Sociology of the body Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Sociology of the body - Essay Example This study is being undertaken in order to establish a well supported notion or social construct in the sociology of the body. Discussion Different members of society often fashion or build their bodies based on accepted societal views of masculinity and femininity. In so doing, they often try to shape and use their bodies to fit their gender and cultural expectations. This practice seems to emphasize not so much on the distinctiveness of our bodies, but more on what society dictates as acceptable forms or shapes (Lorber and Martin, 2007, p. 227). Our genes partially determine our biological make-up and other environmental factors complete our physiology. Outside such biological constructs, cultural and social factors and attitudes attached to gender-based practices are also a crucial part of our overall make-up. Such practices create bodies which some social groups classify as masculine or feminine. In effect, the longing for better looking bodies have manifested in trends which len d greater support to cosmetic surgery, growth hormones, anabolic steroids, bodybuilding, and other fitness regimens for both men and women (Lorber and Martin, 2007, p. 227). Many advertisements for plastic surgeries also target men and women in their vulnerabilities. Men with gynecomastia or enlarged breasts, and women with small breasts have been exposed to ads which declare solutions to their issues – for men wanting to be rid of their gynecomastia and for women wanting bigger and perkier breasts (Lorber, 1994, p. 3). Women have also been exposed to the societal notion or expectation that having perky, large, and firm breasts, as well as slim bodies is the accepted shape to be in. In effect, many women wanting to fit the accepted societal demands have given in to breast lifts/reductions/augmentations and to puffier lips, toned abdomens, and shapely buttocks (Grogan, 2008, p. 52). Advertisements for plastic surgeries have capitalized on the portrayal of ideal images of beaut y – young, fresh, thin, and shapely forms. Millions of Americans have heeded these demands with about 6.9 million of them giving into the cosmetic surgery in 2002 alone; 88% of these are actually women (Lorber and Martin, 2007, p. 278). Most of these surgeries have included liposuction, eyelid surgery, nose reshaping, breast augmentation, breast reduction, as well as hair transplants and ear reshaping for men. In terms of age, most of those seeking plastic surgery fall in the 34-50 year age group and most of these surgeries have been carried out among the whites, with few having been performed on minority groups (Lorber and Martin, 2007, p. 8). Due to its high cost, these surgeries have mostly been carried out in the affluent population, however, considering the general population’s obsession with losing weight through exercise machines and diet pills, it is a trend which still covers many people regardless of financial capability or ethnic affinities. Bodies are socia lly constructed because they are tools used by many people in order to gain some form of progress or advancement in their life (Davids, Evans, and Lorber, 2006, p. 55). Even if the business and employment world may capitalize on one’s skills, talents, knowledge, and educational background to determine employment, still, it cannot be denied that one’s looks affect a person’s success and employment status. One classic example is the fact that there has

Hand Washing Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hand Washing - Literature review Example Petersburg, Russia. ?METHODS.Prospective surveillance of HH compliance, nosocomial colonization, and antibiotic administration was performed from January until June 2000. In February 2000, alcohol?based hand rub was provided for routine HH use. Eight weeks later, a quality improvement intervention was implemented, consisting of review of interim data, identification of opinion leaders, posting of colonization incidence rates, and regular feedback. Means of compliance, colonization, and antibiotic use were compared for periods before and after each intervention. ?RESULTS.A total of 1,027 events requiring HH were observed. Compliance was 44.2% before the first intervention, 42.3% between interventions, and 48% after the second intervention. Use of alcohol rose from 15.2% of HH indications to 25.2% between interventions and 41.5% after the second intervention. The incidence of nosocomial colonization (per 1,000 patient?days) with Klebsiella pneumoniae was initially 21.5, decreased to 4. 7, and then was 3.2 in the final period. Rates of antibiotic and device use also decreased. ?CONCLUSIONS.HH may have increased slightly, but the largest effect was a switch from soap and water to alcohol, which may have been associated with decreased cross?transmission of Klebsiella, although this may have been confounded by lower device use. Alcohol?based antiseptic may be an improvement over current practices, but further research is required. Girou, E., Loyeau, S., Legrand, P., Opein, F., & Brun-Buisson, C. (2002). Efficacy of handrubbing with alcohol based solution versus standard handwashing with antiseptic soap: randomised clinical trial. BMJ, volume 325, p. 362 Objective: To compare the efficacy of handrubbing with an alcohol based solution versus conventional handwashing with antiseptic soap in reducing hand contamination during routine patient care. Design: Randomised controlled trial during daily nursing sessions of 2 to 3 hours Setting: Three intensive care units in a Fre nch university hospital Participants: 23 healthcare workers Interventions: Handrubbing with alcohol based solution (n=12) or handwashing with antiseptic soap (n=11) when hand hygiene was indicated before and after patient care. Imprints taken of fingertips and palm of dominant hand before and after hand hygiene procedure. Bacterial counts quantified blindly Main outcome measures: Bacterial reduction of hand contamination. Results: With handrubbing the median percentage reduction in bacterial contamination was significantly higher than with handwashing (83% v 58%, P=0.012), with a median difference in the percentage reduction of 26% (95% confidence interval 8% to 44%). The medianduration of hand hygiene was 30 seconds in each group. Conclusions: During routine patient care handrubbing with an alcohol based solution is significantly more efficient in reducing hand contamination than handwashing with antiseptic soap. Mody, L., McNeil, S., Sun, R., Bradley, S. & Kauffman, C. (2003). Int roduction of a Waterless Alcohol?Based Hand Rub in a Long?Term–Care Facility. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, volume 24, number 3, pp. pp. 165-171 ?OBJECTIVE.To examine the impact of introduction of an alcohol?based hand rub on hand hygiene knowledge and compliance and hand colonization of healthcare workers (HCWs) in a long?term–care facility (LTCF). ?METHODS.Two floors of an LTCF participated. Ward A used the hand rub as an adjunct to

Bebop, Free Jazz And Fusion

Bebop, Free Jazz And Fusion First of all, there are various differences between the styles of bebop, cool, hard bop, free jazz, and fusion. Bebop seems to be the most intricate with its erratic tempos, while cool is the most soothing and relaxing. On the other hand, hard bop is the most brassy and dynamic with its horns, trumpets, and rhythm section, while free jazz is the less restricted. Free jazz exhibits no boundaries, no form, and no newly established rules. Fusion is a combination between jazz and rock, in other words, fusion exhibits extreme electronic use, effects, and synthesizers, in addition to jazz elements. Bebop transformed jazz from fashionable dance music to creative art music. In the early 1940s, bebop seemed to have emerged all of a sudden, but it had actually been developing for several years. When Art Pepper, an alto saxophonist, initially heard a bop recording, it completely overwhelmed him. The notes of a typical bebop piece are quick, technical, more elaborative, and swung. The characteristics of bebop include erratic tempos, reharmonization and chord substitution, as well as arbitrary melodies. Bebop put more emphasis on extensive, improvised solos. Manteca, a recording by Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra, contains a few characteristics of bebop. However, the tempos of Manteca are not excessively fast or too slow. In this recording, Gillespie created the Afro-Cuban style alongside Chano Pozo, a Cuban percussionist of the conga. Manteca contains phenomenal improvised trumpet solos and shout-like but subtle vocals of the word Manteca. The Manteca shouting in various random parts of the recording is quite amusing. In the introduction, multiple instruments begin its playing in unison, such as the bass, bongos, saxes, and brass. In particular, the bongos sound very intriguing and high-pitched. Dizzy Gillespies trumpet solos are exceptionally fantastic. Evidently, there is call-and-response between the brass section and other instruments. There are improvised solos in the connection to each chorus. This recording sounds blissful, jungle-like, and jubilant. The arrangement in Manteca is quite spectacular. Manteca sounds Cuban-like, fi ery, and passionate. Another bebop recording, Koko, by Charlie Parkers Reboppers is regarded as one of the first bebop recording. The recording, Koko is baffling and aggressive, in which displays attributes and chords that are built on a swing recording called Cherokee. Like a typical bebop recording, Koko displays significant improvised solos. The arrangements are straightforward. Charlie Parker exhibits an extraordinary talent on his alto saxophone solos that only few saxophonists can match. The piano playing is not quite noticeable, but it plays gently and leisurely in the background. The drums merely accompanies alongside Parkers alto sax playing and Gillespies trumpet mutes/piano playing. Parker plays in such a lightening manner in his alto sax, its unbelievable. The tempos in Koko are erratic, which makes it especially difficult to follow. The virtuosity of Koko sounds uncontrolled. In fact, the melodies are very unpredictable, but creative. The snare and bass drum playing by Max Roach at 2:07 is a typical because it plays in solitary. Overall, Koko is an uplifting recording that exhibits prominently rapid tempos and erratic sounding melodies. Moving along, Boplicity is a cool/west coast style recording by the Miles Davis Nonet. Boplicity contains hardly any blues influence or any dynamic contrasts. Unlike bebop, Boplicity is much more relaxed and comforting. The solos are significantly expressive and vivid. The tempos of a typical cool/west coast style are moderate with a sedative attitude. The horn section in Boplicity is nimble and soft, not like the brassiness of a hard bop recording. At :59, a contrast from delicate ensembles of the horn moves to a tone that is a bit more adequate from the saxophone; the baritone saxophone exhibits a poignant sound. The melody and arrangement of Boplicity is moderately intricate. The horn ensemble is rich and heavy in texture. Boplicity exhibits an improvised sound, although its significance is on the arrangements. At 1:36, Davis trumpet solos with clarity. The overall tone and melody of Boplicity is light and uplifting, not at all volatile and explosive. Boplicity is the most soothin g of them all. Hard bop is a style that exhibits a hard-ridden and volatile sound from brass instruments, such as the horns and trumpets. Hard bop characteristics is a contrast to cool/west cool style. Hard bop bears influences from blues and gospel and puts more emphasis on virtuoso improvisation. Unlike the intricacy of bebop, hard bop is simpler. Backstage Sally, a recording by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers is a hard bop piece that displays a dynamic groove and brassy sound. The beginning starts with horns playing together with drums in a shuffle-like beat. The dynamics of the drums is very enthralling; in particular, drums are heavy hitting. The drums contrasts from hard hitting to moderate. Unlike the other songs, the drum in this hard bop recording is especially noticeable. At 1:03, tenor sax solos play in an expressive manner. The trumpet, trombone, and other brass instruments play in an especially brassy way, even the background riffs are noticeable brassy. Evidently, there is call-and -response between the rhythm section and front line instruments. Overall, Backstage Sally is heavily brassy, vibrant, and bluesy. Therefore, hard bop is predominantly brassy and dynamic-feel style. Much like Backstage Sally, Boogie Stop Shuffle, a hard bop piece by the Charles Mingus Septet is brassy as well. The beginning is predominantly brassy with the horns. Boogie Stop Shuffle exhibits 12-bar blues in a fast playing manner. The bass plays ostinato riffs, while piano plays in a bluesy manner. The horns play in a sharp, but dissonant sound; the horns will vary and contrast from sounding like a bebop-style to hard bop. The bass line is particularly predominantly played throughout. At 2:24, there are high-pitched solos from the drum. At 3:20, the alto saxophone lets out a poignant squeal. Although, this recording does not sound nearly as brassy as Backstage Sally, it still exhibits brass-like sounds, especially the beginning. Boogie Stop Shuffle is a hasty played 12-bar blues piece with exceptional horns and bass riffs. Free jazz style is based on breaking musical rules, rather than establishing new rules; the impression of playing without boundaries in Free Jazz is significant. Unlike the other styles, free jazz exhibits atonality, dissonance, collective improvisations like that of New Orleans jazz, and no form, in the case of blues abandonment. Free Jazz contains rich-texture, great energy, and untraditional playing. Two impressive free jazz recordings are Civilization Day recorded by the Ornette Coleman Quarter and Hat and Beard recorded by the Eric Dolphy Quintet. The recording, Civilization Day, is extremely energetic, amusing, and fast-paced. Coleman exhibits passion and enthusiasm in his playing of the alto saxophone. Nearly all the instruments utilized in Civilization Day plays in a hasty manner and not very swing-like. At :24, there is unaccompanied collective improvisation from the alto sax and trumpet, generating an expressive sound. The alto sax and trumpet seems to be communicating with each other in squall-like sound. More significantly, the alto sax and trumpet play in wail-like, unusual manner. At :27, Cherry plays his trumpet with expressiveness and eccentricity. The rhythm section sounds twinkling especially because of the constant crisp ride cymbals generated from the drums. The cymbals are persistent throughout producing an ostentatious-like sound. At 1:20, the drums halt playing for a moment, while the alto sax plays improvised solos with accompaniment from non-walking bass line. From 1:35 to the end of Civilization, the crisp ride cymbals from drums will re-emerge and play persistently; at 1:57, a walking bass line emerges as well. Overall, Civilization is a very spirited and energetic free jazz recording. Similarly, in Hat and Beard, the pace is hasty. In Hat and Beard, multiple instruments were employed, including Dolphys tense solos from the bass clarinet. However, the piano was discarded in this recording. Vibes were utilized in Hat and Beard to make up for the absence of the piano. The vibes is capable of generating a melodious sound or percussive sound. The improvisation is quite appealing and impressive. Dolphy exhibits expressiveness and creativeness with an obvious appreciation of musical arrangements. Its influence on hard bop and experimental jazz is distinguishable in the recording. The tempo is relatively swing-like. At :47, the vibes enter with a walking bass line that sounds amusing. The bass plays persistently throughout the recording in a persistent pattern. The vibes and drums plays alongside each other in cooperation. The vibes is significant to the sound of this recording; the vibes definitely adds to the appeal. At 1:26, Dolphy displays eccentric solos on bass clar inet generating a peculiar, wail-like, and entertaining sound. The vibes are consistent throughout as it pops up once in awhile. At 3:14, the trumpet solos are mild and soothing with the bass playing two notes concurrently. The trumpet solos sound similar to a those employed in a typical cool/jazz west coast style. Evidently, free jazz does not employ a music form. In my opinion, free jazz sounds very peculiar and interesting. Free jazz musicians seem to play however they feel. Free jazz exhibits awkward playing from various instruments, for instance, the wail-like sound of horn players. Free jazz generates awkward, dissonant sounds and prominently retains collective improvisation. Unlike hard bop, free jazz contains little brass sound. The electrifying recording, Bitches Brew, is an ideal example of a jazz and rock fusion. Miles Davis assembled a large group for this recording, which is approximately a 12 talented group. Fusion style is quite distinct from previous styles, mainly because of the use of electronics. In this recording, there is apparently heavy use of electronic instruments and effects with a slight reduction and blend of jazz elements. Some of the electronic instruments employed in this recording were the electric bass guitar, keyboards, and electric piano. The beginning of Bitches Brew is quite spectacular, specifically playing from the electric pianos and percussionists. A rock-like rhythm and beat is employed in place of a swing-like jazz rhythm. The drums play in a funky and vigorous manner. The shaker generates an extremely vibrant sound persistently throughout, as well as the conga. At :41, Daviss trumpet playing contains studio effects, which generates an echo-like sound. My first thought when I first heard this trumpet echo-sound is that it sounds like a war horn blowing simultaneously, but in a more eccentrically way. This trumpet echo-like effect is loud and generates an especially alluring sound. At 1:31, nearly every instrument seems to collide together, creating an even more dramatic sound; this collision among the various instruments seems to be a recurring pattern. At 1:49, trumpets play in a brief, simultaneous manner. Various other effects can be heard in this recording, including Daviss finger snapping at the 2:51 mark. In addition, the bass ostinato is played at the 2:51 mark, similar to the ostinato utilized in Miles Davis Quintets Footprints. The ostinato generates a firm, concise and rhythmic musical phrase. It is evident that the effects immensely enhanced Daviss horn playing. The bass clarinet does not seem to solo with success, but instead plays merely for its tone color. A blend of instrumental effects generates an intriguing sound. There is an extensi ve, improvised solo part by Miles at 3:54, while other instruments will steadily rise to its peak with increased tension. At this point, the instruments take an entirely different turn, as the instruments seem to play altogether simultaneously in a more relaxed way. In Bitches Brew, Miles objective seems to undertake a polyrhythmic approach, since multiple percussionists were employed. Bitches Brew, definitely generates an electric feel, like that of the fusion style characteristic. Overall, these styles are very intriguing. I am most intrigued by fusion and free jazz. The sounds of a free jazz recording sound unusual, but interesting. Fusion is the most stirring and energizing. The most comforting style to listen to would be cool/west coast jazz because of its soft tone and playing. The most dynamic and danceable style would be hard bop because of the hard hitting drums, bluesy, and thunderous brass instrument sound. Each of these styles is distinct and unique in its own way.

Jesus is a True Hero Essay -- Religion Christian Christiantiy essays p

Over one third of the world's population call themselves Christians, or those who follow the teachings of Jesus. Jesus presence in the souls of humanity is everywhere. Sunday, the day of Christ’s resurrection, is still a day of rest and worship. The calendar still uses the year of his birth as a starting point, with A.D being after death and B.C being before the death of Christ. There are also major Christian holidays that are celebrated by millions each year, Christmas, the day of Christ’s birth, and Easter, the day of Christ’s resurrection. The life of Jesus is told in the new testament of the bible, which is still one of the best selling books of all time and has been translated in 2,000 different languages. The life and the lessons of Jesus are known by all his followers, the compassion he showed towards all people helped change the world. The life of Jesus is told in the New Testament, one of the most sacred and relished books by people all over the world. His mother was Mary, who was a virgin when he was conceived, and Joseph, a poor carpenter. The life of Jesus is contradictory to other messiahs such as Muhammad or Buddha. He was born in a manger as the son of a carpenter. The life he came from was not what was to be expected of a messiah. The Pharisees did not believe that Jesus was a savior because he did not fit the credentials that they thought a savior should have. Surely, a savior would have been born into a rich family and gone to the best schools. Jesus said â€Å"what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul.† Meaning that the riches of the world are not worth having if you have to lie and cheat for them. Also a Man who has no money but is true to his faith and to god is richer than a man ... ...ieve in him. Jesus’ death for all of mankind’s sin was not a small sacrifice. Because of the huge sacrifice Jesus made, He can be considered a hero - a person who is admired for something He has done. In this case, Jesus is admired for taking all of mankind’s sin upon Himself. John 15:13 says, â€Å"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down His life for His friends.† Jesus did just that. He loved every person who ever lived and has yet to live so much that He laid down His life for them. All they have to do is believe with their hearts and minds that what the Bible says He did is true. There are many people who have been harassed, beaten, or even killed for believing this. Every year, it is estimated that 186,000 people are killed for believing in Jesus as their Savior and for refusing to deny their faith in Him. This reveals just how great a hero Jesus is.

Compare and contrast the narrative techniques used in three or more of Edgar Allan Poe’s tales Essay

Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston on January 19th 1809. He became a writer unlike many others at that time, writing stores of crime or horror literature. Several people say his disturbing and unusual stories were the result of his own life and situations he had been through, and although he was an American, his writing strongly followed in the examples of European gothic stories. During his life he wrote many of the finest representations of gothic literature, these stories include many essentials that differ them from original stories, such as a melodramatic plot, themes of terror and torture, sinister locations, heightened emotions, and can they also be based on old superstitions or fears. Another example of gothic literature in the 19th century was â€Å"Dracula† wrote by Bram Stoker (1897), this genre of horror and torment has remained to be popular until the present day, with modern authors such as James Herbert and Stephen King. â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† is a short gothic story wrote by Edgar Allan Poe, about the narrator named Montresor, describing how his friend Fortunato has offended him repeatedly in the past, and how he is now planning to seek revenge upon him. Using a vintage amontillado as bate he guides him down to the catacombs below his house where a space in the wall has been created as a tomb. Locking the padlock, which strapped Fortunato who is now in a drunken state to the catacomb wall, he uncovers a pile of cement and bricks from beneath a mound of bones lying nearby, and row-by-row he begins to bury him alive, taking great amusement and satisfaction out of his crying. â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† is again another famous piece of gothic literature wrote by Edgar Allan Poe, it shows a defensive man proclaiming that he is not insane, however has a fascination with destroying what he believes to be an â€Å"evil eye†. The beginning of the story begins with a flashback of when the old man was killed, immediately from this point we become aware that the narrator is actually mad, even though he continuously challenges the fact that this is not true. As the story continues the events are in chronological order as there is build up of suspense, and the mad man exposes that he has to murder the old man because of the threat from his eye, therefore every night he slowly places his head round the bedroom door allowing a tiny sliver of light to shine through upon the old mans sleeping face, searching for the eye which he greatly despised. However for seven nights the eye was closed, and since the eye was not visible, there was no reason to commit the violence, as it was not the old man he wanted to destroy, but it was instead this â€Å"evil eye†. On the eighth night he does kill the old man, but is soon terrified by hearing the old mans heart beat grow louder and stronger under the floorboards that he cannot cope with the pounding and madness any longer, so he screamed aloud his confession to the police. â€Å"The Pit and the Pendulum† starts with the unnamed narrator recounting hearing his death sentence from individuals clothed in black robes. Fainting after listening to this news, he awakens later in the darkness as the man finds himself disorientated about where he is. He cautiously explores the room, staggering because his body is so weak, expressing the fear that it could be a tomb where he has been buried alive. From this point he is subjected to mental and physical torture and great torment of not knowing when he is going to die. Above him hangs a swinging pendulum becoming gradually closer to his body with every swing, eventually near to death, he begins his escape plan, and is rescued by General Lasalle and his French army in an unanticipated conclusion to the story. The setting in gothic literature is very important factor for the success of the story, for example the settings used in Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories set the readers mood, and adds to the theme creating the correct atmosphere for the subject matter. The setting of the gothic literature â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† plays an important role with the development of horror and tension necessary for the reader to feel. The story is ideally set in catacombs under the main character Montresor’s house; the walls are covered with human bones, which immediately sets the scene for a gothic story. They are below in his house deep underground, and no one will be able to hear them because of the carnival going on above. In order to maintain that they were alone Montresor had tricked his servants into going to the carnival, â€Å"I had told them I should not return until the morning, and had given them explicit orders not to stir from the house. These orders were sufficient, I well knew, to insure there immediate disappearance, one and all, as soon as my back was turned†. The intense description of the setting in this story is very suspenseful and eerie. Edgar Allan Poe describes the men passing through â€Å"walls of piled bones, with casks and puncheons intermingling, into the inmost recesses of the catacombs†. The catacombs of death in this story provide an appropriate setting for the story’s suspense and inevitable ending. The overall mood of the story is one of impending evil, this mood is significantly helped by the description of the location and phrases that have been purposely chosen by the author such as, â€Å"the drops of moisture trickle among the bones† and â€Å"its walls had been lined with human remains†. â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† is another story also wrote by Edgar Allan Poe, it is set in a different era as the author describes the character using lanterns and they have no electricity in the house, â€Å"I put in a dark lantern†. We also know that they are in a remote old house, from midnight to four in the morning. It is dark in the bedroom as the shutters are closed from fear of burglars â€Å"his room was as black as pitch with thick darkness (for the shutters were closed fastened, through fear of robbers)†. It is not clear but the setting for this story is probably European, as at the ending of the story Edgar Allan Poe describes â€Å"officers of the police† that appear knocking on the door; policemen are generally associated with England and Europe. Another example of a sinister setting in one of Edgar Allan Poe’s gothic stories is â€Å"The Pit and the Pendulum†. The story is set in Spain during the Spanish inquisition at some point in the sixteenth century, and begins in a courtroom where the protagonist is listening to his death sentence by black robed judges. This is where the character first realises his fate, and Edgar Allan Poe uses simple words and phrases to illustrate his foreseeable fate, â€Å"I trace these words – and thin even to grotesqueness; thin with the intensity of their expression of firmness – of immoveable resolution – of stern contempt of human torture†. For the remainder of the story the location is in a cell or prison underground, the narrator is in pitch black â€Å"the blackness of eternal night encompassed me†, he is isolated in the cell, being tormented and under examination by the Spanish army. The setting in this story shows the conditions the character is subjected to, the pit in the middle of the floor was intended for his death, though he tripped and exposed the ditch. Now subject to more torture, he is beneath a swinging pendulum, gradually moving closer towards his body. The floor is covered in rats as Poe portrays them as â€Å"fresh troops, hurriedly, with ravenous eyes†, which again adds to the disturbing setting of this story, which in turn helps the reader understand the situation the character is in. In all of these gothic stories wrote by Edgar Allan Poe, he has chosen to use a sinister setting, frequently in an isolated place such as the catacombs or a prison cell. As each story changes and develops, so do the surroundings, becoming more dark and threatening. In these three short stories Edgar Allan Poe uses certain characters to build up and develop the story. The main character in each story is called the protagonist, and the antagonist is the character who usually fights against him. In â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado†, the protagonist in Montresor, as he is the main character and also the narrator, he forms most of the story with the theme of his revenge. During the story Montresor explains what happened the night Fortunato was killed. Montresor is also perceived through the tale to be very intelligent, since he premeditated the murder so that no one would discover his plans, we can also tell of his intelligence by what he spoke to Fortunato. He asked for assistance in wine tasting, but says if he is busy he will ask Luchesi , this causes Fortunato want to help even more as Montresor is now using reverse psychology on him, â€Å"as you are engaged, I am on my way to see Luchesi. If anyone has a critical turn, it is he. He will t ell me†. Montresor knew that burying him alive would give the best reward in form of revenge, and the greatest satisfaction and fulfilment for him. Since the story is wrote in first person the author does not give a detailed description of Montresor as it is though the author is retelling the story. We are told however his feelings and emotions and the reader is then left form their own opinions on this character through studying their attitudes and actions. For example it is very clear to the reader Montresor’s hate towards Fortunato plus his determination for vengeance. The antagonist in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† is Fortunato, as he fights for his life and is the opposition of the protagonist. The audience’s perception of the character has to be again determined from Montresor’s thoughts and feelings. Montresor’s opinion at the start of the story is evil and wicked towards him as he has offended him in the past, although the reader may agree with this at the beginning, near the end we begin to sympathise with Fortunato for being under torture. Much like the â€Å"Cask of Amontillado†, the story â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† has both a protagonist and an antagonist. The protagonist in this story is the narrator, we do not know his name but he is a servant in the house for the old man. From the opening of the story the character is seeking to persuade the audience that he is not insane, because he believes he is exceedingly intellectual for slaughtering the â€Å"evil eye†. Later on in the story it comes apparent to the audience that this man is in reality insane, proof of this comes at the end when he believes he can hear the old mans heartbeat, â€Å"It was a low, dull, quick sound – much a sound a watch makes when enveloped in cotton†. From the description in the tale we can understand the narrator’s fear of the eye as he gives a detailed portrayal; he describes it as â€Å"one of his eyes resembled that of a vulture – a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees – very gradually – I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever†. Edgar Allan Poe does not give a in depth description of the antagonist, however we do know that he is an â€Å"old man† and that he has cataracts on his eyes, this is what is making the narrator think that they are evil. We are left with our own interpretation of what the man is like. We are however given a clue, which is that, we now that he is a pleasant man from the quote â€Å"He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult†. Again like the â€Å"Cask of Amontillado† the story is wrote in first person and is although the autho r is retelling the story. In â€Å"The Pit and the Pendulum† there is only one main character, this is the man who has heard his death sentence and is now being tortured in the prison, and he is also the narrator recounting what has happened to him. The only other characters in the story are the Spanish army who are torturing the man. The protagonist begins the story with a recollection if a previous trial in which he now finds himself in a dungeon room being held capture. Throughout the story the character is faced with many situations for example mental and physical torture also facing death many times until eventually he is saved and released by the French army. Again like â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† and â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart†, the Pit and the Pendulum is wrote in first person, and therefore gives the effect of the author retelling the story. All three of these stories share the same pattern of how the characters are used and represented in the gothic stories. Edgar Allan Poe has firstly chose to wrote all of the tales in first person achieving the effect of him retelling the story as if it has actually happened before to him, undertaking this has left the reader to make their own analysis and judgements about the characters, leaving uncertainties about the characters never actually knowing who they are and what they are like. Themes are very important in creating the right mood for a gothic story; they are used in all three of the short gothic stories by Edgar Allan Poe. It is very common of this genre to have themes of good versus evil, and light versus dark. â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† is a powerful tale of revenge. Montresor, the sinister narrator of this story, pledges revenge upon Fortunato for a past insult. At this time we also see many other themes projected to the reader by using Montresor, for example death, satisfaction and horror. He wanted to be satisfied that he had full revenge upon Fortunato; we know this from the choice of torture which was slow and thorough, watching him suffer. The themes in â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† are also shown using the setting of the story. When the two characters enter the catacombs, the setting represents the theme of death and horror as the tombs are described with key adjectives as being â€Å"lined with human remains† and â€Å"t he drops of moisture trickle among the bones†. In â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart†, Edgar Allan Poe has used very strong themes of murder, fear and insanity. The main theme in this gothic story is fear and this is mostly presented through the protagonist. The protagonist has been used to show his fear for the eye, which is often described through the way he talks and describes it as evil, â€Å"one of his eyes resembled that of a vulture†. Other main themes in this story are insanity and madness, immediately at the beginning of the story the narrator challenges that he isn’t mad â€Å"How, then, am I mad?†, nevertheless as the story continues we begin to see more of his mental illness awaiting the end of the story when the protagonist is drove exceedingly mad by the old mans heartbeat that he confesses his crime. The themes in this story are also presented though the characters, setting and actions. The theme of fear is shown through actions in the story; the main action taken place is murdering the old man, and the dissection of his body. From this we are able to see that the man feared the eyes so much, that he has to rid himself of the eye forever and take the old mans life. Fear is also represented through symbolism in the story, the author has made sure that the eye is illuminated in a wicked and fearful way, making sure that the audience understands the protagonists fear for the eye, and is also why the author chooses to keep his main focus on the description of the eye. There are also many themes in â€Å"The Pit and the Pendulum† however the main one being the theme of torture. This is presented through the key character in the story as he is the one being subjected to the suffering. We see his distress throughout the story when he is being put through mental and physical torture. The theme of torment can also be represented through the setting in the tale. The depressing atmosphere of an old, dark damp dungeon in Toledo helps towards the general theme of the story significantly. The writer uses words such as â€Å"damp† and â€Å"cold†, all of these helping to establish the theme, as many of them are associated with evil and horrific situations. After reading this story you are left with a message never to give up, this is clear in the story as the protagonist by no means hands over his life to death even in the situations he is under. Edgar Allan Poe has used the same techniques for representing the theme in all three of these stories. In each of them he has used the characters, setting, actions and symbolism to illustrate and help the audience recognize the different themes. An additional similarity between these three stories is that they all include a theme of death. By using a range of narrative techniques in all three of these short gothic stories Edgar Allan Poe has been able to make the reader aware of the circumstances the characters are in, being able to do this also makes the story more realistic and enjoyable for the reader. By using first person in all three of these stories it grabs the reader’s attention pulling them straight into what is happening in the story, making them feel involved. The language in a story is a very important narrative technique used in most gothic literature, and is carefully selected to construct a successful use of imagery and to build tension; this can also be done with various vocabulary and sentence structure. The â€Å"Cask of Amontillado† uses language techniques to build suspense and to generate an imagery of the deep dark catacombs. There is use of commas which make pauses is in the text, building up anticipation and adding to the tension, an example of this is when Edgar Allan Poe is describing the passage to the tombs â€Å"We passed through a range of low arches, descended, passed on, and descended again, arriving at a deep crypt, in which the foulness of the air caused our flambeaux rather to glow than flame†. The author also uses the effect of imagery in his stories; this is used to illustrate the setting that the characters are in. An example of this is â€Å"Walls had been lined with human remains†, which produces a dim and wicked atmosphere. Phrases such as these are essential for the readers imagination, it also helps build up the tension amongst the reader as it reminds them of the death that is soon to come later on in the story. Another story, in which Edgar Allan Poe uses language to build the effect of tension and to make the audience more cautious of the situation in the tale, is â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart†. Instantly at the opening, there are short sentences that make the audience slow down with their reading, which in turn builds up the tension in the story â€Å"Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me.† Another technique to develop suspense is by using lots of hyphens for long pauses. These have been used numerous times throughout the â€Å"Tell Tale Heart†, particularly when the author has to increase anxiety of when the character enters the chamber on the eight night, † I undid the lantern cautiously – oh, so cautiously – cautiously – I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye†. Imagery has also been used in this story for the description of the eye, the effect this has on the reader makes them wary of the eye as it is described as â€Å"evil† and â€Å"vulture like†. The author has also used imagery when the man enters the bedroom on the eight night, he describes the room and every action by the character, â€Å"His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness (for the shutters were close fastened, through fear of robbers), and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing on steadily, steadily†.. The â€Å"Pit and the Pendulum† also has the use of imagery in the language, which is essential for the tale to be appreciate by the reader. The primary focus in the story is describing the setting; this has been done by using many powerful adjectives and adverbs. During the story Edgar Allan Poe has used a list of three commas to slow the text down, for example â€Å"then silence, and stillness, and night were the universe†. Yet again similar to the other stories wrote by Edgar Allan Poe, the â€Å"Pit and the Pendulum† uses imagery to build up the tension; an example of this is when the character first begins to see the pendulum swinging â€Å"down steadily down it crept†. By repeating the word â€Å"down† it represents the repetitive and continuous swinging of the pendulum from side to side. There is repetition in the â€Å"Pit and the pendulum† to emphasize the point that he is now free from the swinging pendulum, â€Å"For the moment, a t lest, I was free. Free! – and in the grasp of Inquisition!† There is also alliteration of â€Å"sidelong, shrinking, and slow – I slid from the embrace of the bandage†. To identify a gothic story from a normal tale there are certain factors which you recognize that can tell you the story is going to be of a gothic genre. â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† has telling features so that the reader knows it is a gothic story, the first of these being is that it has both a protagonist and an antagonist, this is the main character and someone who fights against him. It also includes a subconscious fear that the man has of the â€Å"evil eye†, which continues through the story with heightened emotions, lots of terror and suspense. There is a sinister location of an old house isolated at night, and a theme of life versus death. In the â€Å"Cask of Amontillado† much like the â€Å"Tell Tale Heart† there is also both an antagonist and a protagonist, Fortunato and Montresor. The story is also based on an old superstition of being buried alive, as this is what happens to Fortunato in the catacombs. During the story there is heightened emotions and build up of terror and tension, there is a melodramatic plot and a sinister location of deep underground where no one can hear them in the family tomb. The protagonist in the â€Å"Pit and the Pendulum† is the man who is being tortured, heightened emotions are shown in this story through the terror and fear of death. There is lots of melodrama like in the other two stories as the torture is being dragged out. Once again like in many of Edgar Allan Poe stories the setting is very sinister, as he is in a damp black room containing a pit in the middle, covered in rats. There are themes of good versus evil and life versus death in this story. All these factors of the gothic genre are used to recognize and understand these stories, based in selective features which they contain. By looking at the three stories wrote by Edgar Allan Poe, â€Å"The Pit and the Pendulum†, â€Å"The Tell Tale Heart† and the â€Å"Cask of Amontillado†, I can see that there are many similarities between them. The main resemblance is that they have all been wrote in first person, the effect of this is that it draws you into the story and gets the reader involved, I think Edgar Allan Poe has chose to use this on all three of these gothic stories as the reader then has an advantage to understanding what is happening in the tale. Another similarity between all three of these stories is the setting. In a gothic story the setting is usually sinister and dark as this helps to the overall effect the story has on its audience, in each story the location is isolated and usually in a dark room. The use of language is also very similar in these three stories, in each of them there is use of hyphens and short sentences all to build up suspense and tension.

Placing criminals in prison benefits everyone

In early times, prisons served an entirely different purpose from the one it does today.   While it was basically still for the enforcement of the law, it was used as a holding area for people accused of crimes and in the process of trial, and for those accused of lesser crimes as non-payment of debts.   Back then, the only two penalties for crimes were death and banishment.Over the years, imprisonment for crimes has considerably changed.   The cause for imprisonment and the conditions of prisons have changed depending on the norms and capability of societies.   However, there still stands one common reason for imprisonment of persons convicted of crimes and that is basically to keep them away from society.   It is for the purpose of keeping the public safe from criminal elements such as them and to prevent them from committing crimes again.There are four major social benefits of incarceration that must be considered in measuring the cost effectiveness of imprisonment:   retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation or incapacitation.   (Catherine Bucci, 2005).Society believes that offenders must be penalized.   This belief is as old as time.   The difference is the penalties imposed on crimes, which are markedly different from society to society, from era to era.   Serving time in prison is the convicts’ retribution for the crime they committed. Putting criminals behind bars serves to warn others of similar fate and hopefully prevent them from committing crimes also.   Imprisonment of convicts is a deterrent to potential criminals.   While serving time in prison, the convict may receive intervention to curb criminal mentality.   They are made to do activities that will take their minds off from their negative side and bring out the positive in them.   While in prison the criminal is not able to commit crime under the watch of law enforcement agents.   All these ultimately benefits society as they all focus on the control and prev ention of crime.There are four morally justified purposes for punishment.   (Ryan Kummamer, 2007).To Protect Society.   Imprisonment will keep the offender away from the public.   This is to ensure that the public will be safe and protected from further threats from criminals.  Ã‚   Society is assured that the criminal is under police custody and could do no harm again.   If the criminals are allowed to roam the streets unchecked and uncontrolled they pose a great threat to the peace and order of the community.To Reform the Offender.   Prisons are not just penitentiaries but also reformatory institutions.   While serving time, convicts are provided with opportunities that will help them to be contributing and productive members of society when they are released from prison.   These opportunities are made available to them thru skills training and rehabilitation and therapy sessions.   If prison changed the offenders, it will a better and welcomed change.As a Deterr ent to Potential Criminals.   The threat of imprisonment and serving long prison term should serve as a strong warning to potential criminals.   The threat which brings fear deters persons from committing crimes that would surely send them to jail.   Studies even show that a prison term is more feared than the death penalty.   This reinforces the assumption that imprisonment is an effective deterrent for potential offenders to keep away from committing crimes.Penalty and Pay Back.   Justice calls for penalty to be imposed for the commission of crime.   An offender commits a crime for which society wants him to pay.   The penalty of imprisonment serves as the punishment.   Imprisonment brings back order, paying back of what was taken away or restoration to the proper order and condition of a community before the incident of crime.   When the offender is put behind bars, a sense of peace once more prevails in the community that once was shaken by the crime.All four r easons justified the means to an end.   Imprisonment will have served its purpose if in the end, a reformed convict integrates to mainstream society and does not turn into a recidivist.There are several basic theories regarding criminal justice and its relation to individual rights and social control; Restorative Justice, Retributive Justice, and Transformative Justice.   (Raymond E. Foster, 2006, 2007).Imprisonment is likewise justified if the ends of justice were met and served.Restoration.   Justice calls for the restoration of what has been taken away from society because of the crime committed.   At times there were chaos, anger, disruption from normalcy and confusion.   When a criminal is confined in prison, he is taken away from the community.   This becomes the time for the community to pick up the pieces to start over.   The condition of the community before the incidence of the crime is brought back.Retribution.   The offender suffers what the victims had i n essence suffered as well.   Since time in memorial, every part in history made offenders pay up for the crimes against persons, society and humanity.   This age is no different, so that people would realize that crime definitely pays.Transformation.   Everybody deserves second chances, including convicts serving prison terms.   Their confinement in penal institutions must bring something good and purposeful.   Convicts are given the means to reform within the walls of prison.   When they are released they are hoped to become changed from the criminal that was committed to the facility to a reformed person who would re-join society.Today, unlike in the 50’s when families provide the backbone of society, many factors like broken homes cause the high incidence of crimes.   Without strong societal support and an equally effective criminal justice system crimes would be hard to control.   Given all the avenues to pursue criminal justice, deterrence must still be the first measure sought.   Deterrence from the commission of crimes is effective to fight crime.   If there is a big threat to criminals like fear of being incarcerated, that would be deterrence enough to prevent further commission of crimes.The recorded low crime rate in the 80’s up to the 90’s has been due mainly to the high possibility of   prison sentence and increased prison time for serious offenses.   Legislation to these ends had a big impact on the downward trend of crime rate.   Laws raised the odds of imprisonment and made crimes unattractive to would-be criminals.Imprisonment is a more acceptable option to a society that frowns upon capital punishment.   Church groups, civil society and human rights advocates are all against the death penalty.   In many other countries, they deplore the conditions of jails as unfit for humans giving due concern over the rights of accused.   These groups tend to see   the other end of the scales of justice .   However, prison conditions and intervention approach done and extended to convicts serving time make imprisonment the just alternative to capital punishment.Somehow justice must be carried out in a situation where a crime has been committed.   The scales of justice must be equally in favor of the perpetrator of the crime and the victim, and society in general.Imprisonment satisfies all ends of justice.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The convict must pay for the crime committed against persons and society.   Society in turn demands that justice be served thru commensurate penalty.   As penalty for a crime committed, retribution is met.   A compassionate society could find it to forgive a convict who has served time in prison for a crime committed.   Giving second chances to convicts, reformation is satisfied.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Separating the convict from society until he has repent, done time and is deemed ready to re-join society.   Public protection is assured.  Ã‚   Imprisonment scares people away from crime, then crime prevention is guaranteed.Sources:Bucci, Catherine.   (09 Jan 2005).   Rising Sanctions for Repeat Offender.Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, from  http://www.ecoon.unconn.edu/Bucci_internshippaperexample.docCrime Fighters:   Justice.   (16 Jan 2006).   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, from  http://www.bbc.co.uk/crime/fighters/prisonservice.shtmlPrison Reform. (13 Jan 2007).   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_reformCrime and Punishment in Americ:1999.   NCPA Policy Report No. 229.   (Oct 1999)Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.ncpa.org/studies/s229/s229.htmlStrategic Goal Six:   Protect American Society by Providing for the Safe, Secure & HumaneConfinement of Persons in Federal Custody.   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.usdoj.gov/ag/annualreports/pr2001/Section06.htmlKummamer, Ryan.   (2007).   On Capital Punishment.   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, from  http://www.newcitizenship.net/2006/12/on-capital -punishment.htmlFoster, Raymond E.   (2006-2007).   Criminal Justice.   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.hitechcj.com/criminal-justice-degree-online/ Placing criminals in prison benefits everyone In early times, prisons served an entirely different purpose from the one it does today.   While it was basically still for the enforcement of the law, it was used as a holding area for people accused of crimes and in the process of trial, and for those accused of lesser crimes as non-payment of debts.   Back then, the only two penalties for crimes were death and banishment.Over the years, imprisonment for crimes has considerably changed.   The cause for imprisonment and the conditions of prisons have changed depending on the norms and capability of societies.   However, there still stands one common reason for imprisonment of persons convicted of crimes and that is basically to keep them away from society.   It is for the purpose of keeping the public safe from criminal elements such as them and to prevent them from committing crimes again.There are four major social benefits of incarceration that must be considered in measuring the cost effectiveness of imprisonment:   retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation or incapacitation.   (Catherine Bucci, 2005).Society believes that offenders must be penalized.   This belief is as old as time.   The difference is the penalties imposed on crimes, which are markedly different from society to society, from era to era.   Serving time in prison is the convicts’ retribution for the crime they committed. Putting criminals behind bars serves to warn others of similar fate and hopefully prevent them from committing crimes also.   Imprisonment of convicts is a deterrent to potential criminals.   While serving time in prison, the convict may receive intervention to curb criminal mentality.   They are made to do activities that will take their minds off from their negative side and bring out the positive in them.   While in prison the criminal is not able to commit crime under the watch of law enforcement agents.   All these ultimately benefits society as they all focus on the control and prev ention of crime.There are four morally justified purposes for punishment.   (Ryan Kummamer, 2007).To Protect Society.   Imprisonment will keep the offender away from the public.   This is to ensure that the public will be safe and protected from further threats from criminals.  Ã‚   Society is assured that the criminal is under police custody and could do no harm again.   If the criminals are allowed to roam the streets unchecked and uncontrolled they pose a great threat to the peace and order of the community.To Reform the Offender.   Prisons are not just penitentiaries but also reformatory institutions.   While serving time, convicts are provided with opportunities that will help them to be contributing and productive members of society when they are released from prison.   These opportunities are made available to them thru skills training and rehabilitation and therapy sessions.   If prison changed the offenders, it will a better and welcomed change.As a Deterr ent to Potential Criminals.   The threat of imprisonment and serving long prison term should serve as a strong warning to potential criminals.   The threat which brings fear deters persons from committing crimes that would surely send them to jail.   Studies even show that a prison term is more feared than the death penalty.   This reinforces the assumption that imprisonment is an effective deterrent for potential offenders to keep away from committing crimes.Penalty and Pay Back.   Justice calls for penalty to be imposed for the commission of crime.   An offender commits a crime for which society wants him to pay.   The penalty of imprisonment serves as the punishment.   Imprisonment brings back order, paying back of what was taken away or restoration to the proper order and condition of a community before the incident of crime.   When the offender is put behind bars, a sense of peace once more prevails in the community that once was shaken by the crime.All four r easons justified the means to an end.   Imprisonment will have served its purpose if in the end, a reformed convict integrates to mainstream society and does not turn into a recidivist.There are several basic theories regarding criminal justice and its relation to individual rights and social control; Restorative Justice, Retributive Justice, and Transformative Justice.   (Raymond E. Foster, 2006, 2007).Imprisonment is likewise justified if the ends of justice were met and served.Restoration.   Justice calls for the restoration of what has been taken away from society because of the crime committed.   At times there were chaos, anger, disruption from normalcy and confusion.   When a criminal is confined in prison, he is taken away from the community.   This becomes the time for the community to pick up the pieces to start over.   The condition of the community before the incidence of the crime is brought back.Retribution.   The offender suffers what the victims had i n essence suffered as well.   Since time in memorial, every part in history made offenders pay up for the crimes against persons, society and humanity.   This age is no different, so that people would realize that crime definitely pays.Transformation.   Everybody deserves second chances, including convicts serving prison terms.   Their confinement in penal institutions must bring something good and purposeful.   Convicts are given the means to reform within the walls of prison.   When they are released they are hoped to become changed from the criminal that was committed to the facility to a reformed person who would re-join society.Today, unlike in the 50’s when families provide the backbone of society, many factors like broken homes cause the high incidence of crimes.   Without strong societal support and an equally effective criminal justice system crimes would be hard to control.   Given all the avenues to pursue criminal justice, deterrence must still be the first measure sought.   Deterrence from the commission of crimes is effective to fight crime.   If there is a big threat to criminals like fear of being incarcerated, that would be deterrence enough to prevent further commission of crimes.The recorded low crime rate in the 80’s up to the 90’s has been due mainly to the high possibility of   prison sentence and increased prison time for serious offenses.   Legislation to these ends had a big impact on the downward trend of crime rate.   Laws raised the odds of imprisonment and made crimes unattractive to would-be criminals.Imprisonment is a more acceptable option to a society that frowns upon capital punishment.   Church groups, civil society and human rights advocates are all against the death penalty.   In many other countries, they deplore the conditions of jails as unfit for humans giving due concern over the rights of accused.   These groups tend to see   the other end of the scales of justice .   However, prison conditions and intervention approach done and extended to convicts serving time make imprisonment the just alternative to capital punishment.Somehow justice must be carried out in a situation where a crime has been committed.   The scales of justice must be equally in favor of the perpetrator of the crime and the victim, and society in general.Imprisonment satisfies all ends of justice.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The convict must pay for the crime committed against persons and society.   Society in turn demands that justice be served thru commensurate penalty.   As penalty for a crime committed, retribution is met.   A compassionate society could find it to forgive a convict who has served time in prison for a crime committed.   Giving second chances to convicts, reformation is satisfied.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Separating the convict from society until he has repent, done time and is deemed ready to re-join society.   Public protection is assured.  Ã‚   Imprisonment scares people away from crime, then crime prevention is guaranteed.Sources:Bucci, Catherine.   (09 Jan 2005).   Rising Sanctions for Repeat Offender.Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.ecoon.unconn.edu/Bucci_internshippaperexample.docCrime Fighters:   Justice.   (16 Jan 2006).   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/crime/fighters/prisonservice.shtmlPrison Reform. (13 Jan 2007).   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_reformCrime and Punishment in Americ:1999.   NCPA Policy Report No. 229.   (Oct 1999)Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.ncpa.org/studies/s229/s229.htmlStrategic Goal Six:   Protect American Society by Providing for the Safe, Secure & HumaneConfinement of Persons in Federal Custody.   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.usdoj.gov/ag/annualreports/pr2001/Section06.htmlKummamer, Ryan.   (2007).   On Capital Punishment.   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.newcitizenship.net/2006/12/on-capital-punishment. htmlFoster, Raymond E.   (2006-2007).   Criminal Justice.   Retrieved 17 Jan 2007, fromhttp://www.hitechcj.com/criminal-justice-degree-online/

The Sociology of Consumption

The Sociology of Consumption The sociology of consumption is a subfield of sociology formally recognized by the American Sociological Association as the Section on Consumers and Consumption. Within this subfield, sociologists see consumption as central to daily life, identity, and social order in contemporary societies in ways that far exceed rational economic principles of supply and demand. Modern Context Due to its centrality to social life, sociologists recognize fundamental and consequential relationships between consumption and economic and political systems, and to social categorization, group membership, identity, stratification, and social status. Consumption is thus intersected with issues of power and inequality, is central to social processes of meaning-making, situated within the sociological debate surrounding structure and agency, and a phenomenon that connects the micro-interactions of everyday life to larger-scale social patterns and trends. The sociology of consumption is about far more than a simple act of purchase and includes the range of emotions, values, thoughts, identities, and behaviors that circulate the purchase of goods and services, and how we use them by ourselves and with others. This subfield of sociology is active throughout North America, Latin America, Britain and the European continent, Australia, and Israel, and is growing in China and India. Research Topics How people interact at sites of consumption, like shopping malls, streets, and downtown districtsThe relationship between individual and group identities and consumer goods and spacesHow lifestyles are composed, expressed, and slotted into hierarchies through consumer practices and identitiesProcesses of gentrification, in which consumer values, practices, and spaces play a central role in reconfiguring the racial and class demographics of neighborhoods, towns, and citiesThe values and ideas embedded in advertising, marketing, and product packaging;Individual and group relationships to brandsEthical issues tied to and often expressed through consumption, including environmental sustainability, the rights and dignity of workers, and economic inequalityAnd, consumer activism and citizenship, as well as anti-consumer activism and lifestyles Theoretical Influences The three â€Å"founding fathers† of modern sociology laid the theoretical foundation for the sociology of consumption. Karl Marx provided the still widely and effectively used concept of â€Å"commodity fetishism,† which suggests that the social relations of labor are obscured by consumer goods that carry other kinds of symbolic value for their users. This concept is often used in studies of consumer consciousness and identity. Émile Durkheim’s writings on the symbolic, cultural meaning of material objects in a religious context have proved valuable to the sociology of consumption, as it informs studies of how identity is connected to consumption, and how consumer goods play an important role in traditions and rituals around the world. Max Weber pointed to the centrality of consumer goods when he wrote about the growing importance of them to social life in the 19th century, and provided what would become a useful comparison to today’s society of consumers, in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. A contemporary of the founding fathers, American Historical Thorstein Veblen’s discussion of â€Å"conspicuous consumption† has been greatly influential to how sociologists study the display of wealth and status. European critical theorists active in the mid-twentieth century also provided valuable perspectives to the sociology of consumption. Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno’s essay on â€Å"The Culture Industry† offered an important theoretical lens for understanding the ideological, political, and economic implications of mass production and mass consumption. Herbert Marcuse delved deeply into this in his book One-Dimensional Man, in which he describes Western societies as awash in consumer solutions that are meant to solve one’s problems, and as such, provide market solutions for what are actually political, cultural, and social problems. Additionally, American sociologist David Riesman’s landmark book, The Lonely Crowd, set the foundation for how sociologists would study how people seek validation and community through consumption, by looking to and molding themselves in the image of those immediately around them. More recently, sociologists have embraced French social theorist Jean Baudrillard’s ideas about the symbolic currency of consumer goods, and take seriously his claim that seeing consumption as a universal of the human condition obscures the class politics behind it. Similarly, Pierre Bourdieu’s research and theorizing of the differentiation between consumer goods, and how these both reflect and reproduce cultural, class, and educational differences and hierarchies, is a cornerstone of today’s sociology of consumption. Notable Contemporary Scholars and Their Work Zygmunt Bauman: Polish sociologist who has written prolifically about consumerism and the society of consumers, including the books Consuming Life; Work, Consumerism and the New Poor; and Does Ethics Have a Chance in a World of Consumers?Robert G. Dunn: American social theorist who has written an important book of consumer theory titled Identifying Consumption: Subjects and Objects in Consumer Society.Mike Featherstone: British sociologist who wrote the influential Consumer Culture and Postmodernism, and who writes prolifically about lifestyle, globalization, and aesthetics.Laura T. Raynolds: Professor of sociology and director of the Center for Fair and Alternative Trade at Colorado State University has published numerous articles and books about fair trade systems and practices, including the volume Fair Trade: The Challenges of Transforming Globalization.George Ritzer: Author of widely influential books, The McDonaldization of Society and Enchanting a Disenchanted World: Continuit y and Change in the Cathedrals of Consumption. Juliet Schor: Economist and sociologist who has written a series of widely cited books on the cycle of working and spending in American society, including The Overspent American, The Overworked American, and Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth.Sharon Zukin: Urban and public sociologist who is widely published, and author of Naked City: The Death and Life of Authentic Urban Spaces, and the important journal article, â€Å"Consuming Authenticity: From Outposts of Difference to Means of Exclusion.† New research findings from the sociology of consumption are regularly published in the  Journal of Consumer Culture  and the  Journal of Consumer Research.

How to Name Ionic Compounds

How to Name Ionic Compounds Ionic compounds consist of cations (positive ions) and anions (negative ions). Ionic compound nomenclature or naming  is based on the names of the component ions. In all cases, ionic compound naming gives the positively charged cation first, followed by the negatively charged anion. Here are the principal naming conventions for ionic compounds, along with examples to show how they are used: Roman Numerals in Ionic Compound Names A Roman numeral in parentheses, followed by the name of the element, is used for elements that can form more than one positive ion. There is no space between the element name and the parenthesis. This notation is usually seen with metals since they commonly display more than one oxidation state or valence. You can use a chart to see the possible valences for the elements. Fe2 Iron(II)Fe3 Iron(III)Cu Copper(I)Cu2 Copper(II) Example: Fe2O3 is iron(III) oxide. Naming Ionic Compounds Using  -ous and -ic Although Roman numerals are used to denote the ionic charge of cations, it is still common to see and use the endings -ous or -ic. These endings are added to the Latin name of the element (e.g., stannous/stannic for tin) to represent the ions with lesser or greater charge, respectively. The Roman numeral naming convention has wider appeal because many ions have more than two valences. Fe2 FerrousFe3 FerricCu CuprousCu2 Cupric Example: FeCl3 is ferric chloride or iron(III) chloride. Naming Ionic Compounds Using  -ide The -ide ending is added to the name of a monoatomic ion of an element. H- HydrideF- FluorideO2- OxideS2- SulfideN3- NitrideP3- Phosphide Example: Cu3P is copper phosphide or copper(I) phosphide. Naming Ionic Compounds Using  -ite and -ate Some polyatomic anions contain oxygen. These anions are called oxyanions. When an element forms two oxyanions, the one with less oxygen is given a name ending in -ite and the one with more oxygen are given a name that ends in -ate. NO2- NitriteNO3- NitrateSO32- SulfiteSO42- Sulfate Example: KNO2 is potassium nitrite, while KNO3 is potassium nitrate. Naming Ionic Compounds Using hypo- and per- In the case where there is a series of four oxyanions, the hypo- and per- prefixes are used in conjunction with the -ite and -ate suffixes. The hypo- and per- prefixes indicate less oxygen and more oxygen, respectively. ClO- HypochloriteClO2- ChloriteClO3- ChlorateClO4- Perchlorate Example: The bleaching agent sodium hypochlorite is NaClO. It is also sometimes called the sodium salt of hypochlorous acid. Ionic Compounds Containing bi- and di- Hydrogen Polyatomic anions sometimes gain one or more H ions to form anions of a lower charge. These ions are named by adding the word hydrogen or dihydrogen in front of the name of the anion. It is still common to see and use the older naming convention in which the prefix bi- is used to indicate the addition of a single hydrogen ion. HCO3- Hydrogen carbonate or bicarbonateHSO4- Hydrogen sulfate or bisulfateH2PO4- Dihydrogen phosphate Example: The classic example is the chemical name for water, H2O, which is dihydrogen monoxide or dihydrogen oxide. Dihydrogen dioxide, H2O2, is more commonly called hydrogen dioxide or hydrogen peroxide.

Germanys Capital Moves from Bonn to Berlin

Germany's Capital Moves from Bonn to Berlin Following the fall of the Berlin Wall  in 1989, the two independent countries on opposite sides of the Iron Curtain⠁  - East Germany and West Germany⠁  - worked toward unifying after more than 40 years as separate entities. With that unification came the question, What city should be the capital of a newly united Germany⠁  - Berlin or Bonn? A Vote to Decide the Capital With the raising of the German flag on October 3, 1990, the two former countries (the German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany) merged to become one unified Germany. With that merger, a decision had to be made about what would be the new capital. The capital of pre-World War II Germany had been Berlin, and the capital of East Germany had been East Berlin. West Germany moved the capital city to Bonn following the split into two countries. Following unification, Germanys parliament, the Bundestag, initially began meeting in Bonn. However, under the initial conditions of the Unification Treaty between the two countries, the city of Berlin was also reunified and became, at least in name, the capital of reunified Germany.   A narrow vote of the Bundestag on June 20, 1991, of  337 votes for Berlin and 320 votes for Bonn, decided that the Bundestag and many government offices would ultimately and officially relocate from Bonn to Berlin. The vote was narrowly split, and most members of parliament voted along geographic lines. From Berlin to Bonn, Then Bonn to Berlin Prior to the division of Germany following World War II, Berlin was the capital of the country.  With the division into East Germany and West Germany, the city of Berlin (completely surrounded by East Germany) was divided into East Berlin and West Berlin, divided by the Berlin Wall. Since West Berlin could not serve as a practical capital city for West Germany, Bonn was chosen as an alternative. The process to build Bonn as a capital city took about eight years and more than $10 billion.   The 370-mile (595-kilometer) move from Bonn to Berlin in the northeast was often delayed by construction problems, plan changes, and bureaucratic immobilization. More than 150 national embassies had to be constructed or developed in order to serve as the foreign representation in the new capital city.   Finally, on  April 19, 1999, the German Bundestag met in the Reichstag building in Berlin, signaling the transfer of the capital of  Germany  from Bonn to Berlin. Prior to 1999, the German parliament had not met in the Reichstag since the Reichstag Fire of 1933. The newly renovated Reichstag included a glass dome, symbolizing a new Germany and a new capital. Bonn Now the Federal City A 1994 act in Germany established that Bonn would retain the status as the second official capital of Germany and as the second official home of the Chancellor and of the President of Germany. In addition, six governmental ministries (including defense) were to maintain their headquarters in Bonn. Bonn is called the Federal City for its role as the second capital of Germany. According to the New York Times, as of 2011, Of the 18,000 officials employed in the federal bureaucracy, more than 8,000 are still in Bonn. Bonn has a fairly small population (over 318,000) for its significance as the Federal City or second capital city of Germany, a country of more than 80 million (Berlin is home to nearly 3.4 million). Bonn has been  jokingly referred to in German as Bundeshauptstadt ohne nennenswertes Nachtleben (Federal capital without noteworthy nightlife). Despite its small size, many (as evidenced by the close vote of the  Bundestag) had hoped that the quaint university city of Bonn would become the modern home of reunified Germanys capital city.   Problems With Having Two Capital Cities Some Germans today question the inefficiencies of having more than one capital city. The cost to fly people and documents between Bonn and Berlin on an ongoing basis costs millions of euros each year. Germanys government could become much more efficient if time and money were not wasted on transportation time, transportation costs, and redundancies due to retaining Bonn as the second capital. At least for the foreseeable  future, Germany will retain Berlin as its capital and Bonn as a mini-capital city. Resources and Further Reading Cowell, Alan. â€Å"In Germanys Capitals, Cold War Memories and Imperial Ghosts.† The New York Times, 23 June 2011.

Read article and answer these, ( businuss communications) Case Study

Read article and answer these, ( businuss communications) - Case Study Example He also shows him a copy of a memo, does not listen to Dan’s explanations, and dismisses him. Ed is using these tactics to show Dan that John Green was not running the marketing department in the correct way. Ed achieves his intention. Ed Harley communicates as much information on the marketing department as required in the context. Dan is not eager to meet him. This is because of his perceived role of sacking employees in the corporation. His purpose of communication to Dan is to convey the flaws of the marketing department so that Dan can comprehend the anticipated meaning of his words and actions. Moreover, Ed’s action and words convey just enough to highlight his intention. He relies on Dan to translate the details of what he does not openly convey. His utterances give Dan the chance to deduce meaning of his intention. Ed provides a clue of his intention to Dan through his words and action. Dan submits, this is evident on his

Spreading Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Spreading Democracy - Essay Example This is not a situation that people and nations are likely to outgrow in the foreseeable future – perhaps not ever (Andersen, Seibert and Wagner). The end product of this mistrust that has grown over time has been the hostility leading from suspicion against the West. The reaction of the populations of the Middle East should however not be thought to always be at a consensus; far from it. There has been support by some regimes for the West which includes the United States seen as the â€Å"heir of the British imperialism† (Richman 3). The united states has been involved in the political situation in the Middle East since World War II in order to ensure that the oil rich fields stay within friendly arms and also in a bid to fending off competition especially from the then soviet union. It is this interests that have amassed a story of triumph and tragedy for the US in that region. The relationship with Iraq was born out of the desire to reign on the threat posed by Iran and this underwent a metamorphosis into a relationship jointly between Iran, Syria and the United States against Iraq in recent years. The action of President Bush to intervene in the Persian Gulf War with the aim of restoring the feudal monarch of Kuwait, which he viewed as the legitimate one, was not an abrupt decision. It had been the culmination of US foreign policy in the region for a long time that had spun for many administrations. It was as a deterioration of the relationship between the US and Iraq, which had started as far back as during the Baghdad pact that was aimed at making Iraq the capital of NATO which was a strategy against the soviets. The then government was overthrown by Abd al-Karim Qasim who accused it of being pro-Western. Qasim led the country from 1958 to 1963 when he was driven out in a coup by Abd al-Salam Arif who was said to have received help from the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Earlier, in an attempt to overthrow Qasim, Saddam Hussein had be en involved in a failed coup in 1959, however, with the help of the CIA which had been accused of being his sympathizer, he overthrew the government of Arif in 1968 (Battle 2). This proves that the US has been involved in the political landscape of Iraq even before the advent of World War II. In 1979, when Saddam became prime minister, there was a concerted effort by him and his close family members in conjunction with people of his hometown to establish a dictatorship. Jimmy Carter, who was the president of the United States during the Iran-Iraq war, chose to be â€Å"neutral† when the war initially broke out (Lenczowski 8). Secretly though, the US was accused of aiding the Iraqis in a bid to undermining the rule of Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran. The tilt in the US policy of neutrality was born out of the hostage situation that occurred when Iran held 52 Americans. However, records show that the US was involved in funding Iraq through Saudi Arabia. The US was hoping that by pro pagating the war, the Iranians would eventually run out of supplies and would need spares. Here, they anticipated that the Iranian resolve would have been eroded and they could secure their hostages. The US did no however anticipate that the Iranians would turn to Vietnam where they themselves had left enough spares during their invasion there. The US deliberately exposed the weaknesses that the Iranians had in a bid to inciting the Iraqis into the war. This collaboration of the US with Iraq born out of the common enmity with Iran was aimed at serving the purpose of quelling the opposition that the Iranian administration had of the West and of retaining Iraq as a strategic partner in the continued inhabitation in the region. However, the US only looked at the areas that they were to gain, did not see the actions

E-mail Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

E-mail Communication - Essay Example The e-mail content should be brief and concise and should address the subject content. The subject message should also be able to inform recipients of what the e-mail is about. It is recommended to indicate the response that receiver should take and senders should state their contact details to allow receivers to respond with ease. For formal e-mails, it is good to make a habit of using spell checkers before hitting the 'send' button and double-checking the e-mails are being sent to the correct recipient. When sending attachments, it is good to inform recipients when the file size is very large as this takes up a lot of space and may cause other e-mails to bounce back or result in errors in sending. Files should also be sent in a format that the recipient is able to open. Users must refrain from mass forwarding e-mails because chances are, these will be filtered and end up in the junk folder. Spam e-mails can also flood the recipient's inbox unnecessarily.

The efectivness of our court systems Research Paper

The efectivness of our court systems - Research Paper Example However not much ray of hope can be ascertained because one can encounter a number of problems left, right and center within these ranks and specifically within the United States of America. Within the domains of the United States, as statistics have proven, in 2006-07, adult criminal courts processed around 372,000 court cases which involved 1,080,000 charges. These figures were more or less unchanged as one compares the same with 2005-06. The number of cases that were termed as complete from the criminal justice domains was therefore slow but work was underway all the same. The delay process is so lengthy that a number of suitors find it hard to comply with the cases, asking them to drop the case and move on with life. The effectiveness of the court systems therefore takes a nosedive, and this is one aspect that must be properly understood before moving ahead any further (Vanhala, 2011). What is staggering to state the least is the fact that males are accused more than their female counterparts. United States has seen that around 78% of all involved were males while the remaining 16% were females within the adult criminal court cases, which saw an undisclosed 6% not naming the gender that was involved. How cases get processed within any court system in the world is something that one needs to properly comprehend and that too in a quick way (Clear, 2009). Bringing an accused to trial is one of the most significant pointers that one can think of when understanding the nuances linked with the court systems. Since this is a fundamental principle within a number of criminal justice systems of the United States courts (Kostulski, 2011). Whether or not the court systems are doing their jobs properly could easily be ascertained from the fact that there is immense disharmony within the related realms. The court systems need to be made tougher so that the offenders cannot take the entire criminal justice system for granted. United States needs to broaden the horizon th at surrounds the thinking of working along the court systems where the accused find more time than the party which has been hard done by. One can think of these regimes as being subverted due to the fact that the entire incorporation of the court systems has been ransacked as the ‘system’ metaphor is flawed. If stricter measures are ensured within the United States court systems, it will mean that the effectiveness of the same would be guaranteed to a greater extent than these are at the present. There would be less repeat offenders and such individuals would be discouraged before undertaking an offensive act which might ruin their reputation, careers or just about anything which is deemed as significant for their entirety (Apparicio, 2008). Stricter measures would ensure within United States that there is harsh compliance with the rules and laws of the land and the court systems would not go astray as far as the work realms of the court systems are concerned. There wou ld be immense significance on the way the United States courts are being held and the manner in which their work is being manifested, day in and day out. Within United States, the aspect of the punishments being harsher in this day and age holds a great amount of significance because

Political sciencemiddle east Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political sciencemiddle east - Essay Example They failed to protect key strategic resources and national treasures. In addition, they failed to have a workable form of rule and order in place to replace the ousted Sadaam Hussein, This failure to plan resulted in a weakened and fragile economy, social upheaval, and political instability that will continue to burden Iraq for years to come. The war in Iraq wrecked an already declining economy and failed to deliver on the promises of prosperity and oil revenues. In the 20 years leading up to the war, the per capita income had declined by 75 percent and the first year of the war cut that in half again to just $450 (Schifferes). The country was burdened by high unemployment, massive numbers of people employed in "inefficient state-owned enterprises", and half the population that was dependent on food aid (Schifferes). At the time there was a plan to privatize the industries, and increase oil revenues so that Iraq would have a self-sustaining economy. However, oil production, which accounts for 90 percent of Iraq's economy, continues to stagnate at about 2.4 million barrels per day, far off the peak production of 3.5 million barrels reached in 1990 (Kumins CRS-1; Iraq Economy 2008). In addition, unemployment continues to hover between 18 and 30 percent (Iraq Economy 2008). ... But it didn't last. Both the privatizations and the pension conversion were rushed into place before the country had the infrastructure or investor sophistication to support them". Without a long term plan and commitment to the restructuring of Iraq's economy, the US will be mired down for years continually trying to jump-start it. A recent effort at privatizing the oil industry has met with considerable resistance due to its demands that Iraq surrender a significant degree of sovereignty. The 2003 invasion of Iraq set off one of the bloodiest periods in Iraq's history, and had been responsible for a period no less violent than the era of Sadaam Hussein. There is little debate about the ruthlessness and cruelty of Sadaam Hussein and his inappropriateness as a leader in the modern world. However, when Hussein was ousted, the US had made no plans for a system to replace him. Religious factions rushed in to fill the void, and resulted in a civil war with the US forces attempting to act as referee. While accurate body counts are difficult to estimate, counts range from between 100,000 to over 2 million. The Lancet, a well-respected British medical journal estimated that 600,000 deaths had been attributable to the war as of 2006 (Polya). This is on an even par with the number of deaths blamed on Sadaam Hussein in the 20 years leading up to the war. In addition, the social strife has caused many people to flee the country and "approximately two million Iraqis have fled the c onflict in Iraq, with the majority taking refuge in Syria and Jordan, and lesser numbers to Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, and Turkey" (Iraq Economy 2008). This has torn apart families, communities, and social institutions. If the US had planned a stable transfer of power in Iraq after the invasion, the

Control Mechanisms Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Control Mechanisms Paper - Essay Example According to Long et al (n.d.): "Managers within bureaucratic control systems use primarily rules and regulations, hierarchical lines of authority, and job specifications to direct subordinates in their tasks". Certain premises of the decisions on these matters are to be supplied in advance in the form of general rules or standards, and compliance with these standards is to be enforced by centralized units. All decisions for which standards have been prescribed are cleared with or reviewed by the appropriate centralized unit to assure compliance. One way of meeting control problems of this kind is to assign to specialized administrative units in their particular area of specialization. A central office enforces the rules relating to the hiring, pay, promotion, and dismissal of personnel throughout the entire organization. The College School System determines special rules and standards in order to create a unified system of education and maintain high level of service delivery (Medei ros, Barbosa, n.d.). Also, the College School System uses some elements of clan and market mechanisms which help it to survive. Following Long et al (n.d): "Managers within clan control systems place relatively greater emphasis on the development and actualization of common values, traditions, and beliefs". The College School System follows educational values and traditions which have a great impact on its decision-making and performance. These traditions involve equal treatment of all students and high level of education, programs and activities based on human-centered approach and Christian morality. In some cases, The College School System can be seen in terms of market control mechanism when: 'managers make decisions based on price considerations" (Long et al n.d.). Many private schools are driven by this control mechanism which helps them to maintain high level of education and services. The main advantage of bureaucratic control mechanism is structure of control procedure. Control is exercised through the executive hierarchy itself. The main limitation (negative consequences) of clan and market control mechanisms is that the executive hierarchy itself does not know and cannot be expected to know enough about all the many areas of an organization's activities to make sure that all these activities are being conducted according to the expressed wishes of those higher up in the organization, the chief executive, the legislature, or the public. The chain of accountability is maintained by assigning different parts of the review process to centralized units whose personnel then become specialists in securing high standards in their respective fields. The effectiveness of clan mechanism can be explained by the fact that "the traditions and norms that clan system managers use to affect subordinate behaviors are best applied before tasks are commenced" (Long et al, n.d.). T he effectiveness of market control is explained by output control targets which allows the organization evaluate the work when it completes. The bureaucratic control mechanism determines the structure of four functions of management based on hierarchical relations. All functions and decision-making are closely connected with each other following strict rules and procedures. An important element is the mechanism employed to see that the policies laid down by the body and the top executives are carried out by the

Political sciencemiddle east Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political sciencemiddle east - Essay Example They failed to protect key strategic resources and national treasures. In addition, they failed to have a workable form of rule and order in place to replace the ousted Sadaam Hussein, This failure to plan resulted in a weakened and fragile economy, social upheaval, and political instability that will continue to burden Iraq for years to come. The war in Iraq wrecked an already declining economy and failed to deliver on the promises of prosperity and oil revenues. In the 20 years leading up to the war, the per capita income had declined by 75 percent and the first year of the war cut that in half again to just $450 (Schifferes). The country was burdened by high unemployment, massive numbers of people employed in "inefficient state-owned enterprises", and half the population that was dependent on food aid (Schifferes). At the time there was a plan to privatize the industries, and increase oil revenues so that Iraq would have a self-sustaining economy. However, oil production, which accounts for 90 percent of Iraq's economy, continues to stagnate at about 2.4 million barrels per day, far off the peak production of 3.5 million barrels reached in 1990 (Kumins CRS-1; Iraq Economy 2008). In addition, unemployment continues to hover between 18 and 30 percent (Iraq Economy 2008). ... But it didn't last. Both the privatizations and the pension conversion were rushed into place before the country had the infrastructure or investor sophistication to support them". Without a long term plan and commitment to the restructuring of Iraq's economy, the US will be mired down for years continually trying to jump-start it. A recent effort at privatizing the oil industry has met with considerable resistance due to its demands that Iraq surrender a significant degree of sovereignty. The 2003 invasion of Iraq set off one of the bloodiest periods in Iraq's history, and had been responsible for a period no less violent than the era of Sadaam Hussein. There is little debate about the ruthlessness and cruelty of Sadaam Hussein and his inappropriateness as a leader in the modern world. However, when Hussein was ousted, the US had made no plans for a system to replace him. Religious factions rushed in to fill the void, and resulted in a civil war with the US forces attempting to act as referee. While accurate body counts are difficult to estimate, counts range from between 100,000 to over 2 million. The Lancet, a well-respected British medical journal estimated that 600,000 deaths had been attributable to the war as of 2006 (Polya). This is on an even par with the number of deaths blamed on Sadaam Hussein in the 20 years leading up to the war. In addition, the social strife has caused many people to flee the country and "approximately two million Iraqis have fled the c onflict in Iraq, with the majority taking refuge in Syria and Jordan, and lesser numbers to Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, and Turkey" (Iraq Economy 2008). This has torn apart families, communities, and social institutions. If the US had planned a stable transfer of power in Iraq after the invasion, the

Ethnic group Essay Example for Free

Ethnic group Essay Prejudice is an opinion or judgement without due examination toward one side of a question from other considerations than those belonging to. Or we can say that prejudice is a bias on the part of judge, juror or witness which interferes with fairness of judgement. Prejudice involves negative feelings when they are in the presence of or even think about members of the group. Prejudice often involves stereotypes, suggesting that all members of a group behave in certain ways and have certain characteristics. Therefore, prejudice has both cognitive and affective components. Affective component is the positive or negative attitude/ feeling. Beside the cognitive component contains stereotypes. Prejudice will be dealt as a single set of dynamics that function to dehumanize people who are identifiably different in some way from the people whose perceptions are limited by the dysfunction we called prejudice. This approach is taken for two reasons. First, it is easily defensible through the uderstanding of the dynamics of prejudices and second the continued separation and classification of prejudices according to the superficial categories of those who are prejudiced is a disservice to those who are the targets of discrimination and a distortion of reality. Much of prejudice stems from our pre-judging other people’s habits, customs, ways of speaking and value. We often do this with no basic for the judgement other that the fact that they (the customs, values, ways of speaking, etc) are different form our own. When we are confines to a single culture, it’s incredibly difficult to see that one’s way is not the only way, that one’s truth is not the only possible way in which things are done. To travel around the world and seeing the variousity of culture may become the nicest thing to do for reducing prejudice. There is no better way to be convinced of this than to go to another country where millions people are doing something different from you. Another way to reduce prejudice is to make a friend with many background culture. From that, we can learn that we are all different and we have to accept that differences. By accepting and learning that differences, the number of prejudicing people will be decrease. Prejudice reduction refers to a collectionof techniques designed to break down these destructive stereotypes. Most often prejudice reduction programs take place on a small scale for example in workshops which bring together people from different groups to help them develop a better mutual understanding. At times, efforts are made to reduce prejudice among the general population. This can be done with wide spread media efforts and public education programs often implemented during the grade school years. In both small scale and large scale efforts, a first step which is critical to the success of these programs is an ability to overcome the many communications problems cited elsewhere in this training program. This is because a great deal of prejudice arises from simple misunderstandings and the tendency to make worse case assumptions in the absence of reliable information. At the workshop level, facilitators can help people explore their stereotypes, and learn to communicate with each other in a more open, trusting, and receptive way. At the community or societal level, misunderstandings can be addressed through carefully crafted public media campaigns and/or education programs designed to counter common stereotypes and present all groups in their best possible light. Still, correcting poor communication may is not usually enough to overcome prejudice. Better communication may simply prove that the parties do, in fact, hold each other in mutual contempt, or that they are, indeed, trying to undermine each others interests. Often such hostility is the result of escalation processes which transform relatively minor provocations into intense confrontations. For this reason strategies for limiting escalation are also an essential component of effective prejudice reduction. This also can be attempted in workshop settings or at the larger, community level. On the other hand, we will talk about stereotypes. Stereotypes are generalizations or assumptions that people make about the characteristics of all members of a grup based on image that often wrong about what people in that group are like. Most stereotypes probably tend to convey a negative impression. By stereotyping we infer that a person has a whole range characteristics and abilities that we assume all members of that group have. Researches have found that stereotypes exist of different races, cultures or ethnic groups. Although the terms race, culture and ethnic groups have different meanings, we shall take them to mean roughly the same thing at the moment. Not surprisingly, racial stereotypes always seem to favor the race of the holder and belittle other races. It is probably true saying that every ethnic group has racial stereotypes of other groups which can be seen to benefit each group because it helps in the long run to identify with one’s own ethnic group and so find protection and promote safety and success of the group. A brief description of stereotyping includes: grouping people together based on their race, ethnicity, religion, languange, customs, appearance, gender or culture; denying people rights because of the group belong to; believing that one’s own group is superior beside other groups are inferior. And the ways to reduce stereotyping includes: promoting first hand knowledge through personal experiences; putting one self in another’s shoes and considering multiple perspectives; working toward a meaningful goal with others when all share equal status. It will naturally be difficult to change stereotypes and prejudice, because such change will need to overcome all of the cognitive processes such as biased information search, interpretation and memory behavioral confirmation, as well as social processes, such as pressures to conform to the beliefs of others, all of which work to maintain stereotypes intact. Nevertheless, social psychologists have developed numoerous theories about when and why stereotypes will or won’t change and some interventions have been effective at changing stereotypes. In general, there are three types of change in beliefs that can help reduce negative intergroup encounters. Perhaps the most obvious change involves creating more positve perceptions of the group as a whole. When we reduce an individual’s level of prejudice or change his or her stereotypes to be more positive. But change does not always have to involve becoming more positive about the group. If we change the perceptions of the variability of a group such that the individual no longer believes that all of the group members are the same, we have also reduce stereotyping, even if the beliefs have not become more positve overall. Finally, we will have been succesful if we have been able to reduce the tendency for an individual to use social categories when judging others, with the result that they are more likely individuate others instead.