Abstract A discussion of the ramifications of illicit drug use. This paper demonstrates a critical understanding of the ramifications inherent in illicit drug use and related drug issues to specific examples highlighted within the film ?Trainspotting.? Different forms of drugs, from the softest to the hardest type are mentioned and the side-effects examined.
From the Paper "Drug use has existed for thousands of years, but it has only been during the last few decades that abuse has become a social problem, particularly among young people. Perhaps the main reason for the rise in drug abuse is the very simple fact that drugs are more available today than fifty years ago. And the primary reason for the abundant availability of drugs today is a simple fact as well, money. Drug trafficking is a multi-billion dollar business that involves a myriad of players and dealers. What once was found only in urban back alleys, now can be found literally anywhere, small rural towns, suburban shopping malls, even local schools. Drug abuse can be found in most every family. Moreover, hardly a week goes by that tabloids do not glare with headlines concerning a celebrity going into rehab for a drug addiction, whether prescription or illegal. Drug use has been glorified and demonized in the media depending on the political air of the times. However, the media has also portrayed drug use and abuse in very realistic fashion, from feature news reports to movies. Regardless of how it is depicted, drug use is real and drug awareness has become a part of our everyday life."
From the Paper "With the ever-expanding role of the internet in children's lives, and younger and younger children gaining internet access, there is a need for control of their access to unsafe sites. Studies suggest nearly two-thirds of children now use the internet, which has presented some problems for both internet providers and lawmakers alike (Hertzel, 2000). Some form of control, either in the form of something akin to the television V-chip to limit children=s access to certain sites, or some form of regulation on how much information about a child can be collected over the internet by the various websites is needed. Despite passage by Congress of the Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and internet tools to restrict access to various sites, there is still concern over the issue of child safety on the internet."
From the Paper "In the last 100 years, experts from fields such as pediatric medicine, psychology and child development have offered a plethora of advice to new parents. Beginning with the medically-based advice of Dr. L. Emmett Holt (1894) and the psychological counsel of Dr. John Watson (1925), we can see the seeds of more modern (and still relied-upon) works, such as those of Dr. Benjamin Spock (1945) and Dr. Penelope Leach (1979). Examined comparatively, these books provide a fascinating window into the ideas about children and childhood that characterized their respective eras. As such, this paper focuses on the similarities among and differences between the seminal works of these four experts, with specific attention to the ways they have influenced our understandings of the very experience of childhood.
EARLY WORKS: PRESCRIPTION AND CONTROL..."
From the Paper "Ella Taylor considers American television to be a contemporary form of storytelling that reveals generally held views about the identity and role of the family in American culture. She argues that television's accessibility and the size and heterogeneity of its audience make it the most truly popular and populist of modern cultural forms. Also, the language and imagery of family can be observed in all genres of television shows, including comedy and dramatic series, daytime and nighttime soaps, made-for-TV movies, and even news programming.
Taylor analyzes each decade of television programming as a combination of marketing exigencies and cultural trends that produced different portraits of American social life. She argues against shows that promote 'traditional ..."
From the Paper "Linda Gordon's Heroes of Their Own Lives: The Politics and History of Family Violence describes the social, political, and cultural phenomenon of family violence largely directed against women and children in the period from 1870 to the 1960s. Her text is historical, descriptive, and analytic. As she states in her introduction, her thesis is that "family violence has been historically and politically constructed" (Gordon, p. 3). Further, Gordon (p. 3) believes that "family violence arises out of power struggles in which individuals are contesting real resources and benefits." This brief review will first summarize Gordon's central themes, then offer an interpretation of those themes and arguments. The report will conclude with a discussion of the significance of Gordon's arguments about the causes of and responses to family violence for a wider audience than that.."
From the Paper "Psychological Effects of Adoption
Jerome Smith is one of the country's foremost experts in adoption practice. He is the author of best-selling books on adoption practice and policy and he played a significant role in evaluating the parent-child bond in the famous Baby Jessica case. He is also an adoptive parent. Smith argues that most adoptive parents share the same concerns for the psychological development of their children as do biological parents. However, he states that adoptive parents have additional concerns related to the fact of adoption (Smith, 1997, p. 69).
Smith argues that the psychological effects of adoption on children will, in most cases, be a direct result of the parents' own psychological preparation for and adjustment to the adoption. He maintains that it is difficult to evaluate a child's adjustment to life..."
From the Paper "Domestic violence is widespread in America, and is usually thought of in terms of violence by men against women, though some women do batter men. Child abuse is also very common, and can involve violence against children of either sex by adults of either sex, even to the degree that it is not uncommon for children to be murdered by relatives. A hidden side of domestic violence is that between partners in same sex-relationships. It occurs between gay men and between lesbians.
It has been estimated that more than six million women are victims of domestic violence every year in the United States, and this violence ranges from simple hassling in the street to rape and incest, to physical and psychological abuse, all of which are very destructive on the physical and mental health of a woman (Bernhard, 2000). While some woman-to-woman abuse takes place ..."
From the Paper "Feminist theorists often analyze society in terms of gender relations and specifically in terms of how issues of differential power affect gender relations. Society today asserts that men and women are equal, but this is not the case in practical terms. They may be treated equally under the law, but they are not treated equally in most respects. They simply do not have the same opportunities in the business world, for instance, and even gender relations are shaped more by what society decides is correct than by individual desires. The plight of women in society has been addressed by a number of feminist theorists as diverse as Mary Wollstonecraft in the eighteenth century and Catherine MacKinnon and Carole Gilligan more recently. These issues have also been addressed in a number of films as well, and a film like American Beauty..."
From the Paper "A 1997 survey on Internet usage estimated that about 18.8 million U.S. kids under age 18 had access to home computers. Using the Internet, sending email and searching the Internet for non-school work sites was done by 46 percent of low-income teens compared with 67 percent from wealthier families (NUA Surveys Online). That would suggest that four years ago, there were a sizable number of teenagers who had taken to the Internet. However, direct marketing to that demographic was not an essential part of the market, since the whole concept of buying on the Internet was actually only two years old (based on the establishment of Netscape in 1994).
A current survey released Sept. 13, 2000, by Jupiter Communications, a company that specializes in Internet research, revealed a poll that revealed some data that is causing online ..."
From the Paper "To many people today, the term "family violence" naturally conjures up images of brutality against spouses and children that occurs within the family setting. However, in Heroes of Their Own Lives: The Politics and History of Family Violence, Linda Gordon challenges this perception by demonstrating that the term "family violence" is a dynamic concept that alters throughout history. According to Gordon, family violence ?has been historically and politically constructed,? dependent upon the prevalent perceptions of the times and the power struggle that occurs within the family in response to its environment (2-3).
Throughout the book, Gordon successfully illustrates how the changing perceptions of the times exerted an impact on the ..."
Compares & contrasts mid-1990 cases: the kidnapping & killing of 12-year old Polly Klass & the drowning by Susan Smith of her 2 sons. Discusses circumstances, motivation, politice investigations, infanticide.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 12 sources, 2001, $ 55.95
From the Paper "This research paper compares and contrasts two of the most celebrated American child murder cases of the 1990s --the kidnapping and brutal slaying of 12 year old Polly Klaas in Petaluma, California by Richard Davis in October 1993 and the deliberate drowning by Susan Smith of her two sons, three year old Michael and 14 months-old Alexander, on the outskirts of Union, South Carolina on October 25, 1994.
Introduction
Because of the helplessness of the victims of child murders, the grisly details of their slaying and the suffering and trauma involved, public attention in the United States has often been riveted on, and shocked by, child murders. Berg (1998) said the kidnapping and murder of the infant son of ..."
Abstract This paper examines the daily stress factors that teenagers face and how this effects their everyday behavior. A few of these include developing a healthy body image, encountering drugs and alcohol, and combating suicide. This paper looks at these stressors, and concentrates more thoroughly on suicide.
From the Paper "A very crucial process in growing up is the development of a healthy body image. Unfortunately, it is a process that many adolescents struggle with. Body Image is defined as "a person's mental concept of his or her physical appearance" (Berger, 1998.) Very few individuals are satisfied with their body image during adolescence. This negative view of themselves is contributed to by the media, their family and their peers. The media plays a large role in creating the image of the super model body type. In reality this body type is extremely unrealistic, however many teens endlessly compare themselves to the brush stroked magazine models. Adolescents also internalize comments made by their family during puberty when often their bodies can be disproportionate. The acceptance by peers is a very important and influential factor in adolescent life, and generally those individuals deemed to be more attractive are also more popular. Consequently, adolescents' attempts to obtain the super model body type, please their parents, and be accepted by peers, can result in increased stress over their body image (Berger, 1998)."
From the Paper "Adoption is a process that is difficult for those involved, emotionally wrenching, and legally complex. Often a social worker has a role in this process and serves a number of purposes for the benefit of the woman who is giving up a child, for the welfare of the child, and for the support of the adoptive parents. When a woman makes the difficult decision to give up her baby, the social worker can serve a role as counsellor, nurturer, agent, and facilitator. An examination of certain situations can show the types of service a social worker performs in the adoption process.
Adoption research is a procedure followed in child welfare work. Earlier in this century, there were calls for research to assist in moving toward a scientific basis for child placement. However, the reality that has developed has not fulfilled this hope."
From the Paper "Single parenting in America has dramatically increased since the 50s. Today's statistics suggest that every year more than one million children's lives will be disrupted by divorce. Before the age of sixteen, 38% of white and 75% of black children will experience the effects of divorce upon their daily lives (Amato, 1991, p. 26). Recent research indicates that previous studies of single parenting and their children have been saturated with cultural and ethnic bias (McHenry, 1993, p. 99). Although children can be traumatized by the effects of divorce and single parenting, current research indicates that a more detailed analysis with greater sensitivity to class, status and racial difference needs to be conducted. Only within the last fifteen years have sociologists realized their need for radical..."
From the Paper "This paper will examine domestic violence in the United States. The first part of the paper will attempt to define domestic violence. This definition will largely focus upon violence perpetrated by men against their female partners, since this represents the greatest incidence of domestic violence. The second part of the paper will look at the history of domestic violence in the United States. This section will focus on the evolving views of domestic violence and the theories on how it should be treated. The third part of the paper will discuss the problems of law enforcement with regard to domestic violence. The fourth part of the paper will briefly discuss the law regarding domestic violence, looking mainly at the specialized provisions which have been enacted and the possible effectiveness of the law in this area."
