Analyzing the Inculturation Process of Specific Historical Moments in the Development of the Christian Faith

History of the Old South essays

History of the Old South essays The area of the nation now referred to as the Old South had several distinguishing features which separated it from the rest of America. These distinctions were present from the earliest points of its history, because the colonies that were to be the foundation for the South were founded not for religious reasons like their northern cousins. They were founded, rather, to further the economic interests of their supporters. The true distinctive nature of the South begins, however, in the year 1787. This is the year the American Constitution was drafted with a number of clauses which were carefully worded due to a number of compromises between northern and southern representatives. Although the distinctive nature of the South was cemented when it collectively bargained to make sure slavery remained protected in the Constitution, the cohesiveness was not cemented until the invention of Eli Whitneys cotton gin and the rise of King Cotton. It was at this point that the South became al most solely focused on the raising of cotton as its cash crop, this is also the point where it was clear that the plantation system was so firmly ingrained into Southern economics that any threat to slavery would have to be addressed with the power of all slave holding states. Prior to the American Revolution, the southern colonies functioned in a different manner than those in the north, but not in a manner which was significant enough for anyone to consider the various British colonies in North America as two separate regions At this time all the colonies were under British rule and any Northerners seeking to end slavery had no real voice in British politics and Southerners never had to worry about the issue as long as their plantations continued to produce valuable crops for the British merchants. This all changed after the war; because of differences in the two regions regarding slavery, each of them began to form groups which sought certain c...

Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

Research - Essay Example The position of the WTO is rather, to provide information and dissemination of case studies toward affirmation of private trade relationships, and their voluntary response to ethical practices and law abiding transactions. To this end, the ratification of various treaties since the Uruguay Accord have been subject to furtherance of those legislative interests, and amendment to existing signatory protocol with some volitional agreement to liability and oversight by member states. The perspective of the WTO is predictably one of competitive market assessment. The mere query to into the fairness of anti-dumping is addressed through the stipulations of ratified legislative policy, and in particular the articulation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The foregoing essay examines the changes in the GATT’s articles on anti-dumping, and the aggregated response by national markets in regard to those constraints. In interest of furthering the discussion into the sphere of after-market trade of hazardous waste products, the discussion also contributes to the otherwise standard consideration of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) as ‘goods’ are defined within international trade protocol. In 2009, the WTO Secretariat reported a marked 17% increase from 2007 in the number of anti-dumping investigations between July, 1 and December 31, 2008. According to the WTO, the Members whom reported the highest number of new investigations during the period, were India, reporting 42, followed by Brazil, reporting 16, China (11), Turkey (10), Argentina and the European Communities (9 each), Indonesia (6), Ukraine (4), Pakistan and the United States (3), Australia and Colombia (2 each), and Canada, Korea and Mexico (1 each). China was the most frequent subject of the new investigations. The most frequent products in the investigations

Sustainable Buildings Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sustainable Buildings - Assignment Example ding United Kingdom, japan have had strict environmental policies implemented to help in enhancing the environmental quality and thus preserving the resources sustainability (Gottfried & Malik, 2009). According to McDonald (2005), Canada’s green building is growing vigorously in the market. The prediction of the increased activity of green building is widely done by several firms that suggest that at the overall share of green buildings in the market is likely to grow at a stronger pace. While Canada’s construction market is smaller compared to the one seen in the United States and the data used in building a green building share in the U.S are not available in Canada. The top environmental main reason Canada is constructing green buildings is to reduce the consumption of energy. Water and energy consumption as well as improving the quality of air that is indoor are the driving factors. There is a lower greenhouse gases emission during construction. The future if green building in both the United States and Canada is seen to be in a good place several years to come if they master the skill of cross- disciplinary. Since communities are integrated with their natural environments, the industries must, therefore, master these skills. Several institutions of education in both United States and Canada are offering courses in green building that target sectors that are specific sectors. This will ensure proper knowledge and skills are imparted, and the future of green building lay

Financial Statements, Ratios, The Loan Package Essay

Financial Statements, Ratios, The Loan Package - Essay Example Tax returns are also used to determine the income trends of an organization. In the context of financial reporting, financial ratios are relationship between distinct items of a financial statement. One commonly used financial ratio is current ratio. Current ratio is the relationship between current assents and current liabilities in a company’s balance sheet (Davies & Lesley, 2014). Current ratio indicates a company’s liquidity levels; a positive ratio means that a company can pay its liabilities with ease while a negative current ratio is a sign of inflexibility in payment of liabilities. Another common type of financial ratio is debt-to-equity ratio. Debt-to-equity ratio indicates the relationship between a company’s total assets versus total liabilities. This is a solvency ratio which determines a company’s ability to pay its debt to shareholders. A positive debt-to-equity ratio indicates high solvency while a negative ratio signifies insolvency (Alvarez, 2011). Primarily, a loan package is a financial proposal required by lenders during the application and processing of real estate and property loans. Essentially, information contained within a loan package should reflect the financial prospects of the borrower (McDonald, 2010). Therefore, it becomes necessary to include a business plan in ascertaining the financial feasibility of the real estate or property to be funded by the lender. Among the SBA requirements of a loan packages include provision of personal guarantees, especially succinct presentation of expected cash flows and how the borrower plans to repay the loan. One covenant of loan packages is restriction of the borrower from utilizing the loan in any projects other that the development or purchase of real estate and other properties (Smith, 2013). Another covenant in loan packages is strict adherence to repayment

SWOT Analysis: Small Business Plan

SWOT Analysis: Small Business Plan Small Business Plan The Toddler Warehouse will be afull-service child care/development facility in the city of Perth that caresfor toddlers from age three to five. The Toddler Warehouse will beconcentrating on the upper end of the market, two income professional parents.These personally ambitious parents are typically eager in terms of theirchildrens development and are willing to pay to have their children attend thebest facilities. Through specialized training of the supportstaff and innovative learning systems, The Toddler Warehouse is cutting edge interms of child development. This curriculum, coupled with a custom designedfacility and a low teacher/student ratio ensures a top-shelf service for thechildren and the parents. The Toddler Warehouse expects to become profitable bymonth 11, and has projected $43,000 as the revenue for year three. Situation Analysis The Toddler Warehouse is a start-upbusiness. A comprehensive marketing plan and effort will be instrumental indeveloping visibility and generating sales. The Toddler Warehouse offers Salem, Ore. a full-service child care and child development facility for toddlers. Theseservices will be differentiated from the competition through advanced trainingand learning systems [1]. Market Summary Through a lot of research, The ToddlerWarehouse has accumulated good information regarding the market and is aware ofmany common attributes of key customers. The Toddler Warehouse will leveragethis information to continue to study who is served, their needs, and how TheToddler Warehouse can best communicate with them. Market Demographics The Toddler Warehouses customers can bedescribed by the following factors: Geographic The immediate geographic areais the city of Salem which has a 130,000 person population base. A 20 mile radius is in need ofthe offered services. The total targeted populationis 12,000. Demographics Primarily two parent household. Two incomes household. Professional parents. Household income of at least$70,000. Parents have at least a collegeeducation, typically one of the parents have a graduate degree. Behaviour Factors Have high expectations fortheir child development and child care. Are willing to pay forhigher-quality services. Have chosen to work instead ofraising their child full time, however, this by no means implies neglect ion ofthe child. Market Needs The Toddler Warehouse is providing Salem parents with a full-time child care service that utilizes a sophisticated learningdevelopment system. The Toddler Warehouse will fulfill the following benefitsthat are important to their customers: Selection: A complete serviceoffering of child care and learning development for toddlers age three to five. Accessibility: The facility iscentrally located and is open from 6 a.m. 7 p.m. Customer service: Treating thecustomer like they are the most important customer that The Toddler Warehousehas is reinforced in all employee training programs. Competitive pricing: The pricingis reasonable relative to the services offered [1]. Market Trends The market trend in child care is anincreased utilization of child care by parents. This is fuelled by the parentsdesire/need to go back to work generating income for the family. While thistrend fuels the need for more general child care facilities, it also generatesdemand for facilities that offer child development. As the parents are spendingless and less time with the children, they have less time to help them develop.The trend is moving demand away from solely babysitting child care to childdevelopment care. This will benefit The Toddler Warehouse because they offerstate of The art learning systems. SWOT Analysis The following SWOT analysis captures thekey strengths and weaknesses within The Company, and describes theopportunities and threats facing The Toddler Warehouse. Strengths A sophisticated and effectivelearning system. Excellent training programsthat all employees must participate in. An educated customer base thatrecognize the benefits that The Toddler Warehouse offers. Weaknesses A lack of visibility due to thenewness of the operations. The ability to attract and keepwell trained employees. The inability to perfectlyforecast demand of services relative to the number of employees on staff at anyone time. Opportunities A growing market with a largepercentage of target customers not yet aware of The Toddler Warehouse. Increased revenue as more andmore people is working, thereby unable to care for their children during theday. As the number of childrenserved grows, fixed costs are spread thinner over a larger customer base. Threats Competition from alreadyestablished facilities that improve their service offerings to be more competitiveto The Toddler Warehouse. Unfounded publicscares regarding child care. Legal liability issues, eitherone large suit against The Toddler Warehouse, or significant increases inpremiums due to changes within the operating environment of the industry. Marketing Strategy The Toddler Warehouses marketing strategywill be based on an advertising effort as well as strategic alliances withorganizations related to the care of children. Advertisements: The Toddler Warehouse willrun advertisements in The Yellow Pages, The Marion County Community ResourceNewsletter, and Statesman Journal, The local newspaper. These advertisementswill be used to raise visibility regarding The Warehouse and its services toprospective customers who are otherwise unaware of it. Strategic Alliances: The goal of thisinitiative is to create an alliance or perceived partnership between TheWarehouse and a number of organizations that are a resource base forinformation regarding raising children. Two of The main organizations are TheOregon Midwifery Association and Birth to Three. Both organizations are wellrespected and wonderful sources of information. The Warehouse will be tappinginto this organizations customer base. The alliances will create a sense oflegitimacy for The Toddler Warehouse [2]. One way the alliance will be created is byco-sponsoring parent education seminars. By sharing insight, research, andsystems that The Warehouse uses, it will have a good source of information thatwill be attractive to parents, as well as to the organization themselves. While networking can be effective, TheToddler Warehouse recognizes that it must offer something of value to theorganizations to create an incentive for them to form an alliance and theco-sponsoring of educational events is just one method. Mission The Toddler Warehouses mission is toprovide top-level child care. We exist to attract and maintain customers. Whenwe adhere to this maxim, everything else will fall into place. Our serviceswill exceed the expectations of our customers. Marketing Objectives Grow the number of customers by10% annually. Build customer loyalty throughsuperior service and educational/development systems. Build the Toddler Warehousebrand to the point where it becomes a household brand synonymous with superiorchild care/development in The Salem area. Increase the referral rate by5% per quarter. Marketing Mix The Toddler Warehouses marketing mix isassembled from the following approaches to pricing, distribution, advertisingand promotion, and customer service. Pricing: The pricing structureis based on an hourly rate. Distribution: All services willbe offered at The Salem facility. Advertising and Promotion: Twodifferent campaigns will be used. The first will be a multifaceted advertisingcampaign; the second will be the formation of strategic alliances. Customer Service: Customerswill be pleasantly surprised at how attentive The Warehouse is in regards totheir needs. The business operates on the assumption that it will do whateveris reasonably necessary to keep the customer happy. This reflects the notionthat if the customer is kept happy, long-term profits is ensured. Financials, Budgets, and Forecasts This section will offer a financial overviewof The Toddler Warehouse as it relates to the marketing activities. The ToddlerWarehouse will address break-even analysis, sales forecasts, expensesforecasts, and how those link to the marketing strategy. Conclusion Childcare considerably affects businesses.An enough delivery of choice childcare gives working families more and betterchoices. It makes available secure, safe care so that parents can work, andhelps employers to attract potential workers with families [2]. Without safe,dependable care that they can rely on, employees may be compulsory take timefrom work because of childcare troubles or use time at work managing child careapprehensions. Their efficiency can have adverse experience as a result, andprized human resources may leave their jobs because of childcare problems. End Notes 1. city of Perth, officialgovernment website retrieved on 15 December 2007 from the linkhttp://www.cityofperth.wa.gov.au/ 2. Sample Business Plan, day Care,retrieved on 15 December 2007 from the linkhttp://www.realbusinessplans.com/members/free_sample_plan.htm

Investigation on Enzymes :: Papers

Investigation on Enzymes Introduction Sam and Sarah planned and carried out an experiment to see the effect of pH on the activity of the enzyme amylase which breaks down starch into sugar. They decided to investigate 5 different pH's 2,4,6,8 and 10. 1. The used a measuring cylinder to measure out 5cm3 of starch and placed it in a test tube. They then added acid or alkali until they got to pH2. They checked this using indicator paper 2. They placed the test tube in a rack on the bench and added 5cm3 of amylase which they had also measured using a measuring cylinder. 3. Immediately, they took out a drop of the mixture and placed it on a spotting tile which had 2 drops of Iodine in it. They repeated this every 30 seconds until they knew all of the starch had been broken down, so they stopped. 4. They then repeated the experiment at the different pHs'. 5. They did the experiment 3 times for each pH Aim Sam and Sarah planned to discover the effects of pH on the activity of the enzyme amylase which breaks down starch into sugar. Prediction I predict that the pH that the enzyme will work best at is 8 because amylase is mostly found in the mouth and salivary glands. This area is normally slightly alkaline, so the pH that this enzyme would most likely work best at would be 8. Table pH 2 4 6 8 10 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 Time (Min) 17 15 15 9 8.5 8.5 7 8 8 6 5.5 5 9

Stage of LIfe

Erik Erikson was a psychoanalytic theorist, who believed that all humans go through eight stages of development throughout their lifetime. The first stage is called Trust vs. Mistrust. The second stage is called Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt. Third stage is Initiative vs. Guilt. The fourth stage is Industry vs. Inferiority. Fifth stage is Identity vs. Confusion. Sixth stage is Intimacy vs. Isolation. Seventh stage is Generativity vs. Stagnation. The eighth and final stage is Integrity vs. Despair (Berger, 17).Each stage occurs at a specific time frame and requires achievement to obtain successful completion. The first stage occurs between birth and one year of age. During this stage, if one’s parents provide familiarity, consistency, and continuity, a feeling that the world is a safe place and people are reliable and loving will develop (Berger, 129). Also, the child learns to trust their body and biological urges that go with it. If the parents are inadequate and unreliable, o r the child is harmed or rejected, then mistrust is developed.This mistrust will result in fear and a belief that the world is inconsistent and unpredictable. If this stage is achieved successfully, children acquire hope, the belief that even when things aren’t going well they will work out well in the end. The second stage occurs in early childhood. The goal of this stage is to achieve autonomy while minimizing shame and doubt. If a toddler is allowed to explore and manipulate their environment they will develop a sense of independence. The child develops self-esteem and self-control (Berger, 129).If parents or caregivers come down hard on toddlers’ attempts to explore and be independent the toddler will give up and assume that they cannot and should not act on their own. Also, giving children no sense of limits, unrestricted freedom, and doing for children what they should do for themselves will lead them to conclude that they are not good for much and shouldnâ€℠¢t do for themselves. A little shame and doubt is beneficial because without it, one will develop a shameless willfulness that leads one to jump into things without proper consideration of one’s abilities.Too much shame and doubt leads to compulsiveness. If the proper balance at this stage is achieved the virtue of willpower is developed. The third stage occurs during preschool years. Goal is to learn initiative without too much guilt. Initiative means a positive response to the world’s challenges, taking on responsibilities, learning new skills, and feeling purposeful (Berger, 198). If parents encourage children to try out their ideas and accept and encourage fantasy, curiosity, and imagination. Capacity of moral judgment has begun.Parents have the responsibility to encourage the child to â€Å"grow up. † If this process is done too harshly or too abruptly, the child learns to feel guilty about their feelings. Too much initiative and too little guilt leads to r uthlessness, taking initiative and doing whatever it takes to achieve the goals. Extreme form of ruthlessness is sociopathy. On the other hand, too much guilt leads to inhibition. This person will not try things because not trying means nothing to feel guilty about. If a good balance is achieved during this stage a sense of purpose is developed.The fourth stage occurs approximately 5-11 years of age. During this stage parents must encourage, teachers must care, peers must accept. Children must learn that there is pleasure in conceiving a plan and carrying it out (Berger, 272). They must learn the feeling of success. If a child is allowed too little success they will develop a sense of inferiority or incompetence. They may never develop social skills. If this stage is achieved children will develop the virtue of competence and the belief in our own abilities to handle the tasks set before them. Stage five occurs in adolescence.The task is to achieve ego identity and to avoid role con fusion. They learn who they are and how they fit into the rest of society (Berger, 348). Through receiving proper encouragement and reinforcement through personal exploration adolescents emerge with a strong sense of self and a feeling of independence and control. Those who are unsure of their beliefs and desires will feel insecure and confused about themselves and their future. Completing this stage successfully leads to fidelity, the ability to live by society’s standards and expectations. Stage six occurs during early adulthood.Erikson believed that a strong sense of personal identity was important for developing intimate relationships (Berger, 456). Those with a poor sense of self tend to have less committed relationships and are more likely to suffer emotional isolation, loneliness, and depression. Successful resolution of this stage results in the virtue known as love, marked by the ability to form lasting, meaningful relationships with other people. Stage seven occurs in adulthood. The focus is on career and family. Success in this stage leads to a feeling of contributing to the world by being active in the home and community (Berger, 473).Failure to attain this skill leads to feelings of unproductivity and non-involvement in the world. Successful handling of this stage leads to the virtue of care, being proud of one’s accomplishments, watching children grow into adults, develop a sense of unity with your life partner are important accomplishments. Stage eight occurs in old age. Those unsuccessful in this stage feel that their life has been wasted and will experience many regrets. They are left with feelings of bitterness and despair (Berger, 530). Those who are successful feel proud of their accomplishments and a sense of integrity.Successful completion means looking back with few regrets, a general feeling of satisfaction, and attaining wisdom even when confronting death. My most favorite stage I have experienced so far is stage seven, G eneratively vs. stagnation. This is true because I feel that I have found a job that allows me to contribute to my society and the world in a positive, helpful way. I am able to watch my children grow into wonderful adults. I am proud of all my accomplishments in school, work, and raising my children. I feel a strong sense of productivity that I have not had before. My least favorite stage was adolescence.It was tough having to discover who I was and what I wanted to be. Peers were very important and it was tough trying to fit in and be a part of a group. I would change my stage six, Intimacy vs. Isolation. My father passed away during this time and I was very close to him. So much of me and my sense of self was related to my father and when he died it was like I lost a big part of me as well. It was a very difficult time for me and I felt a great sense of loss. I believe that it has had an impact on my ability to form close, secure, committed relationships with other people.I am mo st looking forward to continuing in stage seven, Generatively vs, Stagnation. I am enjoying all of my accomplishments and watching my children grow so much that I am looking forward to continuing in this stage. I am dreading stage eight, Integrity vs. Despair because I know there are things and decisions that I will regret as I reflect back on my life. I have learned much and am happy with the majority of my life. Also, during this stage is usually when death occurs and I am not ready to give up my life just yet, I still have some things I would like to accomplish and I want to be around for my children and grandchildren.

Invention and Development of the Steam Engine

Invention and Development of the Steam Engine Steam engines are mechanisms that use heat to create steam, which in turn performs mechanical processes, known generally as  work.  While several inventors and innovators worked on various aspects of using steam for power, the major development of early steam engines involves three inventors and three principal engine designs.   Thomas Savery and the First Steam Pump The first steam engine used for work was patented by the Englishman Thomas Savery in 1698 and was used to pump water out of mine shafts. The basic process involved a cylinder that was filled with water. Steam was then delivered to the cylinder, displacing the water, which flowed out through a one-way valve. Once all of the water was ejected, the cylinder was sprayed with cool water to drop the cylinders temperature and condense the steam inside. This created a vacuum inside the cylinder, which then pulled up additional water to refill the cylinder, completing the pump cycle.   Thomas Newcomens Piston Pump Another Englishman,  Thomas Newcomen, improved on Slaverys pump with a design he developed around 1712. Newcomens engine included a piston inside of a cylinder. The top of the piston was connected to one end of a pivoting beam. A pump mechanism was connected to the other end of the beam so that water was drawn up whenever the beam tilted up on the pump end. To propel the pump, steam was delivered to the piston cylinder. At the same time, a counterweight pulled the beam down on the pump end, which made the piston rise to the top of the steam cylinder. Once the cylinder was full of steam, cool water was sprayed inside the cylinder, quickly condensing the steam and creating a vacuum inside the cylinder. This caused the piston to drop, moving the beam down on the piston end and up on the pump end. The cycle then repeated automatically as long as steam was applied to the cylinder.   Newcomens piston design effectively created a separation between the water being pumped out and the cylinder used to create the pumping power. This greatly improved  on the efficiency of Slaverys original design. However, because Saverys held a broad patent on his own steam pump, Newcomen had to collaborate with Savery to patent the piston pump.   James Watts Improvements Scotsman James Watt  significantly improved and developed the steam engine over the second half of the 18th century, making it a truly viable piece of machinery that helped start the Industrial Revolution. The first major innovation of Watts was to include a separate condenser so that the steam didnt have to be cooled in the same cylinder that contained the piston. This meant the piston cylinder remained at a much more consistent temperature, greatly increasing the fuel efficiency of the engine. Watt also developed an engine that could rotate a shaft, rather than an up-and-down pumping action, as well as a flywheel that allowed for smooth power transfer between the engine and the workload. With these and other innovations, the steam engine became applicable to a variety of factory processes, and Watt and his business partner, Matthew Boulton, built several hundred engines for industrial use.   Later Steam Engines The early 19th century saw major innovation of high-pressure steam engines, which were much more efficient than the low-pressure designs of Watts and the others steam-engine pioneers. This led to the development of much smaller, more powerful steam engines that could be used to power trains and boats and to perform a wider range of industrial tasks, such as running saws in mills. Two important innovators of these engines were American Oliver Evans and Englishman Richard Trevithick. Over time, steam engines were replaced by the internal combustion engine for most types of locomotion and industrial work, but the use of steam generators to create electricity remains an important part of electrical power production today.

Subcultural theories Essays

Subcultural theories Essays Subcultural theories Paper Subcultural theories Paper Subcultural theories of youth civilization owe much to the pioneering work of the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies ( CCCS ) during the 1970s and early 1980s. The CCCS make usage of the term subculture from US sociologists at Chicago University, and applied it to visually typical post-World War II British working category young person civilizations, such as teddy male childs, mods, and bootboyss. Sociologists today employ three primary theoretical positions: the functionalist position, the Marxist position and the post-modernist position. These positions offer sociologists theoretical paradigms for explicating how society influences people, and frailty versa. Each position unambiguously conceptualises society, societal forces, and human behavior. Functionalism Functionalism is the oldest, and still the dominant, theoretical position in sociology and many other societal scientific disciplines. Harmonizing to the functionalist position each facet of society is mutualist and contributes to society s operation as a whole. Functionalists see society as holding a construction, with cardinal establishments executing critical maps, and roles directing people in how to act. They identify the maps of each portion of the construction. For illustration, the province, or the authorities, provides instruction for the kids of the household, which in bend wages revenue enhancements on which the province depends to maintain itself running. This means that the household is dependent upon the school to assist kids turn up to hold good occupations so that they can raise and back up their ain households. In the procedure, the kids become observant, taxpaying citizens, who in bend support the province. If the procedure succeeds the parts of society green goods order, stableness and productiveness. On the other manus, if the procedure does non travel good, the parts of society so must accommodate to recapture a new order, stableness, and productiveness. For illustration, as we are soon sing, during a fiscal recession with its high rates of unemployment and rising prices, net income and salary decrease, societal plans are trimmed or cut. Families tighten their budgets while employers offer fewer concern plans, and a new societal order, stableness and productiveness occur. Functionalists believe that society is held together by societal consensus, or coherence, in which society members agree upon, and work together to accomplish, what is best for society as a whole. Emile Durkheim suggested that societal consensus takes one of two signifiers: Mechanical Solidarity: This is a signifier of societal coherence that arises when people in a society maintain similar values and beliefs and prosecute in similar types of work. Mechanical solidarity most commonly occurs in traditional, simple societies such as those in which everyone herds cowss or farms. Amish society exemplifies mechanical solidarity. Organic Solidarity: This is a signifier of societal coherence that arises when people in a society are mutualist, but hold to changing values and beliefs and engage in changing types of work. Organic solidarity most commonly occurs in industrialized, complex societies such as those in big American metropoliss like New York in the 2000s. He decided that crime and deviance were the proof that the individual did not fit into societys accepted goals and did not agree with the socially approved means of obtaining those goals. He identified this as strain between the individual and society, and discovered that the greater the strain, the greater the chance of the individual being either deviant or criminal in their behaviour. Merton argued that all societies, whether in Britain or in the jungles of Africa, set their members certain goals and provided them with socially approved ways to achieve this goal. Merton considered the fact that not all the individuals in a society share the same goals; he pointed out that in a stratified society the goals were linked to a persons position in the social structure. Therefore, those lower down the social ladder, had restricted goals. He noted that the system worked well as long as the majority of the population had a reasonable chance of achieving their goals. However, if the majority of the population were unable to achieve their goals, they would become disenchanted with society, and sought out alternative, often deviant, ways of behaving. Merton used Durkheims term anomie to describe this situation. One example of Mertons theory in practice in todays society, is the notion of The American Dream. The American Dream, is a notion held by many that through hard work and material prosperity, residents of the United States will be able to achieve their goals in life; for some this is the ability to achieve more material prosperity than would be possible in their country of origin; the chance for their children to get an education; or the freedom of life without class, gender, racial or religious discriminations. However, for many, this dream is just that, an unachievable dream, and when they realise this, many turn to illegitimate means of money making to help them survive in the materialistic society that is America. Merton identified five different forms of behaviour which could be understood as a strain between goals and means. The first is conformity, in which the individual continues to adhere to both the goals and means, despite the limited likelihood of success, such as the many office workers in New York City, who are living on the poverty line. Another form identified by Merton is Innovation, where the individual accepts the goals of society, but uses different ways to achieve these goals, so the outcome may result in the person being involved in deviant activity, such as soft drug dealers, who long for the materialistic possessions, yet instead of working legitimately, they get their money through deviant behaviour. The third form is Ritualism, this is when the means are used by the individual, but sight of the actual goal is lost, for example a traffic warden, who is not bothered about earning lots of money, but blindly enforces the law without looking at the nature of justice. Ritualism, is the fourth form, in which the individual rejects both the goals and means and society, this is most likely to be a person who is dependant upon drugs and alcohol. The final form of strain can be labelled as Rebellion, where both the socially sanctioned goals and means are rejected and different ones substituted; these individuals are often religious extremists, such as Suicide Bombers. Although Mertons idea of strain has concrete examples in society, many sociologists have criticised his approach to subcultural crime and deviance as being too simple. They say that there are some people who border on the lines between categories. Also, some believe it is too ethnocentric. Valier (2001), criticised Merton for his stress on the existence of common goals in society. Valier argues that instead of such great social consensus, there are in fact a variety of goals that people strive to attain at any one time. Having been heavily influenced by Mertons work Cloward and Ohlin (1960) carried out their own research, entitled the Illegitimate Opportunity Structure. They argued that Merton had failed to appreciate that there was a parallel opportunity structure to the legal one; the Illegitimate Opportunity Structure. This, to them, meant that many subcultures prevalent in society, had found that a career was available, in which illegal means were used to obtain societys goals. According to Cloward and Ohlin, the Illegitimate Opportunity Structure had three possible adaptations or subcultures. The first of these was Criminal, which states that if there is a thriving local criminal subculture, there will be successful role models in that area, therefore young offenders can work their way up the ladder in the criminal hierarchy. Conflict was identified as the second subculture, and it was noted that this occurred when there was no local criminal subculture to provide career opportunities. Groups and individuals brought up in this environment often turn to violence, usually against other similar groups, for example gang turf wars, where gangs use violence to determine who owns which patch. The final adaption is known as Retreatist, and this tends to be an individual response which occurs when the individual has no exposure or opportunity to be involved with the other two subcultures of Criminal and Conflict. The result therefore, is a retreat into alcoholism or drug dependency. A good example of Cloward and Ohlins theories into these subcultures is Dick Hobbs book Bad Buisness (1998), in which Hobbs interviewed successful criminals and demonstrated how careers in crime are possible, given the right connection and exposure to this subculture. This explanation of criminal deviance is useful and, alongside Hobbs work, shows that for some people crime can be a career choice. But the approach is not completely correct, it shares similar weaknesses to Mertons Strain Theory. One criticism which is shared with Merton, is the categorisation of individuals; there are many people who may be sat on the border of two categories, and also, it is difficult to except the three categories, as there is no reference to people who break free from this subculture. Furthermore, many argue that both theories fail to recognise female deviance, as this often follows a slightly different pattern and is not as easy to define. Albert Cohen (1955) drew upon both Mertons ideas of strain and also on the ethnographic ideas (form of observational research) of the Chicago School of Sociology. He was particularly interested in why crime was carried out, and he discovered it was more for the thrill of the act, rather than for the money involved. Many modern day sociologists believe this is as true today as it was in the 1950s, for example, joyriding has increased, yet the cars are burnt, not sold on, so there is not an economic reasoning behind the crime, it must just be committed for the thrill. Cohen believed that lower-class boys wanted to excel middle-class values and aspirations, but lacked the means to obtain this success. This lead to a sense of personal failure and inadequacy, which Cohen called status frustration. This resulted in the rejection of the acceptable behaviour in which they could not succeed. He suggests that school therefore, is the key area for the playing out of this drama, as lower-class children are much more likely to fail and feel humiliated in the classroom. To counteract this and gain status, they invert traditional values and behave badly, engaging in a variety of antisocial behaviour. They may often resort to being the class-clown, who fools around and disrupts the lesson, as they feel this is the way to climb up the social ladder. However, many have criticised Cohen, least of all Feminist Sociologists. As with Cloward and Ohlin and Merton, there is no discussion of female deviancy, his study is solely based on males. Also, Cohen failed to prove that school really was the environment in which success and failure are demonstrated mainly. But the major criticism of his work is that he assumes the young delinquents must be brilliant sociologists to work out that they are lower-class, to work out the middle-class values and then invert them to gain status. Many believe Cohen is correct, he has just missed the fundamental point that these individuals are children. Another subcultural sociologist was writing in the 1950s, Walter Miller. He developed an approach to crime, which expanded on Cohens class based theory. Miller suggested the deviancy was linked to the culture of the lower-class males; suggesting that they have six focal concerns which are likely to lead them to delinquency. The first was smartness; that the individual must look good and also be witty with a sharp repartee. Also, the concern of trouble; the culture of I dont go looking for trouble it finds me, its never their fault, they didnt start it. Focal concern number three links to Cohen and his discovery that crime was committed for the thrill, yet Miller says that lower-class males feel it is important to search out these thrills and so calls this concern excitement. Toughness is the fourth concern, the individuals must not only demonstrate this, but they must be physically stronger than the others. The fifth concern is Autonomy, it is important for the individual not to be pushed around by the others in the gang. And the final focal concern outlined by Miller is Fate; individuals have little chance to overcome the fate that awaits them, the fate of a deviant career for example. Therefore, according to Miller, young lower-class males become delinquents due to the implicit values of their subculture. Yet, Miller provides little evidence of these specific middle class values. Box (1981) highlights that the values could equally apply to males right across the class structure. Also, female deviancy is not considered again! One consistent criticism of subcultural theories is that there is little evidence to demonstrate this distinct set of antisocial values. Even if there are subcultures, why would they respond to certain middle or working class values? Matza bonded these criticisms together to attack subcultural theory. He argued that instead of subcultures having different values, we all share a set of subterranean (hidden) values. The key thing is that most people control these deviant desires, they may rarely emerge, say at the office party, yet when they do we use techniques of neutralisation to provide justification for our deviant actions. Some examples include the denial of responsibility- it wasnt me, it was the alcohol; or denial of injury- victim wasnt hurt, often used when justifying stealing from a company rather than individual. Matza is therefore arguing that the difference between a persistent offender and a law-abiding citizen is simply the frequency and environment in which our subterranean values appear to the public. Matzas critique of subculture is deemed by many as devastating. He is saying that all of us share deviant subcultural values and that it is not true that there are distinctive groups with their own values, different from the rest of us. Carl Nightingale took yet another approach towards deviance, and his subcultural theory does not focus on crime, but that black youth are marginalised, often driving them towards deviance; the Paradox of Inclusion. For his book On The Edge(1993), Nightingale studied young Black youth in inner-city Philadelphia. He discovered that subculture derives from the desire to be part of mainstream US culture, that is to say that subcultures occur due to the rejection and marginalising of youth by society. In America, Black children avidly consume US culture by watching television with its emphasis on consumerism and the success of violence, yet at the same time they are excluded economically, racially and politically from participating in the mainstream society they idolise. This is seen in England through the Chav culture. Those individuals dress how they see on television in music videos, so they can fit in, yet by doing so, they ironically become individuals which society fears, and therefore marginalises. These individuals begin to identify themselves through acquiring clothing with high-status labels, such as Nike or Adidas. Once again, drawing upon Mertons ideas, the subculture reflects the belief that it is not so much how these high status goods are obtained rather the fact of possessing them, which is often through crime and violence. This links with Phillip Bourgois study of El Barrio. He looks at the lives of drug dealers and criminals in the deprived areas of New York. He wanted to study the underground econmy, everything ranging from babysitting to hard drug dealing, in this marginalised society. He realised they were marginalised for many reasons, particularly racial and due to their high poverty lifestyles, society excluded them. He discovered that the severe abuse of drugs and alcohol prevalent in El Barrio, was due to the marginalisation and alienation from mainstream American Society, which many residents encountered daily. The change of drugs and scale which Bougois monitored was widespread and dramatic, with everyone in the society involved. However, although they did not share the same means as mainstream America, they shared the same goals, as in to achieve the American Dream. Bourgois noted that the legitimate economy mirrors the illegitimate economy, there is a hierarchal system in place, which all obey, just like legitimately. He decided that the pressure of the American Dream is what caused many to deviate into criminal activity, as this way they could obtain the needed money to pursue their dream. His main finding was that crime makes economic sense, why would these people surviving on the bread line want to work in an office, earning the minimum wage, when they can earn ten times as much on their own doorstep? And this attitude is shared all over the world by many living in poverty. Since 1998, there has been the introduction of ASBOs; Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, but there has been much dispute as to whether these actually prevent deviant behaviour. Many believe that by labelling delinquent youths as Anti-Social, they accept this label and it turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy, where the youngster feels they must live up to this reputation. Others believe that ASBOs are seen as labels to be had and are worthy of respect. Many of the approaches outlined above seek to explain deviant behaviour through rational reasoning as to why subcultures have developed. Some recent postmodern approaches reject this explanation for behaviour. Katz (1988), argues young men get drawn into crime, because it is seductive and thrilling, echoing Cohen. This is not dissimilar to Lyng (1990). He said that young males like taking risks and engaging in what he refers to as edgework; going to the extremities of acceptable behaviour and flirting with danger. Using the example of neo-tribes, Maffesoli (1996) introduced a postmodernist innovation in understanding subculture. He was unhappy with the idea that the idea of subculture had been transformed from a concept based on values, more into a concept of consensus. He believed subcultures should be though of in terms of fluidity, occasional gatherings and dispersal. Neo-tribes then referred to states of mind, that were flexible, open and changing. Deviant values are less important than a stress on consumption, suitably fashionable behaviour and individual identity that can change rapidly. As previously noted, subcultural theories are very masculine orientated. However, as Collison (1996) points out, sociologist may well have missed the significance of studying male behaviour in such detail. He said that in order to explain male offending behaviour, it is important to explain the nature of being male in our society and the links masculinity itself has to crime. Collinsons work on masculinity links closely to that of Connell (1995), who sees the existence of a hegemonic masculinity, in which males both conspire with and aspire to, and believes this drives them to deviance. This emphasis on hegemonic masculinity is very similar to Millers earlier works on lower-class values. However, Winlow argues these values are most obvious when the economic social structure is changing. He suggests that the traditional working class values fitted alongside physical work, which is now in decline, so they are restless and desperate to prove their masculinity. These values have dispersed due to the rise of office work. He further suggests that these problems greatly affect young males who are out of employment. So, to conclude, there are many different approaches to explaining subculture and its place in society, all of which are as valid today as they were when the original research was carried out, from studying the British Street Corner Groups in the early 1900s, to the participant observation of crack dealers in New York City, all of these theories are still relevant to the gang culture of today. However, looking at the theories, the one society can relate to most is Metza and Subterranean Values. This is very obviously prevalent in society today, from photocopying body parts at the office party and blaming it on the alcohol, to the men who get cleared of rape, claiming the victim isnt a victim as she was wearing clothes which led the man on. Whether subcultures do or do not share common social values will be disputed for many years, yet Mazas techniques of neutralization will be evident in society always, therefore, I believe I identify most with this theory, as it seeks to explain natural patterns of behaviour, not seek to infiltrate gang culture and lifestyles. Having said this, I am particularly interested in Bourgoiss El Barrio research as I agree with him and the dealers, crime makes economic sense, why work a nine-to-five for minimum wage, when you can earn enough money on your doorstep? Perhaps, if I had access to a criminal subculture, I would become involved as Cloward and Ohlin said, yet unfortunately my future is even bleaker according to them, a retreatist lifestyle involving drugs or alcohol, good job I believe Merton and feel I am a conformist, adhering to both the socially accepted goals and means.

Public Policy Formation and Analysis Assignment - 1

Public Policy Formation and Analysis - Assignment Example Using Taxes to Address Traffic Safety Problems in Oman: According to Weimer and Vinning ( ) Taxes should be levied against motor vehicle owners in favour of the accident victim. This should serve as a penalty with an intention of reducing recklessness of motor users. If this is executed adequately by the Government, drivers will be more careful as they fully well know that they will part with a lot of money if they cause an accident on the motorway. All medical bills and third party indemnities will be the sole responsibility of the motor vehicle owner. These taxes should be on the high side to the extent that it sparks careful driving on the side of the motor owner. The use of taxes will go a long way to both influence the behaviour of the road users and the attitude of the people towards being responsible. The population that will be affected by this taxation are males between the ages of 16 to 30 as they are the more active road users in Oman. Also, the use of taxes levied on comp anies or citizens who make use of the roads will help raise additional funds for the Government of Oman. ... But the taxation process will suddenly raise enough funding to tackle this issues. The Government can also disburse what economist/policy analyst call; subsidies. This will boost the economic power of the various traffic enforcement agencies which will in turn replay itself positively in the social, political and cultural super structures of Oman. So in my humble opinion, I personally believe the imposition of this taxes on the citizenry of Oman is a timely policy that will help in reducing the horror of road traffic experiences that destabilizes the Oman Nation. Question 2: Using Rules to Address Traffic Safety Problems in Oman: The use of rules according to Weimer and Vinning ( ) is paramount in Oman if the issue of continuous road traffic accidents is to be curbed. According to the Times of Oman in a news caption they stated that â€Å"Oman has one of the highest reported road crash fatality rates in the world, an upward trajectory that shows no sign of levelling out. To put it i n context, the population of the UK is 25 times that of Oman, but has only five times as many deaths from road traffic crashes. We are repeating the pattern experienced by rapidly motorising high income countries in the 1970s when death on the roads claimed one life in every 3,000,† . This is a terrible situation that must be stopped and one of the viable was of doing that is to come up with â€Å"Rules† that will be both welcomed from by the public and implemented by the Government without fear or favour to certain political blocks. Rules are regulations laid down to guide a particular coursed. Rules are meant to be obeyed and measures in the forms of penalties are put in place to ensure that such rules are obeyed. When these

Move for Opportunity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Move for Opportunity - Essay Example The author also talks about the issues that the move for opportunity tends to create and how the moves can create not only physical stress but also a strong element of emotional distress as well. The author has not only focused on the affects of the relocation on the person but has moved a step ahead to also consider the effects of the relocation on the families. The needs of the families and how the attractive relocation packages can seem to be very beneficial yet not be as useful as to be able to provide the families with the best and the life that they need to give up for the package. There has also been noted by experts that these opportunities have proven to be very beneficial for the country as well. At the John Holland Group, HR [Human Resources] manager Darren Nelson agrees. ‘It’s these opportunities that have built both this country and people’s careers.’ He points to Karratha, WA, as the well-publicised focal point for opportunities created by skills shortages and a resources boom. ‘I know people moving here from the east who will have a 110 per cent salary increase.’ The article presented by Fran Cusworth is a very effective article to help people think about the options of relocating their job for the purpose of newer opportunities. This section will deal with an analysis of the article. The article will be analyzed under six main heading. This is as in the sub section below: i) Overall Effectiveness: The author has discussed the article in a advisory fashion to bring up a strong light on the issues as well as benefits of relocation packages that are provided by the recruiters and the relocation specialists. The intended audiences are the individuals due to have relocation and also families of these people. The overall article is straight forward with a very strong tone that has been used. The author has brought about a number of details like the affects of a failed move and how much it could affect the individuals