Gangs and Youth Violence Essay -- Gang Essays

Recently, an increasing number of North American youth are committing violent crimes. Although the consequences of these violent crimes are easily apparent, the causes behind them are often abstract and obscure, making it difficult to pin blame on a single source. Moreover, this deviant behavior among young people can be attributed to a combination of several generalized factors. Leading contributing factors of youth violence include the media, the influence of family life, widespread abuse of drugs and alcohol, the ease of access to weapons and a lack of strong punishment that exists for juvenile offenders. If this rise in aggressive acts is to be stemmed, the causes youth violence must be determined and analyzed to determine which ones, if any can be affected by change. First, the most obvious and publicized cause explaining youth violence is the inescapable and highly influential exposure of youths to violence in the media, especially violence on television. Young people, most notably children are susceptible to learning violent ideals through their high level of exposure to North American television programming. Parents have come to rely on the use of television as a babysitting service and therefore have increased the influence of television on the fragile, easily manipulated minds of their children. On average, a typical Canadian child will watch about 22 hours of television per week (Childley 38). Over their adolescent lives, this adds up to more time spent watching television than time spent at school, playing sports or communicating with parents and friends (Childey 39). It is not the amount of television viewed that has created this problem, but rather it is the content of North American television that has spiraled out of control and that has warped the minds of countless children. The correlation between aggressive behavior and television viewing is accounted for by the violent content of modern television shows. Estimates have indicated that by the time a child reaches the age of twelve, s/he will have witnessed as many as 12, 000 violent deaths on television, and that this can lead to â€Å"heightened aggression in the short term† (Childley 38). We live in an era where Hollywood is applauded for its creativity and originality when it comes to new ways to murder characters. Consequently, it is no wonder that youth violence is up 140% in Canada sin... ...nt sentencing of juvenile offenders who have committed acts of violence can succeed in rehabilitating them if they spend little or no time in a correctional institution. It can be conclusively stated that youth violence in North America is a multi-faceted issue and its causes can be approached from several angles. The media, particularly in the form of television plays an enormous role in presenting the world to young people, albeit it is a violent world that is presented. At home violence can be learned objectively or subjectively through observing a parent’s aggressive behavior or by experiencing it first hand. In addition, North American youth place themselves at a high predisposition to violence by selling and using drugs. In a legal sense, governments in North America seem to have done little in the way of setting up obstacles to restrain youths from committing violent crimes. All of these factors are not necessarily omnipresent, but enough influence from one or a combination of them is enough to incite violent behavior in young people anywhere. The extent and severity of these problems has already stigmatized an entire generation of yout hs, not to mention others to come.

Compare Blanche and Amanda Essay

In today’s socioeconomic world, there is no room for slacking off or failure. People are seen as individuals who earn their social status and there is much pressure to succeed. In the plays, â€Å"The Glass Menagerie† and â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire† both written by Tennessee Williams, there are two main characters who are not capable of living in the present and have a difficult time facing reality. Amanda Wingfield, the mother from â€Å"The Glass Menagerie† and Blanche Dubois, Stella’s sister in â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire† have many similar characteristics and life styles that are discovers throughout each play. In the article â€Å"Tennessee Williams and the Predicament of Women† written by Louise Blackwell both of these women are defined as â€Å"Women who have learned to be maladjusted through adjustment to abnormal family relationships and who strive to break through their bondage in order to find a mate†. Each woman played an important role, affecting everyone they came encounter with, starting with the earlier years when they women were â€Å"southern belles†. In order for these two characters to deal with the complications in their lives they resort to living in their own fantasy worlds of deception and lies. Amanda Wingfield is the mother of Tom and Laura, a middle-aged southern belle whose husband has abandoned her and their children several years earlier. Amanda spends her time reminiscing about the past and nagging her children. She is completely dependent on her son Tom for finical support and holds him fully responsible for her daughter Laura’s future. Amanda is obsessed with her past as she constantly reminds Tom and Laura of â€Å"One Sunday afternoon in the Blue Mountain__ your mother received__ seventeen!__gentlemen callers!†(1050). The reader cannot even be sure if this actually happened or if this is an over exaggerated story that she made up. However, it is clear that despite its possible falsity, Amanda has come to believe it. Amanda also refuses to acknowledge that her daughter Laura is cripples and refers to her handicap as â€Å"a little defect-hardly noticeable† (1056). Only for brief moments does she ever admit that her daughter is crippled and then she resorts back into her world of denial and delusion. Amanda is constantly worrying about Laura’s future and pushing Tom to find a man for Laura. When Tom finally finds a caller for Laura,  Amanda blows the meeting out of proportion and believes that this man will marry her daughter after their first meeting. The night when the young man comes to meet Laura, Amanda wears the same gown she wore on the day that she met her husband. This makes her realize that she chose the wrong man, a man who left her and her children to struggle through life while he went and chased his dreams. Amanda chooses to live in a fantasy world of dreamy recollections not accepting the present reality of her life. Blanche Dubois the main character in the play â€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire† is a hypersensitive, neurasthenic, faded southern belle who moves from her home town after a rough patch, to live with her younger sister Stella and Stella’s husband Stanley. A main element in finding out who Blanche really is, is discovering the real reason for her move to New Orleans to live with her sister. After the death of her husband, every aspect of her life slowly started to fall apart and left her with a huge void to fill. She admitted to this, at one point in the story, â€Å"that after the death of Allen (her husband) intimacies was the only thing that seemed to be able to fill her empty heart†. Blanche thought that having sexual relations with men would somehow fill the void in her heart. This type of behavior got Blanche into trouble in her hometown. While teaching high school English, Blanche had an affair with a seventeen-year-old student. This destroyed her career and ruined her reputation forcing her to relocate to New Orleans with Stella. From the first moment Blanche steps into her sister’s home one can sense exactly what Blanche is, or at least what she chooses to be. In appearance, she is a glamorous, ladylike aristocrat, who is perhaps slightly nervous. She parades about the house as if she is a regal figure, wearing elegant gowns and delicate jewelry. However, this is merely a facade, Blanche is broke and homeless. Although Blanche was once a kind, normal, sweet girl, her very being has deteriorated. Now, all that’s left is what she struggles desperately to maintain on the outside. It is obvious, even as Blanche desperately attempts to imitate a respectable lady, that there is something terribly wrong with her. She even admits it while speaking with Stella, â€Å"I want to be near you, got to be with somebody, I can’t be alone! Because – as you must have noticed – I’m – not very well†. Amanda and Blanche are similar in the ways they conduct themselves and how they rely on other people to fill voids in their lives. Both women escape reality by living in illusionary worlds and by reminiscing about the past. They rely heavily on men and are desperate to get one. Blanche and Amanda drive everyone crazy causing their own families to slowly drift away from them. While these characters stay the same, the rest of the world around them is continually changing. This explains the twos repeated failures in life. The major characters in these plays are so warped and their lives so distorted and perverted by fantasies that each is left with only broken fragments of what might have been. Their failure to recognize what is happening in their lives, explains how they are unstable people who cannot fend for themselves.

My Self

I believe that multifarious factors make a person an individual who is unique and distinct from others. Most of these factors work their magic early on in a man’s life, consisting of experiences in childhood and adolescence, which shape a person’s philosophy and values in life. I was fortunate to have a childhood that gave me a sense of respect towards my parents and other family members, especially my elders. My childhood and adolescence taught me to treat my family as a sacred thing and give it the importance it deserves. Moreover, I know that our socioeconomic status gave me the proper perspective and drive to aim high in my studies and avoid taking risks.My close relationship with my family also allowed me to become open to forming close and trusting friendships. Thus, my childhood can be generally described as non-traumatic, save for a single car accident that left me a few injuries. Nevertheless, such an experience did not prevent me from studying hard in class, w hich made adults see me as a smart child who has more than what meets the eyes.My open relationship with my friends and family shaped my disposition as an active and open-minded person, who is always willing to help. I am also generally jovial, ad this helps me get along with others easily. I continue to live by my academic skills I acquired since childhood, and I pride myself in being a fast learner and a good researcher. My view of manhood and sexuality is consistent with my personal philosophy, which is bound by honesty, dignity and resoluteness.Given this personal backdrop, I expect my future life to be bright and full of promises. I will work hard to achieve a happy family life and a successful professional career. Therefore, I will keep on pursuing further studies, careful not to let any kind of obstacle get in my way. I know that my friends and family would be with me every step of the way while I tread the road to personal growth and fulfillment.

labor demand essays

labor demand essays In light of the limits that have been placed on this answer I will only focus my comments on the demand for labor and on the other hand the supply of labor. First the demand for labor. This is to me by far the most interesting aspect of the course. Labor demand is derived from the firms desire to maximize profits. This is a basic assumption of labor demand. Will the firms continually try to make changes that will improve the profitability of the firm? We assume that yes they will. Firms are basically price takers. Now their main decision is what quantity of their product to produce. This is because as they hire more people they basically increase output so the decision hire more people and the decision to produce more are basically the same decision. The optimal output will equate marginal revenue with marginal cost. Marginal revenue is the product price in a purely competitive market. Marginal cost is therefore the cost to produce that unit. MPl is the change in output of the firm. What happens when a firm decides to produce more? They must hire more labor assuming that capital remains constant. If a firm could continuously hire more peole and increase their MRP then we would live in a utopian society with no unemployment and peace and happiness everywhere. But alas we live in a world with diminishing returns and as the firm highers more people it reaches a pont where each new person costs a little more when compared with their output then the person hired before them. A good example of this is digging a hole 4 feet by 8feet by 6feet . One person would do it in about half the time that two people could do it. But three people would not do it in one third of the time. This loss in efficiency is what I am talking about. In fact soon you couldnt fit all of he people into the hole and it would be so cramped that it would atually take longer to finish the hole. If this happened then they would have a negative ...

How to Use the Modifier Most in English

How to Use the Modifier Most in English The modifier most is commonly used in English in a wide variety of situations. You are probably familiar with the use of most in the superlative form, but there are other uses as well. Below you will find explanations of each of the different ways most is used to modify nouns, as well as in the superlative form and as an adverb. (The) Most is different than more which you can learn about on this page dedicated to the uses of more in English. (The) Most Superlative Form The most is used in the superlative form with adjectives of two or more syllables. The opposite of this form is the least (i.e. I enjoy corn the least of all the vegetables.) Examples: California is the most important state for the US economy.I think she is the most intelligent person I have ever met. One of the Most in the Superlative Form Its also common to use one of before the most in superlative forms to refer to something that is among a group of the most of a quality. The opposite of this form is one of the least (i.e. That is one of the least interesting films this year.) Examples: Peter is one of the most reliable people on this planet.Golden Retrievers are one of the most likable dog breeds. Most Noun Determiner Most is used before a noun as a determiner to speak in general. Remember that the plural form is used when speaking in general about countable items or people (Most people enjoy a vacation in the tropics). When speaking about uncountable objects, use the singular form (Most steel is used in construction). Examples: Most students would like to take a year off ​from studies to travel.Sharon said most food sold in supermarkets contains preservatives. Most of Determiner Noun Use most of the / a / this, etc. noun when referring more specific objects. Remember that the is used to indicate a specific object that both the listener and the speaker understand, whereas a is used to speak about something listeners do not which specific instance is referred to. This, these, that or those can be used as well as possessive adjectives such as my, your, his, etc. Examples: Most of my time is spent in a classroom teaching English.Sharon said that most of these trees were planted in 1878 by the organization. Most Alone Most can be used alone when the noun being modified is understood through context. For example, during a conversation, you may refer to a particular group of people and use most to indicate most of the people we are discussing. Examples: I think most believe the economy will continue to slowly improve.(Speaking to a friend about food items) I bought most at the supermarket downtown. (The) Most as Adverb (The) Most can also be used as an adverb to describe a that someone does or feels something the most compared to others. Examples: I like raspberry jam the most.She was hurt by John the most. Most Verb in Formal English Most can be used to mean very in formal English. This form is not common in everyday conversations, but you may certainly hear it in films such as historical fiction, stories about kings and queens, etc. Examples: I find it most disturbing that you continue to telephone.She felt the afternoon outing was most enjoyable.

Community Work Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Community Work - Research Paper Example Although our community strives to provide diversity for all individuals in many ways Cascade Maryland lacks opportunities for ethnically diverse individuals. At my profession I often assisting in providing treatment to individuals composed of different races. Like many other individuals in our community I was born in America. My ancestors immigrated to America from Germany in 1785. According to Washington County Maryland (n.d.), our town was "a city founded by German immigrants in 1762" (pp. 2). Our community does not have a large foreign born population. Encountering individuals with accents is a rarity. From 1995-2000 the foreign born population was 0 (City-Data, n.d.). Community work manuals and texts are relevant to me as an individual. I believe these readings are meant to address people like me. I would imagine the minorities living in this community may struggle with understanding these work manuals; as they are not designed for them based upon their cultural make-up. Approximately 95% of individuals living in this community speak only English and no other languages at home (City Data, n.d.). The remaining five percent that utilize different langue at home are compiled by languages such as Spanish (.3%), European (1.9%), or Asian (2.8%). Perhaps the lack of cultural diversity can be attributed partially to the history of our state. Our state is home to many historical battle sites and monuments. Maryland being one of the thirteen original colonies formed was effected by west bound expansion during the 1800's leading many immigrants to settle in other states. Due to the geographical location of our state finding immigrants is not a common occur rence. In the past I have encountered skeptism from minorities I have treated in my profession. I remember during the O.J. Simpson murder trial talking to an African American woman about the trial. With the evidence present by the media we both agreed that we felt that he was guilty of the crime. Some time passed before the verdict in the trial was read and I thought very little about the conservation as I did not see the woman for treatment regularly. After the verdict was read the woman called my human resources department claiming that I was a racist. I do not believe my actions constituted racism as I was merely stating an opinion in the discussion we were having. The human resources department for the facility I work for did not believe this constituted racism either. However, I have learned not to discuss trials, politics, or other controversial views and/or opinions with the clients I treat out of fear for the potential negative ramifications that could occur for stating my opinion ; even when the client initially agrees with my opinion. Our community is composed equally of half women and half men. My age is slightly older than the rest of the community. Our community consists of people mainly child bearing age. My children are grown and on their own. I am the proud grandparent of seven grandchildren and a prouder great grandmother to two young children. . According toThe United States Census(2000),18.6% of the population is over the age of 55. Unlike few others in my community I am a widow. My husband died suddenly in 2007. Of the people in my community the widows 9% are widowed. Of this 9% the majority (7%) are women. I believe that the community is well represented politically

Law and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Law and Management - Essay Example The ill preparedness of the crew of the ship is a life-threatening feature, which further demoralizes the employees. Lack of effective management coupled with the lack of safety precautions in the ship are deliberate breaches of the existing International Safety Management code that requires effective redress in order to revamp the productivity of the ship as the discussion below portrays. Firstly, the ship has a crew of 14 members from different parts of the world. The engineer and the chief officer are British; the crews are polish while the other officers are Indians. This implies that the environment in the ship is a cosmopolitan society that requires an effective management structure that will succeed in creating a perfect environment for the people from various backgrounds to achieve their maximum productivity. Unfortunately for the employee on the ship, the official language for communication is English. Such is a major drawback that affects the efficiency of operations in the ship. The management does not attempt to find out the competencies of the crews in order to determine the most appropriate language to use while in the ship. Language therefore becomes a vital barrier to the communication on the ship. Numerous other mistakes arise on the ship most of which are attributable to the lack of effective medium of communication. On a voyage between Dundee and South Shields, the tanker causes a pollution incident when it spills oil from under the manifold over the main deck. Pollution is always a major concern to everyone who uses the seas and oceans among other large water bodies. Governments can always forfeit the license of ships among other vessels that pollute the sea. As such, the management of the vessels using the large water bodies must always take adequate precaution and ensure that their vessels do not cause pollutions. As such, the short voyage between Dundee and South Shields incident is a portrayal of lack of adherence to the existing codes.