Readings on the Power of the Nation-State Essay

World Society and the Nation-State by John W. Meyer, John Boli, George M. Thomas, and Francisco O. Ramirez * This essay begins by explaining that it is the world models of institutions and the purposes they serve—equality, socioeconomic progress, human development—are the foundations for the current nation-state order. These world models have become increasingly important in the post-war era as globalization has increased and intensified exponentially. * They then expand upon this point, explaining that traditionally, scholars believe that states are products of their own histories and internal forces. This essay asserts that this is inaccurate because in today’s era especially, there are many outside forces due to globalization that shape a nation state’s culture, institutions, and other features. * They argue that the main reasons for the emergence of world-society models have been out of wars, like World War II and the Cold War. These global conflicts may have pushed for the improvement of nationally organized progress and human development on the global scale. * Many scholars predict a failure of world-society, drawing upon evidence from the gross violations of world-cultural principles in Bosnia, the stagnant development in Africa, and the overall evasion of proper responsibility all over the globe. The Declining Authority of States by Susan Strange * Strange opens with the assertion that although they may not admit it, those in charge in capitalist nations are losing power and reputability. Politicians make empty promises and the people no longer believe them. It is exactly this type of discontent that brought down the Soviet Union and its satellite states. Political discontent by the public has risen globally and seems to be evident everywhere. * Strange also asserts that answers lie in the public opinion and everyday citizens of a country, not in the current political system. She says this because normal people use commonsense which seems to be more legitimate than the most common academic theories politicians base their notions upon. * Strange argues that after extensive study of the global political economy, she has come to the conclusion that we need to rethink some of the traditional concepts and assumptions that international relations are based upon. She presents four main assumptions that need to be revised: 1. The limits of politics as a  social activity. 2. The nature and sources of power within a society. 3. The necessity and contrasting invisibility of authority in a capitalist economy. 4. The anarchic nature of international society and rational conduct of states as the unitary actors in that society. * An interesting point Strange argues is that as governments try to gain more authority, they are squashing out ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples’ sovereignty. Some principle examples include the Basques of southwestern Europe, the Tibetans of China, the Scots of the United Kingdom, and the Aborigines of Australia.   Global Organized Crime by James H. Mittelman Mittelman explains that because of globalization, crime has completely evolved into a more complex and frightening concept. The new type of global crime involves crimes that didn’t even exist a few decades ago—computer crimes, money laundering, nuclear material theft, counterfeiting, stock market schemes, etc. Crime is also no longer localized, but taking place on a global scale. * Mittelman provides a chief example of this globalized crime using Chinese triads that have smuggled people illegally into the U.S. since the 1840’s. The corruption of the Chinese government and oppression of Chinese workers has caused this issue of illegal migration. * Mittelman also explains that global organized crime can be equated to transnational firms because they operate both above and below the state. Above the state, they operate using the manipulation of permeable borders and deregulation. Below the state, they operate by offering incentives to the marginalized populations who are struggling to cope with the effects of globalization. * He also describes the role of global crime in relation to the state. Traditionally, states are viewed as arbiters and mediators in interstate relations. However, this role is changing as crime has transcended borders and caused the cooperation of state governments to try and combat this trend. Mittelman also clarifies that although crime groups aren’t revolutionary or trying to take over the government, they are slowly changing the role of government and somewhat undermining its power.   Has Globalization Gone Too Far? By Dani Rodrik * Rodrik begins by asserting that globalization has dramatically increased the gap between the rich and the poor; the middle class is disappearing.  Because of this, tension between those in charge—the policymakers and market moguls—and those at the bottom—workers, environmentalists, etc.—has risen and become a major dividing factor. * This divide causes tension and a decrease in social stability. Rodrik highlights three main sources of tension. 1. Reduced barriers to trade and investment accentuate the imbalance between groups that can transcend international borders—capitalists, professionals, highly skilled workers—and those that can’t—unskilled workers. 2. Nations face major differences in terms of ideologies, politics, socioeconomics and this can cause conflicts within and between nations of opposing traditions. 3. Globalization has made it close to impossible for governing bodies to provide social insurance—a central function that has held societies together in the post-war period. * Rodrik then explains that in order to deal with these issues, policymakers must make difficult decisions in order to strike a balance between domestic cohesion and global interaction. Rodrik recognizes that this situation is usually viewed as a trade-off, however through maintaining a healthy balance between domestic needs and global progress, this can be achieved. Welfare Spending in an Era of Globalization: The North-South Divide by John Glenn * Glenn first recognizes that in less-industrialized states, welfare spending has decreased during the period of globalization due to the increased spending focused on structural development. On the other hand, highly industrialized nations have been the key agents in starting and maintaining globalization. * Glenn then examines two different hypotheses. The first states that nations are actively reconfiguring themselves in order to produce a business-nurturing environment. This competition state hypothesis claims that the globalization of the economy is putting the pressures on the states to make the business-conducive environment. The second hypothesis asserts that states make up for those who are most negatively affected by the economic progress and as a result of this, a decrease in social spending will not occur. * Glenn recognizes the overlap between these two hypotheses in that they both emphasize the importance of state investment in human capital in order to compete in the global economy of today. He also supports his findings with several tables  exhibiting different states’ growth of government expenditures, social spending trends, etc. in order for readers to visually see these trends that are occurring across the globe. World Culture and the Future of Schooling by David P. Baker and Gerald K. LeTendre * This article begins with the theory that education is, contrary to popular belief, a global undertaking. It defines the traditional, national vision of education as an institution for education and socialization of a country’s youth, preparing them to be successful adult citizens of their nation. The authors argue that this notion is inaccurate and is becoming more so every day. * The article asserts that global forces are shaping the evolution of schooling and education is growing more globally uniform due to the permeability of borders and educational values penetrating those borders and infiltrating educational systems within those borders. * The worldwide success of mass education is then examined. It is observed that all over the world, public schooling is educating the vast majority of youth and preparing them for a bright and educated future. In addition to this trend, traditional educational values have become widely accepted. These values can be education for the collective good, national government funding and interest in education, early education lasting through early adulthood as an effective tool in long-term impact, and statuses such as race, gender, religion and language should not deter an individual or group from accessing education.

An Analysis for the Play Fences Essay

The story line seemed melodramatic throughout the play. The author (August Wilson) has laid the ground work of many themes throughout the play. The play deals with Race, Men and their masculinity, Morality, Dreams and hopes of everyone involved, Family, Duty, Betrayal and Dissatisfaction. The play begins with Troy and his best friend Bono entering the yard chatting as they usually do coming home from work as garage collectors for their company. Every Friday is payday for Troy and Bono and one can usually find these two enjoy drinking down at Taylors (the local watering hole). Troy seems to be upset due to the fact that he tries to rise above â€Å"just being a garbage man† and seeks to become a driver of the garbage truck. Troy has made a formal complaint to his boss (Mr. Rand) and asks â€Å"Why you got the white mens driving and the colored lifting? † Troy recognized that he has just as much of a right and ability as the â€Å"white men† he is working with, and can drive the garbage truck just as well as any of them. Although, Troy didn’t realize it, he was actually leading the way (in his own right) for black men and woman everywhere. But this wasn’t the only issue that Troy is dealing with. Troy has been cheating on his wife Rose with his mistress Alberta and decides to discuss this with his friend Jim Bono (often mostly referred to by his last name Bono in the book). But Rose appears to always be on Troy about building the â€Å"Fence† around the yard. This later on in the play seems to have a profound underlying tone to more than just the literal meaning of the word. Troy, although a good man at heart, he seems to be struggling with an issue of facing death.. Troy seems to have his hands full within the play. With every situation, Troy seems to describe them in the terms of baseball. Since Troy was robbed of a potential a professional baseball career because of his race and has become bitter because of it. It seems that Troy has a lot of â€Å"Fences† to mend, not only the physical kind, but the relationships he has with his wife, his sons Lyons and Cory (mostly). Troy also deals (and is responsible for) with his brother Gabriel, who received a serious head injury during the war and hasn’t been the same since. Troy’s son Cory tells his father that he has a chance to be scouted for a recruiter from the University of North Carolina for its football team. But since Troy feels that Cory should be concentrating on working at the local A&P supermarket and his studies and leave football alone. One can understand as to maybe why Troy feels that his son should work and focus on school instead of football. Since Troy was disappointed because of his lack of a professional baseball career (because of his color), he did not want to see his son receive the same kind of heartbreak he had suffered. Troy, by doing this, he is holding his son back (whether he realizes it or not) from possibly having a better life than what he had or currently has. Troy seems somewhat jealous of his son Cory and really bitter when it comes to sports. One of the main themes of the play seems to come when Troy has to tell his wife Rose (coming clean) that he is going to be a father again. Rose becomes upset and wants to know why Troy couldn’t â€Å"stay in her bed† instead of going elsewhere. Troy attempt to rationalize what he has done, says that he is only trying to feel good about himself and that he hasn’t done so in a long time. When Rose has to explain to Troy that she received a call from the hospital informing her that, Alberta died giving birth to his daughter, Raynell. Rose, being the good woman that she is, accepts Raynell in to her family and agrees to raise her. Troy then comes to battle with Cory, when he attempts to step over his father and enter the house. Cory is then told that he no longer lives there, and was being kicked out of the house forever. Cory states to Troy that he doesn’t need anything from him and can take of himself. Since Troy had to deal with being on his own since he was fourteen years old, his son can do the same thing (Cory is a little older, 17 yrs. old). Troy, throughout the play is always speaking about, how he will be ready for â€Å"Grim Reaper and his sickle† and will not go down without a fight (which he often brags about beating death when he was younger). Troy just prior to his death (and finding out about the death of his mistress) Troy: â€Å"All right†¦ Mr. Death†¦. I’m gonna take and build me a fence around this yard. See? I’m gonna build me a fence around what belongs to me. And then I want you to stay on the other side. See? You stay over there until you’re ready for me. † So, this could be another underlying theme that Troy is always wrestling with a force much larger than he is and is always taunting death by saying â€Å"Then you [Death] come on. Bring your army. Bring your sickle. Bring your wrestling clothes†. The last time we actually see or hear from Troy is in Act II scene 4 when he says â€Å"I can’t taste nothing. Helluljah! (Probably misspelled on purpose) I can’t taste nothing no more. (Troy assumes a batting posture and begins to taunt Death, the fastball on the outside corner. ) Come on! It’s between you and me now! Come on! Anytime you want! Come on! I be ready for you†¦.. but I ain’t gonna be easy. At this point, Troy realizes that he is dying (heart attack). At the beginning of the following scene, the reader learns that Troy has died and everyone (except Cory) is preparing to attend Troy’s funeral. But as the story starts to end, both of Troy’s sons, Lyons and Cory are talking with each other and tells one another how each one is doing. Lyons is finishing up his prison sentence and Cory is a Corporal in the Marine Corps. The two of then begin to sing the song that their dad used to sing about a dog name Blue. The story can take the reader through a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Great story about the trials and tribulations of a man and the world around him. According to Wade Bradford from About. com, he states: Arguably August Wilson’s most renowned work, Fences explores the life and relationships of the Maxson family. This moving drama was written in 1983 and earned Wilson his first Pulitzer Prize. The protagonist, Troy Maxon is a restless trash-collector and former baseball athlete. Though deeply flawed, he represents the struggle for justice and fair treatment during the 1950s. Troy also represents human nature’s reluctance to recognize and accept social change. In the playwright’s setting description, symbols connected to his character can be found: the house, the incomplete fence, the porch, and the makeshift baseball tied to a tree branch (Bradford, Wade 2011). Reference Wilson, August (1987) Fences, In Drama: A Pocket Anthology (2nd Ed. ) P. 451 Longman, Penguin Academics, New York Retrieved November 5, 2011. Bradford, Wade (2011) August Wilson’s â€Å"Fences† Character and setting analysis, About. com, Retrieved November 06, 2011 www. about. com.

Deception Point Page 58

â€Å"I have an emergency!† The operator was breathless. â€Å"†¦ phone call for the President.† Tench looked incredulous. â€Å"Not now, you don't!† â€Å"It's from Rachel Sexton. She says it's urgent.† The scowl that darkened Tench's face appeared to be more one of puzzlement than anger. Tench eyed the cordless phone. â€Å"That's a house line. That's not secure.† â€Å"No, ma'am. But the incoming call is open anyway. She's on a radiophone. She needs to speak to the President right away.† â€Å"Live in ninety seconds!† Tench's cold eyes stared, and she held out a spider-like hand. â€Å"Give me the phone.† The operator's heart was pounding now. â€Å"Ms. Sexton wants to speak to President Herney directly. She told me to postpone the press conference until she'd talked to him. I assured-â€Å" Tench stepped toward the operator now, her voice a seething whisper. â€Å"Let me tell you how this works. You do not take orders from the daughter of the President's opponent, you take them from me. I can assure you, this is as close as you are getting to the President until I find out what the hell is going on.† The operator looked toward the President, who was now surrounded by microphone technicians, stylists, and several staff members talking him through final revisions of his speech. â€Å"Sixty seconds!† the television supervisor yelled. Onboard the Charlotte, Rachel Sexton was pacing wildly in the tight space when she finally heard a click on the telephone line. A raspy voice came on. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"President Herney?† Rachel blurted. â€Å"Marjorie Tench,† the voice corrected. â€Å"I am the President's senior adviser. Whoever this is, I must warn you that prank calls against the White House are in violation of-â€Å" For Christ's sake! â€Å"This is not a prank! This is Rachel Sexton. I'm your NRO liaison and-â€Å" â€Å"I am aware of who Rachel Sexton is, ma'am. And I am doubtful that you are she. You've called the White House on an unsecured line telling me to interrupt a major presidential broadcast. That is hardly proper MO for someone with-â€Å" â€Å"Listen,† Rachel fumed, â€Å"I briefed your whole staff a couple of hours ago on a meteorite. You sat in the front row. You watched my briefing on a television sitting on the President's desk! Any questions?† Tench fell silent a moment. â€Å"Ms. Sexton, what is the meaning of this?† â€Å"The meaning is that you have to stop the President! His meteorite data is all wrong! We've just learned the meteorite was inserted from beneath the ice shelf. I don't know by whom, and I don't know why! But things are not what they seem up here! The President is about to endorse some seriously errant data, and I strongly advise-â€Å" â€Å"Wait one goddamned minute!† Tench lowered her voice. â€Å"Do you realize what you are saying?† â€Å"Yes! I suspect the NASA administrator has orchestrated some kind of large-scale fraud, and President Herney is about to get caught in the middle. You've at least got to postpone ten minutes so I can explain to him what's been going on up here. Someone tried to kill me, for God's sake!† Tench's voice turned to ice. â€Å"Ms. Sexton, let me give you a word of warning. If you are having second thoughts about your role in helping the White House in this campaign, you should have thought of that long before you personally endorsed that meteorite data for the President.† â€Å"What!† Is she even listening? â€Å"I'm revolted by your display. Using an unsecured line is a cheap stunt. Implying the meteorite data has been faked? What kind of intelligence official uses a radiophone to call the White House and talk about classified information? Obviously you are hoping someone intercepts this message.† â€Å"Norah Mangor was killed over this! Dr. Ming is also dead. You've got to warn-â€Å" â€Å"Stop right there! I don't know what you're playing at, but I will remind you-and anyone else who happens to be intercepting this phone call-that the White House possesses videotaped depositions from NASA's top scientists, several renowned civilian scientists, and yourself, Ms. Sexton, all endorsing the meteorite data as accurate. Why you are suddenly changing your story, I can only imagine. Whatever the reason, consider yourself relieved of your White House post as of this instant, and if you try to taint this discovery with any more absurd allegations of foul play, I assure you the White House and NASA will sue you for defamation so fast you won't have a chance to pack a suitcase before you go to jail.† Rachel opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. â€Å"Zach Herney has been generous to you,† Tench snapped, â€Å"and frankly this smacks of a cheap Sexton publicity stunt. Drop it right now, or we'll press charges. I swear it.† The line went dead. Rachel's mouth was still hanging open when the captain knocked on the door. â€Å"Ms. Sexton?† the captain said, peering in. â€Å"We're picking up a faint signal from Canadian National Radio. President Zach Herney has just begun his press conference.† 68 Standing at the podium in the White House Briefing Room, Zach Herney felt the heat of the media lights and knew the world was watching. The targeted blitz performed by the White House Press Office had created a contagion of media buzz. Those who did not hear about the address via television, radio, or on-line news invariably heard about it from neighbors, coworkers, and family. By 8:00 P.M., anyone not living in a cave was speculating about the topic of the President's address. In bars and living rooms over the globe, millions leaned toward their televisions in apprehensive wonder. It was during moments like these-facing the world-that Zach Herney truly felt the weight of his office. Anyone who said power was not addictive had never really experienced it. As he began his address, however, Herney sensed something was amiss. He was not a man prone to stage fright, and so the tingle of apprehension now tightening in his core startled him. It's the magnitude of the audience, he told himself. And yet he knew something else. Instinct. Something he had seen. It had been such a little thing, and yet†¦ He told himself to forget it. It was nothing. And yet it stuck. Tench. Moments ago, as Herney was preparing to take the stage, he had seen Marjorie Tench in the yellow hallway, talking on a cordless phone. This was strange in itself, but it was made more so by the White House operator standing beside her, her face white with apprehension. Herney could not hear Tench's phone conversation, but he could see it was contentious. Tench was arguing with a vehemence and anger the President had seldom seen-even from Tench. He paused a moment and caught her eye, inquisitive. Tench gave him the thumbs-up. Herney had never seen Tench give anyone the thumbs-up. It was the last image in Herney's mind as he was cued onto the stage. On the blue rug in the press area inside the NASA habisphere on Ellesmere Island, Administrator Lawrence Ekstrom was seated at the center of the long symposium table, flanked by top NASA officials and scientists. On a large monitor facing them the President's opening statement was being piped in live. The remainder of the NASA crew was huddled around other monitors, teeming with excitement as their commander-in-chief launched into his press conference. â€Å"Good evening,† Herney was saying, sounding uncharacteristically stiff. â€Å"To my fellow countrymen, and to our friends around the world†¦ â€Å" Ekstrom gazed at the huge charred mass of rock displayed prominently in front of him. His eyes moved to a standby monitor, where he watched himself, flanked by his most austere personnel, against a backdrop of a huge American flag and NASA logo. The dramatic lighting made the setting look like some kind of neomodern painting-the twelve apostles at the last supper. Zach Herney had turned this whole thing into a political sideshow. Herney had no choice. Ekstrom still felt like a televangelist, packaging God for the masses.

Fortune-Telling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fortune-Telling - Essay Example Some of the people at the carnival were suspicious of fortune-tellers and as they walked past the booths they made fun of the gypsies. 9. One gypsy explained that telling fortunes was less about helping others' lives than to make his own living. One gypsy explained that telling fortunes had more to do with making a living than it had to do with helping others. 10. Fortune-telling is difficult to categorize because it is neither a science, art, or religion. Fortunte-telling is difficult to categorize because it is not a science, an art, or a religion. Combine sentences and expand the sentences with details to add interest and variety. 1. Washington is the only state named after a president. Many cities and counties are named after presidents. Many cities and counties are named after president, but only one state is named after a president: Washington. 2. California is bordered by the Pacific Ocean. There are many islands, waterways, and rivers not to mention the evergreen forests near the coast. California may be bordered by the Pacific Ocean, but many islands, rivers, and forests can be still found near the coast. 3. The car battery would not start. The battery was dead. I called a tow truck. I called a tow truck since the battery was dead and the car would not start. 4. She was not like her sister in fact they were total opposites. She was nothing like her sister; they were total opposites, in fact. 5. Ricky Martin will remain my favorite singer although he has fallen out of fashion and I think he is terrific. He has done some free concerts for good causes too. Although he has fallen out of fashion, Ricky Martin is still my favorite singer both because he is a terrific vocalist and because he... 8. Holly was told she was going to be a beauty someday. At sixteen she was thin. She was severe. She wore thick glasses down on her nose. Her shoulder bones showed through her shirt. They seemed to puncture her skin. Holly had a severe appearance characterized by being so thin that her shoulder bones seemed to puncture right through her skin. Despite the fact that her shoulder bones actually showed through her shirt and the fact that she wore thick glasses that continually slipped down her nose, she was told she would one day be beautiful.

Transition in Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Transition in Care - Essay Example A number of challenges shall also be taken under account regarding the ethical and legal issues in the health care settings (Christian et al., 2006). Pain management techniques and community care setting are illustrated in the paper to develop understanding of the patient’s health, furthermore it shall discuss the obstacles and challenged faced in the application and implementation of health care management for adolescences. It is an integral function of nursing to understand the condition of a patient as an individual to address their health needs (Abu-Saad, 1981). This means that the nursing practitioners will have to assess social experiences and needs of the patients (Begum & Johnson, 2010). The need for doing this is because it presents a case in front of the health care professional that will help them formulate a strategy for their treatment. According to the study Begum and Johnson (2010), Young people have specific and different health need (Begum & Johnson, 2010). In addition, their environment plays a major role in the development and overcoming the process of injury (Dumont et al., 2012). Looking at the case of Kelly, it comes to our understanding that she is a young girl who is spending her days in an acute adult hospital ward. This is serving as a great challenge for Kelly in her process of recovery that may lead to delay healing, trauma, cognitive abilities (academic performance), and res toring herself as an athlete (Dumont et al., 2012). In the case of it shall be noted that Kelly has been accommodated in a general ward, where she has different people belonging from different ages (Begum & Johnson, 2010). Briere and Lanktree (2011) argue that the services offered to adolescence in wards and home does not address their special need (Briere & Lanktree, 2011). They required psychological and special health care services to enhance their recovery. Therefore, Kelly shall be accommodated in the adolescence wards or with the people who are

Effects of the Westward Expansion of the Colonies of the United States Essay

Effects of the Westward Expansion of the Colonies of the United States - Essay Example Gradually the Americans moved far into the west in search of fertile lands irrespective of being converts to Christianity or having religious freedom. They even began trading with the Indians, which led to several treaties with them. Inspite of these peace treaties war continued as the Indians hardly assumed to be bounded to treaties and the US government was loyal to its duty of protecting the movement towards the west. In 1848 San Francisco was a small region, which grew into a big city based on rapid commercialization, and industrialization while the mining industry became popularized. The move towards the west was initiated owing to a search for new and better opportunities in terms of land for farming and jobs to survive. The Midwest became the attractive zone for the settlers and the industrial revolution encouraged commercialization. The proprietors of the lands began to promote their commodities by proving adequate connectivity with the east. As the forest areas became reduce d in the east during 1849 the lumber industry moved westwards to Michigan and Minnesota. This would ensure they were not moving away from civilization. Again, the professions gradually shifted from farming to other activities like lumbering and mining. Industrial revolution brought about machineries, which saved labor, and farming became smoother.

Argument 3 History of 1650 - 1850 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Argument 3 History of 1650 - 1850 - Essay Example As history has it, she went through a period of struggles and hardships before she became a sovereign state which could conduct its business at its own bidding. This paper spans the history of America between 1650 and 1850. This period was marked by United States of America’s worst and best of times. The American Indians, sometimes referred to as the Red Indians, were the indigenous inhabitants of the present United States of America. The term Red Indians comes from their culture of painting their faces red when they were going for war. The Indians were a peaceful people, who cherished their family ties. They were also very prayerful and creative. Their life was led in solitude, like they belonged in their own world. Nature was foremost in their priority since they revered it and saw it as a gift from their gods. In the period between 1539 and 1542, the Spaniards attacked the Indians. There were about 600 Spaniards led by Hernando de Soto. They went about the south eastern par t of what is known today as the United States of America, killing, raping and making slaves of the Indians. There were a lot of retaliatory attacks from the Indians who were always suspicious of the Spaniards’ visits. ... Twenty two of their men died and scores others sustained arrow wounds which were fatal. Not spared in the conflict were their horses which either died or were injured such that they were no longer useful in combat. Some Indians even resorted to hanging themselves instead of falling into the hands of the Spaniards. The coming of the Europeans brought with it a lot of upheavals in the calm Indians’ way of life. The discovery of America opened the Pandora’s Box which led to the invasion of America. This invasion paved way for the forced relocation of the America Indians. The American Indians were a people who were so passionate about their culture and way of life. Therefore, they did not take the European’s actions kindly. Wars were fought and blood was shed in a bid to defend their heritage. Most of them died in these battles as they were attacked with all manner of weapons, even biological. Small pox, measles and other virus were released among them and this incre ased their death them toll. A number of them eventually sided with the Europeans but others chose to relocate to the West of the country. This was especially driven by Andrew Jackson’s Removal Act of 1830. The American Indians eventually gained the respect and recognition that had for along time been denied to them. Museums have since been constructed to preserve their history and as tribute to a great people who first rebelled against foreign occupation. The American Indian struggle is just the first of many more struggles for freedom that were to follow throughout the American history. America’s walk to freedom was never an easy one right from these old times. The Indians were dominated upon, they were made to suffer before the final freedom was achieved.

NYC HOMELESS POLICY Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

NYC HOMELESS POLICY - Research Paper Example Main reasons and causes for homelessness as written by many reports and studies include; poverty (that is caused by many factors like unemployment), war, abuse by the government or people with power, lack of affordable housing among others. This paper will focus on the temporary shelter policy for New York Homeless people. There has been a lot of criticism and debate on the temporary shelters policy for some time now. The coalition for the homeless says that the mayor’s tact relies on short-term emergency interventions, at the expense of long term federally funded options like housing programs that have had promising results in the past. During an interview with WCBS 880’s reporter Paul Murnane, the coalition’s executive director, Mary Brosnahan said, â€Å"sadly this year, the state for the homeless in New York City has never been worse, today for the first time in New York history, we have 50,000 sleeping each night in our shelter system and that includes over 21,000 homeless kids†. The Homeless Service Commissioner Seth Diamond said the numbers of the homeless entering the system are falling. On the same issue, the mayor, Bloomberg on his part said â€Å"that the coalition is not a reputable organization. He blamed the increase in the number of homeless in the shelters on Albany and Washington. ... The temporary shelters are better than nothing at. This is because they keep the homeless people off the street as the shelters are located in designated areas. Because of this reason, they need to be maintained until a more permanent solution can be found. This can be done in a number of ways one being identifying the fakes from the genuine homeless people. According to a report in the New York Times, more than one out of four families in shelters, 28 percent, include at least one employed adult, city figures show, and 16 percent of single adults in shelters hold jobs. This means that the City of New York is paying to run shelters for people who are employed. If this continues, there will be an overflow of people in the shelters leading to disease outbreak, congestion and worse living conditions. The mayor’s administration should stop this exploitation by the people able to rent cheap housing for themselves; so that they can have an accurate number of the city’s homele ss for effective planning and maintenance. It would also be difficult to maintain the shelters because of the increasing number of the homeless population. This refers to the homeless families that have been living in shelters for years and have increased the number of children in their families. This means that they will require more tents to fit the number of people in the family for privacy and a little bit of comfort. The maintenance money will also have to increase because there are more mouths to feed than the original number. The children of the homeless are more often than not faced with the same fate as their parents and part from growing up in shelters, they end up living in them when they grow up thus the shelter dilemma becomes a vicious cycle. Poverty is another

Biosocial Theory of Crime Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Biosocial Theory of Crime - Assignment Example Psychological theories of crime deals with the relationship between the crime and antisocial behaviors and the thinking process of a person.PostulationThe theory postulates that criminal behavior results from individual distinctions in thinking processes. Accordingly, there are different psychological theories, but they all agree that it is the person's feelings and thoughts that dictate criminal actions.Real life CaseIn the case of Mary Agnes who was convicted of murdering her own child, Bryant, T. (2009), observes that the mother had no criminal background or anything that could have influenced the killing. In this case, he concludes that her psychological process would have experienced a dysfunction that prompted her to kill, (pg.443). Social structure theoryThis theory suggests that the social-economic status of a person can influence them to commit crimes especially for economic gains. In this case, people who are placed lowly in the social ladder are more vulnerable to joining criminal activities.PostulationThe theory postulates that the place of people in the socioeconomic structure has a direct influence on their chances of becoming criminals. Accordingly, Jordens, P. (2006), declares that there is more likelihood of poor people committing crimes as a result of failure to achieve social success using other ways, (pg.312).To explain this theory, Jordens, P. (2006) cites the case of Aliata Michaal. In the case, Aliata Michaal was accused of robbery with violence on 12th June 1996.

Taming of the Shrew Character Motivations Essay Example for Free

Taming of the Shrew Character Motivations Essay Many lives are ruled by a need to fit in and conform to the ideals of society. William Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew centers around the two sisters, Bianca and Katherine and their marriages. Kate, an unpleasant and undesirable woman, unwillingly marries Petruchio who attempts to tame her. Bianca is the ideal woman who is pursued by many men. The play was written in 1590 and set in Italy, when submission and obedience were expected of women while men took powerful positions. Societal expectations motivate men and women. Women were motivated by societal expectations. A valued woman was obedient, passive and sweet. Bianca epitomizes these qualities and shapes her behavior around them. She exchanges vicious words with her sister in private, but while in the company of suitors she turns mild. Bianca’s father and her suitors determine who she marries, showing her surrender to men’s power and acceptance of obedience. In Kate’s concluding speech, she says, â€Å"A woman moved is like a fountain troubled, muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty, and while it is so, none†¦will deign to sip or touch one drop of it. (5. 2. 151) Kate admits that an unpleasant, angry wife is undesirable and useless. Certainly no man will consider an ugly, rude woman worthy of his company. She finally relents to Petruchio’s taming and takes a woman’s normal place in the social hierarchy. Women conform to society’s strict expectations. The expectation that men are powerful and all-knowing influences men’s behavior. A m an’s masculinity and power was dependent on his control over his wife. Petruchio, Hortensio and Lucentio make a bet, â€Å"And he whose wife is most obedient†¦shall win the wager. † (5. 2. 15) This shows how much men value an obedient wife, which demonstrates their power. Each man hopes that he wins because a powerful man is valued. Baptista, the father of Kate and Bianca, arranges his daughters’ marriages and marries Kate off even though she is unwilling. Society’s standards permit this destructive and inconsiderate behavior. In their patriarchal society, women can’t show much preference in their suitors. Men are expected to make the best decision, and Baptista goes along with this standard. Wife taming was a common idea in this time and many men attempted it. Petruchio tries to tame Kate by starving, embarrassing, overruling and insulting her. Kate comments on the sun, but Petruchio contradicts her and says â€Å"Now, by my mother’s son, and that’s myself, it shall be the moon or star or what I list. †(4. 5. 6) Petruchio says anything he says is correct, enforcing the idea that women should surrender to a man’s authority. Petruchio tames Kate because of the social belief that men should be more powerful than their wives, therefore social expectations motivate him. Society’s standards motivate men’s behavior. Men and women modify their behavior to meet the ideals of society. Katherine transforms herself into a submissive wife and Bianca maintains her behavior as an obedient, charming woman. Petruchio tames Kate to show his masculinity and Baptista controls his daughters lives without regard for their feelings. In conclusion, societal expectations motivate characters in The Taming of the Shrew.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa)

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (abbreviated as ELISA), is a kind of immunoassay technique to detect the presence of a specific antibody or antigen in the test samples. This method principally make use of both immunological reaction (the antibody-antigen reaction) to detect the present of specific antibody or antigen) and biochemical reaction (the enzyme substrate reaction) to produce a visible signal for both qualitative and quantitative measurement. The ELISA method used in this experiment is an example of indirect ELISA method. The ELISA plate wells are coated with optimized concentration of antigens before hand by means of charge interaction or with the help of a spacer coating (eg. L-lysine). Then the plate wells are washed with buffer solution, and a blocking step is preformed by adding bovine serum albumin or casein, to block any uncoated space in the well before using to detect antibodies in sample serum. Then the sample serum is added to detect the present of specific antibody, the antibodies will bind to the antigens in the well (in this experiment is the anti-DNA antibody). Then a secondary antibody (usually raised from a species against the antibody of the sample) with enzyme-linked (called conjugate) was added to bind. The enzyme used may be Alkaline phosphate or Horseradish peroxidase (in this experiment is Alkaline phosphate); this also serve as signal amplification step as the enzymes conjugate chose used usually have more than one binding sites for the substrate added subsequently. Then a substrate is added for the enzyme to produce a color reaction (in this experiment is the PNPP which produce a yellow color) to indicate the present of the specific antibody in the sample. The higher the concentration of the antibody in the test sample, the stronger the color developed. We can use a spectrometer (an ELISA reader in this experiment) to measure the color quantitatively instead of using our eye, which is more objective and accurate. Washing with buffer (usually a mild detergent) is applied between steps to remove unbind antibodies to avoid non-specific binding of antibodies. Usually positive and negative controls will be paralleled run with the test sample to validate the result. The cut-off point between a positive or negative result is usually determined statistically with known standards. In additions, with a serial dilution of a known standard (known concentration of the specific antibody want to detect in the test), we can also find the amount of the specific antibody in the test sample from the graph of absorbance against concentration of the known standard. Thus, the ELISA method can produce both qualitative and quantitative result in detecting the specific antibody in test sample. ELISA is a relatively high sensitive and specific test for detecting serum protein, the presence of specific antibody or antigen; and also considers as a high-throughput immunoassay. The use of ELISA also includes hormones and infectious antigens (including virus and bacteria). The most common example is detecting HIV in patient samples. In addition, it has the advantage of using non-radioactive substances, is safer than those radio-immunoassays. Other ELISA methods: Sandwich ELISA (or direct ELISA) is used to detect antigen in sample serum, is less-common. With known quantity of capture antibodies coated to the well, the antigens in the sample will bind to the antibodies to form complex. Then enzyme-linked primary antibodies will be applied to detect the present of the antigens. Competition ELISA is a different method from the indirect and sandwich ELISA, in which the kit contains enzyme-linked antigen rather than enzyme-linked antibody. The labeled antigen will compete with the antigen in the sample for the antibody binding sites in the well. Thus, more antigens in the sample will give weaker signal as less labeled antigen can bind to the antibody binding sites in the well. The advantage of this method is can be used to detect antigen in impure samples. Reverse ELISA is a new technology using immunosorbent polystyrene rod with protruding ogives. This ogives will dipped into the sample, thus a higher sample volume can be used to improve the sensitivity. Moreover, the ogives can be sensitized with different reagent to detect different antibodies or antigens simultaneously for multi-target assays.