Abstract This essay discusses the Vietnam War not just as a war fought in Asia, but as a war fought in American as it related to cultural change. It was, in many ways, a cultural war that was coming for several years and only needed some powerful fuel to ignite radical changes. The essay concludes with the realization that the psychological impact left on the families and soldiers involved in Vietnam, was greater than anyone imagined.
From the paper:
?The country was living in the lap of luxury, or more specifically in the lap of capitalism. America was proud, yet was also beginning to feel pressure concerning truly solid realities such as the inequality of the African American and women. The Vietnam War served to ignite many fires, changing the American culture in many ways.?
Abstract This paper analyzes the early American settlers in regard to their identity. It compares the attitude of Ben Franklin and the Puritans. It surveys the history of the pre-Revolutionary Puritans and what lead to the search of their identity. It shows how Franklin was a figure who addressed all these issues and was one of the first to document them.
From the paper:
"From Puritan writings onward, and throughout all American literature, a dominant concern has been the question of identity, and/or the search for identity. Puritans, for example, sought to retain their identity and so found themselves having to escape to a "New World" in order to preserve their convictions about God. In the end, Puritans came to view themselves as a "chosen people" ("Introduction" 2). Benjamin Franklin, on the other hand, as one of the authors of the "Declaration of Independence" (amongst other important revolutionary documents), helped construct a later version of the American identity as both independent and self-determining. And as he further advanced the question of identity in American letters, he helped bring to the table related notions of the "American dream" and personal virtue. In so doing, Franklin's vision of America was forged in ways much different than the more communal vision of his Puritan ancestors."
Abstract This literature review is all about television violence and the effects on youth. The author attempts to examine whether television consumption cause children to imitate behavior. The author includes an examination of how parent involvement interacts. This research includes statistics as proof variables.
From the paper:
"Television is a part of life. Virtually every household has a television set and many homes have two or three (Ledingham, 1993). Needless to say, television plays an enormous role in the lives of many American families and the magnitude of its influence on people is considerable also. This is especially true where children are involved. According to Liebert & Sprafkin (1988), "television viewing time rises from about 2.5 hours per day at the age of five to about 4 hours a day at the age of 12." Ledingham goes on to say that "television is used frequently by parents as a babysitter or distraction device" (1993)."
Abstract This paper talks about the roots of Child Labor Laws by examining the use of children as laborers beginning in the Middle Ages, through the Industrial Revolution and into the Victorian Era. It traces the abhorrent conditions these children faced, especially during the Industrial Revolution, where times where extremely difficult, through the Victorian Era the The National Child Labor Committee was formed, and strict laws were passed regarding children. These laws regulated and enforced working conditions, hours and ages that could be employed.
From the paper:
"It was thought to be a benefit for children to work, so they could get a head start on building a life for themselves. Poor children could contribute to society by working, and through self-reliance and determinism could break free from poverty.
"The prevalent attitude was that the laissez-faire economic system had made America great, and that any interference in the natural way of things was "unscientific, irrational, and unjust" (Trattner, 1970: 32). Social Darwinism also supported child labor and the lack of regulation. Society valued individualism and self-reliance, and saw any regulation of industry as obstructing a natural process that should be allowed to progress free of restraints. Each person should try their hardest to get rich, and nobody should interfere with a person's right to accumulate wealth, even at the expense of others."
Abstract This paper looks at the popular and enduring adage declaring that America is "a melting pot" of cultures and at the idea that this country seems to believe that all of its ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse inhabitants have, throwing away all of their particularities, melted into just one cultural identity. It looks at the history of different immigrants to the United States, and examines their integration, or non-integration into society.
From the paper:
"Like national minorities (Native Americans), African Americans (not modern African immigrants to the U.S.) have been incorporated involuntarily into American society due to the fact that they are the descendants of those who entered the slave trade after either being captured from West African regions or sold into captivity by African kingdoms-in short, they did not emigrate out of free will from their birthplaces as did members of ethnic groups. However, they are somewhat like ethnic groups in the sense that they do originate from foreign lands and are not indigenous to U.S. territory as are national minorities."
This paper examines how an organization can handle a crisis. The steps an organization takes during a crisis will determine how they come out of it. This paper lays out how an organization can effectively deal with crisis to prevent lasting damage.
1,430 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 8 sources, 2002, $ 47.95
Abstract This paper looks at the importance of a company's crisis management strategy and how the strategy that an organization takes during a crisis can affect the long-term health of that organization. It also puts forth the theory that organizations often collapse because when a crisis occurs they are not equipped to deal with it in a quick and timely fashion.
From the paper:
"Planning ahead of time can help soften the negative impact of an ongoing crisis. Decisions made while planning for a potential crisis tend to be more rational then a decision made in the middle of a crisis. Develop a crisis manual that is simple and easy to read and make sure it is used; it is worthless if it sits idle on a shelf. All employees need to be trained so they know what their roles will be during a crisis. This training will help prepare everybody in the organization to avert or effectively manage extraordinary incidents. It is not possible to plan for all potential crises that can occur. Rather an organization should prepare an action plan that involves responses for various aspects of a possible crisis."
Abstract This essay examines the roles played by women in the military and gender stratification. The author discusses three Supreme Court cases that strengthened the ongoing argument that females should be allowed into military positions of active combat. The paper also looks at the story of Major Rhonda Cornum, taken captive in the Black Hawk incident.
From the Paper "As the world enters the twenty-first century, the question of gender stratification and exclusion in military ground combat situations continues to be the center of much disagreement and debate. Female citizens should by all means be guaranteed the same opportunities for advancement and individual freedom of choice that are given their male counterparts. The obtainment of these opportunities and freedoms should not, however, come at the expense or sacrifice of all aspects of the time-honored relationships and boundaries that have conventionally existed between the sexes, one of which is the battlefield."
Abstract The author looks at several sociological and environmental factors that can be associated with the rise in juvenile violence, whose roots can be traced back to the early 1980s. The author looks that the rise in the numbers of juvenile crimes, the sociological factors that specifically affect juvenile crime, and lastly, examines specific environmental factors that appear to be affecting juvenile crime. The paper looks at this rising trend, that began with changes that the country underwent at the turn of the twentieth century, and the adverse affects they had on the family structure.
From the Paper "In his popular 1997 book entitled "Kid's Stuff: Toys and the Changing World of American Childhood," author Gary Cross states that, over the course of the twentieth century, American parents "increasingly lost control over and even understanding of the play of their children" (p. 149). The children's entertainment industry developed alongside an advancing technology, and basic toys and games became increasingly complicated and complex as well as increasingly foreign to parental understanding with each passing decade. By the time that the Electronic and Information Age had fully exploded in the 1990s, most parents had fallen so far behind the technological times that effective censorship of the films that their children viewed and the games that their children played had become, in effect, virtually impossible. In the face of a rapidly changing technology, many modern parents simply stopped trying to monitor their children's entertainment activities. With this decrease in parental notice and attention came an increase in violent and criminal content, an exchange that ultimately resulting in an electronic atmosphere and environment that graphically glorifies violence and worships the virtual gods of death and destruction."
Abstract This paper is an analysis of how women compare themselves to the female images that are displayed to them today as role models. The author examines the current backlash against feminism today. The paper pays particular attention to body image and the eating disorders that plague so many women as a result of the skeletal models and actresses they perceive as perfection.
From the Paper "Over the past twenty years women have not been content merely to denounce biases and inequities in the established media. Women have created and used countless alternative and participatory communication channels to support their struggles, defend their rights, promote reflection, diffuse their own forms of representation. This process has made women the primary subjects of struggle and change in communication systems, by developing oppositional and proactive alternatives that influence language, representations and communication technologies."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts social theorists? Emile Durkheim and Robert Merton's views on anomie. It explains the origination of the term and how each man took the theory in a different direction, depending upon the time in which he lived.
From the Paper "French social theorist Emile Durkheim coined the term "anomie" in his book The Division of Labor in Society, published in 1893. He used anomie to describe the loss of norms that was occurring in society. Durkheim said that anomie is produced in times of rapid social change, when existing rules, habits, and beliefs no longer hold and alternatives have not yet been found."
Tags: change, conflict, culture, goals, norms, social, society, sociology, theory
Abstract This paper examines why Satanism is attractive to teenagers. The author discusses how satanic religious practices offer adolescents total self-indulgence, self power and a complete license to indulge in the forbidden. The paper also discusses how in this era as the society is in a constant flux of change and teenagers feel adrift in face of societal changes they become interested in such things as Satanism.
From the Paper "The personality profile of an adolescent susceptible to cult overtures might include identity confusion or crisis; alienation from family; weak cultural, religious, and community ties; and feelings of powerlessness in a seemingly out-of-control world. Studies have indicated that a surprising number of cult members come from democratic and egalitarian homes and upper socioeconomic levels, rather than over permissive, overindulgent, dysfunctional, and poor families. In fact, reports that many cults focus on the recruitment of gifted and creative adolescents. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to delineate a precise portrait of potential adolescent cult members."
Abstract This paper examines several violent crimes committed by youthful violent offenders and illustrates how early incidents of animal abuse is one of the common threads in the history of many of these youth. In addition to a history of animal abuse, the author found that many of these youth came from homes where there was domestic abuse and that this abuse often occurred around the children. The author lists behaviors that should send out warning signs and also suggests who should be contacted in order to deal swiftly and efficiently with these offenders.
From the Paper "According to Meloy (2001), youth who murder their family or commit shooting sprees at their schools may be the type of predatory murderer described by Steiner above. In addition to a history of animal abuse, they have frequently been a victim of bullying and have fantasies where they compensate for the flaws they see in themselves in violent ways. They are often substance abusers and often fascinated with weapons. It is likely that they will feel both angry and dysphoric (Meloy, 2001), and may have narcissistic and/or paranoid tendencies. The compensatory fantasies may grandiose idea and careful planning rather than acting on impulse. Meloy reports that Luke Woodham, mentioned in the first paragraph, wrote, "I am not insane. I am angry. This world shit on me for the final time... I am not spoiled or lazy, for murder is not weak and slow-witted. Murder is gutsy and daring." He saw his crimes as self-validating."
The paper explains the factors and issues that contribute to poverty in America. Using up-to-date figures, it details the many reasons why so many children are living in poverty and how that affects their lives in areas such as education and family life.
Abstract This paper details how poverty in America is a never ending problem, where currently 40% of all U.S. children are at risk. The author explains who there are several risk factors raise the risk level such as single parent homes, lack of education, ethnic backgrounds and low income levels. This paper examines these and other risk factors and proposes solutions that can help break the cycle of poverty.
From the Paper "Despite being the wealthiest and most powerful nation on Earth, the United States has a poverty rate that is two to three times greater than other advanced industrial nations. According to the US Census Bureau, 37% of all children in America live in low-income households, and 13.8% live in poverty. Today 15 million children in the United States live below the poverty line. Every day more than 2,600 children are born into poverty with 27 dying as a direct result of it. The bureau also contends that one in five children under the age of three live in a state of poverty. Over 2.1 million children who are poor face the likelihood of impaired development both mentally and physically, as food may not be readily available. Roughly 25% of all minors go hungry or run the risk of being hungry in poor tenements."
Abstract This paper is an in-depth discussion of multiculturalism, it defines it and states that an entirely different view of culture is needed in the intellectual discourse of society. Elst analyzes culture using the example of analyzing sex. Elst makes it clear in his analysis that pluralities of identity are the norm, that everyone is multi-ethnic and multi-racial in some fashion. Finally, the paper concludes that each individual should study and redefine his own culture.
From the Paper "Even in the current, mainstream political debate over what constitutes ?multiculturalism,? it is common cultural parlance to view culture as a static entity. Multiculturalism is defined as the manner in which more cultures are integrated into the fabric of the dominant discourse, rather than as a way of deconstructing notions of how culture itself is perceived and misperceived. As the title of Dirk Van Der Elst's book Culture as Given, Culture as Choice, suggests, however, framing the debate in such a fashion is not necessarily the most radical choice. Elst suggests that nothing really exists as ?culture,? rather culture itself is a constructed, socially produced norm."
Tags: cultural, multiculturalism, Dirk, Van, Der, Elst, social, norm
Abstract A discussion of the problems within the field. The include micro, mezzo, and macro systems within the substance abuse field of practice. Historical development within the field is also described as well as suggested improvement in the treatment.
From the Paper "A social worker that specializes in helping clients that are substance abusers addresses many varied problems. If the client wants help (which can be an issue in of itself) he/she has to first deal with stopping the abuse of drugs (alcohol is included in the same category). Locating a good inpatient treatment facility is an important step in helping the client. It should be determined if it would be best for the client to enter a detox/rehab facility that is located away from the immediate area, so that they might be better able to focus their thoughts and energies on working to end their dependency. The treatment facility should be familiar with treating the particular problems of detoxification and rehabilitation of the client, based on his/her drug usage, as different substances require different courses of treatment."
