Discussion topic

I really appreciate the way you listed the steps in selecting random samples. I did not come across any steps or rules to obtain a simple random sample. The lottery Is a form of simple sampling. It does not use any method to select numbers other than the population number set. Consecutive numbers can be drawn or number far apart from each other. I would like to know more about the difference between the type of random sampling used in lottery draws versus the sampling method steps you scribed.The only type of selection process in the text book definition states simple random sampling uses selection of elements from the selection frame (Burns, 2011). References Burns, N.. Grove, S. K. , & Gray. J. (2011). Understanding nursing research: Building an evidence-based practice. Maryland Heights, MO: Elsevier/Saunders. Your post brings up the very important fact that the sample size need to be large enough to represent the target population (Ramsey, 2011).Target population size eyeing too s mall is a common problem with random sampling as you have described with Autism ratios. If there were more states Involved with the CDC Autism survey, the results may differ. The question or research being done may not need a large population as well. Random sampling need to have a large enough size, must represent the target population and must truly be random (Ramsey, 2011 Ramsey, D. J. (2011). Statistics for dummies. Hoboken, N. J: Wiley.Cluster sampling Is a productive way to obtain random sampling of a very large population. National restaurant chains test new menu items In this way. When I lived in Ohio, it was a big test market area. Supposedly the population of Ohio was thought to be representative of Midwestern people. Area restaurants such as McDonald's, Taco Bell, and Domino's introduced new menu items in this area to survey their popularity. I do not know what type of demographic data was used to determine that Ohio residents were representative of the Midwestern populat ion.It was nice to get to try the new menu Items before the rest of the country. The first McDonald's salads and Domino's try at breakfast pizzas were yummy. The Taco Bell French fries didn't make it. This was a good example of being part of a large cluster sampling process without ever knowing it. I think you covered all the different types of sampling very thoroughly. I am not sure the term census Is a type of random sampling. Census Is usually a method of attempting to collect date from an entire population (Ramsey, 2011).

Domestic Violence Essay

There are many theories out there that try to explain why domestic violence happens. Some like family violence theory say that it is passed down through the family because basically what you see is what you will do. Others say it’s a chemical imbalance or its based on other things. I believe that it is a little bit of all of the theories but the Culture of Violence Theory is playing a huge role today in helping shape our young children’s minds as to what is now acceptable. During this assignment we will look at four different types of examples of how the Culture of Violence Theory is doing just that. Culture of Violence theory claims that violence occurs at all levels of society and is looked at as a means to resolve a conflict. Violence and force are acceptable and are used even in family disputes. Theories believe that in order to stop a man from beating or hitting a woman then you have to change the way he believes or relies on violence being a means to solve all his problems. I also believe that our culture as a whole is violence driven. As a soldier in the United States Army, I deploy to combat areas and I have meet other new recruits who basically wanted to join the military for that reason. So then the question is why in the world would you want to do something just for the violence? Well we can look no further then what is the main culprit to me and that is the Mass Media. The Mass Media today is the main reason why our culture is so violence driven. First I am going to start off on the news media and movies that are being viewed by our children and young adults. The news media always seems to project negative things. You rarely hear anything about a city not having an violent acts being placed over the news. Instead you turn the news on and your going to see how a father came home and found his wife cheating on him so he beat her to death, then killed all his children before turning his gun on himself. The news always reports the violent acts so that’s what our culture is getting use to see. When we look at the type of movies being depicted that display acts of violence in a family household we look at the movie Precious. This movie won the actress a Grammy Award but in this movie your watching a girl being physically, verbally and sexually abused at home. The only time she was safe was at school. What does this type of information teach? It could teach a positive message but I believe that in reality all it did was downgrade women and especially African American women. Movies and the News aren’t the only means to project violence within our culture. The controversial video game by rock star called Grand Theft Auto has been sparking debates across the nation for years. This is one of the best selling franchises in the video game industry but the message in this top playing videogame for our youth in particular teens is violence. This game depicts family violence, drug selling, murder, extortion, robbery, theft, grand theft auto and many more violent crimes. This game really belittles women I feel because they always use derogatory language towards them. This game always shows â€Å"pimps† and ho’s† and the pimp is always beating on the women. This sends a message that our society is fine with this type of behavior since we generate it for our amusement and entertainment. I am one of those who is at fault by playing this type of games but I do understand that this is not appropriate for our youth because they are still learning and trying to understand what is the wrong and right way to act in society and this doesn’t help them in any way. Our society today is all about technology. Everyone has an internet capable phone and the internet is streaming videos constantly. With that being sad a lot of youth and teens are able to watch music videos either through their phone, laptop or on the television. The new hit song titled â€Å"Try† by Pink depicts two lovers basically having an all-out brawl with each other. They are pulling hair, breaking glasses, hitting each other. This music video shows our youth domestic violence but shows it as a poetry in motion or as just two people really in love with each other so even though they are hurting each other its ok as long as they continue to work it out and try again. So is the message here teaching our society to not harm each other? It doesn’t look that way to me and if this keeps up then we will continue to see the numbers as high as they are. All of the different examples I gave show you how our culture became so violence oriented. From the News stations to the Movies in the theaters to the videogames we buy our children and the music they listen to. What children hear and see is exactly what they will do so yes I believe Family Violence Theory plays a role in my paper but the Cultural Violence Theory is by far the most destructive force we have and we can only blame ourselves. Reference: CJ333 Chapter 3, Research and Theory on Family Violence Video Game Study Reinforces Negative Impact on Youth, Jennifer Leclaire, 4/10/06 Pink gets physical and aggressive in â€Å"Try† music video, Lucas Villa, October 10 2012

Manufacturing Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Manufacturing Process - Essay Example One thing that I found interesting and unique is the upgrading to vision sensor applications system technology from sensor technology. The main aim of upgrading was reduction of expenses related with an unfinished manufacturing processes as well as increasing the manufacturing effectiveness and efficiency within the factory. Additionally, J&J installed a vision system aimed at maintaining the standards of each product the company manufactures. Their slogan thus goes, â€Å"We never pass defect to customers.†Secondly, I was also amazed by team work at J&J. Thus J&J’s engineering team collaborated well with their Servo Dynamics in studying, planning, implementing as well as integrating the vision system with the factory first.J&J has also effectively managed in resolving sensor error problem .This has effectively reduced the manufacturing downtime by rate to zero percent (Shreefal, 2008). Following the success of vision technology systems, J&J is seriously pondering extending putting in place vision systems in the manufacturing lines of the rest of the products so as to manage high demand from the market. Maintenance of has always been, continues to be J&J’S key and first

Artificial Intelligence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Artificial Intelligence - Research Paper Example Perhaps other schools of thought surrounding the origin of the human race would not have much to argue about the ability of humankind to create because the records are clear to show that humankind has been able to cater for himself to a very large extent through the invention of machines and other minor items that he needs to live a better life. Generally, the things that are invented or created by men are called artificial things. Careful consideration of the trend of human creation (invention) shows clearly that the ability for humans to create keep getting complicated by the day. The threat and big question therefore remains if humans would not keep getting complicated with their inventions till a stage when the situation would just get out of hand? This research paper shall there delve more into what the risk stands for this world if out of the curiosity to make artificial intelligence products better, there comes a time when the activities of these machines cannot be regulated b ecause of the absence of moral reasoning. Overview of Artificial Intelligence In the 1940s, the world witnessed the ability of humans to create computers to make basic human manipulations such as calculations, sorting and writing very simple. Along the way, the process became even more complex as humans continued to invent machinery to aid him undertaking certain activities that would have rather involve human intelligence (Chaize, 2008). Because these sought of ‘intelligence’ where made by humans (artificial) and not by nature (natural), they were assigned the name artificial intelligence. The commonest form of artificial intelligence that comes to mind when mention is made of the phenomenon is the making of robots. The fundamental idea behind artificial intelligence therefore has to do with the infusion of machines with the ability to think. A mentally sound machine could therefore be said to be the product of artificial intelligence. It is not surprising therefore th at there are now robots that play intelligent games like chess. There are also robots and other forms of machines that have been induced with the intelligence to perform brain related functions such as planning, deduction, knowledge representation, reasoning, problem solving and natural language processing. The question that researchers have always asked has been about what the future of artificial intelligence would be. This is because scientists have always wanted a way of making their inventions better. They have also sought ways of making their inventions more and more complicated and useful for solving immediate problems. Artificial Intelligence and Moral Reasoning Artificial intelligence, though directly concerns computer science have had a lot of controversy and debate even in other fields of studies. One of these fields is philosophy. Philosophy generally concerns the human mind and how it functions. It is also closely related to intelligence since intelligence deals with th e human brain and its function. For artificial intelligence to deal with ‘intelligence’ as a phenomenon therefore, it is expected that philosophers would be concerned about the subject. One major debate that philosophers have always been caught in is the question as to whether or not machines could really be intelligent. In the present research paper, the

Leadership Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership Analysis - Essay Example Also, being able to take initiative whenever there is a need. Leadership practices have helped individuals to portray a character of self discipline to enable them to work in various offices as if they owned the business personally (Blanchard, Fowler and Hawkins, 2005). This has enabled progress and increased processes involved in growth and development in various companies. This has also influenced living standards among individuals from diverse communities positively. Therefore, self-leadership should be encouraged in various organizations and departments, which will also help maintain and manage quality of goods and services offered by the organizations. Self-leadership has been found to increase levels of honesty in organization performance. Individuals who have learned how to operate and govern their operations in any department, can help reduce levels of dishonesty and help build a better relationship with the management team of the company (Northouse, 2011, 15) . Individuals should learn new skills in various operations undertaken in departments available in an organization. However, it has been noted that, to learn new and advanced skills in various fields, individuals need to be given the opportunity to explore new jobs and talents within their fields. To have better skills that can be considered as more valuable than those that previously existed, it has been noted that self leadership should be attained within the personality of an individual. In this case, having self drive and attainment helps ensure that an individual get to understand the difference between important skills and knowledge to learn, as well as those that are not considered important in the various operations undertaken in the company (Blanchard, Fowler and Hawkins, 2005, 6). This has been found to influence activities undertaken by individuals in various departments in the organization.

The problems related to the killing by the Einsatzgruppen Term Paper

The problems related to the killing by the Einsatzgruppen - Term Paper Example An example was police battalion 101 that was charged with extermination of the polish Jewry, and ‘pacifying’ their regions (Goldhagen, 1996, 239). Einsatzgruppen original role is that they often accompanied the military, with instruction to combat anyone behind the frontline, hostile, or bent to sabotage the Reich. However, what they actually did is that they were involved in the deportation, persecution and torture of the Jews in the most despicable manner .In addition, they were often employed in retributive killings whenever Germany lost a soldier in the occupied territory (Goldhagen, 1996, 240). According to Goldhagen (1996, 247) the method employed was shooting their victims in huge trenches, abandoned quarries, ravines and ditches. However, problems developed with this mode of execution. Not all members of these squads were comfortable on the cruelty meted out on their victims. Cold blood executions, especially of women and children were taking a toll on the mental state of the executioners. Some committed suicide, some went mad, and others resulted to massive drinking to combat the memories (Hoss, 1996, 197). For instance, according to Goldhagen (1996, 240), commander of Battalion 101, major Trapp was shaken and wept, following the retributive killing of 200 poles. ... He suffered emotionally and mentally but could not show emotion openly. He became dissatisfied with himself and his main responsibility. This negates the theory advanced by Goldhagen (1996) that all Germans willfully participated in the killing to quench their cruelty and their hate for the Jews. Goldhagen (1996, 246) argues that the Germans wanted to publicly humiliate the Jews, by example shaving their beards which was a symbol of their manhood. Therefore, they deemed their role as that of obeying orders given by Hitler without questioning the morality of the orders. According to Hoss (1996, 161), many people secretly doubted Hitler’s decisions but he could not reveal this. This tally with Browning’s (1995, 99) account, who depicts one Major Trapp as crying the whole day, after he gave an order for the mass killing of innocent Jews. However, according to Goldhagen (1996, 249), all those who participated in the killings could walk away or withdraw from the assignment w ithout any ramifications. In fact, he gives account of an officer who was promoted, even after he had withdrawn from killing assignments. This is contradicted by Browning (1995) adds that those who participated in the killings did not know the specifics of their assignments until it was very late. In fact, Hoss (1996, 163) narrates that after held discussions with Eichmann, realized that there was no escaping the conflict at all. However, according to Borowski (1995, 24) those who participated in the killing viewed themselves to be killing under duress. They were forced to do so. For instance, he narrates a case where an SS officer threatened to shoot him for failure to carry a dead child. In addition, Browning (1996, 29) argues that participation was out of fear of being labeled

GCSS-MC Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

GCSS-MC - Article Example If well developed and strategically applied, GCSS ensures accurate, timely and perfect provision of logistical information for all concerned parties. This means that the Marine Corps would effectively receive the logistical support that they need in varied operations, in their line of duty. Despite all the positive aspects targeted, it is sad to note that the DOD is yet to realize and enjoy the fruits of the acquisition of GCSS. This is because the department is still highly riddled with weaknesses in its programs and procedures. The weaknesses observed have created bottlenecks in line with observed management control. The entire acquisition process has not been justified. This means that many of the expected benefits cannot be observed from the acquisition of GCSS. All the design specification and all the accompanying documents cannot be traced (GAO, 2006). This could be equated to mean that the DOD does not understand the overall importance and significance of the purchase. In orde r for GCSS to attain its overall advantages, the DOD has to make varied adjustments. They have to ensure that the system undergoes concept refinement, which can be acquired through high system and technology development. All the concerned parties have to undergo a system demonstration to ensure that they comprehend its set demands and practices. This is the only way that GCSS would ultimately contribute to product deployment and operations support (GAO,

The World Film joural Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The World Film joural - Essay Example The film’s characters  exist  in  reality  making it more  real  and  intense; in fact, some of the cast resided in Rio de Janeiro at the time of shooting this film. City of God focuses on the tagline that if one chooses to  run,  the  beast  catches up with  them and, if they choose to  stay, the  beast  eats them. This is a moral dilemma which faces the characters in the film, who have to  choose  to either leave the crime-infested suburb or stay put and become affected by the organized crime. The film has received much acclaim on different aspects ranging from receiving four Academy Award nominations, the best writing (adaptation), directing, editing and cinematography. The film opens by chickens  being prepared  for a meal, but one of the chickens manages to escape and  is chased  by a  gang  member who meet Rocket, a  youth  who seems to  believe  that the gang is out to kill him. The film’s  excellent  cine matography comes out when the chicken halts between the Rocket and the armed gang member showing the  confusion  being witnessed  in the area by most young persons, unsure of which side to  follow; either the  bunch  of criminals or the  ordinary  person. Suddenly, we  are taken  back to Rocket’s childhood days where he is playing  soccer; here, we learn how the City of God  was established  in the late 1960s. ... This, in turn, endears the trio to the citizens, who  protect  the  former  and some young men even  idolize  them as heroes and saviors of the community. However, such idolization has detrimental effects for some of the boys in the City of God as seen through Li’l Dice, who manages to talk his counterparts into raiding a motel and robbing its occupants off their valuables. Being too young, Li’l Dice  is tasked  to serve as a lookout for the police, a move that angers Li’l Dice, who subsequently uses his issued gun to kill all the motel occupants. In the City of God, induction into the life of crime and gangs takes place at a tender age as evident through Li’l Dice  being given  a gun to  warn  his  crew  of police’ arrival. The law enforcement agencies  are brought  into the limelight upon the occurrence of the motel massacre. In the story, the police have a laid back attitude towards  criminal  gangs, choosing t o wait until a crime as grave as the massacre occurs before they  act  ((Lins and Entrekin, p. 113). Cohesion among members of criminal gangs is minimal as they  turn  against one another upon the slightest provocation. Li’l Dice, who appears to have enjoyed the act of killing, shots down his friend Goose after stealing from him. The film leaps forward into the 1970s where we note that Rocket has since joined a group of  youthful  hippies, the â€Å"Groovies†, who take part in smoking marijuana. Rocket’s  infatuation  with a girl draws him further towards his interest in photography.  However, his efforts of getting closer to the girl  are squashed  by â€Å"the Runts†, a group of young trouble seekers under the leadership of Li’l Dice who now refers to himself as Li’l Ze. Li’l Dice’s  evolution  into a drug king results in his wanton

A Concerted and Cogent Effort Needed to Establish Equality in Society Essay Example for Free

A Concerted and Cogent Effort Needed to Establish Equality in Society Essay The concept of establishing equality among all members of the society is as old as the history of civilization – the list of dos and donts of several cultures also emanate out of that, before the dominant groups of the societies convert them as doctrines to maintain their dominance over the minorities. However, the voice of the concerned humans also rise from time to time, like what is now being heard under the titles like human rights or living wage. Though usually dubbed as a means of meeting the basic living requirements, living wage aims at facilitating humans to earn their lives to fulfill what Maslow (1943) described in his hierarchy of needs, which comprises of five sets of needs such as basic needs (air, water, food, clothing and shelter), safety and security needs, social needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs. Thus the concept of living wage raises issues of human rights with special emphasis on the right to survival and dignity. This article thus explores three situations depicted by three researchers to underpin the drivers of inequality in general. India is Plagued by Caste-concept and Exploitative Colonial Ruling Style In spite of being officially a staunch supporter of human rights with a clear backing from its constitution, India is still plagued by the legacies of the Hindu caste system and exploitative format of British ruling style, if the findings of Channa (2010) have anything to go by. He points out with evidence that there is a huge gap between the constitutional vision and the ground-level realities regarding the social and economic situation in India, where it clearly fails to reason why the majority of its population still reels under below poverty line, save providing living wage. Channa points out that legislation or legal strictures prove insufficient against the power of social will in India, which needs to be transformed to a state where the dominant groups of the society will unlearn the caste and exploitative colonial ruling concepts and perceive the real-time need of restoring the human status of its fellow countrymen. South Carolina Suffers from Contradictory Legislations The issue of living wage gets another dimension when it is seen from interpretive and political economic anthropological perspectives, where Kingsolver (2010) comes up with the instance of South Carolina, the area which tops in the number of people living in poverty due to high unemployment rate. Here the solution lies in enforcing legislated living wage that would prioritize human needs over the issue of earning profit. Kingsolver argues that the elimination of contradiction in the laws on tax or right to work appears to be the first step towards achieving a legislated living wage, otherwise the age-old conflict between the logics of social welfare and the welfare of capital will continue to be at loggerheads in this region. Exploiters in the Avatar of Corporate Giants Bensen (2010) shows how biocapitalism of the corporate giants like Philip Morris is actually a veiled threat to the normative functioning of the society, where it violates not only the ethical standards of living, but also carries on with the tendency of exploiting the human capital, let alone ignoring the issue of social equality. For example, the placement of tobacco auction warehouses as well as the leaf-processing plants in North Carolina are strategically placed in predominantly Black residential areas to get low-skill workers at a minimum rate and to profit more by saving the expenditure on workplace conditions. Conclusion All the three papers reviewed above analyze social dynamics of stigmatization under different contexts, where India suffers from the legacies of age-old caste system and exploitative British ruling strategies, while North and South Carolina suffer from racial discrimination and corporate manipulation. Such state of affairs only consolidates the impression that rules to establish human rights cannot be effective unless the mindset of the dominant groups are transformed, and for that matter, UN should steer a cogent and cohesive campaign across the globe on establishing human rights. References Benson, P. (2008). Good clean tobacco: Philip Morris, biocapitalism, and the social course of stigma in North Carolina. American Ethnologist, Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 357-379. Channa, M. S. (2010). What do people live on? Living wages in India. American Anthropological Association, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 15-28. Kingsolver, A. (2010). Living wage considerations in the right-to-work state of South Carolina. American Anthropological Association, Vo. 31, No. 1, pp. 30-41. Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50, pp. 370- 396.

Cleanliness is Next to Goldenness Essay Example for Free

Cleanliness is Next to Goldenness Essay Each fall thousands of high school graduates, enter their next phase of life, the college phase. Arriving on campus filled with excitement and waiting for all the hectic college experiences. Finding classrooms, ordering books, late night studying, parties and sleeping in till three in the afternoon. The freedom is nice. A large part of college students are busy doing homework and socializing with others, and don’t have enough time to clean their living environment. By creating a time schedule in which each roommate can clean a certain area in the dorm will overall enhance a healthier living quarters. After the acceptance into a college or university, the next relative question would be, â€Å"Who will my roommate be?† and â€Å"What he/she will be like!† As cited by Romos and Torgler, â€Å"Specifically, when academics see that other academics have violated the social norm of keeping the common room clean, all else being equal, the probability of their littering increases by around 40%† (Romos, J., Torgler, B., 2013). An unclean living area could result in, â€Å"Clutter or filth, clutter can collect dirt, provide a hiding spot for pests, and can cause trips or falls† (National Center for Healthy Housing, n.p.). People would think that everyone’s natural instincts is to pick up after themselves when they see clothes on the floor, dirty dishes in the sink, or a carpet that needs to be vacuumed. But never the less, studies show if one person in the home is careless about his or her things, the opposite person will eventually adapt the careless ro utine. Another viewpoint that could be taking into perspective is, probably the student is to busy to clean, or perhaps their parents cleaned their surrounding for them. Being the bigger person in this type of situation by just cleaning up after them could potentially create an environment of cleanliness and the careless person will catch on. Although, having a dorm room to call your own isnt quite what it’s made up to be. It is in fact ‘your room’. However, students should be mindful that they are sharing their living quarters with others. Bliss stated that, †We came to feel that students really ought to take more responsibility for their own space† (as cited in Chronicle of Higher Education, 1999).  Adjusting to college, sharing a room, living room and sometimes a kitchen can be deceiving. One thing about being apart of the dorm lifestyle is sharing your space. Within that space is your belongings as well as two or more peoples belongings. And by just being in control of your own personal belongings can in the long run result in a more organized environment. Granted, you may have a very heavy schedule, adapting to college could be overwhelming and stressful. You may not have much time to pick up after yourself or clean your surroundings. Be mindful, if your roommate has an unorganized s pace and your side is kept up neatly, do not alter your habits for someone else. If this situation accrues, I highly suggest to sit down with all your roommates to discuss who and when everyone should clean the dorm. Thus, gives you and your roommates the opportunity to vent their opinions as will as solve any miscommunication problems. Becoming an adult can be life changing, there is more things in life that you are responsible for, as stated by Kurtus, â€Å"A person who has a reputation of being responsible is trusted to do things on his or her own, without supervision† (Kurtus , 2001). Taking full responsibility and owning up to all the mishaps that go on in your dorm is vary important. Being irresponsible can lead to a dysfunctional living area and can potentially lead your other friends not wanted to come over, because it’s dirty, unorganized or just filled with clutter. Sharing the responsibility of your room, living room, bathroom and perhaps the kitchen, can ultimately change the way you and your roommates work together. Creating a schedule that can be posted on the wall for everyone to read, with a helpful layout of who and when each roommate will clean a certain area in the dorm. This schedule will effectively mold a healthier and cleaner environment as the semester or year goes. This will c reate an overall respect, responsibility, self control and comfort knowing that the dorm is kept up and clean. Me and my three other roommates personally created a flexible schedule that helped each one of us. Within the first week of school, we sat down and figured out our class schedule and a preferred time frame that everyone was comfortable with. Every two days someone for example, was in charge of the bathroom, and living room. Along with those responsibilities also came with  taking personal care of your bed side such as, picking clothes off the floor, an organized work area and a straighten bed. With my previous personal experience, I came to the conclusion that having a schedule in place makes a huge difference, compared to when I go into another dorm with four other girls and they do not have a schedule. I tend to notice that if there is no schedule in place, the roommates just live day by day lives, without thinking to clean. â€Å"The messy room is emblematic, a strident statement. Feeling entitled to live on his or her own, more independent, â€Å"Its my space, its my decision, its my life† (Pickhardt, 2012). Everyone makes their own decisions, either good or bad. Whether or not it’s choosing to clean, organize or just leave your area dirty, it’s totally up to you. However it will result in major consequences that will effect you in the long run. Affectively, keeping your area clean can create great habits that you will continue to follow in the future. References Chronicle of Higher Education. (1999). Can somebody at least do my laundry?. Chronicle of Higher Education, 46(11), n.p. (no doi or database) Kurtus, R. (2001, April 18). Being responsible shows character. Retrieved from http://www.school-for-champions.com/character/responsible.htm National Center for Healthy Housing. (n.p.). Healthy homes. Retrieved from http://health.nv.gov/Healthy%20Homes/HH_Resource_Booklet.pdf Pickhardt, C. (2012). The messy room. Retrieved from http://www.netplaces.com/positive-discipline/supervision-the-second-factor/the-messy-room.htm Romos, J., Torgler, B. . (2013). Are academics messy? testing the broken windows theory with a field experiment in the work environment. Review Of Law Economics, 8(2), 563-574. doi: 10.1515/1555-5879.1617 Willoughby, B. J., Carroll, J. S. (2009). The impact of living in co-ed resident halls on risk-taking among college students. Journal Of American College Health, 58(3), 241-246. Retrieved from SPORTDiscus with Full Text.

The Psychology Of The Fear Of Crime

The Psychology Of The Fear Of Crime Fear of crime is a very prevalent issue today. Many people in todays society express anxiety and fear about crime, and about being victimized. The level of fear that a person holds depends on many factors, including gender, age, any past experiences with crime that a person may have, where one lives, and ones ethnicity. All of these factors have an impact on fear levels. People react to fear in different ways. Some people try to avoid crime, others try to protect themselves, and still others try to prevent victimization by not possessing anything for which they can be victimized. The fear of crime is a critical issue in contemporary criminal justice policy because of its potential to create social misunderstanding. Although some awareness and concern about crime could be considered healthy or adaptive, taken to the extremes, the fear of crime can impede individuals behavior and affect the quality of life. The fear of crime is one of the most researched topics in crime (Farall 2000), with the risk of crime being seen as one of the most pressing concerns affecting peoples way of life. The fear of crime has social and psychological dimensions that require interdisciplinary analysis. (Helmut Kury, 2008) Not all behaviours indicative of fear, are prompted a by fearful experience. For example, taking insurance, locking the house, the car etc are everyday precautionary actions to minimize ones risk of crime, but is not necessarily provoked by a fear-inciting experience. These safety precautions are taken daily by a vast majority, without the attached emotional fear, just like the precautionary exercise, eating right so as to avoid the onset of ill health. DEFINITIONS The fear of crime refers to the fear of being a victim of crime as opposed to the actual probability of being a victim of crime. Fear, in this topic, is defined as an anticipation of victimization, rather than fear of an actual victimization. This type of fear relates to how vulnerable a person feels. Fear is also an emotional reaction characterized by a sense of danger and anxiety produced by the threat of physical harmelicited by perceived cues in the environment that relate to some aspect of crime (Church Council, 1995, p. 7). Crime can be defined as the breach of one or more rules or laws for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a punishment. OR. An act punishable by law. wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn The core aspect of fear of crime is the range of emotions that is provoked in individuals by the possibility of victimization. There might be two dimensions of fear: those everyday moments of worry that transpire when one feels personally threatened; and some more diffuse or anxiety about risk. Fear of crime can be differentiated into public feelings, thoughts and behaviors about the personal risk of criminal victimization. These feelings, thoughts and behaviors have a number of damaging effects on individual and group life: They can erode public health and psychological well-being; Alter routine activities and habits; Contribute to some places turning into no-go areas via a withdrawal from community; Drain community cohesion, trust and neighbourhood stability. FACTORS AFFECTING THE LEVEL OF FEAR EXHIBITED BY INDIVIDUALS Gender Gender has been found to be the strongest predictor of fear. Women have a much greater fear of crime than men, but are victimized less than men. Womens fear comes mostly from their vulnerability to sexual aggression: women are ten times more likely to be sexually assaulted than are men (Crowell Burgess, 1996). This fear of sexual assault and rape transposes itself onto other types of crimes (Ferraro, 1996). Women do not simply become aware of this fear one day, nor are they born with it; women are socialized into thinking that they are vulnerable to attack if they, for example, go out alone at night. Parents, peers and media emphasize and re-enforce this fear, and women are expected to succumb to it. Age Age is also a powerful predictor of fear but, unlike gender, with age the fear varies from crime to crime. When it comes to age, it is customary to assume that the elderly are the most afraid, and for many crimes, this assumption holds true, such as in mugging cases and break and enters. When it comes to crimes like rape, sexual assault and stranger attacks, it has been found that younger people tend to be more fearful (Evans, 1995). Elderly people have a high fear level in relation to many crimes because they feel vulnerable. This vulnerability stems from the physical and social limitations that elderly people have which renders them unable to defend themselves or to seek support and help. Past Experiences with Crime Many studies have examined whether or not past experiences with crime and criminals have any effect on the level of fear that a person holds, but findings have not been unanimous. Some studies have found no real differences between victims and non-victims, but other studies have documented a difference. In studying the effects of crime on college students, Dull and Wint (1997) found that those students who had been victims of crime had less fear of personal crime, but more fear of property crime, than those not victimized. Certain crimes generate more fear for victims than others. Being a victim of a robbery, for example, generates a high level of fear because it contains elements that cause a greater amount of fear to be instilled in its victims. Robbery usually involves a stranger, weapons, physical assaults and the loss of a fair amount of money (Skogan Klecka, 1997). Burglary, because of its invasion of privacy and substantial amount of loss, generates a high level of fear. The victims who express the most fear of walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark are victims of sexual assault, followed by victims of robbery, break and enter, assault, vandalism, motor vehicle theft, household theft and personal theft. Geography Fear of crime also varies according to where one lives. People who live in cities tend to hold higher levels of fear because cities and other urban areas tend to have higher crime rates than rural areas. Ethnicity and Culture Studies have found that fear levels vary according to ethnic background. While whites tend to show the least amount of fear, the question of who has the most fear has not been unanimously agreed upon. A 1994 British Crime Survey found that in relation to crimes of harassment, burglary, rape and mugging, the Asian group expressed the most fear. The Black group showed the next highest fear level in relation to these crimes, while the White group showed the least amount of fear. This survey also found that for the crime of theft from car, the Black group showed a slightly higher level of fear than the Asian group, and the White group once again had the lowest level of fear. In relation to simply feeling unsafe, the Asian group was the highest, and the White group had only a slightly higher level of fear than the Black group (Hough, 1995). Other Variables There are several other variables which have been examined in order to see if they have an effect on fear of crime. These variables are not as prominent as the ones listed above, but their effects are still worth noting. Factors such as low income levels (Evans, 1995; Silverman Kennedy, 1983), and low educational levels (Evans, 1995) tend to increase levels of fear. Factors influencing the fear of crime include public perceptions of neighborhood stability and breakdown, and broader factors where anxieties about crime express anxieties about the pace and direction of social change. There may also be some wider cultural influences: some have argued that modern times have left people especially sensitive to issues of safety and insecurity. REACTIONS TO THE FEAR OF CRIME Due to their fear of crime, people try to reduce their risk of victimization in three ways: avoidance behaviours, protective behaviours, and insurance behaviours (Garofalo, 1981). Avoidance behaviours are restrictive, involving avoiding unsafe areas at night or certain locations altogether, or reducing social interaction and movements outside of the home. Protective behaviours include obtaining security systems and watch dogs, joining self-defence courses, and/or participating in community programs such as Neighbourhood Watch. Insurance behaviours aim at reducing ones risk through the minimization of victimization costs, leaving the person feeling that they do not have anything of value to be victimized for, and therefore will not be victimized. Neighbourhood Watch was started as a way to reduce crime and fear by involving citizens in crime prevention, urging them to come together to talk about what is going on in their neighbourhood, and to formulate plans and methods to alleviate crime such as neighbourhood surveillance and crime- reporting activities Since the government is accountable to and elected by the public, the government must respond when change is demanded. The government reaction to the publics concern about, and fear of, crime is often one of changing correctional legislation. People get their information about crime from a number of sources, but one major source for information is the media. The media are a powerful way of getting messages across to citizens. Many studies have looked at the way in which the media portray crime and how their portrayals affect levels of fear. It has been found that the media tend to disproportionately represent violent accounts of crime. Concern about crime can be differentiated from perceptions of the risk of personal victimization. Concern about crime includes public assessments of the size of the crime problem. An example of a question that could be asked is whether crime has increased, decreased or stayed the same in a certain period and/or in a certain area, for instance the individuals own neighborhood. BEHAVIORAL ASPECTS OF FEAR OF CRIME A way to measure fear of crime is to ask people whether they ever avoid certain areas, protect certain objects or take preventive measures. This way, measuring fear of crime can become a relatively straightforward thing, because the questions asked tap into actual behavior and objective facts, such as the amount of money spent on a burglar-alarm or extra locks. However, it is important to note that some degree of fear might be healthy for some people, creating a natural defense against crime. In short, when the risk of crime is real, a specific level of fear might actually be functional: worry about crime might stimulate precaution which then makes people feel safer and lowers their risk of crime. The fear of crime is a very important feature in criminology. COGNITIVE ASPECTS OF FEAR OF CRIME By contrast, the cognitive side of fear of crime includes public perceptions of the likelihood of falling victim, public senses of control over the possibility, and public estimations of the seriousness of the consequences of crime. People who feel especially vulnerable to victimization are likely to feel that they are especially likely to be targeted by criminals (i.e. victimization is likely), that they are unable to control the possibility (i.e. they have low self-efficacy), and that the consequences would be especially severe. Additionally, these three different components of risk perception may interact: the impact of perceived likelihood on subsequent emotional response (worry, fear, anxiety, etc.) is likely to be especially strong among those who feel that consequences are high and self-efficacy is low. Perhaps the biggest influence on fear of crime is public concern about neighbourhood disorder, social cohesion and collective efficacy. The proposition here is that the incidence and risk of crime has become coupled in the public mind with issues of social stability, moral consensus, and the collective informal control processes which underpin neighborhood order. Many people also use the language of fear and crime to express concerns about neighbourhood breakdown, the loss of moral authority, and the crumbling of civility and social capital. People can come to different conclusions about the same social and physical environment: two individuals who live next door to each other and share the same neighbourhood can view local disorder quite differently. Why might people have different levels of tolerance or sensitivity to these potentially ambiguous cues? UK research has suggested that broader social anxieties about the pace and direction of social change may shift levels of tolerance to ambiguous stimuli in the environment. Individuals who hold more authoritarian views about law and order, and who are especially concerned about a long-term deterioration of community, may be more likely to perceive disorder in their environment. They may also be more likely to link these physical cues to problems of social cohesion and consensus, of declining quality of social bonds and informal social control. People, who have the fear of crime, may change their behaviour, prefer to stay at home and avoid activities such as travelling in the public transport due to the potential danger they believe the outer world poses (Garafalo, 1981, Patterson 1985, Hale 1996). Also people may fear certain/specific crime, like some women are afraid of going out in the night alone or going to certain places, for fear of being sexually assaulted. Many studies have been conducted to examine the predictors of fear of crime among adults, but feelings of insecurity among children and adolescents have been practically ignored. The effect of parenting styles on the childs level of fear is enormous. The level of parental supervision, especially fathers, is associated with more fears being experienced by children. Active parental stimulation of participation in organized leisure activities results in lower levels of fear among female children. Parents who focus on independence and autonomy, in contrast, seem to raise children who have lower degrees of fear. Other findings that relate to fear of crime in adolescence, such as gender differences and socialization, media and leisure patterns, and victimization and personal adjustment, are also important. A new University College London study has shown that people with a strong fear of crime are almost twice as likely to show symptoms of depression. The research shows that fear of crime is associated with decreased physical functioning and lower quality of life. The studys lead author, Dr Mai Stafford, UCL Epidemiology Public Health, said: Very broadly, these results show that if your fear of crime levels are higher, your health is likely to be worse particularly your mental health. Of course, you might expect that people who are depressed or frail might be more afraid of crime and venturing out of doors, so we have taken account of previous mental health problems and physical frailty and adjusted for those accordingly. Even with a level playing field, the data still demonstrates this strong link between fear of crime and poorer mental health. CONCLUSION Fear of crime is real and it affects peoples quality of life. It is believed, however, that the series of legislative initiatives enacted in reaction to fear of crime have not proven to be beneficial. Fear has not been reduced and people do not feel safer. As long as fear persists, the public will continue to call for more of the same harsh measures. It is time we took a second look at the limited safety provided by the correctional changes we have implemented. It is time that politicians and leaders stop merely reacting to fear by proposing simplistic, short-term solutions to the complex problems of crime. Years of research have shown that the correctional practices we now have in place are not effective in creating safe communities and simply delay the problem, thereby not reducing fear in the long-term. The public looks to others for help in reducing the fear of crime, but the people the public looks to for guidance cannot always be of help. When the public sees that the police, the government and the law are unable to assist them with their concerns, individuals will often take charge of the situation for themselves. This type of mentality can lead to vigilantism. Suggestion that a number of broad strategies be put in place to address both crime and fear of crime, includes 1) Educate the public about crime, crime prevention and what works in corrections. There are steps that can be taken to protect oneself and to reduce personal fear, but people need to have a better understanding of their risk and what measures do increase public safety. 2) Involve communities in both crime prevention through social development and in community-based justice programs. Direct citizen involvement in justice leads to a better informed citizenry, who then are more understanding of what impacts crime and how to change it.

Stereotypes is Jack Davis-No Sugar :: essays research papers

Stereotypes in Jack Davis-No Sugar. The characters in Jack Davis' play "No Sugar" are characters that fit colonial stereotypes (both Aboriginals and Whites) although they seem to be exaggerated. Contrasting characters reveal Ideological ideas and attitudes through things like language, often through conflict.40 The characters of White Australian descent tend to speak with pompous language, disguising their evil deeds behind kind phrases. The most obvious example of this is the character Mr. Neville. He states, with refined language, in (Act One Scene Two), that: †¦"if you provide the native the basic accoutrements of civilization, you’re halfway to civilizing him." This reveals a belief that Whites are unquestionably superior and that any previous Aboriginal civilization was irrelevant. The pompous statement of the Whites are juxta-posed against the more crude and blunt comments of Aboriginal characters .to show the audience the belief that whites are superior.103 The character of Mr. Neal seems like a cruel evil man which is the way the Aboriginals would probably have viewed Whites (he is a stereotype) Neal believes blacks are worthless, he lives by the words of J. Ernest Regan, that: "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" (Act Four Scene Four), instead of trying to better Aboriginals and help them he is trying to suppress them and keep them ignorant so they will not turn into a threat to him or Whites in general. His wife Matron seems like a kind caring person, like a mother figure which is how the audience expects a Matron to be. Their conflicting beliefs (Matron promotes the idea of improving aboriginals, Mr Neal promotes ignorance and suppression) causes conflict Neal "I can’t see anything funny about this" Matron "I know you can’t" (Act two Scene Ten).143 Mr. Neal’s beliefs also conflict with the beliefs of Sister Eileen.† What do you mean that you don’t encourage natives to read?" Mr. Neal â€Å"That’s right" (Act four Scene four). She also disagrees on the methods he uses "the use of violence by your native policemen.....I’d prefer they came on their own free will" (Act four Scene four) Sister Eileen believes in improving the natives which is completely opposite to the belief held by Mr. Neal that natives should remain ignorant. Mr. Neal resents Sister Eileen’s input "bloody do-gooders" and threatens her when she speaks out "I could arrange a transfer for you to another settlement; perhaps Mulla Bulla on the edge of the Gibson Desert†. Stereotypes is Jack Davis-No Sugar :: essays research papers Stereotypes in Jack Davis-No Sugar. The characters in Jack Davis' play "No Sugar" are characters that fit colonial stereotypes (both Aboriginals and Whites) although they seem to be exaggerated. Contrasting characters reveal Ideological ideas and attitudes through things like language, often through conflict.40 The characters of White Australian descent tend to speak with pompous language, disguising their evil deeds behind kind phrases. The most obvious example of this is the character Mr. Neville. He states, with refined language, in (Act One Scene Two), that: †¦"if you provide the native the basic accoutrements of civilization, you’re halfway to civilizing him." This reveals a belief that Whites are unquestionably superior and that any previous Aboriginal civilization was irrelevant. The pompous statement of the Whites are juxta-posed against the more crude and blunt comments of Aboriginal characters .to show the audience the belief that whites are superior.103 The character of Mr. Neal seems like a cruel evil man which is the way the Aboriginals would probably have viewed Whites (he is a stereotype) Neal believes blacks are worthless, he lives by the words of J. Ernest Regan, that: "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" (Act Four Scene Four), instead of trying to better Aboriginals and help them he is trying to suppress them and keep them ignorant so they will not turn into a threat to him or Whites in general. His wife Matron seems like a kind caring person, like a mother figure which is how the audience expects a Matron to be. Their conflicting beliefs (Matron promotes the idea of improving aboriginals, Mr Neal promotes ignorance and suppression) causes conflict Neal "I can’t see anything funny about this" Matron "I know you can’t" (Act two Scene Ten).143 Mr. Neal’s beliefs also conflict with the beliefs of Sister Eileen.† What do you mean that you don’t encourage natives to read?" Mr. Neal â€Å"That’s right" (Act four Scene four). She also disagrees on the methods he uses "the use of violence by your native policemen.....I’d prefer they came on their own free will" (Act four Scene four) Sister Eileen believes in improving the natives which is completely opposite to the belief held by Mr. Neal that natives should remain ignorant. Mr. Neal resents Sister Eileen’s input "bloody do-gooders" and threatens her when she speaks out "I could arrange a transfer for you to another settlement; perhaps Mulla Bulla on the edge of the Gibson Desert†.

The West Point Cheating Scandal Essay -- West Point Academy Cheating E

The West Point Cheating Scandal Description: In April of 1976 it was found that there was a possibility that over half of the junior class at West Point Academy had violated the West Point honor code by cheating on a case assignment. The honor code states "A cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do." This was by far the largest violation of the honor code in West Point history and presented some unusual challenges to the administration. As the year dragged on it was found that more and more students possibly had cheated on the assignment and was also becoming a public relations nightmare in the press and internally to the Army branch of the United States military. The honor code at West Point was pointed and harsh in its dealings with violators and this case brought scrutiny, criticism as well as staunch support for the code and how violations were dealt with. To follow the honor code would be to expel all students involved and this would be a heavy hit on the academy. â€Å"At this time West Point had been having trouble recruiting soldiers because of the public attitude toward the military following the Vietnam War† The other possibility was to scrap the way the system was supposed to behave to keep the cadets in school and to reconstruct the honor code and the way it handled violations. Diagnosis: The diagnosis of the problem stems from the fact that honor code was a rigid book of rules that all cadets were expected to adhere too. All parties guilty of violations were given the harshest punishment of expulsion. They were 100% aware of what was involved and consequences of actions if violated. The Army and the military in general has always been a place of direct leaders and subordinates and takes in pride in the fact that it is a highly disciplined way of life. More so at the respective academies which were created to train and educate future leaders in the branches. The academies are based on trust of your superiors as well as obedience to their commands. There is also the possibility of disappointing your colleagues and in turn losing their respect and camaraderie. This in itself is the one of the reasons some say that the honor code and system had been so successful throughout the years. A change in the code would go against everything that West Point had always stood for and then would hold future gr... ...e, however in support of changing the honor code system in terms of the expulsion penalty at all times as well as the tolerance portion of the penalty. I feel that there are many circumstances in which expulsion is extreme and unnecessary especially when it has to do with tolerance of an honor code violation. Fallout: There is no answer that is going to satisfy all. If the code is changed those who lived and died by it are going to be upset. No matter what happens the media is going to point to different answers. The best answer is one that displays that the army and the academy are strict yet fair and understand and employ honor at all times themselves. When issues like this arise it is a good chance to update a system that could be considered outdated and it is a good time to show that a system such as this can change with the times while still reflecting the pride and honor that is so bestowed upon it. Works Cited http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1316/is_n11_v20/ai_6860628 http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_french_raven_bases_social_power.html Luthans, F. (2005). Organizational Behavior. 10th edition. New York: The McGraw Hill Companies.

Crime and Punishment Essay

The meaning of â€Å"Notes from Underground† to the artistic world is difficult to overestimate. As mentioned by L. P. Grosman: â€Å"’Notes from Underground’ – is one of the most exposing compositions of Dostoyevsky. Never has it happened again that he opens up in such fullness all of his most intimate thoughts, not meant for show secrets of his heart† (Grosman, 299). Becoming the prelude to other great works of Dostoyevsky, â€Å"Notes from Underground† influenced world literature, not only Russian literary growth. Merezhkovskii thought that the main difference between Dostoyevsky’s and Nietzsche’s â€Å"last freedoms† is that Dostoyevsky, growing â€Å"underground† ideas in his characters, but not completing them still tried to â€Å"grasp† onto Russian orthodoxy, while the other – praised the man: â€Å"Just as Nietzsche [†¦] Dostoyevsky considers the last gift of freedom to be the man-god, the antichrist, with the difference in the two being that Nietzsche blesses this gift, and Dostoyevsky curses it† (Merezhkovskii, 217 – 218). By the thoughts of Berdyaev, if before â€Å"Notes from Underground† Dostoyevsky was no more than a: humanist, full of compassion for the ‘poor people’, the ‘humiliated and insulted’, the characters of the ‘House of the Dead’, then from ‘Notes from Underground’ begins the brilliant ideological dialectic of Dostoyevsky. He is no longer simply a psychologist, he is a metaphysician; he explores, to the depths, the tragedies of human spirit. He is no longer a humanist by the old meaning of the word; He has completely torn away from Belinsky’s humanism. (Berdyaev, 36). At the same time Berdyaev did not share this opinion with Shestov about Dostoyevsky being an exclusive underground psychologist: â€Å"Dostoyevsky possesses underground psychology only in the moment of the spiritual journey of man. He does not leave us in the hopeless circle of underground psychology, he removes us from it† (Berdyaev, 141). Losing humanistic faith in man, Dostoyevsky has no choice but to be loyal to the Christian principles, deepening, strengthening and enriching them; therefore, he cannot be a â€Å"gloom, hopelessly-pessimistic† writer. In his darkest and most painful moments Dostoyevsky has the â€Å"light of Christ† – the â€Å"freeing light† (37). â€Å"Notes from Underground† was praised as one of the most reaction producing stories by Yermylov, where-in was conducted not only â€Å"malicious controversy† with the novel of a â€Å"genius† Russian revolutionary-democrat NG Chernyshevsky, but also told about â€Å"moral crimes†. Thus â€Å"in the face of the conscience of mankind† Dostoyevsky’s role in moral crime proved â€Å"heavy† because â€Å"you cannot talk about the crime with malice! † (Yermylov, 42 – 43). Exploring the works of the 1860’s, in particular the novel â€Å"Notes from Underground†, Kirpotin concluded about the importance of its poetics for all following works of Dostoyevsky and specific to his novel form: The poetics of ‘Notes from Underground’ contains within it undeveloped poetics from the later works of Dostoyevsky. The merging of philosophy and narration in ‘Notes from Underground’, and its dissolution in the story soon after [†¦] led to the creation of the first great novel by Dostoyevsky – ‘Crime and Punishment’, a new novel which was specific to Dostoyevsky’s type. (Kirpotin, 472, 475) The genius of Dostoyevsky in â€Å"Notes from Underground† is expressed in that he felt, and strongly expressed the psychology of philosophical experience. Demonstrating how one’s character forms or deforms under heavy influence, he was able to show the crystallization of the human spirit; this concept has gained world renowned meaning. Separating Dostoyevsky from his character and considering â€Å"Notes from Underground† as a complete work of art and nothing less, Kirpotin admitted the truth expressed in the story about the author’s vision, retaining its aesthetic nature. However, through aesthetics Dostoyevsky â€Å"peered into anthology, into the philosophy of the world, into space and society†, but – stated Kirpotin – â€Å"as he understood them, of course† (Kirpotin, 175). Understanding the writer, according to Kirpotin was inadequate for the ideas of the advanced people in society; Dostoyevsky kept to his ingenious artistic discoveries despite his beliefs. Prospective studies carried out under the archetypal approach in the study of the â€Å"underground† image help find the answers to a number of important questions about this work: on the true place of the man from the â€Å"underground† in Dostoyevsky’s work, on the expressive or un-expressive characteristics in all its characters and on the means of poetic incarnation of the â€Å"underground† phenomenon, on the influence of the image of an â€Å"underground† hero on the classic works of world literature, which spawned a whole gallery of â€Å"underground† characters.

How did the nature of work change during the 20th century? Essay

The industrial revolution transformed the nature of work. It involved a breakthrough in the use of inanimate energy and power, massive investment in industries such as iron, coal, and textiles and a transport revolution. Industrialization changed the dimension of work. In pre-industrial society â€Å"those who are employed experience a distinction between their employers time and their â€Å"own† time. And the employer must use the time of his labour, and see it is not wasted, time is now currency: it is not passed but spent. Writing in the 19th century, Marx predicted that the intermediate strata would be depressed into the proletariat. However during the latter 20th century, a number of sociologist’s had suggested that the opposite was happening. They claimed that a process of embourgeoisement was occurring whereby increasing numbers of manual worker’s were entering the middle class. During the 1950’s there was a general increase in prosperity in advanced industrial societies and, in particular, amongst a growing number of manual worker’s whose earning’s fell within the white-collar range. These highly paid affluent workers’s were seen to be increasingly typical of manual worker’s. This development, coupled with study’s, which suggested that poverty was rapidly disappearing, led to the belief that the shape of stratification system was being transformed. From the triangle or pyramid shape of the 19th century (with a large and relatively impoverished working class at the bottom and a small wealthy group at the top), it was argued that the stratification system was changing to a diamond or pentagon shape with an increasing proportion of the population falling into the middle range. In this middle mass society, the mass of the population was middle rather than working class. The U.S work activity has changed radically For example. In the 1950’s, about 20% of the workforce was professional, 20% skilled and 60% unskilled. By the 1970 the comparable figures were about 20% for professional, less than 20% for unskilled and over 60% for skilled. This reflects a change both in the skills required for new and emerging jobs and the rising skill demands for existing jobs. The theory used to explain this presumed development was a version of economic determinism. It was argued that the demands of modern technology an advanced industrial economy determined the shape of the stratification system. E.g. American sociologist Clark Kerr claimed that advanced industrialism request’s an increasingly highly educated, trained and skilled workforce which in turn leads to a higher pay and status occupations. In particular skilled technicians are rapidly replacing unskilled machine minders. Jessie Bernard argued that working-class affluence is related to the needs of an industrial economy for a mass market. In order to expand, industry requires a large market for its products. Mass consumption has been made possible because large sectors of modern industry have relatively low labour costs and high productivity. Bernard claimed that there is a rapidly growing middle market, which reflects the increased purchasing power of affluent manual worker’s. Home ownership and consumer and consumer durables such as washing machine’s, refrigerators, televisions and motorcars are no longer the preserve of white-collar workers. With reference to the class system, Bernard say’s † The proletariat has not absorbed the middle class but rather the other way round, in the sense that the class structure here described reflects modern technology. It vindicates the Marxist thesis that social organisation is â€Å"determined† by technological forces. (Goldthorpe and Lockwood 1969, p.9.) Change in the nature of work has also been driven by the changes in organization structures and the design of management often referenced as the shift from â€Å"fordism† to â€Å"post-fordism†. â€Å"Fordism† is named after Henry Ford, the American car manufacturer who pioneered mass production, which involved fairly rigid, highly structured and hierarchical forms of management. Michael J. Piore is amongst those who believe that capitalist countries have entered a â€Å"post-fordism† era. He claims that much work is now organised according to the principals of flexible specialization, management now involves more team-based work settings, with more governance, greater decentralization and less hierarchical or â€Å"top-down† management. As a result of this shift in organization and management, job design has changed form being narrow, repetitive, simplified, standardized in the old system to being broad, doing many task’s and having multiple responsibilities in the new system. Employees are now required to be multi/cross skilled, whereas specialized skills were required in the old system. These shifts are not likely to slow or lesson in the immediate future and the current economy suggests that these are the more rapid growing industries and job growth in these types of industries will outpace the rate of growth in other industries where the skills demands may be less. Worker’s in companies which are changing along these lines need to be more broadly trained as their work becomes increasingly varied. Because of their long training and the importance of their skills to their companies, they enjoy more job security, and management makes greater attempts to enlist their cooperation. Some firms have adopted another Japanese technique, quality circles. In quality circles groups of workers and managers meet together periodically to discuss how the production or performance of the company can be improved. Other initiatives may include worker’s representatives sitting on company boards, and profit-sharing scheme’s, which enable worker’s to benefit from any success the company enjoys. Flexible specialization then, increases the skills needed by the workforce, and unlike industries where scientific management techniques are used; workers may cooperate with management in organizing the labour process. By, implication, job satisfaction increases and industrial conflict decreases. The theory of flexible specialization also implies a move away from the concentration of capital in giant corporations and an increase in the number of small businesses. The British economist John Atkinson has developed similar views in his theory of the flexible firm. Atkinson believes that a variety of factors have encouraged managers to make their firms more flexible. Economic recession in the 1970’s and 1980’s, and the consequent reduction in trades union power, technological changes and a reduction in the working week, has all made flexibility more desirable and easier to achieve. According to Atkinson flexibility takes two main forms. One of which is functional flexibility, this refers to the ability of managers to redeploy workers between different tasks. Functional flexibility requires the employment of multi-skilled employees who are capable of working in different areas within a firm. Such flexible workers form the core of a company’s workforce. They are employed full-time and have considerable job security. The core is usually made up of â€Å"managers, designers, technical sales staff, quality control staff, technicians and craftsmen†. The second form of flexibility is numerical flexibility, which is provided by peripheral groups. Numerical flexibility refers to the ability of firms to reduce or increase the size of their labour force. The first peripheral group have full-time jobs but enjoy less job security than core workers. These workers might be â€Å"clerical, supervisory, component assembly and testing†, and they are easier to recruit than core workers because their skills are common to employment in many different firms. The second peripheral group of workers are even more flexible. They are not full-time permanent employees. They may work part-time, on short-term contracts, under temporary contracts or under government-training schemes. Atkinson believes that flexible firms are making increasing use of external sources of labour. More work is subcontracted and the self-employed and agency temporaries are used. A change in the attitudes towards work has also changed as a result of industrialization. The historian Thompson argues that large-scale, machine powered industry necessitated the introduction of new working patterns and with them new attitudes. According to Thompson pre-industrial work was regulated by task orientation; the new necessities of the job determined when and how hard people worked. However in post-industrialization the patterns of work are based round time rather than tasks. Thompson says â€Å"time is now currency; it is not passed but spent†. Workers who were used to a considerable amount of control over their work patterns experienced the new working day in the factory, with its emphasis on punctuality, as oppressive. They resented having to work to the clock. The early factory owners had considerable problems trying to persuade people to take jobs in factories. When they had recruited workers they often regarded their reluctant employees as work-shy and lazy. They therefore sought to change their attitudes and get them to accept new working patterns. According to David Lee and Howard Newby: â€Å"workers brought up under the assumptions of â€Å"task orientation†, were subject to massive indoctrination on the folly of â€Å"wasting† time by their employers, a moral critique of idleness which stemmed from the puritan work ethic†. One of the major changes in the nature of work is that the modern concept of the â€Å"housewife† was created in the 20th century. In earlier times, although there were clearly differentiated gender roles, there was little doubt that men and women were both involved in production. No one would have described the wife in a household of European peasants, or American pioneers, as primarily a consumer. In mid-nineteenth century America, households still carried out a vast range of productive activities; growing and preparing food, sewing and mending cloths, and reusing fabric scraps in quilts, rugs, and homemade upholstery, making and repairing furniture, tools, and other household goods, even making candles and sop from household wastes. The expansion of consumer goods industries toward the end of the 19th century began to change all this, providing affordable mass-produced substitutes for many things that had formerly been made at home. This industrial change allowed, and perhaps required, the rise of a consumer society. In the new regime, the work of the housewife shifted away from material production, toward consumption of marketed goods combined with carrying for, or â€Å"nurturing†, other family members. The change was a contradictory one, at once liberating women form exhausting toil, and commercialising daily life to an ever-expanding extent. Over the past century the way in which we go about getting work done has changed dramatically and this has created and facilitated fundamentally different social arrangements in the workplace. Indeed the application of new technologies has created new workplaces and challenged our thinking about where certain kinds of work can and should be done. Technological advances have resulted in the sharp divisions between professionals, skilled workers and unskilled workers being altered dramatically in the latter stages of this century. Whereas a century ago there were far more unskilled workers than skilled ones, in today’s world this has completely reversed and there are know far more skilled workers than unskilled. Bibliography (1) The sociology of work; Keith Grint (2) The personal consequences of work in the new capitalism: Richard Sennett (3) The future of work: Charles Handy (4) Briton in Europe: Tony Spybey (5) Www.islandpress.org/ecocompass/changingnatow/changing

Abortion in Ancient Times

Procedure of abortion is known since ancient times. The word abortion is came the Latin abortus where â€Å"ab† means â€Å"amiss† and â€Å"oriri† means â€Å"likely to be born, arise†. Along with infanticide it has existed in many societies, both primitive and advanced. The earliest records of an abortive technique go back about 4,600 years to an ancient Chinese work, purportedly the work of Emperor Shen Nung which prescribes the use of mercury to induce an abortion. In ancient ages pessaries or vaginal suppositories were used as an abortifacients.They are generally more effective than oral drugs and included substances such as juice of the wild fig, a â€Å"dairy liquid† ,which caused irritation, soapwort, myrrh, myrtle, lupine, cedar-oil mixed with water, wine, or hot oil. Ancient doctors also suggested smearing on the uterine opening goose fat, mashed leek and celery, rose oils, pine resin, copper scum, boiled honey, sodium carbonate, and even mouse dung. The Egyptian Kahun Papyrus, which dates to 1850 B. C. , recommend crocodile feces either for preventing conception or as an abortifacient.The Ebers Papyrus, which dates to 1550 B. C. , contains several recipes that â€Å"cause a woman to stop pregnancy in the first, second, or third period. † One recipe for a vaginal suppository includes mixed the unripe fruit of Acacia, colocynth, dates, and 6/7 pints of honey and pouring the mixture onto a moistened plant fiber. Modern Arabic women still take colocynth as an abortifacient, though one woman who took 120 grains in a powder died 50 hours later. In Arabic medicine, elephant feces were frequently recommended.Aristotle suggests that the conceptus had a â€Å"soul† after 40 days from conception if a male and 90 if female. In addition there are similar differentiations in the Bible. Later, Aristotle says that the fetus develops gradually and that it is impossible to make a fine judgment. Famous doctors such as Pl iny the Elder, Dioscorides, and Pseudo-Galen mention more â€Å"superstitious† abortifacients, like passage over the root of a cyclamen, the egg of a crow, a snake, or a stone which was bitten by a dog. Ancient physicians also used pessaries, or vaginal suppositories, as abortifacients.They were usually more potent than oral drugs and included substances like the juice of the wild fig, a â€Å"milky liquid† which caused irritation, soapwort, myrrh, myrtle, lupine, cedar-oil mixed with water, wine, or hot oil. Physicians also recommend smearing on the uterine opening goose fat, mashed leek and celery, rose oils, pine resin, copper scum, boiled honey, sodium carbonate, and even mouse dung. In the Middle Ages, abortion was tolerated because there were no laws against it. There were a variety of abortifacients, such as mixture called â€Å"cup of roots† and another known as a â€Å"A Cure for All Kinds of Stomach Aches. However after long time, therapeutic abortion is one of the most controversial subjects in modern society, is evident capable of generating intense passions, that lead to a great number of other social issues. In recent decades, on a global scalethere is increasing pressure for changes in abortion which could lead to a various consequences. A great number of people have the view that abortion is a matter merely between a woman and her attending physician. There is another opinion that ultimately abortion should be granted on request.According to the statistics of UN’s Department of Economic and social Affairs of 2007 year, about 97% of countries around the world allow abortion in the event of an emergency, when women’s life is in explicit threat. There are only 5 countries where abortion is prohibited. These countries are Chile, El Salvador, the Holy See, Malta and Nicaragua. The most strict abortion laws are adopted in developing countries. For example, there are 19% of developing countries that authorize aborti on on account of social and economic issues, 15% that allow it on request.In contrast, there are 78% of developed countries that let abortion for economic and social issues, 67% of them permit it on request. In the vast majority of countries, to have an abortion woman has to pass additional procedural requirements. It could be agreement of parents, the husband or third-party authorization, consultations, waiting period, categories of health providers permitted to perform abortions. However, it is essential to notice that this statistic is not absolutely clear, because not all countries give full information about abortion rate.

Where the US Economy Will be a Year from Now

The US economy was growing steadily for the past years. Currently, however, the US is facing challenges pertaining to the economy. Some troubles began to manifest as early as 2006 when a sharp decline in the housing starts was first observed. The subprime mortgage crisis occurred. Stock market crashed and investors fleed. The economic slump continued and the dreaded recession occurred. US officially announced it was in recession in December 2008. Deflationary House Prices in the US Once the economic crisis sets in, households at the lower income bracket felt the pinch the most. People with no savings have no fall back option. They are paying money for home mortgages but money becomes scarce. Consequently since they are unable to pay the mortgage and their houses get foreclosed. Another effect of the deflationary house prices in the US is that foreclosed homes now created a growing list of unsold houses either old or new inventories. This situation is more pronounced in certain markets such as urban Florida, California, Nevada, Atlanta and others. The lack of buyers for these houses cause the prices to stabilize or in most cases, they go down. Once residential markets experience this problem, potential homebuyers will not commit to buying a house. This is because they want to hold on to their money until the home prices go down to its lowest level. Thereby giving their money a lot of leverage. What can be bought in hundreds of thousands dollars before could be bought in a much lower amount now. With the homebuyers holding on to their money for as long as possible and the house inventory growing by the minute due to foreclosures, a dilemma ensues. This is the biggest reason why homebuilding industry is the one most affected by the economic crisis America is facing today. 2010 Economic Outlook Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced some good news on May 5, 2009 that the three year economic slump the US has been experiencing is showing tell-tale signs of recovery. He projected that the recession could end late 2009, if US will not experience relapse on credit problems. Bernanke spoke before Congress saying economic indicators are hinting to a possible recovery towards the end of the year. But the climb out of the proverbial tunnel will be nothing but easy. Bernanke projected that unemployment cases will go even higher even after the recession is over. Unemployment is actually believe to reach its peak in 2010. Also, growth will be slow. The said forecast is based on the effects of the continuous repair of the economic system. The government has taken some steps to stall the effects of the crisis like injecting economic stimulus and lowering interest rates and the results are now showing. If a relapse occur in the financial situation could drag the economic recovery efforts down. U. S. stock markets have shown a lot of promise recently. The Standard & Poor's 500 index grows to 35 percent since March which indicates that consumer spending has steadied and the decline in the housing starts have slowly stopped. Bernanke’s forecast that US will peg an economic growth at 2 percent in 2010 and 4 percent in 2011. Excess economic slack or the increase in amount of idle plant and equipment would keep inflation low. Also, the US Central Bank will maintain minimal interest rates for an extended period. Economists believe that the United States will recover from the recession faster than Europe, due to the Federal Reserve's quick action on the situation. The International Monetary Fund announced in April 2009 that Europe's recession might continue in 2010. Deflation and Inflation The deep economic recession felt all over the United States has led to an all-time low in consumer confidence. It has also affected negatively the banking system. These factors have increased the risk of deflation. To counter the deflation risks, policy makers and the Federal Reserve have to adopt measures that are not commonly practiced in order to ward off deflation by increasing the amount of money being circulated. Policy makers had to expand fiscal spending. And the nominal interest rates are currently pegged at almost 0% since December 2008 to ease up credit and its availability. This has saved the country from being on the brink of deflation. But the same solution could create problems later as the huge increase in base-money has caused a number of people to believe that Fed’s actions could lead to inflation later. Inflation is not a problem as of the moment because households have decreased spending to a minimum and the money are hidden in bank vaults. Excess economic slack or the increase in amount of idle plant and equipment would also keep inflation at bay. The unused factories and growing unemployment do not permit businesses to increase prices of products and wages of employees. Once economic recovery begins and economic slack levels off, increase in money supply would eventually give way to increase in prices of commodities and wages. To prevent this from happening, the Fed must withdraw the money it has infused to the financial system while in a recession. If the Feds cannot implement this quickly, rampant inflation would ensue. Hyperinflation Hyperinflation occurs when the prices will go up as the currency falls. This is the next challenge that US might face. This dilemma however could contribute to some advantages to the businessmen. Selling US dollar and Japanese yen – the two currencies that will devalue after recession – would be highly profitable. Before hyperinflation could go full blast selling dollars and yen would bring a lot of money to traders. Once dollar value goes down. The value of the dollar sold would probably be twice its value during hyperinflation. Effect of the Dollar's Valuation Dollar and Euro currencies are recently on a see-saw battle for supremacy. US dollar declined against the Euro in the past years until recently. The current global economic slump has caused the Euro to devaluate against the US dollar. Should the tide turn in favor of the Euro again, a decline in the US dollar could actually bring some advantages: – lower dollar could mean more opportunities for export since the goods being sold from the US are relatively cheaper now compared to the Euros. – the discounted US dollar will lead to a foreign investment boom that would eventually slow down investments being poured in the European countries. – Decrease external trade deficit Disadvantages of a declining dollar rate vs Euro – going or visiting to Europe would mean paying higher amount for goods and services – American importers would pay more for imported goods – Rising inflation – American credit becomes less attractive to foreign investors – Interest rates will go up to be able to finance budget deficit Countries to Invest In The Euro is not the only currency that is rising against the US dollar: the Australian Dollar, and the Canadian Dollar both hold some promise. The Euro is a good alternative currency to the US dollars for investors. Also, there is a possibility that difference in interest rates in the US and Europe may increase and since returns usually increases along with interest rates, the Euro will then be more profitable to investors. If the devaluation of dollar occurs, countries that hold large amounts of US dollars may shift to using the Euro currrency in their reserves. Some countries have already shifted to Euro reserves such as Russia, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Iran even wants to use Euro in quoting its Oil Exchange. If this scenario develops what might become of the US economy? One likely scenario is that foreign investors who bought a huge chunk of shares of stocks might sell their shares particularly the S&P 500 stocks. The results could not be certain though because the effects of financial instruments could not be easily determined. Currency levels depend to a large extent on the demand for the country’s currency which is the result of economic activities and interest rate differential. Most likely, US will experience inflation making imports more expensive. On the bright side, this would also decrease external trade deficits which is good for US economy. Foreign investors however will be hesitant to borrow from American banks or financial companies. The Federal Reserve might need to increase interest rates to be able to fund budget deficits which would affect the economy adversely. For those who want to invest in the market for currencies or the foreign exchange market or currency trading there are a number of options available. These include: forex futures, currency ETFs, export-benefiting equities as well as precious metals related instruments (such as mining stocks). It is good to invest in precious metals. Investing in the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) would also be advisable. BRIC or BRICs is an acronym for the current notably fast growing developing economies – Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Goldman Sachs in 2001 declared that the combined economic development in these places could overshadow the economies of the richest countries in the world. There has been ongoing speculations as evidenced by proofs that the BRICs countries are planning to form an alliance to create greater power. Investing in these places therefore would provide a better alternative to US investments since these countries development are greater compared to other countries. Invest wisely by focusing on Indian and Chinese companies that do not rely on American market to be able to buffer fluctuations in the US economy. According to economist Stanley Roach, China will recover faster than the rest of the world. This is because the structure of China’s economy is very open. Export and import shares in this country accounts for a very high percentage of the world’s total. The recession certainly affected its export markets negatively. Also, the Chinese government reacted aggressively to the situation and instituted some reforms immediately. According to Roach, China's economy will recover more swiftly if the country becomes more assertive in its implementing plans to encourage local private consumption at the same time they should find ways to decrease its heavy reliance on exports. Another country that holds a lot of promise would be Canada. Before the recession, Canada’s economy reached parity with the US dollar on September 20, 2007. Western Canada particularly is gaining a lot of strides in the economic department. But Eastern Canada hardly lagged behind. Employment rates was at its 30-year-low. Ontario is backed up by its knowledge-based businesses and Toronto’s investment sector was doing well. Western Canada’s economic boom was brought about by the world commodity markets particularly China. The â€Å"mega-boom† conditions in Alberta and Saskatchewan were due greatly to its oil reserves in the Oil Sands of Alberta. The reported oil find in Alberta’s sands deposits is believed to be able to cater to the world’s demand for a century or so. The excitement for the ‘black gold’ discovery brought about by the pouring in of billions of dollars in infrastructure has spurred Alberta and Saskatchewan industries. The provinces’ economic success has trickled down on its neighbors British Columbia and Manitoba as these two cities have experienced â€Å"mini-booms† of their own. This is one particular reason why Canada particularly Alberta and Saskatchewan would always be attractive to investors. Oil commodity is very valuable and would not be greatly affected by recession. The currency movements in the U. S. and Canada have opposite implications when it comes to the effects of general price inflation in both countries. In the U. S. , import prices are climbing because the dollar value is falling. In Canada, it is the opposite. Furthermore, in Canada, the impact of any future rise in commodity prices (which are usually specified in U. S. dollars) will be blunted. With a stronger dollar, however, Canadians need to lower down the prices of goods and services in order to compete with other countries selling same export commodities. Also, Canada needs to address an important inconsistency with the Chinese Yuan. The Yuan, since it floated in mid-2005 has been appreciating versus the U. S. dollar. But it has spiralled down versus the Canadian dollar. The irony therefore is that Chinese goods are getting cheaper in Canada and costlier in the US. Foreign Exchange Market or Currency Market Foreign exchange market or the currency market is all about trading currencies. Even in these difficult times in the economy, there is always one currency or two that is growing. The stock market is in a slump right now. It is the currency market that has remained liquid which means it is possible to make money even under tough times. The US dollar, as a matter of fact, had gone up as the S&P 500 went down. Investors in the currency market have earned a lot of money in the past months. Currency market is one safe investment that most investors. Why does US dollar rise even if US is in recession? This is because during economic recession, investors put thier money where they consider is safer. The stock market is simply too volatile and uncertain at this point. So investors turn to look for the more stable options such as the moderate currency market by investing in US Treasuries. US treasury securities are debt financing instruments issued by the US Department of the Treasury. These include four types: treasury bills, treasury notes, treasury bonds and treasury inflation protected securities (TIPS). All of these are very liquid and can be traded in a secondary market or the aftermarket. This is the reason why when the stock market crashed and panic sets in, investors sought the more liquid and safer US treasuries. The surge in demand for US Treasuries buoyed the value of the dollar. Forex markets or FX markets is also another good way to invest money. FX is where one can trade currencies. FX serves to ease trade and investment among international currencies such as US Dollar, UK Pounds, Japanese Yen and other currencies. In this money market, currencies are traded against each other. Forex is the biggest financial market today with more than $3 trillion daily turnover. Speculators market one currency for another in order to gain a profit. Financial traders are drawn to this market because it is available 24 hours daily, five days a week. Forex market can be found in four cities: New York, London, Sydney and Tokyo. Investment in foreign exchange can be done in several ways: 1). buying curency shares ETFs. The method is similar to buying stock. 2). Open a bank accont with local bank that accepts foreign currencies. 3). Buy foreign currency from online brokers and 4). Use online forex trading platform such as eToro, iForex and others. In tough times, it is always good to diversify the investment portfolio. The adage â€Å"don’t put all your eggs in one basket† proves to be true now more than ever. Since the stock market suffers great losses now, it would be good to offset it with investments that would surely create gains which the US Treasury provides. Since the currency market represented by the US Treasury securities are not associated with the stock market, investing in the currency market would serve as hedge investments and a good way to diversify investment portfolio.

Best Dining Experience Essay Example for Free

Best Dining Experience Essay My favorite food is Mexican. Being from Arizona, Mexican restaurants are not as good here in Iowa. Although my favorite Mexican food to eat here is from my grandmother’s kitchen; there are a few restaurants my friends and I enjoy eating at. A few of my girlfriends and I have made Margarita Wednesdays a tradition in the summer time at La Casa. My brother, sister and I go to Los Cabos at least once a month in West Des Moines, which is an amazing delicious Mexican restaurant. I also like Monterrey in Altoona because it’s so close to my house, but no restaurant can compare to Tiki Tok in Mexico. My best friend and I were feeling spontaneous so we took a week off work and went on a cruise. We both found it difficult to eat on the ship because we were continually getting sea sick. I’ll never forget the fishy, chewy, and crunchy taste of the little shrimp and cocktail sauce going down my throat, or the unpleasant feeling I had when it was coming up. The only bad memory of my trip was praying that my legs would stop shaking and that my journey would hopefully reach an end so I could stand on solid ground. Other than being sea sick for the first day; I had a blast on the cruise! I got the opportunity to see many things and visit quite a few places. One of the ports of call was Cozumel, Mexico, and my friend Alexandra and I decided we wanted to try some real Mexican food. Of course, we were a little concerned about getting sick, but I’m glad to say that didn’t happen. We asked on the ship where the best place for Mexican food was, but they said that anywhere along the main shopping strip would be good. We then found a place called the Tiki Tok. The place was on the second level of a building. We sat out on the little balcony that they had. They had covered it with sand. The view from the restaurant was amazing. I was hypnotized by the vibrant colors and the employees’ of the restaurants equally vibrant lifestyles. I remember feeling jealous of the workers because they would get to go back to Tiki Tok tomorrow and the day after that, but I wouldn’t. The walls were an explosion of colorful textiles and every color of paint one could think of that was as bold as can be. Vases were on every table with burnt orange and deep yellow dried peppers inside. The chairs at the dining tables were made of a Mexican Serape material. The colors, the fringe, and the feel of it gave the restaurant even a stronger Mexican energy. My favorite part of the restaurants decor was the little cactus lights that strung amongst all the walls connecting each bulb to the wrought iron chandelier in the middle of the room. When one first enters the restaurant the Mariachi band is one of the most noticeable features. Three men were dressed in black with button up shirts and decorative sombreros all standing in the corner of the room. Two men had violins and the third was handling a guitar. As we took our seats the band started playing lively music and a few older couples got up and danced fearlessly. Everything in the restaurant was bold excluding my bashful personality; otherwise I would have danced too. I was in a trance watching the people dance with one another until the Mariachi band shouted in sync, â€Å"AY! † causing me to be brought back to the present. It was then that I had realized how hungry I was. The menu prices were in pesos, so it looked like everything was really expensive, but it wasn’t. We ordered the hot and spicy red enchiladas which were about 60 pesos, and they also brought us chips and salsa. The chips were a little bit thicker than you would get here in the US, and there were three different types of salsas. There was a regular pico de gallo, then there was one made with tomatillos, and the last was a pineapple cilantro salsa that was actually really tasteful. Lexi and I have never had pineapple cilantro salsa before, so we weren’t sure whether it was going to be appetizing or not. After stuffing myself with chips our food finally arrived. It was just about the yummiest thing I’ve ever had. The red sauce for the enchiladas was a little bit different than what I’ve had here, but I can’t tell you how. It was more delicious over there though. There was chicken inside the enchiladas and a touch of sour cream on top. We took the extra salsa we hadn’t demolished with the chips and smothered our enchiladas with it. I ate every last bite of it and was so full afterwards! The amazing food I had in Mexico was the best Mexican food I have ever had. I remember the smell of the ocean and sweet salsa at the same time. The bright colored sombreros and the ocean front view was an amazing sight to see while enjoying the food as well. Anytime I think about Mexico I think about the short beach chairs, sand between my toes, all the smells of the restaurant, laughing with my best friend and delicious enchiladas. This will be a memory that would be difficult to forget because we took so many pictures of the restaurant and it was the best eating experience I’ve had yet. I’m really glad that my friend and I were able to have this dining experience together. Alexandra and I enjoyed it very much! Best Dining Experience. (2017, Mar 30).