A paper which draws comparisons between the books "The Perils of Obedience? by Stanley Milgram and the "Stanford Prison Experiment" by Philip Zimbardo.
Abstract The paper shows that both "The Perils of Obedience" by Stanley Milgram and the "Stanford Prison Experiment" by Philip Zimbardo essentially demonstrate the potential for "evil" in ordinary citizens when placed in situations where stark authority is pitted against the individual's own moral imperatives (Milgram) or when deindividuated potential perpetrators are given total power over powerless victims (Zimbardo). The paper shows that although the experiments differed vastly in design and methodology, the point of both experiments was to observe how far an individual would go in inflicting increasing pain on a victim.
From the Paper "There were several common ethical issues thrown up by both experiments. As Zimbardo says, "The line between Good and Evil lies in the center of every human heart"not in some abstract moral, celestial space?? (Sonoma State University Web site) Similarly, Milgram observes, ?Conservative philosophers argue that the very fabric of society is threatened by disobedience, while humanists stress the primacy of the individual conscience.? (Vanguard University Web site) Therefore, the same issue of ethics as in "the individual conscience" is at the heart of both experiments on human psychology."
From the Paper "In our contemporary landscape, violence masquerading as the display of machismo and the relentless pursuit of beauty are celebrated. American boys and girls are constantly bombarded by a barrage of images that pressure them to fit into cultural stereotypes. While boys are mesmerized by the cold steel of modern weaponry in the gun culture, girls are dazzled by the vast array of fashion, beauty products, diet programs and plastic surgeries. The bottom line is that boys are judged by what they do and girls by how they look. This fundamental characteristic ultimately defines the crucial differentiation between the two genders and their social roles.
According to the typical masculine stereotype, men are not allowed to display their weak emotions, such as sadness and fear. Consequently, with the passage of time, the long-term.."
From the Paper "Same-sex marriage has never been allowed in law or religious doctrine, but recently Hawaii has passed a law to allow same-sex marriage. Other stats have objected and fear being forced to recognize such unions. Religious leaders protest as well and see such a law as a threat to religious freedom. Many see same-sex marriage as a threat to the definition of marriage and to the family and marital bonds in society as well. The reasons for these objections are analyzed, as well as the reasons why same-sex marriage should not be enacted into law.
The issue to be discussed is whether or not homosexuals should be allowed to marry one another. There are a number of rationales that have been offered by those in the gay community as to why they should be allowed to marry, and generally the ..."
Rising cost of health care. Employer provided health insurance. Employee-based health plans. Growth of HMOs. Move toward health care reform. Government vs. private industry run universal health care.
3,600 words (approx. 14.4 pages), 15 sources, 2001, $ 127.95
From the Paper "Few issues are as critical to individuals as their physical health. Yet the cost of health care in the United States is recognized as one of the most serious public issues facing Americans today. For many years, employers have provided, or subsidized, health care in one form or another to employees. In some cases, the employer provided health insurance and the employee could select the provider without limitation. In other cases, the employer joined a health maintenance organization which required employees to go to specific physicians and providers. Americans who did not work full-time, who did not work at all, or who worked for small companies often did not (and do not) have access to health insurance or health care on a regular basis. This research considers the state of the health care industry today, the ..."
Examines autobiography's pessimistic depiction of differences & conflicts among individuals, families & groups based on race, socioeconomics, language and religion.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, 1996, $ 47.95
From the Paper "Richard Rodriguez, in his autobiography Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez, writes about differences between and among individuals and families and other groups in the United States today. These differences are many and are based on race, gender, age, socioeconomics, generational conflicts, and politics. The author is not hopeful about overcoming these differences. He is a man who feels alienated from the world around him, although he is successful in it as a writer. He is a man who often seems to be angry and bitter over his upbringing and his education, and even his success:
I am . . . taken by the symbols of leisure and wealth. . . . For me those . . . symbols are reassuring reminders of public success. I tempt vulgarity to be reassured. I am filled with the gaudy delight, the.."
From the Paper "THE SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY OF ALBERT BANDURA
Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to present a critical analysis of Albert Bandura's social learning theory. The paper begins by presenting a rationale for why it is important to analyze Bandura's theory; this is followed by an explication of the basic theoretical perspectives, principles and postulates of the theory, which, in turn, is followed by a review of research evaluating the explanatory and practical efficacy of the theory. The final section of the paper presents a critical analysis of the theory's strengths and weaknesses in terms of its power to explain, predict, and control human learning.
Rationale
There are several reasons to explore the efficacy of.."
Abstract "In Alex Haley's transcribed work, The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965), readers are treated to several valuable lessons in sociology. Without summarizing the book in great detail, the story of Malcolm X reveals the significance of social and economic stratification in affecting people's religious beliefs and people's perspectives on social problems and life chances
From the Paper "In Alex Haley's transcribed work, The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965), readers are treated to several valuable lessons in sociology. Without summarizing the book in great detail, the story of Malcolm X reveals the significance of social and economic stratification in affecting people's religious beliefs and people's perspectives on social problems and life chances. This story shows a Malcolm X who grows out of a socialized value system emphasizing violence and hatred, into a de-socialized system emphasizing a new ideological orientation on race relations, to a re-socialized system nearing the viewpoints of Martin Luther King--a civil rights leader once despised by Malcolm. This research will examine this process of social development through the eyes of Malcolm X.
The Nation of Islam began in the early 1930s in the United ..."
Abstract Why do people perform criminal acts? Is it something in their genes? Something in the hand of fate? Is it something that they learn the way that other people learn to recite the names of the presidents or their parents' trade?
From the Paper "Social Learning Theory and Control Theory: A comparison of two models for criminal behavior
Why do people perform criminal acts? Is it something in their genes? Something in the hand of fate? Is it something that they learn the way that other people learn to recite the names of the presidents or their parents' trade?
Many criminologists, along with a high percentage of the sociologists and social psychologists that have studied criminal behavior, have selected this final explanation: People learn to be criminals in the same way that people learn any other kind of voluntary behavior. Scholars who believe this to be the case are adhering to social learning theories - or to related differential association theories - of criminality."
Examines the symbiotic relationship between the sport and the nation. Provides an overview of Brazil and soccer, soccer clubs, World Cup, socioeconomics and symbolic power.
2,025 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 5 sources, 1999, $ 71.95
Abstract To understand the sport of soccer is, in effect, to understand Brazil. In a nation that is facing economic disaster and an IMF bailout, the only emotional event that has affected the 165 million people of Brazil was losing the World Soccer Cup this year, an event tantamount to major disaster. In a wrap up story, the Associated Press quoted several South American newspapers that captured the mood:
From the Paper "THE SOCIAL HISTORY OF SOCCER IN BRAZIL
To understand the sport of soccer is, in effect, to understand Brazil. In a nation that is facing economic disaster and an IMF bailout, the only emotional event that has affected the 165 million people of Brazil was losing the World Soccer Cup this year, an event tantamount to major disaster. In a wrap up story, the Associated Press quoted several South American newspapers that captured the mood:
"Brazil left all its talent, ability and creativity in the locker room," wrote Jose Trajano of the sports daily Afinal. In Argentina, Brazil's loss was banner headline news. "Brazil Weeps" and "Rio is an ocean of tears," said the Buenos Aires daily Cronica. Former Peruvian soccer great Teofilo Cubillas, in a column in the ..."
Abstract The problem of alcoholism is viewed as a major social problem, one that has an impact not only on the individual affected and not only on his or her family but on society as a whole. Alcoholism has been examined from a number of different perspectives in an attempt to explain its etiology or its consequences
From the Paper "The problem of alcoholism is viewed as a major social problem, one that has an impact not only on the individual affected and not only on his or her family but on society as a whole. Alcoholism has been examined from a number of different perspectives in an attempt to explain its etiology or its consequences. The prevailing perspective is the medical model, which holds that alcoholism is a disease, which also means that it can be treated through medical means. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an organization that makes use of a theory of self-help to enable alcoholics to take control of their own lives and to learn to change their behavior, following a disease theory of alcoholism. Alcoholics Anonymous stands outside the medical model in that it does not offer a "cure" and indeed holds that the individual will always be an alcoholic. What the alcoholic..."
A discussion of the effectiveness and failures, origins in the 20th Century, purposes, procedures, state laws, arrest and detention, determination of status, hearings, examples, commitment and confinement of the juvenile justice system.
2,475 words (approx. 9.9 pages), 14 sources, 1999, $ 87.95
From the Paper "Juvenile Justice System
Introduction
This research paper summarizes the principal features of the juvenile justice system in the United States and comments on some major issues facing it. The juvenile justice system involves all the parties involved in dealing with the juvenile, parents and surrogate parents, schools, the police and prosecutors, probation departments, the courts, correctional institutions and a variety of community and social agencies which deal with the juvenile after he or she comes into contact with the law.
Origins and Broad Trends
Judge L. P. Edwards (1992) explained:
Established in the later nineteenth century, the juvenile court was for some a humanitarian institution intended to..."
A discussion of the use of the character of Miss Helen to examine biopsychosocial issues which are part of the aging process in women and role of the social worker in that process.
2,700 words (approx. 10.8 pages), 9 sources, 2000, $ 95.95
Abstract "This paper uses the character of Miss Helen in Athol Fugard's moving play, The Road to Mecca, to examine many of the biopsychosocial systems and issues that are part of the aging process in women.
From the Paper "This paper uses the character of Miss Helen in Athol Fugard's moving play, The Road to Mecca, to examine many of the biopsychosocial systems and issues that are part of the aging process in women. The individual grows, develops, and ages within the wider environment of the surrounding community. This extended system limits, influences, and affects the ways in which its members grow up and grow old, and Miss Helen provides an especially intriguing case study of this process at work. Many of the issues raised by her case are useful in understanding the social worker's role in analyzing and designing a plan for care for older, widowed women in the community. Her case also suggests some of the kinds of clues that the caring, perceptive social "worker might look for in studying and serving older individuals.
From the Paper "Physician-assisted suicide is a troubling issue which involves at least two moral actors -- the patient who makes a decision as to whether to live or die, and the physician who decides whether to assist or not. The real moral issue is faced by the physician, for it is he or she who will make the decision which changes a suicide to a physician-assisted suicide. Different moral systems can be applied to this issue.
The concept of right to die pertains to individual control over the process of dying. It remains unclear whether assisted suicide, which may include termination of life support, should be acceptable and legal or to what extent its practice can be regulated to protect the vulnerable and guard against abuse.
Self-determination is a central issue in the debate regarding end-of-life decisions, which includes the right to die...."
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to assess the relative merits of functionalism versus conflict theory according as each theory explains the historical emergence and maintenance of social inequalities based on race, ethnicity, or gender in the U.S. The plan of the research will be to set forth the principal tenets of each theory of sociology and then to discuss, with reference to concrete examples, how each theory appears to explain prejudicial stereotypes, personal and institutional discrimination, and pervasive patterns of socialization.
Even the most superficial look at the field of sociology reveals that various "schools" of sociological thought, method, and theory appear to be associated with one or more specific core theorists whose writings define the principal bases on which1 social analysis will take place. In the case of functionalism..."
Abstract This paper examines the book "Nickel and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich which is a journal of the time spent by the author 'undercover', to see if she could lead a basic life (rent, food etc.) from earning the minimum wage in light of a welfare reform which implies that any job is better than living on government assistance. It discusses her experiences from 1998 to 2000, when she lived in three different states, Florida, Maine and Minnesota, working at $6 to $7 an hour jobs and assesses her findings. The paper brings to light general problems such as stress in the workplace and how what was an experiment for Ehrenreich is real life for so many others.
From the Paper "Ehrenreich soon discovers that it is not easy to eke out a living from entry level positions, which is the common starting point for most welfare mothers and others on government assistance who are required to trade medical benefits and food stamps for the work force. Her first job was as a waitress, or server as they are called in the politically correct world today. Her wage is $2.13 per hour, due to the Fair Labor Standards Act, which states employers are not required to pay tipped employees any more than that. However, as she soon discovers, managers are required to make up the difference between that and the hourly minimum wage of $5.15, if wages including tips fall short of this, but few, if any ever mention this law."
