What makes a family

Family It was three pickoff In the morning on a cold spring night In 1988. My parents woke me up and told me it was time to get ready to go to the airport. We were leaving Russia to move to the united States. My grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins had moved to the United States a few years back. I was ecstatic to be once again reunited with my relatives especially with my cousin Yang who I was very close to. I Jumped out of bed with so much excitement; I can almost see my heart pumping out of my chest.It was a matter of minutes until I was standing by the door wearing my Black oat and a suitcase next to me. Prior to my relatives leaving, we would spend every weekend, holiday and special occasion together. I would Impatiently Walt for the weekend to come so I can see my cousin Yang and my grandparents. My grandmother would bring little gifts every time she saw me and my grandfather was my hero, regardless of the situation I can always count on him to take my side. Upon moving to B rooklyn, I expected that everything would continue to be the same as It once was In Russia.Within a few months, I realized that this was not the case. My grandparents were occupied with their jobs and other responsibilities. Yang lived to ar of a distance to walk so our time together was limited. We no longer had time to see each other on weekends or spend holidays together. My parents had also become extremely busy trying to construct a new life and part of that process required for them to work on weekends. My father was struggling to accept that he was once a business owner in Russia and now a blue collar worker.He soon began to channel his anger and frustration on me. â€Å"l wish you were a boy' he said, â€Å"l could have taught you manly things. † However, he never took the time to Inquire about my life or teach me about life. Soon, I did not Like spending time at home. I would often find myself feeling lonely and wishing I had a brother or a sister that I can be clos e to. I wanted to feel what it would be like to be loved again. During my first summer in Brooklyn I felt lonely. School was out of session and I had no friends.I would be at the playground near my house watching other kids having fun. My English was still not very good and I had trouble approaching the other children. One day I noticed a girl that, like me, was also alone. She was sitting on a bench about ten feet away and noticed her glancing at me. Within a few minutes she approached me and asked in Russian â€Å"what is your name? ‘ â€Å"Lairs. And what Is yours† I replied. Her name was Anna. She was instantly very talkative and continued asking me questions such as â€Å"where are you from? † and â€Å"how far is your home? We ended up staying at the playground until sundown, and it was one of my happiest days from that summer. It did not take us long to become close, We spent every day of that summer together and I realized that her situation was very si milar to mine. She had also moved with her parents from Russia not too long ago. Eventually they divorced and her mother gave the responsibility of raising her to her grandparents. Unlike me, however, Anna was stronger and more confident. She had control of her emotions and could not be Influenced by others. The opinion of others also did not matter. Be who you want to be, not who others want you to be,† she said â€Å"But I don't want to make my father 1 OFF â€Å"He is already always angry, what difference does it make? † she said â€Å"I am scared I will be in trouble† I said â€Å"We will face the consequences together† she said I thought that if I followed her lead, maybe I too can come out of my shell and be as strong as she was. Anna was protective of me and cared for me as if I was her little sister. After school we would often go to her grandparents' house for dinner and it made me nostalgic of the days my grandmother would cook for me in Russia. After a while her grandparents accepted me as their own grandchild. They invited me to all of their special occasion and holidays. I began spending more time with them instead of my own family. One morning after leaving her grandmother's house to go to school, Anna stopped unexpectedly. She grabbed my arm and said â€Å"can I ask you a question? † I was confused and hesitantly said â€Å"sure. † â€Å"Do you want to be blood sisters? † she asked. â€Å"How do we do that? † I asked puzzled. Let's both cut our pinkies, put them together, and we will become sisters by blood† she answered.We felt so strong about our friendship that on May 21st, 1992 we created an unbreakable bond. Anna became the sister I had always wanted. When I needed to turn to someone for advice or for help I turned to Anna. She did not Judge and supported me regardless if I was right or wrong. I have never trusted a person so much in my life. We discussed education, relationships, careers and marriage. This was something I was unable to do with any of my family members. Of course, we would have our disagreements and fights, but through it all our bond always minded strong.We laughed together, cried together and shared life's ups and downs together. I was blessed to have her in my life. When I reminisce about that day, I realize that although what we did was childish, it also speaks a powerful message. While your parents will always be your family through birth, as you go through life you determine who you can call family. Anna showed me that this can extend to include those that are not your relatives. In my life, Vive formed my family to be people that influence my life, who help me through tough times, and who love and support me regardless of the circumstances.

Rain of gold Essay

In â€Å"Rain of Gold† is a detailed history of three generations of two families that have adventures and struggles overcoming many obstacles such as poverty, violence and discrimination. Initially caught up in the Mexican revolution of 1910. Tracing their migration to the United States and the difficulties they faced, it portrays an accurate picture of life in Mexico in the early 1900’s and in the coastal area of California during the time of prohibition through the 1930’s. . Socially Espirito lived in poverty that he needed some money for his people he had some sweet water that he had gotten from the Rio Urique River to go and sell it to Don Carlos store because they were poor and wanted some money for their people. So then he gave Don Carlos some gold nuggets that were worth a lot of money so he started trading the stones for food and clothing after don Carlos saw how much he was making then later, he made an offer to espirito to sell him the part of the spring but the spring was from the people who use it. Politically don Carlos sold the river because he could not get more gold because he and espirito they made an agreement saying that don Carlos will be able to only get the gold from the top part of the canyon cliff and not to dig any part around the river. So after a couple of years he knew that the best thing to do was to sell the canyon cliff to someone else. Don Carlos sold the canyon cliff to Bernardo Garcia he was a rancher that had no fear to no one or anything, he decided to dig into the river to get more gold out of it, went he knew that he wasn’t getting gold anymore he sold the canyon cliff to an American miner’s company. Everything around canyon cliff started to disappear by constructing large buildings, roads after the company prospered in 1910. Economically espirito peoples was really affected when they got kicked out of the canyon cliff because the money they were making it was for the American mining. Socially Lupe Gomez had to work at a young age and she also would help her mother with the mineros to make the food, but one day moved with her family to the U.S. in 1923 to work in the cotton and fruit fields of Arizona and California and married Juan Salvador Villasenor, who had taken a similar route, in 1929. Socially Juan was in so much in discrimination when he left Mexico to go to Los Angeles with his family.one day Juan went to a cafà © to eat breakfast and he asked for ham and eggs and coffee when the man saw him he told Juan â€Å"but you see, my waitress, she’s new and so she didn’t know we can’t serve the Mexicans.†(Villasenor pg.232). Like on where I saw on a video that there was this soldier that was working for 38 months in the u.s.a he went to this restaurant and on outside the restaurant he saw a sign that said â€Å"no Mexicans allowed.†(Los Mineros). The Mexicans were discriminated just because they were Mexicans or also because of their skin color. Politically, the laws in the United States in the 1900s was the Mexicans were not allowed in restaurants, schools, stores, and other places just because of their skin color and because they were Mexicans. Economically In conclusion, this story is based on how this families have differences between the two families’ difficult journeys of survival yet, portrays their similarities and how their journeys culminate in the joining of the two families through the marriage of the youngest son of the Villasenor family and the youngest daughter of the Gomez family. The two families experience contrasting journeys as Juan’s family was poor in Mexico after once being rich, however, in the United States, his family becomes better off due to Juan’s entrepreneurial activities. Meanwhile, Lupe’s family does not experience the same fortune as they leave Mexico as a lower-middle class family that supported itself through its serving food to miners and occasional finding of gold, and they are not able to obtain economic prosperity when crossing into the United States and struggle to settle down and are continuously moving as they work in the fields picking crops from one place to another following the harvest. Despite the difficulties that these two Mexican families suffer in their attempt to escape the Revolution and in their hope of a better life in the United States, Rain of Gold depicts the social and economic struggles of Mexican families and the prejudice they experience in the United States and how Mexican immigration is similar to African immigration as well as Chinese and Japanese immigration into the United States. Prior to both families’ immigration to the United States, Juan and Lupe’s families are centered around their mothers. Bibliography All the sources I used: 1. Victor Villasenor 2. Acuna 3. â€Å"Los Mineros† PBS.1992.

Juvenile delinquency: an integrated approach Essay

Rick: A â€Å"Delinquent Youth† The youth court adjudicated or judged Rick, a 14-year-old, a â€Å"delinquent youth,† for motor vehicle theft and placed him on formal probation for six months. He and a good friend took without permission a car that belonged to Rick’s father. They were pulled over by the police for driving erratically—a classic case of joyriding. Rick was already a familiar figure in the juvenile court. When Rick was 12, he was referred to the court for â€Å"deviant sex† for an incident in which he was caught engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl. The juvenile court dealt with this offense â€Å"informally.† A probation officer met with Rick and his parents to work out an agreement of informal probation that included â€Å"conditions† or rules, but no petition into court. Not long after this first offense, Rick was taken into custody by the police for curfew violation and, on a separate occasion, vandalism—he and his good friend had gotten drunk and knocked down numerous mailboxes along a rural road. In both of these instances, Rick was taken to the police station and released to his parents. Even though Rick’s first formal appearance in juvenile court was for the auto theft charge, he was already well-known to the police and probation departments. Rick was a very likable kid; he was pleasant and personable. He expressed a great deal of remorse for his delinquent acts and seemed to genuinely desire to change. He had a lot going for him; he was goal-directed, intelligent, and athletic. He interacted well with others, including his parents, teachers, and peers. His best friend, an American Indian boy who lived on a nearby reservation, was the same age as Rick and had many similar personal and social characteristics. Not surprisingly, the boy also had a very similar offense record. In fact, Rick and his friend  were often â€Å"companions in crime,† committing many of their delinquent acts together. Rick was the adopted son of older parents who loved him greatly and saw much ability and potential in him. They were truly perplexed by the trouble he was in, and they struggled to understand why Rick engaged in delinquent acts and what needed to be done about it. Rick, too, seemed to really care about his parents. He spent a good deal of time with them and apparently enjoyed their company. Because Rick was adopted as an infant, these parents were the people he considered family. Rick attended school regularly and earned good grades. He was not disruptive in the classroom or elsewhere in the school. In fact, teachers reported that he was a very positive student both in and out of class and that he was academically motivated. He did his homework and handed in assignments on time. He was also actively involved in sports—football, wrestling, and track and field. Rick’s six months of formal probation for auto theft turned into a twoyear period as he continued to get involved in delinquent acts. Through regular meetings and enforcement of probation conditions, his probation officer tried to work with Rick to break his pattern of delinquency. Such efforts were to no avail. Rick continued to offend, resulting in an almost routine series of court hearings that led to the extension of his probation supervision period. The Study of Juvenile Delinquency The continuing pattern of delinquency included a long list of property and status offenses: minor in possession of alcohol, numerous curfew violations, continued vandalism, minor theft (primarily shoplifting), and continued auto theft, usually involving joyrides in his father’s car. Rick’s â€Å"final† offense was criminal mischief, and it involved extensive destruction of property. Once again, Rick and his best friend â€Å"borrowed† his father’s car, got drunk, and drove to Edina, an affluent suburb of Minneapolis. For no apparent reason, they parked the car and began to walk along France Avenue, a major road with office buildings along each side. After walking a while, they started throwing small rocks toward buildings,  seeing how close they could get. Their range increased quickly and the rocks soon reached their targets, breaking numerous windows. The â€Å"fun† turned into thousands of dollars worth of window breakage in a large number of office buildings. Because of the scale of damage, Rick faced the possibility of being placed in a state training school. As a potential â€Å"loss of liberty case,† Rick was provided with representation by an attorney. This time, the juvenile court’s adjudication process followed formal procedures, including involvement of a prosecutor and a defense attorney. In the preliminary hearing, Rick admitted to the petition (statement of charges against him), and the case was continued to a later date for disposition (sentencing). In the meantime, the judge ordered a predisposition report. The predisposition report is designed to individualize the court’s disposition to â€Å"fit the offender.† The investigation for the report uses multiple sources of information, including information from the arresting officer, parents, school personnel, coaches, employers, friends, relatives, and, most importantly, the offending youth. The predisposition report tries to describe and explain the pattern of delinquency and then offer recommendations for disposition based on the investigation. In Rick’s case, the predisposition report attempted to accurately describe and explain his persistent pattern of property and status offending, and it offered a recommendation for disposition. Finding no information to justify otherwise, the probation officer recommended that Rick be committed to the Department of Corrections for placement at the Red Wing State Training School. Depending on one’s viewpoint, the state training school represented either a last ditch effort for rehabilitation or a means of punishment through restricted freedom. Either way, Rick was viewed as a chronic juvenile offender, with little hope for reform. It was one of those formative experiences. I [coauthor Jim Burfeind] was fresh out of college and newly hired as a probation officer. I was meeting with two experienced attorneys—one the defense, the other the prosecutor. Almost in unison, it seemed, they turned to me and asked, â€Å"Why did Rick do this? Why did he develop such a persistent pattern of delinquency?† They wanted to make sense of Rick’s delinquency, and they wondered how the  juvenile court could best respond to his case. I had become familiar with Rick only in the previous few weeks when his case was reassigned to me as part of my growing caseload as a new probation officer. Now, meeting with the attorneys to gather information for the predisposition | 3 4 | JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH report, I was being asked to explain Rick’s pattern of delinquent behavior to two legal experts who had far more experience in the juvenile justice system than I did. I was, after all, new to the job. How could I possibly know enough to offer an explanation? I also had the daunting responsibility of making a recommendation for disposition that the judge would most likely follow completely. Rick’s future was at stake, and my recommendation would determine the disposition of the juvenile court. As I attempted to respond to the attorneys sitting in front of me, my mind was flooded with questions. The answers to these questions became the basis for my predisposition report—an attempt to explain Rick’s delinquent behavior and, based on this understanding, to recommend what should be done through court disposition. The questions with which I wrestled included the following: Is involvement in delinquency common among adolescents—that is, are most youths delinquent? Maybe Rick was just an unfortunate kid who got caught. Are Rick’s offenses fairly typical of the types of offenses in which youths are involved? Will Rick â€Å"grow out† of delinquent behavior? Is Rick’s pattern of offending much the same as those of other delinquent youths? Do most delinquent youths begin with status offenses and then persist and escalate into serious, repetitive offending? (Status offenses are acts, such as truancy and running away, that are considered offenses when committed by juveniles but are not considered crimes if committed by adults.) Is there a rational component to Rick’s delinquency so that punishment by the juvenile court would deter further delinquency? Did the fact that Rick was adopted have anything to do with his involvement in delinquency? Might something about Rick’s genetic makeup and his biological family lend some insight into his behavior? What role did Rick’s use of alcohol play in his delinquency? Are there family factors that might relate to Rick’s involvement in delinquency? Were there aspects of Rick’s school experiences that might be related to his delinquency? What role did Rick’s friend play in his delinquent behavior? Did the youth court’s formal adjudication of Rick as a â€Å"delinquent youth† two years earlier label him and make him more likely to continue in delinquent behavior? Should the juvenile court retain jurisdiction for serious, repeat offenders like Rick? What should the juvenile court try to do with Rick: punish, deter, or rehabilitate him? Should the juvenile court hold Rick less responsible for his acts than an adult because he has not fully matured? The Study of Juvenile Delinquency | Perhaps this list of questions seems a little overwhelming to you now. We don’t present them here with the expectation that you will be able to answer them. Instead, we present them to prompt you to think about what causes juvenile delinquency and to give you an idea of the types of questions that drive the scientific study of delinquent behavior. Throughout this book, we address these types of questions as we define delinquency; consider the nature of delinquent offenses, offenders, and offending; and present a variety of theories to explain delinquent behavior. We return to Rick’s story and these questions in Chapter 14. After reading the next 12 chapters, you should have the tools necessary to think about and respond to these questions in a whole new light. ââ€"   Understanding Juvenile Delinquency The questions that shape the scientific study of juvenile delinquency constitute attempts to define, describe, explain, and respond to delinquent behavior. Rather than being asked with regard to a particular case like Rick’s, the questions that inspire the study of juvenile delinquency are cast more broadly in order to understand delinquent behavior as it occurs among adolescents. An understanding of delinquent behavior builds upon explanations that have been offered in theories and findings that have been revealed in research. The primary purpose of this book is to cultivate an understanding of juvenile delinquency by integrating theory and research. Throughout the book, we focus on the central roles that theory and research play in the study of delinquency, because these two components form the core of any scientific inquiry. Before we go any further, we must define what we mean by â€Å"juvenile delinquency.† This definition is far more complicated than you might think. In the next chapter, we offer a thorough discussion of the social construction and transformation of the concept of juvenile delinquency. Here we offer a brief working definition of juvenile delinquency as actions that violate the law, committed by a person who is under the legal age of majority. Our exploration of juvenile delinquency reflects the four basic tasks of the scientific study of delinquency—to define, describe, explain, and respond to delinquent behavior. The first two major sections of this book are devoted to defining and describing juvenile delinquency, the third section to explaining delinquent behavior, and the final section to contemporary ways of responding to juvenile delinquency. Responses to delinquent behavior, however, should be based on a thorough understanding of delinquency. Thus, an understanding of juvenile delinquency must come first. The Study of Juvenile Delinquency The first section of this book describes the historical transformation of the concept of juvenile delinquency and the methods and data sources researchers use to study involvement in delinquent behavior. We begin by developing a working understanding of what we commonly call â€Å"juvenile delinquency† (Chapter 2). This includes not only the social, political, and economic changes that led to the social construction of juvenile delinquency as a legal term, but also the contemporary transformations that have dramatically altered how we as a society juvenile delinquency Actions that violate the law, committed by a person who is under the legal age of majority. 5 6 | JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH view, define, and respond to juvenile delinquency. We then explore how researchers â€Å"measure† delinquency (Chapter 3). We describe the research process, various methods of gathering data and doing research on juvenile delinquency, and sources of data on crime and delinquency. The Nature of Delinquency The second section of this book presents a trilogy of chapters in which we describe the nature of delinquent offenses, offenders, and patterns of offending. Any attempt to explain juvenile delinquency must first be able to accurately describe the problem in terms of these three dimensions. Chapters 4 through 6 report research findings that describe the extent of delinquent offenses (Chapter 4), the social characteristics of delinquent offenders (Chapter 5), and the developmental patterns of delinquent offending (Chapter 6). Explaining Delinquent Behavior The third section of this book examines a variety of explanations of delinquency that criminologists have proposed in theories and examined in research related to those theories. These chapters are organized in terms of the major themes that run through seven different groups of theories. One group of theories, for example, emphasizes the importance of peer group influences on delinquency. These theories, called social learning theories, address how delinquent behavior is learned in the context of peer group relations (Chapter 11). Six other themes are also considered: the question of whether delinquency is chosen or determined (Chapter 7); the role of individual factors, including biological characteristics and personality, in explaining delinquent behavior (Chapter 8); situational and routine dimensions of delinquency (Chapter 9); the importance of social relationships, especially family relations and school experiences, in controlling delinquency (Chapter 10); the structure of society, and how societal characteristics motivate individual behavior (Chapter 12); and social and societal responses to delinquency (Chapter 13). We also apply these various explanations to Rick’s case, which opened this chapter, and examine integrated theoretical approaches (Chapter 14). Throughout the book, as we present theoretical explanations for delinquency, we weave together theories and the most relevant research that criminologists have conducted to test those theories. Responding to Juvenile Delinquency The final section of this book comprises a single chapter that describes contemporary juvenile justice (Chapter 15). We have deliberately chosen to keep the discussion of juvenile justice in one chapter, in order to provide an undivided view of its structure and process. The formal system of juvenile justice includes police, courts, and corrections. Yet a substantial amount of juvenile delinquency is dealt with informally, sometimes by agencies outside the â€Å"system.† Juvenile justice encompasses efforts at prevention, together with informal and formal action taken by the traditional juvenile justice system. Formal procedures, such as taking youths into custody and adjudicating them as delinquent youths, are central to the task of responding to juvenile delinquency. But informal procedures designed to prevent delinquency and divert youths from the juvenile justice system are far more common. The Study of Juvenile Delinquency | ââ€"   Developing and Evaluating Theories of Delinquency In 1967, two noted sociologists, Travis Hirschi and Hanan Selvin, observed that theories of delinquency suggest a â€Å"sequence of steps through which a person moves from law abiding behavior to . . . delinquency.†1 Criminological theories try to identify and describe the key causal factors that make up this â€Å"sequence of steps† leading to delinquent behavior. In doing so, theories of delinquency emphasize certain factors as being causally important and then describe how these factors are interrelated in producing delinquent behavior. Stated simply: â€Å"a theory is an explanation.†2 Components of Theories Like other scientific theories, theories of delinquency are composed of two basic parts: concepts and propositions. Concepts isolate and categorize features of the world that are thought to be causally important.3 Different theories of juvenile delinquency incorporate and emphasize different concepts. For example, the theories of delinquency we consider in later chapters include concepts such as personality traits, intelligence, routine activities of adolescents, relationship ties (called attachments), associations with delinquent friends, and social disorganization of neighborhoods. Concepts require definition.4 Definitions serve two functions: they clarify concepts and provide common understanding, and they describe how concepts will be measured for the purpose of research. Propositions tell how concepts are related. Scientific theories use propositions to make statements about the relationships between concepts.5 Some propositions imply a positive linear relationship in which the â€Å"concepts increase or decrease together in a relatively straight-line fashion.†6 For example, some theories offer the proposition that the number of delinquent friends is positively related to delinquent behavior: as the number of delinquent friends increases, so does the likelihood of delinquency. In a negative linear relationship, the concepts vary in opposite directions. For instance, one theory offers the proposition that level of attachment and delinquency are negatively related: as attachment increases, delinquent behavior decreases. Relationships between concepts may  also be curvilinear. Here, too, the concepts vary together, either positively or negatively, but after reaching a certain level, the relationship moves in the opposite direction. For example, researchers have found that parental discipline is related to delinquency in a curvilinear fashion.7 Delinquent behavior is most frequent when parental discipline is either lacking or excessive, but it is least common when levels of discipline are moderate. If you think of parental discipline as a continuum, delinquency is highest on the two ends of the discipline continuum, when discipline is lax or excessive, and lowest in the middle, when discipline is moderate. Different theories may offer competing propositions. One theory may propose that two concepts are related in a particular way, whereas another theory may claim that they are unrelated. For example, one of the major issues in delinquency theory is the role of the family in explaining delinquent behavior. One major theory contends that the family is essentially unrelated to delinquent behavior and that delinquent peers are an important factor in explaining delinquency. Another theory An explanation that makes a systematic and logical argument regarding what is important and why. concepts Isolated features of the world that are thought to be causally important. propositions Theoretical statements that tell how concepts are related. 7 8 | theory of delinquency A set of logically related propositions that explain why and how selected concepts are related to delinquent behavior. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH influential theory proposes the opposite relationship, arguing that family relations are strongly related to delinquency, whereas peer relations are less important in explaining delinquency.8 To summarize, a theory of delinquency is a set of logically related propositions that explain why and how selected concepts are related to delinquent behavior.9 A theory offers a logically developed argument that certain concepts are important in causing delinquent behavior. The purpose of theory, then, is to explain juvenile delinquency. Levels of Explanation level of explanation The realm of explanation— individual, microsocial, or macrosocial—that corresponds to the types of concepts incorporated into theories. Theories of delinquency operate at three different levels of explanation: individual, microsocial, and macrosocial.10 On the individual level, theories focus on traits and characteristics of individuals, either innate or learned, that make some people more likely than others to engage in delinquent behavior. The microsocial level of explanation considers the  social processes by which individuals become the â€Å"kinds of people† who commit delinquent acts.11 Criminologists have emphasized family relations and delinquent peer group influences at this level. Some microsocial theories also point to the importance of the structural context of social interaction.12 Race, gender, and social class, for example, influence social interaction not only within families and peer groups, but in virtually all social contexts. As a result, the distinction between social process and social structure is not always clear, nor is it always useful as a means of categorizing theoretical explanations.13 At the macrosocial level, societal characteristics such as social class and social cohesiveness are used to explain group variation in rates of delinquency.14 For example, poverty, together with the absence of community social control, is central to several explanations of why gang delinquency is more common in lower-class areas.15 The level of explanation—individual, microsocial, or macrosocial—corresponds to the types of concepts incorporated into a theory.16 Individual-level explanations tend to incorporate biological and psychological concepts. Microsocial explanations most often use social psychological concepts, but may incorporate structural concepts that influence social interaction. Macrosocial explanations draw extensively on sociological concepts. Theories can be combined to form â€Å"integrated theories† (see Chapter 14), which sometimes merge different levels of explanation into a single theoretical framework. Assessing Theory We have proposed that concepts and propositions are the bare essentials of theory.17 These components, however, do not automatically produce a valid explanation of delinquency. We can begin to assess the validity of theory—the degree to which it accurately and adequately explains delinquent behavior—by paying attention to several key dimensions of theory.18 We highlight these dimensions (e.g., clarity, consistency, testability, applicability) in the following list of questions. We invite you to ask yourself these questions as you evaluate the theories of delinquency we present in later chapters and consider how well they explain delinquent behavior. 1. Conceptual clarity: How clearly are the theoretical concepts identified and defined?19 How well do the concepts and propositions fit together—how compatible, complementary, and congruent are they?20 The Study of Juvenile Delinquency 2. Logical consistency: Does the theoretical argument develop logically and consistently? Do the concepts and propositions depict a causal process leading to delinquency? 3. Parsimony: How concise is the theory in terms of its concepts and propositions? This question concerns economy of explanation. Generally, simpler is better. So if two theories explain delinquency equally well, we should favor the theory that offers the more concise explanation with the smaller number of concepts. 4. Scope: What is the theory attempting to explain?21 Some theories try to explain a wide variety of criminal acts and criminal offenders. Others focus on particular types of offenses or offenders. What question is the theory designed to answer? Theories of delinquency usually address one of two basic questions: (1) How and why are laws made and enforced? and (2) Why do some youths violate the law?22 Far more theories try to answer the second question than the first.23 5. Level of explanation: At what level (individual, microsocial, or macrosocial) does the theory attempt to explain delinquency? 6. Testability: To what extent can the theory be tested—verified or disproved by research evidence? It is not enough for a theory simply to â€Å"make sense† by identifying key concepts and then offering propositions that explain how these concepts are related to delinquency.24 Rather, theories must be constructed in such a way that they can be subjected to research verification.25 7. Research validity: To what extent has the theory been supported by research evidence? 8. Applicability and usefulness: To what extent can the theory be applied practically? In other words, to what extent is the theory useful in policy and practice? These questions reflect key concerns in assessing theory. In the end, theory is the foundation for the accumulation of knowledge, and it is indispensable for an understanding of juvenile delinquency. However, theory must be tested through research. Together, theory and research constitute the two basic components of a scientific approach to juvenile delinquency. ââ€"   Purposes of Delinquency Research Delinquency research serves two vital purposes: to generate or develop theory, and to test theory.26 In Chapter 3, we discuss research methods and sources of data used in the study of delinquency. Here we briefly describe the two purposes of research as it relates to theory. Generating Theory Research is sometimes used to gain sufficient information about juvenile delinquency to theorize about it.27 Despite the old adage, â€Å"the data speak for themselves,† research findings about delinquency require interpretation, and it is this interpretation that yields theory. As a result, the development of theoretical | 9 10 | inductive theorizing The development of theory from research observations. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH explanations of delinquency requires a long, hard look at the â€Å"facts† of delinquency (repeated and consistent findings), in order to isolate and identify key concepts and then explain how these concepts are related to delinquent behavior. Along this line, Donald Shoemaker defines theory as â€Å"an attempt to make sense out of observations.†28 The difficult task of making theoretical sense of research observations is sometimes referred to as â€Å"grounded theory† or inductive theorizing. 29 In the process of inductive theorizing, research involves collecting data and making empirical observations, which are then used to develop theory. For example, Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck, whose work we discuss more fully in later chapters, spent their entire careers attempting to uncover the most important empirical findings about juvenile delinquency. They referred to their task as Unraveling Juvenile Delinquency—the title of their most important book.30 The Gluecks’ work was heavily criticized for being atheoretical, or without theory.31 Their research, however, was clearly directed at providing empirical observations that would allow for the development of a theoretical explanation of delinquency, even though they never developed such a theory.32 In recent years, their data and findings have become the basis for an important new theory called â€Å"life-course theory,† which we describe in Chapter 10. Testing Theory deductive theorizing The evaluation of theoretical statements through research. Research also provides the means to evaluate theory and to choose among alternative theories.33 In contrast to inductive theorizing, deductive theorizing begins with theoretical statements and then attempts to test the validity of theoretical predictions.34 As we already discussed, theories advance explanations of delinquency in which propositions identify certain concepts and describe how they are related to delinquent behavior. These theoretically predicted relationships can be tested through research and either verified or disproved. For example, one simple proposition of differential association theory (presented in Chapter 11) is that attitudes  favoring delinquency are learned in the context of â€Å"intimate personal groups.†35 The predicted relationship portrayed here is that youths develop attitudes from peer group relations, and delinquent behavior is then an expression of these attitudes: peer group relations âž  delinquent attitudes âž  delinquent behavior If research findings support the theoretical propositions tested, then the theory is verified or confirmed. If research findings are not consistent with the predicted relationships, then the theory is disproved. Different theories often offer different predictions. To continue with the previous example, differential association theory and social bond theory (presented in Chapter 10) provide competing predictions about the relationships between peers, attitudes, and delinquent behavior. In contrast to differential association theory, social bond theory contends that attitudes are largely a product of family relationships.36 Delinquent attitudes result in delinquent behavior. Associations with delinquent peers then follow from delinquent behavior as youths seek out friendships with others like themselves. The relationships predicted by social bond theory are as follows: The Study of Juvenile Delinquency delinquent attitudes âž  delinquent behavior âž  delinquent peer group As this brief example illustrates, theories have empirical implications, and one purpose of research is to enable scholars to choose among competing theories.37 The preceding discussion of the two purposes of delinquency research implies that the processes of inductive theorizing and deductive theorizing are completely distinct. The former is used to generate or develop theory; the latter is used to test theory. We must acknowledge, however, the complexity of the relationship between theory and research, and note that the distinction between the two purposes of research is not necessarily clear-cut. Even within the process of deductive theorizing, for example, an element of inductive theorizing exists. In deductive theorizing, researchers begin with theoretical predictions and then use empirical observations to test those propositions. The research results may lead to modification or refinement of the theory being tested. The latter part of this process, in which observations are interpreted and may result in a revised statement of theory, is consistent with the process of inductive theorizing. Although the relationship between theory and research is complex, it is clear that the development of theory and the performance of research go hand in hand.38 ââ€"   Summary and Conclusions The scientific study of juvenile delinquency attempts to describe and explain delinquent behavior through theory and research. Theory seeks to provide a systematic and logical argument that specifies what is important in causing delinquency and why. Like other scientific theories, theories of delinquency  are composed of concepts and propositions. It is necessary to assess the validity of theories, including those we apply to explain delinquency. We provided a series of questions that you can use to evaluate the theories of delinquency we present in later chapters. The second basic component of the scientific method is research. In relation to theory, research serves two purposes: to generate theory and to test theory. Research is sometimes used to gain sufficient information about juvenile delinquency so that it becomes possible to theorize about it. The development of theory from research observations is called inductive theorizing.39 Research is also used to evaluate or test theory in a process called deductive theorizing. As we noted earlier, the primary purpose of this book is to cultivate an understanding of juvenile delinquency by integrating theory and research. This chapter has offered an overview of the key elements of a scientific approach to juvenile delinquency, focusing especially on theory. We describe research methods in Chapter 3. With this basic understanding of theory and its relationship to research, we can begin our study of juvenile delinquency on solid ground. The first two sections of this book present criminologists’ efforts to define and describe juvenile delinquency, the third major section presents explanations of juvenile delinquency that have been offered in theory and tested in research, and the fourth section considers contemporary responses to delinquency. Throughout the book, we present theoretical explanations of delinquency together with the most relevant research that has tested those theories. | 11 12 CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS 1. Define theory without using the words â€Å"concept† or â€Å"proposition.† 2. Why does a scientific approach to juvenile delinquency depend on theory? 3. Develop your own example of inductive theorizing. Develop your own example of deductive theorizing. 4. As you read Rick’s story at the beginning of this chapter, what factors seemed most significant to you in considering why Rick engaged in delinquency? Why? SUGGESTED READING Gibbons, Don C. Talking About Crime and Criminals: Problems and Issues in Theory Development in Criminology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1994. GLOSSARY concepts: Isolated features of the world that are thought to be causally important. deductive theorizing: The evaluation of theoretical statements through research. inductive theorizing: The development of theory from research observations. juvenile delinquency: Actions that violate the law, committed by a person who is under the legal age of majority. level of explanation: The realm of explanation—individual, microsocial, or macrosocial—that corresponds to the types of concepts incorporated into theories. propositions: Theoretical statements that tell how concepts are related. theory: An explanation that makes a systematic and logical argument regarding what is important and why. theory of delinquency: A set of logically related propositions that explain why and how selected concepts are related to delinquent behavior. REFERENCES Akers, Ronald L. Criminological Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, and Application. 4th ed. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury, 2004. Babbie, Earl. The Practice of Social Research. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1998. Bohm, Robert M. A Primer on Crime and Delinquency Theory. 2nd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2001. Cloward, Richard A., and Lloyd E. Ohlin. Delinquency and Opportunity: A Theory of Delinquent Gangs. New York: Free Press, 1960. Cohen, Albert K. Delinquent Boys: The Culture of the Gang. New York: Free Press, 1955. ———. Deviance and Control. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1966. Cohen, Bernard P. Developing Sociological Knowledge: Theory and Method. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1980. 13 Curran, Daniel J., and Claire M. Renzetti. Theories of Crime. 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 2001. Gibbons, Don C. The Criminological Enterprise: Theories and Perspective. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1979. ———. Talking About Crime and Criminals: Problems and Issues in Theory Development in Criminology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1994. Gibbons, Don C., and Marvin D. Krohn. Delinquent Behavior. 5th ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1991. Gibbs, Jack P. â€Å"The State of Criminological Theory.† Criminology 25 (1987):821–840. Glaser, Barney, and Anselm L. Straus. The Discovery of Grounded Theory. Chicago, IL: Aldine, 1967. Glueck, Sheldon, and Eleanor Glueck. Unraveling Delinquency. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University, 1950. Hepburn, John R. â€Å"Testing Alternative Models of Delinquency Causation.† Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 67 (1976):450–460. Hirschi, Travis. Causes of Delinquency. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1969. Hirschi, Travis, and Hanan C. Selvin. Delinquency Research: An Appraisal of Analytic Methods. New York: Free Press, 1967. Jensen, Gary F â€Å"Parents, Peers, and Delinquent Action: A Test of the Differential Association Per. spective.† American Sociological Review 78 (1972):562–575. Laub, John H., and Robert J. Sampson. â€Å"The Sutherland–Glueck Debate: On the Sociology of Criminological Knowledge.† American Journal of Sociology 96 (1991):1402–1440. Sampson, Robert J., and John H. Laub. Crime in the Making: Pathways and Turning Points Through Life. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1993. Shaw, Clifford R., and Henry D. McKay. Juvenile Delinquency and Urban Areas: A Study of Rates of Delinquency in Relation to Differential Characteristics of Local Communities in American Cities. Rev. ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1969. Shoemaker, Donald J. Theories of Delinquency: An Examination of Explanations of Delinquent Behavior. 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Short, James F Jr. â€Å"The Level of Explanation Problem Revisited.† Criminology 36 (1998):3–36. ., Stark, Rodney. Sociology. 7th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1998. Stinchcombe, Arthur L. Constructing Social Theories. New York: Harcourt, Brace, and World, 1968. Sutherland, Edwin H., Donald R. Cressey, and David F Luckenbill. Principles of Criminology. 11th ed. . Dix Hills, NY: General Hall, 1992. Turner, Jonathan. The Structure of Sociological Theory. Rev. ed. Homewood, IL: Dorsey Press, 1978. Vold, George B., Thomas J. Bernard, and Jeffrey B. Snipes. Theoretical Criminology. 5th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. ENDNOTES 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Hirschi and Selvin, Delinquency Research, 66. Bohm, Primer, 1. Turner, Structure of Sociological Theory, 2–3. Bohm, Primer, 2. See Bernard P. Cohen, Developing Sociological Knowledge, 140–148, for a full discussion of concept definition. Vold, Bernard, and Snipes, Theoretical Criminology, 4. Bohm, Primer, 2. Glueck and Glueck, Unraveling Delinquency. Sutherland, Cressey, and Luckenbill, Principles of Criminology, 211–214; and Hirschi, Causes of Delinquency, 140–146. Stark, Sociology, 2; and Curran and Renzetti, Theories of Crime, 2. Short, â€Å"Level of Explanation.† Albert K. Cohen, Deviance and Control, 43; and Gibbons, Criminological Enterprise, 9. Sampson and Laub, Crime in the Making; Sutherland, Cressey, and Luckenbill, Principles of Criminology; and Short, â€Å"Level of Explanation.† Akers, Criminological Theories, 4–5. 14 14. Albert K. Cohen, Deviance and Control, 43; Gibbons, Criminological Enterprise, 9; and Akers, Criminological Theories, 4. 15. Shaw and McKay, Juvenile Delinquency; Albert K. Cohen, Delinquent Boys; and Cloward and Ohlin, Delinquency and Opportunity. 16. Short points out, in â€Å"The Level of Explanation Problem Revisited† (3), that the level of explanation corresponds to the unit of observation and the unit of analysis. 17. Our discussion of delinquency theory comprising concepts and propositions makes theory seem simple and straightforward. But we must admit that, among social scientists, â€Å"there is still no agreed-upon view of what theory is† (Bernard P. Cohen, Developing Sociological Knowledge, 170). See also Gibbs, â€Å"State of Criminological Theory.† 18. Drawn from Bernard P. Cohen, Developing Sociological Knowledge, 191–192. 19. Shoemaker, Theories of Delinquency, 9. 20. Akers, Criminological Theories, 6–7; and Shoemaker, Theories of Delinquency, 9. 21. Akers, Criminological Theories, 6–7; and Curran and Renzetti, Theories of Crime, 3. 22. Akers, Criminological Theories, 2–6. Renowned criminologist Edwin Sutherland defined criminology as the study of law making, law breaking, and law enforcement (Sutherland, Cressey, and Luckenbill, Principles of Criminology, 3). 23. Akers, Criminological Theories, 4. Gibbons (Talking About Crime, 9–11, 73–76) describes two key criminological questions: â€Å"Why do they do it?† and â€Å"the rates question.† The first question addresses â€Å"the origins and development of criminal acts and careers,† and the second question addresses â€Å"organizations, social systems, social structures, and cultures that produce different rates of behaviors of interest† (9). See also Gibbons, Criminological Enterprise, 9; Gibbons and Krohn, Delinquent Behavior, 85–86; and Short, â€Å"Level of Explanation,† 7. 24. Akers, Criminological Theories, 7. 25. Stinchcombe, Constructing Social Theories. 26. Bernard P. Cohen, Developing Sociological Knowledge, vii, 10; and Stark, Sociology, 3. 27. Stark, Sociology, 3. 28. Shoemaker, Theories of Delinquency, 7. 29. Glaser and Straus, Discovery of Grounded Theory; and Babbie, Practice of Social Research, 4, 60–64. 30. Glueck and Glueck, Unraveling Delinquency, 1950. 31. Gibbons and Krohn, Delinquent Behavior, 83–84. 32. Laub and Sampson, â€Å"Sutherland–Glueck Debate;† and Sampson and Laub, Crime in the Making. 33. Bernard P. Cohen, Developing Sociological Knowledge, 10. 34. Babbie, Practice of Social Research, 4. 35. Sutherland, Cressey, and Luckenbill, Principles of Criminology, 88–89. 36. Jensen, â€Å"Parents;† Hepburn, â€Å"Testing Alternative Models;† and Hirschi, Causes of Delinquency. 37. Stark, Sociology, 2; and Bernard P. Cohen, Developing Sociological Knowledge, 10. 38. Gibbons, Talking About Crime, 7. 39. Stark, Sociology, 3.

Elements of Crime and Intentional Tort Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Elements of Crime and Intentional Tort - Essay Example Trespass falls under the law of tort and it is aimed to protecting one's personal property. For one to succeed in an act of trespass to property, one has to establish that at the time of trespass, he had the possession of the goods either actual or constructive. Also he need to establish that his possession had been wrongfully interfered with or disturbed. 1 Trespass on chattels or goods whereby just like trespass to land, the action is based on possession. The tort consists of the interference with the goods which are in the actual possession of the plaintiff. The other category is detinue which is the wrongful withholding of the goods of another. It lies for the specific recovery of goods wrongfully detained from the possession of the person entitled to their possession. Before the plaintiff can institute proceedings in the case of detinue, there should be evidence on his part of having asked the defendant to return the goods to the plaintiff and of refusal to do so by the defendant. In Conversion, is where a person entitled to possession of goods can maintain an action for conversion against anyone acting inconsistently with the rights of his ownership. Thus a refusal to deliver goods is conversion even though no damage is caused to them. The cat of conversion is committed in the following circumstances: When the property is wrongly taken where the taking is not with the intention of acquiring full ownership of the property. When the properties are wrongly parted with when a person hands over property belonging to another without the permission of the owner. Thirdly, it is an act of conversion when goods are wrongly sold even if they are sold in good faith. When the properties are wrongly retained by another. Lastly is when the property is wrongly destroyed. 2 The above is the traditional definition of trespass to property together with its categories. Does the definition of trespass to personal property in your text differ from the California definition of trespass to computer services How The definition of traditional trespass to personal property differs with that one of California definition of trespass to computer services in the following ways; Whereas the traditional definition of trespass to property recognizes the actual physical interference of someone else's property, California definition of trespass to computer services is the crime that does not involve the actual physical interference of the property but theft of data and documentation, theft or disruption of computer services. Whereas the traditional definition of trespass normal protects a tangible property, the California law of trespass to computer services protects the creative ideas generated by a business. These are business intellectual properties that happen to be the most important aspect in a business as they are the strategic competitive weapons. If these intellectual properties are not protected, then the ideas of the company can be used by others

Parenting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Parenting - Essay Example This paper briefly analyses the importance of parenting. According to Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint, "Most children need their parents' help and encouragement to discover the satisfaction of using their own imaginations" (Thoughts for Today). Psychological development of children is as important as the physical development. Many parents- even the educated parents- concentrate more on the physical development of the children and give less importance to the psychological or emotional development. Such parents believe that their duty remains only in giving proper food, clothing and shelter to the children till they become adults. In fact parents’ love, care and attention are more important to the children than the food or other physical things. Growing children do not know how to adapt with its surrounding. He will look suspiciously or anxiously at all new things which may catch his attention. The presence of parents and their advice will help the children in dealing with new situations more comfortably. â€Å"Some parents believe that if they've spent an hour of "quality" time with their children, they've done enough. This hour is usually focused on an enjoyable activity: watching TV going out to eat, going to the movies, etc† (Parenting Tips: Giving Your Children the Gift of Time). Many of the mothers are professionals and they get less time to spend with their children. Infants and children often forced to spend their majority time in the day care centers with nannies rather than mothers. The services of nannies can never be considered as the substitute of mother’s services to a child. In order to compensate for the less time spent with the children; some working mothers have the habit of spending an hour with the children when they come back their home. They are of the false belief that spending an hour as a friend with their children is enough for the proper development of their children. Children need the services of parents rather than friends . If parents give the services of peers, from where the children will get the services of parents? â€Å"Suffice it to say that guilty parenting overcompensates and causes children to view themselves as victims. This happens because children model our behavior and point their fingers at the parent who points the finger at himself† (Parenting Tips: Giving Your Children the Gift of Time). Parents who failed to spend adequate time with their children often try to give more love and care to their children when they get opportunities to spend time with their children. This overcompensation usually do harm to the children rather than goods. Over activities of parents will increase the children’s desire for the presence of their parents further and further. Failure to spend increased time with parents will develop the feeling of victimization among children. According to Frank A. Clark, â€Å"The most important thing that parents can teach their children is how to get along without them† (Parenting Quotes). Making the children self sufficient to meet the realities in life is the core of good parenting. Parents are the first teachers in a child’s life. They consider their parents as the role models in their life. Whatever the things they learned from the parents or family will often reflect in their behavior in society. Society or schools can do little in the molding of children when we compare the roles parents can

How firms gain competitive advantage in the changing business dynamics Essay

How firms gain competitive advantage in the changing business dynamics - Essay Example The intention of this study is the change management that has increasingly become key element of competitive advantage for the business organizations in the current environment of volatility and rapidly transforming socio-economic and political imperatives. The need to identify the drivers of change and incorporating the same within the business strategies by organizational leadership has become top priority for mot only to succeed but also to survive. The five authors discussed in the paper believe that changes are good for the firms and firms which have flexible approach are better able to absorb changes and surge ahead of others. In the highly competitive market, firms need to leverage their competencies for competitive advantage. The various modules and mechanisms of evaluating and analyzing the performance metrics become highly critical factors for success of the firm. The internal and external exigencies influence the performance of the firms and therefore need to be analyzed, evaluated and exploited for gaining leverage against their rivals in the industry. Indeed, the firms survive or fail in the competitive market mainly because they either unable to anticipate changes in the environment or failed to exploit the opportunities that were offered by the changes to survive and gain competitive edge. The visionary outlook of the leadership and the innovative approach of the firms are vital inputs that facilitate and create opportunities to maintain their niche market position. The paper would primarily be evaluating the works of five authors who have introduced radical concepts in the business strategies to cope with the environmental changes.... The paper would primarily be evaluating the works of five authors who have introduced radical concepts in the business strategies to cope with the environmental changes. Section 1 What is change and how companies cope with changes Change is inevitable and irreversible process that provokes reaction and forces people out of their comfort zone. Most importantly, impact of change becomes most visible when it is viewed adversely. Bateman and Zaithaml (1990) stress that organizations need to change because the environment within which they operate is constantly changing. The organizational leadership therefore becomes the vital ingredient that prepares and motivates people to become flexible. It not only helps them to adopt changes but also to look for opportunities in contextual changes which can be exploited for improving their productivity and outcome. As the following authors assert, changes become enabling factors when they are explored for opportunities. Indeed, the authors have dif ferent perspective on change and change management. Change management has become a critical issue for firms. They emphasize that it helps them to understand, anticipate, evaluate and analyze changes to identify the drivers of change and explore opportunities for exploiting them. They believe that changes are good for the firms and firms which have flexible approach are better able to absorb changes and surge ahead of others. Some of the mechanisms that are evolved to cope with changes are: fostering business alliances; using technology; thinking out of the box; being innovative through new development and R&D; creating learning environment; exploiting human

Government intervention in the market for raisins Assignment

Government intervention in the market for raisins - Assignment Example Producers of specialty crops like raisin in California structured themselves into marketing associations. This essay paper will look into the broad subject relating with marketing orders, and narrow down into marketing order for raisins in the US. Discussion In 1949, following twenty years of ceaseless agitation, discouragement, bitter struggle, pools, forced combinations and raisin exchanges, raisin growers from California voted to come up with a federal marketing order based on the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1937. Critical components of this marketing order have brought a number of economic impacts, a program of price discrimination and a program of supply control. The Agriculture Secretary, in line with the provisions of the law, issues and carries out amendments on the same from time to time. Such orders are intended to regulate handling of specified agricultural commodities in line with the legal framework in place (Clary 23). A board that consists of growers and packers, cal led Raisin Administrative Committee (RAC) is bestowed with the mandate of watching over the marketing order. RAC is a federal marketing order which is led by packers, 47 growers and a public member. This authority is directly supervised by the United States Department of Agriculture which was established in 1949 due to the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937. ... isin growers have brought complaint regarding Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 which empowers government to confiscate some portion of the yearly raisin crop, the initiative which, for instance, saw 47% being confiscated in 2003 and 30% in 2004. Farmers who don’t cooperate in surrendering their raisins are penalized. The amount that should be surrendered to the government is based on the annual production volume and other factors like production by competing countries. Taxpayers are not left out in analysis of the potential effects of this surrender. The surrender minimizes the available share of raisin supply which in return causes the consumers of the product to buy it at higher prices. RAC does not pay any consideration to farmers upon expropriations. Actually much of the raisin is given away and others sold for export at low prices. It is only after it has covered its costs that the remaining profits, if any, are given to the farmers. Farmers who disregard this marketing order are fined. Raisin is not the only fruit that is federally regulated. In total, close to thirty products are subject to the ‘marketing orders’, overseeing of which is conducted by the Department of Agriculture. In other products like milk, the system of Federal Milk Marketing Order does set the lowest prices for milk and milk products. Farmers, if they were given an opportunity, would vote in abolishment of the marketing order rule. It is plain that the pronouncements of this rule have economically affected them. It is rational to produce more and reap more from the same but if the rule denies farmers of reaping what they have produced and unfairly handing the same to government, which is seen as wasteful decision (Agriculture.). On the other hand, farmers can still vote for

Race and Race Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Race and Race Theory - Essay Example It is also difficult to determine what characteristics of human beings need to be considered for racial discrimination. The concept of categorizing human beings according to their blood and kinship is a newer theory. Towards the end of the Middle Age, this concept took concrete form when anti-Jewish feelings were evolved as a manner to express resentment towards the religious beliefs of the Jewish community. These kinds of antagonism towards Jewish blood and kinship paved the reasons for hatred towards a community instead of an individual. Baptism among the Jews caused threat to the Christian community as the former could not prove their purity of blood to the Inquisition. The concept of racism had its roots in the Mediterranean slave trade during the Middle Ages when the Western world equated the blacks with slavery. In the modern time the concept of distinguishing human beings based on social, physical and intellectual features has proved to be unsound. This notion has generated fo r ages and is more specifically a social and historical process. Race cannot be confined to the physical or biological traits cultivated by an individual. The genetic inheritance of human beings that contribute towards those traits does not form the concept of â€Å"race†. ... There is a continuous inclination to regard race as an essence that is concrete and objective. There is also a contrasting view of the non-racist society that race is merely an illusion created purely by some ideologists. It was with the growth of political economy in the global arena and the advent of seaborne empire that race began to take a concrete shape. During economic crisis it is often the ethnic minorities who endure discriminations in the labour market. They even have limited access to proper education and health care facilities and this happens even during economic well-being although to a lesser extent. Although racial prejudices exist all over the world, the racial discrimination of human beings was originated by the Europeans. The era of European imperialism suggested that only those people belonging to the highest social rankings must govern the earth and it is they who should get access to all kinds of facilities for their development. It is however not correct to sta te that the European’s attainment of imperialism gave rise to race, but on the contrary it can be stated that race has created sociopolitical discriminations and has shaped the international economy: â€Å"this is not to say that the European attainment of imperial and world-encompassing power gave rise to race. Indeed it is just as easy to argue the opposite: that the modern concept of race gave rise to, or at least facilitated the creation of, an integrated sociopolitical world, a modem authoritarian state, the structures of an international economy, and the emergence over time of a global culture† (Winant, 172). What I find interesting about the article is that it discusses about the theoretical elements of race with the advent of the twenty first

Annotated Bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example In so much, the authors of this particular article present a well-balanced approach to the topic that is been exhaustively studied and analyzed by a variety of different scholars of the past decade. In determining the way in which future actions with regards to technology should take place, an understanding of the key relationship between the human and his/her prosthetic is a vital component which must be understood prior to any informed level of understanding or ideals concerning future dynamics taking place. Gentile, Douglas A., Sarah M. Coyne, and Francesco Bricolo. "Pathological Technology Addictions: What Is Scientifically Known And What Remains To Be Learned." The Oxford handbook of media psychology. 382-402. New York, NY US: Oxford University Press, 2013. PsycINFO. Web. 4 July 2013. ... c to individuals with genetic markers, the given research article promotes the understanding that a predisposition to technological addiction may exist within a certain subset of the society as well. This is an important understanding to integrate with due to the fact that the broad majority of the research which is been conducted on this particular topic seeks to approach the issue from something of a one dimensional aspect. However, once the researcher is able to delineate and understand the fact that not each and every individual within society will be impacted upon the same level with regards technological addiction, and more fair and balanced approach to understanding this particular topic is able to be engaged. Hodis, Monica A., and Gordon C. Bruner II. "Technology Addiction: An Exploratory Study Of The Negative Impact Of Technology On Consumer Welfare." Advances In Consumer Research 36.(2009): 840-842. Business Source Complete. Web. 4 July 2013. Although technological addictio n has an impact upon each and every aspect of an individual’s life, it is oftentimes the case that technological addiction, within the realm of scholarship and research is only understood through the context of psychology and/or sociology. Although true that these two aspects are perhaps the most important means of integrating an understanding of this particular topic, it should also be noted that key understandings and applicable approaches within the realm of business also exist. Within the early stages of technological proliferation within the world, but a few decades ago, marketers and businesses sought desperately to integrate with consumers via this new medium. However, this particular article discusses the means by which technological overdependence is not only harmful to the

Netflix Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Netflix Analysis - Case Study Example On the basis of this an overview of analysis tools has been discussed such as the 3C’s, STP and the 4 P’s. The 3 C’s model is used to provide an overview of the company. Based on this overview the market conditions can be assessed which help the managers in forming strategies for the company. Based on this the company can rectify its weaknesses and progress towards success. Company: Netflix is a DVD rental and online streaming business. The services offered by the company are in a combined form and these have attracted the customers. The services of the company are slow but once the videos are acquired then the services and facilities which are offered are unmatchable and incomparable. Customers: For the success of the business, the needs and requirements of the customer are important and therefore they should be assessed. The company has faced losses when a new strategy of separating both the practices was introduced. This also increased the subscription charges of the company. Competitors: The business faces competition from products like Apple iTunes, Amazon video on demand (VOD), Google TV and YouTube and others. All these provide similar services and have benefited highly from the splitting decision of the company (Dau, and Wesley). Segmentation: In this process the company will identify the segment which will be interested most with availing the services of the company. The company has segments its consumers in order to market them in a better way. by segmenting consumers, the company can do well in the market. Targeting: Finding the most appropriate segment and finding the factors which will satisfy these individuals most must be assessed. On the basis of this all the price and the product related strategies are formed. By targeting different segments in a different way, the company can get better results. Positioning: In this segment the appropriate industry is

The property market at world level ( credit crunch affected ) and How Essay

The property market at world level ( credit crunch affected ) and How this goes for Hong Kong market - Essay Example Thus the impact of this is far reaching and can provide insight into the future of Hong Kong’s property market as well as its overall financial infrastructure and how they can be affected. The reason for choosing this topic is therefore to study as to how this credit crunch will affect the world markets in general as well as Hong Kong Market in particular. Current credit crunch is largely perceived as the main reason behind the collapse of the property market in international system. The reason as to why credit crunch resulted into the collapse of the property market can be traced back to the subprime mortgage crises which emerged due to the imprudent lending practices of the bank. By definition, a subprime borrower is a borrower whose credit has not been entirely satisfactory due to historical defaults on payments against loans taken. (Budworth,2009). However, such borrowers offer more lucrative options for the banks and financial institutions to lend because of their higher risk. High risk borrowers are often charged high rates therefore there is always a chance to earn high on such relationships. Based on this simple principle of risk and return banks and financial institutions started to lend to their subprime borrowers especially in mortgage markets. However, banks and other financial institutions, at the same time, also started the process of securitization through which the mortgage portfolio held as security with the bank were bundled and securities were sold out against such collaterals in the open market. The basic purpose was to recoup the liquidity lost in making the loans to subprime borrowers. Crises in property markets started to emerge when subprime borrowers started to default on their commitments and as such banks have to pay out to the holders of mortgage backed securities through other means as with the default of the borrowers a mismatch in cash flows were created. The

Rhetorical Analysis compare Essay Example for Free

Rhetorical Analysis compare Essay This is a rhetorical essay comparing, Looking At Women, written by Scott Russell Sanders; and What Is A Homosexual?, Written by Andrew Sullivan. These two essays describe in detail how children are growing up and knowing at an early age that they are either heterosexual or homosexual. When comparing these two essays both boys are going through puberty, watching their body change and develop. Mr. Sanders essay is about boys learning when they are attracted to girls, usually its around the time they are going through puberty; while Mr. Sullivan essay is about when boys learn that they are attracted to boys. This also was when the boy went through puberty. Looking At Women is about when a boy realizes his body and mind are changing towards girls, and realizes his attraction toward girls. When you can look at a girl, and realize it is the opposite sex. Mr. Sanders talks about how should the male figure look at the female when they display their body with little to no clothing. He goes on to explain that its natural for us to look at the opposite sex. We as humans are curious in the opposite sex, so our eyes naturally wander and look. Upon reading these essays I realized we all go through puberty and that is basically when we find ourselves. Our wants and desires for either the same or the opposite sex. Having said that, what if you were not attracted to the opposite sex, but were attracted to the same sex. What Is A Homosexual is a persuasive essay about gay adolescents realizing they are attracted to the same sex at an early age. Mr. Sullivan realizes his attraction to the same sex after he went through puberty as the boy in Mr. Sanders essay noticing his attractions to girls. Both boys have to control their desires to look at either the opposite sex or the same sex. I realized that both boys are going through similar situations under different circumstances. While the  homosexual cant not be caught looking at another male while dressing in the locker room. But, the heterosexual can look at the opposite sex and want be picked on. In todays society the clothes for girls has changed sense I was a preteen and going through puberty. The preteens now wear little clothing as possible to show off their developing figure into a woman. This will attract the eyes of the young male thats also going through puberty, and doesnt want to be caught staring at the developing young female. This is also similar to the young boy that is having homosexual thoughts in the locker room. He has to control his action of staring at his same sex friend that has change over the summer from puberty. Both the boys are going through similar situations, one is with the same sex while the other is the opposite sex, finding sexual attraction and the urge to look and their desires for the other person. While Looking At Women and What Is A Homosexual seem very different, they are quite similar. The boys are going through the same body changes and realizing the attraction to either girls or guys. The boys are sorting out their desires on how to look at the other person weather its the opposite sex or the same. Interesting enough the boys learn to control their wandering eyes, and when its appropriate to look at either gender.

Management of Patient With Vestibular Neuronitis (VN)

Management of Patient With Vestibular Neuronitis (VN) Stephen Chiang (21209166) Rural GP Case 2GP CLINIC Presenting complaint TW is a 22 year old woman who was presented with a 3 day history of dizziness and light-headedness. History of presenting complaint Patient first experienced dizziness and light-headedness after returning from her holiday in Sydney. History of viral URTI 4 weeks ago which has been resolved. Describes the dizziness as â€Å"walking on air† and feeling unstable on her feet. Patient denies any sensation of vertigo – â€Å"head spinning† or â€Å"everything spinning†. Associated with a right- sided headache that worsens the day after. Also associated with nausea, malaise and myalgia. Denies any vomiting. Symptoms are exacerbated by changing position – getting out from bed and standing up from sitting position. Relieved by resting in a dark, quiet room. Patient denies any visual symptoms (flashes), tinnitus or deafness. No recent head injury or ingestion of any drugs – alcohol marijuana Pt went to see a physiotherapist ?vertigo but no abnormalities was detected by the physiotherapist. No nystagmus. Patient admits dizziness improved slightly with the hall-pike manoeuvre. Past Medical History Nil Medications Estelle-35 ED tablets2mg/35mcgdaily No known drug allergies Family History Nil remarkable Social History TW works as a hair stylist. Lives with her parents and siblings. Non-smoker and occasional ETOH consumption 2-3 standard drinks a week. Diet consists of take outs and fast food. Moderate physical activities. Examinations Pleasant looking young woman. Not in any obvious pain or distress. Vitals – BP 118/80, HR 80, RR 18, afebrile, no signs of anaemia. ENT – NAD on otoscope examination, no redness, swelling or discharge. Weber and Rinne test grossly intact. Optic – visual acuity 6/6 on L and R eye. No evidence of nystagmus on examination. Cardiovascular – Dual heart sound noted, nil added. No postural drop of blood pressure. Cranial nerves – olfactory sensation intact. Visual field and pupillary light reflex normal. Nil ptosis, diplopia and good accommodation. Light touch on the cheeks and forehead grossly intact. Power of muscle of mastication 5/5. Facial nerve intact and NAD. No deviations and fasciculation of tongue and uvula. Accessory muscles 5/5. Cerebellum – Normal gait, good coordination, negative dysdiadochokinesia and negative rhomberg test. Normal reflexes and no past pointing. Negative Hallpike manoeuvre. Investigations Ordered Nil Murtagh’s Diagnostic Model Management Plan 1. Viral vestibular neuronitis Reassurance and careful explanation to patient about nature of disease. Symptomatic treatment of nausea, prochlorperazine prescribed. Supportive treatment at home, bed rest and special vestibular exercises – explained by GP. Avoid movement or position that exacerbates symptoms. Return to GP if no resolution of symptoms. Follow up Patient did not represent to GP practice during my placement. Preventative Health Activities 1. Nutrition – education and advice on healthy diet plan 2. Alcohol – education on appropriate alcohol intake, early recognition or drinking problem 3. Sexual health – education for prevention of sexually transmitted infection and contraception. 4. Physical activity – encourage importance of physical activities. Clinical Evidence Base In the management of patient with vestibular neuronitis (VN), is the usage of pharmacological treatment (glucocorticoid) more effective in terms of recovery compared to supportive treatment alone. Vestibular neuronitis is defined as the dysfunction of the peripheral vestibular system with associated vertigo, nausea and vomiting.5 Hearing symptoms such as deafness and tinnitus are rarely associated with vestibular neuronitis.3 Up to today, the cause of vestibular neuronitis remains unknown hence, the main treatment options remain unclear limiting it to corticosteroids, antiviral therapy and vestibular exercises.1,4 The OneSearch UWA library database was searched and keywords used were â€Å"acute†, â€Å"vestibular neuronitis†, â€Å"corticosteroid†, â€Å"conservative treatment† and â€Å"head manoeuvre†. Other related terms were also included in the search. One study was identified, â€Å"Corticosteroid and vestibular exercises in vestibular neuronitis† by John K. Goudakos, MSc; Konstantinos D. Markou, George Psillas, Victor Vital, Miltiadis Tsaligopoulos.1 The study is single-blind randomised clinical trial measuring the recovery of 40 patients with vestibular neuronitis by using vestibular exercises vs corticosteroid at 1, 6 and 12 months.1 The 40 patients were randomised into 2 groups where one received corticosteroid therapy and the other underwent vestibular exercises for 3 weeks.1 Recovery was measured by monitoring the scores on the European Evaluation of Vertigo scale (EEV), Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs).1 Patient included in the study were: Aged 18-80 presenting with history of acute onset associated with vertigo, nausea, vomiting, postural imbalance, no hearing loss, no central lesion on neurological examination, horizontal nystagmus with rotational component, ipsilateral deficit on the head thrust test and unilateral reduced calorie response on the electronystagmography(ENG).1 Patient excluded from the study were: glaucoma, recent infection, signs of central vestibular dysfunction, history of chronic vestibular dysfunction, hearing loss and patients that are contraindicated for steroid use.1 Results: At 1 month, the EEV in both group showed an improvement with a score of 3.75 in the vestibular exercise group and 4.17 in the corticosteroid group. However (P>0.05) hence there is not significant difference between the two groups.1 At the 6 months follow up, 35% of the patient in the corticosteroid group had a complete disease resolution compared to 5% in the vestibular exercise group, (P1 At the 12 months follow up for disease resolution, 50% of patient in the corticosteroid group showed complete disease resolution and 45% of the patient in the vestibular exercise group showed disease resolution however (P>0.05) hence there was no significant difference.1 Strength and Weaknesses This study is level II based on the NHMRC. Methods of measuring outcome were clearly explained. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were well defined. Single-blinded study. No statistically significant difference in age, sex and disease onset between both groups. Small sample size of 40 patients. Method of randomisation was not defined, may include bias. Measurement of recovery did not include other factors. Tools of measurement such as VEMPs are good for diagnostic clarification but not measurement of disease. Measurement did not include clinical improvement. Application – This study showed that there is a quicker resolution of vestibular neuronitis in the short term within 6 months of corticosteroid therapy. However in the long term follow up, (12 months) the efficacy of corticosteroid therapy is similar to vestibular exercises. Further studies should be performed combining vestibular exercises with corticosteroid therapy with a larger sample size to measure efficacy. In this case, my GP did not offer corticosteroid therapy to the patient but educated the patient on vestibular exercises which corresponds to the finding above because corticosteroid therapy does not offer additional long term benefits. References 1. John K. Goudakos, MD, MSc; Konstantinos D. Markou, MD, PhD; George Psillas, MD, PhD; Victor Vital, MD, PhD; Miltiadis Tsaligopoulos, MD, PhD. Corticosteroids and Vestibular Exercises in Vestibular Neuritis Single-blind Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck SurgeryPublished online March 6, 2014.; 140(5) pages 434-440 2. Mikael L.-Ã…. Karlberg and Mà ¥ns Magnusson. Treatment of Acute Vestibular Neuronitis With Glucocorticoids.Otology Neurotology2011; 32 pages 1140-1143 3. Keith A Marill, MD.Vestibular Neuronitis. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/794489-overview#a5 (accessed 18 June 2015) 4. John Murtagh AM.Murtaghs General Practise, Fifth edition ed. Published in Australia: McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd; This fifth edition published 2011 5. John C. Goddard MD and Jose N. Fayad MD. Vestibular Neuritis.Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America2011; 44(2)pages 361-365

Analysis of Solubility and Forming Microemulsions

Analysis of Solubility and Forming Microemulsions Chapter 5 Materials and methods to study  formulation models 5.1. Materials Oils and Surfactants: Ethyl Oleate obtained from Sigma-Aldrich; FK-Sunflower Oil obtained from Fresenius Kabi; FK-MCT Oil obtained from Fresenius Kabi; Miglyol 840 obtained from Sasol; Tween 80 viscous liquid obtained from Sigma-Aldrich; Labrasol obtained from Gattefossà ©; Model API. Devices: Sartorius, Scale Extend, Model ED2245; IKA RET basic, magnetic stirrer; Thermo Electron Corporation, HERAEUS Pico17 centrifuge; UV-spectrophotometer, Eppendorf BioSpectrometer, Kinetic. Other Equipment: Magnetic stir bars; Disposable plastic eppis, Eppendorf, with volume 1.5ml; Disposable plastic cuvettes, Plastibrand, 1.5ml semimicro (12.5 x 12.5 x 45mm); Disposable plastic pipettes, Eppendorf 3ml; Metal spatulas; Glass beakers; Glass bottles with lids; Disposable latex gloves; Protective glasses, shoes and lab coat. Specialized software: Origin Pro 8, by OriginLab Corporation. 5.2. Solubility tests To evaluate which oils and surfactants present better results at forming microemulsions, we pre-selected four different oils and two different surfactants to perform solubility tests with our model API. The oils tested were Ethyl Oleate, FK-Sunflower Oil, FK-MCT Oil, and Miglyol 840. Moreover, the surfactants used were Tween 80 viscous liquid and Labrasol. As shown in Fig. 1 solubility tests were performed using the following method: Firstly, an excessive amount of our API was added with a metal spatula to a concentrate (oil, surfactant or mixture). The chemicals were precisely weighed, and the resulting suspension was mixed, at room temperature, for 16h at 480rpm, at 21 ºC, on the magnetic stirrer. Secondly, the resulting mixed suspension was transferred to disposable plastic eppis and centrifuged at 10000 g for 10min. Thirdly, a new dilution was prepared using the supernatant that resulted from centrifugation. This new dilution must be much less concentrated in order to be measured by UV-Spectrometry. Lastly, the dilution was taken for analytics in a UV-spectrophotometer, where the absorbance values were measured at 425nm, using disposable plastic cuvettes. Other materials used during the procedure were disposable plastic pipettes, small glass beakers and small glass bottles with lids. The method was repeated three times for each oil, surfactant and mixture stock solution. The dilutions were also repeated three times for higher accuracy in the results. Fig. 1. Scheme showing the solubility test procedure. In order to analyze the data, the maximum values of diluted API in the concentrate were calculated from a calibration line for each of the mixtures (API + concentrate) being tested. The UV-spectrometry measurements were repeated three times for more accurate results. 4.3. Emulsifying capacity evaluation by PDMPD method In the second phase of our formulations study, we wanted to evaluate emulsifying capacity. We used the Phase Diagram by Micro Plate Dilution (PDMPD) method that consists in gradually diluting the oil phase with the water phase in a microtitre plate. The PDMPD method is an efficient and innovative approach that allows time and material savings while creating pseudo ternary phase diagrams for microemulsions and nanoemulsions. Compared with the traditional titration method (drop method), the PDMPD method enables a more exact status description of mixtures in pseudo ternary diagrams. It offers as well the possibility of examining the dilution stages simultaneously on just one microplate (Schmidts et al., 2009). Microemulsion assays consisting of a water phase, an oil phase, and a surfactant phase were prepared on microtiter plates (96 wells) as shown in Fig. 1 and described by Maeder, U., et. al in â€Å"Hardware and software system for automatic microemulsion assay evaluation by analysis of optical properties† (2010) with slight modifications. Fig.1. Filling scheme for the microtiter plates. Inside each well, the upper value corresponds to the water phase and the bottom value to the oil plus surfactant phase. The preparation is described bellow: Firstly, the mixtures of oil and surfactants were prepared by weighing (Sartorius, Scale Extend, model ED2245), adding, and magnetically stirring the chosen oil and surfactant. The magnetic stirring process is done using the IKA RET basic, magnetic stirrer, at speed 480rpm, for one hour, at 21 ºC. To evaluate the five different ratios between one oil and one surfactant five different mixtures were prepared, as shown in Table 1. In total 20 mixtures were tested to assess the following mixtures: Tween80+EO; Tween80+MCT; Tween80+Mig840 and Tween80+(MCT,EO). For more accurate results, each was prepared and tested three times making a total of sixty mixtures made. Oil 1 Phase % Surfactant 1 Phase % Mixture 1 50 50 Mixture 2 40 60 Mixture 3 30 70 Mixture 4 20 80 Mixture 5 10 90 Table 1. Oil1/Surfactant1 mixing ratios Secondly, the wells were filled in two steps: In the first phase, starting in A1 and finishing in D4 the mixture is gradually loaded in the wells using a Pipette Research Plus, 200 µl, and disposable plastic pipette tips, Eppendorf, 200 µl. The filling process must be done with care to avoid air bubbles, which is especially hard with the more viscous oils. If air bubbles are present, the plate is not valid for the study and must be thrown away. In the second step, the aqueous phase is added, starting at D5 with 200ÃŽ ¼l up to A2 with 5ÃŽ ¼l. The microtitre plates used were Thermo Scientific* Nunc Flat Bottom 96-well polystyrene transparent plates with lids, 350 µl/well. The wells E1 to H5 of the same plate were loaded following the same procedure, but with a different mixture (different ratio of the surfactant and oil phase). Following this scheme, two fixed surfactant/oil-ratios can be placed on every plate. Table 2, below, illustrates the distribution. Plates Wells Content 1 A1-D5 Mixture 1 + Water 1 E1-H5 Mixture 2 + Water 2 A1-D5 Mixture 3 + Water 2 E1-H5 Mixture 4 + Water 3 A1-D5 Mixture 5 + Water Table 2. Mixtures distribution by plates Finally, the plates were sealed with their respective lids and were set in a Biometra, Rocking Platform, model WT15, for 16h, at maximum speed, with controlled temperature of 21 ºC. At the end of the 16h, the plates were scanned using a RICOH Aficio, scanner, model MP-C2551 with a pre-prepared marked lid. Each plate was repeated a minimum of three times and in different days. From the analysis of the several repetitions, it was determined which combinations resulted in the formation of microemulsion. This study consisted of observing the scans and attributing a 0 when a well showed turbidity and a 1 when was transparent, and it was possible to see clearly the marked dot on the bottom of the well. Two observers did this analysis and the results were crossed checked. When the sum of the three test was 2 or 3, the preparation was considered an emulsion. When the sum was 0 or 1, it was not considered an emulsion as depicted in Table 3. Table 3. Determination of emulsifying capacity of wells A1-A7 of plates 16, 21 and 25 containing a mixture of Tween80% and Mig840 (1:1). After the determination of emulsifying capacity phase diagrams were built. The software used was Origin Pro 8, by OriginLab Corporation. Fig. 2 shows one of the phase diagrams built. Each red point represents an emulsion formulation identified and each white point a non-emulsion. For each line in the diagram 3 plates were prepared and analyzed. Fig. 2 Phase diagram To develop this method, several pre-tests were made in different conditions. In the first experimental setup the vortex was used to shake 2 overlying plates, as shown on Fig.3, at speeds 3, 2 and 1 and then one single plate at speeds 3, 2 and 1, for 16h. These pre-tests showed unrepeatable results and spilling. Therefore, the method was changed: the vortex was substituted by the rocking platform. Different time periods were also pre-tested. Testing plates were set on the rocking platform for 8h, 9h, 16h, 18h, 20h and 22h. The chosen mixing time was 16h as it was the minimum length time tested for which reproducible results were observed, i.e., 18h, 20h and 22h showed the same results as 16h mixing on the Rocket Platform. Fig. 3 – abandoned experimental setup using vortex and two overlying plates

Gene Therapy Essay -- Genetic Engineering

Gene Therapy Parents can now pick a kid’s sex and screen for genetic illness. Will they someday select brains and beauty too? In the ever- advancing technological world, scientists discover new and efficient ways to advance society each and every single day. Imagine being able to choose your child’s body type, or personality, or IQ. It is not as farfetched as it sounds. It’s a process called â€Å"Gene Therapy†, and is being perfected right now. This process rules out any unknown’s in childbirth. It will not only allow us to determine the child’s sex, but also his future. In natural child conception, the mother provides the the two X chromosomes and the father provides the X and Y chromosomes. The balance of genetic make up is determined by the father since he is the only one that has the diversity of genes. With all this, the genetic combinations are completely random, allowing much room for fault. With science controlling the joining of such chromosomes, many of the fatal or physically impairing infant diseases will disappear. Scientist’ say they can pick out disease causing genes in the pre-natal stage before they grow. Controlling infant disease is only one aspect of the new technology. Determining a child’s sex is also under discussion. As a very controversial topic, determining a child’s sex will also reflect on society’s views of gender rolls in the world today. Many societies value men over women immensely, so will this reflect on the diversity...

Emily Dickinson :: essays research papers

Emily Dickinson The year 1830 is a crucial date in English history. You see, this is the year that one of the most influential poets in the world was born. Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, an old fashioned Puritan town. Rarely did she go outside to meet strangers or walk in the garden. Emily felt uncomfortable outside of her house and even if she did travel, it wasn't for more than one hour. She was greatly impacted by her father, who was a lawyer, politician, and treasurer of Amherst College. The turning point in Emily's life occurred while she was on a business trip in Washington D.C. with her father. There, Emily met a Presbyterian Minister. Soon enough, she deeply fell in love with this man , whose name was Charlies Wadsworth. Even though the two were acquaintances, Emily felt a bond between herself and the much older and already married minister. However, although Charles was kind to her, he did not return her love. Eight years later, in1862, Charlies left for San Francisco, Calafornia with his family. It was about this time that Emily totally secluded herself from the world and started what would be world famous poems throughout the future . She adopted her ideas on poetry from her personal life, her fondness of nature, death, and her dislike of organized religion. War is occasionally pulled into Emily's poems also. Emily seemed truly concerned over happenings in her personal life. So she mainly focused her writings on the loss of her lover. In "I Never Saw A Moor," she describes things that she had never seen or experienced before but she knows what they are about. Here, Emily is trying to express herself on why she thinks Charles left her. She is desperately searching for answers. Emily attempted to teach others a lesson when she wrote "Tell All The Turth, But Tell It Slant." In this work, she wishes that Charles had given her a reason why he left so abruptly. She is stressing that people should tell all the truth, but lay it down easily so it does not cause strife. "Heart! We Will Forget Him!" Explains her feelings that she still has for Charles. However, she strived to put memories of Charles behind her and to move on in life. Emily hoped to see her lost love in eternity sometime. On the other hand, her love for Charles was not the only thing that she wrote about. "The Spider Holds A Silver Ball" explains why we should admire a spider's web. A spider took an excessive amount of time to build the silver