Abstract This research paper discusses and explores the relationship between self-control theory and crime, deviance and criminalistic behavior. It provides a gleaning of the various theories and studies conducted on this subject and what their findings were.
Abstract This paper considers the concepts of Insurance Providing Organizations (IPOs) and managed care and whether they indeed provide health care and save the economy money. It looks at the history of managed health care in America and the current advantages and disadvantages of the system.
From the Paper "Insurance Providing Organizations (IPOs) and managed care have risen in popularity over the past twenty years. Commonly thought to be better for the economy by saving money, many people jumped on the health care bandwagon and joined these insurance-providing agencies. Statistics from the past eleven years show that managed care has reduced national health care costs and the yearly inflation rate from 12% in 1993, to less than 5% in 1996 (Furrow, n/p); but at what cost? The driving factors behind managed care in today's society are becoming ever more skewed. Governmental health care reform in the United States has been so concerned with money that it has compromised the quality and standard of care. In the end, cost constraints are not proving effective because the readmission rate has risen due to care being provided at a lower standard. Quality of care is also being compromised by the constraints put on care to control expenditures by medical facilities."
Abstract In this paper, the film, "American History X", is analyzed to provide a clear perspective on the formation of biased ideas. Covering different manifestations of political socialization, the concept of resocialization and the behavior associated with these characters, one can see how people can be driven to these beliefs. Comparisons with several sociological texts on indoctrination and resocialization are provided.
From the Paper "Cameron Alexander could be considered the major persuasive element in American History X. He does a good job of being a "credible communicator", which according to Myers "is someone the audience perceives as credible and trustworthy" (Myers 2004, pg. 164). Cameron is a middle-aged propagandist who seeks to recruit Caucasians disillusioned by how other races are supposedly taking over America and adopts them into his "family", which makes it easy for Derek and Danny to look upon him as a father figure."
Abstract This paper begins with a definition of the rules of street racing. It then examines the sociological aspects of this illegal pastime, especially its appeal to inner-city adolescent boys. The paper then discusses a police report on an event involving street, or drag, racing. Finally, the paper examines the steps taken by law enforcement agencies to curb this dangerous sport.
From the Paper "The problem of illegal street racing is more common in the inner cities, although kids in suburban neighborhoods do also engage in such sport. For the most part, inner city kids are more likely to engage in such activities than other groups. School age children in the inner cities often are unable to find many other activities and services in their neighborhoods. According to studies, "The illegal street racing sport is more prevalent in African American neighborhoods, under a climate of isolation, the underclass youth evolve new attitudes, behaviors and practices which further marginalize their neighborhoods". {Douglas Massey and Nancy Denton. 1994}"
Abstract This paper looks at how effectively Hitler managed to use manipulation to build the Third Reich and the extent to which the German public believed and supported Hitler's propaganda. Examples of Hitler's genius at manipulating emotions are discussed, and the man largely responsible for Hitler's successful propaganda, Dr. Joseph Goebbels, is also discussed. The media, military displays, censorship, intimidation, symbolism, and extreme awareness of public responses are all mentioned as techniques employed by the Nazi propaganda machine.
From the Paper "The amazing thing about the propaganda of the Nazis was both the extent to which it was successful and the extent to which it was supported. No one can dispute that Hitler was a master of manipulating the people's emotions, and he arrived at a time when the people of Germany were struggling to find purpose in the post-war environment. The Weimar Republic was wracked with debt repayments and the infant democracy had nothing to stand on in terms of tradition and respect from the common people."
Tags: germany, goebbels, hitler, nazi, nazis, propaganda, reich, third, war, world
Abstract This paper offers an explanation of Erik Erikson's work, titled "Identity and the Life Cycle". The paper outlines the ways in which the human ego develops in the context of social and cultural realities and is divided into three major sections. "Identity and the Life Cycle" explains ego development and historical change as a function of the specific space and time in which an individual is born.
From the Paper "At the outset of "Identity and the Life Cycle", Erikson distances himself from Sigmund Freud. On page 18, the author criticizes specifically the "artificial differentiation" between the individual within the family and the individual within the mass of society. While Freud overly focused on familial issues and influences on the budding child ego, Erikson takes this one step further and claims that the individual's perception of socio-cultural realities are equally as significant. It is impossible, according to Erikson, to differentiate between familial and cultural or historical influences; individuals and families do not exist in isolation from the group in which they are formed."
Abstract This paper critiques and analyzes Mary Douglas's major work, "Natural Symbols: Explorations in Cosmology", and looks at the main thesis of the book, which revolves around the idea that rules of physical body turn into natural symbols for decoding the norms of the society.
From the Paper "Douglas believes natural symbols play an important role in determining the nature of various social and religious rituals and practices. How we perceive a norm is connected with how we view bodily functions and vice versa. In this book, the author gives us an explanation of how our perception of human bodily functions is an extension of different social experiences."
Abstract This paper explores Marx's and Weber's writings on estranged labor to determine if the labor theories both men used to analyze capitalism and the plight of workers in the 19th century can also be applied to 21st century capitalism. The first part of this paper discusses Marx's theory of estranged labor, as written in "The Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844". In the next part, the paper then examines Max Weber's dissatisfaction with the Marx's reliance on economic theory to explain the corrupting forces of capitalism. The next section then applies Marx's and Weber's theories to modern capitalism. Weber's writings on rationalization and the bureaucracy are then used to analyze various examples of ?corporate greed.? In the conclusion, this paper argues that the examples discussed show how advanced capitalism continues to foster the growth of alienated labor, rationalization, and the bureaucracy.
From the Paper "In the 19th century, leading social theorists such as Karl Marx and Max Weber believed that because its many inherent contradictions, the capitalist system would inevitably fall into a decline. More than a century later, however, the capitalist system is far from dead. Rather, it appears to be further entrenched, encircling the world in the stranglehold of globalization."
Abstract Discusses the increase in number of grandparents taking on the roles of primary caregivers for grandchildren. Examines the reasons for this trend and the physical, emotional, mental, and economic affects on grandparents.
From the Paper "Grandparents resuming the role of parents of young children is a growing phenomenon today, with grandparents raising their grandchildren in the absence of the biological parents. Although many grandparents have always informally cared for their grandchild..."
Abstract Every twelve to fifteen seconds, on average, a woman in America is battered by her partner. This paper takes a general look at why this happens, focusing on the three accepted theories: psychological, external, and gender and development approaches. It then examines the steps taken by society and government to fight against this type of abuse, including the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA). The author concludes with her personal opinion on the subject.
From the Paper "Even sponsors of the VAWA have acknowledged that the civil rights provision was a largely symbolic gesture to women (Taylor 102). So, if the most important piece of legislature passed so far to protect women's rights against violence really hasn"t had any effect, when is a policy that is actually intended to help going to be passed""
Abstract This essay examines how the functionalist perspective can be applied to the social institution of education and discusses the social functions that play a positive role in society and the means by which this is achieved. The paper looks at the functions of education for society as a whole and the functional relationship between the education system and the social system as a whole.
From the Paper "Education is important in society; the structure and processes of education systems are related to the general process of socialisation (Van Krieken et al. 2000, p.191). Many sociologists may agree with this statement, but different sociologists have many views about how societies are structured and they have different views about the role of education in society. In all perspectives, schools are seen as social institutions, but these perspectives all have different ideas on how they socialise people and for what reasons. At first glance Marxist and Functionalist views seem very similar, this is because they are both social structuralist views, but Marxism is a conflict theory, and functionalism bases itself upon consensus, paying particular attention to the positive contribution that education makes to the overall maintenance of functioning of the social system. These very crucial differences mean that the two perspectives take on two different branches of the same tree."
Abstract This paper discusses how car accidents can be deadlier or equally damaging as gang violence, suicide, or drugs and alcohol and how, every year, thousands of teens die all over the world from motor vehicle crashes alone. It looks at how teenage drivers today are responsible for about five times as many fatal crashes per license holder as are drivers between the ages of thirty-five and sixty-four, and how, in many cases, carelessness, lack of experience, and poor decision making are the most likely contributing factors. It examines how teenagers are more at risk because of delinquency, irresponsibility, and peer pressure, and attempts to identify what measures can be taken to prevent these fatal accidents from occurring.
From the Paper "There appear to be several reasons or factors that can help explain the high teen crash rate: exposure, immaturity and risk taking behaviors, and lack of driving experience. Exposure, in this case, pertains to the time of day teens are on the roadways. (Mayhew DR, Simpson HM. New to the road: young drivers and novice drivers: similar problems and solutions? Ottawa (ON): Traffic Injury Research Foundation of Canada; 1990.) Teenage drivers do a greater proportion of their driving at night and on the weekends when the risks of crashing are the highest. Forty-five percent of all teenage motor vehicle deaths occur on weekends and 43% of all teenage motor vehicle deaths occur between 9 PM and 6 AM. Immaturity and risk taking behaviors of young drivers are also key factors in their involvement in motor vehicle crashes."
Abstract The first part of the paper examines the arguments of the pro-legalization side, focusing on those who argue that the drug can have medicinal purposes. The next part then examines the potential dangers of legalized marijuana use, both to the individual and to public health, in general. In the conclusion, the paper argues that marijuana use is not a "victimless" crime. The potential dangers that marijuana presents to individual and public health are best upheld by keeping marijuana illegal.
From the Paper "Recent ballot initiatives in states like California and Oregon asking for the decriminalization of marijuana use reveals a growing public acceptance of marijuana. The perception that marijuana is not dangerous has made drug enforcement even more difficult. Indeed, the debate over marijuana goes beyond health concerns, and touches issues such as crime and privacy as well."
Abstract This paper explains that the theories of the causality of alcoholism have changed dramatically over the last fifty years from being a learned behavior to being genetic. But now, the pendulum is slowly swinging back to viewing alcoholism as a learned behavior, with some element of genetic predisposition to the condition. The author points out that, if alcoholism is a learned behavior, it would, in fact, influence the way in which social workers treat alcoholics and their families. The paper concludes that research insists on addressing the issue of alcoholism as a complex one that, in all likelihood, includes genetic, behavioral, social, and psychological elements.
From the Paper "A number of researchers have investigated the question of whether or not alcoholism has a genetic component and, if so, how powerful that component is. This literature review summarizes some of the most recent research in this area. In general, researchers have found that there is a genetic element to alcoholism but that this element is not as important as the learned-behavior element of alcoholism. Research, such as that performed by Dawes et.al. (1999), reinforces the fact that even highly dysfunctional behavior can be learned."
Abstract This paper debates whether interracial relationships and, ultimately, marriages, erode cultural traditions and whether they cause a breakdown in racial solidarity. It looks at how interracial dating and marrying continues to increase as more and more individuals of once homogeneous communities are turning to an integrated way of life and accepting the idea that it is inside what counts. It also explores the reasons why family and friends tend to oppose interracial dating and discusses whether an interracial home life is harmful to a child.
From the Paper "Keeping black men and white women apart was the main purpose of Jim Crow. Gunnar Myrdal's landmark 1944 study found that Southern whites generally grasped that keeping blacks down also retarded their own economic progress, but whites felt that was the price they had to pay to make black men less attractive to white women. To the extent that white racism persists, it should limit the proportion of black-man/white-woman couples. Since these inequalities in interracial marriage are so
contrary to conventional expectations, what causes them? The mass media has preferred to ignore husband - wife disproportions entirely."
