Candidate Performance Evidence Record For Holistic Assessment Essay

Understand the importance of speech, language and communication for children’s overall development. Explain each of these terms: Speech: Communication via verbal means. The art of expressing or describing thoughts, feelings or perceptions by the articulation of words. Language: Communication of thoughts and feelings through systematic signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols. Communication: To communicate is to be able to convey thoughts, information or feelings using signals, speech, body language, or by the written word. Speech, language and communication needs: A child who is diagnosed with a SLCN is experiencing a communication breakdown due to a difficulty with one or more of the different elements of speech, language or communication. This may be a minor, temporary or a long-term difficulty, which requires extra assistance to support the child’s development needs. Explain how speech, language and communication skills support each of the following areas in children’s development: Learning, Speech and language skills allows a child to communicate and develop their skills. This enables them to participate in activities and allows them to share their opinions and develop their own ideas. Emotional, Speech and language skills enables a child to communicate how they’re feeling effectively. This helps towards their own social development and it also enables them to convey their emotions in a more socially accepted way. Behaviour, speech and language skills enable a child to learn and understand boundaries and limits. This encourages a child to learn to behave in an appropriate and acceptable way. Social, Speech, language and communication skills support social development as a child can start to recognise how others feel by watching their body language and listening to what they say and learn to adjust their behaviour accordingly. Children also start to understand social codes and how to behave appropriately. This helps children to start to bond relationships with their peers and learn social skills they will use throughout life. Describe the potential impact of speech, language and communication difficulties on the overall development of a child, both currently and longer term. For a child that is experiencing problems with speech, language and  communication it can affect a lot of aspects of their development: social, behaviour, emotional and learning will all be impacted. In most cases a child will catch up but this is not always the case and could lead to difficulties throughout their life. With some children their disability cannot be prevented, but early intervention is just as vital as those with less severe difficulties to help give a child the best possible support that they need. The impact of these difficulties will vary according to the severity of the problem. Early identification is paramount to offer a child as much help to develop their skills as much as possible. Short term affects: Frustration: A child will become easily frustrated at not being able to tell you what they want or if something is upsetting them. Anger: A child will easily become angry at being unable to communicate their needs. Withdrawn: A child may seem withdrawn and tend to play by themselves more. Understanding games and play their peers are doing will be difficult for them to understand. Low levels of confidence: A child may lose confidence in themselves. They won’t have to confidence to approach others as they don’t have the communication skills to be understood. Difficulties in friendships: (socialising) A child may be left behind as their peers communicate and build relationships. Difficulties in learning new information: Lack of communication will leave a child finding it hard to learn new information. Listening to game rules and adapting them into practice will be difficult and the child may not have the ability to ask for help or for the instructions to be repeated. Unwanted behaviour: They may be labelled naughty from acting out but the problem could be stemming from frustration on not being able to articulate their needs. Or they may not have understood the verbal instructions given and labelled as being defiant or thought to be misbehaving. Longer term affects: Lower self-esteem: Lack of speech, language and communication skills may leave an adult with low self-esteem. Will find it hard to achieve a career, social life and may feel isolated to the outside world. Not achieved their potential: Will find following any career hard to do. May not have done well in school. Find it hard to make and maintain relationships: May find it hard to achieve any friendship. May have never bond a relationship or family life. Become isolated: If never found solid friendship or a career, may feel isolated at home. Money and lack of friendship may restrict any outings. Not reach independence: Lack of employment may have never given them the freedom to leave the family home. Developed anti-social behaviour in some cases: High levels of speech, language and communication difficulties are found among the young offender population (Bryan, 2004). Low education, speech and literacy difficulties are risk factors for offending (Tomblin, 2000). A person with speech language and communication skills can have a huge impact on literacy development, Academic achievement, social relationships and personal skills, self-esteem and confidence levels, emotional and behaviour. This can impact further on employment, socialising, and everyday life  chances. Understand the importance and the benefits of adults supporting the speech, language and communication development of the children in own setting. Explain the ways in which adults can effectively support and extend the speech, language and communication development of children during early years. There are a number of ways an adult can effectively support and extend the speech, language and communication development with children during the early years. As a childcare practitioner I need to adapt my own language to the ability and age of the child. If a child uses English as a second language or not yet using speech themselves, I may point to an object and simply say what it is. When offering them a piece of apple at snack, I may just offer it out to the child and say â€Å"apple.† or when it is nap time and placing them on their sleep mat, simply say â€Å"nap time.† or â€Å"lay down.† if they keep getting up. I may accompany that with an action as if I was laying down too. When a child passes me an item or toy I would say what the item is. Say if a child passes me a car I would say â€Å"car.† This gives the child an opportunity to repeat the word back to me and start to recognise what the item is. A child I look after needs daily cream on his skin. When it comes to time for me to put it on, I always smile and say â€Å"*his name* cream† he started by smiling and repeating this back. Now as soon as I get the cream out he says it before I do. This has helped him understand it’s his cream and seems to put him more at ease when I do apply it. Singing and action songs help bring on a child’s speech, they will start by listening, in time start to follow the actions and later on start singing some of the words which will eventually lead to singing the full song. For instance ‘wheels on the bus’ is sung most days with-in nursery. A child may start doing the actions for the doors open and shut, or the horn goes beep, beep, beep. In time they will sing â€Å"open and shut† and â€Å"beep, beep, beep† along with the action for the song. There was one child in nursery that used to sing â€Å"all day long† at random intervals throughout the day. When I heard him sing this, I used to try and sing the song and involve the other children too. As a child starts to grow older I’ll use simple sentences. Instead of just holding out a piece of apple and saying â€Å"apple.† I will ask â€Å"would you like some apple?† when passing over the apple say â€Å"thank you.† And encourage the child to say â€Å"thank you† too. When a child is playing with some bricks try to ask what they’re building. Or if they’re a little younger say â€Å"are you building?† always giving a child an opportunity to reply and never replying for them. This helps a child learn simple conversation skills. Copying and extending helps when developing children’s speech skills. Say if a child points to a car and says â€Å"car† say â€Å"yes, it is a yellow car.† I could try and say â€Å"is it a fast car?† to try and encourage a reply from the child, even a â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† is a good start in early years communication. If they’re more advanced I would say â€Å"do you think it is a fast car?† and try to promote a conversation with the child. Looking through books and reading is another way to support speech, language and communication skills. For a baby, I would read the story and just point to the pictures and say what the object is or the name of the character. As they get a little older, ask them to point to the object or character â€Å"where is the balloon?† As they progress I may ask them what just happened in the story, the questions getting more advanced as the child’s skills develop. From reception age in school, children are given books to take home to read. This act helps parents get involved in their child’s development. I try to encourage the parent to ask their child questions while reading the book. This helps the parent to see if their child is understanding the story they’re reading and also promotes communication skills for the child. Homework is also given to the child and the same rule applied, I’ve asked the parents to look through the homework after a child has finished or while they’re still doing the homework. Encourage parents to play games with the children. If a child has particularly enjoyed playing a game that afternoon, say a game of snap. Tell the parents and mention it may be fun to do at home if they get the chance. A child will communicate and talk more while having fun. Explain the positive effects of adult support for the children and their carers. As a practitioner I need to make positive, professional relationships with a child’s carer. There should be a two-way flow of knowledge and information between parents and myself about their child’s speech, language and communication development. For example, a setting needs to know the words or gestures that a child uses at home, and parents will appreciate being told about the rhymes and songs that their child enjoys in nursery so that they can repeat them at home. You should be celebrating each child’s successes with parents, being enthusiastic and sharing the high aspirations you have for their child’s progress. Parents should be confidently contributing to their child’s learning and development record and being kept well informed about their child’s progress. As a practitioner I need to make sure that hand gestures and signals are the same as the ones being used at home. I don’t want to be using one signal for lunchtime and the child’s carer is using a different one at home. This would lead to confusion for the child and could possibly hinder their learning. A parent will more than likely be happy to run through what they do at home and will also help to build the parents confidence in what I’m doing to help the child achieve their communication skills goals. We need to be singing from the same sheet to help the child as much as possible. I need to demonstrate to parents that their contributions are valued. For example, I need to think carefully about how I would respond, both verbally and non-verbally, to a parent who tells me that their child knows all the words to ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ when I know that in the setting the child doesn’t join in at all. Do I think ‘I’m not sure that’s true’ while saying to the parent ‘oh yes’ in a noncommittal way, or do I ask them what other rhymes the child likes to sing, make a note of them and then reflect on what may be inhibiting the child from singing in the setting? An effective setting should be sharing its good practice with parents, and also indicating to them where they can receive extra support or advice about children’s speech, language and communication development. Most children’s  centres provide support groups or training for parents. Basically the support I give to a child and their carer, whether it be advice on how to promote speech, language communication at home, just listening to what a parent says about their child and being a friendly ear, offering help in finding a support group or training can have an impact on a child’s future and help a parent/carer to help/guide their child to the child’s full capabilities. If a parent feels confident in what I’m doing just a child will, they’ll talk more to me and we can together make their child’s learning journey a positive one. Explain how levels of speech and language development vary between children entering early years provision and need to be taken into account during settling in and planning. Every child is different and children learn at different speeds, not only this but the personality of a child needs to be taken into account. Some children are very daring and upfront, while others may be a little shy and not want to jump into an activity at first, may need a little coaxing. Before a child’s first day, I should have met the parents, they come for an initial one hour visit with their child, this gives me a chance to speak and meet the parents/carers as well as the child. Gives me chance to find out a little more about the child, what stage they may be at and I can see how they get themselves around the nursery. This is also day one of building a relationship with the parent and child. This meeting gives me a chance to plan on the childs second visit which is a hour on their own in the room. I will have an idea if the child needs me to sit with them, maybe just read a story or play a game. Try to comfort them and distract them from the fact their carer is not there. Or if the child is very outgoing, they may prefer this first opportunity to explore the room, play with the other children. In this case I would try to set up a group activity, for example get out some paper and crayons or open the sand pit. In both cases I will try to get as much information as I can via an activity to find more out about what learning stage a child is at so that I can plan for when they start nursery  what I need to be doing. One child may start nursery knowing basic language skills, be able to say â€Å"Mum† â€Å"Dad† â€Å"Car† â€Å"Cat† â€Å"Dog† ect†¦ Another of the same age may just be babbling or may even not be saying anything at all yet. It is important I e.stablish pretty quickly where a child is, to help them achieve their next stage.

Motivational Interviewing: How It Works With Native Americans Essay

The Motivational Interviewing and Stages of Change approach is complementary to the cultural values of Native American people and emphasizes listening, learning, and respect. Addictions in this day and time can be contributed to many factors and effect every ethnicity of people. Substance addiction has even affected the smallest ethnicity of people, Native Americans since their encounter with white people. Motivational Interviewing (MI) has even helped Native Americans through counselors learning and implementing the techniques. Even though clients are naturally resistant to change, utilizing the three pillars are very effective in helping even Native American people because expressing empathy shows that you care and developing discrepancy between client’s present behaviors and values & beliefs. Counselors today need to be trained in MI and cross culturally trained also to better serve individuals. I would through MI be empathic and express it through reflective listening, paraphrase what I hear from the client, ask them let me see if I am hearing you correctly, You are saying†¦.., I would communicate respectfully with the client, be supportive and establish a non-judgmental therapeutic relationship with the client. There are some great CBT techniques alone with homework assignments to help deal with the shame and embarrassment that a client is feeling about their substance use or other problems that are going on. CBT can be self talk with positive statements to themselves, daily mood and thought record and etc. There are so many techniques that can be utilized with MI to help a client even through shame. As a counselor, I will utilize the following principles known also as pillars with MI to help motivate my clients: expressing empathy through reflective listening, developing discrepancy between client’s present behavior and values & beliefs, rolling with resistance by avoiding arguments & confrontation also adjust to the resistance, and last support self-efficacy by affirming clients strengths and allowing freedom and choice. First pillar that would be utilized is expressing empathy. Expressing empathy means to understand my client, know and respect where they are in the stage of change, and using reflective listening by using reflection, paraphrasing, or summarizing what has been stated by the client. For example, so let me get this right you said †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. , Did I get that right? Okay, let me see if I understand what you are feeling right now. In other words walk a mile in their moccasins and know where they are coming from. Second, pillar that would be used is developing discrepancy by getting the client to see that their behaviors that they are exhibiting does not reflect what they have stated that is their values, beliefs, and morals. I would listen to my clients, reflecting, and ask open ended-question. According to Capuzzi & Stauffer (2012), â€Å"When a client is able to experience an internal discrepancy between his or her current behaviors and his or her values, beliefs, and goals, the change process can begin. This is due in large part to the underlying principle of cognitive dissonance (p.131). Third pillar is rolling with resistance which is where a client is resistant to change than as a counselor I would not argue with the client, I will ask the client to tell me more about their view point so that I can understand where they are coming from more. Most important avoid labeling a client. I would ask open-ended questions to invite them in to talk more about what they believe is their reason for not wanting to change, engage in problem solving, or maybe reflecting back their values, beliefs, and goals (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2012). Last pillar is support self-efficacy which is fostering the client’s belief that they can make the necessary changes successfully, making sure the client knows that they are responsible for deciding to change and carrying out the change, let the client know my belief that they can change, and guide client to explore alternative problem solving solutions or approaches to change (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2012). In conclusion, I learned that if a counselor is trained in MI and understands how to deliver the techniques with clients that it would be an effective technique with clients to motivate the stage of changes. For instance, â€Å"data from the current survey collected in a Native American community suggest that MI may be well suited as an intervention to prevent underage drinking and that a MI research program to reduce underage drinking would be generally well tolerated in this reservation community (Tonigan, Miller, & Villanueva, 2007). References Capuzzi, D., & Stauffer, M. (Eds.). (2012). Foundations of addiction counseling (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson. Tonigan, J. S., Miller, W. R., & Villanueva, M. (2007). Response of native american clients to three treatment methods for alcohol dependence Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,url,cookie,uid&an=28650827&db=ehh&scope=site&site=ehost; http://xs6th8dt4r.search.serialssolutions.com.library.gcu.edu:2048?sid=CentralSearch:EDJ&genre=article&atitle=Response+of+Native+American+Clients+to+Three+Treatment+Methods+for+Alcohol+Dependence.&volume=6&issue=2&title=Journal+of+Ethnicity+in+Substance+Abuse&issn=1533-2640&date=2007-06-01&spage=41&aulast=Tonigan&aufirst=J

Walmart Go Green(Washing)

Thinking of the natural disasters happening around the world In 2013, for example, Tornado In Oklahoma, the Unite States, Flash Flood In Gingham, China, Tornado In Salaams, Japan, It Is generally known that the extreme fluctuation of weather and natural disasters are caused by the global warming. Scientists tried to figure out why the global warming exists and concluded that the primary contribution to climate change is from the quantities of heat-trapping gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO) that emit into the atmosphere (Palmer, Charles, and Stefan).There are many factor causes Global warming, such as CO emissions from fossil fuel burning power plants, CO emissions from burning gasoline for transportation, deforestation, increase in usage of chemical fertilizers on farmland, or etc. However, deforestation is the most important causes of global warming, because the deforestation not only releases large amounts of carbon, but also reduce the amount of carbon capture on the planet and a mount of oxygen, clean and fresh alarm for humans and animals.Humans are believed to be the contributor with the rise In level of CO. A huge amount of paper products usage Is the one of satellites and contributes to the mass deforestation of our world. With every passing day, It Is discovered that global warming now is worse than before; people turn to purchase green product with hope to have better world. It seems that â€Å"green† and â€Å"sustainability are everywhere and businesses are all looking for some sort of connection with anything â€Å"green† and â€Å"sustainability.A numerous companies, which gain a large number of profits from society, startup plan to preserve the world environment and promise to help the world live better. However, some companies use greenmailing, misleading green- based advertising campaigns and marketing to increase their sales. In other words, they want only to take this advantage of â€Å"green† to raise their profits. Wa lter, the world's largest retailer, accelerates their environmental concerns by leading In paper consumption reduction.Walter uses a smart packaging on their product to cuts down on their paper packaging usage (â€Å"Global Responsibility). Can Walter's smarter packaging on the products lessen the global warming? American people and some organization and institute doubt in Walter's activities. This act of worry about lobar warming can misinform consumers Walter less cost and high profit. Global Warming and Cutting Trees We all know that high level of CO in atmosphere causes climate change, resulting in natural calamities and yield crop agriculture. Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, wide spread melting if snow and Ice, and rising global average sea level† (Frank 2). Global warming will be good for some area, where Is too cold for agriculture. The global average temperatur e Is quiet rising, but many areas are become drier, drought, and flood. Some areas will be winners, while other will be losers, because the temperature zones where most people live are becoming production and water resources.The global warming is severe issue that everybody should to turn in and help to solve it. Trees play an important role to protect world from heat and trap Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Tree also â€Å"produce oxygen, shade sidewalks, homes and storefronts, cool cities, provide habitat for wildlife, clean the air of pollutants, protect people from harmful ultraviolet rays, absorb storm water, prevent soil erosion, shelter homes from winter winds, beautify ties, and sequester carbon dioxide, a critical role to play in combating global warming† (Oliver 123). Forests help to protect world from heat and improve air quality. Trees help by removing (sequestering) CO from the atmosphere during photosynthesis to form carbohydrates that are used in pla nt structure/function and return oxygen back into the atmosphere as a byproduct† (Bianca). Therefore, trees act as carbon sinks, alleviating the global warming. â€Å"On average, one acre of new forest can sequester about 2. 5 tons of carbon annually. Young trees absorb CO at a rate of 13 pounds per tree each year. Trees reach their most productive stage of carbon storage at about 10 years at which point they are estimated to absorb 48 pounds of CO per year† (Bianca).At that rate, trees release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere for life on earth. Planting trees could reduce carbon and consequently save consumers on utility bills, because trees also reduce the greenhouse effect by shading houses and office buildings. Moreover, when the world cools down, reducing the need for air conditioning, which in turn reduces the amount of fossil fuels burned to produce electricity. To sum up, human being uses paper such as buying nee cereal box, meaning that he or she cut tree , reduced carbon capture, destroyed world air filter and consumed fossil fuels.Greenmailing After some research has revealed that cutting trees has several adverse effects on the climate. Many businesses are sincerely committed to making the world a better, but for some businesses, environmental issues are little more than a convenient advertisement. Some businesses persuade people to buy their products; by claiming that buying their products end environmental issues. In 1999, the Oxford English dictionary defines the word ‘greenmailing in their dictionary as â€Å"disinformation assassinated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image†.When a firm tried to make advertising that they are environmentally friendly and they are concerning about climate changing, clean air, clear water, or no chemical than on actually putting into place practices that are environmentally friendly. For example, bottled water companies are trying to go gree n, but actually greenmailing, by coming up with catchphrases – partially made out of some sort of plant material. They are trying to convince their customers that drinking their bottled eater reduce plastic waste and they conceal what kind of plants are being used to make this stuff.In 2005 Walter also has announced plan in public to be more environmentally friendly. It launched its sustainability campaign. It set goals to have 100 percent renewable energy, to create zero waste, and to make more environmentally friendly products Jasmine). â€Å"Wall-Mart's environmental goals center around reducing waste, environmentally friendly packaging, offering environmentally more energy efficient† Jasmine). â€Å"On February 1, 2007, Walter unveiled ‘Sustainability 360†², its company-wide emphasis on environmental sustainability' (Annie).In 2008-2009, Walter has taken a zero-waste stance and have started implementing various programs. One of its interesting programs is rethinking packaging reduced paper consumption by redesigning their packaging. However, according to research by the nonprofit Institute for Local Self-Reliance claimed that â€Å"Walter's heavily-promoted sustainability initiatives have done more to improve the company's image than to help the environment† (CTD. In â€Å"Walter Accused of Greenmailing†). This is because of increase in sales after launching sustainability campaign in 2005.Walter's revenue increased from $312 billion in 2005 to $419 lion in 2010 (Stacy 4). This report slightly inspires writers and Journalists to take a closer look at what Walter really care about environmental or short-term profit. Wall-Mart rethinking packaging Walter, the large discount department store in the United States, now has the total area of all U. S. Stores, 698 million square feet, larger than those of the island of Manhattan, 641 million square feet. Furthermore, Walter increases its international store almost tripled, from about 1 ,600 to 4,600 stores.After Walter launched its sustainability campaign in 2005, the number of Americans who had an unfavorable IEEE of Walter decreased from 38 percent to 20 percent in 2010 (Stacy 4); moreover, it sells 35 percent more stuff. Because of the fact that Walter is the largest retail store in the United States and their sales are significant, Americans expect from Walter with environmental issues. Walter is introducing itself the leader of preserve natural resources such as trees, water and fuel. It is trying to find new ways to protect the planet.Working with its suppliers to rethink its processes and product presentation, Walter plans to cut back on their paper products to reduce cutting trees that capture CO and generate fresh air. From toys and footwear to cooking products, Walter has reduced its packaging across the board† (Ron). This large firm improved and redesigned the footwear replenishment boxes by using smarter packaging on its footwear box (see Figure 1). â€Å"Sustainable packaging for shoes has also been revamped† (Ron). â€Å"The new box uses Just a single source of paper, fits multiple pairs of shoes† (â€Å"Global Responsibility').Figure : Old and Redesigned Shoes Box In the result, in 2011, during the first 10 months, Walter used about 14. 4 million footwear replenishment boxes, reducing paper consumption by 692 tons (1 mounds), the environmental equivalent of more than 2,500 trees. Redesigned the footwear box uses 43 percent less paper and reduces costs by 28 percent (â€Å"Global Responsibility'). Conversely, â€Å"each person in the United States uses 749 pounds (keg) of paper every year† (Sam). In other words, now current U. S. Population is 316. 80 million, so the total paper consumption per year is 118,641,600 tons (237,283,200,000 pounds).If comparing the reduced number paper consumption of Walter to paper consumption of all people in the United States per year, it is very Is Walte r Going Green? Wall-Mart's steps to saving world's resources are admirable; however, the company has a long way to go proving their commitment about the environment issues to people. Some writers and Journalists consequently may think that Walter is environmentally destructive and greedy. However, â€Å"some businesses are indeed as destructive as many suspect, others are among the world's strongest positive forces for environmental sustainability' Oared 273).Therefore, what Walter have done to keep the planet healthy, lessen global warming, it is a good start for saving the world. The magnitude and cause of global climate change are huge. Only Walter cannot hanged the world. To resolve the climate change, individual has essential powerless to change the world or to make sustainable future. â€Å"None of us can change the world single-handedly' (Alex 270) and if people wants â€Å"to work at this work alone[, it] is to fail† (CTD. In â€Å"On Earth Day'). Since this truth is well known, why Walter is still working with smart packaging project.The reasons that Walter's chief executives raise their global warming concerns are saving their money, avoiding environmental disasters and reducing criticism from employees, consumers and government Oared 273). In this case, it may be called win-win situation. Not only Walter can save their costs, but also world can lose lesser natural resources. Moreover, â€Å"[w]e have to balance the environmental against the economy Oared 274). Even Walter get high sales, but the number of profits that it get lesser than the amount of money that it will be used to try to fix the environmental problem.According to John Holders, the top White House science advisor, stated that â€Å"solving problems of climate change would cost the United States 2 percent of our gross domestic product by the year 2050, but that not solving those problems would damage the economy by 20 percent o 30 percent of G. D. P† (CTD. In â€Å"W ill Big Business Save the Earth†). However, if Walter really want to reduce paper consumption permanently, a key challenge to long-term sustainability is less consumption. These days, people do not buy only what they want, they buy too much products.Companies offer promotion to attract customers to buy more. Conclusion Carbon dioxide emitted to atmosphere and makes the world hotter. Deforestation causes carbon emission, which can trap heat and raise global average temperature by 2-3 Celsius within next 50 years, without resolving this environmental issue. The rise in temperature impacts such as poor agriculture, food production and water resources, which cause people living. Tree plays an important role to capture CO. Using more paper, tree is more being cut. Several large firms are trying to help this environmental issue, global warming.People turn in to buy green product with believe that buying green products can lessen the global warming or climate change. However, Some bu siness are trying to take this advantage, by producing fake green product or slogan with Just attractive customers to buy, but not alleviate global warming issue. Walter, in this case, has several programs to help, but important one is smart packaging, which reduce paper consumption. The amount of paper usage is not low significant but this is a good start for one company to lessen global promotion to attractive customers buy more than they need.Since the root of the problems of climate change is over purchasing and needing more convenient life. Therefore, if Walter really wants to make the better world and away from people's criticism, it should sell their product less. Work Cited Bordello, Bianca. â€Å"Trees Improve Our Air Quality. † Web log post. Trees Improve Our Air Quality. The Dillydally Family Foundation and the Mississippi Forestry Commission, n. D. Web. 01 Deck. 2013. Club, Oliver E. â€Å"Climate Help from the Plant World. † Global Warming Solutions: A Con cerned Citizen's Guide to Climate Protection. United States: O.This website provides information about how Wall-Mart responsible for environment. It claims that Wall-Mart has reduced â€Å"paper consumption by 692 tons, the environmental equivalent of more than 2,500 trees† by improving footwear packaging. We can use this data and calculate at ‘paper calculator' from Environmental Paper Network website to see how this amount of paper usage will impact to wood use and greenhouse gas. Jarred, Diamond. Will Big Business Save the Earth?. Envision in Depth: Reading, Writing, and Researching Arguments. Second deed. Boston: Pearson/Longing, 2011. 272-75. Print.This article discusses about environment concerns by big corporate such as Wall-Mart. The company maintains sustainable resource levels. This is an elemental to my research because I would like to prove that paper consumption cause climate change. Realization about concern by corporation is a basis of decline in paper co nsumption. This article provides an example about how Wall-Mart is trying to save cost and save environment. The author states that â€Å"Wall-Mart stores eventual AOL is to end up with no packaging waste†, showing that Wall-Mart and its client are trying to reduce paper consumption with their packaging. 013.. This publication is very fundamental to my research. It provides the truth about Walter from 2005-2010. The author does not believe that what Walter is trying to do to help the world or make the better world, cannot really help. That is just Walter want to increase its profit. This article is for general people or blob reader, who are also doubt in Walter mislead customer their making profit. Palmer, Charles, and Stefan Engel. Avoided Deforestation: Prospects for Mitigating Climate Change. New York: Rutledge, 2009. Print.This academic is very useful for my research because it provides that deforestation and forest degradation have been defined as environmental key probl ems. It claims that deforestation causes carbon emission, which trap heat and raise global average temperature by 2-3 Celsius within next 50 years. The rise in temperature impacts such as poor agriculture, food production and water resources, which cause people living. Participant, Frank T. â€Å"Introduction. † Global Climate Change: The Technology Challenge. Volt. 38. Torched: Springer, 2011. 2. Print. This academic is very helpful. It gives several examples of Climate change.This chapter aims to provide a succinct integration of the projected warming the earth is likely to experience in the decades ahead. It also provides the sustainability challenge for resolve climate change. This academic is for higher education students who really want to study about solution for climate change. Easiness, Ron. â€Å"Perfect Score: Walter's Packaging Scorecard. † Web log post. Packaging Gateway. Cable, 12 Novo. 2012. Web. 01 Deck. 2013. This article is written by senior consumpti on by improving footwear packaging. Walter redesign from toys and footwear to cooking products.

The Role of Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Role of Music - Essay Example This essay discusses that music is a powerful medium in the society that helps in controlling communication. Songs assist in sharing meaning and promote development and maintenance of individual groups. For instance, the protest songs are used in showing the composition of social conditions that are prevalent in a society during a particular time. Protests could be used to fight against racism, an abolition of hierarchy, elimination of women suffering and crudity. In the community, protest songs are a powerful tool that helps individuals explore some of the iconic and evocative moments in history. The primary function of the work songs is to mental rather than physical. During the enslavement of the Negros, the white people encouraged them to sing these songs as an illusion for the body to work mechanically. The songs sang accommodated the type of work that they did and, as a result, some songs were developed. Work songs help individuals to be more efficient.This paper declares thatà ‚  music promotes unity in the society. The protest songs are formed as a result of people coming together in agreement to oppose a particular thing. They give a sense of unity and allowchange; this especially can be seen throughout the American history. The use of music at work allows everybody to take part in the discourse practices of labor activities with a uniformity of the mind.  Blue music helps in the relaxation of the mind, during leisure time or when traveling long distances.

Project Life Cycle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project Life Cycle - Essay Example The Project Manager requires various general management skills[4] during the different phases of the project. Initiation and Scope Definition, comprises determination and negotiation of requirements, feasibility analysis, and process for the review and revision of requirements. Planning follows and includes process planning, determining deliverables, effort, schedule and cost estimation, resource allocation, risk management, quality management, and plan management. The project manager's role is to verify the requirements, bring in the experts and revalidate requirements and technical feasibility. He needs to baseline the requirements, cost, schedule, and quality of delivery to the smallest detail, thus setting up a solid framework to start work on the project. This phase is critical because unless requirements are set and baselines are defined, the project cannot take off. The project manager needs negotiating skills, estimation and scheduling skills as well as, team building capabilities that help set the base for delivering a project of required quality at a realistic budget. In the Development phase, implementation of plans, supplier contract management, implementation of measurement process, monitor process, control process, and reporting and the various tasks in an IT project. It should be noted that although project objectives have been defined, there may surface problems when the actual developments are taking place. This will require the project manager and stakeholder to negotiate change requests that will continue the development of the project smoothly. About sixty percent of the project life cycle is done during the development phase and internal testing phase where the development team tests the application internally. This phase needs to be on schedule in order that the project deadline is met. The project manager needs good controlling skills to keep the work going and good negotiation skills to handle change requests as well as risk management skills in order that risk are mitigated. Also he needs to be able to keep the energy flowing and the team unified and happy to enable milestones to be met. The Implementation phase The project now moves into the Implementation phase where the IT tasks are Review and Evaluation, which includes the topics of determining satisfaction of requirements and reviewing and evaluating performance. The developed IT application is now deployed or implemented in the client's environment and tested using their parameters. The application is User accepted and then deployed either as a pilot mode or as a full launch. The project manager needs good negotiating skills in case some major fixes or "bugs" as per IT jargon arises during the transition since he needs to go back to client when budgets are almost over. Often the teams are all tired and are anxious to get the project over with and move on. Keeping up the morale to see the project to completion becomes imperative, and if the project manager is a good team player that really helps. The Closeout phase In the closeout phase, the tasks include determining closure and closure activities. The application is running smoothly and the production-support team has taken over. The development team is released. The project manager now documents the project for future reference as well as writes up a lessons-learnt document. In summary, a good project manager is

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO - Essay Example Nevertheless, a significant proportion of the individuals makes efforts and meets several personal and professional targets with the passage of time. However, there appears to be very small proportion of the individuals which establishes glorious aims, related to personal, social and financial aspects, and hits the bull’s eye within shortest span of time. Such persons are the leaders of their society, and the world looks at them with great admiration and envy, and feels pride in affiliating with them in one way or the other; Socrates, Sophocles, Aristotle, Aquinas, Sir William Shakespeare, Karl Marx, Karl Jung, Robert Owen, Bill Gates and Sir Richard Branson are few names in the long list of the most successful persons, who altered the thoughts and structure of their society by dint of their exceptional talent, ironed will and magnificent accomplishments. Hence, devising of high aims and working day-in and day-out to achieve the same is the order of the day to earn respect, fa me and pecuniary gains in this age of perfect competition. â€Å"Many persons†, Keller submits, â€Å"have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.† (1903, p. 31) Like every human being, I have also drawn the road map of personal and professional goals in life. The canvas of my aims is not confined to one specific field; on the contrary, I have divided the same into educational, technical and occupational categories. I had received my primary and middle education from my native country. On passing my O levels examination from the native town, I dreamed of proceeding to the UK in order to seek higher education. Since I have been highly technical-minded since my childhood, I aimed to perform something extraordinary in the field of computer sciences. Actually my loving parents wanted me to stay close to their eyes; they resisted my plans of leaving the country initially. Howeve r, on finding me extremely ambitious to perform something in life, they supported me with their consent and hearties wishes regarding my plan to set out for the UK. â€Å"The latest THE-QS World University Rankings show four UK universities in the top 10 of the world's best. QS Top Universities finds out which universities they are. Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial and UCL - they're the names of the UK's top universities according to the 2008 THE-QS World University Rankings.† (Quoted in topuniversities.com) Since I am not that sort of person that changes his plans swiftly, I always ponder on various aspects of my ambitions, and they it appear to be practicable, I stick to them without displaying any wavering in this respect for the future years to come. Thus, on arriving in the UK, I got admission in A levels, which I passed two years after my stay in the UK. I knew it very well that I should not put extraordinary financial burden of my studies and daily expenditures on my parent s. Consequently, I applied for job at B&A Repair Centre, London against the position of trainee mechanic. My superiors paid due heed on me, and within six month of

Tanzania Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tanzania - Essay Example The local population deserves jobs, zero exposure to environmental degradation, and compensation for the land and resources that AFG among other firms have used in the mining process. The introduction of mining business interfered with fishing and lifestyles given that the government did not have a concrete method that could regulate the conduct of foreign firms in the country. Conversely, the government deserves further involvement if it resolves the incidences of corruption and bureaucracies. The diversification of the economy in Tanzania, achievement of social responsibility initiatives and regulation of foreign firms are some of the needs that require fast and effective decisions. AFG will generate a strategy that is legal in the Tanzanian context because the primary objective is to make a difference in the community but through the proper incorporation of relevant government authorities. The partnerships will realize a sustainable and all-inclusive program. Handling social and e cological problems for the community will reduce wrangles and initiate a platform for application of entrepreneurial and innovative skills of Tanzanians. The local communities will revive their economic capacity against a backdrop of proper ecological systems. The government and local authorities will become more accountable and launch a safe environment for foreign investment. The responsibility of the government will reduce the AFG’s burden in attaining sustainable development goals for the companies and the locals.

Who Won the War of 1812 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Who Won the War of 1812 - Essay Example In fact, while the majority of Americans are familiar with the War of Independence and many can recite key events and turning points within it, few can do the same as regards the War of 1812, the second war with the British. Indeed, the War of 1812 appears to have been virtually ignored by historians. While determining the reasons for the aforementioned may be quite difficult, it can be argued that this is largely due to the fact that the war was inconclusive. In other words, not only does the war emerge as somewhat senseless but ended in a stalemate. A closer analysis of this particular conflict, however, exposes the aforementioned as a superficial understanding of the War of 1812. While it may have ended in a stalemate between the British and the American armies, an argument for the United States' victory can be made, both because of the Battle of New Orleans and the destruction of the Indian confederation. The War of 1812 was incited by nationalist sentiments and America's determined quest for independence. While the country had emerged victories from the American Revolution of 1783, Britain did not withdraw from the Great Lakes territory and provided the frontier Indians with quite significant backing against the American forces (Latimer, 2007).

The Beatles recording catalog covers a wide range, to say the least, Essay

The Beatles recording catalog covers a wide range, to say the least, from the likes of Love Me Do (1962) to Revolution 9 (1968) - Essay Example These forms of life were reflected in their production of music with Hindustani, avant-garde and Western classical influences (Young 14). This period saw the Beatles redefine the meaning of rock and roll as a form of culture. Some of the American artists, whom they admired, such as Elvis Presley, became their inspirations and role models for the younger rock musicians. Consequently, the first songs that the Beatles wrote and recorded widened the musical range as well as the expressive scope of the music genre they had inherited. They used subtle arrangements, vocal harmonies, and clever touches in production (17). Additionally, they used elemental rhythm that was characterized by drumming. It added beauty and excellence to their songs. In the wake of the student protest eruptions in France and Mexico, the Beatles gave up their roles as global leaders of an immature youth culture. Nevertheless, they continued recording and releasing new music while maintaining their popularity that has remained unshaken ever since then. Apple was their record label that was launched in 1968, with the hope of nurturing pop art. However, they only created commercial failure and chaos. Nevertheless, the band continued enjoying extensive popularity. Abbey Road, launched in 1969, became the Beatle’s most-loved and best-selling album (19). The Beatles laid the benchmark for teen idol quality. Before their arrival, the pop scene in the United States was stale. However, the Beatles blasted the pop landscape with their exotic accent and queer looks. While Paul was the cute and adorable one, George was quiet and shy, Ringo was fun and goofy and John was smart and slightly dangerous (20). Their character traits covered all teen tastes. Also, their matching â€Å"moptops†, collarless suits, and Cuban ankle boots made their appearance uniform. Different from their competition, the Beatles controlled their appearance. Despite the fact that disrespect has existed for

Bank of America Acquisition of Merrill Lynch Essay

Bank of America Acquisition of Merrill Lynch - Essay Example The investing and securities industry in the United States is quite successful with its level of growth before the recession being astronomic over the past couple of years. The country maintained a distinct difference between commercial and investment banks before 1999. This in effect means that the industry enjoyed massive benefits as the banks concentrated only on certain banking activities without competing much with the players in the investment banking industry. On the other hand, the industry includes approximately 3000 companies which have total revenue of close to 200 billion dollars (Hoovers par 1). The investment banking industry is much concentrated with the first 50 major players accounting for close to 90% of the industry’s earnings according to Hoovers (par 1). The investment banks commonly target those who have property which include land, buildings and other fixed assets the main customers being the middle class (Perkins 14). Some of the main competitors of Bank of America in its acquisition of Merrill Lynch include Wells Fargo and Company, The Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated and JP Morgan Chase and Corporation, and Citigroup. Bank of America Merrill Lynch is considered the world’s largest brokerage having at least 15000 brokers and a client asset base of about 2.2 billion dollars. In this regard, it fairs competitively compared to its main competitors both in the investment and brokerage ventures. Bank of America in itself has remained for long the second most capitalized bank in the United States. The bank serves more than 150 countries and has relationships with many Fortune 500 companies (Matthew, Carrick and Dan 14). In terms of total revenue, the Bank of America is 5th largest in the USA. There are several small brokerage firms that are far less capitalized in the US which little threaten the establishment of the Acquisition. The main competitors in the market including Wells Fargo

Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's dream Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's dream - Essay Example They are totally and constantly clear which of the two men they love even though the men referred, may change due to the magic drop. In the beginning of the play Hermia is told that she has a few days left for deciding if she would obey her father and marry Demetrius rather than Lysander. Paternal consent was an absolute necessity for the marriage of a daughter in Elizabethan days and the Duke in the play stresses upon this point of patriarchal importance: Mother's role in the birth of a daughter seems to be rather obscured here. It is spoken as though the child is the property of the father alone, one of his possessions with which he could decide to do whatever he chooses. Rgeus accuses Lysander with the obvious show of this right over the daughter: Again the gender plays an important role here. Being a daughter is a decidedly much lesser role than being a son. The daughters are protected, shielded, but were dominated and decisions about their lives were informed to them and they were expected to abide by those paternal decisions. Hermia was given the choice of "either to die the Death or to abjure forever the Society of Men" or 'she can endure the Livery of Nun.' Those were the days when chastity was valued the most. ... Those were the days when chastity was valued the most. The Queen, who had given up her pleasures and male company, for ruling the country as an absolute monarch, was ruling the social and cultural scenes of England too. We see in the play Hermia being definitely possessive about her virginity. Female virginity was a necessity for a good match and a subsequent married life. Male virginity was not a forced factor, but definitely was valued. Conversation between Helena and Hermia in the I scene, shows that Hermia is rather simultaneously smug and unhappy with two men loving her and Helena is longing to be Demetrius' lover. (The more I love, the more he hateth me). Helena could not stomach the fact that Dimetrius has gone with Egeus to the court of the Duke to win Hermia's hand. In her desperation to win his attention, she does not hesitate to beg her friend for advice: I teach me how you look, and with what Art You sway the Motion of Demetrius' Heart (I-I-192-193) Rivalry and a kind of mild hatred begin from this point between the two. Hermia and Helena have a kind of 'homosocial world of peer-group friendship'. Their innocent relationship continues very comfortably, till the heterosexual relationships disturb it, mainly when Hermia's longing for Lysander brings distance to her relationship with Helena. Most of the time, they had friendship with men without much of intimacy and this is not disturbing their chastity in any way. It is like a celebration of companionship. But, the friends refrain from discussing their choices of men or discuss the men themselves. Prior to the influence of the drug, the two friends do not seem to be having any desire to relinquish their respective partners. During the wars of love, there had been jealousy and

Engineering codes of ethics, case scenarios, and societies that enforce them Essay Example for Free

Engineering codes of ethics, case scenarios, and societies that enforce them Essay Ethics can be defined as a branch within the wider field of philosophy whose main concern is addressing the issue of morality. Morality as a concept seeks to justify actions as good or bad, right or wrong and whether such actions are justified and virtuous. Ethics in itself is divided into many categories which normally vary to suit the issue at hand. From a general perspective, ethics can be widely grouped into theoretical and practical ethics. The theoretical aspect is concerned with theoretical meanings of moral propositions and the manner in which their truth values can be ascertained. The practical aspect of ethics seeks to address the possibility of achieving moral outcomes in a given situation (Luegenbiehl, 2003). Engineering ethics in this context is part of applied ethics that is skewed towards the examination and the setting of standards concerning the duty of an engineer to the general public, how they should attend to their clients, their duty to their employer, and their obligation towards enhancing and maintaining the moral integrity of the engineering profession. Engineering as a profession is very diverse in terms of the possible branches one can venture into. This diversity make some of the engineering fields share only very limited principles. While most of these disciplines tend to complement each other, these engineers are bound to work in different environments. As such there cannot be a unifying code of ethics for the whole engineering fraternity. Ethical codes in this profession are largely dependent on the exact field of specialization and the jurisdiction of practice. Another factor that comes into play is whether an engineer is providing consultancy service to his clients or the engineer is an employee of a given manufacturing enterprise (Colby Sullivan, 2008). In most countries, the engineers who attend to their clients are normally referred to as professional engineers and are usually licensed. They abide by codes that ensure professional ethics and to a larger extent governed by a number of statutes. Their counterparts who practice in the manufacturing industry have to abide by certain laws, key among them being whistle blowing and also the law of product liability. Their practice leans more towards business ethics as compared to engineering ethics. Professional engineers are usually in private practice and are always responsible for drafting some of the codes of ethics that govern their profession. Engineers who practice in the industrial sector do not enjoy accreditation by the relevant government agencies. It is an arguable fact that despite the field and sector of practice, these engineers face similar ethical issues. Similar in the sense that they share the same root causes but only change slightly in form depending on the discipline and the sector of practice (Luegenbiehl, 2003). Engineering societies have for a long time drafted their own codes of ethics. These codes of ethics have undergone a series of refinement over time in a bid to make them more viable to overcoming ethical issues. Such codes of ethics usually act as general guidelines since ethical issues are very diverse and as such some of these codes have to be adjusted to suit the situation at hand. In the United Kingdom, a notable example is the ‘Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)’, which chose to incorporate its ethical codes into the standards of conduct. The code of ethics in engineering basically seeks to ensure the wellbeing of the public, the clients in the case of a professional engineer, the employer for the engineers who practice in the industry, and for the enhancement of the moral integrity of the engineering profession (Colby Sullivan, 2008). Any engineering profession is susceptible to a number of risks some of which may be detrimental to a wider section of the population. With this risk in mind, the first aim of an engineer is to ensure the safety and health, not only of the general public but also for themselves and their workmates. Engineers are required to subscribe to principles that ensure sustainable development in the course of their undertakings. Since the engineering profession is very diverse, an engineer who may be very competent in his field of specialization may not be able to achieve much in another line of engineering. For most of the engineering societies around the world, there are basic ethical codes that they seem to share in common. A code of ethics in the field of engineering always restricts engineers to stick to their areas of specialization. This is to avoid exposing himself and the general public to the imminent danger. An engineer is required to speak the truth on the technical aspects of a job and maintain a professional relationship with the employer or his client. Conflict of interest is a sure way to compromise and as such should always be avoided by an engineer. An engineer is supposed to safeguard the integrity and the interest of the engineering profession. In as much as an engineer is supposed to advance career wise, they have an obligation of ensuring professional growth for their juniors. According to the law of whistle blowing, an engineer is more obliged to safety than he is to the client or to his employer. This law requires the engineer to report cases where their employers or clients fail to follow their directions and in the process are exposing the public to potential danger. In some instances, some the relevant authorities fail to take action and this may end up in the engineer going public (Luegenbiehl, 2003). The most notable cases of disaster in the field of engineering have been caused by both technical and ethical issues. While some of these accidents have been due to technical aspects and design inadequacies, others have been due to inefficient management culture. Some of the cases that have been established to have an ethical dimension on their occurrence include the Chernobyl disaster, Bhopal disaster, Boston molasses accident, Johnstown Flood, just to mention but a few (Pfatteicher, 2001). Chernobyl disaster was an incident that took place in Ukraine, and it involved the meltdown in a nuclear reactor plant. This accident was to a larger extent blamed on human error. The personnel were blamed for using a limited ‘operational reactivity margin. ’ The disaster caused to the people living within the neighbourhood was immense in gravity and most of the effects were of a long term nature. The mental health of the people was extremely affected; cases of cancer were later reported to be rampant in the area. All these effects came about due to the irradiation of the area by radioactive material. The workers were also affected with more than thirty losing their lives within a span of three months from the time of occurrence of the disaster. An advisory group that was later formed to look into the cause of this disaster blamed the people who were responsible for the design of the power plant. They failed to consider certain pertinent aspects of the design which could have prevented such an occurrence or which could have ensured that the accident did not proceed to reach the level it did. It was realized that in the course of preparation and subsequent testing of turbine generators, it was done without the incorporation of systems that were responsible for technical protection. This was viewed to have been a breach of the safety provisions that were required for the actual technical exercise (Pfatteicher, 2001). Some of the most outstanding organizations that are concerned with engineering ethics include the ‘Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE)’ in the United Kingdom, the ‘Canadian Society for Professional Engineers,’ and the ‘National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)’ which have been seen to be championing for the upholding of ethical practices within the engineering field. The reasons for their establishments are to ensure that engineers in private practice, the government and in the manufacturing sector are able to subscribe to a common code of ethics within a given jurisdiction. Such bodies have certain punitive measures to their members in cases where ethics appear to have been sidelined in making decisions. To ensure that engineers adhere to such codes set by these organizations, it is mandatory to be registered with certain bodies within given jurisdictions to practice as an engineer (Haws, 2001). There has been a general drift towards formulating an all encompassing code of ethics for all engineers throughout the world. This has been noted by the fact that the codes formulated by most societies throughout the world appear to be having certain similarities. While this appears to be a very noble idea, some room and allowances will have to be allowed to accommodate the different cultures in the world. It is deemed that developing a set of common ethical codes and supplementing it with additional entries that regard the cultural setting and the exact field of specialization within engineering. The codes should be set out in such a manner that no confusion can be reported within a given jurisdiction (Luegenbiehl, 2003). References: Colby, A. , Sullivan, W. M. 2008, â€Å"Ethics Teaching in Undergraduate Engineering Education. † Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 97. Haws, D. R. 2001, â€Å"Ethics Instruction in Engineering Education: a (Mini) Meta-analysis. † Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 90. Luegenbiehl, H. C. 2003, Themes for an International Code of Engineering Ethics. Retrieved on 9th February 2010, from: http://www. asee. org/conferences/international/papers/upload/Themes-for-Int-l-Code-of-Eng-Ethics. pdf . Pfatteicher, S. K. , 2001, â€Å"Teaching Vs. Preaching: Ec2000 and the Engineering Ethics Dilemma. † Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 90.

Representation Of Women On Television Media Essay

Representation Of Women On Television Media Essay This study examines the representation of women on Television, which is one of the most debatable topics surrounding the medium and which is frequently discussed in academia and popular culture. I will be conducting my research specifically on representation of female leading characters on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. The examination will reveal whether the depiction of main female characters on Law and Order is positive or negative. 1.1 Women on TV Joseph (2004) argues that women were underrepresented on network dramatic shows in 1950s to the 1970s, that and when they did appear, they were frequently seen in token or stereotyped roles. Although representation of women has changed greatly in the last two decades as we are progressing into a more equal society, the question is, has it really changed modern representations of women or does it merely replicate gender stereotypes (E. Dobash P. Dobash, 1998). In recent years, Xena Warrior Princess and Buffy The Vampire Slayer pioneered the use of strong leading female characters in genre of fantasy on TV. Magoulick (2006) suggests that the positive reviews of Xena and Buffy demonstrate the extent to which these women characters resonate with female viewers longing for strong role models, or even just strong female roles on television. Lavery and Rhonda (2002) argue for a contrasting depiction of Buffy while she is represented as a strong and independent feminist icon her character i s vulnerable and often shallow about her appearance (124). Xenas character helped break gender norms by coding masculine traits such as bravery, strength and aggression with feminine traits i.e. compassion and her pregnancy in Season 5 rendering gender exploration (Boze, 2011: 24). The Buffy and Xena shows both reinforce and challenge gender stereotypes of women (Reid, 2008). I am concerned with the crime genre of television which depicts women as detectives working in a patriarchal society whereas the above characters existed in the fantasy and science fiction genre. In past couple of decades, programmes like Cagney and Lacey, Cats Eyes, Prime Suspect, Silent Witness and Juliet Bravo were popular detective dramas depicted strong women which paved the way for future representation of strong female characters. 1.2 Law Order: Special Victims Unit Law and Order: SVU first aired in 1999 and is currently in its 13th season. The detectives on the team solve sexually motivated crimes and child abuse cases, and the cast includes an exceptionally strong female lead character in Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and other popular female characters such as Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish), Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) and Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak (Diane Neal). The episodes often feature real life crime stories and create episodes based on crime stories ripped from the headlines (Green, 2009: 2). Law Order: Special Victims Unit is one of the most successful and popular spin off series of Law and Order franchise, which has won many awards as well as the 2006 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Mariska Hargitay (Emmys, 2006) who describes female audiences reaction to her character Olivia Benson in Greens book Law Order: Special Victims Unit: The Unofficial Companion: As the show got more popular, I received so many emails from so many survivors. They were identifying so much with my character, identifying with this lion, this strong powerful (Olivia Benson). And then I had thirteen-years-old going, I want to be you; you are my role model. Hundreds of emails going, I want to be a cop when I grow up. And I thought this character has touched something deep in so many women and provided a safe place to goà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I felt I had a responsibility. (Green and Dawn, 2009: 90) 1.3 Relevance of the Research Womens representation on television has significant value to female audiences because they view strong characters as role models. Singh, Vinnicombe and James (2006) studied career-minded women who keenly draw on role models from different aspects of life, television being one of them. They discovered that women used female characters from television as role models such as Buffy, Alias and Xena: The Warrior Princess. Analysing how female characters on Law Order: Special Victims Unit might serve as role models will provide me with the tools to examine the codes used in the portrayal of women. Research has been conducted on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit in the past, for example on the shows depiction of ethnic minorities and the victimization of women. Britto (2007, p40) has used content analysis to deconstruct the idea that women are overplayed on crime drama series as offenders and victims in her article Does Special Mean Young, White and Female? Deconstructing the Meaning of Special in Law Order: Special Victims Unit. Furthermore, there has been extensive research on representation of ethnic minorities, male and female on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. However, my research will focus on the main female characters such as Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish), Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) and Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak (Diane Neal) and deconstruction of the codes employed to characterize them. 1.4 Organization of the Chapters In this section I explain the structure of the chapters in this dissertation which will focus on literature review, methodology and findings of my research. In Chapter 1 we have already established the basis of this research which is to examine the representation of leading female characters on Law and Order: SVU. Chapter 2 will review the literature that will provide support for my arguments on themes of representation of women on TV, narrative, female heroism and women and crime genre. Chapter 3 explains the choice of methodology, research design, uses and limitations of textual analysis. It also describes the discourse analysis methodology and its use in this study. Chapter 4 consists of the analysis of the representation of female lead characters on Law and Order: SVU. It provides details of the findings including women driving the plot, women as heroes, maternal instinct and their personal lives. The collected data is analyses in this chapter to search out the result. Chapter 5 is the conclusion of this study that presents the findings and also elaborates on the significance, limitations and scope of this study. Chapter 2: Literature Review A theoretical framework will direct my research in a focussed manner whilst facilitating a proficient and comprehensive analysis. It will provide a major foundation for my investigation. As representation of women is such a diverse topic, I will focus and limit my research with the help of a theoretical framework in order to achieve an accurate conclusion. 2.1 Representation of Women on TV In order to build my research, studying the history of femlae representation in the media will enable me to understand the codes employed to construct female characters. In regards to the portrayal of women in crime genre, DAccis (1994) meticulous exploration of Cagney and Lacey will provide the perfect groundwork for my investigation. Cagney and Laceys characters were represented in unconventional way rather than the traditional ones: Its heroines were in-control protagonist who solved their own cases (both mentally and physically), were rarely presented as women in distress and were virtually never rescued by male colleagues. In addition to being active agents of the narrative they were also the subjects, but rarely the objects, of sexual (heterosexual) desire (DAcci, 1994: 5) DAcci not only examines the progression of female characters on the show but also studies the depiction of feminism on mainstream television. This will provide me thorough knowledge of what goes behind making a drama series with female lead characters and will equip me with the right tools to compare the representation of female characters on Law and Order: SVU. Furthermore, it contains other examples from the history of American television which will be beneficial for my research. Brunsdon, Charlotte and Spigels (2007) book Feminist Television Criticism: A Reader provides a detailed examination extending across television, media and screen studies and looks into representation of feminism as historical categories and political identities. This book gives a valuable analysis of women working both behind the camera and in-front of the camera as well as female audience and their response to television in their daily lives. With these sources, I will be able to evaluate the depiction of women on Law Order: SVU in regards to historical and political viewpoint. The representation of women in media has been a focal point of discussion since early nineteenth century. In 21st Century, even though television produced programs like Pan Am, Charlies Angels and The Playboy Club with female lead characters, they are still viewed through a very patriarchal ideology (Ingham, 2007). Dominicks (1979) article The portrayal of women in prime time, 1953-1977 concludes that female characters appearing on prime-time television from 1953-1977 were underrepresented on television and were frequently seen in stereotyped roles. This article will help me set the groundwork for my research as I can put female characters on Law and Order: SVU side by side with previous female representations on TV. Further research (Elasmar, Kazumi and Brain, 2009) showed that women were more likely to be shown playing minor roles and playing characters such as housewives and to be involved in a romantic relationship. I would need to further explore the depth of women representatio n on television, which will allow me to conduct adept research in this project. According to Gill (2007), the media depicts contradicting gender characteristics which will provide theoretical basis for my work in contemporary gender representations. This book also provides a theoretical tool to analyze representations of women in media. Similarly, Melanie (2011) cross-examines the construction of feminism and femininity in cinema and television in a wide variety of female-oriented programs such as chick flicks, reality shows and dramas. This book will further equip me with an understanding of the relationship between feminism, femininity, and visual culture and tools to analyze images of female representation in media. Lucia (2005) investigates the representation of female lawyers in Hollywood film such as Jagged Edge, The Accused, The Client and so forth. Although these female lawyer characters are represented as strong women, the deeper study of these films exposes inconsistent characteristics which gainsay the recognition of womens professional roles in a film. According to Lucia, these films featuring female lawyers depict: a patriarchal figure that possesses the potency, the genuine power to initiate the female lawyer into the structure of the law. These films accept law as patriarchal and the female lawyer as an inferior subject within that system. (Lucia, 2005: 19) Lucia (2005) reveals that in these films female lawyer characters are put on trial themselves for defying the traditions of femininity and patriarchal authority. This will provide a basis for analysis of female lawyer characters on Law and Order: SVU. 2.1.1. Narrative Writing the Woman In order to create empathy with characters and peak interest in the audience, formulation of the character through narrative is of the utmost importance. Character and narrative in the text have an emotional connection and resonate with the reader if they identify with the character. Hence, analysis of female representation in Law and Order SVU through their characterization in the narrative will allow me to deconstruct the text. Specific aesthetic and narrative strategies used by the producers to create characters also append to feminism and female representation (Geetha, 2007). Mulveys (1975) groundbreaking article Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema will greatly aid in exploring the relevance of narrative structure in construction of female characters in Law and Order: SVU. Mulvey unravels the narrative and visual techniques in cinema and describes the male cinematic gaze that objectifies the female character, hence, turning her into a spectacle, to-be-looked-at-ness (1975, 19). Mulvey (2009) revisits her theory in Visual and Other Pleasure by applying her feminist theory to more contemporary work concerning film spectatorship. She also talks about young modern woman of the 1920s in terms of images and narratives employed in Hollywood and European films, which will be relevant to assess portrayal of women in Law and Order: SVU. In regard to narrative and women representation in media, Teresa de Lauretiss (1984) work will facilitate my research in the right direction, as she investigates the structural representations of woman in cinema. De Lauretis (1984) disagrees with Mulveys (1975) theory of women representation as being permanently subjective and affirms that it is in a consistent stage of self-progression. De Lauretis believes that narrative structure draws upon the characters aspiration in social and cultural context and reproduces subjectivity. De Lauretis argues that female characters are formulated to incline towards femininity and conventionally portrayed as ideal image perceived by men (1984, 143). De Lauretiss conclusion of womens oppression by employing techniques of cinematic narration will provide a diverse perspective in representation of women in Law and Order: SVU. 2.2 Women and the Crime Genre The characteristics of gender have been reallocated in modern era in crime dramas where the female and male personalities are synthesized. The transformation also saw the shift of feminine traits of emotions, compassion and bond to traditionally masculine traits of heroism, vigor, and power giving rise to alternative action hero (Feasey, 2008: 67). In 1970s and 1980s, the crime genre progressively began depicting women as significant characters, in a TV revolution. Snauffers (2006) book called Crime Television would aid in my research tremendously as it would be interesting to re-evaluate the history of crime genre which was traditionally dominated by men (Maureen, 1988: 2). Crime dramas have dominated our television since the genre came to be, according to Snauffer (2006), crime genre echoes the cultural transformation and growth in the society. He investigates crime films and shows from 60s, 70s and 80s such as The Untouchables, The Streets of San Francisco, The Rockford Files, and Baretta which represented variant heroes in multifaceted settings. This work provides a broad history of detective and police crime shows on TV, which will contribute to my research immensely. Turnbull (2013) in her book The Crime Drama: TV Genres provides a historical study of the crime drama series as a genre, which presents a number of case studies to clarify major concerns in the course of the genre. This book will facilitate my argument as it looks at female-led crime drama series from around the world such as The Wire and The Killing which feature important female lead characters. Crime dramas generally feature subject matter related to public sphere with male dominance, however, the addition of female characters to the crime genre has enabled writers to pursue a dynamic approach concerning gender bending transgressions, domestic issues and other feminist concerns (Feasey 2008). Nevertheless, women were not always depicted as strong willed and independent on TV. Cavender (1999) examines the depiction of women crime victims by comparing episodes from reality crime program on prime time television. His analysis will be helpful in further studying the crime genre as well as involvement of women. Humphries (2009) examines women, violence, and media presentations through the lens of feminist criminology. This book contains chapters on Gendering Constructions which lays the foundation for the volume and examines media presentation of gendered violence, female killers on Law and Order and women in media. This book will give me tools to analyze the media text meticulously. In the crime genre, male protagonist used to focus on solving the crime while neglecting public concerns during the process. Attitudes started to change when women were portrayed unconventionally as brave, independent and intelligent characters breaking away from the societal norm from 70s, which resulting in writers shaping a new feminist archetype (Aisenberg, 1994). In her book Ordinary heroines: Transforming the male myth she suggests that female representation has progressed into equal active crime-solving characters with slight borrowing from conventional masculine traits, such as Dana Scullys (Gillian Anderson) character in The X Files, who was a powerful and independent professional woman even though FBI agent roles were profoundly male-dominated (240). Cuklanz and Moorti (2009) examine a wide variety of texts to delve into the representations of gendered violence against women and formulation of gender. They believe that Law and Order: SVU featuring lead female characters engage in stereotypical representation of women, showcasing violence against them which included inherent misogynist communiquà ©. Cavender and Jurik (2012) inspect the optimistic side of the representation of women on TV as they analyse Prime Suspect starring Helen Mirren as policewoman Jane Tennison in the popular British drama series where her character disrupts the conventions of the traditionally male genre (p.65). They focus on the portrayal of gender and law enforcement in the show featuring modern social tribulations where women play the central character. On one hand, Prime Suspect has become a cult hit for being an exceptionally feminist show in a traditionally male dominated crime genre. On the other hand, it is still not devoid of gender politics: while Tennisons character is shown as a successful woman she is pigeonholed as being old, lonely, obsessed with her career and friendless. Cavender and Juriks (2012) work will provide the framework to deconstruct the meanings and connotation in depiction of women in Law and Order: SVU in relations to social norm. There has been a dramatic rise in representation of women detectives in modern texts, whether be film or television, which used to be dominated by men (Mizejewski, 2004). Whilst examining Jodie Fosters character Clarice on The Silence Of The Lambs, Mizejewski believes that: Traditional Hollywood cinema has been unconsciously organized along these lines: men looking and taking action, women being looked at. The conventions of framing, lighting and editing in portrayal of women all play to these dynamics (p. 7) Tasker (2007) believes female representation has progressed tremendously in recent years with transformed and empowered gender egalitarianism; however, there is still substandard issue (? what does this mean?). Gender is a key constructor and differentiator of character in ensemble workplace dramas (Allen 2007, p 48). The meticulous examination of popular crime drama Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) in Reading CSI by Michael Allen includes the relationship of characters to their narratives and response of fans and will provide great depth and widespread views which I can apply to Law and Order: SVU during my research. 1.3 Female Heroism Gunter (1986) argues that women are represented in a stereotypical manner associating with the character traits they typically exhibit. In comparison with men, their characters were subjugated by personal relationships and family issues. However, this began to change in the 1970s when women were portrayed in more dynamic roles. Knight (2010) believes that this trend wouldnt have been possible without Sigourney Weavers character Ellen Ripley in Alien (1979) franchise, which has become an avant-garde symbol. Ellen Ripley signified the first final girl archetype, a term coined by Carol J. Clover in the book Men, Women and Chansaw: Gender in the Modern Horror Film (1992), who conquered and triumphed against an evil villain without any help or rescue from a man (p.98). Knight (2010) and Clovers (1992) examinations of women representation would aid in decoding the signs in Law and Order: SVU. Anthony (2009) believes that the progression in womens portrayal on television and film was becaus e women had taken over the market and were able to acquire positions as Producers and Directors. Consequently, women were portrayed in more heroic roles which cancelled out the notion of women as victims, resulting in a positive ideological advance (p. 80). Innesss (2004) Action Chicks is a groundbreaking collection of essays providing a new look at female action icons such as Xena, Buffy, Lara Croft and so on. These essays take a look at how recent depictions of women in action films, TV shows, comic books, and video games reflect an increased acceptance of women in traditionally male heroic or tough-guy roles. This highly specialized and scholarly study is suitable for my research and will give me context for my analysis of Law and Order: SVU. In order to analyze the representation of women in Law and Order: SVU, I will suggest that if the women embody four essential constructing features which are body, attitude, action and authority in a tough hero (Innes, 1998). Brown (1996) has the same belief about women portrayed as action heroes stating, the female action heroines body is represented by using same codes as a male hero in regards to object and subject in action films (p. 56). Goodwill (2011) agrees with Browns statement that new female action hero possesses positive masculine characteristic which were previously reserved for men only, breaking away from orthodox feminine attributes. With the fusion of traits, the earlier archetype of the hero has been amended in popular culture containing both masculine and feminine traits which will enable me to interpret female traits presented in Law and Order: SVU. Hill (1999: 38) states, action heroines are the new type of protagonists in action genre who are smarter and tougher than conventional female heroines and even their male counterparts. This new breed of action heroines contravenes not only cinematic but cultural gender codes of women being submissive and tangential characters and transform traditional cinematic depiction of women. Noble (1999) produces an innovative framework to create a new epitome of heroism for women in her book The Sound of a Silver Horn: Reclaiming the Heroism in Contemporary Womens Lives. She puts forward certain qualities that a female hero should possess to transform her and the world, such as strong-minded, valiant and a risk-taker. Harriss (2004) groundbreaking work will provide a framework for my research since she looks at the intricate representation of girls in recent history. Siehlohrs (2000) anthology investigates generic codes used in gender in regards to national identity in European films. She also examines how representations of women are affected by particular national milieu. This provides a baseline to investigate influences of societal factors on representation of women in Law and Order: SVU. Hanson (2007) proposes alternative ways of viewing classic and contemporary Hollywood heroines and the associations of gender with genre. She investigates the representation of women as the investigator and heroine in the variable context of the film industry, which will enable me to apply the same approach to my research. She confers meticulous attention to the production of narrative, actions and perception as well as negotiation of feminine self and desires across the past. Jaceys (2010) book The Woman in the Story: Writing Memorable Female Characters will be of significant value on this topic as it explains the importance of different traits, character development and gender issues in constructing a female heroine. This will allow me to dig deeper into the depiction of female characters on Law and Order: SVU such as Olivia Bensons characters role as a Detective and Alexandra Cabots character as a District Attorney. According to Knight (2010), female action heroes extensively influence individuals in society, and also reveal a lot about our society. Her analysis of female action here will help me understand Olivia Bensons character on Law and Order: SVU as she is seen as a role model and heroine to a lot of women. Furthermore, I will examine Buffy the Vampire Slayer which was a very popular show with very sharp and provocative commentaries on gender. In Undead TV, media studies scholars tackle the gender representation of Buffy and its influence on popu lar culture (Levine and Parks, 2007). Stuller (2010) illustrates the triumph of female hero in contemporary mythology which has cracked through male dominated environment and discusses the crucial role of female crime fighters in popular culture. Thornham elucidates the codes of a female hero in her book  Women, Feminism and Media: For a female character to become the hero of such a series she must appropriate agency, action, command, the occupation of public space, discursive authority and the control of the investigative gaze. All of these, of course, run counter to the norms of femininity. (p. 69) The above mentioned codes and symbols will aid in deconstructing the structure of female lead characters on Law and Order: SVU as heroes in a patriarchal society. I would be able to examine the amalgamation of feminine and masculine traits in the discourse.

Hirschis Social Bond Theory in Criminology

Hirschis Social Bond Theory in Criminology Travis Hirschi had an enormous effect on the field of criminology. His influence was most certainly felt the most in the subject of control theory. Hirschi’s theories were always plainly stated in layman’s terms so everybody could clearly understand them. Hirschi’s first theory: Social Bonds and Delinquency, states that delinquency arises when social bonds are weak or absent. This theory challenged Merton’s strain theory and Sutherland’s differential association theory. The question that is asked by these two theories is why people are motivated to commit crimes. Merton’s stated that it was the blockage of goals that pushed individuals to commit crime. Sutherland’s theory said that youths are taken in by deviant culture and they learn and adopt criminal behavior from those around him. Hirshi, on the other hand took the path less taken. For Hirshi, the question that his theory sought to answer was: Why don’t people break the law? Hirschi wanted to identify the nature of the social controls that determine when crime occurs. Hirschi called these social controls, â€Å"Social Bonds† (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2011) Hirschi’s social bond theory stressed four control variables that gave reason as to why people don’t break the law, with each representing a major social bond. The bonds are: Attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. Attachment refers to the emotional closeness that adolescents have with adults, role models, and most importantly parents. â€Å"Affectional Identification,† meaning that the youth aspires to be more like their parents or role models plays a large part in this bond (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2011). If the adults in their life are crime free, the youth is more likely to follow the same straight and narrow path. There is also a sense that parents know what their children are doing and where they are. This bond strengthens every time that there is interaction between the two parties as the interaction is usually on a personal basis. As a result of these things, parents have a form of indirect control. The indirect control works because their attachme nt to their parents makes them psychologically present. The second bond is The Social Bond of Commitment. Commitment involves the adolescents place in conformity. The youth does not want to blow their chances of having a great and bright future by doing something that they shouldn’t do. This is the common ratio of cost and benefit that is seen in other criminological theories and throughout life. The question it begs is; does deviating from the social norms to achieve certain means outweigh the potentially great losses that are also on the table. In order for this to be an effective bond, individuals must know and connect the deviance and reward and make a decision based on their own outcomes. Strain theory also uses the cost and benefit ratio; however it states that having high aspirations is what leads to deviance (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2011). Hirschi again stated the opposite was true; â€Å"Legitimate aspirations gave a stake in conformity that tied the individual to the conventional social order† (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2011). The third social bond is The Social Bond of Involvement. Involvement is a way to prevent and deny access to criminal actions and deviant behavior through involvement in activities. If you are in school all day or at work, one would be much less likely to commit a crime. This bond theory is in its own way paying homage to the old saying, â€Å"idle hands are the devil’s workshop† (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2011). The fourth and final social bond is The Social Bond of Belief. People want approval of others, so their actions tend to reflect the societal norms that are seen to be approved actions. Belief is the extent that youths embrace the moral validity of the law and other norms. Conforming individuals obey the law because it is seen as a legitimate and respected request to them. Ronald Akers stated that â€Å"Individuals offend because they are socialized to embrace criminal cultural beliefs† (Lilly, C ullen, Ball, 2011). Where Hirschi stated that one does not need to learn to be a criminal because all humans are gratification-seeking beings and crime is easy to commit (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2011). The purpose of this paper is to bring light to the effects social bonds have on the likelihood to commit delinquent activities. Attachment Theories are based on the view that human beings have a large desire to be accepted by others. This is usually a good thing; however, it can also help a delinquent mindset to form. The formation of strong bonds between the adult figure(s) in an adolescents life helps put a stop to delinquent activities before they even occur. However, those with insecure attachment to parents have problems with emotional regulation and impulse control acting on immediate rewards at the expense of long-term goals (Lac, Crano, Berger, Alvaro, 2013). Attachment also applies to peers. Peer attachment was positively associated with self-esteem, self-control, and optimism, but these variables tended to be more strongly associated with parental attachment. However, inadequate bonding to a parental figure may present a risky shift to relying on peers engaged in activities outside of the norms of society (Lac, Crano, Berger, Alvaro, 2013). These associations among peers that go wrong lead to drug use and drinking and activities such as that. In a study eight questions were asked in order to estimate how many of his or friends smoked cigarettes, used smokeless tobacco, drank alcoholic beverages, got drunk, smoked marijuana, used crack cocaine, used powder cocaine, and used heroin. The results showed that 84 percent of the test groups friends uses or have tried these substances (De Li). Under the Commitment bond, there is an underlying assumption that there is not much more time left in the act, project or whatever an individual is attempting to accomplish when weighing the pros and cons of a deviant act conceived. This is why there really is a burden to make a decision and make the right one according to the circumstances. Involvement in school is also an important form of commitment because it also acts as a stake in conformity which helps root people into social conformity (Krohn Massey). People who do not hold strong beliefs in conventional values have nothing holding th em to the bond and are therefore more likely to commit deviant acts. If any one or more of the four social bonds are weakened or severed, the chances of delinquent behavior increases significantly (Krohn Massey). Even when Social Bonds fail, desistance is always an option for those who want to get back on the straight and narrow path. Desistance is the act of ceasing offending behavior. One ways that has been discovered to be effective is the development of an attachment bond to a wife or husband or getting a stable profession. Marriage is however found to be the best. Men who desisted from criminal activities were engaged in structured routines, they were socially bonded to wives, children and significant others. They learned to draw encouragement, resources, and social support from their relationships. The impact of social ties, life events, and socialization experiences was emphasized to desisting offenders in order for them to truly know what they will lose if they choose to of fend again (Doherty). In regards to marriage, those with low self-control have much more room to change with the help of a stable healthy marriage than those with high self-control. The monitoring factor that comes along with the marriage territory plays a large role in that (Doherty). The monitoring factor is such an important one especially when one is growing up due to the fact that it prevents delinquency and reduces the chance that individuals will deviate when there is no monitoring occurring. A study found that low monitoring produced delinquency, although it was indirectly through low self-control and aggression. This is due to the adolescent getting a pretty clear impression that the parents don’t really care about what their kid is up to. And the mindset that most people would likely draw from that is, â€Å"If they don’t care, then why should I?† (Gault-Sherman, 2012). That mindset is related the attachment bond. They strive to be like their parents a nd copying is the greatest form of flattery. When delinquents turn to crime, it is usually because that they feel that there is no other way to fulfill their needs at the current time. However, deep down it is due to the way that their parents raised them, their attachments to people, their involvement in extra activities, things that they’ve committed or not committed time to and their own personal set of beliefs that they hold dear to themselves. In the Attachment theory, the outcome of the adolescent is largely affected by how their parents raised them, and how the other important adult role models in their life treated them. Say for example that every day when a little boy came home from school, he is bullied by his father, neglected by his mother, picked on by his siblings and treated horribly by all. This is not going to have a positive effect on that little boy at all. This behavior will instill in him a warped sense of what’s ok due to affectional identification (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2011). The little boy may go to school the next day and bully another kid to make himself feel better, to feel like he is following in his father’s footsteps. This may seem like a easily fixed issue, but in reality, it most certainly is not. There is a high chance the boy all grown up will engage in delinquent behavior, even if he is not arrested. He will most likely beat and or bully his kids or wives and treat people terribly. When the delinquent actions aren’t confined to just the home, even more problems can arise which can lead the individual down an even steeper downward spiral. That is why it is such an important responsibility that the parents have to raise their children with love, attention, and compassion in order to help prevent even more delinquency being brought into the world. As individuals go through school, cheating is a huge aspect that they must try to avoid. It is such an easy action to perform, as it requires just a turn of the head during a test, or clicking send on an email full of test answers. Many people don’t even regard it as a delinquent act. Cheating is such a large obstacle because it directly relates to the social bond of commitment. Students spend at the minimum twelve years of their lives in school not including college. That’s a large portion of their life. If cheating makes it an easier twelve years for them, they may embrace that particular delinquent behavior in order to make the long journey ahead a little bit easier. Most individual’s mindset is that it isn’t fair if others can cheat and succeed, and they shouldn’t, which again begs the question of why don’t people commit crimes and or delinquent acts? All students, whether they cheat or not, have goals, dreams, careers to look forward to, and their futures at stake while going through school. This path with a destination deters some from cheating because they don’t want to risk losing all that they have worked so hard for just so they have an easier time on a test or don’t have to write their own original paper. Others on the other hand, do not particularly care about this tradeoff and decide to cheat anyway. This may be because they weighed the options, and they found cheating to be the best course of action and worth taking the risk to do so, or the individuals reasoning could be that they just don’t have any higher aspirations or goals. Whatever the case may be, parents, teachers, the community, and even officers of the law should do all in their power to emphasize the importance of being honest throughout school, and the impact that cheating and deviating could have on them if they were to lose sight of all that they had committed themselves to completing. This emphasis on commitment will help form more well-rounded individuals who are better adapted to function in society than those that choose to take the easy way out. The social bond of involvement plays a vital role in preventing del inquency in the modern world as well. When individuals have nothing to do, often they go looking for something. What they find may not be the best thing to do and in turn may have a very counter-productive effect on their life. Examples include joining gangs, underage drinking and smoking, partaking in the use of narcotics, stealing and the list goes on. Parents and schools often attempt to enroll their children and students into extracurricular activities in order to keep them occupied and out of the reach and influence that many unsavory activities can have on young and developing minds. The social bond of involvement and commitment are often connected because individuals often commit a large portion of their idle time to these activities and don’t want to risk being unable to participate in them again because they’ve committed a deviant act. In any case, involvement in healthy activities is very important in the fight to keep kids on the straight and narrow due to i ts ability to occupy their free time with productive activities instead of others that may lead them down a path towards delinquency. The more the importance of involvement is stressed, the better the chances that more and more individuals will keep away from crime. The final social bond that Hirschi brought light to is the social bond of belief. Belief is a strange and funny thing because some have a lot of it, while others have seemingly none. Those who don’t hold strong beliefs in the norms of society are not really bound by the bond of belief. When people believe that rules that are in place are actually there for a reason, they become bound to belief. This is usually a good thing, assuming that the rules in place are for the betterment of society as a whole and not just for the few. It’s also about respect in a way. Individuals who are taught to respect legitimate laws, people, and other such things are much less likely to deviate from them than one who is not tau ght to respect, but to instead rebel. Belief must be instilled from a young age during the same time the attachment bond starts to form. If parents believe that laws and other such things are legitimate, then their children will most likely recognize that and adopt the same into their behavior. Those whose parents have weak bonds with their children will have a much more difficult if not nonexistent time trying to instill these values and beliefs. It should be noted that belief can be completely abandoned in an instant and should be treated with the utmost fragility. The more parents, role models, and significant figures put emphasis on and utilize belief during the youth’s more impressionable years, the more likely it will be that the youth does not partake in deviant activities. Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory has certainly accomplished what it set out to explain. The reason why people don’t commit crime is because of their attachments to other significant people in their lives, their commitment to finishing what they started and not losing their progress, their involvement in healthy non deviant behavior, and lastly the belief that laws and constraints are put into place for a good and legitimate reason. Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory has much strength in its favor and very few weaknesses. One of the weaknesses is that when adolescents are involved in a lot of delinquent activities outside of their home, the bond they have with their parents weakens. This is because Hirschi didn’t take into consideration that bonds change over time, and that strong bonds of attachment and involvement can take place among peers even when parental bonds are strong. One of the two bonds is bound to overcome the other. Another weakness that Hirschiâ€℠¢s theory has is that it is â€Å"based on the assumption that humans are naturally self-interested and thus need no special motivation to break the law† (Lilly, Cullen, Ball, 2011). This is not a good assumption at all because not all people are similarly motivated. The strengths of Hirschi’s theory are their simplicity and that the actual applications of the bonds do lead to less delinquency occurring among youths. The practice of instilling these bonds in the youth of today is very important to the future to come. Everybody must do their part in the fight against delinquency. Works Cited De Li, S. (n.d.). the impacts of self-control social bonds on juvenile delinquency in a national sample of midadolescents. Deviant Behavior, pp. 351-373. Doherty, E. E. (n.d.). Self-control, social bonds, and desistance: A test of life-course interdependence. Criminology: An Interdisciplinary Jornal, XLIV(4), pp. 807-833. Gault-Sherman, M. (2012, February). Its a Two-Way Street: The Bidirectional Relationship Between Parenting and Delinquency. Journal of Youth Adolescence, LXXII(2), 121-145. Krohn, M. D., Massey, J. L. (n.d.). Social Control and Delinquent Behavior: An Examination of the Elements of the Social Bond. The Sociological Quarterly, XXI(4), pp. 529-544. Lac, A., Crano, W. D., Berger, D. E., Alvaro, E. M. (2013, August). Attachment theory and theory of planned behavior: An integrative model predicting underage drinking. Developmental Psychology, XLIX(8), 1579-1590. doi:10.1037/a0030728 Lilly, J. R., Cullen, F. T., Ball, R. A. (2011). Criminological Theory. Thousand Oaks, California, United States of America: SAGE Publications.