Crime and Poverty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Crime and Poverty - Research Paper Example The genesis of the crime Before reviewing some sources related to poverty and crime, it is important to determine the evolution and genesis of the crime. As mentioned above, poverty is a social phenomenon. This means that it is socially constructed. According to Obeidallah & Brooks-Gunn, the cases of crime have been rising drastically since the advent of agrarian revolution (1475). Crime is an activity that occurs when a person uses unaccepted means to solicit resources, money or to benefit him or herself. Poverty limits one from getting basic needs hence encouraging crime Inability to meet the basic needs is one of the major factors fuelling crime. A person who does not have means of making life comfortable or sustaining life would opt into engaging him or herself in activities that would enable him or her to acquire the basic needs. However, these activities are usually not socially accepted. They are classified as crime. Poverty is the main factor that limits people from using the legal means to acquire their daily bread. It does this by limiting the access to resources such as money that can be used to pay fees, access good schools and finish education. According to Hannon & DeFina, education is a means through which a person can get money and other resources necessary in offsetting the daily expenses that relate to life matters (53). However, because of poverty, some people would find it difficult to pursue their education to the expected level. The chances of such people getting employed become limited. Consequently, such people would have to opt into those activities that are not socially and legally accepted, crime. In a study conducted in Dubuque to find out the trends and perceptions of crime in conjunction with poverty, it was found... The intention of this study is crime as an unaccepted social activity that entails doing things or activities that are against the expectation of society. A number of studies related to crime and poverty have been conducted but most of them normally focus on these social phenomenons individually. Few researches have tried to find out the link between the two. However, none of the researches is comprehensive and intensive enough to explain the relationship between crime and poverty. From the foregoing discussion, it is clear that poverty play an important role in creating an environment that fuels crime activities. However, the discussion implies that there is no direct relationship between poverty and crime. This means that poverty fuel crime by limiting man from accessing resources that are necessary in development of an ideal life. One interesting idea that should be noted as far as poverty and crime is that crime is a short cut of meeting ones basic needs. It is closely related to lazy and poor people who cannot work hard through the normal legal and socially accepted process. This implies that the best way of mitigating the crime rate is by helping people navigate through their education so that they can acquire better ways of dealing with life challenges as well as better means of earning their livelihood. The discussion also implies that criminal justice system should not be handled independently because it does not provide long term solution to the crime rates. Conversely, combining the criminal justice system and the welfare system would bring a relatively long term solution to the rising crime rates

Tesco Case Analysis Essay Example for Free

Tesco Case Analysis Essay The rise of Tesco, from a mediocre supermarket company into an outstanding, world-class, multi-faceted organization, has been a remarkable one. Since 1929, when Jack Cohen opened the 1st Tesco store, the company has seen tremendous growth and success. Customer centric approach, which has been adopted by the company since its very inception, along with strategic vision and innovation under the leadership of CEO Terry Leahy has been some of the underlying factors of Tesco’s sustained success. Leahy was the architect of the idea â€Å"The Tesco Way†, which included the company’s core values, principals and goals among other things and which aimed to establish Tesco as a â€Å"Value retailer†. Right from the concept of store formats to the investment in information technology to the diversification of products and services, Leahy emphasized on innovation in all aspects of business. The Tesco Clubcard, which was first launched in 1995 to analyze consumer purchase data and target appropriate promotional offers, increased customer loyalty by leaps and bounds. Tesco created different formats of stores to cater to the different segments and different needs of its customers. Tesco’s strategy to gain international presence through expansion has been one of the cornerstones of their success. The company expanded in countries of Eastern European and in emerging economies of Asia and in all these countries it aimed for market leadership ahead of profitability and based their strategy into such distinct elements which led to sustained growth. Being flexible and unique to each market, acting local, maintaining focus, using multiple formats, developing capabilities and building brands were some of the strategies used to form a long lasting relationship with customers. The fact that Tesco strategically added new products and services in its portfolio worked to its advantage. In addition to its popular in store food and beverage selection, Tesco diversified into financial services, telecommunication services and travel services. The launch of Tesco’s online grocery store made the company, Britain’s largest online store. So to summarize strategic vision, innovation and lasting customer relationship has helped Tesco to become the most dominant UK retailer and the third largest retailer in the world. Tesco had all the technical know-how, expertise and experience needed to succeed in US retail market. The strategy the company adopted while expanding in international markets is very much applicable to the US retail market as well. Tesco’s policies of acting local and catering to local customers and cultures along with leveraging the brand value of the company to attract customers are of prime importance if it has to succeed in US. Tesco’s decision to enter the U.S. market as Fresh and Easy was very feasible and based on sound theory, research, and projections. However, the company’s expectations did not translate into similar performance. Based on prior research, the company had identified a geographic niche market in California, Arizona, and Nevada where there was no dominant player. Tesco had even sent employees to live with 50 families and conducted 200 focus groups at one of the company’s facilities. Despite prior unsuccessful attempts by other British companies to enter the U.S. market, Tesco presented a compelling case regarding its ability to penetrate the U.S. market in California, Arizona and Nevada. Overall, Tesco did not enjoy the success it had anticipated because it did not account for cultural and perceptual differences between the U.S and Europe. Although Fresh and Easy was right to include a higher percentage of produce in its stores, many other strategies found in Exhibit 12 from the case, likely prevented additional sales and growth. For example, presenting a merchandise mix comprised largely of store-label brands combined with an everyday low pricing strategy likely caused American consumers to perceive Fresh and Easy as lower in quality and overall value. The consumer could go to a competitor and purchase a more familiar name brand on-sale from a larger selection of items. Other strategies for which success did not translate from the U.K. to the U.S. were the overnight inventory stocking plan and the carrying of fewer items than traditional grocery stores. As seen in Exhibit 12 from the case, typical American consumers make fewer visits to the grocery store per year than do their counterparts in the U.K and Europe. If an item is out-of-stock one day, the American consumer is much more likely to visit a competitor than come back the next morning as is customary in the U.K. Fresh and Easy’s value proposition was the sale of fresh, healthy food that the majority of people could afford and catering to an â€Å"increasing consumer interest in wellness, in health-conscious food choices and a continuing trend towards on-the-go consumption.† Also of value was the feel of a â€Å"neighborhood market† where customer service was superior and employees genuinely enjoyed their work. These elements are very appealing to consumers in Arizona, Nevada, and especially California, where healthy, green living is a growing trend and the average commute time spent in a car is much greater than in other parts of the country. The move to open stores in the United States was a promising plan on paper. Tesco also had the financial resources to build a successful operation in their new target market. Their actual performance, however, either fell below the expected performance or was of negative value in almost every metric (Exhibit 1). The main areas in which Tesco’s financial performance were evaluated were number of new stores opened, revenue, and profitability. The number of Fresh and Easy stores opened in the US was 145 at the end of 2010. The expectation was to open 200 stores by February 2009. Fresh and Easy had only generated $30 million in targeted sales versus the expected $100 million in the spring of 2008. In the year 2008, Fresh and Easy had a loss of  £62 million and it yielded a profit margin of -308%. Even though the profit margin increased the following years, 2009 and 2010, it was still a negative profit margin. The cause of Fresh and Easy’s poor financial performance had to do with a slow growth of the operation. An operation is only able to grow from the sales that it generates, especially in the introductory phase. The only way that Fresh and Easy would be able to meet its objective of opening 200 new stores by February 2009 would be to have almost all stores in the existing operation be profitable. This was not the case as profit margin was -308% in 2008. Fresh and Easy also faced high fixed costs by maintaining their distribution center, which has the capacity to service 500 stores. This resulted in excess capacity. The cause of their poor sales numbers was the fact that they were pricing too low. The average Fresh and Easy customer spends only $15 per visit versus $41 for the customer of an average supermarket. To be profitable, Fresh and Easy stores need to get at least three times the volume of an average supermarket. Both of these factors were drivers for Fresh and Easy’s negative profit margin in all three years of its operation in the United States. We have identified some of the causes that Tesco could control regarding its financial performance. They began their operation, however, in the midst of an economic recession. There is no doubt that any economic recession would decrease overall demand. Food items, however, are a necessity regardless of the economic state of the nation. Tesco should have been more proactive during these times by expanding store locations and being more accessible to consumers. The lease costs and new store construction tend to be lower during these periods of economic hardship. More Fresh and Easy locations would result in increased accessibility and ultimately more sales. Their low prices during times of economic hardship would drive more customers into Fresh and Easy locations as they would stray away from their pricier existing supermarket and perceived quality becomes slightly less of an issue. Tesco has a great product line with the Fresh Easy chain opening in the US. This chain caters to the healthy food trend emerging in the US and is in direct competition to Whole Foods, the more expensive alternative. Perception is reality. To the consumer, Fresh Easy has not lived up to its name. Tesco should make the stores â€Å"greener† so that the look of the stores’ interior matches the brand image. Consumers who purchase healthy organic food want to feel like they are shopping in an environmentally conscious store. In addition, Fresh Easy offers a limited assortment of goods that are unfamiliar with US consumers. In exhibit 12 from the case, data shows that consumers visit Fresh Easy stores less frequently than its competitors. This is because competitors have weekly sales on familiar brands that US consumers want. Fresh Easy should stock familiar brands to get US consumers in the door. Once the consumer is in the Fresh Easy store, free samples and direct price comparison with well-known US brands should give Fresh Easy brands an advantage.

Eating Christmas in the Kalahari | Essay

Eating Christmas in the Kalahari | Essay Eating Christmas in the Kalahari Abstract Richard Borshay Lee was a social anthropologist that had lived with and studied the southern Tswana tribe. In â€Å"Eating Christmas in the Kalahari† Richard Borshay Lee introduces us to some very useful techniques in social science. What he decided to do was take part in an ox Christmas festivity. Mr. Lee felt he had to give a gift because the tribal community thought he was a miser, this was due to the fact the Mr. Lee had been there for quite some time and never shared his food. Being Christmas and both sides believing in this spiritual holiday, he felt obligated to share. Ultimately, his beliefs does not coincide with the !Kung people and we witness the power of socializing agents. Even though Mr. Lee had lived with and was engaged in every part of the !Kung people’s lives, he was still an outsider and alien to the society. It seems after Mr. Lee decided to attend the ox Christmas festival, he felt it would be a nice gesture to buy an ox to eat at the celebration. Among the !Kungs, the slaughtering of an ox is a custom. After choosing the ox to bring to the festival, the Bushmen started complaining and calling the ox old and skinny. To Mr. Lee, the ox looked big, fat and perfect for the Christmas celebration and the reaction of the !Kung Bushmen people leave him very insulted. His feelings and how he perceived the Bushmen’s reaction was likely founded on his own culture, where people are supposed to appreciate other people’s generosity no matter the outcome. But to the Bushmen, giving an ox was no more than what they usually do every day, and was nothing special. After consulting with cultural experts, Mr. Lee discovers the native’s viewpoint. In the !kung’s culture, things such as gifts and generosity are appreciated. However, it is not easily shown and always behind closed doors. Their cultural belief is that it will cause more harm to praise any individual even for a job well done. They believe by boosting someone’s ego it will eventually swell his pride to the point where he may kill someone. The !Kung’s survival is based on their awareness of the environment around them and how people act and think in the society. This I think would be a good thing as long as people were not taken for granted. Why did the !kung people’s insult bother Mr. Lee so extensively? I feel the anthropologist thought he had gone through so much to choose, and buy the ox for the !Kungs just to be ridiculed for his efforts. Lee finally received the message of what the !Kungs were trying to put out, and this was the concept that there is some motive behind every gift and somehow, someway the gift will be repaid. However, I must disagree with this concept and disagree with the !Kungs. This is supported by the fact, every day I see many charitable acts, and the people that are giving, have no intention of receiving praise or anything in return. There are many cultural rules about gift giving in our society. Gifts in our society are given in celebrations and special occasions. Usually in our society, the amount spent on the gift is based on the rareness or the size of the event taking place. Mr. Lee’s views brought on by his own cultural beliefs, left him feeling inadequate and insulted. But to the !Kungs, it was an everyday occurrence and reaction. To understand the !kungs is to understand and accept people of different cultures. This is dually noted in the above paragraphs. The !Kungs who live in the Kalahari were raised quite differently than someone who grew up in the society we live in today. In accepting gifts in our country, we always say thank you and how much we appreciate it. This praise gives us a feeling of arrogance knowing that the receiver really likes our gift. In different cultures there are different guidelines. The people of the !kung tribe think badly of individuals that show arrogance. To eliminate these characteristics in the children, they were raised to mock and make fun of others while doing things such as hunting and viable activities. And by telling Mr. Lee that his ox was skinny and old, they were ultimately doing him a tremendous favor according to their cultural beliefs. As in contrast to our beliefs that characteristics such as bulling and mocking is very wrong. However sometimes in our society we see arrogance as a negative quality but it is not always discouraged in the same manner. Agents of Socialization was a strong influence in the article that Mr. Lee wrote. The feeling of being insulted only came from his own inadequacies and the way he was taught in his society. His status while being among the tribe was less than in his own society and also contributed to his feelings. His cultural values were very different than that of the !Kung people, and in time he came to understand and accept their attitudes learned as a social group. He realized that even though it was a celebration known to people of his culture, it could also sustain a part of the !Kung tribe. This is a documentation of another instance of how different societies of people distinguish themselves from one another with certain customs and differences, and how they conduct themselves socially. References Scavetta, Charlene (February 22, 2009). Eating Christmas in the Kalahari, Richard Borshay Lee. . retrieved 9/23/2014, from Athropology 1001 Web Site: http://scavettacharlene.blogspot.com/2009/02/eating-christmas-in-kalahari-richard.html ThatPresence ( December 2005 ). Eating Christmas in the Kalahari . retrieved 9/23/2014, from StudyMode.com Web Site: http://www.studymode.com/essays/Eating-Christmas-In-The-Kalahari-74594.html Ontaneda, Ana (February 22, 2009). Eating Christmas in the Kalahari . retrieved 9/23/2014, from anthropology Web Site: http://unam0ur.blogspot.com/2009/02/ana-ontaneda-february-22-2009-ant-1001.html Research into Truancy: Causes and Effects Research into Truancy: Causes and Effects Introductory orientation Truancy is about learners who have not been attending school regularly as required by the school, parents and even the authorities. Truant behavior is a problem for the individual, the family, the school and society in general. Free and compulsory education is recognized as a basic entitlement under international standards, including the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989) and the European Convention on Human Rights (1950). With the right to free education and the obligation corresponding to this right observed and enforced through a national emphasis on school attendance, The National Statistic Office (Malta) states that in the 2004/2005 scholastic year the figure for school absenteeism accounted for 7.7% of the total number of school days in the reference period or an overall absence rate of 9.2 absent days per pupil that for boys being 10.0 days per pupil and for girls 8.4 days per pupil. As a teacher this makes me fretful about students missing school as this can be associated with subsequent emotional and psychosocial problems in early adulthood and is a predictor of multiple problems (Fogelman and Hibbert, 1990). Truancy may have both short and long term effects on society. There is evidence that truancy is linked to delinquent behaviour and juvenile crime (Collins, 1998; Reid, 1999). According to Jones (1996), ‘Absenteeism is a sign of trouble that often leads to lower academic skills and grades, delinquency, and dropouts. Studies have shown that high school dropouts are twice as likely to be unemployed and on welfare, and overall, tend to be facing a more difficult life than their graduating counterparts. Jones (1996; p.128), All members who form part of any educational institution cannot allow these students to give up on themselves. We as a modern, fast developing society, we cannot afford to let them surrender. It is clearly far less expensive to educate them than pay for a lifetime of welfare and all of the deprivations that welfare represents. These are ominous issues, which imply that the number of students who skip school is rising and that school absenteeism is a new generations behaviour that is today a dramatic social phenomenon. This proposal drafts the intent to investigate and explore realities of how truancy manifests with Maltese youth and also explore the psychosocial world of truants in Maltese schools. Problem Analysis The Pre-Scientific Problem awareness As a supply teacher for these past five years, I have witnessed incidences of truancy in the period 2006 to 2009. One of the common truancy reducation measures used was to lock the school gates during lessons and breaks and open them after school hours (my personal exsperience). Despite the limited impact on truancy reducation, the approach of locking gates is still common and evident in some secondary schools. I found locked gates while visiting some of the schools. Gangsters, to control late coming and to stop learners from dodging classes, locked gates to prevent trespassing, sepecially. Exploring the problem Incidence and nature of truancy Malta Since 1946 education has been compulsory for all children between six to fourteen years and extended to the age of 16 by the Education Act (Malta) of 1971. Maltese law imposes a duty on parents to ensure that their children of compulsory school age receive appropriate education, whether through attendance at a state or independent school. If they fail to do so, without any reasonable excuse and if found guilty, they are liable to a fine not exceeding in previous currency one Maltese Lira (equivalent to â‚ ¬2.33) for each day during which the offence continues, unless the parent fails to give a good and sufficient explanation within three days from the date he or she receives a notice from the Director of Education (Malta Education Act 1988). From January 2001 up to December 2002 there were 8,903 arraignments before the local tribunals in connection with school absenteeism (Grech, 2002). This figure represents only the number of students who were absent from school without a valid reason on more than three occasions in the time frame of a month. It is a known fact that there are a number of students that systematically plan three days off from school each month, just for the sake that they use their monthly absence allowance and knowing that in this way their parents would not receive a citation. Surveys show that the overall absence rate between 25th September 2000 to 31st March 2001 stood at 10.5 days per pupil (NSO Malta, 2001). This figure reveals an increase of 5.2% over 1999/2000 scholastic year (NSO Malta, 2001). Thus it shows that during this period, 657,604 pupil days were lost to absenteeism and authorised absence due to sickness. Indeed, the Clark Report (2005) shows concern for the increase in unauthorised absenteeism with parental consent, particularly in state secondary schools which cater, in the main, for a student population coming from a working- class background. Family problems, psychological problems, illnesses, school phobia and bullying have, significantly, been indicated by the Clark focus group to be the topmost reasons contributing to school avoidance. Some Overseas Countries Most of the research conducted abroad seems to provide information regarding the nature and extent of truancy in secondary schools. Results of a study conducted at a school in London from 1985 to 1987 revealed that 70% of the sampled pupils admitted truanting during the three-year period (Stoll, 1990:22). In the study that involved nine secondary schools, 66% of the 765 fifth year pupils admitted truanting (ibid). Figures on truancy in 150 English secondary schools revealed that 31% of pupils in years 10 and 11 admitted that they played truant or skipped lessons (OKeefe Stoll, 1995:12). Gray and Jesson (1990:25) report about the major national survey results of truancy in English secondary schools. According to this study, 23% of all fifth year pupils were involved in truant behavior and they were less likely to stay on in full-time education. Furthermore, schools facing serious problems of truancy tend to be in the inner city rather than in other areas (ibid). on the other hand, Collins (1998:26) reports that absentee rates vary between schools in the London Education Authority. Munn and Johnstone (1992:4) found that out of a sample of 50 Scottish secondary schools, 18% of the pupils (11% in June and 7% in November) were classified as truants and were mostly form the senior years. These figures exclude truants within the school day, as â€Å"14 schools reported that they did not keep period attendance records† (ibid). Truancy has long been a subject for research in various parts of the USA. According to Nelson (1972:98), 64% of the 591 students surveyed identified themselves as class truants. Learners habitually play truant each day in Los Angeles, Pittsburg and Milwaukee (Black, 1996:33). Bos, Ruiters and Visscher (1992:393) found that the average rate of truancy in 36 schools in the four Dutch cities studied was 4.4% and that truancy increased with the level of the class in almost all schools. Some researchers further indicate that truancy does not necessarily mean missing the whole day of school but found that I could be in the form of missing a part of a day or particular lesson (Kilpartick, 1998:31; Reid, 1999:91). In a study conducted by Malan in South Africa (1972:144), 2,738 out of 69,908 pupils were identified by their teachers as truants. Masithela (Masithela, 1992:33) observed that learners tend to miss lessons during the first and second periods, as well as during the last give periods. The tendency of missing certain lessons towards the end of the school day shows that some form of â€Å"hidden truancy† is prevalent and that pupils can be marked present in the register but fail to attend all lessons (ibid:45). On the other hand, they may come late and be marked absent or be somewhere on the school premises not attending certain lessons or periods, but still be marked as being present on the class resisters. Factors associated with truancy Malta Truancy is about learners who have not been attending school regularly as required by the school, parents and even the authorities. Tyerman (1968) defines the term truant as the child who is absent from school purely on his or her own initiative. Gabb (1994) includes in his definition of truant, that a child who is absent with leave given by his or her parents, or who are actually kept at home by the parents. Hersov (cited in Gabb, 1994) goes still further, dividing from truants, ‘school phobics and ‘school refusers. King (2001) furthermore defines school refusal/school phobics as a difficulty to attend school due to emotional distress, especially anxiety and depression. Fenech (1991) (in an unpublished research) defines ‘absenteeism as ‘being away from lessons for any period of time and for reasons not considered as legitimate, with or without the parents knowledge (p.3). She goes on to include ‘physical presence without any attention being given to a lesson in progress [as well as] masked or selective truancy (ibid., p.3). Fenech (ad. lib.) refers to the latter as ‘skiving off specific lessons or disappearance after registration (p.3) remarking that a number of sources consider absenteeism and truancy synonymous. Sultana (1997), like Fenech (1991), defines absenteeism as ‘staying away from school for reasons not justified by the law (p. 355). However, she goes on to include other ‘less overt ways (ibid., p 355) such as what Willis (1977) calls participating in ‘informal mobility (ibid., p. 355). This includes not entering the class for lesson, intentionally staying in another class, leaving the class without permission, or staying in class without bothering to follow the lesson. Studies conducted abroad When seen from a psychological viewpoint, truancy may be symptomatic of learns who are insecure and have low academic achievement levels and low self-esteem. Lewis (1995:37) states that attendance difficulties my broadly result from a combination of â€Å"pull† and â€Å"push† factors. Pull factors are personal and social aspects that â€Å"pull† a learner out of school. The pull factors may be related to the psychological indices mentioned by Reid (2002:11), such as maladjustment, a lower general level of self-esteem and academic self concept, anxiety and lower career aspirations. Factors that â€Å"push† learners away from school include academic and classroom aspects such as inapproachability of the teaching staff, incomprehensible teaching style and inappropriate classroom management. Other factors relating to the school and the classroom include bullying, the curriculum, boring lessons (Reid, 1999:91), teachers humiliating remarks (Porteus, Clacherty, Mdiya, Pelo, Matsai, Qwabe and Donald 2000:11), poor record-keeping and school organization (Bimler Kirkland, 2001:90; Coldman, 1995:29). According to Pappas (1996:1), truancy is often symptomatic of family dysfunction, since the parents of truants tend to be permissive, undisciplined and unavailable. Some authors believe that truancy is associated with a poor socio-economic background, including poverty, poor housing and unemployment (Bell, Rosen and Dynlacht, 1994:204; Tyerman, 1958:222). Some researchers state that there is a link between truancy and delinquent behavior (Collins, 1998:38; Brown, 1998:298-299; Reid, 1999:25). Truancy differentiated from school phobia There is a need to distinguish between truancy and school phobia. The concept â€Å"school phobia† describes a learner who is unwilling to attend school and stays at home with the knowledge of parents (Wicks and Nelson, 2000:123). A learners problem often stats with a vague complaint or reluctance to attend school and progresses to total refusal to go to school. Blagg (1992:121) asserts that school phobia may be induced by fear-arousing aspects of school, such as fear of failure caused by anxiety about meeting the standards. Fear may also be related to worries about the health and welfare of parents (Blagg, 1992:123). In the other hand, a learner who plays truant misses the whole school day or lessons without the knowledge of parents or caregivers. Furthermore, a truant tends to be involved in various forms of anti social behavior (Blagg, 1992:121). Milner and Blyth (1999:18) acknowledge the difficulties involved in studying the prevalence and pattern of truancy and in comparing current and past school attendance or absence. The difficulties are partly compounded by the variations in the definition of truancy itself (Boyd, 1999:22; Gabb, 1997:2) and the multifaceted nature of truancy (Edward and Malcolm, 2001:1; Reid, 1999:17). The problems associated with studies on truancy should, however, not prevent further research from being conducted. Solutions should be found, or the cause at least eliminated, because truancy is regarded as a serious problem with socio-economic implications. A preliminary review of the literature reveals that truancy is a major problem form schools and society and a most powerful predictor of juvenile delinquent behavior (Van Petegem, 1994:272; Wiehe, 2000). Reid (2002:2) maintains that the amount of money spent on truancy reduction initiatives proves the extent of truancy. Statement of the problem Data on the extent and nature of truancy in schools are often based on information obtained from class registers. This information may be inadequate or almost incomplete and limits the understanding of the phenomenon, thus making it difficult to develop appropriate intervention strategies. More insight on how truancy manifests is needed to provide a base on which to suggest, plan and develop effective intervention strategies. Therefore, further research is needed to enable education officials, schools, parents and other professionals to manage learners with attendance difficulties more efficiently. This study serves to bridge the information gap regarding the nature of truancy and to provide a picture of the life world of truants in Secondary Schools. Aims of the Research The General Aim The aim would be to describe truancy in general as stated in the literature and to conduct an empirical study in order to determine how truancy behaviour manifests in secondary schools and what the life world of truants looks likes. The findings can then be used to inform and guide future practice. The Specific aim The aim of the study would be to gather information that will be used to guide the school (college) community namely the SMT, form teachers, subject teachers, guidance teachers and school councillors, youth workers in school and other stakeholders to help in the interventional approaches and procedures that can be used for reducing truancy. In order to realise the above aims, the following questions are set to direct the research: What is the extent and degree of truancy in terms of the frequency and number of learns involved? What are the patterns, type or nature of truancy? Where do truants go when not at school or in class? What measures are used to monitor and manage truancy? Research Method The study will comprise two methods, namely, a literature study and an empirical investigation. A study of the literature will derive information on studies about poor school attendance and procedures employed to mange or reduce truancy from books, research articles, journals and other resources. A quantitative research design will be used in the empirical investigation. This investigation aims to gather data by means of a questionnaire that will be given to learns in Form 1 and Form 2 in eight randomly selected schools, , incorporating two Junior Lyceums, two Area Secondary and two Church schools. A qualitative research design will be used with guidance teachers, counselors, youth workers, form teachers, Assistant Head of Schools and Heads of School currently working in schools. A focus group and interviews with Heads will help me to investigate what the School community is doing to combat truancy. Such data will be advantageous in that they are ‘the most adequate [tool] to capture how a person thinks of a particular domain (Goldsmiths Collage, n.d.). More over since a face to face rapport with the interviewee, it is induced to continue questioning the subject in order to confirm the hypothesis about his or her beliefs, seeking appraise any underlying meaning in the process. Demarcation of research Due to time constraints, the preset research is confined to then 8 randomly selected secondary schools in Malta. A list of all secondary schools was compiled to allow for the random selection of 8 schools, which will form part of this study. This sample was mainl cohosen on the basis of cost implicaitons and accessibility. Explanation of concepts In this section a number of concepts that are relevant to this research are defined. Truancy Reids (1999:1) asserts that the term ‘truancy is often misused and can be applied both generically and with a local meaning. In the different parts of Great Britain, truancy is known as ‘dodging, ‘skipping off, ‘mitching, ‘skiving, ‘bunking off and ‘going missing, respectively. Whitney (1994:49) defines truancy as ‘absence that has not been authorized by the school and where leave has not been given or approved. Another definition provided by Collins (1998:2), who states that truancy is about pupils who have been registed with a school but identified as not attending school when the law says they should. This definition includes absences from a particular lesson or lessons, known as ‘post-registation truancy (Gabbs, 1994:5; Stoll, 1990:23). Clark Report (2005) identify as truancy when a student is voluntarily absent or not attending school without their parents permission and often, awareness (Anglicare, Werribee Family Services 2000). Truancy is defined as unjustifiable or unexplained absence from school with attempts by the student to conceal the absenteeism. Usually the child avoids home when not at school and the parents are often unaware of the childs absence (Rollings, King, Tonge, Luk, Heyne, Ramsdell, Burdett Martin, 1999). The concept blanket truancy refers to absence from the whole school day, which is usually reflected on the class register, while post-registration truancy occurs when the learner is marked present but fails to turn up at a lesson or lessons (Stoll, 1990:23). In this research, the term ‘truancy is broadly defined as unauthorized absence from school. The definition is adopted with the assumption that absence with the knowledge and permission of the school and parents or guardians does not constitute truancy. Since the study seeks to explore the type of truancy as manifested at secondary schools, both concepts of truancy (blanket and post-registration) are relevant and will be investigated. A Truant A truant is a ‘child aged 6 17 years old who absents himself or herself form school without a legitimate reason and without permission of his or her parents or the school official (Schaefer and Millman, 1981: 335). For the purpose of this research, a truant refers to a learner who, after being registered at a school, absents himself or herself from school or lessons without a legitimate reson or permission from parents or the school official. The traditional or typical truant: Traditional truants tend to be isolated that come from an unsupportive home background, possibly with a tendency to be shy. It is likely that they will have a low self-concept, be introverted and be the citim of their social circumstances. The psychological truant: could be the school phobic (school refusal) case but more othen than this psychological truant miss school for psychological related factors such as illness, opsychomatric complaints, laziness, a fear of attending scholl for any reason (such as dislike of a teacher, a lesson, an impending confrontation or fear of bullying.) The Institutional truant: Institutional truants are more likely to indulge in ‘on the spur of the moment absences from lessons and to be selective about days or lessons to miss. Secondary School A school that admits or registers and educates learners in Form 1 Form 5 is known as a secondary school. Life World In this research, the term ‘life world refers to the psychological context this is made up of elements such as interpersonal aspects, the family, school and the broader community. According to this definition, the life world involves the personal and external world of the learner. The personal word refers to intrinsic factors. The external word is made up of the broader educational systems, the home environment and the community where the child spends his time when not at school. Relevant intervention strategies would be easier to suggest if the contextual issues related to the phenomenon under investigations are understood. Research Program The research comprises give chapters, as follows: CHAPTER 1 In this chapter, the background information in the seriousness and implication of truancy are discussed. The chapter also includes an analysis of the problem, the problem statement, aims of the study, description of the research method and definition of the concepts. CHAPTER 2 Chapter 2 entails a review of the literature on types of truancy and the causes of truancy or contributing factors in different countries, including in Malta. Different approaches that the various countries and schools use to manage truancy will also be discussed. CHAPTER 3 This chapter deals with research designs and methods. A discussion of the research problem, the aim of the empirical investigation, the research tool used in the study and the selection of the sample will be included. Details of the compilation and administration of questionnaires as well as an analysis of data will be presented. CHAPTER 4 In this chapter, the results of questionnaires will be presented. The results will be analyzed to find answers to the research questions. CHAPTER 5 The chapter entails a summary of the research finding, conclusions and recommendations. A summary of the results from the literature study and the limitation of the study will be included. Conclusion This chapter focuses on the background and analysis of the problem, as well as the aims of the study. An attempt will be made to explain the research method used, relevant concepts and planned programmes of the research. The next chapter will contain the review of the literature on the types of truancy, factors contributing to truancy behavior, the rate and extent of truancy and the strategies used to manage truancy. CHAPTER 2 TYPES OF TRUANCY, CAUSAL FACTORS AND APPROACHES USED IN THE MANAGEMENT AND REDUCTION OF TRUANCY Introduction According to Tyerman (1958:217), truancy has been a problem to all concerned with education since 1870s. Approximately 750 children were charged for truancy in England and Wales in 1954 (ibid: 220). This figure could have been an underestimation as it was based on learners who were referred to courts, and therefore represented mainly incorrigible truants (ibid). Furthermore, the figure gives a general picture of truanting children in one country only and without an indication whether it was absence from certain lessons or whole school day absence. Truancy is currently a problem in communities. In Clarks report concern was expressed about truancy among school children. Data presented in this report indicates that non-attendance exists, and has become an issue of increasing concern for schools, educational and student welfare organizations. Non-attendances viewed as being among one of the key problems facing some schools. There is increasing concern for the seemingly large number of ch ildren and young people, who are, for a range of reasons, missing out on the benefits of education and possibly on a better future (Dr. L. Galea, The Times 9th February, 2005). Non-attendance can be the beginning of countless problems for students who regularly miss out on school (Heyne, King, Tonge, Rollings, Pritchard Young,1999). The extent and nature of truancy are best understood in terms of whether it implies absence for the whole day or during a particular lesson. This chapter deals with how blanket and post-registration truancy manifest, the causal factors and various measures of reducing truancy in secondary schools. Blanket Truancy Perspectives in various countries England and Wales Normab (2001:49) states that 50,000 children play truant on a normal school day in England. The number of truants increases steadily with age and most truants are found at secondary school (ibid). This confirms past research findings about the existence of truancy in secondary school in some parts of England. Gray and Jesson (1990:25) gathered information on the incidence of truancy from the youth cohort survey of England and Wales. The result of their survey shows that 6% of final-year secondary school learners reported to have played truant for several days or weeks at a time. Malcolm, Wilson, Davidson and Kirk (2003:50) state as follows: ‘In 1999, the Audit Commission noted that at least 40,000 of the 400,000 learners absent from school are truanting. Scotland In a study done at 50 Scottish secondary schools, it was found that 30% to 33% of learners had been playing truant at least once in the survey week (Munn and Johnston, 1992:38). These schools were requested to provide both the overall attendance rate and the numbers of learners (ibid). Australia Haddon (1996:110), citing a comprehensive study conducted in Victorian secondary schools in Australia, states that 40% to 60% of learners of compulsory school age reported that they engaged in truancy. Cohen and Ryan (1998:12) state that about 10,000 learners in Tasmania play truant at least one day a week. The Netherlands The research done at 36 schools in four Dutch cities indicates that the average level of truancy at all schools was 4.4% (Bos, Ruiters and Visscher, 1992:393). The average percentage of allowed absence was 4.7%, therefore suggesting that learners in most schools are just as often absent with a valid reason as without one. United States of America It appears that truancy is a problem in American schools, although at varying levels. According to Black (1996:33), approximately 2,500 and 4,000 learners play truant on a daily basis in Pittsburg and Mulwaukee, repectively, while 300,000 of the 1.6 million students in Los Angeles are habitual truants. This shows that some learners stay absent without permission every day and that a day never goes by with a recording of 100% attendance. Truancy is so much of a concern that the Department of Education has prepared a manual that gives schools some guidelines on how to reduce it (United States Department of Education, 1996). Malta From January 2001 up to December 2002 there were 8,903 arraignments before local tribunals in connection with school absenteeism (Grech, 2002). This figure represents only the number of students who were absent from school without a valid reason on more than three occasions in the space of a month. It is a known fact that there are a number of pupils that systematically take three days off from school each month just for the sake that they use up their monthly absence allowance and knowing that in this way their parents would not receive a citation. Survey results issued by the National Statistics Office Malta on December 16, 2002 showed that overall absence rate from schools between September 25, 2000 and March 31, 20001, stood at 10.5 days per pupil. That included both absenteeism and authorized absence (such as those due to sickness). During this period, 657,604 pupil days were list to absenteeism, accounting for 8.9 per cent of the total pupil days. This reveals an increase of 5. 2 per cent over the 1999/2000 scholastic year. Absences in government schools stood at 19.12 days per pupil whereas that of government dependent (church schools) and independent private schools was 5.76 days per pupil. The rate of truancy in terms of gender Some of the overseas researchers state that there is no difference in the levels of truancy reported for males and females (Gray and Jesson, 1990:26; Haddon, 1996: 110; Smith, M., 1996:226; Stoll, 1994:36; Whitney, 1994: 59). Recent research on truancy in the seven local education authorities reports that the numbers of learners in secondary school admitting truancy was almost equal for boys and girls (Malcolm et al., 2003:31). Coldman (1995:68) also states that the variation that exists in truancy levels of males and females is slight. It is, therefore, apparent that some research are in agreement with regard to the truancy levels of male and females learners. Earlier research that was conducted in South Africa suggests that more males than females tend to play truant Coldman (1995:68) warns against making assumptions and generalisations about the existence of gender differnce in truancy levels. He argues that observed findings might result from the fact that some schools have more males than females, particularly when one is dealing with a large sample. What the above studies suggest about truancy levels of males and females is that the difference might be slight, if it does exist. Furthermore, observed diffrenences may be incfluenced by other variables, such as the enrolled number of male and female learners in a sample. Truancy rate according to the geographical location of the school Serious truancy is said to be more prevalent in inner-city secondary schools in England (Gray and Jesson, 1990:36; Stoll, 1990:23). Munn and Johnstone (1992:4) also found that the Scottish school with the highest percentage of unauthorized absence was all in the inner city. Coldman (1995:69) asserts that claims that truancy is a problem mainly experienced in inner city schools are disputable, since another survey showed that the truancy level is high even in the suburban, rural and industrial areas of England. It may therefore be purely speculation, without much supporting evidence, to suggest that inner-city school experience higher levels of truancy. Hard evidence needs to be gathered, where possible, in order to verify the claim that inner-city experience higher rates of truancy. According to some researchers, truancy levels also appear to differ from school to school, since they may be more prevalent in schools than in others (Blackm 1996:33; Bos et al., 1992:385; Gray and Jesson, 1990:26; OKeefe and Stoll, 1995:12). It is therefore apparent that the levels of truancy seem to vary from country to country, and in some cases, also in terms of geographical locations within a city or town. The literature indicates that blanket truancy is common in many secondary school and that, in some cases, learners play truant on a daily basis. The levels of blanket truancy can also vary according to regional locations within the same country. In the next section, the evidence regarding the level of post-registration truancy drawn from the literature will be discussed. Post-registration Truancy Very little information is given in the literature about national trends of post-registration truancy in countries where research on truancy was conducted. Most of the studies conducted in the United Kingdom, Australia, the United St

Media Manipulation Essay -- essays research papers

The media and advertising hinder do indeed hinder our being fully human. Mass media including radio, television and newspapers endeavors to shape public opinion on a variety of things. The media attempts to manipulate those values instilled by parents and society in general, thus taking away from our being human. Messages designed to influence peoples’ attitudes, desires and decisions fall upon society urging those people to buy a certain product, vote for a certain political figure, or support a â€Å"worthy† cause. The daily attack of media and advertising persuade the public to be one and the same, rather than allowing them to function as humans who follow their own beliefs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Public opinion is formed through media propaganda. The network of communication systems – radio, magazines, newspaper, television, and films – informs those exposed as to their roles in society and their culture. Advertising has but one purpose: to sell a product or service or to promote a political figure by any and all means necessary including brainwashing the general public. Companies try to make the consumer aware of its product and convince the world that its product is better than that of the competitor as seen with the war between McDonalds and Burger King restaurants. This misuse of triggering the subconscious minds induces the public to buy things without knowing they have been deceived.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Parents have the heaviest influence in shaping on...

Christian Societies Emerge in Europe Essay

Christian Societies Emerge in Europe, 600-1200 1. What new political systems emerged in Europe after the fall of Rome? How consistent were these systems, and what major variations were there? Byzantine had a continuation of Roman Imperial rule and tradition where it was completely gone in the kingdoms succeeding Rome in the West. Byzantine still used the imperial law intact while the west used provincial form of Roman law. Byzantine combined imperial rule with the political oversight of the Christian Church which led to Christian monarchs, a ruler with supreme religious and political authority. This prevented the empire to divide into principalities like in the East. Imperial authority and urbanization of the Byzantine protected them from population loss and economic reverse of the Western Empire besides from the Bubonic plague. decline. In western Europe, the imperial legal framework of the Roman Empire disappeared and saw to the rise of kings, nobles and chieftains in regions. Family based traditions of the Germanic people persisted and supplied laws of the Roman emperors. A local lord had a castle where peasants could take refuge in times of fear and security. Manorial systems developed which are self-sufficient farming estates consisted of outbuildings, castle, peasant village and surrounding land. Feudalism is the more political term where kings and lords give land to vassals in return for sworn military support. Fear allowed for farmers to give up their land in return for protection. Poorly organized govt. and isolation made them rely on own resources. The lords provided governance and justice while royal govt. involvement is limited. Jurisdiction fell under the clergy of the church, monasteries or nunneries which owned agricultural land. During the revival of Western Europe, 1000-1200, independent cities formed and were governed by communes or groups of leading citizens. Instead of farming these cities turned to manufacturing and trade. Laws made serfs free once they left the countryside for the city. Venice became dominant sea power and competed with Pisa and Genoa for domination of trade with Muslim ports in Africa and Med. Cites in Flanders rivaled Italian cities in prosperity trade and industry (dominated fish and wool trades) Abundant coinage of silver and gold coming from Muslim and Byzantine lands, promoted economic activity 2. How and why did Christianity spread throughout Europe up to 1200 CE? It spread through the Roman Empire which ruled parts of the Europe west of the Rhine and south of the Danube. First when Christianity was not very widely practiced and it was illegal, it spread along urban networks and lower classes. Then emperors started to convert starting with the Byzantine emperors established Christianity as their official religion. Then Christianity started to gain support and patronage. There were a few missionaries sent out of the Roman Empire such as St. Patrick who spread the religion to Ireland. Trade and Christian slaves also spread Christianity more easily to a broad range of places. After the division of the Roman Empire, two –thirds of Christians adopted Muslim faith in Byzantine territories around southern Med. The church and the jurisdiction of the pope remained a huge influence and role model in society. Kings who succeeded Western Europe generally were Christian so they can win the favor of their subjects. There were more missionaries spreading the teachings of Christianity. Monasteries and covenants planted Christianity in new lands. The Poles and other Slavic people in the North accepted the Christianity of Rome, taught by German priests and missionaries, and diffusion from Constantinople. In Kiev Russia, Vladimir married a bride from the Byzantine imperial family and converted to Orthodox Christianity and opened his lands to Orthodox clerics and missionaries†¦ Generally speaking, Christianity spread because of cultural diffusion, missionaries, political contacts such as marriage alliances, and Christian conquests. 3. How does the economic, social, and political structure of Europe compare with the previous era under the Roman Empire? Economically, Byzantine government remained the same in terms of set prices, organized grain shipments to the capital and monopolies on trade goods and luxuries. This may have slowed economic developments. The focus was mainly on Constantinople’s rich, trade, glittering court and cathedrals leaving the poor and the travelers behind which affected other Byzantine cities negatively. There was no moral code to follow so there were many crimes. In Western Europe, Germanic political order cared less about the urban based  civilization of Rome. It lost pop. in most regions and some cities became villages. Roman Roads, abandoned villas and public buildings started deteriorating as wealth, maintenance, and workers decreased. Paying with coins was replaced with the bartering system. Trade declined so they had to rely on local sources. Roman centralization used its wealth and production on the capital, which spread Rome’s cultural traits throughout the provinces. But Germanic territorial lords persisted on their own cultural traditions so literacy and other aspects of Rome declined. The status of women changed. During the Roman Empire, the family was centered on the legally all-powerful father while woman enjoyed freedom in public. Later, after the 7th century, women lived in confinement and hid their faces under veil. They only socialized with males in their family. On the other hand, from 1028-1056, women ruled along their husbands. Some also played prominent roles based on status such as the daughter of Emperor Comnenus by expressing her ideas and point of view. In Western Europe, the Germanic tradition was splitting property among sons. The Manorial system allowed for Nobles and their family to completely rule over the serfs of agricultural workers who worked the land in return for protection and could not leave the manor where they were born into. This limited the freedom and potential achievement for most people except for the nobles. K nights, the primary figure of medieval warfare, regularly answered to calls for military service and there was a growing number of warriors and horsemen which gradually led to an increased status of a mounted warrior, becoming a landowner. Land was the basis of wealth so the more land, the more support for the knight there is. Fiefs or grants of land could be inheritable as long as military service was provided. Noblewomen played key parts in the Feudal system. A man who married the daughter or widow of a lord with no sons could gain control of their property. Marriage alliances affect the kingdom on a whole. Noblewomen had sufficient roles in society such as directing public works. Noble daughters AND sons had little say in marriage matters but issues of land, power, and military service took more importance. Noblewomen could inherit land even when the husband was away at war. Regular women worked with the men, performing agricultural tasks such as raking, stacking hay, shearing sheep, and picking vegetables. They also were skilled artisans so they could weave and sew. Some women lived my monastic rules by seclusion in convent  but very small percentage. Convents provided refuge for widows and for other women in need of protection and spirituality. Byzantine still maintained Roman Imperial rule and traditions. Imperial authority and urbanization of the Byzantine protected them from population loss and economic reverse of the Western Empire. The Bubonic Plague and other epidemics, excluded from this condition, caused decline of pop., elite, and wealth and shifting views of saints. Power in the imperial court was organized by family based aristocracy rather than earlier class based office holdings by 11th century. Territorial losses of prosperous Egypt, Syria, and Tunisia by the Sassanids and invasions of Slavic and Turkish people in the Byzantine Empire led to military weakness and decline. In western Europe, the imperial legal framework of the Roman Empire disappeared and saw to the rise of kings, nobles and chieftains. Family based traditions of the Germanic people persisted and supplied laws of the Roman emperors. Society focused on rural villages and estates (manors) rather than cities. The Church also played a huge part in the political structure in both Byzantine and especially the West where not only did it offer religious guidance, but political jurisdiction as well according to church or clergy property. Three traditions constantly competed with each other; Feudal law from Germanic custom gave supreme power to the king, canon law is the single hierarchical legal institution with jurisdiction over Western Christians, and Monasticism which is living in a religious and secular community following pre-Christian practices such as celibacy, chastity, obedience and poverty. 4. Describe the process by which Christianity diverged into two branches: Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. There were disagreements between the popes and princes of Western Europe that gradually worsened. The patriarchs of Constantinople challenged the jurisdictions of the popes of Rome and some practices of the Latin Church. This formed a schism or split between the Latin Church and Orthodox Church. Christian populations followed the religious guidance of the pope of Constantinople and the pope of the Western Church had similar authority. Missionaries in the East spread Christianity among the Slavs so in the west, they spread Christianity into the British Isles and German lands. In the West, the papacy is the central administration of the Roman Catholic Church of which the pope is the head. Roman nobles lost control of it though eventually and became an international office where councils of bishops set canons or rules to regulate the priest and people not part of clergy. It was hard to unite the church when there were disagreements between regions over church regulations, shortages of trained clergy, political disorder, insecurity, some polytheism, and selling appointments. Because of political fragmentation, the pope needed allies, especially the support of the king. Both considered themselves as absolute authority. In 969, the Holy Roman Empire established loose confederation of German states and principalities. The first emperor had secular political authority over general Christian interests but the law of the church controlled jurisdiction overall church and clergy property while bishops holding land as vassals owed their service to kings and princes. This led to the investiture controversy or medieval struggle between the church and the lay lords to control churc h appointments and popes vs. emperors and kings. 5. What role did technology and improvements in agriculture play in the development of the European economy? Agricultural Europe produced horses for a specific type of warfare in the Roman legion where larger and heavier horses were needed. Farmers practiced shifting cultivation in Kievan Russia where they would burn a section of forest for fertility instead of manorial agriculture system. Between 1000-1200 western Europe transformed from subsistence farming where only basic needs were met for food, shelter and clothing to growing population and agricultural production. The food surplus made the return of a money-based economy and supported larger numbers of workers and traders. Population growth was started by new technologies and the appearance of the self-governing cities of Italy and Flanders devoted to seaborne trade. There were also improvements in central administration, greater control over vassals, and stronger kingdoms. A new plow appeared which cut deep into the soil to turn over land and made it easier to farm heavy soil but took more energy and animals. The horse collar was a harnessing method used to hitch horse to plows and carts more efficiently as they were faster and stronger than oxen. Some areas favored oxen and contributed to the pop. growth as well. 6. How did Kievan Russia develop both in conjuncture with Western Europe and Byzantium yet develop distinct  characteristics? The environment is quite different because of the fact that there is frozen tundra in the north, cold forest zone, then a more temperate forest, mixed forests and steppe grasslands. There is a different culture of the Slavic people who spoke distinct languages. Kievan Russia developed Orthodox Christianity officially like in Byzantine which extended northward which provided a barrier against Latin Christianity. Even though orthodox Christianity was the official religionthere was still distinct cultural traditions such as polytheist designs and beliefs, rejections of Christian burial practices, and traditional Slavic marriage practicing casual and polygamous relations. Besides this, Kievan developed distinct ones as well. Its political power came from trade rather than from landholding like the manorial system of western Europe. Farmers practiced shifting cultivation in Kievan Russia where they would burn a section of forest for fertility. Poor land and short growing season in the very north made food scarce so the focus was more on horse breeding than agriculture.

Global Aids Crisis essays

Global Aids Crisis essays AIDS is a killer. Worldwide, AIDS killed almost 3 million people last year. Thats 8,000 people every day, 333 every hour, and 5 people every minute. Unfortunately thats not where it ends. The AIDS epidemic is not getting any better, in fact it is killing more and more as each minute passes. Every day some 15,000 new cases of HIV infections occur. That means that every single day 15,000 death sentences are handed out since there is no cure for HIV or AIDS. The epidemic is the worst in third world nations. 95% of all AIDS cases occur in the worlds poorest countries. In some of the worst areas 1/3 of the adult population have either HIV or AIDS. In these countries, 1/3 of all 15 year olds will die of AIDS. One of the worst situations is in Zimbabwe where the population living with HIV/AIDS is almost 50%. Unfortunately the majority of the population is also illiterate. The dilemma there is, how does one educate a people on prevention when the people cant even read or write, let alone have access to any form of media. Furthermore treatment is also a very grave issue when referring to developing countries. The G8 nations do not have this problem, however there are partly to blame for this epidemic. The G8 nations and their pharmaceutical monopolies do not see the crisis in Africa and Asia as being profitable enough for them to become heavily involved. They choose not to share all the resources that we have with these nations because they fear losing money on their patents. As Westerners we have become very complacent with the affects of AIDS in our lives and our society, and even more apathetic towards the global crisis. We dont seem to feel that it is an issue, we all have a sense of immortality until something like AIDS hits home, and even at that at least here we can treat it. Think about the millions of people in Africa and Asia who die every year, not in war, not in any n ...

Indian Removal essays

Indian Removal essays The 1830s removal of the Cherokee Indians from their ancestral land to distant reservations in Oklahoma, known as the Trail of Tears, represented a marked divergence from American national policy. The decision made by the Jackson administration differed in two conspicuous ways: the removal proceeded from a gross breach of treaty and sovereignty rather than a coerced Teformulation of a treaty; it defied the entire Judicial branch of government by going against the Supreme Court. Although the historical trend was building up to greater and greater clashes between Indians, the national policy had not overtly changed until Jackson proposed the Indian Removal Act. Beginning in 1721 the colonies had made treaties with Native Americans (Doc. A). Successive US Treaties took away successive amounts of land (Doc. A). Although coerced, these treaties were superficially legal. Henry Knox, secretary of war under Washingtons administration and negotiator of the Cherokee Treaty of Holston, summarized the possibilities for the United States as follows, ...two modes present themselves...; the first of which is by raising an army and [destroying the resisting] tribes entirely, or 2ndly by forming treaties of peace with them (Doc. B). America did in fact employ both options; taking away increasing amounts of lands from Indians via treaties and outright conquering the lands of Indians who resisted. However, Knox further observed, An inquiry would arise, whether ...the United States have a clear right ... to proceed with the destruction or expulsion of the savages ...The Indians being the prior occupants possess the right of the soil. It cannot be taken from them unless by their free consent, or by the right of conquest of a just war. (Doc B). As this is the national policy existing under Washington, it can clearly be seen to be contrary to Jackson who removed the ...

Airplanes The Better Transportation Essay

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Cultural factors on managerial roles in female managers Research Paper

Cultural factors on managerial roles in female managers - Research Paper Example There has been a realization that barriers women face exist in medium to large organizations throughout the world (Davidson & Burke, 2004). The glass ceiling, that invisible but impenetrable barrier that keeps women out of the top levels of organizations, is a worldwide phenomenon. Organizations are also beginning to conclude that the full utilization and development of the talents of all employees has become a business imperative (Burke, 2005). If firms are to remain productive and competitive in an increasingly demanding global marketplace, they must recruit, retain, develop and promote their most talented people-regardless of their sex. This is increasingly seen not only as the ethical thing to do but also as the most progressive way of advancing organizations. In light of this reality, a number of leading organizations are making conscious efforts towards being more women-friendly (Burke, 2005). Thankfully, these efforts have helped increase the attention accorded to women in man agement. Organizations have a more structured approach aimed at promoting more women than has been traditionally the case. Currently, we can see that the proportions of women in the American labor force, in management overall, and in top management have increased in recent years. Also, the gap between proportions of women in the labor force and in management overall has virtually disappeared. ... and they occupied 50% of the overall managerial positions. A prior report, released in 2006, indicated that the women population had exceeded the men population in mid-level positions and occupations. Looking at these statistics, it is clear that women have made substantial progress in mid-level management; however, they still remain much maligned in top level management as statistics will reveal (Catalyst 2013). In 2010, only 2.4% of the Fortune 500 senior positions were occupied by women. In the FTSE 100, the situation was even worse with women occupying a mere 1.8% of the senior/top positions. These wanting statistics extend to boardroom seats, mainly in the major economies such as U.S. and U.K. Looking at the FTSE 100, women constitute only 12.5% of the overall directors, though this was a slight improvement from 11.7% in 2008 and 12.2% in 2009 (Toegel, 2011). However, the situation is not all gloom, as in certain countries the number of women holding senior positions in the corp orate world is competitive enough, an example of this is in Norway where women occupy 44.2% of the total board seats. All the same, this is an isolated case, and discrimination is more the norm in most corporations especially in U.S. and U.K. Research reveals that even in countries such as Norway, where women occupancy is quite competitive the number has not been achieved voluntarily (Toegel, 2011). The current situation was necessitated by a 2008 law which required that all publicly listed companies have a board constitution made up of at least 40 percent women (Catalyst 2013). Countries such as Norway provide hope for women, going forward much more effort will be directed to achieving competitive women numbers. There are some commendable steps, with France and Spain said to be

Fire Fighting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fire Fighting - Essay Example Thirdly, Madrzykowski explores fire dynamics and discusses different case studies on fire dynamics. He brings forth different fire scenarios and how development and progression of fire are influenced by different factors. For instance, ventilation influences the progression of the fire. In a closed compartment, heated gases mix with oxygen resulting in a flaming combustion. However, as the oxygen gets depleted, the fire decays. The heat emitted from the fire decreases and consequently the temperature decreases. When oxygen is introduced into the compartment, either through the opening of a window or a door, the heated gases mix with the oxygen and as a result, the energy levels begin to rise. Such a change in ventilation can lead to a flashover. Lastly, Alkonis and Madrzykowski discuss training on fire behavior and organizational change in the management of fires. To enhance safety and survivability, they recommend the application of water as soon as possible, limiting the opening of doors and windows, closing all doors and windows, identification of fire location, extent and characteristics of the smoke as well as identifying and interrupting the flow path. Importantly, the process of firefighting needs to be a well-coordinated effort with proper communication among team members (Kerber, Madrzykowski, & Alkonis, 2015). In summary, NIST and UL’s research has revolutionized firefighting and introduced change in modern day fire service. Undoubtedly, the changes are likely to stay for generations to come.

Violence on Campus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Violence on Campus - Essay Example ming from any number of issues, leads to violence against others, significant steps are required on behalf of university policy-makers to combat the growing problem of violence on campus. This paper will describe campus violence, provide solutions for these problems from a sociological and psychological perspective, and also highlight difficulties with current anti-violence policies on todays campuses. Campus violence occurs when any variety of criminal activities transpire on the grounds of todays colleges and universities and includes, but is not limited to, petty theft, assault, rape, and even murder. Between 1995 and 2002, nearly 500,000 students between the ages of 18-24 experienced some form of campus violence (Acha.org, 2005). The most common types of violence occurring involved forced sexual intercourse and aggravated assault (Acha.org). The most alarming statistic suggests that only a small fraction of these criminal incidents are actually reported to police, which tends to infer that a much higher volume of students (other than reported statistics) are experiencing campus violence. Though campus violence is largely conducted by the college students themselves, school administrators and faculty, too, have been charged with rape and assault against other students and their peers, suggesting that campus violence is not isolated or linked specifically to student criminal behaviors. Why, though, does campus violence occur with such alarming frequency? Sociological perspectives on the issue tend to link violence with peer group acceptance. Henslin (2003) offers that college binge drinking, the activity of consuming massive amounts of alcohol over an extended period of time, is the primary catalyst for assault-related behaviors. As the majority of university students, today, maintain housing in local dormitories without parental supervision, student recreation related to constant alcohol consumption is both commonplace and deemed acceptable by a large

Family Focus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Family Focus - Essay Example The family is the primary social group in society, typically composed of parents and their children. Another definition is that a family is: a married couple or other group of adult kinsfolk, who cooperate economically and in the upbringing of children; and all or most of whom share a common dwelling.(Gough 52). In a family, the members are either related by blood, or related by law or marriage, like a husband and wife. The bible sees the family not as a cultural construct but a fundamental God-given institution built into the very nature of the universe . The biblical record of the creation of the world centers on the human family, starting with the creation of Adam and Eve. God wants us to live in happy families. Ephesians 2:10 provides some insight, explaining that God prearranged a good life for us. Joyce Meyer says that you and I can have that life only if we choose to walk in it, if we submit to His will for us. The key is obedience. Obedient followers of God, like Noah and Dan iel received radical blessings from God. Sir John Bowring has said that a happy family is but an earlier heaven, and Leo Tolstoy has accurately observed that : All happy families resemble each other, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Family problems like divorce, illegitimate children, child abuse, and broken homes result from family breakdown. Family problems result in social problems like crime and poverty, sexual promiscuity, economic setbacks, etc.

National Security Safeguards and Countermeasures Techniques Final Essay

National Security Safeguards and Countermeasures Techniques Final - Essay Example That promotes higher levels of responsibility since the executive is aware of the close supervision. Every item that makes it to the budget undergoes great consideration to determine the effect it would have on the budget and the reaction of the legislature on such expenditure. A shortfall of the concept is that it allows little or no breathing time. The executive and legislature are continually involved in the budgeting process. That may limit the time available to analyze government activities. The basis for the development of safeguards and countermeasures is the concern over the increasing threat of terrorist attacks. There has been great development in nuclear weaponry necessitating greater efforts to boost countermeasures and safeguards. The aim is to ensure national security and safety. Countermeasures help detect and identify any material with the potential to be converted into weapons that can be used in terrorism. 3. In National Security Safeguards and Countermeasures Techniques, reciprocity is necessary as it allows for the sharing of classified information, facilities and services by the different security agencies. That helps manage costs of

THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHRISTIANITY Essay

THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHRISTIANITY - Essay Example According to Hauer and Young (1998), â€Å"On one point, devout Christians were obdurate in their resistance to Roman policy which encouraged the cult of the divine emperor. The cult of the emperor was more popular in the Roman provinces than in the Rome itself. It was also highly admired in the provinces than it was in the divine kingship of the eastern Mediterranean† (pp. 338). The Romans were initially threatened by Christianity because leaders who stood and believed in the status quo did not encourage any shift of power from one social group to another. In fact, a shift in power would amount to quite big problems. It all boiled down to money. Without enough people to make sacrifices at the temple cultus, people who worked in the temples and made money as moneychangers in the temples did not make money off to Christians, who refused to participate due to the new wave of thinking brought in by Christianity; Christians were viewed as overly exclusive and hence dangerous to the society in general and public order. Christians had no respect for other gods and they therefore refrained from public festivals that were meant to honor public deities. In fact, they never worshiped state gods and the imperial cult. They neither worshiped nor recognized the emperor as the leader of religion. This turned out to be unfortunate for the Romans, who wanted to stay powerful. Therefore, were treated with suspicion and regarded as stubborn and somewhat subversive to the State solidarity. Christianity and Graeco-Roman humanism share many common elements: For instance, they both focus upon fellowship and humane treatment of people and animals. However, Christianity is not as cultic as much as the Graeco-Roman humanistic religious perspective. Christianity is also much more religious in terms of being focused upon the deity of Jesus than the Graeco-Roman humanism was focused upon any particular deity, although several deities were

Family Focus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Family Focus - Essay Example The family is the primary social group in society, typically composed of parents and their children. Another definition is that a family is: a married couple or other group of adult kinsfolk, who cooperate economically and in the upbringing of children; and all or most of whom share a common dwelling.(Gough 52). In a family, the members are either related by blood, or related by law or marriage, like a husband and wife. The bible sees the family not as a cultural construct but a fundamental God-given institution built into the very nature of the universe . The biblical record of the creation of the world centers on the human family, starting with the creation of Adam and Eve. God wants us to live in happy families. Ephesians 2:10 provides some insight, explaining that God prearranged a good life for us. Joyce Meyer says that you and I can have that life only if we choose to walk in it, if we submit to His will for us. The key is obedience. Obedient followers of God, like Noah and Dan iel received radical blessings from God. Sir John Bowring has said that a happy family is but an earlier heaven, and Leo Tolstoy has accurately observed that : All happy families resemble each other, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Family problems like divorce, illegitimate children, child abuse, and broken homes result from family breakdown. Family problems result in social problems like crime and poverty, sexual promiscuity, economic setbacks, etc.

THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHRISTIANITY Essay

THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHRISTIANITY - Essay Example According to Hauer and Young (1998), â€Å"On one point, devout Christians were obdurate in their resistance to Roman policy which encouraged the cult of the divine emperor. The cult of the emperor was more popular in the Roman provinces than in the Rome itself. It was also highly admired in the provinces than it was in the divine kingship of the eastern Mediterranean† (pp. 338). The Romans were initially threatened by Christianity because leaders who stood and believed in the status quo did not encourage any shift of power from one social group to another. In fact, a shift in power would amount to quite big problems. It all boiled down to money. Without enough people to make sacrifices at the temple cultus, people who worked in the temples and made money as moneychangers in the temples did not make money off to Christians, who refused to participate due to the new wave of thinking brought in by Christianity; Christians were viewed as overly exclusive and hence dangerous to the society in general and public order. Christians had no respect for other gods and they therefore refrained from public festivals that were meant to honor public deities. In fact, they never worshiped state gods and the imperial cult. They neither worshiped nor recognized the emperor as the leader of religion. This turned out to be unfortunate for the Romans, who wanted to stay powerful. Therefore, were treated with suspicion and regarded as stubborn and somewhat subversive to the State solidarity. Christianity and Graeco-Roman humanism share many common elements: For instance, they both focus upon fellowship and humane treatment of people and animals. However, Christianity is not as cultic as much as the Graeco-Roman humanistic religious perspective. Christianity is also much more religious in terms of being focused upon the deity of Jesus than the Graeco-Roman humanism was focused upon any particular deity, although several deities were

Diversity Outline Essay Example for Free

Diversity Outline Essay Statement: JP Morgan Chase bank is actually a well respected multinational finance service provider having monetary assets numbering in the trillions of dollars. They give good results in 60 different countries and they are moving forward to grow. Sociology General Sociology Learning Team Assignment: Equal Rights Proposition Outline Select a current social issue related to the rights of ethnic or social groups. Research the subject and existing action plans designed to solve the issue. Develop a 1,050- to 1,500- word comprehensive outline of your proposition to promote equal rights. Be sure to include the following: The issues, challenges, and opportunities experienced by this group in the labor force How society has constructed this group’s identity The legal framework relating to this issue Summary of existing or proposed solutions of differing groups. Consider the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, corporate human resource departments, state or federal laws and regulations, political strategies, government agencies, religious groups, and grass roots organizations. Whether or not this issue exists in other countries, and if so, how it is handled by differing groups Your team’s compromise or alternative to existing solutions Outline your proposition in Microsoft Word. Include at least five academic references in your research. Format your outline consistent with APA guidelines. When it comes to succeeding in college, there are many influential factors. In fact, even your choice of seat can make a difference. Try to score a seat near the front of the lecture hall rather than one right next to the exit. You are more likely to stay engaged and can ask your profess For downloading more course tutorials visit https://bitly.com/1xpzHSE When it comes to succeeding in college, there are many influential factors. In fact, even your choice of seat can make a difference. Try to score a seat near the front of the lecture hall rather than one right next to the exit. You are more likely to stay engaged and can ask your professor questions easily. Sociology General Sociology Learning Team Assignment: Equal Rights Proposition Outline Select a current social issue related to the rights of ethnic or social groups. Research the subject and existing action plans designed to solve the issue. Develop a 1,050- to 1,500- word comprehensive outline of your proposition to promote equal rights. Be sure to include the following: The issues, challenges, and opportunities experienced by this group in the labor force How society has constructed this group’s identity The legal framework relating to this issue Summary of existing or proposed solutions of differing groups. Consider the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, corporate human resource departments, state or federal laws and regulations, political strategies, government agencies, religious groups, and grass roots organizations. Whether or not this issue exists in other countries, and if so, how it is handled by differing groups Your team’s compromise or alternative to existing solutions Outline your proposition in Microsoft Word. Include at least five academic references in your research. Format your outline consistent with APA guidelines.

Development of Microprocessor Based Automatic Gate

Development of Microprocessor Based Automatic Gate ABSTRACT In this paper, we give detailed information about development of microprocessor based automatic gate. In common gate operations many times troubles will occur, using microprocessor based automatic gate, we can completely remove these troubles easily. We are going to use this automatic gate in Automatic Car Parking. The automatic gate senses vehicle which they come near to it. It automatically opens, wait for a definite time, and closes after the time has passed. This system can also regularly check the number of vehicle that entered the parking area and calculate the available space limit of the area. The automatic gate developed in this paper is controlled by software, which can be modified any time whenever the system needs the change. Keywords: automatic gate, microprocessor, automobile, traffic controllers. INTRODUCTION Need of automatic gate is rapidly increasing day by day. This system described the use of microprocessor as a controller. This automatic gate is nothing but the alternative of manual gate. Manual systems are costly, time consuming. Micro controlled gate are  used in making sound system, Robot, automatic breaking system, etc. This automatic gate can be used in parking of residential home, organization, in public car parking. This system consists of an automatic remote control to open and close the door for parking. It opens the door only when the space is there. The automatic gate which is used here is not for security purpose. It is just developed to eliminate the problems which are faced by the older manual method. SYSTEM OVERVIEW The system presented here is microprocessor based automatic gate. Here microprocessor is used to control the sensor which gives the information about space limit. This system opens, wait and closes door for car. And counts the number of car entered or exit. This system consists of trigger circuit, sensor, CPU and memory module, display, gate and power supply unit. First sensor gives input signal to system. The sensor is optical when the car cross it then the signal is HIGH otherwise it is LOW. Trigger is responsible for the HIGH and LOW signals. This trigger coverts the analog signal to digital. If the signal is HIGH then trigger sends the signal to interface unit. Then the car enters the parking. If the signal is LOW then the car never enters to the parking area. Power supply unit supplies DC voltage for system. Block diagram of system HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE DESIGN The system design is divided into two parts: Hardware design. Software design. Hardware design Sensor unit Trigger circuit CPU module Memory module Display unit Gate control unit Power supply unit 1. Sensor Unit:- It is an optical sensor; this is the light dependent register. This will change its resistance with intensity of light. In this system we use ORP12 it is called as dark resistance of 10ÃŽ ©. When light ray are focused then resistance is low and if lights are disturbed, resistance will start increasing to dark resistance. Two pair of resister is used one for entrance gate and another for exit gate. Sensor unit send output to trigger circuit. When light ray focused output voltage is v01 and v02. And when light is getting interrupted then the voltage increases to 5v. 2. Trigger Circuit:- This is made up of trigger, two input NAND gate. This receives the output from sensor unit. If there is output from sensor unit then only trigger circuit go HIGH, otherwise it remains at LOW level. 3. CPU Module:- This provides system clock, reset and access to address data and control bus. Additional circuits are used which are: Clock circuit. Reset circuit. Clock circuit: Crystal Oscillator is used to implement clock circuit. Cristal oscillator is more reliable for the high level output voltage. In this design the CPU which is used, has a clock cycle. Thus we use crystal oscillator and is pass through flip flop. Reset Circuit: After the power is supplied this circuit initializes CPU if Halt occurs. If the CPU is reset the execution starts. It will clear the interrupt. 4. Memory Module:- In this module two techniques are used linear select and fully decoding technique. In linear select each bit select a device, can be done with small system. Doesn’t need any decoding hardware, but it is time consuming. In fully decoding memory address is required to select memory device. Address Decoder: It tells about space in memory to allocate the address pointed by microprocessor. In this combinational circuits are used. It can enable multiple inputs. When all enables are active then only decoder has active low outputs. 5. Display Unit:- Display unit uses the decimal and hexadecimal format for displaying purpose. Display unit consists of- Z80 PIO: It provides 8-bit I/O port. It needs a driver to fed output to 7-segment display. Whenever a vehicle crosses the gate, this unit send signal to driver. BCD to 7 segment decoder: For displaying decimal digit, decoder is used to take 4-bit BCD input. 7-segment display 6. Gate Control Unit:- Gate control unit is made up of PNP and NPN transistor Diodes Motor. Transistors are used to control opening of gate through motor. There is time interval of 10 seconds between opening and closing of gate. Diodes are used to protect transistor from reverse bias register to improve switching line. A DC Motor is used to control opening and closing of gate. 7. Power Supply Unit:- Power supply unit designed is 5v DC and is doesn’t change even if there is variation in AC voltage. Component of power supply unit is:- Transformer: 220 or 240 transformer. Diode: converts AC current to DC. Filter Capacitor: used to reduce ripple voltage. Regulator: it receives DC input, and return it as the output Software design Software design is referred as the coding. Here we have to program the system. Program modules are: Main Program Sensor Subroutine Delay Subroutine Output Subroutine Steps involving in software design: Algorithm Flow Chart Coding Algorithm START 1. cnt1 = 0, cnt2 = 0, lim = 20 2. Read the sensor bit 3. Compare sensor bit with entry code and exit code. a. If sensor bit = entry code then goto step 5 b. Elseif sensor bit = exit code then goto step 6 4. Go to step 2 5. a. Open, wait and close b. Increment cnt1 and display c. Go to step 7 6a.Open, wait and close b. Increment cnt2 and display 7. Subtract cnt2 from cnt1 8. Compare result with lim a. If result = lim then step 9 b. Else go to step 2 9. Fetch sensor bit 10. Compare sensor bit a. If status = exit code then step6 b. Else raise alarm 11. Goto step 9. CONCLUSION By this system with the help of microcontroller gate project’s goal is achieved. The design can be applicable for any kind of system which needs sensor. In this system sensor plays the important part to this parking system. For effectiveness one should have the proper knowledge about the sensor, microprocessor, and assembly language. The sensor works effectively if operates in high intensity of light. This automatic gate can be used in organization; public car park etc. and this system don’t make for any security purpose.

Pillars of Salt, A Woman of Five Seasons and A Balcony Over the Fakihani :: Pillars Salt Seasons Balcony Fakihani Papers

Pillars of Salt, A Woman of Five Seasons and A Balcony Over the Fakihani missing works cited â€Å"Maha, sister, my life is like candy-floss; fluffy and full from the outside, empty like this damned hospital room from the inside. And they called the candy-floss ‘girls-curls.’ It was like my life. A girl’s life. A fluffy lie for half a piaster. Ya-la-la.† (Faqir, 19) To many eyes, the women’s liberation movement in the Middle East is nothing more than a mere faà §ade. The solidification of women’s rights in writing means very little when actually put into play, women still continue to be trampled on in all walks of life, behind closed doors and tinted windows. This is especially true of the three novels: Pillars of Salt, A Woman of Five Seasons and A Balcony Over the Fakihani. In these stories, women have earned little or nothing of their God given rights and continue to remain silent behind the false protection and ordinance of the law. True, the circumstances surrounding the equality of women have improved compared to what they once were, but even the most simple of things which Western women take for granted are thorns in the sides of Middle Eastern women. The authors of these books do their best to expose the injustices put upon women that the public rarely sees, even in the light of modernity. It is in these novels that we see how little the women’s liberation movement has done for these â€Å"real† women, these women made of flesh and blood who are still largely insignificant in the grand scheme of the universe. Rape as a Model of Society One of the most obvious disguises of inequality is the rape of Nasra in the first novel Pillars of Salt. Rape is very much illegal and yet it happens and happens openly. Maha’s mind races when Nasra tells her that she has been raped, we can see how the society view women who have lost their virginity through rape, â€Å"My friend had lost her virginity, her honor, her life. She was nothing now. No longer a virgin, absolutely nothing. A piece of flesh. A cheap whore. (Faqir, 11) This sums up what society thinks of a woman who has dishonored herself and it seems that once this has happened, there is no hope or chance of one ever redeeming herself. This is the fate of Nasra and the fate of all women.

Traffic Monitoring Camera Systems Essay -- electronic monitoring devic

Abstract With the significant increase of traffic monitoring camera systems, the debate on their safety, effectiveness and Constitutionality has increased. The purpose of this research is to present arguments from each side of the issue and then compare statistics on the subject in order to make a determination of whether these systems are more beneficial or detrimental to public safety, and whether public interest or financial gain is the core component in the implementation of the camera systems. Over the past decade, American citizens have seen an increasingly common sight: the onslaught of electronic monitoring devices being placed at traffic lights and intersections with the sole purpose of recording driver behavior to issue citations; all in the name of safety (Federal Highway Administration Safety, n.d.). The proliferation of these traffic safety cameras, which has spread in unprecedented numbers to ever-smaller towns ("Smile, you’re on camera", 2009), is undoubtedly controversial, and has sparked much debate between citizens, legislatures, police departments, federal agencies, and civil rights groups (Burnett, 1998). Besides the debate on whether or not the cameras, and the citations that are issued to the registered vehicle owner based upon the recorded information, are constitutional, (or whether they simply constitute an Orwellian invasion of privacy), the widely-accepted premise that the cameras decrease the severity of and/or prevent automobile accidents is also intensely contested. Advocates for the implementation of red light and speed cameras are adamant that the use of such devices deters traffic violations and decreases accidents (City of Johnson City, TN, n.d.). Research supports these claims ... ...guson, S. A., & Farmer, C. M. (2007). Reducing red light running through longer yellow signal timing and red light camera enforcement: Results of a field investigation. Retrieved from http://www.stopredlightrunning.com Ruby, D. E., & Hobeika, A. G. (2003, Summer). Assessment of red light running cameras in Fairfax County, Virginia. Transportation Quarterly, 57(3), 33-48. Shifflett, G., & Owen, J. (2008, September 22). Red light cameras in the Volunteer State: Unsafe, unconstitutional, and unnecessary (Tennessee Center for Policy Research Policy Brief 04-08). Retrieved from The Newspaper: www.thenewspaper.com Smile, you’re on camera. (2009, November). State Legislatures, 35(2), 11. Retrieved from http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.etsu.edu: The red-light camera never lies. (2009, November 13). The Hotline. Retrieved from http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.etsu.edu.