict situations. (Call Centers) (Suggested Books) Difficult People (53) new Difficult people can drive you nuts, and if youre difficult, you may be driving others nuts. Learn more about what makes difficult people tick, and how to deal with different kinds of difficult people behaviors. (Discussion Lists) (Suggested Books) Diversity and Multicultural Issues (73) Learn about diversity and culture, how to create diverse organizations, and increase your understanding of the links between diversity, culture and conflict. Practical suggestions about resolution of conflict that is linked to culture. (Suggested Books) (Doing Business Abroad) Emotional Intelligence (37) Free articles and papers related to Emotional Intelligence, Goleman, and others. Facilitation (21) new Articles about the faciliating process in groups and dyads and about facilitators Family Conflict Parents and Children (35) new Parents and children often come into conflict over large and small issues, regardless of age of the children. Learn more about dealing with conflicts between parents and children from these resources. Family Conflict Sibling Disagreements (20) new Conflict with brothers and sisters is a natural process, and occurs in every family. Learn more about conflict between siblings and sibling rivalry and how to deal with it. Fighting Fair (16) Sometimes its not whether you win or lose an argument but how you act during an argument that dictates a positive or negative outcome. Learn to fight fair during disagreements and conflict. Labor Law (23)

Visual Techniques Essay Example for Free

Visual Techniques Essay Contemporary television nowadays is leaning towards the â€Å"reality† aspect of what’s being shown to the audience. Because of this, they adapt visual techniques which makes it easier for the audience to relate to what’s on today’s TV. One specific technique is the subjective perspective or view point. This is when the television shows encourage its viewers to follow a certain character or adopt a certain stance through the direction of the shots. High angled shots usually give power to viewers while low angled shots leave them powerless. Another visual technique is the social distance. This enables the audience to see how close or how intimate characters are to a certain cause or idea. Personal distances are judged through the types of shots, like when its about far social distance, long shots are used, and for close personal distance medium to close-up shots are used. 2. On the other hand, television visual techniques are now being used in contemporary films. One good example is the use of lighting. Before, one can immediately distinguish a film from a television show because television shows usually have more lighting, as compared to darker, dimmer lighting on films. Nowadays, in the advent of High-Definition, films give a more life-like feel just like television because of lighting. Another one television visual technique used in contemporary films is the documentary style or approach. Instead of the usual plot, films follow different sequence of events that could make the viewers feel like they’re watching a made-for-TV documentary. 3. Film and television clearly have influenced each other throughout their shared history. Now, film visual techniques are not anymore limited to films, just like with television techniques being used in films. Also, both of these benefited from better production because of the advanced tools and techniques used in making them (CinemaRoll, 2008). Computer-generated images are not that costly now, making it available even to low-budget films. On the other hand, viewers are tired of the usual plot twists and turns in movies that’s why they enjoy odd, radical approaches in film making, including the incorporation of television techniques in its production (Cohen, 2006). References: CinemaRoll. (2008). Television and Film. Retrieved June 8, 2009, from http://cinemaroll. com/cinemarolling/television-and-film/ Cohen, D. S. (2006). New techniques make visual effects more actor-friendly. Retrieved June 8, 2009, from http://www. variety. com/awardcentral_article/VR1117955526. html? nav=visualfx07

Roles Of The Supervisor | Essay

Roles Of The Supervisor | Essay A supervisor is someone who guides and oversees the work or activities of a student or another counselor. The three major goals of a supervisor include enhancing the skills and knowledge of professional and or student counselors, to ensure the welfare of the clients and maintain control between the client and the student. A supervisors responsibility is to mentor and teach students and professionals (Erford, 2010, p. 202-205). The supervisor will challenge, encourage and stimulate a student or professional counselor to help them gain the knowledge to become proficient (Erford, 2010, p. 202-205). There are different purposes for a counseling supervisor, among them include improving the counselors professional and personal growth, encouraging a counselors knowledge and advancement of liable counseling services and programs. Among the roles of a supervisor include advocate, case consultant, collaborator and teacher. A supervisor helps counselors explore their counter transference issues. The supervisor support interpersonal and intrapersonal exploration of the student or counselors teaching and assessment. Supervisors explore diversity issues of counselor, student, and client. (Erford, 2010, p. 202-205). Model of a supervisor includes developmental approach, models developed for the supervisor and theory-based. When a supervisor works from a theory based supervision model work with students and counselors in the same way of their counseling theory. Some of the content, focus, and process of supervision are grounded in the supervisors counseling model include the developmental approach, models developed and theory based (Smallwood, 2010) Models of Supervision with Michael Part I Michael has worked as an intern student for two months under the supervision of Janet. Janet is a theory based supervisor. She uses the person-centered model of supervision (Erford, 2010, p. 202-205). Michael shows a lack of confidence. However, with the person-centered approach, he should gain more confidence because this approach encourages confidence. Janet will use Michaels experiences to help him gain knowledge of his gain a personal awareness. Janet will not judge his mistakes; instead she will have empathy, and accept his mistakes as a means to learn. Janet will discuss Michaels difficulties with him as a means of learning from his mistakes. When Michael shares his concerns with his client, he is letting Janet is aware that he needs and appreciates her suggestions Michael is trying to learn from the way Janet would deal with this situation. Janet may get some ideas from Michael to help him see his own feelings regarding his thoughts (Smallwood, 2010). To help his gain confidence the supervisor works closely with the student and counselor and develops a working relationship. (Smallwood, 2010). If Janet was a developmental model supervisor, she would encourage Michael to gain confidence by becoming aware of himself and other. She would encourage him to become motivated and gain independence. Michael would be going to Janet for advice because she is the supervisor, and she wants him to be relatively dependent on her. Michael should eventually become more independent and function unaided without seeking approval from his supervisor. (The International Child and Youth Care Network, 2001). There are eight growth areas that Janet will be helping Michael to attain. These areas include assessment techniques, client conceptualization, interpersonal assessment, intervention, individual differences, professional ethics treatment goals and plans, and skill competence (The International Child and Youth Care Network, 2001). The discrimination model of supervision is divided into three categorized patient centered, supervisee-centered, and supervisory-matrix-centered. This approach gives the supervisor much authority because their role is didactic, allowing the student or counselor to treat the patient. This model focuses on the client, not the student or counselor allows for some interaction between the counselor and the student. In Michaels case this form of supervision may not work as he has little self esteem or confidence in himself (Smith, 2009) Part II Importance of Supervision to counselors and professional counselors The benefits a student or professional counselor gain from supervision include development in personally and professional, gain new strategies, have support, and are given the opportunity to develop professionally (Benshoff, 1992-12-00). Supervision is critical in learning, maintaining and improving professional skills of students and professional counselors. Counselors and professional counselors incorporate their academic training with hands on experience. Supervision also gives counselors the ability to learn about their own style of counseling and examine the strengths and weaknesses. Supervision is also effective in increasing the knowledge of the counselor by giving them the ability to help each other and learn from mistakes (Benshoff, 1992-12-00) There may be times when supervision is impossible. This is when the counselors work together in what is called a triadic model by rotating the tomes of counselor, commentator and facilitator with peer supervision sections. This helps counselors develop professional counseling skills by implementing them effectively with clients (Benshoff, 1992-12-00). Supervision helps counselors to learn by teaching or mentoring them. The supervisor challenges, encourages, and stimulates the counselor to give them the knowledge to gain confidence. Supervisors help counselors to develop into exemplary counselors by promoting their personal and professional development by teaching, mentoring, collaborating, and consulting. (Erford, 2010, p. 202-205). Heading for Conclusion/Summary Supervision is essential to challenge, stimulate and encourage counselors and professionals by gaining knowledge from advocating, mentoring, teaching, training and collaborating. The focus of counseling supervisors is to facilitate the counselors development professionally and personally. Supervisors also consider the diversity of counselors and professionals in the counseling relationship and respect differing opinions and beliefs (Erford, 2010, p. 202-205). There are different models of supervising including the theory based, developmental approach and the models developed for supervision (book). The person centered theory is when supervisors try to build a working relationship with the counselors in order to gain their trust. Supervisors show empathy and genuine concern for the counselor pointing out mistakes, in a way that is not demeaning (Erford, 2010, p. 202-205). A supervisor who correctly uses the person centered theory will help the counselor to have self confidence and the ability to understand the counseling process. When a supervisor uses the cognitive behavioral model they are teaching the counselor appropriate behavior and helping them to develop specific skills needed to allow them to become motivated and gain successful knowledge. (Erford, 2010, p. 202-205). The supervisor assesses the counselor or professional for each issue and helps them work through issues, so they can move on to the next of the three levels. The eight domains of professional counseling that are addressed include assessment techniques, client conceptualization, individual differences intervention skills, treatment goals and plans and theoretical orientation and professional ethics. (Erford, 2010, p. 202-205). Other theories of the discrimination model include Intervention skills, conceptualization skills and personalization skills (Erford, 2010, p. 202-205) .

Cultural Myths :: essays research papers

We are considered fortunate to live in the world that we do today. Material things seem to be bountiful, science and technology simply keeps on advancing, and we are all busy and hard at work in school or making money to achieve certain things in life by whatever means. In particular, science and technology has introduced so many significant inventions and conveniences to society that we cannot help but feel that we need to have these things. The products and services out there being advertised and sold are glamorized to appear faultless so that our attention is drawn to the benefits. Unfortunately, there are drawbacks and the fact that these inventions and conveniences are supposed to be quick and helpful could be a mere myth. This might lead one to ask if all the things we think we need to help us are really conveniences or merely burdensome. An example of something that is very useful and convenient, but at the same time could be very problematic would be the computer. Uses for computers have reached new heights. Aside from using them for word processing, computers serve as a source of entertainment with games and the Internet, are a means of communication, and we are able to shop in our underwear now if that’s what is preferred. The Internet alone can have you sitting in the same place for hours at a time because of all its possibilities. However, along with all of its advantages come a computer’s weaknesses. Putting a spotlight on the Internet, what poses a concern to me would be the safety of it all. Nowadays, we can not be certain that what we perceive to be private information still remains to be so. When we make purchases over the Internet, so much information is available to the person sitting on the other end, which can in turn wind up in the hands of many others without our knowledge. It takes so much more time to make sure your information is secure with passwords and usernames. Wouldn’t it simply be easier to go out and buy what you need instead of worrying about what kind of personal information could be leaking out everywhere? It would save a lot of worry and one’s sanity. However, one might agree that it saves them time to do their grocery shopping at home while they can still watch the kids or fill their prescriptions without leaving the house with swollen lips because of an allergic reaction.

Paradise of the Blind and Like Water for Chocolate Essay -- Compare and

A strong maternal bond is crucial in one’s life; however in both Paradise of the Blind by Duong Thu Huong and Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, the authors portray the distant relationship between the mother and the daughter as a tool to critique the ‘inhuman’ traditions imposed upon the family members in their respective societies. Though Houng’s and Esquivel’s novels are set in Vietnam and Mexico respectively, they assert that family traditions are unjust and forbid family members to pursue their own dreams, ambitions, and desires as portrayed by the two teenage protagonists and their mothers, who are obligated to sacrifice their own lives for others. In order to gain their freedom, the protagonists have to detach themselves from their oppressive, domineering mothers to break away from the undesirable family traditions in their culture. Early in Like Water for Chocolate, the reader is introduced to the abnormal mother-daughter relationship right away as Nacha, the family cook, â€Å"offers to take charge of feeding Tita† (Esquivel 6) after Mama Elena’s â€Å"milk dried up from the shock† (Esquivel 6) of her husband’s death. Moreover, Mama Elena arranges a marriage for Rosaura, Tita’s sister, to marry Tita’s true love Pedro, which develops Tita’s abhorrence towards her mother significantly. Tita’s hatred towards her mother is mostly due to the fact that she is prohibited from marrying under the tradition that the youngest daughter has to take care of her mother until she passes away; therefore, resulting in a widening gap between the two. Portraying Tita’s domain and realm as the kitchen underscores Esquivel’s complete condemnation of family traditions as she is ordered to cook in the kitchen at all times, preparing meals for he... ... family traditions because they are innocent and fragile compared to men, therefore dramatizing the effects of the ‘inhuman’ traditions. A maternal bond is a very crucial component of one’s life; therefore by disrupting the usual aspect of one’s life, the authors are sending their message in a strong manner. Furthermore, the ending of both novels imply a necessity for social improvement in their societies as the protagonists have to detach themselves from their repressive mothers, who represent the authorities of the old generation with their overbearing attitudes, in order to pursue their own dreams, whether it is for education, career, or love. After the protagonists break away from their mothers, Tita chases her love for Pedro and Hang leaves the country, abandoning all the traditional traditions, to continue with her college education and occupation in Russia.

Male and Female Issues Essay -- essays papers

Male and Female Issues There have been so many controversial issues involving gender equity. Boys have been seen in excelling in certain subject areas, whereas girls excel in others. Most believe that two certain subjects, math and science, boys perform better in. One report that was held in 1992 by the American Association of University Women came to the conclusion that girls were encouraged to "pursue traditional female studies instead of mathematics, science and traditionally male subject areas† (Unger 10.) Although many of these girls are probably very gifted in these certain subject areas, women are being pushed towards certain careers that are not to their interests and desires (Delisle 1998.) One woman who tried to change this was Emma Hart Willard. Ms. Hart opened Troy Female Seminary in 1821, which specialized in teaching females math and science. Before this school, females were limited to certain subject areas including French, sewing dance, art, and English. It was also stated that females tend to have a higher self-esteem if they have a positive feeling of their abilities in those two subject areas, math and science (Hanmer 1996.) On the other hand, girls are said to surpass boys in reading and writing. Gambell and Hunter state, "females outperform males in all areas of reading and writing at the elementary, middle and secondary levels" (4.) Today, there is a smaller gap between boys and girls in science and math. Females are taking a wide variety of courses including the courses that are seen as intimidating to them. Females are becoming doctors and scientists at a greater rate than before. Although there are more and more woman found in male dominated fields, there still is a smaller percentage of fem... ...re is still a bias towards females, and their abilities compared to boys. This is discussed in this article. Basow, S. (1986). Gender stereotypes traditions and alternatives. California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. This book discusses both issues in the past and issues today dealing with boys and girls in the classroom. Hanmer, T. J. (1996). The gender gap in schools girls losing out. U.K.: Enslow Publishers. This book supports the idea that girls are still seen as inferior to boys in certain subjects and there is a bias, although sometimes unknown, against girls. Unger, H. G. (1999). School choice how to select the best schools for your children. New York: Checkmark Books. This book gives advise to parents as to what is the best school for their children. It also deals with girls and boys in a private setting, saying they can learn easier.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 19. Burning

The pain was bewildering. Exactly that – I was bewildered. I couldn't understand, couldn't make sense of what was happening. My body tried to reject the pain, and I was sucked again and again into a blackness that cut out whole seconds or maybe even minutes of the agony, making it that much harder to keep up with reality. I tried to separate them. Non-reality was black, and it didn't hurt so much. Reality was red, and it felt like I was being sawed in half, hit by a bus, punched by a prize fighter, trampled by bulls, and submerged in acid, all at the same time. Reality was feeling my body twist and flip when I couldn't possibly move because of the pain. Reality was knowing there was something so much more important than all this torture, and not being able to remember what it was. Reality had come on so fast. One moment, everything was as it should have been. Surrounded by people I loved. Smiles. Somehow, unlikely as it was, it seemed like I was about to get everything I'd been fighting for. And then one tiny, inconsequential thing had gone wrong. I'd watched as my cup tilted, dark blood spilling out and staining the perfect white, and I'd lurched toward the accident reflexively. I'd seen the other, faster hands, but my body had continued to reach, to stretch___ Inside me, something had yanked the opposite direction. Ripping. Breaking. Agony. The darkness had taken over, and then washed away to a wave of torture. I couldn't breathe – I had drowned once before, and this was different; it was too hot in my throat. Pieces of me shattering, snapping, slicing apart___ More blackness. Voices, this time, shouting, as the pain came back. ‘The placenta must have detached!† Something sharper than knives ripped through me – the words, making sense in spite of the other tortures. Detached placenta – I knew what that meant. It meant that my baby was dying inside me. â€Å"Get him out!† I screamed to Edward. Why hadn't he done it yet? â€Å"He can't breathe! Do it now!† â€Å"The morphine – â€Å" He wanted to wait, to give me painkillers, while our baby was dying?! â€Å"No! Now – ,† I choked, unable to finish. Black spots covered the light in the room as a cold point of new pain stabbed icily into my stomach. It felt wrong – I struggled automatically to protect my womb, my baby, my little Edward Jacob, but I was weak. My lungs ached, oxygen burned away. The pain faded away again, though I clung to it now. My baby, my baby, dying___ How long had passed? Seconds or minutes? The pain was gone. Numb. I couldn't feel. I still couldn't see, either, but I could hear. There was air in my lungs again, scraping in rough bubbles up and down my throat. â€Å"You stay with me now, Bella! Do you hear me? Stay! You're not leaving me. Keep your heart beating!† Jacob? Jacob, still here, still trying to save me. Of course,I wanted to tell him. Of course I would keep my heart beating. Hadn't I promised them both? I tried to feel my heart, to find it, but I was so lost inside my own body. I couldn't feel the things I should, and nothing felt in the right place. I blinked and I found my eyes. I could see the light. Not what I was looking for, but better than nothing. As my eyes struggled to adjust, Edward whispered, â€Å"Renesmee.† Renesmee? Not the pale and perfect son of my imagination? I felt a moment of shock. And then a flood of warmth. Renesmee. I willed my lips to move, willed the bubbles of air to turn into whispers on my tongue. I forced my numb hands to reach. â€Å"Let me†¦ Give her to me.† The light danced, shattering off Edward's crystal hands. The sparkles were tinged with red, with the blood that covered his skin. And more red in his hands. Something small and struggling, dripping with blood. He touched the warm body to my weak arms, almost like I was holding her. Her wet skin was hot – as hot as Jacob's. My eyes focused; suddenly everything was absolutely clear. Renesmee did not cry, but she breathed in quick, startled pants. Her eyes were open, her expression so shocked it was almost funny. The little, perfectly round head was covered in a thick layer of matted, bloody curls. Her irises were a familiar – but astonishing – chocolate brown. Under the blood, her skin looked pale, a creamy ivory. All besides her cheeks, which flamed with color. Her tiny face was so absolutely perfect that it stunned me. She was even more beautiful than her father. Unbelievable. Impossible. â€Å"Renesmee,† I whispered. â€Å"So†¦ beautiful.† The impossible face suddenly smiled – a wide, deliberate smile. Behind the shell-pink lips was a full complement of snowy milk teeth. She leaned her head down, against my chest, burrowing against the warmth. Her skin was warm and silky, but it didn't give the way mine did. Then there was pain again – just one warm slash of it. I gasped. And she was gone. My angel-faced baby was nowhere. I couldn't see or feel her. No!I wanted to shout. Give her back to me! But the weakness was too much. My arms felt like empty rubber hoses for a moment, and then they felt like nothing at all. I couldn't feel them. I couldn't feel me. The blackness rushed over my eyes more solidly than before. Like a thick blindfold, firm and fast. Covering not just my eyes but also my self with a crushing weight. It was exhausting to push against it. I knew it would be so much easier to give in. To let the blackness push me down, down, down to a place where there was no pain and no weariness and no worry and no fear. If it had only been for myself, I wouldn't have been able to struggle very long. I was only human, with no more than human strength. I'd been trying to keep up with the supernatural for too long, like Jacob had said. But this wasn't just about me. If I did the easy thing now, let the black nothingness erase me, I would hurt them. Edward. Edward. My life and his were twisted into a single strand. Cut one, and you cut both. If he were gone, I would not be able to live through that. If I were gone, he wouldn't live through it, either. And a world without Edward seemed completely pointless. Edward had to exist. Jacob – who'd said goodbye to me over and over but kept coming back when I needed him. Jacob, who I'd wounded so many times it was criminal. Would I hurt him again, the worst way yet? He'd stayed for me, despite everything. Now all he asked was that I stay for him. But it was so dark here that I couldn't see either of their faces. Nothing seemed real. That made it hard not to give up. I kept pushing against the black, though, almost a reflex. I wasn't trying to lift it. I was just resisting. Not allowing it to crush me completely. I wasn't Atlas, and the black felt as heavy as a planet; I couldn't shoulder it. All I could do was not be entirely obliterated. It was sort of the pattern to my life – I'd never been strong enough to deal with the things outside my control, to attack the enemies or outrun them. To avoid the pain. Always human and weak, the only thing I'd ever been able to do was keep going. Endure. Survive. It had been enough up to this point. It would have to be enough today. I would endure this until help came. I knew Edward would be doing everything he could. He would not give up. Neither would I. I held the blackness of nonexistence at bay by inches. It wasn't enough, though – that determination. As the time ground on and on and the darkness gained by tiny eighths and sixteenths of my inches, I needed something more to draw strength from. I couldn't pull even Edward's face into view. Not Jacob's, not Alice's or Rosalie's or Charlie's or Renee's or Carlisle's or Esme's†¦ Nothing. It terrified me, and I wondered if it was too late. I felt myself slipping – there was nothing to hold on to. No!I had to survive this. Edward was depending on me. Jacob. Charlie Alice Rosalie Carlisle Renee Esme†¦ Renesmee. And then, though I still couldn't see anything, suddenly I could feel something. Like phantom limbs, I imagined I could feel my arms again. And in them, something small and hard and very, very warm. My baby. My little nudger. I had done it. Against the odds, I had been strong enough to survive Renesmee, to hold on to her until she was strong enough to live without me. That spot of heat in my phantom arms felt so real. I clutched it closer. It was exactly where my heart should be. Holding tight the warm memory of my daughter, I knew that I would be able to fight the darkness as long as I needed to. The warmth beside my heart got more and more real, warmer and warmer. Hotter. The heat was so real it was hard to believe that I was imagining it. Hotter. Uncomfortable now. Too hot. Much, much too hot. Like grabbing the wrong end of a curling iron – my automatic response was to drop the scorching thing in my arms. But there was nothing in my arms. My arms were not curled to my chest. My arms were dead things lying somewhere at my side. The heat was inside me. The burning grew – rose and peaked and rose again until it surpassed anything I'd ever felt. I felt the pulse behind the fire raging now in my chest and realized that I'd found my heart again, just in time to wish I never had. To wish that I'd embraced the blackness while I'd still had the chance. I wanted to raise my arms and claw my chest open and rip the heart from it – anything to get rid of this torture. But I couldn't feel my arms, couldn't move one vanished finger. James, snapping my leg under his foot. That was nothing. That was a soft place to rest on a feather bed. I'd take that now, a hundred times. A hundred snaps. I'd take it and be grateful. The baby, kicking my ribs apart, breaking her way through me piece by piece. That was nothing. That was floating in a pool of cool water. I'd take it a thousand times. Take it and be grateful. The fire blazed hotter and I wanted to scream. To beg for someone to kill me now, before I lived one more second in this pain. But I couldn't move my lips. The weight was still there, pressing on me. I realized it wasn't the darkness holding me down; it was my body. So heavy. Burying me in the flames that were chewing their way out from my heart now, spreading with impossible pain through my shoulders and stomach, scalding their way up my throat, licking at my face. Why couldn't I move? Why couldn't I scream? This wasn't part of the stories. My mind was unbearably clear – sharpened by the fierce pain – and I saw the answer almost as soon as I could form the questions. The morphine. It seemed like a million deaths ago that we'd discussed it – Edward, Carlisle, and I. Edward and Carlisle had hoped that enough painkillers would help fight the pain of the venom. Carlisle had tried with Emmett, but the venom had burned ahead of the medicine, sealing his veins. There hadn't been time for it to spread. I'd kept my face smooth and nodded and thanked my rarely lucky stars that Edward could not read my mind. Because I'd had morphine and venom together in my system before, and I knew the truth. I knew the numbness of the medicine was completely irrelevant while the venom seared through my veins. But there'd been no way I was going to mention that fact. Nothing that would make him more unwilling to change me. I hadn't guessed that the morphine would have this effect – that it would pin me down and gag me. Hold me paralyzed while I burned. I knew all the stories. I knew that Carlisle had kept quiet enough to avoid discovery while he burned. I knew that, according to Rosalie, it did no good to scream. And I'd hoped that maybe I could be like Carlisle. That I would believe Rosalie's words and keep my mouth shut. Because I knew that every scream that escaped my lips would torment Edward. Now it seemed like a hideous joke that i was getting my wish fulfilled. If I couldn't scream, how could I tell them to kill me? All I wanted was to die. To never have been born. The whole of my existence did not outweigh this pain. Wasn't worth living through it for one more heartbeat. Let me die, let me die, let me die. And, for a never-ending space, that was all there was. Just the fiery torture, and my soundless shrieks, pleading for death to come. Nothing else, not even time. So that made it infinite, with no beginning and no end. One infinite moment of pain. The only change came when suddenly, impossibly, my pain was doubled. The lower half of my body, deadened since before the morphine, was suddenly on fire, too. Some broken connection had been healed – knitted together by the scorching fingers of the flame. The endless burn raqed on. It could have been seconds or days, weeks or years, but, eventually, time came to mean something again. Three things happened together, grew from each other so that I didn't know which came first: time restarted, the morphine's weight faded, and I got stronger. I could feel the control of my body come back to me in increments, and those increments were my first markers of the time passing. I knew it when I was able to twitch my toes and twist my fingers into fists. I knew it, but I did not act on it. Though the fire did not decrease one tiny degree – in fact, I began to develop a new capacity for experiencing it, a new sensitivity to appreciate, separately, each blistering tongue of flame that licked through my veins – I discovered that I could think around it. I could remember why I shouldn't scream. I could remember the reason why I'd committed to enduring this unendurable agony. I could remember that, though it felt impossible now, there was something that might be worth the torture. This happened just in time for me to hold on when the weights left my body. To anyone watching me, there would be no change. But for me, as I struggled to keep the screams and thrashing locked up inside my body, where they couldn't hurt anyone else, it felt like I'd gone from being tied to the stake as I burned, to gripping that stake to hold myself in the fire. I had just enough strength to lie there unmoving while I was charred alive. My hearing got clearer and clearer, and I could count the frantic, pounding beats of my heart to mark the time. I could count the shallow breaths that gasped through my teeth. I could count the low, even breaths that came from somewhere close beside me. These moved slowest, so I concentrated on them. They meant the most time passing. More even than a clock's pendulum, those breaths pulled me through the burning seconds toward the end. I continued to get stronger, my thoughts clearer. When new noises came, I could listen. There were light footsteps, the whisper of air stirred by an opening door. The footsteps gotcloser, and I felt pressure against the inside of my wrist. I couldn't feel the coolness of the fingers. The fire blistered away every memory of cool. â€Å"Still no change?† â€Å"None.† The lightest pressure, breath against my scorched skin. â€Å"There's no scent of the morphine left.† â€Å"I know.† â€Å"Bella? Can you hear me?† I knew, beyond all doubt, that if I unlocked my teeth I would lose it – I would shriek and screech and writhe and thrash. If I opened my eyes, if I so much as twitched a finger – any change at all would be the end of my control. â€Å"Bella? Bella, love? Can you open your eyes? Can you squeeze my hand?† Pressure on my fingers. It was harder not to answer this voice, but I stayed paralyzed. I knew that the pain in his voice now was nothing compared to what it could be. Right now he only feared that I was suffering. â€Å"Maybe†¦ Carlisle, maybe I was too late.† His voice was muffled; it broke on the word late. My resolve wavered for a second. â€Å"Listen to her heart, Edward. It's stronger than even Emmett's was. I've never heard anything so vital. Shell be perfect.† Yes, I was right to keep quiet. Carlisle would reassure him. He didn't need to suffer with me. â€Å"And her – her spine?† â€Å"Her injuries weren't so much worse than Esme's. The venom will heal her as it did Esme.† â€Å"But she's so still. I must have done something wrong.† â€Å"Or something right, Edward. Son, you did everything I could have and more. I'm not sure I would have had the persistence, the faith it took to save her. Stop berating yourself. Bella is going to be fine.† A broken whisper. â€Å"She must be in agony.† â€Å"We don't know that. She had so much morphine in her system. We don't know the effect that will have on her experience.† Faint pressure inside the crease of my elbow. Another whisper. â€Å"Bella, I love you. Bella, I'm sorry.† I wanted so much to answer him, but I wouldn't make his pain worse. Not while I had the strength to hold myself still. Through all this, the racking fire went right on burning me. But there was so much space in my head now. Room to ponder their conversation, room to remember what had happened, room to look ahead to the future, with still endless room left over to suffer in. Also room to worry. Where was my baby? Why wasn't she here? Why weren't they talking about her? â€Å"No, I'm staying right here,† Edward whispered, answering an unspoken thought. â€Å"They'll sort it out.† â€Å"An interesting situation,† Carlisle responded. â€Å"And I'd thought I'd seen just about everything.† â€Å"I'll deal with it later. We'll deal with it.† Something pressed softly to my blistering palm. â€Å"I'm sure, between the five of us, we can keep it from turning into bloodshed.† Edward sighed. â€Å"I don't know which side to take. I'd love to flog them both. Well, later.† â€Å"I wonder what Bella will think – whose side she'll take,† Carlisle mused. One low, strained chuckle. â€Å"I'm sure she'll surprise me. She always does.† Carlisle's footsteps faded away again, and I was frustrated that there was no further explanation. Were they talking so mysteriously just to annoy me? I went back to counting Edward's breaths to mark the time. Ten thousand, nine hundred forty-three breaths later, a different set of footsteps whispered into the room. Lighter. More†¦ rhythmic. Strange that I could distinguish the minute differences between footsteps that I'd never been able to hear at all before today. â€Å"How much longer?† Edward asked. â€Å"It won't be long now,† Alice told him. â€Å"See how clear she's becoming? I can see her so much better.† She sighed. â€Å"Still feeling a little bitter?† â€Å"Yes, thanks so much for bringing it up,† she grumbled. â€Å"You would be mortified, too, if you realized that you were handcuffed by your own nature. I see vampires best, because I am one; I see humans okay, because I was one. But I can't see these odd half-breeds at all because they're nothing I've experienced. Bah!† â€Å"Focus, Alice.† â€Å"Right. Bella's almost too easy to see now.† There was a long moment of silence, and then Edward sighed. It was a new sound, happier. â€Å"She's really going to be fine,† he breathed. â€Å"Of course she is.† â€Å"You weren't so sanguine two days ago.† â€Å"I couldn't see right two days ago. But now that she's free of all the blind spots, it's a piece of cake.† â€Å"Could you concentrate for me? On the clock – give me an estimate.† Alice sighed. â€Å"So impatient. Fine. Give me a sec – â€Å" Quiet breathing. â€Å"Thank you, Alice.† His voice was brighter. How long?Couldn't they at least say it aloud for me? Was that too much to ask? How many more seconds would I burn? Ten thousand? Twenty? Another day – eighty-six thousand, four hundred? More than that? â€Å"She's going to be dazzling.† Edward growled quietly. â€Å"She always has been.† Alice snorted. â€Å"You know what I mean. Look at her.† Edward didn't answer, but Alice's words gave me hope that maybe I didn't resemble the charcoal briquette I felt like. It seemed as if I must be just a pile of charred bones by now. Every cell in my body had been razed to ash. I heard Alice breeze out of the room. I heard the swish of the fabric she moved, rubbing against itself. I heard the quiet buzz of the light hanging from the ceiling. I heard the faint wind brushing against the outside of the house. I could hear everything. Downstairs, someone was watching a ball game. The Mariners were winning by two runs. â€Å"It's my turn† I heard Rosalie snap at someone, and there was a low snarl in response. â€Å"Hey, now,† Emmett cautioned. Someone hissed. I listened for more, but there was nothing but the game. Baseball was not interesting enough to distract me from the pain, so I listened to Edward's breathing again, counting the seconds. Twenty-one thousand, nine hundred seventeen and a half seconds later, the pain changed. On the good-news side of things, it started to fade from my fingertips and toes. Fading slowly, but at least it was doing something new. This had to be it. The pain was on its way out†¦ And then the bad news. The fire in my throat wasn't the same as before. I wasn't only on fire, but I was now parched, too. Dry as bone. So thirsty. Burning fire, and burning thirst†¦ Also bad news: The fire inside my heart got hotter. How was that possible? My heartbeat, already too fast, picked up – the fire drove its rhythm to a new frantic pace. â€Å"Carlisle,† Edward called. His voice was low but clear. I knew that Carlisle would hear it, if he were in or near the house. The fire retreated from my palms, leaving them blissfully pain-free and cool. But it retreated to my heart, which blazed hot as the sun and beat at a furious new speed. Carlisle entered the room, Alice at his side. Their footsteps were so distinct, I could even tell that Carlisle was on the right, and a foot ahead of Alice. â€Å"Listen,† Edward told them. The loudest sound in the room was my frenzied heart, pounding to the rhythm of the fire. â€Å"Ah,† Carlisle said. â€Å"It's almost over.† My relief at his words was overshadowed by the excruciating pain in my heart. My wrists were free, though, and my ankles. The fire was totally extinguished there. â€Å"Soon,† Alice agreed eagerly. â€Å"I'll get the others. Should I have Rosalie†¦ ?† â€Å"Yes – keep the baby away.† What? No. No! What did he mean, keep my baby away? What was he thinking? My fingers twitched – the irritation breaking through my perfect facade. The room went silent besides the jack-hammering of my heart as they all stopped breathing for a second in response. A hand squeezed my wayward fingers. â€Å"Bella? Bella, love?† Could I answer him without screaming? I considered that for a moment, and then the fire ripped hotter still through my chest, draining in from my elbows and knees. Better not to chance it. ‘Til bring them right up,† Alice said, an urgent edge to her tone, and I heard the swish of wind as she darted away. And then – oh! My heart took off, beating like helicopter blades, the sound almost a single sustained note; it felt like it would grind through my ribs. The fire flared up in the center of my chest, sucking the last remnants of the flames from the rest of my body to fuel the most scorching blaze yet. The pain was enough to stun me, to break through my iron grip on the stake. My back arched, bowed as if the fire was dragging me upward by my heart. I allowed no other piece of my body to break rank as my torso slumped back to the table. It became a battle inside me – my sprinting heart racing against the attacking fire. Both were losing. The fire was doomed, having consumed everything that was combustible; my heart galloped toward its last beat. The fire constricted, concentrating inside that one remaining human organ with a final, unbearable surge. The surge was answered by a deep, hollow-sounding thud. My heart stuttered twice, and then thudded quietly again just once more. There was no sound. No breathing. Not even mine. For a moment, the absence of pain was all I could comprehend. And then I opened my eyes and gazed above me in wonder.

The Symbol of the Mockingbird Lies at the Heart of Harper Lee’s Novel to Kill a Mockingbird. Discuss.

Mockingbird's are not only symbols of innocence; they are also symbols of happiness and to kill them is evil. This concept, the senseless persecution of an innocent individual, is central to Harper Lee's novel. Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are both mockingbird figures, innocent yet condemned through the prejudices of society. The symbol of the mockingbird, with its associated ideas of a fragile, albeit beautiful innocence appears when Atticus tells Jem and Scout they may shoot all the bluejays they want, â€Å"but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird†.This is the first time Scout has ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something. The full significance of this remark is explained to Scout by Miss Maudie as she explains that mockingbirds â€Å"do nothing but sing their hearts out for us†, making music for the enjoyment of everyone in Maycomb. They represent a type of gentle and harmless creature. Throughout the text, Lee reiterates that to kill a mockingbird wou ld be wicked and spiteful, a senseless and pointless act of destruction. Boo Radley symbolises a beautiful, but tortured mockingbird that is misunderstood and ostracised by both his family and the wider community.He is kept as a prisoner in his own home, kept in confinement by his god-fearing Baptist family. Despite this treatment Boo remains gentle and harmless. However, people tell stories about how he eats squirrels and cats and poisons the pecan nuts in the school yard. To the community Boo is a â€Å"malevolent phantom†. Gradually Scout and Jem begin to see things from Boo's perspective. Like the mockingbird Boo gives pleasure and comfort: for example, the gifts in the tree, the blanket placed around their shoulders as they watch Miss Maudie's home go up in flames.Finally, he saves Scout and Jem's lives. In turn, Scout realises to drag Boo into the limelight would be like â€Å"shootin' a mockingbird† and a cruel betrayal of all the inherent goodness Boo symbolise s as a mockingbird. The mockingbird symbol also involves the broader themes of justice and how it can destroy an innocent person. Tom Robinson is an honest and principled black man who is accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell. He explains he was only in the Ewell's house to help her; however, he condemns himself in the eyes of the jury when he says he felt sorry for her.This would be seen as the lowest class of citizen showing superiority towards a class above. The white community's fear of racial disturbance and their insecurity about their own position in society meant that Tom Robinson was found guilty. The prosecutor responds with feigned indignity â€Å"You felt sorry for her; you felt sorry for her? † Harper Lee uses rapid dialogue in the courtroom scene to emphasise the way the prosecutor attacks Tom, like an attack on an innocent mockingbird. Harper Lee exposes not just the prejudices of Maycomb but the ugly nature of such beliefs in society as a whole.Justice is betrayed when the jury ignore the evidence and destroy the mockingbird figure of Tom Robinson. It is evident that both characters have mockingbird traits. They both show kindness – Boo to the children, Tom to Mayella. They are both innocent – Boo of the evil persona with which he is associated and Tom of the crime of rape. Both are victims of prejudice. The significance of the mockingbird motif broadens out to contain many layers of meaning and is kept alive through the narrative continually reminding the reader of the theme of prejudice with which it is associated.

Cjus 230 Final Paper

The Effects of Family Structure and Values on Juvenile Delinquency Christina M. Bracey 201240 Fall 2012 CJUS 230-B02 LUO Professor DeBoer Liberty University Online October 12, 2012 Abstract The changes in family values and structure in the United States has helped contribute to juvenile delinquency today. Society needs to recognize problems within the home before trying to find solutions to problems for todays at risk youth in America. Major structural changes inside of the home could adversely affect the raising of juveniles leading to delinquency.Some of the issues I will discuss in my paper are divorce, child abuse, mothers working outside of the home, and single-parent homes. Ineffectively raising a child can cause low self-control and low self-esteem while increasing the risks of delinquency as well. I will argue that with proper supervision, counseling, and monitoring of the behavior of the juvenile, it is possible that society can help eliminate some of the crimes committed by juvenile delinquents. Thesis The changes in family values and structure in the United States has helped contribute to juvenile delinquency today IntroductionFamily Structure has changed noticeably in the United States over the past several decades. It refers to various family characteristics that affect relationships and how families function. These characteristics include family size, family disruption, and birth order. High rates of divorce, single-parent housing, the spreading of non-parent families and step-families, and the propagation of cohabitation now delineate in American family life. Changes in family structure can be devastating to a child’s well-being, and have the potential to contribute to juvenile delinquency.The Family and Delinquency Widespread agreement among social scientists and the general public lead experts to believe that family plays a key role in child development and socialization. There are two sides however to families; the first being a place w here members love, care and provide for one another promoting healthy human growth. The second side reveals conflict, a lack of support, and violence. Families are extremely influenced by the political and economic context within which they operate (Elrod & Ryder, 1999, p. 53).A family’s place within the political and economic structure is important because such placement determines the family’s admittance to connections with other institutions. These institutions can consist of school, work, church and voluntary associations. Also, such institutions can be useful resources for the family and can promote access to other resources. The family not only determines the economic status within which the juveniles live, but is also the primary molder of a child’s personality, values, and behavior (Elrod & Ryder, 1999, p. 54).A variety of criminological theories assume that family plays a significant role in the prevention of delinquent behavior (Elrod & Ryder, 1999, p. 54). Family Size and Delinquency Larger families tend to produce more juvenile delinquents than smaller families. Being a middle child is also more predictive of delinquency than being either the youngest or eldest (Green & Gabbidon, 2009, p. 283). One common explanation for this issue is a straining of resources in larger families and the inability to provide appropriate parental supervision.Green & Gabbidon (2009) suggest that middle children are more likely to be present during the times of strain; older children leave the home first and younger children remain when there is not as much demand for parental resources (p. 283). Exposure to Violence, Abuse, or Neglect Most studies find links between exposure to violence or abuse and later possibly offending (Green & Gabbidon, 2009, p. 282). Exposure to marital violence during childhood has been notably associated with committing marital violence as an adult. An estimated 30% of abused parents abuse their children—a rate of 1 5 times higher than non-abused parents† (Green & Gabbidon, 2009, p. 282). Women that were physically abused during childhood are more likely to experience domestic violence as adults. Abused mothers that did not abuse their children tend to have had a non-abusive adult in their childhood or had a stable relationship pattern as an adult. Children that were sexually abused are more likely to succumb to delinquency, suicidal ideation, and prostitution (Green & Gabbidon, 1999, p. 82). Exposure to Poverty Poverty has been linked to crime for many years. Approximately 18% of children under the age of 18 live in poverty (Green & Gabbidon, 2009, p. 283). Juveniles that grow up poor have a number of negative life outcomes, including delinquency. The impact of socioeconomic status suggests that economic strain plays an important role likely because increased stress decreases effective parenting, a situation that leads to delinquency in children (Green & Gabbidon, 2009, p. 283). Impact o f Community on Juvenile DelinquencyResearch throughout neighborhoods has produced significant results on determining the impact of a community on juvenile (Green & Gabbidon, 2009, p. 283). Collective socialization has a beneficial impact on the rate of delinquency among these youth. An extensive study of African American families showed that children who lived in a community high in collective socialization were less likely to associate with delinquent peers even when controlling for other important factors (Green & Gabbidon, 2009, p. 283). Theoretical Reasoning to Understanding Delinquent BehaviorThere are many theories that focus on families being the central reasoning behind juvenile crimes. Generally, families are considered to be the primary factors in socialization. The impact of family in juvenile delinquency has been theorized and investigated for many decades being that crime commonly runs in families. Parental criminality is one of the most vigorous and most consistent con jectures of a child's delinquency (Greene ; Gabbidon, 2009, p. 281). Biological Theory â€Å"The so-called traditional family, with a male breadwinner and a female who cares for the home, is a thing of the past† (Siegel, Welsh, ; Senna, 2003, p. 94). This particular type of family structure can no longer be considered normal. Sex role changes have created a family in which the mother now plays a greater role in society and the economic process. The number of households that have children living with both parents has substantially declined. â€Å"Early social science researchers asserted that the â€Å"broken home† was the single most important factor in understanding delinquency† (Burfeind ; Bartusch, 2011, p. 185). Less than half of the children born today will live continuously with their mother and father throughout their childhood.A disturbed home environment is believed to have a significant impact on delinquency. Family is the contributing unit towards chi ldren’s values and attitudes that mark the paths throughout their lives. According to Seigel, Welsh, and Senna (2003), children who have witnessed a family breakup are more likely to exhibit behavioral problems and hyperactivity than those of intact families (p. 196). Often times, family disruptions are correlated with hostility, conflict, and attachment. Children whose parents divorced are thought to have less supervision and a greater risk of falling for peer pressure.Past research examined the effect of family structure on delinquency by comparing single-father, single-mother, two-biological-parent families, and stepfamilies (Burfeind ; Bartusch, 2011, p. 185). The highest levels of delinquency were found in single-father families and the lowest levels being in two-biological-parent families, while single-mother families and stepfamilies were in the middle. â€Å"The absence of a parent was associated with lower levels of involvement, supervision, monitoring, and closenes s† (Burfeind ; Bartusch, 2011, p. 185).Parental absence undermines direct and indirect control leading to higher levels of delinquency among youth living in single-parent families as compared to two-parent families. Not all marriages end and divorce; some continue to live in an atmosphere of conflict (Siegel, Welsh, ; Senna, 2003, p. 198). This conflict is known as intrafamily conflict and it common in many American families today. Studies have shown that children growing up in dysfunctional homes and witness disorder or violence, later display behavioral problems and emotional issues (Siegel, Welsh, ; Senna, 2003, p. 98). Pre-existing family problems can cause delinquency; however, it may also claim that children who act out put a sizable amount of stress on a family. Psychological Explanations â€Å"Many scholars, policymakers, and laypersons have argued that there are individual differences in intelligence, personality, or other factors that not only separate delinquents f rom all other youths but that are, directly or indirectly, the causes of their delinquency† (Shoemaker, 2010, p. 61).The earliest attempts in isolating the psychological or mental conditions of delinquent behavior, was the development of the concepts of moral insanity. It has been proposed that delinquents and criminals that were deficient in basic moral skills inherited this condition (Shoemaker, 2010, p. 61). According to psychologists, many delinquents have poor home lives, destructive relationships with friends, neighbors, teachers, and others in authoritative positions (Siegel, Welsh, ; Senna, 2003, p. 83). The relationships that these youth have with these individuals symbolize a disturbed personality structure.A youth’s personality is defined by negative and antisocial behavior characteristics, and since delinquent behavior occurs in every race, ethnic group, and socioeconomic group, psychologists believe it is a function of emotional and mental disturbances. Man y delinquents do not demonstrate notable psychological issues; however enough do give clinicians a strong influence on delinquency theory (Siegel, Walsh ; Senna, 2010, p. 84). Psychology is a diversified and complex discipline in which more than one psychological perspective exists.The three prominent psychological perspectives on delinquency are psychodynamic, the behavioral, and the cognitive (Siegel, Walsh, ; Senna, 2010, p. 84). The psychodynamic theory suggests that law violations are a product of an abnormal personality that formed early on in life. This personality controls human behavior choices. â€Å"The basis of the psychodynamic theory is the assumption that human behavior is controlled by unconscious mental processes developed early in childhood† (Siegel, Walsh, ; Senna, 2010, p. 84). Behavioral psychologists believe that a person’s personality is learned through life experiences with others.Behavior is initially triggered by a stimulus or change in oneâ⠂¬â„¢s environment. If a certain behavior is rewarded by positive reactions, that behavior will continue and eventually be learned. The cognitive theory allows psychologists to focus on mental processes and the way people mentally represent the world around them including how they solve issues (Siegel, Walsh, ; Senna, 2010, p. 84). During the decision making process people engage in a series of cognitive thoughts. First, they encipher information so that it can be interpreted. Then they search for a response and decide what the most appropriate action is to take.Finally, they act on the decision that they made (Siegel, Walsh, ; Senna, 2010, p. 89). It is suggested that using this approach, juveniles will be better conditioned to make appropriate judgments. Social Disorganization Delinquency that is primarily the result of a breakdown of institutional controls is known as social disorganization. â€Å"The individuals who live in such situations are not necessarily themselves persona lly disoriented; instead, they are viewed as responding â€Å"naturally† to disorganized environmental conditions† (Shoemaker, 2010, p. 101).Social disorganization is associated with a lengthy list of collateral social problems, residential instability, ethnic/racial conflict, and family disruption (Siegel, Walsh, ; Senna, 2010, p. 110). Social Control Theories attempt to find factors that contribute to an individual becoming deviant. Hirschi’s Theory states, â€Å"Delinquent acts result when an individual’s bond to society is weakened or broken† (Whitehead ; Lab, 1999, p. 93). An underlying presumption is that behavior is controlled by the connections a person has to the conventional social order.Deviance is exposed when the level of control over an individual diminishes to where that person is free to choose prohibited activities. Hirschi explains four outlines of bonds: attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief (Whitehead ; Lab, 1999, p. 94 ). A bond is fundamentally a result of socialization that takes place during childhood. The first bond, attachment, is the failure to care about what others think about the individual’s behavior and views. The second bond, commitment, demonstrates the individual’s ability to work towards acceptable goals.The third bond, involvement, uses the individual’s energy and time in socially acceptable behaviors. The fourth bond, belief, opens doors for the individual for deviant and delinquent behavior. Later in Hirschi’s career, he proposed that single parenting may be just as effective as dual parenting (Leiber, Mack, ; Featherstone, 2008, p. 4). Hirschi’s Theory tried to explain why an individual is deviant and how they became the way they are. Poor socialization is the easiest explanation; however, the theory fails to prove how this happens. The relative impact of the four elements of bond is left unexplained.Drift Theory Episodic Deviance is another ar ea of concern. Youths tend to sway between delinquent and conventional behavior. Using the control theory, this drift between the two cannot be explained when an individual chooses to commit a deviance. Such drifts can only be explained by suggesting that the bond is strengthened and weakened easily and more often than none. According to Whitehead ; Lab, 1999, â€Å"A final concern is that the theory assumes all bonding is to conventional, nondeviant lifestyles† (p. 95). It is possible that the juvenile is being raised in a household with parents that are deviant.The theory suggests that a juvenile in such circumstances will be bonded to deviance. Labeling Theory The Labeling Theory is the view that formal and informal reactions to delinquency can influence the attitudes and behavior of delinquents (Shoemaker, 2010, p. 259). Frank Tannenbaum introduced â€Å"dramatization of evil,† in which he suggested that officially labeling someone as a delinquent can result in the person becoming the very thing that they are labeled (Shoemaker, 2010, p. 259). A basic presumption regarding the labeling theory is that initial acts of delinquency are caused by a wide variety of factors.The primary factor in the recurrence of delinquency is the fact of having been formally labeled as a delinquent (Shoemaker. 2010, p. 260). Reiterated acts of delinquency are influenced by formal labels because they eventually alter a person’s self-image to where the person begins to identify themselves as a delinquent and act accordingly. The view of labeling aspect is that a negative self-image follows the act of delinquency rather than preceding delinquency. The labeling approach is dependent on certain criteria in addition to the behavior itself.One does not have to be officially labeled a criminal or delinquent in order to label him/herself as such. Schools and Delinquency Another institution with has a profound impact on the lives of juveniles is school. School is an important institution because it provides juveniles with the academic skills to effectively participate in society (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 61). Other reasons that schools play such important roles in the lives of juveniles is it has become the primary socialization institution. It is there that children learn attitudes, values, and skills that are necessary for their future in economic and social life.Much of the interaction between parents and children revolves around school related issues (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 61). A number of factors can be related to school failure and delinquency. Students’ feelings of belonging, commitment, and attachment to school reveal these factors are related to school violence, vandalism, and delinquency (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 63). Studies have found that students that dislike their teachers are more likely to be involved in delinquency than those who feel an attachment to their teachers (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 63).Students that are less co mmitted to school and their teachers and who feel alienated are more likely to commit disruptive or delinquent behaviors in and out of school. Many students drop out of school and believe this is a solution to the problems they have faced in school. Dropping out of school has numerous negative consequences for the juvenile. They face less job prospects and many times experience difficulty meeting basic income needs to survive. Besides the economic effect of dropping out of school, there are also substantial psychological and social consequences (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 64).Usually, juveniles that drop out regret their decision and typically show evidence of not being satisfied with themselves and their environment. They also have lower occupational aspirations than those who graduate from school, and also have lower occupational aspirations for their children (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 64). â€Å"Compared with students who stay in school, those who drop out tend to be from low socioe conomic status groups, to be members of minority groups, and to come from homes with fewer study aids and where there are fewer opportunities for non-school-related learning† (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 4). Juveniles that drop out are also more likely to have come from single-parent households where the mother works, resulting in less parental supervision. Studies have uncovered that when juveniles drop out of school, their involvement in criminal activities tends to increase immediately (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 65). Race and Juvenile Delinquents According to Burfeind ; Bartusch (2011), â€Å"The relationship between race and involvement in delinquency is not entirely straightforward† (p. 81). Minorities are disproportionately represented in arrest statistics.African American juveniles are arrested for a disproportionate number of rapes, murders, robberies, and assaults, while white juveniles are disproportionately arrested for arsons (Siegel, Welsh, ; Senna, 2003, p. 40). The racial gap in juvenile arrest rates has broadened during the past decade with African American youths experiencing a steady increase in arrest rates. â€Å"African Americans have suffered through a long history of discrimination, which has produced last emotional scars† (Siegel, Welsh, ; Senna, 2003, p. 42). Racism is an element of daily life in the African American community.This factor alone undermines faith in political and social institutions and weakens confidence in the justice system. These acquired attitudes are supported by evidence, that in some jurisdictions, young African American males are treated more harshly than members of any other ethnic group. Differences in racial crime rates may also be tied to frustration over perceived racism, discrimination, and economic disparity (Siegel, Welsh, ; Senna, 2003, p. 42). Gender and Delinquency Official arrest statistics point to males being significantly more criminal than females.However, the arrests of female deli nquents in recent years have been increasing faster than those for males. â€Å"Between 1990 and 2000, the number of arrests of male delinquents actually decreased by about 3 percent, whereas the number of female delinquents arrested increased about 25 percent† (Siegel, Welsh, ; Senna, 2003, p. 40). Age and Delinquency As juvenile offenders mature, their offending rates decline (Siegel, Welsh, ; Senna, 2003, p. 43). Regardless of sex, race, social class, or intelligence, people commit less crime as they age.The aging-out process is referred to as spontaneous remission. According to this process, even the most continuing juvenile offenders will commit less crime as they age. There are a number of reasons as to why the aging-out process occurs. First of all growing older means that the offenders have to face the future. Secondly, with maturity comes the ability to resist the temptation to commit crimes as a quick fix solution. Some juveniles may turn to crime as a way to solve loneliness, problems with adolescence, frustration, and the fear of being rejected by peers (Siegel, Welsh, ; Senna, 2003, p. 44).As the juvenile matures, more options become available to help solve these problems. Personalities can also change with age. Youth that were more rebellious as youngsters, may eventually develop increased self-control and be able to resist delinquent behaviors. Young adults become more aware of the risks and consequences that accompany crime. â€Å"As adults, they are no longer protected by the kindly arms of the juvenile justice system† (Siegel, Welsh, ; Senna, 2003, p. 44). Early Efforts at Diversion â€Å"Efforts to divert children from normal criminal justice processing have a long history† (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 60). The development of routine diversion strategies and specialized diversion programs has significantly increased during the past twenty years. In order to regulate the number of diversionary responses available to communiti es, the commission proposed the establishment of youth services bureaus (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 161). The bureaus were intended to assist existing community agencies that dealt with juveniles in coordinating programs and services for both delinquent and non-delinquent youth (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 161).They were also intended to serve as an alternative to juvenile court processing, allowing hundreds of thousands of juveniles to be diverted from the formal juvenile justice process each year (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 161). The Effectiveness of Diversion Diversion Strategies and Programs uphold that such programs decrease the number of juveniles involved in the formal juvenile justice process (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 173). These programs are believed to reduce offending youths who receive diversionary treatment, minimize formal intervention, and are more cost-effective that formal processing (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 73). However, some evaluation studies have found that they fall short of their goals often. Some evaluation studies indicate that diversion programs can reduce recidivism or are at least as effective as formal processing (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 173). It is possible that diversion programs may deny juveniles due process. Diversion may be compulsive and consist of intrusive interventions, and possibly, the youth’s family may be required to participate. Coercion is problematic and all levels of the juvenile justice process (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 173).Research on diversion, in sum, has produced mixed results (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 174). â€Å"There are a number of problems that have been associated with diversion programs, but despite these problems diversion appears to have some merit† (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 174). Decriminalization Societal Reaction advocates point out that the criminalization of some behaviors often produces more harm than it does good. Behaviors such as running away and not attending school are objectionable in ma ny cases, but treating them as crimes does not always benefit the juvenile (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 65). Treating truants and runaways as juvenile offenders is expensive and ineffective. As a result, the societal reaction theorists leaned more towards the deinstitutionalization of status offenses (Elrod ; Ryder, 1999, p. 165). Prevention and Intervention With the important role family’s play in the socialization of children, several programs have been implemented to prevent family contribution to delinquency or to intervene once a problem has been realized (Siegel, Welsh, ; Senna, 2003, p. 42).Years of program evaluations have produced a number of effective family-based prevention programs such as parent training on appropriate and effective child-rearing (Siegel, Welsh, ; Senna, 2003, p. 42). Conclusion According to the research conducted, family impact is wrong: parental absence is not importantly related to juvenile delinquency. Family interactions have greater influence o n delinquency. Children reared by competent, affectionate parents who avoid using physical forms of punishment are unlikely to commit serious crimes either as juveniles or as adults.On the other hand, children reared by parents who neglect or reject them are likely to be greatly influenced by their community environments, which may offer opportunities and encouragement for criminal behavior. Bibliography Shoemaker, Donald J. (2010). Theories of Delinquency: An Examination of Explanations of Delinquent Behavior 6th Edition. Whitehead, John T. , ; Lab, Steven P. (1998). Juvenile Justice: An Introduction 3rd Edition. Seigel, Larry J. , Welsh, Brandon C. , ; Senna, Joseph J. (2002). Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and LawGreen, Helen Taylor, ; Gabbidon, Shaun L. (2009) Family and Delinquency: Encyclopedia of Race and Crime. Spohn, Ryan E. , ; Kurtz, Don L. (2011). Family Structure as a Social Context for Family Conflict: Unjust Strain and Serious Delinquency. Schroeder, Ryan D. , Osgood, Aurea K. , ; Oghia, Michael J. (2010). Family Transitions and Juvenile Justice. Elrod, Preston, ; Ryder, Scott A. (2005). Juvenile Justice: A Social, Historical, and Legal Perspective 2nd Edition. Burfiend, James W. , ; Bartusch, Dawn Jeglum. 2010). Juvenile Delinquency: An Integrated Approach, Second Edition Kierkus, Christopher A. , ; Baer, Douglas. (2003). Does the Relationship Between Family Structure and Delinquency Vary According to Circumstances? An Investigation of Interaction Effects 1. Canadian Journal if Criminology and Criminal Justice (405-429). Leiber, Michael J. , Mack, Kristin Y. , ; Featherstone, Richard A. (2008). Family Structure, Family Processes, Economics, and Delinquency: Similarities and Differences by Race and Ethnicity.