Competitive pushy parents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Competitive pushy parents - Essay Example However, some children do not feel pleasant when their parents ask them to do anything against their will. In such cases, tensions between children and parents increase which upsets the overall environment of a family. In this paper, we will discuss how American competitive parents affect the wishes of children and how children and teachers can deal with the competitive parents in order to find a middle way between the wishes of the children and the parents. How Competitive (Pushy) Parents Deal with Children Competitive parents jam their children’s social lives with unusual activities, such as, play dates, baby yoga, and teaching foreign languages (Woolcock). Competitive parents deal with their children in an influencing way. Such parents care less about the personal wishes and aims of the children and try to impose their will on the children. They are very curious about the activities of the children and keep a constant eye on all activities of the children. Competitive paren ts also want their children to be competitive in all fields of life. Children of competitive parents are generally more likely to be obsessive about their interests (Macrae). In America, most of the parents start advising their children from the very early stages of their lives to work hard for achieving success in the future. For that, they guide their children to the way, which they think to be the most appropriate ones for the children. â€Å"Parents are so anxious for their children to do well, partly because their children are a reflection on them – but also they are all too aware of the economic realities† (Landesman). In some cases, the will of the parents go against the will of the children and the clash occurs. For example, a child wants to become a teacher in future but his parents want him to become a doctor or a surgeon in order to become a good earner in the future. Now, here the clash begins between the parents and the child because of separate viewpoints regarding selection of the most appropriate profession. The result is not favorable for both parents and children every time. Sometimes, plan of the parents becomes successful when the child becomes what the parents want whereas sometimes the child is not competent enough to meet the expectations of the parents, which results in the educational and professional failure of the child. â€Å"The parent who is proud when an offspring achieves what is deemed to be of value and ashamed when they fail is an age-old predicament† (Meakins). The dilemma is that, in case of failure, parents start blaming the children for not studying hard for success in the selected field of study. However, in reality, failure is not a fault of the children because every child has a separate mindset and he or she selects the field of study based on the personal interest. â€Å"Parents are frequently encouraged to play a full role in their children's education† (Young). However, when parents try to force the children to study what the parents want, it becomes difficult for the children to get along with the wish of the parents properly because they are not always competent enough for that. Competitive or pushy parents not just force the children in the field of studies but they also try to influence the extra curricular activities, interests, and hobbies of the children. Pushy parents want to make their children competitive in every field of life. For that, they try to

A Teacher Essay Essay Example for Free

A Teacher Essay Essay Being a public school teacher is certainly one of the most challenging careers, but it is absolutely the most important profession there is. After all, without teachers, there wouldnt be any other professions! As a teacher, you create the foundation for your students upon which they will build the rest of their lives. You are not only influencing the future of your own students, but you are affecting the collective future of all of humanity for generations to come. You may not be able to see the long-term affect that you have on your students, but you are writing on the pages of who they believe they are, what they believe they are capable of, and who they will choose to be and become. This will determine what they choose to contribute to the world, which will have an impact on shaping the world of tomorrow for all of us. We each touch and affect countless others throughout the course of a lifetime. Everything we say, feel and do has a ripple effect that influences the present and the future of the collective consciousness on Earth. As a teacher, you have the ability to have a profound impact on your students lives in the present and far into the future. Think back on the teachers you had in your youth, and think of the ones that had the greatest impact on your life, both positively and negatively. How did they help shape your ideas about yourself and about the world? Did they contribute to your self-esteem, or to your self-doubts? Being a teacher takes great patience, strength, courage, stamina, compassion, intelligence, humor, kindness, caring, heart, generosity, etc. It often involves a great deal of self-sacrifice as well, because unfortunately, our present society greatly undervalues this most noble of professions. Those who choose a career of being a teacher do so knowing that they will face great challenges with little financial reward. You must therefore find the rewards of this career in other ways, by knowing that you are giving your students the tools with which they can succeed at life. Our present educational system in North America, and in other parts of the world, is antiquated and stale, leaving most students and teachers feeling  uninspired. Memorizing facts for tests is not learning. Knowledge is a living, growing thing, and in order to truly learn, the mind must be engaged with passion and interest. The ideal teaching environment is one in which the students are able to think, ask questions, and explore the relevance that the information has in real life, and the impact it may have on their own lives. Young people must know why it is important for them to know what is being taught to them, otherwise it will simply feel like a waste of time, and they will be bored and disinterested. In North America, we have developed a terrible apathy toward education, and many students feel that school is not cool. In Africa, children are begging to have an opportunity to go to school, because they know that education is the key to the future. Oprah Winfrey recognizes how important education is: she honors teachers everywhere as unsung heroes, and has been funding the building of schools in Africa because she believes that education and knowledge empower people to create a more successful life. In our present North American school system, being in a classroom can be very tiring and draining for both the teachers and the students. As a teacher, you keep giving energy continually to your students, but if nothing is coming back to you, it can feel demoralizing and even depressing, which can lead to burnout. It is important for you as a teacher to find ways to keep you and your students motivated and inspired. Most people do not realize the full impact that teachers have on students. Teachers have the ability to support a persons self-esteem, or to destroy it. Many young people may be experiencing devastating pain at home, either physically, emotionally, mentally or even spiritually, so school may be the only place where they can receive support and encouragement. This is particularly true of bad kids, who are often suffering greatly at home, and as a result, they begin to live down to other peoples expectations of them. If they are labeled as bad, then they will feel bad and will do bad things because that is who they have come to believe they are. As a teacher, you can foster and encourage your students (and yourself) to  have a strong desire to succeed in school, and in life. The ideal classroom environment is one that inspires co-operation, rather than competition. In life, as each one wins, we all win, because the joy of one raises the vibration of the collective consciousness for us all. We have a situation in schools today, particularly in public schools, where everyone wants to be the same, and no one wants to stand out. Therefore, we must try to encourage them all to be outstanding! One of the ways you can do this is to encourage your students to be stars. This can be challenging with older students because they will act like everything is stupid and they dont care, but they really do care. You can create a board with the name of everyone in your class, including yours, and have gold stars that you can stick on the board next to each persons name as they accomplish any positive achievement, including teamwork and positive effort. Although you may have to pay for this out of your own pocket, it is very inexpensive and will repay great rewards for all concerned. Perhaps the students can even give stars to each other, to you, and to themselves for any positive accomplishment. You can give stars out for grades, but also for class participation, for effort, for improvement, for attitude, for citizenship, for extra credit, etc. You could even further motivate the students by having a play day or pizza day when the class collectively gets a certain number of stars. You dont have to pay for this yourself, you can have a collection jar where the students can contribute their own money to such a reward celebration. Ideally, you want to make teaching fun and rewarding for you, and have learning be fun and rewarding for your students, so be as creative as possible. Rewards dont have to require money, but feeling like a star can create infinite rewards for life. You can encourage your students to make a star chart for themselves at home, or better yet (with their parents permission), to put gold stars on their mirror whenever they have a sense of accomplishment or overcoming challenges that way they can start to see themselves as a star on a daily basis. I would recommend this for you as  well, and for everyone. A positive, inspiring and encouraging environment has infinite positive ripple effects. You can make your classroom into an oasis where I and my students can all feel good about yourselves. This will create positive energy that keeps growing, which will energize you instead of draining you. If you inspire your students, you will feel inspired, and vice versa. Likewise, if you motivate them, you will feel motivated, and vice versa. Encourage your students to work together and to be self-motivated, so that all the energy is not just coming from you. Foster group work and group discussion, where each person has a sense of making an important contribution to the whole. The more fun and interesting you can make it for you and your students, the more you will all put into it, so you will all get more out of it and want to be there. As a teacher, you are the cornerstone of our society, and you make the greatest contribution there is to changing and affecting our world. I applaud you, and everyone in your profession. May you be inspired to inspire, motivated to motivate, and encouraged to encourage.

Coronary Artery Disease: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Coronary Artery Disease: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments CAD also known as coronary heart disease or ischemic heart disease is a disease caused by the buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries, referred to as atherosclerosis which reduces the amount of oxygenated blood to the heart (McPhee Papadakis, 2011). CAD encompasses two pathologies, angina and myocardial infarction, commonly recognized as a heart attack (Parmet, Glass Glass, 2004). Angina is best described by pain or discomfort in the chest area, pain caused by angina can radiate throughout the body to various muscle areas (McPhee Papadakis, 2011). Stoppage of oxygen-rich blood to particular heart muscles results in a heart attack, delayed restoration of blood flow can result in severe muscle damage to the heart and possibly death (Parmet, Glass Glass, 2004). With approximately sixteen million Americans suffering from CAD, a person dies every minute as a victim of the disease (American Heart Association [AHA], 2012). The following paper will comprehensively examine CAD. Anatomy and Physiology of the Heart The heart is an essential organ that is responsible for pumping blood all throughout the body and supplying it with oxygen and nutrients; it is the central hub for the cardiovascular system and acts as the transport system of the body, which performs via electrical conduction activity (Burke et al., 1999). Major anatomical structures of the heart consist of the aorta, the pulmonary artery and vein, coronary arteries and the valves (McPhee Papadakis, 2011). The aorta is the main artery that pumps the blood out of the heart and to the rest of the body; the pulmonary artery and vein transport deoxygenated and oxygenated blood respectively, and the coronary arteries make a crown on the heart muscle and supply the myocardium with oxygenated blood and nutrients (Crawford, 2011). The valves in the heart are responsible for preventing backflow of blood and allow the blood to circulate in a uniform fashion (Crawford, 2011). The electrical conduction system of the heart accounts for the beati ng of the heart allowing it to contract and act as the pump of the body (Burke et al., 1999). CAD: Pathophysiology Occlusion of the coronary arteries due to plaque buildup leads to a condition called atherosclerosis; atherosclerosis refers to the narrowing and hardening of the arteries leading to damage to the blood vessels and is a major contributor to many heart diseases and disorders (McPhee Papadakis, 2011). Atherosclerotic plaques are formed from lipid and fat deposits such as cholesterol, these formations are indicative of diet as a risk factor in developing CAD (Chandra-Bose, 2012). Arteries are composed of three layers: adventita, intima, and media; the plaque typically develops between the intima and media layers (Crawford, 2011). The atherosclerotic plaques narrow the lumen of the arteries causing decreased amounts of blood to reach the heart and over time harden them causing decreased flexibility during vasoconstriction and vasodilatation (Chandra-Bose, 2012). Additionally, the atherosclerotic plaques can dislodge causing thrombosis and ischemic events, when the coronary arteries func tion is compromised, the heart does not receive adequate supply of oxygenated blood and nutrients causing decrease cardiac function (McPhee Papadakis, 2011). At times of stress, the body will try to counteract these changes to achieve homeostasis by exerting more energy than normal; however, prolonged exertion initiates a cascade of many disease processes and pathologies, such as cardiomyopathy, heart failure, arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, and characteristically myocardial infarction (Ruth, 2011). CAD: Risk Factors CAD tends to be the most common cause of death and disability in the United States (AHA, 2012). Common risk factors of CAD are family history, physical inactivity, poor diet, smoking and alcohol consumption; additionally, health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity are also prevailing risk factors (Ruth, 2011). A person that has a family history of heart disease is at greater risk of developing CAD; physical inactivity, poor diet, and obesity interrelated for developing CAD (AHA, 2012). Obesity has become an epidemic that affects one in four Americans and results in many life-threatening consequences, notably CAD (AHA, 2012). Heart disease has become the cause of death in industrialized nations compared to underdeveloped nations due to sedentary lifestyles and an increased consumption of fast food (Chan, 2011). One of the most preventable risk factors for any disease is smoking, and for cardiovascular disease it is the number one preventable cause (Rut h, 2011). Other contributing risk factors include age and gender, males are typically more likely to develop CAD at an earlier age than women, however, the risk equalizes in old age (Ruth, 2011). Research has indicated that CAD paired with diabetes, hypertension, and/or hypercholesterolemia can breed fatal consequences (Chan, 2011). CAD: Symptoms Most patients of CAD are asymptomatic, whereas other patients can present with a variety of symptoms such as shortness of breath, tightness around the chest, chest pain, clenched fist, or possibly death; patients that do however exhibit symptoms typically tend to have advanced stages of damage to their coronary arteries (McPhee Papadakis, 2011). Angina is the classic heart pain most patients complain about that is caused by ischemia which is the lack of oxygen supply to a region of the heart (Chandra-Bose, 2012). Patients can experience angina at anytime, however characteristically its exhibited after a person has been involved in an extraneous activity, such as exercise; angina can be categorized as stable, unstable, or variant (McPhee Papadakis, 2011). CAD: Complications Myocardial infarction occurs when the heart is deprived of oxygenated blood because of rupture of the atherosclerotic plaque, resulting in a state of ischemia; the area of the heart that the damage occurs depends on the vessels that are occluded, exhibiting a variety of symptoms and/or complications (Torpy, Lynm Glass, 2008). Therefore, essentially if a patient experiences a myocardial infarction at a particular region of the heart that area will suffer an ischemic event and kills the heart tissue and makes it dysfunctional (Torpy et al., 2008). Overall, a myocardial infarction has a poor prognosis and tends to lead to morbidity and mortality (Burke et al., 1999). CAD: Diagnosis CAD is a condition that develops over time; therefore, there arent any palpable tests that can indicate if a person is suffering from CAD (McPhee Papadakis, 2011). When examining the onset of CAD, healthcare providers consider a patients history, physical exams and relative risk factors (Andraws, Berger Brown, 2005). Healthcare providers utilize electrocardiogram, stress testing, echocardiography, and laboratory testing when examining patients that are at risk of developing CAD (Andraws, Berger Brown, 2005). Electrocardiograms also known as an EKG or ECG detect the hearts electrical activity, rhythm, heart rate, axis, and any abnormal enlargements of the heart; an EKG is a quick and efficient way of indicating whether a patient has experienced or is experiencing a myocardial infarction (Andraws et al., 2005). Stress testing can be induced by exercise or medication for evaluating ischemia in a patient; an echocardiography utilizes sound waves to monitor the hearts activity, includi ng the size, shape, and blood flow; laboratory testing, such as blood tests are conducted on a regular basis to assess the levels of cholesterol, sugar, and proteins such as inflammatory markers (Andraws et al., 2005). Other tools, such as chest x-rays, angiography, positron emission tomography, and cardiac cauterization can be utilized for patients with greater risk factors and/or advanced stages of CAD (McPhee Papadakis, 2011). CAD: Treatment CAD is a complex disease since it encompasses other pathologies (AHA, 2012). However, treatment options for CAD tend to be simple at its early stages, such as lifestyle changes; patients are encouraged to partake in therapeutic lifestyle changes such as daily exercise, eating healthy well-balanced meals, and stress and weight management; comprehensive therapeutic lifestyle changes help regulate the risk of other diseases such diabetes, hypertension and obesity (Ruth, 2011). Therapeutic life changes help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol and maintaining a body mass index of less than 25, which is considered to be normal (Ruth, 2011). For advanced stages of CAD, medication such as anticoagulants, aspirin, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and nitroglycerin are prescribed to help reduce symptoms, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, prevent blood clots; aspirin is the leading medication to help relieve angina and prevent myocardial infarction (McPhee Papa dakis, 2011). Patients that have extensive damage to their arteries or have experienced a myocardial infarction may require medical procedures, such as angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting; angioplasty or percutaneous coronary intervention is a medical procedure done to open blocked or narrowed coronary arteries, this is commonly referred to having a stent put in place to prevent future blockage from occurring (Ruth, 2011). Coronary artery bypass grafting is an extensive surgical procedure done where doctors use blood vessels from other areas of the body that arent blocked to bypass narrowed and damaged coronary arteries, thus improving the blood flow to the heart (Ruth, 2011). Conclusion CAD is a disease caused by the buildup of plaque in the coronary arteries, referred to as atherosclerosis which reduces the amount of oxygenated blood to the heart (McPhee Papadakis, 2011). Occlusion of the coronary arteries due to plaque buildup leads to a condition called atherosclerosis; atherosclerosis refers to the narrowing and hardening of the arteries leading to damage to the blood vessels and is a major contributor to many heart diseases and disorders (McPhee Papadakis, 2011).With approximately sixteen million Americans suffering from CAD, a person dies every minute as a victim of the disease (AHA, 2012). Common risk factors of CAD are family history, physical inactivity, poor diet, smoking and alcohol consumption; additionally, health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity are also prevailing risk factors (Ruth, 2011). CAD is a condition that develops over time; therefore, there arent any palpable tests that can indicate if a person is suffering from CAD (McPhee Papadakis, 2011). Treatment options for CAD tend to be simple at its early stages, such as lifestyle changes (Ruth, 2011); for advanced stages of CAD, medication such as anticoagulants, aspirin, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and nitroglycerin are prescribed to help reduce symptoms, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, prevent blood clots; aspirin is the leading medication to help relieve angina and prevent myocardial infarction (McPhee Papadakis, 2011). Patients that have extensive damage to their arteries or have experienced a myocardial infarction may require medical procedures, s uch as angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting (Ruth, 2011).

The US Involvement in The Vietnam War Essay -- Vietnam War Essays

The Vietnam War was one of the worst wars in the United States history. The reason for the United States involvement was due to the start of communism in North Vietnam. The citizens in South Vietnam feared the control of North Vietnam and were worried that the north would take control of the south. The communist North Vietnam had support from the Soviet Union and China, making the South Vietnamese vulnerable to the north. In their time of struggle the South Vietnamese were able to receive aid from the United States. The North Vietnamese had set up a series of radar stations along bays and islands on the Gulf of Tonkin. On August 1, 1964 the U.S.S. Maddox was posted on a surveillance mission to study the North Vietnamese defenses in the Gulf area. In early morning on August 2, 1964 the U.S.S. Maddox spotted three North Vietnamese patrol boats, located twenty- eight miles from the coast. The patrol boats were still in International waters, which meant that they had no right to patrol South Vietnam. Captain John Herrich of the Maddox ordered fire upon the three North Vietnamese patrol boats. The Maddox had assistance from the carrier U.S.S. Ticonderoga. The two ships managed to sink one of the patrol boats, while the other two boats bailed out. To this day government officials are still unsure whether the United States or the North Vietnamese fired first in the situation. United Sates President Lyndon B. Johnson received word of the attack and ordered the Maddox to return to the Gulf of Tonkin and patrol for more action. The Maddox accompanied by the U.S.S. Turner Joy returned to the Gulf of Tonkin on August 4, 1964. While stationed in the Gulf the radar engineers on the destroyers thought that they saw an adva... ...n technology could offer. The soldiers carried fully automatic M-16 rifles. The air swarmed with helicopters, fighter planes, and bombers. The U.S. had destroyers, tankers, and patrol boats along all of the water routes. They were supplied with medicines, surgical equipment, packaged food, and other necessities. On average one U.S. soldier had one hundred pounds of supplies given to them each day, while the Vietcong had nothing. The United States transformed South Vietnam with roads, bridges, airstrips, etc. Cafes were turned into part places, while the women turned to prostitution for money. Fishing ports were turned into deep harbors for U.S. warships. Even with all of the money that the United Sates put into the war, it proved to be useless. The Vietcong needed none of it and were ready to shut down the United Sates and proved that they could.

The Drug Crime Relationship

There is no question that drugs and crime are related, however difficulty stands when trying to establish a causal connection between the two. According to Ronald Akers, ‘compared to the abstaining teenager, the drinking, smoking and drug taking teen is much more likely to be getting into fights, stealing, hurting other people and committing other delinquencies’ (Gottfredson and Hirschi, 1990).At a surface level, drugs and crime are linked as it is a criminal offence to possess certain substances unlawfully, however when looking deeper, where drugs are said to cause, influence or be associated with offending behaviour the subject becomes quite unclear. Three major models exist that examine the drugs-crime link and will be discussed thoroughly throughout this essay. Firstly is the model that suggests drug use leads to crime and offending behaviour.It offers the explanation that drug-users are enslaved, or behaving in ways which satisfy the craving which very often leads t o participating in criminal behaviour. A second model explains that crime leads to drug use, and the third that drug use and crimes have a common aetiology. Throughout this essay these models will be examined deeply in order to try and best understand the relationship between drug use and offending behaviour. The idea that drug use leads to crime is by far the most believed and most popular idea out of the three.The reasons for this may lie in its heavy belief from the media and the government. It is sometimes represented as a direct causal effect and sometimes as just an association. There does stand much evidence in support of this theory, however no research identifies a direct causal link which will be noted later. One study carried out in this field gave the police power to perform drug tests on detainees in police custody and gave the courts the power to order the drug testing of offenders under the supervision of the probation service.In total they carried out a collective of 1,835 tests and found positive results in 63% of those tested in London, 58% of those tested in Nottingham and 47% of those tested in Strafford and Cannock. For those on probation over half tested positive ( Mallender et al. 2002, citied in Bean 2008). While support stands for this view, variations exist in the way drug use is said to cause crime.Three broad categories exist, firstly the psychopharmacological explanations, secondly the economic explanations and thirdly the drug-lifestyle explanation. Firstly the psychopharmacological explanations consider the effects of the drug chemicals have upon the human organism and what the behavioural outcomes may be. For example, the psychopharmacological model says that drugs cause violence because of their direct effects, as an effect users become impatient, irritable, energetic and irrational often leading to criminal behaviour.Goldstein (1985) believes the psychopharmacological model to be a direct effect model and argues that ‘so me individuals, as a result of short or long term ingestion of specific substances, may become excitable, irrational, and may exhibit violent behaviour’. Brochu (2001) claims that many drugs ‘act on specific areas of the nervous system, including the frontal lobe and the limbic system, where the centres of aggressiveness and impulsiveness are located’ (Bennett and Holloway).While these are considered to be direct and instantaneous effects of drug use, in practice the psychopharmacological effects of drugs on crime are expected to function indirectly. Parker and Auerhahn (1998) stress from their research the overwhelming importance of the context in the relationship between substance use and violent behaviour, and as MacCoun et al (2002) claim ‘it may be that no drug is sufficient to produce aggression in isolation from psychological and situational moderators. ’ (Bennett and Holloway).The second variation on how ‘drugs cause crime’ is th e economic explanation. This is very often referred to as the economic necessity argument which simply says drug users will commit crime for economic benefit in order to fund their drug addiction. Crimes associated with this explanation are most commonly property crime including theft, shoplifting, burglary and fraud; however there are many links with violent crimes. One explanation for this is that habitual drug users face problems raising cash and therefore prefer to perform street robberies. Baumer et al. 1998) argues that this type of robbery draws cash directly and is more easily perpetrated during the hours of darkness when the streets are less crowded. Cash carries the advantage of being easily concealed and does not have to be exchanged at a discount unlike stolen property. (Bennett and Holloway). The third variation is the drug-lifestyle explanation. The theory focuses in particular, on the relationship between drug-using lifestyles and violence. It offers the explanation t hat drug abusers are living within a community which is more likely to be a violent one when compared to a drug free community.The drug using community is one that is notoriously violent, especially when considering punishments for failing to pay debts, territory disputes and selling adulterated drugs. Other ideas focusing on lifestyle but not on violence consider that drug users often do not participate in the legitimate economy and therefore the likelihood of them becoming involved in criminal activity is increased, and also they would be exposed to situations that encourage crime. (Bennett and Holloway).When considering the idea that crime leads to drug use, the research is scarce by comparison. If crime leads to drugs use there will be no reduction in criminality even with the successful treatment of the drugs problem. If crime leads to drug use then treatment should be directed at reducing the criminality, and the drug problem will be correspondingly reduced (Hammersley et al. 1989, cited in Bean p. 39). Researchers are heavily interested in finding what came first; the drug problem or criminality?Early British studies found that about 50% of heroin addicts were antecedently delinquent but, of course, 50% were not (Bean 1971). However, some researchers are sure they know the truth. Korf et al. (1998) belief that there is empirical support for thinking prior criminal involvement increases one’s chance of getting into drugs, claiming ‘many current addicts have set out on a criminal path at an early age and before their first dose of heroin. These pre-drug criminals turn out to be the group most likely to generate their income from property crime. ’ (Bean p. 9) As noted, there doesn’t stand as much research into this field as the previous (drug use leads to crime) however, the theories which do stand can be divided again roughly into the three same categories, psychopharmacological explanations, economic explanations and criminal l ifestyle explanations. Explaining this idea through psychopharmacological means, researches such as Menard et al (2001) claim that criminals use drugs as a form of chemical recreation to celebrate successful crimes, pretty much in the same way people use alcohol to celebrate a special occasion, (Bennett and Holloway, p. 6). In another way according to the psychopharmacological model, people who have planned crime might turn to drugs to enable themselves to carry out the planned actions. It is possible therefore to say that crime causes drug use because without the drug it is possible the crime wouldn’t have occurred. The economic perspective explanation simply says crime causes drug use through crimes resulting in surplus cash which enable the offenders to buy drugs, unds which would not be available were it not for criminal activity (tim newburn). The criminal lifestyle explanations suggest that a criminal lifestyle tends to involve drug use either via sub-cultural values, t hrough available opportunities or as a result of self-medication. Criminal activity in subcultures provides ‘the content, the reference group and the definitions of a situation that are conclusive to the subsequent involvement in drugs’ (White 1990: 223, Bean p. 39).Evidence for this comes from a small number of studies, quoted by White, where she says the individual is placed in an environment which is supportive of drug use, and it is the desire for sub-cultural status rather than a need for a drug which leads to the individual committing crimes. The available opportunities idea goes hand in hand with the situational crime theory, which states the individual makes a rational choice, essentially weighing up the pros and cons of their actions. If the pros outweigh the cons then the person will display offending behaviour.Supporters of situational crime prevention would say that crime leads to drug taking, and therefore by modifying crime hotspots and the environment, an d by dealing with characteristics and location of suitable targets, drug taking can be reduced. The Third, that drug use and crimes have a common aetiology. This theory rejects strongly the simple causal explanation that drugs use leads to crime or the other, crime leads to drug use claiming the relationship to be far more complex than this.Rather, this suggests a common cause between the two, enforcing arguments that there are other factors involved which help explain both forms of behaviour. ‘Such factors may take various forms including aspects of personality or temperament, aspects of a person’s interpersonal social world (family, friends, peers) or some feature of the social environment in which they live’ (Newburn). These common factors can be grouped into three categories – psychological, social and environmental.Psychological factors can be related to a persons genetics or temperament character. Many explanations focus on the role of psychological factors as distal causes, which are those factors operating in the past that predispose people to act in certain ways. The social factors focus on social relationships and the way in which these may have an effect on crime and drug use. Peer pressure is said to be a major sway on a persons behaviour with regard to crime and illicit drug use. As White (1990) concludes in Bennet and Holloway (2005) ‘Peer group nfluences are the best predictors of delinquency and drug use. ’ With regards to the environmental explanation, factors within the environment are said to play a role in the drug-crime link. The social disorganization theory developed by Shaw and Mckay in 1942 was applied to help try and best explain the drug – crime link in 2000 by White and Gorman, who argue that rates of violence and exposure to drugs was greatest in less affluent areas, densly populated areas, racially segregated areas and those that are composed of a transient population.A rather sociolo gical version of the common cause idea is a variation of the sub-cultural theory which sees drug use as a learned behaviour. Behavioural norms are learned from generation to generation and become internalised, which lead individuals within particular families or social groups to behave in the same manner with the same patterns of offending. To conclude, this essay has highlighted much evidence to suggest that drug use leads to crime, and the opposite, that crime leads to drug use.People who try illicit drugs are more likely to display offending behaviour than others; however there is no persuasive research evidence of a causal link between drug use and offending within the majority of drug users. Much of the research provides conflicting explanations of the topic, however there does stand some common ground. There are no inconsistencies in the idea that drug use might sometimes cause crime and crime may sometimes cause drug use.However, as a general rule, research provides evidence sufficient to establish an association as appose to a direct causal link. This essay has also looked at the idea of a common cause or common aetiology between the relationship between drug use and offending behaviour, which is the idea that other factors such as personality, temperament, family or friends influences play a part in an individual’s lifestyle and choices.

Language Lovers Unite!

Language Lovers Unite! Language Lovers Unite! Language Lovers Unite! By Maeve Maddox Kathryn McCary has asked for a post on when to use a and when to use an. Her request was prompted by the following passage she read in a piece of professionally produced corporate publicity: Since the HLB is a secured lender, all of our credit products require collateral to maintain our positions [sic] as a accessible and cost effective source of credit for members. Says Kathryn, HLB is the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, part of a system of banks chartered by the Federal Government in 1932you would think they could hire writers who know REALLY BASIC English usage rules! This post is not going to explain the uses of a and an. Youll find no fewer than four posts on the indefinite article in the DWT archives: Give Me an A Using A and An Before Words When to Use an A Historic or An Historic Event? The kindest thing we can say about the lapse in the bank copy is that it may have been a simple typo. It happens to the most conscientious writers. We proof an article twenty times, and as soon as the piece is published, the dratted error leaps out at us. But lets say that it wasnt a typo. Lets say that the writer didnt see anything amiss with writing a accessible. Thats not a reflection on the writers professional education so much as an indictment of U. S. elementary education. Its not just professional writers who should know really basic English usage rules like when to use a and when to use an. Any English speaker educated in an English-speaking country should have a form of basic standard usage down by the age of 13. As much of the content of this blog reflects, many high school and college graduates manage to get by without mastering the basics. So, whats to be done, other than to tear our hair? I think that a possible answer is for language lovers to put their money where their mouths are. Improvement in the teaching of basic English skills is not to be hoped for from the current flurry of education reform. The emphasis is all on math, science, and computer skills. Thanks to the ubiquitous computer keyboard, handwriting has already become a despised skill. Spelling instruction is on the way out because spellcheck programs are seen by many as a substitute for knowledge of the English sound code. Something that might help delay or reverse the decline of basic literacy skills would be a grassroots movement spearheaded by language lovers: people who respond to blogs like this one, and language zealots who go around painting out unnecessary apostrophes and correcting misspelled words on signs. Language lovers could get together on a local level and sponsor contests for handwriting, basic grammar, and spelling. (And by spelling, I dont mean the kind of oral exhibition that rewards overachievers for their ability to memorize words few people use. I mean competitions in which children write down words like February and definite from dictation.) Local groups and individuals could organize contests for children ages 6-13 through youth clubs and county fairs. Aspiring novelists could be recruited to sponsor contests in which children demonstrate an acquaintance with books. After all, theres not much point in writing books if the audience for literature continues to dwindle. Prize money could be minimal, anything from a dollar to $25. Who knows, if such contests got started at a local level, a corporation might come along to offer a national contest with big bucks in prize money. A 13-year-old Brooklyn girl just won $50,000 from a manufacturer of mobile phones for her ability to text quickly and accurately. Perhaps the answer to declining literacy skills lies outside the classroom. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Royal Order of Adjectives 20 Words Meaning "Being or Existing in the Past"Nominalized Verbs

Berlin Wall1 essays

Berlin Wall1 essays For twenty-eight years, the Berlin Wall separated friends, families, and a nation. After the second World War in 1945, the victorious Allies, the US, Britain, France, Russia divided Germany into four sectors, each under the control of an ally. The US, British, and French Sectors combined to form a democratic state, The Federal Republic of Germany, or West Germany. The Soviet sector became a communist state, The German Democratic Republic, or East Germany, on October 7, 1949. A barrier now separated east and West. Winston Churchill named this barrier the Iron Curtain. Even though Berlin lay deep within the Soviet sector, the Allies thought it best to divide this metropolis. Therefore Berlin was also divided into four sectors. Again the US, British, and French Sectors combined to form West Berlin. The Soviet sector became the East German capital, East Berlin.The governments of these two new countries were set up by the occupying forces, not the populous. Most of the residents of East Berlin and East Germany did not like the communist regime. In fact, most people were The Berlin Wall, though not part of the iron curtain, was a reminder of it. The wall was made of steel, cement, and barbed wire fences with traps and explosives. There were guard towers with machine guns and other weapons. It was almost impossible to cross this barrier without the communist government's permission. Conrad Shuman was a nineteen year old border guard when he witnessed families tearfully separated. He realized he was not protecting his country, but imprisoning its people. Three Days after the border was closed, he leapt to freedom. The people of East Germany became dissatisfied with the economic and political conditions of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Private trade was outlawed, as was the ownership of private land. People were forced to work on collective state owned farms. There were food and su...