Friday, November 29, 2019

Stroop Test Evaluation free essay sample

We need to make an urgent transition to a new pattern of living, one based on simplicity, conservation and restoration. Discussed here is an assessment tool for managing the mental vitality needed for a rapid yet civil transition to sustainable living. If done well, this transition may result, unexpectedly, in improved psychological and social well-being. Raymond De Young School of Natural Resources and Environment University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 October 3, 2013 Cite as: De Young, R. (2013). Using the Stroop effect to test our capacity to direct attention: A tool for navigating urgent transitions. Retrived from http://www. snre. umich. edu/eplab/demos/st0/stroopdesc. html Interview on mental vitality and localization (Radio Ecoshock) CONTEXT: MENTAL VITALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP Responding to climate disruption, resource limits and energy descent will require dramatic behavior change on a massive scale. The changes we make will need to stick, over a long period of time, since there will be no getting back to normal. We will write a custom essay sample on Stroop Test Evaluation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page We are, in short, confronting a new normal. One implication of this new bio-physical reality is the need for each one of us to become behavioral entrepreneurs. Many new, and newly re-learned, skills will be needed in order for us to respond well to the coming downshift. But none are more central than our ability to cleverly problem-solve, to plan and manage our behavior, and to cope with the emotions resulting from our losing either an affluent lifestyle or the hope that perpetual growth will one day give us such a lifestyle. These abilities needed to respond well to this challenge, all require a mental state called vitality. Unfortunately, this mental resource seems to be in short supply these days. Since burned out people cannot help heal the planet, restoring and managing mental vitality Academic publications Tragedy of the commons Environmental psychology Directed attention Overview of the Localization papers Emerging biophysical limits, and the many consequences of having disrupted the climate, leads to an unmistakable outcome: we soon will consume far fewer resources. Our everyday behaviors, metaphors, institutions and world views are not prepared for this new reality. Fortunately, behavior patterns of long ago, and our adaptive nature,  suggest that we can respond well to this challenge. These papers, published periodically, seek to help people envision a pragmatic response that supports a rapid transition to a psychologically wholesome and durable existence. New book: become preconditions for our civil transition to durable living. The Localization Papers, and the related book The Localization Reader, discuss a framework for this transition. See here for an EcoShock Radio interview (Energy Bulletin, 2012). This transition, urgent as it may well be, will be difficult. The Workshop on Urgent Transitions, a research effort at the University of Michigan, is tasked with: (a) helping people to cope with what may be dramatic, and at times unnerving, behavior change, (b) helping people to plan for, motivate and maintain behavioral resilience and (c) helping communities to pre-familiarize themselves with living well within the limits of local ecosystems. www. snre. umich. edu/eplab/demos/st0/stroopdesc. html Endorsements Press release De Young, R. T. Princen (2012) 1/4 10/14/13 Stroop Effect | Stroop Test De Young, R. T. Princen (2012) The Localization Reader Adapting to the Coming Downshift. The MIT Press. One goal of this research is to help people restore and maintain mental vitality so that they can get on with the task of healing the planet and living in a durable manner. The measures of mental vitality, of which the Stroop test discussed below is one, are a part of this research effort. MIT Press Amazon Amazon. ca Amazon. uk BarnesNoble Powells Crazy Wisdom Nicolas THE STROOP EFFECT To understand the mental process involved in the Stroop effect, look at the following four letters: tree. If you are like most people it is difficult for you not to quickly read the word tree. Most humans are so proficient at reading, at perceiving whole words, that they do not easily notice the individual letters. This is why proofreading is so hard to do. This tendency to quickly perceive words is used in testing for the Stroop effect. The Stroop effect (sometimes called the Stroop test) is an outcome of our mental (attentional) vitality and flexibility. The effect is related to the ability of most people to read words more quickly  and automatically than they can name colors. If a word is displayed in a color different from the color it actually names; for example, if the word green is written in blue ink (as shown in the figure to the left) then we have a hard time noticing the blue ink. In this instance, even when asked to name the color of the ink, we tend to say the name the word represents. Dissertation published in 1935. Current research on the Stroop effect emphasizes the interference that automatic processing of words has on the more mentally effortful task of just naming the ink color. The task of making an appropriate response when given two conflicting signals has tentatively been located in a part of the brain called the anterior cingulate. This is a region that lies between the right and left halves of the frontal portion of the brain. It is involved in a wide range of cognitive processes. Although the functions of the anterior cingulate are very  complex, broadly speaking it acts as a conduit between lower, somewhat more impulse-driven brain regions and higher, somewhat more thought-driven behaviors. The Stroop effects sensitivity to changes in brain function may be related to its association with the anterior cingulate. THE ROLE OF DIRECTED ATTENTION The cognitive mechanism at work in this process is called directed attention. This mental resource is used to manage our thoughts by inhibiting one response in order to say or do something else. www. snre. umich. edu/eplab/demos/st0/stroopdesc. html 2/4  10/14/13 Stroop Effect | Stroop Test something else. The capacity to direct attention is a foundational mental resource that allows us to voluntarily manage the focus of our thoughts. It is useful in our effort to remain effective, productive, clearheaded and helpful. We can use it to inhibit the power of certain features of the immediate physical and social environment, as well as internal distractions, so as to allow consideration of less salient but nonetheless valued information. Directed attention allows for a variety of prosocial and proenvironmental behaviors. It permits us to pursue important goals despite interesting competition in the immediate setting, to help others despite our own unmet needs, and to resist temptation so that we can remain devoted to a larger concern. In short, the capacity to direct attention is an essential resource for achieving both civility and environmental stewardship. FATIGUING THE CAPACITY TO DIRECT ATTENTION Research indicates that directed attention is a scarce and finite mental resource. When placed under continual demand, our ability to direct the focus of our thoughts tires, resulting in a condition called directed attention fatigue (DAF). This condition reduces our overall mental effectiveness and makes consideration of abstract concepts and long-term goals difficult, at best. SOME CONSEQUENCES OF DIRECTED ATTENTION FATIGUE DAF causes irritability and impulsivity that results in thoughtless and regrettable behavior, impatience that has us making poor decisions, and distractibility that allows the immediate environment to have a greatly magnified effect on our decisions. By dramatically reducing the ability to plan and monitor our behavior, directed attention fatigue makes both proenvironmental and pro-social behavior much less likely. These methods share the same basic procedure. A paper version of the Stroop task involves showing words that are the names of colors in the participants native language (for an English language version see Stroop test image here and other images here and here). The letters making up each word are printed in a color of ink different from the color name the word represents. You are asked to quickly respond with the color ink you see, and inhibit the printed word. It turns out that this is much harder than it sounds and research documents lower scores with increased directed attention fatigue.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Analytical Essay Sample on Sula by Toni Morrison A Detailed Analysis of the Novel

Analytical Essay Sample on Sula by Toni Morrison A Detailed Analysis of the Novel Sula, written by Toni Morrison, is a very powerful novel. Not only is this novel a National Bestseller, but it has also been the winner of the Noble Prize in Literature, in addition to being one of Oprahs top chosen books, which in her opinion everyone should read. This could be because of the many lessons that can be learned from it, if one is willing to search deep enough to find its true meanings. The most valuable themes in Sula deal with mother-daughter relationships, the judging of people, and friendships. The mother-daughter relationship was a very crucial part to the story. Morrison wanted her readers to learn that although a mother may not always show it, she always loves her daughter. The mother-daughter bond is one that can never be broken. The love between Hannah and Eva and Sula and Hannah was always there, even though it was not always out there in the open. Eva had even given the ultimate sacrifice and sold one of her legs just to be able to feed her children. Since their love for one another was never shown, Hannah and Sula both had not felt loved by their mothers. Hannah thought her mother never loved her because she did not play games with her as a child. Sula did not think that her mother loved her because she overheard a conversation of her mom stating how she did not like her. Although like and love are totally different, Sula did not know this at the time. This situation demonstrates the power of motherhood, and how it creates a path for her children to follow. Eva, Han nah, and Sula all shared many of the same qualities. They all had the same outlook on many issues, attitudes with one another, and for the most part even the same outlook on guys. None of them had ever settled down with just one man, to start a family. Throughout the novel, Morrison tries to teach people to be less judgmental of others. As time goes on many of the characters in Sula become more and more judgmental of each other, especially of Sula. They even take something so simple as her birthmark on her face that she can do nothing about, and make assumptions of her due to it. How characters in the novel perceive the shape of her birthmark says more about them than about her though. For example Nels husband Jude sees in her birthmark a snake, which can just be a reflection of his weakness to temptation. The townspeople would also keep blaming Sula for things she had no control over, such as the little boy that fell down the steps and the old man who swallowed a chicken bone. Only these are nothing but careless accidents. However, because of the towns set hatred of Sula, they all rally together against her. Birds fall from the sky when Sula returns to Medallion after college, and everyone considers this to be another one of her e vils. Sula might not have been so bad though. There is a strong theme between good and bad in this novel. Many would just assume that Sula was bad and Nel was good. Only it was Sula that threw Chicken Little in the River, but it is Nel who does not cry at the funeral. Ironically though, Sulas presence brings everyone in the town together, and when she dies, they fall apart. Morrison is trying to show us that it is wrong to make judgments on someone based on a bunch of rumors that could be untrue. Doing this just makes people feel lonely, as Sula was. She had no one. Although, in her case she did not care much for anyone in the town except for Nel, who she felt lonely without.The gift of friendship is something that should always be held onto. This is one lesson that was unfortunately is not realized by both Sula and Nel until it was too late. Sula and Nel had the gift of being best friends. During their younger years they were inseparable. When coming back to each other after being apart, it felt as if they had never been apart. They could even finish each others sentences. Both Sula and Nel were two halves of a whole, completing each other. It was just unfortunate that after Sula slept with Nels husband Jude, it ended up ruining their friendship. Regardless of the aforementioned incident, Morrison was trying to teach that if you have this kind of love between friends, you should never let go of it. Of course there are going to be fights and disagreements, but if the quality of being best friends is very valuable it should be saved. Not only is Sula a great book, but there are also many very valuable lessons to be learned when reading it. The most important themes in Sula deal with mother-daughter relationships, the judging of people, and friendship. It is one of those books that allows the reader to take what she has learned and apply it to real life. Thus making Sula one book that every individual should read at one time or another during his or her life.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Questions about Fruits Biology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Questions about Fruits Biology - Assignment Example Every fruit has a different proportion of these elements and accordingly its taste varies. The fruits which have more fructose and less of acidic content will generally taste sweeter. Some very sweet fruits are banana and mangoes. On the other hand fruits like orange and grapes have higher content of acids. Orange has citric acid and fructose in equal quantity and as a reason it is sour. Some fruits like melon have no specific taste because they have an equal composition of starch and acids. So the major chemical compounds which determine the taste of a fruit are fructose and acid. 2- How does the ripening of fruit affect the process of seed dispersal? The process of fruit ripening has an important role to play in the seed dispersal phenomena of fruits. Fruits are dispersed by various agents like wind, animals and humans. When the fruits are dispersed by animals they undergo ripening procedure which gives attractive characteristics to fruit which attracts the consumers. The enzymes w hich give the ripening effect to the fruit allot bright color and scent to the fruits in order to enhance their appeal and attraction . This makes the fruit more noticeable and visible to the consumers. When consumers are attracted to the fruits they are eaten by them, and the seeds are carried away to long distance when they get discarded. This allows the seeds to travel long distances away from their parent tree. They then get germinated in various location of the land and flourish. In the case of fruits which are dispersed by wind, they undergo dehydration in later stage which causes the seeds to be dry and light . This makes the seeds light and allows the scattering of them to various planes of land. Wind is a very strong dispersal agent and can carry the seeds to extremely far away places. Some fruits whose seeds are dispersed by wind change its structure during the ripening procedure which gives it a light structure due to the consequent drying up or dehydration. Thus differen t agents like wind, animals and humans allow the seed dispersal of fruits after they ripening procedure.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Research Methodologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Research Methodologies - Essay Example The fundamental research aim around the proposal is to identify the major social and psychological challenges faced by adult ESL learners and how they come with these challenges. The study is meant to combine qualitative and quantitative research approaches in order to conduct an ontological and epistemological research. The qualitative section of the research will involve an attempt to identify the main challenges and issues that come with studying as an adult in an ESL programme. This will be done through the use of questionnaires, surveys and other activities to qualitatively provide some kind of insight into the main issues and problems that these persons encounter in their quest to learn English. The quantitative process will seek to gather data about the age and cultural background of learners and their performance. This will provide averages or regression as well as the correlation between learner backgrounds and their performance in the studying of English as ESL students. The study will include the collection of data from various students in the classroom who can be classified as â€Å"adults†. These individuals will be studied and the findings will be evaluated in the context of generalisability and this will form the basis for theorisation of findings. Learning is done through conceptual and linguistic constructions that describe social and cultural matters and systems (Hodkinson & MacLeod, 2010). This is because research and learning are two interrelated matters. Hence, they work together to provide concepts and theories in an appropriate framework. From the studies, qualitative research methods often comes with major problems and issues relating to bias and this causes conclusions to come under the shadow of the researcher’s opinion. Hence, the qualitative element and aspect of the research proposal being handled in this study might be influenced significantly by the subjective sentiments of the researcher.

Monday, November 18, 2019

College Essay-Personal Statement (Personal or Creative which best Essay

College -Personal Statement (Personal or Creative which best describes you) - Essay Example pping into Middle School, it still left a rather lingering impression, as did an Angolan schoolmate – Chicongo, who assumed and later embarrassed me in front of the class questioning whether I was a racist. His remarks, as well as life in my â€Å"walled-in† home in this local barrio of Havana were poignant memories that still affect me to this day. As an American living in the politically-charged environment in Havana, I vividly remember the sanctions imposed on us by the host government, but somehow I repressed the extreme poverty that gripped the neighborhood. Suffice to say, I regrettably lived with the belief that it was my neighbors’ fault for my mistrust, and as a result, my lack of sympathy for them. It seemed like it was second nature to react defensively and suspiciously towards people of different backgrounds without first understanding them or underlining reasons for their conditions. Yet fortunately or the lack thereof for us, it would take a violent storm to break down this otherwise sturdy wall. One late evening during a strong tropical storm, unexpectedly, a neighbor banged on our door and warned us of a serious flood condition that threatened all our homes in the neighborhood. Surveying the damage a day after, we awkwardly joined our neighbors in removing the debris from the street, and later pitching in to help those families that fared poorly in the storm. I soon witnessed how myopic misperceptions can be; I understood and appreciated how families were helping each other regardless of their political affiliation. In essence, we who allowed distrust and suspicion to be supplanted by cooperation and kindness were the true survivors of the storm that could have knocked down our fragile human spirit. At school it was not entirely different; many times over I would encounter unpleasant comments about my nationality and/or multiracial background. In regards to Chicongo, who later became a friend, I found out that his father, an Angolan

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Differential Association Theory Criminology Essay

The Differential Association Theory Criminology Essay Theories within criminology try to explain why and how crime occurs. This is done through examining various facts that are related to the individuals criminal behaviour and the crime they commit. There are a wide range of theories which can be used to explain the causes of crime and deviant behaviour from youths. Youth crime is a major issue in society; this essay will discuss three theories, the differential association theory, the labelling theory and the rationale choice theory. The theories will discussed and how they can explain crime will also be discussed, then a comparison of the theories will be given in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses in explaining youth crime. The differential association theory is one of the most valued theories within criminology. This theory was first discovered by Edwin Sutherland (1947), he developed the differential association theory in order to explain how youths engage in acts of criminal behaviour. This theory defines criminal behaviour as learnt behaviour which is acquired through social contact with other individuals (Hollin, 2007:). This theory explains how individuals learn how to engage in criminal behaviour through their attitudes, drive and motive behind the criminal act. An individual is most likely to be involved in criminal behaviour if they spend numerous amount of time with a person who has a criminal background and believes that breaking the law is acceptable. Furthermore Sutherland (1974) identifies nine main factors that can be used to explain why a person engages in criminal behaviour. This essay will now explain the nine factors in detail. The first factor that Sutherland believes is the reason as to why an individual engages in criminal behaviour is because the behaviour is learned. Sutherland and Cressey (1960) believe that the actions of an individual are influenced by the people they associate with. It is believed that because the individual main association is with their family, as that is whom they have grown up and live with, so therefore the individual social values and norms are formulated from them. Sutherland also stated that learned behaviour is not invented, nor is it inherited The skills and techniques required for an individual to engage criminal activity are not automatically obtained from birth, or through association with criminals, instead they are acquired through a process of learning (Sutherland Cressey, 1960: 123). The second principle refutes the idea that criminal behaviour is learned through the individual witnessing deviant or criminal behaviour. Instead this believes that criminality is learned behaviour though interaction with others in the process of communication. At a very young age children are accustomed to the norms of society, they are taught the roles of both a genders by people around them. They also learn these roles by observing the male or female characteristics relating to the specific gender. For example an individual may learn about prostitution through witnessing the nonverbal responses of these others towards the activity, such as rolling the eyes or staring and through discussions with people who engage in that activity (Sutherland Cressey, 1960: 123). Also Curran (2001) stated that communication is an example of how criminals are misled into a life of crime and deviant behaviour (Curran, 2001: 143). The third principle states that individuals commit crime because they are influenced by the behaviour of intimate people such as family members and close friends. Methods of communication from television and or media are less effective in influencing the individual (Sutherland and Cressey, 1960: 123). The fourth factor from Sutherlands theory is that learning criminal behaviour involves learning specific techniques, drives, motives and rationalization. Having a primary group of people around does not necessarily mean that the individual will engage in crime, but it does mean that they have the resources into the criminal rationale. For example being around a person who is has been convicted of sexual offence, may give the individual knowledge into how to engage in the same crime, but the individual may choose not to engage in that crime because they know from their socialization of societal norms that a sexual offence is unacceptable (Sutherland and Cressey, 1960: 123). Curran (2001) believes that the specific direction of motives and attitudes is learned from definitions of legal codes such as favourable and unfavourable.The fifth factor can be noticed when considering cultures form the United Kingdom and the United States. Both countries have various cultures within them and eac h culture has different perceptions as to what is favourable and unfavourable within society and this can cause a cultural conflict. The individuals pro-criminal or anti-criminal intentions are developed based on learned conceptions of the law as either favourable or unfavourable (Sutherland Cressey, 1960:123) The most important principle within the differential association theory is the sixth principle, which is when individuals associate themselves with people that engage in criminal behaviour and believe it is acceptable. Sutherland argues that an individual becomes delinquent only when definitions favourable to violation of law exceed definitions unfavourable to violation of law (Sutherland Cressey, 1960: 123).The seventh and eight factor states that the association vary in duration, priority, frequency and intensity. (Sutherland Cressey, 1960: 123 124). For example, if a young child is raised by a drug user they will be exposed to stronger definitions of deviant behaviour and will be more to likely to engage in deviant behaviour, than a teenager who has witnesses someone taking drugs at a party.The final principle believes that even though criminal behaviour is an expression of needs and values, it cannot be explained by those needs because criminal behaviour is an expression of th e same needs and values (Sutherland Cressey,1960: 124). For example if two individuals where both motivated by a need to gain money and respect, but one person engage in criminal behaviour in order to get the money and respect. Whereas the other person engaged in conforming behaviour. So therefore the need for money and respect cannot be used as an explanation for an individual to commit crime. The second theory that will be discussed is labelling theory. This theory claims that deviance and conformity does not emerge from the individuals actions, but rather from how others respond to the actions. Marcionis and Plummer (2005) state that labelling theory highlights social response to crime and deviance. The labelling theory became dominant in the early 1960s and the late 1970s when it was used as a sociological theory of crime influential in challenging orthodox positivity criminology. The main academics in this theory were Becker and Lement. Lement (1951) first established the view of deviant, and later developed by Becker (1963). Labelling theory has become a dominant paradigm in the explanation of deviance. This theory is created by the assumption that deviant behaviour is to be not only by the violation of norms within society, but also by any behaviour which is defined as labelled or deviant. Deviance is not the act itself, but the responses other individuals give to th e act. Becker (1963) believed that social groups create deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitute deviance, and by applying those rules to particular individuals and labelling them as outsiders. He also stated that deviance is not the act that the individual commits, but the consequences of the application of others by rules and sanctions to an offender. And the deviant one is whom the label has successfully been applied to. Deviance has been distinguished into primary and secondary deviance by Lement (1951). Lement described primary deviance as little reactions from others which have little effect on an individuals self-concept and secondary deviance as people pushing the deviant individual out of the social circle, which can therefore cause the individual to seek the company of people who condone deviant behaviour. Lement (1951) further argued that instead of viewing crime as a leading to control, it may be more productive to view crime as something with control agencies structured. Secondary deviance leads Goffman (1963) to define deviant career. Goffman stated that people who acquire a stigma which is a powerful negative label which changes a persons self-concept and social identity. Criminal prosecution is one way in which an individual is labelled in a negative, rather than positive way. Scheff (1984) believes that stigmatizing people can often lead to retrospective labelling, which is the understa nding of an individuals past with the present deviance. Scheff (1984) also believes that retrospective labelling distorts an individuals life in a prejudicial way guided by stigma and this is an unfair thing to do. Stigmatizing young people may actually lead them into a deviant career. Howard Becker (1963) claimed that social groups create deviance by labelling individuals as outsiders. Through an application of infraction constitute deviance. Furthermore labelling theorys approach to deviance mainly concentrates on the social reaction to a deviant act committed by an individual as well as the interaction process that leads up to the labelling. This theory therefor suggests that too much attention has been given to criminals by criminology because criminology views criminals as types of people alongside the insufficient attention to the collection of social control responses. This therefore means that the police, law, media and public association help shape crime. This is supported by the conflict theory which shows how deviance reflects on inequalities and power. This approach may also signify that the cause of crime may be linked to inequalities of race, class and gender. The conflict theory links deviance to the power of norms and the imagery of the rich and pow erful, which the law society supports. The concept of secondary deviance, stigma and deviant career all demonstrate how individuals can incorporate the label of deviance into a lasting self-concept . Becker (1963) believes that labelling is a practical act that has made politicians aware of which rules to enforce and what behaviour they should regard as deviant. The effects upon an individual being publically labelled deviant have been examined by Becker (1963) he believes that a label is an unbiased onion, which contains an evaluation of the individual to whom it is applied. The labelling theory will be a master label in term of captivating over all other statuses the individuals are under. For example if one is labelled as a paedophile, criminal or homosexual it will be difficult for the individual to overlook these labels and see themselves in positive roles such a parent, friend, worker and neighbour. Other people will view that individual and respond to them according to the label, also they will assume that the indi vidual has the negative characteristics associated with the label. Eventually the individual will view themselves in that label because their self-concept is derived from the responses of others. This can then produce a self-fulfilling prophecy where the deviant becomes the controlling one. The third theory that will be discussed is the strain theory. Unlike the differential association and labelling, this theory believes that social structures within society can influence individuals to commit crimes. Merton (1938) suggests that there are two types of important elements of social structure. These elements are the cultural goals, the function of the goals and interests The second element is how phases of the social structure define how society can go about achieving these goals, by placing regulations and creating laws (Merton, 1938: 673). Merton (1938) demonstrates four responses to this strain. The first, conformity, Merton suggests that people who take this path subscribe to cultural goals and go about achieving these goals by using societys institutionalized means. The second path, innovation, suggests that when a person finds that an obstacle inhibits the ability to achieve the cultural goals, the person will not use institutionalized means; rather, they will emplo y other means. The third path, ritualism, describes a person that will reject the culture goals of society, but use its institutions as an avenue for advancement. The fourth, is the polar opposite of the path of conformity such that a person who is retreatist will reject cultural goals and its institutionalized means, people that take this path are people who essentially are not part of society (Tim Newburn, 2007: 176). The American dream is a popular culturally defined goal, Merton argued, which through honest-dedicated work, anyone can achieve this dream of wealth. Society defines what avenues are to be considered legitimate to achieve this goal, for example, earning a college degree and earning a high paying job would be a legitimate path as defined by our society. Since wealth in American is not distributed equally Merton (1938) argued that strain often occurs for those who are undercapitalized and do not have access to these legitimate means. (Tim Newburn, 2007:175 176). Strain theory can cause negative feelings from the outside environment. These feelings include fear, defeat and despair, the most applicable feeling that can occur is anger. Agnew (1992) emphasised that individuals become angry when they blame their negative relationships and circumstances on others (Agnew, 1992: 59). An individual is incited with anger, low inhibitions and they begin to create a desire for revenge (Agnew, 1992: 60). Agnew stated that individuals who are subjected to repetitive strain are more likely to engage in delinquent and criminal acts, this is due to the fact that the individual becomes aggressive because they are unable to cope and the negative strain may become too much for them (Agnew, 1992: 61). Overall all three theories give a good explanation of youth crime. The similarity between these theories is they all aim to give a detailed explanation as to why individuals engage in crime and deviance. Differential association theory believes that all behaviour is learned and so therefore deviant behaviour is also learned. This theory focuses on key variables such as the age of the learner, the intensity of contact with the deviant person whom they learn from and the amount of good and bad social contacts they have in their lives. Whereas the labelling theory explains deviance as a social process where individuals are able to define others as deviant. This theory emphasises on the fact that deviance is relative and the individual only becomes deviant when they are labelled. Alongside this strain theory explains deviance as the outcome of social strains within the way society is structured. Not all theories give a good explanation for tackling youth crime, the labelling theory states that the label is the route of criminal behaviour, this is not a good explanation because there is a reason an individual becomes a burglar, not because they have been labelled as one. The individual is aware that their actions are deviant and that they are breaking the law. Some academics believe that there should be more research into the labelling theory and why individuals engage in criminal behaviour. The left realist have stated that the idea of avoiding labelling in order to avoid deviance is unrealistic. Also Aker (1967) criticised the labelling theory for claiming that deviants are normal individuals who have been labelled. However the labelling theory fails to explain why some individuals are labelled and some are not. Another criticism of the labelling theory is that it is possible to reject the label. Becker (1963) claimed that once an individual is labelled and accepts the devi ant behaviour, all their other qualities become irrelevant and the label becomes their master status. However there are examples that show it is possible to reject the label. This example comes from Reiss (19610 study on young male prostitutes. Although the males engage in homosexual behaviour they regard this behaviour as work and still maintain their straight image despite working as prostitutes. This study shows that the labelling theory is open to negotiation as some individuals reject the label. Differential association theory and the strain theory can be used to tackle youth crime. The differential association accepts that criminal behaviour is evident across all social classes, and that criminal attitudes and behaviour is learned through interaction with influential groups. In order to tackle youth crime the government will need to introduce organizations that aim at using positive role models to encourage young individuals who do not have positive role models in their lifes. By doing so individuals can learn positive behaviour instead of deviant behaviour from people who engage in unacceptable behaviour. The differential theory has been criticised in Glueck (1956) article on Theory and fact in Criminology. Glueck stated that it is difficult to measure the frequency, duration, priority and intensity of an individuals association, so therefore this males it impossible to predict and measure how associations result in the learning of criminal behaviour. It could be argued th at the individual did not learn criminal behaviour from an intimate social group, because the duration, frequency, priority and intensity was not sufficient. Glueck (1956) argued that if there is no sufficiency then the theory is not falsifiable which therefore males it defective. Finally the strain theory can be used to tackle youth crime because it explains the strains with society that may influence individuals to engage in criminal activity. This theory can enable the government to improve the social structure within society, for example providing more employment and better education opportunities. Strain theory has been criticised by Cohen (1955) who stated that the theory can be accounted for some but not all deviant behaviour. Cohen also criticised Mertons theory of strain for being too individualistic in describing the adaptations to strain (Pfohl, 1994: 269).

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Identifying Areas of Weakness in Thorntons :: Business Management, Case Study

In Thornton’s, there are areas of weakness that need to be reconciled in training and development, nothing is perfect is in business, but Thornton’s must strive to try and establish the weaknesses in their methods and develop new and more effective plans and systems for the way they function. An example of this would be that some employees use the company for qualifications such as in the Administration department, training is used or use of I.T and qualifications are given out when staff complete training or in the manufacturing department where training is given in Health and Safety and packaging skills are trained. Employees may stay in the company until they are trained in whatever qualification and skills they need and then could leave the company, deserting the workforce and causing the company to loose money on recruiting and selecting new employees and then more costs on the training and developing of these new staff. A suggestion to improve this weakness is to wait for employees to be at the company for a certain period of time before training them up, although this may be difficult at the start of the process as the business needs employees with the correct skills, in the long run this could be an advantage as once employees are trained, the company will probably retain them as if they have been at the company for a certain period of time, they will probably stick to it resulting in the retention of staff. To compensate for poorly trained staff at the beginning of the process. Agencies could be used to employ temporary staff, although this would be expensive, it would result in being cheaper than employees leaving and costs on recruiting and training new employees. Another suggestion to this situation would be only using in house training and promotion as if staff have worked at the company for a certain period of time, they will probably be staying at the company in the long run, this could also help with staff motivation and incentives for staff to work hard if they see a promotion in their midst. Another area of weakness in Thortons is that the business only trains staff in one particular part of their job, not all the skills that are needed in all of the departments. Although this would probably be costly and would take time it would be effective as if staff were absent, it would be easier for their jobs to be covered by other staff, as they would be qualified in all aspects of the business.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Extradition and Deportation Views of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia-Herzegovina, formally known as Yugoslavia, has been addressing many pressing issues; however, extradition and deportation has been gaining large amounts of attention from Bosnia-Herzegovina’s government. Bosnia-Herzegovina’s government consists of a tripartite presidency which is divided mainly between Croatian, Serb, and Bosnian political parties. During World War II, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia resisted the Axis powers and were overrun. The attacking axis forces: Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria, and related regimes, Croatia and Serbia partitioned off the land. Soon after the partitioning, a civil war sprang up between the Yugoslav Partisans and the royalist Chetnik Movement. Not only did this war take place, but there was also genocide committed against the local Serbs, Jews and Roma while Chetniks began to chase the Bosniak and Croat population to perform an ethnic cleansing. With much support given by the U. S. S. R and the United States of America, the Yugoslav Partisans gained more and more power over the opposing forces. Italy and all of the other commanding countries gave up their hold on the partioned land to Germany. After the city of Berlin was captured by allied forces, Germany surrendered and the once axis controlled countries were released to the allied forces. The Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia assumed control after World War II. â€Å"This, what you are doing, is not good. This is the path that you want to take Bosnia and Herzegovina on, the same highway of hell and death that Slovenia and Croatia went on. Don't think that you won't take Bosnia and Herzegovina into hell, and the Muslim people maybe into extinction. Because the Muslim people cannot defend themselves if there is war here. Radovan Karadzic, leader of the Serb Democratic Party, said this after hearing talks of Bosnia-Herzegovina separating and gaining its’ independence from Yugoslavia. From 1991-1992, ethnic lines were being honed in for the country of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Bosniak factions had high tension between them and the two smaller factions, Serbs and Croats. This situation caused the parliament of Bosnia-Herzegovina to become fragmented and worthless. Croatia and Yugoslavia signed an armistice while being supervised by the United Nations. The Serb and Croat powers continued to negotiate over the partitioning of Bosnia-Herzegovina. While talks to keep Bosnia a part of Yugoslavia or totally succeeding continued, no agreement was reached. When the referendum had taken place to decide Bosnia-Herzegovina’s independence, an estimated 64-67% to 98% of the votes were for independence. Shortly after Bosnia-Herzegovina gained its’ independence the Bosnian War began. Post the 1992-1995 Bosnian War, there were many Islamic fighters left in Bosnia-Herzegovina which sided with Bosnians during the war. After nearly 15 years of trouble from these old allies, a harsh policy was unanimously accepted by both the Bosniaks, Bosnian Muslim politicians, and the population of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The population of Islamic fighters have become notorious for the fact that much crime and influence of the young Muslim people. A movement known as the Wahhabi movement, run by a fundamentalist group of Islam prevalent in Saudi Arabia, is continuing to grow more and more from help by these Islamic fighters. The Bosnian Islamic Community banned the Wahhabi movement in 1993 which took place during the war when moderate Muslims were being recruited by foreign fighters for their cause. Since the U. S. – led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, Bosnia has seen a wide spread popularity in the Wahhabi movement. The Bosnian Islamic Community has done nothing since the ban in 1993; although, when the Wahhabis began attempting to take control of the Islamic Community’s administrative units and Mosques, the Muslim leaders were made to react. Mustafa Ceric, the grand mufti of Bosnia, began to take a message on a journey to many capitals of the world. This message entailed that the main leaders and financiers of the Bosnian Wahhabi movement were housed in Western Europe, mainly Austria. Ceric decried that action be taken by world leaders to insure that the radical Islamic groups did not populate Bosnia. This matter has been put off for some time because any attempt against this movement may sacrifice votes for politicians from the Bosniak nationalist vote. In 2006, pressure was put on the Bosnian government in which a commission was formed to review how nearly 1,500 people gained Bosnian citizenship, almost all fighters from different Muslim countries. Deportations were ordered for commencement shortly after. â€Å"Anyone should see that you sell this country piece by piece, Muslim by Muslim; you betray everything that can be betrayed †¦And be aware that Allah has the power and that you will face Him and answer for the betrayal of Islam and Muslims. † After the deportations were nearly in full-swing, a man only identified as Hattab27 said the aforementioned quote in a posted threat on you tube against Sulejman Tihic, Haris Silajdzic, and Grand Mufti. This threat entailed that if extradition and deportation were made against these brothers of the country, that a video would be released to destroy the three presidents politically. Due to the possibility of ill treatment of the deportees in their home country they could not be deported. Only two people were deported to their home countries, both last year. Bosnia-Herzegovina feels that strict deportation and extradition laws should be put in effect immediately. These laws would call for the immediate extradition of a person who has committed or who has been associated with a crime. If the said person cannot be extradited for being associated with a crime, then immediate deportation should take place. These crimes would be interpreted by the International Criminal Courts, if this court system cannot perform these duties for what ever reason then a new sub-committee should be erected to act upon these hearings. This court would be United Nations funded and any country that wishes to devote money to this cause is welcome. Although crimes vary from country to country, there should be a summit and amendment created. The amendment would compile a list of laws and regulations for extradition and deportation and the summits will be used to educate countries about the aforementioned amendment. If a country wishes to abide by the amendment then the laws and regulations will take effect immediately.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Free Essays on Physician Assisted Suicide

Mary Thompson, 35 years old, was recently diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. This disease, which results in progressive paralysis, can move rapidly through the body in less than two years. There is no known cause of ALS and no known cure. It is always fatal. Thompson was devastated by the news and knew that there was only one thing she could do. She didn’t want to be a burden for her family so she asked her physician to prescribe a lethal medication for her so she could end her life. Within that week Thompson was dead. This is known as â€Å"physician assisted suicide (PAS).† Many states in the United States have banned PAS. Oregon is the only state that passed the Death with Dignity Act. Even though many terminally ill patients decide to end their suffering by ending their life, doctors shouldn’t be able to assist them. Doctors are supposed to sustain and preserve the patients’ life in stead of killing them. Therefore, Physician Assisted Suicide is unethical. Assisted suicide has great potential for abuse. People without family support or adequate finances, as well as people suffering from depression, are pressured to choose death. â€Å"Suicide is often a desperate step taken by individuals who consider their problems so intractable as to make their situations hopeless† (Balch). Patients suffering from a terminal illness feels that they have no control over what they are going through. Therefore, many patients believe that death is the only way to solve the problem. However, human-rights activists argue that patients must have the freedom to choose when they want to die. But, if the patient is suffering from clinical depression then he or she cannot make his or her own decisions. â€Å"†¦Suicidal individuals tend to think in a very rigid, dichotomous way, seeing everything in ‘all or nothing’ terms; they are unable to see any range of genuine alternatives... Free Essays on Physician Assisted Suicide Free Essays on Physician Assisted Suicide Mary Thompson, 35 years old, was recently diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. This disease, which results in progressive paralysis, can move rapidly through the body in less than two years. There is no known cause of ALS and no known cure. It is always fatal. Thompson was devastated by the news and knew that there was only one thing she could do. She didn’t want to be a burden for her family so she asked her physician to prescribe a lethal medication for her so she could end her life. Within that week Thompson was dead. This is known as â€Å"physician assisted suicide (PAS).† Many states in the United States have banned PAS. Oregon is the only state that passed the Death with Dignity Act. Even though many terminally ill patients decide to end their suffering by ending their life, doctors shouldn’t be able to assist them. Doctors are supposed to sustain and preserve the patients’ life in stead of killing them. Therefore, Physician Assisted Suicide is unethical. Assisted suicide has great potential for abuse. People without family support or adequate finances, as well as people suffering from depression, are pressured to choose death. â€Å"Suicide is often a desperate step taken by individuals who consider their problems so intractable as to make their situations hopeless† (Balch). Patients suffering from a terminal illness feels that they have no control over what they are going through. Therefore, many patients believe that death is the only way to solve the problem. However, human-rights activists argue that patients must have the freedom to choose when they want to die. But, if the patient is suffering from clinical depression then he or she cannot make his or her own decisions. â€Å"†¦Suicidal individuals tend to think in a very rigid, dichotomous way, seeing everything in ‘all or nothing’ terms; they are unable to see any range of genuine alternatives...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

GENETIC TESTING Example

GENETIC TESTING Example GENETIC TESTING – Coursework Example Genetic Testing: Case 4 on Roy Smith Genetic Testing: Case 4 on Roy Smith The human genome project was lauded as one of themost effective developments in medicine, as it enables researchers to understand the genetic alterations behind any given health condition (Marks et al, 2010). One of the essential advantages of genetic testing therefore is that it opens the mind of the person of interest towards the mechanisms of managing the potential condition. Consequently, I harbor the belief that Roy Smith and his entire family, should go for screening of the ApoE gene, which somewhat confirms the existence of Alzheimer’s diseases, for by taking part in such an approach Roy will be fulfilling responsibility to self and family. In as much as sections of people hold the opinion that genetic testing of conditions such as Alzheimer’s habitually result in the person demonstrating pre-symptomatic illnesses, I do not share that ideology, as it will enable Roy Smith and his entire fam ily plan on how they will go about the future, particularly in regard to finances and safety. In like manner, such an approach will make sure that they optimize the currently available medical management mechanisms of Alzheimer’s condition. This will particularly be demonstrated when healthcare providers are able to identify and eliminate risk factors that can trigger Alzheimer’s disease. At the same time, healthcare providers have overtime reaffirmed that early screening comes with considerable relief, principally because Roy Smith and his family will be able to understand completely all there is to know regarding Alzheimer’s condition. Over and above, practices such as early screening of health conditions are part of advancements that have been made in the field of healthcare and medicine and should be completely embraced (Marks et al, 2010). ReferencesMarks, D.B, Marks, D.A., & Smith, C. (2010). Basic Medical Biochemistry: A Clinical Approach.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Identity, community, and conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Identity, community, and conflict - Essay Example Chapter 4 of the book by Solomon, Higgins, and Martin (2011) begins with the quote from Alice in Wonderland where the Caterpillar questions the very importance of self (p. 285). In Carroll's (1996) text, neither the caterpillar nor actually Alice care too much about their identities. They choose the selves they want to be, as if they were Sartrians, but in much more playful manner. Yet in one of the responses to the caterpillar Alice remarks: â€Å"Oh, I'm not particular as to size, only one doesn't like changing so often, you know† (Carroll, 1996). That means that there are still limits to human will as Alice’s will is overcome by her perceived irritation by the repeated change. In this paper, I will be arguing for the contradictory nature of self-identity that establishes itself through choice, as Existentialists assert (Solomon, Higgins and Martin, 2011, p. 303), but necessarily encounters the opposition to its choice from the parts of the larger context (â€Å"Othe rs†). I believe that the working momentary compromise between the assertions of human will (internal factors) and such external factors as natural circumstances, or the will of other(s), is a possible solution of the problem of self-identity. Such thinkers as Locke and Sartre strictly associated self with consciousness: Locke believed this because he relied on the separation of mind and substance (Solomon, Higgins and Martin, 2011, p. 291) while Sartre emphasized such act of consciousness as choice. This notion is very controversial for a number of reasons. Firstly, there are states of brain in which the presence of self is either not registered or not controlled by 'consciousness', the ones that are conceptualized as different brain waves in contemporary neurology (Hall, 1998). Beta wave is associated with awake condition while alpha (relaxed) or theta (sleep) waves are slower in frequency preventing humans from performing all the actions they would be capable of in an awake state (Hall, 1998).. Secondly, returning to the domain of philosophy, it is still unclear what is the entity that is responsible for the conscious decision (Solomon, Higgins and Martin, 2011, p. 293) as opposed to Existentialist worldview in which â €Å"existence precedes essence† (Solomon, Higgins and Martin, 2011, p. 305) that totally denies existence of a decision making entity, as in such states when something â€Å"essential† (if any) is not subjected to any existential choices. This was Hume's objections to Locke (Solomon, Higgins and Martin, 2011, p. 293). Still, the notion that self should be associated with choice appeals to me for the reason that 'self' is never alone. One of the possible answers to the need of question of self lies in manifestations of identity. People usually establish their identities through either promoting selected positive values and corresponding or contradicting other conflicting ideas and deeds. They might require openness to negotiation, like communitarianism (Jayaram, 2012); they can also broaden human self to other human and non-human creatures and other elements of material world, like done in deep ecology (Taylor, 2005, p. 457) relating the personal identity to community as a whole in terms of one’s relations to surroundings over time. However, communitarianism and deep ecology encounter opposition on the ground that they suppress diverse values (Taylor, 2005, p. 458). If assumed, that an identity is manifested through the difference with other identities, it becomes clear that identity is a ma tter of choice. How? The choice may be conscious (on which Sartre insisted) (Solomon, Higgins and Martin, 2011, p. 304) or unconscious, the notion introduced in psychoanalysis and partially covered by Hume in his debate with Locke (Solomon, Higgins and Martin, 2011, p. 293). Like Freud, Hume asserted that there is something in the work of human mind that makes it deceive itself (Solomon, Higgins and Martin, 2011, p. 294). This lack of human mind’

Saturday, November 2, 2019

U.S. Foreign Policy and Trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

U.S. Foreign Policy and Trade - Essay Example Overview A country’s trade policy unavoidably implements a country’s foreign policy. This is because, at minimum, international trade reflects state recognition. This fact alone circumscribes foreign trade policy under a country’s overall foreign policy. In international trade, goods and services are exchanged. Conventional economic theories on international trade say that international trade promotes development and development in turn promotes equity consistent with Kuznets’s inverted U hypothesis (Todaro and Smith, 212). The choice of trade partners always implies a choice what countries the U.S. wants to have accelerated development. At the same time, trade has its own dynamics. The World Trade Organization, for example, was established precisely to depoliticize trade and make trade subject to multilateral rules rather than beholden to the unilateral rules of powerful nations. Although U.S. foreign trade policy will always be an extension of her overal l foreign policy, international trade has its own dynamics and can influence or even subvert U.S. foreign policy. This means, for example that US influence can decrease as multilateral trade organizations assert their collective decisions even if the original intent of U.S. foreign policy is for the U.S. to increase its influence through the promotion of the policy. U.S. Foreign Policy and Trade with Latin America Latin America is the â€Å"largest supplier of foreign oil to the United States and a strong partner in the development of alternative fuels† (Barshefsky et al., xi). The country is also â€Å"the biggest supplier of illegal drugs† into the United States (Barshefsky et al., xi). Moreover, â€Å"Latin America is also the largest source of U.S. immigrants, both documented and not† (Barshefsky et al., xi). Thirty percent of U.S. oil imports come from Latin America compared to only 20 percent from the Middle East (Barshefsky et al., 6). Latinos constitute about 15% of the U.S. population (Barshefsky et al. 6). For the said reasons, Latin America is extremely important for the U.S. as well as a significant source of problems. It is important for America to influence Latin America but Barshefsky and colleagues emphasized that â€Å"the era of the United States as the dominant influence in Latin America is over† (xi). Latin American regard for U.S. â€Å"global and hemispheric leadership is at its lowest level† (Barshefsky et al., 7). This is shown by data: Latin Americans who favor U.S. political ideas were only 29 percent in 2007 compared to a high 45 percent several years ago in 2002 (Barshefsky et al., 7). The Monroe Doctrine provided the guiding principle for U.S. policy on Latin America for more than 150 years (Barshefsky et al., 5). The Monroe Doctrine asserts U.S. power in Latin America but U.S. policy for Latin America can no longer work under that assumption in view of changes in the political situation, particul arly with regard to U.S. dominance over the region (Barshefsky et al., 5). Barshefsky and colleagues pointed out that â€Å"if there was an era of U.S. hegemony in Latin America, it is over† (5). During the years in which the U.S. enjoyed hegemony in Latin America, particularly from 1996 to 2006, â€Å"total merchandise trade in Latin America grew by 139 percent, compared to 96 percent for Asia and 95 percent for the European Union (EU)† (Barshefsky et al., 6). During the 1980s, as the Cold War started to subside, U.S. policy in Latin America moved from â€Å"