Bettys Summer Vacation Details and Summary

Bettys Summer Vacation Details and Summary Christopher Durangs plays are well-known for addressing taboo content in a biting and humorous manner.  Betty’s Summer Vacation, with its  talk of incest, murder, mutilation, rape, â€Å"three ways,† exposing/flashing, and more, is no exception. Durang notes that his sometimes irreverent manner in dealing with these sensitive topics is meant to reveal to an audience just how far news and entertainment have gone in desensitizing people towards topics that should produce feelings of horror and revulsion, but which are now are glossed over alongside stories of the latest Hollywood scandals. He likens modern audiences to those in Ancient Rome who found entertainment in gladiator battles and sending Christians to fight lions. He writes: â€Å"But I’ve not written a documentary, I’ve written a play; and it’s a farcical play as well, in which we are not meant to EMPATHIZE with the characters the way one is meant to empathize with Blanche DuBois or Willy Loman; it’s more like following the stories of Candide and Cunnegonde in Candide, or the characters in a Joe Orton farce, or even the characters in a 1930s screwball comedy (though admittedly a dark one).† It may be jarring to read or experience a Durang play if you are unprepared for his style. But, Durang aims for â€Å"healing laughter† that comes from serious events that are now distant enough from an audience that when described in a particular manner can be found humorous. Plot Synopsis Betty is on summer vacation in a shared rental property with her friend Trudy, Trudy’s mother Mrs. Siezmagraff, Keith, and Buck. Trudy is a talkative young woman who grates on Betty’s nerves. Buck is an over-sexed lout and Keith just might be a serial killer with a head in a hatbox. Mrs. Siezmagraff is a codependent, Auntie Mame-ish wild woman.  She invites a homeless man, Mr. Vanislaw, to come over for the night as her date. Mr.Vanislaw is wearing a trench coat and sneakers and he flashes everyone in the house and alludes to his penis every chance he gets. Trudy and Betty beg Mrs. Siezmagraff to keep Mr. Vanislaw under control, but she refuses to acknowledge his lewd behavior just as she refused to acknowledge that her late husband molested Trudy. After a night of charades, Mrs. Siezmagraff and Mr. Vanislaw go out drinking. Mrs. Siezmagraff passes out on the floor and Mr. Vanislaw, mad that his date is no longer able to perform, goes in search of Trudy and rapes her. Afterwards Trudy is furious with her mother for allowing the man into their house and demands that she do something, but Mrs. Siezmagraff turns a blind eye and says, â€Å"Every time I get a husband or a boyfriend, Trudy’s always after them.† Trudy is enraged and grabs a kitchen knife and cuts off Mr. Vanislaw’s penis. Keith then cuts off his head. During these events there is canned laughter, similar to that of a laugh track, coming from the ceiling. At first it is sporadic and confusing to the characters, but eventually they become accustomed to the laughter and question why some line or action might get a laugh while others do not. Then the Voices in the ceiling start talking back to the characters and making requests. Those requests soon turn into demands. When Mrs. Siezmagraff calls 911 and the dispatcher tells her to bring Keith and Trudy to the police station, and Betty goes for a walk, and Buck leaves to find the towns’ easy widow, and there is no one left for the Voices to watch, they get frustrated and angry and crash through the ceiling and into the setting of the play. They are a three-headed monster of sorts. They have three different personalities, but share a connected body bound with wires and tubing. The Voices demand that Betty and the rest of the residents at the summer share put on a courtroom drama to entertain them. After an Oscar worthy performance by Mrs. Siezmagraff in which she plays defense attorney, abusive mother, and long lost Irish maid, The Voices pronounce Keith and Trudy innocent of all charges. However, The Voices won’t stop there. They want violence and more violence. They want Keith to cut off more heads and Trudy to cut off more penises. When Buck comes home, this is just what Keith and Trudy do, all the while bonding nicely over the gruesome experience. The Voices want more. They want Keith to blow up the house. Betty begs to escape and manages to run as Keith turns on the gas stove and pulls out a match. Production Details Setting: A nice seaside summer community - maybe somewhere on the New Jersey shore. Not a trendy, chic location. Time: Summer Cast Size: This play can accommodate 9 actors. Male Characters: 5 Female Characters: 4 Characters that could be played by either males or females: 0 Roles Betty is a reasonable young woman. She is the most normal of the group of characters assembled at the summer share. She feels pressured by her job and her mother and is looking for a relaxing vacation at the beach. Trudy uses words as medication. She speaks long and incessantly about anything and everything. She is not used to being listened to and is surprised when Betty or The Voices acknowledge her. She is desperate for attention. Keith is a quiet young man who is looking to be left alone. He had a troubled childhood similar to Trudy’s and learned to cope by cutting off people’s heads. Buck is a â€Å"lout-hunk.† He is sexist in a naà ¯ve way. He believes that all women want to be with him just as he wants to be with them. He prefers to get off about 20 times a day and feels in pain if he falls short of this number. Mrs. Siezmagraff is a grand old woman. She lives life in a large way with self-inflicted blinders. She refuses to see herself or her daughter as a victim, instead choosing to view Trudy as competition for the love/lust of despicable men. Mr. Vanislaw is a derelict who gets his jollies by exposing himself to women as often as possible. He is uncomplicated and unapologetic in his wants and desires. The Group of Voices are comprised of two men and one woman. They are a cross section of demographics that TV stations poll to see what America finds entertaining. Production/Character Notes In the script provided by Dramatists Play Service, Inc, Christopher Durang has notes for potential directors, actors, and producers. He writes about tone, character choices, the use of blood and much more. Any theatre or company looking to produce Betty’s Summer Vacation would find it useful to read and study these notes. Content Issues: Language, murder, violence, rape, incest, sex

USA became the most powerful economy in the world

During the 1920s, USA became the most powerful economy in the world, there are many reasons for this which will be explained in the main part of my essay. After the First World War Woodrow Wilson wanted to play a part in shaping the peace. He came up with 14 points, one of them was the idea of a League of Nations, and he wanted USA to play a leading role in world politics. Unfortunately his political position was already weak, the American senate was worried that this would permanently involve USA in European affairs and rejected the treaties, meaning that they never joined the League of Nations. This helped the American Economy as they did not have to spend money on armed forces there was no threat to them because of the natural barriers of the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. They also had Mexico to the South and Canada to the North, both friendly countries, which left money for new industries, effectively putting America first.This leads on to the American governments views on how the extra money put toward new businesses was used. The attitudes of the American government towards business and industry The attitudes of the American government was to give the business leaders a free hand to make maximum profits, the regulations over businesses were minimised, the government was said to have been restored to its position as Umpire instead of player by Herbert Hoover in a speech during the presidential Election in 1928. This encouraged people to work hard as they kept most of what their profits, although due to the lack of regulations, a lot of people were exploited.Some people who were exploited more than the average American were immigrants. Between 1820 and 1920, over 35 million immigrants reached USA, most were from Britain and Northern Europe and were Protestant, but after 1880 more came from Eastern Europe, Japan and China, in the 1920s the ideal citizen wa...

Use of Aspirin Among Diabetics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Use of Aspirin Among Diabetics - Research Paper Example Not entirely. The subject was aspirin use among diabetics, a group known to benefit from such therapy. However, although much of the literature search included diabetes based studies, other pieces were of a more general nature, although still concerned with aspirin use, we're not concerned with this specific group. There is a section labeled ‘method’ but no such method is actually described. The researchers were presumably testing the correctness of the guidelines referred to from the Preventive Services Task Force, but this aim is not stated clearly. Only two studies were considered, although there are in fact plenty to choose from. Was the study well or poorly designed? As methods and aims were poorly defined if at all, it is impossible to tell if this study was well designed to meet its purpose. They quote evidence for instance of aspirin reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, but the evidence used is not specific to diabetics. The study setting was relevant? Only in the sense that the two papers under consideration were both concerned with diabetes and aspirin use. These studies were felt to be both inadequate and inconclusive so did not really add much of value to knowledge on this subject. If the participants were appropriately defined, selected representatively, followed? up without significant loss etc..? There were no participants to be considered, merely two earlier reports.

Legislative Proposal Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Legislative Proposal Topic - Essay Example In addition, containers with a capacity less than 750 milliliters would not contain 4 liters of the beverage. Secondly, the current law prohibits transportation of alcoholic beverages that comes from industries outside Commonwealth according to part B. Such transportation limitation remains limited to less than four liters of beverage of one gallon especially when transit occurs in metric-sized containers (LIS 1 ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­). Based on part A2, alcoholic beverages other than wine and beer, four gallons, provided that not more than one gallon of that shall be in containers holding less than one-fifth of a gallon. If any part of alcoholic beverage in transit remains held in metric sized containers, the four gallons limitation shall be taken as 12 liters, with not more than 6 liters of that should thereof be containers having a capacity less than 750 milliliters. The proposal as mentioned in part B below, aims at increasing transit quantities. As aforementioned, the proposal for the part B of the law seeks to increase the amount of other alcohol such as spirits in transit within the state. For the beverage produced in common wealth, the amount transported at a time should increase limits from three liters to four liters. For alcohol produced outside the Commonwealth, quantity limit should increase to two galloons from current one gallon. The amendment will not change morality of taking alcohol or endanger society culture. Larger quantity purchase guarantees better discounts on the prices of alcohol gives clients. Citizens of Virginia will be able to buy and transport larger alcohol quantities hence will save large amount of money. In addition, liquor stores will make more return to raise livelihood of personnel working in the premises while at the same time remitting higher tax return to the government. The current law seems to be unfair in regulation spirits manufacturing companies’ products. The amendment will also improve social life of those organizing legal

Back To School Night Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Back To School Night - Essay Example followed by a question-answer session. This will give the parents a good understanding of the academic year ahead of the child and the role they have to play to make it a success. â€Å"Unfortunately both the quality and quantity of parental contacts with the school decline as children get older†, say Puma & others (Puma et al., Strong families, strong schools, US DOE, 1994) and point to the sharply contrasting statistics for the first graders and the seventh graders. They go on to add that involved parents help students to perform better academically, stay longer in school, and have better social skills. Teachman et al., also reinforce this view pointing out that, â€Å"†¦parent-child and parent-school interaction†¦Ã¢â‚¬  is related to dropping out of high school. (Teachman et al., Social Capital and the Generation of Human Capital, Social Forces, 1997) A child who routinely expects its parents to visit the school at least during the Back to School Nights, gets used to parents Back to school night is held within the first few days of the school re-opening and is followed by more such meets – each after the successive term examinations are held and the results announced. The second, third and the fourth meetings are indeed open house meetings to take stock of the progress of the child in the school along with discussing and implementing ways to improve performance. Back to school night is an event of the evening and night. This is a time of joy and relaxation coupled with establishing or renewing relationships between the parents and the teachers. The subsequent meetings are for more serious efforts involving in-depth discussions for which sufficient time is to be earmarked to cover all aspects of a child’s progress and for all children. Thus, they are best held commencing from the morning and continued till all the

Criminals are a product of their environment

Criminals are a product of their environment This essay will concern criminals in regards to their ecology. Ecological criminology is the observing of criminality, crime and victimization in relation to the area of individuals and organizations and how it forms and affects them. In broad terms crime is seen to evolve in pathological conditions of certain communities and areas. This association between crime and certain parts of a city namely areas with pathological conditions has a long past. Theorists such as Fregier (1840), Mayhew(1862) and The Chicago School of Sociology have contributed substantially to the debate of crime and the environment. Through Clifford Shaw and Henry McKays (1942) book  [1]  and other sociologist work such as Park and Burgess(1925)  [2]  comes the zonal hypothesis. It was found that cities develop concentric zones of life and activity. This is called this the concentric zone model. The model consist of five zones in the following order , the center is the Central business district, the transition zone of mixed residential and commercial uses, low-class residential homes (inner suburbs), better quality middle-class homes (Outer Suburbs) and the commuters zone. Baldwin and Bottoms also point out that offences are gathered nearby the city center According to Chicago School each district in concentric zones yields on something of the traits and abilities of the occupants. Through this knowledge it became known evident that there was a large amount of pathological behavior such as juvenile delinquency and alcoholism in the zone of transition. It also seems that the zone of transition adapted its own social organization such as cheaper rents, an unsettled population, and a few settled institutions and also tended to house recent peers of immigrants which seemed to yield the same forms of behavior including crime. Before one looks at the explanations of why the zone of transition is a problematic zone there are some methodological problems one must look at. There may be a distinction between the offence and the offender rate e.g. one person may be the cause of majority of specific crimes in a certain area. The rationality of authorized figures in relation to area based data may be brought into question. In the explanation given to define the zone of transition by the Chicago school it was alleged that the zone accommodated people unfamiliar to each other, urban life and to America also their surroundings seemed fluid which is also termed social disorganization. Social disorganization was based on three flexible elements such as poverty (unlike Sutherland which will be discussed further on), as the poor societies do not possess satisfactory funds to handle the difficulties occurring. The increase of residential mobility and racial diversity causes deterioration of community control through the deficiency of mutual beliefs which is viewed as permitting illicit conduct to advance and be transferred from one generation to the next. Similar to the social disorganization thesis Schuerman and Kobrin (1986) alleged a three phase procedure which denotes the evolving of high offender rate areas. These where shifts in land which meant increase in renting, changes in population which signified a decrease in people and increase in quantity of dissimilar beings as well as Changes in socio-economic statues which means additional inexperienced beings and advanced quantity of jobless people. In contrast to the idea that area of residence takes on character and quality of inhabitance, it is also noted that the inhabitants of an area take on characteristics and value of the area. This means the societal life of a zone can stimulus illicit inspiration. The societal life of a zone may have long term impact on the individuals personality, social activities, though processes a daily routines. As opposed to ideas such as certain areas influence individuals and vice versa, the theory of differential association according to Shaw and McKay, may illustrate how delinquent activities are ethnically transferred from one person to another. Edwin Sutherland (1924 and 1939) it was claimed that illicit conduct is cultured in contact through other individuals predominantly in intimate personal settings. This kind of knowledge not merely instructs the person about the detailed practices of performing delinquency, but similarly guides their drives, motives, attitudes and definitions of the law (Jones 2006). Wherever an individual is exposed to excess definitions favorable to violation of the law over definitions unfavorable to violation of the law they are more probable to turn out to be a criminal. The probability is ascertained by discrepancies in regularity, concentration, significance and period of the relationship. An exemplification of this is as Orcutt (1987) states that students were more likely to smoke marijuana if one of their four closest friends did. Alike Social disorganization Wolfgang and Ferracuti (1967) state that subcultures of violence can often be found in poor zones, they also state that individuals from such backgrounds learn positive approaches towards vehemence though a process of differential learning, association or identification. Wolfgang and Ferracuti also claim that such a procedure might aid to dispel any outlooks of culpability that might perhaps arise as of inside such individuals. The fortes of Sutherlands theory lay in its capability to demonstrate delinquencies are not related to poverty. For instance Sutherland applied the concept to white-collar and professional crime, asserting that people turn into white collar criminals since they became engaged into a business culture that deemed unlawful practices as lawful Sutherland reasoned that numerous clusters of people in civilization varied in their views as to what caused suitable conduct and out of this multiplicity of opinions, culture conflict turns into the most definite proof of the social disorganization within society, and an underlying cause of differential association. For the purpose of criticism and analysis in regards to the ideas given by the Chicago school of sociology, the image of urban life assumed by the Chicago school is no longer the same. This is because it assumes an even, unchanging landscape. An Additional reproach of the Chicago school is that British capitals post Second World War did not look like the Chicago concentric ring pattern due to people fleeing away from the citys in fear. The theory is also insubstantial on individuals as it doesnt institute enough for decisions made by individuals such as highly emotive crimes such as crimes of passion e.g. serial killer which doesnt associate with no one to learn his modus operandi also known as method of operating. Theorist such as Tittle et al. (1986) claim that it is not the mocking of specific methods or the learning of illicit outlooks that is significant, but the learning of enthusiasms to participate in delinquency that create distinct relations. McCarthy (1996) revealed compelling proof of tutelage in techniques of delinquency between homeless youths Haynie (2002) establish that the quantity of criminal contacts in a persons network not individual had a strong optimistic outcome on that characters following criminality, but was also a stronger effect than the contacts total levels of criminality. Meaning and individual which has more criminal minded friends then an individual which only has one extreme criminal friend is more likely to be influenced. In light of everything mentioned what can be understood is that different theorist have different views and ideas on factors and elements which condition a person to act in a criminal way. Therefore some theorist claim people are the product of certain areas whereas others believe that the areas are the product of the people living in it, which effectively means there is a two way presses going on. On the other hand some theorist believe that poverty is the underlining cause of delinquency where as some theorist believe that poverty plays no role and that it is merely the individuals motivation which is fuelled by engaging with delinquent people in an close intimate setting.

I Am Not a Lesbian (for now) :: Personal Narrative Writing

My mother is not a lesbian. Her fraternal twin, Marty, was a lesbian. Marty died of lung cancer when I was seven; she and my mother were thirty-four. My mother’s twin is a martyr in my family, the perfect child, the perfect person. She loved people; she was smart, athletic, active in the fight for women's rights. She taught me how to jump rope on Sanibel Island in Florida. It was windy, but that's all I remember. We went to Philadelphia for the memorial service. Suede, one of Marty's former lovers, played "From a Distance" on her synthesizer. Marty's body was cremated, but we never saw the ashes scattered because a huge snowstorm covered Pennsylvania the day after the service. We ate dinner in Marty's old house, which she shared with Bonnie, her lover at the time. My mother says my father cooked chicken, and Suede played the piano and guitar for us. She played "House at Pooh Corner" and "Peanut Butter and Jelly" for me and my little sister. The August after Marty died, I taught myself how to play "Happy Birthday" on the piano, for my mother. Mom's birthday always created of a huge amount of stress for every member of my family. My father, my younger sister, Cricket, and I, we labored. To make it perfect. On our birthdays, my mother pined and agonized to ensure that every detail went correctly, so the birthday person would be happy. The reservations at the restaurant, the number of party favors, the order of giving presents and playing games, all must be in line. And when something did not go as planned, she would be devastated; we would spend the whole day assuring her that the birthday had gone well, that it had not been ruined by a burnt cake. So when August eleventh rolled around, it was imperative that not a single thing upset her, that we not ruin her birthday. Cricket led Mom by the hand into the living room as I began to play. I only got to the part where it goes high with "happy birthday dear Jody" before I messed up. Pressed the wrong key; the interval was off. I burst into tears. Sobbing on the piano bench, bent over the tainted keys, I realized my mother had also begun to cry, with Cricket in her lap. The only other time I'd ever seen my mother shed a single tear was months before, at Marty's memorial service.

Competition Energy Drinks Essay

The beverage industry, like most food service industries in these economic times, faces many challenges. Not one company is excluded from the challenges of economic conditions, demographics, social and global forces, and regulatory, political, and legal factors. The global economic conditions affect the energy drink industry in many ways. This industry depends highly on the disposable income of its customers. People are very cautious with their money these days and if additional income does not exist to purchase these items, then the companies suffer. In recent projections, however, this does not seem to be the case. The global industry factors show a projected growth of $20 trillion in sales between 2009 and 2014, and demand for these alternative beverages is expected to increase globally as customer purchasing power increases. Social factors play an important part in the industry’s strategy, as well. With customers concerned with healthy lifestyles and exercise, the alternative beverage industry has increased sales in the last decade. Customers demanding low calorie, energy & vitamin-enhancing drinks turn to these types of beverages for their needs instead of carbonated soft drinks. Alternative drinks are consumed by a slim demographic. These products are generally used by young adults, college and high school students, athletes and exercise aficionados. Another branch of these drinks are the energy â€Å"shots,† which have become very popular in the last decade. With new legislation and changing regulations, it is very important for companies to stay abreast of all changes. There has been an increase in negative reports on what affects energy drinks have on people that use them, from high blood pressure to arrhythmia, which as forced some companies to include warning labels on their packaging. There is also a concern with the consumption of these drinks contributing to the obesity issue, many of these drinks contain high fructose corn syrup, and many additives that can contribute to weight gain if consumption is not limited. Competition is fierce in this industry; not only between the two biggest competitors, Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo Inc., but also Red Bull GmbH, Hansen Natural Corporation and privately owned regional brands. The two major companies, Pepsi and Coca Cola, are strong competitors within the alternative beverage market and use both the introduction of new products as well as the introduction of existing products in new markets to increase sales. Pepsi has introduced several new products – Charge, Rebuild, and Defend – three new brands available to consumers interested in vitamin-enhanced drink alternatives. Pepsi has also recently agreed to distribute the â€Å"Rockstar† brand drinks in Canada and the United States. Coca-Cola Company’s strategy is to distribute their existing brands in the new markets of Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and other Asia/Pacific countries. In order to compete with these two major companies, Red Bull relies on sponsorships and promotion as well as celebrity endorsements. By using advertising in this manner, Red Bull is able to use its slogans and logos in a variety of ways to get their name out into the public. Hansen Natural Corporation utilizes a different approach to boost sales. This company increased their package size and still maintained a competitive price compared to Red Bull. Like Red Bull, Hansen also uses celebrity promotion and sponsorship as a marketing tool. This is not to say that PepsiCo Inc. and Coca-Cola Company do not utilize this method of advertising, as they both spend billions on advertising promotions, celebrity, and sporting endorsements. The competitive edge in this case lies with PepsiCo Inc. , whose sales of energy and alternative beverages have surpassed its competitors in the past few years. New entrants are not a strong competitive pressure for this industry. The dominating companies are unsurpassed in their strong brand names and great distribution channels. The industry is fully saturated. These factors make it difficult for new companies to compete against them. Any new company wanting to get into this industry would face high capital start-up expenditures and would surely fail due to the high cost. Substitution of products is also an area where the competitive force is low. With brand loyalty, the market for substitution is very low. Consumers want the brands they are used and won’t accept substitution. Suppliers for the industry do not hold much competitive pressure either. Suppliers to this industry are bottling equipment manufactures and secondary packaging suppliers. The suppliers have little bargaining power, as the two major brands own their own bottling centers. As discussed earlier, changes in this industry’s long-term growth rate is a positive one. Growth is high in this market and is expected to continue to grow. One of the reasons for this is the increasing globalization. Coke is expanding its operations to be more global as are some of its competitors. The changing spectrum of the customer base is not really a factor here. Most of the demographic has not changed much since the introduction of these alternative beverages. Marketing and innovation has to continue to grow so that the company can grow. Regulatory influences and government policy changes are a huge factor in this industry. As the customers call for increased legislation and regulation of the ingredients, the companies have to make adjustments to their drink formulas, and this could prove costly if not monitored closely. Society is constantly changing and this industry needs to transition with these changes. By the introduction of new products and the re-tooling of existing products, all of the competitors can be successful. This industry has several success factors, product marketing, product differentiation, brand name, a strong distribution network and the ability to adapt to change. PepsiCo Inc. and Coca-Cola Company have strong aspects of all of these factors which is what has made both of them so successful. PepsiCo Inc.has branched into the food market as well as remaining in the soft drink and alternative beverage markets. Coke has had a similar strategy and relies heavily on their brand name and product recognition. All of the companies have unique and successful marketing techniques such as sponsorships, promotions, and celebrity endorsements. In order to achieve a successful strategic plan, a company needs to establish a group of people to discuss the goals and objectives of their company, sometimes called a task force. The task force should then decide what the company’s goals and objectives are. By drafting Mission and Vision statements, this task force can begin to convey their goals and objectives. Strategic planning is an on-going task for every company. When a plan is established the implementation and monitoring phases begin. To be successful a company should be constantly monitoring its goals and objectives and changing them when the need arises. With competition so high in this industry, a strong strategic plan is critical. In viewing these companies one can see that their plans are very strong. In order to continue to grow and compete in this market all companies need to look forward at the changing times, attitudes and cultures. All of the companies in this market, as with any market, need to maintain their competitive advantage and find new and different ways to achieve it. A comprehensive action plan needs to be put into place and reviewed often. By doing this all companies have a better chance at keeping their competitive advantage and enjoying better profits for their shareholders.

How To Write A College Essay

How To Write A College Essay How To Write A College Essay 1. What is a college essay? College essay writing is an independent students research. What is a research? You hear this word almost daily. The manufacturer proudly announces that after years of research his company has produced a new fabric. The stock analyst claims that his market forecasts are products of sound research. When you need help similar to teachers, housewives, farmers, politicians, and military men, you turn to research laboratories for aid. Our custom essay writing service is able to cope with any task. Yes, research is a common word, a magic word. But what does it mean? What is the nature and value of scientific investigations? 2. Research is defined by scholars as a careful, critical search for solutions to the problems that plague and puzzle mankind. There is a lot of information on how to write college essays, how to write college application, how to write good college essays, how to write college application essays, how to write essays for college, etc. However, your first task is to solve the problem of the assigned topic and only then you may put all your thoughts and ideas to the sheet of paper. And at this stage of problem-solving inexperienced essay writer impatiently listens to advisers who ask: "Have you defined your problem clearly? Do you know what variables are involved? Do you possess the basic skills to solve it? Have you constructed a sound theoretical framework for this problem?" Without giving these questions serious consideration, student plunges headlong into gathering copious. How To Write A College Essay. The Main Problems Problems cannot be solved unless a college essay writer possesses the intellect to isolate and comprehend the specific factors giving rise to the difficulty. Locating and analyzing a problem is a crucial step in academic essays writing, yet many novices grasp at any straw and label it a problem. They spend hours, days or even weeks laboriously gathering data relating to their large, vague topics without ever defining a specific problem. The final result of their furious figuring and fact finding is a formless, frustrating fund of data. Having never decided precisely what to solve, they roam rudderless in a sea of facts with their voyage without a map obviously committed to failure. Before understanding how to write college essays you need to know how to solve the problem: Which facts, points of views to take for the basis and why? When you solve the problem of your English essay topic you can easily how to write college essay,how to write a discussion essay, how to write college application essay, etc. Interesting topics: Sociology Coursework Religion Coursework Media Studies Coursework Maths Coursework Management Coursework

Imprisonments Effect on Recidivism

Imprisonments Effect on Recidivism Free Online Research Papers The subject of recidivism in the Criminal Justice System has been long studied. It has also been argued over as to the extent of its effectiveness. Recidivism is defined as the repeating of a negative action after experiencing negative consequences from that action or receiving treatment for that action. In regards to the criminal justice system, recidivism occurs when one is rearrested after serving a sentence. With this in mind, recidivism is only discovered when an arrest and or conviction has occurred. Therefore the true number of recidivism cases only covers reported cases. The question develops of just how does incarcerating criminals affect the rates of recidivism? As of mid 2008 there was approximately a population of 2,310,984 held in federal or state prisons or jails in the United States. Of these 1,540,805 were serving out sentences under federal or state jurisdiction. There was an increase of 509 from 506 sentenced prisoners per 100,000 United States residents from yearend 2007. This was an overall increase of 0.8% from the previous yearend. This was however less than the average increase of 2.4% annually for the years 2000 to 2007. (1) These numbers show the growth of the United States inmate population which leads to problems with overcrowding. Within the next year the Federal Bureau of Prisons will open three federal correctional institutions which can hold an approximate 10,500 federal inmates at maximum capacity. (2) According to a national study in 2003 showed that seven out of ten male prisoners that were released will return to prison. (Viser) The question of how does incarceration effect recidivism seems to be obvious. It doesn’t have an impact on those who serve there sentences in prisons or jails. However there are factors that could influence those who serve time and thereby have an impact on recidivism. The dependant variable of the articles reviewed is recidivism itself in the reincarceration of those who were released. The independent variables found were substance addiction, mental illness, and readjustment to society after release. One problem in an inmate’s rehabilitation is dealing with addiction. In 2002 half of jail inmates were held for drug as well as violent offenses. Drug offender population was up by 37% and more than two thirds of the population growth in local jails was due to the increase of those charged with drug law violations. (4) In a personal interview with a federal inmate I was told that most of those who are in violation of drug laws of possession and trafficking do so to support their own drug addiction. This inmate had been in and out of the judicial system since 1972 stating that â€Å"every time I get out I end up on the dope again†. Because of this problem substance abuse treatment has become implemented into the recovery mind set of incarceration. A qualitative study over a five year period tracked a cohort of nonviolent inmates participating in an alcohol and drug treatment program in Monroe County. The success of this program was shown through the finding that of those who participated in the program were less likely to recidivate within the first year than the control group (Turley). Mental illness is another problem impacting recidivism of inmates. A number of studies have shown that many inmates have shown signs or have been diagnosed as having mental disorders in comparison to other inmates. In a study of 79,211 inmates serving sentences from September 2006 thru August 2007 information on mental disorders and history of incarceration during the previous six years was collected from statewide medical information system and studied. It was found that inmates that had major mental disorders including depressive disorders, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, and non schizophrenic disorders had a substantially increased chance of reincarceration .Inmates with bipolar disorders were found to have a 3.3 times more likely to have had four or more previous incarcerations than those without the disorder. (Baillargeon) One issue that arises is those who have been labeled as â€Å"career criminals† or those who have the label of being psychopathic. Psychopathy is defined by an uninhibited gratification in criminal, sexual, or aggressive urges and being unable the make improvements with treatment. Those who have this disorder receive gratification and to some extent pleasure from their antisocial behavior. These subjects are also found to have little to no remorse for actions. This includes the not only the consequences for their victims but for themselves as well. It has also been shown that those with psychopathy have a 2.5 times higher probability of being released from incarceration than those who are undiagnosed as suffering from this disorder, even though they are more likely to recidivate. This is in part to the findings that psychopathy is mostly unaffected by not only punishment but rehabilitation techniques as well. Not only does rehabilitation not affect psychopathic individual s but incarceration leads to them becoming better at hiding their disorder and their behavior. (8) Yet another reason that many inmates find themselves incarcerated multiple times is that they have a hard time adjusting to life after being imprisoned. Many inmates become accustomed to the structured life that imprisonment establishes with set times and procedures for working, going to school, eating, and sleeping. In a majority of cases those who are released from incarceration are released under parole and under some extent of supervision. The planning for ones release should begin before their release as well as afterwards. According to an analysis conducted by the Florida Department of Corrections based on 18,414 inmates from 1996 to 1997 showed that those who completed reentry programs including education, vocational, and substance abuse programs were less likely to recidivate than those who did not participate or complete these programs (7). The success rate was increased when reentry programs were continued after release. Part of the hardship with reentering society after being imprisoned is the reintroduction to an environment that brought about their original incarceration. While it is important for those who are incarcerated to distance themselves from the environment and those within that environment that lead to their incarceration it is just as important to for them to strengthen their relationship with those who support them and support their recovery. A study was conducted in Florida with 7,000 inmates who were released to observe the testing of the influence of visitation on recidivism. They looked at whether visitation occurred, the frequency of visits, as well as whom the visitors were (family, friends, or other). They also took into account the inmates age, sex, as well as the reason for incarceration. Overall they found that visitation did have an impact on the amount of time recidivism was delayed over a two year period after release. Within this the closer the visit was to the end of in carceration and the visits of spouses over other family and friends had more affect on the amount of time between recidivating.(9) The results of research seem to show that incarceration itself has little overall effect on recidivism rates o prisoners. It is only with rehabilitation programs that any improvement can be found. Even so the success that is found is more in extending the amount of time between recidivism than with reducing it. Substance addiction issues require long term treatment after release in order to increase the rate of recidivism for these offenders. Recidivism rates with those who suffer from mental disorders are a more difficult problem to control. The problem is more due to the lack of diagnoses and the treatability of the disorder than the matter of long term treatment. Review of articles shows that while incarceration is not the answer to recidivism the treatment and training that inmates receive while incarcerated improves the time between recidivism if not the chances of recidivism. To see more improvement there needs to be an improvement not so much with the treatments and programs p rovided but in the duration of these treatments and programs. Bibliography (1) (n.d.). Retrieved October 1, 2009, from www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/prisons.htm (2) (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2009, from www.bop.gov (3) Viser, C. A. (2003). â€Å"Transitions from Prison to Community: Understanding Individual Pathways†. The Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center, District of Columbia Washington, 20037. (4) Retrieved October 15, 2009, from ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/crimoff.htm (5) Turley, A., Thornton, T., Johnson, C., Azzolino, S. (2004). International Journal of Offender Therapy Comparative Criminology, 48(6), 721-728. (6)Baillargeon, Jacques, Ingrid Binswanger, Joseph Penn, Brie Williams, Owen Murray: American Journal of Psychiatry; Jan2009, Vol. 166 Issue 1, p103-109, (7) (n.d.) Retrieved September 16, 2009, from dc.state.fl.us/pub/recidivismprog/execsum.html (8) (n.d.) Retrieved October 2, 2009, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7833672.stm (9) Bales, w. D., Mears, D. P. (2008). Inmate Social Ties and the Transition to Society Does Visitation Reduce Recidivism?. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 45(3), 287-321. Research Papers on Imprisonments Effect on RecidivismThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseQuebec and CanadaResearch Process Part OneInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenTwilight of the UAWRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in Capital

Organizational Behavior Bachelor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organizational Behavior Bachelor - Essay Example In a Norwegian study on nurses, the study concluded that the availability of clinical nursing supervision give positive results on the nurses' physical symptoms, stress and anxiety, as well as establishing "a sense of being control of a situation" [1]. The psychosocial work that nurses extend influences their experiences with regards to having or not having control (of a situation) along with their engagement and motivation [1]. Moreover, stress and anxiety in nursing jobs arise from ethical conflicts in the organization. Another is the job of an ambulance driver. Although a driver's salary is lesser than that of nurses, the work still appears to be meaningful to them because it gives them a sense of being able to serve and do good by being one important factor in saving a person's life. Ambulance drivers (or simply drivers) are responsible for bring the patient to the hospital in time and driving carefully (fast). The sense of knowing that one has successfully delivered the patient to a hospital gives a sense of relief and hope which can be equated to satisfaction for having done his part in the organization. In creating and designing jobs, as well as in the process of hiring people, most organizations assess the applicant's potential in contributing to the organization's success; that is why after the submission of one's resume, one is invited for a (face-to-face) interview because it is during the interview that the HR officer (or whoever conducts the interview) will be able to read the signs, as manifested in the interviewee's behavior, which could tell whether or not the applicant can be an asset to the organization. Since most organizations don't want to be charged of discrimination (against culture, ethnicity and the like), culture is not given that much importance although it is noted; although culture aides in designing a job because it identifies job characteristics. Culture is still noted because some traits and values of a person are already embedded in culture which makes it difficult to change if not removed. Personality traits, attitudes and behavior are however importance in filling jobs as these enables the organization to choose who best fits the job criteria. Choosing between what I can get out of the company and how my leaders treat me (same goes with peers and colleagues) can be a difficult task. Most people would endure sarcasm, ridicule of hardship for as long as they are paid on time and paid well. While others would choose how well they fit in with the management and their colleagues even if salary is not that good, not to mention payroll delays. Having given great thought on the matter, good relationships are much more preferred than tangible characteristics simply because the former is not something that comes your way on a regular basis. It is priceless because it can never be bought. Anything that is tangible can be found in any organization because it is solid; and anything that is solid can be made, asked for, worked for, or simply found, all of which mostly answers the need of physiological and safety in Maslow's hierarchy of needs. In addition, motivation coming from good relationships is genuine; therefore, it lasts longer because it is not superficial. Such a perspective addresses the 4th level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs with is Esteem in the form of respect of oneself, the respect

Sermon on the Mount Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sermon on the Mount - Essay Example What Jesus does to the Old Testament law in the Sermon on the Mount As Jesus addressed the people in the mountain, he stated very clearly to the people that he had come to fulfill the law of the prophets and not to abolish them. The law of prophets he was referring to in this case was the Old Testament law or the Law of Moses. According to Kodjak (96), the sermon Jesus gave contained teachings that were in line with the Ten Commandments given to Moses in the Old Testament. This means that Jesus was rubberstamping whatever the people had learned from the Old Testament Law given to Moses. By saying ‘you have heard’, ‘but I tell you’, Jesus was making a reinterpretation and expounding on the Law of Moses so as to fit the perfect will of God by dealing with its weaknesses. The expounding/antithesis that Jesus did were majorly touching on anger, adultery, divorce, oaths, love for enemies and retaliation. For example, he equalizes someone who gets angry with someo ne else as a murderer and the one who looks lustfully at others with an adulterer. In this case, Jesus was emphasizing on the fact that people ought to obey the law not only from the physical vicinity but much more from their hearts. Therefore, he was actually speaking against hypocrisy while commanding absolute, whole round holiness. On the contrary, the Law of Moses had room for hypocrites presented physical goodness in the vicinity of men but did evil when alone provided there was no one to testify of their evil deeds. That is why he tells them that their faith should surpass that of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Jesus spoke against divorce though it was allowed in the Law of Moses. But a contrast to the Law of Moses is still found in Old Testament in the book of Malachi. In Malachi chapter 2:16, God says that he hates divorce. He also stresses no one should separate a man and wife because they are both one in body and spirit before him. This means that Jesus did not in any wa y abolish the Old Testament law but advocates for its fulfillment even at a better level. Jesus gave them the Golden rule which he states as the summary of all the law (Sabourin 143). This rule agrees with and summarizes the Old Testament law which also requires that people love their God and those around them. The will and its relationship to divine Using the beatitudes, Jesus suggested that people should live to according to God’s will so that they would get divine blessings. He communicates this by using the phrase ‘blessed are those’. For example he says ‘blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God’. In this case seeing God is a blessing that cannot be granted by men but only by God unto those who fulfill His will of having a pure heart. Other divine things promised are mercy, satisfaction, inheriting the kingdom of God among others. Therefore Jesus was stressing on the fact that there are divine things that God will only grant those who do his will in their personal lives, dealing with issues or while relating with others in the society (McArthur 129). It is possible and easy for someone to do what Jesus commands in the bible. All it requires is the willingness of a person’s heart to obey them and not the adoption of the hypocritical attitude of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. In this way, it will be easy for the commands to manifest physically as good actions that are Christ-like in nature. This also requires that