Inequalities in Education Essay

The sociological study of education looks at the way different social institutions affect the process of education and how this impacts on students. Education is widely perceived to be a positive social institution where individuals can acquire knowledge and learn new skills. However, some would argue that this is not the case and that education produces an unequal society and is a negative institution where individuals are socialised to accept such inequality. This essay will explore the inequalities in education to establish how they occur. By examining Marxist, Functionalist and Interactionist perspectives, explanations for such inequalities can be understood. Historically, in Britain formal schooling was a preserve of higher social classes. Education was largely provided by private institutions, such as churches form the middle ages onwards, with an aim to provide the bureaucratic elite with a means to run government. The state first assumed full responsibility for education in 1870, with the Foster’s Education Act. In 1880, school attendance was made compulsory up to the age of 10, ensuring basic primary education for all. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004) The state took responsibility for secondary education with the Fisher Education Act of 1918 and attendance was made compulsory until the age of 14. The formal leaving age was raised again on two occasions, in 1947 to 15, and to 16 in 1972. By 1900 only 1.2 per cent of pupils stayed in education after the age of 17 and by 1939, 5.8 per cent of pupils stayed in education past the age of 17, but it was not until the 1960s, when polytechnic universities were introduced, that everyone capable of benefiting from higher education was able to attend a higher education establishment. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004) However, Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government of the 1980s began to view education in terms of the needs of the economy and started to reduce state economic investment. Thatcher’s government had a general mistrust of the liberal and free-thinking culture of higher education institutes and began to restrict spending in Arts based subjects. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004) The 1988 Education Act introduced the common national curriculum, which provided guidelines for teachers about what they were required to teach. (Giddens, 2001) The National Curriculum was introduced to ensure that everyone would re ceive the same basic level of  education. In western societies there is a general agreement that education should be based on an equality of opportunity. However, there is evidence to suggest that people with certain social characteristics succeed more than others. (Kirby et al, 1999) Sociologists have focused on social background to explain the relative failure of working class children compared to middle class children. Evidence suggests that the higher a person’s social class, they are more likely to achieve greater education success. The most obvious explanation for differences is the intelligence of the individual. The 1944 Education Act established the tripartite system. Children were allocated to one of three types of school, grammar, technical or secondary modern, on the basis of the results of an intelligence test, taken at 11 years, the eleven-plus. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004) Grammar schools provided an education for those who performed highly on the eleven plus, while other pupils who has a lower score were taught in either a technical or secondary modern school. The eleven plus examination showed a correlation between social class, where more middle class children scored highly and therefore gained places at grammar schools. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004) However, Britain has a differential educational system that gives people the right to privately educate their children if they wish and can afford to. League tables of schools, which are published every year, show consistently show private schools, such as Eton, Cheltenham Ladies College and Harrow, are the best achieving schools. Hans Eysenck, was a bio-psychologist who believed that genetics play a fundamental part in determining IQ. Eysenck wrote â€Å"What children take out of schools is proportional to what they bring to schools in terms of IQ† (Eysenck, 1971: Cited in Taylor et al, 2000) From this viewpoint it is possible to argue that class differences in educational achievement are largely based from class differences in genetically based IQ. However, most sociologist emphasise the importance of environmental factors in determining IQ differences, namely motivation, knowledge and skills, which are learnt rather than genetically predetermined. In this case class differences in educational attainment may be due to class backgrounds rather than class  genes. (Taylor et al, 2000) Many sociologists have also argued that the language used in IQ tests favours the middle classes, as it is closer to their spoken language. A variety of figures demonstrate the continued inequality in educational achievement by social class. The Youth Cohort Study, conducted in 2002, collected data on 7,238 18-year-olds. The results of the study show that 75 per cent of those with professional parents were still in education as opposed to 55 per cent of those whose parents have few skills. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004) Not only were those with higher-class parents more likely to continue to education, their qualifications likely to be higher as well. Just 22 per cent of children of routine workers had at level three qualification compared to 65 per cent of those children with professional parents. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004) With the election of the Labour government in 1997, there was a return to the concern of equal opportunities in education. The Labour party was elected on a promise to improve the education system. However, by the late 1990s, the language had changed with concern being expressed for social exclusion and improving standards rather than class inequality. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004) Social exclusion relates to the alienation of certain groups, connected to a person’s class, living standards and education. The close relationship between low levels of education and social exclusion has been highlighted in recent years. Failure to acquire basic skills such as literacy and numeracy can place a person at a distinct disadvantage. Functionalists view society as being structured with many integrated segments which work together to form society as a whole. Each of theses segments, such as the economy, judiciary and education, perform crucial functions to satisfy the needs of society and create a harmonious society. Functionalists view education as one of the most important components of society. According to Emile Durkheim, education is the â€Å"influence exercised by adult generations on those who are not yet ready for social life.† (Durkheim, 2003, Page 28) Durkheim asserted that moral values are the foundation of cohesive social order and that the education system has a responsibility to teach a commitment to a common morality. (Kendall, 2005) Education has an  important role in the socialisation by enabling children to internalise social rules which contribute to the functioning of society. Talcott Parsons argued that the role of education is to instil the value of individual achievement in a way t hat the family can not. Education is the main source of secondary socialisation in the same way that the family is the main source of primary socialisation. (Giddens, 2001) In the modern society, individuals are judged by what they have achieved and schools prepare pupils for this by measuring success with graded examinations. For Parsons, schools operate on meritocratic principles, where pupils are treated equally and if pupils work hard they will achieve the most merit. This teaches children through the values of achievement and the value of equal opportunity, which is important for functionalists because it ensures that the best people will fill the most important positions in future careers. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004) Individuals will accept their position as they believe that everyone has been given the same opportunities through education. Pupils will achieve success through ability and hard work irrespective of other social factors, such as social background, ethnicity and gender. While the funct ionalist view of education is very positive, predominantly issues of inequality are denied. Marxists have a very different view of the purpose of education. Marxism is a structural perspective of society, which focuses on the class struggle and exploitative relationship between the ruling class and the working class. The struggle begins with the opposing interests of the ruling class, who control the economy, and the working class who sell their labour to earn an income. (Giddens, 2001) Bowles and Gintis write from a Marxist perspective, which is highly critical of the capitalist society. Like Karl Marx, Bowles and Gintis argue that work in capitalist societies in exploitative and alienating for the workforce. The main role of education in the capitalist society is in the reproduction of labour power. The first and major role of education is to provide the capitalists with a workforce with personality and attitudes most useful to them, or more simply, a subservient workforce. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004) The education system helps meet these needs and objectives through the hidden curriculum. It is not what pupils learn from lessons and examinations that is important, but the form  the teaching takes and the organisation of the school day. The hidden curriculum shapes the future workforce by promoting subservience, encouraging an acceptance of hierarchy, fragmenting lessons and motivating students with external rewards as opposed to the pleasure of learning. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004) With the acceptance of hierarchy, pupils learn to take orders, obey them and accept they have little control of the subjects they study, all in preparation for the relationships they will have with future employers. Bowles and Gintis believe that the formal parts of the curriculum correspond to the needs of capitalist employers by providing a surplus of skilled labour. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004) Marxists reject the view that the education system is meritocratic and believe that social class is the most important factor influencing achievement. While Marxism and Functionalism focus on how society affects educational attainment, interactionist sociologists look at how individuals can shape their own experience. Labelling theory was developed by Howard Becker in his study of deviance but was later applied to the way teachers interact with their pupils. Becker wrote from an interactionist perspective, which is a non-structural approach to sociology and emphasises an individual ability to control actions. (Giddens, 2001) Becker interviewed sixty teachers from Chicago and found that they have a tendency to share the same picture of an ‘ideal’ pupil. The ‘ideal’ pupil is highly motivated, intelligent and well-behaved, pupils who were judged to be closest to this ideal were likely to come from middle class backgrounds. Those furthest away from the teachers ‘ideal’ were most likely to come from working class backgrounds (Taylor et al, 2000) As a result those from working class backgrounds were labelled as having a lack of discipline, unmotivated and unlikely to achieve. These labels can have a significant effect on their educational success in the result of a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’. A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true. For example if a teacher tells a pupil that they are not very good with English frequently, it is likely the pupil will underachieve in English classes and examinations. (Taylor et al, 2000) Although, labelling theory seems to hold true and have resonance in practical scenarios, it is probably too  simplistic to explain educational inequalities in full. The theory largely implies that individuals have control over their life and ignore structural influences on the individual. Meritocracy holds that all pupils have an equal opportunity to succeed irrespective of background; statistics seem to disprove this notion. The key factors leading to educational inequality seem to be related to economic background. Functionalists argue that schools operate meritocratically, a Marxist would say that this is just an ideology that does not work in practice. The ideology makes people believe that the educational system is fair but really only serves the interests of the ruling class. M.S.H Hickox questions the Marxist view that there is a close correspondence between education and economic developments. For example, compulsory education was introduced after the onset of industrialisation, so for a long time capitalists did not employ a workforce that had been shaped by the ‘hidden curriculum’. (Haralambos and Holborn, 2004) The formal curriculum is not designed to teach the skills needed by employers or create uncritical passive behaviour, which would make workers easier to exploit. Subjects, such as A Level Sociology, do not promote an unthinking student but in actual fact promote critical thinking. However, Marxists argue that educational institutions transmit a dominant ideology which serves the interests of the ruling classes. (Giddens, 2001) Functionalists argue that if students work hard and are able they will achieve. However, the relationship between academic achievement and occupational reward is particularly close. Many students leave university and are unable to find suitable employment and income seems to be only weakly linked to qualifications. (Giddens, 2001) The hidden curriculum is supposed to promote subservience in pupils, this ignores the fact that many teenage pupils have little regard for rules and respect for teachers. Labelling theory may be more appropriate for understanding this type of behaviour. Durkheim assumes that societies share the same values which can be transmitted through the educational system, which is untrue in todayâ€℠¢s multi-cultural society. Many inequalities in education can affect achievement and success, which appear to be related to economics. Functionalists view education as a  meritocracy where all individuals have an equal opportunity to succeed irrespective of social differences. However, Marxists strongly disagree with this and believe that it is almost predetermined before a pupil starts school whether they will achieve or not. Interactionists believe that personal experience of schooling is important for determining success or failure. However, no theory offers a plausible and complete explanation for educational inequality. Personally, I believe that a compromise between social action and Marxist theory should be made to address educational inequality. I am personally not convinced that there is any particular merit to functionalist theory, as it appears to deny issues of inequality. References Durkheim E (2003) Moral Education, Reprint Edition, Dover Publications Inc, LondonGiddens A (2001) Sociology, Fourth Edition, Polity Press, LondonHaralambos and Holborn (2004) Sociology: Themes and Perspectives, Sixth Edition, Harper Collins, LondonKendall D (2005) Society in Our Times: The Essentials, Fifth Edition, Thomson Wadsworth, ChicagoKirby et al (1999) Sociology in Perspective, Heinemann Educational Publishers, LondonTaylor et al (2000) Sociology in Focus, Causeway Press, Bath

How to Solve a Crime? Essay

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all Brass had on him. He laid a credit card on the bar counter and wished it luck. It only had to bear the price of a couple of rounds, but his salary and his expenses were not on speaking terms lately. It was Christmas in Las Vegas. Every year, it set him back until April. Which was tax time. Which set him back until Christmas. There was a comforting rhythm to it. ‘They have some good single malts,’ Catherine said, and ordered a beer. That was one of the things Brass liked about her. She had class, but didn’t make a man pay for it. Marg Helgenberger as Catherine Willows, Las Vegas Crime Scene Investigation senior supervisor. Catherine is the glamorous commander of a crack team of forensic criminologists It was 4:30am on Christmas Eve, meaning it was Christmas morning to anybody who had got some sleep in the interim, and crime scene investigators Catherine Willows and Nick Stokes had just finished dropping off bodies and registering the evidence they’d gathered at a messy murder scene. The fatal string of Christmas lights was wound around the female victim’s neck so many times the coroner was going to have to cut it from the corpse. The second victim was her husband; they assumed he was the one that did the strangling. With the steak knife in his neck, he’d only had just enough blood in him to finish the job. ‘The weird part,’ Nick remarked, leaning on the bar with his heavy forearms, ‘is the lights around her neck were still on when we got there.’ ‘It lent a certain festive air to the scene,’ Brass replied. Brass’s understudy for the evening, a young detective by the name of Ottman, known as ‘The Otter’ among the wittier senior staff, sat uncomfortably between Catherine and Brass. He looked ill. He hadn’t worked many murder scenes before, and this one wasn’t just bloody, it was ironic. Irony always made things worse. The knife was part of a gift set intended for the dead man. It had his monogram burned into the handle. For the veteran CSI team, it was just another couple of dead people, another raft of evidence and paperwork. Ottman cleared his throat before he spoke, a habit that irritated Brass. ‘There’s nothing festive about people killing each other on Christmas Eve,’ he objected. ‘He doesn’t mean it,’ Catherine said. ‘It’s awful. Every murder is awful. But if we mourn the dead every time we find them . . . ‘ ‘Some do,’ Brass interrupted. ‘They don’t last in the job.’ He fixed his melancholy eyes on Ottman and waited for the message to sink in. Before he could be sure it had, the drinks arrived. Beer all round except Ottman, who opted for one of those Tiger Woods non-alcoholic things that used to be an Arnold Palmer. The kid didn’t even know how to drink. Catherine decanted her beer into a glass. Nick picked at the label on his. George Eads as Nick Stokes. Formerly Catherine’s deputy, he has just been promoted to be her co-supervisor. Occasionally over-emotional. ‘Lot of murders this time of year,’ Nick said, in much the way he might observe it was a chilly night. Ottman cleared his throat. ‘People always get crazy around the holidays?’ he asked nobody in particular. ‘If you’re going to kill somebody, the season of joy is a popular time. Statistically speaking,’ Catherine replied. She checked her watch. Coming to the bar had been her idea: it was too late to go home and get in bed. She’d wake her daughter Lindsay up, and now that she was 18, Lindsay didn’t like early rising at Christmas. So Catherine was pretending it was the previous night, rather than the following morning. Nick had proposed they get coffee and breakfast, but he lived alone and his family was in Texas. He could lounge around all day. Catherine had a full schedule of family events, and breakfast at home was one of them. Brass glanced over at Ottman. The guy wasn’t cut out for this work. He was a fairly good detective. Book smart, but not great at murders. He would be best at property crime, hustles, something like that. Brass’s first reaction to any weak-hearted cop was always to push his buttons, expose the soft parts and toughen them up – that, or drive him out of the department before he made a costly mistake. Still, it was Christmas Eve or morning, according to your tastes, and the poor guy was clearly having a hard time. ‘Sometimes, even with murder, there’s Christmas spirit,’ Brass said. ‘The steak knives were good quality,’ Nick agreed. Catherine shook her head. ‘Go easy,’ she said, observing Ottman’s discomfort. ‘No, seriously,’ Brass continued. ‘Remember that time, it must have been seven, eight years ago, the one with the 60-G watch?’ Nick raised his bottle to his mouth, trying to recall, then snapped his fingers and set the bottle back down. ‘The big guy and the little guy.’ ‘And the dancer,’ Catherine added. She never forgot the dancers. Ottman had his hands folded in his lap, his drink untouched in front of him. He clearly didn’t want to ask. But the others were looking expectantly at him, so he asked anyway, rather than let the silence get too long. ‘So how was there murder and Christmas spirit?’ Brass took a pull of his beer, dabbed at his lips with his handkerchief, and twisted around so he could face Ottman. ‘I’ll tell you,’ he said. It was a warm Christmas night back in the high times when people went to Las Vegas just to get rid of their excess cash – by the truckload. There was still plenty of crime, but it was a different kind of crime, the kind that comes from an opportunityrich environment. These days, it’s the kind of crime that comes from a lack of opportunity. The difference is academic to most victims. Gil Grissom was supervisor back then. There had been various robberies, a couple of fatal accidents and a gang fight that night; nothing serious. Then the call came in, around 9pm on Christmas Eve. ‘The call came in from the Mediterranean Hotel on the Strip. Maid finds a corpse in one of the VIP suites. He’s lying on the floor in his boxer shorts,’ Brass said. ‘Ambulance shows up, medics think it could be foul play, they call us. I was first on the scene, me and a couple of patrolmen. ‘Hell of a suite he had, about the size of Yankee Stadium. Looked like the Pope decorated it. As crime scenes go, not too shabby – especially compared to Latrine Alley, where at that moment most of the graveyard shift was on its hands and knees, looking for shell casings with a flashlight.’ Brass took a swig from his beer. Ottman cleared his throat, but Brass got there first: ‘So we take a right at the grand piano and there’s the victim, in the split-level living room.’ ‘Dead,’ Nick added, in case Ottman was as slow as he thought he was. Paul Guilfoyle as Captain James Brass, a Las Vegas Police Department homicide detective who does things by the book ‘Fatally so,’ Brass resumed. ‘Frank â€Å"Bozo† Bozigian, heir to the automotive floor mat fortune. Big guy. Always rents this same suite, every weekend. He was lying face down on the carpet with his head busted open against this gold-plated coffee table the size of my house. ‘The table was interesting. There were five lines of coke laid out on it, and a stack of $20 bills that would keep a stripper in business for five years. And most importantly, a chunk of meat with hair in it – from where this individual’s head came in contact with the corner.’ ‘An accident,’ Ottman interjected. ‘Yeah, except for one thing: Bozigian’s knuckles are all busted up. There’s blood under his fingernails. Maybe it’s relevant, maybe it’s not, but this guy was in a fight some time around when he died.’ ‘Sounds circumstantial,’ Ottman said. Brass ignored him and carried on, determined to get to the exciting part: ‘So I look around while I’m waiting for these two CSIs to show up, and I can’t figure it out. Looks like Bozigian just fell down and busted his head, right? Death by misadventure. Except he’s only got his drawers on. And when I look around, all I find is a fully packed suitcase in the bedroom. Where’s the clothes he walked in with? Where’s his shoes? ‘Only thing the victim has on is gold chains and a wristwatch, which is one of these Swiss automatics that sets you back 60 grand. Basically, I’m stumped.’ ‘Which doesn’t happen that much,’ Catherine said, and raised her glass to Brass. ‘Here’s to Christmas,’ Brass said, and they all drank. ‘Took us a while to get there,’ Nick said. ‘The other major scene, the gang fight, was a mess. Gil Grissom and the rest of us were working it for hours. When we finally got out of there, me and Catherine showed up at the Mediterranean looking like trash pickers.’ He laughed at the memory. Catherine smiled. It hadn’t been funny at the time. Nick went on: ‘There wasn’t any camera surveillance on that floor, but we got hotel security to secure video from all the elevators. Then we went into the suite. The deceased was a huge guy, twice my size, steroid muscle all over him. Shaved head, tattoo of a pole dancer on his back.’ ‘The tattoo probably scared the maid more than the blood,’ Catherine added. ‘No question about the head injury,’ Nick said. ‘He got it from the table. Scalp is split open with a furrow gouged out of the skin, and on the iron corner of the table there’s a corresponding scrap of tissue with identical hair on it. You could see at a glance this guy hit that table hard enough to kill him. But w e never guess at anything if we can prove it instead. So we take a set of one-to-one pictures of the whole scene. Then we collect the tissue, the hair, the money, the cocaine. Then it’s time to move the body.’ ‘Corpses are always heavy, but this guy weighed a ton,’ Catherine observed. Brass clapped Ottman on the shoulder. ‘It took all three of us to roll him over,’ he said. ‘If you’d been there, Ottman, it would have been easy.’ Nick stepped in to continue the story. ‘The front of him was more interesting, from a forensic perspective. He’d been bleeding, and it had pooled under him and glued him to the carpet, which is one reason he was so hard to move. His hands were clenched into fists. We found some blonde hair caught under a chain on his wrist. Several skin tags. They got pulled out hard.’ ‘He wasn’t blonde, needless to say,’ Catherine added. ‘So we bagged it. There was blood, maybe even tissue, under his fingernails, so we went to bag his hands, too, and that’s when we start realising the watch is a factor after all. I remember the make. It was a gold Vacherin Constantin automatic, and like Brass says, it was worth five figures. ‘But it didn’t fit his wrist. Had a dive-style bracelet on it – you fit those exactly to size on a watch like that, by adding or subtracting links with tiny screws. It was way too tight. So we opened the clasp and found blood on the underside of the bracelet. No lividity where it squeezed the skin, so as far as we can tell, the watch was put on after death. And get this – a patent fingerprint on the crystal. I mean you could see it in ordinary light, it was that clear, and printed in blood.’ Ottman cleared his throat, and Brass suddenly understood why they called him ‘The Otter’. When he swallowed, he looked like an otter eating clams. I t was perfect. William Petersen as Dr Gilbert ‘Gil’ Grissom, Catherine’s predecessor as CSI senior supervisor ‘If there was blood on the watch, did it correspond with the corpse?’ asked Ottman. ‘Did his hand fall under his head, or maybe his knuckles bled on it?’ ‘No,’ Catherine said. ‘But good question. His hands were down at his sides, palms downward, and the blood was all up under his head. His knuckles had stopped bleeding some time before death.’ ‘So the blood either came from the earlier fight, or it came from somebody else putting the watch on him after the guy was dead.’ Ottman nodded as he figured it out. Brass added: ‘That’s not all, though. It was on his right wrist, which makes sense if he’s a southpaw, but it wasn’t a left-handed watch.’ ‘So we looked around,’ Nick said, ‘collected whatever we could, and then I accompanied the body to the morgue. Bra ss and Catherine went to LVPD to file the preliminary report.’ ‘That was it until we had some more information,’ Brass said. ‘So back at Crime Central, I did a little research. Bozigian wasn’t unknown to the authorities.’ Brass paused. ‘Bozigian was from Glendale, California, but spent most of his time in Vegas, always at the best hotels. Looking at his rap sheet, he was one of these playboy types with a fat trust fund that didn’t go as far as he wanted it, so he was always looking for more money. But he was too lazy to actually earn it, so he went for the quick scores: private bookmaking, junk real estate, money laundering through clubs. Most of all, gambling. ‘He loved the cards, so even if he made any money, he lost it just as fast. Got into some wild bets. People got hurt. But he never did a day’s time.’ Nick counted off a few details on his fingers: ‘The assistant coroner determined Bozigian’s time of death to be an estimate of one to three hours prior to the maid finding his body. So I checked out the hotel’s elevator security footage, looking for any visitors to that floor during this time frame. ‘Sure enough, a guy gets in the elevator alone. He’s suspicious because he’s got a towel to his face. Can’t get a good look at him. He rode up from the parking garage, exits Bozigian’s floor. Five minutes later, he gets in the same elevator car and rides back down.’ ‘By now,’ Catherine interjected, ‘Grissom is working another scene, which is a jewellery-store robbery. Apparently this guy drove his monkey-brown Toyota truck straight through the front window of a store on the Strip, jumped out, grabbed what he could, and drove off. Not a real criminal mastermind. They have his plates and everything. Name is Henry Carson. There’s an APB out on the truck.’ Catherine said: ‘Brass and I have ten minutes free, so we decide to go crazy and get a cup of coffee at the place next door. Halfway across the police department parking lot, we see the truck. Same plates, same colour, the front all smashed in. ‘Out gets this little tiny man, smaller than me. And it looked like somebody ran him over with a train. Face pummelled. Blood all over his shirt. He sees Brass, walks up to him, and says, â€Å"I’m turning myself in. I killed a man named Frank Bozigian.† ‘ But how could one of these little people murder a 300lb man mountain with just their bare hands?

Miss Evers’ Boys portrays the emotional effects Essay

Miss Evers’ Boys portrays the emotional effects of one of the most amoral instances of governmental experimentation on humans ever perpetrated. It depicts the government’s involvement in research targeting a group of African American males (â€Å"The Tuskegee Experiment†), while simultaneously exploring the depths of human tragedy and suffering that result, as seen through the eyes of Eunice Evers. The viewer watches as a seemingly innocuous program progresses into a full-blown ethical catastrophe—all the while taking Miss Evers through a moral journey, with her decisions having ramifications on the life and well-being of her best friends—her â€Å"boys. † I. Structure This movie deals with the ethical considerations present in human experimentation. The government, wanting to mimic the Oslo Experiments, intends to study a population of AfricanAmericans inflicted with syphilis. The movie takes place in alternate settings, transitioning between a 1973 Senatorial hearing and the site of the actual study in Alabama, beginning in 1932 and moving forward. Miss Eunice Evers, a nurse at a local Tuskegee hospital, is the centerpiece of the movie. II. Setting & Plot Summary With an ominous lead-in quote, Miss Evers’ Boys begins to tell the tale of an emotionally courageous young woman and her struggle to protect her â€Å"children. † Within the first few frames  of the movie, the viewer is automatically entrenched into the already tenuous history of racial tension in America—except, this time, under the auspices of segregation founded upon disease. The movie begins, placing the viewer as an observer of a 1973 U. S. Senate Hearing, where we are first introduced to Miss Eunice Evers. Miss Evers is testifying as a nurse, one who took the nurse’s oath to protect the health of those in her care. The claimed Senatorial goal is to discover the truth underlying the â€Å"Tuskegee Study. † Miss Evers worked in the study from 19321972. The movie progresses throughout the course of the hearing, with testimony by Miss Evers and reminiscent scenes telling the tale of the study. In the beginning, Miss Evers firmly supports the goal of the initial plan—to provide care and treatment to those suffering from syphilis. â€Å"It was the dawn of a new day,† explains Miss Evers. At this point (pre-study), she believes that the government is sending her patients, and her city, the best funding and medical support available. The viewer is then introduced to Miss Evers’ Boys—a folk music group. 1 The musicians (four of them) are the first patients to provide blood samples, one of them being Caleb, an eventual love-interest of Miss Evers. Each of the men test positive for syphilis. At this point in the movie, everyone (including Miss Evers) is still under that assumption that â€Å"bad blood† is the culprit for the disease. Ultimately, the funding for the initial study disintegrates. After a visit to Washington, various gentlemen confront Dr. Brodus, the head doctor in Tuskegee, with an offer for a new rationale for funding. The gentlemen explain their intentions of studying the African-American population, much like the Caucasian population in the Oslo Experiments (1891-1910). The government then reveals the true nature of the experiment—the proposed study of untreated African-Americans dealing with syphilis. 1 The government promises future treatment and The group names their band after Miss Evers when she drives them to their first musical show. 2 proclaims the future potential of the Tuskegee Experiment, appealing to Dr. Brodus’ pride. Dr. Brodus agrees, naming the study, The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in The Negro Male. 412 men, afflicted with syphilis, participate in the study. In a telling interaction involving one of the first patients, Miss Evers suggests that the doctors explain to the study group that they are providing â€Å"back shots. † Through her deceit, Miss Evers thus begins to involve herself in the â€Å"treatment. † The tension she feels manifests itself in her facial features; the viewer can see her apprehension in this instance and throughout the movie. She is torn, but yet continues to help Dr. Brodus conduct the study. As 6-months turns into years, Miss Evers continues to hide the secret behind the study. She urges the men to continue the study, in hope of future treatment—treatment that never comes, even through the eventual availability of penicillin. Miss Evers’ ultimate decision as to how she deals with the care and treatment of her â€Å"boys† will be left to the viewer. With the journey, however, comes a tumultuous story, exposing the hypocrisy of the United States Government through the eyes of Eunice Evers. Throughout the movie, as an audience, we want Miss Evers to defy all conventions and simply provide the necessary medicine to the patients. Yet, she struggles throughout with the pros and cons of such a decision. On one hand, she wants to support the experiment; yet, on the other, she wants to protect and comfort her friends. As we finally see in the end, as seen through Miss Evers’ unique perspective, while one may question Miss Evers, it is the Senators themselves, and the government agents before them, who prove to be more worthy of moral appraisal. III.

100 Years of Solitude - Essay Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

100 Years of Solitude - Essay - Assignment Example The conditions of that region are depicted by the use of various facts of life; revolution and war, youth and old age, poverty and prosperity, love and lust – all themes are found dispersed throughout this work. People belonging to a variety of cultures reside in the South American land and it is for this reason that the influence of these cultures is evident in everyday life of the people of Macondo – the imaginary village. The story of the novel takes into account the history of almost five generations of the Buendia family and there are various points in the story where the author points towards the multicultural nature of the residents of the region. The author has at various points pointed towards the uncertainties that prevail in the South American region. Of note is the way in which the political realities of the region are presented in the novel. The novel clearly depicts how the influential classes of the South American society used assassination as a tool to control the lives of common people. The number of people who lose their lives in the process is astounding; yet the thirst of blood of the power-hungry politically influential class is never satisfied. They way in which the influential class of the society uses the slogan of ‘patriotism’ to provoke the innocents of the society, is clearly a reflection of the negative ways that are utilized to achieve political gains using the strength of masses. The picture portrayed by the author clearly demonstrates the uncertainty regarding life; people are provoked and then punished, but justice is hardly ever served. An interesting metaphor used by the author of this work is ‘ice’. Although regarded as the ‘greatest invention’ of this time by the author, ice holds symbolic significance that is beyond ordinary. Ice and its fate have been associated with the history of Macondo.

Argumentation research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Argumentation - Research Paper Example This dichotomy causes large debates over the discourse of Hip Hop in the society. Hip Hop uses a very violent language that many people find inappropriate. Indeed, the first performers used to mainly employ lyrics portraying young blacks killing police officers. This violent speech finds many detractors and causes much debate in the media and the society in general. However, with the new revolution, the violent narratives shifted from killing police men to killing other blacks. Despite this change in perspectives, the violent rhetoric is still present as artists depict the killings between black gangs and their journey in prison cells. Jeffrey Ogbar reveals that the change in the narratives decreases the negative stereotypes of blacks and that the lyrics represent not only an artistic expression but also some realities (98). Even though the new Hip Hop revolution does not portray anymore the killings of police officers, it still depicts another form of violence. Many people still fin d their language offensive because the lyrics expose much violence regardless of what form it takes. In addition to the violent language deemed shocking for most, the derogatory narratives directed towards women also cause much frustration and generate large debates. Actually, Black women find the lyrics in Hip Hop about them highly offensive. This article informs: â€Å"The countless negative portrayals of Black women in hip-hop videos and song lyrics could be compiled on a very long list. And yet to some, it’s taken a long time to engage the Black community in a serious discourse about the more divisive, derisive aspects of hip-hop music and culture† (Keels). This anger generated by these lyrics creates a deep crisis in the black community since women see these performers as mainly interested in money but not in the image of their community. Black women severely criticize the language used in Hip Hop that does not encourage good behavior or even reflect good morals. The lyrics about violence, drugs and sex make these women worried, especially because children tend to view these artists as role models. The author adds: â€Å"Women express their deep mconcern about the emergence of gangsta rap and its lyrics that flagrantly glorified thuggery, violence, drug abuse and vile, demeaning attitudes about and actions towards women, especially African-Americans† (Keels). The language used to portray Black women makes them very frustrated as they become the target of groups that violate their privacy and their integrity through very offensive lyrics. Furthermore, some language used in Hip Hop has also been found mostly derogatory by both white and black people. For instance, the word â€Å"nigger† that reflects a vey painful past characterized by slavery and racial segregation was almost banished from vocabulary but has been reestablished in Hip Hop language. The use of the word in Hip Hop clips and videos creates both frustration and uneas iness in communities because it represents a reminder of the past. This article notes: â€Å"The overwhelming majority of rappers are African Americans and most white people would be surprised to find the hated word ‘nigger’ used so freely. However, words that might be inappropriate for outsiders to use are commonly employed by those within a group. So too with

Revised website design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Revised website design - Essay Example It is originally presented as that of a simple webpage within dozens of all the other pages in the College’s website. With this, the project aims to give The Mishkin Art Gallery its own identity by providing it an independent say of introducing itself to the World Wide Web. In its redesigned state, The Sidney Mishkin Art Gallery Website makes it easier for the target visitors to find important details. It focuses its usability to the people who will be interested in mainly about the gallery. By removing the pages that does not have much to do with the gallery site proper, the usability of the website is simplified to the main details intended for a person who would like to visit the gallery site. The main particulars that these target audience would be looking upon are usually the dates of exhibitions, brief information about a current exhibit, a past exhibition and the gallery’s collections. All these have been included in the redesigned version of The Sidney Mishkin Art Gallery. Another thing that would be easily recognized is that the redesigned site is aesthetically presented to look poised and elegant. This is offered in the ambience of the design. A black background that would highlight black and white and even colored photographs would enhance the impression left to the interested visitors of the gallery. The blackness classically frames a featured visual at the main page of the site which would increase its elegance since it promotes art as a main subject to contemplate upon. The navigational usability and functions has also been considered in creating the redesigned version of The Sidney Miskin Art Gallery website. The navigational buttons have been arranged in a way that it will easily be accessed by potential gallery viewers. As mentioned earlier, the main subpages that have been included ranked the Present Exhibitions page, the Past Exhibitions page, and the Exhibition Catalogs. This buttons are placed below snapshots of exhibitions to

The nature of organizations and the environment Essay

The nature of organizations and the environment - Essay Example Here are some of the factors that can undermine the operations of any international firm. As we all know that communication is as important for any business as finance or profit returns. Miscommunication can devastate any firm slowly but surely. Here are few communication problems in a global firm. This problem arises when managers see things differently (according to his own thinking and upbringing) and things are quite different in reality. So, it can push managers to act little wrongly in international environment to which they are unaware of. This whole set up of looking at things differently or if we can put it correctly through his own perception can make things haywire. In this problem, managers assume things relying on the information which they have beforehand or which they learn in their own business environment. For example, Americans generally think or assume that British are generally bull-headed people. This is their general perception. But, working in an international environment, these kinds of set assumptions can create great grievances. You have to deal with every set of people after meeting them, not just by your own stereotype assumptions. It is utterly wrong and unhealthy for an organization. Ethnocentrism refers to the sense of superiority that members of a particular culture have. The Russians generally claims that Americans consider themselves 'always right' kind of people. This behavior can shut down all possible communicative avenues and even create hostility and grudge against each other. In international environment, managers need to work more in an open manner. Role of power distance: This problem lies in the sphere of motivation. All cultures have different opinions about role of power in certain cultures. In some cultures, people like to be ordered, whereas, few cultures consider it very odd to behave like a boss. It can create hell of a problem for managers, because if manager works in a little authoritarian style and that consider very ineffective in that particular region, then manager needs to bring a change in his style of operating with his colleagues. For example, people in United States, Britain, and Scandinavian find it very tough to adjust with manager who works like a typical boss. Whereas, people in Indians, Mexicans, Japanese and South Koreans find it quite normal to work in this of environment.Leadership expert Warren Bennis stated somewhere that," Given the nature and constancy of change and the transnational challenges facing American business leadership, the key to making the right choices will come from understanding and embodying the leadersh ip qualities necessary to succeed in the volatile and mercurial global economy". The role of leadership in an international environment is extremely important in more of the pronounced terms. Across cultures, managers need to change some sound differences in their behavior to make it more effective and feasible. Managers in alien atmosphere need to be more liberal and more open for all kind of options. Personal values: Managers need to inculcate few major changes in their personal values to

The theme of loneliness in Methamorphosis by Kafka and Boo Radley in Essay

The theme of loneliness in Methamorphosis by Kafka and Boo Radley in To Kill A Mockingbird - Essay Example Both Lee and Camus demonstrate major societal conflict through their themes of loneliness as manifested in Boo and Meursault. Boo Radley is a recluse, a shy man who lives not far from the Finches but never ventures outdoors. A lot of mystery surrounds the actual facts of Boo Radley’s detachment from society and he becomes the subject of malicious rumors. One rumor has Boo Radley coming out in the dark of night and peering into neighbor’s windows. The rumors however are mere indications of society’s fear of the unknown and the low tolerance for those who do not meld or blend in with society. They become the objects of scorn and demonization. Meursault, like Boo is very much an outsider although he does physically blend in with society. Outwardly, Meurasult is an ordinary member of the community. He has an apartment, a job and a girlfriend. His detachment is founded on his mental and emotional distance. In one exchange with his girlfriend Marie, the reader understands the limits of Meursault’s ability to connect with another human being. Meursault is indifferent to his mother’s death and this indifference becomes problematic for him later on when he goes on trial for murder. Although the trial has a legitimate issue to try, Meursault is as much on trial for his non conformist attitude as he is for murder. It is Meursault’s departure from accepted norms that sets him apart as a loner and an outsider and this is why he like Boo is ultimately demonized by society. While the reader knows very little about Boo in the beginning chapters of To Kill a Mockingbird outside of rumors and myth, the reader is immediately introduced to Meursault’s indifference. The Outsider opens with the following observation by Meursault, the novel’s narrator: â€Å"Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home: ‘Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours.’ That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it

Advise to Toan Regarding the Action with Brookland Greens Pty Ltd Assignment

Advise to Toan Regarding the Action with Brookland Greens Pty Ltd - Assignment Example Toan is observed to be a developer who had appeared previously in the government auction and also bid or owned a land from the auction. Furthermore, Toan wanted to buy or hold another land from the government auction to be held recently. In order to own another land from the auction, Toan formed a proprietary company with whose name he thought of taking part in the auction. Moreover, after appearing in the auction Toan in lieu of his company was able to bid successfully for another land in the auction. However, the authority of the auction refused to handover the land to Toan and its company, saying that they had already owned a land before from the previous auction and were violating the rules of the auction, as a result, they cannot own this land. After the refusal from the authority, Toan sued the government authority for not handing over the second land to the company by demonstrating the fact that the land was purchased by his company and not by himself. And there was no provisi on preventing him to conduct such an act. It is assumed that apparently, it is not Toan who appeared in the auction second time, rather it is Toan’s company who took part in the auction for bidding for land. According to the formulated law in an auction by the government, the process opted by Toan is legal and he is not violating the rules. This is because for the first time Toan bid for a land in the auction in lieu of his own name, however in the second time, Toan attempted to bid for a land in the auction under an enacted company for the sole purpose of bidding for the land. Thus, it can be said that from the viewpoint of intention, Toan is violating the auction rules laid by the government. A case study ‘Australian Law- Law of Business Association’ has been considered to present advice for Toan. The case states that Mr Main is a person who bid for a land from the local government council held an auction. Furthermore, he desired to own or bid for another land from the subsequent auction of government. In order to own another land, he formed a company.  

Community Persuasion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Community Persuasion - Essay Example Additionally, the likelihood of parents to maintain a positive parenting image within the community is high when they greatly involve themselves in the community matters. Having lived in Huntsville community since I was born, I find there is a need for parents Huntsville to take responsibility for their children’s development in order to provide a successful future for them. This essay will seek to argue about the responsibility of parents on their children’s development and successful future. Even though it requires a lot of effort and commitment, it is essential for parents to design an enhanced, sensitive, and responsive parenting behavior which incorporates the aspect of constant parent/child interaction. I rest my case on this issue by declaring that legacy for children has a pilot study phase wherein it brings about a sense of community on both children and parents. For a greater and successful future, parents should take part in legacy intervention activities whi ch include cognitive and verbal stimulation. These intervention activities involve parent and parent to parent to child group meetings, participation in community activities/events, and visits to homes. Sensibly, this kind of interaction between children and their parents is what Huntsville needs because it serves as groundwork for a successful future life for the children since majority would try to copy their parents’ actions. Certain members of Huntsville claim that, parents only have the responsibility to bring up children until they are either two or three years old. However, such community members tend to forget that parents and guardians have a huge part to play in not only growth, but also in the development of a child. This is so because; children require guidance, principles, and strength in order to shape their future accordingly. As such, if they happen to lose parental figure, their chances of having a disoriented development and future are high. In view of this vein, I stand to advocate for children’s legacy by pointing out that children need parental guidance and support until they are at least eighteen. The first five years from their birth are very cognitive therefore, parental intervention at all times is also very pragmatic. I have heard some parents in this community speak of influence of other significant problems on children. They indicate that, no matter how they try to take responsibility for the development of their children, other significant problems crop up. As a result, they happen to lose sight of their overall goal and role in their children’s development and future accomplishment. Nonetheless, I would like to prove to you and the rest of the community members that such claims are just philosophical and aid to nothing when parents become keen on their children’s development and success in the future. Attributively, parents can bring out a positive influence on children and their development even when t here are other significant problems in their lives. Overly, the quality of relationship shared between and among a parent, child, and the community is very important when compared to any other parenting practice. Hence, in order to ensure that other significant problems do not interfere with the development of a child’s development and his or her subsequent, future success, it is vital for parents to understand that successful parenting style involves insightful and thoughtful decisions

Managerial Economics Week 6 Individual Work 2 Assignment

Managerial Economics Week 6 Individual Work 2 - Assignment Example This is because as the output increase at one point, it does not necessarily increase at another point and the inverse is true. The increase in the operating expenditures per student does not bring out a large decrease to enrollment but rather there is an explicit nature of the function. Apart from enrollment, the other important variable in explaining the variations in operating expenditures per student is the teacher salary variable. This teacher salary variable is significant in the sense that it promotes a higher level of motivation thus the operating expenditure per student will decrease. A decrease in teacher salary brings about an increase in the operating expenditure per student. When there is a higher rise in teacher salary, the operating expenditure per student will also rise significantly. Minimization is always ideal achieving the best of benefits in every institution. In this case, expenditures reduce and at the same time, there is a reduction in the enrollment level. Barriers towards enrollment also do not exist and it is a case of unconstrained optimization. To minimize on the operating expenditure per student the calculation takes the derivative of the operating expenditure with respect to enrollment. 30.9 is the reduction level towards the operating expenditure per student that will occur upon adding one more student. This is because at this point (500) there are economies of scale and there are positive externalities. The regression value does not show a good fit value since it is less than 0.75. This is because the right hand side variables also do not fully explain most of the variations or changes. There is an inverse relationship between enrollment level and expenditure whereby the enrollment level increases as the operating expenditure declines. Economies of enrollment that can also show the size can decrease whenever the expenditures reduce as the enrollment

Business Communication Trends Essay Example for Free

Business Communication Trends Essay Business communication plays a big role in our daily work activities as individuals we must manage our daily activities depending on the trends and needs of our current workplace. There are ten Business communication trends the one that I will be discussing is on Quality and customer needs. Business Communication Trends Business communication is very important in my daily work environment. It is so important because we use this to communicate efficiently with our Managers to our customers. I work for The City of Indio in water department. My duties vary from customer service to Engineering administrative assistant. Business communication does play a big role in my day-to-day duties, because we have to be able to have great communication skills orally, and also we must use other communication technology efficiently like emails, letters, memos and phone or teleconferencing. In order to be a good representative we must be able to communicate effectively with our customers. The reason I say this is because we are responsible in making sure that we listen to what the customers needs are and that we are able to satisfactory resolve any issue that the customer might have. Many times when customers have a valid complain we must inform our supervisor via E-mail, depending on the level of urgency regarding the customers complains. I generally prefer to communicate this way because it creates a paper trail and it also protects me. Through these emails we must be able to communicate to our supervisor, what the issue is and what are the solutions that we can offer the customer. Then my supervisors will respond with either an approval or rejection. Then we can communicate with the customer and inform them what the end result is of their complaint. I have found that communicating with my supervisors via e-mail helps keep track of records, and if that same issue were to ever come up again we would have an e-mail that would be proof that particular issue was addressed and brought to our supervisors attention. If the issue is not resolved to the customer satisfaction it would be because there wasn’t a follow-up with the customer and we did not communicate in a professional manner. Business Communication Trends Working in a utility division comes with many challenges. When creating utility statement, wording has be to address in a manner where we are targeting an audience that can read and understand exactly what is being said in a normal monthly water utility bill . For example, what amount is due and when is it due. Many of our customers misinterpret or don’t understand the wording on the utility bills. This causes confusion, and can even cause customers to have the utility services interrupted, because they misinterpret their bill and did not know how to read it correctly. We all have spent countless hours rewording our statements and every time there is that one customer that is looking for a loop in the system to get away out of paying a payment or late fees. Our role as representatives is to ensure that are customer satisfaction is meet, and if there is an error where it might misguide our customers, we want to make sure that we correct the problem before it becomes a problem.

Interviews in Social Work

Interviews in Social Work Simulated interviews reflection and approach work Part 1 The purpose of the interview was to explore the service users situation and investigate his needs and problems. When reflecting on the interview techniques I asked both open and closed questions, for example Do you want to tell me whats happened recently? I probed into his responses several times for example would you like to talk in more depth about that? These questions can promote client involvement, inviting the service user to talk in more depth. Using this technique shows that I listened by asking questions about points he had discussed. The service user mentioned that he felt I listened well to what he was saying because I asked him to talk about what hed discussed in more detail. I tried to use the non verbal attending SOLER techniques (Egan, 2007) these included facing the client squarely, having an open posture, leaning towards the service user and keeping good eye contact during the interview which when looking back at the interview I believe I did constantly. I did try one technique called scaling, upon reflection I concluded that it was not the correct time to use it. I think I was too eager to try too many techniques at once. Understanding this will help establish the correct skills to use in different situations. During the interview the service user was fidgeting, this may be a response to how he dealt with their anxieties and depression. However upon reflection I understand that anyone having an interview with a social worker could be nervous and fidget. Its unfair to conclude that it was his anxieties that caused him to fidget. Upon reflection I found that his answers were closed at first until I tried to make him comfortable, probing his responses until he felt more relaxed and happy that I was listening. He then became more confident at answering the questions and gave more in depth responses. However this may not have been because of the techniques I used. The service user has had dealing with mental health teams in the past. Having had experience of interviews he would find it easier to talk to a social worker and give answers out of habit. Mental health services have a habit to affect service users. Helping them in certain situations in the past, the service user will be used to worki ng with them in this setting and want them to help again so willingly involve themselves interviews. I tried to empathise with the service user when it was possible for example I can see things have been really difficult for you. I showed support when it was needed for example he knew what he did not want but not what he wanted in regards to having help. I explained that it was a good situation to be in and we can move on further from this. I believe I showed understanding and empathy towards his situation by using non verbal skills like smiling and nodding when he explained something Within the interview I was nervous and did not appreciate that this service user had previous experience of mental health services and already had strategies that enabled him to live with his mental distress. I focused solely on his mental health and this impeded my techniques and how I acted as the interviewer. I should have focused on the situation and asked him what his current situation was and why he was currently using mental health services. I did find out the main part of his situation, that he is about to be made homeless but I didnt explore it in depth after hed mentioned it. I just carried on with using techniques I had learnt and ignored the severity of his situation. I think my understanding of the purpose of the interview and the actual purpose had affected the way I acted and asked questions. Ignoring the whole reason why the service user was in crisis may have been due to my own personal experience of mental health. Understanding that my previous experience may impede my practice is something that reflection has uncovered. My age and gender may have affected the interview process. Being a young woman whos a social worker when my client is an older male with mental health problems understandably there are boundaries these may have affected how I asked questions and what I wanted to cover and how he answered questions. This man was not much younger than my father I may have ignored his most pressing problem because I associated him to a close figure that never has problems and always deals with things independently. Unconsciously I may have associated this and that may be why I ignored the severity of his imminent homelessness. I used a notebook throughout the interview. Upon reflection I believe I unconsciously used this as a barrier because of my own nerves and understanding of individuals using mental health services. I am rather disappointed in myself even if it was an unconscious action an individual using the mental health team needs a social worker who will not put up barriers that may suggest they want to distance themselves from the service user. Being aware of this will help me in the future when working within the mental health services. Biestek (1961) produced a set of values that social work is based on including individualisation and acceptance (Adams, Dominelli and Payne, 2009). I showed anti discriminatory practice by understanding that individuals should be treated as unique. You may already have previous experience of similar cases and already know what might work. However its important not to direct the service user but let them make their own decisions. Within the interview I believe I used this approach asking the service user What would you like us to do to help you? ensuring the service user makes the decisions. The social worker can safeguard the service user against making decisions for him by using reflection as a technique. Reflecting individually and being able to use your team to reflect upon what you as the social workers have done and why you have done. Colleagues may identify an important aspect which the social worker had not previously considered. During the interview I tried to keep my emotions controlled to make sure the service user was not affected. However whilst reflecting I feel emotional about the situation. I think its important to be able to feel emotions regarding the situation otherwise I may be more affected by the situation later on. Part 2 The service users situation is such that he will be imminently evicted and become homeless. As such the approach to take requires an intervention that will help and be effective in the short term. A crisis intervention and task centred approach helps people faced with sudden problems (Adams et al, 2009). When in crisis individuals find that they have no solutions, because of this may be more susceptive to outside help, in this case from mental health social workers (Roberts, 2000). These approaches would be the most effective in this situation as the service user is facing sudden problems. Crisis intervention uses elements of the psychodynamic approach and cognitive approach focusing on emotional responses to events and how to control them realistically. The task centred approach focuses on major continuing problems in life. Both improve the individuals ability to deal with their problems (Payne, 2005). There are different phases of crisis intervention, the beginning phase focuses on the situation but should look into his emotional state and well being. Using Roberts, 2000 seven stage crisis intervention model helps understand what this approach involves. The first stage is conducting the assessment. This leads to establishing rapport with the service user. Major problems are then identified and the causes of crisis are investigated to ensure these do not continue to affect the service user. The social worker helps the service user deal with emotions regarding the situation. The next stage involves the social worker and service user identifying different routes to take to ensure the service user is involved with decision making with regard to his plan (Roberts, 2000). I believe that this model is the most useful when understanding crisis intervention as during the fifth stage when they are looking at different routes to take they can look at the service users previous responses at c oping with difficult situations and how they had dealt with them then therefore focusing on strengths. During this stage the social worker could help the service user reduce the crisis into smaller manageable amounts this may decrease the service users level of anxiety. Helping involve him in coping mechanisms and decision making to develop and implement a plan. Firstly the social worker and service user must identify the crisis, assess the situation, explore strengths and the resources the service user may have and then implement a plan (Payne, 2005). Crisis intervention identifies practical tasks that the individuals need to readjust when crisis has occurred (Payne, 2005). This service users crisis has already been identified as his imminent homelessness. During the interview the situation was explored to find out other problems he is facing, he currently has depression and levels of anxiety and has had previous gambling problems. The strengths that the service user has are his commitment to want to work in the future and knowing he needs help but does not know what kind of help he needs. A major strength the service user has is his ability to form strategies to cope with his mental illness to enable him to live within society without difficulty until crisis had happened. From this initial interview further work would need to be done with the service user this would involve looking holistically, investigating his environment, familial relationships and other situations and find out any other needs which the service user may wish us to meet. Task centred intervention would be incorporated within this time whilst crisis intervention was ongoing. This is a practical approach and would be effective as it looks at his problems and why he might be facing crisis to try and prevent him facing crisis again. This is a short term problem solving approach using partnership and empowerment, building on peoples strengths. This approach focuses on the service users problems. Payne, 2005 explains that task centred looks at problems that the service user acknowledges and what they want to change. Task centred is effective when solving problems involving social relationships and decision making problems, both of which the service user has. The client identifies problems the tasks are then planned, these may involve small actions or involve different actions, for example in this case help with familial relationships and take part in gambling help. The tasks can be physical actions for example the service user is this case could call a gam bling anonymous helpline and ask for further help. These tasks are then evaluated to see if they have been achieved (Doel and Marsh, 2005). The purpose of task centred is to help resolve problems and give them capacity to deal with them in the future. Criticisms of both crisis intervention and task centred are that neither is effective when the service user is constantly facing crisis and some individuals may find it difficult to face their problems head on like in task centred. If timing was not a problem another approach which may have been useful would be Cognitive Behavioural Approach. This approach involves the application of the social learning theory and would help me as a social worker and the service user to understand how emotional and behavioural problems can arise and how they can then be maintained or changed. This theory was chosen as its one of the most effective treatments for conditions where depression is the main problem. It looks at triggers which might affect how the service user functions within society for example his gambling problems may have caused a difficult financial situation leading to his imminent homelessness (Westbrook, Kennerley and Kirk, 2007). Cognitive behavioural therapy focuses on client self determination, empowering the service user to make their own decisions and also boosts the service users confidence when making these decisions and avoids having a dependent service user. It encourages service users to reinforce desirable behaviours rather than punish those that are undesirable (Adams et al, 2009) (Westbrook, Kennerley and Kirk, 2007). Cognitive behavioural therapy is not a short process which is why it wouldnt be useful in this case. If further on when the crisis has resolved and the service user and social worker have built rapport it may be a useful approach to use when dealing with his other problems. The service user already had an idea of what cognitive behavioural therapy was as his psychiatrist has already referred him for short term cognitive behavioural work. Working with the therapist allocated to this service user may enhance his progress, if all professionals are working towards the same goal using the same approach it may be beneficial to the service user in the long run.

Analysis of Barbara Kruger

Analysis of Barbara Kruger For this short essay writing I get an example of single contemporary artist Barbara Kruger. Barbara Kruger is an American conceptual artist. A lot of her effort consists of black and white photographs overlaid with declarative captions-in white-on-red Futura Bold Oblique. The phrases in her works frequently consist of use of pronouns such as you, your, I, we, and they. I begin my essay with the retort how Barbara Kruger be considered illustrative of Baudrillards or Barthes theories. Postmodernism was born out of a response in opposition to the policy of Modernism. Most particularly, Postmodern artists discarded the Modernist obsession with the aesthetic and began by questioning the recognized qualities tied to this aesthetic. As the Postmodern movement progressed, this critique intensified and moved beyond simply formal concerns; artists also began criticizing many underlying notions of Modernism, together with ideas about creativity and authority. Simultaneously, French philosophers Roland Barthes and Jean Baudrillard introduced theories concerning the rising artistic practices of appropriation and simulation. Barthes, in his elaboration on the theory of appropriation, described principles and practices that a lot of artists were employing in their critiques on Modernism. The work of American artist Barbara Kruger gives the most powerful embodimen t of Barthes theories of appropriation. Roland Barthes, in his 1967 essay The Death of the Author, stripped mutually authority and authorship from artists and writers, declaring, A text is not a line of words releasing a single theological meaning (the message of the Author-God), but a multi-dimensional space in which a variety of writings, none of them new, blend and collide. This theory not only described the postmodern artistic practices of the time, but it undermined Modernisms lofty goals and claims of creating original artwork. According to Barthes, no author or artist creates something new and unique. Instead, every formed thing is a recycled regurgitation of that which preceded it. As Postmodernism continued to develop, many artists not only acknowledged Barthess denouncement of originality but also embraced it as a means through which to further critique the works and tenets of Modernism. These artists favored the readymade object as more powerful than the supposedly new crafted objects shaped by Modernist artists. By openly acknowledging the process of appropriation that occurs within the manufacture of all art, these artists leveraged the power of pre-existing imagery and signs to produce new works with multiple layers and multiple meanings. Barbara Kruger began her career as a graphic designer and commercial artist for publications and magazines such as Mademoiselle. Her work as a postmodern artist began to garner attention in the early 1980s; about fifteen years later than Barthes published The Death of the Author. Krugers experience in the profitable design world greatly influenced her work both officially and philosophically. She embraced both the imagery and language of advertising, combining black and white photographs with ambiguous but accusatory statements in collage-like presentations. But she concurrently rejected the philosophies of commercial advertising and the majority, by raising questions concerning gender equality, consumerism, and stereotypes. Regarding the state of culture, In Untitled (Your Comfort is My Silence), 1981, Kruger combined a black and white image of a mans head with his index finger over his mouth and two lines of text reading, Your comfort is my silence. The initial two words cover the mans eyes, further eliminating his exact identity and reducing him to a generic symbol of masculine dominance and control. The text is presented in a combination of black text over white rectangles and white text in red rectangles in a cut-and-paste manner. By employing collage to join pre-existing imagery with authoritative statements, Kruger practices the appropriation that Barthes described. Krugers work also assigns an interpretive role to both the viewer and culture at large, as posited by Barthes. By keeping her statements to some extent cryptic or ambiguous, Kruger forces viewers to build meaning from their own earlier experiences, thereby actively participating in the procedure of appropriation. In addition I am going to cover the answers of is it simplistic for an artist to rely heavily on theory, Does good art go beyond theory and Are these original works? While Kruger and other artists who deliberately practice appropriation are most likely aware of Barthess philosophies and statements, it is hard to say how much their work and practice is shaped by such theory. Oftentimes theory seems somewhat reflexive to contemporary practices; critics notice existing artistic trends and then posit theories and extend technical language to describe such practices. As such, one could disagree that artistic practice influences theory just as much as theory influences the practice that follows. Certainly theory plays some role in virtually every piece or work of art, even if the producer or artist is unaware of it. Sometimes, the identical theory can even direct artists in two completely different or opposing directions. Modern theory, for example, called for aesthetic experience and form al purity, and many artists worked to attain the ideal representation of these criteria. Postmodern practice should not be viewed as alike attempt to perfectly render the theories of Postmodernism; rather, it is more perfectly a reaction against the tenets of Modern theory. From my point of view it seems then that theory and practice share a somewhat cyclical relationship. Artists produce new work, and then critics develop theories and language to describe it. Other artists take these newly-formed theories as information for what constitutes art at the time and turn out their art accordingly. After a period of extremely following the most recently canonized theories, other artists consciously operate outside of the dominant theory or refuse it altogether and produce another new type of work. This appears to be a recurring trend in the relationship among art theory and art practice. The work of artists such as Barbara Kruger, poses many essential questions and reiterates those raised by Roland Barthes. Although such artists intentionally employ the process of appropriation in producing their artwork, their works are no less original than that of other artists. Even Modernist painters, who so adamantly strove for originality and uniqueness, operated within the framework and visual language of the preceding millennia of art and history. As Barthes says, The writer [or artist] can only imitate a gesture that is always anterior, not at all original. Possibly this means that, concurrently, not anything is original and everything is original.

Rome and Juliet Essay -- Literary Analysis, Shakespeare

L.O.V.E.: Land of Joy, Ocean of Tears, Valley of Happiness, End of Life Four letters of the alphabet, e, o, l, v, can cause a variety of consequences such as death or happiness because once arranged in a certain order, they spell love. Love happens to have many different forms that change depending on what and who someone feels love for. When varying types of love intersect, they end up creating chaos or happily ever afters. The endings formed by the intersection depend on whether the love is nice or malicious. Nice love causes weddings with horse-drawn carriages, while malicious love causes people to lose their pulse. Sometimes it does not make a difference how powerful love is, just the fact that someone is feeling affection could cause unwise decisions, since the person could be acting with temerity. The different types of love shown in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare end up either complementing or contradicting each other when it comes to the actions of the characters and the fates of those characters. The main and most common type of love in Romeo and Juliet is romantic love. Romantic love is when somebody loves someone in a way that his or her heart connects with the other person’s heart and they go on dates, embrace each other, and sometimes get married to each other. When people amorously love each other, they will do bizarre and insane things for each other, so romantic love is very powerful. Romeo says: Then plainly know my heart’s dear love is set On the fair daughter of rich Capulet; As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine, And all combined, save what thou must combine By holy marriage. (Shakespeare 2.3.57-61) Romeo and Juliet both truly, romantically love each other since their hearts connec... ...p love has to do with people that are not relatives, such as classmates. Fake love is when people think or assume someone is in love and it causes confusion because people are assuming the wrong thing. When types of love complement each other, decisions are simple because the kinds of love support each other. On the other hand, contradicting forms of love make decisions difficult because they do not support each and make the character choose which form of love is more powerful. The different types of love found in a person’s life can amaze some people and when making a decision, thinking about how kinds of love interact can make deciding effortless. Although we all might think those four letters of the alphabet are very trouble-some, we have to admit that without them, our lives would be nondescript because everyone needs a little love in their life to enjoy. Rome and Juliet Essay -- Literary Analysis, Shakespeare L.O.V.E.: Land of Joy, Ocean of Tears, Valley of Happiness, End of Life Four letters of the alphabet, e, o, l, v, can cause a variety of consequences such as death or happiness because once arranged in a certain order, they spell love. Love happens to have many different forms that change depending on what and who someone feels love for. When varying types of love intersect, they end up creating chaos or happily ever afters. The endings formed by the intersection depend on whether the love is nice or malicious. Nice love causes weddings with horse-drawn carriages, while malicious love causes people to lose their pulse. Sometimes it does not make a difference how powerful love is, just the fact that someone is feeling affection could cause unwise decisions, since the person could be acting with temerity. The different types of love shown in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare end up either complementing or contradicting each other when it comes to the actions of the characters and the fates of those characters. The main and most common type of love in Romeo and Juliet is romantic love. Romantic love is when somebody loves someone in a way that his or her heart connects with the other person’s heart and they go on dates, embrace each other, and sometimes get married to each other. When people amorously love each other, they will do bizarre and insane things for each other, so romantic love is very powerful. Romeo says: Then plainly know my heart’s dear love is set On the fair daughter of rich Capulet; As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine, And all combined, save what thou must combine By holy marriage. (Shakespeare 2.3.57-61) Romeo and Juliet both truly, romantically love each other since their hearts connec... ...p love has to do with people that are not relatives, such as classmates. Fake love is when people think or assume someone is in love and it causes confusion because people are assuming the wrong thing. When types of love complement each other, decisions are simple because the kinds of love support each other. On the other hand, contradicting forms of love make decisions difficult because they do not support each and make the character choose which form of love is more powerful. The different types of love found in a person’s life can amaze some people and when making a decision, thinking about how kinds of love interact can make deciding effortless. Although we all might think those four letters of the alphabet are very trouble-some, we have to admit that without them, our lives would be nondescript because everyone needs a little love in their life to enjoy.

Masculinity, Femininity and Simone Benmussa’s Singular Life of Albert N

Masculinity, Femininity and Simone Benmussa’s Singular Life of Albert Nobbs The semiotics of traditional theatrical form reinforce an oppressive patriarchal system. The physical body becomes the catalyst by which gender is assigned and expected. This emphasis on the body is amplified in the theater. Simone Benmussa’s play The Singular Life of Albert Nobbs, adapted from the short story by George Moore, deals with issues of femininity and masculinity and how these are portrayed within the theater as well as how theater is formed by the traditional patriarchal gaze. This play also deals with issues of class and how class status is intrinsically tied to gender, gender performance and sexuality. Through the example of this play it is seen that a form of theater which creates and maintains the woman as subject rather than object (as Sue-Ellen Case proposes) cannot be truly realized until the performative nature and many issues inherent in masculinity are acknowledged and processed. Here also is an excellent case study of how the politics of the theater are deeply rooted in body politics and gender essentialism. All of these factors contribute to the play’s overall complexity in matters surrounding and pertaining to the performative nature of masculinity and the manner in which masculinities are brought forth on stage and how that differs from femininity on stage. One of the central themes of theatrical form is identity and the catalyst by which identity is formed is the body. In using the body as the site of formation of individual identity, women are â€Å"uniquely identified with their anatomy† and specifically the parts of their anatomy that differ from that of men (Callaghan 30). Because women are thus defined by their relation ... ... femininity and female masculinity are brought under scrutiny. Works Cited: Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble. New York, Routledge. 1990 Callaghan, Dympna. Shakespeare Without Women: Representing Gender and Race on the Renaissance Stage. New York, Routledge. 2000 Case, Sue-Ellen. Towards a New Poetics. from Feminism and Theater. New York, Methuen. 1988 Gardiner, Judith Kegan. Introduction. from Masculinity Studies & Feminist Theory. (also ed.) New York, Columbia University Press. 2002 Halberstam, Judith. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. from Masculinity Studies & Feminist Theory. ed Judith Kegan Gardiner. New York, Columbia University Press. 2002 Hopkins, Patrick D. Gender Treachery: Homophobia, Masculinity, and Threatened Identities. Kano, Ayako. Acting Like A Woman in Modern Japan: Theater, Gender, and Nationalism. New York, Palgrave. 2001

“Dude, Where’s My Country?” Book Review

â€Å"Dude, where is My Country† is a book written by Michael Moore and published by Penguin Books in 2004. In this book, Moore provocatively and boldly discusses several socio-political events in America. He takes on George W. Bush, the Conservative brigade and corporate wheeler dealers in America and offers wide ranging remedies which place the country’s redemption squarely on the shoulders of the liberal forces. The author dissects America’s problems in topics ranging from tax cuts, the Iraqi war, among others and demonstrates the failure of the nation-state to be a direct consequence of conservative ethos. Moore first seeks to debunk what he calls the ‘Big Lie’, that America is inherently and pervasively conservative. He terms this belief as a propagandist fib, perpetuated by the right in order to put down the liberal masses. â€Å"†¦.. So, in the tradition of all propagandists, they lie. They create an opposite truth: AMERICA IS CONSERVATIVE. Then they pound away with that false message so hard and so often that even their political opponents come to believe that it's true,† Moore asserts (Moore, 2003 page 2). To prove that most Americans are indeed liberal, Moore gives facts which demonstrate majority support for the Civil Rights movement, abortion, the Roe vs Wade ruling, the Green movement, gun restrictions, universal healthcare (or socialized medicine as he puts it), community as opposed to jail service for offenders, gay and lesbian rights and unionization. He then wonders why conservatives hold the rein of leadership in the country and proceeds to offer his ten cents worth. Chapter one poses seven seemingly rhetorical questions to Bush. Home of the Whopper† is the heading of Chapter two and it serves as an allegorical forerunner of the issues presented herein. Here, the author discusses the lies told by the Bush administration before narrating a fable featuring his great-granddaughter who seeks to find out from him the state of the world when oil and plastics were available and seeks to understand the reasons behind the failure of planning. In a sense, this chapter indicts the Bush administration for its lax energy policies and seems to suggest a bleak future for America occasioned by these policies. Chapter four is titled â€Å"The United States of Boo† and it takes the form of an essay. In this chapter, Moore demonstrates that death through terrorism is statistically impossible. As he so ably shows, there are other countless and plausible ways through which Americans can die that terrorism threats count for nothing. The ruse by the conservative war makers is a subterfuge meant to take away Americans’ civil liberties. Nowhere is this more succinctly evidenced than in the Patriot’s Act, Moore infers. The next chapter delineates ways in which ordinary Americans can reduce acts of terrorism. In subsequent chapters, Moore launches into an angry offensive tirade against George W. Bush that is laced with acerbic humor. The Bush years are summarized as a failed presidency and various facts adduced to support this claim. The war against Iraq is presented in great detail and used as an example to show Bush’s weak leadership. Similarly, the Enron debacle, the infamous Bush tax cuts and the collapse of other firms are cited as products of failed economic policies. The author lays bare the association between Bush, Osama Bin Laden and Saudi Arabia. He goes on to make staggering claims about alleged business connections between the Bushes and the Saudi Arabia nobles. Contrary to the wishes of FBI and notwithstanding the fact that only four of the 19 hijackers were non-Saudis, the Bush government shielded the Saudi Arabians from investigations while other Arabs in America were apprehended just like the Japanese were during the post world war II interment. Moore dismisses the high approval ratings enjoyed by Bush in 2004 thus: â€Å"the high ratings for Bush are not an endorsement of his policies. Rather, it is the response of a frightened country that has no choice but to back the man charged with protecting them. America has not fallen in love with Bush-it's more like â€Å"love the one you're (stuck) with. † (Moore, page 6). Railing against the â€Å"Christian Coalition†, Moore eloquently makes pitch for a presidency built around persons who live and understand America as it is. In regard to this, he introduces the â€Å"Draft Oprah for President† movement. Oprah, it seems, is the very representation of this people president that America so desperately needs. A clarion call for liberals to redeem their country from the ‘undesired’ hands of the conservatives is sounded. Moore gravely states that Democrats should not be left to â€Å"screw up† the [2004] election and instead details what he calls â€Å"Operation 10-Minute Oil Change† where everybody is called upon to do something for ten minutes daily in an effort to drive out Bush and his oil cronies. While the book is written in an easy to understand language with poignant examples, some hard facts and disturbing and weighty questions that inevitably stir up reflective thought, one cannot help avoid the feeling that it is grossly subjective and devoid of serious discourse. Additionally, ‘Dude, Where is My Country† seems like an unabashed endorsement of General Wesley Clark and the Democrat platoon. I do not agree with Moore because his book is redolent with numerous misrepresentations, falsities and inaccuracies. In page 69, he deliberately misrepresents facts about American’s dealings with Iraq, conveniently trashing the provisions of UN’s food for oil program. He gives a long list of persons supposedly aggrieved with the Patriot Act in page 111. However, according to the sources he has given, the listed persons were never in any way affected by the legislation. In a brazen display of dishonesty, Moore claims that closure of schools in Oregon in 2003 was as a direct result of the Bush tax cuts whereas they were actually due to a new law that decoupled the state’s income tax system from that of the central government. There are many other claims which cannot stand the test. They seem to have been intentionally twisted so that they can prop his claims. Some of his assertions border on the speculative. A good example of this is the unsubstantiated claim that Saudi military acted in cahoots with Bush and the Saudi government to launch them. While some claims are backed by solid fact, many others are not factual and it is precisely this reason that makes it hard to agree with Moore lock, stock and barrel.

Media-Based Anticrime Efforts

Todays prevalent scientific innovations contribute to the growing incidents of plague in the United States. This alarming fact has already been brought into the cognizantness of the National Citizens Crime legal profession Campaign and that which the agency has been addressing these days. Majority of NCPCs campaigns atomic number 18 engaged in preventing villainys that ingest the internet offense, bullying, and theft. ( actual Campaigns)In addition, judicial system TVs Choices and Consequences also wishes to attend the Ameri cig arette inn become cognisant of its ability to prevent crime. Empowering the youth as its main targeted audience with the wisdom that they can help prevent crime by being aware that the decisions that they collapse as adolescents have significant lifetime consequences is what this award-winning program do. (Mission)In my opinion, these crime-fighting organizations are effective with their mission of preventing crimes in the society. by their prog rams, the community is provided with sufficient data that strips them clear up from being ignorant about the most(prenominal) recent crime trends in the society. This information will serve as their weapon in fighting against particular crimes when they happen upon them. The intake of the various forms of media leaves no human being ignorant about serious social issues that directly affect him.Consequently, fewtimes, excessive use of media in golf-club to deter crime does not necessarily mean that it initiates devotion among the members of the society to commit crime. There are even instances when people are influenced otherwise. also much information also leads to distinctive feature curiosity to do what and how it feels like to do what the law tries hard to prevent from happening. Moreover, though broadcast companies hate to admit it, media sensationalize crime incidents that results to adverse psychological effects among some members of the society.There is moreover a unlike interest issues in the medias connect regarding its ability to report and deter crime. The federal official government, in its hope to secure the society and prevent crimes from happening utilizes the media in order to popularize its campaigns against crime. Major organizations who are advocates of deterring crime also provides television networks with a too large sum of money just to make sure people are aware of the criminal issues that are happening in the society so they can avoid it when in the situation. These huge amounts of money that is at stake here leaves us into interrogation whether the media companies are earnest in share deter crime in the community.ReferencesCurrent Campaigns. Retrieved from http//www.ncpc.org/newsroom/current-campaigns on Oct.25, 2007.Mission. Retrieved on Oct. 25, 2007.

Addie Bundren’s Everlasting Impact

Addie Bundrens Everlasting Impact Often times in cleans, there will be a example that has the ability to appear as little as possible and still be able to defend peerless of the biggest trespasss on the rest of the characters and on the novel as a whole. In As I Lay Dying, Addie Bundren is one of those types of characters. She has only one chapter in the entire book, yet is somehow able to contribute the biggest influence on the rest of the characters. She is the basis of the story, and everything relates support to her. Addie Bundren seems to agree much(prenominal) a heavy impact on the characters as they were constantly seek to divert her.Darl always longed for her approval and was constantly jealous of her kind with treasure. He was always trying to provoke Jewel You could borrow the loan of Vernons team and we could elasticity up with you, I say. If she didnt wait for us. Ah, conclude your goddamn mouth, Jewel says. (pg. 18) Addie seems to have enjoyed all the a ttendance she was getting. She was constantly trying to fulfil her feeling of dissatisfaction, trying to find multiple ways to rid herself of the yucky feeling, but nothing she did helped.Her dissatisfaction was the centre of her life. Her character greatly affected all the characters in the novel. She was the spokes traveling baging their family rhythm together. Darl longed for her approval, go Jewel had her sitting on a pedestal. Anse, even through all his self-centred, narcissistic ways, looked up to her and felt attached to her, even beyond her death. He felt like he owed her something. Her character is mistakable to Vardamans character in the sense that they argon both unable to fully express themselves.Vardaman resorts to comparisons such as my mother is a fish (pg. 84) while Addie resorts to having an affair with Whitefield. Addie is the basis of the book. Without her, there would not be a story. Her character has a stiff hold over the rest of the Bundrens, even after death. With her death, the characters could have just buried her wherever they felt satisfactory however, they still follow through with her request. Though one could argue that they did so only for their own selfish benefits, their conversations never fail to relate back to her in one way or another.They feel compelled to shell out her wishes, make references to her while on their journey, helping the proofreader piece Addies character together without her genuinely speaking. As I Lay Dying amplifies the libber role with Addie Bundren. It ties her influence in with her motherly figure, making her a vital character in the novel. She has the rare ability to hold such a powerful control over the characters in the novel, making her a significant character with only one chapter.