Conceptual Analysis 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Conceptual Analysis 3 - Essay Example Sowa instigates that diagrams are simplified figures that convey intended message in a simple manner without using many words (John, 1984). In his work he describes several diagramming techniques that are very relevant in conveying messages in a simplified manner. There are many diagramming methods including flow charts, entity relationship, data-flow, and object oriented diagrams (John, 1984). This paper will analyze several diagramming techniques. Data-flow technique is a means of representing information or a system regardless of the level involved using symbols that show the flow of data, network of data, data processes and data stores. The main purpose of using data flow technique is to provide a systematic between users and system developers. Using data flow charts has a variety of advantages. The first advantage is that it reduces the amount of words that would have been used in explanation of the intended message. The second advantage is that data flow representation builds a systematic way of disseminating information. It shows the logical sequence of the data being represented. Thirdly, it represents the information in a hierarchical manner, showing every details of a system at any level. Fourthly, it is user friendly in that it allows users to understand the information being represented and gives the user an opportunity for review. They are diagrams used in object oriented models. They help in definition of machines that have a number of states. These machines receive events from external environment and the events drive the machine in rotation from one state to the other. This kind of diagramming technique helps in giving the explicit definition of a machine and its behavior. One feature that makes this technique unique is its ability to generalize states. This ability allows the factoring of common transitions. State models are suitable when describing

Harley Davidson Essay Example for Free

Harley Davidson Essay Mission Statement Our diversity mission is to foster a culture that integrates diversity and inclusion into all aspects of the business in order to further fulfill dreams through the experiences of motorcycling.   Vision Statement Harley-Davidson values, embraces and celebrates diversity in order to develop and continuously improve mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders to fulfill dreams and provide extraordinary customer experiences in an increasingly dynamic, diverse and global market. Objectives   Create a viable brand that would effectively compete within the Non-Menthol, Lo-Fi category. Attract more young adult (25-49) male smokers into the Lorillard family.   Develop a highly targeted â€Å"Niche Brand’ that would generate modest share goals.   Build strong brand awareness and imaginary.   Gain trial and repeat purchase.   Create consumer confidence. Strategies   MARKET PENETRATION Get some more market share from the existing market, like U. S, U. K, and Japan etc through more marketing techniques like advertising. Harley-Davidson has a good brand name so it’s easy for them to eat up the competitor market share if they can provide some more customer benefit. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Younger generation and female are now coming to this segment so expand the motor cycle segments to younger generation and females.   MARKET DEVELOPMENT Harley-Davidson can bring in their vehicle to Asian countries like India and China, because these countries have a high population and the market potential is also high.   DIVERSIFICATION Bring new bikes to attract customer and market. INVESTING IN THE BRAND The Company is reinforcing its support of the Harley-Davidson brand, accelerating its ongoing marketing efforts to reach out to emerging rider groups, including younger and diverse riders. In addition, the Company will continue to focus on product innovations targeted at specific growth opportunities with its strong core customer base and new riders.   ADJUSTING THE COST STRUCTURE Consolidate its two engine and transmission plants in the Milwaukee area into its facility in Menomonee Falls, Wis. OBTAINING ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR HDFS The Company said it is evaluating a range of options to provide the necessary liquidity for the wholesale and retail lending activities of Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS)   Recommended Mission To be branded as the best motorcycle available in the world. Recommended Vision The best quality motorcycle, motorcycle products and financial services will be provided worldwide is the commitment of Harley-Davidson. Customer satisfaction is our motto and the Harley-Davidson customers can experience the taste of reality of motorcycle dreams by relaying their satisfaction on us. Harley- Davidson is dedicated to use the advanced technology to produce the most superior motorcycle in domestic and international markets. Stay competitive and continue growth worldwide remain profitable and survive is our philosophy. Employees of Harley-Davidson are the foundation of the company and they are the driving force behind the Harley-Davidson name. The total team effort of Harley-Davidson employees is devoted to fulfilling dreams of customers and we believe that there is not a motorcycle riding experience like a Harley-Davidson’s. Excellence is our push though our Harley-Davidson bar and shield logo that says superior quality. Honesty and customer loyalty and these morals are the heartbeat of Harley-Davidson organization. Harley-Davidson do our part in supporting all environmental laws in every country we do business. Determination and commitment is the place where Harley-Davidson intends to stay.   External Opportunities The European demand for Harley Davidson is the highest in the international market and represents the single largest motorcycle market in the world Women and younger riders are increasing becoming interested in bikes The international heavy weight market is growing and is now larger than the U. S. heavyweight market Market share increasing in Europe and Asia for the last two years   Increasing demand in US markets for bike. Customers value quality parts   External Threats   Harley’s ongoing capacity restraints caused a shortage supply and a loss in domestic market share in recent years.   Harley’s average buying age is 42 years old and increasing.   The European Union’s motorcycles noise standards are more stringent than those of Environmental Protection Agencies in the U. S and increased environmental stand. Some competitors of Harley Davidson have larger financial and marketing resources and they are more diversified.   Environmental protection laws. S customers to the Asian customers they can increase the sales.   PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Younger generation and female are now coming to this segment so expand the motor cycle segments to younger generation and females.   In Europe they can increase or expand the Buell’s market share by introducing new motorcycles.   MARKET DEVELOPMENT   Harley-Davidson can bring in their vehicle to Asian countries like India and China, because these countries have a high population and the market potential is also high. The cost to bring in the old vehicles (old product) to India is so much difficult because there are so much environmental laws are there which won’t allow that type of vehicles to come to India, and its difficult that taxes and levis are high in India so starting new plant in India can solve this problem. Negotiations with the Government can solve these problems. DIVERSIFICATION Bring in new vehicles to new markets like India and china is a good choice, but it’s too costly.   Bringing new types of recreational vehicles is a best choice.   Recommended Long-Term Objectives. Establish Harley-Davidson as a recognized leader in the development and participation of its people, to maximize each employees potential. Grow and maintain demand by providing exceptional product styling, performance, quality, reliability and customer service at prices our customers can afford.   Meet the demand by expanding our existing distribution and manufacturing capacity, and, where necessary, adding new production and retail distribution points.   Improve information services capabilities to enable all stakeholders to easily do business with Harley-Davidson, through the creative integration of information technologies. Drive financial results to the levels achieved by acknowledged high-performing companies.   Recommended Procedure for Strategy Review and Evaluation   Review underlying bases of strategy   Once again prepare all the internal and external analysis.   Compare the already prepared analysis with the one which will be prepared after the new strategy implementation. Measuring organization preferences Analyze all financial ratios current and the future.   If any advantage, then implement the new strategy, otherwise continue with the present one.

Effects Of Offenders And The Community Criminology Essay

Effects Of Offenders And The Community Criminology Essay The use of incarceration as a punitive and rehabilitative approach to crime has been around for centuries. The use of penitentiaries began in the 18th century in England. The British society started a move away from corporal punishment and more towards imprisonment with the hope that it would reform the mind and body (Jackson, 1997). These changes eventually paved the way for the establishment of penitentiaries throughout Europe and onto the United States. Historically, imprisonment was based on the concept of punishing those who wronged society, by inflicting suffering on the body. Today its strives to achieve its basic tenets consisting of punishment, deterrence and rehabilitation. In focusing on the United States, over the past thirty years the country has experienced an unprecedented rise in the use of incarceration. In 1972 there were 330,000 people residing in prisons and jails, today there are 2.1 million (King, Mauer Young, 2005). During this time span, the population rose b y less than 40 percent yet the number of people in prison and jail rose by more than 500 percent. To explain this dramatic change, we must look to factors such as changing crime rates, demographics, cultural shits and politics (King et. al., 2005). Today, there are many conservative, steadfast politicians who bank on getting tough on crime. In this light, we must evaluate whether institutionalization is the best method for diminishing crime and whether those offenders being imprisoned, are being set up for success or for failure, especially in their ability to reintegrate back into society once their time has been served. We must address the fact that these offenders, once imprisoned, encounter serious psychological changes and stigmatizations. The incarceration of an individual affects more than just the individual, but also family, peers and the community. The release of an offender back into society leaves one vulnerable and scared by an ex-con label. Their reintegration back int o society is a critical stage that is dependant on certain vital factors, which contribute to whether one will inevitably lead a continued life of crime or a life of desistance. Is incarceration really a remedy to crime, a so-called deterrent for future criminal activity, or merely a mechanism for labeling someone as a deviant member of society? It is important to assess what is actually known about the impact of imprisonment on crime control and with that in mind we must examine how incarceration rates have increased. The use of incarceration has significantly grown over time and the United States has become by its own creation, an extremely punitive system. The enactment of tougher sentencing rules, restrictive release patterns and the abolition of parole in some states have supported a system based on this concept. Many advocates of the system, including the Department of Justice, support this approach and have stated that tough sentencing means less crime (King et. al., 2005). However, an overview of changes in incarceration and crime in all fifty states revealed that there is no consistent relationship between the two. Crime did not decrease merely because incarceration was increasing (King et. al., 2005). Therefore, incarceration may not be the most effective way to achieve results in crime control. Advocates believe t hat by locking someone up, they can physically no longer commit crime. This concept may very well uphold to be true, but what about after their release from prison? Will they be more susceptible to or away from crime? Introducing someone to a life of incarceration inevitably leads to institutionalization and the effects of prisonization, which can seriously hinder ones adaptation and reintegration process. Institutionalization is a term used to describe the process by which inmates are shaped and transformed by the institutional environment in which they dwell. Sociologist, Irving Goffman described in his book Asylums, that institutions were a place of residence and work where a large number of like-situated individuals, cut off from the wider society for an appreciable period of time, together lead an enclosed, formally administered round of life (King, 2000, p. 2). By this account, we can claim prisons to be a form of institution. Later, the term was also coined prisonization when it occurred in correctional settings (Haney, 2001). The term, often thought pejoratively, expresses the negative psychological effects of imprisonment. Goffman identified five modes for adapting to an institutional life. The first step involved a situational withdrawal, where prisoners begin to minimize their interaction with others. Next, prisoners form antagonistic behavior and refuse to cooperate with staff members and begin to show hostility towards the institution itself. This type of behavior will often result in prisoners being sentenced to the conditions of solitary confinement. Colonization is a step in which involves the prisoner making a transformation to which he or she becomes institutionalized. In this step, prisoners begin to feel that life in prison is more desirable than life outside the prison. Next is the conversion step, which leads prisoners to adopt to the behavior that the guards and facility regard them to be like. The last step in the adaptation mode is the so-called playing it cool segment. In this stage, prisoners stay out of trouble and conform to their surroundings so that when they are released, they ca n have a maximum chance, in the particular circumstances of eventually getting out of prison physically and psychologically undamaged (Haralambos Holborn, 1995 p. 306). Once an offender is confined to an incarcerated life, the prisoner often is forced to undergo a unique set of psychological changes in order to survive the prison experience. Prisoners must undergo serious adaptations and recognize the deprivations and frustrations that come along with a prison life. This is commonly referred to as the pains of imprisonment and most certainly carries certain psychological effects (Haney, 2001). Such psychological symptoms can include dependence on the institutional structure, hyper vigilance, interpersonal distrust, suspicion, emotional over-control, alienation, psychological distancing, social withdrawal, isolation, incorporation of exploitative norms of prison culture, diminished sense of self-worth and personal value and post-traumatic stress reactions to the pains of imprisonment (Haney, 2001). With the rate of incarceration increasing, it also brings about the changes in prison populations. As a result, the size of the U.S. prison population has led to widespread issues in overcrowding. Penologists have described this dilemma by claiming that the U.S. prisons are in crisis and have characterized each new level of overcrowding as unprecedented (Haney, 2001). The United States incarcerates more persons per capita than any other nation in the world. The U.S. rates have consistently been between four and eight times more than those for other nations such as Japan, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Australia (Haney, 2001). This combination of both overcrowding and rapid expansion of prison systems adversely affects the living conditions in these prisons. Overcrowding leads to jeopardized prisoner safety, compromised prison management, and limited prisoner access to meaningful programming. The rehabilitative process is in effect significantly hindered. Many sociologists, psychologists and psychiatrists, have studied the process of prisonization extensively and all agree that the process involves a unique set of psychological adaptations that often occur in varying degrees in response to the extraordinary demands of prison life (Haney, 2001). A prisoner must incorporate the norms of prison life into their habits of thinking, feeling, and acting. However, given todays expansion and overcrowding of prisons, this is a demanding and dangerous process. The prison environment is not a friendly one and many soft criminals leave prison as hardened criminals. Prison life can consist of many negative attributes, which affect a prisoners ability to rehabilitate. The more overcrowding in prisons, the less access to rehabilitation, which therefore leads to higher reconvictions rates (Hanks, 2008). The presence of gangs and violence within prisons, along with the feelings of anger, depression, rage and sadness all accompany incarcerated individua ls. Prisons are often the scenes of brutality, violence and stress to the point where many prisoners are concerned for their own safety. The increase in sentence lengths for prisoners also results in prisoners experiencing higher levels of psychological strains of imprisonment due to the longer periods of incarceration time. The psychological isolation of prison from ones community, the lack of prison visitation programs and the already scarce resources that have been used to maintain ties between prisoners and their families and the outside world, seriously affect the prisoners chances for survival and rehabilitation (Haney, 2001). Juveniles are especially more prone to the effects of prisonization. An example of such transformation is the case of Boston Billy. Billy spent half his life in prisons and jails and claimed that these institutions were horrible places that toughened up people up to a point that you dont care (Bhati Piquero, 2008). Once the institutionalization phase has been completed, the prisoner must eventually undergo their reintegration back into society. Facilitating the transition from prison back to the free world is a very delicate and critical stage. There are many stigmatizing aspects of incarceration, which may result in a prisoners inability to successfully make the transition. Prisons are aimed to essentially cure criminals of crime so they can be fit to reenter society, however, this concept may not be so encouraging. Studies show that whether a prison releasee will reoffend once back in society depends on their life trajectory and life course post prison life. Certain factors contribute to the indication of whether they will have a successful readjustment. However, the stigma of a deviant past and life in prison never leaves their mind. We live in a society that unfortunately judges those for doing time and often society is the culprit to the basis of their reoffending and self-fulfilling proph ecy to remain deviant. PRISON ISSUES Prisons have traditionally been coined schools of crime. The prison experience helps to build up resentment, expose prisoners to many skilled offenders who help to teach them many tricks of the trade. Many inmates will often go into prison as petty, nonviolent offenders who are released back into society as now serious, violent offenders. It is customary to state that two-thirds of all released prisoners will be back in prison again within three years of their release (Stevens, 2004). Since prison life is comprised of its own structure and institutional rules, a form of governing amongst this institution will exist. There are at least four sets of codes, or rules, that govern prison life: (1) the official administrative rules and regulations; (2) the convict code; (3) the color line; and (4) gang membership rules (Stevens, 2004). The official rules are the basic tenets of acceptable and unacceptable behaviors and rules. The convict code is an idealized description of how the perfect convict should behave. The color line is rather an invisible code, which one instantly becomes aware of when certain racial groups appear to be dominating or in control. Race tends to be a factor in many prison issues such as the determination of friendships, cell assignments and cell locations. This process is sometimes referred to as balkanization (Stevens, 2004). Gang codes also dominate some prison lives and tend to be underground outlines for criminal enterprises. Similar to Goffmans theory on institutionalization, Wheeler (1961), found that inmate commitment to prison society followed a U-shaped curve. When an inmate first enters the prison, they enter so still being committed to the rules of conventional society, however as time passes, their misbehavior increases. This misbehavior begins to reflect a commitment to inmate codes. As their release from prison is encroaching, they begin to renew a commitment to the values of the outside world. This can be viewed in a positive light because it signifies that most inmates orient themselves for law-abiding behavior shortly before they are released (Stevens, 2004). However, there remains no assurance in knowing that a released prisoner will avoid continuing a life of crime. LABELING THEORY IN CORRELATION TO INSTITUTIONALIZATION Labeling theorists argue that the state is to blame for anchoring people in their criminal careers. Prisons are not the answers to solving our crime problems and they are in fact, dangerously criminogenic. There is a significant societal reaction towards offenders and when they are treated like such, there lies the unanticipated consequence of creating the very behavior we seek to prevent. Society makes assumptions about offenders and sees them as people with poor character who will most likely recidivate. This public scrutiny can either shame the offender into conformity or push them into crime because they see no other means to overcoming their label. Chiricos, Barrick, Bales and Bontrager (2007) conducted a study on the fate of convicted felons facing probation. In support of labeling theory, Chiricos et. al. concluded that, being adjudicated a felon significantly and substantially increases the likelihood of recidivism in comparison with those who have had adjudication withheld ( Cullen, Lilly Ball, 2011, p. 151). Further research on the effects of imprisonment has been conducted by criminologists in which have also supported labeling theory. Three general conclusions have been resulted which claim that a custodial sanction has either a null effect or criminogenic effect, the longer the time spent in prison leads to a higher likelihood of recidivism and lastly, the harsher the prisoner living conditions, the higher the likelihood of reoffending (Cullen et. al., 2011). A meta analysis of 50 studies analyzed the effect of prison sentences on recidivism and found that longer prison sentences were associated with higher recidivism rates for both high and low risk offenders. It was also reported that lengthy exposure to the harsh conditions of prison life and the institutionalization resulting from that living, has both short and long term effects on an individuals ability to readjust to life outside prison (Visher Travis, 2003). It is important to realize that there are collateral effects of incarceration and the reentry process is fundamentally a dynamic, social process. The public stigma attached to an ex-convict status seriously affects the reintegration process. We can deduce that prisons may in fact be doing more harm than good. REINTERGRATION AND POSTRELEASE Recidivism is directly affected by post prison reintegration and adjustment. This is in turn, dependent upon four sets of factors: personal and situational characteristics, social environment of peers, family, community and state-level policies (Visher et. al., 2003). Understanding an individuals pathway to reintegration and the various support systems necessary, both privately and governmentally are crucial to a successful integration. Reconnecting with the institutions of society is a goal and a process in which a released offender must consistently work through and one to which policymakers need to take attention to. In 1994, the Bureau of Justice Statistics conducted the largest study of its kind when it examined criminal recidivism using a sample of 300,000 prisoners released in 15 states. The study found that 67.5 percent of prisoners were arrested for a new offense within three years and 51.8 percent were back in prison for committing a new offense or violating their parole. T hese percentages demand for progress in the reintegration process. In 2002, the federal government awarded $100 million dollars to the states in order to help develop more effective reentry programs for those released from prisons (Visher et. al., 2003). Similar to the social bond theory, the process of reintegration is dependant upon a prisoners attachment and bonds to society. Strong ties between prisoners and their families have the strongest positive impact on their post release success. A commitment to family roles is imperative to avoiding a life of crime. Rejoining the labor market and ensuring stable and consistent employment is also crucial in the process and often this element is diminished for prisoners who have dismal job prospects given that they have learned few marketable job skills while institutionalized. These offenders will often find difficulty in finding a job while being labeled as an ex-convict (Cullen et. al., 2011). The stigma of a criminal record is a significant barrier in the search for employment. Watts Nightingale (1996) reported that as many as 60% of ex-offenders are not employed within one year after their release and this figure is partly due to the limited availability of felon-friendly employers ( Counsel on Crime and Justice, 2006). Laub and Sampson found that incarceration as a juvenile had a negative effect on later job stability, which was also negatively related to ones continued involvement in crime over the course of their life (Bahr, Armstrong, Gibbs, Harris Fisher, 2005). Many offenders will leave jail feeling unprepared for their release and face obstacles in their way towards becoming a healthy and productive member of their communities. In a focus group study of women and men, researchers found that substance abuse, employment, and housing were the most significant factors that facilitated or blocked successful reintegration into communities (Weiss, Hawkins, Despinos, 2010). Leaving a highly structured environment like a prison for an unstructured society leaves many decisions and responsibility for an individual to consider. Post release is a highly vulnerable time for ex-convicts and their susceptibility to negativity is very probable. COLLATERAL EFFECTS OF IMPRISONMENT Recently, the effects of imprisonment on families and communities have been becoming a focus of research for some. Hundreds of thousands of prisoners return to their communities annually and therefore, the reentry process has become an increasing interest. The extents of the consequences that result from mass incarceration often go beyond just the individual offender but also onto their families and their communities. Research has indicated that due to the rise in incarceration rates, there has also been an increase in broken homes and disenfranchised communities (Counsel on Crime and Justice, 2006). The Counsel on Crime and Justice introduced the existence of the concept of collateral effects which refers to the unintended negative consequences that result from an offenders conviction and incarceration. Incarceration effects more than just the one being locked away and the costs of imprisonment are paid both directly and indirectly on many levels. Imprisonment can directly negatively affect the offenders family and children and can include personal, social, financial, emotional, psychological, and physical concerns. Social and economic structures of communities are also affected. Researchers will also argue that the removal of offenders from communities does harm, especially in communities of color (Counsel on Crime and Justice, 2006). Incarceration can also be conceptualized as a form of coerced mobility. Coerced mobility is a practice that takes large numbers of males out of inner-city communities for prolonged absences (Cullen et. al., 2011). While it would be appropriate to suggest that offenders are liabilities in their communities, theorists also suggest that they are also assets to the community in the sense that they are members of their own social networks as well as income providers. Therefore, the elimination of these offenders from communities will also result in social disorganization and weak economic development. THE CREATION OF AN AT-RISK POPULATION Many people tend to forget the fact that imprisonment affects more than just the individual being imprisoned. Incapacitation can be contagious and unintentionally creates an at-risk population for some. For example, today there are an increasing number of children with incarcerated parents. It is estimated that 1.5 to 2 million children are affected nationwide by incarcerated parents (Miller, 2006). There is evidence to suggest that these children are responding negatively to being separated from their parent. A child with an incarcerated parent is often left feeling depressed and sad which leads to externalizing behaviors that may include aggression and delinquent activity. Approximately 50% of youths in the correctional system have a parent in the adult correctional system. Children with parents in prison are 5 to 6 times more at-risk to become involved in the criminal justice system, however the short and long-term effects of this phenomenon are difficult to accurately quantify (M iller, 2006). We can therefore observe that in this aspect, prisons are causing more harm than good by creating a repercussion factor. More crimes are essentially being committed or going to be committed as a result of someone being taken out of the community, especially in the case of a person who had family bonds tying them to the community. Children and youth are impressionable and vulnerable beings who are learning by example. The reality of incarceration in their home life is a life-altering experience, which can often set the course or direction for their own path towards criminal behavior. LIFE COURSE PERSPECTIVE VERSUS DETERRENT THEORY There is much research on why people commit crime, but much less research about why people who have committed criminal acts choose to desist from crime. In reviewing the post release life of offenders, the theory to focus on is life course perspective. Refraining from crime depends on ones local life circumstances. There are certain transitions that can help to increase social bonds and may help to alter a criminal trajectory. Bahr et. al (2005) explored the entry process by interviewing 51 parolees three times, over a period of three months from their release from prison. Of the 51 parolees, 10 were reincarcerated within six months after their release from crime. The findings suggest that overall, a network of family relationships is important in making the transition from prison life to community life. The extent of ones family bonds helps to change the criminal trajectories of parolees. The quality of the parent-child bond also significantly influenced the likelihood of a parolee returning to prison. While there have been established links between incapacitation and crime on a negative standpoint, there are also findings that support incarceration as a deterrent. Incarceration can influence criminal careers based on two strands of criminological theory, those that focus on the role of punishment and that which focuses on the relationship between past and future criminal activity (Bhati et. al., 2008). A key policy question in criminology is whether incarceration serves as a deterrent, criminogenic or null effect on subsequent criminal activity. Given that a lack of research exists in this area, Bhati et. al. (2008) conducted a study on this topic by developing micro-trajectories using information from past arrest patterns. The date used in this research came from a larger study on recidivism of prisoners released in 1994, which was collected by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. A total sample of 32,628 persons was studied across 15 states. The findings reported that 96 percent of the releasees were either deterred from future offending or merely incapacitated by their incarceration. A small percentage consisting of 4 percent of the releasees exhibited a criminogenic effect. This study is not consistent with the labeling theory hypothesis but instead is more in favor of deterrence-based theories. However, this data also raised the question of generalizibility as it only consists of data on 15 states in a country of 50. DISCUSSION In review of the literature on institutionalization, incarceration and its effect on crime, we can conclude that there is significant evidence linking incarceration with crime. While researchers have struggled to accurately quantify the degree to which crime reduction is attributable to imprisonment, the truth remains that prisons may actually be doing more harm than good. The effect of incarceration on subsequent criminal activity at the individual level is still far from being recognized and further research on the area is needed. However, we can recognize that the incarceration experience as a form of punishment tends to have varied effects on offenders. For some it may operate as a deterrent, others as a criminogenic factor and for some irrelevant either way. It is sad to realize that in our society, one single deviant event can be enough to stigmatize a person indefinitely as an offender or as a deviant person. Some offenders leave prison and make the case that they have permane ntly changed and are reformed, new people. Unfortunately, there is a negative bias with this, and labeling theorists will agree that regardless of whatever reformation is claimed, the deviant stigma will continue to exist. For some, ones past behavior is the best predictor of their future behavior. Researchers can support this by finding that well over half of ex-prisoners are returned to prison within 3 years of their release. In todays world it is much easier to establish oneself as deviant, than it is to establish ones credentials as a reformed person. As a result of labeling theory, many members of society are unwilling to take a chance on a once incarcerated individual who appears to be trying to make positive steps forward. These obstacles only hinder an offenders chance for effective survival and reintegration into society. Incapacitation strategies seek to reduce crime and do so in some ways. It is true that incarcerated offenders are prevented by incapacitation from committing further crimes, but at what cost to themselves and to society. Incapacitation strategies take a slice out of an individuals career, but whos to tell that that career will cease once they are back in the free world. The United States currently has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world with over two million people under the jurisdiction of correctional authorities (Weiss et al., 2010). The majority of this rate can be blamed on the get tough on crime movement and the nations continued war on drugs. In comparison to other industrialized nations, these rates are five to eight times higher and have risen significantly over the last thirty years (Weiss et al., 2010). The criminal justice systems use of correctional facilities to punish those members of society who violate laws and commit crimes is a method based on the concept of deterrence. The idea of becoming institutionalized and taken out of society for a period of time is suppose to make an individual recognize his/her bad behavior to the point to where he/she will no longer behave in such a way for fear of becoming institutionalized again. At the same time, society can be at peace knowing that that person is no longer a current threat to society. However, the stages involved in this transition involve many negative aspects, which question its intended function. The process of institutionalization and becoming prisonized is a traumatic event filled with psychological changes that in some cases never heal or reshape themselves. Institutionalization desensitizes offenders and creates hardened criminals, the very thing it seeks to prevent. During prisonization, physical and psychological trans formations occur which negatively changes an individual, but are however, necessary in order for an individual to survive the entirety of the experience. During the time in which an offender is incarcerated, those close to him such as his family and community may be suffering as a result of this imprisonment. An offender with children loses the ability to bond with their child and as a result, the child faces the risk of becoming scared from the experience. This detachment from a parent can result in negative forms of behavior and delinquency and as research has demonstrated, children with incarcerated parents have a much higher risk for getting involved in correctional settings themselves. In this respect, imprisonment promotes crime. The community also suffers greatly when those are taken out of it. People are assets to a community in the sense that they are members of the social networks and everyone, a possible income provider. The elimination of offenders from communities results in social disorganization and weak economic development. When there is a weak economic and social disorganization, a breeding place for crime will persi st. Prison life is another world, one that often does not make ease for a smooth transition back to reality. Research has shown that the stage of reintegration back into society once being institutionalized, is a very critical stage and to which is dependant on several factors. The life course perspective focuses on the steps necessary in ones life to avoid a criminal trajectory. A combination of life course theory and social bond theory creates a medium to which explains the elements necessary for a successful reintegrated life, void of crime. Family bonds, especially that of child-parent bonds, are extremely important in the reintegration process. Socialization with positive peers and consistent and steady employment are also crucial to the process. A lack of one or more of these bonds creates an opportunity to allow for crime to justify means. In this process, an offender is also combating stigmatization. In accordance with labeling theory, ex-convicts have a difficult time in their r eintegration period due to the stigma that is placed upon them. For some, this presents a hardship that is often impossible to defeat and some offenders will often give into their label and become self-fulfilling prophecies. Labeling theory appears to be a valid effect of institutionalization as research has shown that as many as half of the offenders released from prison will return within three years of their release. This evidence can support labeling theory as an obstacle in the way of successful reintegration and deterrence from recidivism. As we move towards an era highly focused on a punitive system of justice versus a rehabilitative approach, policy makers need to assess whether prison systems are really the answer to obtaining intended objectives. Incarceration is increasing at an all time record yet crime is not decreasing at an all time record. There are too many strings attached with the process of incarceration, and many of these strings lead to the realization that in the overall scheme of things, prison does more harm than good. Research accurately quantifying this finding needs to further be evaluated and discussed, but there is a consistent finding within this review, which significantly addresses the issues associated with the effects of institutionalization and its negative impact on the offender and society as a whole.

Abortion - Man Cant Be Rightly Disposed of by Man :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Abortion - Man Can't Be Rightly Disposed of by Man       Temporal life lived in this world is not identified with the person. The person possesses as his own a level of life that is more profound and that cannot end. Bodily life is a fundamental good, here below it is the condition for all other goods. But there are higher values for which it could be legitimate or even necessary to be willing to expose oneself to the risk of losing bodily life. In a society of persons the common good is for each individual an end which he must serve and to which he must subordinate his particular interest. But it is not his last end and, from this point of view, it is society which is at the service of the person, because the person will not fulfill his destiny except in God. The person can be definitively subordinated only to God. Man can never be treated simply as a means to be disposed of in order to obtain a higher end.    In regard to the mutual rights and duties of the person and of society, it belongs to moral teaching to enlighten consciences; it belongs to the law to specify and organize external behavior. There is precisely a certain number of rights which society is not in a position to grant since these rights precede society; but society has the function to preserve and to enforce them. These are the greater part of those which are today called "human rights" and which our age boasts of having formulated.    The first right of the human person is his life. He has other goods and some are more precious, but this one is fundamental-- the condition of all the others. Hence it must be protected above all others. It does not belong to society, nor does it belong to public authority in any form to recognize this right for some and not for others: all discrimination is evil, whether it be founded on race, sex, color or religion. It is not recognition by another that constitutes this right. This right is antecedent to its recognition; it demands recognition and it is strictly unjust to refuse it.    Any discrimination based on the various stages of life is no more justified than any other discrimination. The right to life remains complete in an old person, even one greatly weakened; it is not lost by one who is incurably sick.

Dysfunctional Family Essay -- Family Psychology

A dysfunctional family is a group of people usually related by some means, not always necessarily by blood, in which conflict, misbehavior, maltreatment and neglecting create a hostile life for its members. To explain this idea better we will see the definition of family, the differences between a healthy and a dysfunctional family; their characteristics and behavioral patterns. Some examples will help us examine this issue better, taking us to discuss the different factors that contribute to the formation of such families, along with its consequences in today’s society. According to the Dictionary of Contemporary English, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, formed by a father, a mother and children. On the other hand, its etymology recognizes the Roman Empire to be the first one to define a Family. Ironically, the Romans defined it as a group of people linked, not necessarily by blood or affection. Instead the main link that united the ancient Roman families was labor. According to E. J. Graff in her context â€Å"What makes a Family?† She describes that the ancient families in Europe were primarily created at will, with the only purpose to improve work productivity and patriarchs would adopt grown ups into their families for a better investment. Choice not Biology made a Family. These families would consist of legitimate children, adopted adults, secretaries, other dependents and slaves of various ages. â€Å"The Romans rarely used it to mean family in the sense of kin† writes Roman Family historian Suzane Dixon. Evidently, the word family can have different definitions, depending on the geographic era and the time. However, members of families, either biological or chosen, all throughout history have been ... ...h Services Administration - Homepage. 22 Nov. 2010 . "Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act." Administration for Children and Families Home Page. 20 Nov. 2010 . Colombo, Gary, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. "What makes a Family?" Rereading America: cultural contexts for critical thinking and writing. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007. 26+. Crawford, Christina. Mommie dearest. New York: W. Morrow, 1978. "Family." Longman dictionary of contemporary English. Harlow: Pearson/Longman, 2009. Fortinash, Katherine M., and Patricia A. Holoday-Worret. "Parental Dysfunction." Psychiatric mental health nursing. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier, 2008. 297+. Obama, Barack. "Family." The audacity of hope: thoughts on reclaiming the American dream. New York: Crown, 2006. 331

Reasons for Inequalities of Women?s Health Care in India Essay

India- An overview of the Country India, a country in South East Asia, has the world’s second highest population. Out of the one billion people residing in the nation, 120 million of its women live in poverty. The male to female birth ratio is 1.05 males to 1 female. The life expectancy of the average person is sixty-four years of age. They have a literacy rate (people over the age of fifteen that can read and write) of 59.5 percent, with 70.2 percent of males being literate and 48.3 percent of females that are able to read and write (cia.gov). India's economy is based mainly on traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of support services. It is a patriarchal society, which means that men are the head of societal and familial matters. Women are not thought of as equal to their male counter parts and are expected to be obedient of males. Because of the large, unfavorable shift of power, women face injustices and inequalities in almost every aspect of their lives. A main issue that has always been present and continues to be problematic is the inequalities women must deal with when it comes to health care. What types of services are available to women when they are pregnant and what types of conditions result from these limited services?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The common belief when it comes to pregnancy is that it is an ordinary part of every woman’s life. Even though child birth is an extremely exciting and happy moment for a family, â€Å"the mother and child are considered `impure' and `polluting'† (Hussain, 2001). When a woman is pregnant, she is given special treatment in her family, often not expected to do housework and is fed much better, but only if the expected child will be a son. Often, if it is known that the woman will have a daughter, she will still be expected to perform all of her domestic duties, no matter how dangerous it may be for the fetus. Prenatal and post-natal health care are usually not given to a women. Most women, more than 50 percent, give birth to their child in their own homes. The times when she is taken to a hospital is when she will be delivering a male child.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the article, â€Å"Do Women really Have a Voice? Reproductive Behavior and Practices of Two Religious Communities,† Sabiha Hussain (2001) tells the story of a woman... ...ctober 28, 2004 from ProQuest database. Improving Women's Health in India. Retrieved October 28, 2004, from www.worldbank.org Johnson, Katherine. (2003). Sweating it Out for Nothing. Women's Feature Service New Delhi. Retrieved October 28, 2004 from ProQuest database. Kasturi, Leela. (Dec 31, 2000). Greater Political Representation for Women: The Case of India. Asian Journal Of Women's Studies Seoul:. Vol. 4, Iss. 4, p. 9. Retrieved October 28, 2004 from ProQuest database. Slugget, Catherine. (Apr 30, 1999). Women for Women in India: Two Unique Projects Catering to Women in India. Trikone Magazine San Jose: Vol. 14, Iss. 2, p. 11 Retrieved October 28, 2004 from ProQuest database. Women and Health: India; The 'Male Factor' in Women's Reproductive Ill-Health Win News Lexington: Winter 2000. Vol. 26, Iss. 1, p. 19. Retrieved October 28, 2004 from ProQuest database. Women and Health. Win News Lexington: Autumn 1992. Vol. 18, Iss. 4, p. 21. Retrieved October 28, 2004 from ProQuest database. India.(2004). World Fact book. Retrieved November 2, 2004, from www.cia.gov. Zucker, Jessica. (2001). A Snapshot of Women’s Reproductive health in India. Global Reproductive Health.

History of Immigration †Movie Gangs of New York Essay

Although Martin Scorsese’s 2002 film â€Å"Gangs of New York† purports to be an historical film which recounts ethnic based gang rivalries in 1863 New York City, the film relies heavily on poetic-license, accentuating violence and a typical Hollywood â€Å"good versus evil† story-line, rather than delving into the historical specificities and realistic detail. While it is almost certainly true that Gangs captures the flavor and mythopoetic spirit of America’s ethnically diverse past and the violence and tensions which seethed during the American Civil, it is equally true that the historical themes with which Gangs deals are of a secondary nature to its main thrust: which is to produce a slick, and profitable film. So, while the movie deals with a tremendously important historical period in American history, the historical background â€Å"is incidental to Scorsese’s larger vision of reminding Americans of their violent past† 1 and, as such, the film’s viewpoints regarding immigration are abstraction from history and not representative of history itself. That said, the film’s portrayal of immigration is to show it as a bloody, tremendously difficult process, a sort of pressure-cooker where the amalgam of cultures clashed in a violent soup, which, itself produced a unity through an altogether new culture, an American culture, born through a traumatic and protracted birth-struggle. This vision is a romantic vision which simplifies the complex realities of the history of immigration in America in the nineteenth century. Scorsese, as mentioned, is not interested in depicting history, but to use the verisimilitude of history, the details and gritty realism of historical record, to paint a dramatically believable portrait of myth: a myth describing the birth of American culture in the fiery crucible of ethnic prejudice and competition. Historical detail is a device, not a theme: â€Å"while Gangs is accurate in detail, it is distorted and mistaken in its larger characterizations and interpretation. This should not be surprising: Gangs of New York is a moneymaking enterprise. † 2 If the film’s relevance to history is not one of accurate portrayal and realistic delving into the lives and events of the era depicted, then from where does its importance to history derive? The answer to that question lies in the fact that while â€Å"Gangs of New York† may play fast and loose with historical accuracy, while it may simplify the complex sociological realities of intercultural integration — or lack thereof — in America’s war-torn past, the film remains faithful to a central, thematic idea which is also a core-reality of American history: that a nation which is ethnically diverse but upholds individual liberty must in the end cast-away the ethnic and racial barriers and competitions of the â€Å"Old World† in order to actualize the opportunities of the future. That core-idea is a core-principal of American Democracy and it is a principle by which American history, including the American Civil War, has turned on as though upon an axis. The great value, historically speaking, of â€Å"Gangs of New York† is not in its depiction of history or its re-creation of historical events, but in the film’s vision of racism of cultural division and of American Democracy as a â€Å"melting pot† and also an ideal which transcends race or specific culture. The problem in the presentation of this vision is that the Hollywood â€Å"hero and villian† paradigm, along with a stock formula of violence and greed, results in a film which buries these important themes beneath a slick â€Å"whitewash† and this is: â€Å"a foolish simplification, a stereotype, and not the business of historians. Rather, the problem with Gangs is that it wants us to think that Irish gangsters were â€Å"good† by ignoring their racism while it wants to make us think others are â€Å"bad† because they are racist. â€Å" This kind of pretzel-logic may make for an interesting and immediately understandable film, but it does little to shed light on history or on the diffusion of cultural tensions in America. The film is conspicuously incompatible with a detailed or immersive reading of history. I do not personally belive that â€Å"Gangs of New York† accurately depicts the feelings of the people at the time or even the historical tensions themselves. Instead, the film â€Å"Without the veneer of historical righteousness[†¦ ] is just another Scorsese bloodbath among white men. With that in mind, there is merit in the film’s mythopoetic imaging of the emotional energy which explodes from America’s cultural diversity. Unfortunately, â€Å"Gangs of New York† fails to depict substantive and historically accurate characters who — if shown realistically — would be comprised of multi-faceted and perhaps contradictory impulses and beliefs. In conclusion, while Martin Scorsese’s â€Å"Gangs of New York† faithfully represents the formulaic, Hollywood notion of slick, effective commercial film-making, the film fails to faithfully represent the historical period from which is ostensibly draws its setting, theme, and characters. While immigration can and should be rightfully regarded as a part of America’s mythopoetic past and also its mythopoetic identity, the historical realities of immigration and the actual historical ramifications of the cultural pressure-cooker that helped to birth America are absent from â€Å"Gangs of New York. † In their place, broad generalization, ethnic stereotyping, epic contrasts of good and evil, and the classical arc of the hero-myth are used to both simplify and stylize an aspect of American history which is too nuanced and too complex to be accurately depicted through such an approach. It is possible that â€Å"Gangs of New York† will inform a significant portion of its audience with the flavor of an historical period they might have otherwise missed observing altogether. However, in all liklihood, those who are stimulated to study this time-period by Scorsese’s poetic vision, will find themselves startled, and perhaps confused, by the amount of drama and profound thematic issue which were left out of â€Å"Gangs of New York. â€Å"